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KIRKLEES & CALDERDALE NO22

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JA NUA R Y 2 018 - W W W. TOPICU K .CO.U K

BIG INTERVIEW - WE CHAT TO

STEVE CROWTHER

“THERE’S LOTS OF OPPORTUNITY IN THE TOWN”

MAKE YOUR OFFICE ‘POP’ WITH OUR INTERIORS GUIDE FOR 2018

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2018 RESOLUTIONS FROM THE REGION’S BUSINESSES

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TopicUK is a free publication and available from a number of outlets across the region.

G RO U P

E D I TO R

Gill Laidler E D I TO R

Alex Mason C R E AT I V E

D I R EC TO R

Rob Blackwell

B I G

I N T E RV I E W

Sean Jarvis

L EG A L

M AT T E R S

Chadwick Lawrence

R E S TAU R A N T

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CSR Access North Structures

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How It’s Made Dueren Doors

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Big Interview Steve Crowther

R E V I E W

Epicure Bar & Kitchen I T

Fusion H OW

I T ’ S

M A D E

Owen Scott Bespoke

M A R K E T I N G

U P DAT E

KC Communications

CO M M E RC I A L

P RO P E RT Y

Mark Hanson

C S R

S H OWC A S E

Laurence Turner

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Restaurant Review The Black Cat Bistro

Contents &Comments D E TA I LS OF T HIS M ON T H‘S TOPIC UK, YOUR LO C A L B US IN ES S C OM M UN IT Y M AGAZIN E

Editor’s Notes

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by Alex Mason

The John Smith's Stadium Stafflex Recruitment

Hello all, a very happy new year and welcome to the first edition of TopicUK Kirklees and Calderdale of 2018.

As businesses across the area start putting into action their plans for the year ahead, on page 18 we’ve spoken to some of the people leading the region’s different companies to find out what they want to stop, start and continue doing to grow and develop their business and teams in 2018.

I also caught up with Steve Crowther of Crowther Accountants for this month’s ‘Big Interview’, and found out more about how the company’s “Together in business” motto has helped them achieve some fantastic growth in recent times. Steve is also part of the board that recently raised over £20,000 at the annual KACCL event back in December – you can find out more about that on page 50.

Myself and TopicUK group editor Gill Laidler were also invited to attend the Kirklees College COLS awards last month, and as proud sponsors we watched on as the staff and students spent a celebratory evening recognising the fantastic achievements of students studying various courses at the college. Many of the students had overcome difficult or adverse circumstances to win their award, making the evening even more poignant.

On page 40 we catch up with Dueren to take a look at how the Mirfield-based company manufactures its bespoke doors, and our CSR showcase this month takes us to dizzying heights as we speak to rope

Costa Coffee Sainsbury’s Market Street,

Huddersfield and Brighouse store

Heritage Business Centre Ramsdens Solicitors Chadwick Lawrence Solicitors access specialists, Access North structures, and find out about the local causes they continue to support.

Holiday Inn Brighouse Cedar Court Hotel Huddersfield Elsie Whiteley Business Centre

Our charity of the year for 2018, Goals4Hearts, tells us all about its latest partnership with Brighouse Ladies Football Club in an update on page 20, and you can meet this month’s Huddersfield Young Entrepreneur, Oli Smith of Aye! Creative Agency, on page 34 to find out more about his plans for further growth.

So, grab a coffee and sit back (is that possible during working hours in January?!), and enjoy the first issue of the New Year.

National Coal Mining Museum Yorkshire Sculpture Park Leeds Bradford Airport Big Shots Cafe Brighouse plus many more outlets see website for details

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Kirklees & Calderdale

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TopicUK Kirklees & Calderdale brings you a roundup of news and events and what’s been happening in our region recently

Businesses in West Yorkshire and York could now benefit from grants of up to £3000 to get gigabit broadband installed as part of a £2 million trial taking place in four areas around the UK.

Social media strategist returns to Facebook A Huddersfield social media trainer is part of a team set to support up to 50,000 female entrepreneurs with Facebook and Instagram training in 2018.

Janet Bebb, founder of Honely-based social media consultancy Social Progress, is part of the Facebook She Means Business programme, being run in collaboration with Enterprise Nation in the UK. In 2017, the programme achieved its target of supporting 10,000 female entrepreneurs. For 2018, Facebook and Enterprise Nation have raised the bar and the target for 2018 is 50,000 people.

Janet, who is the North of England’s only Facebook She Means Business Accredited Trainer, will help to educate participants in the latest Facebook & Instagram related hints, tips, ideas and solutions at events run by Enterprise Nation throughout 2018.

Janet said: “I was invited to take part in the 2017 programme following on from my involvement as a social media strategist and trainer on the Enterprise Nation Growth Voucher Programme.

They asked people to vote for their top 50 advisers across the UK, and I was delighted to be voted on by the clients I have worked with.”

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BroadBand Boost

For Businesses

Suppliers will be offering vouchers worth between £500 and £3000 each to local businesses which can then be used to pay for the installation of gigabit speed connections. The aim of the pilots is to encourage the market to extend full fibre infrastructure in the UK by increasing demand and reducing the cost to customers.

The many benefits of a full fibre gigabit connection include: • Allowing businesses to upload and download large files in a matter of seconds • enabling widespread use of videoconferencing throughout an organisation • providing an unprecedented level of reliability whilst greatly enhancing resilience future proofing • making sure that businesses have the technology in place to deal with the ever increasing demands for internet speed and connectivity • allowing businesses in remote communities to compete on a

The Mayor of Huddersfield attended an event to mark the completion of a two week internship funded by Kirklees Council in conjunction with C&K Careers designed to enable young people to unlock their future potential.

Young people from Kirklees Virtual School, Thornhill Community Academy, Royds Hall Community School, Moor End Academy, Batley Grammar School and All Saints Catholic College took part in the internship over two weeks in summer 2017, In the first week, the attendees took part in a week-long employability programme

to prepare them for the placement, which included interactive activities to help them find out more about their skills, options after school, how to build a CV and interview skills.

Kirklees & Calderdale

technologically level playing field with those companies based in major cities who may already have full fibre connectivity.

Minister for Digital Matt Hancock said: “Top notch broadband is essential to compete in the modern world. Faster and more reliable connections are transforming the way we live and work, and better broadband supports businesses to grow and become more productive. So we’re introducing gigaspeed vouchers to help businesses of Britain get connected to the next generation of broadband technology.

“West Yorkshire Combined Authority is very pleased to be working with DCMS to deliver the new Gigabit Voucher Scheme across West Yorkshire and York. Over 3,500 SMEs across West Yorkshire and York took advantage of previous funding to upgrade their connections and we know that businesses here want to invest in improving their connectivity. As a partnership WYCA wants to encourage investment in gigabit capable connectivity to homes and businesses across our wider city region in order to help deliver our productivity and growth ambitions.”

The areas in our region that have been carefully selected to test the market conditions and infrastructure conditions we aim to help to create through the wider Local Full Fibre Network programme are: West Yorkshire Combined Authority (Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds, Wakefield and York).

Kersten England, Chief Executive at Bradford Metropolitan District Council and Lead Chief Executive for Digital and Innovation Leeds City Region, said:

The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, Andrew Jones, MP, said: “We are determined to provide the infrastructure needed for British businesses to thrive and prosper. The rollout of next generation, full-fibre broadband will help do that.

“Lightning internet speeds and unprecedented reliability will boost trade and ensure our firms can connect effortlessly to their customers and suppliers.”

Mayor of Kirklees attends internship programme celebration event The second week was spent in the workplace, with attendees learning more about the world of work and gaining valuable experience in an area they were interested in.

The programme was supported by 36 local employers offering a week long placement.

The celebration event was held at Huddersfield Town Hall and included presentations from students, Kirklees Council and C&K Careers. The Mayor

also presented certificates of completion to the students and employers.

Project Coordinator Tanya Barry said: “At first, many of our students felt very anxious about the prospect of work experience, but by the end of the week they were feeling more confident and motivated to engage with employers and develop their employability and interpersonal skills further.

“We’ve had some great feedback from both the students and the employers who got involved.”

Appointment expands Sheards team A Huddersfield financial advisory firm has appointed a new adviser into the business as it continues with expansion plans.

Sheards Wealth Management has recruited Darren Brock as an Independent Financial Adviser.

Darren has worked in the Financial Services sector for over 35 years and has experience dealing with both personal and corporate clients.

His career began in the broker division of Allied Dunbar, from where he moved on to become a Senior Broker Consultant with Scottish Amicable, before starting his own successful business in 1999.

Mark Stewart, director at Sheards, commented: “I am delighted to welcome Darren to the team.

I am confident his expertise and passion for providing his clients with outstanding levels of customer service will be of significant benefit to the business.”

Commenting on his appointment, Darren added: “I am delighted to be joining such a reputable and well established business. I look forward to being able to put my skills and expertise to good use to help the company achieve its objectives whilst supporting customers to achieve their financial goals”.

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Estate and Lettings Agent achieves double industry award recognition Holmfirth-based residential estate and lettings agent Applegate Properties has won gold and silver accolades at a prestigious industry awards ceremony.

The Negotiator Awards – the UK’s leading programme for estate and lettings specialists – were established in 2008, and since then have grown in stature to now be acknowledged as the most recognised awards scheme for the residential property industry.

Applegate Properties was shortlisted in three categories – Yorkshire and the Humber Agency of the Year, Small Lettings Agency of the Year and Small Estate Agency of the Year – each of them celebrating businesses with one to three branches that are prominent or stand out within their town.

Applegate managing director Amy Wray attended the London ceremony alongside sales advisor Chloe Byrne and lettings advisor Laura-Anne.

Held at the Hilton Hotel on Park Lane, the event was hosted by Jimmy Carr who presented the agency

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with a gold accolade for the Yorkshire and the Humber Agency of the Year, and silver for the Small Lettings Agency of the Year.

Commenting on the awards, Amy said: “The night itself was lots of fun and we were extremely shocked to receive both gold and silver, as we were up against such strong competition. We have worked hard to offer a completely different estate agency experience, so it was extremely humbling to have this acknowledged in such a prestigious arena.”

Applegate Properties was founded in 2010 and has built an exceptional reputation for being the fastest growing property experts in the Huddersfield and Holmfirth area.

Elsie Whiteley Centre thriving as demand for space grows Halifax’s Elsie Whiteley Innovation Centre (EWIC) has started 2018 on a high note with new business arrivals taking occupancy rates close to full capacity.

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HR company expands health and safety division New appointments for Ramsdens team Ramsdens Solicitors has appointed four new starters across its Commercial, Family and Private Client teams.

Chris Annable, Associate, has joined the Commercial Property team at the Oakley House office in Edgerton. Prior to joining Ramsdens Chris was a Senior Associate at a large international firm and comes with experience in a wide range of real estate matters, acting on the behalf of a variety of clients.

Chris commented that he is “looking forward to working for a firm which The community-focused business centre is run by social enterprise Halifax Opportunities Trust, and is home to a range of small businesses.

Rental income from office space and meeting rooms funds the charity’s important work helping disadvantaged people across the Calderdale district.

A number of businesses moving in towards the end of 2017 has left the historic building nearing capacity, with only four spaces left available for occupancy.

A recent addition to the Centre is Digital Engineering company BiM Dept Ltd. The company provides support to the building services industry, including consulting engineers, contractors and sub-contractors. The business moved into EWIC from Fountain Street in Halifax as part of a growth and modernisation programme.

Director, Darren Haigh, said: “The Elsie Whiteley Innovation Centre has everything we need to grow our

is focused on the local business community and to developing a close understanding of the real estate market in the region”.

Rachel Forsyth, Robyn Mayoh and Nicola May also join the team’s Halifax office as newly qualified solicitors after recently completing their trainee programmes.

Paul Joyce, Managing Partner comments: “We’re delighted to make these key appointments to the growing team at Ramsdens Solicitors.” business, with meeting rooms, a waiting area, café and the room to expand if necessary. I particularly like the atmosphere and general buzz of the place.

“The change in location and the new look of our business is already generating interest and we hope this will be a catalyst for growth and subsequently new jobs”.

CEO of Halifax Opportunities Trust, Alison Haskins, said: “We’re delighted that the Centre is continuing to attract such a diverse range of businesses and that we can provide them with a sound base which enables them to grow. This meets one of our charitable aims, which is to support business development.

“If we can also play our part in attracting businesses into the Calderdale area from further afield and creating new jobs locally, then that’s an added bonus.”

A Cleckheaton HR and employment law firm is set to expand its health and safety division portfolio after securing contracts worth £30,000 with two of Yorkshire and Lancashire’s largest manufacturing companies.

Howarths People and Safety Management, based in Cleckheaton, has agreed a two year contract to deliver on-site health and safety support to Bolton based manufacturer Richard Hough Limited.

The company, which has more than 30 employees, manufactures specialist squeezing, calendaring and supercalendar rolls used in the textile production, paper manufacturing and vehicle building industries.

Howarths will work with the firm to deliver ongoing health and safety support, including risk assessments, machinery maintenance checks and safer working practices.

A second new contract will see Howarths deliver technical health and safety support and health and safety culture training to flexible hose technology manufacturer, FTL Company Limited, based in Leeds.

FTL Company Limited appointed Howarths having

used the company to deliver its employment law requirements over recent years.

Gavin Howarth, managing director at Howarths, said: “Health and safety is of the upmost importance in the manufacturing sector.

Richard Hough Limited operates large-scale machinery across a 43,000 square foot site, meaning

an intensive, hands-on and proactive approach to safe working practices is vital.

“Ensuring that teams are bought in to a strong culture of effective health and safety practices is also paramount, and we look forward to working one-to-one with staff at FTL to further develop the awareness already in place.”

In addition to on-site support, the Howarths health and safety division supports clients with health and safety administration including accreditations, supporting documentation and health and safety insurance.

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Leach appointed by international outdoor leisure brand Regatta International outdoor leisure brand Regatta has overhauled the visual merchandising strategy at its Manchester headquarters with the help of Huddersfield-based display specialist Leach Impact. including full magnetic assemble, graphic installation and 180 shelves added and aligned.

Regatta’s marketing director Jo Hawkins explained: “We were initially drawn to the system because of its brightness and large-format photographic quality. But the construction of Product Wall Lite now allows us to change the graphics and products as often as we like, without any external input or specialist shop-fitting expertise.

R

egatta’s showroom is a regular destination for corporate customers, keen to be among the first to see what could soon adorn their retail shelves. But with footwear previously housed on a dark, permanent wooden wall, the 180sqft space struggled to do the hero products justice.

To address the issue, Regatta has invested in a state-ofthe-art bespoke display from Leach’s Product Wall Lite range. The streamlined, wallmounted system integrates eye-catching graphics with ultra-bright LED

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illumination and magnetic shelving, for maximum visual impact.

Dale Broadhead, project lead at Leach, said: “Following an initial design consultation, we knew the team was interested in the flexibility of this graphics display alternative.

“However, to meet the exact requirements of this brief, our in-house innovation team built a number of prototypes to evaluate how to best showcase Regatta’s footwear range.”

The finished solution was installed in one day,

“This means we can refresh our showroom campaigns in line with the changing seasons, which should deliver an ongoing wow factor and a lasting impression, much more in-keeping with what we’re trying to achieve as a brand.”

Following positive feedback from visitors to its Manchester HQ, Regatta now plans to roll the Product Wall Lite system out into its store environments.

Established in 1981 with a 12-strong team, Regatta now has 200 stores and concessions throughout the UK and operates in 55 countries worldwide.

Steel signing event marks progress on Springfield Centre VIP guests were recently invited to leave their mark in a steel signing event at Kirklees College’s Springfield Centre.

At the event, which marked the official ‘topping out’ of the building, guests signed messages on a steel sheet that will be hung inside the new centre to inspire future students.

The Springfield Centre is part of the college’s Dewsbury Learning Quarter – two new centres due to open in Dewsbury town centre in 2018/19 to replace the current Dewsbury Centre and Batley School of Art. The Dewsbury Learning Quarter project forms part of Kirklees Council’s wider regeneration program for Dewsbury

Kirklees & Calderdale through the North Kirklees Growth Zone.

and the people of Dewsbury.”

It is being part funded through the Leeds City Region Growth Deal, delivered by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) and the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP), supported by Kirklees Council, The Heritage Lottery Fund, and The Dewsbury Townscape Heritage Initiative.

Kirklees College Centre Principal, Dewsbury Learning Quarter, Melanie Brooke said: “This exciting development will provide the community of North Kirklees with state-ofthe-art facilities across two very different but complementary centres.

The DLQ has received £11.1m investment through the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Growth Deal – a £1 billion package of government investment to accelerate growth and create jobs across Leeds City Region.

The Springfield Centre is a new purposebuilt facility that is being developed by Kier Construction on Bradford Road, next to Lidl.

The centre will be mainly for young people and will offer a range of vocational courses including specialist provision in sciencerelated and technical areas.

“Working with local employers and partners, the new centres will help us to ensure that the college provides young people with the opportunities they deserve within an exemplary learning environment.”

Roger Marsh OBE, Chair of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP), said: “The delivery of these state-of-art facilities

for our City Region’s learners to have the right skills for fulfilling and economically viable careers in our priority skills sectors of construction, digital and health and care. I am delighted to see the next stage of Dewsbury Learning Quarter underway.”

Cllr Peter McBride, Cabinet Member jointly responsible for Regeneration, said: “The Springfield Centre is an essential part of the Dewsbury Learning Quarter and the wider North Kirklees Growth Zone initiative and demonstrates the council’s commitment to the regeneration of the town.”

Cllr Naheed Mather, Cabinet Member jointly responsible for Regeneration, said: “With

The plans also involve transforming the iconic landmark Pioneer House into a centre for higher level skills, apprenticeships and post-19 studies, specialising in creative and digital media and art, healthcare, business and finance.

Guests at the event included governors, staff and students from the college, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Kier Construction.

After the steel signing ceremony, guests enjoyed a tour to see progress of the building.

Nick Shepherd, Operations Director for Kier Construction Northern, said: “The steelwork signing event records another key milestone in the continued success of driving through this successful construction programme delivery. The joint signing truly forges the positive collaboration with all stakeholders involved with this project.

“The building is now starting to take shape and will bring to the town a fantastic education facility for both Kirklees College

are an essential part of our joint Delivery Agreement with Kirklees College to enable them to continue to deliver exceptional technical and employer-led provision.

“By investing £11.1m into this development we are providing more and better facilities

the new building being located closer to the centre it will provide students with easy access to shops, cafes, and the rail and bus stations. In addition there will be thousands of students passing through the town during the week providing opportunities for local businesses.”

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How to make your office ‘pop’ in 2018 Very few client-facing organisations would dream of welcoming customers into an environment that doesn’t ‘look the part’. It’s a widely-known fact that first impressions are made in as little as seven seconds, so failure to deliver the right impact could spoil a relationship before it has even begun.

In an increasingly competitive employment landscape, commercial interiors are fast becoming a crucial consideration for modern businesses that are keen to attract, inspire and retain that allimportant talent. So, as companies plan for the year ahead, how can they make their offices ‘pop’ in 2018?

Dale Broadhead, a ‘wow factor’ specialist at Huddersfieldheadquartered Leach Impact, shares his thoughts…

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Fortunately this is something many businesses now readily acknowledge. It’s why shop fit-outs are becoming more eye-catching, restaurant decor packs a punch the minute someone steps inside and hotel interiors are designed with unbelievably fine attention to detail.

Why then, when it comes to the workplace, do things fall a little flat? An organisation is nothing without its people after all. Don’t they deserve the same effort?

Thankfully, in the face of an increasingly competitive employment landscape, a number of companies are realising that more has to be done to attract talented individuals to work there. The creation of inspiring surroundings that get people talking is one way to achieve this goal, whilst keeping existing colleagues motivated and productive too!

Of course, a ‘wow factor’ will be harder – or easier – to achieve

in some instances than others.

A characterful converted mill is immediately more attractive than a prefabricated concrete shell, for instance – ordinarily! However, there are some clever ways to make an office ‘pop’ in 2018, and they don’t have to break the bank: Start with the entrance A lobby or reception is a space used by everyone in the building at least twice a day. So, think about the impact that could be created here, from the minute someone steps inside. Full wall coverings are becoming an increasingly popular choice for this front-of-house location, and with custom wholewall graphics now available in sizes up to 5m high and 20m long, this single-piece solution provides a first impression with style!

The only word of warning is to not entirely neglect the rest of the interior – otherwise employees may perceive the effort as ‘just for show’.

Project your brand It’s easy to be inspired by decor chosen by global brands like Facebook, but don’t get sidetracked by gimmicks such as indoor lakes, helter-skelter slides and fully-stocked arcade rooms.

Design features should reflect the culture and values of the business environment they find themselves in, if they’re to have the

employee impact intended. It may therefore be more appropriate to install inspiring quotes on internal columns or suspend visually striking, brand-led displays from the ceiling, for instance. Such alternatives will catch attention, whilst demonstrating authenticity and making clever use of underutilised space.

Kirklees & Calderdale Consider colour If you’re going to stick to traditional painted walls, think carefully about the mood your chosen hue will set. Orange is great for high energy meetings, whilst white boosts creativity and blue instils tranquillity and trust, for example.

Liberate the light Glass is a great way to let in natural light and enhance LUX levels, which are known to help maintain wellbeing and concentration. But illumination options don’t end there, or with basic spots in the ceiling.

Free-standing or wall-mounted LED lightboxes can brighten up a space and incorporate eyecatching photography or brand imagery, with sleek ultra-slim options tipped to be increasingly popular in 2018.

Welcome ideas Why not create an environment for staff, inspired by staff? It is proven that employees who are actively engaged with their surroundings are 15% more productive. So, as nice as it would be to have a ‘big reveal’ in 2018, there’s also reason to involve them in the office wow factor design process, before any transformation takes place.

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www.leachimpact.com

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Huddersfield firm signs up as Giants associate sponsor Joining a host of other business supporters, bathroom and tile retailer Easy Bathrooms has been announced as a kit sponsor for the next 12 months at the club.

The company’s pledge will see their logo adorn the chest of the home claret and gold shirt, alongside the Giants’ ‘Birthplace of Rugby League’ symbol.

such a passion for what they do and for our club is wonderful.

They are expanding rapidly and I look forward to working closely alongside them in the future.”

Easy Bathrooms was launched in 2012 by Huddersfield Giants fan Craig Waddington as a retail and trade supplier of bathroom and tile products. With 16 stores across Yorkshire, the Midlands and Chester, the business employs over 80 staff and plans to open more showrooms across the rest of the UK in 2018.

Craig Waddington added: “It’s an exciting time for us at Easy Bathrooms as we expand throughout the UK, so we’re really looking forward to what the next 12 months brings for both us and the club.

“I’ve been a fan of the Huddersfield Giants for all my life, so I’m proud to see our logo printed on the famous claret and gold. I hope the partnership will prove a delight for all involved and we can’t wait for the season to start.”

Giants’ commercial manager Brian Blacker commented: “We’re delighted to welcome Easy Bathrooms as an Associate Kit Partner. The business has been a long-term friend of the club and it’s great to see they’ve stepped up to be on the shirt for the first time.

“It’s always pleasing to welcome a new partner, but having a company with

Giants ambassador Eorl Crabtree added: “It’s brilliant having Easy Bathrooms on the chest of the 2018 kit. I’m good friends with Craig Waddington and they’re big fans of the Giants, so it’s great to have such positive people around the club ahead of next season.”

Heineken UK agrees a new commercial contract with HTAFC Huddersfield Town Football Club has agreed a new commercial contract with Heineken UK that will see the cider and beer manufacturer join the Huddersfield Hundred.

Heineken UK is a wholly owned subsidiary of Heineken N.V. and is the UK’s leading cider and beer producer. The company is behind brands including Strongbow, Bulmers, Heineken®, Foster’s, John Smith’s and Desperados.

Graeme Nicholson Regional Sales Director for Heineken UK said: “Heineken is delighted to have become the official beer and cider partner of Huddersfield Town, a club with a proud history and incredibly exciting future.

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“We look forward to a long and successful relationship in all our ventures with the Club. It’s our mission to ensure every pint of beer and cider is served to perfection and we look forward to working in collaboration with Huddersfield to delight and excite football fans every single week.”

Sean Jarvis Commercial Director, Huddersfield Town added: “It’s fantastic to have Heineken as a commercial partner and part of the Huddersfield Hundred.

“I’m really excited about working with Heineken over the next 12 months with products at PPG Canalside, and look to strengthen our relationship with Graeme and the team.”

Kirklees & Calderdale

Financial planning firm signs new deal with HRLFC Halifax-based chartered financial planning firm Investing For Tomorrow has renewed its sponsorship with Halifax Rugby League Football Club (HRLFC) for the 2018 rugby league season.

The sponsorship will see the company’s branding appear on Head Coach Richard Marshall’s kit, along with the players’ training kit and game day programme notes.

Following the firm’s sponsorship of the club’s reunion dinner in July 2017, it has opted to continue its ongoing support for the club, also renewing its occasional match day and match ball sponsorship.

Commenting on the sponsorship Investing For Tomorrow founder

and managing partner, Laurence Turner, said: “Based upon the success, clearly driven by the coach, it is a privilege for us to sponsor Richard Marshall for the 2018 season. We are certain he will get the very best out of the 2018 squad that he is assembling and we are proud to be associated once again with him and the club.

“The club is incredibly important to the local community and we’re a company that is determined to be a positive local contributor wherever we can.”

Mark Moore, chief executive at

Senior hire announced at vehicle auction specialist G3

With over 20 years’ motor industry expertise Alex Miles has joined the team in the newlycreated position of Buyer Services Manager.

Having worked for AMT Contract

Hire & Leasing, The Harratts Group and Nidd Vale Motors – among other well-known brands – Alex brings with him a wealth of insight into the used car market.

This knowledge will be used to

HRLFC added: “It has been great to be able to bring Laurence back within the Halifax family. He believes in what we are trying to

do at the club, offering a fresh new approach, with an attempt to engage more effectively within the local community.

help G3 further raise its profile among the dealer and car supermarkets network.

“Alex will provide a crucial role in further improving the quality of the sale experience, for vendors and buyers alike,” explains G3’s joint director Matt Dale. “He will be responsible for placing vehicles both pre- and post-sale, for instance, to improve conversions rates and returns for our sellers.

vehicles to review the reasons for the non-conversion. Having worked at different stages within the supply chain, for instance, he will advise how to make the vehicles more appealing during the pre-sale process and where to adjust the pricing to reflect market conditions and demands.

“But in helping our marketing team to better communicate with prospective buyers – to hopefully increase the number of proxy bids that we are able to achieve per car, for example – he is also improving their access to high quality, readyto-retail stock.”

“With a conversion rate of 78%, we already deliver a high level of service to vendors,” expands Matt. “But we’re always striving to do more. Alex will, in effect, be a champion of continuous improvement within our team, so that we can uphold the high standards we’ve become renowned for, as we continue to grow.”

Drawing on his two decades of experience, Alex will also assist colleagues with vehicle valuations and proactively analyse unsold

G3’s sales calendar currently includes an average of 16 auctions per month, where buyers are able to bid in-lane and online.

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All hail Halifax; a materially different property market Best known for its history as a wool and textile centre, Halifax is enjoying an exciting revival; and its former cloth mills are firmly at the heart of the town’s new life.

It all began with an inspirational vision for the Piece Hall, a Grade I listed cloth hall for handloom weavers consisting of 315 rooms set around a central courtyard. After a three year, £19 million restoration project, the Piece Hall opened to the public with much fan-fayre on 1 August 2017 as a centre for trade, heritage and culture.

Since its reopening, more than 250,000 people have visited the Piece Hall, and many - from property investors to business owners - have discovered Halifax as a result.

Barry Collins, cabinet member for regeneration and economic development at Calderdale Council, said: “This is a period of transformation for Halifax. We have wonderful buildings, a highly skilled workforce and, being close to the M62, great road links. In fact, everything new businesses need.”

The flurry of interest in Halifax and its heritage is already having a noticeable impact, with local estate agents highlighting an upturn in interest in the town’s property market as a result of the increased visitor numbers.

The Piece Hall has served to pique the interest of many buyers, and Halifax’s excellent value for money has furthered this level of attention.

The average property price in the town is just £154,217, according to Zoopla, following an increase in prices of 14.6% over the past five years. By way of comparison, the UK House Price Index for August lists the UK’s average property price as £225,956.

Ray Withers, CEO at Property Frontiers, added:

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Halifax is a hot topic: •

•

•

250,000 visitors descend on Halifax in response to Piece Hall opening in August 2017 The average Halifax property value is £70k below national average (Zoopla) New Martins Mill provides investors with a piece of Halifax’s textile history (Property Frontiers).

“Halifax has a real up-andcoming vibe to it right now, with the Piece Hall having kick-started an elevated level of interest in the town.

Buyers and renters are particularly interested in being a part of the town’s cultural heritage, and the textile industry is the epicentre of that.”

The most recent textilerelated offering in Halifax is the superbly redeveloped, six-storey Martins Mill. The building, which harks back to the 1800s, offers 60 unique one and two-bedroom apartments, the majority of which enjoy spectacular views of Shibden Valley’s rolling hills.

Available through Property

Frontiers, the apartments will allow investors to capitalise on Halifax’s current notoriety and tap into the town’s huge potential for turning its history into its future.

Ray added: “Martins Mill is perfectly positioned for those interested in the Halifax market and looking to profit from property in the town. The development blends a stunning external façade with delightfully contemporary interiors that have been designed with professional renters and their families in mind. It’s an excellent investment opportunity for those with their finger on the property market’s pulse.”

Kirklees & Calderdale

Business Talk We created a three-year ‘project’ which encapsulated our short-term objective of survival and our medium-term objective to double the size of the business through organic growth.

Organic growth created massive opportunity for everyone involved for training and career progression.

Survival meant working together

In each issue, businessman Mike Phillips shares insights into the learnings and experiences he and his wife Marina experienced in setting up – and later selling – a successful business in the IT/Telecoms industry.

B

ack in November, I wrote about how business culture is a key factor in business success, this time it’s about how Marina and I learned the importance of planning and the importance of sharing that plan with everyone in the business.

People are more effective if they know the plan, and knowing where they fit promotes team working.

In year four, our business hit a crisis of ‘technical insolvency’. It was due entirely to lack of planning on my part. We had been growing very quickly but growing by accident and then sales just stopped. We thought they would start again but they didn’t. Our plan had been to just “sell more stuff ”. That’s not a bad start to a plan, but it’s not a whole plan - and we needed one.

We didn’t need a plan with detailed spreadsheets about how our revenue was going to grow, how many people we were

going to take on, how many cars, desks and chairs we were going to need along with how much money we were going to make.

We needed a plan to convert prospective business to cash; to sell more, invoice more, and collect more money much more quickly. We needed cash in the bank and we needed it yesterday. We also needed to stop making the mistakes that slowed that process down.

The people working in the business saved it.

We came up with a plan, but that plan alone didn’t ‘save the business’. The business was saved by all the people in it. They saved the business because they understood the plan; they understood the situation the business was in, they understood the importance of cash in the short term, and they understood the commitment needed to change some practices so that we would not get into the same difficulty again.

Everyone clearly understood the aim and the relevance of their effort. Crucially they also understood the relevance of other people’s roles.

We had lines of authority like any business, but everyone knew that our survival depended on us working together, as one team. From answering the ‘phone to incoming callers, to taking and relaying messages promptly not because it was a procedure but because we were one team with one goal.

Our responsibility was to coach people to become that one team with one goal to aim at.

Sometimes its hard to get administrators, technicians, and sales people to work as one but if they all understand the business objective and how all their different efforts contribute towards its achievement, your business will do well.

Our business survived, and it doubled in size.

We never forgot the lesson about planning and sharing that plan as we continued to grow through a series of ‘projects’, and from that time on, we never forgot how to work as one team.

After successfully growing and selling a business in the IT/Telecoms industry Mike and his co-director Marina Shaw now provide training coaching, and mentoring to businesses. M&M (Mike and Marina) Training are also running a series of seminars in conjunction with these short insights.

For more information on business turnaround, team building or business planning please email michaelphps@gmail.com

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Stop Start Continue

What are businesses across Kirklees and KATE BETTS Calderdale going to be doing to make 2018 their best year yet? We asked some of them to tell us founder and director of what they plan to stop, start and continue into Capital B Media the New Year.

OLIVIA ROBINSON & JOE FORMISANO, Founders of Delivita

STOP: In 2018, we’re really going to try and stop ourselves getting distracted!

By this, we mean with meaningless tasks that are easy to slip into doing but that don’t add any value to the business or its operation. After all, time is money!

START: We’re going to start building awareness of Delivita on a global scale.

We have an excellent product which is approved by our customers, and we now need to expand outside the UK in order to open up new revenue streams.

T

STOP: We will stop thinking we can’t do things! We can do anything. We might be a small agency, but we are one of the best in Yorkshire (and that’s official if you ask the Chartered Institute of PR). We have expertise in everything from content creation to crisis communication, and associates who are experts in everything else from design to SEO. START: We will start offering more work experience placements to local people, as we know they can bring energy and new ideas. We also understand how important is to nurture young talent and, if we can help people get a break in the industry, we will.

CONTINUE: We will continue doing the very best we can for our clients, and acting with integrity and honesty. In 2018 we’ll also continue doing more charity events. We raised over £100 for Barnsley Hospice with a bake sale CONTINUE: We’ll continue staying and we took part in volunteering close to the numbers in the business. By to clear a footpath. We want to knowing them, it make it easier for us to do more for charity in 2018 as we make the right choices. Ultimately, cash gained more charity clients in 2017 is King, Queen and all the rest! It’s crucial and it really opened our eyes to the we have consistent and steady cash flow. fantastic work they do.

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T KELLY

THISTLETHWAITE

founder of Yorkshire Yogi STOP: Negativity in the workplace.

Bring mindfulness and conscious communication into your workplace.

Identify and change disruptive patterns of behaviour and thought processes straight away to ensure that the workplace is a positive place to be.

Negativity causes stress and stress leads to sickness and poor mental and physical health.

START: Leading from the front. Your actions are more powerful than your words so if you as the boss are looking after yourself and are implementing a positive wellbeing routine into your day, then your staff will too. Put your pen down and log off in your dinner hour. Take your mind off your work for that brief time so that you can come back refreshed and ready to focus.

CONTINUE: To create a work environment that inspires your staff to be well. Maybe have a rule against staff working at their desks during their dinner break, or start a walking club one dinner time where staff can go for a 15 minute walk to get some fresh air and talk to their colleagues and destress. You could even provide cooking facilities to enable your staff to eat well and fuel their minds and bodies.

Kirklees & Calderdale

T JANET BEBB

T DAVID LEES

STOP: We’ll stop wasting time on things that don’t add value to or bring money into Social Progress or Big Screen Social.

STOP: We have realised over the past year how difficult it is to find the best staff via the agency route.

Therefore, we have stopped recruiting through agencies and instead will recruit through a trainee programme, three months in the making. We will also utilise training and upskilling opportunities for our current staff to perform even better in 2018.

founder and managing director at Social Progress

START: We’ll start setting SMART and clear daily, monthly and annual objectives. We’ll define what we can achieve, work towards those goals and evaluate what’s working. We’ll also be tasking each team member to complete a one page ‘WIN, LEARN, CHANGE’ each week. It doesn’t need to be much, but will help us to focus on what we do well, where we can improve and what we can do better.

CONTINUE: We’ll continue to build relationships with the people that count. We value our clients and contacts and will continue to always try to go the extra mile to support those around us who want to form connections with us. The businesses and people that we work well with make us stronger. We like to think we support them well.

CSR and Marketing Director at ABSUK ltd

START: We’ll be upscaling our IT support offering to both existing customers and local organisations as a result of a recent major acquisition.

This will complement our core service and comes as a natural addition, enabling us to offer a comprehensive service covering all aspects of IT and workplace functionality. We are also currently undergoing a rebranding process which we will launch very soon!

T ALEX BEARDSLEY ABL Business Limited

STOP: We are going to stop worrying about the competition because we are in a groove of our own.

START: We are going to start having more face time with customers and partners. In a world that’s ‘going digital’ we think it’s important to keep it real.

CONTINUE: We’ll continue working hard to understand our customers and developnetworks that add value for all. Taking a long term view is always our priority; we’re not about short term gains here.

CONTINUE: What we do best; provide innovative printing solutions to organisations across Yorkshire based on an uncompromising commitment to providing the very best of customer care and support. Our CSR programmes will also continue to support local charities with a special focus on Calderdale’s Smart Move and the HomeRun Project we are delivering in partnership with them.

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Goals 4 Hearts 2018 charity of the year

Goals 4 Hearts partners with Brighouse Town Ladies Football Club

Goals 4 Hearts by completing various activities that will include the ‘3 peaks’ walk, a charity football match, and a penalty shoot-out competition.

Brighouse Town Ladies football club has also placed Goals 4 Hearts’ promotional bill-boards pitch side at its home ground, and plans are afoot that will see Goals 4 Hearts become the team’s kit sponsor.

Commenting on the partnership, Brighouse Town Ladies manager, Rob Mitchell, said: “It's a pleasure to be working with Goals 4 Hearts and the founder Lee, who is a former Brighouse Town player. We want to help the charity with its aim to raise awareness of Sudden Cardiac Arrest and the importance of defibrillators, of which we house two at our home ground that were both donated by Goals 4 Hearts.

Lee Orton founded Goals 4 Hearts after he collapsed on the football field after suffering a Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). It was the first game of the season for Lee’s team, Aimbry FC, when his heart stopped for 10 minutes.

TopicUK Kirklees & Calderdale’s charity of the year for 2018 is Goals 4 Hearts. Based in Huddersfield, Goals 4 Hearts fundraises to supply life-saving defibrillators within communities, complete with training on how to use them to shock a heart and save a life.

New partnership aims to raise awareness As part of founder Lee Orton’s drive to raise money for the charity and increase awareness throughout 2018, Goals 4

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Hearts has formed a strategic partnership with local football club, Brighouse Town Ladies, for the 2017/18 season.

Throughout the season, both parties will raise money for

•

SCA kills over 100,000 people every year

•

SCA kills more people than breast cancer, lung cancer and aids combined

•

15 young people under the age of 35 die from SCA every week in the UK

•

When someone has a cardiac arrest, every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces their chances of survival by 7-10%

•

If a defibrillator is used and effective CPR is performed within 3-5 minutes of cardiac arrest, survival chances increase from 6% to 74%

Speaking about the charity’s most recent update, Lee said: “I’m really pleased that we have been able to partner with Brighouse Town Ladies.

The move will be instrumental in our plans to increase awareness of both Goals 4 Hearts as a charity and in turn awareness of Sudden Cardiac Arrest as we move into 2018.”

Find out more and get involved

To find out more about Goals 4 Hearts, make a donation or get involved with upcoming fundraising activity, email

Lee

at huddersfieldgoals4hearts@ yahoo.co.uk or visit www.

huddersfieldgoals4hearts.co.uk

Kirklees & Calderdale

Huddersfield Town Enterprise Academy breakfast asks Huddersfield businesses to:

‘Step up and stand out’

On a cold morning in November, Kirklees College hosted the first 2017/18 season meet of the Huddersfield Town Enterprise Academy. The theme; how can businesses across the area emulate David Wagner’s coaching success in a business environment? TopicUK went along to find out.

Following a hearty breakfast provided by the catering team at Kirklees College’s restaurant, Landings 72, over one hundred business leaders from across the area took their seats eager to hear how they could be involved in capitalising on Premier League glory.

What do people say when you’re not in the room?

Personal branding and impact expert, Deborah

Ogden, welcomed the audience and spoke about the importance of understanding what people say about you when you’re not in the room. Relaying her own experience of when a HTAFC player had stopped for a picture with her son, Oscar, following a recent match, she used the example to stress the importance of going the extra mile and – how the behaviours you demonstrate when ‘off duty’ – have a significant impact on the lasting impression created when you’re in a business environment.

Following Deborah’s insightful talk (which let many in the room nodding in agreement and quietly questioning “do I do that?”), HTAFC commercial manager and coach David Wagner took to the stage.

Wagner takes to the stage Comparing the session, Sean took many questions from the eager audience that he bounced to Wagner, who in turn delivered some real insight into his personal coaching style that has seen Huddersfield Town triumph.

Asked quite simply how he manages his team effectively, Wagner told the audience how he only criticises them as players on a pitch, and not as individuals. He stressed the importance of accepting that people are different to each other, and judging his team only on what they delivered on match day. “Plus, I don’t always explain the reasons behind all my decisions to them”, he added to the audiences amusement.

“I never really shut down. There are no holidays as a manager, it’s a 24/7, 365 job.”

Wagner also joked that he had “never read a book on leadership”, adding that “I simply tell people the truth, not what they want to hear.”

Interested and raring to ask away, members of the audience were then invited to ask questions of Wagner’s experiences to date.

Asked what he did for fun in his down time, Wagner joked that he doesn’t really get much time off as coach of the newly promoted club.

He explained that “I never really shut down.

There are no holidays as a manager, it’s a 24/7, 365 job.”

Harking back to Wagner’s younger days, one audience member asked him what aspects of his degree have been useful in his coaching career to date. Wagner relayed that his degree in Sports Science had proved fruitful in helping him to better understand the psychology behind sport and individual players, and that this had proven useful in helping him step into a team manager role.

Sticking to the theme of the psychology of individuals, Sean asked Wagner what type of individuals he looks for to play for Huddersfield Town. Wagner’s answer may have come as a surprise to some, as he spoke of the negative effect that experience can sometimes have on player styles, despite the likely assumption by many audience members that experience would have been the obvious answer. Wagner described how he looks for “young, hungry players”, plus those who have held captaincy and can bring the leadership needed to the team.

Closing the questions, Wagner was asked how long he was likely to stay at Huddersfield Town.

Answering in his usual, honest manner, he told the audience “maybe for another ten years, maybe until the end of this season. It depends on how we progress as a club and how we move forward, but at the moment, I’m very happy at Huddersfield Town.”

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Major schemes set to deliver substantial investments

Students learn social media skills for business Students at Lightcliffe Academy learned how social media is used by businesses at a careers workshop organised by social enterprise Ahead Partnership and run by business support consultancy ABL Business.

Ahead Partnership connects schools and colleges with businesses and other organisations to equip young people for the world of work and strengthen the labour market for employers. The Lightcliffe workshop was arranged through their Make the Grade programme, which has helped over 100,000 young people to develop their employability skills.

Before the visit to the Stoney Lane school, the Year 12 students were

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sent a one-page social media plan and a content plan giving them the opportunity to prepare by creating their own strategies.

ABL Marketing Assistant Emma Duff said: “Social Media is a big part of young peoples’ lives, so it was fantastic to be able to show them how they can use this in their future careers. We spent about two hours with them and it was great to see how involved they were, interacting with us throughout the workshop and asking lots of questions. You could really see that they wanted to know more.

“Throughout the session we impressed on them why planning is so important, to make sure that businesses are using social media sites where their target audience is likely to be.”

Three schemes which could deliver millions of pounds worth of investment in SouthEast Calderdale have moved a step closer, following a meeting of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Investment Committee in November.

Calderdale Council is working with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to transform a large site at Clifton, near Brighouse, into a regionally significant business park and Enterprise Zone, to house Calderdale's growing firms, whilst also attracting new businesses from outside the region.

Once established the new Enterprise Zone could bring hundreds of new jobs to Calderdale over the coming years.

Many businesses are surprised to learn that not all fibre connections are the same. With ‘fibre’ only the connection up to local cabinet is a fibre cable, the rest is old fashioned copper cable, which is notoriously slow and unreliable, which carries the data to and from your premises.

‘Full-fibre’ is completely different and uses a fibre connection throughout the entire journey, which means no more copper bottlenecks. Resulting in Gigabit speeds, which are up to 100 times faster and are much more reliable and resilient.

So, what benefits can full-fibre bring?

Kirklees & Calderdale The Combined Authority Investment Committee backed proposals to invest further in developing the City Region Enterprise Zone programme, including an eventual £5.9m in the site at Clifton. The combined funding value of the programme is £20m.

Brighouse is also set to benefit from a £52.4m scheme to develop the A641 from Bradford to Huddersfield. This would significantly improve journey times between the M62 and Brighouse; helping to boost economic growth and improve the town's road network.

The proposed A641 scheme has reached the next stage of development with the Combined Authority's Investment Committee backing proposals to fund up to £600,000 to develop more detailed plans.

Funding of £4.5m has now been earmarked from the Department for Transport's National Productivity Investment Fund (NPIF) to create highway and other infrastructure, providing improved

access for vehicles and pedestrians.

This represents the first step in developing the area and will be followed by further projects which will unlock the full potential of this challenging site.

Calderdale Council's Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Development, Cllr Barry Collins said: "Because of its location Brighouse has huge potential for significant economic growth over the next five to ten years, and could see the creation of the second largest Enterprise Zone in the M62 corridor.

"We have a massive opportunity now, thanks to investment from the West Yorkshire plus Transport Fund, the Combined Authority and the Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, to create new jobs and major improvements to our transport infrastructure which will help our local businesses to thrive."

Roger Marsh, Chair of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP), said: "Investment in the Enterprise

Zones programme backed by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority has the potential to deliver 230 hectares of employment land and more than 15,000 jobs by 2025 – a significant boost to the Leeds City Region economy.

"The sites will give businesses looking to invest in Enterprise Zones access to advanced and innovative manufacturing opportunities along the M62 corridor while also supporting the wider manufacturing and logistics sector."

Following an application by the Council and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, the employment site at Clifton was granted Enterprise Zone status by the Department for Communities

and Local Government as part of a multi-site Leeds City Region Enterprise Zones development which covers locations along or near to the M62.

The aim of the Zones is to bring forward employment space and encourage businesses to expand or relocate in Calderdale, with support for occupiers that can include a period of free business rates or allowances for capital investment.

Covering 23 hectares of prime development land, the Clifton site is one of the largest of the nine new sites included in the Leeds City Region Zones. The development of the site will take several years to complete, with a careful balance between creating new employment space, much needed jobs and enhancing the local environment.

How can full-fibre help my business?

• Cost-effective – The cost of a fullfibre connection is comparable with a fibre connection and funding options are available to help cover the cost.

• Improved productivity – Full-fibre connections provide faster speeds, enabling your teams to work much more productively.

• Reliability – With a full-fibre connection the data doesn’t have to travel across copper wires, so you can enjoy faster download speeds and no more internet drop outs.

• No data restrictions – Predictable

bills with no unexpected charges.

• Maximise your investment – Cloud storage, Voice Over IP (VoIP) solutions, and hosted applications become much more accessible and you can take on ICT upgrades safe in the knowledge that connectivity issues will not be a problem.

There is government funding of up to £3,000 available towards a new Gigabit connection, but demand is expected to be extremely high, so please contact us today to discuss your options on 0800 588 4003 or email enquiries@ngcnetworks.co.uk

As a CityFibre Gigabit full-fibre internet partner for Huddersfield and other Yorkshire cities, NGC is ideally placed to advise on the latest range of connectivity solutions available for local businesses.

January 2018

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Kirklees & Calderdale

Record success for Business Support The ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) funded Ad:Venture programme last year enjoyed record success supporting businesses in their first three years of trading, and individuals planning to start a business, within the Leeds City Region.TopicUK meets some of the programme’s Kirklees and Calderdale-based advisers to find out more about their involvement in the programme.

Name and area covered: Paul Tansey, Kirklees Job role with Ad:Venture : Business Adviser Tell us about what your job entails: As a business adviser, I coach and mentor eligible businesses to help them achieve their growth ambitions and potential.

What does a typical day look like for you?

There’s never a typical one, but possibly meeting clients, researching additional sources of support for them, assisting them with loan and grant applications including business plans and financial forecasting and networking in the local area with businesses and intermediaries.

Tell us in a sentence how the Ad:Venture programme can help: It's an opportunity for new and earlystage entrepreneurs to access a freeto-use service that provides them with incredible support through the start-up and first phase of business, and gives them access to a wide range of options.

Tell us about one of the latest businesses you have helped through Ad:Venture: A brand new business providing training to day nursery staff in their own environment. The lady owner carried out vital market research following my advice, and discovered that there is demand for her service - so much so, that she acquired

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orders from nursery owners on the spot! I assisted her with business start-up loan and grant applications, which were both successful and allowed her to set the business up professionally and provide a sound platform for future success.

Name and area covered: Rachael Thurlbeck, South Kirklees Job role with Ad:Venture: Business Adviser Tell us about what your job entails: I assist businesses with planning for growth, marketing and increasing revenue. I help them overcome their barriers to growth, and set goals and targets to develop their businesses.

What does a typical day look like for you?

There’s is no such thing, and that's what makes Ad:Venture so interesting. I could be networking to raise awareness of the programme, meeting new clients discussing the support they can receive, working with existing clients on their growth goals or increasing business engagement and awareness via social media.

Tell us in one sentence how the Ad:Venture programme can help: By assisting growing businesses to achieve their goals and ambitions using dedicated support to increase revenue and build a sustainable business.

Tell us about one of the latest businesses you have helped through Ad:Venture: I think this testimonial from Gavin Stevens of Just Webbit Ltd says a lot: “Ever since I first spoke to Rachael I have received nothing short of exceptional support and advice. She has enabled me to write a business plan, create a marketing strategy, network in the right places and most importantly believe in myself. Rachael is always there for me and my business, and best of all… it’s free!”

Name and area Name and area covered: Eric Binns, Calderdale Job role with Ad:Venture : Business Adviser Tell us about what your job entails: I deliver expert advice to high growth businesses from start up to expansion. My role is to help Ad: Venture client's businesses reach

Kirklees & Calderdale their full potential.

What does a typical day look like for you?

Again, there isn’t one! It could include meetings with new clients, catching up with existing clients, or sharing knowledge and local business intelligence with colleagues from other business support organisations.

I also conduct research on behalf of clients and the programme, and refer them to other specialist support.

Tell us in one sentence how the Ad:Venture programme can help: Whatever the level of support, information or advice required may be, if you are eligible to join the programme, it is highly recommended that you do so as it has already been proven through the evidence and our adviser team’s track record to date that businesses are benefitting in many ways and achieving their objectives Tell us about one of the latest businesses you have helped through Ad:Venture: A unexpected success recently came through introducing a number of our Calderdale-based clients to each other, which has resulted in a new, monthly networking event in Brighouse at The Room at the Town Hall. The participating businesses are now working closely together and supporting each other with their specialisms and resources.

To find out more about how the Ad:Venture programme can support your business, email support@adventure.org.uk

New Community Wardens start to patrol Fifteen new community safety wardens are now out and about in Calderdale helping to keep the borough safe and looking its best.

Calderdale Council has increased the number of its wardens to provide a more visible presence in local areas to help keep the borough safe, clean and green.

This will build on the service already provided by the Council’s eight existing neighbourhoodbased community wardens.

Cllr Susan Press, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Communities, said: “Community wardens provide a valuable contribution to communities around Calderdale and we know that residents feel reassured by their presence.

“I’m delighted that we’ve recruited another 15 new wardens to contribute to the great work that our existing wardens have been providing across Calderdale.”

The new recruits have been in training since the start of October, working closely with Council services and partners such as the fire service and trading standards.

West Yorkshire Police has also provided a vast amount of training to help the wardens understand

partnership working and how we can all support each other.

Police Chief Inspector Gareth Crossley said: “Community Wardens are a fantastic asset to the communities of Calderdale and further extend and complement the partnership working already in place across the district.

“Community Wardens enhance the high visibility presence we have already across Calderdale and their support in tackling civil issues will allow our teams to focus on appropriate enforcement where justified.

“This is just one of the many ways we are working with Calderdale Council and the Community Safety Partnership to make the district a safer place to live, work and bring up families.”

The wardens will be tackling

issues from anti-social behaviour and road safety to littering and dog fouling. The wardens will not only take enforcement action; they will also work on prevention, education and reassurance as part of a problem-solving approach to communities’ issues.

The wardens are also fully trained to monitor the Council’s CCTV and as door supervisors, meaning they are able to steward events and intervene in situations safely and effectively.

The Council funds the community warden service and will pay for the new wardens from its existing budget.

You can follow the Community Wardens on Twitter @CMBC_ CSRT or Facebook at https://www. facebook.com/CMBCCSRT

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C SR

S HO WCASE

Berenice Northcott, Managing Director of Access North Structures

Based in Armitage Bridge, Huddersfield, Berenice tells us more about why CSR is integral to the development of the business. strong relationships within the business too.

We’re very switched on when it comes to environmental responsibility as well. Rope access as a technique is renowned for being the most eco-friendly method of working at height, so we’re happy to offer a viable option to clients that care about the environment and want a reliable, greener and more discreet alternative to powered access equipment and scaffolding.

What is the latest CSR project/ fundraiser you are working on and what do you hope to achieve?

Why is CSR important to the way you run your company?

Within our team, we’ve worked hard to create an integral culture of CSR – it’s not a side thought.

That’s why, alongside supporting local community clubs, workplace wellbeing is a huge focus for us and underpins most – if not all – of our business decisions.

Ensuring we have a happy team on board is key to keeping the whole company moving forward, so we prioritise the health and happiness of our workforce above all else. And getting everyone involved in the causes we support is also fantastic for building

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We frequently seek out opportunities to back community sports clubs. Teamwork and commitment are two of our key values, so we love helping out groups that encourage all ages and abilities to get involved. Most recently, we’ve signed up to sponsor Huddersfield Rugby Union Football Club over the next three years.

Our annual contributions will go towards essential facilities as well as the development of senior and junior teams.

Internally, we’ve had a busy year implementing new policies and facilities to enhance our working environment, and we’re already seeing the benefits. Central to this, we’ve made autonomy a priority and established Access North

Structures as a micro-managementfree-zone by offering flexible working and unlimited holidays to all employees. While this might sound too good to be true – or like a reckless business move – our team’s happiness is important to us, and we trust them entirely to meet all work requirements alongside these benefits. We’ve also invested in little perks like installing heightadjustable desks and providing quality, homely accommodation for our team when they’re working away.

How do you decide what causes to support?

Ours is a very active profession

Kirklees & Calderdale

in your business too – prioritising wellbeing and nurturing a happy working environment will only help with getting more of the team on board when you decide on an external cause to support.

How do you decide how much time your business dedicates to CSR activity?

It’s not something we’ve specifically allocated for to date – we simply try to support local ventures where and when we can.

Admittedly, it is something we’d love to spend more time on and we will be looking at ways we can do this as we move into 2018.

To date, how has your CSR activity helped your company to expand its business networks?

by nature – scaling buildings using only ropes and a couple of anchor points is not for the faint hearted! Sadly, the endless benefits of getting youngsters engaged in physical activity still doesn’t receive nearly as much attention as it should, even though it’s such an important aspect of wellbeing at all stages of life. So, a large part of why we choose to back clubs such as HRUFC is to help improve the facilities available to kids in the area and encourage them to get active – for fitness and for fun!

How do you gain the buy in of your team and get them

involved in CSR activities?

Our focus on ‘local’ CSR means that gaining the buy in of the team is never difficult. We’re firm believers that helping out where we can is a brilliant way of bringing people together, so sponsorship and fundraising ventures are always great for everyone involved in the business.

In the future, we’re hoping to expand this support to charitable causes alongside sports clubs, so this will be another exciting endeavour that the whole team can get stuck into.

And I’m sure once the weather

starts warming up a bit, there will be a few more of us down watching the rugby on a weekend!

If another company asked you how to go about starting or increasing their CSR activity, what would you say?

I’d definitely advise looking for opportunities that align with your company values and listening to your team about what they’d like to do. Starting with small internal improvements and being open to trying new things can really enhance the overall atmosphere

Community sports clubs are renowned for their sociability and family-like atmosphere, and backing local teams has so far proven helpful for networking and getting the word out there about what we do too. Supporting worthwhile causes says a lot about the type of company you are – as well as the kind you want to be – and people really do value organisations that actively show that they care about wider causes.

Access North Structures is a specialist rope access firm, with expertise in the installation and maintenance of fall protection systems, ETFE and tensile fabrics. Headquartered at Brooke’s Mill in Armitage Bridge, Huddersfield, the team looks after complex structures and facilities across the UK.

January 2018

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Kirklees & Calderdale

BIG

INTE R VIE W

Steve Crowther Managing Director, Crowther Chartered Accountants

“Together in business” That’s the motto driving Steve Crowther’s successful chartered accountancy business based at Pennine Business Park in Huddersfield. And, upon meeting him, it’s easy to understand why.

Steve established Crowther accountants in 1995, having moved from the South to work for another firm before eventually setting up on his own in “a small office that we used for free in Heckmondwike.” After just three months, his business had recruited its first staff and moved to a larger office in Halifax, before moving to Leeds Road in Huddersfield in 2000 and – most recently – to the Crowther’s current home on Pennine Business Park.

We’re all about working together to support our clients in whatever ways we can”, says Steve. “We’ll often refer businesses to each other if we think they can add value, and this way of working has really helped us to bolster our relationships with clients as a source of potential new business for them, instead of just being their accountant.”

A major re-brand Key to Steve’s business success has been investing time and money into changing the way people perceive his company and accountancy in general. He and wife Michelle recently invested in

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January 2018

a major re-brand that – in addition to a brand new logo, website, marketing literature and tone of voice – saw the company move to its current 3,500 square foot premises in Bradley.

“The re-brand has been a major success”, says Steve. “We haven’t changed the way we work, do business or look after our clients,

but we’ve invested time and money into ensuring that we portray the personality behind the business so that current and prospective clients know they can approach us for help and advice that will be delivered in plain English.

Crowther now has a bright, easyto-use website that introduces

Kirklees & Calderdale

the team behind the business, alongside vibrant marketing collateral that is a far cry from some of the overly-corporate, complex literature that is often associated with accountancy.

Steve’s team works from a bright, airy, open-plan office that encourages collaboration and offers plenty of room for clients to call in for a coffee and catch up on their numbers, and there’s even the office dog, Archie, to keep things from ever becoming too serious.

Says Steve: “The feedback from clients and our networks on the re-brand has been fantastic, and it really has refreshed the whole

image of the business. Again, it’s different to what people expect from accountants, and that has helped us to stand out and ultimately win new business.”

Charity at heart Charity work has also been instrumental in helping Crowther to achieve its ‘together in business’ promise.

In December, Steve was part of the board that delivered the annual Kirklees and Calderdale Christmas Lunch (KACCL) – an annual, festive fundraiser held to raise vital funds for local charities. The 2016 event raised

over £18,000, and the target for 2017 was an impressive £25,000.

“I think it’s important to put something back into the community”, adds Steve.

“It’s great to give other local businesses a chance to get together and have fun, while donating and raising money for such worthy causes. KACCL has proved hugely popular, and tickets for the 2017 event sold out without us really needing to promote them, which was great.

“We try and hold fundraising events regularly, and recently held a tennis competition with some clients which raised money for charity and also secured us some new business as a bonus.

Getting involved with events like these has really helped us to raise the profile of Crowther across the area, and they’re great for building networks and putting your company front of mind if and when someone requires your services.”

Skippering to success So when Steve isn’t working on developing new business and managing the accounts of companies of all sizes from large organisations to SMEs and sole traders, how does he switch off from work?

“Michelle and I actually live in York, but we recently bought a house in Huddersfield so we can stay here during the week and avoid the commute”, Steve says.

“That has been a massive help in being able to relax more and switch off without spending so much time travelling during the week.”

“We also like to socialise a lot, are keen on exercising and take holidays when we can to ensure I have enough down time from running the business. I’ve also recently obtained my skipper’s license as I enjoy sailing and we are going on holiday to Croatia to sail soon.”

I ask Steve what it is about Huddersfield that ticks the boxes as a great place to do business.

“I believe that the town really does have a lot to offer”, he replies. Obvious points like our positioning on the M62 corridor mean that people don’t want – or need – to travel to Leeds or Manchester for professional services such as ours, and that has proved very beneficial as we are able to maintain lower charge out rates and keep clients coming back to us.

“There’s also lots of opportunity in the town to secure new business, and the money being invested in significant developments such as the HD1 project means it is a very exciting time for Huddersfield. There are some big businesses based here, and I think people are more often saying no to Leeds and Manchester when they realise exactly the scale of some of the people, places and projects that continue to come out of our town.”

Steve Crowther is Managing Director at Crowther chartered accountants.

For more information, visit www.crowther.accountants or call 01484 515544 January 2018

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Kirklees & Calderdale

Company of the Month

Sponsored by

650 smiles later:

Huddersfield’s Courtyard dental centre wins award for pioneering, nearinvisible straightening technique The Courtyard dental centre, Huddersfield, explains why more adults are pursuing a perfect smile via innovative new teeth straightening techniques as it gains an award after treating 600 patients.

A forward-thinking Huddersfield dental practice has been crowned Yorkshire’s experts in the use of Invisalign, an ultra-modern way to straighten teeth.

The Courtyard private dental centre has treated 650 patients so far with the revolutionary technology overtaking traditional wire braces, more than any other dentist in the county.

The practice in a cobbled square off King Street in Huddersfield town centre has won an award from Invisalign for its work over the past decade.

As early adopters, at a time when many other dentists stuck to wire methods, they were ahead of the curve – as were their patients.

Such new technology is the biggest reason for a national upturn in adults seeking teeth straightening treatments that dentists all over the country are reporting.

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January 2018

Marcos White, founder of The Courtyard, said: “We have experienced a 33% growth rate in new Invisalign customers year on year for the past five years. We are confident that Invisalign will overtake traditional braces in the adult market over the next five years.”

“We do not provide fixed metal braces. We feel that if a patient is lacking confidence in their smile, the last thing they will be looking for is a straightening technique which draws attention to their teeth.

“For this reason, we work solely with Invisalign – the global market leaders in discreet orthodontics. Having successfully treated over 5 million patients worldwide the technique is well proven.”

Marcos continued: “About 90% of our Invisalign patients are women aged 25 to 35 including brides-to-be wanting to look their best for their wedding and busy mothers of young children looking to do something for themselves.

“If straightening meant wearing a brace for two years, people wouldn’t be taking that step in increasing numbers but wearing near-invisible aligners for a few

months is a much more attractive prospect.

“Our patients come from all over West and South Yorkshire and often due to recommendations from other patients.”

Total costs for the six-month treatment are £2,679 that can be paid monthly over two years. The price is similar to that of wire braces and less expensive than other methods such as whitecoloured or behind-the-teeth braces.

The 20-strong team at The Courtyard has almost 1,500 private patients in total. Marcos joined the practice in 2003 and bought it in 2006.

Its ordinary, clinically-styled premises were transformed to a plush environment akin to a boutique hotel or spa with the help of interior designers and rapid expansion has led to the practice now occupying four former business premises around the picturesque yard.

The Courtyard focuses as much on customer experience as its dental services and has invested £1/4 million in new dentistry technology over the past two years.

Is your IT infrastructure ready for GDPR? GDPR is fast approaching but what do companies need to be thinking about…

Jamie Watson, Managing Director at Fusion IT Management explains…

From May 25, 2018, organisations operating in the EU must follow the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). GDPR is going to mean a huge change in the way data is shared globally.

Organisations that handle personal data may need to carry out comprehensive adjustments of their IT systems, infrastructure and processes to meet the demands of the new data protection regulation.

Jamie says “the handling of data storage and protection of personal data is now high up on the agenda for us as a firm.”

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K I R K L E E S If your company is not compliant by the time GDPR legislation comes into effect in May next year, there will be large fines in place and perhaps even bad press for non-compliance. Jamie says, “with all this mind, we have a responsibility to protect our clients and the first step to getting them ready is briefing them on what GDPR really means and how to get their IT infrastructure ready in time for May 25th, 2018”.

Fusion IT and Ramsdens Solicitors recently held a GDPR Seminar in Huddersfield, it was presented by Jamie Watson and Stephen Newman, Corporate Partner at Ramsdens Solicitors. The seminar addressed the implications of GDPR for companies, and how best to deploy modern IT infrastructure solutions to comply with these regulatory demands.

Currently the key areas your business needs to look at are; • • What types of data are you storing. Is it highly sensitive or not?

• How to store, share and remove data • Is your data secure i.e. encrypted and physically locked up?

• Do you have GDPR compliant contracts in place with your clients and third parties?

Fusion IT and Ramsdens will be holding an additional seminar in March 2018. If you are interested in attending this event please contact Fusion IT. We are offering free consultations in January to provide guidance and support with GDPR compliance. Call Fusion on 08451 221240, email info@ fusionmanageit.co.uk. You can also follow us on Twitter @fusionmanit.

C OL L E G E

UPD AT E

Encouraging Enterprise Our focus is developing employability skills for our vocational learners. For the most part, they’re preparing to work in industries that are dominated by SMEs and selfemployment. Nearly 99 per cent of the 14,000 businesses within Kirklees are classified at SMEs.

By Lydia Butterworth – Commercial and Enterprise Manager

Kirklees College place enterprise at the heart of everything we do, from being employer responsive, supporting local skills gaps to running professional business networking events.

We robustly embed enterprise in our curriculum, ensuring that every one of our full time learners on every single course from Animal Care through to Engineering, are taught entrepreneurial skills.

One of the most exciting events in the college calendar is Global Entrepreneurship Week, an annual event held in over 160 countries inspiring millions to engage in entrepreneurial activity while connecting them to potential

collaborators, mentors and even investors. The initiative is supported by dozens of world leaders and a network of more than 15,000 partner organisations.

At Kirklees College around 4,500 students participate in an exciting challenge which aims to develop innovation and creativity through enterprise.

This year they have taken part in the DECA Idea Challenge - a fast-paced experiential learning exercise to find a new use for a common, everyday item in just five days. The item isn’t revealed until the start of the challenge – this time it was rubber bands! Ideas ranged from catapults to energy generators.

At Kirklees College, we are always striving to make our learners as employable as possible, our aim is to support all students in achieving their career goals whilst simultaneously supporting employers by providing them with high calibre employees.

It is this ethos that drives the focus on professional training, apprenticeships and work placements and has helped us to become the top FE College for 16-18 courses in West Yorkshire Ultimately, it is all about supporting local businesses because our core purpose is to ensure we play our part in helping our local economy to thrive.

January 2018

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Kirklees & Calderdale

West Yorkshire digital agency reports record growth and gears up for new e-commerce product launch A West Yorkshire B2B digital marketing agency is celebrating a record year of business growth after more than doubling its turnover versus 2016, while preparing to launch a world-first e-commerce integration tool that will help to drive further business growth.

and operations director, Scott Brant, said:

Vizulate Digital, based in Brighouse, has increased turnover by 71% in its most successful year since its launch three years ago.

“This focus has paid off as we are now delivering retained digital strategy work for 50% of our client base, and we expect this number to increase as we move into next year.”

The company now has its sights set on tripling turnover by the end of 2020, and plans are afoot to launch the agency-developed ‘Woosage’ product in early 2018.

Commenting on the agency’s success, Vizulate Digital founder

“2017 has been an excellent year, and we have made a concerted effort to grow the number of clients for whom we deliver ongoing, strategic digital marketing activity in addition to project work.

He continued: “Our clients come from a wide range of sectors, but we have seen a growth recently in businesses from the manufacturing and professional services arenas coming to us for

advice and support.

“Typically, these clients will have a limited knowledge of how to get results through digital marketing, or will have dabbled in it themselves before, but recognise they need a strategy to see a real return on investment.

Over the last 12 months, the company has invested over £50,000 in the development of its ‘Woosage’ tool, designed to provide a solution to integrating the WooCommerce e-commerce platform with the Sage accounting package used by many online retailers and traders.

The product uses a cloud-based transaction exchange to push orders from WooCommerce and at the same time maintain stock synchronisation.

Mr Brant added:

synchronisation for e-commerce businesses using Sage accounting, and we have already had around 50 to 60 enquiries from companies looking for a solution like this.

“We look forward to launching the product in early 2018”.

In addition to operations director Scott, who founded the company with father Mick in 2014, the agency’s team now includes four members of staff working across its e-commerce, content and strategy teams.

Mr Brant concluded: “Ultimately, we are about working with our clients to gain a thorough understanding of their business growth plans, then devising and executing a digital marketing strategy that delivers measurable results.”

“We are confident that the Woosage product we have created will answer the problem of order and stock Contract Philip Deakin or Jason Metcalfe

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January 2018

Kirklees & Calderdale

U PDATE

Automation and struggling industries Each edition, Stafflex experts comment on the biggest recruitment news across the country. This month, industrial team manager, Katrina Cross, discusses how automation is threatening struggling UK industries as well as looking at the results from the British Chamber of Commerce’s (BCC) recent Workforce Survey According to PricewaterhouseCoopers’ (PwC) recently published Workforce of the Future report, 37% of us are worried about losing our jobs to automation in the near future. In recent years there have been a number of well-established industries that have struggled to cope with the emergence of IT and automation.

DVD rentals have been hit hard by the growth of online streaming services to the point that the rental market has been completely wiped out.

Black cab drivers have seen year on year numbers decline across the UK. Companies such as Uber - which allows people to hire an on-demand private drivers from their phone - have taken a large chunk of the market share.

Independent booksellers are in dramatic decline with over 630 stores closing since 2005. E-commerce giant, Amazon, has used aggressive discounting over the years to price local independent retailers out of the market.

Automation is a real concern for companies and those struggling must keep up with technology and implement innovative new ideas to stay ahead of the curve. However, we won’t see a large shift in balance until

at least a couple of decades’ time, when automation is cheaper to produce for the majority of companies.

Workforce Survey 2017 A recent report from the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) said that 48% of firms had faced skills or labour shortages over the last twelve months.

Many people feel that the lack of clarity on the future for EU workers following the Brexit vote has had a direct impact on shortages. Not to mention the fall of the pound against the euro has made the UK a less attractive place to work.

David Williams, Director of Corporate Engagement at Middlesex University in London said: “It is essential that we get clarity around the rights of EU nationals and wider immigration policies going forward, but also support businesses to develop, upskill and retain their workforce through schemes such as apprenticeships.”

Skill shortages means that businesses are forced to spend more resources on filling roles from a shorter pool of candidates in order to find the right person for the job. This is an important decision as a bad hire can be very costly. The Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) reports that a poor hiring decision could cost a business £132,000 at mid-manager level.

Apprenticeships could be the answer, filling the shortage gap with skilled workers which would allow businesses to build a pipeline of future talent and loyal employees for years to come.

Growth for PR specialist

REC RUITM E NT

Huddersfield-based Scriba PR has relocated to a self-contained converted loft within Heritage Exchange in Lindley, as it prepares for further growth.

The technical PR agency began the year with just three employees, but with the addition of a PR assistant, executive and two account managers, the team now stands at seven.

Hannah van Rooyen joined as an account manager in February 2017, while work placement student Paige Catton became a full time member of the team in May last year and has recently been promoted to PR executive.

The two most recent additions see Selina Shaw join as part time PR assistant and former journalist and Huddersfield University PR lecturer Jenny Gibson join as account manager.

Commenting on the relocation, Scriba PR managing director, Katie Mallinson, said: “Our old office was beginning to feel slightly cramped. The move has provided us with an inspiring place to work that’s packed full of character, which I think is important when you spend so much time at your desk like we do. We have also been encouraging our clients to come and visit us to see our creative space for themselves.”

She continued: “2017 saw us really start to cement our presence in the technical sectors we sought to specialise in. I feel we have really established ourselves over the past 12 months and our relocation has been a huge part of that. We’re a growing team and I’m excited to see what 2018 will bring.”

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YOUNG

E NTR E PR E NE UR

QA &

TopicUK: Hi Oli. First up, can you tell us how old you are?

Oli: I’m 24 TopicUK: Tell us a bit about what drove you to set up your own business at a relatively young age.

Oli: When the idea first came about, myself and my business partner, Andy, were working together on live briefs at uni. We were getting paid for them and both thought “hang on a minute, we’re already doing ourselves now”. Instead of doing it for someone else and getting paid, we decided to set up ourselves – and Aye! Was born.

TopicUK: What areas do you specialise in?

In this regular feature, TopicUK Kirklees & Calderdale editor Alex Mason catches up with some of our region’s most entrepreneurial young people to find out how they built their businesses. This edition, we speak to Oli Smith, founder of Aye! Creative based in Huddersfield.

Oli: I always wonder whether it’s a good thing or not to specialise too much in the same areas or industry sectors. So no, I don’t suppose we have a specific sector that we want to stick to.

We do however want the agency to continue to specialise purely in branding. To us, that’s the process of looking at where a business is now, where they want to be, what type of customer they want to attract, and what makes them different. We then use those answers to uncover their story and communicate that.

TopicUK: What makes Aye! Stand out from the competition?

Oli: The way we think and the way we apply that thinking to our work. The branding process

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January 2018

is quite similar whatever the agency, but the first stage for us is different as that’s where we really learn about the customer through workshops and techniques to unearth interesting stuff.

By that, I mean we ask simple questions to unearth jargon that really helps us – as outsiders initially - understand that business and look at in a different way to identify what the target audience needs to know.

TopicUK: Who has provided you with help and support so far?

Oli: When we first set up, we were on a mission to just set out to speak to as many successful businesspeople – particularly those with design agencies!

There have been several people who've helped us, in particular Ged Flynn our old college tutor, local entrepeur Ajaz Ahmed, and several clients and friends who own businesses. But the main person has been Ian Thompson who owns Thompson Brand Partners in Leeds. He’s unofficially ‘mentored’ us now for over two years.

He’s helped us to understand how to measure results, get the best out of the team and how to work effectively, plus understand how to produce work that really answers commercial problems rather than just looking good.

TopicUK: So how do you measure results?

Oli: We are always talking with the client and asking them what differences they’ve noticed in the way that people are talking to them about the brand. Also, we track website analytics and increases in traffic or conversions, and get clients to tell us about new business that has come as a result of the rebrand. We also help to position brands in the client arena in which they wish to operate, so if they start attracting that type of client more frequently, we’ve done our job effectively.

TopicUK: You’re one of the founders of networking group Around Town Huddersfield.

How has it helped you in your business?

Oli: The idea behind Around

Kirklees & Calderdale

Town is to connect the people and places behind all the great stuff happening in Huddersfield.

This gives them a chance to tell their story and gives others a chance to listen and join the dots.

You can’t be a hermit running your own business and need to know as many people as possible. In my opinion, you can be the best in the world at what you do, but if no one knows about you, then what’s the point? People buy people at the end of the day. Take away the business persona and everyone is a normal person and it’s about tapping into that.

TopicUK: What has been the most challenging part of running/growing your business so far?

Oli: Learning the basics of how to actually run a business!

I’m a graphic designer by qualification, so learning how to run and develop Aye! has been a challenge but exciting at the same time.

When I was at uni, I was always thought I was a typical ‘shy creative’, but if you want to really make things work you’ve got to get out of your comfort zone. The reason we’re called Aye! is because the key early on for us was to say ‘yes’ to everything. It’s amazing how when you do this, so many doors open up for you.

TopicUK: And what has been the most rewarding?

Oli: Definitely developing as a person and ticking off goals.

But also helping clients as a lot of our work benefits them in growing their business and that makes me proud. Through great client relationships, we’re lucky enough to be able to treat their business as part of ours.

TopicUK: How active are you on social media and what part has it played in growing your business?

Oli: I think people focus too much on the ROI when it comes to social media, but I think it’s about just creating opportunities. It’s free and it helps people to hear about you and triggers things in people’s minds that they might recall later when they do require your product or service. It’s not the answer to everything, but

a great platform for shouting about what you’re up to and showcasing your portfolio.

TopicUK: What advice would you give to another young entrepreneur starting out in business?

Oli: It seems weird giving out advice as I’m still quite early on in my own business! However, I’d say think about people over profit. If you’re starting out, invest in projects that will help later. Do something for free.

Trust your gut. Don’t be scared of getting out there and messing up as you can always go again.

Try and fail, but learn from your failures very quickly. And say yes to everything until you’re busy enough to start managing those yeses with nos.

Plan, but understand that when you’re starting out not everything goes to plan and that’s okay – just learn from it.

And stay positive regardless.

TopicUK: And finally – where do you hope to see the business in five years?

Oli: We want to keep the team as it currently stands and then recruit a junior designer soon.

We’ll have a team of ten in the next five years. Next plan to stay as current team and then recruit a junior Ultimately, I want to continue working on interesting brands for ambitious companies.

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LEGAL

M AT TE R S

An employer’s guide to dealing with sexual harassment in the workplace Employment law specialist at Chadwick Lawrence explains how employers should deal with this difficult and sensitive area.

What is sexual harassment?

Under the Equalities Act 2010, sexual harassment is defined as unwanted conduct related to someone’s sex, or which is of a sexual nature, and which creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment. It may involve colleagues looking at sexually explicit content at work, uninvited physical contact, making sexual comments or emailing sexual jokes.

Responding to concerns about sexual harassment

Recent headlines have shattered any illusions that sexual harassment in the workplace had become a thing of the past. The ongoing media coverage of allegations made against high-profile business figures may now lead to an increase in complaints made by others who have encountered inappropriate behaviour of a sexual nature while at work.

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January 2018

Employers can be liable for one employee’s sexual harassment of another employee, even where they were unaware that it was happening. Therefore, any suggestion that sexual harassment may be occurring, or has occurred in the past, needs to be taken very seriously. Do not wait for a formal grievance to be raised – even the mere mention of concerns to a manager should put you on notice of a potential problem.

The employee may feel embarrassed and worried about not being believed or the potential consequences of raising a grievance. Although the employee cannot be forced to pursue an official complaint, an employer’s failure to act could be risky: vicarious liability for any sexual harassment claims, potential further harassment of other staff, loss of talent and reputational damage are all possible consequences.

The employee should be offered support and reassurances that any concerns will be dealt with

Kirklees & Calderdale

appropriately and confidentially.

Many employers have a bullying and harassment policy with specific commitments on supporting employees raising allegations of harassment. You and all of your managers need to be familiar with your policy.

Consider suspending the alleged perpetrator If the allegations are serious, consider whether the alleged perpetrator should be suspended from work. Even where the allegations are less serious, the complainant may feel uncomfortable continuing to work with the person they have raised concerns about. You may consider changing their working arrangements to minimise contact between the employees during the investigation. This needs to be done carefully to ensure neither employee feels victimised or that the outcome of the investigation has been pre-judged.

Investigating the allegations and wider issues As with any grievance, investigate the allegations promptly. The investigator should be careful before reaching any judgments about whether the complainant is being ‘over sensitive’. As explained above, conduct may be regarded as sexual harassment where it has the purpose or effect of violating the complainant’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment. When determining whether the conduct complained about meets this criterion, an employment tribunal will consider

the complainant’s perception, the surrounding circumstances and whether the conduct could reasonably have that effect.

Look out for any wider issues, which may need to be addressed.

For example, might colleagues be turning a blind eye to inappropriate behaviour due to a perpetrator’s seniority or status as a joker or star employee?

be used to defend harassment claims in the employment tribunal.

For a confidential discussion about dealing with sexual harassment or other sensitive grievances, or indeed for employment-related issues generally, please contact sam pawson on 01949 379 078 or email sampawson@ chadlaw.co.uk

If the allegations relate to incidences some time ago, think about and question why the complainant has felt unable to raise concerns until now. Is it possible that other employees have similar concerns as the complainant?

Avoiding and defending harassment claims Employers may wish to be proactive and challenge the workplace culture. This is with a view to both creating an environment in which staff are more likely to come forward with concerns, as well as discouraging harassment from occurring in the first place. This might involve tightening up standards of behaviour, such as tackling bawdy banter.

Now may be the time to introduce or relaunch your bullying and harassment policy and to remind employees of your zero-tolerance approach. It is worth checking that appropriate staff training has been delivered. These steps should help create a positive working environment as well as establishing that you have taken reasonable steps to prevent workplace harassment, which can

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WORKING WITH INDIVIDUALS

From moving home to claiming an inheritance, debt to divorce, injuries resulting from accidents and medical negligence, we are on hand to help and make sure that the process runs as smoothly as possible.

Dispute Resolution

Employee Services

Family Law

chadwicklawrence.co.uk

Home & Property

Medical Negligence

Personal Injury

Residential Property Disputes

01484 519 999

Wills & Probate

Kirklees & Calderdale

UPPER

C A L D E R

VA L L E Y

R E N A ISSANC E

This is the question UCVR Research are asking the various businesses up and down the Calder valley this year.

Every town and or sector will be different, but as we have been tasked (since the floods of Boxing Day 2015) with facilitating the building of business networks as part of the economic recovery programme, it seemed prudent to us to help those growing networks to discover what their client bases really want - and should expect - from being part of a business network in each town.

In October 2017 we ran a pilot survey in Todmorden, a town which had established a new business network in 2015/16 as reported in TopicUK, but was struggling to grow attendance after an initial successful start.

Our research provided interesting insights into the needs that a wide range of businesses had from networking.

When asked to choose three of a list of eight business networking activities that would appeal to them, the top three responses were: •

Informal Networking (58%),

•

Town/Group/Joint Promotions & Events (57%)

•

Social Media support (54%).

This was particularly characteristic of town centre businesses, and the retail, arts and community sectors. The need for business support, discussion forums and updates varied across sectors and business types.

Dr Cath Dillon, UCVR researcher with Aimee and Claire of ‘Sweet Aimee Jane’s’

What do businesses want from a Business Network in 2018?

When asked to choose three of a list of nine potential benefits of business networking, the top responses were: •

A Stronger Business Community (52%).

• Promotion of my Business (46%) • Expanding my Network of Contacts (44%) • New Work/Clients/Leads (44%).

Previous events were valued for the opportunity to meet and connect with other similar businesses, peer support, sharing of information (e.g. other events), and specific pieces of business support.

84% of respondents had not

attended a networking event in the Todmorden area in the previous year. The most frequent reason given for not attending was that they were ‘not aware of events’ (66%).

So in conclusion, in Todmorden at least, we learned that more informal events are likely to be more popular. The sense of place is important to businesses collectively, and they would be drawn together for events promoting collective benefits to businesses and the town as a whole. There is a feeling that they are behind the curve with social media, and peer support would help boost their confidence and use of social media promotions.

And above all, no matter what you are offering a business community, it is essential that you reach all the businesses, and not just the visible ones, by promoting your events widely and tailoring them to both local and sector needs.

The full survey report can be read on the UCVR website.

For information on business networking facilitating in the Calder Valley contact: Upper Calder Valley Renaissance (UCVR) Tel. 01422 417286 Email: info@ucvr.org.uk Web: ucvr.org.uk Twitter: @UCVR_

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HOW

I T’S

M ADE

Deuren bespoke luxury doors

When you’re building a house, there are a few essentials that need to be considered – the walls, roof, windows, floors and doors being the most fundamental. Yet where functional value is high, the potential for exciting design features and unique style is often overlooked. And it’s precisely this oversight that Ian Chubb, founder and managing director of bespoke manufacturer Deuren, is determined to change when it comes to doors.

Established more than 20 years ago, Deuren was a perfectly successful luxury door retailer up until 2014. However, limited input into the design and manufacturing process slowly became a frustration and Ian knew that if he wanted to keep the company moving forward, something had to change. So, three years ago, he brought production in-house and transformed the business from a small import operation into an 18-strong craftsmanship brand.

Innovative design and thinking outside of the box can transform a door from a functional entry point to the centrepiece of a room.

But what does the tailored creation process actually entail? This month, we talk to Ian Chubb, founder of luxury door manufacturer Deuren, about the craftsmanship that lies behind the Mirfield brand’s bespoke doors…

Now, having created over 3,000 bespoke products since that momentous overhaul, Deuren is aiming to change the way people think about the humble door.

“When you move outside of standard sizing, configurations and finishes that things get really exciting” “Most people are confined by their idea of what a door should be,” Ian elaborates. “That’s why, when we have a new customer telling us what generic design they want, time and again we advise them to think beyond the obvious. It’s when you move outside of standard sizing, configurations and

finishes that things get really exciting.

“We are continually trying to get homebuilders to start thinking about doors right at the start of their projects, so that more unusual designs can easily be accommodated from the outset.

Once the walls are up, factoring in oversized entryways or alternative mechanisms is a lot trickier – although still doable.”

The design and manufacturing stage usually takes around eight weeks from initial consultation to final fitting, with the service very much tailored to each individual project. As part of the collaborative process, on-site visits are conducted by the team to measure up, establish technical specifications and get a feel for the surroundings.

According to Ian, this phase is key to creating an effective design that seamlessly fits the style and character of the property. He explains: “Sometimes customers come to us with something very specific in mind, and we turn that idea into a reality.

But more often than not, we firstly work with the client to establish their aesthetic and functional preferences, pull together a selection of ideas that fulfil this brief and then set about developing their favourite into a design they really love, making tweaks and improvements where necessary.”

sets Huddersfield suit makers apart

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After essential measurements have been taken – and Ian emphasises that bespoke doors are fitted exactly to the size of the opening – the creative part commences. When it comes to mechanisms, customers can select

Kirklees & Calderdale

high-end properties indicating the kind of price tag sometimes attached to these bespoke creations. But despite high-end costings, there is a lot of demand for these tailor-made products.

and creative space – it’s always buzzing with activity as innovative designs are transformed into bespoke pieces.”

Once the difficult decisions have been made and the final design has been refined, the manufacturing begins.

“Our in-house team is made up of technicians and craftsmen with decades of door-making experience between them,” enthuses Ian. “We’ve also taken on a few apprentices as we really care about inspiring the next generation of talent and helping them build invaluable skills.

from hinged, pivot, sliding or pocket, with optional added extras such as soft-close, fire door protection or high-security locks. And then from traditionally elegant stained wood to modern contemporary materials including ceramic and concrete – with optional inset glazing – the finishing and hardware possibilities are practically endless.

“The Mirfield workshop is a really collaborative

“The Mirfield workshop is a really collaborative and creative space – it’s always buzzing with activity as innovative designs are transformed into bespoke pieces. And we’re looking forward to our new on-site showroom opening imminently, which will enable us to showcase our designs and products even more effectively to visitors.”

Avid viewers of Grand Designs may have already seen a Deuren door or two in situ, with the fact that they have featured in such

“Choosing bespoke doors isn’t an impulse decision,” Ian comments. “Clients can pay anything in excess of £2000 for a one-of-akind internal door, so it’s up to us to ensure that it’s worth every single penny. That’s why everything from the initial sizing to the finishing touches is carried out with the most intricate attention to detail.”

So, what exactly is it that makes a bespoke door so special?

“Although they may not realise it, people do tend to have an emotional connection to doors,” explains Ian. “This is especially true of the front one, as it’s associated with arriving home and everything that encompasses. So, for people who really value that personalised touch and feeling of quality, our doors become more of a focal point than just a final fixture.

“A carefully crafted bespoke door does more than just make an entrance – it creates a centrepiece.”

For further information about Deuren’s bespoke internal, external and garage doors, visit www.deuren. co.uk or call 0800 138 6688.

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Schools Careers Correspondent Competition TopicUK has teamed up with the WYCA/LCR LEP to support a Schools Careers Correspondent Competition

TopicUK was first launched in Wakefield five years ago. Its purpose is to help SMEs (small and medium sized businesses) with free or affordable promotion, something they struggle to afford elsewhere or cannot find the right platform If you are in years 9 you are tasked with writing a 400 word (approx.) article about a particular industry sector/ career/job role that appeals to you.

The competition deadline is January 20th and all submissions should be sent via your teachers to: enterpriseadvisers@the-lep.com The article should include a little about yourself and why you chose your particular sector. You will need to do a little background research about sectors/job roles/qualifications/ skills, etc.

We would imagine the best articles will also have some employer input. Your teachers may be able to help by acting as your go-between with the

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employers. You may also want to include a photograph that would make your article stand out. It might be from the company you have chosen or the sector in general.

Tip. An industry ‘sector’ is a term covering a range of businesses that do roughly the same kind of work. The key sectors in the Leeds City region are engineering & advanced manufacturing, digital and infrastructure.

Winning articles will be published in TopicUK magazine in 3 areas. Kirklees & Calderdale, Wakefield and Leeds. Articles will appear in the February issue to coincide with Careers Week and National Apprenticeship Week (March 5th)

You must include your name, school and year group. Here is a link to an article by Chloe to give you some ideas. http://topicuk.co.uk/

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There is some great information out there to help you get started including the Shape Your Future booklet and resources, the Careers Yorks & Humber website, the LCR LEP Employment & Skills Plan as well as company websites.  https://careersyandh.co.uk/cyh_ uploads/Newsletters/Inspiration/ Shape_your_Future_September_2017. pdf

 https://careersyandh.co.uk/ Inspiringyandh

 http://www.the-lep.com/LEP/ media/New/Leeds-City-RegionEmployment-and-Skills-Plan-20162020-FINAL.pdf

 You may also want to look at the BBC School Reporter videos with examples of how to gather information for an article and writing a report for publication.

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/schoolreport/ teacher_resources

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MARKETING

U PDATE

A Strategy for Success ByKatrina Cliffe Managing Director – KC Communications Having had his £3million turnover business go into administration during the last recession, he has built it back up again through the effective use of marketing, so he’s definitely in a position to speak from experience.

Why invest in marketing?

It’s that time of year again when many businesses are reviewing their budgets, and with uncertainty over the economic outlook, it’s inevitable that businesses will be looking to minimise expenditure.

When times are tough, marketing is the function which gets hit hardest, with many business leaders viewing marketing as an unnecessary expenditure and even a ‘luxury’ or vanity exercise.

These ideas couldn’t be further from the truth, and in 2018 it is more vital than ever to ensure investment in your organisation’s marketing.

Says who?

Only recently, Charles Corner, the MD of York-based manufacturing business, Malton Laser, went on record in the Yorkshire Post to urge businesses not to cut back on marketing spend during economic uncertainty.

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Through the strategic use of marketing, a business can build on brand awareness, grow their customer base and instil loyalty. It enables you to position your business in front of your target audience and sets you apart from your competition.

Involving your marketing department - whether in-house or outsourced - in your business planning, will enable them to understand your business objectives and in turn, this will give them (and you) the necessary insight to identify how marketing will help you achieve them.

Make a plan… and stick to it With the marketing department fully clued up, they will be able to draft a strategy for the year ahead and the additional budget required to deliver that strategy. Of course, you should challenge these budget suggestions to ensure you are going to achieve the best possible outcome.

It’s important to bear in mind that marketing isn’t an overnight success, it takes time, and it’s well documented that consumers need multiple touchpoints before making a purchase.

In the case of B2B that can be much

longer, so it is essential that in three, six and 12 months from now, you are still at the forefront of your audience’s minds.

Measure success It’s tempting to give up just a few months in when results might be slow to show, but ongoing measurement is key to identifying your return on investment.

Setting realistic KPIs at the offset and regularly reviewing them will enable you to understand if you are spending money in the right areas and the response you are receiving. If the results are showing a particular activity is working well then great – carry on. If not, identify what the issue is and how you can mitigate that to get the best ROI. They main thing to consider though is how you are going to measure the success of the activity. If you measure PR activity for example solely by the number of pieces coverage you achieve, versus the quality of that coverage and other measurables such as spikes in website traffic and increased enquiries, then you need to question why you are undertaking this activity.

Make 2018 your best year yet!

Kirklees & Calderdale

A Huddersfield based commercial kitchen company has secured a contract to design and fit a bespoke restaurant kitchen for Michelinstarred television chef, Simon Rogan.

Greens Commercial Kitchens will partner with Kent based stove manufacturer Control Induction to deliver the unique project for the celebrity chef’s newest restaurant, Roganic, due to open in Marylebone in early 2018.

The company, established in 2014 by managing director Richard Greenway, will work alongside Control Induction to design and install the kitchen over a period of three weeks until 5 December.

The Roganic kitchen will feature an industry-leading, hi-tech cooking suite supplied by Control Induction that will allow kitchen staff at the new restaurant to operate as efficiently as possible while delivering culinary excellence.

Preparation work by the companies will include updating ventilation systems, damp coursing and fitting new vinyl flooring throughout, before installation of the bespoke Control Induction cooking suite.

Other restaurants in Rogan’s portfolio include L’Enclume, a two Michelin-starred eatery located on a riverside in Cartmel, Cumbria, where ingredients are supplied

Celebrity chef contract awarded to Huddersfield company directly from a farm established

by Rogan. The restaurant was also hailed ‘best restaurant in the UK’ for four consecutive years by the Good Food Guide.

Since opening, the restaurant has won two Michelin stars alongside many other prestigious awards and has been hailed ‘best restaurant in the UK’ for four consecutive years by the esteemed Good Food Guide.

“He sets the bar in when it comes to creative gastronomy, and it is our job to ensure that this creativity is not limited by an inferior kitchen. We have to surpass Simon’s expectations in the same way that he surpasses his customers’ expectations in the dining room.”

He continued:

Commenting on the installation, Greens Commercial Kitchens managing director, Richard Greenway, said:

“The partnership between ourselves and Control Induction is based around shared business philosophies of delivering exceptional quality and seamless attention to detail.

“Simon Rogan cooks outstanding, forward thinking food, and therefore demands an equally outstanding, forward thinking kitchen from which to operate his business.

“Simon and his team are meticulous with everything from napkins to crockery. The level of detail and scrutiny that we and Control Induction apply to all our joint projects will ensure that

Richard Greenway

the kitchen at Roganic will be no exception to this rule.”

The latest contract comes following a recent series of high profile joint projects by the companies for brands including SONY music and the BBC, including a high-spec kitchen installation for BBC Two’s upcoming restaurant investment show, Million Pound Menu, due to air in 2018.

Richard concluded: “We exist in a market where chefs demand the very best quality of ingredients, handled with extreme care and consistency and operate with the upmost attention to every minor detail. Greens and Control Induction match that exact philosophy with all our installation projects.”

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RES TAUR ANT

R E V I E W

The Black Cat Bistro - Holmfirth

By Alex Mason - Editor

The Black Cat Bistro is an absolute hidden gem on the Huddersfield dining scene.

Unimposingly

By Alex Mason -Editortucked away near The Nook Brewhouse in the centre of Holmfirth, this tiny restaurant serves up French-inspired, homestyle cuisine that – in my opinion – gives other restaurants in the area a serious run for their money.

Locally sourced produce is at the heart of the seasonally-based menu that is expertly put together by owners Sophie and Liam. If the pair can’t source their produce locally, then they make sure the ingredients used are ethical or Fairtrade. This makes eating at The Black Cat allthe-more comforting.

We arrived to the restaurant for an 8pm table on a Saturday night, and were greeted by Sophie who welcomed us and showed us to our table. The dinky size of the building means that there are only eight tables at The Black Cat, meaning you really do need to get booked in advance if you want to sample some of the delicious cuisine!

The menu was presented in a cool, contemporary way; a scroll of brown paper hung against the deep blue wall detailed the dishes up for devouring that evening. Sophie spent a few minutes talking us through the five starter and six main course choices. Starters included French Onion Soup, Pan Fried Lambs Liver with Parsnip, Carrot and Ale, and Swede and New Potato Hash with

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Poached Duck Egg. Main course options included Marmalade Roasted Half Pheasant with Leek, Potato and Bacon Gratin, Oxtail and Barley Stew, Hake Loin with Chickpeas, Chorizo and Corriander and Jerusalem Artichoke and Chestnut Pie with Mustard Mash.

While we decided what to order (not an easy task with such a delightful menu!), we sipped on a ‘Festive Negroni’ cocktail that was just the tonic for whetting the appetite and is highly recommended. We were also brought some amazing homemade bread to dip in to home-made houmous and some paprika and garlic aioli.

After changing our minds a few times, I plumped for the French Onion Soup to start followed by the Marmalade Glazed Half Pheasant.

Tom went for the Swede and New Potato Hash to start and then the Hake Loin with Chickpeas.

After around ten minutes, our starters arrived – and they didn’t fail to impress. My French Onion

Kirklees & Calderdale

Soup was absolutely brimming with sweet onion flavour, and topped with a proper wedge of white bread with melted cheese to soak it all up; just like it should be done! Tom’s potato hash was full of texture and reports were that the poached duck egg was cooked to perfection with a lovely, runny yoke. Safe to say – both starters were polished off in less than ten minutes!

The great thing about The Black Cat being small is that you can really see the difference in time spent ensuring that every dish leaving the kitchen is made to perfection. This was certainly the case when our main course arrived after a short fifteen minute break (during which we ordered and opened a bottle of white wine – the name of which escapes me!).

It turns out that with a marmalade glaze is one of the tastiest ways to cook a pheasant, and the contrast of the perfectly cooked, gamey meat with the sweetness of the glaze was just amazing.

My gratin came in a separate ramekin, and was almost like its own little pie, filled with bacon, leek and cream and topped with melted brie that was slightly crispy around the edges. It was rich, but not too rich, and provided the perfect accompaniment to the sweet marmalade glaze.

Tom’s hake was served beautifully alongside the chickpeas and chorizo, with the saltiness of the chorizo creating a lovely contrast with the flavour of the hake, and the chickpeas and coriander provided that extra bite. I’m not a huge fan of fish myself, but decided to try Tom’s dish and I have to say I did enjoy it. The flavours were outstanding.

It would have been rude not to try a dessert, and so we opted for a Fairtrade, home-made chocolate brownie each with a dollop of vanilla ice cream and – you guessed it – the taste was incredible. The brownie was baked to perfection and still slightly gooey, and filled with white choc-chip pieces for that extra fix of sweetness. Once we’d finished we both felt like we’d eaten enough to last us a week – or at least until our next visit!

All-in-all, a delicious dining experience in a cosy, intimate setting with stunning, ethically sourced food that you cannot afford to miss.

The Black Cat Bistro is closed Monday and Tuesday. Lunch service is from 11am - 2.30pm and dinner service from 5.30pm – 10pm Wednesday to Saturday. Sunday opening is from 12pm-7.30pm, but not every Sunday, so contact Sophie and the team to book on 01484 682212.

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GOOD

FO O D Janet and Simon Baker opened the doors to Gimbals Restaurant in 1995 with the aim of bringing simple but sumptuous,

seasonal food to the quaint Yorkshire village of Sowerby Bridge, and that remains their passion today.

Gimbals Tarragon Chicken The cooking at Gimbals is modern yet rustic using wild, organic, locally sourced ingredients as much as possible, which adds a Yorkshire earthiness to the fayre.

They create honest dishes, inspired by both classic and more unusual flavour combinations, brought together by the skills of their talented chefs. Janet has a flair for decor and her show stopping finds, such as an actual Blackpool illumination, help to create a seductively decadent restaurant atmosphere and a unique upstairs lounge area. Here one can enjoy artisan cocktails with friends, relax on a chesterfield with an aperitif or sink into a sofa with an after dinner coffee.

Whatever the occasion, Gimbals promises to create a truly special evening for you.

For those of you who would like to have a go at making the dish for yourself, we have listed the full recipe and all the ingredients you will need.

If you would like to book a table at Gimbals, visit the website www.gimbals.co.uk or call 01422 839329

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Ingredients

1 medium fresh whole chicken 1 carrot chopped 1 onion chopped 1 bay leaf 1 celery stick 1 medium bunch black seedless grapes cut in half 1 bunch fresh tarragon 1 300g jar best mayonnaise 200g walnuts blanched in boiling water (takes away the bitterness) Good pinch of salt and 6 whole peppercorns

Method

1) Place the carrot, onion and the top and bottom of the celery in a pan with the whole chicken and cover with water 2) Add the bay leaf, salt and pepper corns and bring to the boil, then to a simmer for 1.5 hours or 20 mins in a pressure cooker 3) Remove the chicken from the pan, strain the cooking liquor and set aside (or freeze for delicious soup or sauces) 4) When the chicken has cooled, strip all the meat, discarding the bones. Wash peel and chop the rest of the celery.

Shred the tarragon off the stalk, saving some whole leaves for

garnish, and chop the rest 5) In a mixing bowl, add the chicken, tarragon, celery and mayonnaise. Give it a good mix.

Cling film the bowl and leave in the fridge for the tarragon to infuse 6) When ready to serve, mix in the walnuts and grapes, saving some for garnish. If the mixture is too solid, add some milk. Serve in a bowl and help yourself to the grape, tarragon and walnut garnish.

7) Any left over’s make the best sandwiches!

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C OM M E R C I A L

P R OPERT Y

Industrial/commercial property market generally resilient despite uncertainty over EU Funny thing debt. Well not so funny if you live in Venezuela or even Greece. We have to keep a watchful eye on our own but generally as we age so our own balance sheet improves and debt taken early in life dilutes with the effects of inflation, wage growth and is eventually paid off. But a traditional 25 year mortgage seems now to be pushed out to 35 years and if you want a mortgage at 60 or beyond you can get one.

So we all (well most of us) live with debt and that includes the country.

A great deal of time has been spent on what we will have to pay to the EU for our Brexit divorce bill. One man’s billion pounds is as much as the next man’s. However, whatever the eventual bill the parameters now seem set around £35-40billion. It is, though, to some extent meaningless; and what’s more always has been.

We paid off the last of 50 instalments of £21billion of WWII debt to the USA (£45.5million) and Canada (£11.6million) in 2006. Effectively a 6 decades loan.

We haven’t, nor will we ever, pay off all WWI debt (£2billion). What remains is called Perpetuals and pays interest at 3.5%.

In fact, because of refinancing older debt, some debt repaid in 2015 goes back to consolidation of the capital stock of the South Sea Company which had collapsed following the South Sea Bubble financial crisis of 1720.

(Interestingly Germany had its WWII debt written off in 1953, - the Allies not wanting to make the same mistake as was made after WWI, - with deferred interest of €125m paid

off on unification).

The actual amount is, of course, important but must be put in context of GDP which last year was £1.94trillion, with tax revenue of £730billion. £40billion is around 2% of GDP and 5.5% of tax revenue.

In other words, and whilst not wishing to be flippant with our rising deficit, when the negotiations on what we pay to the EU are concluded the debt will probably be paid over decades and be little felt.

So why all the hand wringing and angst over the specific amounts? Politics of course and nothing more. Mr Juncker has to show the Southern and Eastern European, generally poor and in some instances insolvent, States, that he has toiled and stretched the UK to busting before agreeing this amount and Mrs May has to show the ardent Brexiteers that she has got away with paying a minimum in this divorce. The actual amount at a practical level is actually secondary. What the Government are far more concerned about, or should be (and is the elephant in the room), is the effect on financial services and jobs in the City. What’s more we all should be with the tax raising done in the square mile. None of the major banks or institutions have actually abandoned London but some will if negotiations concerning the “financial passports” are not addressed quickly. The potential annual tax revenue loss there could put the divorce bill into stark relief.

What is depressing is that the uncertainty and lack of progress up to this point need not have been so slow with the inevitable uncertainty that has followed if the divorce bill had been agreed in principle earlier.

To have agreed it quickly, however, would have been politically unattractive or even unacceptable.

Hanson Chartered Surveyors was established in October 1989, by Mark Hanson BSc FRICS to service the needs of clients expecting direct and uncomplicated advice.

Whilst we have our own intra UK political hurdles to negotiate (what fun the Irish border) the intra EU politics of the 27 other countries makes ours look easy.

It is ironic that despite the uncertainty, the regional property market in the industrial/ warehouse sector has proved remarkably resilient. Town centre retail is suffering but for different reasons (Amazon has a turnover of approximately £1trillion, around 50% of UK GDP) and must find its own new future whilst offices are experiencing lumpy demand depending upon particular locations and buildings.

Of specific importance to our region, and particularly Huddersfield, will be the Department of Transport decision on the Trans Pennine Rail Upgrade which will be made in Q1/Q2 of 2018 which has the potential for transforming our area putting Huddersfield within 20 minutes of Manchester.

2018 will, therefore, be a very important year in which economic and political events will shape our future. But at the Brexit level I think we have 12 months of uncertainty to come because, like all things European, it will be finally agreed with a pre-dawn dash to the continent following overnight last minute negotiations.

What theatre!

Mark S. Hanson BSc FRICS

January 2018

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Festive fundraiser has a merry successful year Images Thanks to John Steele Photography

KACCL’s second annual festive fundraiser kicked off with a drinks reception to break the ice, followed by a spectacular three course meal and entertainment provided by the young people at Orange Box and local entertainer and magician John Danbury.

16-year-old singer Callum Butterworth, who uses the facilities at Orange Box, wowed everyone with his talent, as he sang and played his guitar at the lunch. He was also joined by young members of the centre, who came together to perform in a choir, which was put together for an exclusive performance especially for the event.

Huddersfield and community centre Orange Box for young people in Halifax – 50% more than last year’s event.

The funds will be split equally between the two charities, which were nominated by the organisers of KACCL.

It was a season of giving for the local business community with the popular Kirklees and Calderdale Charity Lunch (KACCL) having its most successful fundraiser to date.

The cracker of an event smashed its fundraising target by raising a whopping £27,000 for Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice in

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Tickets for this year’s KACCL event, which took place on December 7 at Cedar Court Hotel, Ainley Top, sold out weeks beforehand, with sales seeing an impressive increase as the capacity was raised to 268 places.

Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice supports local children and families with life-shortening conditions across Kirklees, Calderdale, Wakefield and now Manchester.

The Orange Box centre in Halifax meanwhile offers a range of facilities for young people such as rehearsal rooms, performance space and a recording studio alongside counselling and support services.

The KACCL organising committee represents figures from local businesses across the region, which includes Stafflex, Chadwick Lawrence, Faith PR, Eastwood & Partners, Brug Consultancy, Whimsical Events, Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice, Hellomint, JR Group UK Ltd, Cedar Court Hotels and Crowther Accountants, who was the headline sponsor for the second year running.

Steve Crowther who has been appointed chair of KACCL 2018 said: “The event was absolutely fantastic and we are delighted with the amount raised on the day. On behalf of the committee, I’d like to extend a thank you to everyone who attended and for their donations to the two charities, who make such a huge difference to young people and families in our local area.

“There was lots of fun, laughter and some tears at the lunch due to the heartfelt speeches and performances.

The entertainment from the young people at Orange Box who had never performed together in public was phenomenal. We’re already counting down the days until the 2018 charity lunch on December 6!”

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bramleys 1ST FLOOR, PRESSERS HOUSE, 2 SOUTH LANE, ELLAND HX5 0HG

1ST FLOOR, WOODLAND VIEW HSE, 675 LEEDS RD, HUDDERSFIELD HD2 1YY

TO LET

TO LET

• Good Quality Office Premises • 12.45 sqm to 96.34 sqm (134 sqft to 1,037 sqft) • Recently refurbished modern specification offices • Flexible lease terms • All inclusive rents available • Car parking available • EPC Asset Rating D

• Good Quality 1st Floor Office Suite • 70.98 sqm (764 sqft) • Situated in a prominent position fronting Leeds Road (A62) linking Huddersfield town centre with Junction 25 of the M62 motorway network at Cooper Bridge • Good on-site car parking • Good quality office accommodation with central heating, intercom entry system and available at an allinclusive rent • EPC Asset Rating D

Industrial & Commercial Property Consultants

28 JOHN WILLIAM STREET, HUDDERSFIELD HD1 1BG

UNITS 13 & 14 SHAW PARK IND ESTATE, SILVER STREET, HUDDERSFIELD HD5 9AF

TO LET

• Town Centre Retail Premises • 116.7 sqm (1,256 sqft) • Prominent location within the town centre with nearby occupiers including McDonalds, Paddy Power, Nandos and Lloyds Bank • Good display frontage • Previous uses have included an estate agency office and solicitors practice • EPC - Exempt Listed Building

FACTORY PREMISES, OFF TANYARD ROAD, MILNSBRIDGE, HUDDERSFIELD HD3 4NB

INDUSTRIAL PREMISES, LINCOLN STREET, OFF ST ANDREW’S RD, HUDDERSFIELD HD1 6RX

TO LET

TO LET

TO LET

• Single Storey Industrial/ Warehouse Unit • With attached Offices • Available as a whole or in units • 702 sqm (7,500 sqft) • INCENTIVES AVAILABLE • 3 Phase electricity • Convenient and accessible position • EPC Asset Rating C

• Factory Premises with Yard • 2,032 sqm (21,874 sqft) • Former joiners workshop premises suitable for manufacturing or alternatively warehousing, subject to the occupier’s requirements • Benefiting from 3 phase electricity, good yard space and being positioned in a popular industrial location within 3 miles of Huddersfield town centre.

• EPC Rating TBC

• Factory Premises with Showroom & Offices • 950.11 sqm (10,227 sqft) • Situated in a popular industrial and commercial position on the outer edge of Huddersfield Ring Road • Accessible for the A62 Leeds Road to the north and the A629 Wakefield Road to the south • Three phase electricity and gas supply • EPC Asset Rating D

14 St. George’s Square, Huddersfield HD1 1JF

01484 530361

Offices also at Mirfield, Heckmondwike, Elland and Halifax

commercial@bramleys1.co.uk bramleys.com/commercial

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