CORNWALL'S PREMIER BUSINESS RESOURCE FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND OPINION
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FEBRUARY 2021 | ISSUE 144 | £3.95
THE GOOD LIFE
JAMES STRAWBRIDGE ON HEALTH AND WELLBEING
FINANCE & FUNDING
HOW TO SECURE INVESTMENT
02
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FEBRUARY 2021
INSIDE FEATURES 10 CEO INTERVIEW JAMES STRAWBRIDGE ON WHAT HEALTH AND WELLBEING MEANS TO HIM
16 HEALTH AND WELLBEING FOCUS ON THE GROWING IMPORTANCE OF STAFF WELFARE
24 GROWTH PROGRAMME THE E-HEALTH SECTOR
26 FINANCE AND FUNDING HOW TO ATTRACT INVESTMENT TO HELP GROW YOUR BUSINESS
ISSUE 144
REGULARS 4 INCOMING G7 COMING TO CORNWALL
6 BUSINESS NEWS CORNISH METALS SEEKS AIM FLOTATION
35 ON THE MOVE WHO’S GONE WHERE
36 EDUCATION & TRAINING NEWS OBE FOR DAVID WALROND
37 FSB FEDERATION OF SMALL BUSINESSES
38 CREATIVE & DIGITAL £50M WILDANET FUNDING
39 FOOD & DRINK
40 TOURISM TRAINING BUSINESS CLOSES
41 CHAMBER NEWS LATEST FROM CORNWALL CHAMBER
42 TEST DRIVE THE BRAND NEW CUPRA FORMENTOR
44 CONNECTED CORNWALL SUSTAINABILITY AWARDS
46 JUST A THOUGHT STEPHENS SCOWN MANAGING PARTNER RICHARD BAKER
48 THE LAST WORD VITAMIN’S JACOB BECKETT
PERMANENT POPUP
PHOTO: £100M WELSH WATERFRONT WIN SEE PAGE 6 FOR FULL STORY
BUSINESS CORNWALL | 1
FEBRUARY 2021
CORNWALL'S PREMIER BUSINESS RESOURCE FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND OPINION
businesscornwall.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2021 | ISSUE 144 | £3.95
THE GOOD LIFE
JAMES STRAWBRIDGE ON HEALTH AND WELLBEING
FINANCE & FUNDING
HOW TO SECURE INVESTMENT
02
02 9 772514
842001
9 772514
842001
ON THE COVER JAMES STRAWBRIDGE – SEE PAGE 10
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Nick Eyriey nick@businesscornwall.co.uk PUBLISHER Toni Eyriey toni@businesscornwall.co.uk BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Morveth Ward morveth@businesscornwall.co.uk
WELCOME CORNWALL JOINS THE G7
‘Amazing’, ‘surreal’, even ‘bonkers’, all words that greeted the announcement that Cornwall is set to host the G7 conference this summer. For three days in June (11-13), the eyes of the world will be focused on the Duchy as the leaders of the world’s richest nations descend upon Carbis Bay for the annual meeting of the G7. It will be the first time the G7 conference has been hosted in the UK since 2013 and is seen by many as a huge honour for Cornwall. The occasion will undoubtedly bring a boost to Cornwall’s tourism sector – particularly if, as pictures are beamed around the world, the sun is shining. But the opportunities of having Cornwall in the global spotlight extend far beyond tourism. However, to make the most of those opportunities, that will be the challenge. While the future of the Cornish economy is unlikely to be on world leaders’ agenda, it is up to all of us to help shine the spotlight on the many emerging 21st century technologies and industries that Cornwall does have a key role to play in – spaceport, lithium, geothermal, floating offshore wind, creative etc. For it is sectors like these that the Prime Minister is referring to when he says “Cornwall is the perfect location for such a crucial summit”.
ACCOUNT MANAGER Caroline Carter caroline@businesscornwall.co.uk CONTRIBUTORS PFA Research, Toby Weller DESIGN Ade Taylor design@businesscornwall.co.uk PRINT Printed in Cornwall by Deltor BUSINESS CORNWALL is published 10 times a year by: Tonick Business Publishing Pool Innovation Centre Trevenson Road Redruth TR15 3PL Tel: 01209 718688
SUBSCRIPTIONS subscriptions@businesscornwall.co.uk Registered under the Data Protection Act. All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied, stored in an electronic retrieval system or transmitted without the written permission of the publisher. Stringent efforts have been made by Business Cornwall magazine to ensure accuracy. However, due principally to the fact that data cannot always be verified, it is possible that some errors or omissions may occur. Business Cornwall magazine can not accept responsibility for such errors or omissions. Business Cornwall magazine accepts no responsibility for comments made by interviewees that may offend.
The occasion will be surreal. Bonkers, too, probably, with the circus that will inevitably accompany the leaders this June. Let’s just hope it is also amazing and helps create a positive legacy that is felt for many years to come.
Business Cornwall Magazine is proud to be associated with
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BY EDITOR NICK EYRIEY
ISSUE 144
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INCOMING
THE CONVERSATION
RICHARD BAKER Stephens Scown
The big question
With Cornwall’s tourism industry being one of the hardest hit, there probably couldn’t be a better time for the announcement, as the summit will provide a legacy for years to come. It is also the perfect location from which to embed the environment and sustainability at the heart of G7 discussions. If Cornwall can embrace both smart tech and clean energy as a county, what a compelling case that would be.
ALISON OLIVER Bishop Fleming
The G7 Conference is set to be held in Cornwall this summer. A peculiar distraction or an incredible opportunity that could leave a lasting legacy for the Cornish economy? Join the conversation @biz_cornwall
/businesscornwall
businesscornwall.co.uk
ADVERTORIAL
Those of us who live and holiday in Cornwall know that it is a beautiful part of the world but Cornwall’s assets run deeper than that. The hosting of the G7 summit this summer is a fantastic opportunity to boost Cornwall’s profile worldwide not just as an international holiday destination, but to showcase some of the amazing products and the talent that the county has to offer and leave a lasting legacy of improved prosperity.
HENRY MAPLES Murrell Associates
I think it is a great opportunity to showcase the county on an international stage. Hopefully, the event will increase awareness in Whitehall of the county’s great businesses and improve our access to new post EU funding streams. In the face of stiff competition from the Northern Powerhouse and the Midlands Engine we need all the help we can get.
POST-BREXIT BUSINESS OVERVIEW Laurie Trounce, Partner at Stephens Scown LLP, provides a snapshot of the key implications of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) that are likely to affect businesses in Cornwall
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THE CONVERSATION
JULIAN HOCKING Nationwide Print
It is an unprecedented opportunity to showcase Cornwall globally. It’s not just a beautiful place but an area in the country that is leading in the green economy and has proved the perfect location for digital home working. The key is to translate the global publicity and revenue into long lasting investment and trade within the county.
MIKE KING
Cornwall Development Company This is a once in a generation opportunity to promote Cornwall for both inward investment and to showcase the world class export potential of our products and services on the biggest of international stages. CDC and Cornwall Trade and Investment look forward to working with Cornwall Council, The LEP and other stakeholders to realise the full and lasting benefits of the G7 to Cornwall.
KIM CONCHIE
Cornwall Chamber It is a fantastic opportunity…but we need to make sure we don’t airbrush out the deprivation that is in Cornwall and that the love is spread and trickled down to the places that need it. Importantly, we have to make sure that £50 million economic benefit that Visit Cornwall have talked about is not just a short-term impact between now and June. What I’m more interested in is securing investment and decent year-round proper, well-paid jobs
The TCA provides for free trade in goods and limited mutual market access in services, as well as for cooperation mechanisms in a range of policy areas, transitional provisions about EU access to UK fisheries, and UK participation in some EU programmes. Import-Export of Goods The good news is the continued absence of tariffs or quotas on imported / exported goods between the UK and the EU, however this only applies on goods meeting the TCA’s rules of origin. Businesses dependent on international supply chains will need to assess how the rules of origin apply to them. Additional customs
for years into the future. That will benefit everybody. It would be lovely if something like this became a kickstart for places like Camborne regaining its mojo, which it’s not really had since the days of tin mining.
ANDREW WEAVER
Live Events South West
INCOMING
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It will certainly shine the light on Cornwall, albeit the county is world renowned already. There will naturally be some economic benefit, but that benefit will not be across the board, only for certain sectors; on a macro level it will draw attention to things like our aerospace ambitions, lithium and natural energy projects and on a micro level those offering the venues, security, transport, catering and logistics are amongst a small handful of sectors. I’m not convinced world leaders will be buying a pasty from the high street though, but it might make a nice PR stunt!
MALCOLM BELL Visit Cornwall
Cornwall has been voted the best holiday region in the UK for 10 out of the last 11 years in the British Travel Award but is little known to many countries around the world. The G7 Leaders’ summit will shine a spotlight on our very special place and the worldwide exposure is promotion we could never buy. It will showcase the beauty of Cornwall and provide an opportunity to highlight our heritage, culture and the connections to each country, which will help drive increased numbers of international visitors to Cornwall over the next decade.
paperwork and checks will now apply. Services The TCA establishes some general principles of market access but they are subject to a long list of wide-ranging reservations. It will be necessary for UK businesses operating in the EU to verify if their service is subject to one of the exceptions and, if so, whether there are national restrictions they are subject to in particular EU member states.
of personal data from the EU to the UK. For data transfers from the UK to the EU, the UK government had already confirmed these are authorised to continue until at least 2024. If you would like to discuss the impacts of the TCA on your business in detail, please call Laurie Trounce on 01872 265100, email solicitors@stephens-scown.co.uk or visit www.stephens-scown.co.uk
Data Protection The TCA provides a further four month transitional period from 1 January 2021 permitting the continued transfer BUSINESS CORNWALL | 5
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BUSINESS NEWS
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SEASALT ONLINE BOOST
SOUTH CROFTY OWNER SEEKS AIM FLOTATION Cornish Metals has announced its intention to float on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange. The Canadian-owned company, formerly known as Strongbow Explorations, is looking to raise equity of up to £5 million to advance its core high grade copper-tin project at United Downs. It also owns the South Crofty tin mine. Cornish Metals’ portfolio includes copper, lithium and tin, key components for electric vehicle batteries, making the company well placed to satisfy growing demand for these metals as governments push towards greener economies.
CEO Richard Williams said: “I am delighted to share our decision to bring Cornish Metals to the London market. This is an opportunity for us to partner with investors from the United Kingdom, to work towards becoming a domestic supplier of technology metals fundamental to the world of e-vehicles, battery technology, renewable energy, 5G internet, computing, data storage, robotics, etc.
“United Downs is one of the most exciting exploration projects in the country. The commencement of a drilling programme will mark the start of a strategy to create a mining company with a Cornwall focus. There is an opportunity for Cornish Metals to become a domestic source of metals to the UK’s high-tech sector, where copper, tin and lithium are important.”
£100M WELSH WATERFRONT WIN
CAD Architects was appointed by the company leading the project, Conygar Holyhead Limited, after it viewed the successful waterfront development projects that CAD has carried out in Falmouth. CAD Architects’ MD, Mark Dawes, said: “This is fantastic news for our business, building our presence on the national stage and bringing financial benefit back to Cornwall. It recognises the excellent portfolio of work we have already carried out, both in Cornwall and around the rest of the country.”
Truro-based CAD Architects has been appointed to work on a £100 million development project in north Wales.
The proposed Holyhead Waterfront Redevelopment Scheme incorporates a new 250-berth marina, amphitheatre, promenade and gardens, together with over 250 new homes.
The ambitious scheme to transform Holyhead waterfront is one of the biggest projects of its kind in Wales.
After a period of public consultation, the final scheme will be presented to Ynys Mon Council for planning approval in April.
6 | BUSINESS CORNWALL
A big rise in online sales has helped Cornish fashion brand Seasalt offset the decline in its stores felt during the pandemic. For the five-week period ended January 2, overall sales increased by 17% compared with the same period last year, with a 44% fall in store sales more than compensated for by a 95% rise in online trade. International sales increased by 20% in the same period. The Covid-19 crisis has caused severe disruption to trading in Seasalt’s store estate and will continue to do so for at least the early part of 2021. Following the various lockdowns, store sales for the year ended January 30, 2021 are expected to be approximately 57% lower than those of the year ended February 1, 2020. However, Seasalt says online sales have grown well above expectations. Current expectations for the year ended January 30 are for online sales to have increased by 72% year on year. Overall, across all sales channels, sales are expected to be only 9% down year on year. For the year ended February 1, 2020, Seasalt reported a 15% rise in sales to £75.4 million. Operating profit stood at £1 million and profit before tax £0.7 million. CEO, Paul Hayes, said: “Staying close to our customers, being able to understand their needs and never forgetting our Cornish roots has helped us deliver this strong performance and allowed us to adapt at pace during the pandemic.”
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WOMEN + WAVES GOES GLOBAL
Newquay-based surf company Women + Waves is making waves down under, as its collaborative partnership with H&M rolls out. The ‘H&M x Women + Waves’ swimwear collection is in H&M stores and online across Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Peru and Uruguay for the first time. The new H&M and Women + Waves swimwear collaboration was launched across H&M stores and online in Europe and America in June. The new collection features sustainable swimwear designs, with a subtle 1990s look and cuts for an active lifestyle.
Pioneering plans for a new renewable power energy centre at Langarth Garden Village have been given the go-ahead. The decision of the Council’s Strategic Planning Committee to grant permission for a new renewable power energy centre to provide low-cost green power for residents is said to be a significant milestone for the Cornwall Council-led Langarth Garden Village scheme.
SIP Trunks with all UK calls included £7.50 /channel
Women + Waves was formed in 2017 and offers UK surf coaching weekends, women’s surf lessons and international surf trips including destinations such as California, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Bali and Morocco. Women + Waves also has its own collection and accessories range available online. Founder Rachel Murphy said: “It’s such an exciting time for us and to see the collection being worn at some of our favourite surf breaks by amazing women is incredible. Working with H&M has been a dream come true for us and we are just super stoked the collection has sold so well.”
GREEN LIGHT FOR ENERGY CENTRE
The new renewable power energy centre, which will play a key role in delivering the Council’s climate change strategy, could ultimately see around 20 megawatts of green energy generated at Langarth as part of the project’s developing energy strategy to provide low-cost green power for residents.
BUSINESS CORNWALL | 7
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Council England is using some of the Government’s Cultural Recovery Fund to offset the impacts of Covid-19.
KICKSTART FOR HFC PROJECT
“Once complete the Hall For Cornwall is expected to bring over £35 million to the Cornish economy in the first five years and create 165 jobs, and play an important role in our post-pandemic economic recovery.” HFC is undergoing an ambitious transformation which has seen the Grade II listed building en-tirely gutted to make way for a greatly enlarged auditorium, new cafés, bars, and creative busi-ness space. However, the £21.6 million project has been hit by delays after the site was forced to shut down entirely for a month during the first lockdown, and since then has been impacted by social distancing rules, slowing construction and increasing costs. The project had originally been due for completion last year but is now aiming to stage its first major show in September. Julien Boast, HFC’s chief executive and creative director, said: “The virus has delayed our reopening but that has only hardened our resolve to put together a fantastic programme of entertainment for our inaugural season.
The Hall For Cornwall (HFC) has been awarded a £2 million Arts Council England grant from the Capital KickStart fund, part of the Government’s £1.57 billion package to protect the UK’s culture and heritage sectors from the economic impacts of Covid-19. The National Lottery Heritage Fund has also confirmed that it is providing HFC
PADSTOW DEVELOPMENT Acorn Property Group’s Cornwall office Acorn Blue has completed on the purchase of a prime site in central Padstow with full planning permission for ten new build properties. Continuing from its success at Treglos in Constantine Bay, ‘The Padstow Collection’ will comprise three buildings, The Long Store being a modest block of six 2-bedroom apartments complete with a 3-bedroom penthouse, two 2-bedroom apartments in The Knot Barn and The Sail Loft, a 2-bedroom coach house. Construction was due to start early 2021 with completion expected by early 2022.
8 | BUSINESS CORNWALL
with an additional £231k, bringing its total investment to £2.8 million to support the restoring and promoting of the building’s rich 175-year history and its importance as a civic and municipal space. Truro and Falmouth MP, Cherilyn Mackrory, said: “This is a hugely important project for Cornwall and I’m delighted that Arts
Bernard Pooley has retired as head of the Azets Group office in Truro. Malcolm Peters, having worked with Pooley for over 30 years, has taken over the leadership of the Truro office. Pooley joined the firm, then Kelsall Steele, back in 1984. Across his 36 years with the company, he has led and been part of considerable change and progression that saw the firm become one of the largest accountancy practices in Cornwall.
Meanwhile, Cornwall’s cinemas are also set to benefit from the Culture Recovery Fund. Merlin’s operations in Redruth, Bodmin, Helston, Falmouth, St Ives and Penzance have all received £69.2k, while WTW’s screens in Truro, St Austell and Newquay have been awarded £172k.
BERNARD POOLEY RETIRES
The most recent change was the strategic move to join Kelsall Steele with (at the time) Baldwins, now Azets; ranked in the top ten UK accountancy firms. He said: “It has been a privilege to spend 36 years working with and advising such a wide range of businesses. Whilst we have
seen progression and change, the firm has maintained its core ethos of being friendly and personal, whilst offering the highest quality professional advice. “I have every confidence that in Malcolm’s very capable hands, the team at the Truro office will continue to go from strength to strength.”
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Penzance is set to benefit from a £10.4 million investment following a successful Cornwall Council bid to the Government’s Future High Street Fund.
£10.4M BOOST FOR PENZANCE
The Council led bid, supported by local stakeholders, was successful due to “the innovative mix” of regeneration opportunities brought forward to tackle the challenges that face the town and its high street, even before the effects of the coronavirus lockdowns.
Cornwall Council cabinet member for economy Tim Dwelly said: “Penzance has a lot to offer residents and visitors but as with many towns, Covid has accelerated long term trends, such as online shopping, and this has contributed to a decline in the vitality of the high street.
The funding will help deliver plans to bring a wide range of transformational improvements to the town’s high street to benefit residents and businesses, including housing, workspace and the regeneration of vacant high-street properties.
“This funding gives us the opportunity for the community, businesses and organisations to come together to deliver on projects that will pave the way for a brighter future where business and community meet, jobs are created, and businesses grow.”
NEWS IN BRIEF Cornwall Care has appointed a new chairperson. An experienced strategic healthcare leader, Sally Taylor was chief executive of St Luke’s Hospice in Plymouth for nearly 22 years and is the current vice chair of Torbay & South Devon NHS Trust. ____________________
DRONE FLIGHT FIRST FOR SCILLY A pioneering drone delivery flight has paved the way for a new lifeline connection with the Isles of Scilly and opened up the prospect of drone operations between airports across the UK. The successful return flight from Land’s End Airport to St Mary’s Airport on the Isles of Scilly, shortly before Christmas, was the first ever freight drone flight between two UK commercial airports. While only 30 miles in distance each way, the flight took the unmanned aircraft over some of the UK’s most rugged scenery and out over the Atlantic, carrying an NHS supply box on the outward leg, and returning with a
The 2021 Royal Cornwall Show is set to move from its usual dates in June, to later in the year. With the continued uncertainty of the Covid-19 pandemic, the decision has been taken to hold the event from September 9-11, to give more time for the vaccine to be rolled out and restrictions on public events to be eased. ____________________
selection of local produce from the islands, including flowers and artisan gin. The project is a collaboration between the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company and Hampshire-based UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) company Flylogix. They have entered a two-year partnership to develop with the local community what could be the UK’s first scheduled freight delivery service by drone, including plans to develop a larger, purpose-built UAV to meet islanders’ needs. The project is being supported by Cornwall Development Company’s AeroSpace Cornwall programme. Following the successful proving flight, there are plans to introduce a daily drone freight service between the mainland and Scilly this summer for a three-month trial period, and work towards a full commercial operation using a bespoke freight UAV within two years.
The Newquay Business Improvement (BID) has been voted in for a third term following a successful renewal ballot. A majority 59% of voting business pledged their support for the BID’s future. The third term of the BID programme will officially commence on April 1. ____________________ Wadebridge-based lingerie retailer Mish has been named among the UK’s most “Inspiring Independents” by Drapers. Drapers has been the leading authority on fashion retailing in the UK since 6 August 1887. ____________________ FC Payroll Solutions was named Specialist Provider of the Year at the Specialist Payroll & HR Provider Awards. ____________________ Marian Rothwell, a volunteer with the Camborne, Pool & Redruth Foodbank, Transformation CPR, has been awarded the High Sheriff of Cornwall Unsung Hero Award.
BUSINESS CORNWALL | 9
JAMES
STRAWBRIDGE
Work, food, diet, where you live and how you engage with a community, is important
10 | BUSINESS CORNWALL
JAMES
STRAWBRIDGE
The issue of health and wellbeing has never been more apposite. As part of this month’s focus on this increasingly important topic, Business Cornwall meets Cornish chef, sustainable living expert and tv personality James Strawbridge. He explains how looking after yourself can be the best way to looking after your business
James
Strawbridge
What does health and wellbeing mean to you? For me its physical, mental and a little bit holistic. In terms of my personal perspective on health, it comes down to diet and lifestyle and I try and take control of a lot of my wellbeing by doing more of the things that are good for me and less of the things that are bad for me. From a dietary perspective I eat a lot of slow foods that have been fermented at home and I try and have less processed foods and just giving myself good food.
From a lifestyle angle, it’s doing things that make you feel happy. Not seeing it as an indulgence of having a hobby, but prioritising time when you’re doing the things you love. Doing this I find makes me more productive when I’m at work; I’m better with my family and happier in general. So work, food, diet, where you live and how you engage with a community, is important. One of the big things has been reclaiming my weekend. I spent many years working over weekends with no concept of rest. Weekends can be used as time for self-development, which has a good return on investment. And it may be that you’re still appearing to do work, or for example you’re doing some DIY or fixing up a bike but doing it for yourself and not for money can have a good return on investment. The daily rhythm that you set up for yourself is also important - if it revolves around going for a walk every morning, in order to observe and notice things like the weather and the surroundings, doing exercise and letting yourself wake up and adjust – that experience may take around half an hour but if you set
that aside it can be very valuable. Equally, it is allowing yourself time to eat rather than just grabbing something at your desk. Take the time to chop ingredients whilst giving yourself time to pause and think. Digital detox is in our screen time and building those pauses into your lifestyle means you’re not absolutely frazzled by the end of the day and you can then give time to your partner, family or friends. And rather than just sitting down and watching television or Netflix, you can then use the time for thinking about what you might want to learn or research and being creative. Something that is only possible if you look after yourself earlier in the day. And even when you get to a weekend people are often so exhausted by a Friday night that they can only think about a glass of wine or pint of beer and then you have lots of errands to run on a weekend. So, you have to invest in yourself earlier in the week in which case you’re likely to have more quality time at the weekend and you can be productive in a good way.
BUSINESS CORNWALL | 11
JAMES
STRAWBRIDGE
So, it may not be that you have to make huge changes, just perhaps a few smaller ones? I think it’s vital to make these changes and I believe a lot of it comes down to planning. A lot of people will organise their flagged emails, to-do-lists and do general project management of their business well, but not apply the same level of organisation to themselves. This comes from a chef background, but there’s something called ‘Mise en place’, which means everything in its place, which is where you prep and plan and you box all of your ingredients away so that when it comes to a task you’ve got it all ready to cook.
order to do them effectively it may help to do that walk, have a good breakfast, keep yourself hydrated and drink water and not just coffee all day. Everyone likes saying how busy they are as if it’s a good thing - I think that’s a load of crap as busy people will be more inclined to forget things. They will be less efficient – being busy is not a gauge for success in businesses and in your lifestyle. I think what really makes the difference is how well you can do one thing with all of your attention and focus and complete it to the best of your ability and then move onto the next thing.
You have to invest in yourself earlier in the week in which case you’re likely to have more quality time at the weekend
I think the same can be applied to your lifestyle when you know you have a certain amount of things to achieve in a day, but in
Similar to the Kanban which came from 1940s Japanese car manufacturing, which acknowledges there is limit to what one person can manage at a given time, and therefore avoids overcapacity problems by having ‘work in progress’, ‘planning’ and ‘done’. What I do in my day is that I will have a massive to-do list but I will only ever approach one, two or three of those things at any one time, I will do them and move them to ‘done’ where they are no longer stressing me. And I’m not going to start work until I’ve had breakfast or gone for a walk. But then when I move into the realms of business and work, I’m able to give someone all of my attention, even if I may have a million other things to do, because at that moment you’re grounding yourself to that one thing, rather than the chaos that comes with being busy, to look like you’re hard working. I never doubt people’s effort when they say they’re really busy, but I sometimes feel sorry for them because it’s not about how busy you are, it’s about how focused you can be at completing objectives. And the same
12 | BUSINESS CORNWALL
JAMES
can be said about families. Too often people don’t give their partner or children or their own wellbeing the time they need as they’re too caught up in being busy. I think people need to reprioritise business and lifestyle. Has this consciousness for health and wellbeing been something you’ve had for years, even growing up, or was there a moment of enlightenment? When did you start realising its importance? I grew up with two very different influencers as parents – a dad who was a colonel in the army and with a favourite catchphrase of his being ‘work harder’, yet on the other side there’s my mum who campaigns for solitary bees and is an environmental activist and author who is more into wellbeing. Aside from this I learnt that for my business to be effective I had to be looking after myself for it to have the necessary enthusiasm and passion. I learnt this the slightly the hard way I suppose – I’ve suffered from stress, I think I had shingles at one point, and my health has been damaged through intense hard work. When I became a parent my responsibilities broadened out so I had to make sure I had a little bit extra left at the end of each day in order to be a good parent. But this decision to look after myself and approach my business from a wellbeing point of view benefits my clients, as they are then getting the best version of me, and for them I always hope the work I do demonstrates excitement to be alive and to be productive. And, other people are impressed by the amount of work I do, but this is because I am looking after myself. It’s been a culmination of many years and I reckon if every person put themselves first, they would be better at their jobs. What would be your top tips for businesses and business people looking to improve their wellbeing? Encouraging a walk out of the work environment – I think that brings people back
STRAWBRIDGE
in fresher. I think the working lunch in front of a screen is detrimental to the quality of work and life. People should be encouraged to eat either communally or out of the dominant work place. I also think that rather than just having a toaster or a microwave, having the ability to cook and provide a little more opportunity for cookery would be cool. Finally, working from home - if people are able to be productive from home then why waste time, energy/pollution to go in for a meeting or sit at a desk for eight hours just to prove you’re there, when you can do that work from home without the distractions and potentially more efficiently, with a better model of sustainability. So good homeworking, diet and exercise. Covid must have really rocketed this transition in seeking a better work/ life balance. How would you say it’s effected things in terms of how we work? Yes, people have been doing stuff like cooking from scratch, not getting stuck in traffic getting irate during the commute and spending more time with the people they’ve chosen to live their lives with. But where I worry is that it’s quite easy to forget some of these positives and drift straight back into where we were before and I think that’d be a real shame, but I don’t know whose job it is to maybe assess the lessons we’ve learned and try and reinforce it as more of a lifestyle change than just because there was a pandemic.
It’s not about how busy you are, it’s about how focused you can be at completing objectives
BUSINESS CORNWALL | 13
JAMES
STRAWBRIDGE
But how do we orchestrate those changes to be permanent?
I think the working lunch in front of a screen is detrimental to the quality of work and life
Of course, there’s been so much negativity about what’s happened during the pandemic and having such an awful thing happen, but there are some positives to take which people are perhaps not willing to put their head above the parapet and say this and to talk about. Instead, people are looking forward to getting back to ‘normal’. Normal is ridiculous and what we need now we have proof of concept, is business to not rush back into a system the was damaging people’s health but look at things like productivity, technology, sustainability, wellbeing and put those things
14 | BUSINESS CORNWALL
up the pecking order and in return you may have a team that is healthier and happier and ideally function differently for the better moving forwards. Well I’m glad we’ve had this conversation as it’s an important topic that still often doesn’t get discussed enough.
Yes, you’re right, there’s still this macho hangover in the workplace that you have to be working really hard all the time and showing that vulnerability to say ‘no, I need to put myself first’, is not a sign of weakness, it’s just honesty and hopefully if more people had this conversation, people would be happier. Food is obviously a big part of your life and the fermented foods especially. What is about fermented foods that is
so appealing to you? I love discovering forgotten tastes and find the sour lactic tang of fermented foods really exciting. I also love the health benefits and the way that by fermenting you can preserve any fruit or vegetable and add another flavour dimension. It’s a superb way to reduce food waste, enhance taste and look after your gut flora. While we are here, what have you been up to and what do you have coming up. I have a new book coming out soon and there may be some television work on the horizon based in Cornwall, which would be exciting. But mainly I’m always on the lookout for people to work with, and that’s in the capacity of business development, food photography, content marketing and lead generation. I suppose it’s quite a holistic approach in that I want businesses to look good and help them sell their stuff.
If you want
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T H E B A L A N C E
What are your hopes and dreams for 2021? The one good thing I think 2020 has given us is a period of time to reflect and think about our lives. It may have been forced upon us and we may not have welcomed it, but it has enabled us to be more creative with our time and appreciate what is important.
As a coach I am not here to give you the answers but to create an opportunity for you to explore in a safe, trustworthy environment to start you on the journey to be the person you have always known you could be.
We have had to adapt to how we run our businesses, lives and how we interact with people and new ways of working have now become the norm which has also opened up opportunities we never knew existed.
Outdoor Coaching
Many of my clients have taken this opportunity to work through what they want to change, whether it’s a new career, a new business model or a change in direction with their life. Do you have a goal in mind or are you not sure yet but really want to achieve something by this time next year?
So, how will coaching benefit you?
Coaching will empower you to reach your full potential through listening, questioning and being a catalyst for change.
I love living in Cornwall and spending as much time as possible in the stunning environment that surrounds me, whether it’s on the beach, the coast path or inland exploring our beautiful countryside.
It’s hugely enjoyable – and rewarding – to work with Tina, she’ll get you where you want to be. Maybe even a little further.
I try and hold all my coaching sessions outdoors as this can stimulate emotions, jog memories and improve conversations which aids your self-reflection and selfevaluation, all essential constituents of successful coaching.
Let’s take a walk and plan your future...
Call Tina on 07450 809 122 | www.cornwallcoaching.co.uk BUSINESS CORNWALL | 15
HEALTH
& WELLBEING
Healthy, wealthy
& wise
Health and wellbeing in the workplace has never been seen as more important. Even before the pandemic, as an issue, workers’ health and wellbeing had been growing in prominence. But since Covid has impacted on everyone’s lives in such stark ways, its relevance has moved into sharp focus like never before From top line to bottom line, caring for staff wellbeing is not just the human thing to do, it makes great economic and business sense as well. The Cornwall Chamber of Commerce recently carried out a survey of local businesses and while it discovered wide acceptance of the benefits, there is still room for improvement. While the vast majority of respondents (93.3%) said that the health and 16 | BUSINESS CORNWALL
wellbeing of staff within the workplace was “very important” or “important”, only 52.4% said that they actually had a health and wellbeing policy in place. The significant majority (71.4%), however, said they knew where to access help and support.
Karen Oldham-Waring runs Sunflower Training & Consultancy, which looks to improve the wellbeing of your workforce. It has been a subject which has been close to her heart for a number of years.
More business owners/employers are recognising the importance of good mental health
But when it came to being asked ‘how readily available do you think local health and wellbeing resources are’, response was far more divided, with less than half thinking it was either ‘very readily available’ or ‘readily available’.
“For me, it’s been part of my outlook, attitude and job role since the 1990’s but now it’s more important than ever to be mentally well at home and at work – especially when a lot of people are working in their home and not going outside,” she says.
“If we ignore our own needs and wellbeing and only see them as a ‘desirable’ part of life rather than ‘essential maintenance’ then we are doing ourselves a great disservice and missing out on living.
HEALTH &
“A lot of businesses will have reported health and wellbeing as an important issue in the past but I think it has come to the fore as a result of the pandemic,” says life coach Tina McGrath of Cornwall Coaching. “We are seeing more focus on the topic in the media and more business owners/employers are recognising the importance of good mental health in themselves and their employees. “I also think there is a growing confidence in people being able to talk about their own mental health and reaching out for help and support.” Tina hopes the new focus on health and wellbeing is now here to stay, but she does not take it for granted. “I am concerned that once the pandemic is over, things will go back to how they were,” she says.
“By making some small changes to the way a business runs and supports their staff can make a huge difference to the “emotional stability” of a business and make a business more profitable in the long term.”
Small changes to the way a business runs and supports their staff can make a huge difference
“Pressure will continue to rise in the business world, and I fear that investment in staff wellbeing will be seen as a luxury rather than a necessity and demand on staff to improve performance will inevitably lead to poor mental health and increased stress. “The one positive thing I have seen
which I hope will maintain once the pandemic is over is that this time has given employers/ business owners time to reflect and think about their business and what is important to them and also to value time with family and loved ones.
Michelle Pearce is the practice director at Cornish accountancy firm RRL. She says the health and wellbeing of staff has always been a high priority, but one that has come into particular focus over the past months.
“Words that were seldom used as part of everyday language came to the fore in March of last year, ‘unprecedented’ ‘pandemic’ ‘lockdown’ furlough’, the impact of all of these had a massive effect on our mental health,” she says. “As a firm we maintained our strategy of communication and transparency to ensure that our teams were reassured and
WELLBEING
felt informed regarding the business continuity strategy as it was being developed.”
Does your workplace/ business currently have a Health & Wellbeing Policy? 105 responses
Yes No Don’t know
Via Ferrata Cornwall, an extreme outdoor adventure attraction near Penryn, is excelling at boosting the wellbeing of those who gear themselves up for an epic adventure of scaling cliff faces, braving the high wire bridge and soaring through the air on one of Cornwall’s most scenic zip-lines. Launched last summer by charity BF Adventure, which supports Cornwall’s most vulnerable children, this Community Interest Company was created to generate desperately needed funds to meet the growing demand for BF Adventure’s services. But it’s not just the disadvantaged children who are benefiting, but participating members of the public and in particular, businesses that have used it to re-engage teams after furlough and reward staff working tirelessly through the pandemic. Research shows the mental and physical health benefits of getting outdoors and exercising. As well as providing much needed fun and adrenaline, it is claimed that team away days centred on this activity build communication and teamwork and bond staff. Via Ferrata Cornwall hopes to re-open this Easter. Contact the team at hello@viaferratacornwall.co.uk with any questions.
BOOSTING MENTAL HEALTH VIA FERRATA CORNWALL BUSINESS CORNWALL | 17
HEALTH
& WELLBEING
How much importance do you place on the Health & Wellbeing of staff within the workplace? 105 responses
themselves; how often a homeless person, soaked to the skin by the rain and desperately hungry will point at a fellow homeless person and declare, ‘my mate needs your help’.
Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset, previously held a Silver award. To achieve Gold, it had to evidence a range of initiatives across nine key areas including mental health, physical activity and healthier eating.
“For those who are in the business of helping others, like we are, there is often a tendency to ignore one’s own needs. We work hard at St Petrocs to address that issue.”
HR Leader, Katie Harland, said: “Cornish Mutual has always been ahead of the curve in supporting employees to focus on mental and physical health. From training our employees to be mental health first aiders to running health and wellbeing days, our priority is to provide a safe and happy workplace for everyone.
He says wellbeing and staff days are part of fabric at St Petrocs. Staff are encouraged to take part in all the programmes and events which clients have access to as well, while a monthly staff newsletter with quizzes, birthdays, favourite films and funny letters keep all connected.
Very important Important Don’t know Not important at this time
RRL has a trained mental health first aider and a mental health policy with strong ownership from the partners. “RRL has a culture where staff are valued, opinions count and everyone feels able to discuss concerns, whether they be of a work or personal nature,” she says. “Our staff know that it is ok not to be ok. “In Cornwall, I believe that businesses generally were already acknowledging the importance of health and wellbeing, and I hope that any new processes that have been adopted remain. We are all going to need a little bit of extra help and increased collaborative working to get over both the health and economic effects of this virus.” Overlooking your own mental health is easily done, but the consequences can be devastating. Dave Brown, communications manager at homeless charity St Petrocs, explains: “I’ve noticed over the years how people are often better at looking after other people than 18 | BUSINESS CORNWALL
Another local business that has taken health and wellbeing seriously for a number of years is Cornish Mutual.
“While we were proud to hold the Silver Healthy Workplace award, we were determined to achieve Gold. Our success is the result of fantastic teamwork across the company.
People are often better at looking after other people than themselves
The Truro-based rural insurance businesses recently received Gold in the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Healthy Workplace awards. To secure the highest accolade in the awards the company had to demonstrate a range of steps it has taken to support the health and wellbeing of all its employees. The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Healthy Workplace Award is a county standard of good practice and a quality mark of health and wellbeing in the workplace. Cornish Mutual, which has teams based across
“When we set ourselves the challenge of achieving Gold, we had no idea what was ahead of us. During the Covid-19 pandemic it has been more important than ever for our employees to be well cared for and supported. It has forced us to be creative and find new ways of supporting the physical and emotional wellbeing of everyone at Cornish Mutual through what has been a potentially stressful and difficult time.” When Verona Cocks set up law firm Paddle & Cocks with business partner Penny Paddle three years ago, she did so with staff wellbeing in very much in mind. Continued on page 21
FREE MENTAL HEALTH COURSES Rotary in the South West is a group of Rotarians from a variety of local clubs who have come together to offer fully-funded Mental Health Awareness in Business courses throughout Cornwall and Plymouth. It runs three courses - a taster course for those who wish to see what they are about before attending the Awareness and Implementation courses. Its free courses and consultancy will be running throughout 2021.
For full details visit mentalhealthinbusiness.org.uk
HEALTH &
WELLBEING
ADVERTORIAL
WELL-BEING noun ‘The state of being comfortable, healthy and/or happy.’ If you consider that we all have 24 hours to fill and include some vital areas such as sleep, work and personal life, it can seem like a very crowded period of time. So, let’s break it down and start with sleep. It’s essential to get good solid sleep as it’s our bodies most natural and effective medicine. But knowing your ‘sleep chronotype’ (internal clock) is essential to knowing how to get the best from yourself. To find out what kind of sleep rhythm you have and when to get the most productivity out of your day, visit healthline. com/health/ chronotype#about and see if you need to adjust your daily schedule to accommodate this.
perform those duties. When we are ‘stressed’ or in a state of ‘distress’ it’s harder to focus, produce, perform as opposed to feeling under manageable pressure, which can leave us feeling challenged but effective, rewarded through achievement and having fulfilled a purpose.
Prioritise your wellbeing and see it as ‘essential maintenance’ rather than ‘would-be-nice’
What about wellbeing during our work time? It’s in everyone’s interest to be productive at work – regardless of where you
The same applies to our home life and having the energy and inclination to do something purposeful and/or meaningful between work and bedtime, so we’re not stuck in a rut of being too exhausted, throwing on our PJ’s and waiting for bedtime via fast food and wine!
Very often, when things get tough and time feels tight, we ignore the things we need the most; activities that make us feel good, happy, smile, laugh, give us purpose. If this is you then
start to prioritise your wellbeing and see it as ‘essential maintenance’ rather than a ‘would-be-nice’ part of your day or week. Revisit the things you love to do, build them back into your week. Protect that time, just as you would with other important tasks. It’s allowed! Tips for working from home: • Punctuate the end of your workday with something, just like you would with your homeward journey. We need that space to end one part and start another, preferable with some change of air and environment. • Encourage regular manager/colleague facetime so you still feel in the loop and part of the bigger picture. • Seek out connection with other people and catch up on their lives too. A different view is always good for perspective. • Structure your day and use the knowledge of your work/productive rhythm to program in the best times to work or have online meetings. • Try to stick to normal eating patterns, avoid snacking. • Drink plenty of water to keep rehydrated and focused. • Exercise when you can; use the stairs, jump jack on the spot, stretches and deep breaths.
Karen Oldham-Waring | Director, Sunflower Training & Consultancy | www.sunflowertraining.co.uk BUSINESS CORNWALL | 19
HEALTH
& WELLBEING
ADVERTORIAL
APPLY NOW FOR AN INCLUSIVITY PROJECT GRANT Exploring digital solutions to health in the workplace We gave Ocean 3D a grant for a high-tech camera, so their virtual tours can allow people with disabilities or anxieties to check out spaces in advance.
At The Inclusivity Project, we pay businesses just like yours to think about staff wellbeing. Since 2019, and right through the pandemic, we have been supporting companies to put their wellbeing services online, and make them inclusive. We’ve lent businesses our experts in health, business, ageing and disability, to help evaluate, evidence, and user-test. And we’ve given grants, and paid-for R&D time, towards digital solutions to health in the workplace. “It was brilliant timing, and brilliantly done. It was really well managed” – Celine Elliott, Cornwall Museums Partnership.
What’s a ‘digital solution’? Put simply, anything that’s online or on a mobile phone. A web site. An app. An infographic.
We helped Lifestyle Chiropractic design an online product, survey the market, and design a sales funnel. We helped Cornwall Museums Partnership rethink inclusion from top to bottom from board members, through to their recruitment processes, and their customers. And that’s not all – while more are completing this Spring, we have around another 15 projects underway, and capacity for more if you’d like to work on an idea of your own. “The difference was really between having an idea that sits in a folder, and doesn’t go anywhere, and having a product that’s one stage off being ready to roll out.” Richard Doig, Infinite
It was brilliant timing, and brilliantly done. It was really well managed
It doesn’t have to be rocket science for us to support it. It just has to help employers look after the health of their staff. Help them embrace everyone’s needs and talents. After all, that’s what ‘inclusivity’ really means. Last year, we helped The Fox Project make podcasts about mental health in the workplace.
Choice Media, who created
a staff survey tool for the 50+ workforce.
Adapting around everyone’s health and lifestyle demands is especially important for Cornwall, and now more than ever. We have an ageing population, so many working people are over 50 years old.
Plus, Covid has already forced us to think about how to accommodate the people we work with, who have different health vulnerabilities, abilities, responsibilities, and more. So although Coronavirus has been, and still is, hugely challenging for businesses,
The Inclusivity Project is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.
20 | BUSINESS CORNWALL
it’s also a great opportunity to remodel our working lives for the better. If you care about staff engagement, wellbeing, and the productivity it brings, you’re going to love our Idea Generation Grants. We have three themes, so pick the one that’ll help your business prosper. Make a bid for our Accessibility Innovation Grant, especially if your idea is around digital inclusion. Doing a digital accessibility audit perhaps? Or developing new features to make your product or service more accessible. Ask about our HR Innovation Grant! It’d be perfect if you have an idea for using digital to increase staff engagement, tackle bias or streamline your processes. Or to help you use the latest digital tools to improve productivity and satisfaction. Or take a look at our Wellbeing Innovation grant, if you want to use digital to help your team look after their mental and physical health, or develop new products and services to promote wellbeing at work. If you have an idea for how digital technologies can support healthier, happier workplaces that make the most of everyone’s talents, we would love to hear from you. The initial expression of interest takes just 5 minutes. For deadlines and more information visit www.theinclusivityproject.com/grants
HEALTH &
Continued from page 18 “Mental health and the wellbeing of the work force is key to the success of any business,” she insists. “There is a general duty of care that arises in respect of the staff – and this extends to taking care of employees with pre-existing health issues and disabilities and preventing new work-related ones arising. Not doing so may result in an unhappy, unmotivated, workforce with high sickness absenteeism. This has a knock-on effect on the business: low retention rates and a decline in productivity which effects the bottom line. In a pandemic these issues become more acute with further complexities arising.” And she believes employers’ increased attention to the wellbeing of its staff is here to stay. “I think the business world will view health and wellbeing differently when the pandemic is over, if they do not already do so. It really has hit the bottom line and sadly brought some businesses to an end. I believe there will be a change in attitude with a more humanitarian and community focused approached
ADVERTORIAL
ONE SIZE DOESN’T FIT ALL Understandably, a great deal of attention has been paid in recent months to the transition to remote working which so many have had to hurriedly make. A critical factor in securing the positive benefits of new remote working practices is finding the effective communication rhythm for your team. Many have learned recently just how conducive the office environment was to checking in on an informal basis with colleagues and being able to spot early warning signs relating to
TAMAR HR MD, TIM MARROW
to life generally and people will want to have greater flexibility, particularly now they know it can be achieved.” Melanie Dixon is a registered nutritional therapist at Foreshore Nutrition. She says that in these times it has never been more important that we look out for one another.
WELLBEING
How readily available do you think local Health & Wellbeing resources are? 105 responses
She says: “Prior to the pandemic, it is known that a large proportion of people were already classed as overweight or obese and nearly 1.5 million people were in contact with mental health services. Studies have revealed a worsening of both these issues, likely associated with Covid-19 fears, isolation, lack of physical activity and increased screen time during lockdown. “In addition to the impact on healthcare, the associated economic crisis and social distancing measures serve as a wake-up call to businesses and communities to realise the value of their co-existence and the need to nurture each other going forward. “Consideration of health and welfare of employees and customers is paramount for businesses, as is the duty of customers to reciprocate by supporting business, particularly in their local area.”
workload challenges or personal issues. It has also been evident how important the interpersonal connections between colleagues are for making workplaces as productive and healthy as possible. A reasonable question is therefore: “How do managers structure communication with their teams to support wellbeing and productivity whilst remote working?” In answering this question, it is important first to note that every organisation and individual are different and there is no “one size fits all” approach. Skillful managers will develop a blended approach which works for their teams and take advantage of technology in doing so. Below are some of the choices that managers should consider when determining which method best suits their aims: • Individual or Group • Telephone or Video Chat • Structured or Unstructured
Very readily available Readily available Don’t know Not readily available
department may be a great way of lifting morale – think of the various examples of Zoom quizzes which have taken place as an alternative to regular team-building. Alternatively, there are occasions where an unstructured, informal telephone call to an individual to see how they are doing may be just the intervention needed if that individual is feeling under pressure. Looking ahead, these approaches, and the experience gained for managers are likely to be applicable in a post-Covid-19 workplace. Many employers are already considering what a more blended workspace will entail: which elements of remote working should remain once Government restrictions are eased. Whatever your own perspective on a blended workspace and a move away from the traditional office as a default, finding the right rhythm and format of communications with your team is a critical skill to maintain morale and momentum.
• Formal or Informal To illustrate the above, there are circumstances where an informal but structured video-conference of a team or
tamarhr.co.uk | 01579 343700
BUSINESS CORNWALL | 21
www.bunnyhomes.com
eudemonia with bunnyhomes
Eudemonia [ yoo-di-moh-nee-uh ]: noun 1. happiness; well-being. The Greek word for the contented state of being healthy and happy. Cornwall delivers that, with low air and light pollution bringing crystal clear stars against the dark sky at night, piercing blue skies and crashing waves. Cornish-bred homes creator bunnyhomes takes eudemonia into the heart of their Craft Collection. The team at bunnyhomes are on a mission to do thing differently, to do them better. They understand what creates stresses and anxieties affecting our well-being and have actively considered how the design of their homes can help overcome some of these issues to improve our wellness for living. Not forgetting the wellness of our planet too. Here’s just a few of examples of how bunnyhomes strive to improve our well-being:
SAD: Also known as ‘winter depression’, it’s thought to be caused by reduced exposure to sunlight, mostly, but not exclusively, through autumn/winter. It’s probable that the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that doesn’t work as well with reduced light, may affect melatonin or serotonin levels, affecting mood, appetite and sleep. SAD can also affect the body’s circadian rhythm, the body’s internal clock. 22 | BUSINESS CORNWALL
The remedy? To get as much natural light and regular exercise as possible. In line with this, bunnyhomes’ standard spec features gorgeous super-sized windows and higher ceilings letting in more light. Streetscapes are also purposefully engineered to allow more light in.
Well-being: the state of health & happiness. Noise-induced anxiety: On-going noise pollution can make us anxious, leading to a constant low-grade subconscious internal tension. Could bunnyhomes be the quietest of newbuild homes? They actively build lower density neighbourhoods, endeavouring to offset garages alongside each home to create natural breaks. For the most part, car parking in front of homes is avoided to prevent multiple car noise, for greater privacy and less noise to back gardens. Inside, their internal doors are ‘solid core’, giving a great sound barrier to every room, and even the way they fit
their floor joists creates a third less deflection than standard, so they’re less likely to squeak. Control-induced anxieties: When life is busy and feels like it’s spinning out of control, we need calmness. Here’s where bunnyhomes’ ‘magic room’ comes in; an extra room in 4-beds and up so you can escape to your sanctuary, reading room, music chill-out or gym — what will yours be? Clutter causes control stress too, but not in a bunnyhome, thanks to plenty of built in storage (bunnyspace) in all the right places. Every bunnyhome is designed around their unique R&D, or ‘liveability tests’ as they call them. They focus on the flow, ergonomics and spacial dynamics of every home, as well as good daylight levels and open space. All to improve our well-being and help de-stress our lives.
‘Our homes have a huge effect on our well-being’ An early artist’s impression of bunnyhomes’ ‘John the Watchmaker’s Great Country Park’. A place like no other. Set to be a landmark neighbourhood, beautifully laid out around a stunning central park, complete with its own orchard, with an abundance of landscaped features and thoughtfully selected plants and specimen trees. Find out more at: bunnyhomes.com/ developments/the-watchmakersbodmin
Earth eudemonia: To bunnyhomes, even shifting the
The planting schemes right across
dials in a small way can make a big
their neighbourhoods are considered
difference; like the ‘Butterfly & Bee’
and planned in incredible depth and
rose they plant at every front door to
detail, choosing appropriate English
promote cross pollination, as well as
country plants, wildflowers and
to create pretty aesthetics. The special
specimen trees for each location
hi-tech coating on their basins and
to reduce hardscaping, encourage
toilets are kinder to the planet, as
natural drainage and pollution
they greatly reduce the need for
absorption, as well as improve air
cleaning products.
quality for a kinder welcome home. BUSINESS CORNWALL | 23
GROWTH
PROGRAMME
Equipping
digital innovators for the
eHealth Sector Against the backdrop of a global pandemic, which has exponentially accelerated the adoption of technology, a project led by the University of Plymouth is looking to further support businesses aspiring to break into the eHealth sector. The eHealth Productivity and Innovation in Cornwall (EPIC2) project, wants to hear from businesses interested in developing technology to improve patient care and experience. The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership has identified eHealth as an opportunity for business growth and job creation across the region. With an ageing population, CIoS is a rural area with a single NHS Trust, one clinical commissioning group and one local authority. This presents a unique opportunity to businesses interested in developing technology to improve patient care and experience. The Government’s long-term plan to shift the NHS model to place greater emphasis on preventative care and a closer integration of services in the community centres around technology use. Many businesses across the region could be developing their offer and commercialising their ideas.
24 | BUSINESS CORNWALL
Funded by the European Regional Development Fund until 2023, EPIC is looking to work with Cornish businesses interested in developing innovative technologies for use within the health and care sector. Many businesses have existing technology that can pivot for a new market. Developing a completely new concept could also deliver extensive business growth. Businesses considering growing or diversifying their offer can consider some of the following areas: • Addressing the difficulty of providing care in remote locations • Ways to make technology more accessible to all • Innovations which address loneliness and isolation • Integrating with existing systems
Led by the University of Plymouth’s Centre for Health Technology, EPIC shapes provision into a bespoke package for individual businesses with academic support at the heart of the offer. Many businesses approaching EPIC already have a fully developed concept in mind and EPIC offers them the opportunity to add academic rigour making sure that their product or service is fit for market and that it improves patient care and experience. The EPICentre in Truro, to be launched in Spring 2021 (subject to any local or national restrictions in place), will enable access to business facilities and an opportunity for SMEs to showcase their technology or conduct usability testing and co-design workshops. The academic support offered includes but is not limited to evidencing proof of concept, assisting with understanding of how to evaluate, guidance on how to undertake
GROWTH
where solutions are tested in real world healthcare environments, enabling the gathering of practical evidence of efficacy and real-world feedback. It is a unique opportunity to break down the barriers of engaging with the NHS. usability testing and support to encourage end user collaboration and co-design. EPIC will also assist with recruiting student interns for your business and will fund 50% of the intern’s wages. The value of an extra pair of hands to assist with a range of areas within your business cannot be underestimated. Working in partnership with Kernow Health CIC, EPIC offers 5 hours of funding for businesses to access the digital and health testbed,
Along with funding support offered through the Challenge Fund, EPIC will also assist with identifying and applying for funding opportunities elsewhere. Dr Arunangsu Chatterjee, Associate Professor of Digital Health & Education and Head of Digital Education from the University of
PROGRAMME
Plymouth said: “EPIC aims to facilitate a sustainable eHealth sector that not only creates new jobs, new products and supports the local economy but will strengthen the existing health and care network in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. By developing a vast eHealth network linking valuable stakeholders including end user groups and commissioners as well as connecting to other eHealth ecosystems globally via SWITCH, we offer a variety of ways to move businesses forward with their health and care innovations.” If you are an SME interested in developing technology for the eHealth sector, email epic@plymouth.ac.uk to register your interest.
BUSINESS CORNWALL | 25
FINANCE
& FUNDING
With Covid and Brexit, these are undoubtedly testing times for the economy. Kicking off our focus on how to attract investment for your business, Peter McGahan, CEO of independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning, gives his thoughts on the state of play
Money
matters
2020 vision? They should have warned us then.
overseas and domestic investors would return to grab those heavily discounted prices.
In every downturn I’ve seen, confidence is all it takes, as always.
Running a business in 2020 has been like doing a 100m sprint, in treacle, with flip flops, with guidance and direction across a faulty loudhailer by politicians with ‘mildly’ annoying voices. I’d say that covers it.
The Brexit deal hasn’t provided that yet as there is still significant confusion and disorganisation which, coupled with a sporadic covid-coping strategy, has suppressed the recoil spring reaction. Much hangs on the former detail, and as has been seen, a sniff of a successful vaccine produces confidence and significant interest from the meerkat investors on the periphery.
One Litmus test is the second largest cinema chain in the world, Cineworld.
Now to the potential upsides. Newton – for every action…. The UK is heavily dependent on overseas investment. With a potential no deal, UK sterling and UK small to mid-capitalised companies have been as attractive as a post-race jacuzzi with the aforementioned politicians.
In every downturn I’ve seen, confidence is all it takes, as always
For an overseas investor coming from a strong currency into a UK stock could have had a double whammy of the currency falling, coupled with the UK company’s share price plummeting. It did just that. There were plenty of other options around the world to make money, and UK investors knew that too, ignoring the UK to make the overseas gains in currency and share price. There comes a time when those markets hit a low and with any clear political guidance and a strong Brexit deal, 26 | BUSINESS CORNWALL
Google’s community mobility report showed how quickly society became active when society felt comfortable in the UK. Against its baseline, recreation and retail is currently down -64% (-28% at end of October) compared to New Zealand, which is down 1%. Supermarkets and pharmacy activity down 23%, as opposed to no change in New Zealand. We can hope. Q3 earnings were really interesting in the UK. Consumer discretionary spending (items you don’t need unless you have excess money) surprised 84.24% on the upside. Read again. Of special interest for me is the UK savings ratio. That’s the proportion of after tax income you don’t spend. 1962, 1971,1999 and 2017 had historic lows of c5% and highs of 17%. Last year it hit an extraordinary 28.4%. That, coupled with the largest contraction in consumer credit, leaves the UK consumer positioned very well to pop out of this lockdown period with significant ‘spendability’.
It’s share price is up over 170% since the end of October! Consider that.
FINANCE &
FUNDING
MANAGING CASH FLOW Most businesses that struggle often don’t do so out of lack of profit, instead it’s the untimely income and expenses causing cashflow issues. Planning is made easier with clear definitive guidelines from the Government, but Covid planning has been everything but that. I’ll not cover grants here, contact Ewan at Bishop Fleming for that. He doesn’t miss much. Space will prohibit me covering every method of raising money, so be sure to chat to an independent financial adviser (IFA), for advice on the many options available. Consider how you might use your own finances, for instance, your pension. A recent example was a business owner who owned their own premises, albeit with a mortgage, but there was reasonable equity. They also had a pension scheme which wasn’t being managed that well, which is often the case. It was left in a cupboard to ferment. The business needed cash to create security for the owners, to give them a sense of control and to help fund some
marketing to generate new revenue. They knew they could sell the property but that went against their feeling of control and future rent so they simply used their pension to buy the property from themselves. They didn’t have enough in the pension but we arranged the mortgage within the scheme to make that purchase. That released the cash to play with. Now they still have ownership, albeit within their pension and pay both the mortgage and rent to their pension. It was quite comforting for them to know that the market rated rent they are paying is going directly into their pension scheme and they are receiving tax relief on that as it goes in. In another similar story, the businesses owners didn’t have quite enough in the scheme but they cash flowed a payment into the pension which eradicated a significant tax bill. They then sold the property to their pension which released enough cash to allow for the pension top up, as well as the liquidity they needed to develop their business.
Be sure to use your IFA to discuss all the options available though. Peter McGahan is chief executive officer of independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
0800 0112825 |
wwfp.net
BUSINESS CORNWALL | 27
FINANCE
& FUNDING
PREPARING YOUR BUSINESS FOR INVESTMENT Looking for new investment to fuel your growth plans? Bishop Fleming partner Allison Allington has some words of advice Your business is building, and you feel that the time has come to scale up and take it to the next level. You decide that the way forward is to attract investment to fuel the required growth. That may also include recruiting additional talent to make a funding proposition more attractive to potential investors. So how do you go about preparing your business for investment? SCALE UP FUNDING There are several primary streams of funding a business: angel investors, private equity, loans, R&D tax credits, and grants. This article is concerned with the first two.
Do the investors understand the market that you are in? Many investors do not just look at your business; they also want to know about you and your team. Can they have confidence that the right team is in place to look after their investment and deliver the returns promised? Depending on the size of the investment, investors may want a seat on the board.
Consider the impact on your business and team of investment and how it will affect the culture of the enterprise
The type of investor you want will depend on your business size and your ambitions for its future. Do you want an investor who not only provides cash, but also contributes strategically to the business?
You will also need to consider the impact on your business and team of investment and how it will affect the culture of the enterprise. What are the investors’ expectations in terms of an exit strategy? What kind of return are they looking for in say five years’ time?
WHAT IS MY COMPANY WORTH?
You will need to determine the value of your company to ascertain what someone would be willing to pay to invest. This is not an exact science, and you will need to engage a professional valuer. It is important that the valuation is realistic and robust enough to withstand challenge from investors. The valuation is very much a starting point from which an eventual deal can be agreed. DUE DILIGENCE Investors will want to undertake due diligence to ensure they fully understand the potential risks and rewards. Due diligence will typically comprise investigations into the financial, tax and legal aspects of the business. Investors will also want to examine all the commercial aspects and who is the management team. Expect this to be a learning process for all sides. SO, HOW CAN YOU PREPARE? To prepare for due diligence, the business needs to be in a good financial position so as to provide confidence for investors.
have a credible business plan that includes cash flow forecasts and profit projections. These must be sensible and robust enough to withstand challenging questions from investors. In addition, you will need to have up to date financial accounts as well as regular and tidy management accounts. These will provide an historic perspective for the business, and investors should be able to see how these figures tie in with future projections. A crucial aspect of any due diligence is the active cooperation of the management team with the investors and their advisors. Without this there will be a breakdown of trust, making investment less likely. DOCUMENTS For an effective due diligence to take place, you will need to compile a file of the following documents for the investor and their advisors to examine: • Legal agreements, insurances, licenses, contracts, terms of trade, employment contracts, HR history, company formation • Commercial agreements, customer lists, sales pipeline, business plan, marketing plan, competition, business model, existing clients, market sizing • Financial 3–5-year forecasts, bank statements • Tax returns, grants claimed • Technical & IT products, software, patents Preparing for investment is an involved process and accessing experienced professional advice early on will ensure that this process is smoother and efficient and thus more likely to be successful. Bishop Fleming’s award-winning team can provide a full-service consultancy covering all aspects of the transaction.
That means at the very least you need to
For more information, please contact Allison Allington, Partner: aallington@bishopfleming.co.uk | 01872 247066 28 | BUSINESS CORNWALL
FINANCE &
FUNDING
HAVING AN IMPACT The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Investment Fund (CIOSIF) has been providing commercial debt and equity finance to growing local businesses for more than two years The £40 million fund was launched in 2018 by the British Business Bank and the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to provide new and growing businesses with more funding opportunities. It is operated by appointed fund managers The FSE Group. Since launching it has invested a total of £6.3 million in 25 businesses from a wide range of sectors, attracting a further £4.7 million of private investment, making a total of £11m. Ken Cooper, Managing Director, Venture Solutions, at the British Business Bank, said: “There is no doubt that CIOSIF is now changing attitudes to external finance and is encouraging other private investors to participate. So we’re seeing a doubling of the impact, while raising awareness that Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly can be a good place to invest.”
The fund’s first equity investee business in 2018 was superfast wireless broadband provider Wildanet, then a start-up. Two years later and following two tranches of CIOSIF equity investment valued at £1.35 million, Wildanet announced it had secured £50 million of additional external funding to expand its network, creating almost 100 jobs. Most recently, CIOSIF has provided a £131k loan as part of a £150k package to maternity fitness wear brand Fittamamma, which was founded by mother and daughter team, Deborah Hazeldean and Alexandra McCabe (pictured). Alexandra said: “This CIOSIF loan will enable us ramp-up our marketing to raise brand awareness, scale-up the business and to recruit more likeminded people to join our team.”
CIOSIF is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. Further investment has come from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly LEP and HM Government.
Funding to support smaller businesses. The Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Investment Fund provides commercially focussed finance through Debt and Equity Funds. It aims to transform the finance landscape for smaller businesses in the area and to realise the region’s potential to achieve economic growth through enterprise. Equity finance £50k - £2m For start-ups or more established businesses with high growth potential
Debt finance £25k - £1m For early stage or more established businesses that can demonstrate growth potential
www.ciosif.co.uk @@ciosifbbb2 British Business Bank plc (BBB) is a development bank wholly owned by HM Government. British Business Financial Services Limited (BBFSL) is a wholly owned subsidiary of BBB. Neither BBB nor BBFSL is authorised or regulated by the PRA or FCA. BBB and its subsidiaries are not banking institutions and do not operate as such. A complete legal structure chart for the BBB group can be found at www.british-business-bank.co.uk.
BUSINESS CORNWALL | 29
FINANCE
& FUNDING
TAX – SHOULD YOU BE TAKING MORE NOTE? Steve Maggs, tax partner at RRL, has some important points for you to consider
As a society, we underestimate the impact tax has on our lives, and it is a tax advisor’s role to advise on the tax impact of an existing situation or set of circumstances, the impact of changing the situation, and to attempt to advise on projected future changes. Tax is one of the largest outlays for any individual and business and therefore should really require the requisite level of consideration, and experienced advice being sought. Tax changes are moments that enhance this requirement, as changes always create opportunities and risks. Tax change is always inevitable, however, in recent years they have been few, and far between – the last sizeable Budget of note was in 2008. 2021 is set to be the next! In the next Budget we are expecting a number of key changes. The main expected changes are:
Changes always create opportunities and risks
Capital gains tax rate increase – Capital gains tax (CGT) is a tax on profits/gains made on the sale of assets (eg property, shares, land etc). Rates are likely to significantly increase in the new tax year (6 April 2021 onwards) to as much as 45% (from the current highest rate of 28%) meaning that anybody owning assets at a significant gain could be in for a significant shock when they come to sell or gift. We are currently advising a lot of clients on how to bank the existing rates.
relief (formerly entrepreneurs’ relief) – there is currently a favourable 10% CGT rate for business assets, including interests in your own business or family business. This relief could be significantly restricted or abolished – therefore anyone qualifying for the relief now and looking to sell in the short-mid-term should consider taking action. If such a change is a concern to business owners, they should consider ways to ‘bank’ the relief. Inheritance tax – inheritance tax (IHT) is payable on an individual’s death or in relation to certain gifts made during their lifetime. The rate is currently 40%, meaning significant tax liabilities can arise if planning is not considered or overlooked – and it so often is overlooked. IHT changes are expected and particularly in relation to favourable reliefs that apply to business assets and unquoted shares (called business property relief), and agricultural land (called agricultural property relief). People owning these assets should consider their IHT position, and seek advice where they are relying on these reliefs.
contributions has been rumoured for many years. Given the heightened strain on the public finances due to the COVID-19 pandemic, you would have to expect that there was a danger of this change now being made. Those reliant on higher-rate tax relief for pension contributions should consider their position. If you do one thing over the coming weeks, just have a quick think around how tax is impacting you, how changes would impact you, your family and your business, and consider seeking experienced advice.
Pension contributions – the removal of higher-rate income tax relief on pension
Capital gains tax – business asset disposal
STEVE MAGGS
rrlcornwall.co.uk | 01872 276116 | 01736 339322 30 | BUSINESS CORNWALL
PROVEN RESULTS IN RAISING FINANCE For businesses seeking funding, Access to Finance, from Oxford Innovation, has a dedicated team of experts who can support you. Whether it is Debt, Grants, Venture Capital or blended raises, we’re here to help.
OUR PERFORMANCE DURING THE LAST 3 YEARS Amount raised in total
Amount raised since first UK lockdown
£31m
£12m
Businesses supported
Raised from external grant providers
2,137
£8.3m
“The Access to Finance team at Oxford Innovation are crucial in enabling companies like ours to realise our vision. They were pivotal to us achieving our funding goals.” - Charles McKay, CFO at Wildanet 01872 300 386
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WWW.A2FCORNWALL.CO.UK
Quilter Financial Advisers are locally based fully qualified financial advisers who can help you with: • Savings and investment planning
• Protecting your loved ones
• Tax efficient investing
• Protecting your property
• Planning for school fees
• Inheritance tax planning
• Retirement planning
• Mortgage solutions
To learn more about how we can help, please contact Jessica Chantler, DipPFS, CertSMP Financial Planning Consultant on T. 07376 408123 E. jessica.chantler@quilterfa.com W. quilterfinancialadvisers.co.uk
Achieve your ambitions The Accountants and Business Advisory team here to save your precious time. Digitally and at your door. Azets delivers accounting, tax, audit, business and advisory services locally and across the UK. Contact your local partner,
Malcolm Peters, Truro malcolm.peters@azets.co.uk
azets.co.uk 32 | BUSINESS CORNWALL
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Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. The value of pensions and investments can fall as well as rise and you can get back less than you invested.
FINANCE &
FUNDING
ARE YOU EQUITY INVESTOR READY? Nick Tippett, director in the corporate finance team at PKF Francis Clark, offers some tips on preparing your business to attract equity investors One of my predictions for 2021 is an increase in equity funding for SMEs in Cornwall. This is born out of several factors impacting on potential supply and demand, including: • High net worth individuals (HNWIs) and maybe even some companies having cash to invest and an appetite for the potential returns, not to mention a sense of community spirit underlying a desire to support the growth of fellow Cornish businesses • Private equity firms with ‘walls of cash’ to invest • Companies looking to reduce leverage and/or high growth companies looking for investment to make a step change in their development • A developing eco-structure for equity finance in the county, involving parties such as the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Investment Fund and Falmouth Launchpad • An increasing number of real-life examples of companies who have raised equity • A realisation that fast growth businesses, entrepreneurs and HNWIs can all be based in Cornwall So, what does it take to prepare your business for an approach to equity investors? Here are my top tips:
1. Prepare yourself mentally to give up shares in the company – As one of our clients said recently, without his business angel investor he would still own ‘100% of nothing’. He recognised that the cash (and expertise) that the investor brought had made the difference and now he has a share in a company valued in excess of £10m 2. Understand the market – Understand what each type, source and provider of equity investment can bring to your company, as well as your wants and theirs. You are looking for a match 3. Understand the maths – If we stereotype equity investors as wanting to see a return of three to five times their money within a three to five-year period, you need to work through the maths to understand whether your company has that growth trajectory and an exit plan to crystallise that value 4. Get the basics right – I have seen a few potential equity investments fall over or falter over questions such as ‘who owns the shares now?’, ‘who owns the IP?’ or tax issues identified during due diligence. While sometimes these issues may appear trivial to you in the context of what you feel the company will become, they undermine confidence in the potential investor 5. Understand what can go wrong in a business – Put yourself in the potential investor’s shoes, consider the risk areas in your business model and mitigate against those risks
NICK TIPPETT 6. Prepare the pitch and be prepared for questions – Make sure you have pre-empted questions such as those mentioned above in your pitch to potential investors, but do not expect them to instantly ‘get’ your proposition. On a similar theme, make sure the projections are robust and defendable. Potential investors will ask further questions and look to verify the information provided to them 7. Look to bring other funds in as well as equity – If you bring in grants or loans as well as equity, it should result in less dilution of current shareholdings (and will be expected by the investors) 8. Apply for Enterprise Investment Scheme or Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme advance assurance – The associated tax incentives will help if you are looking to raise equity from individuals As a final thought, I have a colleague who feels we may see another type of investor become more common in 2021 – those not looking for an exit within a pre-defined period but who are more patient and whose return is mainly in the form of a long-term dividend stream. We will see…
For more information or to discuss any of the issues raised here, visit pkf-francisclark.co.uk or email nick.tippett@pkf-francisclark.co.uk BUSINESS CORNWALL | 33
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PEOPLE
Accountancy firm Azets has promoted Katherine Broadhurst to corporate finance partner, a first for the business in the south Wales and south west region. Formally director of corporate finance, Broadhurst has been with the firm (previously Broomfield Alexander) since 2002. Regional CEO David Owens said: “Katherine’s promotion is a testament to her hard work and dedication.
NEW CHAIR AT SWIG
AN ASSET FOR AZETS
“Katherine’s promotion further strengthens our promise to the south Wales and south west region, as the corporate finance sector continues to grow.”
Ian White has joined insurance advisory business Partners& as a client partner. He will report to Lee Davey, managing partner for the south west.
SWIG Finance has appointed Christine Allison as chairperson elect, to succeed Malachy McReynolds, who is stepping down next month after five years in the role.
As a former branch director at Lorica Insurance and the Pib Group in Cornwall, White has a wealth of experience in the local insurance sector.
Allison has been a non-executive director for SWIG Finance for the past three-and-a-half years, during which time she has played an active role in supporting the company growth across the south west. She said: “It is a great privilege to be appointed as the next chair of SWIG Finance. I am excited to be working alongside SWIG colleagues and south west partners to support local SMEs with the right kind of finance, and to help the regional economy recover and grow.”
ON THE MOVE
Davey said: “We are delighted to welcome Ian to Partners& and we’re looking forward to sharing his talents and experience with our clients. Ian has an in-depth knowledge of the local Cornish business sectors and will be using that knowledge to build a first class team of insurance professionals.”
ALL WHITE FOR PARTNERS& Construction consultancy Ward Williams Associates (WWA) has appointed a new managing partner. James Beckly, who has more than 20 years’ property development and construction industry experience, will work alongside senior partner, Andy Snapes, to support the development of the business’s growth plan towards a national presence. His primary focus will be on the operational
delivery within the business, as well as progressing towards the senior partner role, when Snapes stands down in November 2023. Snapes said: “It is fantastic to have someone of James’ capability and experience joining me at the helm of the business as we prepare for the next phase of our evolution. “It is also critical that we plan for a seamless transition of the senior leadership role, and provide reassurance to our team, our clients, and everyone that works with WWA, that it will be business as usual when the time comes for me to stand down as senior partner.” Headquartered in Truro, WWA also has offices in Exeter, Plymouth, Gloucester, Salisbury, London and, most recently, Manchester.
WWA MANAGING PARTNER BUSINESS CORNWALL | 35
EDUCATION
AND TRAINING
SPONSORED BY
OBE FOR DAVID WALROND The recently retired principal of Truro and Penwith College, David Walrond, received an OBE in the New Year’s Honour list. Walrond, who received the award for his services to further education in Cornwall, said: “It is wonderful to be honoured in this way. “What is being recognised, of course, is the vital work for Cornwall of two remarkable institutions and the many outstanding colleagues who have made them what they are.” Walrond has been instrumental in the development of successful further education in Cornwall. He became principal of Truro and Penwith College in 2010, having joined the in 2003 as director of curriculum and quality. During his ten years as principal, the college has seen major growth in its 16-19 learners and apprenticeships, completed the redevelopment of the new Penwith campus, and
Designs have been revealed for a £6.3 million STEM and Health Skills Centre in Bodmin that aims to transform the teaching of industry-relevant skills in Cornwall
in 2017 created a major new campus at Callywith, Bodmin, to serve the whole of north and east Cornwall. In 2013, he was designated as NLE (National Leader in Education), one of only two FE college principals in that role. In 2016 Truro and Penwith College achieved both ‘Ofsted Outstanding’ status and the TEF Gold Award (Teaching Excellence Framework) for Higher Education. He is a founder member of the pre-16 Truro and Penwith Academy Trust (TPAT) which the college established. As well as his continuing role as chair of trustees with Callywith College, Walrond also serves as a director on the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and sits on the Truro Town board.
UPSKILLING FOR CONSTRUCTION New funding has been announced to upskill the construction sector in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The funding will be used to provide flexible, on-site assessment training (OSAT) for SMEs, the self-employed and for those recently made redundant. It will be delivered by CCB Training, part of the Cornwall College Group (TCCG). Justin Olosundѐ, assistant principal of external engagement and business innovation at TCCG, urged the construction sector to get involved. He said: “Everyone should be looking to utilise the funding to address skills gaps, ensuring their staff have the skills, knowledge and confidence to do the job.”
WORK TO BEGIN ON STEM CENTRE
The STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) and Health Skills Centre for north and east Cornwall is being built by Truro and Penwith College with support from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), which is meeting £3.78 million of the costs through the Government’s Getting Building Fund (GBF).
The STEM and Health Skills centre will offer engineering, manufacturing and digital skills for the aerospace, space, creative, energy and mining sectors, in line with the LEP’s Local Industrial Strategy.
The LEP successfully bid for £14.3m of GBF funding during the summer following a Government call for ‘shovel-ready’ projects that
And it will provide a range of locally delivered nursing and care apprentices up to and including registered nurse, extending
36 | BUSINESS CORNWALL
www.truro-penwith.ac.uk
could create jobs and support post-Covid-19 economic recovery across the country.
the college’s current work with the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust to other health providers across the county. Construction work is expected to begin this month and scheduled to be completed by March 2022. The building has been designed by St Ives architect Poynton Bradbury Wynter Cole, which also designed much of the Truro and Penwith College campus.
NEWS
SPONSORED BY
#FSBCONNECT
INSURANCE VERDICT WELCOMED Small firms have breathed sigh of relief following the Supreme Court’s interruption insurance verdict. On January 15, the Supreme Court made the decision to rule in favour of policyholders in the landmark Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) business interruption insurance test case. Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) national chair Mike Cherry said: “This judgement is a big victory. It cements the high court’s decision to grant businesses left on the brink the insurance pay-outs they are rightfully owed. For many, it has been a long and difficult road to get to this stage so this will bring clarity and hope to the thousands of firms which have been left in financial limbo for almost a year.” The FSB has stated that while this is good news and while the law has to follow procedure, it’s disappointing that so many
small businesses have had to wait to get the money they desperately need under policies they believed were there to protect them, policies they bought in good faith. Businesses deserve to be protected in a timely way, but instead they have been failed by their insurers and are now trying to make up for lost time. Providers must now pay-out quickly and consider the steps they can take to progress these claims in a swift and seamless manner. Any paperwork required of claimants shouldn’t be onerous or time-consuming. Small businesses contribute trillions to the economy. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) was right to argue that disease or denial of access clauses within interruption policies should trigger pay-outs in the event of coronavirus-linked disruption. The FSB is hugely grateful for its work in this space.
VIRTUAL NETWORKING
‘A FIGHTING CHANCE’ FSB’s latest policy paper, ‘A Fighting Chance’, shows that the proportion of small firms carrying some form of debt has risen from just over half (56%) to more than three quarters (69%) as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the share describing their debt as “unmanageable” up from 13% to 40%. FSB national vice chair Martin McTague said: “Hundreds of thousands of viable small businesses have taken on sizeable debts to see them through to the other side of the Covid crisis. With emergency loan repayments fast approaching, and festive trade hugely disrupted, we need the Government to intervene swiftly to avoid a small business credit crunch in the Spring.” Small firms carrying debt when the Covid-19 crisis struck were more than twice as likely to have taken on new debt (48%) than those with no pre-existing facilities (23%). Those that have had to significantly adapt to survive this year’s disruption were considerably more likely to have taken on fresh borrowing (45%) compared to those who have not been required to change their business models (30%).
In addition to our weekly Thursday FSB Cornwall Conversations, by popular demand we are adding a new regular female focused event on the fourth Tuesday of every month to our networking offer. These Women in Business events are also free and open to all to make real connections and tackle issues of the day in an informal, relaxed and supportive environment. A great option for those new to networking and looking for a friendly place to start. We also welcome those with more networking
experience who would like to share some confidence with those new to our community of inspiring businesswomen. As we’re online we expect people to join us from all over the country so do join in as you never know who you may meet or where that meeting may lead. You can book for these FREE events at www.fsb.org.uk/event-calendar Search under “EVENT TYPE” – Virtual Networking & “REGION” – South West. For general enquiries regarding these events please contact vanessa.gale@fsb.org.uk
FSB Offer for Business Cornwall Magazine Readers at www.fsb.org.uk/join If you want to join FSB after reading this page then please quote BCM30 when you join and save £30!
FSB’s new data also highlights the concerning and continued dependence on personal finance products within the small business community. Close to half (47%) of those carrying debt are using such facilities, including personal credit cards, overdrafts or loans, to support commercial operations. Repayments on the £65 billion of debt that has been issued through the Government’s emergency loan programmes will start to fall due in the Spring. Of those small businesses carrying debt, more than half (56%) believe the option of converting facilities into a tax liability would benefit them. For those that describe their debt level as ‘worrying’ or ‘significant’, the figure rises to almost two thirds (63%). BUSINESS CORNWALL | 37
CREATIVE
AND DIGITAL
WILDANET SECURES £50M FUNDING Wildanet has received £50 million from the Gresham House British Strategic Investment Infrastructure Fund LP, to help it roll out its gigabit-capable broadband network across the county. The funding will allow the Liskeard-based company to directly and indirectly create up to 98 new jobs during the roll out of this network expansion. CEO Ian Calvert said: “I’m delighted for Cornwall and for Wildanet that we have been able to secure this investment. It will enable us to expand our network across more of the county, deploy fibre to the premise technology whilst expanding our fixed wireless network and ultimately create new jobs in Cornwall. “The Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated the importance of having a fast and reliable broadband connection to both businesses and homes and we’ve already connected many highly satisfied Cornish customers.”
FLOAT TO THE TOP Float Digital director, Samantha Charles, was named Entrepreneur of
FOOD FOR THOUGHT A Cornish agri-tech business has developed a system to alert farmers when animal feed silos are almost empty. The system will also automatically place an order with their feed supplier.
With Glas Data’s system, data from sensors is displayed on the GlasCore dashboard an easy to understand one-screen display which can be viewed by the farmer on their tablet, laptop or mobile phone. “Access to this accurate data means farmers can measure efficiencies, by monitoring the amount of feed used each day. It will also be possible to calculate the feed consumption per animal and to correlate this against other productivity metrics,” added Phillipson.
Truro-based Glas Data’s system uses an innovative ‘Internet of Things’ sensor to accurately track how much feed is being stored.
Glas Data’s system can also be set up to send an email or text the farmer when the feed bin needs to be refilled, and to email an order to the farmer’s feed supplier automatically.
Co-founder, Colin Phillipson, explained: “To find out how much animal feed is in a silo, traditionally farmers have either used a viewing hatch on the silo or banged on the silo’s side with a mallet. With a huge margin for error, there was scope for costly mistakes like over filling bins and wasting animal feed.”
“The system is flexible allowing farmers to set their own thresholds, so feed orders can be placed exactly when they need them to be, without the farmer having to remember to place an order manually. From the feed suppliers’ point of view, our system will help them to pre-plan their orders and identify peak times,” said Phillipson.
the Year at the Successful Women Awards. Charles, who launches the SEO and Google Ads agency in 2016, declared herself “over the moon” with the accolade. “It’s a shame we couldn’t celebrate and mingle with other winners with dinner and dancing,” she said, “but the trophy will sit proudly in our office, as a reminder of our hard work.”
BEST TECH START UP
BLUEFRUIT HAS THE EDGE were sold in 2020, and the technology is forecast to expand by 20% over the next five years.
Bluefruit Software has been awarded £100k funding from AeroSpace Cornwall for research and development into ‘edge AI’. Edge AI is artificial intelligence-driven computing on embedded systems and the growth potential in the UK is said to be immense. It’s estimated that 750 million edge AI chips 38 | BUSINESS CORNWALL
Bluefruit director Caitlin Gould said: “We believe using AI in this way, built into equipment, can make the entire device or machine more intelligent, more effective, and possibly safer for end users. “We genuinely believe the application of edge AI in places where AI isn’t at the minute - places without the Internet even will enable it to change our daily lives; that is why we are so keen to explore and develop this technology.”
Penryn-based Codices, which was formed on Falmouth University’s Launchpad programme, was named Best Start-up at the 2020 Tech South West Awards. Tim Edwards, Codices CEO and cofounder, said: “It’s a great honour to be announced as the best start-up in the south west and a real testament to our work to date. We are always looking to the future and have big plans to continue our strong momentum into the coming years.” Launchpad start-ups Plotty and Data Duopoly were also among the awards shortlist.
FOOD &
DRINK
SCOTT TO POP UP PERMANENTLY Following the success of her pop-up at Watergate Bay, chef Emily Scott is set to open a permanent new restaurant overlooking the beach. Scott, who has built her reputation heading the kitchen at St Tudy Inn, opened the popup in the former Fifteen Cornwall building last summer.
CORNISH SUNFLOWER OIL FIRST The first-ever Cornish sunflower oil has hit the shelves. The commercial sunflower crop produced a breathtaking sight last summer, after 16 acres of seeds planted in the spring at Trispen and St Newlyn East burst into flower. The crop was a joint venture between progressive Cornish farmer, Nick Dymond, and Jack Baines of Hard Pressed Cornwall, an artisan cooking oil producer based at Carnon Downs. The sunflowers were harvested by Dymond’s combine harvester in late September with the ten tons of seed cold pressed and bottled by Baines, producing more than 3,000 litres of pure, unadulterated Cornish sunflower oil which has now hit the shelves of local retailers. Baines said: “Cornwall is the perfect place to source our raw materials, our agriculture is special and for whatever reason, local produce just tastes better. With changes in climate and technological advancements in farming we have never been in a better position to challenge what can be achieved on home soil. “Unlike mass produced sunflower oil that you can get from the supermarket, our oil has nothing removed from it with all of that amazing flavour retained.”
She said: “The pop-up experience was one of the highlights of my career. We were fully booked two-to-three weeks in advance all summer, and I got to do everything I love – bringing people together, and making them happy with food and wine. For me, the sea is my favourite place to be. Having the chance to move back here permanently is incredible.” Emily Scott Food is set to launch on March 31.
Colwith Farm Distillery is unveiling a new name and new look for its top selling plough to bottle gin.
NEW LOOK FOR CORNISH GIN
Harnessing the success of its Aval Dor Vodka, recognised as one of the best in the world with a Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2020, the single estate distillery is introducing ‘Aval Dor Gin’. Aval Dor Gin was previously sold as Stafford’s Dry Gin, named for owner Steve Dustow’s great, great grandfather Stafford Dustow, who bought the land near Fowey that the family still farm over 100 years later. Dustow says leading with the Aval Dor name (Aval Dor means ‘potato’ in Cornish), is the natural evolution for the Colwith Farm Distillery stable. “All gin is botanically flavoured vodka therefore it was a natural progression to name our gin after our attention-grabbing Aval Dor Vodka,” he said. “The new name and branding offer a very clear nod to our farming roots and plough to bottle ethos, bringing our premium gin in line with our world-class potato vodka.”
BUSINESS CORNWALL | 39
TOURISM
NEWS
SPONSORED BY
www.visitcornwall.com
The owner of a once neglected and almost forgotten woodland estate in north Cornwall is forging ahead with plans to add to the accommodation offering at the Fir Hill Estate glamping site.
TRAINING BUSINESS CLOSES A Cornish tourism and hospitality training business has closed its doors for the final time after 24 years of operation. Citing coronavirus as a major factor behind the decision, Newquay for Excellence Training director Ruth Atkinson said in a statement: “Like you we have found ourselves in uncharted territory these past few months and certainly could not in all our 24 years of operation have anticipated what would transpire this year and the effect it would have on the hospitality sector. “We would like to thank you for the support given to our business over the years and hope that with the various training initiatives we have developed over the last 24 years we have in some way helped to contribute to the ongoing success of your business. “We wish you every success for the future and hope to have the opportunity to be able to visit on a social basis and enjoy our fabulous hospitality businesses do what they do best.”
Purchased by Charlie Hoblyn in 2012, the 62-acre estate near Newquay has been owned by the Hoblyn family since the late 16th century but was abandoned and left to nature in the 1940s. A sensitive reclamation and restoration project has seen Hoblyn add ten yurts, a bright, contemporary Barn and Cowshed leisure area overlooking Porth Reservoir and orchard packed with local apple and cherry tree varieties. New for 2021, two further yurts will be added to the site. The expansion of the glamping is part of a five-year vision to both preserve the ancient family estate and lend the land a new lease of life. Additional plans include renovating the derelict former manor house and incorporating a further ten yurts. Hoblyn explained: “The honeymoon yurt proved the most popular this year and I wanted to be able to respond to the current demand for holidaying in the UK and getting back to nature.” Other plans in place for 2021 include the introduction of a coasteering package, hamper service and foraging for wild food around the estate. The Fir Hill Estate is planned to open at the beginning of April.
THE CAMPING CAPITAL
A Cornish luxury holiday lettings company won Silver in the Best UK Holiday Cottage Company category of the 2020 British Travel Awards (BTA). It was the second successive year that Cornish Gems picked up a BTA. Cofounder, Julianne Shelton, said: “Last year, Cornish Gems received a Gold regional, British Travel Award for Best Southern UK Holiday Cottage Company, so to receive a Silver award for the whole UK really has
SPARKLING CORNISH GEMS 40 | BUSINESS CORNWALL
BIG PLANS FOR FIR HILL
Cornwall is the camping capital of the UK, according to the latest edition of the AA Caravan and Camping Guide. uplifted our spirits after what has been the toughest year we’ve navigated through. “We’re enormously grateful and privileged to have so many supporters; from our wonderful property owners to our paying customers and dedicated staff.” In place of the usual extravagant gala awards ceremony, the winners were announced at a mini live event in Canary Wharf hosted by BBC’s The One Show presenter Alex Jones and stand-up comedian Pat Monahan.
Cornwall has 86 campsites included in the 2021 edition of the guide, with 13 awarded a Platinum Pennant in recognition of the excellent camping experiences they offer. The full top 10 counties for camping in the UK according to the AA are: 1 Cornwall
2 Devon
3 North Yorkshire
4 Dorset
5 Somerset
6 Cumbria
7 Gwynedd
8 Norfolk
9 Dumfries & Galloway
10 Lancashire
CHAMBER
SPONSORED BY
cornwallchamber.co.uk
NEWS
LIGHT AMIDST THE GLOOM Last year was a strange and tough year for business and one that will not be forgotten; but Cornwall Chamber of Commerce is pleased to be starting 2021 with a good news story, despite the recent lockdown news. The chamber has recently and rapidly expanded its team with new faces and wider expertise, one familiar return and a fantastic addition to the board. The number of employees has increased from eight to 16 creating a more dynamic and versatile team to assist members and work even harder for business in Cornwall. The team has doubled in size and Cornwall Chamber welcomes back Victoria Sutcliffe (marketing coordinator) who has joined Jake Tregoning (marketing executive); together they will be looking after all areas of marketing including the website, social media and press releases. Kirsty Price (operations assistant) will be supporting John Negus with the overall operations side of the chamber (operations manager). Virgil Savin (international trade executive) has joined the team at a crucial time and will be assisting members with all elements of trade documentation, customs declaration, and advice. The chamber is also pleased to announce that Laura Whyte (MD of Whyfield Accountancy) has taken on the role of vice
chair of the board. She said: “I love business and delving into why and how success can be achieved and not just through the numbers. There has been so much already KIM CONCHIE that I have learnt from the chamber board, the members, and the team in the office. I’m very excited to be expanding on this in 2021.” Cornwall Chamber continued to maintain a hardworking and helpful team through 2020 and the pandemic. With the furlough scheme being introduced and lockdown measures being bestowed some businesses were forced to close while others had to diversify to keep afloat. The chamber provided a lifeline for companies, passing on information about Government grants and help-out schemes, keeping the lines of communication open and being the voice of business in Cornwall. Naomi Copperwait (events executive) and Jess Matson (events assistant) cleverly created virtual events to keep in contact with the members and enable networking to carry on, while Mirren Zammit (membership executive) and Jo Fisher (membership assistant) regularly held Coffee and Catch-up webinars to check in with the chamber members.
Heading up the Business Clusters project is Danielle Lawson (project manager), David Bishop (project officer), assisted by Ella Croft (events assistant) and Sarah Whipp (skills facilitator). ESF Business Clusters is part-funded by the European Social Fund and match funded by Cornwall Chamber of Commerce. The ESF Business Clusters project, which will run until July 2023, will engage and support at least 605 SME and micro-businesses in local economic
with training opportunities through the ELS program and connected with companies to bring in new chamber members. Dawn Martyn (PA to CEO) maintained Kim Conchie’s diary and handled export documentation. CEO Kim Conchie said: “Growth is always an exciting time for a business. We have worked hard in these tough times to ensure that we, as your accredited chamber, are here offering support and insight wherever possible. These new team members will really help us deliver our core purpose – to champion the businesses and businesspeople of Cornwall & Scilly. I welcome each one of them and I look forward to their collective input to our future.”
Darren Buckley (ELS network coordinator and chamber sales) provided businesses
LOOKING AHEAD Cornwall Chamber has taken on two new programmes, Business Clusters and Skills Hub Phase 2 as well as a plethora of exciting plans for 2021.
LAURA WHYTE
priority sectors to determine their workforce skills needs and co-design and pilot new training programmes to enhance the industryrelevance of the local educational offer. The Business Clusters project is delivered by Truro and Penwith College alongside Cornwall Chamber of Commerce, Cornwall Council, Cornwall Marine Network, Digital Peninsula Network, Kernow Health CIC, Software Cornwall, and The Cornwall College Group. The strength of this assembled partnership will enable the project to offer employer-led activities to a wide range of key sectors, including construction, early years, health and social care, hair and beauty, hospitality and leisure, manufacturing, marine, retail and digital technologies and software.
WHY JOIN? Cornwall Chamber of Commerce is an independent not-for-profit organisation accredited by the British Chambers of Commerce. We solely exist to represent businesses in Cornwall. Our events provide a platform for businesses to connect, create and make valuable business relationships. Membership to the Chamber starts from as little as £17 +VAT per month and provides you with the tools to promote your business. Get in touch today to have a chat about how we can support you and your business.
Email: hello@cornwallchamber.co.uk Call: 01209 216006 Online: www.cornwallchamber.co.uk BUSINESS CORNWALL | 41
TEST DRIVE
CUPRA FORMENTOR
CUPRA
WORDS BY MORVETH WARD
FORMENTOR When Dales, CUPRA Summercourt got in touch to offer Business Cornwall the chance to have a go in the brand new CUPRA Formentor, car-nut Morveth Ward jumped at the chance, knowing the CUPRA heritage
42 | BUSINESS CORNWALL
Defy every ‘should’ in the book. There’s courage in taking the path less travelled. There’s freedom in creating your own I’ve got to admit, before Sales Manager Danny Fox of Dales CUPRA Summercourt said about the Formentor, I hadn’t heard of it - I quickly did an online search and found myself instantly excited: Whenever the CUPRA sub-brand has strapped itself to the primary SEAT brand, it has always meant good things, notably for being a proper performance package. The big difference here is that CUPRA is now a standalone brand, disassociated with SEAT. The Formentor is the first car built by CUPRA from the ground up – so this is not to be regarded as a pimped SEAT but something with purpose, though still part of the VAG Group family. They haven’t messed around here with making the brands direction clear and the model I tested had the infamous 310BHP 2 litre turbo powertrain, as used in highly respected performance variants, such as the Golf R - so can you now see why I was excited? The CUPRA is of a crossover variety and therefore aims to bridge the gap between a conventional hatch and an SUV. Typically, I’d define most crossovers as an SUV, whereas with this, it’s got more of a hatch bias, which is great, especially on a performance brand. Naturally the taller and heavier SUVs tend to be compromised on driver appeal when
compared to a hatch, where with this I didn’t notice a compromise. There are six primary trim levels available, ranging from a 1.5 TSI (150PS) V1 (starts from £27,395) up to the range -topping VZ Edition (starts from £43,830) which is limited to just 100 cars (great for residual value!). The model I tested was the VZ2 (starts from £39,830) which was a proper thorough-bread hot hatch / hot SUV. The 310 horses, four-wheel-drive and outstanding DSG gearbox is a champion combination – so efficient that it propels the Formentor from 0-60 in 4.9 seconds – that’s seriously quick and puts it in the same league as some much more expensive performance cars. There’s no mistake that this is a very capable machine in this spec and a real hoot to drive, yet still managing a supple ride with good refinement. Refreshing when many manufacturers have diluted their performance range by applying a ‘sporty’ spec to underpowered cars which means they look the part but don’t perform the same. To me, many crossovers / SUVs are now all too similar and for me it makes them apathetic (sorry, I know they do a job), whereas pleasingly the CUPRA is one of the most unique now on the market. It’s an unfamiliar aggressive shape with lots of nice detailing, like the touches of copper and carbon. The same goes for the interior which is also its own. The model tested had amazing seats, petrol blue genuine nappa leather bucket seats with copper stitching and
embroidered CUPRA logo in headrest. There are some really fun specs with this car. For a while I was struggling to see who the target market is, though reading one of the quotes in its marketing literature, it reaffirmed what I was thinking. This is what it said: Defy every ‘should’ in the book. There’s courage in taking the path less travelled. There’s freedom in creating your own. When you’ve got the safe bets from others in the VAG Group, like the Volkswagen T-Roc (which do an ‘R’ with same 2L Turbo) and Audi Q3 for the same sort of price, why would you take a punt on the CUPRA? Well because if you fall for it, like I did, and you want something a bit different, this is the car to go for. It’s an intriguing car that offers something a little different and whilst the usual suspects are in direct competition, this little Formentor is fruity enough to potentially even turn your head if you’ve been looking at more expensive big brands like the Porsche Macan, because for fun-factor and individuality, this could be for you.
Contact: Dales, CUPRA Summercourt 01872 511600
BUSINESS CORNWALL | 43
CONNECTED
CORNWALL
CHRIS PACKHAM
KATE KENNALLY (CHIEF EXEC, CORNWALL COUNCIL)
CORNWALL SUSTAINABILITY AWARDS Local businesses came together before Christmas to celebrate (virtually) the Cornwall Sustainability Awards Chris Packham gave a rousing call to action in his keynote speech, saying: “We must all stand shoulder to shoulder to make the difference we need for the environment. Our world needs us and it needs you more than ever!”. He put an emphasis on community and the fact that we are all connected to nature. He said: “Don’t be afraid, don’t be small, we all
CLLR ROB NOLAN (CORNWALL COUNCIL)
44 | BUSINESS CORNWALL
have a voice, raise it, politely, democratically, peacefully but demonstratively. Cornwall is leading the way in terms of sustainability and I am delighted to help recognise the achievements made.” Bennamann, an innovative energy company which seeks to develop circular supply chains in biomethane, as a carbon-neutral process, picked up the Circular Economy category and was crowned Overall Winner. Other winners included Beach Guardian (Green Innovation in a time of coronavirus), Woodland Valley Farm (Environmental Growth) and Cornish Lithium (Carbon Neutral). The judges also awarded a special award for ‘continued commitment to sustainability’ to property and construction consultancy Ward Williams Associates.
CLLR JULIAN GERMAN (CORNWALL COUNCIL)
Cornwall Council leader, Cllr Julian German, gave a joint speech with Council chief executive Kate Kennally. He said: “There’s much to be proud about what has been collectively achieved; but I think we all know that there remains much to be done to face up to the scale of the environmental challenge over the coming decade. At Cornwall Council we are committed to tackling the climate and ecological emergencies head on.” Kennally added: “Although the environmental challenge ahead is formidable, we are confident that local leadership – combined with the action and innovation shown by today’s nominees – can inspire, transform and set the foundations to set us on a path that reduces our impact on the planet’s natural systems.”
CORNWALL
PHILIPPA HOSKIN (ENVIRONMENTAL GROWTH TEAM - CORNWALL COUNCIL)
EMILY AND ROB STEVENSON (BEACH GUARDIAN CIC)
MARK DUDDERIDGE (CIOS LEP)
CONNECTED
DAN BLOOMFIELD (TEVI)
KIM CONCHIE (CORNWALL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE)
LORD ROBIN TEVERSON (CIOS LOCAL NATURE PARTNERSHIP)
BUSINESS CORNWALL | 45
OPINION
JUST A THOUGHT
Richard Baker, managing partner at leading south west law firm Stephens Scown LLP, reflects on lessons learned through the pandemic and reasons for Cornwall to be optimistic about its future
Casting my mind back to before the pandemic took hold, I remember taking a team up to London to celebrate having been listed for the sixth consecutive year as one of the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For. It feels like a lifetime ago. Little did we know then what a rollercoaster of a ride it was going to be, navigating through the most challenging period the world has faced in most of our lifetimes. Nearly a year on, I wanted to share five key strengths that give me optimism for the future. #1 PEOPLE POWER Like many businesses in Cornwall, the pandemic momentarily took the wind out of our sails. Overnight, we were faced with the logistics of moving nearly 300 people out of fully equipped offices and into a brave new world of home working and remote technology – and not to mention the challenges of home schooling for the parents among us. With our people at the heart of our business, we have made sure our hard working and talented employees have felt supported throughout the pandemic, from work-related matters to physical and mental wellbeing. #2 COMMUNICATION IS KEY With the majority of our employees working from home and the need to reassure clients that we are there for them, communication has been paramount. From an internal perspective, we have implemented a host of new initiatives and methods of
46 | BUSINESS CORNWALL
PEOPLE & PURPOSE communication to keep our colleagues informed and engaged. I now do a weekly video to keep everyone updated with news from a Board perspective, and we check in on employee wellbeing with our HR team calling every colleague each month. We have also introduced pulse surveys every two weeks, and our dedicated Trustee group provides feedback on further ways we can support our colleagues through these difficult times. With the world in such flux, it was also vital to offer timely, expert and impartial advice online, in the form of videos, articles and information guides to businesses and individuals. Our legal advisors have been excelling in this area, especially with the constantly changing rules and guidelines. #3 BEING A PURPOSEFUL BUSINESS
We are not only developing future talent but we are creating new jobs and careers for people. This last year we have had nine trainees qualify into various teams within the firm and we are about to introduce three new partners to the firm in the coming months. #4 FORWARD-THINKING BUSINESS COMMUNITY Cornwall really is a great place to live and work, and has always been, but with the tech revolution, poor transport links are no longer a limiting factor to attracting new businesses to the region and servicing businesses outside of the region. Businesses can now very much thrive here – all of that means it is an even more fantastic place to do business. Technology has been at the heart of our business resilience and I know it has helped many of our clients to not only weather the storm, but to pivot, shift their offering and find new markets.
With the world in such flux, it was also vital to offer timely, expert and impartial advice online
Having made the transition to an employee-owned business model in 2016 – the first large law firm to do so – we have reaped the rewards in many ways in terms of growth and resilience. However, this has never been more evident than seeing our people come together to support each other and the firm through the pandemic.
Our vision of becoming a Top 100 law firm, but doing it our way and not losing our culture and values, is very much in our sights.
#5 NEW HORIZONS
There is no denying the pandemic has had a devastating effect on many people’s lives and livelihoods in Cornwall. However, Cornwall is really well positioned as we go forward. There are great businesses here. Tech creates further opportunities for them as transport becomes less of an issue. It is already a great place to live and work and increasingly people want to move her. Looking forward, if Cornwall could become a tech-smart, energy-clean county, how exciting and compelling would that be.
The business start-up experts
Is becoming your own boss on your to-do list?
TRURO INVESTORS
LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES IN CORNWALL Ideal candidate business would be distressed, cash poor or just having difficulty growing, ideally in a growth sector Start, run and grow your new business with FREE award-winning support from the business start-up experts.
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Outset_advertorial.indd 1
THE NEW CUPRA FO R M EN TO R TEST DRIVE TO D AY Let your heart choose for once
CUPRA, DALES SUMMERCOURT - CHAPELTOWN, SUMMERCOURT, NEWQUAY, CORNWALL, TR8 5YA / T. 01872 511600 - DALESCORNWALL.CO.UK
BUSINESS CORNWALL | 47
THE LAST
WORD
WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG? I didn’t want to ‘do’ anything specific, but I always wanted to create, to build. I didn’t have the attention span for architecture or engineering so designing and building digital products and launching companies is the perfect space for me.
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST FULL TIME JOB? Gardening and labouring as it was the only way I could earn more than minimum wage before I was 18.
WHAT IS YOUR BEST QUALITY?
Resilience.
WHAT IS YOUR WORST QUALITY?
Impatience.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FILM? It’s not a film but I enjoyed Halt and Catch fire. I’d recommend it to anyone in our industry.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE RESTAURANT? Any good, traditional, British pub after a long walk.
HOW DO YOU LIKE TO RELAX? By being in or on the sea. Drinking wine or beer. Skiing, snowboarding, mountain climbing, kitesurfing, sailing and working past midnight without any other distractions. Learning new things. Often a combination of the above.
IF YOU COULD BE A SUPERHERO, WHAT SUPERPOWERS WOULD YOU LIKE TO POSSESS? The ability to create time. Or the ability to think like a child with the capacity of an adult.
CAN MONEY BUY HAPPINESS? No but it gives access to experiences which certainly make me happy.
WHAT DO YOU BEGRUDGE SPENDING MONEY ON? Not much. Some taxes.
IF YOU ONLY HAD £1 LEFT IN THE ENTIRE WORLD, WHAT WOULD YOU SPEND IT ON? A sponge to clean cars and build from there.
WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY? Effective micro interactions, art, success, my daughter smiling.
WHAT MAKES YOU ANGRY?
Not trying.
WHAT’S THE GREATEST INVENTION EVER? I don’t like clichés but the Internet is the unavoidable answer.
IF YOU COULD BE GOD FOR A DAY, WHAT MIRACLE WOULD YOU PERFORM? Global Internet access. Then you’d solve education which would in turn solve a lot of other issues.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE DOING IN FIVE YEARS’ TIME? Designing brands, launching and investing in successful businesses that have a positive social impact. More of the same but a lot bigger.
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JACOB BECKETT
Executive creative director at Vitamin Cornwall