Business Intelligence Jan Feb 23

A bold plan to

Growing your business, building our economy

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President’s Message

There has been a distinct theme to this latest quarter - renewable energy and devolution!

When you are talking about the Humber, these topics often drop into the conversation, but in November in particular, the enormous amount of progress and huge potential of what is going on here in “renewable energy” was even more pertinent than ever and that the lack of any political leadership vision, drive and cohesion, at both local and national level, is yet again a dead weight on progress.

In the month that COP27 took place, I attended the launch at The House of Lords, hosted by Baroness Redfern, of the excellent Humber 2030 Vision document.

The CBI are promoting the Humber Cluster as being “the most important tool in the box” to achieving Net Zero and a speech by Shadow Climate Minister, Ed Miliband, echoed the same sentiments.

Later in November, Ed Miliband visited the Chamber of Commerce offices in Hull and asked us to get all of the key players in the Humber to meet him so he could hear for himself what was happening and what businesses’ frustrations are.

This was an excellent meeting and those present reinforced what fantastic work is being done in the Humber on Carbon Reduction, yet delays in both local and national decision making were a common frustration.

Losing out to Teesside and the lack of a single figurehead to not only speak for the region but also to make things happen, means that despite all of the good work that is undoubtedly going on, our being left in the Devolution political slow lane (actually in the garage with four flat tyres!) is so frustrating.

It is a real shame that we can’t have one person to take on this role with an electoral mandate that matches Teesside, Leeds and Manchester, but if the Government leaves Humber politicians to make any decision, then it feels like the Turkeys are not voting for Christmas!

May all our Members have a happy and prosperous “Green New Year!”

Mike Whitehead

President, Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce

Chamber Patrons

As a not-for-profit organisation, the Chamber is very grateful to our Patrons, who support us in our aim to help our Members develop their businesses.

• KCOM

• Arco: Experts in Safety

• Streets Chartered Accountants

• Associated British Ports

• SPS Group of Companies

• On Loan Recruitment Ltd

• Clugston Group Ltd

• Wilkin Chapman LLP Solicitors

• University of Hull

• My Group

• Andrew Jackson

• Forest Pines Hotel and Golf Resort

• Orsted

• ASM Global

• Ellgia

• Alan Boswell Insurance Brokers

• AA Global Language Services Ltd

• Kevin Greene Photography

• Drax

• Equinor New Energy Ltd

Big Interview

Phil Ascoughof Ascough Associates remembers former Hull City owner and businessman Dr Assem Allam

Chamber Presidents look back on legacy of Dr Assem Allam

For all his best efforts as a renowned, selfmade businessman, Assem Allam is destined to be remembered not for his success in building a company worth more than £300m but for what was achieved with the money he gave away.

He bought a football club and donated millions of pounds to support education and healthcare in the region. His persistence ensured he wasn’t always popular, but he was admired and respected for his charm, playful sense of humour, and his honesty.

Three Chamber Presidents speak warmly of their dealings with Dr Allam, who died in December. As one of the three, I managed to dig out an interview we did in 2012 which has never been published.

It gives an insight into Dr Allam’s arrival in the UK from his native Egypt, the events in his homeland which perhaps influenced his single-mindedness, and the inspiration behind so many philanthropic acts.

But it was the current President, Mike Whitehead, who was the first of the three to meet Dr Allam.

A lifelong Hull City fan, Mike was appointed as one of five Club Presidents after Dr Allam bought the cub in 2010. Mike said: “He saved my football club from oblivion and, under his stewardship, it had the most successful period in its 118 year history . I had the time of my life and I will always cherish his lovely sense of humour.”

Howard O’Neill was the President who in 2011 welcomed Dr Allam to Chamber Expo as guest of honour. It was a home game for Dr Allam, taking place in the original Bonus Arena, close to the stadium.

Howard recalled: “He asked when I was parked and when I said my car was at the stadium he offered me a lift in his Rolls Royce. I said I was quite happy to walk as it was only a couple of hundred yards but he insisted and said he was going that way anyway!”

Howard remembered that in his speech and in conversation over lunch, Dr Allam told of his plans to buy the stadium and build a multi-million-pound sports village next door. He also said he would bring the British Open Squash Championships to Hull.

He delivered on the latter but his bid to buy the stadium was blocked, the sports village never happened and his attempts to modernise the club and football itself led to the furore around his plans to rebrand City as Hull Tigers. Some of the rhetoric was blunt to the point of recklessness, notably when he told reporters that the leaders of the ‘City Till We Die’ campaign could die when they wanted to. But our interview in 2012 provided a fascinating clue as to the possible origins of such frustration.

During a conversation which was scheduled for one hour but ran to three times that, Dr Allam told me how he had to save himself and his family after being targeted as a voice of dissent in President Nasser’s Egypt.

“I

very outspoken when I was young,” he said.

believe

‘I used to make speeches against Nasser. When I think what I used to say I can’t believe it – the things you do when you are young!’

was

“I used to make speeches against Nasser. When I think what I used to say I can’t

it – the things

Dr Allam cutting the ribbon to open Chamber Expo in 2011 watched by Chamber Chief Executive Dr Ian Kelly (right) and the then Chamber President Howard O’Neill

you do when you are young! I ended up being arrested. I had my share of torture, then arrested again, and I decided I had no option but to leave.”

He found work labouring at a flour mill, then soldering at Metal Box and then as an assistant accountant. You expect him to tell tales of picking up a second-hand generator and building a multi-million pound business, but the reality is more mundane.

Seconded to a subsidiary engineering business, Tempest Diesels Ltd, as Finance Director, he found himself in the right place at the right time when the bank decided to get out of generators and marine engines. What happened next would form the first step to enhancing the lives of thousands of people in Hull and East Yorkshire.

“I realised that the future would be big, very big or nothing,” he said.

“Being one of 250 businesses that all did the same thing would not work. I knew we had to be big, very quickly, to survive.”

Dr Allam approached some of his main competitors with his plan to build a factory that would manufacture for all of them. When they turned him down he did it anyway, and started supplying those former competitors.

“My success in turning competitors into customers was the main reason for me being voted the Ernst & Young UK Entrepreneur of the Year,” he said.

“The business model was similar to a supermarket, relying on volume and standard products. You can’t do that with marine engines because different boats have different requirements so we came out of that side of the business, but you can do it with generators and the business went from strength to strength.”

Mike Whitehead recalls what happened next: “Dr Allam did things differently. When he bought City he

paid over £30m to creditors to stop it going into administration. Most other people would have let that happen and buy the club for a fraction of what he paid.

“But he didn’t do that, as many of the creditors were local businesses and the club didn’t get docked the mandatory 10 points. Two Premier League promotions, an FA Cup Final and Europe might never have happened but for him thinking differently!”

With a background as a former NHS Surgical General Manager, Mike is also well aware of the impact of Dr Allam’s support for education and health, donating millions of pounds to provide new facilities at the University of Hull, Castle Hill Hospital and Hull Royal Infirmary. Projects included a £7.5m diabetes treatment centre, the development of robotic surgery, a birth centre within Hull Women and Children's Hospital and research into cancer, cardiac and neurological conditions through the Daisy Appeal's new Molecular Imaging Research Centre.

Mike said: “I know we have one of the finest medical schools in the UK and many other facilities which are the envy of our larger northern NHS neighbours. A lot of this is down to Dr Allam’s philanthropy and I will always be grateful to him.”

ABOVE: James Allan from St John Ambulance (left) and Assem Allam

RIGHT: Prof Nick Stafford and Chamber President Mike Whitehead next to the cyclotron, a key piece of the UK-leading PET-CT scanning and research equipment which is being installed at the Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham

Chamber Policy

Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce is the collective ‘voice’ of business across the Humber region representing the views and interests of our Members at local, regional and national levels.

Chamber Council backs 2030 Vision for zero carbon Humber

One of the region’s key policy-making bodies has endorsed the Humber 2030 Vision for jobs, growth and decarbonisation, recently launched at the Waterline Summit and at a reception in the House of Lords.

Chair of the Humber Energy Board, Richard Gwilliam, speaking at the November meeting of the Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce’s Council described the House of Lords event as a resounding success including attendance from Shadow Energy Secretary Ed Miliband MP among several local MPs from both political parties all of whom expressed their strong support.

Ed Miliband visited the Chamber to hear first hand from local stakeholders about the progress and challenges of the Humber’s decarbonisation plans, having declared the Humber 2030 Vision document a “deeply impressive” piece of work in a speech at the House of Lords reception.

‘For the first time we’ve been able to explain how all these decarbonisation projects relate to one another’

The vision document brings together £15bn of decarbonisation projects underpinned by a new pipeline. Richard highlighted that the Humber was one of the biggest emitting regions in Europe which means there’s huge potential for decarbonisation. Humber businesses are working in partnership with those from Teesside as they will eventually store their CO2 in the same place.

However, Richard made the point that: “Teesside has had more success in attracting investment due to Mayor Ben Houchen providing a single point of contact for inward investors. The opportunity to decarbonise the Humber has international interest and there are multiple decarbonisation initiatives, but the lack of single message clarity has worked against us.” Richard was invited to chair the Humber Energy Board to bring together a regional consensus and took on the challenge which has led to the creation of this single vision which has now been presented in Parliament.

“For the first time we’ve been able to explain how all these decarbonisation projects relate to one another and the role of pipeline infrastructure to take all the captured CO2 out into the North Sea and store it in deep geological deposits. Our region will be serviced by two stores, the Northern Endurance Partnership store off the Yorkshire coast being promoted by the Northern Endurance Partnership and Harbour Energy who is looking to store captured CO2 in the depleted, legacy gas fields including Viking off the Lincolnshire coast.”

Explaining the project in more detail, Richard said: “At the heart of that vision is a network of pipelines that will run from Drax in the west to Keadby, to Scunthorpe to Immingham before crossing the estuary to Hull. These pipelines will take captured carbon dioxide away for permanent storage under the North Sea and bring hydrogen to existing industry to promote low carbon fuel switching.

“The pipelines will be buried, running anonymously through the region. The Humber is already a nationally important industrial economy but this opportunity is of international significance and recognised by the World Economic Forum.”

Chamber Vice President, Albert Weatherill, asked if the size of the C02 emitter made a big difference to the type of company which can take part in the project. Richard noted that “pipeline entry requirements will be set by the pipeline operators but one of the reasons that the Humber is a front running region is that we have large economies of scale – clearly to make the pipeline cost effective you need large volumes of captured CO2”.

Chamber President, Mike Whitehead commented that “the potential for this region is enormous and very exciting, but the sad thing was that we as a region are not telling the rest of the world and the UK what is going on in the Humber – and that needs to change!”.

Chamber President Mike Whitehead (left) pictured with the Chair of the Humber Energy Board, Richard Gwilliam, looking at the Humber 2030 Vision document during a Chamber Council meeting

Engineering a sustainable future at the University of Lincoln

Cutting-edge technology and research are crucial to creating a sustainable future for the Humber and Greater Lincolnshire.

This was the message from Professor Dirk Schaefer, the keynote speaker at the Chamber's November Networking Lunch held at Stallingborough Grange Hotel.

The head of Lincoln University’s School of Engineering told Chamber members about their degree courses that will help shape our future, focusing on subjects such as mechanical engineering, electrical and electronic engineering, artificial intelligence, mechatronics and biomedical engineering.

The School of Engineering was founded in 2009 in partnership with Siemens Energy and is now housed on the Brayford in a purposebuilt facility named after Isaac Newton. It has about 30 full-time academic staff, more than 60 colleagues in total, and keeps growing.

Prof Schaefer highlighted the engineering school’s research focus as Materials Science and Manufacturing, Intelligent Cyber-physical Systems and Industry 4.0, Net-Zero, Energy and Sustainability, Digital Health & Care and Biomedical Engineering, as well as Space and Defence Engineering. Their research programmes are designed to enable work on some of today's grand engineering challenges, fostering inter-disciplinary and cross-

disciplinary work across the College of Science and beyond, and via research- and practice-led teaching, their students are prepared for successful careers in their chosen fields.

Talking about his background, he told his audience he started as an apprentice toolmaker at 16, which inspired him to become what he is today after studying for degrees and other qualifications. “I enjoy connecting the dots between engineering and science,” he said.

exchange required for the near tomorrow.

To that end, he invited any business interested in finding out more to contact him at dschaefer@lincoln.ac.uk

Thanking Prof Schaefer for his presentation, Chamber President Mike Whitehead said: “Renewable energy production was key for our region's future, but asked why the area wasn't attracting more sustainable businesses?”

Prof Schaefer said: “Well, it does take some time. The university’s growing research reputation in these key areas will help attract more investment and talent to the region (levelling up) and more students who want to study and work here later.”

Some of the school’s sustainability-related research even expands beyond the boundaries of planet Earth, looking at how to capture and recycle space debris. As a region, we must remain competitive and look at alternative energies, advance the digitalisation of industrial systems and processes, create smart energy grids, and more, all of which will play their part in future sustainability.

Prof Schaefer said the educational landscape needs to adjust as well (upskilling, in particular), and he wants to work with companies to create and support the education, training, research and knowledge

Neville Reyner commented: “The Engineering School has created an industrial advisory board to look at the specific demands of businesses to best align its research and education strategies with the region’s needs. The School of Engineering and the University of Lincoln stand ready to help address the decarbonisation challenges of the region and growing the renewables sector.”

Summing up, Prof Schaefer said: “It was a pleasure to explain my vision to business leaders and exchange ideas, and I was pleased with how receptive the business community was to some of my out-of-the-box thinking, and I look forward to working with more businesses in the future.”

‘It was a pleasure to explain my vision to business leaders and exchange ideas’

Chamber President Mike Whitehead (left) thanks Dr Schaefer (centre), watched by Neville Reyner

Taking the steps to encourage staff to travel sustainably

As Hull works towards achieving carbon neutrality by 2030 and net zero by 2040, businesses in the city are being encouraged to get involved.

Surface transport is now recognised as the largest emitter of greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, most of which comes from cars and vans, and commuting by active travel for all or even part of the way can significantly lower carbon footprints - even if not all car trips are replaced by cycling or walking, the potential for decreasing emissions is still huge.

Businesses looking to develop their workplace travel plans that address accessibility and encourage the use of sustainable and active travel can now get help and support from Hull City Council.

The authority’s new Business Travel Plan Officer, Caitlynne Picot, previously worked for Next PLC as a Sustainable Travel Coordinator, and joined the council earlier this year.

journeys by encouraging the use of alternative sustainable and active travel modes. Travel Plans generate benefits to the business, the local economy, the individual members of staff, the community, the environment and can increase the quality of life for all those who live and work in Hull.

Caitlynne said: “Sustainable travel in a business is about understanding your employees transport needs and how these can be met by offering attractive transport alternatives such as walking, cycling and public transport.

“A workplace travel plan acts as the key to encourage sustainable commuting. This is because a travel plan sets out to combat over-dependency on cars by promoting all the possible alternatives to single occupancy car use.

“I’m delighted to be part of the team focused on improving and delivering cycling, walking and public transport in Hull.”

A travel plan as described by Transport for West Midlands, is a tool which helps organisations manage transport to and from their sites through a package of measures and actions aimed at reducing single occupancy car

Supported by the Department for Transport, Modeshift STARS is a national accreditation scheme awarded to workplaces for their excellence in supporting cycling, walking and other forms of sustainable and active travel as part of their travel plan. The national STARS accreditation scheme recognises businesses that go above and beyond in developing, implementing and monitoring an effective travel plan to bring about a change in behaviour and reduce the number of single occupancy car journeys. The scheme is an online toolkit that supports the creation of a travel plan followed by a continuous process of planning, delivering and reviewing.

Hull City Council funds the local Modeshift Stars scheme, which is free for Hull businesses to join.

If your business is new to travel planning or would like any travel plan related support, you can get in touch at Caitlynne.picot@hullcc.gov.uk or telephone 07925361224 or 01482 615034 (ext: 5034).

‘A travel plan sets out to combat over-dependency on cars by promoting all the possible alternatives to single occupancy car use’

Business Travel Plan Officer, Caitlynne Picot

Remove the blocks and let us clean up the Humber

We don’t want money – just make bold decisions and let us get on with decarbonising the Humber and building for the future. That was the clear message voiced by the biggest businesses in the Humber when they met with the Shadow Energy Secretary Ed Miliband at the Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce.

Business leaders from Ineos Acetyles, Equinor, Drax, Orsted, Able UK, Prax Group, Phillips 66, Lindsey Oil Refinery, Smith & Nephew, Reckitts, Spencer Group and numerous others all made clear requests of present and future Governments to sweep the red tape out of their way and put the infrastructure in place to let these major businesses thrive in this region.

The former Labour Party leader, who has praised the Humber 2030 Vision document, was knowledgeable and enthusiastic as he outlined his Party’s plans to create GB Energy,

a publicly-owned generation company. Ed Miliband listened carefully and questioned the company representatives in turn to establish precisely what blocks these major industries are facing and what needs to happen to get things moving faster in the Humber.

Business leaders around the Chamber table have billions of pounds to invest in the Humber, but much of that investment would be anticipatory he was told, and there was a need for certainty from Government that if that investment is made, contracts will follow. Businesses needed to have that confidence in place to bring those investment plans to fruition.

David Brooks, the Chief Executive of Ineos Acetyles UK, had travelled from London to attend. He told the meeting: “The Government saying yes or no was very important. If you have ambitions for carbon zero in the Humber for 2030 BEIS needs to step up. Sometimes investment carries risk, but sometimes you have to take risks. The

Marcus Walker, from Able UK, echoed the issues around risk. He said: “The Government needs to underwrite the risks to expand all of the Humber ports – at the minute this is not happening.”

Chamber Chief Executive Dr Ian Kelly highlighted: “The Chamber originally created the Enterprise Zones around the Humber when it established the Humber LEP at former Secretary of State Greg Clark’s request. These are now home to Siemens in Hull and Orsted in Grimsby. We can move further and faster on carbon zero Humber if Whitehall and Westminster

be bolder in their decision making.”

The two major Humber refineries were represented by Jenny Sutcliffe from Phillips 66 and Luc Smets from LOR. Jenny said the Humber Refinery really needed a decision on Track 1 and then on Track 2 plans and it was imp ortant to make sure that the project is there but they need that commitment from BEIS.

The Government will determine whether they

private sector does demand action and promptness to commit, otherwise they lose the confidence to invest.”

‘We can move further and faster on carbon zero Humber if Whitehall and Westminster can be bolder in their decision making’

can

Ed Miliband (left) during the meeting with Paul Andrews (centre) from Smith and Nephew and David Brookes from Ineos

Ed Miliband (second right) in discussions before the meeting with (from left) former Labour MP John Grogan, Chamber President Mike Whitehead, Chamber Chief Executive Dr Ian Kelly and Chamber Vice President and Chair of the Shipping, Transport and Renewables Committee Albert Weatherill (right)

FOCUS

ON:

Decarbonising the Humber

That prompted a discussion about skills shortages – a lack of engineers to install heat pumps, hydrogen heating systems and new technology, with the current ageing fitters preferring to stay with the gas boilers they know rather than retrain. Social housing is also challenging – solar panels are being retrofitted but there are no funds to install battery storage units to store the solar energy for use when it’s needed in the evenings. There were also issues with fitting electric vehicle charging points because of the cost of installing a suitable power supply.

Ed noted how there was a need for a strategy that recognises the requirement of a wide mix of energy sources.

meet requirements, but the refineries could progress work more quickly if the civil servants would give the green light more rapidly.”

Ed Miliband was sympathetic, noting he was keen to get to the bottom of what the blockers are, so we can get things moving.

It was also highlighted that both refineries were having difficulties finding skilled people and contracto rs to work on the shutdowns and they needed to bring people in from abroad which is now very difficult after Brexit.

Emma Toulson, from Orsted, told the meeting: “We have invested £14bn in infrastructure and created the largest offshore wind hub in the world and it’s based in Grimsby. Hornsea 3 and 4 will cost another £14bn which then becomes £30bn investment potential, but we need access to the grid and planning permissions if we are to reach our ambition of 50GW by 2030 – it’s not too far

away now! We all need to work together to decarbonise the Humber.”

The closure of Doncaster Airport and its affect on Humberside Airport was raised by Deborah Zost, who also highlighted issues on skills gaps and their affect on the ability to scale up operations.

Ed seized on the skills issues and told the meeting it needs someone to look at all this in the round. “This isn’t about Party politics,” he said. “The decisions that are needed are in the national interest and I want to push the current Government to make these decisions.”

Jason Speedy, from Groupe Atlantic, raised the issue of transitioning to heat pumps and other domestic fuel sources. There will be no natural gas boilers sold from 2025 which is leading to great uncertainty for the industry. They are trying to incentivise the boiler manufacturers to produce heat pumps instead of gas boilers, but consumer take-up is still very low because of the cost.”

Offering the vote of thanks, former Scunthorpe MP Sir Nic Dakin thanked Ed for coming to the Humber to meet our business leaders. “The Humber is up for the challenge and we need to make it happen – together we can!”

Ed thanked everyone for their insights into the issues they face and said he wants to continue these conversations, promising: “I’ll be back – this has been a really useful discussion.”

‘The Humber is up for the challenge and we need to make it happen – together we can!’

Ed Miliband talking to Humber business leaders during the meeting at the Chamber's offices in Hull

Member News

The latest news, success stories and updates from members of Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce.

Your shot at stardom: business awards open

The annual quest to find the leading businesses and employers in the local area began on 17 November, when the 2023 Goole and Howdenshire Business Excellence Awards opened for entry.

KCOM reveal vision to deliver full fibre broadband to region

Full Fibre broadband provider KCOM has launched a new simplified portfolio of products –delivering better value packages for businesses across the region.

The award-winning, East Yorkshire-based ISP has focused its business product range into six easyto-use packages meaning 100% of local business customers will now have access to unlimited data tariffs.

KCOM’s Head of Business Alan Worthing said the new services would mean companies across the Hull, East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire region will be able to compete on a global level with an ultrafast, reliable and competitively priced full fibre broadband connection.

He said: “As well as updating and simplifying our portfolio our business packages now come with line rental and unlimited data as standardmeaning there’s no limit to what local businesses can achieve online.”

Mr Worthing said: “Alongside unlimited data all our products are competitively priced, starting from just £39.99pm, with the cost of our top 900 Mbps package being reduced by up to £35pm.

“We’re here to enable our customers to succeed online, strengthening the local economy and meaning the whole region can prosper together.”

For more information about KCOM’s new range of business products visit: kcom.com/business/newpackages

The awards ceremony will take place on 14 April 2023. It’s usually held a little earlier in the year, but has been scheduled for April to allow building work at Goole Academy, where the awards evening takes place, to be completed.

The committee’s Chairman, Garrey Haase, said: “We never fail to be impressed by the strength and variety of the entries that we receive, but itwas especially pleasing to hear about the amazing resilience and adaptability of local businesses following what had been an incredibly difficult couple of years.”

For 2023, there are 11 different categories for businesses to enter. As in previous years, the independent judging panel will also be asked to select an Overall Business of the Year Award from the entrants and the organising committee will nominate someone to receive the Tim Richardson Lifetime Achievement Award.

Garrey added: “This year we’ve introduced the Hugh Walton Community Champion Award, for businesses that make a tangible difference to their community, in honour of the late Hugh Walton, a local businessman who was a great supporter of the Goole and Howdenshire Business Excellence Awards for many years. There’s also a new Rising Star Award to recognise emerging talent within the local business community.

The categories for 2023 are as follows:

• New Business Of The Year.

• Small Business Of The Year.

• Large Business Of The Year.

• The Hugh Walton Community Champion Award (Business).

• Charity Of The Year.

• Environmentally Friendly Business Of The Year.

• Marketing Excellence Award.

• Rising Star Award.

• Training And Development Award.

• Self-Employed/Micro Business Of The Year.

• Team Of The Year Award.

“There’s a category for every business to enter. Don’t be afraid to enter more than one category to give yourself an even better chance of making it on to the short list.”

The Goole and Howdenshire Business Excellence Awards is staged in partnership with Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce.

Following the untimely death of television presenter Harry Gration, who has compered the event since it was first launched, the 2023 awards ceremony will be hosted by Blair Jacobs, a former presenter for BBC Radio Humberside.

For more information and to enter, visit www.goolebusinessawards.co.uk. The closing date is 19 February 2023.

The organising committee at last year’s event, with Chairman Garrey Haase pictured on the left

Photography firm focuses on 75 years and three generations of family business

Standing just 5ft 5in with a huge camera and flash slung round his neck and his trademark trilby pulled low, Donald Innes’s face was often obscured. Yet everyone in Hull knew who he was and so did every picture editor in Fleet Street.

From the 1940s to the 1960s he had East Yorkshire covered. From ships sinking in the Humber to the Beatles playing the ABC, he captured it on film and sent the pictures to the world via his own photo wire, one of the first in the North. Donald left an impressive photographic legacy when he died in 1971 at the age of 63.

With a love for photography but not a nose for a story, Donald's son Ivor took the company in a different direction, into the studio. Ivor embraced digital photography when it arrived and made sure Innes were one of the first studios in the UK to buy a digital camera. Since then Innes have been at the forefront of the photographic industry.

Ivor’s work ethic was unrivalled, this and his attention to detail had significant influence with many photography assistants working their way up the ranks of the company. Creative director Paul was one such person, initially only visiting the studio for a brief freelance assisting job he is still here 23 years later. Paul said: “Ivor’s work ethic would put every other photographers to shame, he insisted everything was done to the best level possible and his tireless attitude certainly never wore off, he wouldn't rest until the job was done to his satisfaction, never cutting corners, no matter the time of day, you stayed until it was done right.”

The building in Hessle is still home to Innes, which specialises in commercial work and is best known for its food photography. They have significant experience in this field having worked for both blue chip brands and small independent manufacturers. Food photography is Innes’ area of excellence. Whilst Ivor’s son David has not followed in his father or grandfather's photographic steps he also has a keen eye for detail and a love of good design.

The Innes studios and gallery are now also home to a thriving contemporary furniture and homeware showroom.

Visit www.innesphoto.com and www.innes.co.uk linkedin.com/in/paul-cox-innesphotographers-7361052b

Chamber membership now includes five new advice lines

HR, Legal, H&S, tax and VAT

The Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce has invested in its membership offer and has recently launched four important new services to support Humber businesses which are now included as part of the Chamber package.

Chamber HR, Chamber H&S, Chamber Legal and Chamber Tax are all now available to members and are free to use as often as they like.

Chamber members also have access to a huge library of around 800 downloadable documents and templates covering employment, health and safety, tax and legal matters.

All the new services can be accessed by one phone number which gives members immediate advice and support via five advice lines – HR, H&S, Legal, Tax and VAT

These new services represent a major investment by the Chamber in its membership offer. The services are part of a national scheme provided by Quest with 45,000 UK Chamber of Commerce users.

David Hooper, The Chamber’s External

Affairs Director, said: “Businesses are facing challenging times at the moment and these new services offer excellent support to all businesses, whatever size they may be. I believe these new services will protect our members, help them stay compliant, particularly with issues around Covid-19 like HR and H&S requirements, and give th em peace of mind.

“Our new services are employer focused, so the HR line for example, can help businesses deal with redundancy procedures, appraisals or disciplinary procedures and comes with access to experienced advisors for hand-holding support when they need it, or provide access to documents which are regularly updated to reflect the latest rules and regulations.

“The Health and Safety package offers unlimited advice and access to documents like H&S policies, risk assessment templates and the offer of free One2One reviews. Chamber Legal provides unlimited access to experienced legal advisors and a library of documents, while Chamber Tax provides access to tax and

VAT advisors who can be a great help at tax return time!”

Chamber Chief Executive Dr Ian Kelly said: “We are delighted to be able to include these excellent new benefits as part of our membership package. They provide expert advice and support on many key aspects of running a business and I would encourage our members to make good use of these new, premium services.”

Members only can call 01455 852037 for immediate support and assistance.

For more information, contact the Hull and East Yorkshire office: 01482 324976 or email j.harrison@hull-humberchamber.co.uk, or the Northern Lincolnshire Office: 01472 342981 or email a.tate@hull-humber-chamber.co.uk

Save the date for business awards

The Northern Lincolnshire Business Awards has grown to become the largest single annual business event on the south bank of the Humber and are attended by around 420 guests each year. In

2023 the Black Tie Gala Awards Presentation and Dinner will be held live at The Baths Hall Scunthorpe on Friday 12 May. Save the date!

Headline sponsors and partners of the

Awards in 2023 are Phillips 66 and the media partners are Business Live (Grimsby & Scunthorpe Telegraphs).

The NLBAs launch on 18 January through Business Live and will also be featured in the Business Supplement of Grimsby & Scunthorpe Telegraphs on 18-19 January respectively.

Sponsorship opportunities are available now. Please contact Anne Tate at a.tate@hullhumber-chamber.co.uk for more information.

To check out the 2022 event and its winners visit www.nlincsba.co.uk where you can watch the video and the special night enjoyed by all, where we celebrated not only our fantastic Northern Lincolnshire businesses but also HRH Queen Elizabeth’s Jubilee.

So look out for further information and be ready to enter and book to be part of the celebrations!

Further information and dinner tickets will be available through the website www.nlincsba.co.uk once the 2023 event goes live on 18 January 2023.

Chamber Expo back for Humber Business Week

One of the Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce’s flagship events, Chamber Expo, will be taking centre stage in the heart of Humber Business Week 2023.

The date is 6 June, and the venue this year is the Mercure Hull Grange Park Hotel, Willerby, Hull, HU10 6EB.

Stands are now available for booking through the Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce’s website at hull-humberchamber.co.uk, or by contacting Janice Harrison who will be happy to help.

As usual, Chamber Expo will host all kinds of businesses from both banks of the Humber and the spacious venue can accommodate some outside stand space for larger exhibitors.

This year’s standholders can look forward to electricity and two packed lunches included in the price of the stand, while parking and entry to Chamber Expo 2023 will be free.

The Chamber’s famous Speed Networking will also be available this year, providing a great opportunity to meet some new business people from around the region.

Everyone is welcome to visit – you don’t have to be a Chamber member to exhibit, or to attend on the day.

The Chamber’s ever-popular event provides a great opportunity for networking and making introductions to potential suppliers of everything from cakes to cranes.

So don’t miss out, book your stand now online at: hull-humber-chamber.co.uk

Or call (01482) 324976 to speak with Janice, or email j.harrison@hull-humberchamber.co.uk with your requirements

Chamber Expo – back this year with its new one-day format

Spencer Group to deliver brand new home for famous vessel

HSpencer Group is delivering a new permanent base for an iconic vessel as part of a major regeneration project in its home city.

Spencer Group has been awarded the contract to build a wet berth for the Spurn Lightship in Hull Marina.

The new dock for the cherished vessel will form an important part of the Hull City Council-led Hull Maritime project.

The £30m city-wide cultural regeneration scheme will celebrate and preserve Hull’s rich maritime heritage.

It involves the refurbishment of the Hull Maritime Museum and the restoration of two historic ships – the Arctic Corsair and the Spurn Lightship.

The lightship was built in 1927 and served for 48 years as a navigation aid in the approaches of the Humber Estuary. It was decommissioned in 1975 before being bought by Hull City Council and moved to Hull Marina as a museum. It has been closed since 2018 but is now expected to reopen in its new home in the north-west corner of the marina, close to the Murdoch’s Connection footbridge, next summer.

The delivery of the wet berth is the latest in an impressive portfolio of marine projects delivered by Spencer Group, which include significant port infrastructure works.

Richard Green-Morgan, Construction Director for Spencer Group, said: “Spencer Group is delighted to have been awarded the contract to provide the wet berth for the Spurn Lightship. We’re excited to be a part of

the transformative Hull Maritime project in our home city and proud to aid the return of the iconic Spurn Lightship vessel to the marina, for residents and visitors to enjoy.

‘The appointment of Spencer Group is excellent news and an important step for the Hull Maritime project’

“As a leading multi-disciplinary engineering company, we deliver major projects across the UK and the world, but we always enjoy working on our own doorstep.”

The works will include dredging of the berthing area and the installation of five mooring piles and a concrete bankseat, as well as a steel walkway to allow access onto the lightship once it has been moved into place.

The majority of the works will be carried out from floating pontoons. The bankseat will be constructed on land and will require a short pedestrian diversion to allow access to the area.

stages and is expected to be complete in the coming months. The ship will then move to a temporary home on the marina until the new dock is scheduled to be complete next spring.

National Highways, which is carrying out major improvements to the A63 Castle Street route in and out of Hull, has awarded Hull City Council over £1m through its Designated Funds programme for the delivery of the wet berth.

Councillor Mike Ross, Leader of Hull City Council, said: “The appointment of Spencer Group is excellent news and an important step for the Hull Maritime project.

“Work will get underway shortly and, once complete, the lightship will open for visitors again for everyone to enjoy and explore in its new home.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing the Spurn Lightship restored to its former glory in a fantastic new setting, delivered by Spencer Group.”

Spencer Group’s marine-related expertise includes innovative and important projects in its home city and further afield.

It previously designed and constructed a new repair yard ship lift at Fraserburgh Dock, which at the time was the first use of this technology in the UK to allow vessels to be lifted, conveyed and traversed into six work bays.

Other notable projects include upgrading the roll-on, roll-off facility at Pembroke Dock, in west Wales, and installation of a new lock gate at the BAE Systems Dry Dock in Scotsoun, Glasgow.

The Spurn Lightship

A historic new home in the city centre for Crown Chambers

Abarristers’ chambers, which was only founded two years ago, is on the move to new premises with the space to support its ambitious growth plans.

Crown Chambers was set up in Hull by 10 founding members and has already more than quadrupled its head count with further recruitment to come.

The new home, a city centre Georgian property restored by Allenby Commercial, was acquired by Crown Chambers for its style, location and a fit out which supports their commitment to make careers in law more accessible by modernising the sector and promoting diversity.

Naomi Madderson, Head of Chambers and Barrister, said: “The people who formed Crown Chambers chose Hull because it was felt there was a need to modernise the concept of a chambers generally and, being local practitioners, this galvanised us into creating one. In many ways the move symbolises a physical metaphor of the journey we have travelled as well as one which shows where we need to be.

“It is both significant and exciting for those who set up chambers; those who have joined

since and those who are embarking on their future careers at Crown. It is important to create growth and to promote a new way of thinking that benefits professionals but importantly the clients we represent.”

Crown Chambers was the first new set of barristers’ chambers to be created in Hull in 65 years when it was set up in June 2020 at The Pathway, Bowlalley Lane, with the aim of chambers delivering an excellent service and refreshing approach.

the open, fresh, innovative feel. I knew instantly it was the right building for us’

The practice now comprises more than 30 members as well as four clerks and other support staff plus a growing number of pupils serving a client base which extends nationwide and embraces family law, court of protection, criminal law, civil law and regulatory law.

The new premises at 93-95 Alfred Gelder Street were acquired by Allenby Commercial in 2013 as a derelict shell. They have been

renovated to provide modern, high-quality space in keeping with the rest of the Allenby Commercial portfolio, which includes the award-winning Danish Buildings and Bayles House and the Victorian retail haven of Paragon Arcade.

Naomi said: “We were on the lookout for a new building and we had seen a few but we were aware that this was coming on the market. Knowing how Allenby Commercial renovate properties, it was always going to be of interest.

“Once you walk in you get the open, fresh, innovative feel. I knew instantly it was the right building for us. The location could not be more convenient. It is right across the road from the Combined Court Centre and the space gives us the ability to keep growing.”

The move will also support Crown Chambers’ plans for more in-house training as it strives to build on achievements which include recognition in renowned publications Chambers and Partners and the Legal 500. Other accolades have come with shortlisting for the clerking team in the Family Law Awards and nominations in other national awards schemes.

‘Once you walk in you get

Pictured outside the new Crown Chambers building are Naomi Madderson, Head of Chambers and Barrister (centre) and barristers Gaynor Hall and David Godfrey

New Chair appointed in milestone year

As it marks its 30th year, the Leeds Marine Insurance Association (LMIA) has elected Hull-based John Habergham as Chair and Ben HarperLongbone as Vice Chair.

Established in 1992, the LMIA is an association of insurance companies, brokers, loss adjusters, marine surveyors and members of the legal profession all specialising in underwriting, broking or claims relating to marine, cargo and freight.

Although the association has ‘Leeds’ in its title, its membership is drawn from the marine and goods in transit insurance community in the North with members from Bradford, Manchester, North Lincolnshire and even Lloyds of London. Both shipping lawyer John Habergham of Myton Law and marine surveyor Ben Harper-Longbone of Crawford & Company are based in Hull.

2022-2023 will be John Habergham’s second stint as Chair. He first held the post in the late 90s. He said: “I’m pleased to take up this role again in the LMIA’s 30th year. After a couple of difficult years because of the pandemic, I hope to grow the association’s membership and, in order to promote best practice, reinstate visits and regular workshops with speakers covering topical developments.”

New Vice Chair Ben Harper-Longbone added: “John take’s his second term as Chair

of the LMIA and is already bringing marine industries and cities together, under the Leeds Marine Insurance Association umbrella, to promote skills and training.”

John Habergham is co-founder of Myton Law, a specialist shipping, rail and logistics firm located in Hull.

Ben Harper-Longbone is an ex-seagoing marine engineer with experience in

Ongo extend a helping hand to those in need

Ongo has announced how it will be supporting colleagues, customers and members of its communities with the cost of living crisis.

With inflation at an all-time high and the price of essential items increasing exponentially faster than household incomes, the UK is facing a huge crisis, with millions expected to face devastating financial hardship this winter.

Ongo has offered free youth activities, employment and wellbeing support, opportunities to access their facilities and eat for free for a number of years. However, due to the current climate, they have introduced a number of new initiatives to go even further. To support with energy and food, Ongo has begun a ‘Winter Warmer’ project at their office on Cole Street, Scunthorpe, and at both of their community hubs, The Arc in Scunthorpe and The Viking Centre in Barton.

As part of this, members of the community can benefit from free hot drinks and a welcoming environment to keep warm.

The Arc has also introduced a ‘Coat Swap’ campaign, which so far has been extremely popular. The idea is for people to donate old coats in good condition, and for those most in need to take their pick for free.

shipbuilding, ship repair, ship operations and management, albeit latterly coming ashore to become a consultant marine engineer and surveyor with Crawford & Co. (Marine).

If you are interested in joining the Leeds Marine Insurance Institute, please contact John Habergham: john.habergham@mytonlaw.co.uk

The Viking Centre has linked with Slow Circular Earth and local supermarkets to provide a community pantry, so that customers can buy a bag and fill it with food and toiletries for only £1.50.

Along with these community projects, Ongo has an in-house team to take care of customers who are facing financial hardship. This includes affordability checks, benefit and debt advice, accessing grants and any additional services or organisations required.

They have pledged that if customers struggling to pay their rent engage with their team, no legal action will be taken.

Ongo has also funded a brand new position within Citizens Advice North Lincolnshire, specifically for their tenants to offer advice, especially around energy. This service will launch in November 2022.

Steve Hepworth, Chief Executive at Ongo said: “Our message is simple, we are here. Please do not suffer in silence, talk to us and we can help.

“Now and in the next few months many people, including our tenants, customers and colleagues, may struggle with increases in the cost of living. We are already seeing people who need help now, and that’s why we’ve put this package of support in place for those most in need.”

To find out more about Ongo, visit: www.ongo.co.uk

‘Our message is simple, we are here. Please do not suffer in silence’

Ben Harper-Longbone of Crawford Marine and John Habergham of Myton Law

HullBID backs Safety Zone Hub to make city centre more secure

HullBID is working to improve safety and security in Hull city centre by playing its part in the operation of a new facility which will provide a permanent base for partners working to address issues on the street.

The HullBID team has also revived a preCovid stakeholder group which will meet regularly to share information on issues including homelessness, crime and antisocial behaviour.

HullBID Executive Director Kathryn Shillito said the meetings took place quarterly before Covid and proved effective at bringing together city centre businesses, Humberside Police, Hull City Council, charities and other organisations working to improve safety on the streets.

The latest session held in the HullBID offices was attended by representatives from retail, food and beverage, commercial property, public transport, Humberside Police and Hull City Council and chaired by Kathryn, who was joined by her Business Liaison Officer and the BID Support Officers.

Kathryn said: “We know from experience that bringing key people together can make a difference, and we are particularly pleased that Chief Superintendent Christine Wilson, the Divisional Commander for the North Bank has committed her support. The meeting provides a gateway for businesses to reach

decision-makers within public bodies, and also enables businesses to share day-to-day issues that affect them.”

The Safety Zone Hub is a new facility designed to build on the success of the mobile pod which, in recent years, was located at sites at the Rose Bowl, King Edward Square and Jameson Street.

‘The sharing of intelligence brings many benefits, including helping to identify the presence and activities of repeat offenders’

It will operate as a permanent, central hub which is very visible to people in the city centre and gives partners an opportunity to get together and share intelligence.

The unit on King Edward Street will assist the HullBID Support Officers and the Cleaning and Maintenance Operative in liaising with Humberside Police patrol teams in the city centre and various specialist staff from the Neighbourhood and Housing Team at Hull City Council.

Kathryn said: “The new hub will be helpful for businesses and others using the city centre because it can provide access to a variety of specialist skills and services as part of the work to make the city centre safer for everybody.

“It supports HullBID’s wider partnership activities with Humberside Police, the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office and Hull City Council. The sharing of intelligence brings many benefits, including helping to identify the presence and activities of repeat offenders.

“That kind of effective co-operation can prevent minor incidents from escalating into something more serious. It’s another spoke in HullBID’s security support.”

Chief Superintendent Christine Wilson said: “Hull is a vibrant, warm, friendly city and its public spaces and retail and hospitality environments are incredibly important to its economic success and ability to grow and thrive.

“Humberside Police along with our local authority and other partners play a vital part in people feeling safe and being safe in the city centre and surrounding areas. Our dedicated Neighbourhood Policing Team, led by Inspector Dave Lonsdale, will continue to build personal and supportive relationships both with HullBID and with our business community, and we are committed to ensuring that our staff and officers are locally based and visible.

“We will continue to support HullBID and are excited at the opportunity to refresh the stakeholder meeting, which is an important part of listening to and responding to our communities.”

HullBID Executive Director

Kathryn Shillito (centre) with Chief Superintendent Christine Wilson at the meeting to discuss safety and security in Hull city centre

A warm welcome as Lynsey joins the team at Medical Solicitors

AYorkshire-based law firm, which specialises in clinical negligence, has added to its team with the recruitment of Legal 500 recognised solicitor, Lynsey Furley.

Having spent more than a decade supporting clients through clinical negligence claims, Lynsey takes the lead at Medical Solicitors’ Hull office, which opened at The Deep Business Centre in 2021.

Medical Solicitors Limited, which is based in Sheffield, was launched by Caroline Moore over 13 years ago and also has an office in York.

Caroline said: “I am very pleased to be welcoming Lynsey to our team. She is a highly skilled, senior lawyer and she is clearly dedicated to helping vulnerable clients who have suffered negligence in their healthcare. People are having difficulty accessing healthcare and that’s leading to delays with diagnosis and treatment with the result that we are experiencing an increase in enquiries nationwide.

“We have to make sure we can meet that rising demand for our services and Lynsey’s appointment will give our lawyers more time to devote to individual clients.”

Lynsey gained a law degree from the University of Hull. The majority of her career has been spent working for a regional law firm in the city and she has been recognised four times by The Legal 500 for her positive feedback from clients.

Lynsey joins Amy Adkins, who previously worked in the same field with another law

Heald becomes sponsor of Hull City Ladies FC player

Yorkshire security manufacturer, Heald Ltd, is sponsoring with Hull City Ladies FC player Hope Knight for the 2022-23 season.

English football club, Hull City Ladies FC, was formed in 2001 and is an English women's football club currently playing in the FA Women's National League North. Heald will be the proud sponsor of the talented attacker, Hope Knight #24.

With a long history of supporting local charities and organisations, the hostile vehicle mitigation company, Heald, is passionate about supporting the underrepresented. This ethos is driven by Heald’s Managing Director, Debbie Heald, who received an MBE for her services to export and the promotion of STEM careers for women.

While manufacturing is generally a maledominated sector, Heald continually pushes to break through this stereotype, as evidenced by the 50/50 gender split in the business. Aligning with Heald’s values, the team is passionate about empowering women to chase their ambitions, break conventional perceptions and inspire others.

Commenting on the recent sponsorship, Hull City Ladies Managing Director Danny Johnson said: “We’re delighted that Heald Ltd, the leading innovators of perimeter security technology, is sponsoring player Hope Knight this season.

firm and moved to Medical Solicitors earlier this year.

Freya Cross, Head of Business and Corporate at The Deep, said: “We’re delighted that Medical Solicitors Limited chose to come to us and that they are already seeing the benefits of a location which suits their clients and colleagues.”

“Heald’s mission is to innovate and create high-quality, sustainable security solutions to contribute to a safer world. It’s fantastic to see Heald helping the Women’s game grow and supporting the Tigresses.

“Hull City Ladies provide opportunities for Women and Girls to develop, empower and achieve. We look forward to working collaboratively with Heald to inspire more people in our region.”

Heald Managing Director Debbie Heald MBE said: “Following the recent success of England women's football team at the

European Championships, Women’s football teams across the UK have seen an immense amount of support. This is a very exciting time for female footballers and the wider community.

“I look forward to supporting Hope Knight in the upcoming season and continuing to help inspire and support young women in their career paths!”

‘This is a very exciting time for female footballers and the wider community’

Amy Adkins (left) and Lynsey Furley (right) of Medical Solicitors with Freya Cross, Head of Business and Corporate at The Deep

Danny Johnson and Debbie Heald

Photograph Courtesy of Kevin Greene Photography

Chamber Patrons

Becoming

Back at the dawn of the dot-com era, Martha Lane Fox founded lastminute.com with her business partner Brent Hoberman. After growing the business to become one of the leading ecommerce brands in Europe with a valuation of $1bn, they took the business public in 2000. This experience set the tone for the rest of Martha’s working life, which has ‘always encompassed something digital or something entrepreneurial’.

A catastrophic car accident in 2004 resulted in the complete reorganisation of Martha’s working life, leading her to work across the public, private and governmental sectors in the years since. Martha has sat on boards for a range of organisations, including Channel 4, Marks and Spencer, Twitter and Chanel. She has worked in Government for Gordon Brown and David Cameron, helping to set up the Government Digital Service and Gov.uk, and sits in the House of Lords as a crossbench peer. She has also set up a karaoke business called Lucky Voice, founded the Doteveryone think-tank and currently chairs WeTransfer.

Her varied experience highlights the fact that Martha doesn’t fit into just one box. She enjoys pulling the threads between her work across sectors and looks forward to bringing this wealth of knowledge to the British Chambers of Commerce in her new role as President.

Given your vast and varied experience, what advice can you offer to entrepreneurs?

Firstly, being an entrepreneur isn’t for everyone. We’ve created an incredible respect and understanding of entrepreneurship, way more in this country even than when we were starting lastminute.com. Businesses are being started way more frequently and if you look at the numbers, we have many, many more entrepreneurs or people that call themselves entrepreneurs in the country. But I don’t think everybody needs to be one. It’s hard starting your own business. It’s not for everybody.

That doesn’t mean you can’t think like one, it doesn’t mean you can’t use the skills of an entrepreneur in whatever you’re doing. That to me means being able to ask good questions constantly, not feel as though anything’s off limits in terms of understanding, being

Representing the very best of British business

persistent. Often work is boring. And no more boring work happens than when you’re starting a business. You have to do every job, some of which are boring. You have to go to people hundreds of times to get them to say yes to one thing.

The second thing is, if you are starting your own business and you can find somebody to work with, it’s immensely rewarding. These are tough times, but if you can share that burden, you can see around more corners. I think that’s the thing that I come back to again and again – if you find that right partner, it can be immensely rewarding.

As the new president of the BCC, what excites you about the future of British businesses, and also the BCC and the Chamber Network across the UK?

One of the reasons that I was thrilled to join the BCC is because it does seem to represent the best of British. It’s got an amazing voice and punches way above its weight. I respect how Chambers, on an individual level but also at a national level, have built a real force to be reckoned with, that the Government takes seriously which is no mean feat.

I think on a more personal level for me, I was very excited to become President because I hope to be able not only to learn, which I'm sure I will from all of the Chambers, but also, because I've got this slightly strange and

eclectic mix of experience, I hope I can add something into the mix as well and bring some of that to bear.

It would be insane of me to sit here and say that we weren’t in a tough spot. This is not an ideal moment. We’re facing some very strong headwinds; at the individual business level whether it’s rising costs and supply chains, but also at the national level. We have massive skills problems. We have rising inflation. We have challenges. But I’m sure that this country has incredible innovation and immense potential to keep reinventing itself and keep building business.

We need different voices being raised up. We need to make sure that different voices are embedded in the heart of policymaking. And that is what the BCC is doing, what I know the businesses that work in the Chamber Network are doing and what I want to help do as well.

What area do you think holds significant potential to grow the British economy and businesses over the coming years?

Firstly, we haven't even begun to digitise yet. Everything that can be digitised is going to be. The software revolution is only just starting. I'm sure some of the businesses in the Network think ‘oh my god, I can't cope with any more technology’ but I’m sorry, I have to tell you that we haven't even seen the beginning of it. And there are therefore still massive opportunities not only to reinvent your own business, but also to reinvent us as a country and the skills we have and services we offer.

The second area just has to be climaterelated innovation. Whether it’s energyrelated innovation or whether it's climate tech-

A sit-down with Baroness Martha Lane Fox, new President of the British Chambers of Commerce.

‘I'm sure that this country has incredible innovation and immense potential to keep reinventing itself and keep building business’

related innovation, or food reinvention, there are so many opportunities. I think we, as a country, have huge heritage in manufacturing, in agriculture, in all the things that need to be reinvented. So those are areas that I think are very exciting, and those are going to be the trillion-pound businesses of the future, so we want to be able to gobble up as much of them as possible - improving the planet and our profits in the process.

What will the digital revolution of the coming years look like for businesses?

We need to encourage all businesses to constantly think of themselves as digital businesses in order to be able to survive by 2030. And that means investing in infrastructure, reimagining processes,

upskilling, reimagining their products and services. The challenge with this is it doesn't stop, it’s not like a checkbox. Digital transformation is a never-ending process, which again, probably will fill many of our members with horror because they think ‘oh I’ve just completed that IT project’. But the truth is, we don't take enough advantage of the digital world in this country.

When I started my business in the 90s, I imagined that by the mid 2020s we’d have digital entrepreneurs everywhere, in all shapes, sizes, colours, backgrounds, and we haven’t, so there's a massive opportunity in upskilling more of our general population. More women, more people of colour, more people from different socio-economic backgrounds, if they've got different technical skills, I believe

they will be able to start better businesses and grow the whole pie for everyone. So, from every angle, there’s still work to do, but I’m hugely optimistic. We’re a small country. We've got so many of the factors. We just need to keep pushing.

You started the Lucky Voice chain of karaoke bars – where did the inspiration for this business stem from?

It came from a love of Japan. I love travelling to Japan. I went a couple of times when I was younger. And then two friends said, ‘why has nobody ever done karaoke like the Japanese?’ So, we did, we started it. And now we’ve got about 12 venues, some in franchises around the country, and it's going gangbusters. I think people more than ever after Covid-19 want to spend money on things that feel more meaningful than just going to the pub or eating food that's way overpriced.

I'm not running it, but I'm close to it. I have a hand in small business. I do understand the challenges of a cash flow. We’re thinking constantly about what does this mean looking into the next year, not knowing whether people are going to have cash in their pockets to want to go and enjoy our services. So, I feel that very keenly and I look forward to sharing those experiences with members.

I really am looking forward to coming around the country and meeting businesses. I feel I'm so lucky to have a small voice in this country, and I want to deploy it by understanding what’s going on. One of the absolute joys of doing the work I did in Government in the past was getting the opportunity to go around and get a fast track into different parts of the country. And I’m really looking forward to doing that again. I’m going to Manchester soon, to Poole, to Birmingham and I plan to be in other places too. I’m really looking forward to meeting Chambers and their members.

What are your interests outside of your very busy working life?

I love reading. I read all the time. I was absolutely thrilled last year to chair the Women’s Prize for Fiction judges. The winner was a novel called Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell which is completely astonishing. I love that. But for non-fiction, I’ve just finished reading a book called The Changing World Order. Basically, my time is taken up by reading, in the karaoke bars or with my two six-year-olds – and that’s enough!

‘The truth is, we don't take enough advantage of the digital world in this country’

Spotlight Features

In this issue we take a look at the Apprenticeships, Skills & Training and Green Business & Renewable Energy sectors.

How do employers ensure they have the skills, knowledge and experience required in their workforce for today and the future? How does an organisation plan for the future with an ageing workforce? What does an organisation do if it is struggling to recruit the skills it needs locally? How do you upskill existing managers and staff to improve your skills base? Apprenticeships could be the solution.

Apprenticeships offer individuals from age 16 the opportunity to learn new skills, gain experience and achieve an apprenticeship relevant to specific job roles with an employer. Whether part-time or full-time roles, apprenticeships can offer an invaluable route to employing new talent or developing existing employees.

Apprenticeships offer a substantive route to enable organisations to support managers and staff to change roles, develop their skills and knowledge further, and

The business case for hiring an apprentice

progress within their career. Employers can find an apprenticeship route a way to combine external training with a focus on business improvement to ensure that the development has an impact in the workplace.

The majority of employers with apprentices report positive benefits including improved productivity, improved skills base, staff retention, loyalty and commitment.

Training providers can offer employers a range of services as well as delivering the training, assessment and support of an apprenticeship including:

• Helping employers identify if a job role is suitable for an apprenticeship

• Tailoring the provision to meet an employer’s needs

• Promotion of a vacancy

• Managing the selection process including sifting applications

• Contracting and funding support.

The options

There are over 700 Apprenticeship Standards available nationally. The Institute for Apprenticeships website provides details on all the new Standards and details of the content and assessment methods for each Standard. It’s easy to search and is a great place to start if you are unsure.

An apprenticeship is a real job with real training and development to ensure that an individual develops skills, knowledge and behaviours to a specific standard.

An employer must be prepared that during the apprenticeship they must release the individual to engage in their learning for at least 20% of their time.

This does not have to be a day a week, for example, the provision by the training provider could be block release, day release, short blocks of days or weeks across a year, or blended learning with some distance or online learning as well. But the employer must be prepared for the apprentice to be able to study and learn during the apprentices working hours in order to meet regulation requirements.

Funding

Apprenticeships usually offer good value for money and the cost of the apprenticeship is generally spread over the duration of the apprenticeship.

For employers large enough to be paying the Apprenticeship Levy, they will pay the full price of the apprenticeship from their Levy or five per cent if they have no funds left in their Levy. If they pay five per cent then the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) pay the rest.

For small to medium sized (SME) businesses then usually an apprentice will cost five per cent of the price of the apprenticeship and the ESFA pays the balance. If the five per cent is very small you may pay that price up front or in a few small payments. For an employer with less than 50 staff and employing an apprentice under age 18 years then usually there is no fee to pay at all.

Bishop Grosseteste University offers exciting business apprenticeships!

Despite apprenticeships having been around for some considerable years now, there is still a general misunderstanding that they are for school leavers, those who couldn’t get into university or only for those seen to be in more traditionally vocational sectors. Wrong. Apprenticeships are for everyone, at any age and with 659 available in most sectors! Moreso, apprenticeships are now available at level 6 and level 7 meaning you can upskill at any point in your career.

Established in 1862, Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) in Lincoln has a long history of excellence and has been delivering degree apprenticeships in business, leadership and management since 2020. The Chartered Manager degree apprenticeship and Senior Leader apprenticeship offers businesses the incredible opportunity to upskill their current or aspiring managers and leaders in areas such as operational strategy, project management, risk management, strategic finance and organisational strategy that will deliver improvement in the performance of their organisation.

Our apprentices come from a wide range of both private and public sector, the blended learning allowing the cohorts to network effectively with one another alongside the taught aspects from our expert teaching staff.

“I was fed with little seeds that opened up my mind and my perception of the business world from many points of view.” Senior Leader Apprentice

Apprenticeships offer both the individual and their employer real value, allowing taught

knowledge and skills to be applied immediately to their role within the organisation. Apprentices are eligible to apply for full Chartered Manager status with the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) upon successful completion, achieve a full degree or post-graduate diploma but furthermore, Senior Leader apprentices have the opportunity to enrol onto a complimentary MBA top up.

BGU is also one of few providers delivering the Career Development Professional level 6 apprenticeship. Delivered through BG Futures, our social economy hub, apprentices work alongside our active and experienced career development practitioners. A very rewarding apprenticeship for those in educational settings, careers and employment services and human resource/learning and development departments.

Fully funded through the apprenticeship levy or 95% funded for SMEs, apprenticeships offer the most cost effective, value for money way to upskill individuals in your teams.

BGU is a small university, able to offer a personalised approach with an excellent level of support including pastoral care and academic development. Our peaceful, ‘garden’ campus offers a space conducive to study and reflection and the opportunity to graduate in the majestic Lincoln Cathedral.

Interested? For more information email apprenticeships@bishopg.ac.uk or call 01522 563872. Alternatively, complete an enquiry form on our website: bgu.ac.uk/course-types/apprenticeships

Peer networking is a large aspect of BGU’s blended delivery

Creating impact and change through professional development

Hull University Business School offers a range of open and bespoke courses for professionals wanting to further develop their leadership and management skills and to transform their business.

Our academic experts and professional associates draw upon world leading research and practical business experience to deliver high quality, impactful training for executives. We combine practical knowledge with an entrepreneurial mind set to ensure that participants on our programmes are equipped with the tools and attributes to build and grow successful organisations.

We are a leading UK business school with internationally recognised accreditations from the Association of MBAs (AMBA) and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). We’re dedicated to the development of responsible leadership for a complex world. Our aim is to inspire those who study and work with us to make a

sustainable difference in business and society. Our independent accreditations (including the AACSB – held by fewer than 5% of the world’s 13,000 business programmes) place us in a select group of UK business schools. So our students can be confident about our commitment to providing an outstanding experience. And they can rely on the enduring value of a Hull University Business School degree in the global employment market.

We offer a range of programmes covering all key aspects of business and management, from employment law updates to strategic leadership workshops;

• Executive MBA Programme

The new Hull Executive MBA takes a fresh approach to preparing the leaders of tomorrow.

• Bespoke Solutions

Designing unique solutions to your organisational needs.

• Workshops & Masterclasses Courses & workshops for individuals and teams on the latest business thinking.

• Open Programmes

Choose from our popular programmes and immerse yourself with like-minded individuals wanting to succeed.

Our approach to professional learning focuses around our Impact Learning Approach to give individual leaders within organisations the leadership methods, tools and techniques required to address the challenges in managing transformation within their specific business.

Engage with our team to explore our range of learning and customised solutions that will help your business grow, thrive and succeed.

All of our solutions are designed to provide essential knowledge and understanding of key business skills and introduce cutting-edge concepts to drive growth and productivity.

If you would like to talk with us on how we can work together to invest through learning please contact us at: exec-education@hull.ac.uk

Is in-house training right for your business?

Choosing an effective training course for your managers and employees can be difficult – and one of the first issues is deciding whether to send your employees to an external course, or organising in-house training. Business Intelligence explores some of the benefits of bringing the trainer to you.

Access the best

To deliver the best training, you need the best trainers. And, while your senior managers will undoubtedly know your business inside out, they might not have the most up-to-date information and training tools to hand in order to deliver the best possible experience. Not only will an external trainer be qualified, they will also have all the latest knowledge at their disposal, as well as the hands-on experience needed to facilitate an engaging and successful training course. Your trainer will bring all the

necessary supplies your staff will need to take part, and you won’t have to come up with any ideas, tasks or activities. Your trainer will be able to draw upon their experience working with other companies; content and activities that have proven successful elsewhere can be replicated for you.

In order to get the most out of your investment, check testimonials and read reviews. Find out how effective the content and techniques were –after all, you want to make sure the training sticks.

Convenient and costeffective

When it comes to training your employees, few business owners would disagree that an in-house course is the most convenient option for everyone involved. Not only will it minimise the hassle of travel, it will completely eliminate expensive travel costs.

Additionally, in-house training is cheaper per head than sending your staff on a training course, and it will reduce the amount of time your staff will have to spend away from their usual, day-to-day tasks, decreasing the chance of them falling behind with their work.

In-house training will also allow your staff to learn in a familiar environment, which should put them at ease and more open to absorbing new information.

A tailored fit

You’re considering sending your staff off on a training course – but some aspects of the course aren’t relevant to your business, while other aspects don’t go into the level of detail that you require.

This can be frustrating, especially when you know exactly what you want your staff to get out of a training session (and considering how much a training course can cost) – but a good inhouse trainer will be happy to

tailor a course to your business’ unique needs. Before the session, you will have the opportunity to discuss the company’s history, goals, and, most importantly, your expectations of the course, and your trainer can make the sessions as relevant and specific as you need them to be.

Your staff won’t have to waste time covering things that aren’t relevant and you can get the most out of your investment.

New skills in the ‘new normal’

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many business owners identified skills gaps in their workforce.

The word of work has rapidly evolved over the past two years; technology has shifted to keep pace with the work from home mandate, and some industries have collapsed entirely.

Upskilling could teach staff new skills (or enhance their current ones) in order to adapt to the changes created by the pandemic, while reskilling would equip employees with brand new to enable them to work in a different part of the business if, say, their role no longer exists.

An in-house trainer would help you identify if your staff need upskilling or reskilling, and best of all, conduct a tailored training session over Zoom!

of the evolution Future refining industry

By Simon Holt, (pictured) Emerging Energy (Europe) Manager at Phillips 66 Limited

In the race to meet the UK Government’s net zero ambitions by 2050, all industry, despite the size, needs to adapt and transform to significantly reduce carbon emissions.

Refining is one of the most energy intensive processes within industry but a process that is vital for society. The products produced are used in everyday goods from soaps and cosmetics to plastic, solar panels, pharmaceuticals and much more.

This means we need to find different ways to reduce carbon emissions from this sector and look at innovative solutions for alternative feedstocks (raw materials) that will support a circular economy.

Creating value from waste

The refining industry is changing. Waste to fuel is one of the ways we can prevent the overuse of landfills and deliver value back into society and support a circular economy.

One of these waste products is used cooking oil (UCO), it is estimated that in 2020 around 6.1 million tonnes of biodegradable waste (which includes UCO) went to landfill in the UK (GOV UK 2020). UCO is independently certified as a lower carbon feedstock which replaces some fossil fuel used in the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), petrol and diesel. This typically reduces lifecycle carbon emissions by up to 90% compared to conventional fossil fuels.

UCO isn’t the only product that can have a second life, there are also trials taking place for residues of nonbiological origin, this means we could use products such as plastic, rubber and other waste products as alternative feedstocks.

The idea is that we gradually move away from fossil fuel feedstocks and give waste products, that would normally go to landfill, an opportunity to deliver further value and become a replacement feedstock of choice.

Supporting other sectors to decarbonise A product called ‘graphite coke’ is something quite special, in fact, it’s only produced at one refinery in Europe, the Phillips 66 Limited Humber Refinery located in North Lincolnshire, UK.

It is a critical component used in the production of lithium-ion batteries which have an important role to play in meeting market demands for electric vehicles (EVs). It is estimated that by 2030, in the UK alone, there will be between 8-11 million EVs/hybrids on the road (Local GOV UK). Currently the product is shipped to China, but there is potential for the UK to have an EV supply chain in the UK as demand grows.

Carbon capture will be key As with anything that is produced, it takes energy to make it. This can be a carbon intensive process. This means for a lot of industries; carbon capture and storage will play a key role in lowering carbon emissions. For a refinery, this will mean having a carbon capture plant on site.

Industrial carbon emissions are captured and transported to be stored underneath a seabed. This captures emissions that would otherwise be emitted into the atmos phere.

One of the areas that is important to capture emissions from is the fluid catalytic cracker (FCC). There are over 300 across the world and they are responsible for a process that splits feedstock into different materials, but it’s a very energy intensive. The Phillips 66 Limited Humber Refinery is looking to be the first refinery to utilise carbon capture with an FCC. This would support the UK in becoming a leader in exporting advanced technology within the decarbonisation sector.

Alternative fuel sources will be needed Within industry, some areas are easier to decarbonise than others. One of the ways to reduce carbon emissions in ‘hard to reach’ places is through utilising other fuels such as hydrogen which have the potential to be a lower carbon fuel.

Hydrogen can be produced from electrolysis, which is the process of splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen, and when paired with a renewable energy source, such as a wind farm, can be a lower carbon fuel or feedstock.

A great example of this in the UK is the Gigastack project, a collaboration between Orsted and Phillips 66 Limited, which aims to fuel some of the Phillips 66 Humber Refinery heaters using electrolytic hydrogen produced with energy from an on offshore wind farm.

Hydrogen has so much potential, not only can it be used to support the carbon reduction activity of industry, but it also can be used to support other sectors to decarbonise. Examples of this include HGVs and ships. The potential to create a network of hydrogen refuelling stations in the UK is huge and it has already been successfully created in Switzerland.

Over the coming years, we hope to see a huge change, not only in the refining industry but across all sectors, as we come together to reduce the effects of climate change and create the lower carbon that the world needs.

The Three Ps in the Net Zero pod

By Ranya Metwalli Shields (pictured), Managing Director, Regeneros Ltd.

Most of us will be disappointed, but probably not surprised, to learn that 2020 tied with 2016 as the hottest year on record. What is even less surprising, but infinitely more disturbing, are the economics related to humanity’s response. The United Nations’ research shows that global investment in fossil fuels continues to be substantially higher than investment in climate change technologies including renewables.

The question of course is –why? Why do businesses and nations -knowing full well the potentially catastrophic

implications of turning a deaf ear to the UN’s persistent messaging to address global warming - make what appears to be a conscious and somewhat morally questionable decision to go ahead with ‘business as usual’, instead of rallying the troops of corporate finance into the battle against climate change?

The answer is not so much the Why, but rather the How and even more so, the What. Leading sustainability organizations point to the need for a more holistic understanding of sustainability . The United States Green Building Council’s vision is based on the infamous Triple Bottom Line mantra, defined as: People, Planet and Profit, or as they are fondly

referred to in US green circles The 3 Ps. The UK Green Building Council’s vision for the Built Environment is one that “enables a high quality of life for people, within the limits our planet can support”. In short, leading NonProfits recognise that the key to successfully achieving Net Zero in the real world is to align with financial targets and human wellbeing objectives. Arguably, this broad understanding is key to their worldwide success and the global acceptance of their green building standards.

‘By 2050, IRENA estimates that 8590% of worldwide electricity systems will be decarbonised’

According to the Government’s 10 Point Plan, we must become Carbon Neutral by 2050. We must also do so in a way that considers human wellbeing and quite frankly, economics. Far from viewing carbon neutrality as an unwanted financial burden, the 10 Point Plan deftly and rigorously works the synergies in the social, economic and environmental triangle, promising the creation of up to 250,000 green jobs along the way to the Promised Net Zero Land.

By 2050, IRENA estimates that 85-90% of worldwide electricity systems will be decarbonised.

One of the main takebacks of the Covid-19 pandemic was the relationship between the built environment and human health. Factories, universities and offices were closed down and businesses massively compromised specifically because the typical building had not been designed or operated to limit the spread of pathogens during a pandemic (or at any other time for that matter). It is sobering to think of the human lives that may have been affected if it had.

The other side of the People, Planet and Profit coin is that at times, it’s tricky to hit all three P’s with one proverbial sustainability stone. Tough decisions must sometimes be made to maintain the delicate balance. The most common example in the built environment is the tradeoff between carbons emiss ions related to heating and human wellbeing and health related requirements for adequate ventilation and increased fresh air.

In schools, poor ventilation leads to headaches, fatigue, reduced attention span, which affects learning and makes pupils more prone to making errors.

Consider the Passivhaus rating system, a leading German system that lends itself very well to Net Zero buildings especially in the resi dential sector and increasingly in schools. In the typical Passivhaus, the heat losses of the building are reduced so much that it hardly needs any heating at all. This, from an environmental perspective, is outstanding news.

The social/human aspect is somewhat trickier. Passivhaus looks to achieve Net Zero by creating extremely airtight structures. While this happily puts us on the path towards Environmental Net Zero Glory, it means that additional measures must now be put in place to protect the health of human occupants. For this reason, almost all Passivhaus homes have mechanical ventilation systems with heat recovery, not a standard inclusion in most homes. The mechanical systems bring in enough fresh air to meet occupant health requirements, and uses heat from the indoor air to ‘preheat’ the fresh air. From an economic perspective , while Passivhaus may cost 7-10% more to build, the projected energy costs are 75-90% lower than comparable builds, and in light of rising energy costs, have also shown an increased market value.

Sector Focus

The latest news from the International Trade, Legal & Finance, The Arts, Skills & Training, Manufacturing and Motoring industries.

AA Global lend expertise to boost region’s profile

AA Global Language Services is to strengthen its capabilities in the renewables and technology sectors as part of a commitment to help the Humber region raise its profile internationally.

Kirk Akdemir, CEO of the company, said work is already under way to expand its activity in both fields with increased investment and some key personnel appointments.

A member of the Chamber Board, Kirk added that he was encouraged by the summit in November which brought together some of the biggest businesses in the Humber region to discuss renewables and decarbonising the Humber with the Shadow Energy Secretary Ed Miliband.

But Kirk also said that businesses need to keep up the pressure on politicians to ensure the Humber builds a reputation internationally as well as nationally as a centre for carbon zero.

The Chamber brought together key figures from businesses including Ineos Acetyles, Equinor, Drax, Orsted, Able UK, Prax Group, Phillips 66, Lindsey Oil Refinery, Smith & Nephew, Reckitts, Spencer Group to meet the Shadow Minister.

The message from employers was for whichever Government is in power to clear the way for businesses to invest in infrastructure and to provide assurances that contracts will follow. Delegates said their organisations have billions of pounds to invest in the Humber, but that much of the investment would be anticipatory and therefore brings a need for certainty.

Kirk said: “We have made great progress across a wide range of business sectors since launching AA Global 30 years ago and much of that has resulted from our expansion in 2011 to Hull and the Humber, where we now have our head office.

“It was hugely encouraging so see so many top level businesses from our area sitting down with the Shadow Minister because that is the calibre of client that we have been working with worldwide in the energy sector and in sustainability.

“We demonstrated our credentials by undertaking many large scale projects for major global brands, such as being the preferred supplier to Toyota Motor Corporation for over 15 years, and providing language services for the COP26 Summit in Glasgow, underlining the skills and experience which we bring. Like the other businesses we are ready to invest further but we need more action from the politicians to make things happen.”

Kirk added that AA Global’s worldwide network of 15,000 translators and interpreters work in more than 500 languages and

dialects and the company has invested heavily to ensure they also communicate in the language of business. In addition to impressing clients, the sectorspecific focus is part of a comprehensive training programme which won the commitment to training and development category at the 2022 HullBID Awards.

Other elements of the training programme include an interpreter forum in which colleagues from nations including Poland, Romania, China and Syria connect more closely with the company’s 1,000 linguists in the Hull area, and an in-house “academy” which harnesses the skills of linguists from local communities.

Kirk said: “The academy offers training opportunities to people who have ended up in this country because of asylum or other difficult circumstances. Many of them came here as children and attended school here but left without any significant qualifications. We give them a chance to remedy that, work in their own language and learn the terminology which is required in specific business sectors.”

‘We have made great progress across a wide range of business sectors since launching AA Global 30 years ago’

Kirk Akdemir, CEO of AA Global Language Services at the company’s offices in Hull

Members of the AA Global team celebrating at the HullBID Awards 2022 after winning the commitment to training and development category

Cost transparency is holding back exports

A British Chambers of Commerce survey, of 486 businesses, for its ChamberCustoms brokerage service has found a third of businesses have little or no confidence on the costs they will pay to export goods.

More than a third (34%) of SME goods exporters are either ‘never confident’ or ‘rarely confident’ about the final cost of shipping goods until they got the bill. Only 12% are ‘always confident’, and 55% are ‘usually confident’.

Half of SME exporters (47%) say it has become difficult to trade through UK or international ports since the start of 2022, while only three per cent say it has become easier. Thirty-eight per cent report no change.

Businesses cited constant changes in shipping and transportation prices, unexpected customs charges, exchange rate volatility, delays at borders and fluctuating fu el costs for the uncertainty.

The same research also discovered that SME exporters generally do not regard a weaker pound as beneficial to their business. Half (50%) say a weaker pound generally corresponds to an increase in input costs, while 8% say it corresponds with a decrease. Only a quarter (26%) say it corresponds with an increase in export sales margins, while 29% in fact say a weaker pound corresponds to a decrease.

Liam Smyth (pictured), Managing Director of ChamberCustoms, said: “In the face of a recession and a cost-of-living crisis it has never been more important to get Britain exporting.

“But we face an uphill challenge in persuading more firms to trade overseas when so many of them feel there is a lack of transparency around costs. It is very hard for businesses to build an operating model for their exports when they can’t establish what their sales margins will be. Some of the blame for this can be laid at the door of global supply chain disruption which has caused big fluctuations in shipping and transport costs.

“But there are also serious issues with the additional time being taken to process paperwork, and then delays at the borders when it is not done right, with four in 10 firms telling us trading through ports has got more difficult. That’s why the shift to a digital system of trade is so important, moving on-line can ensure that checks can be carried out beforehand to smooth the export process, removing a big chunk of the uncertainty.”

Import/Export Customs Clearance

ChamberCustoms can submit import/export declarations for Air, Sea and Road freight. We have a wealth of knowledge and experience with badges for all UK land, sea and air ports.

GVMS

ChamberCustoms can raise a GMR on the GVMS system to ensure a smooth import or export process for your business.

Transit/T1

ChamberCustoms can assist with your transit documentation

whilst processing your export declaration.

Training and Advice

As customs clearance accredited agents and with our vast knowledge and experience of all things customs declarations related, our ChamberCustoms team is able to provide bespoke advice and training to ensure your business is import/export compliant.

Contact us on tel: 01482 324976 or email: chambercustoms@hullhumber-chamber.co.uk

Fundraising team at Rollits LLP press on with charity challenges

Aleading law firm completed another year of charity challenges by squeezing in two campaigns in support of cancer research and a local food bank as 2022 drew to a close.

John Flanagan, who is a Partner and Head of Corporate at Rollits LLP, teamed up with fellow professionals Chris Knight of HSBC and Craig Ingram from Handelsbanken to raise funds for Cancer Research by completing the 100 Push-ups November Challenge.

As the fitness team drew breath at the end of their effort, young lawyers Emma Horscraft and Molly Bloom embarked on their food bank campaign inspired by finding a forgotten can of chicken soup at the back of a cupboard.

John, Chris and Craig were joined by Hull exile Edward Horsfall in striving to raise more than £1,000 as the “Cheltz Lads” – a nod towards their annual visits to the Cheltenham Festival. Within days of starting their effort they were given extra motivation by the death from cancer of Andrew Digwood, a former well respected colleague of John’s who worked in Rollits’ York office until earlier this year.

John said: “Most people will have been touched by cancer either personally or through family and friends and that’s why we were keen to support Cancer Research UK.

“The death of Andrew at the age of 46 just a few days into our challenge really brought home to me the importance of supporting the charity and trying to raise a decent amount of money.”

Emma revealed she was prompted to help Hull Food Bank after finding a can of chicken soup in her kitchen cupboard nearly two years after becoming vegetarian.

She said: “It made me wonder how long ago I must have bought it and how many people would have been grateful for it during that time. Thankfully, it was still in date!”

Emma was given the go-ahead to work with Molly on urging

colleagues to check their own cupboards for any unwanted items which could still be used and to pick up additional products on their shopping trips to help people who rely on the services of Hull Food Bank.

The pair, who only joined Rollits in September 2022, were supported by Rollits in setting up a collection point at the firm’s offices in High Street, Hull, during December and in spreading the word to clients and contacts.

latest Charity of the Year is Hull 4 Heroes, which we support with fundraising activities and with a presence on their steering group.

“The latest initiatives involving

John and then Emma and Molly demonstrate that we can also act quickly to help members of our team when they come up with a great idea that needs an instant response.”

Pat Coyle, Client Relations Director for Rollits, said the initiatives built on a commitment to the community which has been part of the fabric of the firm since it was formed more than 180 years ago.

Pat said: “Our annual golf day has now brought in more than £150,000 for Dove House Hospice and Muscular Dystrophy UK over the last 35 years and we are also involved with many other charities.

...as team secures recognition

Rollits has reinforced its strong credentials across its practice areas with a series of recommendations in the latest Chambers and Partners UK legal directory.

The 2023 volume is acknowledged as a definitive mark of excellence across the legal sector and its publication comes just weeks after Rollits secured significant recognition in the similarly prestigious Legal 500.

Listing Rollits as a band 1 specialist for employment law in North and East Yorkshire, Chambers notes the firm’s “full-service employment offering” and highlights its extensive experience advising on matters across multiple industry sectors including food services, education and manufacturing.

Among the individuals noted in the 2023 publication is Caroline Neadley, who represents clients from both the public and private sectors in employment issues. The entry states that Caroline’s practice “encompasses issues such as executive exits, changes to terms of employment and disciplinary proceedings, among others.”

Rollits is also listed in band 2 for agricultural and rural affairs and for its corporate work. Neil Franklin, Partner and Head of Agriculture at the firm, specialises in commercial property and agricultural property work for rural clients and features as a notable practitioner for his experience of farm purchases and sales, and tenancies.

‘Our latest Charity of the Year is Hull 4 Heroes, which we support with fundraising activities and with a presence on their steering group’

“Our

Neil Franklin and Caroline Neadley

Molly Bloom (left) and Emma Horscraft with the food bank collection box at Rollits

Former Ron Dearing UTC students take their first steps in new careers

Dozens of former Ron Dearing UTC students have embarked on exciting career paths for the fourth consecutive year, securing apprenticeships and employment with leading businesses.

Sixty-five of the employer-led school’s 127 Year 13 sixth form students secured apprenticeships and 41 went to university, including 14 at one of the prestigious Russell Group universities. Five students from the Hull school moved on to further education colleges, 16 secured employment and one joined the Armed Forces.

The apprenticeships cover a wide range of roles and skills, from Engineering and Digital to Quality Assurance (QA) and Information Technology (IT), while several students have secured traineeship opportunities in software development positions.

CO2 laser manufacturer Luxinar, a Major Partner of Ron Dearing UTC, has taken on 10 apprentices this year after employing four in 2021. The company, based at Bridgehead Business Park in Hessle, has installed thousands of lasers worldwide for use in a vast range of industries and applications.

Chris Newman, Luxinar’s Learning and Development Lead, said: “We’re delighted to take on

a further 10 apprentices from the UTC and they’ve settled in well.

expectations, building on their skills and growing in confidence.”

Smart tech company Sauce, a Major Partner of the UTC, has employed four former Ron Dearing students as trainee developers as part of a 12-month programme following an initial three-month internship this year.

between 14 and 19, offering a unique model of employer-led education with a specialist focus on digital technology, creative digital and digital engineering.

“They’ve arrived with a professional attitude, they’re very friendly and they all have a willingness to learn and ask questions, which is down to the grounding they’ve had at Ron Dearing UTC.

“The feedback from their managers has been excellent. We couldn’t have asked for more and they’re exceeding our

Additionally, leading engineering business Spencer Group, also one of Ron Dearing UTC’s Founding Partners, has taken on 14 apprentices from the school this year. The company has employed 42 apprentices from the UTC in just three years, including 14 in 2019, five in 2020 and nine in 2021.

Opened in 2017, Ron Dearing UTC caters for students aged

It is currently increasing student places to meet growing demand, redeveloping space in the existing school building and renovating and repurposing the former Central Fire Station next door to the school into a satellite site.

Ron Dearing UTC Principal Sarah Pashley said: “We’re incredibly proud of our track record of supporting students to secure positive destinations.

“This year is no exception and it’s fantastic to see them settling in so well in a ran ge of roles across a variety of sectors.”

‘The feedback from their managers has been excellent. We couldn’t have asked for more’

Sauce trainee developers, left to right, Alan Strauhs, Ellis Calow, Jake Morris and Sam Osborne, with the company’s Chief Technology Officer John Polling, centre

From left, Siemens Gamesa production apprentices Harvey Atkins and Kavin Horncastle, construction apprentice Lucy Good, and fellow production apprentices Ben Skoof and Lewis Stevenson

Ten former Ron Dearing UTC students have begun apprenticeships at CO2 laser manufacturer Luxinar pictured with Chris Newman, Luxinar’s Learning and Development Lead, third from right

Legacy as train named after Hull’s beloved Bee Lady

Relatives of fundraising legend ‘The Bee Lady’ were among the guests at Paragon Station to see one of the first public outings of a train named in her honour.

Jean Bishop was known as The Bee Lady, an adored Hull local who spent 30 years fundraising in her hometown raising more than £125,000 for Age UK Hull dressed as a bumblebee.

Yesterday, a little over one year after her sad passing, her daughter Jennifer Baldwin and husband Ken Baldwin stood sideby-side with members of the charity to watch as the 802302 Hitachi Paragon train was officially re-named ‘Jean Bishop –The Bee Lady.’

Jean was the unanimous winner of the ‘Name that Train’ competition, during which members of the public were asked

to suggest and select names for each of the operator’s five Paragon trains.

Jennifer Baldwin, Jean’s daughter, said: “As a family we are immensely proud. If mum had seen the train she would have been over the moon. She was so well known and loved around the city and the fact she received 80% of the vote was amazing. For Hull Trains to carry her name is an absolute honour.”

Prior to the arrival of the newly-named train at Platform 7, representatives from Jean’s chosen charity, Age UK Hull, had spoken glowingly about Hull’s ‘Queen Bee’ at a special event held at Hull Truck Theatre.

Natalie Cowell, Services Manager, Age UK Hull, said: “I think if you would mention The Bee Lady to anyone in Hull they would know who you are talking

about, and would probably have their own personal story to tell about her. Without the money Jean gave us we wouldn’t be able to carry out the vital work we do in the community including befriending, falls prevention, information and advice and social groups. She’s going to be a symbol for volunteering for a very long time.”

The naming ceremony also marked the first public event for

“Jean won the public vote overwhelmingly which shows how much she was loved by the people of Hull. We are thrilled to be able to do something that will allow people to remember her.”

Hull Trains’ new Managing Director, Martijn Gilbert, who added:

ABOVE: The Hitachi train proudly showing off its new name plaque

INSET: Jean Bishop

Marine Rescue Technologies looks forward to a year of growth

Abusiness which has pioneered the use of locator beacons in saving lives at sea for nearly 50 years is planning recruitment, relocation and the launch of new products as the result of its recent takeover.

Marine Rescue Technologies Limited (MRT) is aiming to add around 30 people to its team in the next 12 months, move its headquarters from Beverley to a new home in Hull, and unveil a range of new

products including a first step into the recreational market.

MRT was founded by David Marshall, who came up with the idea of the personal locator beacon after being rescued in 1960 by a passing barge in the South Pacific several hours after falling overboard.

He launched his first personal locator beacon in 1975 and further products followed as his business became a lifeline for mariners from trawlermen to yachtsmen and the offshore industry.

MRT was established as a company in 2001 and continued a commitment to product development which saw the business recognised as a global leader in man overboard safety equipment, manufacturing personal locator beacons.

Ryan Pettit was appointed to the role of CEO in 2018 and now becomes Managing Director of Wescom Electronics as a result of the takeover by world-leading emergency distress signal manufacturer Wescom Group, based in Derby.

He said: “The investment by Wescom Group will support us at a significant time in our development. We operate in a very competitive sector and we work for some of the biggest names

in the offshore industries.

“We currently have a team of 17 spread across our two sites in Hull and Beverley and we aim to recruit another 30 in phases over the next year. We are also looking for modern premises in Hull which will be capable of accommodating the expanded team, bringing together the manufacturing, service, despatch and office roles.

“As we move forward with recruitment and relocation we are also investing in new product development with plans to introduce a number of new products to the market over the next year.”

Ryan added that the acquisition further enhances Wescom Group’s profile as a primary source of marine distress and safety signalling and enables the company to grow its portfolio of marine survival solutions, notably by adding electronics signalling equipment to its range of pyrotechnic products.

Ryan Pettit, Managing Director of Wescom Electronics, which has completed the takeover of Marine Rescue Technologies Limited (MRT)

Motoring

Life can’t be all about work! Chamber Motoring reviews some of the latest offerings on the market.

A car that’s set to become a collectible

Toyota’s GR86 is a proper sports car for sensible money – David Hooper says it’s no surprise it’s been a big hit with customers.

When a new car sells its entire twoyear UK allocation within an hourand-a-half of going on sale, you know it’s going to be something rather special, and this Toyota GR86 certainly didn’t disappoint me! With an asking price of £30,000, it’s cracking value for money too.

It’s the long-awaited and much vaunted successor to the GT86, the product of joint project between Toyota and Subaru, which saw the GT86 bestowed with Subaru’s iconic flat four Boxer engine.

The GR bit stands for Gazoo Racing, Toyota’s motorsport division, which has enlarged the original 2.0litre engine to 2.4-litres, hollowed out the valves to save weight, and sharpened up the six-speed manual gearbox. A six-speed auto is also available, but this is a proper sports car, so why would you...

The entire chassis has been stiffened – by a remarkable 60% which makes you think the original car’s underpinnings must have made of cheese, and weight has been saved wherever it could be, so the sports seats are lighter than before, but still very comfortable.

The six-speed gearbox is pleasingly slick to stir enthusiastically, slotting from gear to gear with considerable precision. You also get a proper handbrake as opposed to an electronic parking brake.

On the road, the ride is firm, but not uncomfortable, with reasonably good feedback through the steering wheel, but despite its 18in 10-spoke alloys being shod with proper Michelin Pilot 4 tyres, the rear end was eager to break away under the merest of provocation on the damp, greasy wintery roads during my test.

The beauty of the GR86 though, is that it’s easy to catch and balance on the throttle, helped by the Torsen limited slip diff. It’ll raise your heart rate and put a silly grin on your face all at the same time! And for the non adrenalin junkies, the traction control system is very competent!

The instruments in front of the driver have a digital speed read out in the centre of a circular rev counter which goes into the amber zone at around 7,000 revs with the limiter being found just slightly over that mark. As you approach the rev limiter an orange flashing light

TOP RIGHT: The sporty GR86 certainly looks the part with its prominent front air vents and side skirts

CENTRE RIGHT: The interior looks a bit low rent with lots of black plastic, but is thoughtfully laid out and reasonably well equipped

BELOW: Don't you just love a nice rear end? With the boot lid sculpted to incorporate a rear spoiler, and large twin exhausts, this GR86 means business!

The bigger engine gives the GR86 another 35bhp (231) and more torque (184lb ft), but the figures, on paper at least, are still modest. That said, the 0-62mph time is despatched in just 6.3 seconds and the car has a top speed of 140mph, which is plenty, but it’s what goes on in between that’s important.

As I said to a friend the other day, you can get a supercar, but in many ways it’s no fun because it’s so quick, so competent, that you have to do silly speeds on a track to really enjoy it. Not so this Toyota, you need to work the engine hard and stir the gearbox regularly to get the most out of this car, with rear-wheel-drive, a limited slip rear diff and a chassis that’s set up for fun, it’s a thoroughly engaging package.

In association with

‘It’ll raise your heart rate and put a silly grin on your face all at the same time!’

The vital statistics

MODEL: Toyota GR86

ENGINE: 2,387cc, 231bhp flat four-cylinder petrol engine, driving rear wheels through 6 speed manual gearbox.

PERFORMANCE: Top speed 140 mph. 0-62mph in 6.3 secs.

reminds you to change up and beeps in case you are not looking at your controls in the heat of the moment.

Turning off the traction control system is achieved by holding down the button on the centre console for three seconds, as well as turning off the car’s stability programs, and traction control, it also changes the dashboard to give you a sportier look with a diagonal rev counter in the centre of the dash and a lap timer on the left hand side so you can check how consistent your lap times are on a track day.

Inside the Toyota, GR86 feels like a proper sports car, although the overall feel is a bit bargain basement with lots of black plastic. Sitting in the heated bucket seats, the steering wheel is just the right size and comes with a little GR badge at the bottom of the steering wheel along with remote controls for the telephone, volume, trip computers and setting menus. A separate stalk controls the cruise control which is a nice addition that a lot of performance cars omit. The central screen in the middle of the dash is home to the apps menu and the car supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto which provide your satellite navigation when you need it.

Below the screen are three dials which control your temperature and heating controls and the start button which is found just to the left of the driver’s knee. A row of five sportily designed switches control some of the car’s other heating and ventilation functions.

During my test of around 350 miles, the GR86, returned an average of 30.5 mpg, which isn’t too bad when you consider I did “enjoy“ driving this car greatly.

The styling is quite dramatic, with its aggressive nose, flared sills and a boot shaped to form a kind of spoiler which looks really good, and while you get a reversing camera, there are no parking sensors on the car, so care needs to be taken in tight spots.

All in all this is a brilliant driver’s car, which is guaranteed to become a collector’s item in the not too distant future as its time on sale is very limited due to upcoming legislation.

Unless Toyota can find some more new ones for the UK, I would suggest it’s worth scouring the second hand market for a nice example, enjoy it for a while, and then stick it in the garage. This will be an investment and is a keeper!

Stylish Shooting Brake is gunning for German rivals

Some cars you simply gel with better than others, and this Genesis G70 Shooting Brake is one of those cars. Not only does it look gorgeous with its raked profile and Havana Red paintwork which really pops and sparkles when it’s clean, its distinctive sport back styling offers something different which stands out from the crowd - and it’s great to drive!

Add to that some attractive lighting design and excellent dynamics and I think once word gets round, Genesis, a relatively new brand in the UK, will be on to a winner here. With a 2.2-litre diesel engine from the Kia/Hyundai stable providing just shy of 200 brake horsepower through a rear wheel drivetrain, matched with an eight-speed transmission, it is a very nice thing to drive, especially when you factor in the 440Nm of torque, which makes mid-range overtakes, well let’s just say, “satisfying”. The 0-62mph time is impressive too, at just 7.7 seconds, which means it will live with some pretty rapid competition.

On the road, the G70, feels very well balanced and competent, and when the sport mode is selected, you can feel the dampers stiffen slightly, which gives the car considerable poise and the driver the confidence to push through the bends making good progress on a crosscountry sprint.

Progress is luxuriously quiet and smooth, even when pushed, although the gearbox was caught out once or twice by not downshifting at the appropriate moment when I was pressing on, coming out of a roundabout, for example, but most of the time, it is very fluid and smooth, and you do have the option of flappy paddles on the steering wheel to make manual adjustments if you feel the need, which for most of the time I didn’t.

You can select four main driving modes, Eco, Comfort, Sport and Sport+ which turns off the traction control systems should you find yourself on a spacious

airfield or the like! And I love how, when you select the sport settings, the side bolsters on the seat inflate to hold you more firmly in place, replicating a race style seat.

The only downside is the fuel consumption, which for a diesel car is a little on the low side. During my test I covered nearly 400 miles and the G70 didn’t quite achieve 33mpg average over that distance.

The G70’s interior is very plush with a nicely designed instrument panel with clear, legible displays which include a head up display on the dash in front of the driver which is quite a nice feature and avoids you having to look down and take your eyes off the road to register the key information.

The seats are comfortable and supportive and feature red stitching detail to give the car a sporty feel and comes with matching red seatbelts all round for your passengers. They will also heat your bum, or blow cold air on it in the summer and it also has a heated steering wheel which is lovely as the temperatures start to plummet. The red stitching theme continues over the top of the dashboard and around the centre console and steering wheel giving the car and immediately sporty feel.

There is plenty of headroom for six footers, but legroom in the back with the front seats positioned in a comfortable driving position is a little bit limited for taller adults.

Adding to the ticket price of our test car are the Innovation Pack at £3,250, the Comfort Seat Pack at £1,850, plus the Havana Red paintwork at £750.

A lot of people are still unfamiliar with the relatively new to the UK Genesis brand, but with its five-year warranty, good looks and agreeable driving dynamics, I think Genesis are onto a winner with this car and it should help them make further inroads into the UK market once the word gets around – and I have to say – I for one, am happy to spread that word – I think they have come up with a cracker in the G70. It’s my kind of car!

The vital statistics

MODEL: Genesis G70 Shooting Brake 2.2D Sport Line

ENGINE: 2,199cc, 197bhp four-cylinder diesel engine, driving rear wheels through 8-speed gearbox

PERFORMANCE: Top speed 140 mph. 0-62mph in 7.7 secs.

ECONOMY: Combined: 41.8mpg. Wheel World test average: 32.7mpg

CO2 EMISSIONS: 182g/km

FUEL TANK: 60 litres

PRICE: £41,430 (£47,280 as tested)

WARRANTY: Five years WEBSITE: www.genesis.com/uk

• All data correct at time of publication.

New to the UK market, David Hooper says this Genesis G70 is going to give the established players some serious competition!

New Members

DNA

Get Connected

Mobile

Nespresso

Signet

The Mobile Retail Group - home of The Big Coffee and Piaggio Commercial UK

The Big Coffee

We are a small dedicated team who are very excited to become members of the Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce. With 20 years of street food experience and a passion for all things coffee, The Big Coffee are leading manufacturers of creating bespoke mobile catering units and have worked with large established brands such as Yorkshire Tea and Taylors of Harrogate along with many educational organisation’s including our very own University of Hull. To see some examples of what we do please visit www.thebigcoffee.com

Piaggio Commercial UK

We have been the sole official Importer of Piaggio commercial vehicles for the UK and Ireland since 2006. Working direct with Piaggio Head office in Italy we are proud to be supporting bringing international trade to this part of the country.

We are looking forward to working with businesses from across the region.

Bringing internet access to rural communities

Quickline Communications has provided 2,000 rural communities with fast and reliable broadband in just 12 months – helping to tackle the digital divide in access to the internet.

The fast-growing rural internet service provider is rolling out a market-leading hybrid network, combining fibre and fixed wireless broadband to deliver “broadband for the better” to some of the country’s most remote places.

The 2,000 communities Quickline has provided a service to over the past year include:

• Levisham, in the North York Moors National Park, with fewer than 100 residents.

• The former mining village of Kinsley, near Wakefield in West Yorkshire.

• Hainton, located between Louth and Market Rasen in Lincolnshire, clustered around St Mary’s Church, dating back to the 11th Century.

By providing residents and businesses in communities like this with fast and reliable broadband, Quickline is leading the way in tackling the disparity in internet access that leaves many countryside areas in the internet slow lane.

The imbalance between urban and rural broadband was highlighted in recent research conducted by data group Point Topic with the Financial Times. It found that, while almost five million UK homes have more than three choices of ultrafast fibre broadband, 10

million households, predominantly in rural areas, do not have an option that meets the need for lightning-fast, reliable connections fit for the 21st Century.

Sean Royce (pictured), Quickline’s CEO, said: “This report highlights just how vital the work we’re doing at Quickline is. People shouldn’t be disadvantaged by choosing to live in countryside areas and deserve to h ave the same internet experience as those living in large towns and cities. Fast and reliable internet access has never been so important. We know that improved internet access unlocks a better quality of life for everyone. It supports skills, jobs, education and entertainment.

“Fast broadband means you can stream your favourite TV shows and films, enjoy online gaming, and video call your loved ones without disruption. That’s why we’re passionate about bringing fast and reliable broadband to left-behind communities, giving them the digital life they deserve.”

Since launching in 2006, Quickline has grown rapidly and is on track to reach 500,000 homes and businesses with fast, reliable broadband by 2025.

Quickline was acquired by Northleaf Capital Partners in June 2021 and has doubled the size of its team since then. In March, Quickline welcomed its 100th employee and the workforce expected to grow to 200 within months. Quickline recently moved into new offices at Albion Mills in Willerby, East Yorkshire, to accommodate its growing team.

Visit: www.quickline.co.uk

The Chamber welcomes New Members and hears from businesses promoting connectivity in the region.

Last Word

If you like to have the Last Word, here's your chance - email David Hooper at d.hooper@hull-humber-chamber.co.uk

Describe your business in a nutshell?

Modern, centrally located, warm and welcoming, large enough to cater, small enough to care. Variety of space, flexible, individual, quality food and beverage offerings. Superb accommodation products and an amazing team who enjoy delivering great service.

Where is it based?

City Centre Hull.

What has been your biggest challenge in the last year?

Predicting the future, recovering from Covid restrictions, changes in booking patterns, recruitment.

What are you most looking forward to in the next three months?

New year/new thinking/refreshed approach to hospitality – what can we do differently following on from the learning we have got from Covid times.

What news story has had the biggest impact recently?

World Cup 2022: England’s route to final explained.

If you could choose, what job would you do?

Cruise Director.

What is your biggest ambition?

To be the number one Doubletree hotel in the UK portfolio.

Where will your next holiday be? Tenerife.

What are your hobbies and which is your favourite pastime?

I enjoy the theatre, socialising, meals out and entertaining.

What are your plans for the weekend?

We’ve got a busy events schedule - so working with the team.

Name: Samantha Dunion

Job title: General Manager

Name of the business: Doubletree by Hilton, Hull