Business Cornwall Nov 19

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NOVEMBER 2019 | ISSUE 135 | £3.95

MAKING ITS MARK

MANUFACTURING SECTOR IN FOCUS

BEING CHARITABLE

THE VALUE OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

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CHARITY OF THE YEAR 2020 You can help to save lives There has never been a better time to get on-board as the charity enters the final months of its New Heli Appeal.

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NOVEMBER 2019

ISSUE 135

INSIDE FEATURES 12 MANUFACTURING WE KICK OFF OUR MANUFACTURING FOCUS IN CONVERSATION WITH CMG CHAIRMAN, ERIC NICHOLLS

22 BUSINESS GROWTH HOW THE GROWTH PROGRAMME IS ENCOURAGING SUSTAINABLE WORKING PRACTICES

24 RENEWABLE ENERGY GEOTHERMAL “GAME CHANGER” FOR EDEN

28 CHARITY WHY IT’S GOOD TO GIVE

40 GIFT GUIDE DEAR SANTA…

REGULARS 4 INCOMING SHOULD WE BE SHOOTING FOR THE STARS?

6 BUSINESS NEWS PM’S POST-BREXIT PLEDGE

33 ON THE MOVE WHO’S GONE WHERE

34 CREATIVE & DIGITAL BIG PLANS FOR GAMES STUDIO

35 FSB FSB NEWS UPDATE

36 FOOD & DRINK

38 EDUCATION NEWS LIFE AFTER RUGBY

39 TOURISM AA FIVE STAR HOTELS

42 JUST A THOUGHT SUE HOOK FROM SAPIENCE HR

43 CONNECTED LIFE IN COLOUR

46 EVENTS DIARY A TO DO LIST

48 THE LAST WORD PR EXPERT TAMSIN LOVELESS

LYNHER DAIRIES BUYS HERD

37 CHAMBER NEWS CONFERENCE PREVIEW

PHOTO: KINGDOM & SPARROW MOVING INTO FALMOUTH’S ORIGINAL SCHOOL OF ART BUILDING SEE PAGE 34 FOR FULL STORY BUSINESS CORNWALL | 1

NOVEMBER 2019

WELCOME

BY EDITOR NICK EYRIEY

ISSUE 135

OPEN FOR BUSINESS ON THE COVER FOCUS ON MANUFACTURING

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Nick Eyriey nick@businesscornwall.co.uk

Cornwall councillors are set to take a crunch vote this month which could have a real bearing on Cornwall’s future prosperity.

A full meeting of the Council will take place on November 26 to debate whether they should rubberstamp £12 million of Council investment for the Spaceport Cornwall project.

It is proving to be a controversial subject. Advocates say that it would put Cornwall in a prime position to compete for a share of a global market for launching small satellites, predicted to be worth £3.9 billion by 2030.

PUBLISHER Toni Eyriey toni@businesscornwall.co.uk

However, others question whether the Council should be investing such a large stake of public money, while there are, of course, concerns over the damage such a facility could have on the environment, despite an ‘independent scientific study’ saying it is not expected to “impact significantly on Cornwall’s overall greenhouse gas emissions and efforts in combatting climate change”.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Morveth Ward morveth@businesscornwall.co.uk ACCOUNT MANAGER Caroline Hill caroline@businesscornwall.co.uk CONTRIBUTORS PFA Research

The vote could be tight. When the Council Cabinet met to discuss whether it should recommend funding Spaceport Cornwall to councillors, the vote was only six to four in favour.

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But the prospect of Cornwall having a role to play is enticing and the knock-on benefits could be significant.

The first phase of Spaceport Cornwall is expected to create 150 jobs and generate £200 million for the Cornish economy.

It would also send out a clear message to the rest of the world, that Cornwall is very much open for business.

Turn to ‘The Big Question’, p4.

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THE CONVERSATION

The big question Councillors will vote this month on whether to approve £12 million of Council funding for the Spaceport Cornwall project. Do you agree that a spaceport could have a catalytic effect on Cornwall’s economy?

Perhaps you have environmental concerns. Or maybe you think it’s a good idea, but that Council money shouldn’t be used to fund it?

Join the conversation @biz_cornwall

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THE POWER OF PURPOSE Head of the charity team at Stephens Scown LLP, Laurie Trounce, asks how can your charity get started with measuring its impact?

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THE CONVERSATION

GARY HALL

ROBERT SALVONI

£12 million is a huge chunk of the Cornwall Council budget - realistically it’s a galactic-sized punt. But there’s no reward without risk and even if the project isn’t as successful as everyone hopes not least Virgin themselves - the PR for Cornwall over the years will be worth it alone. Put into perspective, that’s the sort of money spent on things like new road systems (£7 million for Bodmin’s “cycle friendly” roads) or a new hotel in Newquay, and a fraction of the cost of things like new link roads or council buildings or stadiums or Goonhilly.

This decision will forever be seen as a weather-vane indicator of Cornwall’s ambition. Either we are stuck in the past, or we embrace the future, and in this the Council has an amazing opportunity to be a catalyst for positive change.

Webmate

£20 million being spent in the region can never be a total failure. There’s bound to be widespread economic benefits throughout the region.

As a tech company ourselves that’s passionate about Cornwall’s tech future, we feel that alongside projects like Goonhilly, Eden, geothermals, our rich marine technology sector, new innovations in mining and of course our digital infrastructure advantages, the Spaceport project is something for the whole community to get behind and make a success and show that Cornwall is at the forefront of technological innovation. And what better futuristic buzzword that screams “technical innovation” is there than having a “Spaceport” on our doorstep? Cornwall: home of the Virgin Galactic Spaceport, a snip at just £12 million...

Measuring the difference that your charity makes is an essential part of good governance. Having a shared purpose which is easy to communicate enables trustees, staff, volunteers, supporters and beneficiaries to really understand the difference you make and how you achieve it.

The recent Charity Commission paper, The Value of the Charity Sector, argues that failing to understand the importance of the value of the sector places charities at risk.

There are real opportunities for all charities to rethink their approach by looking at how their decision making and delivery could become more focused on an objective

Tech chairman/NED

MATTHEW TREVASKIS Drivenergy

Whilst the supply chain could have positive impacts for the local economy, as well as developing some high value/ highly specialised local expertise, I do have concerns about the environmental impacts in terms of local air quality as well as carbon impact, not just because of the recent media focus on climate change.

Whilst we’re concentrating on reducing the energy consumed by, and resulting emissions from, land transport it seems at odds to be promoting further energy hungry extra-terrestrial travel. This all needs to be balanced very carefully.

MATT HARRINGTON Cornwall Innovation

The Council’s decision to help fund Spaceport Cornwall has the potential to be one of those game changing moments for Cornwall that future generations will look back on and applaud what is undoubtedly a bold and ambitious vision.

understanding of their social impact, rather than their economic or social outputs.

By working in this way, charities can use their impact measurement process to engage with wider audiences; identify potential collaborations / partnerships; improve their accountability to donors, funders and stakeholders; and develop an ‘impact culture’ so that impact is at the core of everything the charity does.

INCOMING

Faced with ongoing Brexit and political uncertainty it is right to question the cost but this is about Cornwall Council looking at the horizon and making a measured long-term investment aimed at diversifying Cornwall’s economy.

TIM SMART

Smart Commercial Property I’m a very big supporter. Definitely a great idea and concept. We must embrace space travel as I always have since the Apollo missions. It will provide sustainable jobs and investment for Cornwall and its future generation of employees with spin off businesses. Cornwall must for the first time be leading the way as many projects pass the county by because of indecision and bureaucracy!

MARTIN DINHAM CF Systems

To some degree, any investment in the technology sector in Cornwall has to be welcomed. But, given the size of the investment involved and the fact that space is such a nascent, unproven market, one has to ask whether or not this represents value for money for the people of Cornwall. The fact that the majority of the funding (and therefore the risk) is being borne by the council rather than the private sector partners involved in the project raises particular question marks for me.

Laurie Trounce is a partner and head of the charity team at Stephens Scown. She advises charities with a broad range of charity law related issues including corporate governance and works with charity clients in a variety of sectors.

For advice on creating a vision for measuring your impact, please call Laurie on 01872 265100, email corporate.cornwall@stephens-scown. co.uk or via www.stephens-scown.co.uk

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 5

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BORIS TO THE RESCUE?

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pledged to replace EU funding in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly like-for-like with a dedicated fund that could be worth up to £600 million over the next decade.

The Prime Minister made his comments during an interview with BBC Spotlight. When asked if he was saying categorically that the Government would replace EU funding in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly like-for-like after Brexit, Johnson said: “Yes. It’s going to be the same quantum. We’re going to make sure the Prosperity Fund matches.”

Pressed on whether this funding would be competitive with other UK regions or ringfenced for Cornwall, the PM added: “There is going to be a discrete fund for Cornwall, the

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Prosperity Fund, which will match the existing funding. We’re determined to do that.”

The Government’s long-awaited Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) is designed to replace EU funding after Brexit, but details have been scarce. If the PM is true to his word, it could be worth around £60 million a year to Cornwall for the next seven to ten years.

The Council, meanwhile, has urged the Government to share details of its plans and repeated the call after Brexit Party leader, Nigel Farage, addressed an audience at Carn Brea Leisure Centre last month, when he claimed that Cornwall receives “literally a minuscule sum of money” from the EU and that “Cornwall is doing very badly out of the European Union”.

Councillor German said: “Cornwall Council is fact checking some of the claims made at a recent event.

“It would appear that Mr Farage has a fundamental lack of understanding about how the current EU programmes work and how our status as a ‘less developed region’ provides us with significant funds to invest in projects that help to improve the lives of residents across Cornwall.

“Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly receive annual funds amounting to around £162 per person, compared to £17 per person for most other areas of England. This is the highest per capita allocation of any region in England. Even using the most conservative method of measuring, we receive £248 million more than we contribute.”

NEW YEAR, FRESH START Planning for 2020 starts now, says Fastnet Marketing MD, Sarah Leverton

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£1.4M CROWDFUNDING FIRST Cornish Lithium has completed its £1.4 million crowdfunding round via Crowdcube.

It is believed to be the first successful crowdfunding campaign by a British mineral exploration company and welcomes more than 1,200 new investors.

The company’s first exploration drill holes, targeting lithium in geothermal waters deep beneath the surface of Cornwall, will be

drilled with the funds raised.

The company also plans to investigate the possibility of combining geothermal energy and lithium extraction.

CEO, Jeremy Wrathall, said: “We are delighted to have now closed our crowdfunding and to welcome over 1,200 new investors to Cornish Lithium. We are excited to commence our exploratory drill programme later this year and to move our project to the next stage.”

KROWJI CRACKS ON

NEWS IN BRIEF Mish was named UK’s Best Independent Lingerie Retailer at the Drapers Independent Awards for the second year running. The judges said: “This excellent independent just keeps getting better…it was another sterling year, in which it showed consistent strong sales growth and impressive profitability once again.” ____________________ A new website dedicated to promoting the construction industry in Cornwall has been launched - buildingcornwall.co.uk The site has been developed by the LEP in collaboration with the construction industry in the region to showcase the range of career opportunities in construction and foster best practice in the industry. ____________________ A charity lunch hosted by Hotel Inspector Alex Polizzi at the Tresanton in St Mawes, raised £10k for the Cornwall Air Ambulance New Heli Appeal. ____________________ Mylor Yacht Harbour will discover next month (Dec 2) if it has been named Marina of the Year, at the British Yachting Awards. ____________________

Falmouth-based Jewell Construction has won a tender to build the £2 million Phase 2 of the landmark Percy Williams Building for the Krowji creative hub at Redruth.

“We’ve worked on some impressive buildings but Krowji Phase 2 will be the largest new-build our team has constructed,” said director Steve Jewell.

Work will start imminently on the next stage of Krowji’s major expansion plans, with Phase 2 seeing the creation of 21 ‘BREEAM Excellent’ studios, linked by a bridge to the £3.7 million Phase 1 building which opened in 2015.

The Phase 2 scheme will be project managed for Krowji by Truro-based Currie & Brown and will add workspaces for around 40 extra people to the current community of 200 working in the arts and creative industries on the site of Redruth’s Old Grammar School.

It always makes me smile how, once November is upon us, so many businesses put off their decision-making until after the New Year.

fresher and ready to take action.

The festive season can be such a mental block for us, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Depending on your industry, this can be for one of two reasons; it’s either a super busy time and your focus is simply on getting through it relatively unscathed, or it’s the one time of the year when your customers or clients are also on holiday - the one opportunity you have to take a week off and not return to a burgeoning inbox and a dozen missed calls.

Whatever the reason, taking a break from making those big decisions can allow your mind to reset, meaning that you’re much

But I also have a rule I use myself with decision-making, which means that time spent ‘planning and deciding’ is not, actually, time spent avoiding the issue. I set myself a deadline as to when the decision needs to be made, and then I ensure that I’ve allocated fixed times in my diary to do the necessary research, and talk to the right people, in order to come to that decision by my deadline.

Childcare company Fit N Fun Kids won the Working with Parents Award at the Nursery World Awards. ____________________ Regional airline Flybe has officially been rebranded as Virgin Connect. Flybe was sold earlier this year to the newly-formed Connect Airways – a Virgin Atlantic-led consortium comprising Stobart Group, Cyrus Capital and Virgin.

the date in the diary before Christmas and then put it to the back of your mind until the New Year, confident that you have the time, space and resources in place to ensure your marketing strategy is successful in 2020.

If you’d like more advice about planning your New Year marketing campaign, pop me a line at sarah@fastnetmarketing.co.uk - I’m always happy to help.

So, while now is not necessarily the time to make that decision, now is certainly the time to plan for it.

This is one of the reasons why our Strategy Days are so popular in January. You can pop

www.fastnetmarketing.co.uk | 01326 250879

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 7

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ALL CHANGE AT GENDALL Gendall Design has appointed a new senior management team to lead its expansion plans.

Greg Welch, who originally joined the Gendall team in 2017 as operations director, has been named MD, while John Lowdon is new creative strategic director having joined the

Falmouth agency from Vitamin Cornwall.

With lead technology roles for MTV, Comic Relief, Virgin and the BBC, Rob Stanford joins as director of technology, bringing his specialist knowledge in modern web architectures, blockchain, and Voice technologies.

CEO Tess Gendall said: “Gendall has just celebrated its 33rd birthday and far from resting on our laurels we are now looking to the next 30 years.”

CORNWALL’S TOP 10

A Cornish business consultancy has identified Cornwall’s fastest-growing companies.

Bodmin-based Pendleton Global analysed the public accounts of Cornish businesses with at least a £250k turnover and ranked the ten-fastest growing in its report.

According to its findings, interior design company Absolute Interiors is Cornwall’s fastest growing, with a 174% increase in turnover. Water services company Eliquo Hydrok was ranked second with a 150% increase in turnover, while Fred Champion Groundworks was ranked third.

£7.5M SECTOR 2 OPENS A new flagship gateway development at the entrance to Aerohub Business Park at Cornwall Airport Newquay has officially been opened.

Sector 2 has been developed by Cornwall Council and co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and offers high-quality office and light industrial space on a leasehold basis.

Already, all of the eight industrial units and three of the nine new offices are either let or under offer with businesses spanning a number of sectors including specialist electronics manufacturing.

The project was made possible by a £3.1 million investment by Cornwall Council and a further £4.3 million from ERDF, via the 8 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Growth Programme.

Mike King, MD of Cornwall Development Company, said: “In recent years Cornwall Council and the EU-funded Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Growth Programme have partnered to invest more than £20 million in delivering high quality workspace and development plots for business, especially in growth sectors like aerospace and marine energy.

“With Sector 2 at Aerohub now complete and open, ESAM near St Austell attracting occupiers and plans for the second phase of the Marine Renewables Business Park at Hayle, we have a strong portfolio now brought together under a single banner and offering inward investors the perfect location to build their businesses in Cornwall.”

Director Rob Pendleton said: “The stunning growth achieved by these companies shows what is possible – with the top two more than doubling their revenues in just one year.

They are a great example to the county and beyond.”

1 Absolute Interiors (Cor nwall Ltd) Interior design 2 Eliquo Hy drok Limited Water service s 3 Fred Cham pion Groundworks Limited Groundworks 4 Teagle Ho ldings Limite d Farm machiner y 5 H R Jasper & Son Limite d Supplier of lam b 6 Seasalt Li mited Clothing com pany 7 WH Bond & Sons Limite d Farming and tim ber 8 M.A. Grig g (Agricultura l) Limited Retailer

9 Digital Pe ninsula Netw ork Limited IT sector mem bers network 10 Mitchell & Webber Limite d Heating oil su pplier

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RENEWABLES PARTNERSHIP Cornwall is partnering with Wales and Ireland to exploit floating wind opportunities in the Celtic Sea. A collaboration agreement has been signed by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), Marine Energy Wales and Marine Renewables Industry Association Ireland outlining a commitment to work together to progress floating wind projects, which has the capacity to deliver about one third of the UK’s additional renewable energy requirements.

SHOWCASE YOUR BUSINESS Business has been brisk for booking stands at the ninth annual Cornwall Business Show.

Show organiser Live Events South West is reporting that one third of stands for the popular event, at the Royal Cornwall Showground on March 12, have already been sold. The Cornwall Business Show is expected to attract more than 1,000 visitors and 140 exhibitors.

The first ten business start-ups (started trading within 18 months of show) that sign up will receive a reduced rate, similarly for the first ten charities/social enterprises.

Over the years, the Cornwall Business Show has grown to become one of the key events in the business calendar, bringing together a wide spectrum of industries and sectors. Request a brochure via cornwallbusinessshow.co.uk

Steve Jermy, non-executive director of the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly LEP, said: “We’re delighted with this important political development, which builds on the floating offshore wind initiative begun 18 months ago and led by the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly LEP. “As well as the opportunity to contribute to meeting national and international zero carbon targets, floating offshore wind can bring coastal development, jobs and export opportunities to the Great South West, Wales and Ireland, in the same way that fixed offshore wind has to the East of Britain.”

BEST FLOATS TO THE TOP AUCTION RAISES £12m WH Bond raised nearly £12 million from auctioning off its construction and agricultural machinery.

The Trerulefoot-based company recently announced that it was exiting the plant hire and agriculture machinery sales business to concentrate on its core operations, with the result being what is believed to have been the largest plant and machinery sale ever in the south west.

Nearly 1,600 items went under the hammer, raising a total of £11,893,950, with more than 1,000 visitors attending each day of the two-day event.

10 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

A Cornish businesswoman was named Young Entrepreneur of the Year at the Best Business Women Awards held in London.

The accolade was presented to Float Digital director Samantha Charles at the Tower Hotel, who said: “I feel so honoured to win the Young Entrepreneur award at the Best

Business Women Awards. The event was great fun and I met so many strong and inspiring women, too. It’s another trophy to add to the shelf, a tangible reminder of how much hard work I’ve put into Float Digital, which has allowed it to grow to the thriving business it is today.”

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FORMATIONZONE REVAMP FOR START-UPS University of Plymouth, which manages the three Innovation Centres in Cornwall, has recently revamped its entry offer to start-up companies taking a workstation in what it calls its ‘FormationZone’ located in each centre.

These FormationZones provide modern and contemporary coworking desk space aimed specifically at start-up or early stage businesses that often require a greater level of support and guidance to help them survive and prosper during that all important first 12 months.

Cornwall Innovation has devised a suite of services for each new FormationZone customer at no extra cost. These include 12 months free Cornwall Chamber Membership, four hours free meeting room usage per month, free access to regular business networking events that take place across the centres, free 12 month membership to networking organisation, Cornish Partnerships, and access to dedicated and experienced business

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Matt Harrington, head of Cornwall Innovation Centres, said: ‘’22% of the working population of Cornwall are self-employed with on average approximately 2500 new start-ups companies created each year.

With first year failure rates often quoted as 50% we are delighted to be providing a robust and worthwhile business support package that will help ensure that our FormationZone customers survive and grow.”

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BUSINESS CORNWALL | 11

Cornwall has a long and proud manufacturing heritage. As part of this month’s manufacturing feature, we catch up with Eric Nicholls, MD of staircase specialist Spiral UK and chairman of the Cornwall Manufacturers Group

How long has CMG been going now, about five years?

Probably a bit longer than that, in excess of 15 years.

It started life as the Cornwall Manufacturers Forum.

Initially it was set up to coordinate the larger companies, those that employed over 100 people, and many of those were either nationals or owned by international companies. It was set up

12 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

as a means of bringing them together. Things changed, some companies moved away, shut down or whatever and the group gradually changed but rebranded four or five years go to become the Manufacturers Group. We also altered the membership structure so smaller companies could join. There are not that many companies in Cornwall that employ over 100 people, business dynamics have altered a lot and we changed to reflect that.

What’s the advantage of being a member of CMG? In essence it is a great big self-help club. It’s an opportunity at our quarterly meetings.

They are normally for the people running the business day to day, to get away from the

coal face and be together with people from a similar peer group. Chatham House rules, you can talk to anybody about anything. There’s a fantastic network to share knowledge, somebody else would have had the same problem. And to learn what’s going on, keep updated on grants and finance, HR etc.

Your website says there are about 1,100 manufacturers in Cornwall. How is a manufacturer defined?

The technical definition of a manufacturer is somebody who takes raw materials and adds value. We are a very broad church and that’s why the group encompasses everything from food and drink through to traditional manufacturing, engineering and high tec.

ERIC

NICHOLLS

Eric

Nicholls

So, whether you are buying potatoes to make a pasty or components to make a computer, it’s still manufacturing. It’s taking components and raw materials, adding value to finished product. So, the definition of 1,100 in the county is pretty broad, that’s everything from ‘Fred in the shed’ making artisan stuff through the very largest ones.

Over the years has the number of manufacturers been dwindling?

The sector has probably grown but changed, fewer larger companies and more diverse.

Manufacturing in Cornwall 20, 30 years ago would have been CompAir Holman, a lot of the companies based around the CPR area which were doing traditional, engineering-type

manufacturing. It’s changed a lot so there are now companies like Tom Raffield, who are typical of a broader manufacturing, doing clever things.

Has the Far East had a big impact?

If you are a commodity manufacturer making widgets, it’s obviously difficult to compete with the Far East and also eastern Europe. We’ve seen several of our member companies relocate their production to eastern Europe in recent years, but there has been a swing back in that people are beginning to appreciate that quality control is not what it could be when you are producing from a long way away. Also there are a lot of hidden associated costs that are not always obvious. At Spiral we used to

source a small amount of components from India and on the face of it they were very cheap but when you actually work out the admin, customs duty, transport etc, actually the saving was nowhere near as much as the headline price suggested.

In the UK, is it about niche products?

Not necessarily niche, but just be better at what you do - be the best. We trade in a global economy and whatever you manufacture there will be someone else making it in another country, in another continent. The move here has been to make our products better quality, presented better, packaged better. And not to sell on price and chase it down until it’s the last man standing.

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 13

ERIC

NICHOLLS

Can that be a temptation for businesses to compete on price?

It is, particularly when times are tough. The quickest way to increase sales when times are tough is price, but that’s a very short-term thing to do. All you’re doing is cutting your margin. Chasing it down and down.

What are the specific challenges in Cornwall?

Probably the same as they are in other parts of the UK, like legislation and bureaucracy.

But probably the biggest challenge facing manufacturing is staff and training. Cornwall has, effectively, full employment and has had for years so recruiting staff can be difficult if you’re not just trying to poach them from somebody else. The challenge is to train and grow your own staff.

Do you work closely with the colleges?

Is there an appetite among school leavers for a career in manufacturing?

There is and it’s improved a lot. Manufacturing ten or 20 years ago was viewed as dark, grubby factories with noisy machines while nothing is further from the truth now. That world doesn’t exist anymore, and in the odd place that it does, you’re not going to attract young people into that. Manufacturing offers a very broad range of career prospects, it’s not just the pure production making side, but sales, marketing, accounts management, logistics, IT. There is a whole raft of careers open. At Spiral, probably less than half the number of people employed in the business actually do the making.

Manufacturing is a pretty resilient sector and gets on with things

We do. We have a very good relationship both with Cornwall College and Truro & Penwith. We’re reaping a legacy of a generation of not training people and fortunately now the focus is swinging back. The Government has put a lot of effort into apprenticeships and not just the traditional leave school type, but apprentices and training in a broader sense - training and developing people who are in their 20s, 30s, 40s and improving the staff you’ve got by training rather than just recruiting fresh from education.

If you have older people, the idea of going back into a classroom does not sit well at all for them.

So, all the training programmes we’re currently developing with professional training providers, colleges and other commercial companies, are delivered in the workplace, in factory premises. As part of that they will be able to tour

14 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

that plant and see what other companies are doing, really relate it to their own day jobs rather than just a dry text book.

Has Brexit been having an impact?

Certainly at the beginning of the year there was a slowdown. Some companies have benefitted because of exchange rates, those who are exporting significantly have had a better time since the referendum. At the beginning of the year there was a lot of uncertainty. We’ve seen customers holding off from investing. A lot of companies, like Spiral, we rely on people making capital investment, building buildings. And there has been a slowdown with a lot of projects put on hold because of Brexit.

But manufacturing is a pretty resilient sector and gets on with things. You have to deal with what you’ve got; we’ve seen plenty of tough times in the past. The old saying you can’t worry about what you can’t control is very true.

Business hates uncertainty. Whatever your views on Brexit, the majority of companies now just want to get on with it. Business can’t just go on hold.

What does the future look like? Innovation and technology?

I think the future is very bright for manufacturing in Cornwall and the UK. Yes, we’ll embrace new tech and talk about the third industrial revolution and things like that and manufacturing companies are generally ambitious, quite happy to invest if they can see return and ways to grow and improve their business. I think the future is very bright.

And is Cornwall a good place to be a manufacturer?

Definitely. Transport and logistics has never been easier. In the mid 1980s when we started at Sprial, getting the material to Scotland, we would have to call he haulier, say we’ve got something going to Scotland and he’d say ok, when I’ve got a bit more stuff going to Scotland I’ll ring you up and come and pick it up. It could take two or three weeks. Now we could send a pallet from our factory in the afternoon and it will be in Glasgow the next lunchtime. Guaranteed, at a very modest cost. Logistics has been transformed by the pallet network that now operates through a number of major companies.

You manufacture everything in Helston.

Has there ever been a temptation to move that up country?

Not seriously, no. If you operate nationally, you have to be based somewhere, so being a bit out on one end opposed to being in the middle isn’t that much of a problem. Once you are traveling beyond the one, one-and-ahalf-hour radius of your base, it doesn’t really matter where you are. Our install crews travel around the country, so it doesn’t really matter where they live. Some live in the midlands, some in London. They still have to travel.

Does Spaceport offer potential with the supply chain?

It does offer quite a bit for the wider supply chain and we’ve been in close contact with Spaceport. It’s still early days, what they’ve done at Newquay Enterprise Zone and the airport has been great over the last few years.

There was serious concern a few years back that Newquay Airport would close and that would have been a big blow for Cornwall and our sector because our members use the airport a lot, both to visit their customers and for their customers to visit them. Spaceport...I’m sure there will be quite significant supply chain opportunities. As soon as someone thinks about setting up an

ERIC

operation in Cornwall, the first thing they ask is what’s the supply chain like around there; that’s integral.

Does manufacturing in Cornwall receive much inward investment?

It does in that a lot of our member companies are owned by nationals and internationals.

And they invest heavily, companies like Bott up in Bude and Watson-Marlow. Their parent companies have invested massively over the last few years but haven’t shouted about it.

That’s manufacturing, they just get on with it.

Bott is a fantastic company, £50M turnover and no one hears about them. Bott fits out all of BT and British Gas’ vans.

And, of course, there’s yourselves, Spiral, which you started with your father?

Yes, I started it with my dad in 1985, initially on a fairly small scale, subcontracting for other companies. Then it’s gradually grown and diversified into the business that it is today, employing about 50 people.

Are the stairways now grander, fancier things?

We do both. We still do a lot of work, as we have from the beginning, for the Ministry of Defence and they tend to be fairly functional basic staircases, but we also do a lot of luxury housing and offices in London.

Most work, 95%, tends to be outside Cornwall, we tend to work where the larger conurbations are. This year we did all the staircases for the Dyson campus accommodation at its new Institute of Engineering and Technology.

NICHOLLS

What projects have you been particularly proud of?

We’ve done some celebrity houses which is always good fun - Carole Vorderman, Paul Young and a few others. Russian oligarchs whose names we never get to know! And we then work at some real flagship buildings; we did a beautiful staircase for the London Palladium and are currently working on our sixth job in the Salesforce Tower, which used to be the tallest building in London before they finished the Shard. We started working on the sixth floor, we’re now working on the 36th floor, so some really exciting stuff.

When you started the company in 1985, I assume you had just come out of college?

No. When I left school, I worked for NatWest Bank. I didn’t want to be a manufacturer, I didn’t want to do anything like that. My dad was a builder, my grandad was a builder, great grand dad was a builder.

I didn’t want to be a builder. My training is O’ level metal work, technical drawing, that’s me. I’m the least qualified person in Spiral!

So, I worked in the bank for four years, learned a lot about business but absolutely hated working there and found it very frustrating. Then the opportunity came to set up Spiral with my father.

And Spiral is involved in the whole process?

Yes, we do absolutely everything. We design in house, manufacture it under our own roof and our directly-employed guys install it.

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 15

ERIC

NICHOLLS

How did that come about?

He was doing some work installing some staircases for another company, who were subcontracting their manufacture and were having terrible quality problems. So, they said to him, do you fancy making these things as well as fitting them? He had a think about it, I was wanting to get out of being a bank clerk but didn’t know what to do, and he said maybe we can do it together.

What skillset did you bring to the party?

You’re always learning, you never stop

The finance side, the admin side. At the bank I did a couple of years business admin, so had a good grounding in banking and finance and the rest I learned on the job. You’re always learning, you never stop.

How has the stairway manufacturing business changed over the years?

It’s changed quite a lot. When we first got into it there were a number of companies who offered fairly standard componentbased systems. The market has altered a lot inasmuch as people don’t want standard component based, they want much more bespoke, better designs. So, we’ve seen the standard systems fall away which is where a lot of competitors have gone because they

16 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

didn’t move, didn’t offer bespoke, just said you can have our standard system. Although on the bottom end of the market we’ve seen a lot of cheap, Internet-based companies coming along selling stuff from India and China, but the quality is variable at the best.

Bottom line, isn’t a stairway just a device to get you from one level to another?

A staircase is a functional part of a building. And a lot of stairs we do are fire escapes, which is a regulatory thing. But people like to make features of staircases.

We do staircases for houses which are in excess of £100k, for offices which are three or four times that.

How do you split your time between Spiral and CMG? CMG is a bit ad hoc. I’m very lucky that my team at Spiral and my business partner Andrew Holland will cover for me while I am doing CMG stuff. At CMG, Jon Hurrell, our chief exec, is retained one day a week on a flexible basis; he deals with the day to day and I hop in and out of as required.

We’ve got a good relationship with the LEP, good relationship with the colleges, we’re quite close to the chamber, the Marine Network. Cornwall business is a small world and we overlap with other organisations,

although our focus is to try to be specific, we’re here to help to promote manufacturing and help member companies.

Have European-funded programmes been helpful?

We’ve been quite involved in BIG 1 and 2, which has been a great programme; BIG 3 hopefully isn’t too far away. But that was quite groundbreaking in that was the first European programme in a long time that would give finance just for equipment. The difficulty with a lot of these European programmes is they have all been driven on job creation. And the contradiction with manufacturing is often if you buy a big new shiny CNC machine costing £100k, it actually replaces people and in the short term reduces jobs. Long term it will grow jobs, because the business will grow, but investing in manufacturing you tend to invest in equipment to improve productivity and efficiency which doesn’t – short term – directly create jobs.

There is talk, although we haven’t seen too much evidence of it yet, about measuring in terms of productivity rather than pure job creation.

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record investments Ongoing investment in one of the UK’s leading spring manufacturers is securing its position as a key international supplier for the automotive and industrial sector.

Over the last 12 months, European Springs & Pressings has invested over £2 million in its two Cornish factories with a further £1 million invested more recently in a number of new advanced technologies.

The spring manufacturer, with factories in Redruth, Cornwall and Beckenham near London, has recently multiplied the size of its south west operation to over 4,000 square metres with the purchase of new premises in Penryn.

Michael Gibbs, MD of European Springs & Pressings in Cornwall, says: “Purchasing the new Penryn factory last year was a really exciting new chapter for everyone in European Springs & Pressings, especially as the Cornwall operations originated from a hut near the beach at Perranporth over 30 years ago.

Michael continues: “In the last year turnover in Cornwall has increased by 40% and we’ve grown from a team of 43 to over 60.

Five years ago, we relocated to a larger site in Redruth from Indian Queens - we then extended that factory to meet demand and have been rapidly outgrowing our current premises ever since.”

A new powder-coating line has been installed in a 700sq metre extension, a new heat treatment oven acquired and two high-performance spring-end grinding machines complete the recent purchases.

Together, we’re set to enhance our global positions

“This significant investment allows for continual growth across our industrial and automotive product divisions and affords new opportunities for expansion across the sites in Redruth and Penryn.”

18 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

The new Penryn site specialises in the industrial element of the business, supplying springs across multiple sectors ranging from agriculture to aerospace, robotics to rail to food and marine sectors and everything in between.

The new equipment, spread across the Penryn and Redruth factories, has doubled the grinding capabilities in the company’s industrial sector and expanded the automotive sector grinding facilities by 400%. The new heat treatment oven and powder coating line increases automotive production infrastructure by 200%.

Michael concludes: “Developing enhanced manufacturing capabilities through investment in high-tech infrastructure and skills training, enables us to sustain manufacturing

competitiveness. With a global marketplace across multiple industries, it is essential that we maintain our reputation for innovation and manufacturing excellence.

“We’re accelerating our expertise in direct response to customer demand and our programme of financing is strategic, reflecting a number of years of record growth.

This year we’ve invested over £3 million in new infrastructure, machinery and technologies, which is a strong indicator of the strength of manufacturing in the region and we’re delighted to be further investing in, and supporting, the south west’s £14 billion manufacturing industry.

Our parent company, Lesjofors, has reported its strongest year ever with €255 million in sales in 2018. Together, we’re set to enhance our global positions.”

European Springs & Pressings is one of the world’s market leading spring and pressing manufacturers. Based in Cornwall, London and Yorkshire, it offers exceptional engineering expertise in the spring coiling, wire forming, pressing and stamping industries across multiple metals, coiling from 0.03mm to 65mm. www.europeansprings.com

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ARE YOU LOOKING FOR INDUSTRY SPECIFIC TRAINING BUT CAN’T SOURCE THE RELEVANT COURSES AT A PRICE AND LOCATION TO SUIT? WE HAVE THE ANSWER From factory floor to corporate boardroom, the Cornwall Manufacturers Group (CMG), has been working with manufacturing companies across the county to identify employer-led training needs for the sector.

CMG is part of the new Developing Skills for Business (DS4B) programme, funded through the European Social Fund (ESF), working with employers to design, develop and improve the relevance of skills training for manufacturing SME’s across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

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“ Advanced engineering is at the core of our work and advancing our team’s strengths is paramount to their and our success. We took advantage of the finance for non-finance people course which immediately enabled key team members to appreciate the ‘business’ element of the company more. Managing budgets more effectively; better understanding the financial outcome of their decisions and developing a greater awareness of the costs, finance of the team and organisation. It’s opened their eyes to the bigger picture and has added so much value to them and us.”

Richard Trevail, Managing Director, DP Engineering

www.cmgroup.org.uk www.cornwall.ac.uk/ developing-skills-for-business/

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MANUFACTURING

CORNWALL

made in cornwall Two prominent advocates of Cornwall have presented St Austell Printing Company with a special accreditation, recognising their commitment to manufacturing in the county.

The family-run company has become the only printing company to be awarded the Made in Cornwall accreditation as part of the official Cornwall Council scheme, which recognises businesses who manufacture their products in the County.

Colonel Edward Bolitho OBE, Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall and St Austell Mayor Cllr Tim Styles were invited on a tour of the sustainable factory on the outskirts of St Austell.

Here they

20 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

Special recognition for St Austell printer

met members of the SAPC team and learned more about the specialist processes involved in manufacturing printed products, including greetings cards, leaflets, brochures, book covers and playing cards.

The accreditation was made possible after a range of investments for SAPC, including investment in a new instant-drying press, expanding its Digital Printshop, introducing a new specialist finishing department and installing one of Cornwall’s largest roofbased solar panel arrays.

Peter Moody, SAPC’s owner and managing director, said: “This accreditation is proof of our commitment to the economy of the county, our valued team and helping to promote what the manufacturing sector in Cornwall can achieve.

This accreditation is proof of our commitment to the economy of the county, our valued team and helping to promote what the manufacturing sector in Cornwall can achieve

CORNWALL

“Where other printing companies regularly outsource their work, we’re proud to keep all core aspects of our printing and finishing under one roof. We now have full control over the production of your print which guarantees quality, exceptional value and unrivalled turnaround times. Plus, we are able to continue providing more skilled jobs for local people.”

Matt Bunt, SAPC’s marketing and communications manager, added: “We are the only commercial printing company in Cornwall who are able to hold such an accreditation.

“We will proudly carry the official Made in Cornwall logo on our marketing material used by both local and national clients. This is an opportunity to help promote Cornwall’s reputation as a forward-thinking, ambitious and exciting place to do business.

“If you care about sustainability, value, quality print and being able to truly support the local economy of Cornwall, then SAPC is the natural choice.”

Company with their Made in Cornwall Award.

Successful and growing businesses are the key to prosperity in Cornwall and it is great to see a company that is developing and nurturing Cornish talent.”

Cllr Tim Styles, Mayor of St Austell, said: “I was delighted to be invited to see the great work being undertaken at St Austell Printing Company. The Made in Cornwall accreditation shows their commitment to employing local people and supporting the economy in St Austell; and they are most deserving for these reasons.”

Tony Goodman, general manager for Made in Cornwall, added: “Made in Cornwall are absolutely delighted to welcome St Austell Printing Company into the scheme.

MANUFACTURING

in the south west and a fantastic focal point for St Austell.

We look forward to working with them and our 250 other members to help them continue to expand and be ambassadors for Cornish business.”

“Their commitment towards the Cornish economy and Cornish products is testament to the ethos that runs throughout this longestablished company, now an industry leader

Colonel Edward Bolitho OBE, Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall, said: “I was really delighted to be able to present the St Austell Printing

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 21

GROWTH

PROGRAMME

How the Growth Programme is encouraging more sustainable and inclusive working practices With over a hundred European-funded projects being delivered across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, the region has become a fertile place for experimentation and innovative practices.

From sourcing cleaner energy, investing in low carbon transport infrastructure to recruiting a more socially diverse workforce, organisations and businesses funded through the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) as part of the Cornwall and Isles Scilly (CIOS) Growth Programme, are devising innovative models to deliver sustainable development, equal opportunities and inclusivity.

Positive change These are also referred to as the cross cutting themes, as they underpin all ESIF projects.

Sue Patton, Growth Programme facilitation manager, explains “The businesses and organisations which are receiving European funding through the Growth Programme had to carefully consider how to holistically embed the natural environment and the human environment from the initial design

22 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

GROWTH

PROGRAMME

UNITED DOWNS DEEP GEOTHERMAL PROJECT and development phase of a project, through to the project delivery and beyond.

“As a result, we are seeing some very interesting models being developed which we hope to see replicated.”

The principles of sustainable development seek to achieve an appropriate balance between the often-competing needs of the environment, social and economic objectives in project design, management and delivery.

The Geothermal Engineering Ltd team that is behind the United Downs deep geothermal pilot project, which has recently drilled the UK’s deepest onshore well, have been carefully planning on how to best strike that balance.

Project manager Peter Ledingham says: “Sustainability is obviously at the very heart of what we are trying to achieve at United Downs. The geothermal potential of Cornwall presents an opportunity to supply a resilient form of low carbon, renewable electricity and heat.

“Our long-term ambition to develop further geothermal projects around the county would deliver significant environmental and economic benefits but sustainable development on this scale will also require public support and therefore our community outreach and education programmes are also a critical part of the process.” This is becoming increasingly

relevant as a second site for deep geothermal drilling has been announced at the Eden project earlier this month.

Specifically designed to help small and medium sized businesses become more sustainable, the University of Exeter is leading on the Tevi programme. “What we’ve learnt at Tevi is that nobody can be complacent when it comes to delivering these cross-cutting themes”, says Dr Dan Bloomfield, Tevi Project Manager.

“The very essence of Tevi is to facilitate environmental growth via a more resource efficient economy, so you might think that everything we do is basically about sustainability and that we wouldn’t need to worry about it. But that isn’t true; every action, every purchase, and every investment with SMEs can always be improved if you think about it hard enough.

“With the low unemployment rate across Cornwall, how we find talent for the future needs of the economy and create a robust workforce is critical,” says Kate Reed, head of employability and pathways at RIO. “This is why we have been exploring how to diversify opportunities and pathways. We have been upskilling and supporting young people with finding careers in key sectors in Cornwall and working with the creative sector to diversify the talent pool through a campaign called Brave Recruitment.

This campaign is enabling businesses to diversify their workforce by finding talent through unexpected routes.”

“Likewise inclusivity; the push for a more circular economics means thinking about circular employment, and making sure that all work, and all workers, are included.”

To promote and share these best practices, the CIOS Growth Programme has organised an event on Sustainable Environmental and Social Working Practices on November 28 at Heartlands in Pool. The ambition is to inspire and provide practical tips to business owners, manufacturers and project managers who want to be change makers, to maximise their impact and make a positive difference.

To champion equal opportunities, the Real Ideas Organisation (RIO) through the Cultivator project has initiated the Brave Recruitment campaign.

To register and for more information visit: www. cornwallislesofscillygrowthprogramme. org.uk/events

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 23

RENEWABLE

ENERGY

full steam ahead

After a ten-year campaign to bring the clean, green technology to Cornwall, the Eden Project and EGS Energy Limited announced last month they had secured £16.8 million in funding will enable them to start drilling on Eden’s site next summer.

Co-founder Sir Tim says the upshot could amount to the biggest leap forward for Eden since it opened in 2001.

“A game changer for Eden, Cornwall and the UK.” That’s what Sir Tim Smit is saying after revealing that funding has been secured to drill the first well for its pioneering geothermal heat and power project.

24 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

“Since we began, Eden has had a dream that the world should be powered by renewable energy,” he says.

“The sun can provide massive solar power and the wind has been harnessed by humankind for thousands of years but because both are intermittent and battery technology cannot yet store all we need there is a gap.

“We believe the answer lies beneath our feet in the heat underground that can be accessed by drilling technology that pumps water towards the centre of the earth and

Drilling for clean energy starts at home of world-famous biomes next summer

brings it back up superheated to provide us with heat and electricity.

“The missing piece of the jigsaw in a 24/7 clean renewable energy future is this baseload. Now we have the green light and the funding to start drilling we are determined to make this technology work. And we want to work with others all over the world - sharing knowledge and encouraging the change as fast as is humanly possible.”

The £16.8 million sum has been secured from a mixture of public and private sources.

Cornwall’s final round of EU funding, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), has contributed £9.9 million, Cornwall Council has put in £1.4 million, while institutional investors have contributed the remaining £5.5 million.

The money will pay for the first phase of the project - drilling one well, a research programme and a heat main, to prove the extent of the resource 4.5km down in the granite that lies beneath the Eden site.

RENEWABLE

This first well will initially supply a district heating system for Eden’s Biomes, offices and greenhouses. It will pave the way for the second phase another 4.5km well and an electricity plant.

Completing the second phase will mean that Eden will be generating sufficient renewable energy to become carbon positive by 2023 as well as aiming to be able to provide heat and power for the local area.

Limited, EGS Energy Limited, and specialist geothermal specialist BESTEC (UK) Limited.

According to research, largely untapped geothermal resources in the UK have the potential to deliver up to 20% of the UK’s electricity and Cornwall is leading the way, with work starting last year on building the country’s first geothermal electricity plant at United Downs, near Redruth.

We believe the answer lies beneath our feet in the heat underground

To deliver the plan, a new company, Eden Geothermal Limited (EGL) has been formed, comprising shareholders - Eden Project

And over at Eden, Sir Tim is hugely excited by the possibilities.

He says: “Geothermal will be a game changer for Eden, Cornwall and the UK. The heat will be used for the biomes, to grow food, as well as helping support the development of our long-awaited hotel.

“Once up and running, our plant will provide more than enough renewable electricity and

ENERGY

heat for the whole site, as well as for the local area. We will be drilling for good energy rather than bad.”

EGS Energy MD Guy Macpherson-Grant echoes the sentiments: “It is exciting that this geothermal development is under way,” he says. “The geology in the county is particularly well-suited for cost-efficient heat and power generation, and St Austell benefits from particularly high heat flows.”

Glenn Caplin, chief executive of the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership, is also a strong advocate of the geothermal prospects.

“This is another huge step forward in the drive to create a geothermal industry in Cornwall, using our natural assets to decarbonise our economy and create high value jobs.

“Renewable energy is both an environmental and an economic opportunity for Cornwall, which is why clean growth is at the heart of our emerging Local Industrial Strategy.”

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 25

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REACHING FOR THE STARS In 2014, the UK Space Agency announced a shortlist of locations for the UK’s first spaceport. The UK builds a large proportion of the world’s small satellites, yet has no launch site.

SPACEPORT CORNWALL HAS THE POTENTIAL TO LAUNCH CORNWALL’S BUSINESSES WORLDWIDE

Currently, UK satellite manufacturers have to transport their systems overseas, paying large sums, with launch slots frequently delayed or ‘bumped’ altogether in favour of larger companies. These innovative businesses, with potentially gamechanging technologies are priced out with no way to overcome the launch bottleneck. The UK Government understands this and is seeking, through a relatively modest investment, to give UK companies access to the multi-billion pound launch market.

Fast forward five years and Spaceport Cornwall has secured UK Space Agency funding, the top horizontal satellite launch operator in the world, Virgin Orbit, and an international reputation for driving innovation in the commercial launch market. More importantly it secures a world-class opportunity for businesses in Cornwall.

There are now over 55 businesses in Cornwall using space technology to enhance their growth. Recently Spaceport Cornwall invited local businesses to co-exhibit with us at the UK Space Conference in Wales. One of these businesses, Data Duopoly, a start-up from Falmouth, won the Pitch to the Primes competition and was presented the award by astronaut Tim Peake. The stand also hosted a Cornwall reception with St Austell Brewery providing limited-edition Spaceport pint glasses to hundreds of international consumers. Cornwall took over Wales, and Spaceport Cornwall wants to continue to be used as a platform for businesses to get on the world stage.

Cornwall Manufacturers Group, The Eden Project, Cornwall Chamber of Commerce and Camborne School of Mines, have all recognised the potential of the project to act as a catalyst to attract further investment, raise the profile of Cornwall and challenge outdated perceptions of Cornwall.

The Spaceport project will go before Full Council on November 26 to secure the final investment required for the airport to ensure it is ready to launch.

BIRD’S EYE VIEW OF TRAINING Like most artists and islanders, Vickie Heaney has always looked for new ways to earn money by diversifying her business.

She recently spent a week on the mainland attending three separate courses to add more strings to her bow. She travelled as far as Margate for print making and infographic courses, the latter will come in useful when she presents findings from her research projects. In addition to sketching birds and sea life from her studio on the Isles of Scilly, she works as a researcher in the Antarctic.

The types of courses she needs aren’t cheap.

She recently attended a five-day course on safety and evacuation theory for cruise ships based in Falmouth. While she could afford the classes, the travel and accommodation made it too expensive. The Skills Hub’s Access to Travel Fund covered nearly £600 in travel

costs, including accommodation in Cornwall. Vickie is now certified to work on cruise ships, leading bird tours around the world.

While Vickie has found most of her training on her own accord, the Skills Hub support made it happen.

They not only provided the funding for her travel and stay on the mainland; they have helped her figure out what skills she needed to take her business in the direction she wanted.

“It’s useful to talk through your business, your plans. It makes you consider your strategy, important elements of your business you might not be brilliant at, maybe tax or finance,” says Vickie.

As one of the first Scilly businesses to take-up the Access to Training fund, it’s interesting to

understand why Vickie thinks other business owners might find barriers to reaching out to business support groups like the Skills Hub. “Maybe they think it’s more difficult than it is, an administrative burden so to speak.

I’ve received support through many funding streams, some more complicated than others.

But there was very little paperwork needed with the Skills Hub and they helped with all the necessary reports.”

To find out more about Skills Hub support call the team on 01209 708660 or visit ciosskillshub.com

The Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Skills Hub is part funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and match funded by Cornwall Council and Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership.

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 27

CHARITY

CORNWALL

It’s good

to give

Through engaging with an appropriate charity, a business can enjoy increased sales, access to new and very targeted audiences, brand endorsement and a healthier and happier workforce – to mention just a few benefits. It can also align a business with a cause that has a shared mission and values.

Today, companies are reaping the rewards of putting their charitable support on a more strategic footing and carefully choosing who to work with. Many are identifying the best fit for them and making a proactive approach to the charity to explore possibilities, in-line with their business or marketing plans.

You will get out of the partnership what you put in

Within the charity sector, corporate fundraising is becoming increasingly important, with organisations in the

28 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

commercial sector able to bring a range of benefits to charities and third sector organisations. These include exposure to new targeted audiences, brand endorsement, expert advice, gifts in kind and vital unrestricted funding.

Corporate support for a charity takes many forms including: • staff fundraising and charity of the year • cause-related marketing • payroll giving • employee involvement and volunteering • gifts in kind • company donations/matched giving • sponsorship Each activity offers different benefits for both sides - as well as inputs and potential legal/tax/VAT considerations - and should be guided by what both organisations aim to achieve. Corporate/charity partnerships are a joint endeavour and need to work for everyone in order to be successful and lead to an ongoing relationship.

The key to success is in agreeing appropriate activities

Strategic partnerships between businesses and charities can bring exciting opportunities and tangible results for both organisations, says Eventy Marketing MD Helen Mulhern that will be developed in a mutually beneficial way to achieve the outcomes. Be clear about what each side would like to achieve, agree clear goals at the outset and how you are going to get there – then keep communicating. You will get out of the partnership what you put in and once the journey has begun, you will find all kinds of unexpected opportunities!

Be open to the possibilities, be honest about what you can offer and what you need to get out it – and pick up the phone! I’ve never known a better place or time for sharing a coffee and a passion for finding a unique and exciting opportunity to work together.

Helen Mulhern is a full member of the Institute of Fundraising with a career in the charity and marketing sectors. She specialises in helping companies and charities with their corporate partnerships.

07747 633236 / helen@eventy.co.uk Twitter/Facebook/Instagram: @EventyMarketing

CORNWALL

SET YOUR SIGHTS ON US As Cornwall’s oldest charity we know a thing or two about working with local organisations to support the wider community.

We’ve worked with hundreds of organisations over the years to create partnerships, both big and small, that deliver clear business benefits as well as raising awareness of Cornwall’s only sight loss charity.

With over 14 million people in the UK living with a disability, the ‘Purple Pound’ is estimated to be worth around £249 billion to the economy. If your business is not fully inclusive you could be excluding a huge number of customers and missing out on the potential income they generate.

Many businesses already recognise the importance of good accessibility and have made it easier for wheelchair users to visit the organisation but would you know how to welcome someone with sight loss?

impaired customers and give you simple tips on lighting, signage and access to make your organisation more accessible for those customers. We also offer training for staff and volunteers so that you can be sure that everyone in your team is confident to welcome a visually impaired customer.

We are a lifeline to people living with sight loss, providing practical solutions to help them live independently and offering emotional support when they need it most. Our specially trained staff provide advice and guidance on everything from low vision aids and assistive technology to welfare advice and employment support.

the ‘Purple Pound’ is estimated to be worth around £249 billion to the economy

That’s where we can help. We can provide you with solutions which will help your business become more inclusive and accessible. We can advise you on the best alternative formats to offer your visually

There are 22,000 people living with sight loss in Cornwall and this is expected to grow to 32,000 in the next ten years. As this number increases, the demand for our services increases. We rely on donations to deliver these services and with your support we can reach more people and give them access to the help they need.

CHARITY

WE CAN HELP YOU TO: • Understand technology – Braille has been in decline for many years, technology now plays a significant part in helping people maintain their independence.

• Provide alternative formats - You are not expected to translate all of your print materials into all formats, but you do need to know what works and what doesn’t.

• Improve communication - Good communication is about being confident enough to ask what help people need.

• Make access easier – Good lighting is particularly important for people with visual impairments and could make all the difference to your service.

• Be more inclusive and accessible – it’s as much about inclusive service delivery and customer care as it is about the built environment.

There are many ways you can support us from a long-term partnership to simply having a one of our collection tins on your premises, or something in between. How ever you choose to support us you can be sure that you’re helping us to deliver our vital services as well as communicating a strong message about inclusion and accessibility to your customers.

www.isightcornwall.org.uk 01872 261110

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 29

CHARITY

CORNWALL

BRING YOUR HELICOPTER HOME Your new air ambulance helicopter has taken to the skies for its first test flight in Italy, unveiling its dramatic new design. But the fundraising hasn’t stopped, now we need you to bring it home to Cornwall where it belongs and reach the £2.5 million target we need

Designed in collaboration with the charity, members of the community and marketing agency Wolf Rock, the helicopter will return to its original red colour with yellow chevrons. The design incorporates the charity’s proud Cornish identity, with the St Piran’s flag and Cornish language prominent features on the livery.

look like. It’s their helicopter and it is only thanks to the generosity of everyone that has supported the appeal so far that we are at this stage. We have a long way to go in the New Heli Appeal fundraising campaignwith over £650k left to raise by April 2020, so we need everyone’s help to turn it into Cornwall’s brand new air ambulance and bring it home where it belongs.”

The helicopter will cost £7.5 million, and for the first time in the charity’s 32-year history, will be owned by the charity and not leased.

The AW169 helicopter is being built in Italy by helicopter specialists Leonardo. It will continue to undergo manufacturers test flights over the next few months, before being brought to the UK to be fitted out with a special medical interior.

Barbara Sharples, trustee & chair of the New Heli Appeal Board, says: “We are delighted to be able to give our supporters a glimpse of what the new helicopter will

Paula Martin, chief executive of Cornwall Air Ambulance, says: “We set up the public appeal to raise the last £2.5 million needed to buy the helicopter and we can now see

we are so close to achieving the target. The paramedics and doctors cannot wait for the day when the new helicopter flies its first lifesaving mission.”

There is still time to support the appeal and at the same time have your name or a loved one’s name added to the underside of the new helicopter before it arrives. For a minimum donation of £100, your name will fly alongside the crew to missions across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Don’t miss out on a place, visit https:// cornwallairambulancetrust.org/appeal/ heli-heroes/

WE’RE OPENING MORE BEDS THANKS TO YOU! Despite challenging economic times, Cornwall Hospice Care leaders have committed to opening more beds at their two hospices Four more have already opened meaning there are now nine at the charity’s Mount Edgcumbe Hospice in St Austell and nine at St Julia’s Hospice in Hayle with more planned to open before the end of the year.

Gina Starnes is the director of Clinical Services. She says: “In my 30-year nursing career I’ve seen at first hand the difference that hospices make, giving patients and their families the peace, dignity and specialised care they need. As the only adult hospice charity in Cornwall we know there are many more families who would benefit from our care so we’ve been investing in our staff and facilities so we can open more beds.”

However, such plans come at a cost and at a time when the Cornish charity has, like many other organisations, felt the challenges of the current economic climate.

David Renwick, chair of Cornwall Hospice Care, says: “We can only open more beds 30 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

with the support of the public. I’m appealing to everyone in Cornwall to help us as we strive to open more beds and to develop our community services so we can support more people with terminal illnesses and much earlier in their diagnosis. I’d also like to thank our many loyal supporters for their continuing help, it’s vital and much appreciated.”

As the charity prepares to mark, in 2020, 40 years of providing its specialist care an appeal has been launched to help fund the increased nursing costs to support the extra beds as Oli Hoare, head of fundraising, explains. “As a 24/7 charity our nurses are key to the care we deliver and are a very special team. To help us continue their vital work supporting patients facing terminal illnesses, we’re asking people to help fund the nursing care. £20 will pay for an hour of that care and we hope people will help us achieve our desire to have 20 beds open by the end of the year.”

www.cornwallhospicecare.co.uk

CORNWALL

CHARITY

HELP END HOMELESSNESS We are Cornwall’s only independent homelessness charity. Our campaign to end street homelessness is working, yet we are more in demand than ever before.

The number of people sleeping outside in Cornwall went down 46%, from 99 to 53, in just 2 years. Cornwall is the only area where numbers of street sleepers decreased for two years in a row. Despite this reduction, our Resettlement team housed people 343 times last year to keep the number of people who are street homeless down.

As winter approaches, it is impossible for our clients to find shelter from worsening weather. At our resource centres we give out countless dry sleeping bags, wash and dry endless loads of washing and provide more shoes to - hopefully - keep feet dry.

However, the coldest months haven’t arrived yet. We are preparing to run our night shelter

project through the winter again. For clients using this service, we work intensively to find suitable accommodation; last winter, 89 people used our shelters and over two thirds were rehoused.

Each year we run our biggest appeal to fund this work. We are continually humbled by the support and generosity of the Cornish community. Last year our annual winter appeal raised over £115k, and this year we want to raise even more!

If you’d like to support this appeal by putting some of our eye catching yellow donation envelopes in a public place, for example a reception area or a staff room, please get in touch for a Winter Appeal Pack.

To hear more about becoming one of our Business Supporters, please visit our website or give us a call. stpetrocs.org.uk/businesssupporters Email home@stpetrocs.org.uk Tel 01872 260948 Facebook @StPetrocsSociety Twitter @StPetrocs

HEALING POWER OF THE SEA Turn to Starboard - The Forces’ Sailing Charity

Research has long found that the ocean has a calming effect on our minds. The sight and sound of water can help lower stress levels, improve mental clarity and give a boost to our health and well-being.

One charity that understands the healing power of the sea is Turn to Starboard.

Launched in 2012, the Falmouth-based charity helps serving and retired military personnel with physical injuries or mental trauma, and their families, to benefit from the therapeutic effects of sailing and the sea.

Several strands of activity are on offer including restorative sailing experiences,

Royal Yachting Association (RYA) sailing courses, family sailing trips, tall ship sailing and competitive racing. The focus is on resettlement, reintegration and reinforcing a sense of value and belonging for participants along with an opportunity to gain professional sailing qualifications to start new careers in the marine industry.

“There is something quite special about sailing,” says CEO and founder Shaun Pascoe. “It can provide a calming effect and when you’re out at sea there is nothing to trigger the unwelcome memories that are associated with past traumatic experiences.”

UK. Many relatively inexperienced sailors have completed the charity’s Zero to Hero development programme and awarded the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore qualification – regarded as the gold standard by many in yachting.

“The ocean offers calmness and a place where you can leave your worries onshore and detach from the stresses of life,” says Shaun. “With your support, we can help even more individuals who serve for their country to get perspective on past events and focus on a successful future.”

To find out more about how you could help Turn to Starboard, call 01326 314262 or visit turntostarboard.co.uk

Turn to Starboard has provided more than 3,000 sailing opportunities to wounded, injured and sick veterans from all over the BUSINESS CORNWALL | 31

Specialists who understand the needs of the charity and not for profit sector. rrlcornwall.co.uk Truro: 01872 276116 Penzance: 01736 339322

AMENDED CODE OF FUNDRAISING PRACTICE In recent years, the charity sector has been rocked with scandals sparked by highprofile cases highlighting governance issues, fundraising techniques and safeguarding scandals. Confidence and trust in the sector have reduced and researchers have highlighted a significant decrease in the proportion of UK public who donated directly to charity over the last three years, not helped by the impact of GDPR data protection rules.

Following consultation, the Fundraising Regulator issued an amended Code of Fundraising Practice which came into effect last month. This sets out the responsibilities that apply to fundraising carried out by charities and third-party fundraisers with four values underpinning the Code – legal, open, honest and respectful.

The changes are designed to make it easier to understand what to expect from ethical fundraising, but the new Code has sadly lacked profile in the public domain. This comes at a time where confidence really needs to be increased as charities are under more pressure than ever to make a smaller pot go further.

Fortunately, the circulation within the sector has been widespread giving all charities plenty of notice to update their systems.

32 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

A weighty 118 pages, the Code is set out in three main parts: • Standards that apply to all fundraising; • Standards that apply to working with others; and • Standards that apply to specific fundraising methods.

Institutions that register with the Fundraising Regulator commit to the Fundraising Promise – a commitment made to donors and the public to meet the standards of the Code and are undertaken to ensure that their procedures and processes comply.

Most charities have updated any relevant systems and documentation but for those who haven’t, the guide outlining the changes together with a deletions and mergers log are due to be removed online this month, so you need to act fast.

Sadly, it only takes a few scandals for public confidence to be knocked, in what is generally a well-managed and robust sector and one that is much longer to rebuild. Hopefully, the new Code goes a little way to helping this process.

For further information or advice around the Code of Fundraising Practice, contact Alison Oliver on 01872 275651 or at AOliver@bishopfleming.co.uk

www.sapiencehr.co.uk

PEOPLE

SPONSORED BY

ON THE MOVE

WILLETT’S RETURN Property lawyer and Partner Helen Willett has returned to Coodes Solicitors.

Her appointment is the latest in a series of strategic changes marking a new chapter for the firm’s commercial property team.

HAPPY AT HENDRA Hendra Holiday Park has appointed a new marketing manager.

Rebecca Blake joins Hendra from Leven Media Group, bringing with her over five years’ experience in marketing and communications within the tourism industry.

She said: “This is a great opportunity for me to get involved in marketing activities for one of Cornwall’s biggest and most prestigious holiday parks.

Based in Penzance, Willett advises on the sale and purchase of commercial property and is also head of the firm’s business services team.

She originally joined Coodes in 2012, having AJT has welcomed four new translators and a new translation intern to its offices.

The Newquay-based translation agency has been looking to expand since it moved to larger offices two years ago but has found the uncertainty surrounding Brexit has hampered recruitment.

MD Anja Jones explained: “Brexit has really

“I am really looking forward to working with the team to build creative marketing campaigns to attract new customers and to maintain the interest of the large longstanding customer base.”

Roy Warren, who had been filling the role for the past few months in an interim capacity, officially replaces former CEO Giles Cross, as the company’s new boss.

Willett said: “I am delighted to be returning to Coodes at such an important time for the business services team.” confused matters. Ever since the referendum we have received fewer applications than usual from German and French native speakers for our in-house positions. So, at the beginning of the year, we adapted our recruitment strategy from offering full-time permanent positions to 12-month contracts, and that has really helped.

“By offering 12-month contracts, relocating to the UK doesn’t seem like quite such a daunting commitment or risk while the impacts of Brexit are still unknown.”

BREXIT BEATING AJT

NEW MD AT FOLK2FOLK Folk2Folk has confirmed its new MD and added four new members to its board.

relocated to Penzance from London, before leaving for peer-to-peer lending platform Folk2Folk as head of legal in October 2017.

Alex Daly is a chief financial officer with an extensive range of both accounting, risk and business experience, while Graham Dingle brings 50 years’ small business experience with specialist knowledge of farming and agricultural businesses.

Warren was previously head of risk and loan portfolio at Folk2Folk, and brings considerable experience in corporate banking, asset finance, origination, risk and portfolio management gained over 37 years of senior level roles with Hill Samuel and RBS respectively.

Justin Abbott is a technology leader with experience across both start-ups, scale-ups and large corporates and Megan McCracken is a strategy and transformation executive with over 20 years of experience across global businesses, including HSBC and Citigroup.

Additionally, the peer-to-peer lender has doubled the size of its board with the appointment of four new non-executive directors.

Co-founder Mark Parnall has stepped down from the board to focus on his other businesses, but remains a major shareholder.

TREVEIL JOINS SCC Stratton Creber Commercial (SCC) has strengthened its valuation team in Truro with the appointment of Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) registered valuer Philip Treveil.

Originally from Kent, Treveil studied archaeology at University College London and worked in archaeology for a number of years, including as a senior archaeologist at the Museum of London, supervising excavations.

He then trained as a chartered surveyor with a property firm in Kent and held a number of professional roles, gaining experience in the commercial, medical, development and residential sectors. He moved to the west country two years ago and worked in Plymouth before taking up his post with commercial property consultant SCC in Truro.

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 33

CREATIVE

AND DIGITAL

SPONSORED BY

www.digitalpeninsula.org

HOME SWEET HOME

Branding agency Kingdom & Sparrow has moved into Falmouth’s original School of Art building.

In 1902 the School of Art offered classes in the likes of freehand drawing, printing and still-life painting, playing a key part in the beginnings of Falmouth University and the town’s rich creative culture.

ORBISS ON GROWTH TRAIL Telecommunications and IT provider Orbiss Limited has completed the acquisition of assets of West Comms Limited.

Both companies are Cornwall-based but, while Orbiss specialises in the tourism and hospitality sector on a national scale, West Comms worked mainly in the Devon and Cornwall area. Their clients are now being looked after by Orbiss, which has taken on some of West Comms staff and is now expanding its customer base.

“It’s a very exciting development for us and we’re especially delighted to be working with more multi-sector businesses in the south west,” said Orbiss director Karen Patterson.

Now the surroundings are being given a new lease of life by Kingdom & Sparrow, merging traditional art techniques with modern design to craft food and drink brands worldwide.

“When the opportunity came up for us to move into the old School of Art building, we jumped at the chance,” said creative director, Johnny Paton.

As well as moving home, the agency has taken on four new full-time staff members and has completed one of its most high-profile projects to date, a rebrand for Young’s beer.

“We’d outgrown our old studio and were launching a new department in creative content so space for a photography studio was paramount.”

GLOBAL PLANS FOR GAMES STUDIO Cornwall’s largest game development studio has revealed ambitious growth plans.

Falmouth-based Antimatter Games (AMG), which was behind one of 2017’s most celebrated online multi-player shooters – Rising Storm 2: Vietnam – was acquired by Swedish studio Toadman Interactive in the summer.

The deal will see the parent company invest up to $10 million in AMG’s operations and

WILDANET PIC Hybrid Internet service provider, Wildanet, has been chosen to provide a bespoke broadband service for the Pool Innovation Centre (PIC).

IAN CALVERT AND MATT HARRINGTON (PIC HEAD)

34 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

Ian Calvert, Wildanet’s CEO, said: “We’re incredibly excited to enter into this unprecedented partnership with the Pool Innovation

offices over the next few years.

AMG managing director, Rich Barham, said the acquisition has the potential to deliver over £30 million in added value to Cornwall’s economy.

“Being owned by Toadman Interactive means we can build games based on our own IP, with full artistic control,” he said. “And that’s a vital step on our way to becoming a world-renowned studio.”

Centre to support the development of entrepreneurial businesses in Cornwall.

“Our proven technology delivers exactly what innovative and agile businesses need - speed, flexibility and value. The range of business tenants means that we will tailor our services to each of their individual needs. Some, such as software developers and design studios, will require packages capable of handling significant amounts of data. It’s very exciting.”

NEWS

SPONSORED BY

#FSBCONNECT

CREATION OF CASH DESERTS

FSB REGIONAL CHAIRMAN, ROGER TARRANT According to new research from consumer group Which?, almost one in eight (12%) rural communities must travel at least one kilometre to their nearest free-to-use cashpoint.

Responding to the analysis, FSB regional chairman Roger Tarrant, said: “Cash deserts threaten to create small business deserts.

Millions of consumers still value the use of notes and coins, and if they can’t access their money freely, that hurts spending with local small firms.”

As the biggest business representation group in the UK, the FSB hears from its members that small business owners don’t want to have to spend time and money travelling miles to their nearest free-to-use cashpoint – time and money that should be spent growing their firms. Plus, there’s also the environmental impact of this travel to consider.

The FSB recommends that collaboration is key to tackling the lack of available cash machines. Between Government, regulators, banks, card providers, the Post Office and independent ATM operators, there are certainly have enough actors in this space. It says bringing these different agents together to iron out how a bank branch and cashpoint network is created that both satisfies user demand and is commercial viable, must be the focus.

There is also a need to enable more small business owners and consumers in rural communities to access online services. This Government’s commitment to broadband investment marks a welcome step forward in this regard.

BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS A new report launched by the FSB at the WTO’s Public Forum in Geneva, is calling for WTO members and the WTO as an institution to make the international trading system fit for small firms in order to help them achieve their international trade ambitions.

‘Trading Forward: A Small Business Plan for the World Trade Organisation’ focusses on the best ways to deliver and ensure that international trade and trade policy works for the smallest businesses.

FSB national chairman, Mike Cherry, said: “The global trading system is currently in the midst of an unprecedented period of uncertainty caused by increasing levels of protection, the introduction of non-tariff barriers as well as continuing global uncertainty.

“All of this provides the perfect storm which could negatively impact small firms not only in the UK but across the globe. This is the moment for national governments and for bodies such as the WTO to return to an open and free trading environment that works for all, including micro, small and medium enterprises.

“Small firms are telling us that they face a number of barriers to trade - ranging from poor access to information, lack of export support,

difficulties obtaining critical finance, and issues with customs. If small firms are to flourish on the global stage then we must ensure that these areas are tackled.

DATE FOR YOUR DIARIES FSB Cornwall is hosting a joint networking event with FSB Devon next month, focusing on ‘Rural Business Support’.

The event, in Tavistock in December 12, will feature a speaker from BEIS (Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee) coming to talk about support and business help for rural businesses.

Look out for booking details on the new booking system.

How you book FSB events is changing and very shortly you will be able to book and view events directly through the FSB website without the use of third-party booking platforms.

FSB members don’t need to do anything, you will automatically receive information as part of your membership. If you are not currently an FSB member and want to continue to be notified about events please visit https://www.fsb.org.uk/eventschange, fill in your details and we’ll do the rest.

“We’ll be calling on WTO members to put small firms at the centre of their work by addressing barriers to participation, designing policy in a way that works for small firms, and working together to ensure small firms have the right tools to succeed.”

FSB Offer for Business Cornwall Magazine Readers at www.fsb.org.uk/join If you want to join FSB after reading this page then please quote BCM30 when you join and save £30!

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 35

FOOD

& DRINK

CHEESE MAKER JOINS THE HERD Lynher Dairies, maker of Cornish Yarg and the World Champion cheese Kern, has bought its own herd of 95 pedigree Ayrshire cows from a local retiring farmer.

By purchasing its own dairy herd, the business will be able to streamline its milk supply, meet the increase in demand and minimise the risk of spoilage.

MICHELIN STAR BLOW

SHARP’S IN THE GROOVE

The Michelin Great Britain & Ireland Stars for 2020 were unveiled last month at a launch event at The Hurlingham Club in London.

Sharp’s Brewery is working with Nick Mulvey to make music that will protect British coastlines from plastic pollution and help reduce single plastic usage.

187 Michelin-starred restaurants are featured for 2020, including one new Three Star, four new Two Stars and 23 new One Stars.

16 restaurants across the UK lost stars, however, including Driftwood in Portscatho.

The Cornish brewery and Mercury Music Prize nominee last month released the first track pressed onto a record made from recycled plastic, which has been washed up on Cornish beaches.

The restaurant, which has had a Michelin star since 2012, said it remains upbeat despite the loss and very much looking forward to the future with recently-appointed head chef Olly Pierrepont heralding a new culinary direction.

Sharp’s and Nick Mulvey announced the first of its kind collaboration with the launch of the track, titled ‘In the Anthropocene’.

Cornwall has lost one of its Michelin stars.

Driftwood owner, Paul Robinson, said: “The recent changes in our kitchen have occurred at a time that we knew was likely to impact our rating, so we were expecting the news.

However, at Driftwood the ethos behind our food is to please the guest, and we’ve never cooked with inspectors in mind.”

Restaurant Nathan Outlaw retains its Two Star rating, with Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen and Paul Ainsworth at No. 6 both keeping One Star status.

SUPERMARKET SWEEP

The Kernow Sausage Co has won its first supermarket listing.

You can now buy ‘Cornish Bangers & Pork and Rattler Cyder Sausages’ in the chilled pre-packed sausage aisle in a selection of Morrisons stores across Cornwall.

MD Gavin Roberts said: “We are delighted to be working with Morrisons. It has long been an ambition of ours to represent our region on the shelves of major retailers.”

36 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

Proceeds from the track, including from sales of the limited-edition record pressed

TEA FOR TWO Cornish tea company, Tregothnan, has secured new contract orders totalling £145k thanks to a Government networking event at Number 10, bolstering its export pipeline across the globe.

Lynher Dairies, which formerly relied on several local suppliers, was advised by master cheesemaker, Ivan Lercher, to purchase the herd from Gadles Farm. The cows will be reared and milked by local young farmer Jonathan Hosken, while Catherine Mead continues to run the dairy.

She commented: “To have our own herd is really exciting. Cornish Kern won Supreme Champion at the World Cheese awards in 2017 and to maintain that standard, we need a consistent supply of superb milk.”

onto recycled plastic and digital streams, will go to Surfers Against Sewage to help protect British coastlines from pollution, including plastic waste.

Surfers Against Sewage CEO, Hugo Tagholm, said: “We are excited to be partnering with Sharp’s Brewery again to raise vital funds to protect our coastlines from plastic pollution and other environmental hazards.”

tea homegrown on British soil, it has won new orders in the US and in Kazakhstan worth £95k and £50k respectively.

Tregothnan’s US order has come from a leading hospitality business, increasing its sales to the country by 32% since it started exporting there in 2010.

As part of the Kazakhstan deal, which the business secured with a leading distributor, the company was tasked with creating a bespoke English tea.

As the first-ever English tea company to have created a range of black, green and herbal

MD Jonathon Jones said: “Kazakhstan is the largest consumer of tea with milk after the UK. The opportunities for English tea abroad are vast and our new orders in the US and Kazakhstan are testament to this.”

ADDED SPARKLE

was also awarded The Ray Palfrey Cup for the best sparkling wine, as well as being named the overall champion.

A north Cornish vineyard’s sparkling wine has been crowned the region’s Wine of the Year.

Trevibban Mill’s Blanc de Blancs 2014 won gold at the WineGBWest awards, where it

Vineyard owner, Liz Mumcuoglu, said: “We are thrilled to win these awards for our beautiful Blanc de Blancs 2014. Its elegance is a true expression of all that is wonderful about English sparkling wines.”

CHAMBER

SPONSORED BY

cornwallchamber.co.uk

NEWS

Thoughts are turning to one of the most popular events on the Cornwall Chamber calendar – the Connected Cornwall Conference at Healeys Cyder Farm on November 14.

GROWTH ON A GLOBAL STAGE Sponsored by the Export for Growth programme, which focuses on helping Cornish businesses develop into international markets, businesses large and small, from sole traders to start-ups, are being encouraged to attend the event.

The half-day conference will feature a number of handpicked workshops, presentations and networking opportunities.

Confirmed among the speaker lineup is Nigel Barker, digital adviser at the Department of International Trade.

“Could do Better!” is the title of his presentation, as he looks to explain how businesses could improve their global digital presence.

“We are on the cusp of 2020,” he says. “We live in a world of crypto currency, robotic cleaners and AI, but still many businesses aren’t harnessing the technologies that we already take for granted.”

Linda Middleton-Jones is from independent export specialist International Trade Matters.

She will be telling delegates how they can unlock their export potential.

“To be successful as an international trader whether you are selling or buying, a producer or a service provider, there are a number of factors to consider,” she says.

Her talk will cover these factors, “from customers to compliance, communications to capacity” and will examine the considerations that need to be taken into account including the most important – Cornwall!

Ashley Shopland, meanwhile, general manager at china clay company, Imerys, will be focusing on site restoration and renewable energies.

Shopland has been with Imerys since 1985, starting out in finance and gradually widening his experience to his position today as GM. Within his current role, he has responsibility for Imerys’ restoration activities as well as developments into various renewable energy technologies, topics, he says, that can combine well.

Search Optimisation for E-Commerce Stores is the theme for digital marketing expert, Sam Amps. She will examine the common mistakes made in this area and, most importantly, how to avoid them.

“You’ll come away with some simple checks to carry out and a list of easy to implement actions that will improve your search engine ranking and bring down your advertising costs.”

Tickets for Connected Cornwall cost of £15 for Cornwall Chamber members and £20 for non-members which includes breakfast and lunch. There will also be an opportunity for a tour of the cyder farm. More speakers are still

LINDA MIDDLETON-JONES

ASHLEY SHOPLAND

SAM AMPS being confirmed at the time of going to press.

Please see the website for the latest updates.

For more information on the Connected Cornwall Conference and to book a ticket, visit cornwallchamber.co.uk now.

Email: hello@corwallchamber.co.uk Call: 01209 216006 Online: www.cornwallchamber.co.uk BUSINESS CORNWALL | 37

EDUCATION

AND TRAINING

SPONSORED BY

www.truro-penwith.ac.uk

NEW TECH HUB Truro and Penwith College’s partnership in the South West Institute of Technology (SWIOT) will see a new £7 million specialist technology facility built at Truro College.

LIFE AFTER RUGBY

The SWIOT was granted Government approval in April as part of a national network of technology-focussed teaching hubs.

The Institute is a collaboration between a number of partner organisations, including the University of Exeter, University of Plymouth, Bridgwater & Taunton College, City College Plymouth, Exeter College, Petroc and Truro & Penwith College.

The SWIOT will train thousands of students in technical subjects across the region, bringing skills development and career opportunities. The Government has plans for 12 new IOTs to equip the British workforce with required skills across key sectors.

At Truro College, building work on a new £7 million building is due to start the spring.

Principal David Walrond said: “This final approval of the Institute of Technology by the Department for Education is excellent news for Cornwall. It will help fund a stateof-the-art new facility on our Truro campus to provide a range of local progression opportunities into higher education and apprenticeship provision.”

Players and staff from the Cornish Pirates will gain qualifications to support their career after rugby, thanks to a new education development programme in partnership with Truro and Penwith College.

2018/19 season. Having founded the Borgia Bull with his wife Sarah at their home near Hayle during Rupert’s playing career, the pair acquired cookery school Philleigh Way in Truro on his retirement.

The programme, believed to be a first of its kind, will encourage players and staff to consider their career ambitions and provides them with an opportunity to gain professional qualifications alongside their rugby career.

Cooper has been working with the College’s Hospitality Table Cornwall Project and prepared lunch as part of the event to give the Pirates a taste of his food.

The Pirates were introduced to the new programme at a recent launch the Mennaye Field, where former Cornish Pirate, Rupert Cooper, attended as guest speaker to describe his journey from professional player to hospitality professional.

With a career spanning nearly ten years, Cooper retired from rugby at the end of the

He said: “It takes a lot of work to make it as a professional rugby player, and once players get there, they can have tunnel vision, focusing only on rugby, not considering different career paths. Introducing the education development programme is a great way to get players thinking about their next steps and it’s brilliant they have an opportunity to gain qualifications along the way.”

LEARNING WITH EDEN

Eden Project Learning has welcomed its biggest student cohort, marking a steady rise in growth since the programme launched in 2014.

A fresh intake of 75 new students joined those already studying for undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications at the Eden Project, bringing numbers enrolled in higher education up to 134.

38 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

Eden Project Learning offers vocational higher education courses, from HNC to MSc, centred on contemporary professional practice. Students are encouraged to work with Cornish organisations as part of their education and have recently worked with Truro Cathedral, the National Trust, ACE Multi-Academy Trust and Truro City Council.

Professor Robert Barratt, head of Eden Project

Learning, said: “We’re delighted that so many talented and inspirational students are coming to Cornwall to join our mission. The Eden Project is an exciting and stimulating place to study.”

Eden Project Learning is a partnership between the Eden Project and Cornwall College. The degree portfolio is validated by the University of Plymouth, Falmouth University and Anglia Ruskin University.

www.visitcornwall.com

NEWS

SPONSORED BY

HOLIDAY PARK BUZZ Honey bees and butterflies have helped a family’s Cornish holiday park to wing its way to victory in a national environmental awards scheme.

Tehidy Holiday Park, near Redruth, was declared a winner of the 2019 David Bellamy Conservation Award at its top gold level.

The Nare Hotel on the Roseland and The Headland in Newquay have become the first hotels in Cornwall to receive AA fivestar recognition.

The news crowns a notable year for the Headland, which began with celebrations to mark 40 years of ownership by John and Carolyn Armstrong.

Headland MD, Darryl Reburn, said: “2019 is turning out to be a vintage year for The Headland. We have always strived to offer a five star experience for our guests, and

TOURISM

HIGH FIVE it is wonderful for our team to see this reflected in the AA rating moving up to the highest level.”

Also awarded an AA five star rating is The Nare Hotel, run by the Armstrongs’ nephew Toby Ashworth. He added: “Now with two AA 5-star hotels, I believe Cornwall will be even more attractive to the luxury market particularly from America.”

Richard Barnes, who runs the park along with wife Julia, said the award, made after an inspection by Professor Bellamy’s assessors, was a great inspiration to their work to protect the natural world.

“We are looking all the time at ways to benefit the beautiful environment in which we live, and to make the park as welcoming to wildlife as it is to guests. This year we’ve made great strides in banning single-use plastics, and have started selling beach goods donated by guests at the end of their stay in return for a donation to charity.”

NEW AIR ROUTES Loganair has announced new routes it will be flying from Newquay starting in the spring.

Services to Aberdeen, Newcastle and Norwich get underway in April, with Glasgow starting May.

FIRST HOLIDAY INN

For the first time, Aberdeen and Newcastle will be year-round, both between four and seven times per week. Aberdeen will mainly operate via Newcastle, but it will be non-stop on Saturdays – when it becomes

the longest non-stop service in the UK mainland.

Glasgow and Norwich will be summer-seasonal routes operating up to three and four times per week respectively. Loganair’s new Norwich service will see East Anglia reconnected to Cornwall for the first time since 2013.

Cornwall Airport Newquay MD, Al Titterington, said: “We welcome Loganair as our newest airline partner at Cornwall Airport Newquay, expanding choice for residents and businesses within our catchment and further enhancing options to fulfil the evergrowing inbound tourism demand.”

Holiday Inn Express is due to open its first hotel in Cornwall.

The 71-roomed new build hotel, next door to Cornwall Services off the A30 in Roche, is set to open early next year.

The hotel will create 30 new jobs.

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 39

CHILL AT THE PARK

So why not book a last-minute getaway with The Park Cornwall?

Prices start from £150 for two nights in a yurt, caravan or park cabin including a free breakfast every morning of your stay or £199 for three nights. This includes full use of the facilities - our indoor swimming pool, steam room, sauna and free parking.

This is an exclusive offer, so please call us for more information or to book on 01637 860 322. Conditions apply. www.theparkcornwall.com

Giftguide Gift guide MADE FOR LIFE ORGANICS

Introducing a few seasonal suggestions to add to your wish list in your letter to Santa...

BEER ADVENT CALENDAR

Give yourself a boost of radiance inside and out this Christmas with our award-wining cleansing balm. Hand Blended in Cornwall this perfect gift is for all skin types that will leave the skin feeling balanced, radiant and hydrated. 100% Organic and Cruelty Free. B Corp certified. Cost £48.00 for 50ml.

The St Austell Brewery Advent Calendar is the perfect gift for beer lovers counting down to Christmas. Featuring a variety of styles from the brewery’s small batch range and awardwinning beers, Tribute and Proper Job. Available from St Austell Brewery’s Visitor Centre or to pre-order online.

Cost £73 (including delivery) for 24 x 330-500ml bottles.

www.madeforlifeorganics.com

www.staustellbreweryshop.co.uk

40 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

KEEPING COSY

Weird Fish has been inspired by Scandi knits this season, and this Elsa Colour Block Popover Jumper with cosy roll neck is sure to be a winter winner. With so many knitwear choices on offer from cardigans, dresses and accessories, Weird Fish is a great choice for cosy clothes this Christmas.

FESTIVE ICE CREAM

Available in 2 colours and sizes 8-18, RRP £50. www.weirdfish.co.uk

Looking for a mouth-wateringly delicious Christmas dessert?

Award-winning Callestick Farm has added Amaretti and Cherry Ice Cream to its festive range this year. A wonderful combination of almonds, hazelnuts and cherries and closely resembling macaroon biscuits in terms of texture and taste, savour it on its own or with something chocolatey. Available direct from Callestick Farm.

01872 573126 | info@callestickfarm.co.uk

SANDS BOUTIQUE

KEY TO CHRISTMAS

Sands boutiques are in Camborne, Hayle & Helston.

Our gorgeous quality zinc and chrome keyring range has the perfect design for everyone and come individually gift boxed. This black and gold cactus is our obvious favourite for Christmas this year!

www.sands-boutique.co.uk

www.treviskergardencentre.co.uk

Explore Sands’ unique collection of ladies clothing & accessories. You will find beautiful handmade boho jewellery & luxury travel accessories from Ashiana, stunning handprinted kimonos from One Hundred Stars and our fabulous range of faux fur coats by Rino & Pelle are ‘Stitched to perfection‘.

Visit Trevisker Garden Centre near Padstow for all things fabulously festive and fancy.

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 41

OPINION

JUST A THOUGHT

Does your business have an identity crisis, asks Sapience HR director, Sue Hook?

CULTURE CLUB How would you explain your company? What makes it tick? In a word, what is the culture of your company?

Company culture can be simply stated as ‘the way we do things around here’. It’s the unique way your company interacts with the world and what it does. Company culture covers your values, aims, customs, traditions, rules, standards, diversity, behaviours – in fact, it is the ‘personality’ of your business and the DNA which permeates everything you do.

Do you know what your company culture is?

But where does the company culture come from? If you are the business owner or most senior person, like it or not, much of the culture comes from you. The culture is set and develops from the way you do things, the decisions you make and the actions you take. Practices stem from you.

Staff emulate you and your thinking influences everything.

Your staff uphold your company culture as well as add and build on it

Take a minute to describe your culture in five words and this will give you some pointers.

More significantly, ask people in different parts of your business to do the same. Any differences may be because they see things in another way from where they are in the company. Ignore company culture at your

42 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

peril as it can be a big influencer on your business, your customers and your staff, so it’s worth paying attention to.

A crucial aspect of company culture is around your staff. Recruit staff who align themselves to your culture and values and spend time finding the best fit you can. Does your website or job adverts have information about your culture or values? Is this just what is stated or does it actually happen? It is certainly worth delving into the company culture during any recruitment process. If your staff don’t like your culture and the way you do things, it is unlikely they will stay.

Your staff uphold your company culture as well as add and build on it. It is not just about offering free fruit and coffee or dress down Fridays. Your culture is apparent in all staff related activities. From the tone of communications, whether you blame or learn from mistakes, to how you give staff performance feedback, how you work together and build teams, your management style and ultimately how you engage with your team.

Building a positive company culture can be achieved. But any change must be from a genuine desire rather than just changing things to get a better image. If you want ideas on how to build a positive work culture, take a look at the annual Sunday Times ‘Best 100 Companies to Work For’ list. These companies are packed full of terrific ideas, not all of them will be right for your business but they can give you some great starting points or prompts to think about.

Company culture adds value to your business. To get started, carry out a culture audit with your team and see where that leads you.

www.cioslep.co.uk

CORNWALL

SPONSORED BY

LACUNA BUSINESS LAUNCH

CONNECTED

PHOTOS: VERITY WESTCOTT PHOTOGRAPHY

The beautiful Carbis Bay Beach Hotel & Spa was the luxury surroundings for the launch of Lacuna Business, a new website bringing you the very best business spaces in Cornwall

STEPHEN BAKER (CARBIS BAY), TONI EYRIEY (LACUNA BUSINESS), DAN ALLISTER (CARBIS BAY), SARA PUGH (EIGHT WIRE) KAJ

HANNAH BASSETT (ST IVES HARBOUR HOTEL)

MARK LAWTHER (CORNWALL INNOVATION)

DELEGATES AT LACUNA LAUNCH

RACHEL LEWIS (UNLOCKING POTENIAL)

STEPHEN BAKER (CARBIS BAY)

ANNE-MARIE HURST (FLOREAT WINES)

DELEGATES AT LACUNA LAUNCH

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 43

CONNECTED

CORNWALL

SPONSORED BY

www.cioslep.co.uk

SENIOR EXECUTIVES’ FORUM The Cornwall Spa & Estate provided an inspirational backdrop for the Senior Executives’ Forum (SEF) hosted by CCB Training. SEF members and guests heard from Steve Murdoch, COO at the Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust and the new chief executive and principal of the Cornwall College Group John Evans

LEWIS TOLPUTT (CLASSIC BUILDERS), LAURIE TROUNCE (STEPHENS SCOWN) AND MIKE BORKOWSKI (MIDAS CONSTRUCTION)

FUTURE FOCUS

More than 200 delegates flocked to the Eden Project last month for Unlocking Potential’s dawn till dusk event, Digital Mindset - its Future Focus finale event for 2019

STEVE PATTERSON (MARRIED TO THE SEA)

BEN HODGES (ABODE HEAT) & ELISA HARRIS (KROWJI)

JOHNATHAN JONES (TREGOTHNAN TEA)

JAMIE SMITH (UNLOCKING POTENTIAL)

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RHEA & BECKY (IDENNA)

SANDY WYPER (LINEDUP)

CORNWALL

CONNECTED

ALISON MORDEN-HAWKE (WOMBLE BOND DICKINSON), ALAN STANHOPE (CHS), BEATE GALKE (PFA RESEARCH) AND TIA ZIMMER (WOMBLE BOND DICKINSON)

LEON SARGEANT (HANDELSBANKEN), TOM MOORE (ACRONYMS) AND SUE HANDFORD (CHOCOLATE DOG MARKETING SERVICES)

ANNE THOMAS (CORNWALL CARE), SARA PUGH (EIGHT WIRE) AND SAM WELLER (CHARTEROAK ESTATES)

STEVE MURDOCH (CORNWALL AIR AMBULANCE TRUST), GARETH KENWARD (CCB TRAINING) AND JOHN EVANS (CORNWALL COLLEGE GROUP)

SAM TAYLOR & MICHELE POYNTER (THE RETAIL FIXERS)

KATHERINE GEORGE (OH SO SOCIAL)

SAM THOMAS (VITAMIN CORNWALL), ROSS JACKSON-HICKS (WELL LANE HAIRCARE LTD) AND KATHERINE WHITE (VITAMIN CORNWALL)

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 45

EVENTS

NOVEMBER

NOVEMBER EVENTS 5

7-8

8 10

BODMIN BUSINESS BREAKFAST Westberry Hotel

Open to all and providing an opportunity for business people to network and catch up with each other over a top quality breakfast.

There are speakers at some (but not all) meetings. If you are interested in coming, please contact Emily Moyle. em@sproullllp.co.uk

13

SMARTLINE CONFERENCE

CORNWALL CHAMBER LUNCH

14

National Maritime Museum, Falmouth

Following the sell-out success of the last two years, the Cornwall Marine Conference is back. You’ll find thought-provoking talks and the chance to ask your questions directly to our experienced speakers. cornwallmarineconference.co.uk

The Carnon Inn, Carnon Downs

14

CORNWALL INNOVATION CLUB

GREENE KING IPA CHAMPIONSHIP RUGBY

Come along for breakfast and networking, followed by presentations from Belinda Waldock, Author of Being Agile in Business, and Wo King, the Founder of Hi9 and Director of the South West Internet of Things Network (SWIN). eventbrite.co.uk

Get the full match-day experience with Cornish Pirates’ amazing match day hospitality package, a perfect way to entertain clients and colleagues alike. Matchday hospitality starts at £25+vat. robyn.ashurst@cornish-pirates.com

07

MURRELLS BREAKFAST FORUM Murrell Associates, Truro

This autumn, Melanie Rowe, employment law specialist at Murrell Associates will be holding a regular series of People Management Breakfast Forums.

The forums are aimed at anyone who has HR responsibilities. eventbrite.co.uk

INNOVATION IN CORNWALL’S CONSTRUCTION CENTRE St Austell Conference Centre

Constructing Excellence Cornwall Hub looks forward to welcoming you at its second conference this year - a series of presentations focussing on innovation in construction. eventbrite.co.uk

Alverton Hotel, Truro

Cornish Pirates v Ampthill

Watergate Bay Hotel

CORNWALL MARINE CONFERENCE

FALMOUTH BUSINESS CLUB

Business networking club meeting every second Thursday. This morning’s speaker is Jeremy Ward from the Cornwall Community Foundation. All welcome. falmouthbusinessclub.co.uk

GET STRATEGIC WITH YOUR MARKETING Explore how a thought-out marketing strategy can save you money and start to deliver tangible results. Join Fifteen Cornwall marketing director and comms strategist for the LEP Katie Sandow in this marketing workshop and separate what looks nice from what delivers results! cornwallfoodfoundation.org

Power lunch time – only 50 spaces for this one. Power Lunches always have an amazing mix of business owners from Devon and Cornwall. cornishpartnerships.co.uk

Join the Chamber for a networking lunch with picture perfect views over Carbis Bay Beach. Member showcases from: Mining Searches, Sapience HR and the Army Reserves. cornwallchamber.co.uk

46 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

The Kernow Independent Networking Group gathers fortnightly over breakfast, where members each give a one-minute presentation on their business and the kinds of referral they would particularly value. king-networking.co.uk

14

Bustopher Jones, Truro

Carbis Bay Hotel

TOP 5 EVENTS

Victoria Inn, Threemilestone

CORNISH PARTNERSHIPS POWER LUNCH

Alverton Hotel, Truro

This is the flagship conference for the University of Exeter-led Smartline project. Hear from academics and stakeholders who will talk about how projects like Smartline are changing the way we develop products and services for people in social housing. eventbrite.co.uk

KING NETWORKING

1517 11

CORNWALL FILM FESTIVAL The Poly in Falmouth

The 18th Edition of Cornwall Film Festival. The principle objective

CORNWALL WED MEETUP Pentillie Castle

A Networking Event for venues and professionals in the wedding industry. Pentillie Castle and Estate will be opening its doors to play host to Cornwall Wed Meetup.

Hear guest speakers, meet other wedding industry professionals & build business relationships. eventbrite.co.uk

NETWORKING

of the festival is to advance the education of the public in the art of cinematography, filmmaking and other forms of moving images including films in the Cornish language. eventbrite.co.uk

19 21

27

PIRAN BUSINESS CLUB

Carnon Inn, Carnon Downs

Networking with an emphasis on passing referrals and creating lasting business relationships. eventbrite.co.uk

28

CORNISH PARTNERSHIPS OPEN HOUSE Victoria Inn, Roche

This is the original Open House.

Always has 40 plus businesses in attendance. This is the one you DO NOT MISS. This is now a Cornish Partnerships and Devon Partnerships combined event. cornishpartnerships.co.uk

23

KING NETWORKING

Victoria Inn, Threemilestone

Kernow Independent Networking Group gathers fortnightly over breakfast, where members each give a one-minute presentation on their business and the kinds of referral they would value. king-networking.co.uk

FALMOUTH BUSINESS CLUB

The Carnon Inn, Carnon Downs

Business networking club meeting every second Thursday, where a healthy group of local business people invite speakers and conduct business networking over breakfast. Today’s speaker is Cornwall Chamber chief exec, Kim Conchie. falmouthbusinessclub.co.uk

SUSTAINABLE WORK PRACTICES Heartlands, Pool

CIOS Growth Programme has organised an event on Sustainable Environmental and Social Working Practices on 28th November at The Heartlands in Pool. The ambition is to inspire and provide practical tips to business owners, manufacturers and project managers who want to be change makers, to maximise their impact and make a positive difference.

E: growthprogramme@ cornwall.gov.uk

CORNWALL AONB CONFERENCE Royal Cornwall Showground

2019 is a very special year for the Cornwall AONB as we celebrate the ‘Diamond Anniversary’ of the Cornwall AONB. Join our 60th anniversary celebrations at this year’s Annual Conference - the Cornwall AONB was designated in 1959 under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside 1949. eventbrite.co.uk

For further details of these and more networking events visit businesscornwall.co.uk To publicise your event for free, email news@businesscornwall.co.uk

14

CONNECTED CORNWALL

Healey’s Cyder Farm, Penhallow

Businesses of all sizes and descriptions are invited to think connectivity at Cornwall Chamber’s free conference, sponsored by the Export for Growth programme, which focuses on helping Cornish businesses develop into international markets. cornwallchamber.co.uk

26

BALDWINS BREAKFAST SEMINAR Alverton Hotel, Truro

Free breakfast seminar on corporate exit strategies. What is my business worth? How do I sell my business? Will I have to pay tax? Can I sell to the management team? Can I pass my business down to my children?

SCENE

NETWORKING BUSINESS CORNWALL’S MORVETH WARD LOOKS BACK AT AN ACTION-PACKED OCTOBER, AS WELL AS WHAT’S IN STORE FOR THIS MONTH October must have broken all records for the amount of corporate events held in one month. Cornwall Chamber of Commerce hosted the inaugural Festival of Business which packed over 50 events into one week. Undoubtedly providing a superb opportunity for smaller niche events alongside the likes of Cornwall Business Fair which brings together many business people from all sectors.

November will play host to the Cornwall Marine Conference where members of the Cornish marine industry are invited to attend both an evening event, and new for 2019, an interactive afternoon workshop.

Amongst other things topics will include taking a look at what other sectors are doing to innovate and grow, and how the marine industry benefit from this?

It will be an opportunity to speak to industry experts whilst enjoying pasties, wine and networking, all in the heart of Falmouth, at the National Maritime Museum.

27

CORNWALL CHAMBER BREAKFAST & AGM Atlantic Hotel, Newquay

Cornwall Chamber’s monthly breakfast networking event this month is followed by its Annual General Meeting.

Chamber members £20+vat, non-members £25+vat cornwallchamber.co.uk

E: Julia.hollyoake@baldwinsgroup.com BUSINESS CORNWALL | 47

THE LAST

WORD

SPONSORED BY

www.paddleandcocks.co.uk 01872 672072

TAG Communications MD

TAMSIN LOVELESS

WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG?

A vet. I grew up surrounded by animals and not only knew the power of veterinary care but the financial gain to be had too. I also had romantic visions of working for the National Trust, touring the moors in my Defender, fixing things with my trusted dog – maybe there’s still time for this!

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST FULL TIME JOB?

PR Executive for a music, arts and entertainment agency.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE WORST MOMENT IN YOUR CAREER?

During my time at National Maritime Museum Cornwall, we were hosting an event attended by Richard Branson, Prince William and Harry. One of the sponsors had flown in, from South America, a food product that formed some of the PR backdrop. However, our onsite chef didn’t get this memo, ignored it being addressed to me and cooked it all before the event. He is still walking – just!

HOW DO YOU LIKE TO RELAX?

WHAT’S IN YOUR POCKETS?

A hairband, Lego & my mobile.

I’m not good at relaxing – ask anyone! However, I do have the most gorgeous friends and family and anytime spent with them, ideally adventuring and exploring, is the best of times.

IF YOU COULD BUILD A HOUSE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD WHERE WOULD IT BE?

IF YOU COULD INVITE ANY TWO PEOPLE FOR DINNER, WHO WOULD THEY BE AND WHY WOULD YOU INVITE THEM?

WHAT HAS BEEN THE BEST MOMENT IN YOUR CAREER?

IF YOU COULD BE GOD FOR A DAY, WHAT MIRACLE WOULD YOU PERFORM? Rebalance the power between humans and the planet

Aagh…tough one. An architectural gem in the Pyrennes, a house on stilts in Monterey Bay or a contemporary beach house in Cottesloe.

Can I have one of each?

The most rewarding is right now but to get to here I have worked with, and met, some incredible and inspiring people. Managing the press for Oasis, meeting the Queen and the event management of Ellen MacArthur’s record-breaking solo circumnavigation of the world are just a few that I look back on and think, wow, that really happened.

48 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

Dame Judi Dench and Miriam Margoyles for their wisdom and laughter.

whilst swapping the calorie count in all the bad things with all the good things you’re meant to eat.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE DOING IN FIVE YEARS’ TIME?

Be on the edge of fulfilling a dream to share time between here and Australia.

LOOKING FOR A VENUE? LOOK NO FURTHER...

ST IVES HARBOUR HOTEL

PADSTOW HARBOUR HOTEL

IMPRESSIVE SPACES WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF ST IVES

THE PERFECT CORNWALL MEETING AND EVENTS VENUE

St Ives

Max capacity 200

www.harbourhotels.co.uk

Padstow

Max capacity 80

www.harbourhotels.co.uk

LOWER MARSH FARM

ST MICHAELS RESORT

MODERN, VERSATILE VENUE SUITABLE FOR A NUMBER OF USES

MEETINGS, CONFERENCES & EVENTS

Saltash

Max capacity 20

www.lowermarshfarm.com

Falmouth

Max capacity 50

www.stmichaelsresort.com

ATLANTIC HOTEL

TREMOUGH INNOVATION CENTRE

CONFERENCE SPACES

WE OFFER A VARIETY OF CONFERENCE & MEETING ROOMS

Newquay

Max capacity 100

atlantichotelnewquay.co.uk

Penryn

Max capacity 100

cornwallinnovation.co.uk

SPECIALISING IN BRINGING YOU BUSINESS SPACES If you’re looking for the right space to host your next conference, workshop or training session, then Lacuna Business is the website that makes this process easy. With listings that cover the whole of Cornwall and venues that can accommodate a range of meetings for any number of guests, Lacuna Business ensures you only have to search in one place to find exactly what you need.

VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO SEE MORE LISTINGS LACUNABUSINESS.COM hello@lacunabusiness.com

01209 718688 lacunabusiness.com

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