Yorkshire BusinessWoman

Supporting female entrepreneurs across the Yorkshire region

Nº7 Bi-Monthly

A TopicUK Publication

February 2022

A precious gift for Barbara Losing interest in celebrities brought Lisa home

Creativity set Jennie on the right path Yo r k s h i r e B u s i n e s s Wo m a n

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Contents

Group Editor Gill Laidler Design Rob Blackwell Administrator Charlotte Hall Official Photographers Roth Read Photography

Printed By: Charlesworth Press Wakefield

Yorkshire Businesswoman are delighted that professional photographers Lincoln Roth and Perrin Read who specialise in portrait photography are our partners for this exciting new magazine.

Roth Read Photography work closely with both private and commercial clients because client’s stories inspire them to capture images which are creative, authentic, and invoke emotion. It is the attention to detail which adds value to a personal legacy or business brand.

Their aim is to provide you, our readers, with the best images and experience.

Cover : Barbara Taylor Bradford OBE Image: ©Bradford Enterprises

The views expressed by the contributors are not necessarily those held by the publishers and therefore, no responsibility can be held by the publisher for misinterpretation. Reproduction of this magazine without the express permission of the publisher is prohibited. Whilst every care is taken in the production of this magazine, the publisher/editor and staff cannot accept any responsibility for errors in articles, advertisements or programme schedules.

To subscribe to this magazine contact 07711 539047 or email editor@ yorkshirebusinesswoman.co.uk.

Published by Ghost Publishing who decline all responsibility for advice given.

To Partner Yorkshirebusinesswoman Tel: 07711 539047

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SME EXPERT HEADS TO PA S T U R E S N E W

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STEP FOUNDERS AWARD FOR DIRECTOR

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FORMER MASTERCHEF C O N T E S TA N T L AU N C H E S FO O D BUSINESS

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LOSING INTEREST IN CELEBRITIES BROUGHT LISA HOME

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A PRECIOUS GIFT FOR BARBARA

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NEW DIRECTOR A P P O I N T E D AT Y S P

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I N C O N V E R S AT I O N W I T H VICTORIA GOSLING OBE

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C R E AT I V I T Y S E T J E N N I E O N T H E R I G H T PAT H

YORKSHIRE WITCH CASTING SPELLS

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EditorsNotes by group editor Gill Laidler

Welcome to the first edition of Yorkshire Businesswoman for 2022. It seems a long time ago now, but I hope you all enjoyed a happy and relaxing Christmas with your family and friends.

We are delighted this edition to feature the international author Barbara Taylor Bradford. For those of you who don’t know, Barbara was born in Leeds and her first job was as a typist at The Yorkshire Post. Our thanks to Sheron Boyle for setting this interview up.

I would also like to welcome two new partners. We are joined by Lexus Leeds who will be working with us and offering members the chance to test drive some of their amazing cars and we hope to organise one of our networking events at their fabulous showroom in Leeds. They will also have one of their cars on display at the 4th March event at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, who are celebrating the appointment of their new director Clare Lilley (you can read about Clare on P24). We also welcome Kirklees Council who have also become partners and four ladies from their offices will hopefully be joining us at networking events. Both these new partners join Corporate partners Chadwick Lawrence Solicitors.

For those who didn’t have the privilege to meet our former business executive who sadly passed away in December, this month we launch the #BeMoreMandy campaign, a legacy set up by Mandy Taylor before she passed away. Do read all about this on page 53 and get involved where you can.

Every edition we receive many stories from inspiring businesswomen and this

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edition is no exception. We even have an interview from another editor, well former editor Lisa Byrne who was editor in chief at OK magazine. You can read Lisa’s story and her journey back to her hometown of York on page 70.

Looking for some cooking inspiration a few weeks ago, I stumbled on the Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil website. Having sampled their wonderful products, I decided to get in touch to find out the story behind this great product, catching up with owner Jennie Palmer who runs the business with her husband Adam.

Read the full story on P74.

This edition, as with every edition, Tim Guest from Contedia shares hints and tips on all things IT and we learn valuable photography ideas from Yorkshire Businesswoman photographers Roth Read.

Our next networking event is on 4th February at Dakota Leeds with another on 4th March at Yorkshire Sculpture Park where we will be celebrating International Women’s Day. I hope to see everyone there. If you’ve not signed up as a member yet, head over to our website https://yorkshirebusinesswoman. co.uk/signup/ and sign up now so you don’t miss out.

You can email us at hello@ yorkshirebusinesswoman.co.uk or call us on 07711 539047

© jonty wilde courtesy yorkshire sculpture park

YBW Connect

at The Yorkshire Sculpture Park 4th March 3pm - 5pm

VISIT THE YORKSHIRE SCULPTURE PARK WITH US TO MARK INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY https://yorkshirebusinesswoman.co.uk/signup or for more information call Gill on 07711 539047 Email hello@yorkshirebusinesswoman.co.uk Yo r k s h i r e B u s i n e s s Wo m a n

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Razorblue puts people first with new director

pipeline and facilitating professional development strategies for razorblue’s workforce.

One focus area is working closely with senior management teams on improving the recruitment and induction process to ensure new employees are welcomed into a humancentric and accessible workplace.

The team has grown at an exceptional rate over the last two years since Joanne joined the team.

Dan continued: “razorblue has come a long way in a short amount of time and that is testament to the people we employ. I’m looking forward to seeing where Joanne’s presence on the board will take razorblue next.”

Yorkshire headquar tered razorblue, which has seven offices has promoted head of people, Joanne Finkeldey to people director, facilitating a direct people focus at board level.

Dan Kitchen, CEO said: “Bringing Joanne on to our board means we have an additional element to our decision making, beyond technical and financial. We welcome her expertise and empathic input to ensure that we harness the power of communication and involve our people in every step of our journey.”

Joanne’s role includes managing the recruitment process across all

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departments and regions, as well as building the firm’s recruitment

Tourism and hospitality professional joins brand marketing agency Yorkshire brand marketing agency the fabl has appointed Liz Smailes in a new role as head of business development with a key focus on destination tourism and hospitality.

razorblue now has a headcount exceeding 140 and continues to expand with an additional 13 live vacancies.

The company is targeting significant growth this year as retail, tourism and hospitality companies assess their financial protection, market share and positioning in light of the challenges posed over the past two years by the pandemic crisis.

Liz brings with her experience of working in tourism, travel and hospitality in Asia, Europe and the UK. During her tenure at Minor Hotel Group she was in the brand marketing team behind the creation of Avani Hotels, now celebrating 10 years with a phenomenal growth

Fresh Thinking Capital supports growth plans with a new office Fresh Thinking Capital is supporting its growth plans with a move to a new office in the heart of the Leeds business district.

The office in Park House on Park Square will provide a hub for the firm’s operations nationally.

entrepreneurs across the region.

The flexible finance provider is expanding its team following the launch of a £25m fund to support

Commenting on the new office, Mel Hird, founder and director said: “The new office puts us in the heart of

trajectory of 35 hotels across 18 countries, and more in the pipeline.

Owner and managing director Mags Walker said “the firm would this year embark on further growth plans as tourism and hospitality grows to complement their existing strong client base in retail, fashion, food and drink sectors.

“We will look to capitalise on consistent demand for our services, and Liz will play a key role in this as tourism and hospitality re-emerges in a postpandemic world and ever-changing

landscape of traveller profiles.

“With Liz’s international and domestic tourism and hospitality background and rounded career in travel through brand development, marketing, business development she will excel and see our services support the travel trade’s renaissance.”

the business community and reflects our ambitions to become a lender of choice for entrepreneurs seeking to grow their operations. Park House provides premium serviced office space that allows us to focus on developing our business and the flexibility to support our needs as we grow.

“As we close out 2021, we’re in a prime position to help businesses take their opportunities as the economy recovers from the pandemic. Fresh Thinking Capital is a true partner to our clients and supports their goals when they need us most.”

Fresh Thinking Capital is backed by the founders and Foresight, an award-winning listed infrastructure and private equity investment manager with over £7 billion of Assets Under Management.

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Lawyer Jay is now a top ten human resources specialist Award-winning Sheff ield employmentlawyerJayBhayani has been named a UK Top 10 HR adviser.

Managing director Jay and her recently launched sister company Bhayani Recruitment, won the accolade from The Enterprise Nation, a campaigning voice and online community of 75,000 small businesses and advisers.

Its annual Top 50 Advisers Awards, hosted by founder Emma Jones CBE, saw 50 finalists vie for the

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best small business adviser title in 10 categories.

Judges said: “Jay enables her clients to find and keep the best staff for their business success, while also providing free HR training educating on the employee lifecycle to ensure business owners take responsibility for compliance and contracts and policies.”

Jay has established an impressive reputation as one of the leading e m p l o y m e n t l aw y e r s i n t h e Yorkshire region and has won various

accolades, including Yorkshire lawyer employment lawyer of the year and ABDN Professional of the Year. The firm recently won the British Chamber of Commerce’s UK Business Hero 2020 title for working to give businesses essential advice through the COVID-19 pandemic.

They organised free webinars, workshops and newsletters to keep companies across the nation abreast of employment law implications for the furlough scheme and redundancies.“I am very proud to win the Enterprise Nation HR award, particularly as over 500 advisers entered and the final votes were cast by the public - people we work for. “It brings national recognition for my team,” said Jay, whose company is headquartered in Sheffield’s Shoreham Street and now has satellite offices in Leeds, Leicester and London.

SME Expert heads to pastures new NFU Mutual has appointed Caroline Pullich, former head of SME Yorkshire, Barclays to be the managing partner at NFU Mutual Boston Spa Agency from 18th January 2022.

Caroline will lead and manage the office and team that look after the

insurance needs of individuals and businesses across Yorkshire.

Caroline has also taken on the role of senior group secretary for the local NFU branch and will join current agents, Samantha Webster, Liz Oxley and Corinne Cooper and an established team based in Boston Spa.

Dave Smith, NFU Mutual regional manager, North East said “Caroline brings 30 years of experience in professional and financial s e r v i c e s h av i n g h e l d s e n i o r positions at Barclays & NatWest.

Entrepreneurial flair and ambition were key to appointing the new managing partner and Caroline has an extensive network and will be able to support the local farming and business community.

NFU Mutual is the UK’s leading rural insurer offering insurance, investments, pensions and risk management services”.

Caroline (pictured) said “I am excited about the new leadership challenge of setting the vision, values and strategy for the Agency and building on a culture where we nurture our trusted relationships with farmers, growers, businesses, stakeholders and rural communities. Our focus will be supporting our customers providing the best service and e m o t i o n a l s u p p o r t to g e t h e r with the benefits of mutuality - one of the key strengths that sets NFU Mutual apart from its competitors. I am looking forward to meeting with our customers and stakeholders in promoting the brand.

Caroline lives in Harrogate and is chair of Institute of Directors, North Yorkshire, board member of Maggie’s Cancer Yorkshire and sits on the Leeds Chamber of Commerce leadership group.

Caroline is also the proud owner of three alpaca’s & her cockapoo ‘Coco’. The photo was taken at her relatives’ farm, who are long standing NFU Mutual customers in Haworth.

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A precious gift for Barbara from devoted Bob

Author Barbara Taylor Bradford was born in Armley, Leeds and her first job was as a typist at the Yorkshire Evening Post. Journalist Sheron Boyle caught up with Barbara recently to find out about her new book.

AFTER every book Barbara Taylor Bradford OBE had published, her adoring husband Bob would always buy her a designer handbag or a piece of jewellery.

But perhaps his most precious gift for her latest novel was a far simpler one - an idea.

As returning to her roots - professionally and personally - helped the world-famous author deal with one of the most heart-breaking times in her life.

The Yorkshire-born journalist’s 1979 book, `A Woman of Substance,’ propelled her to global fame and its 30 million sales ensure it a firm place in the world’s top ten best-selling novels of all time to this day.

However, during a bleak week in July 2019, Barbara’s devoted husband of 55 years, Bob Bradford, was hospitalised in New York after a stroke. Barbara kept a constant vigil by the renowned film director’s bedside as his life ebbed away over that week. Holding his

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hand in the quiet of his room, the tenacious writer knew her life was to forever change and pondered on how to deal with it.

“Bob was the love of my life, my biggest supporter. My life would never be the same when he passed away, but I also knew he’d want me to go on with my work and life, recalls the glamorous author.

“I knew I would be devastated and would struggle to research in-depth the planned next novel in the Falconer Trilogy, so I sat next to Bob and thought what can I do?”

That’s when it came to Barbara, returning to her much loved character Emma Harte - the original woman of substance. “Even after all these years the book sells well. People like Emma, have affection for her story and can relate to it in their lives,” she explains.“But Emma’s story and what happened to her is well documented in the seven novels making up that series, so I thought about the other star of the book - Shane Blackie O’Neill,

Photographer Caroll Taveras copyright Bradford Enterprises

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Image: Julian Dufort

known to all as Blackie due to his dark Irish colouring.”

He was famously played by Northern Irish actor Liam Neeson is the 1985 Emmy-nominated TV series against Jenny Seagrove’s Emma as it detailed a three-generation family saga. Capturing the public’s attention, A Woman of Substance

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tv dramatisation was first aired on Channel 4 and drew 13.8 million viewers, which remains the channel’s highest ever audience to this day.

“I realised I didn’t know much about Blackie’s early life so my readers wouldn’t. I’d journeyed with Emma and now I wanted to tell the story of Shane, aka Blackie.

“Bob always told me, “Keep writing if anything happens to me, it’s your solace as well as your career” So that was Bob’s final gift to me, the idea for this book.”

And so in the painful months after Bob’s passing, Barbara penned long-hand the 428 page blockbuster, `A Man of Honour,’

photographer Caroll Taveras copyright Bradford Enterprises

a p r e q u e l t o A Wo m a n o f Substance.

Irish made their homes over the past 200 years.

construct the canal routes across England.”

The book has a strong Irish theme running through it as Blackie’s story represents so many migrants’ fates.

It opens in 1899, five years before Blackie meets Emma. He is a 13-yearold orphan in his rural homeland of County Kerry, Ireland.

Researching the role the Irish took in developing Barbara’s home city, she reveals that she never realised quite the impact the emigres had on the burgeoning city: “There was a terrific number of Irish in Leeds - I had not realised quite how large a population it was when I lived here.

Barbara details the slum area known as The Bank in the city where many Irish settled. `Back to back cottages, poor sanitary conditions meant disease was rife. Poverty and drink made for an unhealthy combination and it is said the only person who could walk alone along the cobbled streets of the area was the priest!’ she describes in the book.

Facing a tough future in a still f a m i n e - rav a g e d c o u n t r y, h e decides to follow the well-trod path of millions of Irish people and emigrate in search of a better life. He sails to England to find a welcome home with his mother’s brother in Leeds, a city that many

“It was fascinating to hear how the Irish physically shaped the buildings, canals, rivers and railways, mills and mines of the city.

“And so Blackie soon finds work as a navvy, as so many men did, helping

But as Blackie’s and Emma’s fortunes improve, Barbara moves some of the book to her native suburb of Armley where, like her own family, many Irish worked in the local mills and factories.

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“A Man of Honour’ encapsulates desk in her Manhattan apartment and the life of an Irish migrant and the it took another 18 months to finish working class at the turn of the 1900s. this book.

It was easy for me to write about the streets, lifestyles and community “Those early months I would go for of Upper Armley as it was where I lots of walks, I did not like being in grew up amid an extended working the apartment but then I had a word class family.” with myself and thought I’d better get on with the novel.

Last year, Barbara sent a touching message to the Leeds Irish Centre - the UK’s first purpose built Irish centre - for its 50th anniversary: “I have always been fascinated by the Irish and their history, way back to when Spanish ships were wrecked off the west coast of Ireland in the 16th century.

“It was fascinating to merge the two communities in this book. I wrote about what I knew at a time I was vulnerable, and it provided a distraction to my grief.

“Keeping busy is good. I thrive on a deadline - once a newspaper woman, always a newspaper woman,’ said Barbara, who began her Fleet Street career on her local Yorkshire Evening Post newspaper at the age of 15 as a typist.

It was six months after Bob’s death before Barbara felt she could return to her daily routine of working at her

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Migration is an issue Barbara knew about firsthand from her Berlinborn, French-educated husband Bob, who died in 2019 aged 92. He fled Nazi Germany for America after the Second World War and built a highly successful career in movie and TV drama production.

“If Bob was alive, he’d want to make A Man of Honour into a film. Grief never goes away. It stays with you. As The Queen once famously said, it is the price you pay for love. I miss him every day and writing distracted me from dwelling on the emptiness he has left behind.”

“My father, Winston Taylor, used to speak of his Irish grandmother so I have some Gaelic in me - along with mostly Yorkshire. What a fine combination!

“It was no accident that I made one of the main characters in A Woman of Substance an Irish man. The Irish helped shape my home city and indeed, my great grandmother helped shaped my destiny.

“I wrote every day, breaking for meals. I hope migrants of today, whatever their nationality, can relate to Blackie’s story as it takes a lot of courage to leave your home country. But it is also about how he overcome adversity through hard work. I suppose that is what this novel represents about me too.”

Yorkshire Businesswoman editor Gill Laidler was delighted to get hold of a copy of A Man of Honour and spent a weekend page turning this fantastic book. “I have been a fan of Barbara Taylor Bradford for many years and her writing is incredible. This book is a real page turner and I can highly recommend.

As with all her previous 38 books which have sold a staggering 90 million copies in 90 countries and have been published in 40 languages - this is dedicated to Bob. `Always my joy and inspiration and in my heart forever,’ she poignantly pens.

Like Blackie and Bob, Barbara has the same resilience and knew the discipline of work would see her through arduous and heartbreaking times. A Man of Honour may well be about Blackie O’Neill, but equally it could refer to the other man who has helped shaped Barbara’s career and life - her beloved Bob. A Man of Honour by Barbara Taylor Bradford out no w HarperCollins £16.99.

Published 11 November 2021.

Olivia

Sarah

Unify PR & Marketing announces two senior promotions Yo rk s h i re - b a s e d PR a n d marketing agency, Unify, has announced two senior promotions within its team to kick-start 2022.

Both promotions recognise the huge contribution that these individual team members make to the business and reflect their strategic positions, managing and directing high profile client accounts within the interiors and housewares space.

The new management restructure will support the agency’s ambitious growth plan and brings a renewed energy to the team who has worked tirelessly

throughout the pandemic to ensure clients received the same gold level standard of service.

Sarah Hinchliffe has been promoted from senior PR manager to head of PR in recognition of true love for PR and experience directing the company’s biggest accounts. With over 10 years PR experience, Sarah has been part of the Unify team since the start, and now has responsibility for all PR account direction, alongside the agency’s founder.

Olivia Brackenridge has been promoted from marketing & communications manager to senior PR & marketing

manager to reflect her role leading accounts across B2B and B2C marketing and PR campaigns. Also, a founding member of the business, Liv overseas all digital activity for clients together with marketing and ad buying.

Emma Leonard, managing director explains: “I’m hugely proud of the whole team and how they have responded to the uncertain times we’ve faced. The level of positivity and resilience they bring is hugely impressive.

“Sarah and Olivia are part of Unify’s DNA and make the business the growing success it is today, with these promotions a natural progression for both. We’re a close-knit team and promote from within. Sarah and Olivia have gone above and beyond to keep current clients happy, while opening up new opportunities for the business to expand its client base. We’re all excited to see what the next 12 months brings.”

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Marketing expert launches training programme Sarah Lambley FCIM CMktr, who has over two decades of marketing experience, has long been hailed an expert of her trade.

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From her role as global brand director at GHD where she grew the brand from being valued at £55m to a huge £300m between 2006 and 2013, to shooting campaigns with celebrities such as Katy Perry in LA and photographers such as Rankin, it’s fair to say Sarah has experienced signif icant success in the marketing industry.

But despite these big wins, ask her what she’s the most proud of, and she’ll tell you it’s the successful consultancy and training business brand that she has built from scratch.

Building upon that success, Yorkshire Businesswoman member Sarah is set to launch her new brand training programme.

This programme will cover her most passionate subject, Brand Archetypes.

Sarah said, “Brand Archetypes aren’t something that everyone is familiar with. But they should be. If you’re a marketer, a new business, or you’re getting ready to launch a personal brand, you’ll find understanding Brand Archetypes will give you the secret ingredient needed to stand out and connect with your customers.

“I am so passionate about Brand Archetypes - I feel like every marketer should be using them, they are like rocket fuel for brands! They can be used to transform any brand, in any category, and I’m on a mission to get the word out there!”

Sarah’s first course is ‘Brand Discovery’, designed to take students through her tried and tested brand

Brand Archetypes aren’t something that everyone is familiar with. But they should be.

If you’re a marketer, a new business, or you’re getting ready to launch a personal brand...

planning process over ten modules.

Initially the course will be available in a ‘Live’ format where students will join Sarah on Zoom to work through all ten modules, but it will also launch as a self-serve option shortly afterwards. By the end of

the course, every student will have a set of Brand Foundations and total clarity on how to move forward with their brand building.

In early 2022, Sarah will also be launching her follow-on ‘Brand Mastery’ courses which will deep dive into the detail of each of the 12 Brand Archetypes. All will be available as a self-serve option online for those who can’t commit to the live experience.

She said, “I’ve seen good brand planning and bad brand planning.

I’ve also seen how less experienced marketers either haven’t been trained in the art and science of brand strategy, or they are keen to learn, but don’t know where to get quality training from.” These new courses are open for enrolment now.

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Director given STEP Founders Award Paula said: “It’s absolutely wonderful to have been recognised for this award. It’s been a pleasure to work with STEP Yorkshire and the various committees I’ve been involved with over the years.

“STEP is a vital part of upholding excellence in the private client industry, so to be recognised with this award is truly an honour.

“Many of our private client services solicitors are members of STEP up and down the country, so I hope so see some of them receiving the same award in the future!”

Irwin Mitchell’s director of private client services has been awarded a prestigious lifetime achievement award from the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP).

The awards are given to those who have made an exceptional and outstanding long-term contribution to the Society above and beyond that normally expected of a member, through office in their branch, or elsewhere in the voluntary life of the Society’.

Paula is the current chair of the STEP Contentious Trusts and Estates SIG, having been a member for six years and previously appointed as deputy chair. Paula has been a full member of

In 2020 partner Andrea Jones was appointed as chair of STEP’s Yorkshire committee, while solicitor Sarah Wintle in the Tax, Trusts and Estates Leeds team qualified as a full member (TEP) this year.

STEP for many years and has achieved STEP’s Advanced Certificate in Trust Disputes.

In 2019 the national Tax, Trusts and Estates team was awarded Platinum Employer Partner accreditation by the professional association, which takes into account a firm’s quality of training, learning and development.

STEP is the global professional association for practitioners who specialise in family inheritance and succession planning. STEP works to improve public understanding of the issues families face in this area and promotes education and high professional standards among its members.

STEP members help families plan for their futures, from drafting wills to issues surrounding international families, protection of the vulnerable, family businesses and philanthropic giving. Full STEP members, known as TEPs, are internationally recognised as experts in their field, with proven qualifications and experience.

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Consultancy awards coding bursaries to future software developers 22 Y o r k s h i r e B u s i n e s s W o m a n

Fruition IT, the Leeds-based technology recruitment consultancy has announced the winners of its bursary to support the living costs for two aspiring technology professionals while they undertake a software coding course.

Eloise Chilvers and Max Parker have each received a £1,500 bursary to kickstart their tech careers as they learn the skills needed to become junior software developers.

In partnership with Northcoders, one of the UK’s leading independent providers of training programmes, the bursaries can be used in conjunction with the fully funded Northcoders Excellence Scholarship scheme which is a skills bootcamp in coding and is part of the Government’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee and Plan for Jobs.

Creating the tech nation of the future

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The UK software development market is valued at $35.2bn, representing 2.1% growth in 2021 and 5% annualised market size growth in the last 5 years (Source: IBISWorld)

Sarah Pawson, founder and managing director, Fruition IT said: “Technology is fuelling UK growth as both an economic engine and showcase for UK innovation on a global scale.

Yet the rate of demand for talent far outstrips supply. According to the KPMG/REC Report on Jobs, demand for IT and computing staff posted the steepest increase in demand for permanent staff across all industries in November.

now studying remotely on a course at Northcoders. This gives me the flexibility to study while taking care of people in my life. For those who feel left behind, it’s never too late to start.”

Eloise Chilvers, another recipient added, “Learning to code in JavaScript in preparation for the Northcoders Entry Challenge has been very exciting.

I love the feeling when a piece of code clicks into place to solve a problem.

Having the careers support from Fruition IT is a great comfort and it’s nice to know I won’t be alone when the time comes to look for a new job!”

Throughout 2021, Fruition IT has supported more than 520 IT professionals to find meaningful careers and UK businesses access the talent they need to grow.

Sarah adds: “Helping professionals reach their goals and advance their careers is in our DNA. It’s what drives us to work harder, whilst helping Yorkshire businesses grow and create opportunities for As a nation talented people.

Software development plays an “As a nation we need to do more to integral role in the UK’s wider encourage skill development and tech nation, contributing to the entry into the tech industry, making future economy and reputation careers attainable and attractive to as a global innovator and leader. the next generation of IT talent,” we need to do The sector presents opportunity summarised Sarah. more to en“Partnering with for emerging talent as: courage skill Fruition IT hopes to do just that Northcoders meant development • Te c h i s b e c o m i n g m o re by enabling ambitious tech talent we could open up and entry into i m p o r t a n t f o r t h e U K to achieve their career goals. The career opportunities the tech induseconomy. The rate of tech bursary aims to support the financial within the tech try...

GVA contribution to the UK burden that often accompanies skills space to those who economy has grown on average enhancement or retraining, thereby might otherwise by 7% per year since 2016 supporting the next generation of be excluded. Sadly, not everyone has the freedom to software developers.

(Source: Tech Nation) consider this, largely for financial • The UK tech startup and Max Parker, bursary recipient and reasons. There’s the cost of the scaleup ecosystem is valued future software developer said, “In actual training to consider and at $585bn, more than double primary school, I was told by my year other considerations like the cost the next valuable ecosystem, 5 teacher, ‘In the future, half of you of childcare, travel or not being able Germany at $291.bn (Source: will be doing jobs that don’t exist yet’. to work whilst training. This is where With the help of this bursary, I am we can come together to help!”

Tech Nation) Yo r k s h i r e B u s i n e s s Wo m a n

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Clare Lilley appointed as new director of Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP) is delighted to announce that Clare Lilley has been appointed to take up the role of director in March 2022, as founding director Sir Peter Murray CBE retires.

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The Trustees appointed Saxton Bamfylde, a global executive search company, who conducted an international search for the new director. After a series of intensive interviews with an impressive shortlist of candidates Trustees, supported by Arts Council England, were extremely pleased to appoint Clare.

Over the years Clare has made an enormous contribution to the growth of YSP as it has developed into the leading international cultural organisation it is today. As director of programme, she has taken responsibility for temporary exhibitions and projects, the collection, learning and engagement at YSP which in 2014 was named the UK Art Fund Museum of the Year.

Clare has been integral to a number of YSP’s buildings, including The Weston designed by Feilden Fowles, which in 2019 was shortlisted for the eminent RIBA Stirling Prize.

Combining art historical and contemporary knowledge, together with a passion for art outdoors and for enabling access to art for all people, Clare has expertise in developing and siting sculpture in the public realm.

Her curated work with artists includes Ai Weiwei, Fiona Banner, Damien Hirst, Amar Kanwar, KAWS, Kimsooja, Alfredo Jaar, Shirin Neshat, Giuseppe Penone, Sean Scully, Yinka Shonibare CBE, David Smith, James Turrell, Joana Vasconcelos and Bill Viola. Her current curatorial project is North American artist Robert Indiana’s first major UK sculpture exhibition, opening at YSP on 12 March 2022.

Honoured Bringing a wealth of experience and passion to the organisation, Clare is active within the wider art world.

Since 2012 she has curated Frieze Sculpture in London’s Regent’s Park, regularly contributes to publications,

and recently appeared as an expert in the Landmark TV series on Sky Arts. Clare sits on the Advisory Committee of the Government Art Collection, the Advisory Group of the Yinka Shonibare Foundation and the Steering and Curatorial Groups of Yorkshire Sculpture International.

She is a Trustee of Art UK, London and the George Rickey Foundation, New York.

I’m honoured to have been chosen to become the second director of Yorkshire Sculpture Park and to lead the organisation through its next chapter...

Clare says: “I’m honoured to have been chosen to become the second director of Yorkshire Sculpture Park and to lead the organisation through its next chapter. Over the years, it has been a privilege to work with Peter Murray in bringing exemplary art to millions of people. As we all face environmental and social challenges that are exacerbated by the Covid pandemic, I’m confident that YSP’s exceptional staff, trustees and supporters are well placed to face the challenges ahead and I relish the opportunity to make YSP even more dynamic and resilient. My

love for YSP knows no bounds and my aspirations are of the highest order, as is my understanding of the Park’s complex nature and needs. I’m committed to developing this incredible institution in such a way that it is both more widely recognised as a world-leader and more meaningfully than ever serves art, artists and our increasingly diverse audiences.”

Peter Clegg, Chair of YSP Trustees says: “The Trustees are thrilled to announce Clare’s appointment as our new Director, having emerged as the preferred candidate through a challenging process. She has shown through her curatorial work her ability to build on the extraordinary legacy of our founding director as well as leading us in new directions as we continue to increase and diversify of our audiences.”

Achievements Sir Nicholas Serota, chair, Arts Council England says: “From its beginnings in a marquee in a field the Yorkshire Sculpture Park has become one of the outstanding places in the world to see contemporary sculpture.

Much of this success is due to the leadership and vision of Sir Peter Murray CBE who founded YSP in 1977. I’m delighted to welcome the appointment of Clare Lilley as the second director of YSP and I have no doubt that she will continue to enhance the reputation of the organisation and the part that it plays in the community in Yorkshire. As the current director of programme she has already made a huge contribution to the achievements of YSP and I look forward to seeing the new developments under her leadership.”

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Entrepreneur goes wild to celebrate the very best of Yorkshire produce A Doncaster-based entrepreneur is hoping to drive people wild with her passion for all things Yorkshire after calling for help from the Sheffield City Region Launchpad programme to create her white rose-themed gift shop Ke e n h i s to r i a n He l e n S l a d e fulfilled a lifelong ambition of running her own business when she launched Peppers of Yorkshire.

Inside, Helen has carefully curated a unique collection of Yorkshire themed memorabilia and also items that are sourced from across the Yorkshire region. Helen is very keen on supporting local businesses, including the small cottage industries by being an outlet for individuals working in the creative industries.

Having spent time working at both Doncaster Airport and the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, Helen felt there was a niche market for a shop that celebrated the very best of all things associated with Yorkshire.

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When she learned of the Wildlife Park’s plans to launch a dedicated retail offering in the form of The Hive, based near the entrance of the popular tourist destination, Helen decided it was a now or never moment and started to put her plans into action.

After making enquiries about one of the new units, Helen signed up to the Launchpad programme, a unique initiative that helps new entrepreneurs and small business owners across the Sheffield City Region to unlock the potential in their ideas.

To help her understand what would be involved in running her business, Helen initially signed

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up for an intensive three-day workshop, delivered by Doncaster Chamber. The course helped Helen to understand her responsibilities as a new business owner as well as helping her to secure her first business bank account – something that she struggled to obtain initially as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

With plans to initially launch her business in September 2020, Helen was forced to place her grand opening on hold; however, she spent the time carefully developing and refining her business plans, as well as continuing to work closely with he r Launchpad business adviser Craig Atkin. It’s now been just over six months since Helen’s business, named after her family dog Pepper, opened its doors, and she has already developed a loyal customer base and received rave reviews for her unusual collection of Yorkshirethemed goods, which includes many items only available in the store.

Her business has proved to be something of a family affair too, with her eldest daughter helping out with managing the shop’s social media channels, whilst her younger daughter – a keen photographer and artist - is one of a number of Yorkshire-based creatives who stock their one-off artworks in Helen’s shop.

Having successfully navigated her way through a challenging start to her business journey, Helen is determined not to rest on her laurels. She is hoping to expand her workforce in the near future and is always on the lookout to add

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as well as celebrating the best the region has to offer.

“I had always liked the idea of being my own boss, but I knew it would take much more than an idea to run a successful business.

Through my previous work with the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, I thought it would offer a terrific location for my business – I had a clear idea of what I wanted to achieve, I just didn’t know what I needed to do to make my idea a reality.

new Yorkshire-themed product ranges to her growing collection.

Helen, said: “During my time working at Doncaster Airport, I was amazed by how people would visit the shop and buy London buses, or items associated with the capital. I felt that not only Yorkshire, but Doncaster’s rich c u l t u ra l h e r i t a g e s h o u l d b e recognised. I’ve always been passionate about local history, and I wanted to create a business that would give people a chance to learn more about their local area,

and celebrating the very best of what Yorkshire has to offer to wthe world. It was clear from our early meetings that it was an idea that had been bubbling away inside her for many years, but she didn’t feel that she had the confidence or knowledge to launch the business.

“Having been forced to put her plans on hold as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, Helen was able to adapt her business plans, and the success she is enjoying is a testament to her true Yorkshire “The help and support I’ve received grit and determination to succeed. from Launchpad has been amazing; It’s been terrific to see how Helen’s nothing has been too much trouble. business has evolved, and although it’s still relatively The workshops early days for I’ve taken part in the company, I have helped to think it’s terrific provide focus for that she is also my business idea, During my time providing a whilst the one-to- working at Doncaster platform to help one sessions with Airport, I was amazed others working Craig have been by how people would in the creative invaluable. For visit the shop and buy sector to succeed example, when I London buses, or items too.” decided to take the associated with the plunge, I knew it capital. I felt that not Launchpad is was important to only Yorkshire, but the Sheffield have a business Doncaster’s rich cultural City Region bank account, but heritage should be Growth Hub’s key initially I struggled recognised... to get one because of the impact of Covid-19. Craig helped me to understand my different options, and I’ve never looked back. I’m now looking forward to continuing working with the Launchpad team as my business develops and grows.”

Craig Atkin, Business Advisor, Sheffield City Region Launchpad Programme, said: “Peppers of Yorkshire is a business that is built on Helen’s passion for history

business support programme for new businesses.

Financially supported by the European Regional Development Fund and delivered by local authorities within the Sheffield City Region and the Prince’s Trust, the programme provides free help and support to budding entrepreneurs in the Sheffield City Region who are thinking of starting their own business or looking for help to achieve business growth.

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York therapists climbing to the top with new premises A York company has moved into new premises complete with therapy swings and a climbing wall to help youngsters with sensory integration differences.OT4Me offers specialist occupational therapy services for children and young people in York and surrounding areas. The company was set up in January 2020 by former NHS occupational therapists Lizzie Huxford and Louise Newton after they saw a gap in provision locally.

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As well as offering sensory integration services, OT4Me also offers other occupational therapy services, and works with schools, charities, the NHS and families.

Lizzie said: “Louise and I could see there was a need for a specialist service provision and we often spoke about setting up a company. But I don’t know if launching just before lockdown was bad timing or good timing!”

The new premises which is kitted out with specialist equipment including the specialist therapy swings and climbing wall, meant OT4Me had space to take on occupational therapist Beverley Nunes and an intern to try and tackle their 14-week waiting list.

“We did not set off to be a large company, but this is how it has grown. The help from AD:VENTURE has been incredible and we would not be where we are without it.”

Now they have the new premises, Lizzie and Louise also plan to offer more oneto-one services and run groups. They also want to work with other specialists, such as speech therapists and psychologists.

Cllr Andrew Waller, executive member for economy and strategic planning at City of York Council, said: “OT4Me is a great example of spotting a need for local specialist support and taking the plunge during the pandemic to create a business in York providing help to individuals and their families which draws on the highly skilled workforce in the city.

Lizzie said: “With the approach and “City of York Council has partnered with equipment we use, it can look to the AD:VENTURE on numerous occasions untrained eye as though we are just playing to support business growth in York. We with our clients, but we are carefully commend AD:VENTURE’s objective planning the activities to ensure that we of providing quality support to help are providing the right type of sensory input local businesses grow, especially in to work on neuroplasticity, to attempt to their early days when they require it the influence the brain’s wiring.” most.“Business Growth Voucher Scheme is another resource provided by the council The pair were helped to find the to support businesses and help them grow. premises and set it up with support from I urge York-based businesses to register AD:VENTURE, which is part-funded by for the scheme as vouchers are limited.” the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and helps businesses that For more information about the are pre-start or less than three years old.

Business Growth Voucher Scheme go to https://www.york.gov.uk/ AD:VENTURE also gave them a grant BusinessGrowthVoucherScheme during the first lockdown so they could work remotely; put them in touch with a business mentor, and offered them access to webinars in business basics.

Lizzie said: ““AD:VENTURE helped sustain the business and helped us grow. We are both working mums and have managed to do this while balancing looking after our children.

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Former MasterChef contestant launches Yorkshire food and activity retreats

Yorkshire chef and MasterChef: The Professionals contestant, Michaela Hanna has launched her immersive food and activity experiences in the UK. With M’s countryside retreats offer an immersive getaway experience with activities such as cycling, running, and walking – guided by professional coaches. As well as eating and learning about delicious food to expand your culinary knowledge and cooking skills.

Based in North Yorkshire, With M also offers private and group cooking lessons, bespoke events and retreats, corporate away days, masterclasses, and demonstrations.

Michaela is a former head of branding and events at Welcome to Yorkshire and events project manager at Help for Heroes, with over ten years of experience managing and organising events. In addition, she’s worked in professional kitchens throughout her career.

Michaela began her self-employment journey in 2019, becoming a freelance private chef – delivering private

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cooking classes and professional chef services at private events and in people’s homes all over the UK. Earlier this year, she realised the potential to bring her love of cooking, outdoor activities and event organising together, to create short retreats for people to enjoy that are truly unforgettable. From there, her active gourmet getaway company, With M was born.

Michaela explains: “I began cooking at a young age, and I truly believe I was born to feed people. It brings me so much joy, and I thoroughly enjoy cooking professionally. I grew up living in various countries around the world, which exposed me to many different cuisines and experiences that nurtured my interest in flavour, entertaining and adventure. I want to create experiences that place equal importance on the activity and the food, which I hope will create lasting memories for everyone who joins us.

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“After many years working as a professional chef and in hospitality and events management, I was seeking more purpose and freedom, and working for myself has enabled that. After establishing a reputation as a private chef, the next step was to create situations where I could spend time with people I was cooking for and enthuse them with the same joy I have for food. I’ve been able to build more meaningful relationships with the people I cook for and truly enjoy the experience, their reactions to the food I’ve cooked for them and help them learn more about cooking food they enjoy.”

The With M Experiences provide a range of getaways in beautiful, secluded locations across the Yorkshire Dales, allowing guests to truly switch off and get away from the hustle and bustle of modern life, whilst enjoying some of their

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I began cooking at a young age, and I truly believe I was born to feed people... favourite activities. Throughout 2022, Michaela will be running her gourmet food and activity retreats, where she cooks delicious meals for guests and provides cooking demonstrations that guests can make requests for when booking their place.

Each Experience offers one or more outdoor activities to enjoy, coupled with a variety of food and drink experiences such as cheese, beer or wine tasting. The activities are guided by well-known professionals in their field: Mark Airey BEM, strength & conditioning coach, nutritionist,

founder of the charity Team True Spirit and exercise rehabilitation instructor, HR running coach Hannah Rayner, a UK Athletics qualified running and fitness coach with years of experience exploring the Yorkshire Dales, and Dave Mann and Vern Overton, both road and mountain biking guides with cycling business in Nidderdale.

Michaela added: “I moved to Nidderdale in January. The people, countryside and spectacular produce make it such a special place, and that is why I am focusing on hosting the experiences in the Yorkshire Dales.

I want to showcase the beauty and hidden gems of Yorkshire, that even locals don’t always get to experience.

I’m enjoying collaborating with other local businesses and entrepreneurs, there is a lot of appetite to create opportunity in Yorkshire and working with like-minded people is a real inspiration for me.”

Five markers of business success

By Ros Jones - Business Coach

able to use to give back to their favourite cause and/or pay themselves dividends to enjoy luxury items or pay their people a bonus as a reward for their contribution to the business.

Here are five markers to consider when measuring business success in today’s world.

1.

2.

Business success used to be measured by the size of EBITDA. To achieve that growth, we had to work, work, work, regardless of the impact on our health, relationships, or our community.

The world of business has changed.

The last two years have accelerated what some have believed and practiced for a long time: that business success comes from having a balanced approach that prioritises collaboration and kindness, fun, learning, contribution and community, and personal wellbeing.

How we measure the success of our business can be based on objective numbers or subjective feelings.

3.

3.

Goal achievement All successful businesses have a documented BIG vision that will stretch them to achieve it.

Success doesn’t have to be the final realisation of that business vision. Instead, think of success as a journey and always celebrate moments of success on the way to the final destination.

Customer experience A successful business delivers such a wonderful experience to its customers that they will come back to buy again, they will recommend you to their friends and contacts, leave you 5-star reviews and generally shout about you from the roof tops.

Doing what you love Successful business owners love what they do and that realisation is a marker of a successful business. It will leave you with a feeling of all round wellbeing, freedom, and joy.

Financial Successful businesses have a financial goal. They know their breakeven point. They have surplus revenue that they’re

4.

Connections and community Successful businesses have strong values that all their people have bought into and demonstrate through their daily behaviors.

The values are noticed by others in the community who share those values. They may then wish to connect with the business, possibly seeking employment or to partner with the business to collaborate in some form.

The bottom line The bottom line is that there are many ways of measuring business success other than the bottom line.

The key is being clear about what those markers are for you and your business.

We need a more balanced approach in our business and those businesses that adopt that balance will be best placed to enjoy business success going forward.

To f i n d o u t m o r e a b o u t implementing a more balanced approach to business growth, email rosjones@businesswellbeing.club.

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Trio Media CEO joins board of trustees for Children’s Heart Surgery Fund Yorkshire charity, Children’s Heart Surgery Fund (CHSF) has appointed Claire Daniels, CEO of Trio Media as its newest trustee.

Claire is the most recent Board Member to join CHSF and will use her expertise to support with strategic digital marketing for the children’s charity. Claire and the Trio Media team will work alongside the internal marketing team to drive initiatives to increase donations and raise awareness of CHSF and congenital heart disease (CHD). As part of her role as trustee, Claire will share joint responsibility for governing the charity whilst supporting the Executive to delive r on strategic plans CHD affects for growth. almost 8 in 1,000

newborn babies in the UK each year.

Around 60% of these babies will have significant heart defects which are likely to require surgery...

CHSF is a self-funded, regional charity established in 1988 by then heart surgeon Duncan Walker.

The charity supports the Leeds Congenital Heart Unit based in Leeds General Infirmary, its patients, and their families by funding care and treatment. CHSF provide state-ofthe-art medical equipment, parent accommodation and ward facilities,

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plus staff training, essential research, and clinical posts.

The Leeds Congenital Heart Unit is the only specialist centre for CHD in the region, providing a vital resource for the 5.6 million inhabitants of Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire who are treated at a network of 18 hospitals.

Each year around 17,000 babies, children and adults pass through the Heart Unit as inpatients, with around 1,600 undergoing surgery and interventional procedures, and as outpatients in Leeds and at clinics across the region.

CHSF is the only charity in the region that supports babies, children and adults with CHD, from the womb through to adulthood. CHD affects almost 8 in 1,000 newborn babies in the UK each year. Around 60% of these babies will have significant heart defects which are likely to require surgery or interventional procedures in early infancy, and many will need multiple procedures and lifelong care.

Claire said: “I was keen to lend my expertise to a worthy cause, and

when I found out about the amazing work that CHSF do, it felt like a no brainer. I couldn’t believe the volume of how many children will be born with CHD and the role the charity has played in saving so many lives.”

During 2021, fundraising donations from individual supporters, Trusts and Foundations and corporate partners have enabled CHSF to purchase vital equipment for Leeds Congenital Heart Unit, including a revolutionary new baby MRI incubator and lifesaving breastfeeding equipment to support inpatients and families at the Leeds Congenital Heart Unit.

Commenting on Claire’s appointment and plans for 2022, CEO of CHSF Sharon Milner added: “CHSF are thrilled that Claire has joined us and her knowledge, contacts and support within digital marketing are already contributing greatly to our Board and team.

“Next year will mark a period of further growth for our charity. We are planning to increase CHSF staffing further and deliver more holistic care for the whole family plus numerous vital projects within the Leeds Congenital Heart Unit.

Claire Daniels by McFade

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Yo r k s h i r e B u s i n e s s Wo m a n

In Conversation With …

Victoria Gosling OBE 38 Y o r k s h i r e B u s i n e s s W o m a n 38 Y o r k s h i r e B u s i n e s s W o m a n

Janet Milner-Walker, the founder of beauty brand management company Bespoke Advantage, talks skin health on the slopes with Victoria Gosling OBE, Chief Executive of GB Snowsport.

Janet Milner-Walker has worked up close and personal with many beauty brands and founde rs over the years, developing and launching innovative products.

Her knowledge of the industry is based on years of experience.

Victoria Gosling OBE is the chief executive of GB Snowsport and is soon to be heading up the Olympic Winter Sports end of January 2022, with travel being a huge part of her work life, her skincare routine has been tried, tested, and perfected.

For both women beauty, health and wellbeing are an integral part of their lives – but for different reasons.

Janet has over twenty years’ experience in the beauty industry developing and launching products and brands for companies based internationally including Marks & Spencer, Harvey Nichols (Dubai), Crabtree & Evelyn, Boots and Body Shop. She is a speaker, she writes for several publications on the topics of beauty and wellbeing, and since founding Bespoke Advantage in 2017, she has become a leading authority in the world of beauty and wellness, helping brands to shine. As a brand management company, Bespoke Advantage draw upon strategic insights, creative thinking, commerciality, and years of experience in strategy, branding, product development, marketing, and sales to help their clients to develop and launch brands, with

her team working closely with each client to help them to bring their ideas to life.

Victoria Gosling OBE is a passionate sportswoman who dedicates her time to promoting sport across sectors. She is currently chief executive for GB Snowsport, Board member for the British Olympic Association and Chair of Rugby Centurions. In addition, Victoria is a newspaper reviewer for the BBC and a motivational speaker for Inspiring Women. She has an outstanding career that spans many achievements, including being the chief executive for Invictus Games 2016 in Orlando and the Military Project Lead for the first Invictus Games (London 2014) inspiring 14 nations and over 400 athletes to compete. She has completed 21 years’ service within the Royal Air Force culminating with the prestigious rank of Group Captain and she has served on numerous deployments around the world.

In addition to her professional achievements, Victoria is mother to three young children and leads an active lifestyle that includes tennis and golf, meaning she knows the importance of skin health.

Janet sits down to discuss how to achieve skin happiness, when you’ve not only experiencing extreme climates as a winter sports athlete, but also leading a busy and active lifestyle.

Tell us a little bit about your career, you were with the RAF for 21 years?

Yes, I was a linguist and I really enjoyed sport. I felt most comfortable when operating within teams, and I also had a fascination with helicopters!

What are your top tips for those considering a career in the military forces?

It is important to be super fit, to have a great attitude and to be prepared to put the service of others above your needs.

Being in the military, may require you to put your life on the line. How did you feel about that?

Yes, but this doesn’t happen every day – the military are incredible at training you to have the right mindset and the confidence to deal with whatever life throws at you.

You played a key part in the rise of the Invictus Games, what are your fondest memories of this?

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The athletes – allowing them to put their uniforms back on to compete for their country in a team environment. Watching a triple amputee swim 200 meters in a London Aquatic Centre was inspirational!

For someone who spends a lot of time outdoors – in extreme climates – how do you manage your skin care regime?

We l l , I d o f o l l o w m y t h r e e simple steps of cleanse, tone and moisturise. One of the biggest challe nges whe n exposed to cold climates, is dry and d e h y d r a te d s k i n . W h e n y o u are travelling between extreme

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climates (both hot and cold) your skin is constantly exposed to the elements, so it is key to protect it.

Are there any skincare tricks of the trade you have learnt during your career?

Moisturising top to toe is essential to protecting your skin, and to keep it looking young. I am in love with a new skincare range – Balance Me. Do you use SPF? If so, what do you recommend?

What do you not leave the house without? And what is your go-to product?

My Balance Me Moisturiser – I love this – and I prefer a natural look, so it is a curly blow-dry, and natural make-up. Less is more.

What is your favourite way of spending some ‘me’ time?

I love keeping fit, and spending time with my three wonderful (most of the time!) children and husband.

Who is your beauty icon?

SPF is an essential to my regime and I always use SPF30 – from Balance Me.

It must be Jennifer Anniston – she always looks amazing!

Yorkshire illustrator throws in a towel for pioneering Woodmeadow A colourful tea towel, depicting the recipe for designing and nurturing a woodmeadow,has been created for the pioneering Yorkshire environmental charity, the Woodmeadow Trust.

however small, it would also help to raise the profile of what we are doing at our own woodmeadow.

The towel is the work of the Yorkbased greetings card designer, cartoonist and illustrator Jamie Charteris, Jamie commented: “I gladly lean my shoulder to this very worthwhile and timely cause”.

“I have known Jamie Charteris for many years and have always been impressed by his work as a designer and illustrator. He kindly drafted an amazing series of designs for us; they were so good it was difficult to decide on which one to choose.

Woodmeadow Trust runs Three Hagges Woodmeadow, a wonderful oasis of nature at Hollicarrs near Escrick, between York and Selby.

The Trust’s founder, Rosalind Fo r b e s A d a m , h a d t h e i d e a for a tea towel after attending the Groundswell Regenerative Agriculture conference in Hertfordshire this summer, where participants were offered a potted ‘how to’ guide on a tea towel.

“Eventually we selected his recipe idea, which was deceptively simple, yet also imaginative and educational. It appealed to us all.

We are incredibly grateful and we hope the towel will inspire people in their gardens this coming spring.”

Rosalind explained: “This got me thinking. Not only would a tea towel act as a guide for anyone wanting to create a woodmeadow,

The tea towel is 100 per cent linen, so will dry all your glasses and plates beautifully.

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HR Expert becomes Amazon best seller A local business owner whose livelihood could have crumbled in lockdown,like many others in her industry did,is celebrating a significant achievement and contribution to her profession, as her new guide for managers who are juggling it all; ‘ The Planager’ sits right next to The infamous ‘The E-Myth’, by Michael Gerber, in the Amazon Bestseller list for Human Resources books, putting 44 year old Sally Bendtson from North Yorkshire in good company.

Sally, founder of Limelight HR is also creating a further impact by donating £1 from every sale of The Planager to Mind, via Work for Good, as part of her commitment to contribute to create better mental health and wellbeing at work, something the Planager is hugely focused on.

With over 15 years HR experience spanning working within o r g a n i s a t i o n s s u c h a s B B C, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and The Guardian, Sally, is a busy working mum who has struggled to juggle it all. One who knows from experience that staying on top of things can be a challenge for managers in today’s working world, The Planager is Sally’s latest asset to help other managers keep on top of life, their teams and their businesses. Fueled by a desire to

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help small businesses grow and achieve their goals by creating teams who are motivated, productive, engaged, happy and are having fun, Sally has taken the top three areas of concern as the basis of her bespoke planning tool. Concerns involving how to lead a team, how to have fun with a team and how to look after their people’s health and wellbeing are all addressed through Month and Week views using awareness days to spark ideas.

A local actress and performer Sally is known for her fun loving character and tapping into her creativity in lockdown she combatted her own mental wellbeing and need for balance by having fun on Toktok - with her most popular post amassing 2.7 million views being shared globally. In the Planager she brings her unique lighthearted fun

approach to what can sometimes feel like heavy subject areas.

Sally said: “I’m not a naturally organised person, being a creative type myself I’m a bit of a magpie, I love shiny new objects and get easily distracted so I have implemented a number of methods over the years to keep me focused and on track.

“As a business owner, and especially now I manage my own team, I know how difficult it is staying on top of all your client work, projects, admin and planning as well as being the best boss you can be.

But I also know that my team is more important than anything else and that with them on board we can achieve amazing things - but only if we’re all on the same page, enjoying our work and working together towards our shared goals, in a way that is fun for all.

“I’ve bought various diaries and planners and love having the structure of something to fill in and follow through so I signed up to a ‘create your own planner’ challenge on Facebook and by the end of the first day my head was overflowing with ideas for an HR

Planner. It became so clear that so many of the day-to-day challenges faced by managers could be helped by having a people planner to work through. All the great stuff about managing a team can be easy if you have a framework to work within and a way to track and organise your time. Good management is about clarity, communication and consistency and how better to ensure you can provide your team with that than writing it all down and following it through?“I set up the business essentially to take my experience from working with big brands and make a positive,

lasting impact on small businesses with big ambitions. My aim is to help build creative, family-feel organisations that are fast, fun and full of motivated people.

“I wanted to pull all these resources together in one easy-to-use place,” says Sally. “It takes the hard graft out of research so that busy managers can more effectively spend their time on implementation. Not only have we included all the awareness days, but we’ve included a QR code with a link to a webpage full of ideas and suggestions as to what you can do on those days, making it super Yo r k s h i r e B u s i n e s s Wo m a n

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easy to put a quick and simple plan in place.

“There are leadership sections focusing on strategic goal setting and team communication because being a great manager is about managing the joys and the challenges of your staff.

If you struggle with having difficult conversations, we’ve included a full page of tips, do’s and don’ts as well as some suggestions of how to start the conversation.

“We also appreciate that being a manager is a massive learning curve so each month we have included a bite size management, leadership or performance model or theory and diagram to give you an overview of it. There is space for you to try it out yourself and take notes and it gives you a real opportunity to reflect

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I set up the business essentially to take my experience from working with big brands and make a positive, lasting impact on small businesses with big ambitions...

on how you manage the team and situations that arise and whether they are things you can do to improve personally or as a team.

“My aim is to find simple, straight forward and fun solutions for ambitious businesses who want to build creative organisations that still have a family-feel and for me

The Planager is a perfect way to achieve that. I want to create happy workplaces where people come first, bringing life and laughter to every workplace. My mission is to help small businesses grow and achieve their goals by creating a team of people who are motivated, productive, engaged, happy and having fun.”

Sally has brought the breadth of her client experience to bear within the planning tool which is designed with her own clients in mind.

“By creating The Planager I want to give both my clients and other business owners and managers that support and guidance on a daily basis to give them the confidence to be the type of manager they want to be and to help them feel in control and motivated so in turn they can motivate their teams.”

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goal of exercising three times a week rather than 4 to 5 times a week and fail after only a couple of weeks when you can’t sustain that many exercise sessions a week.

Advice from our regular health and wellbeing coach Adam Batchelor

Goal setting!

It’s the start of the year which means some of you will be thinking about making your New Year’s resolutions! Well here’s one for you - don’t!

proven to be far more successful and it’s one I’ve used for 20 years with clients. Let’s look at the 5 key points for successful goal setting.

Set attainable Goals - make sure it’s possible for you to achieve the goals that you set in the first place.

You’ll only get demoralised if you try to lose a stone in a month and the scales don’t show the drop you want each week or alternatively if you’re trying to add 10lb of muscle or run a personal best at the park run in unrealistic time frames, don’t get succered in to social media posts of unrealistic body transformations Set measurable goals - by

Set specific goals - your goals should be clear and defined is it fat loss you want to achieve or muscle gain? but not both at the same time as they both require different calorie intakes- deficit or surplus. Do you need to exercise more? Set a specific

tracking and logging your workout details and your nutrition you can monitor your progress so much more accurately. No one should ever be obsessed with counting calories but it does pay for a short period of time to log and

Don’t waste time making New Year’s resolutions that you’re only going to get angry with yourself about when you can’t stick to them, and feel like you’ve let yourself down.

Blue Monday has only just been and gone and that’s the point at which a massive 80% of us fail and break our New Year’s resolutions. they simply do not work Instead, focus on setting yourself some short-term goal goals. This strategy has been scientifically

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track so you can clearly see what you’re doing right and what you’re doing wrong. Taking progress photos could also help you keep accountable and motivated.

Create an action plan - ‘fail to prepare, prepare to fail’ it’s an old adage but one that rings true when it comes to health and fitness.

Having structured workouts and nutrition plans designed for you and your goals and not generic free programs, will mean that you’re making the most effective use of your exercise time, space, equipment, lifestyle, injury and medical history.

Take action - g e t i t d o n e !

R e m e m b e r, g o a l s e t t i n g i s an ongoing process not just a means to an end. Stick to the points above and you will hit your goal goals faster then if you do not!

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Exercising at home

Many of you have made the decision to continue to exercise from home due to Covid restrictions or it could be that your work life balance means that it suits you to exercise from home or you simply like the convenience of exercising from home.

any resistance exercises at home or in the gym - everything revolves around having a stable and strong core.

A good place to start when deciding on how to exercise is with the core.

The human body can only be as strong as its weakest link and for many of us this tends to be your core. If your core muscles are strong they provides a foundation for all other exercises whether it be running, walking, any sport or

Here is an example of how to exercise your core effectively using minimal equipment. a pair of exercise sliders and a dumbbell both of which are cost-effective and don’t take up much space. Plus you can’t use them as expensive coathangers like you can with treadmills and stationary bikes!

Sales of gym equipment for domestic use hit an all time high last year so the trend is clear that more people than ever are exercising from home.

Exercising with a purpose and structure is even more important when you’re working from home if your space, time and equipment are limited.

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A Legacy for YBW’s Mandy Taylor...

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“I have this crazy idea . . . . . . can you photograph a horse coming out of Bibis Restaurant to promote an Ascot Ladies Day Charity Event?”

These were the type of conversations we had with Yorkshire’s much loved Northern Light, Mandy Taylor who sadly, and stoically, passed away a few weeks ago.

This formidable lady was the epitome of fun and kindness, having raised over £2 million for good causes in and around the Huddersfield area.

“Help me Create a Legacy” Knowing her time was limited, Mandy wished to leave behind a

“Mandy Taylor, you rocked our world” legacy for the Yorkshire community she loves so much. Subsequently the #BeMoreMandy campaign was founded, and she asked us to capture her promotional images.

It ’ s no t t h e fi r s t t i m e w e’v e created a set of legacy images. It’s always an honour and a privilege when people entrust us with their legacy, but this was especially poignant as Mandy is our close friend.

“I’m a Proud Yorkshire Lass” Mandy never wished to be defined by cancer, she wanted to leave a legacy that made people smile.

Choosing the location was easy for her . . . home. The picturesque village of Golcar situated above the Colne Valley in her beloved Yorkshire.

Her family lived there for generations and, as we walked by the cobbly ginnels and walkways, Mandy told us about them and the work they did. Their stories made our precious day together seem even more profound.

“Capture the Real Me” Deciding what to wear for a shoot Yo r k s h i r e B u s i n e s s Wo m a n

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can take some time. Mandy was known in equal measure for her evening gowns, glitter and high heels, as much as for her jumpers, jeans and wellies . . . but always for the colour pink!

As you can see from the images, she wears it all fabulously well and looks stunning

We suggested mixing it all up, which of course she loved. The three of us raiding her wardrobes and flinging across the bed feather boas, glittery pink wellies, sparkly gowns, tulle skirts, diamante boots, leather jackets, and a whole concoction of outfits, had us all laughing.

When people tell us they love their images it’s truly a wonderful feeling. On this occasion though the sentiment was most certainly bitter-sweet.

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“The images are out of this world”

Creating a legacy, whether it’s through photographs, stories, or even a campaign, means your

family and friends will always have a part of you to hold onto.

Mandy’s collection has been used extensively to promote her #BeMoreMandy campaign.

Please help her reach her target by donating at https:// localgiving.org/appeal/ BeMoreMandy

Could you #Be MoreMandy?

It has been over a month now since we lost Mandy Taylor who was our trusted colleague for more than three years.

In November 2020 Mandy launched Yorkshire Businesswoman magazine and membership with us and was totally committed to supporting businesswomen across the Yorkshire region. She loved attending and hosting our networking events.

Fo r m a n y y e a r s M a n d y h a d supported various charities since an early diagnosis with breast cancer several years ago and when she passed at the beginning of December, she was keen for her legacy to continue, asking people to ‘#BeMoreMandy’ not just talking about supporting and

helping others, but actually doing so, just as she did right up to the end of her life.

So, a group of ladies, handpicked

by Mandy formed a committee to ensure that Mandy’s legacy lives on and we support and help everyone who has requested to undertake events to raise money for Mandy’s charities.

As a huge fan of ‘slogan’ t-shirts of which she had many, a project Mandy launched before she passed was a range of t-shirt and sweatshirts with #BeMoreMandy blazoned across the front which are sold to

raise vital charity funds. £5 from each t-shirt or sweatshirt is donated to charity which is match funded up to £10k by One Community Foundation. If you’re interested in purchasing any of these, visit the website: https://bemoremandy.org/ There are lots of ways you can get involved to help keep Mandy’s legacy alive, but more importantly raise funds for charity. In each edition, we will be keeping you up to date of all the events being organised, many of which will also create fantastic networking opportunities for you, whilst having some fun for a good cause. One such event is the ‘Mandathon’ taking place on the Yorkshire Coast in May, details on the advert in this magazine or on the website https://bemoremandy.org/ If you would like to organise an event you can get in touch via the website, the #BeMoreMandy Facebook page or email hello@ yorkshirebusinesswoman.co.uk Yo r k s h i r e B u s i n e s s Wo m a n

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Vintage finds and Charity Shops

By Rachel Peru

I’ve always loved charity shops after growing up spending many a Saturday afternoon in Ilkley rummaging with my mum and older sister. There’s something about the thrill of finding something unique and unexpected and of course the feel-good factor of not having to pay the normal retail price.

I know lots of people are put off by shopping in charity shops because it can be a bit overwhelming, but things have changed, and they are now much more high street savvy and most have a dedicated ‘vintage’ section which I’ll always head to.

One of my favourite most worn vintage finds is this Blue velvet maxi coat from 1980’s designer Gail Hoppen, which I paid £30 for in one of the Ilkley charity shops. Ilkley has a lot of charity shops to choose from and it’s a great place to start your vintage fashion hunting, I’d also recommend Harrogate and Otley for a good selection. I’ve worn

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this coat so many times and it always gains lots of compliments.

Other great finds include a beautiful Black hat from designer Stephen Jones, a wide selection of 70’s berets, a fabulous pair of 1970’s bright Red knee length boots and a 1960’s maxi dress which got altered to a knee length shift dress. Don’t be afraid to buy things that might need a bit of tlc as long as you find a good seamstress who can work their magic you can really transfer timeless pieces.

Don’t just take my word for it, I asked a F

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the wild, it’s makes us do a little happy dance inside, sometimes outside too, as it’s hard to hide your excitement when you find something truly special that’s waiting to be re-loved. I’ve been very lucky to have had many great finds, but my favourite is probably a stunning 1950s Cinderella Gown a true fairy-tale dress that needed a little tlc, which I restored & then re-homed with rather elegant client who got her Cinderella moment.

few of my favourite Yorkshire “vintage’ ladies for some of their best charity shop finds too.

Keeley Harris-

Discover Vintage Interiors

My favourite charity shop/shops are the one that are specifically dedicated to Vintage as I know I will find something I want to buy.

I am a big collector of Welsh Wool Tapestry and have a lot of coat and capes in my collection.

I’ve found a few great pieces in St Leonard’s Hospice Shop in Selby and Sue Ryder Vintage & Retro in Headingley in Leeds. These kind of charity shops are perfect if you are specifically looking for Vintage. You might pay a bit more but it’s worth it.

pounds, others that have had more value, from a handmade wooden steering wheel for £2.50 I sold for a couple of hundred, to an oil painting by a up and coming artist that I sold at auction. A few pieces of very special jewellery, that I’ve found in rummage boxes. It’s all part of the thrill of the find. I try to buy most of mine and my children’s clothes from our local shops, and I’m very lucky to have some fabulous ones in the town I live in.

Tea Time Vintage- Market Place, Settle.

Instagram @teatimevintage

Trudy Fielding

My Vintage Beau

https://discovervintage.co.uk/ https://festivalofvintage.co.uk Instagram @vintagekeeley

Tracey Bilton

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I’m going to head over to Headingly on Keely’s recommendation, and I’ll keep you posted with any exciting new finds. I find January is a good time to visit them because people often have a wardrobe clear out at the end of the year and ‘new’ stock arrives.

If you’re heading out of Yorkshire down to London then I recommend you visit the Shelter shop at Coals Yard, Kings Cross which is my absolute favourite charity shop. I always find great items there and it feels like you’ve stepped into a designer boutique and not your traditional charity shop.

Of course, some days I’ll come home empty handed but there’s always that possibility that you will and that’s what becomes slightly addictive! I can’t walk past a charity shop now without taking a quick look inside.

Tea Time Vintage

I love visiting all charity shops!

The main chains to the little independents, over the years I’ve had some fabulous finds, some little treasures that I’ve paid pennies for that are worth no more than a few

My Vintage Beau- Studio 4, Belmont Business Centre, 7 Burnett St, Bradford (appointment only) Instagram @myvintagebeau

Every Vintage trader loves the hunt & finding hidden gems in

Happy Shopping!

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How would it feel to be free of the New Year, New You diet, detox and kickstart thinking?

How would it feel to no longer dread the impact of Christmas on the waistline?

How would it be to know you can experience the joy of food, without instantly feeling bad about it or that you have reversed all your recent hard work?

Pretty amazing, I guess. So, is this possible? Yes, it absolutely is.

Conventional health and fitness professionals continue to base their advice on the “move more, eat less” principle or “calories in, calories out” theory. Yet, for many women these approaches simply don’t work in the long term. In fact, there is a fair proportion of women who follow these approaches end up worse off than when they started - it can become a vicious (and lonely) cycle.

New Year, New You or is it time for something different?

By Nicki Campbell Lifestyle and Nutrition Health Coach

We are all unique individual beautiful beings, and once we let go of ‘hacks’, ‘fads’ and ‘quick fixes’ and accept that health is a Journey, we become open to new information and new insights, which unlock the potential within us, and the opportunity to once again be happy and love the body we live in.

To start with, ditch the calorie counting, and the ‘move more, eat less’ approaches. Both, for different reasons, are likely to be adding a level of unwanted ‘stress’ to your body, which is why it’s not responding in the way you want.

For example, after exercise, your body needs fuel to recover. If you

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exercise more and eat less, you’re effectively starving the body, which puts it into a place of ‘stress’.

Obviously, intermittent stress is good for us, it creates physical & mental growth and adaptation. But there is a crucial tipping point when healthy stress, becomes unhealthy distress.

M any wome n juggling work. business, family and often high expectations of self, will be in a physiological state of stress, even if they don’t “feel stressed”. The hormonal response to all this multitasking will still be switched on and sadly we are more likely to store fat, not use it. Add overexercising whilst not providing your body with enough fuel, and you will tip into “distress”. Sorry ladies, but at this point, your body ain’t letting go of anything, for love nor money!

So instead, start 2022 differently.

Develop a more holistic approach to your healthy habits, with a

longer-term vision in mind, and you will find yourself in a very different place, this time next year. Eat nutrient dense real food. Avoid foods low in nutrients (processed), and eat plenty of colourful vegetables and fruits, with good quality animal, fish protein, eggs and dairy if tolerated.

No extremes or counting required.

1.

2.

Only eat if hungry and stop when you are full. You will soon learn the quantity of food your body requires. If you finish a meal hungry, it wasn’t enough - and what you were missing is usually healthy fats (coconut oil & olive oil are a good start) and more protein.

Adopt a ‘move more, eat more’ and ‘move less, eat less’ approach. Listen to your body and don’t do the same thing each day. Exercise is important. Your body will

Nicki Campbell Lifestyle and Nutrition Health Coach Nicki believes in making a difference & adding value in whatever she does. She achieves this by supporting people to think differently about their health & lifestyle empowering them to make the right choices so they can lead as healthy a life as possible.

With over 20 years in the NHS as a senior nurse & clinical leader, combined with additional qualifications in pilates, personal training, sports massage therapy and holistic health and lifestyle coaching, Nicki has a passion for helping people live with optimal health. In 2009, along with her husband

tell you what’s right and when it is right. Most of all, you must enjoy it.

3.

Take 30 minutes daily for yourself, and develop the skills to stop, notice and listen, to both body and mind - soak in a bath, meditate, journal, go for a mindful walk or just shut your eyes and breath. Self-care and self-kindness is not a luxury, it is essential. Be a role model for others.

4.

Most of all, stop fighting and start accepting. And then you can let go of trying to control something that is not under your control. When we do this, the body finds a place of ease, and starts to respond to your consistent nurturing - whether this be through healthy eating, healthy movement or healthy self-talk.

Peter (an Orthopedic Surgeon and Lifestyle Medicine Physician) they created their company Life Without Limits, Health and Wellbeing Coaching.

Nicki is particularly passionate about women’s health, having had her own struggles with burnout, fatigue, difficult to manage weight issues and hormonal changes. She knows first-hand the impact these have on women juggling work, business and family commitments and she loves to help women find a path through this often-challenging journey, especially where conventional approaches don’t appear to be working.

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By: Ti m Gu est - ma n a gi n g d i recto r C o n te d ia - w w w.co n te d ia .co m

Looking back

at 2021

Well, that’s a wrap, as they say. Another year has gone in the blink of an eye, and for the second year in a row it was far from ‘normal’…or perhaps it was. Perhaps that was what we should now call normal. Businesses continued to be challenged at every corner and IT and technology was yet again at the forefront, enabling organisations to make the best of a bad situation.

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Unfortunately, despite the success stories of record IT adoption for a second year in a row, we’ve seen a crisis in the IT and technology sector

Global supply shortages and price increases.

Whilst IT adoption continued to soar last year, it’s unreasonable to surmise that equipment vendors and managed service providers had a rosy time. Quite the opposite in many cases.

Sure enough, the nature of increased demand has provided the opportunity for some technology businesses to enjoy better than expected growth. But economic factors have led to others

struggling to service customers effectively, risking both their reputation and customer retention.

For example, last year, the combined effects of Brexit, import and logistics hurdles, global chip shortages and lower production volumes as a result of COVID-19 meant that the supply of computer equipment was and sadly remains - desperately thin on the ground. Demand massively outstripped available supply and the lead-times on built-to-order servers and other equipment has seemingly tripled.

The price of run-of-the-mill IT equipment has soared because of increased raw materials costs, labour shortages, transportation disruption and, to the UK, import factors. Oh, Yo r k s h i r e B u s i n e s s Wo m a n

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and of course, supply and demand ‘opportunities’ have done nothing but improved the margins for some along the way, whilst affecting others downstream through to the end customer.

Suppliers of IT equipment into businesses have had to play the poor piggy-in-the-middle role, scrambling to find available options for their customers whilst simultaneously having to explain why ‘everything’ has gone up in price. Sadly, for the time being, equipment supply and increased pricing issues do seem set to continue in to 2022.

As for businesses, none of the general increase in costs across the board have done anything to help them maintain a steady course through the last two years. Adding to this, the wild and unpredictable swings in public health – both physical and mental – has see n an unce rtainty in staff resources and market behaviours, making it even more difficult to manage and survive.

Online threats increase continue to rise.

And, just as we thought it would be difficult for things to get worse within the industry, not only has the shift for many businesses to either fully or partial remote working made the provision of IT support more challenging for service providers, but last year also saw another marked rise in online threats and a significant increase in email phishing.

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Unfortunately, on top of all the other, growing number of viral, malware, ransomware and phishing emails our organisations are now being targeted with, users are now receiving elaborate attempts to dupe them in to acting upon fake emails concerning their COVID-19 vaccination statuses!

course, this is perhaps a slightly longer-term prospect to investigate and pursue; 4.

Continue – or begin to – move towards collaborative software services, like the use of Teams and SharePoint, to make sure communication is easy within the busy and information is readily available. Help yourselves to become as productive and efficient as you can be to combat the external challenges;

5.

Stay absolutely on top of your anti-virus and online threat protection services.

M ake sure that the y are adequately protecting the business against as many current and rising threat types as possible, across the whole of the business, wherever the staff may be working; and

6.

Educate – don’t just ‘tell’ – staff about the types and formats on online and email threats to the business and to them. If you need outside, professional guidance on this, seek it. The cost of casually dismissing the potential disruption to your business from a colleague accidentally activating a well-disguised email is too great to ignore.

Advice going forwards in to 2022.

We’re not out of the woods.

Clearly. And in respect of any of the public health or economic factors that led to last year being as challenging as 2020. So, as you plan the year ahead and seek ways to progress, readying the business for brighter times, what IT-related topics could you perhaps consider giving thought to?

1.

Plan (well) ahead where investment into IT equipment is concerned. Don’t assume a regular PC is as easy or inexpensive to source as it might have been two years ago;

2.

Continue to think about the suitability of your IT equipme nt and whethe r desktop PCs should be permanently replaced with laptops connected to docks and monitors to provide the flexibility in where they are used;

3.

Consider technologies like Microsoft’s new Windows 365 service as an alternative strategy to traditional PC purchasing – though, of

Do you rely on spreadsheets?

Custom Business Applications.

Affordable, custom desktop, tablet and mobile applications to solve your business’s unique challenges.

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A passion for property and all things Yorkshire

Alongside a successful career in corporate life Angela Graham’s passion has always been in property development from building houses to renovating listed buildings, this is where her heart is happiest, especially in her native and beloved Yorkshire.

As a holiday cottage owner, she understood this market too, so after she left corporate life and was thinking about what to do next, it seemed natural to combine her love of property, with her passion for Yorkshire.

Angela’s daughter Charlotte is a successful photographer and marketeer and she too was keen to be involved which is perfect for the business, her work takes her across the country, but Yorkshire remains her favourite place to be.

That’s how their holiday cottage rental company Beautiful Escapes evolved, the

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more they thought about it, it felt like the natural next step, working collaboratively with holiday homeowners to curate a portfolio of Beautiful Escapes, just for you.

Only hand selected properties that meet Angela’s exacting standards are invited to join. Angela and her team visit every property and offers a personal concierge service to all guests.

Growing up, Angela didn’t have a burning desire for any particular career although she did think about nursing

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for a while. Choosing not to attend University, well not until she was in her 50s when she did a master’s in leadership and management, Angela’s first job was as a Saturday girl in British Home Stores. “I loved it and wanted to work there full time when I left school at 16, as I didn’t want to go to university, but my mother wanted me to get an office job,” she explained, “which I did at the local council offices. However, after a few years I became bored and went off to Canada!”

On her return Angela launched Beautiful Escapes in December 2019.

“I have a real passion for Yorkshire and experience in property, so to launch this business just made so much sense,” she continued.

“I am so lucky that I get to meet and work with lots of talented and visionary women across Yorkshire who own holiday properties across

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the region. Recently it has been challenging, navigating the impacts of Covid, especially in our first two

years of business, but we have got through it and learned lots along the way. A typical day for me is

FACT FILE Husband / partner name: Chris Whiteley, he helps with the financial aspects of the business.

Children: two grown up.

Charlotte is a professional photographer and takes most of the photographs for Beautiful Escapes, she is also the firms marketing director and runs her own photography business. Ed works with his father running a plumbing and heating company.

What car do you drive?

Range Rover What do you do in your leisure time?

Both Angela and Chris like cars and exploring and there is so much to see in Yorkshire. The couple love to go shopping in York and have brunch at Partisan, finishing off the day cooking up a tasty supper with lovely ingredients from their favourite artisans when they return home.

quite varied, but usually there will be time spent responding to bookings and enquiries, speaking with property owners, planning, organising marketing activity and of course launching new properties.”

As the business is still in its infancy, Angela and her team are looking to build on their first two years adding more properties to their collection, develop further partnerships with Yorkshire artisans they can introduce to their guests. “We are very proud of our website and we are keen to use innovative technology to develop it further. We want to make sure we are constantly adding fresh content and using imagery to give our guests an insight into the wonderful county of Yorkshire and the beautiful homes we offer.

“I think anyone starting a business needs to believe in themselves, you can do more than you think. I don’t think I would do anything different because even where we have gone slightly wrong, we have learned from this which is very helpful,” she concluded.

Where is your favourite restaurant?

In Yorkshire there are so many to choose from it would be impossible to single out just one.

Good old fish and chips at the coast is a hard one to beat though!

What is your favourite food and drink?

I love fish, halibut and turbot especially, my favourite dish is Spaghetti Vongole.

Where is your favourite holiday destination? It’s hard to steal myself away from glorious Yorkshire.

Where is your favourite place in Yorkshire?

The North Yorkshire Moors will always hold a special place in my heart. I have so many memories of trips across the Moor Road to Whitby and the coast when I was a child, the scenery is spectacular.

What is your favourite gadget? I’m not really techy but I couldn’t be without my mobile phone.

It helps me stay connected and means I can work from anywhere. In my kitchen I wouldn’t be without my Kitchenaid and Food Processor.

What couldn’t you live without? That’s an easy one, my family are everything.

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A new year always fills me with hope and I’m truly hopeful that 2022 will be the best year yet for The Piece Hall.

By: Nicky Chance-Thompson DL, CEO The Piece Hall Trust

A New Year filled with hope

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Our Christmas programme saw more than 360,000 people pass through the gates to attend our varied concerts and events.

From the uplifting sounds of the Elland Silver Band to heartwarming moments at festive family films, to the full-on rock ‘n’ roll of Buzzcocks and some euphoric hands in the air dance action from Ellie Sax there really was something for everyone.

The opening of our Winter Makers market saw a record-breaking retail weekend for The Piece Hall and for many of our traders too.

Unsurprisingly, we’re already

and delight anyone who passes by, so make sure you get a date in your dairy.

Speaking of diaries, Halifax’s most famous diarist will be celebrated in April when we mark Anne Lister week, this year with the addition of our beautiful sculpture

by Diane Lawrenson. With the next series of Gentleman Jack hitting our screens around this time too we know interest in this now legendary woman’s life will once again peak. Her experiences still hold so much resonance today drawing interest and tourists from across the globe, and we can’t wait to welcome them to The Piece Hall.

Live at The Piece Hall 2021 The Cribs by Ellis Robinson]

Looking forward to the summer months, the line-up for Live at The Piece Hall 2022 is really shaping up to be something very special too.

Spring Makers Market 2021

inundated with requests for stalls for our Spring Makers market, it’s going to be another busy one for sure.

who is bringing a selection of her stunning large-scale sculptures to the Courtyard.

We’re taking some time each Monday during January and February, when the Piece Hall is closed, to give our precious building some much needed TLC but there’s still plenty to see, do and look forward to.

Celebrated

Making heritage and culture accessible to all is one of our missions and our first big event of the year does just this. Opening in February is an exhibition by acclaimed artist Sophie Ryder

Five pieces are being displayed outside including, for the first time in the UK, the stunning Dancing Hares which stands more than four metres in height. There will also be a selection of Sophie’s smaller works on show in The Gallery.

These impactful works will be free for all to see throughout the Spring and are sure to surprise

Tom Jones, Paloma Faith and Noel Gallagher’s High-Flying Birds are already sold out, and you’ll need to be quick to get tickets for Pete Tong’s Ibiza Classics, man of the moment Tom Grennan and Primal Scream’s 30 anniversary to u r f o r t h e i r i c o n i c a l b u m Screamadelica. More big names are being announced imminently too.

You might have heard about some rather exciting filming which has been taking place at The Piece Hall recently. We were delighted to be approached b y one of the industry’s major playe rs looking for a special location for a shoot. While we’re sworn to secrecy over the details of the production, what I can say is, it’s marvellous news for both the Piece Hall Trust and the town!

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Losing interest in celebrities brought Lisa home to York include the late Dame Elizabeth Taylor, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and the Beckhams.

I was presented to HM The Queen during Diamond Jubilee celebrations at Buckingham Palace, sipped beer while chatting to TRH Prince William and Prince Harry and danced on a revolving dance floor at Sir Elton John’s home with Elizabeth Hurley and Justin Timberlake. So, what could have made me walk out of this incredible career and flee back to Yorkshire? The answer is simple. I lost interest in ‘celebrities.”

We have a number of fantastic businesswomen here in Yorkshire and none more so than Lisa Byrne the former editor-in-chief of OK magazine, who is based in York.

Lisa chatted with Yorkshire Businesswoman editor Gill Laidler.

If I hadn’t walked out of the editorial office of OK! Magazine in December 2012, I very much doubt I would be here to write for this piece for you, my dear illustrious Yorkshire Businesswomen readers.

This is not me being a drama queen, but just being honest. You see, I had spent many years working ridiculous hours editing the best-selling celebrity

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publication in the country. I was hugely fortunate to work with an incredible team of highly creative people, whom I am lucky enough to still call friends.

My job was fabulous, non-stop glamorous events to attend clad in yet another gorgeous outfit lent (and occasionally gifted) by the top designer du jour. And the celebrities who I met and interviewed were otherworldly.

There are too many to mention but

The old school Hollywood and British stars who exuded glamour, grit and charisma had been replaced by ‘reality stars’ who would do anything to be famous, including humiliate themselves to a horrifying degree. And like all mainstream press and media, OK! was feeding off their romances, breakdowns and public degradations.

And I was putting ‘exclusives’ on the cover with people who I genuinely couldn’t care less about. I tried, by watching TOWIE, Kardashians, even Ex on the Beach for crying out loud.

But it was no use, I couldn’t force myself to possess any kind of human emotion, be it sympathy, affection, or a glimmer of passion for these poor ‘butt-lift cheeked’ souls. And once I knew I didn’t have a minor F

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semblance of warmth or enthusiasm for my subject, I had to go.

On top of this the work was becoming hugely stressful. I could never sleep on Wednesday evening dreading the sales figures that came through on Thursday.

As a magazine editor, I was fighting a losing battle against on the onslaught of social media. Celebrities could now actually control the narrative and issue directives with immediate effect, so our magazine would always be late with the story.

I was occasionally sick before a board meeting, worried about the berating I would receive for not creating new stars and for failing to single handily control the worldwide web, so I walked.

Then, only a few weeks later I was lying on the sofa when my cocker spaniel Diggerley jumped on top of me and started nudging the left part of my chest and whining. I felt immediate pain and found a small lump which hurt at the touch.

Now, if I had still been working, I KNOW that I would have put off

going to see my doctor, persuading myself that the lump was nothing to worry about - deadline, covers, sales figures were far more important. But because I wasn’t living in an OK! bubble, I had time to invest in myself and immediately booked an appointment.

I was devastated to be diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer but thanked

God for my incredible oncologist Professor Jayant Vaidya who kept me positive during gruelling treatment.

At the end of this medical process, I expected to feel so joyful, bursting with gratitude and life, but the hormone therapy, which put me into early menopause, totally sapped my energy and made me feel very low - the only thing I could fixate on was going back up north.

Apart from my wonderful family and friends, my saving grace has been moving back to my home city of York.

I am a history obsessive so there’s nothing better than walking through the city’s cobbled streets, imagining the Romans and Vikings walking before you. We found a beautiful ancient farmhouse in the country, and after renovating it, I finally had the space to ask myself, what next?

I am very sociable so I knew public relations would be a great place for me, plus I personally know the great

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and the good of Fleet Street, along with stars and their agents, which really helps. I launched Lisa Byrne PR, a bespoke luxury PR company, and I am very proud of my clients.

I look after The Ivy Restaurants in York and Harrogate, which are the most wonderful places with dynamic teams of people making sure all diners have a lovely experience, plus it means I can satisfy my Ivy Shepherd’s Pie addiction. I have helped to get celebrities like Dame Joan Collins through their illustrious doors as well as work on highly productive relationships with local businesses.

I am also lucky enough to work with Broughton Hall and Avalon Wellbeing Sanctuary. The owners, Roger Tempest and Paris Ackrill, have incredible vision for creating a beautiful slice on heaven in this ethereal part of Yorkshire that has been in the Tempest family for over 1,000 years. They have undertaken a huge rewilding development, which,

FACT FILE: Children: Bronte 13 and Merlin 6 (he is a chocolate cocker spaniel!)

What car do you drive? Land Rover.

What do you do in your leisure time? See my gorgeous friends and family, read, walk and meditate.

Where is your favourite restaurant? II Paradiso Del Cibo, Walmgate, York.

What is your favourite food and drink? Spaghetti alle vongole tempranillo, cheese and Earl Grey.

Where is your favourite holiday destination? Ireland, Italy and India.

along with the fascinating retreats for personal transformation, which Avalon offers, it’s no wonder the sanctuary has been hailed as one of the best in the world.

I also represent a luxury Yorkshire holiday company Beautiful Escapes.

The passionate mother and daughter team, Angela and Charlotte Graham Where is your favourite place in Yorkshire? York, where we walk with ghosts.

Who are the women who inspire you? Philippa Langley, Jilly Cooper, Barbara Taylor Bradford and my wonderful godmother Anna Fleming.

What is your favourite gadget?

Soup maker.

What couldn’t you do without?

Cuddles with dogs.

Follow Lisa on LisaByrnePR or email her on lisabyrneyork@ gmail.com

have retained me through the worst of the pandemic when the entire world seemed to shut down, and for that loyalty I am truly grateful.

They boast the most glorious of properties in their portfolio, ranging from ancient country dwellings to stately halls.

Alongside my PR work, I continue to write features for the nationals, as well as producing a book and screen play. I’m lucky to be contacted by companies on a regular basis for PR, and, in the near future, hope to work on some fascinating historical projects.

My advice to anyone wanting to achieve in the field of public relations and media is put your phone down and get out and meet people. Nothing comes close to having that personal contact, it’s priceless. Also, I never send out press releases but call each journalist personally. And having been through a life changing illness, I know how important it is to put your own physical and mental health first.

We are only here for a short time. Do what you love and love what you do.

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Creativity set Jennie on the right path

The story of Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil began in the beautifully unspoilt countryside of the Yorkshire Wolds, where the crops that result in the multi award-winning products are grown and harvested at North Breckenholme Farm in Thixendale.

Tucked away in the rolling hills of North Yorkshire, yet just a short drive from the city of York Jennie and Adam Palmer have made Breckenholme Farm their home, which has been worked by Adam’s family since the early 1950s. Adam took over the running in 2002.

The core business has traditionally been arable farming and sheep rearing but with changing times, diversification was the key to a successful future. Following extensive research the aim was to produce rapeseed oil to sell in bulk to large food manufacturers, but fate stepped in and following the couple’s decision to sell bottled oil at

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local farmers markets, transformed the business and now the team can be found at most markets and shows across the region as well as many stockists.

The original natural oil is a firm favourite with customers and local chefs. The oils distinctive nutty flavour is considered to be a result of the unique qualities of the chalky ground where it grows.

Since launch an extensive range of flavoured oils, dressings and mayonnaise have been created using the natural oil as a base, all from this small family business.

Jennie Palmer - Charlie & Ivy’s - Chilli Collection

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Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil Natural

Yorkshire Businesswoman editor Gill Laidler caught up with Jennie Palmer to find out more.

When she was growing up, Jennie wanted to go into the arts and for a long time yearned to be a makeup artist based in the West End, that progressed into costume design.

“My parents ran their own business though and I could always see myself working for a small company or even for myself,” Jennie told us.

After leaving school Jennie headed to The University of Humberside to study theatre and television design.

“I had intended to study further, but after completion of my HND I was done with student life and wanted to get my teeth into work. Luckily theatre is a career path that supports that process.

“My first job was at Harrogate Theatre

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Jennie Palmer - Breckenholme - Corporate Gifting

as a wardrobe assistant and after my first year I was promoted to wardrobe supervisor, responsible for managing

a team and working with directors and designers to make their creative visions a reality.”

she continued, “that is where my heart is in design, photography, recipe development etc, they are the best days.”

Successful

Ten years after joining the theatre, Jennie had her first child. “It became quickly apparent that theatre demands, and a young family were not well paired. Around that time diversification at the farm had started and was still in its infancy. Adam and I decided to explore what I could bring to the business and ten years on I work for the company full time, managing the marketing and creative side of the business.

“I am very lucky that my theatre life was filled with diversity. I never considered at any point that I would be employed. My current role is quite mixed. We work alongside many other small businesses who are led as much by men as women. I think female founders, creatives and businesswomen are well supported these days and I feel very lucky to have enjoyed my career without feeling the divide.

“I love the diversity of my job. Some days I might be running a photo shoot, other days putting together presentations to buyers or just getting my head down helping in production.

I will always enjoy the creative side of my job,”

Jennie does sometimes question her own ability in doing her job, better known as imposter syndrome. “With no formal marketing training, I sometimes feel a bit of a fraud, but I am very lucky to have a really good team around me and we work well together, they can turn any day around. I don’t think there is much I would change though if I was able to. Some days we look back on old designs and wonder why we did it that way and question our journey, but everything we have experienced as a family business has helped make us who we are today and fundamentally I wouldn’t change that. I think if I was able to offer advice to my younger self it would be not to worry so much. Life generally has its own path that you find yourself on and it’s not always one that you had planned, you just need to go with it, I think I would ask more questions too, we all have to keep learning,” she added.

Jennie and Adam have plans to keep growing the business and become as successful as they can possibly be. It’s hard work but rewarding as I also continue to study and learn, being as creative as possible.

One area where they have branched out is the publishing of a recipe book, Cooking with Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil. The book contains over 100 recipes across 164 pages, using products from the farm. The book was published

by Jennie’s parents Angie and Paul Boyer.

Together they developed the recipes from basics such as bread and dough to main meals and desserts. “This was a perfect partnership,” Jennie continued. “My parents background is in design and publishing plus they both have a real passion for cooking. The whole premise of Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil as a brand is to be accessible, so it made sense that the book should have a real home cooking feel to it with recipes that everyone is able to try.

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New Leeds hospitals will be among the most sustainable Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s ambition to be one of the greenest in the NHS will be taken forward in the design of its two new state-of-the-art hospitals – part of its Hospitals of the Future project.

The COP26 environmental summit in Glasgow in November last year placed sustainability as one of its main themes - encouraging more sustainable behaviours to leave a positive legacy.

Energy, carbon emissions and the use of sustainable construction methods and materials are areas of particular significance in the Trust’s green plan.

The new hospitals – a new home for Leeds Children’s Hospital and a new adults’ hospital as well as a new maternity centre – are being built on parts of the old LGI site that are currently being demolished. The project is part of the Trust’s Building the Leeds

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Way (BtLW) programme that also includes the development of a new pathology laboratory at St James’s Hospital which will serve hospitals in West Yorkshire and Harrogate.

S i m o n Wo r t h i n g t o n , L e e d s Te a c h i n g H o s p i t a l s N H S Trust Director of Finance and Senior Responsible Officer for the Building the Leeds Way Programme, said: “It is the Trust’s goal to become one of the greenest NHS Trusts in the UK and we’ve made great strides in the last few years towards making that happen in our current operations.

“Building the new hospitals, and the redevelopment of large parts of the old LGI site, will be the biggest

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project of its kind in Leeds city centre in a generation. We knew from the outset how important it was that the new hospitals should be designed and constructed to a rigorous set of requirements to ensure we are creating e nvironme ntally responsible buildings, not just for today but for the next 60 years and beyond.

“We therefore made it plain that we wanted to see an integrated approach from our designers that provides world class patient facilities while reducing waste and energy use by using renewable energy sources, construction materials and methods that support the Trust in delivering its ambition towards achieving net zero carbon.”

He said the Trust was pleased and impressed with the outline proposals put forward by appointed architects Perkins and Will and o t h e r d e s i g n te a m m e m b e r s including WSP who are the design lead for sustainability and net zero carbon. “The proposals for the new hospitals aim to address our sustainability criteria by focussing on net-zero carbon and seeking to deliver against construction industry benchmark standards such as WELL and BREEAM,” added Mr Worthington.

Mike Bacon, Building the Leeds Way programme director, said close collaboration between the Trust and designers will support the ambition to deliver truly sustainable, long-life buildings that will be fully adaptable to the changing nature of healthcare.

“Having a patient-centred approach has also led to the design of a

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building with plenty of natural light whilst the whole-life carbon impact of the building will be minimised through the careful selection of materials,” he said. “Heat will be preserved through high levels of insulation and the provision of window areas that efficiently balance the penetration of daylight and heat loss.”

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Grey water reuse

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Onsite solar energy harvesting

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Passive design & energy recapture (the capture and reuse of waste heat)

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Maximising the capture and use of natural light

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Natural ventilation

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Proposed provision for bird, bat and bee hotels

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Outdoor gardens and terraces

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Sophisticated energy management systems that maximise energy efficiency and minimise waste

The Hospitals of the Future project is one of 40 new hospitals the Government has committed to build by 2030. The outstanding facilities in the new hospitals for Leeds will benefit not just patients in the city, but also those from across the Yorkshire region, and in some cases even further afield.

He added: “Sustainability is not just important to us in the design and build phases of the new hospitals, it has also played an important role in the demolition of those parts of the Leeds General Infirmary site that are being cleared to make way for the two new hospitals.”

Working with its demolition contractors DSM, the Trust is aiming to recycle between 95% to 99% of the old buildings, with current rates running at about 97%. This has involved crushing brickwork and using it for hardcore in the •

Rainwater collection and biofiltration

Demolition of the old buildings on the new hospitals’ development site are expected to be completed

by March. The concept designs of the new hospitals by t h e Pe r k i n s &W i l l t e a m a r e being progressed further during the coming months through robust design development involving a range of inputs from staff, patients and partners at a number of engagement sessions. It is planned that the new facilities in Leeds will be fully operational in 2027.

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Getting the green light: sustainable British Library redevelopment

Planned improvements will transform the Library’s site at Boston Spa into a modern and sustainable home for the UK’s growing national collection.

New low carbon automated storage building will use the highest levels of air tightness to achieve maximum energy efficiency Major refurbishment to deliver an improved environment for staff and visitors, as well as greater biodiversity In December Leeds City Council granted planning permission for the large-scale redevelopment of the British Library’s site at Boston Spa. A major construction project will transform the 44 acre site - originally a World War II armaments factory, and for the past six decades the northern home of the UK national library - into a modern archive capable of storing its growing collection for decades to come. The £95 million Go ve rnme nt funded redevelopment will create much-needed storage capacity, with further work dedicated to improving facilities for staff and visitors and making significant improvements to the environmental sustainability of the site.

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Following significant government investment, the Library is expanding and refurbishing the West Yorkshire facility. The Library’s team, supported by Carter Jonas, Project Management and Planning Consultancy teams, submitted a planning application to Leeds City Council last year.

The plans reflect the importance of sustainability within the development, which will see the creation of a low carbon archive and new green spaces designed to support biodiversity. The Library’s design team will work alongside Wates Construction, architects, C a r m o d y G r o a r ke , b u i l d i n g services engineers, Buro Happold, structural engineer, Price and Myers, and landscape architects J&L Gibbons to advance the aspirations for the site.

The Library has also secured a Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) grant. An additional £8.5 million in funding means a range of energy-saving initiatives are already being introduced at the Boston Spa site, including installing:

Around 730 solar panels providing a minimum of 225 MWh per annum A new ground source heat pump system, which will help reduce the Library’s reliance on fossil fuels and will generate an anticipated 1MW of energy – the equivalent of powering 650 average homes Additional smart meters, better insulation and the replacement of low-energy efficiency fluorescent lamps within existing buildings.

As part of the new development, 220km of extra shelf space will be created in a new high-density, automated storage building which will have the highest possible level of air tightness creating a low energy passive archive. Once complete visitors to the Library’s Boston Spa site will be able to see the inner workings of the spectacular storage facility through a new public viewing gallery.

The redevelopment of the site at Boston Spa will support and enable the Library’s equally ambitious plans for a major new public centre

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at Temple Works in Leeds city centre. In July last year, West Yorkshire Combined Authority ( WYCA) released an initial £5 million of funding for urgently needed stabilisation works and detailed investigatory work to assess the viability of transforming Temple Works into a new home for the British Library in Leeds. The unrivalled collections, resources and staff based at Boston Spa would power the public-facing offering that is planned for Temple Works.

Phil Spence, chief operating officer of the British Library, said: “We are delighted that Leeds City Council have approved our plans to re-develop our site at Boston Spa to accommodate the UK’s growing national collection and build on our commitment to shaping a brighter

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climate future. A national library “With the British Library’s plans for is, by its very nature, a long-term Temple Works also progressing, it is investment and an expression of clear that a long term, sustainable hope in the future, so it’s essential vision for their prese nce in that sustainability should be at Leeds is taking shape, which will the heart of this development. It play a huge part in cementing the marks a major step forward towards city’s ever-growing reputation as transforming our presence in the a centre for cultural excellence and north of England and creating innovation and supporting high a sustainable British Library for quality jobs in the city.” everyone”.

Culture secretary Nadine Dorries, said: “I am delighted Vision that the British Library’s planned de velopme nt of sustainable Councillor James Lewis, leader of Leeds City Council, said: “It’s storage facilities in Boston Spa exciting to see plans to redevelop has been given the green light. this important site take a huge With Government investment, step forward and for a prestigious this state-of-the-art facility organisation like the British Library will help the British Library house to be demonstrating a strong its growing collection, expand commitment to Leeds and a belief its presence in the north and that the city is a fitting home for bring its ambition for a public site in the centre of Leeds a step closer.” their unrivalled collection.

Not all scars can be seen Each year Yorkshire Businesswoman selects a charity to support and in 2022 we will be supporting The Burns Club, a charity set up to support families whose children have been affected.

One of the charities founders Tracy Foster is a play specialist working on the regional burn’s unit at Pinderfields Hospital. Tracy has seen first had how both children and their families are affected.

The charity provides children with opportunities that may not otherwise be given. This includes a variety of activities such as caving, climbing, canoeing, high rope challenges and orienteering.

The volunteers strive to provide

a secure environment where young people and their families can be themselves, away from the pressures which come from ‘being different’. The charity and all camps are funded without NHS support and needs around £30,000 annually.

If your child has suffered and needs support, or you would like to volunteer or help raise funds, please get in touch. Tracy. foster@burns-club.org.uk

Following injury, my son attended many camps, making friends, building his confidence and learned he is not the only one with a burn. The difference this has made to my son is incredible, he has now turned into a confident 23-year-old young man A.Parent Yo r k s h i r e B u s i n e s s Wo m a n

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Yorkshire witch hopes to cast spell over Barnsley

An NHS nurse who has devoted over 40 years to caring for others has swapped her bandages for broomsticks to create a sanctuary dedicated to exploring the mystical and magical.

Pearl Armstrong opened the doors to her Barnsley-based business, The Yorkshire Witch, on Halloween, and since that time her unique collection of healing crystals, books and even potions are being used to challenge everything you thought you knew about the world of witchcraft and has quickly become an instant hit with aspiring witches and seasoned spell-casters alike.

Following a change in family circumstances during last year’s lockdown, Pearl decided to explore the idea of running her own

business and drew on her knowledge of witchcraft for inspiration. Ready to invest her life savings in the venture, the stars aligned for Pearl when she secured the premises her business desperately needed.

At the same time, and very aware that she had no previous experience of running a business, Pearl reached out to the Sheffield City Region Launchpad, a unique programme that provides free support, training and access to workshops, to help her build her dream business.

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Working alongside experienced business adviser Nicole Harte, Pearl began refining her business plans, as well as taking part in a range of courses, helping her to understand what it took to run a successful start-up. Pearl spent time getting to grips with understanding the finances of running a company, as well as learning how to harness social

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media to showcase her unusual range of products.

Since securing her dream premises, Pearl has successfully transformed the former hair salon into a sanctuary dedicated to celebrating witchcraft and wiccan. Inside, visitors can treat themselves to specially created spell bottles, learn more about witchcraft

and the healing properties of crystals, as well as enjoying a unique blend of coffee, served in a cauldron-shaped cup, which was created for Pearl’s fledgling business.

Since opening the doors, Pearl’s business has attracted a loyal following, and she has even recruited her three daughters to help her. However,

means a healer, who often worked as midwives and were responsible for using herbs to create medicines. It’s something that has fascinated me since my early 20s, and after a change in family circumstances I decided that the time was right to share what I’ve learned with others and use my knowledge to help dispel a few myths about the world of witchcraft and wiccan.

perhaps more remarkably, she continues to balance the pressures of running her own business with working on the wards in her local hospital.

Pearl said: “When most people think of witchcraft, they tend to think of green faced hags flying around on a broomstick; however, the term really

healthcare to witchcraft is quite an unusual career progression, but like many entrepreneurs, Pearl decided to build her business around a subject area that she knew well. The challenge she faced was that although she had a great business concept, she was unsure how to transform her ideas into a reality and reached out to Launchpad for help.

“Launchpad was developed to help new entrepreneurs understand what it takes Opportunity to transform an idea into a successful business venture by providing access “Wiccan is about exploring and celebrating Mother Earth. It’s an to a wide range of training workshops ancient belief system where crystals and one-to-one support. It can take an have been used for thousands of years enormous amount of time, dedication for their healing and spiritual powers. and drive to transform an idea into a Over the years, it has often surprised reality, and I think Pearl’s journey is all me to discover how many nurses use the more incredible because she can crystals to keep them safe during still be found doing her bit to support their shifts, and I wanted to create a the NHS by working on the wards safe place where people can find out and continuing to keep us all safe more about how it can be used as a during the pandemic. I’m confident force for good. Having worked in the that Pearl’s very unusual business will healthcare sector most of my career, enjoy a bright future.”

I knew running a business would be something very different to my Since launching Pearl is hoping to work on the wards, but I saw it as a become a celebrant, enabling her to challenge and a golden opportunity preside over weddings and funerals. to finally do something I’ve dreamed She is also hoping to launch a series of podcasts where she examines the about for many years. history and origins of witchcraft and “The Launchpad programme didn’t also develop her online retail store. just help me to understand what it takes to run a business; it gave Launchpad is the Sheffield City Region me an opportunity to explore and Growth Hub’s key business support develop my ideas. There’s a real sense programme for new businesses. of community on the programme, Financially supported by the European and Nicole and the Launchpad Regional Development Fund and team have been amazing. They are delivered by local authorities within always on hand when I’ve got a the Sheffield City Region and the question and have given me the belief Prince’s Trust, the programme provides and encouragement to believe free help and support to budding that my idea for a business entrepreneurs in the Sheffield City Region who are thinking of starting could work.”

Nicole Harte, Business Adviser, their own business or looking for help Launchpad, said: “Moving from to achieve business growth.

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Yorkshire Sculpture Park unveils new works All images © Jonty Wilde courtesy Yorkshire Sculpture Park

The Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP) are delighted to announce new arrivals this season. Put on your winter warmers, walking boots and breathe in the crisp fresh air while exploring the Park. If the weather takes a turn, visitors can enjoy exhibitions at one of the many indoor galleries, shops and eateries.

As winter falls across YSP, the team welcome the changes to the sweeping Yorkshire landscape and art on view in the open air. Set within 500 acres of historic landscape, comprising parkland, woodland, formal gardens, heritage landmarks and lakes – YSP has around 100 modern and contemporary sculptures for visitors to enjoy. The ever-changing display of sculptures, along with the programme of exhibitions and events, means that there is always something new to discover.

Hazmat Love (2016) by North American artist Tom Friedman greets visitors in the Formal Garden. The stainless-steel sculpture depicts two figures who might be

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embracing, wrestling or dancing together.

The relationship between them is unclear and their facial expressions are hidden by mirrored masks. Friedman first created the work using flattened and shaped aluminium roasting trays to resemble baggy fabric, elastic, boots and thick gloves.

The marks and folds made by the artist can still be seen in the surface of the work. Friedman described Hazmat Love as a scene of ‘dystopian romance – love in a toxic environment’ so is especially pertinent now.

Continue wandering through the Formal Garden and you will see Edward Allington’s sculpture installed last year has a new

Tom Friedman - Hazmat Love 2016

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Idit Nathan and Helen Stratford - Further Afield 2021

Willem Boshoff - Flagstone 2016

companion. From the Sex of Metals III (1990) joins From the Sex of Metals IV (1990), made in response to a question from art critic Stuart Morgan as to what sex Allington’s sculptures were to be read as. The artist was unable to answer satisfactorily, and so began these works as a way to explore the question further, asking “to what strange gender does steel belong or bronze, and what is sex but the most extraordinary and elaborate mechanism for filtering fluids?”

Further Afield (2021) by Idit Nathan and Helen Stratford is a series of sculptures sited around the Upper Lake for visitors to encounter and respond to. Created following two residencies at YSP in 2017 and 2018, each work is made from wooden railway sleepers, with words engraved into the surface. Certain words have been highlighted by the artists using brightly coloured paint.

Over time, the wood will age and become embedded in the landscape of the Park. The instructions on the sculptures invite us to play,

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Edward Allington from The Sex-of-Metals iii and from the sex of metals iv 1990

think, interact, and use our senses to experience our surroundings in new ways.

Rest and take in the Upper Lake’s wildlife at Willem Boshoff’s granite sculpture and seat. After yet another turbulent year, Flagstone (2016) provides the perfect space for contemplation. In summer 2018, South African artist Boshoff spent a

m o n t h a t Y S P, r e s e a r c h i n g and meticulously recording the flora and fauna. The residency was followed by an exhibition in Upper Space and the subsequent gift of Flagstone as a permanent work for YSP’s landscape.

YSP are delighted to welcome another work, Protomartyr (1976), by the pioneering British artist Elisabeth Frink

Ai-weiwei circle of animals-zodiac-heads-(detail) 2010

YSP is committed to providing the highest level of care for artworks. From bracing winds to balmy heatwaves, their expert teams monitor and conserve sculptures so that they look their best for visitors. A firm favourite, Ai Weiwei’s Circle of Animals / Zodiac Heads (2010) was originally installed at YSP in celebration of our 40th anniversary in 2017. This summer the dramatic group of 12 bronze animal heads underwent conservation and is back on display in their new position in the Lower Park. Standing at three metres high, the sculptures each weigh 363kg, and were conserved on-site over a period of three months.

Elisabeth Frink Protomartyr 1976

who was an early supporter of Amnesty International.

On loan from a private collection, the life-sized bronze depicts the first Christian martyr, Saint Stephen, who provided aid to those in need and was tragically sentenced to death. Frink modelled her works using plaster, often starting with metal rods or wire to provide structure. Once the plaster dried she would carve into it using chisels, files and an axe, before casting the work in bronze. Through this process she tried to capture inner and outer states of being.

After taking in the delights of YSP’s landscape and galleries, seek solace at award-winning The Weston Restaurant and enjoy locally sourced food and excellent coffee. As we wave goodbye to a difficult year, YSP is dedicated to keeping their visitors safe, providing an exceptional place to dive into art and nature.

As we look forward to 2022, YSP is thrilled to present a programme of new exhibitions, installations, events and learning initiatives to keep audiences informed and engaged.

Highlights include an exhibition of drawings by sculptor and land artist David Nash, the first European museum exhibition of sculpture by iconic North American artist Robert Indiana, and Summer of Love – a season celebrating and exploring human connections, kindness, and the magnificent and complex diversity of love. Visitors will be able to enjoy further additions to works in the open air throughout 2022.

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THIS BMW IS ELECTRIFYING

By: Graham Courtney - Motoring Correspondent

When the clocks struck midnight and the fireworks went off on January 1st, we welcomed 2022. But a lot of you reading this will be completely unaware that another clock is ticking away in the background and it is steadily counting down to zero. In eight years, when we hit January 1st 2030, you will no longer be able to buy a new car which is powered by a conventional petrol or diesel engine. They’re banned. Hybrids have a stay of execution until 2035.

Whether you like the idea or not, electric cars will eventually appear on your shopping list.

To their credit, the motor manufacturers are getting their act together. It remains to be seen whether the government and the utility firms can provide us with the infrastructure to actually charge all of these electric cars….but that’s another story.

Brand new models, some of which look a bit whacky, are in the pipeline, but BMW is playing it safe with their BMW i4. To the untrained eye it looks like an ordinary 4 Series Gran Coupé.

In other words, if you’d rather not shout about the fact that you’re driving an electric car, this Beemer has already ticked a very large box.

At the moment, two versions are on offer. There’s the 335 bhp eDrive40 which starts at just under £52k and then there’s the one we’ve been drivingF Yo r k s h i r e B u s i n e s s Wo m a n

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the thumping M50 which develops a staggering 537bhp and tips the scales from £63,905 although it is only available at the moment in a single, fully loaded trim level. It’s distinguished by a subtle spoiler and additional air intakes for the brakes.

Needless to say that performance is breathtaking. 0-60mph comes up in 3.9 seconds. Whereas the eDrive40 version has a single motor and rear wheel drive, the M50 has two motors and all-wheel drive. Bearing in mind that electric motors deliver 100 per cent power instantly, the take-off from standstill is enough to blur your vision.

BMW reckon on a range of 318 miles, assuming you resist constantly using all of the power. For the record, the 40 model has a predicted range of 352 miles and a 0-60 time of 5.7 seconds… so it’s no slouch. Both can charge their battery up to 80 per cent in around 30 minutes if you can find a rapid charger.

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Regenerative braking (the car charges the battery when you brake) is adjustable. In the most extreme position you can drive using the accelerator pedal alone for most of a journey. Ease off, the regenerative braking cuts in and can slow you close to standstill. There’s also an adaptive setting which varies the regenerative braking by judging the road conditions. Clever.

The adaptive suspension (an option on the eDrive40) keeps everything under control. Progress is remarkably civilised for such a powerful car. You also ride along in near silence with hardly any tyre or wind noise.

As well as looking almost identical to the standard 4-Series BMW from the outside, it’s pleasing to note that you don’t need to re-educate yourself when you hop in. Most of the controls are in the same place as other 3 and 4 Series models. The big difference is

the enormous 15-inch infotainment screen which controls just about everything. It’s brilliant. Looks great too. Thankfully BMW have stuck with their rotary controller knob which is situated between the front seats.

This allows you to type in sat nav directions for example without the need to dab at the screen.

The interior is stylish and comfy. You also get a seriously high level of trim in the M50… all of the essentials and safety gizmos come as standard.

Too often when a manufacturer takes one of its cars and adapts it for electric power, you can tell that it’s a stop-gap rather than being designed to accept batteries and electric motors from the outset. Not so with the BMW i4. It’s a compelling argument for switching to electric power, especially if you are a company driver. Throw in performance and a decent range as a bonus, and the BMW i4 rates as one of the best electric cars around.

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