Business Connect Q2 2023

The spark of inspiration

STEM and construction showcase welcomes over 4,200 visitors

FEATURE: COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING

SECTOR FOCUS: SKILLS & TRAINING

PLUS: INTRODUCING CONNECT PROFILES

PROMOTING ENTERPRISE IN SOUTH YORKSHIRE

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Front cover: Young people attending the STEM event at the Magna Science Adventure Centre

See pages 18

The next issue of BUSINESS CONNECT will be available in August 2023

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Work underway to improve lives across South Yorkshire

Summer is finally on the way, and South Yorkshire is buzzing with activity. In this issue of Business Connect, there is a real emphasis on improving lives in the region, and we’re here to support those improvements to ensure that everyone who works and lives in South Yorkshire has the best chance for success.

Mayor Oliver Coppard has just launched the Integrated Care Strategy for South Yorkshire, an ambitious plan that aims to tackle health inequalities in the region and improve the lives of the next generation (page 6). And that’s not all – the mayor has also secured funding to keep the successful Working Win scheme in operation for a further two years (page 11). Working Win was devised to help people with health conditions find or stay in employment, and has so far supported more

Laura Blake EDITOR, BUSINESS

than 6,500 people in South Yorkshire. This extra funding boost is expected to support a further 3,000 people – a massive win for the region.

The theme of improving lives and businesses is also reflected in our Professional Services and Communications & Marketing features. Learn how to find a balance in your business and personal life (page 24) and explore our top tips for building a winning business brand (pages 28-29).

Finally, our cover story (page 18) gets up to speed with the latest innovations in STEM. The event offered young people a chance to learn about exciting opportunities in the world of STEM and construction and inspired them to consider a career in the sector –further proof that South Yorkshire has one eye firmly on the future.

BUSINESS CONNECT WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Please send your press releases and images to laura.blake@kempspublishing.co.uk for consideration for the next issue.

CONNECT

‘South Yorkshire has one eye firmly on the future’

Business News

Plans to improve health in the region

New analysis of the figures show that South Yorkshire loses on average 2.5m more working days than the England average.

In response, South Yorkshire’s mayor and chair of the Integrated Care Partnership, Oliver Coppard, has convened key partners from the Mayoral Combined Authority, the NHS, councillors, the care sector, and child services to help everyone in South Yorkshire’s communities live happier, healthier lives for longer.

Mayor Oliver Coppard said: “Recently, the chancellor announced a budget that he said was designed to address some of the big challenges that hold back our economy.

“In South Yorkshire, we’re losing on average 14 million working days a year due to ill health. That’s not just a tragedy for the individuals who get sick and can’t work, it affects us all; its slowing down our economy and adding to the huge costs of public services.

“Changing the pension rules for a small number of wealthy people isn’t going to fix that problem. Rather, it will require a system-wide effort that helps people in South Yorkshire lead happier, healthier lives right from birth.

“Right now, a child born in South Yorkshire has a lower life expectancy and healthy life expectancy than the national average. A child born in Rotherham is - on average - likely to die five years younger than a child born in Richmond in London.

“That’s why the Integrated Care Strategy for South Yorkshire that we’re launching will tackle head on the health inequalities in our region. I’m determined to make South Yorkshire the healthiest

region in the country, so every child born in Barnsley, Rotherham, Doncaster, and Sheffield can meet their full potential, and play a full and active role in the future of South Yorkshire.”

Cat Ross, CEO of Baby Basics said: “The first five years of a child’s live has an effect on the next 50. It is therefore essential that as a society we do our utmost to set our children up with the best start in life we can. This cannot be achieved just by parents alone and requires the whole of society to play its part.

“At Baby Basics we are passionate about supporting parents with the practical essentials they need. In doing so, our aim is to relieve some of the stress and anxiety that comes with becoming a parent. We want to help empower parents to be the best they can be for their children and give them the start in life that for some they never experienced themselves. We can play our part at Baby Basics but with the launch of the strategy we are excited to work with so many across the region

to make bring about real change and improve the lives of our next generation.”

Pearse Butler, ICP vice chair and NHS South Yorkshire chair, said: “Throughout November and December 2022, we reached out to as many people as possible in South Yorkshire, including our health and care workforce, children and young people, under-represented and socially excluded groups, and asked ‘What matters to you about your health and wellbeing?’. It was so important that our communities have a voice in this strategy.

“People told us there is need for improved access to services, more information about health prevention and to provide people with the information, tools and capacity to manage their own care. As we move forward, we will continue to involve people in South Yorkshire with the delivery of the strategy, to ensure the voices of South Yorkshire people remain at the heart of all we do.”

Gavin Boyle, chief executive of NHS South Yorkshire, said: “This is a really ambitious and exciting plan developed together with our partners across South Yorkshire, particularly the four Local Authorities and our VCSE colleagues. Our vision is for everyone in our diverse communities to live a happy, healthier lives for longer.

“There’s a lot in the strategy but with the focus is to ensure every child has the best start in life and is supported to be ‘school ready’ when the time comes. We know that about a third of children in SY live in poverty – that’s about 100,000 kids. Deprivation plays a huge part in poor health and fewer opportunities. But there are clear measures in the strategy so we can track our progress and be accountable to our communities for its delivery. I’m determined we’ll make a real difference for our communities.”

Visit: syics.co.uk/integrated-care-partnership

‘A child born in Rotherham is - on averagelikely to die five years younger than a child born in Richmond in London’

A vision to create healthier and happier lives across diverse South Yorkshire communities

Ed Clancy takes role as active travel champion

Triple Olympic champion Ed Clancy OBE has been named South Yorkshire’s new active travel commissioner.

He’s been appointed by South Yorkshire’s mayor Oliver Coppard to work with him to make South Yorkshire a safer and easier place to walk and cycle.

Ambitious plans are underway to build more than 620 miles of accessible walking and cycling routes linking South Yorkshire’s towns and cities.

The South Yorkshire Mayor al Combined Authority (SYMCA) is investing £85m building the Active Travel network so that everyone who wants to walk and cycle around the region feels safe and able to.

Ed Clancy said: “I’m honoured to be South Yorkshire’s new active travel commissioner and I can’t wait to get stuck into the new role.

“I want to use my platform to break down those barriers that stop people walking or biking to get where they need to go.

“Too many of us are driving cars, that’s clogging up our roads and making them more dangerous.

“South Yorkshire has some of the deadliest roads in the country and this stops people choosing to walk or ride the short distances they currently drive, which just adds to the pollution and the danger. If you’re scared to cross the road, you’ll use the car instead.

“I’m committed to using my platform to get more people of all ages to walk, cycle, scoot or skate around South Yorkshire and this means giving people a real, safe choice when it comes to their journeys.”

Currently, one in four journeys under 500m are taken by car. According to Public Health England, 700 people a year die prematurely in South Yorkshire because of poor air quality.

South Yorkshire’s mayor Oliver Coppard said: “I’m determined to build a better-connected, more

sustainable and healthier South Yorkshire and making sure everyone can walk or cycle where they want to is key to that.

“Right now our roads are too congested, it’s dangerous, it’s making us sicker and it’s stopping us reaching our Net Zero targets. Too often people don’t feel safe walking or cycling because our roads are too busy and we need to change that.

‘No one’s going to leave the car at home if it’s easier or feels safer not to, and that’s why the work Ed will do with us is so important.

That’s why it’s great to welcome Ed Clancy as our new active travel commissioner, it’s vital work and I’m sure he’ll be a huge success.

“I’m sure he’ll be a huge success

and help us build a better connected, healthier and more sustainable South Yorkshire. “

Ed Clancy will continue the work started by the previous active travel commissioner Dame Sarah Storey, and her work on the region’s Active Travel Implementation Plan. The plan details how over 1000km of routes, 800m of safe crossings and 230 sq. km. of low traffic neighbourhoods will help to transform the region by 2040.

Active Travel England has now announced £200m to improve walking and cycling routes and boost local economies in England. South Yorkshire was given £1m towards walking and cycling route plans, e-bike loans and training.

Deaf Trust leads international project

Visitors from Turkey, Germany and Portugal visited Doncaster to meet with the UK team from Doncaster Deaf Trust for the final meeting of an international sign language project focusing on tourism.

The group, who have worked on the Vocational Sign Language on Tourism project, co-funded by Erasmus and the European Union, met in Doncaster on 20-21 April 20 to discuss the transition of the project.

Alexis Johnson, chief executive of Doncaster Deaf Trust said: “We’ve worked with partners from across Europe and beyond for more than a decade developing online tools and resources to help Deaf people from across the globe.

“This Turkish-led project has seen the creation of training for Deaf and hearing people who want to work in tourism. Together we have created a new course that will equip people with the skills to become tourist guides in their home country.

“The benefit of this project is not only for those who take part and learn the skills to enable them to gain employment in tourism

but will also benefit Deaf travellers who are visiting a country who will then be able to enjoy a signed tour giving them a cultural insight into the country.

“We have worked together to create a robust curriculum for training for tourism and tour guides and A1, A2 and B1 levels.

“We are very proud to be the UK representative on this project, working together with partners to further improve the lives of Deaf people.”

For further information about Doncaster Deaf Trust visit www.deaf-trust.co.uk

‘I want to use my platform to break down those barriers that stop people walking or biking’

Members of the international sign language group at a previous visit to Turkey

Ed Clancy during a speaking event

Rail firm on track with fundraising

Doncaster railway infrastructure specialist VolkerRail is one FirstClass fundraiser... the company, which employs over 1,100 people, began its giving to North Anston-based Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice in 2012 and last month made its latest donation – for a hefty £14,836.

The money has been raised through its parent company VolkerWessels UK’s internal staff safety campaign, Close Call. It encourages all employees – from office staff to rail-side workers - to report any situation which could potentially cause an accident or affect health and safety.

Each year, VolkerWessels UK donates £1 to charity for every close call raised. Half the money is donated to the Samaritans and businesses in the group distribute the rest to their chosen charities, in proportion to the number of ‘close calls’ their employees raised.

Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice cares for children and young adults with life-shortening conditions, along with their families, across South Yorkshire, North Derbyshire, North Nottinghamshire and parts of North Lincolnshire.

The hospice is heavy and light rail networks specialist VolkerRail’s chosen charity for Close Call donations and the company also donates a further £1 to the hospice for every resolved call.

Stuart Webster-Spriggs, VolkerRail HSQES director, said: “VolkerRail prioritises the safety of all employees and stakeholders interacting on its work sites. Our ‘close call’ scheme empowers our teams and creates a proactive approach to safety, which reduces the number of accidents and incidents in the workplace.

“Every close call reported and closed is another potential accident and incident prevented. The support and facilities provided by Bluebell Wood is vitally important. These donations and our long-standing relationship with the charity helps to ensure their work continues to support families in their time of need.”

Bluebell Wood’s regional fundraiser Eleanor Hughes said: “The hospice’s relationship with VolkerRail continues to go from strength to strength. We want to say a huge thank you to everyone at VolkerRail, who over the last 11 years have raised a staggering sum for which we are hugely grateful.”

Stuart Webster-Spriggs, VolkerRail’s HSQES director, presents a cheque for a portion of the company's recent donation to Bluebell Wood’s regional fundraiser Eleanor Hughes

IT event gallops into Doncaster Racecourse

On 28 June, Doncaster Racecourse will welcome the Espria team for the second Optimise IT event of 2023.

Attendees will begin the day with a complimentary breakfast fit for a racehorse, fuelled for a morning of networking and learning.

One of the keynotes will be delivered by Thomas John, Vice President International at Five9, under the headline of Cloud & Communication and will explore how AI is no longer a buzzword. Attendees will learn how Five9 IVA/AI and their intelligent platform are helping clients achieve a hard ROI, proving to be a trojan horse strategy when it comes to bringing a featurerich, future-proof platform to customers.

As part of the second in a series of four events across the country, Espria, partnered by some of their key strategic partners, will showcase a variety of new services and developments aimed at assisting businesses to do more with less.

Andrew Lashley, chief client officer at Espria, said: “Optimise IT has been the goto event for industry leaders and technology innovators for over 20 years.

“Attendees have the unique opportunity to network directly with key decisionmakers and discover new ways to deliver IT strategies more effectively and efficiently.”

Espria is not only dedicated to pioneering best-in-class IT solutions and fostering relationships in the industry; it is committed to sustainability. This translates into tangible action. For every delegate at the Doncaster event, a tree will be planted by Espria. To ensure that the trees are planted in the most effective way possible, Espria has partnered with Ecologi, a leading organisation that specialises in reforestation projects, Furthermore, an additional tree will also be planted for each delegate sharing their feedback on the day – all in all, a win-win for delegates and the environment.

For more information and to book your place, visit: tinyurl.com/3uwcbvtj

Gulliver’s Valley expands educational packages

Gulliver’s Valley, the popular theme park in Rotherham, is expanding its offering to provide more comprehensive packages for school visits and residential stays.

The resort, which opened in 2020 and has gone from strength-to-strength offering theme park day tickets, short stay accommodation breaks and a host of family events and activities, is now looking to build on this success and diversify into other areas of business.

As part of Gulliver’s development plans, the Gulliver’s Valley site in Rotherham was selected to pilot a more educational based programme of school and young people’s group days out, educational visits, residential stays, secondary school transition and reward stays in the summer of 2022.

The popularity of this offering has seen Gulliver’s Valley enjoy an 85% rebooking rate for this summer and a 265% increase in bookings in 2023 compared to 2022. Off the back of this success, Gulliver’s, which this year celebrates its 45th year in business, is now officially launching its new range of school and groups packages across all its parks in the UK.

The packages include theme park rides, accommodation, food and a range of exciting activities such as bush craft, climbing wall, educational workshops, nature trails, evening entertainment and more.

Julie Dalton, managing director of Gulliver’s Theme Park Resorts, said: “When we opened Gulliver’s Valley back in 2020 we always knew that was just the start of things to come. Since then, we have added more rides to the park, developed our mini farm and provided more exciting events and activities as we look to reinforce our position as a must-visit tourist destination.

“There have been challenges along with the way but as a family-company our greatest strength is our ability to adapt and change to the markets we work within. And with our new educational and residential

Groups enjoying what’s on offer at Gulliver’s Valley

packages that is exactly what we have done as we look to diversify and increase our presence through the services we can offer.

“We spotted a gap for providing high quality yet cost-effective options for schools, groups and parents who are looking for a range of education and learning based visits or residential stays and felt Gulliver’s Valley was the best location to bring this product to market and we are really proud of what we have put together which incorporates clear positive learning outcomes for attendees.

Other initiatives in the pipeline at Gulliver’s Valley include playing a major role in Skills Street – an interactive training centre which is an immersive and innovative careers experience developed to inspire and inform children, young people, and adults from across the South Yorkshire region.

‘We spotted a gap for providing high quality yet costeffective options for schools’

Additional funding for employment scheme is secured

Following discussions with Government to stop the trailblazing Working Win scheme from being scrapped, South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard has announced grant funding to keep it going for a further two years, helping thousands of people with health conditions find or stay in work.

The programme has already supported more than 6,500 people in South Yorkshire. Through the new funding, it’s expected that a further 3,000 people with physical or mental health conditions will be supported until March 2025.

South Yorkshire’s mayor Oliver Coppard, who also chairs the region’s Integrated Care Partnership, has welcomed the new funding as part of his commitment to address the region’s health inequalities.

Oliver Coppard said: “When I was elected as South Yorkshire’s mayor, I said I’d do what I could to make South Yorkshire the healthiest region in the country, and Working Win is a great example of how we’re working to tackle health inequalities in South Yorkshire.

“Too many people are held back by poor health in South Yorkshire, and are unable to stay in work or find new jobs. Working Win has been genuinely life-changing for thousands of people here, so I’m so really pleased our campaigning efforts have paid off and it’s been given further funding to keep

going, and will now help thousands more people in South Yorkshire.”

The new funding, secured by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA), is part of the Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care (IPSPC) initiative. The aim of the IPSPC initiative is to promote inclusive growth by helping to achieve a reduction in health inequalities through supporting people to access employment.

The £5.9m IPSPC grant will mean that the current instalment of the Working Win programme, which has provided support since April 2018, can continue to benefit participants until June 2023.

In July 2023, the delivery of the new grant programme will commence, for which an open procurement process will be announced soon.

Richard Stubbs, chair of the South Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “Fifteen million days of work a year are lost due to stress, anxiety and depression alone. This leads to businesses losing productivity and causes reduced quality of life for individuals. Working Win can help by supporting those out of work or off sick with free coaching to get them to a better place in their employment journey. This brings benefits to them, to employers and to the wider community.”

For more information or to register for support, visit: southyorkshireca.gov.uk/Explore_Working-Win

Grant funding will allow Working Win to keep going for two more years

Student designs bring modern twist to historic hall

Wentworth Woodhouse’s illustrious past inspired Rotherham art and design students to create their own exhibition at the 18th century mansion.

Talented Graphics, Media, Photography, Fashion and Art and Design students from Rotherham College and University Centre Rotherham displayed their work in the Inspiring Heritage exhibition throughout March. Their sculptures, tapestries, oil paintings, collages, photography and digital artworks are gracing the Pillared Hall, Chapel Corridor and the Painted Drawing Room.

Caden Pratt, a Level 3 Art and Design student who painted Renaissance-style portraits of his friends to celebrate their diversity and differing expressions of identity, said: “I’ve grown up around Wentworth Woodhouse. It’s an iconic building. I feel incredibly honoured to have this opportunity.”

Meanwhile the mansion’s Chapel is the setting for work by fashion students, who used modern ideas and materials to create outfits inspired by Georgian style.

Danni Ward commented: “It's been a great opportunity, having my work displayed at Wentworth Woodhouse. I based my designs on corsets, a key element of the Georgian period, and fairy skirts, as they were called, with further inspiration from the Lolita style.”

Steve Ash, head of the Trust’s volunteer Digital Team, explained: “We’ve been working with students from these two Rotherham education sites for a few years now. We were keen to learn how young minds might be inspired by Wentworth Woodhouse and its stories so we gave the students three themes – Wealth and Power, The Role of Women and Georgian Bling – and

TOP: Inspiring Heritage students at Wentworth Wooodhouse

CENTRE: Caden Pratt with his paintings on show in the Chapel Corridor

BOTTOM: Fashion students in the Chapel

MAIN PICTURE AND TOP RIGHT: Examples of the Fashion students’ work on display at Wentworth Woodhouse

BOTTOM RIGHT: A-Level Fashion student Quin Napper

their hugely impressive creations now form the Inspiring Heritage Exhibition.”

The Preservation Trust’s Digital Team volunteers also added their skills to the exhibition. They created a promotional video and one painstakingly made a Georgian gown using authentic techniques and materials, which went on show in the Painted Drawing Room alongside a video telling the story.

“The idea was that my dress would be an example of the 18th century garments the students have riffed on in their versions; kind of past and future,” explained Deborah Greenfield, a dancer and choreographer who has worked in stage and film in the USA and Europe and has a Graduate Diploma in Heritage Conservation from the University of Lincoln.

She created her gown from a pair of old curtains she found in a French flea market 12 years ago. “But first I had to create the underpinnings - petticoats, stays (or corset as we now know them) and panniers which hold the dress out at the sides,” said Deborah. “The stays were pretty mind-boggling. I used patterns I found online, including one from 1776 and it took many hours and the study of numerous YouTube videos to complete them. After that, I felt I could make just about anything!”

Deborah danced in the famed Marble Saloon wearing her gown for the video. “That was a wonderful experience and my outfit was surprisingly comfortable,” she said. “The panniers made me feel buoyant and afloat as I sailed around the room.”

To watch the video visit: www.youtube.com/c/wentworthwoodhouse1

Wayfarer tickets allow visitors to explore our beautiful region

By John Henshall

general manager, Travel Master

On 24 April, TravelMaster began selling Derbyshire Wayfarer Bus tickets which allow travel on any bus throughout Derbyshire and neighbouring town and city centres, including Sheffield. Whilst it is expected the tickets will be a slow burner due to the current £2 fare cap, they offer unique value for travellers wanting to explore the county.

Large parts of the Peak District, England’s oldest National Park which celebrated its 75th birthday this year, are situated in Derbyshire. The Hope Valley including quaint villages such as Castleton can all be accessed from Sheffield.

By interchanging in Chesterfield or travelling from other parts of Derbyshire you can reach the magnificent Chatsworth House, plus picturesque towns such as Bakewell and Matlock. To the south of the county there are large areas of countryside as well as the city of

Derby, great destinations for explorers young and old.

TravelMaster’s current marketing campaign #exploreSY encourages users to explore their local area using weekly and longer term passes creating potential new footfall by offering discounts at local retailers and attractions.

As services and technology progresses offers are expected to become longer term with easier redemption via the soon to be released app. The potential to also expand this into Derbyshire is huge and bring the campaign to a wider audience.

The new Wayfarer tickets also offer potential for added value services from hoteliers to other service providers across Derbyshire and neighbouring towns and cities. Encouraging sustainable travel into the busy tourist areas by encouraging families to use the bus has benefits for both the local area and visitors alike. By using more sustainable modes such as the bus

there will be an overall reduction in congestion and emissions. Families benefit through reduced stress taking away traffic and finding parking spots, plus getting dropped off right at their destination as well as the financial benefit with well-priced group tickets for up to two adults and three children.

Tourist tickets are not the only advantage of the new Derbyshire Wayfarer Bus range. Weekly tickets offer value for people using more than one operator, making multiple trips a day or interchanging as part of their journey. All tickets are offered at an introductory price, subsidised by Derbyshire County Council through their Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) funding from HM Government (the Department for Transport).

New tickets create lots of new opportunities and I am sure the tickets are going to keep the TravelMaster team busy for the next few months. However, we strive to drive modal shift towards the bus to deliver both economic and environmental benefits throughout the region. If you are interested in finding out more then information is available on our website sytravelmaster.com or feel free to get in touch on sales@sytravelmaster.com.

Increased demand sees agency expand

Logica Digital, a leading digital marketing agency, based in Sheffield, has taken on three new members of staff, and is moving to larger premises in the city, due to demand.

The company specialises in providing a wide range of digital marketing services, including search engine optimisation (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, social media marketing, and content marketing. To service current clients and support the influx of new clients Logica has employed Jill Rendardson as office manager, Connor Young as digital marketing executive and Kezia Humphries as content executive. The company has also promoted Lucy Forrest to digital account manager to offer clients a more personalised service and to ensure the team is well managed.

Logica Digital has been servicing clients in Sheffield and across the UK for three years and has a proven track record of delivering results for businesses of all sizes. The decision to expand the team and move to larger premises was driven by the growing demand for digital marketing services in the area and the city’s thriving business community.

“We are thrilled to be expanding our team and are delighted we were able to employ local people

and found there is a wealth of skills in the Sheffield region for digital marketing,” said Mark Skinner, managing director of Logica Digital. “This thriving city is full of businesses that could benefit from our services, and our expanding team look forward to helping them grow their online presence.”

The company is opening its new office in Harland Works Sheffield, which will be staffed with Logicia’s growing team of experienced digital marketing professionals. The team will work closely with businesses to understand their unique needs and develop a customised digital marketing strategy to help them achieve their goals.

Kezia said: “This is an exciting opportunity for me. Logica Digital has a great reputation within the digital marketing community and I’m thrilled to be joining at time when the business is growing and using my skills to help develop engaging content for our clients.”

Mark added: "Sheffield and the wider Yorkshire business community has a lot of potential where digital marketing is concerned. We are excited to be a part of the community and to help all types businesses succeed in a digital world.

Visit: www.logica-digital.co.uk

Jill Rendardson, Connor Young, Kezia Humphries and Lucy Forrest

‘As services and technology progresses offers are expected to become longer term’

(pictured),

South Yorkshire firms on Growth Index 2023

Five companies from South Yorkshire have grabbed a place in the Growth Index 2023, the annual ranking of the 100 fastest-growing companies in the UK.

Concorde BGW Group, the Doncaster-based construction group, will certainly be celebrating, having been revealed as the fastest growing company in the region, coming in at No.22 in the national table with a compound annual growth rate of 104%.

Now in its second year, Growth Index is the definitive independent league table of the UK companies with the fastest growing sales, created to celebrate the companies that have supercharged growth and the leaders that have inspired and driven it. Companies are ranked by compound annual growth rate CAGR in sales over their last two financial accounting years (Index 2023 includes filings up to February 2023). The ranking shines a spotlight on the most successful sectors and companies in the UK, championing good growth and the equitable democratisation of business opportunity in the UK.

The full list of companies from South Yorkshire whose phenomenal growth has bagged them a place in the UK’s Growth Index 2023 are:

• Concorde BGW Group, a construction group based in Doncaster, with a growth rate of 104%

• Galaxy Insulation and Dry Lining, a retail insulation company from Sheffield, with a growth of 64%

• Mattress Online, a Rotherham-based bed retailer, with a growth of 57%

• One Beyond, a retail company from Barnsley, with a growth of 53

• Twinkl, an Edtech company from Sheffield offering teaching resources to support primary and secondary education, with a growth of 50%.

Andy Higginson, advisory chair, Growth Index, chair of JD Sports and former chair of Morrisons, said: “The inaugural Growth Index 2022 showcased 100 exceptional companies. The 2023 cohort is equally impressive with a small number returning to the list, leisure and hospitality debuting and retail thriving. GX companies are doing remarkable, innovative things and many of them are consciously becoming a force for good. I’m glad to be involved in this effort to celebrate and champion their much-needed contribution to our economy and society.”

Richard Wilson, CEO Concorde BGW Group

connect PROFILES

Introducing Connect Profiles, a brand new feature where local firms can tell our readers all about their business.

Name: Ben Smalley

Organisation: Belmayne

Independent Chartered Financial Planners

Job Title: Chartered financial planner - partner

What does your organisation do?

From our office in Dronfield, just over the Sheffield border, Belmayne provides holistic financial planning advice to individuals, families and businesses. We offer a service that will support them on whatever journey they are on, from cradle to grave.

How did it all start?

Belmayne was the brainchild of ex-Abbey Life employees, who decided to set up their own advisory firm more than 30 years ago. They have all now retired and the mantle has been passed to the four current partners. Since taking the reins, we have achieved Chartered status, grown our sphere of influence and are now looking for new advisors to support the next generation of investors.

I began my career in financial services in 2002, working for Aviva for 11 years before joining Belmayne. I have found being a financial planner hugely rewarding. Knowing I can make a positive difference to someone’s life is something I am incredibly passionate about.

What’s your greatest achievement so far?

Setting up the Belmayne Foundation to support smaller charities in our local community. To date, more than £33,000 has been donated since its inception in 2019.

All fundraising is split equally between our chosen annual charities who support health and wellbeing and provide relief for those in need. This year, they are Chesterfield’s Fairplay and the Just Good Friends Club, which operates across Derbyshire.

What has surprised you most in your job?

The lack of financial literacy we have as a nation. I suppose this is hardly surprising though, as we were never taught the rudiments of finance when were at school. A significant part of our role as financial planners is to educate and inform.

What’s the biggest risk you’ve ever taken – and did it work out?

Leaving paid employment with a multinational to become self-employed. So far, so good!

What keeps you awake at night?

The aches and pains of growing old!

Otherwise, I sleep with a clear conscience

knowing that the work we do is benefiting the lives and futures of many local people.

If you could turn the clock back, what would you do differently?

I would have worked harder in my early years when I had more time on my side. Youth is definitely wasted on the young.

What advice would you give to someone starting out?

Work smart and remain humble. If you can, find a way to support the communities that allow you to make a living.

What exciting projects is your organisation working on?

We are starting to build relationships with this year’s charities, Fairplay and the Just Good Friends Club, who support vulnerable children and adults respectively. We will be finding innovative ways to raise valuable funds for them and promote their activities.

From a business perspective, we should have a newly qualified adviser by the end of the year. Melanie Shaw, who currently works

for us as a paraplanner, is being taken through the competent adviser status by my fellow partner, Martin Birch.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Spend time in my garden and on my bike.

Last year I completed the gruelling 112-mile Tour of the Peaks with friends on behalf of the Belmayne Foundation. It took 11 hours –never again! I am also trying to become a competent golfer!

W: www.belmayne-ifa.com

E: ben.smalley@belmayne-ifa.com

T: 01246 298181

Twitter: @belmayneifa

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/belmayne

Facebook: www.facebook.com/belmayneifa

Interest in STEM burns brightly in South Yorkshire

Technology, Engineering and Manufacturing) at Yorkshire’s largest annual employer-inspired STEM and construction showcase for young people, with over 4,200 visitors in attendance.

Taking place at Magna Science Adventure Centre in Rotherham on 29 March, the event gave young people the chance to see some of the UK’s most exciting STEM innovations and meet the people who design, build and operate them. Pupils also had the chance to speak to a wide variety of businesses, inventors, apprentices and education providers about

attraction was also open to visitors to explore.

Get up to Speed with STEM also gave companies taking part the opportunity to showcase their expertise, highlight career opportunities and current vacancies and meet with other businesses, while helping to address the skills gaps across the sectors.

John Barber, CEO of The Workwise Foundation (organisers of the event), said: “This year’s event was 11th and largest live event to date. We had a huge variety of businesses exhibiting that demonstrated the wide range of jobs and careers from more traditional sectors to new advanced technologies and innovations. This event truly showcases the depth and range of exciting opportunities open to our young

Sponsors of the event included: Gold Sponsors; AESSEAL, CBE+, Sheffield Forgemasters, and Worshipful Company of Ironmongers. Silver Sponsors; Arm Ltd, UK Atomic Energy Authority, Institution of Engineering and Technology, Hydra Creative, Dragonfly PR and Bronze Sponsors; AMETEK Land, Forged Solutions Group Ltd, Highlander Computing Solutions, ITM Power, Wessex Archaeology, Made in Sheffield, and Stream 7.

John continued: “This year we offered many opportunities to explore, experience and get hands on for visitors including access to the Magna main attraction. Everything from virtual reality to medical and digital technologies, advanced manufacturing and green technologies to traditional manufacturing. We even had a Spitfire alongside our Vulcan education programme in the aviation zone!”

The event was opened by The Master Cutler, Dame Julie Kenny DBE and a business breakfast started the day before the doors opened to schools and young people.

For 11 years, Get up to Speed, which is championed by employers and organised by The Work-wise Foundation alongside key partners in the private and public sectors, has showcased STEM career opportunities to over 30,000 young people and their families from across the South Yorkshire region and beyond.

Get up to Speed is designed for young people, their families and teachers to see some of the UK's best innovations first-hand, hear from and talk to those involved in their success and learn about the future of the sector and its evolution through technology.

For more information visit: www.getuptospeed.org.uk

Programme to train bus drivers

Oliver Coppard has appointed Realise Learning and Employment Ltd to deliver Bus and Coach Driver Training across South Yorkshire. There is a national shortage of bus drivers, with significant operational challenges in the South Yorkshire region that include approximately 200 hard-to-fill driver vacancies with bus operators in our region and reported high turnover rates.

This new programme will offer those aged 19+, who are employed or unemployed and fulfil current eligibility criteria, an opportunity to undertake a training programme that could lead to PCV (Passenger Carrying Vehicle) certification, through the devolved Adult Education Budget.

Mayor Oliver Coppard said: “Fixing South Yorkshire’s public transport couldn’t be more important to our communities or to me. It’s not going to be quick and it’s not going to be easy, but I’m determined to tackle the problems that I can with the power, money and tools that we have here in the region.

“Where the private sector bus market is failing to deliver services,

we’re stepping in. And now we’re using our powers to invest in the next generation of drivers, to make sure that the private bus companies have the drivers they need to deliver more a reliable, more punctual bus network.

“I will continue to do everything I can to fix our broken transport system here in South Yorkshire, whether it’s training drivers, investing to cap fares, bringing tram services back under public control or paying the private sector bus companies who control our network more than £50m every five years to keep services on the road.

“Managed decline is simply not an option I’m prepared to accept. But the truth is that without a new approach to public transport from the government, and a real commitment to levelling-up our country, we’re never going to have the world class public transport system we deserve.”

Adam Greenwood, assistant director of employment and skills

The training will fill driver vacancies

at SYMCA, said:

“We are continually looking at ways to develop programmes that directly answer the skills requirements of our region. Having seen successes with similar programmes in other regions and listening to the needs of public transport companies across South Yorkshire, the introduction of this programme being delivered by Realise Learning and Employment Ltd, will plug current and future skills gaps in bus and coach driver recruitment.

“As an addition to the PCV certification, candidates will also be

offered a six-month programme of development to ensure career success that will be delivered by the bus and coach operators to promote retention and career progression across the sector.”

Kairon Flowers, operations director of partnerships at Realise, said: “Across the country, there has been a growing issue in recent years with a lack of trained bus drivers.

“The SYMCA has recognised that and is taking steps to ensure the long-term provision of bus travel within the region remains strong.

“Attracting new drivers to the industry will support the growth plans the region has and stabilise its service provision.”

Sustainability report highlights progress

Doncaster-based SYNETIQ, an IAA company, and one of the UK’s largest integrated salvage, dismantling and vehicle recycling companies, has announced the publication of its first sustainability report, which highlights its progress against the company’s carbon reduction strategy and demonstrates how SYNETIQ creates value for its stakeholders and customers.

The business reported a 5.6% reduction in its own greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions between 2020-21 and 2021-22. Future reports will account for integration with IAA in the UK as the businesses operate as a single entity, and the report includes its new baseline emissions data for both the legacy businesses.

“I’m pleased to present SYNETIQ’s first sustainability report, which explains how our business enables us to create value for our clients and other stakeholders while contributing to a more sustainable society,” said SYNETIQ sustainability manager Elisa Caton. “We want to make a verifiable contribution to the sustainable development of our industry and community. To this end, we are proud to make our actions transparent and traceable through comprehensive reporting, and as such our first report also provides an overview of how we intend to meet our targets in the short, medium- and long-term.”

The new report shows that the measures taken in recent years are having an impact. In

addition, the business helped its clients reduce or avoid GHG emissions, saving them 4.34 million KG of CO2e through its supply of green parts in 2022. The business achieved Silver Carbon Literacy status in 2021 and is well on its way to becoming

Gold accredited, for which 50% of its workforce must have passed SYNETIQ’s own climate and sustainability training.

Since the launch of its sustainability strategy Our Road to Tomorrow in April 2021, SYNETIQ has made continuous progress towards its three main goals of fostering a carbon-conscious culture within the business and supply chain, putting in place projects to help reduce emissions to net zero, and continuously improving data relating to the emissions savings from using green parts.

The report also details SYNETIQ’s future plans for sustainability within seven specific workstreams across its operations: transport, estate, energy, circularity and waste, culture, offsetting and compliance.

CEO of SYNETIQ Tom Rumboll said: “As a business, we understand that climate change is a serious threat, not just to the communities around us but to businesses worldwide too. We also recognise the opportunities that robust sustainability strategies can bring. Our sustainability report puts us one step further along our journey to lead the industry and demonstrate our commitment to do the right thing by our colleagues, customers and business.”

‘Fixing South Yorkshire’s public transport couldn’t be more important’

Unique service: Davies Turner provides the only direct rail import/export FAK consol services in the UK market, offering considerable transit time savings compared to ocean freight and substantial cost savings of up to 70% in comparison to air freight biweekly service approx. 20-25 days transit time.

Nominated for the BIFA Rail Freight Operator of the Year Award 2023.

WE CAN ARRANGE AIRFREIGHT TOO IF YOU NEED A FASTER DESPATCH

Maximising success

As an employer, finding the right talent to join your team is crucial for the success of your business. However, the hiring process can be time-consuming, resourceintensive, and challenging to navigate on your own. That's where a recruitment consultancy can be your invaluable partner in finding the best candidates for your organisation. In this article, Claire Lee (pictured), managing director of Rotherham based specialist recruiters, Multitask Personnel, explores the benefits of using a recruitment agency and why outsourcing your recruitment process can be a strategic choice for your business.

Access to a pool of qualified candidates

One of the primary benefits of using a recruitment consultancy is their access to a vast pool of qualified candidates. Recruitment agencies have extensive databases and networks of potential candidates, including passive job seekers who may not be actively searching for a job but are open to new opportunities.

This means they can connect you with candidates who may not be readily available through traditional job postings or in-house recruitment efforts. This access to a larger talent pool increases your chances of finding highly qualified candidates who are the best fit for your organisation.

At Multitask Personnel we work with job seekers who are looking for roles within construction & property, mechanical & electrical, civil engineering, environmental, and business support.

Expertise in candidate screening and vetting

Recruitment consultancies are experts in candidate screening and vetting. They have the knowledge and experience to thoroughly assess candidates' skills, qualifications, and suitability for a specific role. This includes conducting initial interviews, checking references, and verifying qualifications.

All this saves you time and effort in the hiring process. Recruiters also have access to various tools and

technologies that can help assess candidates' cultural fit and personality traits, ensuring that you are presented with topquality candidates who align with your organisation's values and culture.

Time and resource saving

It’s no secret that the recruitment process can be timeconsuming and resource-intensive. It requires significant investment in advertising, reviewing applications, conducting interviews, and conducting background checks (to name but a few). But when you use a recruitment consultancy, they take care of all these tasks, saving you time and resources.

This allows you to focus on your core business activities and strategic initiatives, while the recruitment agency handles the time-consuming aspects of the hiring process on your behalf, behind the scenes. In addition, using a recruitment agency can help you avoid the costs associated with bad hires, as they are skilled in identifying the best-fit candidates for your organisation, with a high success rate!

Market insights and industry knowledge

Recruiters have a deep understanding of the job market and industry trends. They are well-equipped to provide you with market insights and industry knowledge that can inform your hiring decisions. This includes information on

– the benefits of using a recruitment consultancy for hiring

salary benchmarks, talent availability, and competitive hiring practices.

And for recruitment consultancies, such as Multitask Personnel, having specialities in specific industries means they have a comprehensive understanding of the skills and qualifications required for various roles. This industry knowledge allows them to provide valuable guidance on the job market and help you make informed decisions in hiring the right candidates.

Confidentiality and discretion

When hiring for sensitive positions or replacing key personnel, maintaining confidentiality and discretion is critical. Recruitment agencies understand the importance of confidentiality and can handle sensitive hiring processes with the utmost discretion.

They can protect your company's reputation and ensure that the hiring process remains confidential, especially when dealing with senior-level or executive positions. This allows you to conduct your hiring process discreetly without any potential disruption to your business operations.

Flexible and scalable solutions

Recruitment agencies offer flexible and scalable solutions to meet your specific hiring needs. Whether you need to fill a single position or have ongoing hiring requirements, they can tailor their services to accommodate your needs.

They can quickly adapt to changes in your hiring demands, such as sudden spikes in hiring or changes in your organisation's growth trajectory. This flexibility allows you to efficiently manage your hiring process and ensure that you have the right talent in place to support your business goals at all times.

Call: 01709 820102

Email: enquiries@multitaskpersonnel.co.uk

smarter, How to work not harder

By Sophie Fenelon (

coach, Balanced Coaching

Have you ever felt stressed and overwhelmed by your workload, struggling to find a balance between your work and personal life?

This feeling of overwhelm can quickly lead to burnout, decreased productivity, and missed opportunities. When you're constantly playing catch-up, it can be tough to focus on the big picture and make strategic decisions that will help your business grow. And when you're stressed out and anxious, it's even harder to stay focused and get things done.

You are not alone though. According to a recent study, over 60% of workers report feeling stressed by their jobs. The good news is that improving productivity can help reduce stress and anxiety and lead to a better work-life balance. In today's fast-paced world, many of us struggle with stress, anxiety, and the feeling that there are never enough hours in the day. However, by adopting a few key strategies, we can boost our productivity, reduce stress and anxiety, and buy back our time.

Prioritise your tasks

One of the most effective ways to boost productivity is to prioritise your tasks. Start by identifying the tasks that are most important and urgent, and tackle those first. This will help you to feel more in control and reduce the sense of overwhelm that can often lead to stress and anxiety.

), mindset &

Use a timer

Using a timer can be a great way to increase productivity and reduce stress. Set a timer for a specific amount of time, say 25 minutes, and focus on a single task during that time. This technique, known as the Pomodoro technique, can help you to work more efficiently and avoid distractions.

Learn to say no

Saying no can be difficult, but it's an important skill to develop if you want to reduce stress and buy back your time. Be selective about the commitments you take on, and don't be afraid to turn down requests that don't align with your priorities.

Delegate

Delegating tasks to others can be a great way to reduce stress and free up time. Identify tasks that can be delegated, and work with your team or colleagues to assign those tasks to others. This can help you to focus on the tasks that are most important and reduce the sense of overwhelm that can come from trying to do everything yourself.

Practice self-care

Taking care of yourself is essential for reducing stress and increasing productivity. Make time for activities that you enjoy, such as exercise, reading, or spending time with

pictured

movement

‘Taking care of yourself is essential for reducing stress and increasing productivity’

friends and family. This will help you to feel more balanced and energised, which in turn will help you to be more productive.

Focus on one thing at a time

Multitasking is a myth – trying to do several things at once actually reduces productivity and increases stress. Instead, focus on one task at a time and give it your full attention. This will help you to work more efficiently and avoid the feeling of being pulled in multiple directions.

Set boundaries

Setting boundaries can be a powerful way to reduce stress and buy back your time. Identify the times of day when you are most productive, and use those times to focus on your most important tasks. Try to avoid checking email or taking phone calls during those times, so that you can give your full attention to your work.

Get enough sleep

Finally, getting enough sleep is essential for reducing stress and increasing productivity. Aim to get seven-eight hours of sleep per night, and establish a bedtime routine that helps you to wind down and relax before bed.

Whether you're struggling to manage your workload or feeling overwhelmed by the demands of running a business, these tips can help you work smarter, reduce stress and anxiety, and buy back your time. So, take a deep breath, prioritise your tasks, and start implementing these strategies today. Your business and your well-being will thank you for it.

‘Interactive ads will allow potential customers to engage with your product, and interactive stores will allow shoppers to browse products and test them out’

Top marketing tips to take your business

into the future

‘Gen Z trends’ are much talked about in the media, but businesses – especially those in the creative industry – could learn a lot from this influential generation. In the battle to stand out from the crowd, Business Connect looks at the key trends that creative businesses can adapt to engage with an entire generation of ready-made customers.

Influencer marketing

One of the biggest marketing tools to flood social media in recent years is the idea of ‘social media celebrities’ or ‘influencers’. It is becoming increasingly popular for young people to turn to prominent YouTubers or bloggers to serve as a guide for their purchasing decisions. Therefore, businesses may find that entering into a partnership with such influencers, and having them review or promote their products or services to their followers, is an easy way of engaging with potential new customers.

Live steaming

Being able to broadcast live audio and video to tech savvy consumers is an effective way to increase brand awareness. Best of all, it’s a free and easy way of keeping your customers up-to-date with your business venture. Whether you’re attending a business event, working on a new project or looking to expand your workforce, live streaming will keep your audience engaged and informed every step of the way.

Surprise and delight marketing

Over the last decade marketing tactics have evolved drastically, with consumers becoming more and more responsive to unexpected campaigning and personal experiences. Surprise and delight marketing is a clever approach that attracts and retains customers by offering unexpected rewards, such as surprise giveaways. Often employed over social media (for example, by asking customers to respond to a hashtag and then rewarding those that do with a free gift) this is a fun strategy that will instantly make your brand more memorable while demonstrating that you value your customers.

Virtual reality

Keeping up with tech trends in the creative industry is imperative, and virtual reality (VR) is a key up-andcoming tech trend to jump on board with. Using VR as part of a marketing strategy could have a lot of benefits – interactive ads will allow potential customers to engage with your product, and interactive stores will allow shoppers to browse products and test them out. Additionally, VR can simply help give you an edge over your competitors and get your brand out there. Adopting such innovative and interesting technology is an effective way of keeping your finger on the pulse and attracting more customers.

How to build a brand

Building a brand is important to business success. A good brand is easily recognisable and immediately tells your audience what you’re all about – it can also make you stand out from your competitors and help you show off your personality and flare. But how do you develop a winning brand? Business Connect offers some top tips.

Where to start

The first thing to do is identify your audience. They are the ones who will be buying your product, so it’s important that you tailor your brand’s voice, design and marketing strategy in such a way that catches their eye. You can identify your audience by:

Examining your existing customers: if you already have a loyal customer base, get to know them. What is their age range? Where do they live? Do they shop with you for convenience, or is there something else about you that they like?

Examining your competition: what are your competitors doing differently? Do they reach a larger demographic of customers and if so, how can you target them as well?

Creating buyer personas: think about your ideal customer and create a profile for them, outlining their age, gender, likes and dislikes. What do you they want from your product? How can you meet their expectations?

With all of this in mind, you can establish the types of people you want to target and consider the existing types of brand that those people are drawn to. You can also look for gaps in the market and see if you can fill it.

Figuring out your brand position

Once you’ve identified your customer, you need to decide on your brand position – that is, where your brand will sit on the market. After all, you won’t tempt high-end luxury fashion buyers if your products are budget friendly, and you’ll struggle to tap into the ecofriendly market if your products don’t boast green credentials. Identifying your brand position is the first step in letting your customers know what they can expect from you.

It’s easy to create a positioning statement. You just need to come up with a short statement –one or two lines will do – which outlines exactly what your business does. This can also incorporate your unique selling point – that is, the thing that sets you apart from your competitors. What do you offer that they don’t? Shout about it!

Once you have figured out your brand position, you can develop your brand ‘voice’. If you sell homemade goods or children’s toys, for example, a warm, friendly voice would suit better than formal or stylised language. Your brand voice should carry over to your marketing campaigns and all social media content.

What’s in a name?

You’ve identified your target audience and your position. But a brand is nothing without a business name. The right name should identify everything your customer needs to know about you and your products. If you’re providing a service – perhaps you’re a florist, or a handyman – it’s a good idea to include that in your business name, so you’re easy to find in online searches. However, if you want your business name to be more unique, making up a word (think of Goop, or Ikea) is a great way to stand yourself out from your competitors… just make sure it’s not impossible to pronounce – or spell!

Pick your name wisely – once it adorns business cards, branding material, or even your storefront, it can be costly to change, not to mention confusing for your customers.

Next step – design a logo

With a name decided, your next step is to design a logo. A logo will serve as the ‘face’ for your company and your brand, so you’ll need something that’s not only eye catching but easily identifiable and also unique. Consider all the places your logo will be visible – such as your website, your social media profiles and product packaging.

If you use a lot of colours, your logo might look muddy or confusing. Pick two or three core ‘brand colours’ that you can use across your business cards, product packaging, and especially online communication. This will help your customers recognise you and your content when they’re scrolling through social media.

Imagery can be used in logos, but keep it simple. You want it to be clean and easily recognisable – the Apple logo is a great example of this!

Fonts can be useful in conveying your brand position too – sans-serif fonts are more modern and friendly, while serif fonts look and feel more traditional. If you include text in your logo, keep in mind long words might be difficult to read on small screens, such as phones.

Share and grow

Now that you’ve built a brand, you need to share it with the world. Make sure your brand is consistent across your website and social media, and always adhere to your brand voice and core colours. The best way to grow brand recognition is through consistency, and a brand style guide is a useful way to ensure this, especially if you have different members of staff managing different aspects of your business. Also, don’t be tempted to revamp your brand every year –redesigning your logo or changing your core colours on a whim could alienate your core customer base.

‘The first thing to do is identify your audience’

The latest news from South Yorkshire businesses operating in the Corporate Hospitality, Digital & Technology, International Trade, Finance, Manufacturing & Engineering,and Skills & Training sectors.

Sector Focus

General manager appointed to hotel

With plans well underway for the opening of Courtyard by Marriott Sheffield in early summer 2023, RBH Hospitality Management (RBH) has appointed Louise O’Reilly (pictured) as general manager.

Louise initially joined RBH in 2002 and brings a wealth of industry experience to this role having previously managed five hotels within RBH. Adept in successful hotel launches and understanding the needs of a brand, her tenacity and drive saw her crowned Hilton’s Focus Service EMEA General Manager of the Year in 2021 for her consistently strong performance across all key areas of hospitality management including her adaptable approach, team ethos, commercial and operational expertise, and customer satisfaction.

Located just outside Sheffield City Centre on the doorstep of the Waverley Nature Reserve, the hotel offers a fantastic base from which to explore Sheffield and beyond. Suited to both the business and leisure guests, the contemporary 150bedroom hotel will include modern guestrooms, the all-day dining ‘Aspen Restaurant & Bar’ with outdoor terrace open to local residents, a fitness center and meeting facility with the latest state-of-the-art technology.

On her appointment as general manager, Louise said: “I am excited to open the first Marriott-branded hotel in Sheffield. The operational strategy is crucial for a successful launch, and we will be running a dedicated recruitment campaign to find the right team of talented and passionate hospitality professionals, which will offer 38 full-time jobs in the local market. Given our proximity to the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP), which is located right across the road, this appointment also offers many opportunities for me to collaborate with local businesses.”

Louise will spearhead the recruitment campaign over the coming months and has already appointed key members of the management team including Megan Coakley as director of sales, Joanne Cocking as deputy

general manager and financial controller Badar Huda. The appointment of the wider team is underway.

David Hart, RBH’s CEO, said: “Louise’s appointment is a key milestone in the opening journey. She is the perfect strategic fit for this property and has already started the process of developing a fantastic local team. We are delighted to be expanding the RBH portfolio with a quality branded hotel into the city of Sheffield. Under Louise’s experienced hand, the hotel will play an active part in promoting Sheffield as a tourist and business destination.”

The Courtyard by Marriott Sheffield is set to open in early Summer 2023.

‘Louise’s appointment is a key milestone in the opening journey’

Is your supply chain vulnerable to attack?

By Mike Smith (

), director, TwentyFour IT Services Ltd

We are going to talk about the growing issue of our times – how organised crime is developing stratagems, operating as businesses with you as both supplier and customer.

Most businesses have supply chains, and they can extract knowledge from within your own systems to create a business plan with two key outcomes:

• Are you worth attacking and if so, for how much

• What negotiating stance should they take. Once they have these, they might pounce and so they trigger the attack.

The National Cyber Security Centre showed a statistic stating that last year, some 39% of businesses were impacted and around 20% actually lost money or data through cybercrime. It is fair to suggest that, especially for SMBs, the aim of attacks is financial, to extract money rather than data. However, if you hold data on your customers/users, such personal data can be worth around £180 per user on the dark web where data is typically sold.

In recent times the threat landscape has evolved to take account of how corporate networks, connectivity and environments have

changed; such as home working, the retirement of 500,000 senior employees anda greater push on connectivity, Industry 4.0, Internet of Things, robots and mobile devices of all kinds in warehouse, shop floor, and delivery vans. This has all conspired to create an absolute zoo of what is known in the trade as End Points. Places which are now part of the jagged outer perimeter of your home and work networks, some with a real or potential connectivity back to company financial and operational systems.

This has spurred evolution in cybercrime. These guys are developing hacking tools which are packaged as products and can be bought via the dark web. They are skilled in hiding their true IP addressing so it is very difficult to know from where an attack truly came. What the cybersecurity industry needs to do is help clients mitigate risk and avoid being caught out.

Consider:

• How can I protect my business and avoid being the next statistic?

• What can I teach my staff to b careful?

• What technology elements are there available to fill in the gaps in the shield landscape?

Why? Imagine what you would least want to lose access to. Criminals often lodge an unseen

SYMCA approves investment in Airlander project

South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard and the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) have approved a package of investment and support for plans by Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) to produce its pioneering new low carbon aircraft, Airlander 10, in Doncaster.

HAV is a UK-based leader in sustainable aircraft technology and the Airlander 10 is an ultra-low emissions aircraft, capable of carrying 100 passengers or ten tonnes of freight. The loan investment, worth £7m will be used to support HAV to begin investing in facilities, talent and supply chains in South Yorkshire.

HAV’s plans will create over 1,200 new high value and highly skilled jobs in new green technologies, and further jobs and opportunities from growth across the company’s supply chains.

By 2026, the company aims to deliver the first completed orders to its customers and build 12 new Airlander 10 aircraft per year in Doncaster thereafter.

South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard said: “As our neighbours across the Atlantic have proved, investing in the potential of green technologies will not only help us tackle the climate emergency, it will help us create high quality new jobs and grow a bigger, better economy which takes everyone with it.

“We have a world-class cluster of companies working at the cutting edge of advanced manufacturing and green technology, so I’m genuinely excited that we can support HAV in their ambitions to build a sustainable aviation cluster here in Doncaster.”

‘agent’ in your networks, gathering information before they pounce. So best stop the malicious agent getting onto your networks in the first place. This is feasible!

What is the cost of not being able to operate for three-six weeks, with no access to systems, cashflow issues, customer complaints. The detail depends on what your business does, so think what a worst case might mean to you. What will be the cost of damage to your reputation?

Airlander 10 will deliver 90% fewer per-passenger emissions in flight than traditional aircraft and aims to enable zero emissions operations by the end of the decade.

The agreement with SYMCA is a major milestone for HAV’s plans to bring Airlander to market. The loan will enable Hybrid Air Vehicles to begin investing in the region and paves the way for Hybrid Air Vehicles to invest up to £310m into its production programme. HAV is also set to work with other partners across the region, including the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre at the University of Sheffield, and Doncaster UTC.

Tom Grundy, CEO of Hybrid Air Vehicles, said: “At Hybrid Air Vehicles we are revolutionising views of what aviation is, and Airlander is designed for us to rethink the skies. From day one, Oliver Coppard has bought into our vision, so I am delighted that he has announced this investment which will anchor green industries and over time create more than a thousand highly skilled jobs in Doncaster and South Yorkshire.

“We will work with regional partners, including Mayor Ros Jones and Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council, Doncaster UTC, the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre and the University of Sheffield, to establish a world-leading cluster for green aerospace technologies, skills and supply chains.”

The pioneering Airlander 10 will be produced in Doncaster

pictured

Partnership advises on major sale

Shorts recently teamed up with Freeths to act as lead advisors and legal representatives to AML Juratek Ltd in their sale to Brazilian car parts manufacturer, Fras-Le in a deal worth £18.2m

Founded in 1995, Juratek Ltd supply high-quality automotive aftermarket braking products for both Light & Commercial Vehicles, from its head office in Doncaster (UK).

The Company employs 50+ people and distributes around the world. Matt Robinson (managing director), Toby Whewell (sales & marketing director) and Mark Clegg (operations director) took over full control of the business in 2019

following a Management Buyout, and the business subsequently acquired Braking specialists Bettaparts in 2021 before now selling to Fras-le.

Andy Ryder, partner at Shorts, said: “Having assisted Matt, Toby and Mark through a number of transactions over the past four years, it has been an absolute pleasure to have advised them through the latest stage of the Juratek journey.”

Lisa Wallis, partner at Freeths, added: “Freeths were delighted to work alongside Shorts on this transaction and act for the exiting shareholders who had helped build a fantastic business in Juratek.

“We wish them every success in the future and are sure that with Fras-le’s backing, Juratek will continue to grow and thrive.”

Matt Robinson added:

“We were delighted to conclude the transaction with the support of Shorts and Freeths. It is a fantastic

deal for the shareholders but also the start of an exciting journey for the company under the ownership of Fras-Le.”

On announcing the news, the president and CEO of Fras-le, Sergio Carvalho was quoted on Fras-le’s website as saying “With this strategic action we reaffirm our position as one of the largest portfolios of brands for the auto parts aftermarket, expanding the model that has been working in Brazil for new markets; allowing even more growth, important operational synergies and adding value to our business and quality in delivering solutions to our customers.”

Financial planner’s charity work recognised

Dronfield-based financial planners, Belmayne, are being recognised by the regional business community for their work with local charities.

The independent firm is shortlisted in the Community category at the East Midlands Federation of Small Businesses (FSB)

Celebrating Small Business Awards.

Belmayne is one of seven organisations in the running for the award, all of whom partake in initiatives that support local communities. The winner will be announced at the regional finals on March 15, held at the Leicester Marriott.

Through its Belmayne Foundation, more than £33,000 has been donated to small, local

organisations since its inception in 2019. All fundraising is split equally between selected annual charities that support health and wellbeing and provide relief for those in need. This year they are Chesterfield’s Fairplay and the Just Good Friends Club, which operates across Derbyshire.

Belmayne partner Ben Smalley said: “We are thrilled to have our charitable efforts acknowledged by a panel of leading business experts. Playing a meaningful role in the community we serve is really important to us and since launching the Belmayne Foundation, we have worked with some fantastic unsung heroes across North East Derbyshire/Sheffield.

We are really looking forward to attending the FSB Awards finals next month and celebrating the achievements of small businesses across our region that are punching above their weight.”

A full list of the finalists in the East Midlands FSB Celebrating Small Business Awards can be found at www.fsbawards.co.uk/finals-too/eastmidlands.html

To learn out more about Belmayne’s charitable work or its wide range of financial planning services, telephone (01246) 298181, visit www.belmayne-ifa.com or follow the firm on Twitter, @belmayneifa.

‘Freeths were delighted to work alongside Shorts on this transaction’

L-R: Lisa Wallis, Mark Clegg, David Robinson, Matt Robinson, Adam Ames, Toby Whewell, and Andy Ryder

Time Finance drives growth with new hire

Time Finance is pleased to announce the appointment of Casey Baldwin (pictured) as business development manager in its Invoice Finance team as it sets out to bolster its support to SMEs in Yorkshire and the North East of England.

Casey joins Time Finance with 10 years’ experience in the invoice finance sector, having spent her career working alongside both national brokers and business owners to package supportive and flexible funding solutions. Casey most recently worked at Novuna where she spent three years as a business development manager. Prior to that, she gained experience in business development and relationship management roles at Bibby Financial Services, Aldermore Bank and RBS Invoice Finance.

In her new position, Casey will be responsible for building and maintaining strong introducer relations across Yorkshire and the North East, while generating awareness of the Invoice Finance solutions available to business owners and intermediaries through Time Finance.

Casey said: “I’m really excited to be joining the Time Finance team. Their Invoice Finance division has an excellent reputation in the market and are well known for their common-sense approach to structuring funding solutions and achieving high

client retention figures. Their broad offering and appetite to support more businesses is a great talking point and opens up a lot of opportunities to help businesses with all aspects of their financing needs.

“For me, stepping into this role also comes at a crucial time. The challenges that the SME market currently faces leaves many in need of a tailored solution that can help them in overcoming cashflow issues within their business and operations. I’m looking forward to building up my network of trusted introducers and working closely with them to spot opportunities and react swiftly to their clients’ funding requirements.”

Andy Hume, head of sales at Time Finance, added: “Casey is a great addition to our team, and we are delighted to have her on board as we continue to expand our presence across the UK.

“We have ambitious growth objectives to continue enabling SMEs to gain easy access to invoice finance solutions, and considering the wider challenges that the current market is facing, Casey’s appointment could not come at a better time to help us to achieve this.”

Acquisition for PM Law Group

Sheffield-based PM Law Group has acquired John M Lewis & Co – an award winning law firm specialising in residential conveyancing, wills, trusts and probate. The business will continue to trade under the John M Lewis & Co name and will offer a new, wider range of complementary legal services as part of the PM Law Group’s national law firm practices.

Since PM’s launch in 1989, the business has built a strong reputation for providing specialist legal services to private individuals and families, as well as businesses, landlords and property developers and the acquisition of John M Lewis & Co complements the national reach with local, customercentric face-to-face services that customers continue to want and need.

PM Law Group CEO Jon Bostock said: “We are really pleased to be able to bring the John M Lewis & Co team into the PM Law Business Group family of businesses. They stood out to us because of the quality of the service that they provide, which has been recognised by the awards they have won. We hope to be able to complement and build upon this with our additional range of services, which allows us to offer services to customers however they wish – both digitally and locally.

“We continue to look to expand our business with either acquisitions or joint ventures in localities we have so far not reached to and through our broad reach have devised models to try and help those firms by reducing their regulatory burden while allowing them to keep their independence. We’ve partnered with other firms this way and it’s working very well for all parties so we’re on the lookout for more.”

Taylor Emmet opens new Sheffield office

Astate-of-the-art new office opened by Sheffield City Region law firm Taylor Emmet is set to be the benchmark for an all-new way of working for the firm.

Taylor Emmet has moved into a fully refurbished space at 1 Ecclesall Road South in Banner Cross. The new South West Sheffield office is fully open plan and forms part of Taylor Emmet’s plan to revolutionise its traditional working practices. The new office gives clients easy access to all Taylor Emmet’s legal services from the South West of the city.

By taking on the lease of the space before it had been renovated, Taylor Emmet was able to tailor the refurbishment of the space to its exact requirements and started a year-long project to transform the office environment in early 2022.

Taylor Emmet recognised that the office provided a fantastic opportunity to review the traditional working environment of the firm, developing a space that offers modern working practices to benefit both the client and its people. New practices introduced by the firm include hot desking to allow all areas of the business to have a presence in the South West of the city. Whilst there are also green initiatives such as cycle parking area to encourage staff to commute.

Steve Hinshelwood, chief executive officer at Taylor Emmet, said: “We identified a need for a new office as the previous building wasn’t suitable for the modern way of working we have implemented.

When we discovered that there was a vacant unit at the former Gilder site, we jumped at the opportunity.

“I think it’s fair to say that 1 Ecclesall Road South is an iconic building for anyone local to Sheffield and particularly the Banner Cross area. Having a visible presence here is huge for us as a firm and will transform our visibility in the South West area of the city.

“The previous South West office wasn’t conducive to collaborative working or an efficient use of space. One of the key aims of the new office is to enable the team to work collaboratively which has great benefits to our clients.

“We want the new South West office to act as a benchmark for our other workspaces around Sheffield City Region. The new office furniture is made from recycled materials, we have installed a state-of-the-art air conditioning system, full motiondetection LED lighting, and we now have just one printer for the entire office as we aim to further reduce our paper usage.

“This project has been a year in the planning, and I would like to thank everybody who has contributed to making it happen. We held a fantastic launch event in January where the feedback was very positive, and I am delighted to see the office now fully operational. It’s been great to invite clients to visit and enjoy the space, and we now have a wider pool of team members from across all departments working there, further bolstering our presence in South West Sheffield.”

PM Law celebrate acquisition of John M Lewis & Co

‘I think it’s fair to say that 1 Ecclesall Road South is an iconic building’

The Taylor Emmet team moves into their new office

Switalskis Solicitors promotes Sheffield family lawyer to director

Toby Netting, an experienced Sheffield-based family lawyer who joined Switalskis Solicitors’ family law team five years ago, has been promoted to director.

With over 25 years’ experience working across all areas of family law, Toby is a qualified collaborative lawyer and member of Resolution who is skilled in working with families to resolve often complex financial and child custody matters relating to divorce and separation.

Switalskis Solicitors’ family law team, which received a top tier ranking in this year’s Legal 500, comprises 11 family law professionals who work out of offices in South and West Yorkshire.

As well as extensive knowledge and experience in family law, Toby has broader experience gained working with farming and familyowned businesses, and on the board of trustees at Zest – a not for profit organisation that offers support to people living in

disadvantaged areas of Sheffield –experience Toby often draws on in his role as a family lawyer.

Praised by colleagues and clients for his empathetic and objective approach, Toby says, “Client care is at the heart of everything we do. Becoming a director gives me the opportunity to make sure high standards are achieved across the entire business and ultimately that our clients experience the best service in what can sometimes be the most difficult of circumstances.”

Toby Netting is one of five newly appointed directors at the firm, joined by York-based clinical negligence lawyers Robyn Hawxby, Richard Starkie, Lisa Swales and Carmel Walsh, who become directors following the full integration of Pryers Solicitors with Switalskis.

John Durkan, managing director at Switalskis Solicitors, said: “Our director appointments reflect the commitment and dedication each director shows towards clients and to our firm and are an important part of our growth and succession

strategy. It is because of such talent that our business is going from strength to strength.

“I have no doubt each director will play a significant role in achieving our ambitions which are to continue to deliver exceptional legal services, whilst continuing to grow our business through recruitment and promotion from within.”

Shakespeare Martineau achieves B-Corp status

Full-service law firm Shakespeare Martineau – as part of legal and professional services group Ampa – has been awarded B Corporation certification.

As well as Shakespeare Martineau, Ampa also includes brands Lime Solicitors, Marrons, Mayo Wynne Baxter, CSS Assure and Corclaim, employing more than 1,300 people over 18 hubs across the UK.

Helen Hay, group head of culture and sustainability at Ampa, said: “This is a huge achievement for us and demonstrates our commitment as a group to use business as a force for good for our people, planet, communities and clients.

“We’re really proud to have achieved our highest score for how we treat our people, including our approach to pay and reward, our wellbeing initiatives and benefits and embedding professional development support and opportunities across the group of brands.

employees and full marks for its intern programme.

Sarah Walker-Smith (pictured below), CEO of Ampa and Shakespeare Martineau, said: “We believe you can be both purposeful and profitable, so our B-Corporation values are embedded within our commercial growth strategy and fully supported from the top-down. We also take great pride in helping our clients achieve their sustainability goals.

“As we continue to grow our group, we are looking for likeminded professional services brands to join Ampa, whether they have BCorporation status or not, and we can support them in their growth strategy as well as better business practices to people and the planet.”

Get in Touch: 0330 024 0333 www.shma.co.uk

Organisations with certified B-Corporation status are legally required to consider the impact of business decisions on their people, customers, suppliers, communities and the environment, ensuring a balance between purpose, people and profit.

The benchmarks in order to achieve accreditation are incredibly high and the auditing process is rigorous, with non-profit BLab independently scoring companies across governance, workers, community, environment and customers to determine the business’ social and environmental performance.

“We keep ourselves accountable through our responsible business ambitions that are constantly tracked and analysed, pushing us to do better and achieve more. So far, we have achieved a number of our ambitions across diversity and inclusion, reducing landfill waste and carbon emissions, as well as supporting young people in our local communities.”

Among other ambitions, in 2022 the group increased racial diversity at a membership (equity stakeholder) level by more than 3%, against a target of 2%, supported more than 400 young people through a variety of career development events, and significantly reduced its paper use. Within the rigorous audit Ampa achieved its top score for commitment to

Switalskis directors Robyn Hawxby, John Durkan, Carmel Walsh, Richard Starkie, Lisa Swales, Toby Netting

‘Client care is at the heart of everything we do’

Sector Focus: Manufacturing & Engineering

Ssignificant and ground-breaking contract in May 2017 by Magnox, which is an arm of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority Group, to support the UK’s nuclear decommissioning programme.

Following a commercial competition and selection process, APL was awarded the contract to redesign and manufacture the Magnox 6m3 Reinforced Concrete Box (RCB), which will be used to store intermediate level radioactive wastes, currently being retrieved at decommissioning nuclear power stations across the UK.

The APL journey began with a detailed study how such a container must be manufactured and who could support the manufacture of this critical component from the wider supply chain. Several companies were considered. These were then narrowed down to a handful who could offer the quality and consistency required for such a demanding project. Construx of Belgium were chosen for the manufacture of the moulds and turning equipment, Abbey Group Ltd of Liverpool for the supply of casings and twistlocks, Lemon Ground Works for the cut and bent rebar, Tarmac for the standard aggregates and cement, Grace for the add mixtures and LKAB for the heavy aggregates. All of which have provided APL not just quality products but support along the way.

Amber Precast goes nuclear with ground-breaking contract Sentric Safety Group acquires Zonegreen

manufactured over half of the total supply. The 100th RCB was completed in August 2020 and was a major manufacturing milestone for APL and a fantastic achievement for everyone in the project team both at APL, Magnox and the wider supply chain. Box 100, along with all others, has undergone a stringent manufacturing and quality assurance process, culminating in a first-class package ready for use in this demanding environment. This 100th RCB has been chosen to continue its groundbreaking journey and has been selected by Magnox to become its first RCB to be filled with intermediate level waste and will shortly be transported to its interim home at a secure, purpose-built storage facility at Berkeley.

Amber Precast is proud to be part of the Magnox supply chain delivering one of the most successful new UK radioactive waste container projects in the last 20 years.

Simon Derrick, Senior project manager, said: “It’s important for Magnox to create opportunities for the UK supply chain. Not only to support economic growth but also to collaborate with experts and innovators to ensure we can effectively, safely, and efficiently deliver our mission to decommission the UK’s nuclear fleet. With the support of our supply chain, we can successfully and safely manage our wastes.”

Sentric Safety Group, a company that manufactures and distributes leading safety solutions, has announced its acquisition of Zonegreen.

Headquartered in Sheffield, Zonegreen develops technologies, software and services that make working in rail depots safer and more efficient. Controlled remotely, these technologies protect lives by ensuring vehicles don’t move unless it is safe to do so. Zonegreen’s products are used by rail customers across the UK, Ireland and Australia.

“Sentric has a proven track record in the rail safety space in France. The acquisition of Zonegreen will enable us to offer a complete range of connected solutions to keep rail maintenance workers safe,” said Aurelie Paul, general manager, Sentric. “Our companies’ technologies are solving real problems every day as new ways of travelling continue to evolve. Sentric’s investment not only accelerates its ambition for international growth, it also gives the company long-term support to create the safest environment for employees when working in rail depots.”

As a highly sustainable mode of transport, rail makes a notable contribution to reducing carbon emissions and achieving climate objectives. With its growth, there is a growing demand for innovative technologies which support the safety,

reliability and efficiency of rail networks and their workers.

The Depot Personnel Protection System (DPPSTM) allows the safe and efficient movement of vehicles in and around rail maintenance depots. The innovative technology safeguards workers by using approved powered derailers, linked to road end panels. Staff create safe zones in which to work in using RFID tags and access permission for trains will then only be given if the road is clear.

SCADA software provides a real time graphical overview of the status of the DPPSTM, and records all safety operations, providing full traceability, while the Points Converter allows the automation and remote operation of any traditional manual points/switches and railroad crossings.

Gemma Houghton, head of sales at Zonegreen, said: “Joining Sentric will give us new opportunities to develop our technology offerings and expand our international reach, to protect even more rail workers, and to further increase safety, productivity and reliability for rail network operators.”

A Zonegreen derailer, part of its flagship Depot Personnel Protection System (DPPS)

The APL Team with ND0100 ready to pack and dispatch

Sector Focus: Skills & Training

MBA students called upon for fresh ideas for The Source

As it celebrates 20 years of getting young people into work, Sheffield training academy The Source has challenged five international students at Sheffield University Management School to reshape its marketing strategy and strengthen the brand of the charity.

The MBA programme, which has been running since 1995 and attracts talented students from all over the world, places experiential learning at its core.

Over 100 live challenges set by local companies are worked on each year by MBA and other Masters students at the university. They enable students to test their skills and learning in the corporate world, while giving South Yorkshire businesses the opportunity to benefit from young minds being taught the latest business thinking.

Postgraduates Shivani, Simran, Nilanjan, Alankrith and Felix analysed all aspects of The

Source’s marketing activities. Their evaluations and recommendations have now been presented to the management team at The Source.

Said CEO Tricia Smith: “Our academy is all about harnessing and developing the skills of young people and we know first-hand what huge benefits businesses gain when they welcome in keen young minds and embrace their ideas. The employers we work with constantly tell us about the fresh ideas and new ways of working the apprentices and trainees we tutor come up with.

“The Sheffield MBA’s Marketing Challenge was an unmissable opportunity for us to benefit in the same way, while also helping its students put what they have learned into practice. We are now looking closely at the new ideas and directions the students proposed.”

Project team leader Alankrith Shankar, an educational games designer from Mumbai, hopes an MBA qualification will boost his

managerial prospects in the e-learning and game-based learning industry.

He commented: “The Source’s marketing strategy has to engage with two customer groups - learners and local businesses. We identified the challenges in engaging and attracting young audiences and hope our proposals help communicate the fantastic platform an apprenticeship programme via The Source offers to young people in South Yorkshire.”

Dr Sabrina Thornton, MBA Programme Director, leading on the Marketing Consultancy Challenge, said: “Our MBA programme is designed to meet each individual’s development needs and career aspirations, as well as to empower students to apply their learning to live organisational challenges. Our MBA students have produced excellent work that helps organisations in their problem solving and decision-making.”

Recruitment firm supports students during careers week

A recruitment firm in Doncaster teamed up with a local specialist college to help prepare students for working life.

The team from ORB Recruitment visited Harrison College, a business, enterprise and employability college for young people aged 16 to 25 with autism and special educational needs, during National Careers Week (6-11 March) to offer expert careers advice.

Stewart Olsen, ORB’s group CEO, and Daniel Pidcock, group business development manager, hosted four, one-hour ‘top tips’ sessions on topics including CV writing and interview preparation where students could get expert guidance and ask any questions related to gaining employment when they leave college.

Stewart said: “We have a long standing partnership with Harrison

College so it was great to work together again during National Careers Week to proactively support its students with the choices they have ahead and how they can best prepare to get into the job market.

“At ORB we really want to support the future generation of workers and give them a helping hand into employment which is not only good for them as individuals but also for the wider economy.

“The students were a credit to themselves, and Daniel and I were so pleased to be able to engage with the students and provide some advice and guidance which I hope they found useful for the future.”

Based in a professional business park, Harrison College offers a curriculum designed to maximise the potential of all young people with learning difficulties, including

those with high functioning autism and Asperger’s syndrome.

Gemma Peebles, who founded Harrison College and is principal and chief executive officer, said: “We’re really pleased to be working with ORB Recruitment once again. They have given our students valuable insight into the recruitment process and how to prepare properly for interviews. As an employability college, engagement from local employers is vital so that our students are prepared for the world of work.”

Headquartered in Balby Carr, ORB Recruitment is a specialist, dedicated recruitment consultancy offering effective recruitment solutions to clients across the UK. It supports businesses within the manufacturing and production, healthcare and construction and engineering industries.

Daniel and Stewart at Harrison College National Careers Week

Simran Malik; Alankrith Shankar; Felix Timoty; Shivani Mudey; Natalie Doherty, The Source deputy chief executive; The Source CEO Tricia Smith and Nilanjan B

XCeeding all expectations

model, but here it has really pushed the boat out with its sporty alternative to the traditional compact crossover, as motoring journalist Nick Jones finds out with a drive of the Kia XCeed.

Lots of cosmetic work has been carried out externally – with new LED headlamps, a revised grille, front bumper and air intake design – while at the back we gain a new diffuser, LED tail-lights and a sloping roof-line giving a coupelike appearance.

Internally, there are new graphics around the sculptured dashboard, and a 10.5-inch touchscreen sits prominently with touch-sensitive buttons, dials and switches for audio, heating and ventilation.

For a brand such as Kia, one thing that really stands out are the quality of the build and materials, not to

mention how the soft-touch materials project a sense of refinement.

So, four models to choose from and across the range lies a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine – mine here is a plug-in hybrid option, which has an additional 44.5kW electric motor coupled to a 1.6-litre petrol with a six-speed dual-clutch auto transmission.

The plug-in hybrid provides bags of grunt, with an all-electric range of around 40 miles and should get you to work and back solely on a single charge, which should take about two hours using a 3.3kW charger.

FACTFILE

Kia XCeed 1.6 GDi

PRICE OTR

From £33,000

PERFORMANCE

Despite having a battery pack, the XCeed still has plenty of room internally, providing nearly 300 litres of space – and quadruple that if you fold down the split-fold rear seats. Drive it enthusiastically and it provides bags of grip and a comfy ride – a nice combination on today’s roads.

While Kia is a Korean brand, the XCeed was designed in Germany and tested extensively on European roads, making it a welcome addition in Britain.

Interestingly, last year Kia sold in excess of 100,000 cars, and almost a third of them were electrified vehicles.

Top speed: 100mph 0-60 mph: 10.6 seconds

POWER 140 horsepower

ECONOMY 40 miles all-electric