Topicuk barnsley april2016

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F r e e

B u s i n e s s

C o m m u n i t y

M a g a z i n e

ISSUE 3 APRIL 2016

S o u t h

W W W.T O P I C U K . C O . U K

YORKSHIRE FLYING HIGH

College Wins National Award  Start up secures major contract  South Yorkshire festival 

Line up revealed

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Philmore & Co Business Rescue, Recovery & Insolvency Yorkshire’s Business Rescue & Recovery Experts • At Philmore & Co Ltd, as Insolvency Practitioners, we have over 40 years combined experience in assisting businesses and individuals in times of financial difficulty, providing our specialist recovery and insolvency expertise.

• Based in Huddersfield, the Practice offers informal and confidential advice, giving practical solutions to all types of businesses, including limited liability companies, partnerships and sole traders, as well as their creditors and other stakeholders in times of financial uncertaincy.

For an initial free consultation, please contact Paul Philmore or Diane Kinder.

Unit 8D, Barnsley Business & Innovation Centre, Innovation Way, Wilthorpe, Barnsley S75 1JL. Tel: +44 (0)1226249590 Email: enquiries@philmoreandco.com www.philmoreandco.com

Independent Education for Boys & Girls Aged 3-18

Silcoates School An all-round education with an academic edge

Silcoates School, Wrenthorpe, Wakefield, WF2 0PD 01924 291614 | enquiries@silcoates.org.uk www.silcoates.org.uk | Charity No. 1158796

SUMMARY & CONTENTS A focal point for more than 80 years

06 11 16

Do you have any interesting stories to share with us about Barnsley?

We would be interested in sharing them with our readers, so please do get in touch by emailing editor@topicuk.co.uk

COLLEGE Wins national award

TopicUK Official Charity Partner

DIESEL COMPANY On track to success

YORKSHIRE Time to take off

PICK UP YOUR COPY

FOR A FULL LIST OF WHERE YOU CAN PICK UP YOUR FREE COPY VISIT OUR WEBSITE: WWW.TOPICUK.CO.UK OR CALL ON:

07711 539047 

24 32 44

A NEW BARNSLEY a New Vibrant Town

PROTECT YOUR DATA Options for backing up

SOUTH YORKSHIRE FESTIVAL Line up revealed

Cover Image - Bryan Ledgard

The views expressed by the contributors are not necessarily those held by the publishers and therefore no responsibility can be held by the publisher for misinterpretation. Reproduction of this magazine without the express permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited.

Whilst every care is taken in the production of this magazine, the publisher/editor cannot accept any responsibility for errors in articles,

available throughout the region in key areas but our aim is to grow the magazine and deliver a return for our advertisers and partners. If you have a business reception or a high footfall through your premises, then let us know and we can arrange to have each issue delivered direct to you.

In this issue we highlight many of the successes that South Yorkshire businesses are experiencing. It would seem that the regions economy is benefiting from many of the initiatives generated by Enterprising Barnsley and BBIC, to name just a few.

Helen Ball, CEO of Barnsley Civic Theatre writes about ambitious plans for the future of Barnsley, including a new library, more restaurants and a redeveloped modern market. You can read Helen’s inspirational piece on page 24.

EDITORS NOTES

Welcome to the third issue of TopicUK, South Yorkshire and the first with myself as editor. I joined the Topic team in March and have been overwhelmed by how welcoming everyone has been.

The strength of TopicUK is based around the magazine having a local business community feel and this is something I have been passionate about throughout my career. I have been a freelance journalist for 20 years and I am looking forward to building relationships with the people that make South Yorkshire tick!

Huge thank you to everyone who has contributed to this issue, we simply couldn’t do it without you. Already we have regular contributors, but we’re always looking for more. If you’re business is any of following areas then we would love to hear from you; recruitment, banking and legal matters.

We’re also looking for further distribution points. TopicUK South Yorkshire is already

Our restaurant reviewer, Anthony Hegney of Asparagus Green takes a trip to The Old Post Office this month and reviews the newly refurbished restaurant, and after reading his review you’ll be booking a table!

One of the regular (and most popular) features of the magazine is the Local Hero section. This month we’ve highlighted Barnsley’s very own folk singer Kate Rusby and you can read about the family organised festival on pages 42 - 44.

If you know of anyone that has championed the cause for local businesses and deserves the recognition, then please do get in touch.

As always, we welcome any feedback or suggestions on how we can make TopicUK stronger and more prominent in the business community, simply send me an email on cat@topicuk.co.uk or contact me on 07741 271 788.

Cat Yaffe

TopicUK GROUP EDITOR Gill Laidler EDITOR

CAT YAFFE

CREATIVE DIRECTOR ROB BLACKWELL

LOCAL HEROES EDITOR

THE ARTS

HELEN BALL, BARNSLEY CIVIC

FASHION

KATIE PORTMAN

FOOD & RESTAURANT REVIEW ANTHONY HEGNEY, ASPARAGUS GREEN

WANT TO PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS IN THE SOUTH YORKSHIRE AREA? TopicUK can reach thousands of readers using both our printed and digital media at costs affordable to any size of business.

Full page advert £350.00 Half page advert £225.00 Quarter page advert £175.00 Should you want to become a sponsor, there are packages available that will give you a full page advert in every issue for one year, free editorial in each edition as well as free space on our website which currently enjoys up to 18,000 monthly visitors.

To take advantage of the superb offers available, call us now on 07711 539047 or email cat@topicuk.co.uk

Tel: 07741 271 788 - cat@topicuk.co.uk - www.topicuk.co.uk - Ghost Publishing Ltd - Suite 6 Unity Works Westgate Wakefield WF1 1EP advertisements or programme schedules. To subscribe to this magazine, submit an article or press release please contact Gill Laidler on: 07741 271 788 or email editor@topicuk.co.uk Published by Ghost Publishing Limited.

NewsUpdate

College wins national awards

Jenny Maria collecting the award

Barnsley College is the proud receiver of two national awards from the Apprenticeships 4 England Apprenticeship Awards 2016.

The college was crowned Gold in the Colleges Award, and Bronze in the Support to the Apprenticeship Sector (for individuals and organisations that support employers and apprentices) Award.

The awards recognise outstanding examples of quality, best practice, innovation and excellence in apprenticeship delivery.

The prestigious event was held in February, at the Emirates Stadium, London.

Christopher Webb, Chief Executive and Principal at Barnsley College, said: “It’s a great honour for us to receive these awards. They recognise the college’s ongoing commitment to the promotion and delivery of apprenticeships in South Yorkshire, and demonstrate the hard work and dedication of our staff and partners.

“The college works with over 2,000 businesses across the region including national chains like XPO Logistics,

Asda, KFC and Premier Inn to provide apprenticeships and other training solutions, and it’s in the top five UK providers for apprenticeship success.”

For more information about the services we offer to businesses, contact the Work Based Learning Team : employer@barnsley.ac.uk +44 (0)1226 216 166 www.barnsley.ac.uk.

Capital B Media appoints new account manager Mary Ferguson has joined media training and PR consultancy Capital B Media as account manager.

Mary, age 31, has been appointed following a move to Millhouse Green from Cheshire, where she managed the PR and communications for a hospice charity.

She has ten years of experience spanning the private and third sector, having previously worked for a fitness and 6

wellness company, social enterprise and publishing firm.

Mary, who specialises in copywriting, will be managing accounts with key clients in the company’s portfolio which include the Care Quality Commission, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire fire services; South Yorkshire and Derbyshire

Two Barnsley companies collaborate to create theme park installations Two local companies have collaborated on theme park installations for parks as far apart as Alton Towers and Legoland in Chicago.

company’s turnover has doubled each month since it moved to its premises at Carlton Industrial Estate about 18 months ago. And it has taken on two new members of staff, with plans to take on more.“We are about to buy a fourth specialist cutting machine to keep up with demand,” said Earl. “It is one of the biggest of its kind in the country.

And we are beginning to think that maybe we need bigger premises too. We have already had to create a mezzanine floor with offices, but if the work keeps coming in we will outgrow this space.”

Themesparx, which is based at Dodworth, has been working with Laserweb of Carlton, to create bespoke installations which need intricate designs cutting out.

Themesparx supplies sets, sculptures, moving characters and special effects for theme parks across the UK and all over the world. Laserweb have specialist equipment which uses lasers to cut or engrave anything from woods to plastics.

Both companies are being backed by Enterprising Barnsley, the business support arm of Barnsley Council.

The two companies have worked together on designs for the moon voyager-themed bedrooms at the Alton Towers Hotel; a pirate-themed play area at Legoland Discovery Center in Chicago, and installations at an animal park in Sweden, as well as several other theme park fittings, most of which are still under wraps.

Earl Holdsworth, who set up Laserweb with his son Daniel, less than two years ago in a garage, said: “It’s mindblowing where our work ends up. We have supplied tea light holders to Denmark,

police; Magna Science Adventure Centre; Enterprising Barnsley and Pulmonary Hypertension Association UK. Mary started her working life as a journalist in Barnsley and developed her career as editor of a Londonbased fitness magazine, before being appointed as PR and marketing manager for a gym chain and county sports partnership. In 2015 she implemented and developed the PR

Earl (left) and Daniel Holdsworth

“Knowing experts from Enterprising Barnsley are there has been crucial for our growth and I am sure will help us in the future,”

Laserweb has been given advice by Enterprising Barnsley over its website and funding. Themesparx has been helped with marketing.

serving platters to restaurants in Hong Kong and Dubai, and now a ship’s mast for a theme park in Chicago.

“Knowing experts from Enterprising Barnsley are there has been crucial for our growth and I am sure will help us in the future,” said Earl.

“It just shows that the equipment we have can be used for just about anything.

We can cut almost anything, we can engrave almost anything.”

Enterprising Barnsley offers a wide range of business support to small and medium-sized businesses with growth potential.

Other jobs Laserweb has worked on include engraving perfume bottles; cutting out plate stands, wooden postcards and plastic cake stands.

Steve Hawkins, sector growth manager at Enterprising Barnsley, said: “It’s great to see such innovative and exciting work going on in Barnsley and it’s brilliant to see two companies working together so successfully.”

The variety of work means that the

and communications function for St. Rocco’s Hospice in Warrington.

She said: “I’ve moved back to South Yorkshire to be closer to family and develop my career and I’m delighted to have joined Capital B Media and be based in such a beautiful part of the county. I have joined the company at such a key time in its growth and I look forward to working with the diverse range of clients and helping the business develop alongside such a S o u t h

talented and enthusiastic team.”

Capital B Media director, Kate Betts, said: “We’re really pleased to welcome Mary to the team and are confident her skills and experience will be of huge benefit to us. “This year is looking bright for Capital B, with new clients on board and turnover on track to be up by over 30 per cent this financial year, so we’re all looking forward to what the future holds.” www.capitalbmedia.co.uk/

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NewsUpdate

Expansion and relocation for local manufacturer

A specialist Barnsley manufacturer is moving in to larger premises to increase production and extend its product range. customers and distributors in order to achieve our increase in sales last year.

“We were delighted with this fantastic growth in our core business, but didn’t want to stop there, hence our decision to explore a whole new market for our products in 2016.”

Adomast launches its new product range aimed at homeowners, gardeners, car and boat enthusiasts this month. The Profinish range, including products such as patio cleaning fluid, wood filler and bodywork treatments, will be sold via builders’ merchants, DIY and specialist stores like Wicks, Halfords and B&Q - and through the company’s new e-commerce website.

Adomast, which supplies chemical products to the UK construction industry, is to move into a 24,000 sq ft building on Carlton Industrial Estate. The firms new home will be more than double the size of its existing base in nearby Shafton.

A £100,000 investment in new equipment, including an additional 50 litre storage tank, specialist mixing tanks and a semi-automated filling and dispensing line, will accompany the move.

Adomast’s expansion will enable the company to increase production, extend 8

the range of products it offers existing customers; and launch a new line of products aimed at new buyers in the trade and DIY market.

The move follows a year of growth for Adomast which saw sales increase by 45 per cent to £1.25 million in 2015.

Managing director Denise Wolstenholme, who took up her post in 2012, said: “Now is the perfect time to invest in growth at Adomast. The company has an established reputation as a supplier to the construction industry and we made a huge effort to develop our relationships with UK

Denise said: “Traditionally all our products have been sold to customers in giant 200 litre drums, but we realised that, packaged and presented on a smaller scale, we could supply a different market and create a new income stream for the business.

“In our new home we’ll have the capacity to manufacture more product and hope our new venture will quickly generate even more demand in our new market. We hope for an additional £1 million worth of sales through this initiative within 12 months.”

Adomast has been helped to develop this new side of the business through the Click

e-commerce accelerator programme, which is funded

by Enterprising Barnsley, a business support programme delivered by Barnsley Council.

Adomast’s workforce has also grown from seven to 11 in the last year too and it plans to create three new jobs in 2016.

Denise is currently talking to Barnsley College about taking on a second apprentice, in business administration, and is advertising for a new sales representative.

Enterprising Barnsley business development manager Paul Tinsley said: “It’s great to see Adomast not only growing their core business but also seizing the initiative and developing their products for a completely new market. Their ambition is leading to real growth and new jobs in the Barnsley economy, and we wish them every success in their new premises on Carlton Industrial Estate.”

Enterprising Barnsley offers a wide range of business support to small and mediumsized businesses with growth potential. On the Click e-commerce programme, participants are taught how to research the market, create a website, protect intellectual property and trade online; plus develop a brand and get business basics in place, including logistics, sales, marketing, social media and finances.

Rotherham women’s confidence network expands A new Rotherham network set up to help women build confidence and self-esteem has already expanded with the appointment of an additional group leader.

confidence, styling and colouring.

As well as expanding Girlie Gatherings, Joanne is starting to build up her own business again which will focus on helping women to adapt their attitude towards money.

Joanne said: “Women can have a strange attitude towards money and success.

They often put their own blocks on success so I’ll be working with women who run their own business or work from home to help them develop a more positive attitude towards money.”

Julie Hampshire, from Brampton Bierlow, said: “I am delighted to welcome Joanne as the first Girlie Gatherings licensee.

Julie Hampshire and Joanne Outram Girlie Gatherings was registered as a social enterprise in June 2015 by Julie Hampshire, to make life coaching accessible and affordable to all women.

Julie, a life coach herself, has since held monthly meetings at Wath-on-Dearne.

Now, Joanne Outrum from Ravenfield has become a licensee and will hold her own Girlie Gatherings in Wickersley.

Joanne said: “I went to a few meetings and found the topics so interesting. As well as subjects relating to personal development the meetings covered alternative interests, such as numerology – all topics that are out there but we don’t know anything about!”

Until about five years ago Joanne ran her own business, but personal circumstances led to her walking away from the business which severely impacted on her own self-confidence.

She said: “When you have been through a difficult period it can be hard to put yourself back out there to meet new people. I had shied away from networking as I had lost that confidence but I found Girlie Gatherings to be something completely different.

“To a certain extent it is networking, but on a very relaxed and more personal level. The meetings helped me regain my confidence and feel more comfortable meeting new people. When Julie started talking about her plans to extend the Girlie Gatherings network at one of the meetings I said I’d love to become a licensee for my area.”

Joanne will host monthly Girlie Gatherings at Wickersley Library, usually on the last Monday of the month.

She is currently devising a schedule for the year but plans to cover a variety of topics at the meetings, including ‘alternative interests’, motivation, S o u t h

“Having spent much of her career in responsible and influential positions in business, Joanne not only has the professional skills but has experienced challenges in her personal life that put her in an excellent position to motivate and inspire other women.”

While developing the concept of Girlie Gatherings over the last four years Julie has met and teamed up with four other dynamic ladies who have become directors of the business. The aim is to develop and broaden women emotionally, intellectually, physically and spiritually.

Julie runs monthly meetings at The Dearnesman in Wath-upon-Dearne.

Information about meetings run by Julie and Joanne can be found at www. girliegatherings.co.uk.

Julie plans to recruit more licensees so the Girlie Gatherings network eventually has events running across the UK. There will also be an online community, known as ‘Your Confidence Coach Online’ where members can interact and take advantage of online resources such as training and life coaching videos.

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NewsUpdate

Sheffield volunteer group handed top safety award A Sheffield volunteer group which works to help make the area’s workplaces safer has been honoured for its efforts with a top award from Safety Groups UK (SGUK).

Sheffield Occupational Health and Safety Association (SOHSA) has been handed a Gold at the annual Alan Butler Awards, which recognise excellence and achievement of organisations within the Safety Groups UK movement.

Tracey Stubbs, honorary secretary to SOHSA, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded the Alan Butler Gold Award for the sixth consecutive year, especially as Alan Butler was a past chairman of SOHSA.

SGUK is made up of around 70 local voluntary organisations, which each consist of health and safety professionals who give up their free time to promote, share information and offer practical help to employers in their communities in a bid to prevent accidents and ill health at work.

“SOHSA strives to help local businesses to support local companies and individuals in their quest for improved health and safety performance and thirst for relevant knowledge.

This is done via our meetings, our website plus via our social media sites.”

SOHSA was handed the award for continuing to build on its successes of the previous year, when it also picked up the prestigious Gold. During the awards ceremony, it was praised for providing a focused and meaningful programme, its communications approach, and retention of its members.

A highlight of the group’s year was its 94th annual conference, The Silent H. Lord Brougham and Vaux, president of SGUK, and John Cairns, SGUK’s chairman, presented the awards during a ceremony at the House of Lords.

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An independent panel of judges for the award considered factors such as how groups communicated with the community and other members; their programme of events, seminars and topics offered through the year; member recruitment and retention; and how groups supported the Health and Safety Executive and its strategy.

John Cairns said: “A tremendous day was had by all at the House of Lords to celebrate the outstanding efforts and achievements of local safety groups. A capacity audience was present both at the morning meeting and the afternoon awards ceremony.”

Pictured (Left to Right): Nichola Hawden, Tom Wotton, Ian Bragger

Harris+Co appoint three Associate Partners Barnsley-based Chartered Accountants and Chartered Tax Advisers, Harris+Co has announced the appointment of 3 new Principals in the firm with the promotion of Ian Bragger, Nichola Hawden and Tom Wotton as Associate Partners, bringing its total number of Principals to 8.

Harris+Co Partner Ian Garner said: “We have seen very strong growth in our business in recent years, and particularly over the last 18 months, with a very active and confident client-base, many of which have invested in their businesses and themselves achieved strong growth, either organically or by acquisition. In addition, we have grown our client-base with some excellent new client wins across all sectors of our business.”

“We are delighted to announce the promotion of Nichola, Ian and Tom as Associate Partners which reflects our confidence in the future, and is great news for local businesses and for the regional economy.

Their promotions build on our significant investment in training, development and

recruitment in recent years, including the appointment of 3 new experienced hires in summer 2015, with further recruitment also currently underway. We now have 14 Chartered Accountants and Chartered Certified Accountants, together with 6 Chartered Tax Advisers which is one of the strongest teams in the region.”

Ian Bragger, Nichola Hawden and Tom Wotton joined Harris & Co on graduate training contracts between 2005 and 2007, each qualifying as Chartered Accountants 3 years later, with Nichola and Tom then going on to qualify as Chartered Tax Advisers.

Nichola is the firm’s first female Principal, a business and personal tax specialist and also has a lead role in the firm’s GP and healthcare work. Tom is also a general tax specialist and, like Ian, advises a wide range of businesses as a general practitioner. In addition, Ian has a lead role in the firm’s growing academy schools sector.

Barnsley diesel tuning company on the right track to success

Twin brothers from Barnsley who started their business in a garden shed are moving up a gear after relocating their specialist automotive business into purpose-built, self-designed premises. a success and we’re looking to add four or five more people to the team by the end of the year. We’re a strong believer in that we have a lot of talent within Yorkshire, so we’re always trying to recruit people from within the local area.

“We want to recruit experts within particular areas who can allow us to grow further and take the business onto another level.”

Darkside are planning to offer their services for BMW vehicles in the near future.

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arkside Developments, based at Park Springs, Grimethorpe, specialise in tuning diesel engines for Audi, Volkswagen, Seat and Skoda vehicles.

through Enterprising Barnsley, the business development arm of the Barnsley Council.

The company also offer a wide range of bespoke tuning products, fabrication, diagnostics, service and repairs as well as supplying new and used car parts.

Darkside, which was set-up in 2010 and is run by brothers Scott and Ryan Parkin, supply parts to 70 dealers worldwide.

They employ 11 members of staff and moved from their rented premises last August, investing £750,000 in their current 10,000 sq ft home.

Due to the growing reputation and demand for products, the company plans to expand further into an acre of land they own behind their current premises and also take on more members of staff in the coming year.

Also on-site are sister company SRS Automotive, who are an Environment Agency approved end of life vehicle company, who buy salvaged motors to strip down and sell the parts to customers across the world.

The business is backed

by Barnsley Business and Innovation Centre (BBIC)

Scott, aged 26, said: “We’ve worked tirelessly over the past six years to make the company

allowing them to maintain low external noise levels, and exhaust gases pass through filters to capture diesel particulates.

Kevin Steel, Enterprising Barnsley’s business development manager at BBIC, said: “A huge amount of credit should be given to both Scott and Ryan. To start in a garden shed, then move into huge premises and now to be known all over the world in the space of six years is a remarkable achievement.

The company attracts customers from around the UK and across the world, even taking direct orders from America, Australia and the Caribbean.

“They spotted a gap in the market and worked extremely hard to get to this stage, and it’s great that such a growing and successful business is situated right here in Barnsley.”

Scott said: “In one week, we had somebody visit us from Aberdeen and someone else from Portsmouth and a customer from South Wales.

We’ve even had a guy drive all the way from Norway for us to tune his engine and fabricate a custom exhaust system.”

Alongside tuning and distributing parts, Darkside also have several race cars they use to showcase the business. They currently boast the UK’s fastest front wheel drive diesel in a Seat Arosa they have converted to a 2.0 TDI Engine.

Late last year the company invested almost £250,000 on a new purpose built unit, or cell, to house their Chassis Dyno, more commonly known as a ‘rolling road’. The cell is fitted with a bespoke extraction system, allowing them to closely replicate real driving conditions inside a soundproof and temperature controlled environment.

Its record time stands at 10.1 seconds at 148mph over a quarter of a mile, with a 0-60mph time of less than 3 seconds.

The Dyno Cell is separate to the rest of their main unit S o u t h

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Scott said: “We love the thrill of racing but for us it’s not just about winning. For us, it’s a chance to show our customers what we do and what they can aspire to achieve from their vehicles. We’ve brought in a lot of business from racing in the Arosa.”

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Feature

In the first of a series of articles online marketing expert Cat Yaffe introduces the subject of Content Marketing and why it plays an important role in any businesses online marketing strategy.

A Beginners Guide to

Content Marketing Content Marketing is a crucial part of any marketing strategy and search engine optimisation plan. From blogging to podcasts and video’s, these are components of the content marketing strategy. In this article we’ll look at the most common and actionable ones that you can start doing today!

Blogs This is probably the most common form of content marketing. It should be integrated into your website to maximise the SEO benefits and ideally updated 2 to 3 times per week. To keep momentum and motivation you should have a publishing calendar. This doesn’t have to be complicated, a simple monthly calendar template will do. Look at the dates, is there anything happening in your industry that you can tie a blog post to? For example, an accountancy practice would mark the upcoming budget and start blogging about the potential changes in the run up to the Chancellors statement, with a follow up 12

post highlighting the main points after the event.

Podcasts These are short, voice driven recordings that are available to listen online or to download onto your device. Similar to on-demand radio, you can listen to the shows you want to, when you want to and they’re available on all kinds of subjects from your favourite radio station to pilates classes. So why not on your business? Do you have useful regular content you can share in a multiple of ways? Then podcasting could be part of your mix.

Video / Vblogging Video is a great way to share content, and you can be as creative as your budget will allow. Communicating your brand story visually gives your brand a personality. It doesn’t matter if you use graphics to interpret this (for those who are camera shy) or whether it’s yourself or your team. It doesn’t even need to be

long – 2 minutes is the optimum before viewers switch off. And there are so many tools out there to enable you to do this, depending on your budget.

Social Media Surprised to see this here? Tweets, status updates, Linkedin discussions, Instagram posts – all count as content and are vital in sharing your content across the web.

The objective behind content marketing is to encourage engagement with your audience. It’s an opportunity for you to establish yourself and your business as thought leaders, experts in your chosen field. Be helpful, be consistent but above all create content that makes the reader STOP, THINK & ACT on the content they’ve read.

To find out more take a look at:

www.catherineyaffe.co.uk

NewsUpdate

Start-up secures major contract win A Barnsley electrical engineering company has secured the contract to maintain and service the electrical equipment for Bannatyne’s health clubs, spas and hotels across the UK after only setting-up business five months ago.

Shaun Pursley and Sean Smith set the company up in November and are already working as the main electrical testing contractor to Bannatyne’s Fitness Ltd, which has 65 health clubs and five hotels ranging from Inverness to Eastbourne.

Shaun originally rang up Bannatyne’s head office by chance to enquire about work and got through to one of the main directors, who invited them to their head office in Darlington.

While there, the company were asked to service one of the health clubs as a trial run and impressed with their workmanship. They were then asked to service electrical items for all Bannatyne’s health clubs and hotels.

Shaun said: “We both went three months unpaid in order to set-up the business so it’s an absolutely great contract to win. We were so star-struck to get this opportunity after only starting four months ago, but it’s testament to the work we’ve put in to get to this stage and we’re now reaping the rewards at such an early stage.”

Nationwide Electrical has since taken on its first member of staff to help service Bannatyne’s and to keep up with increasing demand for their services, which include electrical maintenance, installation, security systems, portable

appliance testing (PAT) and risk assessment.

The company has been helped to set-up by the business support programme SmartStart, which is provided by Barnsley Business and Innovation Centre (BBIC), working in partnership with Barnsley Council, for business support.

Shaun and Sean, both 25, have known each other for 15 years, and both took apprentices at City and Guilds in electrical testing and installation. As the company grows, they are looking to take on apprentices.

Sean said: “We both had such great experiences with our apprenticeships and we’ve had first-hand experience of how well they work.

“We both agreed that if we made the jump to start our own business, we’d look to take on apprentices and give them the same opportunity that somebody gave us.”

S o u t h

Nationwide Electrical, who have just moved into their new offices at BBIC, offer their services to all commercial, domestic, retail and industrial customers.

The company has also become an approved electrical supplier to Barnsley Council. They have received full accreditation by British Standards, become an approved contractor by NICEIC (National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting) and gained their ISO 9001.

BBIC’s SmartStart business development manager Sarah Valentine said: “It’s great to see Shaun and Sean at Nationwide Electrical secure such a big contract within their first four months of trading.

“They’ve taken everything we’ve taught them into account and gone onto succeed in the scary start-up world and look to be on a path to success, which was evident from the moment that we met them.”

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NewsUpdate

Vice Principal goes back to the floor

A Vice Principal from Barnsley College celebrated National Apprenticeship Week 2016 by going back to the floor at FareShare Yorkshire.

Phil Briscoe, Vice Principal of Quality at the college, swapped his suit for a hi-viz jacket and went to help out on the warehouse floor at the food distribution charity based in Wombwell and saw how the staff, apprentices and volunteers are making a difference for local communities.

FareShare Yorkshire is a charity that saves food destined for waste and sends it to over 227 charities and community groups across the region who then turn it into meals for vulnerable people.

First opened in 1998, FareShare now employs eleven full time staff, including three apprentices, and has twenty-five volunteers who help out throughout the week.

Phil rolled up his sleeves and spent the morning helping staff load the vans ready for ‘drop offs’ across the region. He then

joined Level 2 Warehousing and Storage Apprentice, Keeley Neal, and driver, Dave Greenwood, on the first van run of the day to a community centre in Rotherham.

Phil said: “Seeing what FareShare do for the community was a really inspiring experience. I feel proud that the college works with companies like FareShare to help the local area grow. I was really taken aback by the apprentices we have training at the company, their positivity and dedication to their roles is impressive. They are really inspiring young people.

“It’s hard to imagine the sheer amount of food wasted year in, year out but FareShare is making the most of surplus food and ensuring those who need support receive it. You can’t help but admire their hard work.”

FareShare is currently training three

apprentices from the college in Warehousing and Storage, and Supply Chain Management. They also provide work experience for a number of work preparation courses ran by the college.

Gareth Batty, Chief Executive of FareShare Yorkshire, said: “Working with the college is a great partnership of two organisations working to support local job seekers into long term employment.

The charity benefits significantly from the work of our apprentices to ensure that we can continue to redistribute over 51 tonnes of food every month across the region.”

For more information about the range of apprenticeships available at Barnsley College, contact the Work Based Learning Team on +44 (0)1226 216 166, email employer@barnsley.ac.uk or visit www.barnsley.ac.uk

Recruitment agency awarded gold sta

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rovide Education has gained REC Audited Education Gold Status for the second time, following an audit to reassess its safeguarding practices.

The award is the highest national accreditation for safeguarding children by the professional body which regulates the UK’s recruitment industry, the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC).

Barry Simmons 14

Provide Education, based in

Barugh Green, was one of the first recruitment agencies in the UK to gain the award in 2014. To retain it, the company underwent a thorough inspection of its policies and procedures, spot-checks and interviews with its agency staff.

The accreditation comes as Provide Education celebrates ten years of business, offering a 24-hour rapid response recruitment service to help more than 500 schools in West and South Yorkshire and the East

Talent United celebrates milestone Talent United and The Copthorne Hotel Sheffield are celebrating their partnership as the hotel becomes the 100th business to sign up to the employer engagement initiative.

The Copthorne Hotel Sheffield is part of the global Millennium and Copthorne Hotels and Resorts group.

The hotel joins a growing list of employers across a range of industries and sectors, including SMEs and national companies, such as NPS Barnsley, Triple Ps Ltd, Barmy Bunting, Henry Boot Construction Ltd and Safetynett (UK) Ltd.Tim Cadman, General Manager at

The Copthorne Hotel Sheffield, said “At the Copthorne Hotel Sheffield we are delighted to be working with Barnsley College and their Talent United programme.

It is so important that businesses like ours close the gap between education and employment and create exciting and relevant work

based opportunities for young people thus helping them prepare for the workplace.”

Christopher Webb, Chief Executive and Principal of Barnsley College, said: “The Talent United initiative is generating fantastic opportunities for our students.

Support from local businesses, like The Copthorne Hotel

Sheffield, provides an invaluable insight in to the world of work and inspires the next generation of employees.”

To find out more about Talent United or to join the initiative contact Barnsley College by calling +44 (0)1226 216 166, emailing TalentUnited@ barnsley.ac.uk or visiting www.barnsley.ac.uk.

andard for vetting teachers Midlands fill supply jobs and permanent vacancies. It has more than 2,000 teachers, teaching assistants and nursery nurses on its books, as well as other nonteaching staff.

team and all our staff who work tirelessly at Provide to ensure that the strict policies and procedures are adhered to and followed every single day.

The company was set up in 2006 by former teacher Barry Simmons and his co-director, experienced recruitment consultant Katie Buckle.

“The safety of the children within the schools we work with is paramount and we will continue to work hard to make sure our high standards continue. Here’s to the next ten years!”

Barry said: “We’re thrilled to have passed the audit with flying colours to retain the gold award, in the same year that we turn ten. I’m very proud of our compliance

The REC is the professional body for the recruitment industry, committed to raising standards and highlighting excellence. The REC introduced a S o u t h

detailed audit for education agencies in 2013 which focuses on safeguarding procedures. Agencies must prove they comply with and exceed all legal requirements for recruiting, vetting, supporting and managing teachers and non-teaching staff going to work with young people. Agencies are re-assessed every two years.

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NewsUpdate

It is take off time for Yorkshire

as new link to the motorway officially opens in Doncaster A major link road, which will cut journey times to the UK’s fastest growing airport and help to create thousands of new jobs and homes in Doncaster, has officially opened on 29th February as Great Yorkshire Way. Planning for the link from the south of Doncaster to Junction 3 of the M18 started over a decade ago as part of the Finningley and Rossington Regeneration Route Scheme (FARRRS).

The three mile long section has now opened and been named to acknowledge its prominence as a prime gateway into Yorkshire and to reflect its importance as a catalyst for transforming the regional economy.

Boost Great Yorkshire Way is already facilitating significant new developments along its corridor including the first two high quality logistics units at the £400million iPort and the first of 1,200 new homes at Torne Park on the regenerated former Rossington Colliery site. It will also significantly reduce journey times to Yorkshire’s Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield, bringing an extra one million potential passengers to within a 60 minute drive.

Great Yorkshire Way is predicted to trigger £1.7billion of private sector investment creating 20,000 new jobs and 5,000 new homes. It is also expected to provide a three per cent boost to the Sheffield City Region’s economy.

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Opening Great Yorkshire Way with the partners who help deliver the scheme, Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, said: “This is a landmark occasion and the culmination of years of hard work to deliver one of the most important projects ever seen in Doncaster.

“Great Yorkshire Way is not only the gateway to the Sheffield City Region and Yorkshire it is the gateway to unprecedented levels of private sector investment which in turns sees thousands of new jobs and homes created. The local and regional economy is being transformed by this infrastructure scheme as many of the expected outcomes are already coming to fruition with the expansion of our fantastic Doncaster Sheffield Airport, the exciting iPort project really starting to take shape and brand new homes being built in Rossington.

Momentous

“It’s an exemplary project and great advertisement for collaboration between the public and private sectors. Today is a great day for Doncaster and a day that benefits all of the Sheffield City Region and Yorkshire.”

Steve Gill, managing director of Doncaster Sheffield Airport said: “This is truly a momentous day.

“The opening of The Great Yorkshire Way delivers greatly enhanced connectivity to the Sheffield City

© Shaun Flannery Photography 2015

region’s airport, placing Doncaster Sheffield Airport within minutes of the UK’s major motorway network and bringing global business closer to Sheffield’s £28 billion economy.

“We have already begun to see impressive planned growth as a result of the new road with increased capacity from our incumbent airlines Thomson and Wizz and new airline Aer Lingus and Flybe seeing the potential of flying from the Sheffield City Region.

Peter Nears, Strategic Planning Director, The Peel Group said: “We are proud to have invested more than 160 million in the airport and the opening of the new link road is a tribute to a strong partnership with both the public and private sectors. It is also a symbol of

and Verdion to make the most of this fantastic new infrastructure and turn the area into a Northern Powerhouse demonstrator project - delivering thousands of new homes, jobs and supporting export-led growth.”

Nigel Brewster, Vice Chair of Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), said: “This is excellent news for the Sheffield City Region economy and shows global investors that our City Region is an even better place to do business than ever before.

Easier

Peel’s wider commitment to the Northern Powerhouse.

This gateway to the Sheffield City Region project is truly transformational and the new road will be a huge draw to passengers, business and cargo bringing huge economic benefits to the region.”

Excellent Michael Hughes, CEO of Verdion, comments: “The opening of the Great Yorkshire Way is a key milestone: the final road link that seal’s iPort’s strategic position in Doncaster, one of the UK’s strongest logistic locations with excellent motorway links and close

proximity to the Humber Ports. Seeing is believing, and now we can see the link road open, bringing the scheme that much closer to the Doncaster Sheffield Airport, and our first two speculative units being built, getting closer to completion.

In addition, work has now started on the iPort Rail facility, the final piece of the intermodal picture.”

Owen Michaelson, Chief Executive of Harworth Estates, said: “Great Yorkshire Way has been a long time coming and I applaud Doncaster Council in getting this delivered. The challenge now is for ourselves, Peel

The airport link road takes our City Region a step closer to delivering its vision of creating 70,000 new jobs and 6,000 new businesses over the next decade. Crucially, it makes getting into and out of the Sheffield City Region faster and easier for thousands of holiday makers and international business people who live and work here. It has already led to major new flights from Sheffield City Region to some of the biggest airport hubs in Europe including Paris, Berlin and Amsterdam.”

Don Valley MP Caroline Flint said: “The idea for the link road came to life when Doncaster Sheffield Airport was given the green light.

It seems strange that a few miles of road should be such a big deal.

But the key to Doncaster’s success is connectivity – easily getting from one place to the next. Doncaster is a gateway to the North and thanks to Great Yorkshire Way, where people go, jobs and opportunities follow. All S o u t h

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of this, thanks to a few miles of road. Not bad.”

This innovative scheme, project managed by Doncaster Council has been delivered by a unique team made from the very best of the public and private sectors. The partnership between Doncaster Council, Peel Group, Verdion and Harworth Estates plus Mott MacDonald’s design and Carillion’s construction expertise made this £56million road a reality.

The Peel Group, Verdion and Harworth Estates contributed £34million to the scheme to add to £18million of Regional Growth Funding with the balance met by the council.

The scheme also received extensive backing from the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, Doncaster Chamber and the business and residential communities.

Work started in October 2013 and mountains were literally moved to complete the project. Six new bridges were built, including an impressive 12 metre high structure to carry the road over the East Coast Main Line with highway embankments built by re-using a million tonnes of material from the old colliery spoil heap.

To mark the opening of Great Yorkshire Way the Vulcan flower display has been relocated from the Tudworth roundabout at the A614/A18 junction and will provide a great signpost for people travelling to Doncaster Sheffield Airport.

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NewsUpdate

FLYBE TAKES OFF FROM DONCASTER SHEFFIELD AIRPORT Passengers from Yorkshire’s Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield have flown off to Paris Charles de Gaulle on Flybe’s inaugural flight from Doncaster, part of an eight new route deal, as the airline announces a new business route to Dusseldorf that will be available for booking from 31st March, 2016.

This morning’s Embraer 195 jet aircraft set off from Doncaster Sheffield Airport to Paris emblazoned with eye-catching Welcome to Yorkshire livery. The aircraft will promote the Yorkshire region to potential tourists across Europe and the UK, as part of the new deal that recently saw Doncaster Sheffield Airport and Flybe announced as the official airport and airline partner of the tourism agency respectively.

Steve Gill, managing director of Doncaster Sheffield Airport, said: “We are delighted to see the first Flybe flight taking passengers to Paris this morning. Our new motorway

link road, Great Yorkshire Way, opened just in time for the new influx of passengers, making journeys to the airport much quicker and bringing six million people to within an hour’s drive.”

The introduction of these new routes will see Flybe deliver the largest number of departures from the Yorkshire airport, offering some 42 extra flights per week meaning 500,000 extra new flight seats are available to Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Jersey, Newquay, Malaga, Alicante and Faro.

“We are also delighted to announce that today (24 March) Flybe has strengthened its commitment with a further new route and expansion of its Berlin services. New flights to Dusseldorf are set to commence for the winter season. Services to Berlin will also increase from four weekly to daily, due to unprecedented demand from the Sheffield City regions business community.”

Providing the Sheffield City Region with the business services it needs has long been an ambition and now that these services are here we must see the region using them. Passenger demand to date has exceeded expectations. This is a phenomenal start but there is still much work to do,” added Steve.

Vincent Hodder, chief revenue officer, Flybe said “Today is a day we have been working towards for a long time

with eight brand new routes starting over the next few days from a brand new base – and we are delighted to announce details of yet another new route with a service to Dusseldorf. We are confident we have created a schedule that delivers attractive travel options that are both appealing and affordable as well as providing opportunities for onward global connections. Flybe prides itself on offering great value fares and a convenient, fast, reliable service to some very popular destinations. We look forward to welcoming all our new passengers on board.”

Sir Gary Verity, CEO of Welcome to Yorkshire said: “We are delighted to be able to work alongside Doncaster Sheffield Airport and Flybe to take the Yorkshire brand to the skies across Europe. The new services to Paris, Amsterdam, Dusseldorf and Berlin have the potential to bring an additional 65,000 international visitors to the region which can only be good news for the Yorkshire economy.

“I’m sure the aircraft livery will be a real winner with cycling fans and of course this is befitting of Le Tour de Yorkshire on 30th April which will see the second stage finish in Doncaster passing by the airport.”

Sir Nigel Knowles, chair of the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), said: “It is fantastic to see these new routes starting from our airport, increased international connectivity is key to driving economic growth for the Sheffield City Region. In particular having routes to some of the biggest airport hubs in Amsterdam, Berlin and Paris will give businesses in our region better access to markets, boosting international trade from and into the City Region. I hope companies will embrace these new routes and spread the word about our City Region on their travels.”

The extra seats will see Doncaster Sheffield Airport experience double-digit growth in 2016 with the additional seats and growth from other incumbent carriers expected to take passenger figures from 900,000 in 2015 to 1.35 million in 2016.

For further details visit: www.robinhoodairport.com

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South Yorkshire area final update

Young Enterprise companies in the South Yorkshire area, have recently been competing within area finals, hoping to secure a place in the Yorkshire and Humber County final.

Best Innovation and Entrepreneurship for their product, which incorporates used coffee beans in the growing process.

After strong competition from companies offering a range of products, South Yorkshire now have four outstanding companies, ‘Green Bean Company’, ‘Inbition’, ‘Doggy DIY’ and ‘MADE in Yorkshire’ , raring to represent their area.

‘Green Bean Company’, a company from Ridgewood Academy in Doncaster, scooped the top award in the second area final. The company, which sells grow your own herbs kits also won the Best Social, Ethical and Environmental and

‘Inbition’, a company from Hill House School, create maths incorporated storybooks with a moral. Their efforts and hard work not only saw them scoop the top prize, but also a range of other awards including Best Presentation, Best Financial Management and Best Marketing, Sales and Customer Focus.

‘Doggy DIY’, a team of students from Doncaster College, set up their company, offering a range of dog related pick and mix products including treats, toys and a magazine, after they saw a gap in the market.

‘Made in Yorkshire’, a company from Sheffield High School, creates, markets and sells candles and cookery books. The team scooped a number of awards within their area final including Best Marketing,

Sales and Customer Focus and Best Financial Managements awards.

Meryl White, Chair of the Young Enterprise South Yorkshire board commented: “The level of standard from this year’s companies was outstanding, which is great to see. The range of products and the thought and innovative thinking which has gone into developing, marketing and selling them was phenomenal, from design your own bags and grow your own herb kits, to recipe books and memory boxes for people with dementia, to name but a few. We’re very proud of our young entrepreneurs in South Yorkshire and we look forward to seeing them develop, not only within this competition, but also within their future careers.

All four teams will now go on to compete within the South Yorkshire County final, which will be held on Thursday 5th May at Castle Park in Doncaster.

Gibson Booth appoints new director

A South Yorkshire based accountancy firm has appointed a new director.

Rob Howard, 34, has been appointed as tax director at Gibson Booth, which has its headquarters in Barnsley, South Yorkshire.

He joins managing director Robert Watson and directors Gary Dickinson and Scott Mell as a principal of the firm.

Rob said: “I’ve been working towards this for a long time and it’s such a great feeling to become a director of such a reputable company.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge that lies ahead and bringing everything that I’ve learnt so far into my new role.”

Rob, who is originally from North Anston, joined Gibson Booth in 2008 having previously worked for both national and leading independent firms. He has over 16 years’ experience dealing with a

wide range of tax issues affecting both businesses and individuals.

Previously working as a tax manager at Gibson Booth, Rob will continue in his tax advisory role, but will focus much more on developing the business.

Gibson Booth, which has its offices on Victoria Road in the town centre, has 30 staff, in the region of 1,000 clients and a turnover which has been growing year on year.

It offers corporate tax planning, accounts, audit, personal tax planning; together with specialisms including VAT, payroll, capital taxes, research and development tax planning, employee incentivisation, corporate finance and wealth management.

S o u t h

Robert Watson, managing director of Gibson Booth, said: “Rob always had the potential from day one and over the last seven years, he’s proved to be a valued member of our team.

“It’s a delight to confirm that Rob will join us as both a director and an owner of the company. Gibson Booth goes back over 125 years and it’s great that Rob is now going to become a part of our proud history.”

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NewsUpdate

Better byDesign Exciting developments in digital design for the healthcare sector are being discussed in a pioneering new business forum. And it’s all happening in Barnsley.

Creative designers, digital technology specialists and key personnel from NHS and healthcare organisations across Yorkshire and the Humber have been gathering at the town’s Digital Media Centre (DMC).

The Connected Healthcare programme has brought them together to talk about how digital products and services such as apps, web-based software, telehealth packages and IT tools could improve the delivery of care for patients and service users.

Founder of Connected Healthcare and DMC project director said: “Innovative technological products, software and digital solutions are helping to improve the delivery of patient care across the NHS and wider healthcare sector today. But there is much more that could be done and it is not Connected Healthcare Design Challenge at DMC - ©Timm Cleesby , The Picture Foundry always easy for those working within the sector to make connections with and learn more about how they could work NHS Foundation Trust who have brought specialists from the creative and digital together to tackle challenges to healthcare real-life design challenges to the table in industries; nor for both to understand provision with bespoke design and areas of patient care such as maternity, how each other’s sectors work. technology solutions.” supporting people with learning disabilities, prevention of pressure ulcers “Connected Healthcare was set up to Connected Healthcare has been organised and dementia care. address that problem and is bringing by the DMC, through Enterprising talented designers, developers and Barnsley business support; in partnership The University of Sheffield’s Centre for representatives from healthcare with the Yorkshire & Humber Academic Assistive Technology and Connected organisations into a shared forum, Health Science Network (AHSN), which Healthcare (CATCH) has offered an where they can get to know each other aims to promote service improvement innovation voucher prize worth £5,000 for through innovation in the NHS; and Tech the most promising prototype developed North, a government-backed body which through the Connected Healthcare aims to accelerate growth of the digital programme. And, experts in the economy in our region. commercialisation of health technology and intellectual property have been on hand throughout the process to advise A series of ‘Digital Health Design participants on the agreed handling of Challenge’ hackathons are now being each project. facilitated by Victoria Betton of Leeds-based digital health innovation organisation mHabitat. These events Connected Healthcare programme have involved Barnsley Hospital NHS manager Dr Ceri Batchelder said: “This Foundation Trust, Doncaster and has been a big collaborative venture Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation with a real purpose – to bring together Trust and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals design innovators and frontline healthcare 20

managers to ‘co-create’ bespoke design and technology solutions which tackle challenges to healthcare provision and help meet an identified service need - whether that is to share and communicate health information more clearly or to tailor and deliver healthcare services more effectively.

A UK first for Barnsley’s Alhambra Shopping Centre

“Due to the ageing population and increasing budgetary pressures on the NHS, developing new ways and better ways of providing services, such as through digital innovation, is critical.”

The Yorkshire and Humber Digital Health Design Challenge has been modelled on a similar project organised by Greater Manchester AHSN and Bolton NHS Foundation Trust last year – but on a larger scale.

Ceri said: “We’re very proud to be working together in this way in Yorkshire and Humber and we hope Connected Healthcare will lead directly to the development of new products which can be brought to market – and also leave a legacy of improved relationships between digital design and healthcare professionals in our region to facilitate future innovation.”

Connected Healthcare participant Ian Durman of Frank Creative design agency, based in Barnsley, said: “All successful design comes from listening to clients’ needs, working closely with them and understanding their aims. It’s always a collaborative process and that’s why Connected Healthcare has been such a great initiative to introduce us to healthcare professionals and get us around a tab le talking about a real design challenge.”

A Connected Healthcare ‘Access to Finance’ event focusing on sources of support for product and service development of digital healthcare technologies will be held on Friday June 10th at the Digital Media Centre.

This event is open to all designers and digital technology innovators with an interest in digital healthcare in Yorkshire and Humber.

To find out more visit www.barnsleydmc.co.uk

Alhambra Shopping Centre are pleased to announce the arrival of the UK’s very first ICE’N’GO! Stand, the coolest frozen dessert of the world.

lemon-lime and melon. Other special varieties such as chewing gum, cotton candy and banana split are also offered.

ICE’N’GO! is a frozen dessert, which due to its innovative production technology, natural ingredients and innovative design occupies a unique market segment between ice and ice cream! With added calcium and no preservatives, One portion of ICE’N’GO! contains 50% of the recommended daily allowance of calcium, necessary for healthy growth and development in children.

Alhambra Centre’s Marketing Manager, Steph Higham said: “We are thrilled to welcome ICE’N’GO! to Alhambra Shopping Centre as the very first stand in the UK. The product they offer is very unique, it is not like anything I have tried before, everyone in Barnsley and the surrounding area should come along and try it for themselves.”

A technology developed by NASA in the Unites States, called cryogenics is used to manufacture this dessert at an extremely low temperature of -197 Celsius and sold at -28/-35 Celsius.

It is a 100% natural product, does not contain air and no ice crystals are formed this way.

Available in lively colours ICE’N’GO! Comes in classical flavours such as; chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, S o u t h

“We wish ICE’N’GO! every success trading in the Centre, it is great to be able to offer our customers something different as we are always on the lookout for unique products to set up shop here.”

For more information about commercial opportunities or for more information about ICE’N’GO! at Alhambra Shopping Centre visit:

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www.alhambracentre.co.uk.

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NewsUpdate

TopicUK teams up with Weston Park For each edition of TopicUK, we select a charity to support and promote and for 2016, we have chosen Weston Park Hospital Cancer Charity.

Last year, the charity was proud to invest more than ever before into life-changing projects which keep Weston Park Hospital at the forefront of cancer treatment, research and care.

This year, the need for support is greater than ever before, as the challenge upon the NHS becomes larger still, and the current structure of cancer services in South Yorkshire tries to accommodate the growing incidence of cancer.

Weston Park Hospital Cancer Charity is the only dedicated charity for Weston Park Hospital and exists to support the world-class cancer research and to improve the treatment and care for people living with cancer.

Half of all people born since 1960 will be affected by cancer in their life time and with an ageing population and improved diagnosis, the cancer charity are facing a growing challenge to support the services provided by Weston Park Hospital and ensure that patient comfort and quality of services delivered remain a priority.

The charity needs to raise over £1.9 million this year to enable the funding of committed and new projects that will keep patients at the forefront of cancer treatment.

Throughout 2016 the charity will fund various projects to enable the continued improvement of Weston Park Hospital; including the expansion of research studies, improving the way cancer treatments are delivered and supporting the ongoing care provisions of patients and their families affected by cancer.

Charity Director, Samantha Kennedy said, “Weston Park Hospital Cancer 22

Charity is the dedicated charity for the regions meaning that patients from across Sheffield, Barnsley, Rotherham, Chesterfield, North Derbyshire and North Nottinghamshire benefit from the specialised services we are proud to have at Weston Park Hospital.”

“The charity relies on support from within the community to maintain its funding of life-changing projects at the hospital and we’d encourage anyone who has fought cancer or has had loved ones affected by cancer to think of our work.”

“From initial research projects to ongoing after care, our projects enable us to help improve the lives of patients and their families affected by cancer and invest in

ground-breaking local initiatives.”

“There’s so many ways people can support our work- from hosting a tea party to running a race and as the need for vital funding increases, the more important it is that we work with patients and their families across the region to ensure we can continue to support the hospital long into the future.”

For more information or to get involved and support the cancer charity’s vital work visit

01142265370 www.wphcancercharity.org.uk

Local business paints future for budding decorators

helping staff understand the skills needed to take on more of the day-to-day running of the business.

Family-run business Ramsay Clay, which has worked on prestigious contracts including The London Savoy Hotel and Westminster Abbey, will continue developing the next generation of expert painters and decorators, thanks to funding from the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

“Enhance identified and developed a bespoke piece of training to support our mentor, we enrolled a staff member on the ILM Certificate in Leadership & Management and then the LEP helped to cover the costs, which we are very grateful for. It’s already had a massive impact as we now have an apprenticeship mentor who has taken the extra responsibility in his stride.

“This is just the beginning of the next phase for Ramsay Clay, but we will definitely return to the LEP for the next round of apprenticeship training.”

Mark Ridgway, LEP Board member and chair of the skills service management board, said: “We’re delighted that we could provide Ramsay Clay with the funding that the business needs.

As a business owner with 10% of our employees in apprenticeship schemes, I’m especially pleased we were able to help Ramsay Clay to support apprentices in order to grow their business.

The £1,415 grant from the LEP’s skills service will allow Yorkshire-based Ramsay Clay to train the next generation on delivering the same high quality work that the business has been providing for more than 70 years.

Ramsay Clay offers both commercial and domestic decorating services nationwide, with particular expertise in working on heritage and listed buildings, conservation projects and ecclesiastical painting.

Following the recruitment of two young apprentices, the business recognised the need to invest in further training, in order to maximise productivity and sustain the future growth of the business.

“Ramsay Clay was first established in 1946, and whilst we’ve come a long way since then, we want to continue to grow and innovate. We’d like to take on more specialist restoration work over the next few years, but in order to do this we need to increase capacity within the business to secure those projects.

“A recent recruitment drive through Entice, led sister company Enhance, to identify the need to create a mentor position within the business, and we wanted to fill this position from our existing staff. We therefore approached the LEP for two pieces of support which included leadership training, and

Caroline Clay at Ramsay Clay said: S o u t h

“The LEP’s skills service offers the opportunity to work with a team of expert skills advisors who support employers to tackle paperwork and submit a robust application for funding.

In particular, with Ramsay Clay, we offered additional support to help them find an appropriate training provider.

“The LEP is dedicated to ensuring local businesses, primed for growth, have the skills to succeed.”

As part of the LEP’s wider ambitions to invest in business growth, the skills service can support up to 50% of training costs for eligible businesses throughout the Leeds City Region through grants of between £500 and £50,000.

Funding is available for a limited time. To find out if your business is eligible and to apply, please visit: www.the-lep.com/skillsservice or contact us on 0113 386 1910 and skills@the-lep.com.

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TheArts

BY HELEN BALL CHIEF EXECUTIVE BARNSLEY CIVIC THEATRE

A new Barnsley…. a new vibrant town Ambitious plans are in place for the future of Barnsley.

Amongst what is promised includes a wonderful new library, a redeveloped modern market, more choice of shops and more restaurants.

All of which can only improve the town, encourage more people to visit and support local enterprise to flourish.

It is hoped these new facilities will add a welcome boost to the local economy, encourage further inward investment and make Barnsley a better place to be for all those who live and work here.

So where do the arts fit into this?

What part does creativity have to play in the future regeneration of Barnsley and its development as a vibrant and welcoming town?

What do people really need around them to thrive, to enjoy and to encourage dwell time and spend. I believe the answer is choice, creativity and beauty.

Barnsley people are lucky... if they choose to they can be in the countryside in less than half an hour, they can be in the nearest city in less than an hour and they can be on their way to sunnier 24

climes within half a day.

As the ease of escape is always on hand, we need a reason to keep people here. A reason for people to come, to choose Barnsley as their destination for social and leisure time.

Barnsley has a rich offer at present. It has several theatres, an arts centre, beautiful galleries and many success stories of Barnsley’s own achieving great things in the arts and creative industries. But it has to be said that we don’t shout about it enough.

We need to support and encourage these fantastic venues, role models and professionals to connect with the town. To make their mark and have their influence on Barnsley’s future.

The key to beginning this is through relationships, connectivity and the sector itself supporting each other to succeed.

Myself and two colleagues from our sector were both recently part of a fantastic day at Darton College that promoted to its students the ranges of careers

and opportunities out there and encouraged them to not limit their choices and strive to be the best they can be.

It is important that the Creative Industries are represented at these events. It’s vital that our talented young people have the chance to explore what the arts could offer them and so I was really pleased to be asked and to also see two fellow arts professionals on the bill.

We remarked together afterwards on the varied journeys we had all taken to reach our current professional roles and the response this received from the students engaging in our workshops.

My own experience demonstrated to me the lack of awareness in our young people about what is available to them on their own doorstep and also the need for us in the arts to play our role in ensuring they engage with their local town and appreciate the opportunities it affords them as they grow and make their choices about their future.

My experience of talking to my colleagues who were there on the day highlighted to me further the breadth of opportunity there is in the arts and the range of roles people perform in the sector.

It also reminded me how much fantastic creative talent is currently out there contributing to our town and its economy and this should be celebrated.

In the forthcoming weeks we will be hosting at The Civic the first of what

I hope will become a regular thing, a professional networking opportunity for visual artists.

The idea has come from two local artists who approached me to see if I would be interested and I am excited to be part of bringing professionals together to share ideas, talk about their work and hopefully collaborate.

The arts sector in Barnsley has an opportunity presented to it through the next phase of regeneration that is underway.

An opportunity through which it can raise its voice, highlight its contribution and be at the forefront of the next page in Barnsley’s future.

We must ensure we seize it‌

Keep an eye out for further information about this and other development projects we are part of.

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NewsUpdate

BY ANTHONY HEGNEY - MANAGING DIRECTOR ASPARAGUS GREEN CATERING

It was a perfect Valentine Meal Located just off the M1 at Junction 38, I remember going to The Old Post Office back in its heyday when it was a drinking pub/bar where people travelled miles as it was the place to be seen, so for me it was a number of years since I had been or heard anything about it.

I was lucky to be taken here on Valentine’s day this year and on this occasion I was pretty sceptical about what we would find but hey worth a try I thought.

We booked a table for a Wednesday evening so didn’t have high expectations of it being too busy as it was after all midweek, well we were in for a surprise there, it was full!

We were greeted by a very pleasant gentleman and swiftly taken to our table.

The restaurant has just benefited from a refurbishment and I have to say much improved at that, it feels light, fresh and airy with the theme in places of the pillar box red in keeping with the Post Office theme.

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The waiter took our drinks order while he gave us time to look over the menu, which was extensive to say the least and we were spoilt for choice. The flexibility that the team are keen to deliver is fantastic, they advised us to use the menu as a book of ingredients so do what you want!

The post office brand themselves on a steak house but that’s not all they do. On the specials they have a great choice of fish dishes and as we were informed if you want a little bit of everything then ask for it so build your own fish platter type of scenario (maybe next time).

Our drinks arrived in really good time and we were served with a garlic & tomato flatbread to start with while we carried on looking at the menu which I have to say

was very well received to soak up the gin from my G&T. The waiter returned to take our order and I opted for the moules mariner from the specials board while Glen went for the creamy garlic mushrooms from the main menu. For my main course I went for the rib eye steak with a side of spinach & sautéed mushrooms and Glen went for the steak, mushroom and ale pie with a side of mash & vegetables.

One of the highlights for me was when the waiter took the order into the kitchen, he returned to the table with a large sized chopping board with a whole rib eye, sirloin and fillet on to show me the piece that mine was going to be cut off, not only that he asked me how much I would like

I once again stole a piece of the meat out of Glens pie filling, wow full of rich flavour and plenty of meat, cooked to perfection as it melted when it hit your mouth. His vegetables were also cooked to perfection, not too hard and not too soft just the way they should be, and you can also tell that the mash is homemade with the small pieces of potato still in there. So it’s 11 out of 10 for the starters and main course so far!!

it stated on the menu. Looking at the bowl when Glen had finished I am sure that these were his thoughts too.

After a short break of about 10 to 15 minutes, our main courses arrived, Glen was overwhelmed with the size of his pie with all the filling oozing over on the plate and a huge puff pastry lid on top and two small dishes with his mash & seasonal vegetables. and pointed out where it would have cut at 8oz. All the steaks are charged by the ounce, what a great idea as this works for both the large eater and the small eater so that maybe if a steak is sometimes overpowering for them they can then choose to take a thin piece.

It wasn’t too long before our starters arrived, mine the mussels came in a medium mussel pan with the lid for my shells once I had done with them. When the waiter took the lid off the steam bellowed out with the aroma of garlic filling the air around us. Glens bowl filled with small mushrooms and smothered in a creamy garlic sauce with a chunk of bread on the side looked and smelt delicious.

My mussels were fantastic, really good size, plenty of them and the sauce was really well made - not too overpowering just right. I didn’t even have to ask for spoon for the sauce it was automatic for a change. I couldn’t resist in stealing a mushroom from Glens plate, once again these were full of flavour and creamy as

My steak arrived taking up a good part of the plate and was sat on the bed of spinach and sautéed mushrooms.

Brendon the owner came to see if we were enjoying our meal, he also informed us that a lot of the meat comes from Cannon Hall Farm, which is just around the corner from the restaurant and with them benefiting from their own butchery this makes perfect sense to buy local. He also has regular fish deliveries and has many clients that will ring and pre order such things as Lobster, Sole, Dover Sole and Halibut, well worth remembering for a special occasion.

My steak was cooked to perfection. I am a man that likes the steak cooked blue however due to the fat content in rib eye you can’t do this as the fat helps to tenderise the meat in the cooking process so I always opt for the rib eye to be cooked medium to rare which it was. The spinach was tasty and the mushrooms well cooked and lightly seasoned, not too overpowering as can sometimes be the case.

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Could we be tempted to desserts? Well for me it was a no as I was absolutely full, but as Glen’s sweet tooth gets the better of him he went for the homemade cheesecake. OK, I did steal a mouthful!

It was stunning in flavour and really had that homemade feel and look about it.

It’s obvious from start to finish that Brendan, his wife Carly and the whole team are here to please you from start to finish. He has handpicked the whole team from the head chef who is ex Claridge’s London, to the front of house team who are all working under the direction of Brendan and Carly.

Brendan explained that as part of the refurbishment of the restaurant they are now working on the outside area and the room under the restaurant called the Vault which will be converted into a function room that can be hired out for functions and events.

So the whole experience for me was great from start to finish and I wish them all the luck in the world, not that they will need it judging by how busy they currently are.

The trip advisor comments speak volumes with one diner stating First class steaks which I have to agree with.

I would advise on booking a table and more so at the weekend, to book call or visit the website

01226 387619 theoldpostofficebarnsley.co.uk.

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NewsUpdate

Barnsley enterprise launches to help disadvantaged school children

A former teacher has set up a social enterprise to inspire children of all abilities and backgrounds to get the best out of school.

Paul Powell set up iCAN as an educational company dedicated to supporting young people and their families by delivering a range of workshops, projects, summer schools and enterprise award schemes for primary and secondary schools.

It specialises in delivering tailored support for children who may be finding the transition from primary school to secondary school challenging. iCAN, which set-up six months ago, was helped to get going by SmartStart, which is provided by Barnsley Business and Innovation Centre (BBIC), working in partnership with Barnsley Council, for business support.

Paul, who has over 20 years’ experience in the teaching profession and most recently worked at Horizon Community College, said: “We recognise that no two children are the same, and through iCAN we aim to help children by giving them the opportunity to unlock their potential and spark their imagination.

“We are particularly focusing on working alongside primary schools to ensure a smooth transition into secondary school.”

Everything iCAN does is based upon a working philosophy it has devised itself for supporting children through four stages of development; to - inspire, create, achieve and nurture. At each level, iCAN projects challenge the child to develop different skills.

The company works with schools to create bespoke learning packages and also has ready-made packages available such as Crime Scene Investigation, 28

Paul Powell pictured at Burton Road Primary School Wacky Sports, Business Enterprise, Creative Writing and Recycle Recital Junk Band.

Another key offer is the iCAN Awards aimed at key stage 2 and key stage 3 pupils who complete a portfolio all year round , working towards an awards ceremony at the end of the year, where children, teachers and families come together to celebrate their achievements.

He said: “One thing we are looking to develop further is to find an ambassador who is really passionate about supporting enterprise in primary education, someone who really wants to help make a difference to young people.”

The organisation is also looking for sponsorship for their awards scheme and has ambitions to hold their event as national awards in the future.

Paul said: “The awards ceremony at the end of the year is a fantastic event, bringing communities and families together for a celebration of their child’s successes and achievements over the academic year.

BBIC business development manager Sarah Valentine-Bull said: “Every time that I talk to the people at iCAN, I am incredibly inspired. What they are trying to do really has the potential to change somebody’s life for the better.

Looking forward, iCan is currently planning a series of summer camps for children moving up from primary to secondary school, following a successful summer camp it organised at Headlands School in Bridlington.

“Secondary school, in particular, can be quite a daunting step-up for a child to make, but the people at iCAN are helping to make that step much easier with their award scheme and transitional work.”

And, Paul aims to expand the company’s commitment to encouraging enterprise in education too.

To find out more about iCAN go to www. icanawards.co.uk or you can follow them on twitter @iCAN_Awards.

Businesses receive apprenticeship reform Barnsley College welcomed businesses to an Employer Conference held during National Apprenticeship Week 2016 to discuss key changes in apprenticeship provision, and the support available to employers through Barnsley College.

Guest speakers included representatives from Sheffield Hallam University, Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, Think Consultancy and PricewaterCoopers LLP, who talked about the apprenticeship reforms, the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy, Higher and Degree Level apprenticeships, and the funding support available to them through the Skills Bank.

Vice Principal of Barnsley College, Dave Harding, said: “It was great to host an event for the employers we work closely

with and to be able to inform them about issues that will be effecting apprenticeships, and therefore businesses, in the upcoming years.

“With the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy in April 2017, it is important that the college works with employers through the changes to help them understand and adapt to the changes proposed by the government.

We are the leading apprenticeship provider in South Yorkshire we have a responsibility to our partners, as well as our students, to make sure they are aware of the changes to apprenticeships, and continue to get the most of the training and recruitment opportunities we offer.

“The conference was well received. The delegates enjoyed the opportunity to network and to see the college’s state-of-the-art facilities.”

For more information about the services available, contact Barnsley College’s Work Based Learning team: employer@barnsley.ac.uk +44 (0)1226 216 166 www.barnsley.ac.uk.

IoD appoints South Yorkshire ambassador

The Institute of Directors (IoD) has appointed marketer Derek Carpenter as its branch ambassador for South Yorkshire.

The newlylaunched ambassador network consists of high-profile business leaders who promote the interests of the IoD in their region and influence its policy voice.

Derek, who is based in Barnsley, has developed component cleaning brands within the UK and European markets, including Enviro -tech Europe and Baron Blakeslee.

He served as a governor at Barnsley College and Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and was a director of Barnsley Development Agency.

Derek said: “South Yorkshire is at its best when everyone works together. My role is to ensure that we maximise our shared talents to benefit all parts of our county.

Our business and educational institutions are working hard to produce a successful economy and the IoD in Yorkshire will give every support to these shared goals”.

Jonathan Oxley, regional chairman of the IoD in Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “Our ambassadors are shaping the future of the organisation to enable more business leaders to benefit from our influence and support.

Derek will be a strong addition to our

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network in South Yorkshire.”

Other ambassadors include Caroline Pullich, who leads Barclays Business and Corporate Bank in West Yorkshire, and experienced North Yorkshire director Peter Wilkinson.

The IoD will stage its first ever South Yorkshire Annual Dinner at the Cutlers’ Hall, Sheffield, on 25 May. Lady Barbara Judge CBE, national chair of the IoD, will join Master Cutler Craig McKay for the black-tie event.

Tickets are £70 for IoD members and £85 for non-members. Tables of ten are available. To book a place, email iod. yorkshire@iod.com.

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NewsUpdate

Fashion guru joins campaign to revive independent trade in town years as big high street brands have promoted the concept of all-year-round sales and a ‘pile it high sell it cheap’ culture. We now need to fight back and promote our offer.

“At Nomad Atelier we build personal relationships with our customers and have an absolute commitment to quality, authenticity and service. Every sale matters to us and customers appreciate that.”

International fashion entrepreneur Rita Britton has joined a campaign to boost Barnsley town centre’s independent retail economy.

Rita, whose own business Nomad Atelier is based in the Tobacco Warehouse in George Yard, is working with neighbouring businesses to raise awareness of what local shops have to offer both in-store and online.

Rita established the Nomad designer label 20 years ago and opened her new store as its exclusive outlet six months ago Her new venture builds on the reputation of her previous Barnsley-based emporium Pollyanna, which gained a loyal customer-base across the UK and abroad. Rita considered retiring after ill-health caused her to close Pollyanna in 2013, but decided she could not walk away from the fashion industry.

The campaign to boost trade in the town’s Victorian Arcade and surrounding area, has been initiated by Barnsley Business and Innovation Centre (BBIC), through Enterprising Barnsley, the business support arm of Barnsley Council.

Rita said: “Nomad is a very personal project for me. This time we’re focusing on our own label, and it’s all built on my beliefs and principle s. As part of that I’m very pleased to be joining in a wider revival of Barnsley’s independent retail community.”

It aims to kick-start promotion of the shops, restaurants and bars through social media, events, better signage and infrastructure and collaboration between businesses.

Through the initiative, Rita has also been introduced by BBIC to a Wombwell-based business, Oh Sew Sweet, where she is learning sewing and pattern cutting skills for the first time.

Rita, who has 50 years’ experience in the fashion industry, said: “We are all embracing this new initiative and it feels great to be pulling together in the same direction to improve the area and increase sales for everyone.

Rita said: “I’ve never learned these skills before and am really enjoying it. It’s providing me with a fabulous insight into dressmaking. And it’s another example of why it’s great to be part of a local business community where we can share expertise.”

“It’s been an extremely tough time for all independents in recent 30

Nomad Atelier workshop, store and gallery employs seven people. It is also home to the Quintessential Kitchen owned and run by Martin Blake. Rita launched a new company website and blog two months ago.

She added: “A good online presence is essential to every business these days. Our customers see ours as a magazine to browse; a shop window and a source of inspiration and news.

It leads directly to sales too and means our loyal customers from London, for example, can shop between visits.”

The Victorian Arcade and George Yard, beside Barnsley Civic Arts Centre, is home to more than 40 independent shops, including cafes, menswear stores, designer boutiques, jewellers, vintage and giftware shops, a bakers and a barbers.

Kevin Steel, Enterprising Barnsley’s business development manager at BBIC, said: “Rita has years of experience as a local businesswoman with regional, national and global reach and it’s great to see her new venture going from strength to strength; and to have her on board with wider efforts to boost independent trade in the town.

“Through this joint public sector and private sector project we are asking the retailers what they want to kick-start improvements and we hope it will lead to long-term closer working and collaboration.”

Development of the area is part The Town Centre Plan which aims to understand the sort of support small independent businesses need to improve their trading prospects.

Beautiful ladieswear for every occasion Based in what was the Old Post Office in the village of Almondbury, four showrooms are split over two floors offering a unique range of outfits for all occasions.

Whether it’s relaxed, smart-casual outfits or something for a special event, they have modern, elegant collections from International Designers.

Browse the extensive range with a freshly made coffee …or two. Staff are always on hand with the perfect recommendation backed by years of experience and are proud of the lasting relationships they have with clients.

They cater for a wide range of ages with selections to fit all tastes from the best labels available, and are always on the lookout for

new additions to their range to make sure they keep offering you something different and unusual.

So whether it’s an investment piece with timeless style to become a favourite for years to come, or a wardrobe refresh for the coming season, let the Old Post Office become your new inspiration.

Modern elegant collections

from international designers

Sandwich, Marc Cain, Oui, Riani, Faber, Betty Barclay, Joseph Ribkoff and more.

OLD006 Topic Barnsley Ad_115x190mm_Final.indd 1

81 Northgate, Almondbury, Huddersfield HD5 8RX 01484 427257 Tuesday-Saturday 9am-5.30pm

www.theoldpostofficealmondbury.co.uk S o u t h

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ITUpdate

Protect your data: options for backing-up Data loss can be the final nail in the coffin for a business, with around 40 per cent of companies estimated to go out of business if their data becomes irretrievable.

ABOUT KAIZEN IT Kaizen is an IT company based in Sheffield but offers expert support both regionally and nationally. They set-up in 2004 and currently employ a team of 30.

The company is split into two teams - Kaizen IT and Kaizen telecom solutions, and they are experts in data storage, email messaging, telephone systems and mobile solutions.

There are numerous ways in which data loss can occur including computer crashes, virus infection, hard drive failure, physical computer damage or even theft. Planning ahead and backing-up your data can mean that if one of the above does happens, you’re prepared and can avoid disaster.

At Kaizen IT, we can talk you through the best way for your business to back-up your data and provide you with the best possible option.

Here are 4 options for backing-up your data as a business;

1. Cloud back-up:

Uploading your data online via a cloud-based system – Cloud back-up can be accessed from work or at home and is becoming an increasingly popular way of backing-up data.

Just be aware, the cheap and free options often store your 32

data outside the UK which can be a risk for businesses, for less sensitive data it works well for home users. Businesses should look for UK based hosting.

2. On-site back-up:

Saving your data onto a dedicated server or external hard drive – Both servers and hard drives have increasing amounts of memory available and can function on any computer. This option has the benefits of speed and accessibility, but talk to an IT expert about maintenance as this hardware can be prone to damage and requires pro-active monitoring. It is recommended for small to medium sized businesses.

all computers, but it can be fragmented so that only important and frequently used data is shared locally. So, if one computer breaks, the other is on hand to save the day.

Database replication is ideal for businesses that have few staff.

4. Disc or Tape: Backing up your data to a disc or tape – For lone traders, DVD disks are very cheap to buy in bulk, but these can be easily damaged or misplaced and take up space.

Using tape as a back-up method has become slightly outdated but can still be very useful for businesses with a lot of data such as film and video makers.

3. Data Replication:

Data is stored locally and in the cloud – The best of both worlds, more storage is needed across

If you’d like advice on how to best back-up, give us a call today on 0845 141 1400 or email info@kaizenit.co.uk

60 seconds with…

Is a short interview with a local business person who tells us a little about themselves and their job. If you would like to participate and promote your business, drop us a line at editor@topicuk.co.uk. In this issue we feature Joshua Nutt, account manager at Capital B Media.

If you won the lottery, how would you spend it?

I started a vinyl collection a couple of years ago which I’d love to keep adding to. There are some rare records out there, which I have my eye on and have nearly bought in the past, but the price tag has always put me off. I’d also make sure that my family and friends were well looked after.

What is your most valued possession?

What was your first job?

My first job was at Oakwell working in the club shop. I only worked on a match day for three hours, but it was the busiest time of the week. It was great to play a small part of the club I’d supported since I was young and I got free entry into the games once I’d finished my shift. I was only 16 at the time but the communication skills that I learnt are still helping me to this day.

What do you enjoy about your job?

I spotted the vinyl of my favourite song, That Kiss by The Courteeners, signed by the band on eBay a couple of years ago.

Needless to say, it has now been framed and hangs proudly on my bedroom wall.

Where is your favourite place to eat in Barnsley?

The 8oz burger co recently brought in a deal where season ticket holders can get a discount on match day, so you’ll often find me there in the hours leading up to a Barnsley game.

Which famous person, past or present, would you like to take out to lunch?

No two days are the same. One day I can be interviewing a business leader about their incredible story and another I can be filming a construction site for a new retail park. PR is an ever changing industry and multimedia is becoming a big player, so it’s great to have that diversity in my job.

I’m always looking to further my quiz knowledge, so it would be great to pick Stephen Fry’s brains. I admire what he’s gone through on a personal level and how he stands up for what he believes in.

How do you spend your time off?

I think the proposed cinema complex will be great for Barnsley, but we’re lacking some decent restaurants, and I often find myself going further out of Barnsley for something to eat. Hopefully the future town centre refurbishments will bring a few more well-known eateries to the borough.

I’m an avid quizzer, so you’ll usually find me in the pub like the Eastfield Arms or Crown and Anchor trying to remember the capital of Denmark or who played Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. Apart from quizzing, my girlfriend and I often frequent the cinema.

What improvements would you like to see in Barnsley?

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Eve Lodge, Barmy Bunting

Barnsley feature in Director of the Year Awards Some of Barnsley’s top business leaders have been nominated for this years Institute of Directors, Yorkshire Director of the Year Awards, to be held at the Civic Hall in Leeds on 16th June 2016, of which TopicUK is a proud partner.

The awards highlight the Yorkshire regions diverse business life, celebrating those individuals whose leadership skills and responsible business practices have led to success for their organisation and the local community.

All of of the regional category winners will automatically go forward to the UK finals to be held in London later this year.

Michelle Bailey, MD of Active Response Security and 18 year old Eve Lodge of Barmy Bunting are familiar to Topic UK as each have been profiled about their success and achievements.

The remaining nominees are; •

Ben Mansford, CEO of Barnsley Football Club,

•

Bill Bottomley, Director of Lifetime FM,

•

Kate Davis, Principal of Darton College

We wish them all well and look forward to hearing of their success.

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NewsUpdate

Discovering the

Dearne Valley

Fresh from its move to a new office in Elsecar, the Dearne Valley Landscape Partnership is continuing to develop its work with communities to protect, preserve and enhance the area.

Richard King

Since securing £1.8million from the Heritage Lottery Fund in June 2014, the Dearne Valley Landscape Partnership (DVLP) has been busy working on a range of environmental and heritage projects across the Dearne Valley.

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Much of the work of the DVLP involves helping people make the most of the natural areas of the Dearne Valley. Working closely with Sorby Natural History Society, they have delivered a series of workshops helping people to learn all about the wildlife and biodiversity in the area, with themes spanning everything from hoppers to harvest mice, and wildflowers to reptiles.

Earlier this year they moved from the Barnsley Council offices, in the centre of town to their new home at the Elsecar Heritage Centre, where they work to support individuals and communities to explore and celebrate the environmental and heritage assets which are on their doorstep.

One such project resulted in identifying a species of harvestman (which is similar to a daddy long legs) unique to Barnsley, and upcoming workshops include getting to know slugs and snails, and an introduction to shield and plant bugs. A willow weaving workshop held in March enabled people to learn new skills, and tree planting days have brought communities together to nurture their environment.

Projects completed to date range from physical works to historic structures, community training, supporting the first Ted Hughes Poetry Festival and conducting wildlife surveys and identification workshops – all of which stem from the rich heritage and history of the area.

The DVLP is led by programme manager Richard King with support from community officers Stephen Miller and Roseanna Burton, and project assistant Sally Gawthorpe.

Richard said: “The work of the DVLP is nothing if not varied and there is so much for people in the

Dingy Skipper - photo credit North East Wildlife

Searching for Hunstman

Glassby Arch

Glassby, the Arch is around five metres high and is intricately carved with dragons, gargoyles and skulls.

It originally stood in the garden of Glassby’s patron, industrialist John Reed, who lived on Market Street, Mexborough. However, the arch was moved in 1968 due to the construction of the Mexborough bypass, with the condition that it remained the property of the people of Mexborough and should be visible at all times.

The DVLP has recently launched a community grants scheme, which allows individuals and groups in the Dearne Valley to access funding of between £500 and £2000 to deliver the projects which are most important to them.

Visit www.discoverdearne.org for further details.

Willow weaving workshop

Dearne Valley to discover about the area.

There are still many more projects to be delivered and stories to be uncovered from across the Dearne Valley and we are looking forward to the diverse range of events and activities planned over the coming months.”

One of the first capital projects the DVLP has completed involved working with a group in Mexborough to relocate and restore an important Victorian gothic structure, the Glassby Arch, which had a unique history all of its own.

Originally created in 1859 by the Mexborough born sculptor Robert S o u t h

Unfortunately, with the construction of a new house in 2007 the arch was no longer visible and it also fell into disrepair. Following this, as a result of an international investigation, the house, grounds and arch were seized by the National Crime Agency, who then gifted the arch to the Mexborough Charity Trust and the people of Mexborough in perpetuity.

The DVLP granted funding to the Trust and through this financial support the arch was disassembled and re-erected on its new site at the Mexborough Almshouses. This is the site where Robert Glassby was born in 1835, meaning that the arch has now been fully restored and safely returned to the birth place of its original creator. After nearly a decade the arch is once again visible to the public.

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FinancialUpdate

The importance of saving

Article author Jillian Thomas, is a financial planner and the managing director of Future Life Wealth Management, based in Renishaw. She is also the president of Sheffield Chamber of Commerce. In the first of a regular financial column written for TopicUK she looks at the importance of saving.

Future Life Wealth Management is based in Renishaw, near Sheffield, and offers a bespoke financial planning service to generators of wealth, typically business owners, executives and professionals, and also to receivers of wealth, such as inheritors, divorcees, widows and retirees.

The company was listed in the top 100 financial management companies in the country by New Model Adviser in 2013, in 2014 and again in 2015.

Most of us tend to muddle along with money, perhaps putting a little bit aside when we can. But are you putting it in the best place?

Have you thought about what you are saving for? Or when you might need it?

Planning is at the heart of every financial decision – or it should be! It is easy to just put the extra money at the end of the month in to a deposit account and when you hit a financial crisis to cash in savings without checking what the deal is.

Step back a bit and think: when am I likely to need my savings? Am I saving for the long term, for the kids going to university or for the holiday of a lifetime when I retire?

Or is it a pot I might dip in to if the car needs fixing or the roof starts leaking? It’s always a good idea to have a fund you can get at easily in an emergency like that.

Announcements in the recent Budget were designed to encourage us all to save a bit more, which is no bad thing in my opinion! The Chancellor said that no tax will be deducted on the first £1,000 of interest earned every year on savings from April 2016.

Until now, all savers who pay the basic 20p rate of tax have paid income on their savings at 20p. This is normally deducted at source by banks and building societies. People paying the higher

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40p tax rate are taxed at 40 per cent of their savings income. But this is all changing and the first £1,000 of interest will be tax-free

age of 60. Anyone with a Lifetime ISA will be able to get the bonus on contributions made until they are 50.

ISAs or Individual Saving Accounts are changing too. ISAs are a good way to save money, because you don’t have to pay tax on any interest. Therefore you get to keep all the interest the bank or building society pays you and none of it goes to the taxman.

Some savings and investments carry risk, so do take advice and do think carefully about how much of a risk you want to take. If the money is vital and you can’t afford to lose it, maybe it’s towards living costs when you retire, be mindful of how much risk you want to take with the investment.

However, there is a limit on how much you can save in to an ISA each year. It is currently £15,240, but the Chancellor announced from April 2017 that figure will jump up to £20,000.

But an even bigger announcement Mr Osborne made was the introduction of a new “lifetime ISA” for the under-40s from 2017.

Now that is something worth considering paying in to if you are the right side of 40 (unfortunately I fall just the wrong side!).

Under this new type of ISA for every four pounds you put in the Government will pay in one pound.

You will be allow to put away up to £4,000 each year, which when you add it up over a lifetime will be no small amount, particularly when the 25 per cent from the Government is added on top.

You will be able to access all the money, including the bonus, tax free in order to buy your first home, worth up to £450,000, or from the

And when you are thinking about saving for your retirement, whether in a traditional pension or another way, be mindful of how long you may live!

A survey showed that more than four out of five people approaching retirement don’t expect to live as long as official figures say they will.

Men underestimate their lifespan by an average of five years and women by ten.

Getting the figure wrong could make a lot of difference to life in retirement. It can either be one long holiday or a prolonged period of unemployment, depending on how well you have planned it.

No individual investment advice is given, nor intended to be given in this article and no liability will be accepted in respect of any action you make take as a result of reading this article. If you are unsure you are urged to take independent investment advice.

‘Helping people live the life they want to live -and

telling the truth about money’ That is the mission statement of Barnsleybased financial management company Lifetime.

And Managing Director Ian Dickinson has given a glimpse of what makes him and his forward-thinking company tick.

The company, based at Great Cliffe Court, Dodworth, has been going for over 12 years.

“The foundation of our business has always been the relationships we have with our clients.

“Once we have discovered what is important to you and how you want to live your life, we put together a financial plan with you. We create this plan by using a financial bucket to illustrate what your present picture looks like and how likely it is you will be able to live the life you want now and in the future.

“The plan is yours and using software called “Truth” we do actually give you the “Truth” about your financial situation and give you an accurate picture of what it will look like in the future. We will be able to work with you to see how realistic your present plans are and if needs be put together a plan to help you achieve the life you want.”

The ‘Lifetime legacy’ is very important to the Hoyland-born businessman.

“The legacy is three-pronged: Customers, Employees and Community,” said Ian. “Customers: Lifetime will strive to deliver and adapt to change so that our customers feel well served by the advice and the relationship they have with Lifetime, knowing that the professionalism of our representatives is second to none.

“Employees: That all our staff feel fulfilled, and challenged by the various

work conducted, and that their personal ambitions can be met whilst sharing in the profit and value of the company going forward.

“Community: That in the community we become a highly valued and respected contributor. We have set about creating the reality through our hospice referral scheme and our ‘Barnsley Businesses Inspiring Students’ project – where local business leaders go into schools to tell their story - and I am truly excited to see where this leads!”

“Running a company is hard work, but there are many, many rewards. Such as understanding the effect good decision making can have on the business; the positive impact good people have on the business; and seeing those people blossom.”

“I’m proud of the fact that Lifetime is a business where people can express themselves and feel a sense of achievement in the tasks and objectives they and we set.

“But the journey never ends. When we started Lifetime I naively thought that when we reached certain milestones our ambitions would be realised. It took me five years to realise that when the day dawns when you are not striving for new horizons that’s the day when I need to hand the reins over!

“The company is in the best position to adapt to the future that it has ever been in, partly because of all the great work that has been done by all involved, and partly because of regulator legislation. There is no limit to the success Lifetime can achieve but the measure to that success is delivering great service to our customers. We will not compromise on that directive.”

Lifetime MD Ian Dickinson Production of the animated three-minute short film, which is scripted and voiced by ‘Bard of Barnsley' and Lifetime customer Ian McMillan, was supported by Enterprising Barnsley and created by Huddersfield-based award-winning animation experts Fettle Animation (https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=VdVxmrLojiQ) Lifetime Communications Director William Bottomley said: "We are thrilled with our new animated film. It aims to help our customers and potential customers consider the kind of financial worries that may keep them awake at night - stuff about their families, health, jobs, future and retirement.

"We are acutely aware that financial planning contains many difficult concepts and a lot of complicated language and, as a company, we've always tried to reach out to people and translate it all into more accessible real life considerations.

"Financial planning can be an austere industry and we hope our visual approach will demystify the subject and encourage people to take expert advice."

Enterprising Barnsley's sector specialist for creative and digital industries Tracey Johnson said: "Lifetime is a leading example of a Barnsley company that has embraced online platforms and social media to get across its key messages to customers and communicate the character, credentials and ethos of its team.

To help families get to grips with financial planning, Lifetime recently released a short animated film.

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Heaith&Wellbeing

Stephanie has her weight on the run Stephanie is the Director of Marketing for a finance company and who lives and runs in Sheffield. A mum of one Stephanie has taken up running in the past year and has lost 3st.

I am a 32(ish) year old mum to a wonderful, if a little strong willed, fouryear-old daughter. I am the Director of Marketing for a small owner managed business in Wakefield. I am currently studying for my CIM Diploma in Professional Marketing and lastly, and perhaps most importantly to you the reader, I am also a runner.

I know, the dreaded R word! I hated running too, or at least the idea of running as I had never actually really done, it but trust me, it isn’t as boring as you think and once you start it can be like therapy, not just for your body but also for your mind.

The birth of my daughter in early 2012 had a significant impact on my weight and overall fitness. In the eyes of my loving family this wasn’t an issue, but from a health point of view it wasn’t a great position to be in as at 5’2” and 12.5 stone I wasn’t exactly morbidly obese but it wasn’t great either.

In March 2015 I recognised that, if I was honest with myself, I really wasn’t happy in my own skin. Nothing fitted me properly, I was constantly uncomfortable, often hot or out of breath, and my knees and back were really suffering. Also, and perhaps more importantly, I had come to realise that I wasn’t a sportswoman any more, I barely walked anywhere let alone participated in any form of sport, competitive or otherwise, and that wasn’t the sort of role model I wanted to be for my daughter.

I started to take a bit more care over 38

Stephanie Osman (right) what I ate (I didn’t diet, I hate diets) and incorporated the Wii Fit into my daily routine, getting up at 5am to work out before heading to the office.

I set up my own training plan of aerobic and stability exercises and began work on my core strength and my overall fitness, which initially worked (after a few attempts and variations) but soon

the weight loss plateaued as my fitness improved and the challenge on my body reduced.

I don’t have the funds for a personal trainer and the gym just wasn’t appealing, mostly from a self-confidence point of view, so I invested in a good pair of trainers (something I would highly recommend) and hit the road.

Being highly goal oriented I needed a target so I entered a 5k Pretty Muddy Race for Life, the benefits would be two fold; I would have the clear target of running 5k in a reasonable time and I would also raise some money for an amazing cause.

ITS Group shortlisted for prestigious Investors In People Award

To achieve goal #1 I downloaded a C25K app and within eight weeks I went from complete running novice to running 5k in around 40 minutes! With regards to goal #2, we raised around £250 and are doing Race for Life again this year.

The running not only had the desired effect on my weight but instilled in me a realisation that my body could achieve amazing things if only I had the courage to push myself, so push myself I did, and I am still doing.

I can now run 10k in little over an hour and my body has changed its shape from voluptuous to athletic. I will never be skinny and to be honest I don’t want to be, strong and fit is the goal. I still love a night on the beer and pizza is still one of my main food groups, but thanks to running and a more common sense approach to food I can enjoy them both without guilt.

I started running to lose weight but it has become a part of me. I run now because I love the sense of achievement it gives me and the buzz I get when I hit my next target or make it up that hill that I couldn’t the week before.

The greatest thing about running is it is for everyone and everyone can do it, it just takes a little bit courage to get out of your door but after that I promise it is worth every second.

Stephanie is currently training for the Sheffield half marathon in April, you can find and follow her progress via her blog www.mummyrunnerblog.wordpress. com and on twitter @Steph_Osman.

Yorkshire’s ITS Group (ITS) has been named as a global leader in people management after making the shortlist for this year’s International Investors in People Awards.

hard work the team has invested in the business.

ITS will face tough competition from firms across the globe at a spectacular ceremony in London on 29 June 2016, when the business will learn whether it has won the Excellence in Leadership and Management (up to 249 employees) category.

“We have been on a journey together and this accolade is for everyone within ITS.”

The awards received more than 300 entries from organisations of all sizes worldwide and celebrate the best people management practices amongst Investors in People accredited businesses.

Finalists have demonstrated investment in their people to strengthen leadership capability at every level of their organization.

ITS was shortlisted for the achievements of its leadership team and behaviors of its CEO, which have engendered a culture of trust and transparency and encourage employees to share best practice.

Dr. Chris Payne, ITS CEO, said: “It is a privilege to be shortlisted for this award; a clear indication of the dedication and S o u t h

“We are delighted and privileged to be shortlisted for the IIP Excellence in Leadership and Management Award.

This is a far cry from the position the business found itself in just four years ago, when Ofsted identified a number of areas which required improvement after the training provider was given a ‘satisfactory’ grade. It has now been judged as ‘good’

by Ofsted, with elements of ‘outstanding’ provision – all thanks to the investment it has made in its people.

In 2016 ITS will celebrate its 20th year as an IIP member. The organisation currently holds Gold IIP status.

Paul Devoy, Head of Investors in People, said: “Once again we have been overwhelmed by the number and caliber of entries received for the Investors in People Awards.

“It’s fantastic to see so many organisations nominated for outperforming in their sector, demonstrating great people management practice and a commitment to staff development.”

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NewsUpdate DARRYL WIDEMAN - HEADMASTER OF SILCOATES SCHOOL

May you live in interesting times

This wish is known as the Chinese curse, though it doesn’t actually have anything to do with China or its people.

And while I appreciate that another few months of debate about the EU Referendum hardly looks to be an interesting prospect, there seems little doubt that we are potentially on the verge of some seismic changes, both domestically and internationally, for good or ill.

By training and vocation, I am a history teacher.

I have never described myself as an historian because I think this would suggest a level of expertise that I do not possess. However, I have always taken a keen interest in the past and I believe it is very important that young people learn about history to help them gain an understanding of why the world operates in the way that it does.

I have never really subscribed to the idea that we need to study history to avoid the mistakes of the past, not least because I don’t think human beings are sufficiently sophisticated or altruistic to admit that they have learned from the failure of others, or sometimes even from themselves! However, I do believe that our history can give us context at key moments.

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referendum and they would probably vote for independence this time around. Such scenarios at the very least merit a label of ‘interesting times’!

We can have no control over what our American cousins do when election time comes round, but all of us over eighteen will have the chance on 23rd June to have a say in the future of our own country. This is not the time or place for me to say what I think we should do, but it breaks my heart as someone entrusted with the education of young people that we have already managed to reduce something so important to such an uninformed and childish debate.

If two of my pupils stood in the playground and just shouted: ‘You’re wrong.’

‘No, you’re wrong.’

‘That’s rubbish.’

‘No, that’s rubbish.’

I always try to encourage my students to take an interest in the world around them. The American comedian Woody Allen said that the first rule of enlightenment is to show up, so if you just switch off and claim that it’s all too boring, complicated or difficult then you are not really going to get very far at the moment, or at any moment, come to that.

‘You’re just trying to frighten me.’

But this feels like a particularly important time to be engaged with the world around us and to ensure we are all playing as important a role as we can. By Christmas, it is possible that Donald Trump could be the US President; Britain could have voted to leave the EU, which would probably mean that Boris Johnson would be Prime Minister; if Brexit happens, the Scots would want another

General Douglas MacArthur said that bad news is never as bad as it first appears and good news is never as good, which probably sums up what will happen in the next six months quite nicely.

He would have been well suited to the current debate because he also famously once said, ‘We are not retreating: we are advancing in a different direction,’ which feels about right just now!

‘No, you’re just trying to frighten me,’ then I’d send them both away with a flea in their ear and tell them to grow up. Alas, our political masters don’t seem to have learned anything much at all, either from the past or anywhere else.

Daughter set up meal delivery company after caring for mother

A Barnsley businesswoman has set up her own frozen meal delivery service after being disappointed with the quality of food available when looking after her elderly mother.

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assie Northwood founded Northwood Foods after returning from her job as estate manager at a seven-star resort in Thailand and the company is now delivering meals across Yorkshire.

She came home to care for her sick mother Joyce, who lived in Leeds and passed away in April last year aged 83, after suffering with dementia.

Cassie now operates the business with partner David White from their base in Wombwell and the couple arrange deliveries of highquality, well-balanced meals to older, sick or vulnerable people of all ages in their own homes.

Cassie said: “As you can imagine, at a seven-star resort, quality was everything, and the food was fantastic. After returning home to care for my mum, I found it disappointing and frustrating that I couldn’t source high standard frozen meals for her - the same problem I had when nursing my dad through cancer ten years ago. That’s what sparked the idea for the business.”

Cassie was helped to set up through the business support programme Smartstart, run

by Barnsley Business and Innovation Centre (BBIC).

Northwood Foods aims to provide healthy meals using locally-sourced ingredients that are of a high quality whilst

still being affordable; focusing on ‘a taste of Yorkshire’, with dishes including chicken casserole, roast beef, lamb hotpot and a range of long life sandwiches, paninis, crisps and biscuits. Indian and Chinese options are also available.

wouldn’t be happy to give to our own parents. And we make sure the meals are delivered with a smile, as we appreciate that for some isolated people, the social contact that comes with receiving a delivery is also important.”

They are aiming their service directly at families in the first instance, with plans to approach community and care organisations as suppliers in the near future.

Delivery staff are CRB checked and Cassie provides advice on choosing dishes for optimum nutrition, taking into account medical conditions and individual tastes.

Northwood Foods’ products differ from many of their competitors in that they have invested in innovative packaging which enables the meal to be warmed on the plate directly, avoiding the need to transfer piping hot food from plastic trays to plates.

Cassie said: “We would never produce anything that we

Northwood Foods currently deliver around Yorkshire and North Nottinghamshire but plan to deliver nationally.

Cassie said: “We are building things carefully and steadily but we really feel there is a lot of potential in the business.

After all, we’re living in an ageing population and people will always need to eat.

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“We are so grateful for the mentoring we have received from Smartstart and have been really impressed with the standard and efficiency of the support provided.”

BBIC’s Smartstart business development manager Sarah Valentine said: “Cassie’s own experiences prompted her to set up her business and we’re delighted to have helped her get underway.

Building a business requires passion, which she has in abundance. It’s great to see another success story from the Smartstart programme and we wish Northwood Foods all the best for the future.”

The Smartstart programme is delivered in partnership with Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council and is part of a wider strategy to help grow the local economy.

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Feature

A family affair

All eyes are on Cawthorne as the Underneath the Stars Festival returns to Cannon Hall Farm this summer.

Internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter Kate Rusby has once again joined forces with her brother and sister to bring a weekend of music, arts, food and drink to Barnsley in July.

Barnsley born and bred Kate, who was given freedom of the borough in March, is headlining the Underneath the Stars Festival, which is organised by her brother Joe and sister Emma. It’s a labour of love for the pair, who also live in Barnsley and share their sister’s passion for music and the arts.

This is the third year the family has organised the festival, which takes place between July 22nd-24th at Cannon Hall Farm and aims to attract music lovers and families keen to experience a relaxed weekend of entertainment, arts, food and drink.

Kate will be joined on the line-up by established artists including Vieux Farka Touré, often referred to as ‘The Hendrix of the Sahara’ and son of legendary Malian guitar player Ali Farka Touré; County Sligo’s finest export Dervish; Dublin born singer/ songwriter extraordinaire Declan O’Rourke; and Yorkshire-based Demon Barbers XL with their mix of live music and fusion dance show.

The line-up also features up-andcoming talent including Leeds- based King Zepha with their timeless blend of 42

ska, rocksteady and jump blues; singersongwriter and multi-instrumentalist Olivia Chaney, folk/jazz Scottish songwriter Blue Rose Code (Ross Wilson); and winners of the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award 2015, Talisk.

Other highlights include Curtis Eller’s American Circus, as they embark on an extended tour of the UK presenting their heady mix of old time Americana and brutish rock ‘n roll; award-winning British singer, songwriter and guitarist Blair Dunlop; and Nashville based old time fiddle and banjo duo Ten String Symphony.

They will be joined by Rory McLeod, one-man soul band, poet and storyteller; and seven-piece “gypsy - folk ‘n’ roll” band Holy Moly & The Crackers. More acts are set to be announced soon.

This year’s Underneath the Stars Festival builds on the success of the previous two years, when the event has featured acts including Mary Chapin Carpenter, Richard Thompson and Eddi Reader.

Joe Rusby, the festival’s artistic director, said: “This year’s line-up for Underneath

accessibility experts ‘All In’ to ensure the weekend can be enjoyed by everyone.

The event will once again be supporting Yorkshire Cancer Research, whose goal is to help people in and around Yorkshire avoid, survive and cope with cancer.

opportunities for our audience to explore a diverse programme of high quality music and creative arts.”

Alongside two stages of music, Underneath the Stars will feature family activities including a planetarium, handmade crafts, street theatre and storytelling, as well as music and dance workshops, award winning street food and a real ale bar, and full access to Cannon Hall Farm.

the Stars presents a thrilling and eclectic selection of bands and soloists from a great range of music genres.

“Underneath the Stars is now established as an annual family-friendly weekend event through which we aim to provide

Weekend camping with hot showers is available, as well as luxury camping pitches via the family-run, Yorkshirebased glamping provider Glampit.

Performances take place in fully seated circus-style big top tents meaning music fans can stay dry whatever the weather, and the organisers have teamed up with S o u t h

Emma Holling, festival director, said: “We share their vision and support their efforts to ensure every single person in every community in and around Yorkshire has the very best chance of living a long and healthy life with and beyond cancer.

“Underneath the Stars is not only about celebrating music and arts, but is also about drawing people to South Yorkshire and showcasing the area as a stunning backdrop for such a world class cultural event.”

Tickets for the Underneath the Stars Festival are now on sale at www.underthestarsfest.co.uk

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NewsUpdate

Second wave of names in lineup for South Yorkshire festival is revealed A South African electro-pop group and a trailblazing international flautist are amongst the latest additions to the eclectic line-up at a South Yorkshire music and arts festival.

Bye Beneco, from Johannesburg, and Manchester-born flute and whistle virtuoso Michael McGoldrick will perform alongside headliner Kate Rusby at the Underneath the Stars Festival at Cannon Hall Farm near Barnsley in this summer.

The event, now in its third year, runs from 22nd-24th July and is organised by Kate’s family production team, Pure Records.

Leeds based alt-indie band Dancing Years; Scottish fiddle master Duncan Chisholm; 2016 BBC Radio 2 Folk Award nominee Damien O’Kane; and North East pop four-piece Joy Atlas have also been announced as performing at the festival.

Also added to the lineup are Tantz, with their klezmer-tinged grooves; and Gary Stewart & The Tin Foil Collective, who will perform their re-

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creation of Paul Simon’s ‘Graceland’ album.

To coincide with the latest artist announcements, day tickets for the festival have just been released.

Weekend tickets are still available too, both with and without camping.

Emma Holling, festival director and Kate Rusby’s sister, said: “We are really excited to announce the latest names in the line-up.

With about 100 days to go, the festival is shaping up to be another fantastic family-friendly event with a really wide range of musical performances.”

The latest line-up of artists will join performers announced last month, which include; Vieux Farka Touré, Dervish, The Demon Barbers XL, Blair Dunlop, Olivia Chaney and King Zepha. So far, 30 names have been announced and even more will be added to the lineup in coming weeks.

The artists will all perform in big-top style tents with seating, meaning festivalgoers can stay dry during performances – whatever the weather.

And alongside two stages of music, Underneath the Stars will also feature family activities including storytelling and street theatre, music and dance workshops, an artisan crafts village, creativekids tent and a giant planetarium. Food and drink offerings include a real ale bar and award winning street food.

Emma said: “We’re hoping to attract first-timers as well as seasoned festival goers, as the huge variety of musical performances and family activities means there really is something to appeal to everyone, whether they come along for the day or for the weekend.”

Camping with hot showers is available for those who choose to make a weekend of it, as well as luxury ‘glamping’ pitches.

Camping and day tickets are on sale now at www. underneaththestarsfest. co.uk and they include half price access to Cannon Hall Farm, which is open as normal throughout the weekend.

had influenced how they would vote but over half had not had their view altered.

Now that the date for the referendum has been set, businesses are being urged to consider what the potential outcomes would mean for them.

The IoD recently staged an EU debate in Yorkshire and there were strong opinions on both sides. It was clear that people have many questions and are looking for information and intelligent guidance.

The business leaders in attendance said the debate so far had been too negative with little explanation of the benefits presented by both outcomes.

In the coming weeks, the IoD, along with other business organisations, will be supporting businesses as they debate the issues at hand.

No doubt the debate will hot up even further but my hope is that companies and their employees are well-informed when they come to choose ‘in or out’ on 23 June.

Join Michael Martins, IoD economist, for a series of events focussing on the Northern Powerhouse and the effect on an in or out EU vote.

BY NATALIE SYKES - IoD

Businesses must weigh up the pros and cons of EU membership The debate over the UK’s membership of the European Union is hotting up with fewer than two months before the referendum on 23 June.

Directors shows six out of 10 UK business leaders are set to vote to remain in the EU. This follows the reform deal secured by Prime Minister David Cameron.

The pros and cons of our EU membership are being keenly discussed, not just by politicians but by the nation’s citizens too.

The survey showed three times as many IoD members thought the agreement was good for business compared to those who thought it was bad.

Businesses are also being urged to consider the issues and think carefully about how the referendum will affect them.

Overall, however, they said that the package was not likely to be the decisive factor in how businesses voted in the referendum.

A recent survey by the Institute of

Four in 10 of those surveyed said the deal S o u t h

Starting in Leeds on April 13th there is a Policy Voice Meet Up at 5pm, then a Breakfast Briefing at Hotel du Vin, Harrogate at 8.15am on April 15th.

This is the warm up to our EU Referendum Roadshow in May with Allie Renison, head of Europe and trade policy at the IoD.

For more details contact: www.iod.com email iod.yorkshire@iod.com

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NewsUpdate

Seven steps to keep lone workers safe Ian Johannessen is Managing Director of South Yorkshire based lone worker experts Peoplesafe.

Here he gives tips on how to keep safe if you work alone or manage some of the estimated 6.8 million people, from delivery drivers to social workers,who work alone.

Remember: out of sight does not mean out of mind. By law employers have a duty of care to staff wherever they are. The first step is to carry out a risk assessment, which looks at the people, the environment and the task. Also the severity of risk versus likelihood. For example is the worker vulnerable to attack or accident?

Look at how the risk can be managed.

Can the work safely be handled by one person? Or does it actually need more than one, perhaps because it involves lifting heavy weights or working in a situation that potentially exposes the worker to violence.

You also need to consider what system is going to be used to keep in touch. This could be as simple as a “buddy” system, where another worker keeps a check on a lone worker’s whereabouts.

But such simple systems are prone to problems. A diary system can fail 46

simply because people are too busy. And what happens if the lone worker fails to turn up at an appointment? How do you locate them? This is where hi-tech solutions may be the answer, with the lone worker carrying equipment linked to a remote centre where monitoring staff can listen in and record events and, if necessary, co-ordinate emergency support.

When considering a lone worker system it’s best to go for one that meets the demands of BS8484. This gives the highest level of safety and security for staff.

Lone workers should be given training to help understand and mitigate against risks that can occur. Training should focus on the avoidance of conflict and provide best practice for non-violent resolution.

Part of that training will be planning ahead. For example if you drive to a

meeting make sure you park in a busy place near street lights. When you come out of the meeting it may be dark and not so safe.

For more information about Peoplesafe go to:

www.peoplesafe.co.uk/

Preparing students for business and life The Barnsley Businesses Inspiring Students (BBIS) project is the brainchild of Barnsley-based financial management company Lifetime FM based in Dodworth and after initial trials it has been rolled out to local schools around Barnsley.

It’s goal is to inspire a future generation of entrepreneurs around South Yorkshire.

Darton College recently benefitted from specialist speakers from BBIS, to discuss life and careers with students in their innovative, state-of-the-art new building, that opened in February 2011 as part of the government’s Building Schools for the Future programme.

It is a popular and well-regarded community-focused school serving a number of villages to the west of Barnsley.

Principal Kate Davies is passionate about teaching and learning and committed to preparing her students for life beyond school to help them succeed. She welcomed the idea offered to stimulate ideas in the minds of students ahead of the challenges that the future might bring.

Well known local businessman and entrepreneur Derek Carpenter played a part in offering insight to students of all ages from year 7 to year 11, in five separate hourly sessions. Derek reports, “Young people have lots of energy and optimism and the college recognises the benefit of harnessing this as a way to find

Local businessman Derek Carpenter with students from Darton College success in life. It was a genuine pleasure and lots of fun to engage with every age range. Knowledge is power but knowing how to use it, creates the wisdom needed to get the best value from it. I felt part of a big family and was reminded of the great work done by teaching staff to benefit those in their care”.

Students received copies of the Barnsley edition of TopicUK which featured the success of Eve Lodge, who started Her own Business whilst still a student.

Reflecting on the day Kate Davies told TopicUK, ”It was a fantastic day and an honour to welcome such a diverse bunch of speakers from a variety of different professions. Our learners were incredibly positive and were certainly inspired and motivated!

Huge thanks to everyone involved and to Dave Bond the Careers leader here at Darton who made it all happen”.

Principal Kate Davies

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Fashion Update

By Katie Portman

EFFORTLESS WEDDING SEASON FASHION Regular TopicUK Fashion editor Katie Portman is a freelance journalist and an award winning lifestyle and fashion blogger at Pouting in Heels. Katie has been a magazine cover girl (just the once!) and is the owner of an award winning pout (don’t ask!) and as a great fondness for all things that are glamorous – especially when it comes to heels and frocks.

The wedding season is fast approaching and as a guest, it’s important that your outfit does the happy couple proud. Katie Portman explains how to get it right.

Weddings are becoming ever more personal and varied so it can be tricky to find the right guest outfit for the big day. And even trickier, if you’ve got a number of weddings to attend within a few months.

But fret not it’s easier than you think, if you follow just a few golden rules.

Do not overshadow the bride It’s never okay to steal the limelight away from the blushing bride, consciously or not. So to be safe, stay well clear of bridal white or anything too revealing or ‘showy’.

Keep things classy and feminine and you won’t go wrong.

Dress appropriately Before you go shopping, think about the type of wedding you are 48

attending. A black-tie affair will require something very different than for a relaxed church wedding or barbecue reception for example.

When in doubt veer more towards elegance and if you’re attending a number of weddings this year but only have the budget for one outfit, spend wisely.

block heel or a pair of wedges.

Alternatively you could always wear heels for the day and swap them later in the evening for a pair of comfy, fold up ballet pumps that you can easily stash in your clutch bag.

Buy a simple sheath dress and revamp it’s look a couple of times over with different accessories.

Go all out and dress up!

There aren’t many occasions today when you can dress up, like you can for a wedding, so enjoy it and make the most of it.

Think style and comfort Weddings are wonderful occasions but they’re also very long days, so your outfit, to some extent, needs to be as comfortable as it is stylish.

If your budget is limited, use accessories to turn an ordinary or simple dress into something incredible. (Bold and beautiful accessories are also great talking points for guests. )

Steer clear of anything that is too tight or fitted as it will only make you feel miserable and opt for softer fabrics like jersey or silk indeed.

Or think about wearing something altogether a little different, like a smart trouser suit or skirt and blouse combination instead of a dress.

Also remember that happy feet are pain free! So if you must wear heels, try opting for a medium height,

Be bold, keep it classy, give your favourite occasion pieces an outing and the bride will love you forever.

You can follow Katie on our website www.topicuk.co.uk or on Twitter @ KateLPortman

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NewsUpdate

Students Inspired for their Future Careers

Barnsley College has been working alongside Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber of Commerce to promote career options to young people in South Yorkshire at an event held at the college.

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England which is supported by the Skills Funding Agency. So far it has reached more than 16,500 14-24 year olds with over 500 businesses taking part.

Over 300 students attended the event, taking part in a variety of taster activities and talking to businesses about apprenticeship pathways available to them.

In the Sheffield Region, the Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber of Commerce have been working with local providers to raise the profile of apprenticeships and to improve the quality of employment advice young people receive.

Jennifer Gedlek, Head of Work Based Learning at Barnsley College, said: “We had a fantastic turn out from the students, with 200 registering with the National Apprenticeship Service website. Events like these are really important to ensure our students engage with employers whilst allowing businesses to get involved with the college.”

The event is part of a wider national scheme by the Chambers of Commerce across

Adrian Platts, Project Coordinator at Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber of Commerce, said: “It was great to see employers from a wide range of sectors sharing valuable advice and information with a variety of young people. It’s important that young people are aware of not just the opportunities on offer, but also understand what these organisations expect from their future employees. These careers fairs are a crucial early step in planning

he Your Future Careers Fair was held at Barnsley College during National Apprenticeship Week on Tuesday 15 March 2016, and invited local employers to talk to students about the employment and training opportunities in the area.

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for future employment and young people should take every opportunity to maximise their chances.

“Young people should also keep an open mind about applying for an apprenticeship as a route to employment. There have been apprentices in South Yorkshire who have accessed great development opportunities with local organisations and have achieved senior management positions. There really are no limits to how far you can go with an apprenticeship.”

For more information about apprenticeships, contact Barnsley College’s Work Based Learning Team employer@barnsley.ac.uk +44 (0)1226 216 166 www.barnsley.ac.uk.

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