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CITIZENS ADVICE CORNWALL’S

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Toni Eyriey toni@businesscornwall.co.uk

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BY EDITOR NICK EYRIEY

Let the search begin!

The search has begun to discover Cornwall’s brightest young business talent – Cornwall’s 30 under 30 class of 2023.

I can’t quite believe this is the eighth year of Cornwall’s 30 under 30. Over the years, together with our colleagues at the Cornwall Chamber of Commerce, we have discovered some burgeoning talent that have gone on to forge some truly successful careers. And we want to discover more!

So, if you are under the age of 30 on March 18, living and working in Cornwall and doing some fantastic things on the business scene (or you know someone who is), let us know about it.

Head over now to the Cornwall Chamber website (cornwallchamber.co.uk/30-under-30) to read the full criteria and to download the nomination form.

Deadline for entries is February 28.

The successful 30 will be invited by the Chamber to a special presentation event in the summer and will have their profiles in a future Business Cornwall magazine.

Talking of the future, all eyes were on Cornwall last month for what was anticipated to be the firstever satellite launch from UK soil. Ultimately, of course, it all ended in huge disappointment.

We still made history, though – it was the first-ever orbital launch attempt from UK soil. But it’s that word – attempt – which sticks in the craw a bit.

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But while Virgin Orbit carries out its investigation as to why the payload didn’t make it into orbit, the part Spaceport Cornwall and Cornwall Airport Newquay played is still something to be hugely proud of.

And it is clear that Cornwall still has a big part to play in the UK’s space industry future. But whether Cornwall will be able to claim that first ‘successful’ launch attempt, we’ll have to wait and see, with launches planned in Scotland.

that may offend.

Business Cornwall Magazine is proud to be associated with

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Partnering with Focus can help you achieve these goals, and more.

SAM

OATEY Oatey Media

2023 is going to be an incredible year for Oatey Media. I’ve got some exciting plans in the pipeline, right now I’m deep in preproduction working on multiple projects that are happening imminently for some big brands.

BELINDA SHIPP Cornish Marketing

I have only one thing on my to do list for 2023.

Most businesses struggle to create a marketing message that captures peoples’ hearts and minds. But when you connect your marketing to customers dreams, desires and feelings, they will buy. I’m making it my 2023 mission to help 150 Cornish businesses find the right words to grow their business with marketing that works.

CATHY WOOLCOCK Cornwall Heritage Trust

Our priorities for 2023 will focus on building on the impressive growth we enjoyed last year as part of our new strategic plan. Top of my ‘to do’ list is recruitment of our first Countryside Ranger, to enable us to bring the maintenance of our 13 historic sites in-house and to expand our successful community engagement and volunteering programmes to make the most of our incredible Cornish heritage locations.

PETER WROE Eliquo Hydrok

We start the year positively with a good order book, a good team and a strong sales pipeline of water environmental projects, so 2023 will be a year of focused operational delivery for Eliquo Hydrok.

Our teammates are our biggest asset and it’s important to us that every colleague can be their best in work, and outside work, as we achieve our objectives together.

In January we’ll be surveying our colleagues to ask how we can further improve our culture and workplace for the team, and new roles we are now advertising.

STUART BEVERIDGE St Michaels Hotel & Spa

January is one of our busiest months of the year, so there’s no easing in for me! First up we kick start 2023 with a new mixed-media campaign, with lots of exciting and enticing communication to bring guests to the Cornish coast. After that, there’s lots of new projects and developments in the works at St Michaels this year, watch this space!

ANDREW DAVENPORT Focus Technology

The #1 on my to do list is to develop a better work life balance and spend more time doing things I enjoy.

JAMES LASKOWSKI Laskowski & Co

Our key focus is to continue to evolve into a multi-disciplinary property consultancy, providing market-leading advice and services to commercial and residential property owners.

TOM HARVEY-JAMES Groundsure

With a record-breaking heat in 2022 and a wet winter to follow, our main focus is to ensure that homebuyers and businesses ensure they are accounting for climate change in their property or premises decisions - this year will see a lot more scrutiny on lending and legal requirements, so make sure you and your property lawyer are prepared and can make an informed decision.

RACHEL PICKEN Agile PR

First thing on my to do list for 2023 has been to take stock of my business and plan where I am going. Rather than diving straight back into the day-to-day tasks of managing communications and PR for my clients, I carved out some time to set goals, develop new offers and work up fresh proposals for my existing clients. I’ve also been listening to podcasts and books to support my practice. I am currently recommending Atomic Habits by James Clear to anyone who will listen!

I was lucky enough to start surfing at the age of nine, back in 1990. Learning to surf wasn’t a chore, it was part of the journey. Over the last three decades of surfing and business, I’ve come to the realisation that surfing can guide us in business.

For starters surfing, unlike other sports, has no defined boundaries. It would be like trying to get good at tennis but every time you go to play tennis the ball changes its weight, the court moves beneath you, and the height of the net increase and decreases. Growing a business verse working in a job is much the same. There are no defined

boundaries, just our own tolerance to being able to improve in this fluid environment.

The second comparison is paddling out. Anyone that has tried to surf will understand the pure frustration of paddling out. Surfing is relatively easy. Paddling out through lines of breaking water is not so easy. Waves typically travel in groups of four to eight, called a set of waves. If you mistimed your paddle out you can expect to have all the waves break on you. Exhausting you and making you think about returning to shore. But experienced surfers know that calm water is coming. As is in

business we get “hit” by what seems like endless waves, making us question our direction and motivation. An experienced business owner will take these waves on the head in the knowledge that calmer waters are coming.

Finally there are no shortcuts. In business and in surfing. You need an undivided commitment to progress, learn, and adapt - no matter how challenging external factors are.

CORNWALL LEADING CASE FOR HVO

Camborne and Redruth MP George Eustice met with residents, community and business leaders in Kehelland recently to learn more about a nationally-leading trial of a fossil-free oil replacement.

The local church, school, businesses and homes in the village have been converted to run on hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), making it the first fossil-free HVO village in the country.

The trial is being run by local fuel distributor Mitchell & Webber as part of a national demonstration project together with UK and Ireland Fuel Distributors Association (UKIFDA) and Oil Firing Technical Association (OFTEC).

There are currently 1.7 million households in rural communities in the UK using conventional kerosene boilers.

Under current Government proposals, all “off-gas grid” homes in rural communities will be banned from purchasing replacement boilers from 2026 and expected to have an air source or ground source heat pump system instead.

However, such systems cost at least three times as much as conventional boilers and are inappropriate and less effective in many older properties.

Speaking at the event at Kehelland School - a 130 year-old building that has already been converted to run on HVO - Mitchell & Webber’s director, John Weedon, said: “Kehelland is unique as it has the most boilers converted to HVO in the UK, so we’re delighted that George Eustice MP is here to see first-hand how quick and easy a HVO conversion is, and how much impact it can have in the fight against climate change.”

Made from certified waste fats and oils,

APPROVAL FOR BATTERY PROJECT

developments announced by Balance Power, following the successful appeals of projects in Wolverhampton West, Sudbury, and Goring.

The 49.5MW project was granted development approval by Cornwall Council, following extensive community engagement, parish council meetings,

HVO can be used as a direct replacement in conventional oil-fired systems with a quick and simple £500 conversion - and immediately reduces carbon emissions by up to 88%.

However, without Government support, the cost of HVO for domestic use is currently far greater than Kerosene.

Shortly after his visit, Eustice introduced a Ten-Minute Rule Bill in Parliament, to incentivise use of renewable liquid fuels in rural communities, which would create a legal obligation on Government to remove duties on renewable liquid heating fuels and extend the incentive mechanism contained in the Renewal Transport Fuel Obligation to apply to domestic heating fuels, too.

While the Bill was passed unopposed, it still requires Government support to become law. Eustice said: “The Government has a chance to take these proposals forward through its own Energy Bill later this Spring and it must grasp this opportunity to deliver for our environment.”

and a pre-application. The battery storage facility will be energised in 2028.

Specialising in a mix of renewable technologies including solar PV and battery storage, Balance Power has secured planning consents on more than 396 MW of generating capacity, 164MW in 2022 alone, with a further 1.2GW of generating capacity under development.

Planning permission has been granted on a new battery storage project in St Austell.

It is the latest of several battery

CELTIC & CO BUYS FRUGI

Celtic & Co parent company, Refined Brands, has bought Helston-based ethical childrenswear brand Frugi.

The business, which was founded in 2004 by Kurt and Lucy Jewson and later sold to a private equity company in 2018, went into administration at the end of November.

Refined Brands acquired the intellectual property and assets of the Frugi brand via a pre-pack administration deal, for an undisclosed sum.

Frugi’s operations and head office team of around 100 will relocate to Celtic & Co’s base at Indian Queens.

James Williams, group managing director of Refined Brands, said: “I’m delighted to be able to secure the future of this pioneering ethical childrenswear brand and save a significant number of local jobs in Cornwall.

“We are delighted that Frugi are joining our brand family. We have long been fans of the Frugi brand and find their strong ethical and sustainable brand values resonate strongly with our own.”

INVESTMENT FOR CLOTHES DOCTOR

Sustainable clothing care business, Clothes Doctor, has secured a £500k equity investment from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Investment Fund (CIOSIF).

The Truro-based business, which appeared on TV’s Dragons’ Den in 2019, secured the investment as part of a £1 million funding round led by appointed CIOSIF fund manager, The FSE Group.

The round includes investment from start-up accelerator Founders Factory, Childs Farm founder and CEO, Joanna Jensen, and new

WORLD FIRST FOR CORNWALL

A Cornish company pioneering the capture, storage and use of methane gas sourced from farm slurry has seen its groundbreaking technology incorporated into the world’s first liquid methanepowered tractor.

Bennamann, based at the Aerohub Business Park near Newquay, has been researching and developing biomethane

and existing private investors. The funding will be used to employ an additional 14 members of staff over the next three years. Originally a service-focused clothing repair business, Clothes Doctor has evolved following high levels of demand, to create and supply eco-conscious laundry care products. Their premium detergents and other ranges are some of the very few products on the market that do not use palm oil or plastic and are plant/mineral derived.

Founder Lulu O’Connor said: “We are delighted to be developing our business so that more people are able to use our vegan products to wash, repair and care for clothes, in the hopes that an undeniable and long-term difference will be made to the sustainability of the fashion sector.”

production for over a decade.

It has developed Government granteligible systems for sealing slurry lagoons to capture methane that would otherwise escape to the atmosphere (called ‘fugitive methane’), then treating and compressing the gas for use as fuel.

The New Holland T7 Methane Power LNG was unveiled at a global CNH Industrial Tech Day event in the USA in December.

Bennamann co-founder, Chris Mann, said: “The T7 liquid methane fuelled tractor is a genuine world-first and another step towards decarbonising the global agricultural industry and realising a circular economy.”

Mark Duddridge, chair of the LEP, added: “Biomethane has huge potential. If we can make our agriculture industry energyindependent in the face of soaring input costs and volatile energy prices, while reducing emissions, then we can provide a huge economic boost for rural communities, greater food security, and move towards net zero.”

HELSTON GARAGES SOLD

Helston Garages is under new ownership following the completion of its sale to Vertu Motors in a deal worth £182 million.

The deal will see 28 of Helston’s dealerships across the south west rebranded as Vertu Motors and Bristol Street Motors. Helston Garages’ other 12 sites were recently sold in a separate deal to Yeomans Group.

Helston Garages had been a family-run business for more than 60 years, building up a network of dealerships across Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset, operating under several brand names including Westerly, Carrs and Truscotts. It was previously owned by David Carr, before his death last February.

Robert Forrester, CEO of Vertu Motors, said: “We are delighted that Vertu Motors has completed its acquisition of Helston and 28 sales outlets, further evidence of the execution of our long-term strategy.”

The UK’s largest production facility of ground source heat pumps has been opened the Cornwall.

The Kensa Group factory, located at Mount Wellington Mine near Truro, was officially opened by Sir Nigel Wilson, CEO of Legal & General, which earlier this year made an £8 million investment in the manufacturer, brining its total investment into the business over the past two years to £15.7 million.

The factory has the capacity to manufacture 30,000 ground source heat pumps every year - providing the

KENSA OPENS NEW FACTORY

equivalent carbon saving of taking 60,000 cars off the road.

Dr Matt Trewhella, CEO of The Kensa Group, said: “We are delighted that Sir Nigel Wilson, CEO of Legal & General Group is able to officially open our fantastic new factory and office. For Kensa and L&G, coming together at this event showcases our shared ambition to play a pivotal part in the UK’s solution to reach net zero emissions by 2050.”

THE YEAR AHEAD!

The turmoil caused by the war in Ukraine, the political and economic upheaval we saw at home and the massive hike in business costs which saw the price of goods, utilities and staffing sky rocket all hit hard. And sadly, there was no universally available vaccine to deal with those problems.

as a priority, to crackdown on late payment practices that are crippling otherwise viable companies and to try and create a more positive atmosphere so business owners can feel confident to start or grow a business and take on staff.

Small businesses and the self-employed here in Cornwall and beyond have had an incredible period of instability over the past couple of years.

As we entered last year, the Covid vaccine was just starting to make us feel as if we were over the worst and recovery could be within grasp but unfortunately 2022 had a triple whammy of nasty tricks up its sleeve.

So, as we now settle into 2023 can we be more optimistic? On the surface the picture still looks bleak but we have to remember that so many great Cornish SMEs and self-employed businesses managed to get through Covid due to their ability to adapt and innovate. We can only hope this remarkable ‘never say die’ spirt will sustain us again through what will definitely be a challenging year.

At FSB we continue to work with Government to try and reduce all these pressures on business and our focus is to try to encourage the powers-that-be to be bold. We want to see them reduce the cost of doing business

And let’s not forget, supporting the Cornish self-employed and small businesses to do all this is not a ‘giveaway’ or a handout : it is an investment in our region and nation’s economic recovery.

www.fsb.org.uk

Neil Eames Regional development manager – south central and south west FSB

B Corp Law firm seals certification B Corp

In the December/January issue of Business Cornwall, we caught up with south west law firm Stephens Scown LLP, which was on the verge of becoming a certified B Corp. We are pleased to report the firm received the good news of its certification success just before Christmas. Here we find out more about what this means to the firm, its employees and the wider business community.

Following a rigorous independent assessment process, employee-owned law firm, Stephens Scown, received an early Christmas present in the form of receiving news of its B Corp certification by the non-profit B Lab, the first law firm in the south west to do so and one of only a handful of B Corp law firms in the UK.

What is B Corp?

B Corp Certification requires a holistic review of a business’ social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency, and is based on a vision of creating a community of for-profit companies committed to redefining success in business.

Richard Baker, the firm’s managing partner since May 2019, explains the reasoning behind this business decision: “At Stephens Scown, we have always cared about doing things the right way for our people, our clients, our planet and our community. As the first large law firm in the UK to become employee-owned, we have built a dynamic and innovative business dedicated to delivering for its clients and providing a rewarding and supportive workplace. Gaining our B Corp certification underlines our longterm commitment to also being a force for good in wider society.”

He continues: “With the backdrop of global challenges to tackle and the ongoing threat to our environment, it is vital that we showcase just how we are making a difference and that we are part of a much bigger movement, proving there is a better way to do business.”

Empowering employees to do good through four key pillars of fundraising, volunteering, pro bono work and reducing the business’ environmental impact, the firm’s Giving Back programme was first set up in 2018. Verity Slater, Giving Back partner and a driving force in the firm’s B Corp verification process, says: “I am really pleased to report a strong engagement with our Giving Back programme this year. The whole firm’s enthusiasm and awareness of our drive to be a force for good has been noticeable. Undertaking the B Corp verification process has embedded this yet further and I am looking forward to the additional positive changes and initiatives that will come this year.”

Becoming a more purposeful business

Joint head of Stephens Scown’s Corporate team, Laurie Trounce has observed that sustainability (economic, social and environmental) is also becoming a key driver among business leaders, shaping their

decision making. She says: “We work with a number of businesses who are evolving their decision-making frameworks and adopting new ways of working, including through employee ownership and B Corp certification.

“In light of the issues businesses are facing in a post-Covid marketplace, such as recruitment challenges and adapting to a hybrid working structure, businesses which are able to build their purpose into the DNA of their organisation will be able to use it as the glue that unites remote teams, creates brand value, and enables them to meet the inevitable consumer demand for more purposeful businesses in the future.”

B Corp Certification doesn’t just prove where a company excels now, however, it commits a business to consider impact for the long-term by building it into the very fabric of the firm. B Corps are reassessed every three years, and at each assessment, the criteria becomes more ambitious as B Corps are encouraged to continuously develop their business and increase their positive impact.

Laurie finishes by saying: “If you are thinking about your business becoming a B Corp, or are already on your journey, we would be happy to discuss the benefits with you and how we may be able to support you in your journey to becoming a Certified B Corp, too.”

Contact Verity Slater or Laurie Trounce by calling 01872 265100, by emailing enquiries@stephens-scown.co.uk or visit www.stephens-scown.co.uk

RICHARD BAKER VERITY SLATER LAURIE TROUNCE

Gill Pipkin

Citizens Advice Cornwall chief executive Gill Pipkin is very much a people person.

Having started her career in the tourism industry, spending eight years as joint MD at the Fieldhead Hotel in Looe, before working as PA to the Armstrongs at The Headland, her career path took her to the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust, where she spent several years in such roles as running the office of the medical director and The Knowledge Spa.

As part of our focus on health and wellbeing in the workplace, Gill explains the importance of looking after your staff and her wider role in helping people in Cornwall move ahead.

Going from hotels, NHS and to what you do now seems quite a diverse career path. Was it as different as it sounds?

It’s all about people, isn’t it? And it’s the subject of ‘people’ which has always

interested me; how to make work better for people, to make the difference and to make an impact. And I think that’s what led me to Citizens Advice, I had been involved in voluntary work in some way or another. And moving into Citizens Advice was really at the front line of being able to make things better for people who were struggling.

And before you joined Citizens Advice, you had your own consultancy which was based around the growing importance of corporate social responsibility.

Yes and change management; trying to get businesses to take up corporate social responsibility as a means of improving their business and making their business more meaningful for their team and their customers. It’s certainly something that organisations are looking to get into, and the employees of the future, the generation coming through now are actively saying they want to know that the organisation they work for has a purpose that is good for the planet. So, I think CSR is a really important concept.

Are businesses more conscious of the importance of staff wellbeing?

There has been a big rise in information about mental health and wellbeing. I think physical health has always been one issue and there’s been a statutory responsibility for organisations to look after staff who become physically unwell. But until very recent times, it’s been hard to know how to manage people who are struggling with mental ill health. And we’ve seen in the past few years a rise in things like mental health first aid, support in the workplace for people who are struggling, and a complete shift in the way you support people who are off because of depression or anxiety.

In the past, there was a great degree of ignorance surrounding mental health, thinking that you could just snap out of it. And people masked a lot of their anxiety, depression, mental ill health in general, because they were afraid of the impact it would have on their job. We still get people who are afraid to admit that they’re struggling, because they think that people are going to think differently of them, judge them because of their ill health.

What we see is people don’t tend come to us until they are in absolute crisis

How do we identify these sorts of issues?

It’s about opening up communication, making it safe to talk about how they’re feeling, any anxiety, stress problems outside of the workplace that might impact on their work. Providing in house mental health support through things like Mental Health First Aiders, ensuring that people aren’t constantly overworked, making sure there is a work life balance. Every business has its peaks and troughs; when you’re really busy you need all hands on deck, completely understand that, but when it goes a little bit quieter, encourage staff to take time off, maybe even closing the office and taking them out for a day in nature. Those sorts of things really reap rewards, not just in staff retention and productivity, but it helps people feel valued and respected. They end up giving far more as a result.

Does the size of the company have a bearing on this?

You may think these sort of initiatives are easier for bigger companies, but actually it’s easier for smaller companies just to say, let’s lock the office up for the afternoon and go and play football or have an afternoon on the beach, rather than coordinating 1,000 people to go off and do something together. But it’s something that every organisation should be considering.

Did the pandemic accelerate this as an issue?

I think it became harder to manage because people were working remotely. You would see them on a Teams or a Zoom meeting, but you wouldn’t necessarily know what was happening in the background. Working remotely suited some people down to the ground, but for others it didn’t work at all and really put extra pressure and stress on them. So, it was very difficult for employers to manage people’s mental health and wellbeing because you can’t check in on them. Employers need to be flexible, but for those ones who are working from home, there needs to be some way of catching up with them face to face, because they don’t always reveal everything that’s going on with a virtual meeting.

Everyone has their own idea as to what Citizens Advice does and why it’s there, but what is the true answer?

We have two main objectives. One is to help people with the problems they face. And for that we provide a confidential, non-judgmental professional, impartial advice, and also to identify and campaign on the issues that are impacting people.

The majority of our service is frontline advice delivery on anything from “I’ve got a parking ticket” through to “my wife just left me” and “I’ve lost my job”. So right across the spectrum. And very rarely do people come in with one issue, they will come in because they’ve lost their job, but they lost their job because their relationship broke down. And our job is to identify all the key issues that are impacting them and to try and put in place a plan to help them out. It might be claiming more benefits, it might be getting them into accommodation, it might be supporting them through a divorce and access to children, all that sort of thing.

We collect huge amounts of data on the issues that are impacting people and geographically where they’re impacting them. Every two weeks we produce a heat map of Cornwall of where people are coming from, and the issues that they’ve come across, demographic, age, house ownership or tenancy or whatever. So that gives us some really detailed data through which we can identify the issues that are coming through.

For instance, one of the issues was the rising homelessness as we came out of the pandemic, and the hidden homeless, the ‘sofa surfers’ who weren’t necessarily on the streets, but living in somebody’s living room, moving from sofa to sofa. And we can gather the case stories and the data, and then produce that for MPs and lobbying bodies to try and make the case for change.

And stop the problems arising in the first place?

Very much that’s where I see us having to move in the future because there’s no way that we can meet all the demand that is coming to us. But if we can put in place preventative work to stop people getting into crisis in the first place, that’s got to be more effective for everybody.

Do you often refer these people to other charities for specific help, where you might not have the expertise?

We don’t do pastoral support, as such. We very much work with other charities. One fantastic project we’ve got going at the moment is with Pentreath. They provide three mental health workers alongside our debt workers and they work in partnership to have them going out to see an individual and working through the debt and maybe the potential of losing their home. And

by removing the worry of money and living circumstances, it allows the mental health workers to focus on the mental health issues.

Do financial issues tend to be at the heart of most problems you deal with?

Yes. I think most people have money worries from time to time. It can impact on relationships, it might impact on work, because you’re worried the bailiffs might be around this evening, that sort of thing. So, a lot of our work is around debt, or around making sure that people are claiming the right benefits and support, because there’s an awful lot of people who aren’t claiming the support that they’re entitled to.

And with the cost-of-living crisis, I assume you’re seeing a big rise in these enquiries?

There has been a 36% increase in cost-ofliving issues in the last year. And that is just going to rise as things like interest rates hit people with mortgages. What we’ve seen in the last three years is a completely different set of people needing to access our services. People who previously had reasonable jobs, hadn’t needed to claim benefits and had been able to resolve their problems themselves. Going into the pandemic, we saw a lot of people on furlough, and all of a sudden the money coming in each month didn’t match the money going out. Now we’re seeing people who are in good jobs, on a reasonable wage, not being excessive with foreign holidays or eating out all the time. But their income doesn’t match the cost-of-living rises.

Generally speaking, do most people who need help, ask for help? Or is there a silent majority, too proud to talk up?

What we see is people don’t tend come to us until they are in absolute crisis. So yes, most people come too late. But what I always say is, if you think you’re going to have a problem, even if you haven’t got one yet, give us a call now. Because we might be able to put in place, even if it’s just learning how to budget, some actions that you can take without having to go through the whole advice process. And it may be just directing you to a website where you can get the help that you need. So, you don’t have to wait for one of our advisors.

It’s the subject of ‘people’ which has always interested me

Have you always been interested in people? Is that your main motivation, what gets you up in the morning?

I’m fascinated with people; what makes them tick and what makes things better for them. And I am ever the optimist, that we can make a society that’s better for everybody, but without getting political, we are in a very, very unequal society at the moment. And maybe we need to break the whole system in order to build something that’s fairer for everybody.

It must take a specific type of person to want to make a difference like this. It would be a lot easier, wouldn’t it, just to ignore it and get on with your life?

I think it’s something that all of my team fit. We don’t do what we do for the money. If I wanted to make money, I’d go do something else completely! We do it because we get more out of it than we put in. There are people who’ve come to us with nothing. We’ve spent time with them and while we possibly haven’t resolved everything, the difference it’s made in their life and how they feel about themselves afterwards gives you a real uplifting feeling.

With a looming recession and economic pressures, it must be very difficult for charities at the moment to finance their work, how are you coping with that?

Madly writing funding beds, just like every other charity. But what the pandemic has allowed charities in Cornwall to do is to work much more closely together. So, we are collaborating on funding bids that will benefit lots more charities, rather than us being in competition. And we all have different strengths and weaknesses. If we can work to our strengths and let somebody else deal with the bits we’re not very good at, that’s much better.

We have started our community fundraising programme, which is very new for Citizens Advice. It’s not something that has really

happened anywhere in the country to any great degree and trying to get our community behind us to help each other by donating. Charities have been hit in many ways. There are thousands of charities, and a lot of them rely on supermarket collections or a fun run or something like that. And over the past two years that has been just decimated. Then you look at the local authorities or the national Government grant funding for projects and that is really being squeezed. And I don’t see any end to that. I think what we as charities have to do is to demonstrate the impact that we make from much smaller resources than a commercial organisation, that we can do it far more efficiently and effectively than a commercial body that’s wanting to make a profit out of it. That’s the message that we need to get across.

Because the need for charities like yours is, I guess, greater than ever?

I think our charity was set up on the eve of World War Two. And I don’t think we’ve ever been in as much demand as we are now.

Some charities did go under during the pandemic and sadly probably more will in the next few months, along with many businesses who have struggled through. For a lot of charities, there has been quite a bit of emergency funding coming through. We’ve had bits of money that have come through almost at the last minute, and you’ve had to spend it by tomorrow type of thing, which has been challenging and frustrating because you actually want to be able to plan how to spend that money better. But it’s all got to be got rid of by the end of March, otherwise you’ve got to pay it back. It’s going to be a challenge for many when that emergency funding runs out.

What are your main goals over the next couple of years?

I think my main goal is to make the organisation sustainable, so that we know we’ve got that long-term funding, that we’ve got a model that works and that can flex to meet demand wherever and whatever that is. So that might be being less office based and more going out into communities. And looking after my workforce and making sure that they are ok.

Because their role is to look after the people out there. But who looks after them?

That’s mine and my senior team’s role, because without them, we can’t look after the people who really need us. So, we’re

putting a lot of things in place; we’ve already got Mental Health First Aiders across the organisation, we’ve got one of our in-house trainers who can do mental health awareness training. So, we’re rolling that out next year. We’re also putting in peer mentors, so if you’ve got problem, you don’t necessarily have to go and talk to your line manager, you can talk to somebody else in your team.

Mental health awareness has come a long way in recent years, but how far is there still to go?

We’re still in the foothills of looking after people. Because there’s still an awful lot of people who are afraid to talk about mental health in the workplace, frightened they’re going to say the wrong thing. I think we need to break down that stigma.

For want of a better word, these days we hear more often from celebrities coming out and talking about their mental health issues. Is that a positive thing?

I think it is as long as it doesn’t get rammed down people’s throats. There’s always that balance, that if somebody starts coming out and ramming it down your throat, you just think “actually too much”. It’s exactly the same as if I had a physical problem and I started telling you all the ins and outs.

Is there more pressure on you and your team at the moment than ever before? And can this pressure sometimes become almost too much?

Yes, absolutely, and sometimes you have to go for a long walk, stomp around, have a rant at somebody who understands. I think with every organisation that deals with difficult situations, you have to have a sort of black sense of humour that gets you through. We do very much encourage people to offload whatever’s bothering them, go home and forget about it. But it’s really hard at the moment because bad news is being bombarded 24/7 through the press, which can be so depressing.

It comes back to how we’re bringing our children up. We don’t teach them about mental resilience. We don’t teach them how to manage their money, budgeting that sort of thinking. And I think it’s those life skills that need to be taught right from the word go. We need to give people the skills in the first place. We try to work with people not just to resolve their debt issues, but also to give them these skills so they can cope and manage in the future.

I have a little saying that we are a crutch in a crisis, not the walking stick for life.

My main goal is to make the organisation sustainable

Valuewellbeing of

Truro-based accountant, Whyfield, says it puts a real emphasis on the health and wellbeing of its team.

“One of our most impactful changes of 2022 was our move to the four-day work week,” explains MD Laura Whyte. “This was a massive shift for the company, but enabled us to open for longer for our clients whilst giving our employees a whole extra day off per week. What better way to increase your work-life balance?”

The business also has a yearly wellbeing and social calendar in which its team are able to go out on activity days, take part in yoga and self-defence classes, and more.

“We have two Wellbeing Champions within the office, who are there for staff to talk to should they wish,” adds Lura.

“Each team member is able to have a wellbeing ‘check-in’ as frequently as they would like, to ensure they are speaking about things that may be on their mind, and they are able to be sign-posted to help should they need it.”

Laura thinks this is an initiative that all businesses should consider adopting. “Just getting across the message that talking is valuable,

creating a culture where people can be open and honest about how their feeling. Communication is key.

“Also make sure to emphasise the importance of taking breaks, stretching your legs, getting some fresh air, etc. Our team often go out of group walks together, encouraging others to join if they would like to. Getting that bit of movement in, in the fresh air, definitely sets the team up for a productive afternoon.”

The First Light charity has a Wellbeing Group, made up of 12 staff members who have volunteered to meet monthly to discuss any wellbeing issues within the organisation.

“The second half of the meeting,” says corporate and community fundraiser Anna Micthell, “is an hour’s workshop to focus on particular areas of wellbeing that have been highlighted – these vary from month to month.” She says for a positive culture to exist within the workplace, its needs to start from the top down.

“If a CEO/manager shows vulnerability, then it encourages that ‘culture’ throughout the organisation. We regularly ask how staff are. However, we need to recognise that staff will choose to manage their mental health in their own way and that may be by doing things outside of work. We regularly include wellbeing top tips in our staff updates.”

RISE OF THE PIG DIPPERS

Wild swimming has been growing in popularity in recent times, with advocates bestowing the benefits it gives to mind, body and business.

THE PIG at Harlyn Bay, in collaboration with Cornwall Chamber and Brooks Financial Planning, recently launched a new networking event with a difference – the Pig Dippers – which meets once a month for a bracing Atlantic swim, followed by breakfast at THE PIG.

“The camaraderie gives you such a high and it’s a great reminder of the healing powers of nature and how lucky we are to have the ocean on our doorstep,” enthuses networker Clare Stanley.

“On top of the undeniable mind and body benefits, ‘Pig Dipping’ has led to new friends, valuable connections and even to my dream job!”

We regularly include wellbeing top tips in our staff updates

Businesses up and down Cornwall are recognising the importance of health and wellbeing in increasing numbers.

AN EPIC LEGACY

Digital health solutions in the south west.

Imagine a world where you receive a welfare message from your grandma’s TV remote control, take her on a virtual tour of the hospital so she knows what to expect during her appointment, and then enter a ward that’s just been cleaned by a busy robot. It might sound futuristic, but it’s not as far-fetched as you think; all these life-changing eHealth initiatives are currently being developed right here in Cornwall.

Many of the county’s eHealth businesses have one common source of support – the University of Plymouth’s eHealth Productivity and Innovation in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (EPIC) project. Since it launched in 2017, EPIC has helped more than 150 organisations throughout the south west with academic support from subject matter experts at the university, professional development events, and grant funding through the Challenge Fund.

Georgie Cox is the founder of Beluga Pods, a social media and wellness platform that enables users to connect based on similar hobbies, medical conditions, or life situations, and provides a safe place for users to give and receive support. She reached out to EPIC with an initial app idea in March 2022, after seeking out sources of support for an undiagnosed condition revealed a gap in the market.

“EPIC have been amazing in my journey because they’ve helped with some of the research and I got the Challenge Fund to build my prototype, which has really brought it to life,” says Georgie.

Beluga Pods was among several of the small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) that EPIC recently supported

to attend the Slush start-up event in Helsinki, Finland, where it made valuable connections with potential investors.

Also among the Slush attendees was Mike Trebilcock, CTO of digital health software solutions provider Tango3. The company is currently in the pilot stage of prototyping a small GPS device that can be attached to defibrillators in order to track their location, minimising the length of time the devices are out of action.

The company made connections with multiple international firms at Slush, who are interested in running a proof of concept in their respective countries once the pilot study is complete. Mike recently saved the life of 14-year-old mountain biker Oscar Dawe with one of the defibrillators he helped campaign to install.

“Tango3 is an amazing business,” says EPIC researcher Samantha Prime.

“They’re truly embedded in the community and really passionate about what they do – very worthy of EPIC’s support.”

EPIC, a collaborative project, part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and the South West Academic Health Science Network, might be

drawing to a close this spring, but the legacy of innovation will continue through the progress of all the businesses it has supported.

Project manager, Jay Amies, says: “We have seen some truly incredible eHealth developments in the south west over the past few years and the organisations that EPIC has supported will no doubt continue to strengthen the digital health ecosystem by providing real world solutions for their local communities. We’re extremely proud of what EPIC – together with all our partners – have accomplished.”

Some of EPIC’s key achievements include:

• Placing Amazon Echo Spots into 150 Cornwall care homes for playing reminiscence music, reminding people of events in the care home, and keeping them connected with family and friends.

• National press coverage for a pilot study with robotic companion Stevie (one of Time’s 100 best inventions of 2019) in a Cornish day centre.

• Collaboration on a trial at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (RCHT) with Akara’s decontamination robot, which has the potential to reduce room downtime in critical parts of the hospital by more than 60%.

The legacy of innovation will continue

Throughout his illness, Matthew has stayed remarkably positive, and treated his cancer as a challenge to overcome.

“I think that was the only way I could deal with it,” he says. “Some people go to the North Pole, so get frostbite going up Mount Everest, and that’s their challenge. This was my challenge, and I didn’t have to get frostbite doing it.”

However, it did have a big impact on business, particularly coming hot on the heels of the Covid lockdown. As much of Matthew’s work involves face-to-face contact, he couldn’t risk contracting Covid while undergoing treatment, while chemotherapy itself left him exhausted. So, on the whole, business came to an abrupt halt.

And as he relaunches Distilled Films, there is a sense of déjà vu. “When I first launched my business in 2010, it was not long after a big recession,” he says. “And once again we’re heading for a huge recession, so I feel like I’m right at the beginning again.”

As he continues his recovery and looks to rebuild his business and a new collaborative venture – www.westwardshippingnews.com – he is always mindful the cancer could come back but he says it’s important to be positive.

“You put all this effort in and it’s in the

LIFE THROUGH A LENS

Last year, Distilled Films owner Matthew Clarke was diagnosed with stage three high grade non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, instantly slamming the brakes on his business.

As he looks to relaunch his business, he shares some of the advice and insight he has picked up from his experience.

back of your mind that you’ll have to put everything all back on hold if it comes back. You’ve just got to assume it won’t. One of the key lessons of cancer is ‘sod tomorrow, just make the most of today”.

One of the biggest lessons Matthew learned was the importance of insurance.

“I’m no insurance expert, but I know now,” he says, “If you’re running a business, particularly a microbusiness, make sure you have a good critical illness policy.

“A lot of people think they can cut corners, and it will never happen to them. But I am so thankful I had this insurance. Without it, I would really have been scrabbling around. But the insurers paid up very quickly, it just needed a letter from the consultant. So, I had no financial worries when I wasn’t able to work, which has helped me relaunch.”

Another important thing Matthew has realised is the importance of nurturing friends rather than building business contacts.

“It’s so easy to say when you start off in business, you’ve got to build up contacts, but no, in the middle of all this I realised it is good friends who are important, knowing I had that support there.

“And it’s so easy to misjudge people,” he adds. “It’s easy, when you’re in the heat of running a business to sometimes look a people and misjudge them, thinking they’re

just competition, that they’re out to get you. It’s only when you’re in that critical situation and people come forward to support you, you realise “I misjudged you”.

“Business is important, but it’s not the be all and end all.”

The experience has changed Matthew’s whole mindset on how to go about business.

“This is not an attack on networking groups. But there is a feeling you’ve got to have this bravado. You go to a business event and you’ve got to put this bravado on, say ‘I’m amazing, I’m the expert, come look at me.’ But now, I can’t have any truck with that. If you’re living for the day, there’s no time for that.

“With all businesses at the moment going through really challenging times, I think it’s time to get rid of all this bravado in the business community, because in many ways, your bravado can be an attack on someone else. Someone could be sitting and listening to you and thinking, ‘oh, I’m not good enough, I’m insufficient’. And that can really impact on someone else’s mental health.

“So, get rid of all this bravado, just be a bit more real. Build a business which fits you as a person, rather than trying to become someone to suit the needs of the business. That’s really what I’m going to be trying to do for myself, in building my business out of cancer.

“You’ve got to be a bit more honest about yourself and honest with your feelings.” www.distilledfilms.co.uk

Business is important, but it’s not the be all and end all

PUTTING WELFARE FIRST

If the last few years have taught us anything, it is that we need to be kinder to ourselves and find a way to balance all areas of our lives. Did you know that the cost of poor mental health to employers has increased, up to £56 billion in 202021? With this being more prevalent than ever, it’s always a good time to look into what your company is doing (and what it can do) to help its employees with their health and wellbeing.

Whyfield is a company that puts focus into the health and wellbeing of its employees, in turn increasing employee engagement and productivity.

We hold a wellbeing pledge with our team, within which we state the initiatives we have in place to ensure our team are

looked after and have the support they need. Just some of these include:

• A duvet day - a once-a-year ‘get out of jail free’ card where you can take an additional day off without notice.

• A health and wellbeing events schedule - including self-defense classes, outdoor sports and activity sessions, nutrition workshops, and adventure days.

• A social events calendar - anything from cocktail nights to go-karting.

• Comprehensive health care cover.

• An in-office exercise bike-desk – perfect for working ‘on the go’.

• A ‘rescue box’ (containing various remedies for common illnesses, feminine

hygiene products, and more).

• Mental health awareness and first aid training for staff members.

• And many more.

Our most recent, and most positively impactful, initiative is the four-day working week. Putting this in place was a massive shift for the company, but has enabled us to open for longer for our clients whilst giving our employees a whole extra day off per week. What better way to increase your work-life balance?

MINDFULNESS IN THE WORKPLACE

Innovation Centres have launched a free new initiative aimed at supporting their customers with the ongoing challenges around mental health and wellbeing within the workplace.

At a time when employees mental health and wellbeing are becoming more of a priority and focus within the business world, the team at the Health & Wellbeing Innovation Centre in Truro have teamed up with an experienced wellness business coaching and support company Mindfit Cornwall. The company includes experienced professionals that offer a real focus on wellness within the workplace. The range of professionals includes coaches, instructors and doctors and offer three areas of workshops, Mindfit for Business, Mindfit Coaching and Mindfit Retreats. They focus on things such as breathwork, guided mediation as well as exercises to improve posture and strengthen the core.

The Health & Wellbeing Innovation Centre is offering free monthly Wellness Sessions from January to its centre-based customers to attend during their working day.

Hayley Whitehead, business development manager for the Cornwall Innovation Centres said: “The intention behind the wellness sessions is to help our centrebased customers increase employee resilience, achieve better employee engagement, reduce sickness absence and increase performance and productivity.”

The sessions will include a range of workshop activities focusing on relaxation to relieve stress and anxiety and will introduce coping strategies to use in everyday life, especially within the workplace.

Hayley adds: “Depending on take up, the Cornwall Innovation Centres are hoping to extend the wellness sessions to include our office customers based at Tremough Innovation Centre and Pool Innovation Centre.”

Health and wellbeing in the workplace should be in everyone’s best interest.

Head to our website to find out more about our move to the four-day week and the additional health and wellbeing initiatives we offer. whyfield.co.uk

Cornwall

heroes heroesHealthy

VIA FERATTA

Launched by and sharing the same ethos as charity BF Adventure, which provides vital care to Cornwall’s most vulnerable children, we’re experts in boosting wellbeing. One way we do this is through our team away days which are designed to motivate and build teams, with exhilaration and fun at the heart!

If you’re after something unique that’ll guarantee your team bonding then try our Via Ferrata, an unforgettable high wire adventure through our quarries involving scaling cliff faces, balancing across our high wire bridge and soaring through the air by zip wire. Individuals can make their experience as challenging as they like –perfect for groups of mixed abilities! We also offer a Zip Wire Safari, watersports, climbing, archery, coasteering and more.

Finally, look out for our highly popular Business Challenge Event – it’ll be back this September and is your chance to battle it out to win our trophy. Teambuilding challenges, networking, brand promotion and CSR combine to create an epic day out!

RACHEL FAULKNER WELLBEING CONSULTANT

You probably don’t need me to tell you that there are many pressures in modern life. Family, career, finances, health, fitness, and to find time for a bit of “me time”! What to prioritise and where to focus our energies?

With over 20 years working with the NHS and in Public Health before setting out on my own path, my days are spent helping people do just that – prioritise, and balance. With advice and planning on sleep, nutrition, exercise and positive mental health, my aim is to make your life better. I consider myself incredibly fortunate to live and work in Cornwall, alongside truly inspirational businesses and individuals.

01326 341904

www.viaferratacornwall.co.uk

www.rfwellbeing.co.uk

Presenting six star examples of some of Cornwall’s wellbeing specialists...

Photo credit: CK Athlete Shots

CORNISH FOOD BOX

The Cornish Food Box Company was set up in 2010 by sisters Tor and Lucy to make it easy for people to buy Cornish food and drink, and have it delivered to their home, office or holiday accommodation anywhere in the UK.

Today the sisters work with more than 250 Cornish farmers, fishermen, bakers and family run food businesses and deliver boxes of Cornish produce all over the UK and even internationally!

As the Covid pandemic has shifted our buying and work patterns, Cornish Food Box has adapted to ensure it’s as easy as possible for people to buy even a small amount of their weekly food shop locally and continue to support British farming and the rural economy in whatever way they can.

Today Cornish Food Box is working with many local companies to deliver staff fruit and veg box schemes.

“Buying local helps with wellbeing and health for the person, for our local economy and for our planet,” explains Tor. “We believe that this is a win, win and are delighted to working with so many local companies who appreciate the benefits these schemes are able to deliver.”

To find out more about a partnership with Cornish Food Box and a staff wellbeing scheme please contact the team on the details below.

NEWQUAY ORCHARD

The community building at Newquay Orchard, known as Kowel Gwenen – or the ‘beehive’ – is a busy hub of creativity and connection. The office space has far-reaching vistas and benefits from natural light, which is conducive to a calm working environment.

Members of the co-workspace at Newquay Orchard enjoy lunches together on the Cornish stone terraces and take walking phone calls amongst the young trees and wildflowers. Evening yoga, sound healing and therapeutic art classes help end the 9 to 5 day with wellbeing at its core.

Kowel Gwenen is an innovative space and work life balance is at the forefront of the building’s design and purpose. Co-workers have empathy for people and planet, working in sectors specialising in access to mental health services, increasing social economic opportunities, sustainable energy and low-carbon travel.

Newquay Orchard is proud to share our greenspace with Kowel Gwenen members who are making a difference to local communities, sharing our goal to improve our environment and generate business practices that are good for people and for the future.

Do you want to know more about how you could make a corner of this beautiful greenspace your office? Get in touch!

01637 877182

01872 211533

www.thecornishfoodboxcompany.co.uk

TEAM RE-ENERGISED

UK Coach Training, with offices in Cornwall and Wales, supports SMEs, entrepreneurs and organisations with their training and coaching needs.

With a focus on personal growth and wellbeing, its mission is to provide members with the tools needed to thrive, improve their health and wellness, empowering their people to take the lead in increasing their own wellbeing.

We’ve partnered with Positive Intelligence to bring the pioneering mental fitness and resilience training app, together with an eight- week programme, to Cornwall.

Unlike traditional coaching services, this innovative platform offers a blended learning approach through a variety of bespoke and off the shelf courses, webinars, and workshops, as well personal 1:1 mentoring.

Expert-led sessions can be delivered virtually, face-to-face, or as a combination, either standalone or up to three sessions in a day.

Kaidi Bowen, CPCC PCC and ICF Member, L&D Specialist and Playing Big Facilitator in collaboration with Nick Woolley ACC from Alba Coaching will coach and challenge clients, holding them accountable for decisions and outcomes. This will accelerate businesses and personal growth. It’s time to thrive!

iCareiMove

info@newquayorchard.co.uk

www.newquayorchard.co.uk

www.ukcoachtraining.com

www.albacoaching.org

iCareiMove have over 20 years of experience and have breadth and depth in the field of wellbeing and health.

Our Menopause courses have been created to support best business practise, taking care of women’s health and working preventatively so women can thrive in their mid life, at work and at home and live well.

All our workplace health initiatives support occupational health and HR departments to embed a supportive culture for women at work as women’s health is more important than a box ticking exercise.

The courses detail how to set up support groups and cover in greater depth current information to support businesses to retain menopausal women at work and reduce sickness and absenteeism. Women will have an opportunity to thrive, not just survive, at work.

0800

with Connectingnature

Cornish broadband provider Wildanet is expanding its network bringing high speed, reliable broadband to communities and businesses throughout Cornwall, including helping Cabilla Cornwall transform connectivity for guests at its rural retreat and use new technology to manage its land and wildlife.

Guests enjoying a stay at a wellness retreat centre in the heart of Bodmin Moor can now connect with nature and the rest of the world, thanks to Wildanet.

Wildanet has installed high-speed broadband at Cabilla Cornwall, an upland hill farm which offers a variety of breaks designed to boost mental health and wellbeing.

Founders Merlin and Lizzie Hanbury-Tenison have created a space for people to come and

spend time, surrounded by stunning countryside.

But being close to nature often meant feeling very remote from any sort of reliable internet connection.

And while guests are encouraged to switch off and relax at the retreat, Merlin needed high-speed, wireless broadband to help his business develop.

Not only has it improved the day-to-day

running of the estate, but better connectivity has helped with a series of key rewilding projects taking place at Cabilla Cornwall.

The first project uses new ‘Nofence’ technology to keep a herd of Highland cattle inside a virtual boundary on the 250-acre site, near Cardinham. Each animal wears a patented Nofence collar which uses GPS to locate each animal within the herd.

The collars generate a sound that gradually

increases up to a defined tone when the animal crosses out of the grazing area. Another project involves setting up a ‘beaver cam’ to provide real-time video inside the farm’s new beaver enclosure which will again be facilitated through Wildanet. “It’s going to be fantastic” said Merlin “but it would have been much harder to do any of this without decent Wi-Fi.”

Merlin said neither of these projects would have been possible using the digital connection they had before Wildanet arrived.

“This really is one of the most special and beautiful places around but it’s not known for its high Wi-Fi speeds,” said Merlin. “We really struggled. We kept using a Wi-Fi enabled card that would work through 4G, but it was very poor.

“We heard about Wildanet through the Cornish grapevine – basically word-ofmouth – and got them to come in. It’s been lifechanging.”

Cabilla is home to a series of indoor and outdoor spaces, where guests can eat, drink, stay, take part in mediation or yoga sessions or relax in the spa, plus there are areas for meetings, workshops and group gatherings. Better broadband has meant that clients staying at the retreat as part of corporate groups can easily stream presentations and use video calls.

In addition, members of the Cabilla team can use Wi-Fi across the site to manage bookings and guest enquiries.

“I’m still delighted every time I switch on a laptop and we actually have connectivity,” said Merlin. “What Wildanet has done affects so many aspects of the business, from the day-to-day running to helping us to monitor our wildlife.

“For a while, I just didn’t think it was possible for us to get decent Wi-Fi here or at least I thought it was a long way off from ever being able to happen, until Wildanet arrived.”

Merlin said the installation process was easy and he has been impressed with Wildanet’s customer service. “That’s been really good,” said Merlin. “Plus, Wildanet is a local company. Any way that Cornish businesses can support each other is hugely important to me.”

See: www.cabillacornwall.com

If you or your business need help and support with digital connectivity, Wildanet has a range of options and innovative solutions available to help.

Speak to the team on 0800 0699906 or visit www.wildanet.com/business

businessesBuilding resilient

Specialist support to help SMEs overcome challenges and maximise opportunities.

businesses to create over 1,918 jobs, develop new products, improve productivity and achieve their growth ambitions.

A BESPOKE APPROACH

The programme provides tailored business support and one-to-one coaching for high growth businesses and ambitious start-ups across the county. Business owners are provided with access to a highly experienced team of business coaches, who cover all areas of business including marketing, productivity, strategic planning, finance and leadership.

As businesses are exposed to a tightening economy, they face multiple pressures from inflation, supply chain challenges and reduced consumer spending. It is now more important than ever that businesses have access to high-quality business support services and specialist expertise to help them remain resilient and competitive.

Oxford Innovation Cornwall, which is designed

and delivered by Oxford Innovation Advice and fully funded by the European Regional Development Fund, has supported over 6,000 businesses in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly since 2009.

In fact, the current coaching programme (also known as Transform) has supported over 3,000 SMEs in the county during the last six years, playing a significant role in helping local

Businesses on the programme also benefit from access to a series of interactive workshops as well as a comprehensive suite of resources and tools. This includes GROWTHmapper® - the UK’s leading business diagnostic tool - which provides valuable insights into the perceived strengths and weaknesses of a business, so that support can be tailored to the needs of each client. Developed by Oxford Innovation, GROWTHmapper® has been used by over 35,000 businesses on national and regional business support programmes across the country.

ACCESSING PROVEN EXPERTISE

Andrew Upton, delivery manager and coach at Oxford Innovation Cornwall, says: “There are a lot of pressures and responsibilities resting on the shoulders of a business owner, particularly in these challenging times. Taking time out to sit down with an experienced business coach can provide a valuable opportunity for a business leader to look at their business objectively, analyse issues and tap into external independent expertise to help them move forward.

“We’ve had the pleasure of working with so many incredible businesses over the years. Now more than ever it’s essential that businesses have the support and tools they need to overcome challenges and identify new opportunities to ensure future success. This in turn will enhance the local economy, job opportunities and the prosperity of local communities.”

With over 30 years of experience in helping SMEs grow, Oxford Innovation Advice has been engaged in ‘levelling up’ and supporting businesses in Cornwall for over 12 years –enhancing the economy, lives and prosperity of communities and individuals across the county. With funding through the European Regional Development Fund coming to an end in June, businesses looking to access support from this current programme should apply as soon as possible.

For more information on the programme visit, www.oxfordinnovationcornwall.co.uk or call 01872 300116.

SUCCESS STORIES IDENNA

Idenna has been benefiting from the advice and guidance of specialist business coaches from Oxford Innovation Cornwall for many years.

James Neale, creative director of Idenna, says: “Having a coach has been invaluable to us as a business. I think having an outsider’s perspective is crucial; sometimes you’re too close to what’s going on and it can be tricky to look at things objectively. Our coach is honest, savvy and always helps us refocus our strategies to make sure we’re covering all bases.”

GRIPSURE

Oxford Innovation has supported non-slip decking specialist Gripsure across several coaching programmes dating back to 2011.

MD Mike Nicholson says: “The insights our coach offered into brand building, market research and consumer marketing were very thought provoking and also timely for us, and the session has helped clarify our thinking on some new product introductions to the consumer market. Once again OI prove to be providing just the right support at the time when it is needed most.”

LETTER BOX HAMPER

To help maximise its growth potential, Letter Box Hamper received support from multiple specialist coaches from Oxford Innovation Cornwall.

Jonathan Winfield, founder of Letter Box Hamper, says: “I’ve been really impressed with the quality of the coaches. And the way that the programme is delivered – it very much slots around you. It’s tailored around you, which is brilliant. The time I have invested into the coaching is paying dividends.”

BOOST INNOVATIONS

Boost, a pioneering start-up which has designed a new type of breast prosthesis, is going from strength to strength recently winning the West Country Women’s Award for Small Business of the Year and is now breaking into international markets.

Co-founder of Boost, Sam Jackman, says: “One-to-one coaching is really important because each business is different with different challenges. It is so beneficial to be able to unpick an issue with someone who has the knowledge and experience to help you. We’re so lucky in Cornwall to have access to this support. I can’t stress how important it is to business owners like myself.”

Seeing beyond the headlinesrecession

Worldwide Financial Planning chief executive,

Last year a wannabe PM announced huge unfunded tax cuts. The UK needs overseas lenders and investors more than most large economies, and those overseas lenders (and bondholders) naturally freaked out, didn’t want to lend to the UK at those rates, and upped the cost of borrowing due to the new risk.

That triggered rates to spike, and banks jumped on the bandwagon with unaffordable rate rises. The UK is a debt driven economy, and with record borrowing and a society not used to paying for their debt (record low rates), markets freaked out. Equity markets fell.

Then came the little known LDI (Liability Driven Investment). You don’t know what it is but stay with me. Like the super killer mosquito, it could have wiped you out without the warning of the annoying buzz. It’s a risk management tool used inside pensions, which, when used correctly, keeps pensions balanced and afloat.

LDIs have to settle their payments each morning in cash. Because rates were now rising, they were having to settle each morning. Where do they get the cash from? Selling gilts because they are easy. Selling gilts lowers their value which of course raises their yield

further, which means they need to sell more gilts again the next day as the LDI will trigger that. That spiral ends with Armageddon.

So, when I am told that Liz Truss and Kami Kwasi were unlucky, not so. It was monkeys and hand grenades.

The Bank of England offered to buy the gilts which stopped the panic and the ‘Chancellor’ was sacked, Truss replaced and overseas lenders relaxed, which eased interest rate policy.

We do, however, have strong inflation, in part caused by spending but not overly. China’s zero covid policy affects supply chains.

Energy costs caused by interference on all sides in the Ukraine make inflation very sticky indeed. China’s zero covid policy is gone and if the West (Biden) would like to look at the ceasefire agreed with Turkey’s skilful negotiators last year at the beginning of the war (that all sides agreed to), up until a visit from a bungling UK PM, that enormous humanitarian issue could subside very quickly.

In the meantime, central banks need to calm inflation rapidly. Believe it or not, fear is a good strategy and it is used widely. When the Bank of England increased rates by 0.75%, the headlines read “Largest Rise in 33 Years”. I might argue that the rise in 1992 from 10% to 12%, and a ‘same day threat’ to 15%, was more relevant. Googling ‘UK recession’ will return over 28 million results of which 5.52

me

million results were for the last month alone.

The key is to avoid a tight labour market (too many jobs, not enough workers) leading to wage inflation and all the signs are showing that this is taking effect already which leads me to see through the horrific headlines, ie the bad news on layoffs is good news.

Higher taxes and credit cost coupled with fear mongering are methods of slowing economies. Hunt’s Autumn budget contained a 7% drop in disposable incomes and plenty of fear.

soon

The headlines will soon read “less hiring, potential layoffs”. Trust me.

In the detail, however, know that the deputy governor of the BOE had tucked away in his notes that interest rates would peak 2% lower than they were communicating and Bank of England members noted that if rates did hit 5.25% it would trigger the longest recession since WW2. That cannot be allowed to happen.

As I write, two year and five-year fixed rate mortgages are all falling. One bank slashed up to 1.3% off its rates last week. Read into that what is obvious.

Peter McGahan is chief executive of independent financial adviser Worldwide Financial Planning, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. If you have an enquiry please call 01872 222422.

Headlines will

read “less hiring, potential layoffs”. Trust

Peter McGahan, casts his eye over the economic turmoil that has been dominating the news in recent months.

BUDGETING AND BUSINESS PLANS

Prompt action now will help minimise the risk of unforeseeable problems ahead. If the exercise identifies any likely cash flow issues, then there is more time to consider what to do about them, rather than having to react at the last moment.

If a debt or equity funding need is detected, your investors/shareholders, bank or another potential lender will want to see an up-todate business plan and cash flow forecast to ensure the required timing and level of funding requested is appropriate to cover foreseeable eventualities. This could include consideration of a variety of scenarios to help see how robust the business is to withstand a range of trading conditions. While many new businesses will have

a business plan, a continuing business needs to keep an eye on this too.

A business plan is not meant to be put in a drawer and forgotten about; it is a working document that needs to be regularly reviewed and updated to reflect reality, along with the preparation of management accounts, updated budgets and cash flow projections to assess performance now and for future periods.

Accurate and current management accounts prepared on a timely basis will facilitate more precise information in forecasting and enable a business to monitor its performance against forecasts and plans and understand ‘why’ things are different. Software will

often automate some of this comparison. This all helps you to be proactive to rectify issues before it’s too late. Anticipating short-term cash flow shortages also provides a chance to review action on debtors and creditors to possibly accelerate revenue receipts or defer costs. This could also allow for reappraising decisions on new investments and recruitment where relevant.

Make time to budget, be realistic about what lies ahead and make sure you have all the right information to hand.

INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL ADVISERS

As the new year takes hold, with rising energy bills and other costs having a growing impact, now is an opportune time to review your budgets, forecasts, and business plans, says Bishop Fleming partner, Alison Oliver

AUTUMN TAX DEBACLE!

RRL tax partner, Steve Maggs, keeps us abreast of the latest developments that could affect your business.

In around two months we had a ‘miniBudget’ that ended-up being almost entirely reversed, and then another set of tax announcements in the Autumn Statement.

On November 17, the Chancellor (our fourth of 2022!), made the Autumn Statement announcement that the government desperately wanted to rebuild its reputation regarding public finances and to attempt to provide ‘the markets’ with a degree of confidence following the “mini-Budget” debacle.

From a purely tax perspective, many may be excused for thinking the announcements “weren’t so bad”, however, things like the freezing of tax thresholds when we are experiencing rates of inflation that we are, are significant tax rises in all but name.

Our initial summary of the headline tax announcements is as follows:

• A freeze on many tax thresholds until the 2028/29 tax year (six years away – previously frozen until April 2026) – including the income tax personal allowance, higher-rate income tax threshold, NIC thresholds and bands, and inheritance tax standard nil-rate band and residence nilrate band. This will bring more into the scope of higher-rate income tax, more paying more income tax, more losing their child benefit and personal allowance, and more estates paying inheritance tax –all increasing the need for planning;

• The additional-rate income tax threshold (at which the 45% income tax rate (39.35% for dividend income) is payable) will reduce from £150,000 to £125,140 from the 2023/24 tax year onwards –showing a stark contrast to the “miniBudget” on 23rd September 2022 where the additional-rate was to be scrapped;

• The capital gains tax annual exemption will reduced from the current £12,300

for individuals to £6,000 for the 2023/24 tax year, and then further reduced to £3,000 in 2024/25 – this will require more individuals to pay capital gains tax, and therefore more to report capital gains that previously didn’t need to be reported.

• The dividend allowance will be reduced from £2,000 to £1,000 for the 2023/24 tax year, and further reduce to £500 for the 2024/25 tax year (a 10th of the original dividend allowance when it was created!) – this will require more individuals to pay income tax on dividend income, and again more to report the income to HM Revenue & Customs;

• The SDLT changes for residential property announced at the “mini-Budget” (when of the few measures that stayed!) will be kept in place until 31 March 2025;

• The Business Rates revaluation will go ahead and come into effect on 1 April 2023, based on property values from 1 April 2021. The Business Rates multiplier is to be frozen for another year (in 2023/24), and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure relief scheme is being extended from 50% to 75% for 2023/24, up to £110,000 per business – this will be welcome for many businesses in Cornwall.

• No increases in the capital gains tax rates were announced, as was strongly rumoured – a phoney win for some!

• No changes to higher-rate income tax relief on pension contributions were announced, which was, again, strongly rumoured – how many times has this been the case now? Another phoney win for some!

• Increased to the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage from 1 April 2023 – the National Living Wage for those aged 23 and over will increase to £10.42.

• The VAT registration and de-registration thresholds will be frozen until April 2026.

• Changes to Research and Development (R&D) tax relief were announced that will make the relief much less attractive for SME limited companies – from 1 April 2023, the small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) additional deduction will decrease from 130% to 86%, and the SME credit rate will decrease from 14.5% to 10%. The credit rate for the large company scheme will increase from 13% to 20%. This clearly shows the government’s thoughts about where to focus the benefit for incurring qualifying R&D expenditure.

• Tariff suspensions on over 100 goods were announced for a period of 2 years “to help put downward pressure on costs for UK producers.” – suggests an indirect admission around the impact of the taboo subject, Brexit?

• Electric cars will be subject to Vehicle Excise Duty from April 2025, and the company car benefit-in-kind percentage will increase by 1% in each of the coming 3 tax years – increasing to 5% in 2027/28.

Its times like these that experienced, competent, and proactive tax advice is in high demand – and rightly so!

Significant tax rises in all but name

These are the key findings of an evaluation commissioned by the British Business Bank from independent research consultancy SQW.

The fund was established by the British Business Bank and the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership in June 2018 to provide commercial debt and equity finance from £25k to £2 million to small businesses in Cornwall and Scilly.

The evaluation covered debt and equity finance provided up to March 2022.

Highlights include:

• 90% of businesses surveyed said investment from CIOSIF had increased business resilience.

DRIVING BUSINESS GROWTH

• 81% had introduced new products or services to market.

• 76% had increased skills in their existing workforce.

• 76% had increased investment in R&D

• 48% had reduced the environmental impact of their business as a direct result of CIOSIF investment.

Ken Cooper, MD from the British Business Bank (pictured), says: “These survey results show how investment from CIOSIF is having an enduring and positive impact on small to medium-sized businesses across the region, boosting jobs, skills, innovation and productivity.

“The fund has also leveraged considerable investment from the private sector, and we’re encouraged to see

several businesses secure millions of pounds in non-CIOSIF related follow-on investment, and almost half take steps to become more sustainable.”

CIOSIF has made 68 investments totalling £15.5 million in 50 Cornish SMEs, comprising £10.9m of equity and £4.6 million of debt.

This has leveraged an additional £46.3 million from the private sector, so the fund has been a catalyst for almost £62 million of investment into local businesses so far.

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.

The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Investment Fund (CIOSIF) is driving more business resilience, increased skills, more R&D investment and new products and services among small to medium sized businesses across Cornwall.

Money Money

masters masters

Business Cornwall is proud to introduce six accountancy firms from the Duchy...

GW ACCOUNTANTS

We’re a small firm of accountants in Falmouth/Penryn that do things differently.

• We explain everything in plain English.

• We have an open-door policy, so if you have a question, you just need to email/call or pop in.

• VAT/payroll/accountancy – we can take care of any of it.

Here, we don’t just care about the numbers, we care about people too. This means that you can:

Feel in control of your finances

Spend more time working on your business success

Understand changes in legislation

Enjoy peace of mind knowing you’ve got the support you need

· Make the most of your earnings

www.gw-accountants.co.uk

Covering Mid and West Cornwall, Perfect Sums provides professional and reliable accounting solutions, from your daily financial administration to Year End Accounts preparation and submitting VAT returns.

Regulated and licensed by the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers, you can rest assured that your accounts are in safe hands.

Our services include:

Bookkeeping • VAT returns & MTD returns •

Payroll & CIS payments • Self assessment returns

WALKER MOYLE

Walker Moyle Chartered Accountants & Business Advisers helps business owners across West Cornwall to achieve your goals. This includes opportunities to:

• improve your profitability;

• reduce your tax liabilities; or

• plan for your retirement.

From sole traders to multi-million pound businesses, we take care of all your routine tax and accounting needs, as well as giving you practical advice that adds value to your business.

Free business health check for Business Cornwall readers!

Sign up to our free business review by emailing: penzance@walker-moyle.co.uk

Our team will help you achieve your goals in a friendly, ethical and professional manner.

T&A KIRK ACCOUNTANCY

T&A Kirk Accountancy was founded through a love of numbers and people.

With clients ranging from large international outfits to small oneman-bands we aim to provide a prompt professional service to all.

As a family run firm, we care about every client.

We pride ourselves on our customer communication and no question is too big or too small, we are always on hand to answer your questions in plain English without the jargon.

We are here to help your business grow.

We understand the challenges you face every day, and years of experience, coupled with our formal qualifications means we are able give you the support you need.

HARLAND ACCOUNTANTS

01736 362265 walker-moyle.co.uk

WHYFIELD

Harlands is a chartered accountancy, tax and business consultancy that advocates business for good, empowering businesses to create a better future.

With a heritage spanning forty years, it is a deep rooted but very modern practice based on a core principle that businesses can be both profitable and ethical, supports ambitious business with strong values and aspirations.

We understand that at the heart of business are people, each of whom will have their own version of success.

By prioritising the nurturing of relationships and understanding what is important to our clients, we can ensure that our support is tailored to individual client needs.

For more information, or to arrange a consultation, please contact us via our website below...

www.harlandaccountants.co.uk

01736 688408 tandakirk.com

Whyfield is a modern, dynamic, digital focused accountancy firm.

Our team of highly accredited and highly regarded accounting experts serve businesses and individuals from a wide range of sectors, throughout Cornwall, Devon and across the UK.

Established in 2014, we have embraced cloud accounting with open arms and have successfully transformed the way hundreds of businesses approach their finances, empowering them with real time information.

As experienced business advisors, we help turn ideas into thriving start-ups and work with well-established local businesses to deliver the inspiring plans of directors and shareholders.

01872 267 267 whyfield.co.uk

MOT TRAINING CENTRE FIRST

Take-up from employers has been swift for Cornwall’s first MOT testing qualification.

Truro and Penwith College’s Future Skills Institute recently received approval from the Skills Education Group to run and assess professionals on its new Level 2 Award in MOT Testing (Classes 4 and 7).

The new qualification provides a welcome option for Cornish employers who have

traditionally been forced to send staff on an up to 200-mile round-trip to South Devon College, to access their nearest training and assessment centre.

February’s first two start dates for the five-day training sold out within days of launch. A third date has now been added on February 27, with the training set to run monthly thereafter.

Developed in collaboration with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) the qualification provides learners with the knowledge and skills required to perform MOT tests.

OUT OF THIS WORLD

The achievements of the University Centre Truro and Penwith in creating a new space technologies qualification have been recognised at a national awards.

The Sir Arthur Clarke Awards, or ‘The Arthurs’ as they are commonly known after sci-fi author Arthur C Clarke, have been presented annually since 2005.

DR Heidi Thiemann, the college’s space training project manager, received the award in the Space Achievement, Education and Outreach Individual category, for her role leading the team in launching the world’s first degree-level HNC/HND course in space technologies.

Dr Thiemann said: “I’m really proud that the work of the team at Truro and Penwith College has been recognised with this prestigious award. We are now looking forward to recruiting the next generation of space students in September 2023 and supporting them as they launch their careers in space.”

HUB BOX APPRENTICE SCHEME

Bar and burger restaurant, Hub Box, is launching a chef apprentice scheme.

Due to launch on February 24, the pilot scheme will be rolled out in all four Cornwallbased Hub Box restaurants with one apprentice in each.

The scheme will offer apprentices the opportunity to study for their level 2 chef qualifications in a tailored programme crafted to meet the specific requirements of Hub Box’s chef roles, created in collaboration with St Austell Brewery and the Rick Stein Group.

The 12-month course will see the apprentices under the supervision, guidance and coaching of the head chef, sous chef & head of food.

They will be trained, coached and mentored in Hub Box kitchens while attending Truro College every other Friday during term time. Hub Box founder, Richard Boon, said: “The new apprentice scheme builds on our ambition to make Hub Box a favourite place for our customers to visit and an awesome place to work for our people.”

NEW ROUTES FOR AIRPORT TOURISM FOR GOOD

South west tourism businesses can be a force for good in the fight for survival of the planet, according to former Eden Project sustainability director, Chris Hines MBE.

Speaking at the inaugural Tourism Summit in Exeter, he said: “Well managed tourism brings many benefits to society and the environment. There has never been a more important time to embed some of these principles in how you run your business. We need to work collectively and take action to ensure the future of sustainable tourism across the region and beyond.”

Hines was joined by a panel of experts including ‘Behavioural Futurists’ Will and Nadia Higham from Next Big Thing Consulting and Tracey Boyne of the multiaward-winning Mylor Sailing School and its sister charity Mylor Sailability.

The conference closed with the launch of The Tourism for Good Collective - a signedup community of businesses who will share stories of good practice and collaborate to ensure a prosperous future for the industry and the planet.

Ryanair has announced its new seasonal Cornwall to Edinburgh route, operating twice a week from June to September. The route adds to Ryanair’s five existing airlinks to and from Cornwall this summer, including sunny hotspots like Alicante, Faro and Malaga, as well as city break destinations like Dublin, London and now, Edinburgh.

WATERGATE BUYS SANDS

Watergate Bay Hotel has acquired Sands Resort in Porth.

Watergate plans to turn the 72-bed site into a “new kind of self-catering holiday experience”, which it will operate under its Beach Retreats brand.

A bespoke-designed collection of studios and apartments, work has just got underway for 24 new lodges to be built on the 11-acre site.

Will Ashworth, chief executive of Watergate Bay Hotel, says: “The domestic tourism market is changing. Following the seismic

FAMILY VALUES

Hendra Holiday Park has appointed a new director.

Tom May is a third-generation family member of the business, which has been owned by the same family throughout its 50 years in business, following in the footsteps

Meanwhile, SAS’s twice weekly link to Copenhagen is also set to return this June.

Amy Smith, head of commercial at Cornwall Airport Newquay, commented: “SAS joined us in 2019 and witnessed exceptional success when the carrier linked us to the Nordic nation for the first time.

“Resuming the Copenhagen service will not only enhance the variety of destinations we offer our customers once again, but also re-open the Star Alliance network of over 70 onward destinations in Europe, Asia, and North America.”

shift of 2020-21, many self-catering holidaymakers want more from their coastal breaks than solitude and similarity – but to date it’s a demand which has not truly been met in this sector. Through Beach Retreats we’re looking to change this and put Cornwall at the helm of the self-catering evolution.”

Sands Resort was opened by Nicholas Malcolm, in the 1970s as the first purposebuilt family resort in Cornwall and, now retiring, is pleased to pass the baton to Watergate Bay Hotel.

He said: “Sands is very special to me, the hotel, the team, our guests. Retiring from something that has been such a significant part of my life has been a huge decision but is made easier by the knowledge that Watergate’s vision for the future carries on the legacy of innovation that has been the hallmark of my 45 years at Sands.”

of Rebecca May, Robert May, Janine Hyatt, Bob Hyatt, Jon Hyatt and finance director Will Dexter.

MD Jon Hyatt said: “We’re committed to maintaining Hendra as a local family business for many generations to come. Appointing another third generation family member, Tom as director, helps us to strengthen the family business and continue with the family name.”

CHRIS HINES MBE (PHOTO BY: BECKY CRAVEN)

LIFELINE FOR OLD LIBRARY

IntoBodmin CIC has been announced as the first project in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly to receive a share of the region’s £132 million Shared Prosperity Fund.

The community and arts organisation, formed in 2017, has been awarded £180k to refurbish The Old Library which serves as a cultural and community hub for the town, including co-working and business workspace, performance area, café and community room.

It will also use the funds to launch a new

AWARD FOR KNIGHTS MPR

Knights MPR was named Best Marine & Maritime PR Experts, UK, in The Business Concept Awards 2022.

The awards aim to recognise those individuals and companies who have “gone above and beyond to provide a top-class service through a period of challenging economics” – especially in the logistics and supply chain sectors.

Jason Knights, founder and lead director of Knights MPR, said: “Winning an award with The Business Concept in their award category of Logistics, Warehouse and Supply Chain showcases all our achievements.

“Businesses want to hire winners, and this is another award we have won in a short time that highlights what we are we achieving in communications, PR and brand flaring for our clients – in this case TotalEnergies Marine Fuels.”

community skills development programme to provide the opportunity for six volunteers to receive training and establish placebased groups to develop community opportunities.

Councillor Louis Gardner, Cornwall Council portfolio holder for the economy, said: “This is a great example of a project that can deliver on our good growth ambitions and make a difference at the heart of the community where it’s needed most.

“IntoBodmin is the first of many fantastic projects in line to receive shared prosperity funding, which will give residents access to new jobs and training and see investments made to improve local communities across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.”

AGENCY ON TARGET

Penzance-based performance marketing agency, Target, brought home ‘Best Use of Data (PPC)’ at the UK Search Awards.

The UK Search Award for ‘Best Use of Data’ relates to Target’s on-going partnership with high growth ecommerce retailer, The Sewing Studio, a Cornish brand that Target has helped to achieve record revenues through advanced analytics, improved attribution and Google Performance Max campaigns.

Target founder Josh Fletcher said: “I am very proud that the Target team has stayed true to its mission by continuing to help businesses to achieve more predictable and profitable online growth.”

Welsh public relations provider Effective Communication has expanded into south east Cornwall.

Effective Communication was established in Cardiff in 2005 by former South Wales Echo editor, Alastair Milburn, and provides a range of public relations, social media and digital marketing services.

Already working with a number of clients with a south west presence, the company took the strategic decision to target Plymouth and neighbouring areas and has promoted Natalie Thomas to account director to oversee the south west operation.

AN EFFECTIVE MOVE

Plymouth University graduate Thomas joined Effective in 2008 and will lead a team of ten from the company’s Saltash office and new base at Market Hall in Devonport.

She said: “Officially launching in Plymouth and south east Cornwall is very exciting. I’m looking forward to getting out and meeting new people and businesses while continuing to manage our existing clientbase from our new home.”

START YOUR ENGINES!

CORNWALL CHAMBER CEO, KIM CONCHIE

, IDENTIFIES SOME OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT LIE AHEAD FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES IN 2023

Happy New Year! I hope it does feel happy and I hope you’re feeling refreshed after the Christmas break (if you got one).

There’s no denying the year ahead is going to be challenging, and if you can’t see light at the end of the tunnel then do get in touch with Cornwall Chamber to see if there’s anything we can do to help.

We need to lean on each other this year –partner up, collaborate, and openly share to ensure our businesses are strengthened against the turning tide.

Recently, local tech company (who I’m sure

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.

you’ve all heard of) Headforwards, advertised two jobs for Junior Developers. The advert stated that the two successful candidates would work at Headforwards for 12-18 months before taking up a permanent role with its client, Cornwall Council.

This isn’t something we’ve seen before in Cornwall, and it got me thinking about how many variations of this kind of collaboration there could be. Getting more creative in the way we recruit and work with other businesses and organisations could be the route to narrowing the skills gap in Cornwall.

Skills is going to be a hot topic in 2023; for some, recession might mean retraining is the only way to go to avoid unemployment.

There should be plenty of jobs in the NHS and care sector, as well as trades and agriculture. Some people will need to upskill or differently skill for this to happen, but I anticipate the skills they need will be entirely achievable.

Alongside this, Cornwall needs to train the more complex, future skills to ensure we retain and attract the best young people for our spaceport, lithium extraction organisations, renewable energy companies and alike, working with FE and HE in the county and beyond. It’s a sign of how far Government policy is not meeting SME concerns that Skills is not a Shared Prosperity Fund priority until 2025.

It’s really important to get out and about in 2023 – networking events are the way forward when it comes to opportunities for collaboration and partnership. Be sure to

treat those opportunities as a business skill: prepare, engage, ask, follow through.

Make sure you give your young members of staff ample opportunity to do the same. Nominations are now open for Cornwall’s 30 under 30 – a celebration of the Duchy’s brightest young business talent and one of the high points of my year.

Now in their eighth year, the awards, which are organised by Cornwall Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Business Cornwall, Whyfield Associates, Don’t Cry Wolf, Pirate FM and Truro & Penwith College, recognise 30 of the Duchy’s most innovative young businesspeople.

This year 30 under 30 will also be supported by some exciting Nex Gen events. This Chamber group will help guide you through your application and will also give you access to new events and the opportunity to make important business connections whether you make the final 30 or not.

To be eligible for the award, candidates must be employed, or self-employed, under the age of 30 on March 18, 2023 and living and working in the Duchy.

Nominations can come from friends, family, employer, colleagues or the individual themselves. The judges are looking for nominations that represent the true diversity Cornwall has to offer and the unique contribution these passionate and talented people are adding to our region. Enter now at the Chamber website, best of luck!

Have a great start to the year: get out there, talk, collaborate, share, and help each other.

The harbourhouse is set to open in the summer, following an extensive refurbishment of the building – the former Seven Stars pub – which was bought by Tamara Costin

REFRESHING COLLABORATION

A new Cornish-sourced energy drink has been launched with a percentage of profits set to go the Surfers Against Sewage charity. National energy drink brand Tenzing has collaborated with Cornish Seaberry and Cornish Sea Salt to launch the new Cornish Seaberry blend, which will be sold in selected stores nationwide.

Cornish Seaberry founder, Seth Pascoe, first came across seaberries when hiking to Everest basecamp in Nepal. Suffering from altitude sickness, a Sherpa gave him seaberries and the physiological benefits were transformative. When he returned to Cornwall, he discovered the berries growing on a coastal path.

Pascoe said: “It’s fantastic to see Tenzing doing the right thing by sourcing ingredients from local producers such as myself. It bolsters the local economy and as Tenzing is available nationwide it helps businesses like ours reach a much larger audience.”

and William Speed, owners of the acclaimed beachhouse and schoolhouse in Devon.

Robinson has been executive chef of The New Yard Restaurant and The Pantry on the Lizard Peninsula in south west Cornwall since 2016. Under his tenure, it became one of the first restaurants in the UK to be awarded a green Michelin Star for gastronomy and sustainability practices,

NATIONAL LISTING

West Cornwall craft brewer St Ives Brewery is celebrating another milestone, just a couple of months after opening its new state of the art brewery and taproom in Hayle.

Meor IPA, Alba IPA and Porth Pilsner are now all available in over 40 Tesco stores across the south west, with the listing

alongside a 3-rosette achievement.

BIG PLANS FOR HARBOURHOUSE ST EWE EGGSPANSION

Costin said: “Cornwall has been on our instinct-list for a very long time and one of our favourite dining destinations has always been New Yard. Now with Jeffrey joining us at the rechristened harbourhouse, we’ve had an immediate meeting of minds, philosophies and passions, and our coming together is like a simple, but certain, synergy.”

St Ewe Free Range Eggs has launched duck eggs into the market. The new Dabbling Ducks range is available now at the Great Cornish Food Store in Truro.

St Ewe CEO, Bex Tonks, says she is delighted to be working with local farmer Rodney Gregory and his son Jake, who are located only a short distance away from St Ewe’s farm in Cornwall.

“We are over the moon to finally be launching our duck egg brand Dabbling Duck and even more fitting to be launching in The Great Cornish Food Store who champion Cornish produce,” she said.

“Ducks are such happy characters and their eggs, just stunning! It’s a real honour to work with Rodney and his son Jake, who are very conscientious duck farmers.”

Jake was last year crowned the county’s Best Young Farmer 2022 and has worked with his father to revolutionise the family’s farm.

opening the door to major consumer awareness far beyond the Cornish border.

MD Marco Amura said: “It’s a watershed moment for us, something that perhaps ten years ago we never could have imagined would be possible.

“We’ve worked hard to develop the beers to create great options that are comparable in both quality and price to the better-known brands. This listing is really testament to that hard work – we couldn’t be prouder to be representing Cornwall and Cornish beer across the country.”

The Scarlet Hotel has appointed a new head chef.

Since starting his career in 2009 in some of the East Midlands’ most wellrespected restaurants, Jack Clayton has achieved three rosettes, two Bib Gourmand awards and the Nottingham Head Chef of the year award.

His first position in Cornwall was at The Gurnards Head where he achieved top 10 gastropubs from The Telegraph. In 2017 Clayton and his partner took a management couple position at The Carew Arms near Torpoint, achieving a Michelin regional stand out award just a year after opening.

Seeking a new challenge and starting a family, Clayton took the head chef position at The Sardine Factory in Looe where he quickly achieved a bib gourmand. After the first lockdown in 2020, he took on a new challenge at the Stargazy Inn in Port Isaac before deciding to take the reins at the Scarlet restaurant.

CHAMBER PROMOTION

Cornwall Chamber of Commerce has promoted Ella Croft to events and marketing manager.

Croft has been with the Cornwall Chamber for two years, working on the EU-funded Business Clusters project as well as leading the marketing and events team.

“It’s a real privilege to have been promoted to manager in my field at Cornwall Chamber of Commerce,” she said.

“I have just completed our 2023 marketing strategy to help the chamber grow to benefit our members and Cornwall as a community. I am proud of this review and expansion, and I am very much looking forward to sharing what we have in store.”

NEW HEAD CHEF

LAW SOCIETY PRESIDENT

The Cornwall Law Society (CLS) has appointed its new president.

Paddle & Cocks joint managing partner, Verona Cocks, assumes the role for the next 12 months from Anthony Earl of Earl and Cocker. Kirsty Davey, a partner at Coodes Solicitors, has been named vice president.

Cocks, who specialises in commercial dispute resolution and insolvency, said: “I’m humbled and honoured to have taken office as the president of Cornwall Law Society.

“I look forward to engaging with all who are working in the legal profession throughout the county as well as those with a connection with it, or who are studying law and I would encourage anyone who isn’t a member of CLS to join.”

PADDY NAMED VICE CHAIR

Wildanet co-founder and chief information and technology officer, Paddy Paddison, has been appointed as vice-chair of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Digital Skills Partnership.

The CIoS Digital Skills Partnership is one of eight local partnerships set up by the Government as part of its digital strategy to create a “world-leading digital economy that works for everyone”.

In Cornwall that means working with communities and businesses to highlight the opportunities and benefits of digital and positioning Cornwall as a tech hub, both to the outside world and within the county. Paddison will bring his more than 30 years’ sector experience to help lead the partnership, which brings together private, public and third sector organisations.

He said: “Digital skills are critical to the success of individuals, the communities they live in, organisations they work for and the county as a whole. I share the Digital Skills Partnership’s vision to create a digital skills ecosystem here in Cornwall to support Cornwall’s future in the future digital economy.”

peoplepower A question of

While currently leading the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP), it’s been a good time to reflect on the fundamental human influence on business success.

It’s not news to hear that employers need the right people with the right skills. However, with difficult economic conditions, changing attitudes of the workforce and more technically demanding emerging sectors, the realisation that we need to revisit how we train, inspire, attract and retain those valuable people is more pronounced than ever. Especially if we are to maximise Cornwall’s incredible potential.

Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., the man largely credited with turning IBM’s fortunes around as their former CEO said: “Until I came to IBM, I probably would have told you that culture was just one among several important elements in any organisation’s makeup and success — along with vision, strategy, marketing, financials, and the like... I came to see, in my time at IBM, that culture isn’t just one aspect of the game, it is the game. In the end, an organisation is nothing more than the collective capacity of its people to create value.”

Whether you run a large or small business or work in one, you’ll know that it is the people who fit, are competent and have passion for what they do that are the main ingredient for success. The problem is where do you find them? One business said recently, “It’s like trying to find a unicorn, help!”.

There are a good number of people who

have been in the workplace for some years and decided not to return or those who have dropped out or felt excluded. That is a tragic waste of talent and experience. So clearly people have been rethinking their lives or have been forced to. Maybe, with help, employers could help tempt them with the chance to reskill while being supported to do something fresh?

In order to retain current workers, businesses could be given greater assistance to offer pathways for improving skills, in-job advancement and wages and to create more opportunities in growing the business at the same time. There is some good practice out there that we should be building on.

The younger generation coming through the school system are often influenced by the Internet and social media but if the thing they have been inspired by isn’t available to them or they just haven’t been shown the other possibilities on their doorstep, how can they train for anything with enthusiasm and reach their potential? Actually, this could be said for anyone. If you can’t see it, you won’t do it right?

In Cornwall there are so many avenues for really great careers, but we need to take time, particularly as part of school and college years, to show employees of the future the way. We want them to train here and stay here surely?

The LSIP simply sets out to obtain

an employer led, actionable set of recommendations that businesses and providers can get behind to address future skills needs. That sounds rather like a production line with people as a product, but I see it as more than that. This is about raising aspiration in our county for any age group. It’s about making skills and work interesting, inviting and accessible for all and further strengthening the meaningful links between our training providers and business community.

Businesses in Cornwall are innovative and driven and they have here, an opportunity to clearly describe what they need from all the people that, collectively, will drive our economy and make everyone’s future a whole lot brighter. Please do get involved!

The LSIP final document will be handed to The Department of Education at the end of May. It will have strong influence on the direction of skills provision in Cornwall and I would urge every employer or potential employer to get involved and give us your view. There are focus groups, workshops (both online and face to face) and surveys (online and telephone) too. To find out more about how you get involved go to https://www.fsb.org.uk/local-skillsimprovement-plans.html as we really want to hear from you.

A business is only as good as its employees, says FSB Cornwall and Isles of Scilly development manager Ann Vandermeulen.

An organisation is nothing more than the collective capacity of its people to create value

FEBRUARY 2023 EVENTS

FEBRUARY 2023

1

ENERGY MANAGEMENT & SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESS

St Eval Candle Company

Join Unlocking Potential for its new Future Focus Energy lab series with trips to St Eval Candle Co and St Austell Printing Company – visit their premises and discover the practical ways they have championed sustainability and increased operational efficiencies.

unlocking-potential.co.uk

2

INNOVATION SURGERY

Pool Innovation Centre

Join Acceleration Through Innovation 2 for the Design Thinking Workshop. The Design Thinking Workshop will help you and your business to begin exploring creative ideas. aticornwallinnovation.co.uk

CORNWALL CHAMBER LUNCH

Cornwall Hotel, St Austell

Do not miss out on the chance to expand your Cornish connections, while joining in some great conversation.

cornwallchamber.co.uk

Your Partnerships is Cornwall’s largest networking group, with meetings up and down the Duchy

Growing a business can be challenging.

You want your business to be visible to the right people, so it’s important to know how and where to meet them.

Your Partnerships is Cornwall’s largest networking group and it events enable you to connect with other members, gain referrals and build trusting relationships with customers and suppliers.

Your Partnerships, can help your business grow!

2-3

MANUFACTURING & THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY

St Mellion Hotel, Saltash

Step away from the day-to-day routines to think innovatively about your Circular Economy business practices and sustainability strategies. eventbrite.co.uk

4

CORNISH PIRATES V RICHMOND

Mennaye Field, Penzance

Championship Cup rugby action. For the full matchday experience why not try a hospitality package –the perfect way to entertain clients and colleagues alike. cornish-pirates.com

7

INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL MEDIA

The Centre, Newlyn

Hosted by Cornwall 365 in partnership with EXPERIENCE Project. This morning session is tailored for creative and tourism businesses operating in Penwith and the surrounding areas. eventbrite.co.uk

FEBRUARY 2023

7

HEARTLANDS BUSINESS BREAKFAST

The Exchange, Penzance

The Heartlands Business Breakfast costs £10 to attend and includes breakfast and refreshments. heartlands.com

ENERGY MANAGEMENT & SOLUTIONS FOR

BUSINESS

St Austell Printing Company

Join Unlocking Potential for its new Future Focus Energy lab series with trips to St Eval Candle Co and St Austell Printing Company – visit their premises and discover the practical ways they have championed sustainability and increased operational efficiencies. unlocking-potential.co.uk

9

CORNWALL WOMEN IN PROPERTY

Pool Innovation Centre

Cornwall Women in Property is a newly-established female networking event, jointly organised by Handelsbanken Truro and Groundsure.

truro@handelsbanken.co.uk

13 PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION

Holiday Inn Express, Bodmin

6

14 WEST CORNWALL BUSINESS BREAKFAST Inn for All Seasons, Treleigh

15 NETWALKING WITH ANNIE CHAPMAN & ANNIE PAGE The Borough Arms, Bodmin

16 OPEN HOUSE CORNWALL Victoria Inn, Roche

22 BUDE NETWORKING House of Chaplin, Bodmin

For further details of these and more networking events visit businesscornwall.co.uk

To publicise your event for free, email news@businesscornwall.co.uk

SAFETY THIRST: WOMEN IN HEALTH & SAFETY

Victoria Inn, Roche

Interested in an informal meet up with fellow safety professionals in a pub near you? Wanting to find a mentor or be one yourself? Or just interested in Health and Safety and wonder where to start?

eventbrite.co.uk

CORNISH PIRATES V CALDY

Mennaye Field, Penzance

Championship Cup rugby action. For the full matchday experience why not try a hospitality package –the perfect way to entertain clients and colleagues alike.

cornish-pirates.com

KING NETWORKING

Victoria Inn, Threemilestone

The Kernow Independent Networking Group gathers every fortnight on Wednesday mornings. Members each give a one-minute presentation on their business and the kinds of referral they would particularly value.

king-networking.co.uk

16 22 23

INNOVATION SURGERY

Pool Innovation Centre

Get deeper understanding of business models and patterns while developing your own launch masterplan. Join Mark Harris as he takes you through the journey of producing a product and bringing it to market from market research through to rollout. aticornwallinnovation.co.uk

CORNWALL CHAMBER

BIG BREAKFAST

The Alverton, Truro

This month’s BIG breakfast networking event, at Truro’s Alverton hotel, will be co-hosted by ReWind Radio. Tickets £24+vat for Chamber members, and £34 for non-members. cornwallchamber.co.uk

EARLY BIRD COFFEE CLUB

Solskinn Coffee & Cocktail Haus, Falmouth Free monthly business networking event. eventbrite.co.uk

2324 24 28

PLUG INTO THE METEVERSE

Falmouth University, Penryn

This brand-new conference is where creativity, innovation, business, industry, and academia meet to explore the impact of Immersive technology on every aspect of our lives. eventbrite.co.uk

HFC BUSINESS NETWORKING

Hall For Cornwall, Truro Hall for Cornwall is more than a creative hub! Our networking club is an informal regular opportunity for businesses and freelancers to get together for a chat and a drink in the stunning new Playhouse Bar at Hall for Cornwall. hallforcornwall.co.uk

CORNWALL VOLUNTARY SECTOR FORUM

FibreHub, Pool

Learn about Sustainability and how it will affect the Voluntary Sector as we move toward Net Zero with the University of Exeter Tevi Project. eventbrite.co.uk

CORNWALL SUSTAINABILITY AWARDS

Cornish outdoor clothing brand, Finisterre, was crowned overall winner of 20th annual Cornwall Sustainability Awards, which was held at Truro Cathedral before Christmas. Other winners included Hillside Farm for sustainable food and farming; restoration retreat Cabilla for environmental growth; Wadebridge Renewable Energy Network, for the carbon neutral section; and St Eval Candle Company in the most sustainable organisation category.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER NIKKI HENDERSON

CERYS HARTT (SPONSOR), MERLIN HANBURY-TENISON (CABILLA), LORD ROBIN TEVERSON (JUDGE)

BETH MAYMAN OF ST AUSTELL PRINTING COMPANY (SPONSOR), ST EVAL TEAM AND KIM CONCHIE (CORNWALL CHAMBER)

HATTY HOPKINSON, ARCA, (SPONSOR), ADELE GINGELL (FINISTERRE), MATT HOCKING (JUDGE)

CAROLINE CARTER (BUSINESS CORNWALL) ADELE GINGELL, SOPHIA ZIELINSKI-KEALL (BOTH FINISTERRE), MARK DUDDRIDGE (CIOS LEP)

COODES RECEPTION

Clients and colleagues gathered at Coodes’ Truro office shortly before Christmas for a festive meet up.

GILES HORNE & EDD BUCKLAND

DAPHNE SKINNARD (BBC RADIO CORNWALL), FLEUR UREN (COODES)

JACK PEART & ELISE ALMA (COODES), NICK FOXWORTHY, ARBUTHNOT LATHAM

ABI LUTEY (COODES), GERAINT ELVANS HANDLESBANKEN, HELEN HOLLOW, VICKERY HOLMAN & JO COUNTER (COODES)

BECKI STEVENS, KATHRYN SHAW (COODES), CHARLOTTE & BARNABY (HUS ESTATE AGENTS)

MARTIN WALTON (ACORN BLUE), GERAINT ELVANS (HANDLESBANKEN), ROB BAILEY (BISHOP FLEMING)

CAROLINE CARTER (BUSINESS CORNWALL), JO MORGAN (COODES), AMANDA WILLIAMS (WAVE MEDIA), MATTHEW WILLIAMS (STRATTON CREBER)

HELEN WILLETT (COODES), BRIAN BOTTING (MILLER COMMERCIAL), JUNE SHIELDS (MILLER COMMERCIAL), TOM HOWARD (MILLER COMMERCIAL)

KIERAN O’SULLIVAN

Commercial property partner at Cornish law firm, Nalders

WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG? A pilot.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST FULL TIME JOB?

Trainee solicitor at Nalders. I had various part time jobs before this including working at Flambards in Helston.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE BOOK?

Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FILM? Top Gun.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE RESTAURANT? The Cove at Maenporth.

HOW DO YOU LIKE TO RELAX?

Spending time at the beach with my children.

IF YOU COULD BE A SUPERHERO, WHAT SUPERPOWERS WOULD YOU LIKE TO POSSESS?

The ability to fly.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE BEST MOMENT IN YOUR CAREER? Being made a partner at Nalders.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE WORST MOMENT IN YOUR CAREER?

The first days of lockdown – there was a lot of uncertainty. The stamp duty holiday that followed led to a lot of opportunities but the deadline at the end was stressful for everyone.

WHAT DO YOU BEGRUDGE SPENDING MONEY ON? Petrol.

IF YOU ONLY HAD £1 LEFT IN THE ENTIRE WORLD, WHAT WOULD YOU SPEND IT ON? A chocolate bar.

WHAT IS THE MOST VALUABLE LESSON YOU HAVE LEARNED IN LIFE?

To try to not let the things you can’t change get you down. TELL ME A JOKE: I used to be indecisive. Now I’m not sure.

IF YOU COULD BE GOD FOR A DAY, WHAT MIRACLE WOULD YOU PERFORM?

To clear the Land Registry backlog.

DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN THREE ADJECTIVES: Friendly, honest, reliable.