FTSE 100
KATRINA ROBINSON-BROWN Is that the school bell?
STEVEN LEIGH Wish-list for 2013
-27.65 5897.81 Feature - Page 5 An EXAMINER publication
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KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS The business NEWSpaper for Kirklees
Gym boxes clever with new initiative
KEEP fit fanatics at a Holme Valley gym are boxing clever when it comes to healthy eating. Members of Warehouse Gym at Honley can get a week’s supply of calorie-controlled meals individually tailored to complement their fitness regime following a link-up with local company Gymbox. Two more gyms – Energy Fitness in Huddersfield and Escape Health Club in Skipton – have signed up for the service in the new year, when many people make a resolution to get in shape by joining fitness clubs. And local suppliers are providing the nutritious fare, which includes specially-prepared breads, meat and dairy products. Gymbox surveyed gym users about why they go to the gym and whether or not they would welcome being able to get a box of food at the gym with everything they need for three meals a day, seven days a week. The company reported an overwhelming interest in the idea. The gymbox, which is delivered to the gym for members to take home, also
includes daily meal planners, cookery instructions, recipes and menus, which are different each week. By providing the right foodstuffs in the correct quantities, Gymbox says there is less waste – while the cost to the customer compares favourably with supermarket prices. The service was welcomed by Andrew Peacock, of Warehouse Gym, which has been operating for the past eight years and was a finalist in the National Gym Awards 2012. Andy, a personal trainer, who runs a number of gyms, said: “There is an obvious link in providing high quality health and fitness facilities and information about healthy eating. Now we can back up that advice with the products that will make a difference.” Gymbox has consulted Dr Sarah Schenker, one of the UK’s top nutritionists and dieticians, over the foodstuffs supplied to help people working to get fit or lose weight and is working with Huddersfield Jobcentre to provide work experience for unemployed young people.
Man of influence THE Batley-born chairman of a care homes company has been named one of the leading social care “influencers” in the UK by a panel of experts and commentators in the field. Lawrence Tomlinson, who heads the LNT Group, based at Garforth, was placed second in the inaugural Social Care Top 30 organised by Care Talk Magazine. The list was headed by Jane Ashcroft, chief executive of Anchor Care.
● Full story - Page 8
■ MEAL TIME: Andy Peacock (right), of Warehouse Gym, takes delivery of another consignment with Ian Roberton
Corporate finance team hit timetable for business sale
■ DEALMAKERS: Denby Dale-based Jo Haigh (left) and colleague Poonam Kaur, of fds Corporate Finance
INSIDE
A DENBY Dale-based businesswoman has steered through the sale of a London-based environmental services firm. Jo Haigh, partner at fds Corporate Finance, completed the sales of Agent Orange Environmental Ltd to Jonathan Smith and Graeme Scott, owners of national support services company Office and General. Jo and her director of corporate finance, Poonam Kaur, worked with Roger Dyson and Rebecca Pugh, of hlm Keeble Hawson, to complete the deal just in time for Christmas. Agent Orange directors
Gulliver and Luke Hill said a pre-Christmas completion was essential. “Jo, Poonam and the team worked incredibly hard with a tight deadline and their professionalism was exemplary,” they said. “Completing before Christmas was key for us and to achieve this for a sale price we were happy with was a great achievement.” The transaction enables Office and General to offer a wider range of services to its established client base and the opportunity to expand the Agent Orange brand nationally. Jo Haigh is a practising
corporate financier who set up fds in 1989. FDS Corporate Finance has offices in Wakefield, London and Birmingham. Jo has more than 20 years of experience in corporate governance and is also an award-winning entrepreneur, trainer, speaker and author. In recent years, she has been named IOD Business Adviser of the year, featured in a list of Yorkshire top 100 entrepreneurs and has been voted Business Woman of the Year and made the shortlist for the Women in Business Awards run by networking group Forward Ladies.
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Travelling to work? MORE employers are freeing their staff from the drudgery of the daily commute, a survey has revealed. Research commissioned by flexible workspace provider Regus found that almost a third of Yorkshire professionals are now able to work from locations other than the company’s main offices for at least half the week – helping to cut costs and the stress of commuting.
● Full story - Page 4
KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS
local/national
Page 2 Outlook ‘sluggish’
How to weather worst of winter KIRKLEES companies have been urged to get their winter weather policies in place. The warning comes from Honley-based human resources specialist Helen Straw, who said: “As an employer, you need to ensure that you are proactive about how to deal with adverse weather to mitigate the impact and consequences. “There are certain steps you can take, so that once it starts causing employee disruption, you know how you are going to manage the situation.” Helen, managing director of The Personnel Partnership, said businesses needed a contingency plan in place in case the weather starts to cause employee disruption. She said: “It is an employee’s responsibility to report for work for each day they are contracted to work. “If they simply can’t get there due to the weather, then you need to think through how you will deal with their absence.
“Do they have any holiday leave left that they can use and is this acceptable to you? Could they make up the time lost at another date that fits with the business needs? “Perhaps they can work remotely on this occasion or could the time off be taken as unpaid leave?” Employers should also be prepared for the fact that some employees may have little option but to stay at home to look after their children if schools and day nurseries are closed and they have no other sources of care. Helen said: “Employees have a legal right to take time off work to deal with an emergency or unexpected situation concerning a dependent. “However, the amount of time that an employee can have off under this statute is ‘reasonable’. Usually one or two days will suffice while the employee makes other arrangements for care of their dependents.” Employers should be clear that this
KIRKLEES firms face the prospect of another tough year, says a leading economist. Tony Dolphin, chief economist at IPPR, said the outlook for the UK economy in 2013 was for another year of “sluggish” growth with “uncertainty” over recovery and the eurozone crisis continuing to dominate. Mr Dolphin said talk of years of austerity at home and continuing crisis in Europe could create massive uncertainty to such a degree that the economy fails to grow. IPPR is calling for action to boost demand in the economy, invest further in infrastructure projects, establish a British Investment Bank and guarantee everyone out of work for a year with a minimum wage job in a charity or local government.
time off to care for dependents is only for a limited period of time in an emergency situation and not for planned school or nursery closures. Helen said employers should be flexible wherever possible. If conditions mean disruption to transport services is severe, employers should check travel conditions and then make an informed decision as to whether or not those who live furthest away from the office should be allowed to leave work early to ensure they have a safe journey home – perhaps staggering leaving times based on travelling distance as necessary. In the tricky situation where you feel an absent employee, could have got to work despite the weather, Helen said: “The key is to investigate this thoroughly. Speak to the employee, gather all the facts and then decide what action, if any, you will take. “It could potentially be a disciplinary situation, but it’s a good idea to seek advice before you take action.”
Cheerless UNCERTAINTY over the US economy quashed any celebrations over a near-6% jump for the FTSE 100 Index over 2012. London’s final session of the year reflected growing expectations yesterday that US politicians would fail to reach an agreement before steep tax increases and spending cuts begin to take effect today. The FTSE 100 Index closed 27.6 points down at 5897.8 as investors ditched riskier stocks on fears the US economy will be driven back into recession by the unresolved budget negotiations.
■ CHILL FACTORS: When conditions make getting to work difficult, employers should consider their options, says Honley PR expert Helen Straw (above)
SHARE PRICES NORTH AMERICAN American Express £34.91 +0.06 Gannett 1082.83 Hess Corp £31.81 +0.28 Microsoft 1626.40 -6.14 Motors Liquidation 46.12 Wal-Mart Stores £41.56 -0.01 AEROSPACE & DEFENCE Avon Rbbr 370 +3 BAE Systems 3367/8 -41/8 Rolls-Royce 8731/2 -10 AIM Brady Plc 99 -1/2 AUTOMOBILES & PARTS GKN 2283/4 -11/4 BANKS Barclays 2623/8 +5/8 HSBC 6467/8 -43/8 7 Lloyds Banking Gp 47 /8 -3/4 Ryl Scotland 3241/2 -1/4 Stan Chart 15731/2 -11/2 BEVERAGES Diageo 1787 -141/2 SABMiller £281/4 -1/4 CHEMICALS Croda £233/4 +1/8 Elementis 98 2321/2 +11/4 Johnsn Mat £233/4 +1/8 CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALS Balfour Beatty 2733/4 -21/8 Costain 254 +91/2 ELECTRICITY
Drax Gp 5441/2 SSE 1418 -18 ELECTRONIC & ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT Laird 2063/4 -21/4 EQUITY INVESTMENT INSTRUMENTS Alliance Trust 3751/4 -23/4 FIXED LINE TELECOM SERVICES BT Grp 2311/8 -27/8 Cable & Wireless 353/8 -1/4 Comm Colt Group 993/8 +5/8 KCOM 73 +21/2 5 Talktalk Telecom 233 /8 -37/8 FOOD & DRUG RETAILERS Morrison W 263 +1/4 Sainsbury 3451/8 -17/8 Tesco 336 -11/2 FOOD PRODUCERS AB Food 1564 -10 Tate Lyle 762 -61/2 5 Unilever £23 /8 -1/8 GAS, WATER & MULTIUTILITIES Centrica 3335/8 -33/4 National Grid 703 -2 Pennon Grp 625 -31/2 Severn 1574 -12 -1 United Utils 6731/2 GENERAL FINANCIAL 3i Group 2171/4 +7/8 ICAP 307 -13/8 London StockExch 1088 -8 Man Group 823/4 +7/8 Provident Financial 1358 -19
Schroders 1686 -21 Schroders NV 1362 -8 GENERAL INDUSTRIALS REXAM 436 -1/2 Smiths Grp 1191 GENERAL RETAILERS Ashley L 283/4 +5/8 Carphone Whse 2061/2 +3 Dixons Retail 283/8 3 Home Retail 126 /4 +3/4 Inchcape 4307/8 +21/8 Kingfisher 2841/8 +21/4 M&S 3821/4 -33/8 3 Mothercare 338 /4 -11/4 Next £371/8 WH Smith 670 HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SERVICES Smith Nph 6791/2 -21/2 HOUSEHOLD GOODS Aga Rangemaster 72 +1 Barrat Dev 2075/8 +3 Persimmon 800 Reckitt Benckiser £383/4 -1/4 Taylor Wimpey 653/4 INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING IMI 1097 +3 INDUSTRIAL METALS Ferrexpo 2511/4 +21/4 INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORTATION BBA Aviation 223 -13/4 LIFE INSURANCE Aviva 373 -23/4
1455/8 1781/4 8651/2 2471/2 3321/8 MEDIA BSkyB 767 D Mail Tst 551 3 HIBU /8 ITV 1051/4 Johnston Press 13 Pearson 1188 Reed Elsevier 642 STV Group 100 Trinity Mirror 921/2 Utd Business 720 UTV 1213/4 WPP 888 MINING Anglo American 1894 Antofagasta 1324 BHP Billiton £211/4 Eurasian Natural 284 Res Fresnillo 1847 Kazakhmys 778 Lonmin 2841/4 Rio Tinto £351/8 VEDANTA 1157 RESOURCES Xstrata 1059 MOBILE TELECOM SERVICES Inmarsat 5841/2 Vodafone Group 1541/2 NONLIFE INSURANCE Lgl & Gen Old Mutual Prudential Resolution Standard Life
-1/8 -1/8 +1/2 -1/2 -21/2 -2 +11/2 -3/4 -5 +31/2 -21/2 +1/4 +41/2
-10 -16 -1/8 -21/8 -12 +1 +61/4 -1/4 -4 -51/2 -21/2 -1
Local shares Carclo Marshalls National Grid Weir Gp
4021/2 971/2 703 1879
5
-2 /8 -2 +3
closed at at FTSE closed
5897.81 Down 27.65 Admiral Grp 1160 -16 -5/8 RSA Insurance Gp 1253/4 OIL & GAS PRODUCERS BG 10121/2 +41/2 BP 4243/4 -1/4 Cairn Energy 2643/4 +21/8 Royal Dutch Shell A £211/4 -1/8 Royal Dutch Shell B £213/4 -1/4 5 Total £31 /8 +1/8 Tullow Oil 1261 -1 OIL EQUIPMENT & SERVICES AMEC 1003 -11 Petrofac 1623 -10 1 Wood Gp(J) 726 /2 -131/2 PERSONAL GOODS
Burberry Gp 1226 -3 PHARMACEUTICALS & BIOTECHNOLOGY Astrazeneca £291/8 GlaxoSmithK XD 11 Shire 1887 -8 REAL ESTATE Brit Land 562 -7 Captl Shop Cent 3501/4 -75/8 Hamrsn 4881/4 -61/4 Land Secs 8131/2 -61/2 SEGRO 2465/8 -23/8 SOFTWARE ETC SERVICES Invensys 325 -3/4 Sage Group 2941/4 -7/8 SUPPORT SERVICES Berendsen 5961/2 -11/2 Bunzl 1009 Capita 755 -6 De La Rue 9121/2 -21/2 Electrocomp 238 +1/8 Experian 980 -8 G4S 2561/2 -3/4 1 Hays 82 /4 -7/8 Homeserve 235 -3/4 1 Menzies J 641 /2 +81/2 Rentokil 953/4 +1/2 Smiths News 160 +21/2 Wolseley £29 +1/8 IT HARDWARE ARM Hldgs 768 -2 Spirent Comms 1503/4 -1/4 TOBACCO Br Am Tob £311/4 +1/8
Imperial Tobacco
£233/4
+1/8 TOURIST RATES
LEISURE & HOTELS Bwin.Party Digital Carnival Compass Grp easyJet Enterprise Inns FirstGroup Go-Ahead Gp Greene King Intercontl Htls Intl Cons Airl Ladbrokes Mitchells & Butlers Natl Express Rank Org Stagecoach Group TUI Travel Whitbread
1
111 /4 £235/8 725 7651/2 1025/8 2091/4 1279 6251/2 1707 1843/4 1981/4 3243/4 2041/8 1447/8 3071/4 2821/2 £241/2
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+ /4 -1/4 -21/2 -11/2 -11/8 +3/4 -1 -3 +5 +1/8 -1 +17/8 -13/8 +11/8 -37/8 -5/8
FTSE 100
INDEX 5897.81
-27.56
FTSE 250
INDEX 12374.97
+15.24
Tourists going abroad can expect the following rates for sterling: Australia...................... 1.47 dollars Bangladesh................. 121.26 taka Brazil.............................. 2.96 reals Canada....................... 1.53 dollars China ............................. 8.99 yuan Czech Republic ...... 28.25 korunas Denmark....................... 8.69 krone Euro............................... 1.17 euro Hong Kong................ 11.88 dollars Hungary................... 319.21 forints India.......................... 77.82 rupees Japan........................... 132.35 yen Mexico ....................... 18.70 pesos New Zealand .............. 1.83 dollars Norway ......................... 8.61 krone Pakistan.................. 147.74 rupees Philippines ................. 56.75 pesos South Africa................. 12.83 rand South Korea.............. 1502.00 won Sri Lanka ................ 193.92 rupees Sweden....................... 10.07 krona Switzerland.................. 1.41 francs Taiwan ...................... 41.00 dollars Turkey....................... 2.72 new lira USA ............................ 1.54 dollars
KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS
profile
Katrina Robinson-Brown
Music, maths and English IT’S a familiar sound in thousands Katrina switched from teaching music to teaching English and of towns and villages across the humanities and also worked for country. And for music graduate Katrina Rotherham Council as an enterprise education consultant, Robinson-Brown the sound of delivering programmes in schools church bells has real appeal. encouraging pupils to consider Katrina, who lives in Almondbury with husband Ken, is self-employment as a career option. a bell-ringer at All Hallows’ In September last year, Katrina Church in the village, literally and Ken acquired the south ringing the changes for Sunday Huddersfield franchise for Kip services, weddings and religious McGrath Education Centres and festivals. set up offices and a classroom at She says: “I was sitting in the Northgate in Almondbury. Since garden with a cup of tea one then it has gained Ofsted Sunday listening to the church recognition, seen its student bells. I decided to find out more numbers grow to 60 and about it and there in the church was a poster inviting people to be employed an additional teacher. The Almondbury centre is one bell ringers. I have been doing it of 250 Kip McGrath Education for two-and-a-half years now. Centres in the UK managed on a “Being a musician isn’t franchise basis and offering essential, but it helps if you have professional tuition in maths and a sense of rhythm and timing. I English for six to 16-year-olds – can ‘pick out’ my bell when we’re including preparation for SATs, ringing. We rehearse once a GCSEs and the 11-plus grammar week in the evening. school exam. “I’m also a member of the The first centre in a commercial Yorkshire Change Ringers and premises opened in 1980 in New we meet to ring the bells at other South Wales, Australia. Kip churches. It’s called ‘tower McGrath founded the business in grabbing’ and some people get quite enthusiastic about it and will the late 1970s – initially operating from a garage. Kip McGrath now record every church tower they operates in 17 countries including have rung – a bit like the UK, Australia, New Zealand, trainspotters! We generally go to other parish churches, although it South Africa and Singapore. Katrina’s area covers districts would be great to ring the bells at somewhere like York Minster!” It seems far removed from Katrina’s role as centre director for the Kip McGrath Education Centre – delivering professional tutoring in English and maths for six to 16-year-olds. Katrina attended Honley High School, where she gained her GCSEs and A-levels before studying music at the University of Surrey, where she met her husband. She worked as a residential care worker at a special school in Surrey before becoming a classroom assistant and discovering a love of teaching. She gained her Post Graduate Certificate of Education at Durham University before working ■ BUSINESS LESSON: Katrina at schools in Rotherham and Robinson-Brown Sheffield.
Page 3 Role: Centre director Age: 35 Family: Married to Ken Car: Renault Modus Holidays: Canada, Paris and the Mediterranean First job: Residential care worker in a special school Best thing about job: Building up relationships with the students, finding out what they need and helping them make progress – and seeing their confidence grow as they realise they can do this! Worst thing about job: Knowing there are more students out there who need support Business tip: Put the effort in and deliver high levels of customer service. Putting customers first is what every company should be doing
including Almondbury, Fenay Bridge, Waterloo, Newsome, Berry Brow, Lockwood, Armitage Bridge, Crosland Moor, Cowlersley, Linthwaite, Slaithwaite, Golcar and Scapegoat Hill. Says Katrina: “Three-quarters of the students we get have fallen behind at school, often because they have missed lessons through illness or are struggling with a subject. Sometimes, it’s because they had hearing problems when they were small and while the problem has been resolved, they have missed out on learning phonics. “The other 25% are high fliers who require help with exam preparation and study techniques to make sure they are extended and get the high grades.” Says Katrina: “We have five students to one teacher, but the students are all on individual programmes. We have two groups of five working in the classroom after school Mondays to Thursdays and on Saturday mornings.” The centre offers an initial free assessment in maths and English to help identify any areas of weakness – then creates an individually tailored study programme to tackle those weaknesses and help raise the student’s confidence, motivation and their skills to succeed. The 80-minute lessons use a balanced mix of internet-based and paper-based learning to help youngsters to work in both formats. Katrina recognises that the centre has to work as a business, but says: “The focus has to be on the teaching. The students have to enjoy coming and making progress.” Professional tuition isn’t just for the wealthy, says Katrina. “Everyone wants the best for their children and people receiving working tax credits can claim up to 70% of the cost. There are also employers’ childcare vouchers which they can use these to pay for 100% of the tuition costs. It means that children who at one
time would never have been able to access extra tuition can now come along.” And it’s not just the kids who benefit. “We have worked with some adults as well,” says Katrina. “We have had university students wanting advice on writing and structuring essays and a woman who needed to gain her GCSE maths to get her dream job. It’s also true that some parents struggle with maths and English. In some cases, English may not be their first language, so they find it difficult to help their children with schoolwork.” Katrina can look back on a fantastic first year, but is already planning for the future. Some of the Kip McGrath centres cover science and Katrina says: “That is something we are looking into as part of our planning. If so, we would bring in a specialist science teacher.” Despite their busy schedule, Katrina and Ken still find time to relax. “At the centre, we work really hard and we are really focused,” she says. “We want the children to be successful and we want the business to be successful. “But we also enjoy walking my mum’s dog. It’s nice to get out in the fresh air. Five minutes’ walk from the middle of the village, you can’t hear any traffic and you are enjoying the woods and fields.” Music remains central to the couple’s social life. Both Katrina and Ken sing with Huddersfield Choral Society. Katrina, a soprano, sang with the society’s junior choir before university and re-joined the society about five years ago. “We went to the Proms twice this summer, she says. “It’s great to have the opportunity to sing with top quality orchestras and soloists. Singing is my first ‘musical instrument’. I also play the flute, but I’m a bit of a ‘busker’ on the piano!”
HENRYK ZIENTEK
Kip McGrath Education Centres Work: Professional tutoring in maths and English for six to 16-year-olds Site: Almondbury Phone: 01484 817810 Email: info@ kmechudd south.co.uk Web: www.kipmcgrath .co.uk/huddersfield-south
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KIRKLEES BUSIN
Share deal is a welcome move says expert A LATE amendment to Chancellor George Osborne’s Autumn Statement has given companies a major new incentive to widen employee share ownership. David Butterworth (pictured), of Huddersfield accountancy firm Wheawill & Sudworth, said that EMI share option schemes will now be a lot more attractive to help provide an incentive to key employees. Said Mr Butterworth: “To secure maximum tax breaks on these arrangements, employees previously had to own their shares for at least 12 months. “However, many schemes did not cater for this and this watered down the effectiveness of them.” For shares acquired on or after April 6, 2012, and sold on or after April 6, 2013, the 12-month qualifying period will apply from the date that the option was granted. Mr Butterworth said: “This means that actual shares held for under a year can now qualify for a capital gains tax rate of only 10%. “In light of this positive step, I expect a lot more local companies to look at implementing such schemes to help fire up their key people.”
Two-day focus on business KIRKLEES companies have been urged to join firms across the region at a major event. Buy Yorkshire 2013 – billed as the north’s largest business-to-business conference – will be held on April 24 and 25, 2013, at the Royal Armouries in Leeds. The conference, the brainchild of marketing group the Yorkshire Mafia, is set to attract 3,500 delegates, more than 170 exhibition stands and a huge range of speakers. Speakers already confirmed include Russell Gould, head of Wonga for Business; social software leader Jon Mell and Rob Wilmot, formerly of Freeserve. The two-day conference will also include panel discussions, seminars, workshops and open question-and-answer forums. Delegates will hear inspirational stories from industry leaders, gain an insight into innovative business practices and undertake masterclasses into what makes a business successful. For further details, contact Becky Black at becky@buyyorkshire.com.
Academy in appeal for tools
■ JOIN THE QUEUE: Commuters facing the daily struggle to work and back could be better served by working remotely from their office, a survey has revealed
How to end the daily commute! MORE employers are freeing their staff from the drudgery of the daily commute, a survey has revealed. And a Huddersfield businessman is among those feeling the benefits. Research commissioned by flexible workspace provider Regus found that almost a third of Yorkshire professionals are now able to work from locations other than the company’s main offices for at least half the week. This helps them reduce the cost and stress of commuting and reclaim the hours lost in limbo between their work and home lives. The research also shows that a quarter put in longer hours for their employer now that they don’t have to commute every day, highlighting the link between flexible working and productivity. Regus said the findings provided clear evidence that “corporate culture is finally throwing off the shackles of rigid twentieth-century working practices and reaping the benefits”. However, many employees’ aspirations to reduce the frequency of their commute are thwarted by employer attitudes. Almost one in five of those asked cited “company culture” as the main reason for single location working, implying the perceived need to be seen at their desk. This is despite the fact that two in five respondents report that they have all the tools and technology they need to work anywhere. Regus said many firms equated flexible working with home working. However, this was often an
unpopular and impractical option for staff who missed the social interaction of the office and the clear separation of their professional and personal life. Previous research showed that fewer than 10% of professionals wanted to work from home. For the one in three Yorkshire professionals who are genuine flexible workers, the key to success is having a choice of “third places” – neither their home nor their office such as local business centres, libraries and co-working hubs that allow them to avoid domestic distractions without a commute. Davie de Livio, the Huddersfield-based regional director of Spectrum Ltd, a recruitment company specialising in construction, said: “We’re a Manchester-based company, but recent expansion meant we needed additional space in Leeds so I could cover business in Yorkshire and Humberside. “For about six weeks I had been commuting from Huddersfield to Manchester and back which was exhausting. I’m now based in the Regus centre in Leeds City West. It’s pretty central and accessible and it was easy to set up and ready to move in. “By being in Leeds I can save about 60 miles a day in travel, so it makes a lot of geographical and logistical sense to have a base in the city. “It also means I can dedicate more time to work as I don’t waste so much time travelling.” As well as bringing benefits to the employer, the research said that cut-
ting the commute helped staff improve their work-life balance. Some 73% said they were spending more time with partner and family and 63% were spending more time exercising and getting fitter. Steve Purdy, UK managing director at Regus, said: “Local commuters are only too familiar with the stress, expense and long hours associated with relying on public transport infrastructure. “Across the country, the number of professionals able to choose between different work locations is substantial. But there is still much progress to be made to help all workers benefit from more flexible conditions. “This is especially true when the win-win benefits of slashing commutes are analysed.” He said: “Congestion is reported to be one of the major sources of stress, so it is very significant that workers reveal that the time saved on commuting would be spent on health and wellbeing activities such as getting fitter at the gym and spending time with family. “Confirming previous Regus research linking happier and healthier workers to greater productivity, more than half of professionals say they would devote at least some of the time saved on gruelling commutes to working more. “So the benefits of flexible working are two-fold, on the one hand workers are more relaxed and healthy and on the other they are also more productive benefiting the business, too.”
A GROUP helping young people gain useful qualifications has launched an appeal for unwanted tools. The Young Engineers Academy, a not-for-profit social enterprise, operates as a commercial recycling business at St Andrew’s Road, Huddersfield to help 16 to 24-year-olds gain new skills in manufacturing. Now it is asking firms for donation of tools including pillar drills, band saws, conveyor belts, grinders, cho saws, metal detectors and magnets to help mirror the same quality processes and “lean” manufacturin typically followed in mainstream industry. Chief executive Ahmed Khan said the aim was to turn young people into “credible and reliable employees” for local firms. Young people attending the academ undertake a four-week course on preparing for work in manufacturin and engineering environments with YEA’s resident accredited and independent training team. They also undertake psychometric testing and one week’s work experience in a factory before getting feedback on their progress and recommendation for further training or a job offer with the YEA or one of its selected business partners. Said Mr Khan: “We provide an in-house off-line mentor helping to ensure our young people meet training and skills targets, have a sound work/life balance and becom financially stable. “We provide in-house counsellors help our young people overcome a addictive habits, manage emotiona problems and develop self-esteem and confidence. “We are striving to help bridge the gap that so many of our Kirklees-based industrial firms are facing with finding suitable young people to help with succession planning and to fill employment needs.” YEA has already received help in finding accommodation and fundin from Turnbridge-based John L Brierley Ltd. The firm also manage and quality assures all YEA’s accounts and payroll on its behalf. YEA, which receives no public sector funding, also needs sponso to kit out its young people with too a toolbox and workwear, help to build a canteen and sponsorship o gym equipment to help the young people stay fit. Local firms have been invited to attend YEA’s Business Leaders’ Focus Group from 6pm to 9pm on January 22 at the St Andrew’s Road site when Kirklees Council chief executive Adrian Lythgo and direct Jacqui Gedman will be among thos attending. To confirm attendance, email admin@youngengineers.org.uk
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Chamber unveils Top 10 wishes for 2013! his is the time that we assign our T business priorities for the year ahead.
Last year was particularly difficult for businesses throughout the UK, and conditions have not materially improved, with consumer spending depressed and international growth slowing. Economic growth should be the main objective for the Government in 2013. Reducing our deficit is the right thing to do and we support the Government’s continued efforts in this regard. However, the Coalition must ensure that steps are taken to avoid the real risk of a triple-dip recession in the next several months. Growth in 2012 was anaemic and (although there was much bluster about the impact of extra bank holidays, the weather, the eurozone crisis and any number of other external factors) it is evident that there are long-term structural weaknesses affecting the UK economy. Ahead of his Autumn Statement last year, we wrote to Chancellor George Osborne urging him to consider interventions in three key areas – exports, skills and infrastructure – in order to spark economic growth. While we welcome the fact that the Autumn Statement included some help for exporters through increased UKTI funding and that additional investment in skills through colleges and schools were also included, we believe still more can be done, and for that reason exports, infrastructure and skills continue to dominate our priorities for 2013. Our “top 10” list also includes other measures which we believe could help boost UK businesses and enable them to drive our return to positive and consistent economic growth. ● Action and urgency – At the top of our wish list for the forthcoming year would be a change in attitude from Government, the Opposition and local decision makers. It is disheartening to see delays with the progress of Bills announced in the Autumn Statement 2011 and in the March Budget 2012 due to arduous and time-consuming bureaucracy and frustrating parliamentary processes. It is essential that more urgency should be injected into Westminster. Announcements and rhetoric are not enough, the country needs action, fast. ● Support for exports – The Government has announced a 25% increase in UKTI funding from 2014 (although this follows significant reductions to their budget in recent years). We believe they should have gone much further, because exporting is difficult at the best of times and current global conditions make the process considerably more challenging. Significant, targeted tax incentives must provide greater rewards for exporters and costly Air Passenger Duty should be abated for overseas sales initiatives so that existing and potential exporters are rewarded rather than penalised for bringing home orders from abroad. Further investment in UKTI, in chambers of commerce and in other export support organisations will play an important part in helping exporters to succeed in new and developing world markets.
Steven Leigh, head of policy at the Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, outlines its key areas for improving the economy in 2013 ● Infrastructure investment – A recent study (by IPPR North, December, 2011) found that infrastructure investment of £2,731 per head in London compares to only £201 per head in Yorkshire and Humber. This is totally unacceptable and serves to illustrate the massive priority which continues to be ascribed to funding developments in the South East of the country. Successive Governments have failed to narrow the North-South Divide – and year on year this gap continues to widen. Serious investment in our region’s infrastructure is now essential, and would provide a real boost to the local economy, with positive knock-on effects on employment and supply chains. ● Skills – Long-term unemployment among Britain’s youth is a growing and worrying trend which presents significant threats to our future competitiveness. UK companies in all sectors will increasingly require a highly skilled workforce and there is a danger that there will not be a pool of job-ready candidates in the medium-term future. At a local level we must engage our young people wherever possible in the world of business and work, and schools must show real determination to ensure all school-leavers have basic skills in numeracy and literacy. ● A solution to the access to finance issue – Many small businesses continue to experience difficulties in accessing affordable finance, and this remains a serious obstacle to growth. The Government’s announcement of a new ‘Business Bank’ is positive, but it was disappointing that no further details of this initiative were included in the Autumn Statement and that there is no clear timetable for the bank to be set up. The Government needs to seize the initiative and set the bank up at the earliest opportunity – and with the necessary resources to make a real difference. ● The red tape challenge – is a welcome initiative aimed at reducing the impact of
regulation for British business, but so far its effects have been minimal and very much more needs to be done. Compliance with bureaucracy is time-consuming and costly, and the situation is exacerbated by the inconsistency of much of our business legislation. Stemming the flow of regulation from Brussels and renewing the commitment to produce a significant reduction in domestic red-tape would go some way to freeing business to concentrate on what they do best, creating wealth, growth in the economy, and employment. ● An end to business bashing – There has recently been a trend among media figures and politicians to blame the business community for much of the country’s ills. In the year ahead, we urge our politicians to resist this temptation and instead celebrate the great contribution made by the business community to the quality of life in this country. This year the British Chambers of Commerce has been spearheading a campaign entitled “Business Is Good for Britain”, which highlights the vital role played by businesses in communities and the wider economy in the UK. This campaign will continue through 2013 and our chamber will continue to champion good news stories about businesses in our region. ● Locally-led growth – We welcome the
proposals outlined in Lord Heseltine’s Growth Review to give greater powers to local areas so they can determine their own economic strategies. Decentralisation of infrastructure decision-making will allow local areas to invest in priority projects and direct spending to boost local economic growth. The Government should give this review full consideration at the earliest opportunity and announce their intentions regarding the implementation of all or part of Lord Heseltine’s recommendations. ● Consistency – Businesses need consistency from Government. It is essential for businesses to have confidence in order to invest and grow – and such business confidence demands a more stable and reliable economic environment so that businesses can rely upon Government policies - with commitments from Government that initiatives will be followed through and policy changes will not be delayed, deferred or reversed at the drop of a hat. ● A strong finish from Town – We hope that Town will consolidate themselves securely as a Championship team and in due course challenge for a place in the Premier League. We can’t lobby Government for this, but we can give our enthusiastic support – maybe 2013 will herald the start of something good!
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KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS
Speedy response earns its reward A DEPOT in Huddersfield supplying industrial equipment has been highlighted for “going the extra mile” after winning an award from one of the UK’s leading construction and regeneration groups. The Speedy depot in Huddersfield joined the depots at Bradford Teeside and Scunthorpe for special praise from directors at Morgan Sindall plc for working out of hours and providing extra support for its partnering brand. Peter Stone, of the Huddersfield depot at Fartown received a special award along with Willy Heavyside at Bradford, Speedy regional account manager Adrian Stead and Tracey Halkett, regional manager for Speedy Power. The special awards were presented by Morgan Sindall plant director Jonathan Hall. The sites were recognised for excellent performance after being measured via the
Morgan Sindall “Perfect Delivery” culture, which Speedy has also implemented and which embraces “continuous improvement” towards service and quality. Speedy and Morgan Sindall have worked together since 2004. Mr Stead commented: “I am delighted that our region has been recognised for our services. Morgan Sindall is a very valuable customer to us and it’s fantastic to hear that they have been so impressed with our extra efforts to ensure the best service.” Speedy’s partnership with Morgan Sindall enables customers to gain access to all of its resources – from products and services to an extensive network of sector specialists and technical expertise. Speedy also provides on-site facilities for Morgan Sindall with the resources and infrastructure to maximise productivity on many major projects.
Town centre site secures letting A NEW letting has been completed at a prominent Huddersfield town centre office block. RO Properties has secured the letting at NU House, Market Street, as part of an innovative, flexible lease agreement. Ingeus UK Ltd, a nationwide provider of employment services, has taken an 11-month lease of the first floor at a rent of £10,000 per annum and could commit to a longer lease next September providing the space works for them. Jorge Frutuoso, of RO Properties, said: “A key part of our strategy is to offer tenants flexibility and arrangements that makes sense to them. “Ingeus UK already occupies part of the building, so we
have a good relationship with them. “We believe flexibility is the key to success in the current climate – you have to be open to the needs of your tenants and be prepared to work with them.” NU House is the former Norwich Union building and much of the space has recently been refurbished. The building now includes comfort cooling, fully refurbished toilets, disabled WC facilities, new suspended ceilings with integrated energy efficient lighting, thermostatically controlled radiators, and solar-reflective window blinds. The manned reception area has been updated with automatic entrance doors and a welcoming open layout.
Popular location A BUSINESS park in Cleckheaton – which opened just 18 months – has proved a hit with tenants. All seven units – ranging from 1,500 to 11,500sq ft– at the newly built 26,00 sq ft Scandinavia Court on Chain Bar Road are now fully occupied. The Bradford office of chartered surveyors Eddisons, which acted as joint agent with Gent Visick, said interest had been high
from the very start. Shazad Mahmood of Eddisons said: “Demand for the high specification units has been exceptional from the day we started the marketing process, which is reflected in the speed that lettings have been agreed.” Meanwhile, Eddisons has let a 10,600sq ft industrial unit on the Euroway Trading Estate in Bradford to Reprographics Systems Ltd, off an asking rent of £35,000 per annum.
property
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£1.2m boost for Rixonway A KITCHEN manufacturer has won a £1.2m contract. Dewsbury-based Rixonway Kitchens, a leading manufacturer working in affordable and social housing, landed the deal to provide 70 kitchens a week over the next two-and-a-half years for Nottingham City Homes. The contract was secured through Rixonway’s involvement with the Efficiency East Midlands Consortia and will see the kitchen manufacturer providing almost 10,000 complete kitchens to be installed by building contractors Wates, Bullocks and FHM. The project will transform about 28,500 homes across the city as part of the Decent Homes programme, a government target to ensure all social housing should be water tight and warm with reasonably modern facilities. Nottingham City Homes is responsible for the day to day management of about 29,000 homes, including services such as repairs, rent collection and tenancy management. It also looks after about 1,000 leasehold properties. Paul Rose, chief executive of Rixonway Kitchens, said: “We are delighted to be involved with such a significant refurbishment scheme. “Within a week of signing the contract we were already delivering the kitchens to be fitted.
■ DELIGHTED: Paul Rose, chief executive of Rixonway Kitchens
“We have gone the extra mile to provide our service quickly to ensure minimum disruption to Nottingham City Homes’ tenants.” Mark Johnson, director of property services for Nottingham City Homes, said: “We have a multi-million pound
programme to bring our properties up to Decent Homes standard, including modernising kitchens. “Feedback from our tenants shows how much they appreciate the improvements we are making. “And we are delighted to have entered into this partnership with Rixonway. “They are involved in the process right from the start with our tenants, making sure they are happy with the layout of their new kitchen before it is handed over to our contractors to fit.” As part of the contract, Rixonway’s dedicated design team, who are trained in tenant consultation, will visit each home and talk to residents to understand their requirements before producing a full CAD design showing how the finished kitchen will look. Formed in 1978, Rixonway Kitchens has over 30 years’ experience in supplying kitchens to affordable housing and the public sector and is the only UK kitchen manufacturer dedicated to community regeneration. The company is acccredited to the Forest Stewardship Council and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification It is also ISO14001 accredited.
Textile firm cuts waste with recycling initiative A FAMILY-RUN textile firm has cut its waste costs by 20% after introducing a long-term recycling and environmental management programme at its Dewsbury factory. Calder Textiles teamed up with Elland-based waste management firm Orchard Environmental to bring in money-saving measures include the segregation and baling of plastic packaging waste to reduce waste disposal costs and a recycling scheme to offset the cost of general waste. Justin Holley, of Orchard Environmental, said a decision by Calder Textiles to plan its services several years in advance had also made it possible to negotiate better rates with waste firms and recyclers. Bill Stewart, managing director of Calder Textiles, said developing a niche market, introducing sustainable business practices and implementing a long term waste and recycling strategy had helped the company remain competitive in a challenging market. The specialist yarn maker now exports 50% of its products and
Calder yarns have been used in projects for global airlines, royal palaces, airports, hotels and recently in the United States Senate. “Despite being a very traditional industry we take a modern approach to business and are always looking for ways to innovate, lower costs and streamline our operations,” he said. “Orchard has helped us develop a strategy that means we can offset some of our general waste costs against the value obtained from plastics commodity recycling.” Mr Holley said rising waste costs were helping to boost recycling rates across Yorkshire, particularly in the manufacturing sector where waste volumes tended to be high. “For most firms, it’s more about cutting overheads than being green and there are some big savings to be gained through recycling, particularly when it’s part of a long term waste strategy,” he said. “The further ahead organisations can plan, the better the deal that can be negotiated with waste firms and recyclers.”
■ STRATEGY: Justin Holley, of Orchard Environmental
KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS
review of 2012
Page 7
High rollers and high streets brought low
HERE was no keeping the T troubled banking sector out of the headlines in 2012 after its
Libor fixing and money-laundering scandals, while the contraction of the high street continued with the demise of Comet and JJB Sports. Here’s a look back at some of the key moments from another challenging year. ● January – The plight of Britain’s high street was in sharp focus after mixed updates on festive trading and the collapse of some well known retail names. Tesco saw billions of pounds wiped from its value after the supermarket admitted it messed up its pricing strategy in a “disappointing” Christmas while fashion chain Peacocks and lingerie chain La Senza collapsed into administration. Royal Bank of Scotland chief executive Stephen Hester bowed to intense political and media pressure by waiving his annual bonus worth almost £1m. Pressure intensified on Mr Hester after RBS chairman, Sir Philip Hampton, announced he would waive his payout. British Gas was among suppliers to announce lower electricity tariffs, with the UK’s biggest energy company knocking £24 from the average bill. ● February – The Treasury closed two tax loopholes after Barclays tried to avoid paying more than £500m in “highly abusive” dodges. The pharmaceuticals industry was dealt a fresh blow after AstraZeneca announced a further 7,300 job cuts amid warnings that its profits will slide this year. Britain’s payday lenders faced an investigation by the consumer watchdog amid fears they prey on those in financial trouble. ● March – The motor industry was given a huge boost when Japanese car giant Nissan announced plans to build a new model in the UK under a £125m investment programme, creating 2,000 jobs. The vehicle will be built at the Sunderland plant from mid-2013. Chancellor George Osborne was accused of imposing a £1bn “granny tax” on pensioners as he used his Budget to cut the 50p top rate for Britain’s wealthiest earners and lift thousands of low-paid workers out of taxation altogether. His decision to charge VAT on hot food served by shops and supermarkets, including Greggs, caused the biggest furore, sparking a consumer campaign in an effort to overturn the “pasty tax”. Grange Moor-born Iceland retail boss Malcolm Walker led a £1.45bn deal to buy back the frozen food chain he founded more than 40 years ago. Mr Walker and other senior managers secured 43% of the business after joining forces with other investors, including DFS sofa chain founder Lord Kirkham. ● April – The FTSE 100 Index fell heavily during the month as fears over Spain’s ability to keep on top of
■ HEADLINE MAKERS: Rogue trader Kweku Adoboli (left),Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson (centre) and Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg were among the people making the business news during 2012
its spiralling debts reignited the euro- it also emerged that business custom- at British banking giant HSBC, zone debt crisis. Banks were hardest ers were sold complex financial resigned in front of a US Senate hit amid their exposure to Spanish products, called interest rate swaps, sub-committee after it emerged the lending as yields on the country’s even though they did not fully grasp bank had exposed the US to billions debt moved closer to the 7% that the downside risks. of dollars worth of money launderforced Greece, Ireland and Portugal The largest pharmacy chain in the ing, drug trafficking and terrorist to seek financial help from the EU. United States swooped on high street financing. Supermarket giant Tesco said it chemist Boots as part of a shock Shares in Olympics security prowould pump £1bn into revitalising its £10bn takeover deal. Walgreens said vider G4S slumped after it admitted business after conceding its UK it would initially acquire 45% of that it will incur a loss of up to £50m stores were jaded and under-staffed. Alliance Boots, a business that on the contract after it admitted it Vodafone moved to become the includes a major European pharma- will not be able to provide enough UK’s second biggest telecoms oper- ceutical wholesale arm, with an staff for the Games. ator after it agreed to buy ailing option to snap up the rest by 2015. ● August – The banking industry Cable & Wireless Worldwide for Fears that media giants BSkyB and was mired in fresh scandal after £1.04bn. The mobile phone company BT overpaid in their £3bn Premier Standard Chartered was branded a was given a clear path after Indian League rights deal sent shares in the “rogue institution” for covering up rival Tata Communications walked pair sharply lower. The eye-watering billions of pounds of illegal transacaway from discussions with C&WW. price was much higher than the City tions with the Iranian government. ● May – Shareholders claimed had expected and represents a 70% Barclays handed the job of restoranother high-profile scalp after Bri- hike on the current partnership with ing its tarnished reputation to an tain’s biggest insurer announced the Sky and ESPN. insider, just as another scandal abrupt exit of its chief executive. ● July – Bob Diamond blamed a threatened to engulf the UK bank. Andrew Moss’s decision to stand “series of unfortunate events” for his Antony Jenkins, who has been retail down came a week after investors shock departure from Barclays as the and banking boss since 2009, vowed voiced their discontent over the com- former Barclays chief executive told to overhaul the bank after being pany’s performance by staging a MPs on the Treasury select commit- named as immediate successor to massive protest vote against Aviva’s tee that he felt “physically ill” when Bob Diamond. annual pay report. he heard the key Libor rate had been The American owners of Facebook co-creator Mark Zuck- fiddled, although he denied he was Manchester United pocketed about erberg pocketed more than a billion “personally culpable”. £75m as shares in the football club US dollars after one of the biggest David Bagley, head of compliance were publicly traded for the first time US stock market flotations. The company was valued at about 105bn dollars – more than Amazon.com, McDonalds, Hewlett-Packard and Cisco. Overseas demand for British-built vehicles such as BMW’s Mini and Nissan’s Qashqai drove the UK’s first trade surplus in cars since 1976. The turnaround follows significant investment in the UK from car manufacturers – £4bn in 18 months – including contracts to build new models and improved facilities. ● June – There were mounting calls for an inquiry into banking culture and practices after Britain’s biggest lenders were embroiled in fresh controversy over rigging key interest rates, as well as further evidence of mis-selling. Barclays was fined £290m by UK and US regulat■ IN CHARGE: Grange Moor-born Malcolm Walker led a £1.45bn deal to ors for manipulating the Libor rate at buy back the Iceland frozen food chain he founded more than 40 years ago which banks lend to each other, while
in seven years. Some 16.6m shares were floated on the New York Stock Exchange. ● September – Defence giant BAE Systems confirmed talks over a potential merger with Airbus aircraft manufacturer EADS to create the world’s biggest aerospace and defence company. General secretary Brendan Barber told the annual TUC Congress that lessons should be learned from the Olympics on how to rebuild the economy. In his final speech to Congress before stepping down at the end of the year, he said that the lessons of the summer were that the private sector was not always best and that the market does not always deliver. JJB Sports – once the biggest sports retailer in Britain – admitted defeat as it announced plans to appoint administrators. ● October – Future Government rail plans were thrown off track after ministers scrapped a deal which would have seen Sir Richard Branson’s train company lose its West Coast franchise. Bruised BAE Systems stepped up its efforts to reassure staff, customers and investors in the wake of its abandoned attempt to merge with EADS. Barclays agreed to buy ING Direct UK in a deal that will see it add another 1.5m customers and boost its savings business by £10.9bn and its mortgage book by £5.6bn. ● November – City trader Kweku Adoboli, who gambled away £1.4bn in the UK’s biggest banking fraud and brought Swiss bank UBS to its knees, was jailed for seven years in a “spectacular” fall from grace. The makers of drinks brands Robinsons squash and Irn-Bru announced plans to combine their businesses in a £1.4bn merger. Britvic, which includes a bottled water plant at Birkby, and AG Barr said the deal would create one of Europe’s leading soft drinks firms. Electricals chain Comet collapsed into administration, prompting an “urgent” search for a buyer to protect 6,600 jobs at the 236-outlet chain. It was hit by weak trading conditions and its failure to secure the trade credit insurance needed to safeguard suppliers. ● December – Starbucks said it will pay “somewhere in the range of £10m” in UK corporation tax for each of the next two years after a row blew up in the wake of revelations it paid just £8.6m in 14 years of trading in Britain and nothing in the last three years. Tesco looked set to pull the plug on its ill-fated US venture after admitting it took a £1bn gamble on America’s grocery market that failed to pay off. Snack favourites including KP Nuts, McCoy’s crisps and Hula Hoops were sold to German firm Intersnack in a deal thought to be worth more than £500m.
KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS
■ HONOUR: Marina Simiolo, director of Ladies4Networking in Huddersfield and Brighouse
Networking group lands top accolade WOMEN entrepreneurs in Yorkshire have received a prestigious accolade for their business networking skills. Ladies4Networking, a group set up to forge links and open up new opportunities for businesswomen, has been awarded the High Impact Badge of Honour for the networking event it held during Global Enterprise Week - a national campaign to promote entrepreneurship and encourage more people to set up in business in the UK. According to GEW, there are still twice as many men setting up in businesses as women. Ladies4Networking gives women chance to support each other and pool ideas to achieve growth and success. The award means Ladies4Networking will be included on GEW’s list of partner organisations and will be entitled to display the High Impact logo on all its communications. To achieve the award, the group had to show that their events promote the message of the GEW campaign to encourage business growth, provide practical support, provide role models, help people share their success stories, develop enterprise capabilities, measure and evaluate success. The group’s director, Huddersfield businesswoman and leisure travel counsellor Marina Simioli, announced the honour during a Calder Valley networking event at the Stubbing Wharfe pub in Hebden Bridge. She said: “It’s fantastic to get national recognition for the impact that we make. It does feel like we have the Midas touch in everything we do. “I’m passionate about Ladies4Networking and get such pleasure out of seeing how the businesses that join our group just seem to go from strength to strength.”
Charlotte Stabb & Tom Farley
Jones Lang LaSalle PROPERTY agency Jones Lang LaSalle has recruited two new staff to its shopping centre management and shopping centre marketing and commercialisation teams in West Yorkshire. Charlotte Stabb (pictured) has joined as a surveying executive in the shopping centre management team helping with the day-to-day management of a number of retail and leisure schemes in the north of England. She has more than three years’ property experience and joins from the Leeds office of CBRE. Tom Farley, who has five years’ marketing experience, has joined the shopping centre marketing and commercialisation team as an account manager. As part of his role, he will be delivering marketing strategies and campaigns for properties across the UK.
Movers and shakers
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Influential boss one of the best THE Batley-born chairman of a care homes company has been named one of the leading social care “influencers” in the UK by a panel of experts and commentators in the field. Lawrence Tomlinson, who heads the LNT Group, based at Garforth, was placed second in the inaugural Social Care Top 30 organised by Care Talk Magazine. Jane Ashcroft, chief executive of Anchor Care, was named top for heading up the national group employing 9,000 people. Mr Tomlinson was recognised for his pioneering role in providing top quality care through his Ideal Care Home Group. Based in the North and Midlands, the group has 1,900 beds across 34 care homes and prides itself on the quality of care and the fact that it doesn’t charge top up fees. Mr Tomlinson is also a passionate campaigner for better social care for the vulnerable and elderly and has lobbied government ministers and leading MPs to radically reform social care funding.
Nominations for the Social Care Top 30 came from across the diverse field of social care and included some of the most high profile thought leaders and providers in the sector. Mr Tomlinson, who received his award from radio and TV presenter and journalist Jeremy Vine, said: “It’s a privilege to be able to provide care for some of our most vulnerable and elderly members of society, but that brings with it great responsibility which I and the team at Ideal take very seriously.” In the same week, Mr Tomlinson was also named among the top 15 national influencers in the health and social care sector by Health Investor in its annual poll of Top 50. The latest accolades follows Mr Tomlinson being named Director of the Year by the Institute of Directors in October. The LNT Group has interests including care homes, construction, software and the Ginetta car manu- ■ TOP MAN: LNT Group chairman Lawrence Tomlinson (right) with Adam Carter, director of healthcare for facturing business. Wheale-Thomas-Hodgins
Calling all budding tycoons BUDDING entrepreneurs in Kirklees have been urged to apply for help by a mentoring charity. The charity, Brightside, is searching for young entrepreneurs in England with a marketable idea that needs a kick start. Young entrepreneurs whose business plans make it through a review by the charity’s business experts will get start-up finance of about £2,500 from Start-Up Loans, a government initiative, and one-to-one online mentoring from an experienced business person working in the same sector. The Start-Up Loans Scheme, set up by Dragon’s Den entrepreneur James Caan and Lord Young, enterprise adviser to the Prime Minister, will distribute £82.5m of funding over the next three years to young entrepreneurs in England and support them in gaining the skills they need to build a sustainable business. To be eligible for the scheme, young entrepreneurs must live in England and have a business idea and a business plan – or be prepared to write one – that meets Brightside’s criteria.
People applying through Brightside for the scheme can go to www.brightsidestartup loans.org to help them build on their ideas and develop the skills they will need to make their business a success. A course designed by Brightside with support from global professional advisers Deloitte offers applicants a step-by-step guide to writing a business plan. As well as looking for young entrepreneurs, Brightside is inviting established business people who think they have something to offer the next generation of business owners to put themselves forward as an online mentor. Online mentoring allows volunteers to share their skills and experience in a way which they can fit around their business and other commitments – and enjoy the personal satisfaction of sharing in a young entrepreneur’s success. For those being mentored, it means building a supportive relationship with someone who has followed a similar path to them and who understands their challenges from personal experience.
■ SUPPORT: James Caan
Start-up duo are now business mentors BUSINESS partners Alison Mattock (right) and Charlotte Nethercoat have cause to celebrate. The two physiotherapists marked the first year of their new business, Wellfield Physiotherapy, with a party at Huddersfield Rugby Union Football Club. In the first 12 months, they have worked hard to turn their base at Wellfield House, New Hey Road, Huddersfield, into a welcoming clinic and attract a growing list of clients. Guests at the event included Andrew
Choi, executive director of the Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, and the duo’s business mentor David Wood, of Eddisons. Mr Wood was assigned to the pair as part of Alison’s place on the New Enterprise Allowance programme– a scheme for jobseekers run by West Yorkshire Enterprise Agency. Now she’s successfully completed the enterprise programme, Alison and Charlotte have volunteered to act as mentors for another local start-up company.