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TopicUK

Issue 5 January 2014

CLICKS TO BRICKS RETAIL SUCCESS IN WAKEFIELD

TOPICUK WELCOMES NEW SPONSORS

New Westgate Station OPENS

MAKING CREATIVITY WORK IN PRINT

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TopicUK W

News ......................................................................... 4-8 Engineering firm launch award-winning lighting control solution

elcome to issue five of TopicUK, the magazine dedicated to all businesses in Wakefield and District. TopicUK is the only business magazine for the area published by a local company, supporting the Buy Wakefield initiative.

From Clicks to Bricks................................9 Online British childrenswear retailer opens first store

A Snapshot of Times Gone by ............ 10-11 visit traditional camera specialists in the Corn Exchange

Theatre ................................................................. 12-13 a bigger tourist draw than sport

Over to our Sponsors............................... 22-23 TopicUK welcomes 4 new sponsors

WACCL ................................................................... 26-27 Wakefield Annual Charity Christmas Lunch

New Business Support Programme........ 32-33 Dining Out............................................................ 32-33 Greece is the Word

AD RATES • • • •

Full page £295 Half page £160 Quarter page £90 Eighth page £45

We are delighted to welcome new sponsors for 2014: Trinity Walk; Ramsdens Solicitors, The Royal Armouries; Sarcophagus and Wakefield Business Centres, all of whom are dedicated to supporting their local business community.

We now have a readership of almost 10,000 both online and in print and this is set to grow through 2014 with the help and support of our sponsors and Wakefield Council. If you would like to become a sponsor the cost is just £1200 for one year. Sponsors will receive a full page advert in every issue (worth £1,770) together with editorial on our ‘Over to our Sponsors’ page page. This is in addition to free editorial and PR through our website and social media. To find out more call Gill on: 0 07711 539047 or email topicuk@ghost-communications.com topicuk@ghost-com TopicUK is available availab to view and download from our website at www. topicuk.co.uk and from the Wakefield f First website www.wakefi eldfirst.com. www.w Printed copies can be found in various businesses throughout the city. through

Tel: 07711 539047 or Email - topicuk@ ghost-communications.com

The views expressed by the contributors are not necessarily those held by the publishers and therefore no responsibility can be held by the publisher for misinterpretation. Reproduction of this magazine withoutthe express permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited. Whilst every care is taken in the production of this magazine, the publisher/editor cannot accept any responsibility for errors in articles, advertisements or programme schedules.To subscribe to this magazine, submit an article or press release please contact Gill Laidler on: 07711 539047 or email topicuk@ghost-communications.com Published by Ghost Communications Limited.

Law pages are written by Chadwick Lawrence Solicitors and TopicUK is not responsible for any advice given Cover Shot: Claire Harper by Julian Dyer Liquid Squid.

TopicUK is the perfect platform to advertise your business. There are a number of affordably priced spaces available, starting from just £45, as well as a number of limited web banners on our website.

For details contact us today on 07711 539047 or email topicuk@ghostcommunications.com

News event and visitors being offered a tour of Harvard’s stand to fully experience and understand how EyeNut works.

Judges at the Lux Awards called Harvard’s EyeNut ‘a sophisticated system in an easy-to-install and use package’. Harvard Engineering was also highly commended for the Manufacturer of the Year award.

Russell Fletcher, sales and marketing director at Harvard Engineering, commented, “We are extremely pleased that EyeNut has been named as the Lux Controls Innovation of the Year. The new control and management system is a first for the indoor lighting market and we look forward to seeing the benefits it has in installations over the coming months and years.”

REVOLUTIONARY

Engineering firm launch award-winning lighting control solution EyeNut, the ingenious new wireless monitoring and control system for indoor lighting, from world leader in the design, development and manufacture of control products for the lighting industry Harvard Engineering, has been named as the Controls Innovation of the Year at the

Lux Awards 2013. The accolade follows the successful launch of EyeNut over the two-day LuxLive exhibition at Earls Court on 20 and 21 November. The new ingenious solution received a great reception with business development manager for indoor controls Dr Andy Davies presenting a paper at the

EyeNut is revolutionary as for the first time it allows users to wireless manage and completely customise their lighting scheme using the innovative Graphic User Interface, accessed via a computer, laptop or tablet.

Caption: Andy Davies, business development manager for indoor controls at Harvard Engineering, centre, collects the Lux Award for Controls Innovation of the Year for EyeNut from, left, comedian John Molony and, right, presenter Simon Reed, UK Country sales manager of Eaton’s Cooper Lighting and Safety.

Wakefield company wins overseas contract

W

akefield based recruitment company m2r, have signed a lucrative six figure contract to supply lecturers of various disciplines to a leading further education institute in Bahrain.

Up to 100 lecturers are required to fill roles within maths, English, business, engineering, logistics and IT and m2r have until September 2014 to fill these highly qualified roles.

For the past five years, m2r have been visiting the tiny Gulf

kingdom and securing this contract is a testament to the work that has been put in building and maintaining relationships from many thousands of miles away.

Managing Director, Munir Mamujee told TopicUK: “This is a fantastic opportunity for us all and just goes to show what can be achieved when you put hard work and effort in. On behalf of our team, I am delighted that we have been awarded this exclusive contract and look forward to working with our new client for many years to come.”

TopicUK Issue 5 Winter 2014 5

‘Celebrity’ signing for TopicUK TopicUK the magazine for Wakefield business, was subject to media frenzy when the last issue was published, as readers scrambled to get their copy signed by local businessman Graham Howarth, managing director of Sarcophagus and Wakefield Business Centres.

Graham featured in our issue under the local heroes section where he told us a little about himself and explained what his vision for Wakefield was. He sits on numerous boards and committee’s and is instrumental in the city when it comes to championing the cause of young people, particularly those who have dyslexia.

The idea came about during a ‘Twitter’ conversation between TopicUK and Sinead Sopala from Ramsdens Solicitors who asked for a signed copy of TopicUK. It was decided that for a small donation of £1 Graham would sign copies during the Wakefield Curry Club networking event and all proceeds would be donated to charity. Kids.org were the recipients of the proceeds, quite apt in the fact that Sam Grundy from Kids.org was the speaker at the event and coincidentally was the interviewer of Graham for the TopicUK article.Many thanks to everyone who donated and joined in the fun!

Unemployment campaign a success for the second year “Recruiting the right candidates is always a challenge, whatever level you’re hiring at. It’s great that there are initiatives like Wakefield Works to help businesses find quality employees from the local area and we hope to take part in the scheme again in future.” Nick Masheder, Beaumont Legal Wakefield Works, the campaign aimed at tackling high levels of unemployment in 18-25 year olds across the district, has proven to be a success for the second year running with permanent positions and work experience offered to young people across our region by a number of businesses.

The campaign, which took place from 14 18 October, saw local employers meet with individuals across the district allowing them to explore job opportunities with the potential of gaining work experience and even permanent employment as a result.

Thirty two businesses took part with sixty six candidates registering to attend interviews across various sectors including law, hospitality, retail and PR. The campaign was a huge success with ten companies offering work experience

placements and two, Fujitsu and Beaumont Legal, offering permanent positions to the candidates who showed the greatest potential.

Each organisation pledged to do all they could to share the genuine and positive difference that employment brings to individuals across the region.

Andy Turner, co-founder of the initiative and director from First Choice Recruitment told TopicUK: “Wakefield Works has once again encouraged more young people to experience work based placements in real organisations that can offer genuine opportunities. It’s great to see so many businesses across the district coming together to provide people with the skills and knowledge needed to find work.

He added: “Once again, Wakefield is

showing that by coming together, the businesses in the region can tackle concerns within the district and drive change for the better. With their continued support, the campaign will continue into 2014 and I look forward to being a part of it once again.”

The week long campaign also gave young people the opportunity to chat to local employers, get an insight into specific organisations and sectors, as well as guidance and advice from our districts leading companies.

News

THE LAST FRIDAY’S MOVEMBER A group of very charitable men were committed to growing moustaches in November in aid of Movember.

With their ‘Mo’s’, men across the world raise vital funds and awareness for prostate and testicular cancer and mental health. As an independent global charity, Movember’s vision is to have an everlasting impact on the face of men’s health.

This year’s Movember was organised by the Last Friday Club. (The Last Friday Club meet on the last Friday of every month at Bar Eleven from 12.30pm. The monthly networking group is free to attend and open to all local businesses and the first drink is free!)

Thanks to Jason Costello from the Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice, David Amies and Jeremy Cook from Ramsdens Solicitors, Richard Armitage from Print Pod, Tony Kenny from Code Blue, Adrian

Last Friday Club members, it was a close run thing with some elegant and hairy competition! It’s great to be able to have a little bit of fun whilst raising funds for the cause of men’s health.”

Sinead Sopala, Director of Marketing at Ramsdens commented: “A huge thanks to From 30 Mo Bros in Melbourne, all the gents that took part in November’s Australia in 2003 to 4 million Mo's Movember efforts, raising vital funds and by 2013, Movember, through the awareness. Well done guys for your facial power of the moustache, has become hair-growing and fundraising efforts!” a truly global movement that is And it wasn’t just the men that got involved, changing the face of men's health.

Sinead herself (Mo Sista) joined the Finance and the winner (as voted by all the inaugural Mo Running Leeds 5k. Fantastic attendees) of the Tash of the Year was Steve effort Sinead!

The last Friday Club is brought to you by Bradley from Pennine Business Partners.

Ramsdens Solicitors, Mid Yorkshire of Steve said: “I am honoured and humbled Commerce, Barclays and Begbies Traynor. to have been voted Tash of the Year by Bird from The Apprentice Finder, Steve Bradley from Pennine Business Partners, Nick Akerman from The Porkery, Jamie Watson from Fusion IT, Mohammed Ahmed from Translate UK, Simon Martin from Capable IT, Matt Cork from Moore

7 TopicUK Issue 5 Winter 2014

Free Wills Campaign at Jordans SPAWFORTH ARCHITECTS LEADING THE WAY WITH CUSTOM BUILD

The aim of the Free Wills Month Campaign is for members of the public aged 55 and over to have their Wills drawn up or updated free of charge, by requesting an appointment with a participating solicitor within the month of October.

A specialist solicitor draws up the simple Will and in return they only ask that you consider leaving a gift in your Will to one or more of the charities that Free Wills Month supports. This year the charities being supported are Breakthrough Breast Cancer, British Heart Foundation, Guide Dogs, Prostate Cancer UK, Redwings Horse Sanctuary, Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), Stroke Association, UNICEF and WWF-UK. Jordans participated in the campaign last year and are pleased to say we are taking part again this year. If you wish to partake in the campaign please contact us as soon as possible as we have received a lot of interest.

Making a Will is the first step in putting your affairs in order and with the Free Wills Month campaign you can plan for the future and have that peace of mind.

For more information about the campaign visit http://freewillsmonth.org.uk/ and for more information on the importance of making a Will visit http://jordanssolicitors. net/willsandprobate/2013/08/16/what-adifference-a-will-makes.

Data available within the Wakefield district demonstrates a high number of the home buying population would like to build their own homes, if they knew how to go about it and were able to find a suitable site.

The most common motivation being a desire to have greater choice in the layout and design of their new home, choice in the selection of materials and specification and the ability to either save money or build to a higher standard for the equivalent price of a standard developer-built house.

Whilst this high level of local interest in custom build is reflected in the UK at large, a significant number of challenges remain before the custom build market can reach its full potential. The most significant of these is the current house buying culture in the UK, with custom build homes still being routinely referred to as self build and regarded as the sole preserve of the hands-on ‘I physically built it all myself’ contingent.

Adrian Spawforth of Spawforth Architects told TopicUK: “The term self build can

be a misleading one as the impression is frequently given that the self-builder is required to invest a significant amount of their time and energy in the physical construction of their new home using their own labour. In reality, this approach represents a very small percentage of the total number of custom build projects constructed in the UK each year, with very few projects being ‘self built’ and far more being built using a main contractor to undertake the entire project or a significant part of it.

Jordans & Macmillan Big Coffee Morning

On 1st October staff at the Castleford office of Jordans Solicitors held a Macmillan coffee morning with proceeds going to Macmillan Cancer Support. Staff would like to say a big thank you to all those who attended and donated (including members of the public). And to those who slaved over a hot stove to produce the delicious cakes. A total of £117.17 was raised!

It was then the turn of the Wakefield office to hold their coffee morning on 3rd October.

The raffle (which covered two window sills and a table) opened at 11am and it wasn’t long before all the prizes we claimed! As well as a many of Jordans staff being generous enough to donate raffle prizes some baked delicious cakes, a tradition that started on Red Nose Day. A total of £110.50 raised has been added to the Castleford total.

If you are interested in hosting your own coffee morning and find out how your company can eat cake for a good cause visit http://coffee.macmillan.org.uk/Home.aspx.

Spawforth are currently working with a number of Housebuilders, Developers, Groups and Individuals to bring forward custom built schemes in the area and throughout the country. If you would like to know more about the range of custom build delivery models available to you and the potential custom build might hold for your project, further information can be obtained from Adrian Spawforth, Managing Director of Spawforth Architects at: adrianspawforth@ spawforths.co.uk

News

Yorkshire Blonde pulls the pints!

A cross selection of Wakefield’s business community enjoyed a beer tasting evening at Barringtons Solicitors on 28 November, courtesy of the Wealth Protection Group, whose common aim is to protect the wealth of businesses and individuals.

The evening began with freshly pulled pints of Yorkshire Blonde from Ossett Brewery, followed by a quiz all about beer, by beer guru Gordon Wills of Wills Financial Consultancy, accompanied by some delicious bratwurst sausages. The evening continued with a Champagne Prize Draw donated by Barringtons Solicitors, as well as a selection of other prizes, donated by the Yorkshire business community.

Sue Barrington-Binns of Barringtons Solicitors said: “The Wealth Protection Group, is a group of professional wealth cops, whose common aim is to assist their clients acquire, optimise and protect their wealth. The social evening was hosted by 3 founder members, Barringtons Solicitors, Wills Financial Consultancy and Clough Taxation Solutions with help from Sure Revolution.”

The evening concluded with guests being presented with a gift bag provided by Sure Revolution with corporate gifts from business donors as well as information about the services provided by the Wealth Protection Group.

Security firm recruits due to apprenticeship completion Security Firm Recruiting due to record Completion of Apprenticeship Wakefield security firm Calder Security is recruiting again due to apprentice Jordan Gorner completing his training in record time.

Jordan joined the company in 2011 as an apprentice engineer and is now fully qualified and ready to manage his own role.

There is now a vacancy for a new apprentice.

An apprenticeship usually takes 3 years to complete but Jordan 21, has completed it 6 months early. This is a fantastic achievement that demonstrates Jordan’s determination and talent for the role, as well as the standard of training that Calder Security has provided.

Managing Director Simon Cook told TopicUK: “Jordan has proved himself and become an asset to the company. His completion of the apprenticeship has come just at the right time for us; the business is growing so rapidly that having another engineer available will add real value. We’re now looking forward

to taking on a new apprentice and training them.”

Calder Security would now like to invite applications for the new apprentice role. No experience is necessary, they are just looking for someone who is keen to learn, understands and importance of punctuality and taking direction and is interested in starting a career as an electronics engineer.

Jordan added: “I’d strongly recommend anyone who has an interest in engineering to apply for the position. I’ve learned so much and the support and on the job training has been fantastic. I’m now looking forward to taking on my own jobs and consolidating all the learning I’ve undertaken over the last couple of years.”

Anyone who is interested in applying for the role should send their CV to Simon Cook at simon@caldersecurity.co.uk. Further details about the role can be found at www.caldersecurity.co.uk

TopicUK Issue 5 Winter 2014 9

B

FROM CLICKS

TO BRICKS Online British childrenswear retailer opens first store

Julian Dyer Liquid Squid

ritish childrenswear retailer IndiaCoco, founded in May last year by former Marketing Director of Mamas & Papas Claire Harper, opened its first shop in Wood Street, introducing the very best of British designer childrenswear brands to the Yorkshire high street. A sure sign that retail in Wakefield is recovering.

IndiaCoco first tested the market with a pop up shop at the Wood Street Market, a thriving monthly community led event, that first appeared this summer and brings a busy high street to life.

Claire told TopicUK: “Our childrenswear brand continues to grow and following our success at the market, we are delighted to now be open at 11 Wood Street. We will also be focusing on expanding other areas of the business too, including the online offering and our baby and gifting presence at the award winning Blacker Hall Farm.

“We are committed to our promise of sourcing and selling original, handpicked British childrenswear brands, which offer the very best in quality and value,” added Claire “and meet our customers requirements. A retail shop really gives us the opportunity to continue to deliver outstanding customer service face to face and demonstrate the warmth, passion and commitment that shines through in everything we do.”

This Autumn, IndiaCoco is also introducing the much-coveted British brand Tootsa MacGinty to the North of England. An exciting unisex clothing brand Tootsa MacGinty offers parents beautifully designed and quality focused clothing for kids. The Autumn/Winter collection features punchy brights, bold stripes and cute graphics, perfectly suited to a child’s playful nature and imagination.

So to get your kids sorted this season or by online at www.indiacoco.com

All images Julian Dyer Liquid Squid

Out and About

A SNAPSHOT OF TIMES GONE BY We visit traditional camera specialists in the historic Corn Exchange

TopicUK Issue 5 Winter 2014 11

In this digital age it was refreshing when TopicUK stumbled across a traditional camera shop based in the historic Corn Exchange in Leeds.

Started by friends Nick Parker and Tom Horton, West Yorkshire Camera’s sells traditional camera’s, film and developing equipment.

The idea for the shop came about when Nick worked in a similar shop during the summer whilst at university. “We spotted a gap in the market. There are other camera shops like us, although I cannot think of any with a bricks and mortar who specialises in this sort of product,” Nick told TopicUK. “There are a few online dealers but that’s all. At first, we also sold digital cameras, but we wanted to carve a niche for ourselves, so decided to do away with them.”

Setting up a specialist shop such as this is not that easy, as there needs to be a good knowledge of the product and both Nick and Tom have taken a keen interest in photography for years. “In the beginning, the business was fully

funded using our own money,” added Tom, “using my skills as a designer and Nick’s knowledge of business.

However, we have received lots of support from family and of course the university, which has helped us quickly become established amongst the keen photographers within our community.”

So why move away from the ever growing digital age? “Simple really,” added Tom. When using a camera you need to think about the shot and how the light reflects, whereas with digital, particularly the one’s on phones, people become ‘snap happy’ and usually delete most of the images. The quality is so much better too, a basic camera can take images that a digital can never rival.”

So what’s next for the boys? They will be looking to expand in the future and are considering hosting a camera fair within the Corn Exchange, but if you are interested in photography and would like to know more, visit the website at www.wycameras.com or pop into the shop at Unit 19, The Corn Exchange, Leeds.

The Art Business BUSINESS

Theatre

a bigger tourist draw than sport Murray Edwards Executive Director TRW It is always interesting when published research bears out what one has always thought – and in this case it couldn’t be more authoritative that Visit Britain.

In research published in November Visit Britain revealed that more overseas visitors go to the theatre, musicals, opera or ballet (2.8 million) than to a live sporting event (1.3 Million) when visiting Britain. These 2.8 million visits include 14% of all overseas holiday trips, whilst visits incorporating a live sport event make up just 4%.

TopicUK Issue 5 Winter 2014 13

Theatre tourists spend £2.7 billion whilst visiting the UK and are above average spenders, with each theatre-going visitor spending £983, compared with an average of £600 for regular visitors.

With Sheffield Theatres leading the wins at the recent 2013 UK Theatre Awards and its production of The Full Monty heading to London after a hit tour of the UK, and the award-winning Wicked heading to Southampton, the popularity and diversity of regional theatre is clear. The RSC at Stratford has just announced a record increase of 30% in box office income for 2012/13 achieved through a 75% increase in box office.

Based on the recent survey 24% of holiday visitors who stay in London will go to the theatre with just over 2 million international visitors enjoying a show in the capital. Whilst theatre as an activity for overseas visitors is still predominantly Londoncentric, the West Midlands and the North West show particular promise for theatre tourism interest where 9% of visitors went to the theatre.

With The Hepworth recently celebrating its one millionth visitor since opening in 2011, Wakefield is well placed...

As yet Yorkshire and the North East do not appear to benefiting in the same way, despite our having significant attractions in Leeds, Bradford, York and Newcastle. This is perhaps something to which Welcome to Yorkshire could usefully direct its attention since it has been undoubtedly successful in terms of other forms of inbound tourism.

Sandie Shaw, chief executive of Visit Britain, said: “The vitality of our theatres – whether London’s West End or our major regional centres – provides a great holiday experience to our international visitors. In Britain, you can see cutting edge theatre by new

writers, big blockbuster musicals and plenty of Shakespeare with actors who are known across the globe.

If you like theatre, Britain is a great place to enjoy it.

English speaking countries dominate the top 20 markets for the highest volume of visits incorporating a trip the theatre, musicals, the opera or ballet. The USA leads with 426,000 visits followed by the Australians with 209,000 visits.

Looking at age groups it is not just the over 55s who are avid theatregoers – some 36% of overseas visitors who go to the theatre are aged 25 to 44. Women are the keenest, with 55% of overseas audiences being female. They tend to drive the decision to go to a show and will take along their partner.

This year has been a strong year for theatre tourism.

Encore Tickets, a leading West End ticket agent specialising in overseas sales, has reported a 20% growth in sales in 2013. In October VisitBritain revealed that 2013 has seen the strongest visit n u m b e r s since 2008, attracting 22 million visitors in the first eight months of the year alone. Spend is also up by 11% (£13.7bn) leaving us on track for a record year.

With The Hepworth recently celebrating its one millionth visitor since opening in 2011, Wakefield is well placed to capitalise on cultural tourism provided that its overall cultural offer can be effectively promoted to a wide public – including international visitors. The opening on Unity Hall in the second half of 2014 offers a unique opportunity to build Wakefield’s cultural profi le even further with the consequent benefits to the local economy that are already being felt elsewhere.

CURRY CLUB NETWORKING TO CONTINUE? Sponsored by Chadwick Lawrence Solicitors, the Wakefield Curry Networking Club, which takes place at the Kashmiri Aroma, Paragon Business Park, Wakefield on the third Friday of each month, is now in its second year.

However, over the last couple of months, numbers have reduced and this leaves the question, should we continue with the event?

The event has attracted a number of

high profi le speakers, the January 2014 speaker being Pat Langham OBE, former headmistress of Wakefield Girl’s High School.

The event needs to attract at least 50 for the three course buffet lunch, costing just £24, to make it worth the restaurant opening exclusively, but has recently only attracted 35 businesses.

The next event takes place on Friday 20th January and if you would like to

book a place, contact Gill on 07711 539047 or email topicuk@ghostcommunications.com In the meantime if you have attended before, let us have your comments with preferences for speakers and tell us if you want the event to continue.

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Law

LegalMatters.

EACH ISSUE CHADWICK LAWRENCE, YORKSHIRE’S LEGAL PEOPLE SHARE WITH TOPICUK READERS INFORMATION TO KEEP US ALL WITHIN THE LAW. IF YOU HAVE A LEGAL QUESTION, OR NEED TO KNOW ABOUT A PARTICULAR SUBJECT, EMAIL TOPICUK@GHOST-COMMUNICATIONS.COM AND WE’LL GET CHADWICK LAWRENCE TO ANSWER IT FOR YOU!

Enforceability of Restrictive Covenants The Court of Appeal recently found in the case of Coppage & Freedom Security Limited v Safety Net Security Limited (2013) that the restrictive covenant the employer relied upon was not unreasonable and was to be upheld even though it prevented Mr Coppage from contacting any individual or business who had been a customer of Safety Net Security at any time during the period of Mr Coppage’s employment. In this instance, Mr Coppage had been employed by Safety Net Security for nearly four years.

Most restrictive covenants of this nature tend to limit the extent of customer base the former employee cannot approach those customers with whom the former employee had dealings / knowledge over a defined period of time, usually 6 or 12 months prior to the former employees date of termination of employment.

The court did refer to other authorities on this point which supported its judgement, although made it clear that the facts of

each case would always turn on the particular circumstances of the case. In this instance, the court appear to have taken into account the following facts: 1. The covenant made it clear that Mr Coppage was only prevented from approaching such former customers for a period of six months.

2. Mr Coppage himself made it clear in his evidence that he had been a ‘key figure’ and ‘the face of’ Safety Net Security’s business 3. 98 out of a possible 106 customers remained current customers of Safety Net Security at the time that Mr Coppage had left and the court found that this ‘stability’ of the customer base supported the wording of the covenant in this way.

4. The clause contained another relevant proviso which meant that Mr Coppage could not ‘approach’ such customers where the ‘purpose of such an approach is to solicit business, which could have been undertaken by (Safety Net Security)’. Therefore, where Safety Net Security could not have undertaken the work, for example because, for whatever reason, the customer would

TopicUK Issue 5 Winter 2014 17

not use Safety Net Security again, then Mr Coppage could approach those customers and therefore the clause was not reasonable.

The case provides extremely useful guidance as well as a precedent in relation to the reasonableness of covenants. Advice should always be taken when drafting covenants or when considering enforcing a covenant.

Third party harassment provisions repeated Until 1 October this year, provisions existed in the Equality Act giving employees the right to bring a claim against their employer where they had been the victim of harassment from a third party whilst at work. An example of this would be a betting shop worker who faces harassment from a customer in the shop on a regular basis.

The provisions were criticised by employer groups, particularly on the grounds that they had very limited scope to exercise control over third parties and so should not be liable for their acts of harassment.

With effect from 1 October 2013, those provisions have now been repealed. The Government believes that the third party harassment rules brought unnecessary regulation without any real perceived need. They also pointed to the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 as an alternative legal route an employee could pursue if they considered they had been subjected to repeated harassment by a third party.

Employers should still be aware of the implied duties to take reasonable care of

their employees’ health and safety and to maintain trust and confidence. Ignoring legitimate complaints from employees who have suffered third party harassment could amount to breaches of these duties.

As Health Secretary aims to put a stop to neglect, hospitals are told to probe all complaints Jeremy Hunt has said that the NHS must commit to respond to all complaints by patients of poor care and investigate allegations of medical negligence, even if it therefore means that they are exposed to the threat of legal action.

It has emerged that some hospitals have halted inquiries or refused to investigate concerns, even if the outcome was that complainants sought legal advice, a practice which should have been banned in 2009, to stop hospitals from using concerns over a potential claim as a reason not to proceed with an investigation.

Health campaigners say that some hospitals have been allowed to ignore patient complaints in the face of expensive legal claims due to confusing NHS guidance.

Mr Hunt has now agreed to bring in new regulations after solicitors for the charity Action Against Medical Accidents threatened to take the matter to judicial review. The charity’s chief executive, Peter Walsh has said: “It’s a good step that Jeremy Hunt has decided to issue fresh guidance.

“We have been promised we will be able to help draft the new guidance to hospitals making it absolutely crystal clear they

cannot refuse to investigate a complaint in the face of litigation, or to avoid a possible future case.”

Regardless of possible future legal action, hospitals will now be obliged to look into all complaints.

A spokesman from the Department of Health said: We expect the NHS to respond to all complaints raised.”

“Following the terrible events at Mid Staffs, we asked Ann Clwyd MP and professor Tricia Hart to undertake a review into how NHS organisations handle complaints.

“They will report later this autumn and we look forward to seeing their findings.”

Scrabble loses Trade Mark case Scrabble makers JW Spear & Sons have recently had their trade mark for Scrabble tiles declared invalid by a judge.

In 2000, Scrabble’s makers registered a trade mark which consisted of a 3D ivory coloured tile with a letter and number on its surface.

Subsequently, JW Spear & Sons became embroiled in a battle with Zynga, whom they claimed were infringing this trade mark.

Zynga applied to have the trade mark declared invalid as (they claimed) it was not distinctive enough and that this mark amounted to a monopoly on ivory coloured tiles with a letter and number on top.

The judge agreed with Zynga and in the judgement commented that the trade mark was not a sign (as required by law) but was drafted so widely it could cover a range of signs and permutations.

This case illustrates the importance of ensuring any trade mark you wish to register is distinctive and unique.

Beauty

GET YOUR SKIN LOOKING RADIANT THIS WINTER

By True Beauty 4-6 Providence Street, Wakefield WF1 3BG

T

o many people a bright glowing complexion means a healthy skin.

When your complexion looks dull and ashen it may suggest that you’re tired or ill and can even make you look older than you actually are.

Diet changes, skin care products all can help brighten a dull complexion.

A healthy diet should improve your complexion, staying hydrated remains one of the simplest and least expensive way to maintain skin health. This should include vitamin A as this repairs the skin and can be found in vegetables that contain betacarotene (the orange coloured ones) and also low fat dairy products.

A Microdermabrasion facial is one way of removing the dead skin cells; in general terms it uses fine grains to buff away the top layer of the skin. Some of the skins visible imperfections like sun damage; blemishes and fine lines are removed with this treatment making your skin look and feel smoother. Facial creams and lotions are then more

effective, as the moisture can find its way down to the lower layers of the skin.

Microdermabrasion machines can be sourced on the Internet with prices ranging from under £30 upwards, however I suggest you have a treatment in a salon before spending money on a machine you may or may not use effectively or correctly.

What about a specialist facial? Do you wish you could have an hour of pure indulgence and relaxation? By booking into a salon for a facial designed especially for your skin type, you can have this. Just let your therapists trained fingers soothe and relax your entire face, fi lling your skin with a new breath of life. The subtle and tactile precision of her hands massaging your shoulder and neck takes you to another level. Say goodbye to tiredness and fatigue, stress and tension.

I suggest you look or ring around the salons to see if there are any treatments on offer. Get ready for those parties ladies, get your skin looking the best it can.

TopicUK Issue 5 Winter 2014 19

Local Heroes

In January 2011, 17 year old Ben Manning drowned after a night out in Wakefield. He’d been to see a friend’s band and disappeared on his way home. Following a search, during which 480 local people helped, his body was found. It was a tragedy that affected not only his friends and family but that of the community. Over 22,000 people showed their support.

Music was Ben’s overriding passion and his family have used his passion to build a lasting legacy that has already touched the lives of 700 children.

Ben’s brother Lee explained how the Ben Manning Music Foundation was founded to provide financial support, grants, subsidised tuition and musical instruments to kids and bands from less privileged backgrounds, who want to learn and develop musically. Ben was self-taught and like Ben, the young people that the foundation supports, have nothing but raw undiscovered talent, drive and bags of ambition.

This year the Foundation has moved into Trinity Walk building a great partnership with the centre. It’s Musicians from the Benn Manning Foundation who serenade shoppers.

Lee is very charismatic and passionate about what the foundation has achieved and rightly so. It’s amazing to think that

on such a tiny budget the foundation has reached and touched so many lives! The Foundation is so driven and is looking to a bright future as Lee says there is so much to do and be achieved. It would be easy to think that Lee is the driving force behind the foundation but as TopicUK talked to Lee, he told us about his Mum driving to Bradford to take a young man to Rock School, and loving it as she saw the “joy in his face” and he spoke about his Dad’s enthusiasm for development of their own venue in the former Wakefield Arm’s pub, adjacent to Kirkgate Station.

(Pictured the family united in their drive to leave a lasting legacy).

What is obvious is the Foundation a joyous project. Lee said that “music is a basic requirement of humanity.

Music can change our mood, our basic perception and even change the way a person thinks”. The Foundation is using music as a tool to inspire people - There’s the obvious ways through

supporting music lessons but there is also the fact that the Foundation shop has work placement opportunities, they are supporting people back into paid employment. 47% of the people on work placement with the foundation leave to gain paid employment.

What is very apparent from this local charity is that a little money with a whole heap of drive can achieve an astounding amount. For example, a £5.00 donation can provide a child with a musical instrument, £15.00 provides a venue for children to come and learn together - what would the charity be able to achieve with £1,000? Visit Just giving – Benn Manning Foundation make a donation and inspire some young lives!

TopicUK Issue 5 Winter 2014 21

Conference Package Deals in Leeds

at the Royal Ar mouries Muse um 3 STAR PA CKAGE

Main Meeting Room Hire (8am - 5.30pm) Registration Ref reshments - Te a & Coffee Sandwiches w ith Te Afternoon Refre a & Coffee shments - Tea & Coffee

+ VA T per

pers on

4 STAR PA CKAGE M

ain Meeting Roo m Hire (8am 5.30pm) Dedicated Even t Manager Registration Ref reshments -Tea , Coffee & Biscu 1 Course Buffe its t Lunch with Te a & Coffee Afternoon Refre shments - Tea, Coffee & Biscu Data Projector its & Screen Free Public Wifi

+ VA T per

pers on

5 STAR PA CKAGE

Main Meeting Room Hire (8am + VA T per - 5.30pm) Dedicated Even pers on t Manager Fruit Bowls at all Refreshmen t Breaks Registration Ref & Danish Pastr reshments - Tea, Coffee, Fr uit Juice, Miner ies al Water Mid-Morning R efreshments Tea, Coffee & B 2 Course Buffe iscuits t Lunch with Te a & Coffee, Frui Afternoon Refre t Juice, Mineral shments - Tea, Water Mini Cakes Coffee, Fruit Ju ice, Mineral Wat er & Data Projector & Screen Lectern & Mic (applicable forrophone, PA System suitable numbers over fo 60 delegates) r the room hired AV Technician (8am - 5.30pm ) Free Public Wifi Quality Counts

Royal Armouries (International) plc Armouries Drive, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS10 1LT Web: www.rai-events.co.uk Email: enquiries@rai-events.co.uk Tel: 0113 220 1990 Fax: 0113 220 1997

Over To Our Sponsors

TopicUK WELCOME TO OUR SPONSORS TopicUK is proud to welcome on board new sponsors for 2014.

Trinity Walk, Royal Armouries, Ramsdens Solicitors, Sarcophagus and Wakefield Business Centres.

Each one has provided a statement below, telling us a little about themselves and will provide updates about their business throughout 2014.

Ghost are offering a number of sponsorship packages for as little as

£1200 for the year.

For this, you will receive a full page advertisement in every issue of TopicUK during 2014 (worth £1700)as well as a mention on our sponsors page, together with your logo. On top of this of course, each will have articles published that are newsworth each issue, free of charge. In addition, each sponsor will be mentioned on our website and will have their ‘tweets’ re-tweeted where appropriate.

Royal Armouries (International) plc at Royal Armouries Museum and NEW DOCK hall, Leeds Set in a modern waterfront development, close to Leeds city centre, New Dock is home to the Royal Armouries Museum and NEW DOCK Hall providing an idyllic setting for your next event. On site there is a multi-storey car park for 1,650 vehicles and 850 Hotel bedrooms within 5 minutes’ walk.

Proclaimed as the ‘Knightsbridge of the north’ with exclusive high street shopping, 4 & 5 star hotels, Michelin star restaurants and a raft of trendy bars; Leeds is the ideal location with excellent road, rail and air links.

We are a UK leading conference & events team with a reputation that has been built on a breadth of knowledge,

This is a fantastic PR package to have your name reaching as many as 10,000 readers throughout Wakefield and surrounding areas.

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of TopicUK, the only non-profit business magazine in the area, offering free publicity for local companies contact Gill on 07711 539047 or email gill@ ghost-communications.com experience and an understanding of what our clients need for the ideal event.

We deliver conferences, banquets, exhibitions and events from 20 to 1500 delegates and co-ordinate every aspect of your event from the initial planning through to your transport home.

Adjacent to the Royal Armouries Museum, NEW hall has a contemporary minimalist feel providing you with the perfect blank canvas to create your event. Our largest event space and Leeds’s largest banqueting and exhibition venue – NEW DOCK hall – is unrestricted by pillars, giving limitless scope for your presentations and creative ideas and so is ideal for anything from conferences and exhibitions to gala dinners, impressive product launches and meetings.

TopicUK Issue 5 Winter 2014 23

Trinity Walk Shopping Centre is a sponsor of TopicUK. The shopping centre opened in Wakefield on 6 May 2011.

Trinity Walk has successfully transformed shopping in the city since its opening. Over 20 million shopper visits had been made to the centre well before it reached its second anniversary, and has now firmly established itself as a regional retail destination.

Trinity Walk is a 500,000 sq ft shopping

Wakefield Business Centres comprise of three fully serviced office buildings: Langham House, Westgate; Merchant House, Cheapside, both in central Wakefield and Prospect House in central Ossett.

Langham and Merchant Houses are both situated within 300m of the new Wakefield Westgate train station, offering easy access to Leeds with

Ramsdens, an award winning and leading legal firm in Kirklees, Calderdale and Wakefield.

With its principal office in Edgerton and eight branch offices in Dewsbury, Elland, Huddersfield, Halifax, Holmfirth, Mirfield, Slaithwaite and Wakefield, Ramsdens is perfectly placed to build on its 140 years heritage in the area.

With 160 staff, working in 12 different practice areas, across nine offices, with solicitors and support staff fluent in 4 languages, Ramsdens offers the full spectrum of legal services to organisations and to the individual.

Our shared values guide how we conduct our relationships with one another

centre and 2013 has seen its footfall increase consistently on the previous year, outperforming regional and national benchmarks by more than 10%.

The line up includes a mix of retail and restaurants and café Debenhams, Sainsbury’s, Asda Living, Next, TopShop/TopMan, Costa Coffee, Pizza Express, Handmade Burger Co and The Chinese Buffet as well as 2013 additions including O2, Clintons, Burger King, Claire’s, Roman and independent store Candy Treats

London less than 2 hours away.

Langham House has excellent secure gated parking facilities and Wakefield centre is just a 5 minute walk away.

Each business centre offers furnished, unfurnished and virtual office space with flexible terms, free broadband, 24 hour access with additional services including secretarial, cleaning, telephones and all utilities.

and our clients… we are a local team… supporting local people and businesses.

(Ramsdens were Highly Commended in the Law Firm of the Year, 2013.)

Ramsdens are supporting TopicUK magazine and Sinéad Sopala Director of Marketing at Ramsdens comments: “Ramsdens are delighted to support TopicUK. The magazine is published independently and is driven by Gill Laidler and her teams passion for the community’s they are in and it is for that reason we wanted to support the magazine.

Here’s to a fabulous 2014 and make sure you watch out for #TopicPaparazzi, they could be at event near you.”

TopicUK Issue 5 Winter 2014 25

Statement add sparkle to

Peter Jones Christmas Campaign Wakefield based design, digital and marketing agency Statement were delighted to be approached by Peter Jones to give their Christmas marketing campaign a contemporary festive feel.

A friendly, family-run retail business which also originated in Wakefield, Peter Jones have over fifty years’ experience of supplying an unrivalled collection of china, crystal, collectables, cookware and commemorative gifts with a personal touch, earning their reputation as one of the UKs lead supplier of prestige branded gifts.

Harry Hall of Statement’s creative team donned his festive hat in October, ready to produce a high quality mail order Christmas catalogue and engaging point of sale displays for ten stores across Yorkshire.

Statement also lso produced digital artwork designs esigns and provided guidance for store window displays. With only l a short time in which to turn around this exciting project, Statement thoroughly enjoyed working with the Peter Jones team.

Dan Conboy, client services director told TopicUK: “we’re always looking to develop relationships with other Wakefield businesses and it’s been a real pleasure to work with Peter Jones on the development of their Christmas campaign, with the final result a modern and eye-catching design.

A lift connecting the platforms has been installed, something that was lacking within the old station, providing easier access between the platforms, particularly for disabled passengers.

A spokesman for East Coast, one of the projects partners said the station would be more energy efficient and will be served by Metro’s free city bus as well as having 30 sheltered cycle racks.

Original plans for the station were announced as early as 2011 and since then work has been ongoing between East Coast, Muse Developments, Wakefield Council, Network Rail as well as design

by Leeds Studio and contractors, The Buckingham Group.

New Westgate Station opens at a cost of £8m The new Wakefield Westgate Train Station opened its doors on Sunday 22 December, at a cost of more than £8m Built just 300 yards from the original buildings, the new station will boast a

new travel centre, waiting room and a large first class lounge as well as ticket machines and gates. There are a number of new retail units including Subway, WH Smith, Greggs and Costa Coffee.

Access to the new station is from Mulberry Way, adjacent to the Grade II listed Orangery.

Funding for the project has come from the Department for Transport, Access for All Fund and the English Cities Fund (ECF).

R ESTAU R A N T R EV I EW

EVENTS

Picture from left to right Back: Juven Nailson; Tracy Smith; Ian Parsons; Sarah Pearson; Peter Cruickshanks; Tim Welton; Marianne Steer Seated: Sam Wright & Graham Howarth Facing: A selection of local business people enjoy the festive lunch

Wakefield Annual Charity Christmas Lunch The much anticipated inaugural Charity Christmas Lunch took place on 12 December at Cedar Court Wakefield, attended by up to 300 business people from across the district.

The event which sold out within weeks of being announced, raised a fantastic £13,000 for Theatre Royal Wakefield Performance Academy.

The lunch comprised of foods from around the world, including Chinese, Mexican and Indian, “something quite different for Christmas,” Tim Welton

from Chadwick Lawrence and one of the organisers told TopicUK, with entertainment in between each delicious course.

There were games, an auction and raffle and as official media partner of the event, TopicUK would like to join the organisers, WACCL Committee in thanking everyone who donated prizes and purchased raffle tickets.

And the date for your diary next year - 11th December, 2014 make a note to reserve your place now!

TopicUK Issue 5 Winter 2014 27

COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES

A quick review of Business Rates and Rateable Values We are always being asked about rateable values for commercial properties. It is something that anyone new to occupying a commercial property seems to get confused over.

However for those who already pay business rates, a reminder of the way the ratings are fi xed and the grants available may also be of interest.

All non-domestic properties have a rateable value, which is set by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), an agency of Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. This rateable value broadly represents the yearly rent the property could have been let for on the open market on a particular date. This is 1st April 2008 for the current list which came into force on 1st April 2010.

Every five years the VOA compiles and maintains a full list of all rateable values. If you want to find out the rateable value of any commercial property, visit the VOA website at: www.2010.voa.gov.uk/rli/

However the rateable value of the property is not the figure you pay for your Business Rates. The Business Rates you pay to Wakefield Council are calculated by multiplying the rateable value of your property by the business rates multiplier.

Generally for the 2013/14 tax year this multiplier is 0.462p for premises with a rateable value below £18,000 and 0.471p for all others. For example if the rateable value of a property was £10,000, the business rates payable would be £4620 per annum. Furthermore, you may be eligible for a discount under the Small Business Rate Relief Scheme if you only occupy one property and it has a rateable value below £12,000. Currently until 31st March 2014, eligible businesses will receive small business rate relief at 100 per cent on properties up to £6,000 and a tapering relief for properties up to £12,000 in rateable value. Further information is available on the Wakefield Council website: www.wakefield. gov.uk/Business/BusinessRates/ smallbusinessraterelief.htm

If you disagree with the rateable value for your property, you may challenge it. Before making an appeal, you should contact the local Valuation Office to discuss your rateable value and why you want to appeal against it. For the Wakefield area, the local VOA office is based at Leeds. They may be able to resolve things without you needing to go through the formal appeal procedure.

Ratepayers do not have to be represented in discussions about their rateable value, and appeals are free of charge. However, should you wish to be represented, members of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) have the necessary qualifications and are regulated by rules of professional conduct.

David Martindale at FSL Estate Agents is a Member of the RICS and can advise on all commercial property matters in Wakefield including rateable values.

David can be contacted on 01924 365250.

TopicUK Issue 5 Winter 2014 29

BUSINESS CENTRES

B E AU T I F U L R A NG E OF F U L LY S E RV IC E D OF F IC E S

IN WAKEFIELD Wakefield Business Centre, Langham House, Merchant House and Prospect House all offer a range of office suites either furnished, unfurnished or virtual with a friendly unrivalled service with tailor made packages to suit all needs. We have safe gated car parking with CCTV at Langham House which is situated just 300m from the new Wakefield Westgate train station offering a high speed service to London in less than 2 hours. Wakefield city centre is just 5 minutes walk away.

•

secretarial service

•

telephones

•

all utilities

•

free resilient, fast broadband

•

manned reception

•

Conference room hire

Tel: +44 (0) 1924 580959 - email: info@wakefieldbusinesscentre.co.uk - www.wakefieldbusinesscentre.co.uk

DRINKING AND THE JOB Dr Andrew Furber Director of Public health

Alcohol can negatively affect your business in a number of ways, the most apparent being staff absenteeism and loss of productivity as a result of hangovers.

Contrary to popular belief, the majority of people who have a drinking problem are in work.

Research by Norwich Union suggests 200,000 people go to work with a hangover each day, with 10% of employees reporting that they went to work with a hangover at least once a month and 5% at least once a week.

It is estimated that 3 to 5% of all absences from work, some 8 to 14 million lost working days, are alcohol related. Lost productivity due to alcohol is costing the UK economy around £7.3 billion each year.

Any amount of alcohol can make your employees less efficient and perhaps more importantly less safe. According to the HSE nearly one-in-four employees (22%) admit to making mistakes at work as a result of being hung-over.

Although there are no current figures for the number of workplace accidents caused by alcohol in the UK, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimate that up to 40% of all accidents at work involve or are related to alcohol use.

There can be huge consequences business and individuals if workers in positions of responsibility are making critical decisions while their judgement is impaired by alcohol.

Employers and Human Resource (HR) Departments need to be aware of the law around alcohol in the workplace and their responsibilities toward the health and wellbeing of their staff. The Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) report that one third of employers say that alcohol and drug misuse is a problem at work, with 60 per cent experience problems in the workplace due to staff drinking.

Although a sensitive issue, the potential cost to business means that this is a problem that needs to be addressed.

All employers have a general duty to ensure the health, safety and welfare of their employees. If an employer knowingly allowed an employee under the influence of alcohol or drugs to continue working and this placed the employee or others at risk, the employer could be liable to charges. (Health and Safety at Work Act 1974)

TopicUK Issue 5 Winter 2014 31

In addition to lost productive, increased absenteeism and safety concerns inappropriate alcohol use can result in a range of other problem for business including: • Poor employee behaviour and disciplinary problems • Poor employee relations increasing resentment amongst employees who feel they are “carrying” colleagues who’s work declines because of their drinking

The Cinderella Story How to safeguard your children’s inheritance

By Sue Barrington Binns

• A negative impact on the image of your business • Increased businesses costs due to the expense of finding cover or replacement staff for employees who go on longterm sick or have to stop working altogether as a result of serious alcohol related illnesses such as liver disease.

Three ways you can minimise the effects of inappropriate alcohol use on your business are: 1) Develop and put in place an alcohol policy for your business. This policy should be used to ensure problems are dealt with effectively, consistently and at the earliest possible opportunity. It should focus protecting workers and encouraging employees with alcohol problems to seek help.

2) Run a Health Promotion Campaign to promote sensible drinking and increase staff awareness of the dangers of unsafe or in appropriate drinking of alcohol. A range of resources to help with such campaigns is available online from the Drink Aware Trust at www.drinkaware.co.uk 3) Provide training for your managers to make them aware of the signs of problem drinking. This will help you to identify staff members who may have an alcohol problem early and take appropriate action in line with your workplace alcohol policy. Identification and Brief Advice (IBA) is one way of identifying harmful and hazardous drinking and giving recognised harm reduction advice to individuals who sit within these groups. Further information on IBA can be found at: www. alcohollearningcentre.org.uk/Topics/Browse/BriefAdvice Where to get further help and information related to alcohol and the workplace: Guides to dealing with alcohol issues in the workplace

www.alcoholconcern.org.uk/consultancy-andtraining/consultancy-training/workplace www.acas.org.uk www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg240.pdf Really useful guides to alcohol

www.nhs.uk/livewell/alcohol/Pages/Alcoholhome.aspx www.drinksmarter.org A guides to alcohol units

www.nhs.uk/Livewell/alcohol/Pages/alcohol-units.aspx www.nhs.uk/change4life/pages/alcohollower-risk-guidelines-units.aspx Alcohol unit calculators

www.nhs.uk/Tools/Pages/Alcohol-unit-calculator.aspx www.drinkwisewales.org.uk/home.php Information about drink drive limits

www.gov.uk/drink-drive-limit

Everyone has heard of the Cinderella story, how the evil stepmother favours her own children over the stepchild. Amid the pantomime season, this story is acted out in colourful costumes with sweets thrown to the audience. Unfortunately this is not just the stuff of fairy stories. If a mother dies before her partner leaving children of her own without making a will, her estate will pass under the rules of intestacy to her partner.

If her partner enters into a relationship with a new partner (maybe much younger) the risk is that her money may not be used to benefit her children. The evil stepmother may spend the inheritance during her lifetime or of course outlive her partner and leave the whole estate to her own children only.

The first thing that all women should do to protect their finances is make a will. If you have young children you should consider appointing family members as guardians and provide a trust for the children until they reach adulthood. In the event that you separate from your partner, you should immediately make a new will.

You should also encourage your parents to make a will to execute an enduring power of attorney in the event that one or other parent becomes mentally or physically unable to make decisions about their welfare, health or property.

There are two types of enduring powers of attorney, one for property and one for health. The power of attorney will only be used in the event that your parent loses mental capacity.

This will allow you to make decisions for them, to collect their pensions and to have access to savings to pay for care home fees and pay other bills, or if necessary sell their property.

Do you know how you own your property with your partner?

There are 2 types of ownership, joint tenants and tenants in common (TIC’s). Joint tenants mean that you own the property together jointly so that if you die before your partner, your share will automatically pass to your partner under the right of survivorship. Remember the Cinderella story? To make sure your children are looked after, you should hold your property as TIC’s, so you can leave your share to your children in your will.

Finally, whilst you do need to protect your legal position, don’t overlook the business interests of your partner as these may directly affect you. Make sure that his business is protected and never sign a joint personal guarantee for the business debts or act as a company director without any knowledge of the business activities. If things go wrong, this could result in you having to sell your house.

If you need any advice, contact Sue Barrington-Binns on 01924 368896 or email suebinns@barringtonslegal.co.uk

COUNCIL NEWS

NEW BUSINESS SUPPORT PROGRAMME SEES REAL RESULTS Wakefield Council’s Business Support Programme continues to deliver and support businesses across the District as well as those individuals looking to start their own business enterprises.

To date the programme has directly engaged with and supported well over 100 individuals and businesses and has helped create and assist over 30 new businesses and created at least 28 new jobs. Since the programme began in April, 78 enterprise clubs have been delivered across the district offering free business advice and

guidance, help with business plans and cash flows and finding funding to help start the business.

Cllr Peter Box, Leader of Wakefield Council, said: “We continue to do all we can to support local businesses in the district.

“We want to encourage and enable people to set up their own business within Wakefield and we hope by offering specialist support in this way, we can springboard people into creating successful and thriving businesses, giving a vital boost to our economy.”

TopicUK Issue 5 Winter 2014 33

One company that has benefitted from the support is Rough Peaks, which is owned by Christopher East.

Chris was unemployed then set up his online trading business from home in June this year. Initially trading online, Chris is now venturing into exporting quality British made goods to a growing Chinese market.

The Wakefield Business Support Programme helped Chris relocate his business from home into a unit within the Ferrybridge Workspace, Ferrybridge (one of the Councils’ Managed Workspaces) and also offered funding to help sales through the purchase of an e-commerce ready computer system.

Chris said: “The Wakefield Business Support Programme helped me access finance and supported me through the application process all the way, helped me with my business plan and into managed business premises. It is good to know that there are business support people with you every step of the way on a new start business venture” The programme has awarded funds to a number of new start businesses

and SME’s across the District enabling them to start up or grow. To date, 21 applicants from across the District have been considered. All applicants were new businesses, sole traders and social enterprises with all sectors being represented were represented.

The businesses themselves have also invested well over £150k of their own resources into their ventures.

The Wakefield Business Support Programme helped support six local SMEs attend the UK Advanced Engineering (Group of Events) in Birmingham in November 2013.

The Wakefield Enterprise Show which took place on Wednesday 11 December in Wakefield City centre was a big success with 150 visitors attending during the day to find out more about setting up in business and support on how to expand a business. For more information visit www.wakefieldfirst.com/wbsp http://www.wakefield.gov. uk/SiteInformation/EMailDisclaimer/default.htm

FACE TO FACE just as the retail industry went into decline. I then began working at The Ridings in July 2008. I feel a bit like typhoid Annie.

Where did you meet your husband?

I met him at my best friend’s birthday party. At the time he was my best friend’s boyfriend, but we hit it off straight away, so waited until my best friend had had a few sherbets and then asked if she would mind if I went out with him.

She said she didn’t but by the time it came to the morning she had completely forgotten the whole conversation.

Luckily she forgave me and we remained friends.

How many children do you have?

I have one daughter and two grandchildren. I’m not sure if that ages me or helps me to feel young. Depending on the type of day I’m having, I think it’s a bit of a see-saw situation.

What’s next for The Ridings?

Barbara Winston, The Ridings Shopping Centre Were you academic at school?

I was in the top streams at school, but I did not react too well to discipline. I was more at home on the sports field than at a desk my favourite pass time was anything to do with sports and that has not really changed!

Did you go to university and if so, which one and what did you study?

Not unless you count the university of life!

What was your first proper job and did you enjoy it?

My first ‘proper job’ was working for Otis Elevators in Kirby, Liverpool as a Comptometer Operator in the data and wages department. To give you an idea of what that involved, just think of a huge stone-age calculator with bells and whistles.

There are exciting times ahead for The Ridings. We recently announced that Primark will be extending their existing unit, which is scheduled for completion for 2014. We also have the new Wakefield Antique and Collectables opening soon. There is always something planned and of course we have a full events schedule, which keeps us busy and our shoppers entertained.

Do you have any ambitions left to fulfill?

My ambition is to travel. Like a lot of people, I want to see as much of the world as possible. I’m not quite the backpacker type, but saying that I would still love to do it in an unencumbered, simple way.

If you were shipwrecked on a desert island, what couldn’t you do without?

This is a very girly answer but I could not do without my moisturiser! My terror is waking up and seeing that I have somehow developed the wrinkly hairy biker look overnight.

It may suit some people, but it is definitely not for me.

What have been in your view, the main improvements that Wakefield has seen over the years?

The Hepworth has been a great addition to the city. People can take in the sights of the art gallery and then indulge in a spot of retail therapy at The Ridings. I think that people are waking up to what the city has to offer in relation to retail, leisure and night life. There is a lot going on in Wakefield and we need to learn to shout about it – loudly!

If you won the lottery how would you spend the money?

When did you start at The Ridings?

I started working in the Centre Management field in 1989

I would make sure all my family were financially secure and then travel the world with whatever monies I had left

TopicUK Issue 5 Winter 2014 35

Beautiful new offices for FDS that reflects company values FDS recently moved into bright and contemporary new offices in Tammy Hall Street, a secluded little square in the centre of Wakefield.

This is the companies first wholly owned premises and they have taken great pride in making them exactly right for their purpose and reflect their personality as a business. Established in 1985, the

company will celebrate their 25th anniversary next year and currently employ eight members of staff.

“We are delighted with our new premises and it is our intention to have an official opening sometime during the Summer months when we can use the outside space to better effect” Jo Haigh told TopicUK.

Above & below the beautiful new offices that reflects the companies values: be kind; work hard; stay positive and have fun. Left: Author, Jo Haigh

Credit : Hannha Webster

DISCOVER A PARTNER UNLIKE ANY OTHER The Hepworth Wakefield is a hub for inspiration, learning, socialising and business. It is one of the most visited and critically acclaimed galleries in the UK. The Hepworth Wakefield has welcomed 1 million visitors since it opened, 25% of whom are from the local area.

SEE A MORE CREATIVE APPROACH TO CORPORATE PARTNERSHIP As a Corporate Partner your support will help us provide continued free public access to our ambitious exhibitions and award-winning learning programme for people of all ages.

In return we can help you realise your goals. Whether they are to fulfil your Corporate Social Responsibility agenda, access a particular target audience or provide exclusive corporate hospitality and free events for clients and employees. We can offer a creative and innovative solution to ensure you achieve your business objectives.

To find out more about how your company can be involved please contact LouisaWood@ hepworthwakefield.org or HannahChapman@ hepworthwakefield.org or call 01924 247399.

The Hepworth Wakefield has generated an estimated £16m to the Wakefield District economy.

Local solicitors for all your legal needs

Our Specialist Services Commercial Litigation and Debt Recovery Disputes and Disputed Wills Professional Negligence Employment Law Company and Commercial Law Residential Conveyancing Commercial Property Law Drop In: 18 King Street, Wakefield, WF1 2SQ Call: 01924 387110 Email: enquiries@jordanssolicitors.co.uk Visit: jordanssolicitors.co.uk Also offices in Dewsbury, Castleford and Horsforth

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facebook.com/Jordanssolicitor

TopicUK Issue 5 Winter 2014 37

TO CLOUD OR NOT TO CLOUD?

W

THAT IS THE BUSINESS QUESTION

hilst most enterprises have evaluated and moved their operations to the cloud, many SME’s and sole traders are not aware of the cost benefits that cloud technologies can bring. However most of us already use Cloud computing without knowing it.

Cloud computing means - software delivered as part of a comprehensive internet service. In comparison, traditional software is installed on your PC so in addition to running your business you have to install, configure, support, maintain, update and backup. Cloud providers take the management out of this process as they are responsible for the server installation etc to ensure high availability and generally a more flexible offering.

Common examples of cloud applications many of us use are Online banking, LinkedIn, GMail, Hotmail, Google Docs and Microsoft Office 365.

Cloud computing is sometimes known as Software delivered as a service (SaaS) and the companies delivering these software services are application service providers.

Traditional server based software such Microsoft Exchange requires specialist knowledge and is costly for the hardware and software licensing. New email cloud technologies do not require you to invest

in up-to-date servers or provide local support and can be a much better way of working if you have limited resources or budget. Traditionally your business is only as good as your continuity plan in terms of back-ups, hardware failures, power failures and software glitches but a lot of this can be moved to the cloud.

In summary the big benefits for small companies is access to resilient, powerful corporate systems at a fraction of the cost. Software is normally charged as a monthly fee so try before you buy is easy and opting in and out is less of a commitment.

Because traditional software is loaded and runs on each device, every device needs to be installed, configured, updated, backed-up and maintained by a competent person which can be costly especially when things go wrong. Conversely Cloud software is maintained and updated by the provider as part of the service and the backup infrastructure investment means that availability can easily achieve 99.9%.

In effect the weak link in the business continuity chain moves from your infrastructure to the cloud provider via the internet. So although the need for better internet connections is critical to running a cloud enabled business, many are unaware that this can be achievable simply and at a low cost using complimentary technologies.

Imagine running your book keeping, accounts and payroll as cloud applications so you can access them from anywhere, at any time and for a fraction of the cost. Cloud payroll software is free for companies up to 10 employees and you have no further charges for updates and running those complex end of year updates. Any business continuity plan (disaster recovery) is based on four common failures thus; •

Building flood, fire, health and safety, landlord

•

In-house IT phones, software, hardware, connectivity, network, support

•

Staff sickness, accident, redundancy, termination

•

Other paper systems, third party providers, suppliers, financial

The most common failure is In-house IT and this is the cheapest to avoid with simple planning and the use of cloud technologies. So why not start with “picking those low hanging fruit” and lower your IT budget whilst increasing return on investment.

Graham Howarth is the founder and CEO of Sarcophagus Ltd, authors and providers of the-project.com, eTenderer.com and Msgave.com which are cloud applications. Please email grahamh@sarcophagus.co.uk for free consultation or advice.

RESTAURANT REVIEW

GREECE IS THE WORD!

By Kevin Trickett

Kalispere Wakefield!

Greece is definitely the word at the Delphi Café and Restaurant I’ve sometimes heard people say that there’s nowhere to eat out in Wakefield. This makes me rather tetchy because it’s just not true! Wakefield has an abundance of snack bars, cafés, coffee shops, pubs and restaurants catering for just about every taste at any time of day - and the choice keeps on growing.

On an evening, there is an increasingly cosmopolitan selection of restaurants from which to choose. From the familiar Italian, Chinese and Indian establishments, to the more exotic Kashmiri, Thai and now even Japanese eateries, there really is something for everyone. However, there is one restaurant that perhaps remains relatively undiscovered save to a discerning few.

Situated just off the Bull Ring and next to the Market Hall, the Delphi Café and Restaurant is a workaday yet busy café during the daytime: you may well have walked past it many times and not given it a second thought. Come back on an evening,

though, and you will see it transformed into a cosy and welcoming Greek restaurant serving authentic Greek cuisine.

The Delphi originally opened as just a café but proprietor Alexios Apostolopoulos (Alex), who hails from Kalamata on mainland Greece, had long held a dream of opening his own restaurant in Wakefield having previously run a restaurant in Corfu back in the 1990s. When the opportunity came up to take over the unit next door, he and his partner of 14 years, Julie Firth, decided to enlarge their premises by knocking through into the shop next door to create a smart and spacious restaurant to complement the café operation. Now a year on, the Delphi is beginning to gather rave reviews on the internet site TripAdvisor.

All food is freshly prepared by Alex and his head chef Gianluca Chiarelli (Luca) while Julie operates ‘front of house’ in her role as general manager. When things get busy, Julie can call on her team of up to 10 staff to help out.

The restaurant menu is not complicated being a set, threecourse mezze meal for just £18.95. The price includes complimentary olives, bread and a mouth-tingling shot of

TopicUK Issue 5 Winter 2014 39

Ouzo. The meal consists of mixed platters (mezze) for each course, which means you get to try a good range of traditional Greek food.

So, with no need to deliberate over what to eat, there was plenty of time for my fellow dining companions and me to chat from the moment we sat down; no distracting menu to pour over here!

Starters are made up of a traditional fresh Greek Salad (tomato, cucumber and feta cheese), served with Prawn Saganaki (panfried prawns and feta with a hint of chilli), Keftedes (meat balls), Spanakopitta (spinach and feta pie), Tsatsiki, fresh bread and Hummus. This is almost a meal in itself and, at this point, I would suggest a little pause before moving onto the next course!

Pause or not, the main course is another platter comprising of Lamb Keleftiko, Moussaka, Pork Souvlaki and Beef Stifado, all served with mixed vegetables and rice.

Dessert is once more a platter but this time a selection of three different puddings – Tiramisu, Cheesecake and Baklava (filo pastry layered with walnuts, pistachios and honey).

Vegetarian platters are available (and were sampled by the writer!), including ‘aubergine slippers’ and Briam, which is a dish similar to ratatouille. Special diets can be catered for but it is always best to book in advance and discuss special requests at the time of booking.

There’s a straightforward drinks list with reasonably priced wines available by the bottle (£13.95 to £19.95) or by the glass, and beers and soft drinks, as well as tea and coffees.

So, what was it like? Well, this was my second time at the Delphi and it was every bit as good as the first. The food is truly delicious, but fi lling as there is no stinting on the quantity! Having been to Greece in the past, I can confirm the food matches the quality of anything I tasted while in the Hellenic Republic (to give the country its official name).The restaurant operates on the basis that you book your table for the evening, so there is no pressure to vacate the table to make way for other diners and this helps to create a very relaxed and unhurried experience – the hardest thing we had to do all night was to choose the wine! Julie was very attentive throughout, explaining the courses as they were delivered to us. As well as the quality of the food, the Delphi also scores well on value for money. We came away both full and in full agreement – Greece is most definitely the word!

While the café is open seven days a week during the day, the restaurant opens from Wednesday evening through to Sunday evening. However, you are advised to book in advance as the restaurant may not open on Wednesday and Sunday if there are no advance bookings. The restaurant can cater for up to 58 people and accepts party bookings, just ring or call in to discuss your requirements. There is a special Christmas menu available with three courses for £22.95.

The restaurant does not accept card payments – so remember to take cash.

Follow me on Twitter: @MrTrickett Kevin dined as a guest Delphi Café and Restaurant Address: 34 Northgate, Wakefield, WF1 3AN Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DelphiCafeRestaurant E: mailto:mykonosjules@talktalk.net T: 01924 374813

Dealmakers latest book unlocks boardroom secrets Multi award winning dealmaker, speaker and author Jo Haigh is celebrating the launch of her latest book - which equips the ambitious with an insight into reaching the boardroom - at The Hepworth Wakefield.

Endorsed by serial entrepreneur James Caan, ‘The Keys to the Boardroom, How to Get There and How to Stay There,’ is the fifth book authored by Ms Haigh - a partner of Wakefield fds Corporate Finance and the fds Knowledge a specialist training and development business. Both companies have offices in Wakefield, London and Birmingham.

Drawing on her 25 years experience as a director and non-executive director in which she has bought and sold over 300 companies - the book will help ambitious people to deal with boardroom dynamics, politics and prejudices.

Said Ms Haigh, whose high-profile accolades includes the 2013 Sunday Times NED of the Year title: “Many people aspire to reach the boardroom but only a few achieve this goal. At the same time the director’s role is under unprecedented scrutiny with a raft of statutory regulations on how directors should behave. The Keys to the Boardroom provides a wealth of real life examples which will be invaluable to managers embarking on this journey.”

The event at The Hepworth Wakefield, hailed as one of the finest contemporary art museums in Europe, takes place on November 28 from 6pm-11pm. For more information visit https://johaighyorkshirebooklaunch.eventbrite.com

Here to help you for all your legal needs, call your local solicitors, Ramsdens

Visit us in branch at:

19a Cheapside, WHRLĂ„LSK >- :+ VY call 01924 669510 @ramsdens

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TopicUK Issue 5 Winter 2014 41

Jordans host their third annual debating competition Held at their King Street office on 19 and 26 November, teams from Ackworth School, Ossett Academy, Silcoates School, Wakefield College and Wakefield Girls High School competed in the third annual Jordans Solicitors sixth form schools Debating competition.

The topics were ‘This house believes Edward Snowden is a hero of free speech’, ‘This house would make immunisation compulsory’ and “This house would not allow state funding for religious schools.’

After closely fought debates the teams progressing

to the semi-finals are Ackworth School, Silcoates School, Ossett Academy Team One and all three Queen Elizabeth Grammar School teams.

The semi-final and final are due to take place in early 2014 and as with the qualifying rounds, they will be joined by judge Kevin Roswell from the English Speaking Union.

Jordans would like to thank all the students, teachers and everyone who showed their support.

Pictured from left to right: Front: Debbie MacTaggart; Cathy Cook’ ESU Judge Kevin Roswell. Back: David Kirkman; Susan Lewis; Hugh Skillington and Sukhbeer Shergill.

Above: Jordans Wakefield staff with their mince pies

Christmas Jumper Day!

F

riday 13 December and staff at Jordans Solicitors, Castleford, Dewsbury, Horsforth and Wakefield branches got in the festive spirit in aid of Save The Children. As it was National Christmas Jumper Day, staff wore their festive sweaters, baked mince pies and yule logs and all donated cash to this worthy cause.

Also getting into the festive spirit were Tracy Smith from the Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce (Top right) and Sinead Sopala, director of marketing at Ramsdens Solicitors (centre), wearing their festive jumpers at The Hop Wakefield in aid of Wakefield Hospice.

Festivities in Dewsbury

Printing and copying isn’t the sexiest of subjects…

But neither is your business if its losing money unnecessarily!

Printing is an essential part of most businesses but often the true costs are not known.

At Copiserv we are not just about copiers and printers (although we do the servicing of these really well!), but we have a range of software services to make your business more efficient.

We embrace the latest technologies, which will help you to be more profitable.

Why not let us carry out a FREE AUDIT of your in-house printing to see how we can save you money?

•Managed Print Services (directly reduces desktop printing costs) •Paper Cut Software (introduces rule based printing and cost accounting) •Convert and Share software (convert hard copy documents into digital files for editing) •Mobile Print Services (print documents from the Cloud on to any device) •Store & Find Software (archive your paper documents electronically)

NEW COMMERCE HOUSE, 168 WESTGATE, WAKEFIELD WF2 9SR Tel: (01924) 298926 - Email: sales@copiserv.co.uk

The revolution of affordable online digital marketing chris.hale@world-markets.biz It is a well known fact that large companies dominate the marketplace with their huge marketing spend, leaving startups and SME’s no choice but to innovate and improvise to make an impact and get seen.

The internet continues to gain in importance for companies marketing and exposure and ultimately plays a pivotal role in attracting customers both all ovet the world and on their own doorstep.

Before now, seemingly the only way to get noticed on the web was to pay for a company to develop a website and an SEO strategy for your company. The Holy Grail is to reach page one on Google, using ‘white hat’ techniques for which you can pay anywhere between £1000 and £20,000 without any guarantees of success. However, from this common arrives a new, effective and cheap form of online digital marketing.

So how does it work?

Firstly, you sign up for an optimised web page which is hosted by what in essence Google sees as a hugh online business directory. This page provides your business the opportunity to promote a specific product, service or the business itself and can then feed through to your own website if you choose it to. This website now has thousands of businesses with individual pages, so Google sees it as a juggernaut of business

information, so any new content submitted gets picked up very quickly and has a very high chance of making Google page one.

The software, specifically developed for this purpose also has a large part to play in its success and due to its automatic nature, no person needs to be involved which is reflected in the price.

This easy to use ultra-low cost platform will not only give you a web presence in the form of a microsite, but its in-build SEO package will promote your business and is getting clients to page one of Google internationally on 90.07% of cases for just £20 per month.

Like most of these ‘new breed’ of websites its self-service, with one single registration form that will provide you with all the tools you need. You would be able to update the content information as often as you like with new prices and models as your messages and stock require.

TopicUK readers receive a special discount code for this issue only by typing TOPIC1 in the ‘discount code’ section of the registration form and you will receive 20% off your first subscription. www.world-markets.biz for more information contact chris.hale@world-markets.biz