Business Network September 21

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BUSINESS

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SEPTEMBER 2021

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BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN EDUCATION AND BUSINESS UNPACKING THE £4BN ECONOMIC IMPACT OF REGION'S UNIVERSITIES

INTERVIEW

POLITICS

UNIVERSITY OF DERBY VICECHANCELLOR ON BECOMING PART OF CITY FABRIC AND SME SUPPORT

THE EAST MIDLANDS CITY THAT'S 'FINALLY GOING PLACES' AS REGENERATION UNFOLDS

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THE FIRST WORD

CONTENTS SEPTEMBER 2021

NEWS UPDATE 4

MEMBER NEWS New programme to support start-up firms

28 APPOINTMENTS Legal partnership bolstered by new recruits

f you live in one of our region’s cities, you’ll probably have noticed an influx of new student accommodation in recent years. And flicking through the Facebook comments of news stories on these developments would suggest they aren’t particularly popular among the local community.

It’s a topic the Chamber often gets asked to comment on and our response is always that universities and their students make huge contributions in stimulating our local economy, often breathing new life into dilapidated buildings while keeping our city centres modern and attractive.

But while many of us might associate universities with young people filtering through these historic institutions for a few years and propping up midweek hospitality with student loans, they offer so much more.

There’s six on our patch – Derby, De Montfort, Leicester, Loughborough, Nottingham and Nottingham Trent – and each one boasts a thriving ecosystem of world-leading research that feeds both the skillsets and commerce in related industries.

It’s time to change the narrative on universities, which is why this issue of Business Network is devoted to highlighting the major role they play in our communities and local economies.

As our focus feature (p66) explains, at least one space instrument designed with support from the University of Leicester has been in orbit since the 1960s, while back on Earth, Nottingham Trent University is branching out of its city roots to bring higher education to Mansfield – which not only plugs a major skills gap but helps to keep young talent in the town.

The University of Derby’s vice-chancellor Professor Kathryn Mitchell DL explains in the big interview (p30) how she is on a mission to firmly embed her institution into the fabric of Derby by building a city centre business school and working with local SMEs on everything from management training to supporting low-carbon growth.

There are numerous other examples throughout this edition of the huge benefits brought by our region’s universities – which deliver an estimated £4bn to the UK economy, the majority of which is spent in the East Midlands – from creating low-cost ventilators for developing countries to researching future renewable fuels and energy storage technologies that will underpin a sustainable society.

Universities, businesses and communities can be a powerful unified force, and the Chamber will continue to be at the forefront of bringing these ecosystems together.

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THE BIG INTERVIEW 30 Professor Kathryn Mitchell DL, vice-chancellor at the University of Derby 34 PATRONS Call to offer Covid help to a ll 36 CHAMBER NEWS Awards celebrate region’s young talent

SUSTAINABLE EAST MIDLANDS 54 Grasping the ‘green growth’ opportunity

INTERNATIONAL TRADE 56 Innovative lab is taking best to East

POLITICS 58 Regeneration project is finally taking shape

FEATURES 60 CORPORATE CHRISTMAS Top tips to ensure your festive party is a cracker 64 From jingle to mingle 66 FOCUS FEATURE How East Midlands’ universities are powering the region’s recovery 71 PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Creating the perfect cross-sector partnership

Dan Robinson, Editor, Business Network

75 Being unique can get you a pizza the action

TRAINING & EVENTS Front cover photo is copyright and courtesy of: University of Nottingham

Editor Dan Robinson T: 07764 431028 E: dan.robinson@emc-dnl.co.uk Contributor Jasmine Thompson All Submissions E: magazine@emc-dnl.co.uk Chamber Membership E: membership@emc-dnl.co.uk Follow the Chamber W: www.emc-dnl.co.uk Twitter: @EMChamberNews

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BUSINESS NETWORK is produced on behalf of East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire) by Kemps Publishing Ltd and is distributed to members without charge. The Chamber and the publisher are committed to achieving the highest quality standards. While every care has been taken to ensure that the information it contains is accurate, neither the Chamber nor the publisher can accept any responsibility for any omission or inaccuracies that might arise. Views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the Chamber. This publication (or any part thereof) may not be reproduced, transmitted or stored in print or electronic format without prior written permission of Kemps Publishing Ltd.

DIGITAL & TECHNOLOGY 81 Getting started with e-commerce

BUSINESS SUPPORT 84 LEGAL The importance of trade marks 86 FINANCE The benefits of Employee Ownership Trusts 88 SKILLS Putting skills at the heart of levelling up 90 PROPERTY Why local authorities need to stop halting planning 92 MOTORING Nick Jones tests the VW Touareg 93 INFORMATION The financial impacts of Brexit

COMMENT 94 THE LAST WORD Chamber president Eileen Richards MBE on the importance of bringing business and education closer together business network September 2021

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MEMBER NEWS

The programme aims to help local people bring their business ideas to life

Partnership will support start-up firms Loughborough University has partnered with Charnwood Borough Council to launch a programme that helps local people working on unique, early-stage products or services to bring their vision to life.

The business start-up accelerator aims to develop a new generation of companies rooted in Loughborough that are resilient to future challenges.

The two-year programme is being delivered

by Loughborough University’s incubator LU Inc and is part-funded by £314,000 from a Covid-19 Recovery Fund created using Enterprise Zone business rates.

Charnwood Borough Council is backing the programme, which was approved by the Leicester & Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP).

3D printing creates personalised pills A team of researchers at the University of Nottingham are using 3D printing to make personalised medicine a reality.

The scientists showcased their work to create a “wonder pill” that can deliver multiple medications to the body at the correct dose and time, at the Royal Society’s Summer Science event in August.

Professor Ricky Wildman, from the university’s Centre for Additive Manufacturing, is leading the development. He said: “Each of us have physical and biological differences that make it harder for generic medicine to be effective at a standard dose – and half the people in the UK alone don’t take their medicines correctly.

“We are exploring if 3D printing could be used to print personalised pills that are exactly right for each person that combines all the drugs they needed so they only had to take one a day.”

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Professor Chris Rielly, dean of the School of Aeronautical, Automotive, Chemical and Materials Engineering, believes the programme is “crucial” to the area’s post-pandemic recovery.

‘We need to take action to help rebuild our economy and foster resilience’ He said: “We need to take action to help rebuild our economy and foster resilience within a postpandemic recovery.

“Through the project, and recently launched Careers & Enterprise Hub, we aim to equip individuals with new skills to build new businesses which are ‘fit for the future’.

“We look forward to supporting early-stage new businesses emerging in the area.”

On offer is one-to-one and group coaching, training and meet-ups, connections to other business support networks, workspace, and the chance to apply for funding towards a follow-on workspace on completion of the programme.

Councillor Jonathan Morgan, leader of Charnwood Borough Council, said: “We are delighted to support a programme that will help a number of emerging businesses become stronger and more resilient for the future.

“One of our top priorities is to create a thriving economy and develop the borough’s reputation for growth and innovation.”

Visit: www.lusep.co.uk/wayfinder

Digital project to boost recovery The University of Nottingham has launched a project to help growth and recovery in the city it calls home with an ambitious programme combining data science, technology and innovation.

Digital Nottingham is an endeavour to help transform the city by using research expertise to solve local challenges, such as skills needs, while providing opportunities for growth and regeneration.

The vision was launched alongside research collaborations with business advisory firm KPMG – which will leverage large-scale financial data and machine learning to inform business decision-making – and technology venture builder Blenheim Chalcot to link scale-up businesses in the city with university expertise that can help them innovate and grow.

Professor of economics John Gathergood, who is also associate pro-vice chancellor for research and knowledge exchange at the university, said: “Technology-driven radical transformations in the economy and society are changing the ways we work and live. Central to this transformation is the way in which our world uses data, facilitated by digital technologies, to learn and develop new skills, create opportunities and deliver growth and recovery.

The research will aim to solve local challenges

“We are excited by the prospect of new collaborations focusing on applications of data science to new forms of data, and the opportunities to contribute to data-driven start-ups and commercial opportunities.”

Digital Nottingham plans to build on the city’s reputation as a leading destination for data science start-ups following investment by Blenheim Chalcot and a cluster of FinTech firms. It is driven by a shared vision of data for good and using technology to overcome borders and collaborate on a global scale.

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MEMBER NEWS

Research to help shoe industry make a recovery Researchers are helping shoe manufacturers recover from the effects of Covid-19 by understanding for the first time how coronavirus behaves on leather – in a collaboration with a trade body and Chamber member Micro-Fresh.

The team at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) worked with the British Footwear Association, which represents artisan shoemakers that supply the largest and best-known brands in the world, to test samples of the most popular leathers used for their products.

The traditional shoemaking process involves many different stages.

Factory staff at some companies were concerned at the possibility of transmitting infection through handling the same materials, and how long the virus could remain on the material and throughout the manufacturing process.

The team – led by DMU microbiologist Dr Katie Laird, head of the infectious disease research group, and virologist Dr Maitreyi Shivkumar – looked at how the virus survived on different types of shoe leather and cross-contamination on surfaces such as stainless steel and cardboard to assess transfer from shoes in a shoe box.

It found that human coronavirus, OC43, was able to survive on some leathers for up to 48 hours and could be transmitted to shoe boxes and stainless-steel surfaces during the manufacturing process.

Dr Shivkumar said: “Although the coronavirus can remain infectious on some leathers for one to two days, the risk of transfer is greatest for up to a few hours after contamination of the leather.”

The team brought in Leicester company Micro-Fresh, which makes antiviral treatment.

When leather was treated with Micro-Fresh technology, it took the survival time of coronavirus from between 24 and 48 hours down to two hours. These findings means shoe manufacturers now have the information to alter health and safety procedures. They know when transmission times are highest and can advise stockists on protecting the shoes in stores.

Lucy Reece Raybould, chief executive of the British Footwear Association, said: "I am pleased that this study has found some concrete information for the footwear industry that can now be transformed into actionable guidance to boost consumer confidence and give customers greater peace of mind, whether they are browsing, trying on or taking their goods home.”

Companies can coat their own products with Micro-Fresh’s treatment during the manufacturing process. The technology can be added to the lacquer and applied in-house.

Byron Dixon, CEO of Micro-Fresh, added: “Our journey began as a simple formulation to prevent the growth of mould on leather goods. After working with leather for more than 20 years, this is a great development and a pivotal point for Micro-Fresh, especially during the current climate.”

Dr Katie Laird

Dr Maitreyi Shivkumar

‘When leather was treated with Micro-Fresh technology, it took the survival time of coronavirus from between 24 and 48 hours down to two hours’

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MEMBER NEWS

Supporting businesses to go green Nottingham Trent University (NTU) has launched a new project to help Nottingham businesses go greener with a range of fully-funded and part-funded services – including up to £5,000 in grants.

NTU has teamed up with the University of Nottingham and Nottingham City Council on the Sustainability in Enterprise programme, which provides practical support and funding to reduce the carbon emissions of eligible local SMEs. The institutions are also working with Nottinghamshire local authorities and strategic partners, including the Chamber and Federation of Small Businesses.

The programme includes a grant towards the cost of hiring a university graduate to champion sustainability, a carbon audit, carbon reduction workshops and expert advice on how to design waste out of products.

Programme lead Kate Ling said: “As governments, cities and businesses across the globe work towards carbon neutrality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the Sustainability in Enterprise programme aims to drive sustainable growth in businesses and the local economy.”

NTU’s team is leading by example, having taken part in a recent volunteering day at Summerwood Community Garden, in Clifton, Nottingham, to learn more about the journey to slashing

Rebrand for travel and events firm Capita Travel and Events, along with sister company NYS, has united its brands to launch Agiito.

The company will continue to manage travel, meetings and events, while prioritising behavioural insights into the ways customers use its services. The rebrand also seeks to unite its workforce.

CEO James Parkhouse said: “Over the years our people, culture, products, services and propositions have evolved to represent far more than a traditional travel management company. The pandemic has taught us the importance of adapting to the changing needs of our customers, partners and the industry.”

Agiito’s Roberta Parr shares her tips on organising a successful Christmas party on p60.

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Members of the NTU team volunteering at Summerwood Community Garden in Clifton

‘The Sustainability in Enterprise programme aims to drive sustainable growth in businesses and the local economy’ carbon emissions.

The garden is run by a community organisation that encourages and enables local people to live more sustainably. It relies on volunteers for tasks such as tending to its wormery, which

produces compost from food waste, and working on its fruit and vegetable gardens.

Kate added: “The volunteering day alongside NTU's sustainability team was a perfect opportunity for the Sustainability in Enterprise team to

shake off the cobwebs from remote working and get to meet colleagues face to face for the first time.

“We are determined to walk the walk, so we have planned plenty of other ways in which we can reduce our own carbon emissions in delivering this project, including supporting local community organisations throughout the twoyear funded project.”

Project will aid aerospace industry A materials expert at the University of Nottingham has secured more than £2.1m to develop new coatings for use in aerospace that could cut jet plane CO2 emissions – and help spacecrafts built for humans venture further into the solar system.

Dr Tanvir Hussain has received the five-year fellowship – funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council – to find new modelling and processing techniques that will overhaul the design and manufacture of advanced ceramic materials for the next generation of air and space travel.

Dr Hussain said: “Ceramics are an important group of materials and their processing into aerospace coatings and components requires specialist techniques. Current approaches for new materials discovery and production are wasteful, costly and energy-inefficient.”

Using AI and advanced chemistry, Dr Hussain will influence the molecular architecture of ceramic materials to tailor their properties so they are more durable and sustainable.

The project aims to produce bespoke ceramic coatings designed and manufactured with thermal, electrical and environmental barrier properties that can be fine-tuned to their desired applications in aerospace.

The new chemistries developed will make rocket engines more efficient and reusable – helping to make deep space travel accessible for humans.

Dr Hussain added: “The research will lead to the

Dr Tanvir Hussain

creation of products for the aerospace industry with improved properties, performances and reduced processing times that can be manufactured in large volumes at a fraction of a cost of today’s methods.”

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MEMBER NEWS

The President of Kenya learns about the project

Professor Heiko Baltzer led the development of the technology

Satellite system aims to protect forests A satellite project developed by researchers at the University of Leicester was showcased during a visit to London by the president of Kenya.

The UK Government presented the Forest Alert system, which is currently being rolled out across the East African nation in order to protect its threatened ecosystems, to President Uhuru Kenyatta during a special event at Kew Gardens in July.

It was held to mark his meeting with COP26 president-designate Alok Sharma as part of a UK-Kenya partnership on climate change.

Forest Alert is a system that sends out nearreal-time deforestation alerts to a mobile app,

notifying users of illegal logging activity. Its spatial resolution of 10 metres allows the detection of small-scale forest degradation and selective logging of single large trees in tropical rainforests.

Professor Heiko Balzter, director of the Centre for Landscape and Climate Research at the University of Leicester, led the development of the technology.

He said: “It integrates cloud computing, mobile technology and community participation to provide a rapid-response forest monitoring system for Kenya. Near-real-time deforestation alerts are sent out whenever a new satellite

image is acquired, up to every five days from the Sentinel-2 A and B satellites, within 24 hours of imaging.”

Jamlek Ndambiri, of Kenya Forest Service, said: “The Forest Alert system has made our forest rangers more accountable, helped us manage our rangers more effectively, and helped ensure that we arrest forest destruction almost at the time it happens.”

Professor Balzter added: “The powerful integration of satellite images with mobile phone apps and big data analytics provides a step change in the ability of organisations to respond effectively to the loss of forest land.”

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MEMBER NEWS

Vaillant expands Derbyshire factory Vaillant is extending its UK factory in Derbyshire to produce its aroTHERM plus heat pumps alongside its range of high-efficiency boilers from 2022.

The move marks a £3m investment in the Belper site’s production line capabilities and makes Vaillant one of the only heating appliance manufacturers to make both high-efficiency gas boilers and heat pumps in the UK. Having led the innovation of gas appliances since 1874, Vaillant UK and Ireland managing director Klaus Jesse believes a combination of technologies will be required to address the UK’s decarbonisation challenge.

He said: “As a leading heating manufacturer, we take our responsibility to support the decarbonisation challenge very seriously. Having been at the forefront of research and development of high-efficiency gas appliances as well as heat pumps, Vaillant is also investing heavily in future hydrogen and green gas technology. There will not be one technology which singularly addresses the climate challenge, and it’s important that both the Government and the heating industry recognise and educate the market on the benefits of each technology, based on the needs of the customer and the property.”

Vaillant’s factory in Belper

Germany-headquartered Vaillant currently manufactures about half a million natural gas and liquified petroleum gas (LPG) appliances at the Belper plant for the UK market.

By extending its aroTHERM plus air-to-water heat pump production to the Belper site from Europe, where this technology has been widely adopted for over a decade, the company can continue to serve the UK heat pump market to

meet the needs of UK homeowners and satisfying required regulations.

Joe Dunn, plant director of Vaillant Industrial UK, said: “This is a huge step forward for Vaillant in the UK. We currently manufacture an extensive range of highly efficient boilers at our award-winning factory in Belper, Derbyshire. This is a fantastic opportunity to develop our skill sets ready for our product diversification.”

EMB Group sells element to Amtivo Leicester-based business management consultancy EMB Group has sold part of its business to Amtivo.

The deal, which was led by Geldards’ corporate finance team, has resulted in Amtivo also snapping up EMB Group brands Ascentor and ACM-CCAS. EMB Group chief executive Stephen Smith said: “This sale is a real milestone achievement for EMB Group.

“We’re very grateful to Geldards for its hard work, help and support in guiding us through the sale.”

Management buyout at Interflex An automotive parts manufacturer in Nottinghamshire has announced the completion of a management buyout – 18 months after the appointment of a new managing director.

The Interflex buyout is part of an ongoing expansion plan in which the company has introduced new products, as well as invested in new equipment.

Managing director Jim Griffin will now take the lead with founder Pete Ryder supporting the team through his position as chairman of the group.

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Directors at Learning Pool and Marlin Equity Partners celebrate the landmark investment in London

Marlin Equity Partners invests in Learning Pool’s growth Learning Pool has agreed to a new investment from Marlin Equity Partners to support the company’s continued growth.

Its integrated suite of digital learning products and services has enabled more than 1,100 companies to migrate their training initiatives to modern cloud technology – and its initial investment from Carlyle Cardinal Ireland in 2016 has increased its revenue fourfold.

Founded in Northern Ireland, Learning Pool’s workforce has grown to more than 260 employees across the UK and US, including an office in Nottingham.

The Marlin investment will facilitate further job creation, with plans already in place to hire an additional 100 employees across the group this year.

CEO Paul McElvaney said: “Over the past five years, we have achieved phenomenal growth with the support of Carlyle Cardinal Ireland, and we’re very grateful for the help and encouragement we’ve had from the team.

“We’re delighted to have found the right partner to help us continue our momentum and grow the Learning Pool brand globally. Marlin has an incredible heritage in helping businesses like ours scale and innovate. We’re confident both our customers and our team will see immediate benefits from Marlin’s investment.”

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MEMBER NEWS

Matthew Bond

Training and tea sessions extended

Young Matthew

‘Donut’ give up on your dreams Just three years ago, Matthew Bond was working as a landscape gardener and had never so much as cooked a meal, let alone baked a cake.

But as a boy growing up in America, Matthew had dreamed of one day owning a doughnut store and was convinced the sugary snacks could be the UK’s next big trend. Teaching himself how to bake, Matthew persuaded friends Jacob Watts and Max Poynton to set up in business as Project D, producing handcrafted doughnuts.

And Matthew’s hard work has paid off – he has been shortlisted for the national title Baker of the Year in the Baking Industry Awards 2021 (BIA).

He said: “Despite never having even baked a cake, I was brought up in America where doughnuts were a huge trend – and I knew that would happen in the UK.

“We still flip our doughnuts by hand, hand dip them and hand decorate each one. The range is changed every four weeks at least and I still bake almost every day, and I’m responsible for product innovation and standards.”

It’s just one of multiple awards the company has been shortlisted for this year, with East Midlands Chamber, Generation Next and the Great British Entrepreneur Awards each recognising the talents of Project D’s three directors.

Matthew added: “I’m over the moon to have been shortlisted for this award. I look back at the photograph of me as a boy with my chef’s hat and doughnut box and think that my younger self would be pretty pleased with how things have turned out.”

Community Chesterfield is expanding the offering of its most popular training programme by providing subsidised tickets to anyone in Derbyshire.

The project, a National Lottery-funded partnership between Derbyshire Voluntary Action and the University of Derby, launched its “training and tea” sessions during the pandemic – 45-minute bitesized introductions to a range of topics. The training has previously only been available for free to University of Derby staff and students with a connection to Chesterfield, as well as those working at or volunteering for Derbyshirebased community organisations.

Kate Burns, skills coordinator at Community Chesterfield, said: “By being able to expand places on the workshops, we can reach a wider demographic of voluntary and community sector groups.”

Subsidised tickets cost £10 plus fees.

Visit: www.community chesterfield.org.uk

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MEMBER NEWS

BWB retains IIP platinum status BWB Consulting has retained platinum status in its latest appraisal by Investors in People (IIP) – the accreditation body that recognises how well organisations enable a worklife balance and develop employees.

The accolade, following a three-year reassessment in April, secures the Nottinghambased engineering and environmental design consultancy as one of only 150 organisations globally to have been awarded the highest level of recognition – just 5% of IIP-accredited businesses worldwide.

CEO Steve Wooler said: “When BWB achieved IIP platinum accreditation back in 2018, I was both delighted and exceptionally proud. To have retained our accreditation, despite the numerous challenges we’ve overcome as a consequence of Covid-19, is the cherry on the cake.”

Koobr strengthens position following major acquisition Derby-based marketing agency Koobr has agreed terms to acquire fellow agency Carmichael Collective.

The deal, for an undisclosed sum, means the fullservice creative marketing company – which has an existing portfolio of national and international clients – can strengthen its foothold not only in the East Midlands but worldwide across a variety of sectors.

Carmichael Collective, a 25-year-old business based in Belper, was formerly owned by Murray CarmichaelSmith, who has also previously run Nottingham-based companies bcsAgency and Crowdicity.

‘I am excited to see how the business evolves and develops with a new team driving it forward’ Koobr director Craig Barker said: “For many years, Murray has been an inspiration and mentor to us. We are looking forward to building on the fantastic work and achievements that Murray and his team have accomplished during the last two decades.

Murray added: “I have worked with Craig Barker and the team at Koobr for a number of years and know that its ethos and quality of work aligns with the high standards that our customers have come to expect. I

Murray Carmichael-Smith (left) and Craig Baker

am excited to see how the business evolves and develops with a new team driving it forward.”

Koobr is now actively seeking other potential acquisition opportunities to help fuel its growth plans.

Craig said: “The challenges of the past few months have forced many to question the priorities in their life.

“We recognise that many business owners that have worked hard to create a successful company are now looking for a change in direction. The experience we’ve had with Carmichael Collective has inspired us to look for further acquisition opportunities.”

MTI welcomes TV star Guy Martin Former motorcycle racer, TV presenter and author Guy Martin has visited the MIRA Technology Institute (MTI) during his preparations for the 52 Express project – in which he will attempt to break the world land speed record.

Led by team principal and project founder Alex Macfadzean, the 52 Express project aims to set the FIA Motorcycle World Land Speed Record in Bolivia in 2022, with Guy at the helm and a target to beat 376.363 mph.

The 52 Express motorcycle has been in the MTI workshop as engineers from Horiba Mira, the automotive engineering consultant that is a stakeholder in the Institute, assessed options for its new streamlined body to enable optimum air intake.

Guy, a former apprentice mechanic who started out working for Volvo, was impressed with the facilities at the MTI, which is equipped with kit to help deliver the skills currently in demand in the automotive sector.

“It’s great to be here at the MTI taking the next step towards the land speed record attempt for a two-wheeled vehicle,” said Guy, who has presented popular TV shows including Speed with Guy Martin and Guy Martin’s Battle of Britain.

“The 52 Express is shaping up well and I am looking forward to starting practice sessions.

“Coming to this campus reminds me that an apprenticeship route is such a great way to start in this industry and is perfect for people like me who are not particularly academic.

“With all this amazing kit, I think the MTI would be a fantastic place to spend day release workshop sessions.”

Lisa Bingley, operations director for the MTI, added: “It’s been fantastic to welcome the 52 Express team and a privilege to meet Guy Martin, whose presence in the workshop created a real buzz. We hope that access to our facilities will enable the team to make progress with their preparations for the land speed record attempt and wish them the best of luck.

“By welcoming the team to the MTI, we hope to showcase these projects that STEM careers can lead to and inspire young people to find out more about these types of career routes.”

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Guy Martin

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MEMBER NEWS

Wellness retreat launched in Matlock

Nelsons renews partnership with cricket club Nelsons has renewed its partnership with Derbyshire County Cricket Club for another year – continuing in its role as the official legal services partner of the club.

The East Midlands firm, which has an office in Lodge Lane, Derby, has entered another year-long agreement with the club after first partnering with Derbyshire CCC in 2014, making 2021 the seventh consecutive year of the partnership.

Stewart Vandermark, chief executive at Nelsons, which also has offices in Nottingham and Leicester, said: “We’ve been the legal services partner for the club for several years and being able to renew our partnership for another year so we can continue to support the club as it goes from strength to strength is fantastic, particularly after such a testing year.”

Ryan Duckett, chief executive at Derbyshire CCC, added: “Having the opportunity to work alongside an award-winning firm such as Nelsons has been fantastic, and we’re thrilled to have renewed our partnership with them.

“Nelsons became a member of our 1870 Business Club in 2013, then a partner the following year and its commitment to the club has been fantastic ever since. We can’t wait to see what will hold as our relationship with the firm continues to strengthen.”

Ryan Duckett

Nutrition and wellness retreat Zaremba Marsden has launched in Matlock – with support from the Chamber’s D2 Business Starter Programme.

The programme, funded by Derby City Council and Derbyshire County Council, served as a springboard for owners Marta Zaremba-Marsden and Stuart Marsden to launch their nutritionfocused bed and breakfast and healthy living programme.

Over the past year, they made a decision to redirect the business from a programme and operations management consultancy to a more sustainable and pertinent sector of nutrition and wellbeing.

Qualified nutritionist Marta said: “When we were advised to approach the D2 Business Starter Programme, we were sceptical and doubtful whether it would be worth investing the time. However, from the very first meeting with the business adviser and throughout the programme, we are constantly impressed with the quality, expertise and enthusiasm each person delivered.

“With the learning and access to a new network, we launched our business quicker than expected and plan to expand.”

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MEMBER NEWS

New deadline for UKCA marking Manufacturers have been handed an extra year to apply for new product safety markings – but a certification expert has warned firms not to delay preparations.

The Government confirmed last month that the deadline for companies to apply UKCA marks – which will replace the CE labels stipulated by the EU – has been pushed back by 12 months to 1 January 2023.

This applies for most products but does not include medical devices, which have their own deadlines.

‘It is important we do not delay’ Shahm Barhom, group product certification director at the national standards body BSI, said: “Many manufacturers are yet to submit applications for products in readiness for 1 January 2023 and we need to allow both manufacturers and approved bodies the appropriate time to get prepared.

“It is important we do not delay and continue our momentum to ensure all required products receive the UKCA mark before the revised deadline.”

For more information on the UKCA marking, visit www.gov.uk/guidance/usingthe-ukca-marking

The Curve programme focuses on mental as well as physical health

Curve programme to help teams with mental health An organisation that helps professional sports stars achieve peak performance has launched a programme to assist businesses in improving the physical and mental health of their workforces.

The 12-month Curve programme is aimed at improving business performance and increasing colleague engagement.

Created by Game Changer Performance (GCP), it enables companies to ensure their teams are at the top of their physical, mental and emotional game through a range of programmes and interventions supporting lifestyle, movement and mindset.

An initial profiling process – carried out with every member of an organisation’s workforce via a unique health screening app – provides a health audit, anonymised data, insight and analytics at an individual, departmental, regional and organisational level.

The results inform a programme of physical and digital interventions, services and resources.

GCP director Jake Keeling said: “We wanted corporates to benefit from the same programmes which help our elite sport clients, something which would ensure their staff are better supported both with their physical and mental health to be able to perform at their absolute best.

“This will help companies attract and retain the best talent and cut absenteeism. It will reduce musculoskeletal and stress related illness and support productivity, enthusiasm and energy levels.”

Accountancy and business advisory firm Cooper Parry is taking part in the programme for a year.

Participants can book one-to-ones with GCP’s specialist coaches and the Cooper Parry team will also take part in webinars focusing on where they need support, such as sleep, nutritional choices and finding time to exercise.

A series of engagement days will see events taking place at Cooper Parry’s offices across the UK. The drop-in events will enable staff to pick the brains of a strength and conditioning coach, performance psychologist, nutritionist and physiotherapist – while a wellness day has allowed colleagues to talk to experts about issues affecting them.

Cooper Parry’s head of facilities and wellbeing Jo Giles said: “The uptake has been positive across the business, with members of staff from senior management to trainees having a real appetite to engage with the profiling. The analytics showing where people need support has been invaluable and the whole programme has been a great benefit to the company.”

Talk Staff opens new Nottingham office People and HR consultancy Talk Staff has opened a new Nottingham office as part of its expansion.

Located within flexible workspace Cubo Nottingham, in King Street, it follows a surge in demand both from a growing client base in the city and Talk Staff’s burgeoning Nottinghambased workforce.

The company, which also has an office in Belper, Derbyshire, had been without a Nottingham office since the owner sold a previous building almost two years ago.

Managing director Gary Parsons said: “Talk Staff has always been a Nottingham and Derbyshire-based business from our inception in 2009. Having opened our first office in the city in 2017, we were told in the latter part of 2019 that our building owner had sold the premises and we needed to find somewhere new.

“We gave our staff the flexibility to work either from our Belper office or from home to 12

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Talk Staff managing director Gary Parsons (centre) conducts the official opening of the new office

‘From a commercial point of view, we are on target to double the size of Talk Staff’

suit their individual preference. This was designed to be a temporary measure while we found the right place, then the Covid-19 pandemic hit, which made it far more sustained than it had ever planned to be.”

The company, like many businesses, considered whether an office was even required – but after consultation across the firm, it was clear a new location was needed.

Gary added: “From a talent perspective, culture is really important here at Talk Staff, and our team told us they needed a place to call home, which we support with the technology they need to work flexibly from wherever suits them.

“From a commercial point of view, we are on target to double the size of Talk Staff and want to make our growth as quick as possible. It’s deliberately in Nottingham, as it’s important for us to bring in local people, with local knowledge about the specific needs of our clients.”

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MEMBER NEWS

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MEMBER NEWS

Mediation service aims to ease the angst of divorce A respected East Midlands-based family lawyer has taken a leap of faith to set up on her own.

Sushma Kotecha has launched an online private family mediation service to “inspire and empower” separating and divorcing couples to make their own informed decisions.

Holistic Family Mediation was created out of a desire to help and support those couples to stay out of court.

Sushma believes the litigation forum is a toxic environment, which is designed to set up more conflict and angst between the parties, pitching one up against the other and losing sight of the bigger picture.

She said the new “no fault” divorce law that comes into effect in April 2022 – aiming to assist in diminishing the “blame game” that couples often get embroiled in – is long overdue but will not change the nature and culture of the family legal system.

“My new practice will save separating and divorcing couples considerable financial costs and emotional strain, compared to the traditional lawyer-led services,” she said.

“It is about self-regulation and taking responsibility for where the parties are in their breakups – acknowledging and understanding that we all have a choice in how we proceed.

“Mediation will not be suitable in every case, but I believe that seven

Sushma Kotecha takes a holistic approach to mediation

Managing director Shane Watson (right) at the new site with surveyor Charlotte Steggles

PLM opens facility in Nottingham PLM Global has opened a new flagship repair and distribution centre in Nottingham – and is looking to recruit new people.

It is the latest step in the Somerset-based company’s growth journey, having increased its headcount from four to 21, clients from 458 to 558, and turnover from £2.3m to £3.1m between 2018 and 2020.

‘We are a relatively young company and that has allowed us to be agile’

out of 10 cases could be resolved within the mediation forum.”

Sushma has more than 27 years’ experience as a family lawyer, but she made the decision to exit the legal profession and focus on dispute resolution in March 2021 after coming to the realisation her career path no longer aligned with

her core values.

She added: “My mission is to support couples in conflict to help them reach their own informed decisions and to keep them out of court via the meditation route – a kinder, smarter and more dignified approach to separation and divorce.”

Chamber brings duo together A chance encounter at a Chamber event has led to a collaboration between employee survey specialist The Little Survey Company (TLSC) and marketing agency Free Your Ostrich (FYO).

TLSC director Anna Johnstone and FYO creative director Gemma-Louise King met during an introductory networking session for new members hosted by the Chamber’s membership team in March.

With Anna looking for some business development, marketing and PR support, and Gemma keen to extend her consultancy to new customers, the opportunity arose to work with one another.

Six months down the line, their link-up continues to prosper, with FYO widening its portfolio and TLSC benefitting from tighter strategies to target specific sectors, such as education. The survey business has also adopted a framework to raise its profile that also helps to build credibility among businesses it wants to engage with.

Anna said: “At my very first Chamber event, I happened to mention our ambitions to grow The Little Survey Company and how we were struggling with marketing. Gemma introduced herself and her company, and we went from there. We have now been

Anna Johnstone (left) and Gemma-Louise King

working together for a number of months and Free Your Ostrich has made a huge impact on our business.

“I have made some great connections through the Chamber and look forward to meeting more members in the future.”

Gemma added: “When I joined the Chamber, I was keen to attend some networking and widen my client base, but I certainly never expected to do so on the very first day. I’m lucky to have built a great rapport with Anna and I'm enjoying being a part of The Little Survey Company’s growth journey.”

The company – which was formed in 2014 and specialises in the supply, repair and maintenance of handheld capture devices, mobile print and electronic point-of-sale (EPoS) hardware – employs seven people at its Colwick Industrial Estate site and is actively looking to recruit another four.

Managing director Shane Watson said: “We are a relatively young company and that has allowed us to be agile.

We have focussed on tailoring our solutions to clients’ needs, helping them with inventory to meet changes in demand and even offering shorter-term service agreements.

“We also invested in our global profile with projects such as our e-commerce site and added vertical markets to bolster the peaks and troughs of the retail sector. The new flagship site in Nottingham, and the opportunities it has created, has been the icing on the cake.”

Its new investment at its Nottingham repair and distribution centre compliments the capabilities at its headquarters in Portishead, near Bristol, and marks the firm’s next phase of growth – which it hopes will include breaking the £4m revenue barrier in 2021.

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MEMBER NEWS

Chamber members battle to be named top entrepreneur The bosses of two Chamber members will go head-tohead in the Midlands Small Business Entrepreneur of the Year category at the 2021 Great British Entrepreneur Awards.

Luke Tobin, founder and managing director of Leicester-based marketing agency Digital Ethos, and Scott Parsons, managing partner at Nottingham-based executive recruitment firm Forsyth Barnes, are among six finalists.

‘It really is one of the strongest shortlists we’ve ever had’ Luke will be hoping to build on his success last year, when he took home the Service Industries Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the Midlands – recognising his resilience and ability to thrive during a year that was tough for many business owners.

He said: “It feels amazing to be recognised for all the hard work and passion that I put into Digital Ethos and I’m really excited to see how far I can get this year.

“Making the shortlist wouldn’t have been possible without the support of my team who work so hard to make Digital Ethos the extraordinary agency that it is.”

Founded in 2013, the Great British Entrepreneur Awards acknowledge the hard work and inspiring stories of entrepreneurs and businesses. Previous winners include the founders of Grenade, Tangle Teezer, The LAD Bible, Clearscore and The Cambridge Satchel Company.

This year’s awards received a record 14,800 entries.

Other Chamber members to be represented include Project D’s three founders Jacob Watts, Max Poynton and Matthew Bond – who are shortlisted for both Food and Drink Entrepreneur of the Year and Scale-Up Entrepreneur of the Year – and Kuku Connect founders Stephen Goddard and Philip Brooks-Stephenson, who are Pivot Entrepreneur of the Year finalists.

Rachel Hayward, Dean Jackson, Lee Marples, Grant Thompson and Gaz Jones, who head up the Derby Swap Shop, are shortlisted for Start-Up Entrepreneur of the Year.

Awards founder Francesca James said: “We have seen some incredible finalists over the years, and this year is no exception. It really is one of the strongest shortlists we’ve ever had, and the fact that so many exceptional people have applied during such a tough year is a testament to the resolve and entrepreneurial talent that exists across the UK.”

Head-to-head: Luke Tobin (top) and Scott Parsons are on the shortlist

Adam Civval (left) and Jonny Gray of Work Wallet

Fiaz Sadiq sees huge potential for business growth in Chesterfield

Coach says town has untapped potential An enterprise coach claims he can add £7m profit to Chesterfield’s business community by bringing new skills to its labour market.

Fiaz Sadiq, from ActionCOACH Chesterfield, specialises in upskilling communities and workforces with tried and tested methods.

With previous experience in the digital technology sector, Fiaz became a business coach after finding his passion lay in helping and mentoring people.

Passionate about building up business in a local area, he believes there’s an untapped opportunity in Chesterfield companies that could mean an increase in wealth and employment for the community.

“My daughter was singing at Chesterfield theatre and my wife and I regularly came into town to watch her perform,” he said.

“We were mesmerised by the opportunity that lay within Chesterfield and the potential for growth in this little market town.”

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App-etite for business success Two Derby tech entrepreneurs have created a health and safety app to help businesses get safely back to work after the pandemic.

Jonny Gray and Adam Civval set up Work Wallet four years ago to help companies within the rail, construction and manufacturing industries keep sites, staff and contractors safe and operational.

But over the last few months, they’ve have seen a 500% surge in demand for the platform – which integrates 10 modules that easily feed information to employees and their feedback to management – as businesses across the country look to adapt and improve their health and safety.

Jonny said: “Work Wallet was designed to be simple to use. Technology is successful if people understand quickly how to use it and the benefits of using it. The pandemic has meant that more firms want to use digital platforms for their health and safety to enable them to remotely manage their return to operation.

“This is exactly what Work Wallet does – it helps connect people and workplaces, and improve processes to keep sites safe and operational, which is why we have seen such a huge growth.”

The company now boasts clients in the UK, Europe and Asia, and is looking to further expand its team from its Derby headquarters.

Housing all the relevant information in one place, Work Wallet can track a range of requirements, including permits to work, site safety briefings, risk assessment method statements, audits, accident reporting and digital inductions.

Jonny added: “Work Wallet is allowing essential industries to move forward and out of the pandemic.

“With the app allowing businesses to record people on site, conduct remote health and safety inductions, and get all the high-risk information needed to issue permits to work, our clients are embracing all of the functionality on offer.”

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MEMBER NEWS

Focus helps Ely Museum look to future Built environment project management specialist Focus played a key role in reopening a museum featuring one of the most important artefacts of the Bronze Age. The Nottingham-based company was both project manager and business planner for the transformation of the Ely Museum, supporting the museum through the second round Heritage Fund application to a successful £1.6m grant.

The Cambridgeshire museum, which features a 3,000-year-old gold torc found in a ploughed field nearby as well as Roman and Saxon displays, had been closed to the public since September 2019.

Due to the pandemic, it faced the challenges of programme delays, stricter on-site guidelines and remote working but has now reopened its doors at last.

Focus partner Steven Fletcher said: “It is great to see Ely Museum opening its doors once more to allow visitors into this fantastic destination. It was wonderful to work with Elie and the team on this project.”

The revamped museum is set to be a heritage hub for locals and

Ely Museum contains some rare Bronze Age artefacts

tourists alike, telling the story of Ely and beyond through new galleries, events, and exhibitions.

Visitor facilities have been improved, with a new second floor extension and new porch providing

welcomed additional space, and a lift to improve museum access.

Museum curator Elie Hughes said: “Focus have guided us through our project, from development to delivery. The team

has been so supportive and helped us achieve a wonderful end result.

When the pandemic hit, we were so grateful to have its calm and knowledgeable input to help keep us moving forward.”

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HealthNet Homecare (UK) Ltd is a leading clinical homecare company headquartered in Derbyshire, supporting over 60,000 patients nationwide with both complex medication supply and providing clinical support direct to their own homes.

The Healthcare Anywhere App has been d eveloped to help support and empower patients in managing and monitoring their conditions at anytime and anywhere. Importantly, the app not only provides product specific education and support, but also reminds the patient when to take their medication whether that is an injection or a tablet.

Healthcare Anywhere then records adherence and steers the patient through simple tailored, condition specific q uestionnaire to capture outcome and experience measures.

These Patient Reported Outcomes and Experience Measures (PROMS/PREMS) are aligned with an understanding of patient specific adherence, which can then be readily shared with relevant health care professionals to help them better understand the impact of any medication and support programme on their patients’ daily lives.

With the ongoing pressures o n the NHS due to Covid-19 and a growing aging population, the number of people trying to manage chronic and acute disease in the community is increasing. HealthNet Homecare (UK) Ltd and HealthCare Anywhere recognise that clinical teams will need to think differently about how they manage and monitor these patients in the community so that appropriate clinical support is available when patients need it.

I mproving the visibility of how patients are performing remotely will allow Health Care Professionals to prioritise appropriate clinical care to those that are in most need.

HealthNet and HealthCare Anywhere have partnered to continue to develop the HealthCare Anywhere Platform/app to do just that.

The app will allow clinical teams to have an overview of their patients, which is currently not available other than during face-toface visits, enabling them to prioritise those patients that need most support helping whilst also helping manage the resource requirements with the NHS. ) % ) % ) # () %"()#$ %" &'#%$ ) (& () %$'& ') ) ( #'') )( &# )%$ ) !( #'' !(& '! &"(&$ !("( %

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MEMBER NEWS

Derbyshire FA kicks off business strategy The Derbyshire Football Association has released its new business strategy for the next three years with a vision to “change lives through football.”

The strategy follows a countywide consultation with the communities involved in grassroots football and promises to deliver on what participants most need.

After the England men’s team reached the final of Euro 2020, interest in grassroots football has spiked, and the new plan aims to inspire people across Derbyshire to get involved in the game.

Among its seven key objectives are to develop its own business structure to govern local football, help clubs to streamline administration using technology and supporting the sport’s workers and volunteers.

Derbyshire FA CEO Ricky Stevenson said: “During the process of planning this strategy, we have had input from everyone in our football community to ensure it caters for all. Our board, staff, clubs, leagues and participants have all had the opportunity to contribute to this plan, which is just part of the reason we are so excited to be able to share it.”

Adviser says he went from ‘winging it’ to flying high The founder of a Derby financial advice company who gave a talk to fellow professionals online about self-doubt and feeling like he is “winging it” says he has been contacted by people all over the world looking help and support.

James Wallis (pictured), who set up his company Aristotle Financial Planning last year, says enquiries have come from places as far afield as South Africa and Australia after he took part in the NextGen Planners global financial planning conference.

He was one of more than 100 speakers from around the world at the event, which took place across three days and four continents, covering five themes including innovation, leadership and financial wellbeing.

He said: “I really enjoyed the experience of taking part in the conference and since then I have been contacted by quite a few people wanting to talk or

know more, which has led to me sharing ideas with advisers from all over the world.”

His 15-minute talk covered his experiences of setting up his company and working with his clients, as well as his feelings of imposter syndrome – which is loosely defined as doubting your abilities and feeling like a fraud.

Following his appearance, he has since been invited to speak at a high-profile industry conference being held later this year.

James added: “Although I have worked in this industry for 12 years, I still often question myself about how qualified I am to give advice to high networth clients, let alone talk about the experience to my peers. However, I tell myself that those feelings are natural and I now know from the conference how they are shared by a great many people, especially younger people in the financial services industry.”

Accolade for firm at forefront of pandemic SureScreen Diagnostics’ work in developing Covid-19 lateral flow tests used by people across the world has been recognised at the annual Medilink Midlands Business Awards.

The Derby-based firm won the Outstanding Achievement Award for its work throughout the past 18 months developing and supplying rapid antibody and antigen tests.

It was among six life sciences companies from the East Midlands to win awards at a ceremony watched online by more than 130 businesspeople.

Director David Campbell said: “A year ago, we could not have imagined the journey we have been on with such quick expansion, but we are so happy we can help people during these difficult times.

“Our mission is unchanged – we want to use quality diagnostics to catch issues early and prevent serious issues before they occur, using the best scientific answer at the lowest practicable price.”

Earlier this year, the Government ordered 22 million rapid coronavirus tests from SureScreen, which were the first British tests to be validated in the laboratory by Public Health England.

Its antibody and antigen tests have also been exported to 53 countries around the world.

David added: “We will continue to develop 18

business network September 2021

SureScreen Diagnostics’ new site at Sherwood Business Park in Annesley

new and innovative tests. We foresee a continued need for rapid testing going forward, both to help with the fight against Covid-19 and in other healthcare areas.”

Orders continue to flow in from around the globe, with SureScreen now recognised as one of the key players on the global Covid-19 rapid

test market – and it has recently expanded into new premises at Sherwood Business Park, with the help of law firm Smith Partnership.

The firm acted for SureScreen during the move to its 80,000 sq ft production and distribution hub near the M1, which will allow it to take on more than 1,000 new staff.

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MEMBER NEWS

Food firm earns its green credentials

Members offered discount as marketing event returns Marketing event MarketEd.Live is back in the East Midlands after a two-year absence.

Bringing marketers and business owners together under one roof – following Covid-19 safety protocols – the conference will be held at Nottingham Contemporary on Monday 20 September.

MarketEd.Live brings together the latest knowledge, advice and strategies from industry experts and big brands, with the list of well-regarded speakers focusing on this year’s theme of “closing the gaps.”

The conference is now in its fifth year after being founded in 2017 by Paul Ince (pictured), managing director of Loughborough-based marketing agency LikeMind Media. He said: “As an internationally known marketing conference, it's always been important to us to host this in our region, where there are many great companies looking to be more effective at marketing their organisation.

“We've worked hard with Nottingham Contemporary to ensure it is as safe as possible, with added safety measures and protocols in place, such as additional ventilation and choices of seating options to accommodate everyone's preference.

“I know that some people aren't quite ready yet to experience in-person events, so the event will be filmed and the content released as an on-demand ticket.”

Speakers include Kenda Macdonald, CEO of Automation Ninjas; Nathan Anibaba, founder of Dealmasters; Sharon-Marie Gillooley, principal lecturer at Nottingham Business School; and Nottingham-based author and international speaker Paul Chapman.

LikeMind Media is offering a 20% discount to Chamber members for both in-person and on-demand tickets.

To claim the discount, quote EMC when purchasing at www.marketed.live/2021

Food services company FSG Tableware has been recognised as a green innovator at the Midlands Enterprise Awards.

The Nottingham-based company won the Leading Innovators in Food Packaging Sustainability category at the event, held by SME News.

It has been creating, manufacturing and sourcing reusable takeout packaging, adapted melamine dinnerware, plastic drinkware and displayware since its origin in 2009.

Managing director Lynn Johnson said: “We were over the moon to have been named as the winners of this category. It’s fantastic to be recognised in a category that directly correlates with our business values and aims.

“Saving the planet is not something any one of us can do alone, but everyone can do something. We need to work together and collaborate in order to raise awareness of the small changes we can all make to transform mass behaviours and their resulting effects.”

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emc-dnl.co.uk/EMComingTogether

Charity event helps to putt others first A charity golf day that combined sinking putts with raising funds has been hailed as a success after it collected £3,000 for two worthy causes.

The event saw 65 guests take to the fairways at Branston Golf Club after they were invited by telecoms and IT firm Invictus Group, based in Melbourne, Derbyshire, and Nottingham-based Ryley Wealth Management.

The companies organised the event to bring colleagues and customers together after lockdown while raising money for two good causes – the Rosie May Foundation and the 1% Matters Fund, both of which the firms have supported for a number of years.

Over the years, Invictus’s managing director Jonny McPhee has raised about £12,000 for the Rosie May Foundation – which helps improves the lives of women and girls living in the UK and overseas – with the money helping to fund its project to buy a fleet of pink tuk-tuks to act as femaleoperated taxis in Sri Lanka.

Representatives from the charity brought one of the tuk-tuks along to the golf club for the day, using it as a drinks delivery service for golfers toiling in the heat in return for donations.

Rotary offers insight into CSR activities Businesses can learn about CSR opportunities they can get involved with at an upcoming event jointly hosted by Rotary District 1220 and the Chamber.

The called “Business and Rotary Working Together” programme will launch at the Rotary District 1220 annual conference on 1 and 2 October.

This year Rotary has decided to host the conference for free online and has invited its 1,700 members, their employees and the Chamber to experience the work carried out by the charity and its partners.

The Chamber’s director of partnerships David Pearson will hold an informal discussion at the conference with Rotary business partnerships chair David Pedler.

To book a place at the conference, visit www.1220conference.co.uk 20

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Staff from the Pet Wellbeing Centre see building work get underway at Nottingham’s new PDSA hospital

Work gets under way on a pet project for Nottingham Thousands of Nottingham’s pets will soon feel the benefit from a pioneering Pet Wellbeing Centre, as building work starts on vet charity PDSA’s new hospital.

The PDSA Nottingham Pet Wellbeing Centre, based at the Marian and Christina Ionescu Hospital in Basford, replaces the current PDSA facility in Dunkirk Road.

PDSA veterinary staff, including senior veterinary surgeon Sarah Campbell, made the first dig to help kick-start the building work.

She said: “PDSA provides a vital service for Nottingham pets whose owners struggle to afford treatment costs for their sick and injured pets. For many vulnerable pets, we are there to help when

there is nowhere else for their owners to turn.

“I’m delighted work is underway and I’m hoping this will inspire the local community to help us raise the remaining funds we need.”

‘A vital service for Nottingham pets whose owners struggle to afford treatment costs’ With the support of local animal lovers, charity supporters, businesses and a significant donation from long-standing PDSA supporters Marian and Christina Ionescu, whose name the hospital

will carry, building work has now begun.

The charity has so far raised £2.4m to fund the new build but it is asking local people and businesses for further support to help reach its £3.7m goal.

PDSA director general Jan McLoughlin also visited the site with her dog Chester to lend a paw and help construction get underway.

Jan said: “Covid has brought into focus the unique and special relationship we share with our pets, enriching our lives and combatting loneliness, so we are truly excited to welcome a new, positive chapter for the people and pet owners of Nottingham so we can continue to be there for those that need us most.”

Matlock M&S helps out foodbank

Terry and Jill Eckersley with M&S store manager Will Allen (right)

River Network has linked up with its nearby M&S store in Matlock to support its foodbank, which feeds families in need across Derbyshire.

The charity, founded by evangelists Terry and Jill Eckersley, has partnered with the store to grow its foodbank and delivery service initiative in the county, which it started in response to the pandemic.

M&S store manager Will Allen said: “We are really happy to have partnered with River Network to help feed the local families who need our support.”

By linking up with M&S, the charity has provided welcomed support to vulnerable people in its community – and the Lord-Lieutenant of Derbyshire has written to River Network to thank the charity for its work during the pandemic.

Terry said: “I’m really happy to have partnered with such an amazing company, and we’re looking forward to serving the county with their support.”

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MEMBER NEWS

A chance to join the band

David Chabeaux. Left: The Derby Serenaders at Derby Carnival in 1989

A Derby filmmaker who has starred in Peaky Blinders is making a feature-length documentary about a historic marching band community in the East Midlands.

David Chabeaux, from Spondon, will direct Moz’s Band, which tells the story of the “banding” movement born in Derby during the mid-1930s that involved 10,000 people and 100 bands at its height.

The community was pioneered and inspired by David’s grandfather Maurice “Moz” Ward and, for six decades, would converge every spring and summer at a carnival or festival somewhere in England to compete in band contests – all

while kitted out in weird, wonderful and garish uniforms.

Described as being like “one enormous family”, they would also gather throughout the year at discos, sports tournaments and social events, before slowly dying out after Moz passed away in 1994.

David, who is seeking funding from businesses to help take it to the next stage of production, said: “My grandfather’s story is obviously very important to me and I’m interested in the journey he took – as a musician, leader and a working-class man – inspiring me and others, with the promise of money and ‘stuff' nowhere in sight.”

The team has already raised an initial £25,000 of seed funding and pre-production is almost complete.

It is now fundraising for about £250,000 for the production, postproduction and distribution of the film, which is earmarked for a full UK cinema release and submission to all the major international film festivals, perhaps as early as summer 2022.

Sponsorship and film credit packages are being offered to businesses that offer financial support.

David added: “We’re actively looking fo r strategic partners to come on board who, like those pledging support already, see this homegrown yet globally-reaching

project as a great community engagement opportunity.”

The Chamber and Marketing Derby will host a breakfast networking event at Derby QUAD on Tuesday 14 September from 8am to 10am.

It will involve an exclusive cinema screening of the Moz’s Band sizzle reel trailer, followed by a Q&A with David Chabeaux and Derby QUAD chief executive Adam Buss. To register a place, visit bit.ly/EMCMozsBand For more information on supporting the project, contact David on 07590 850266 or davidchabeaux@gmail.com

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MEMBER NEWS

Why we need to take time out to avoid burnout A Derby business owner is encouraging other leaders to make sure they take time for themselves – and their families – to avoid burn-out this summer.

Beverley Wakefield, co-founder of Duffield-Road based Vibrant Accountancy, says downtime is important to help business owners maintain a passion for their work.

It comes as national mental health charity Mind revealed that one in four adults and as many as one in six young people, of the 10,000 who took part in its survey, experienced mental distress for the first time during the coronavirus pandemic.

Beverley, who is also director of children’s mental health CIC Bridge the Gap, said: “While it takes grit, determination and persistence to make your business a success, you need to ensure you also get enough downtime.

“Burnout is one of the reasons why businesses fail. Losing your spark or the passion for your business isn’t going to see you through those darker days – wearing the fact you haven’t had a holiday or taken a breath in a working week shouldn’t be worn as a badge of honour.

“No-one can sustain that and, while we need to dig deep in business to make it succeed, looking after yourself and the wellbeing of your staff is so very important.

‘Looking after yourself and the wellbeing of your staff is so very important’ “Whether you’re a new business owner, one of the many start-ups we have seen flourish during the past 18 months, or a working parent trying to juggle childcare over the summer holidays and holding down a job, it is vital to take time out to recharge your batteries. Your business will benefit in the long-term.”

Beverley, who set up Vibrant Accountancy with business partner Ian Ball in September 2019, has also encouraged businesses – particularly young entrepreneurs who may still be finding their feet – to ask for advice and utilise government support where possible.

She said: “There are schemes out

Beverley Wakefield

there – such as the East Midlands Chamber’s Digital Upscaler programme, which is fantastic for peer-to-peer support, and the Enscite and Green Entrepreneur Programmes; both are organised by the University of Derby and I’d strongly encourage all business owners to find out more.

“Then there are various Government initiatives, too, such as the Kickstart scheme, which is for those wishing to grow their business.

“Experience and seeking out those people with experience who can help and support you is vital in making your business a success.

Remember the importance of your network – seek out and build, and use your network.

“Take advice, ask questions and surround yourself with like-minded people. That, in turn, will give business leaders confidence and, hopefully, economic growth in the UK will follow after a challenging 18 months.”

Recruiter to expand after booming year Left: Liver Cottage entertained the crowds at North Notts FoodFest. Right: Celebrity chef Jean-Christophe Novelli demonstrated two recipes at the event

Community gets taste for local food festival North Nottinghamshire’s annual food festival returned for a successful 2021 season.

The North Notts Food Fest, which was held on 3 July and organised by North Notts BID, was headlined by chefs Laurence Henry and Jean Christophe-Novelli, with entertainment from Liver Cottage, Frooj and Fred, and a Punch and Judy show.

Sally Gillborn, chief executive at North Notts BID, said: “We are 22

business network September 2021

delighted with the success of this year’s FoodFest. The turnout was fantastic and is promising that our community is willing and able to support our terrific local food businesses.

“The FoodFest is a staple event in the North Notts community and is a great showcase for our local culinary talents. Thank you to all of the people who turned out on the day and helped make this year’s edition a resounding success.”

Sales have risen by 68% over the past year at Nottingham-based Distinct Recruitment – which now has plans to expand globally.

The business, which has recently moved into a new head office in the Lace Market, has hired an additional 10 staff.

It has also expanded across the UK, opening sites in Milton Keynes and London.

It now has sights on international expansion and put down roots across the pond, with new offices in New York and Boston.

Founder and CEO James Calder (pictured) attributes the firm’s growth, which specialises in recruitment across various sectors ranging from accountancy to data analytics, to staying true to its people-centric approach, investment in staff and collaborative approach.

He said: “People are at the heart of Distinct and thanks to our continued reinvestment and culture, we have grown from a small team in 2016 to 42 people today.

“We thrive on creating an environment that attracts and retains the best people in recruitment, promoting transparency around our growth strategy to ensure all our staff feel involved.

“Our recent office expansion has only been made possible thanks to the ongoing dedication from our team.”

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MEMBER NEWS

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MEMBER NEWS

MEMBER FOCUS: MARYJANES CATERING MaryJanes Catering was launched in June last year after Shamela Woolley was made redundant from a catering job. The company, based in Oakwood, Derby, is now serving at events and delivering brunch boxes to businesses, as fellow co-owner Kimberley Mahoney tells Business Network.

Tell us what your company does and a brief overview of its history?

After Shamela was made redundant, we decided to create a food delivery service with a difference – offering bespoke sharing platters, afternoon teas, homemade dessert boxes and brunch platters delivered directly to homes, workplaces and even local hospitals to staff as well as patients.

Since then, we have been able to grow further and now we also offer private occasions catering, along with a large variety of options for corporate catering. During the festive season last year we had the opportunity to go live on BBC Radio Derby to promote a giveaway of one of our promotional dessert boxes. This was a huge hit for us and our sales soared, with local businesses ordering our dessert boxes for recognition rewards for their staff.

What is your position in the business and what does your day-to-day role involve?

A normal day for me starts by preparing fresh sharing platters and buffets, which I then deliver to households and workplaces. Running our social media platforms is essential so I spend a lot of time marketing, as well as dealing with enquiries from customers and taking orders. In the afternoon, I will bake for the next day’s orders, buy in any required stock and keep on top of our accounts.

How have you fared during the Covid-19 pandemic?

We started our business in the pandemic due to redundancy. It created an opportunity for us to launch our business and since then it has gone from strength to strength. Due to the hospitality industry being closed, our service enabled customers and clients to order something different.

Kimberley Mahoney (left) and Shamela Woolley

What are the company’s plans for the future?

We have recently invested in equipment to enable us to offer a pop-up service at events in Derbyshire and Staffordshire, where we will offer a healthier option than the usual burger and fries, such as afternoon teas, picnic boxes and grazing boxes – something for the whole family to enjoy. We hope this will grow our profile and we are in the process of looking for new premises as we intend to expand our team and take on apprentices.

How long have you been a member of East Midlands Chamber, and which membership products have you used?

We joined at the end of April as we saw a great

opportunity to be able to network with other local businesses.

We have used the data entry membership details and spoken with a few other members, which has been a great way for us to get networking straight away. We have been shortlisted for the Excellence in Customer Service category at the Derbyshire Business Awards and submitted a member-tomember offer. Getting involved with these is a great way for our company to gain exposure.

MaryJanes Catering has recently launched a brunch box delivery service - with £1 for each sale to be donated to Children First Derby - and is offering a free sample to Chamber members.

To claim one, contact Kimberley Mahoney on maryjanescatering@outlook.com

NEW MEMBERS The Chamber welcomed 25 new members in July 2021:

Walkers enjoy route: canal The third Chesterfield Canal Walking Festival will run from 11 to 19 September.

The 42 walks of various types and lengths are spread along the 46-mile canal from Chesterfield to West Stockwith on the River Trent.

Each walk promises beautiful scenery, including the “Giant’s Staircase” comprising 23 locks within about a mile between Kiveton and Shireoaks.

New to visitors this year is the opportunity to tow a 70Ft cuckoo boat, which is a long, thin boat that was first seen on the River Trent in the early 19th Century.

The festival is organised by the Chesterfield Canal Trust, and walks officer David Blackburn said: “After last year’s cancellation, we are delighted to be back. The canal is an absolute delight at any time of year, but early Autumn possibly sees it at its best.”

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• AG Construction (Hilton) Ltd • Alternative Transport Solutions Ltd • Best City Rooms • Brigitte Bordeaux Wine Ltd • Chabeaux • Chris Simons Wealth Management • Doff Portland (International) • Eaton Event Hire Ltd • Frost Group Limited • Go Monitor • Gorse Covert Community Association Limited • Highlight Crafts Ltd • Holistic Family Mediation • Landmarks College • Lightbulb Credit Limited • Livy&Tom

Landmarks College

• Pentalpha International Exhibition Consultants Ltd (International) • PHA COACHING LTD • Plastic Omnium Automotive Limited (International) • S.H.E UK (Supporting, Healing, Education) • Sandra Whiles Coaching Ltd • The Business Partnership • The Gresham Aparthotel • WASTELINE SERVICES LTD • Whatton House

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

The power of sport and physical activity to transform local communities Working in partnership with employers, colleges, universities, training providers and Government, the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) is professionalising and upskilling the sector’s workforce: harnessing the power of sport to improve health, bring communities together and provide high-quality career opportunities in the East Midlands and nationally. n the wake of Covid-19 and the Government’s “Levelling Up” agenda, sport and physical activity is an essential part of creating healthy, happy communities along with high quality career opportunities - across the UK. A healthy workforce also benefits businesses: a 2019 study concluded that if all UK employees met the recommended weekly levels of physical activity, it could deliver up to £6.6bn in annual productivity gains.

Overall, the sector generates £85bn of value for the country, with the workforce at the heart of delivering that value. As the chartered institute for the sector, CIMSPA has been innovating in recent years to professionalise and upskill the workforce.

I

INCREASED PROFESSIONALISATION CIMSPA has worked with the sector to create professional standards for every role: from gym instructors through to senior managers. This is driving the development of quality education products and allows employers to easily assess which roles an individual is qualified for.

BLAZING A TRAIL IN THE EAST MIDLANDS In a significant recent development, a bid from CIMSPA, Leicestershire Colleges and the East Midlands Chamber was selected as one of just eight Local Skills Improvement Plan trailblazers, and one of eighteen Strategic Development Fund pilots, as part of the Government’s £65m Skills Accelerator programme.

CIMSPA and the colleges involved – Loughborough College, Leicester College, the SMB Group, North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College – will explore how further education and physical activity can play a role in health and the wider economy, with a focus on preventative health, long Covid recovery, youth crime, education, the ageing population and social mobility.

Tara Dillon (pictured), CEO of CIMSPA, said: “This is a significant recognition from the Government of the vital role that our sector can play in the health and prosperity of the population across the nation. This will benefit all parts of the sector and, if successful, we aim to roll it out nationally.”

CAREER PATHWAYS These professional standards are also used to offer individuals a clear pathway into and through the sector, with ongoing education designed to meet their career ambitions. Sport and physical activity is one of the most socially mobile professions, with many of today’s senior leaders having started out in junior roles, and CIMSPA Practitioner Members can now progress all the way through to chartered status.

RETRAIN TO RETAIN The importance of the workforce in harnessing the potential of sport was highlighted in Sport England’s recent strategy, Uniting the Movement.

CIMSPA has been working with Sport England to secure funding for several initiatives designed to support the workforce. ReTrain to Retain is a £5m investment supporting up to 25,000 professionals who have had to find work outside the sector during the pandemic, prioritising those working in areas of economic deprivation.

SUPPORTING THE EAST MIDLANDS ECONOMY CIMSPA itself is rooted in the East Midlands, with a team of 50 based at Loughborough University’s Sport Park.

This gives the team proximity to the many sports organisations in the region, plus access to the students, graduates and academics at the superb educational institutions in the area. In addition to creating job opportunities for local people, CIMSPA supports the region by using local suppliers and businesses wherever possible.

For more information on CIMSPA please visit www.cimspa.co.uk or call 03438 360200 business network September 2021

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APPOINTMENTS

From left: Sophie Wilson, Marcus Samuel-Brown, Alison Neate, Paricce Davis and Suhail Alloo

Paul Price-Hazlehurst

Paul will lead firm into the Futures Futures Group has announced that former director of programmes Paul PriceHazlehurst will become its new CEO. Paul joined the non-profit organisation – which supports people and businesses to develop – in February 2019 and will now lead the company’s growth and ongoing response to the pandemic.

He has held a number of senior positions throughout his career, having worked in a variety of education and employment-focused environments, and most recently interim CEO at Futures.

He trained as a teacher back in 2003 taking his first post up at North Notts College, delivering on the “skills for life” agenda.

During his career, he has worked in some of the most deprived areas of the UK supporting young people and vulnerable adults. His passion of working with local communities and supporting people progress and develop has been at the heart of his career and the pathway that led him to Futures.

Paul said: “We’ve had a successful year winning new work to support the communities we serve out of this pandemic and I believe we’re perfectly placed to do so.

“I was drawn to Futures because I believe that providing people the opportunity to work and learn new skills changes lives, and I’m proud to now take up the role of leading the team here onwards.”

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Leicester legal partnership bolstered by new recruits Smith Partnership has bolstered its operation in Leicester by hiring five new staff – continuing its steady growth of recent years.

Associate Solicitor Suhail Alloo joins the professional negligence department – recognised by the Legal 500 as one of the best law firms in this area – from Nelsons and specialises in complex cases.

Paralegal Sophie Wilson has arrived from the Josiah Hincks law firm and will add even more strength to the same division.

Meanwhile, Samuel Mason, a solicitor who specialises in family law, is also joining the Leicester team from Dodds Solicitors where he had spent four years.

Further depth will be added by conveyancing legal executive Marcus Samuel-Brown and Paricce Davis who has become a legal secretary in the commercial property department.

Leicester managing partner Alison Neate said: “I am delighted to be able to add to a wealth of talent to our Leicester team. Our hard work at immersing ourselves in the community is being reflected by a big increase in caseloads which meant we were able to sign people of the highest calibre.

“I look forward to working with them all and continuing to expand our offer in Leicester and Leicestershire and, in some cases, beyond.”

Dairy’s moo-vers and shakers Nottingham-based creative agency The Dairy is celebrating two appointments after the company hired new senior account executive Hannah Taylor, while promoting its senior designer Chris Skeggs to creative director.

Hannah who previously worked as marketing leader at Pendragon, said: “I’ve been aware of The Dairy’s work for a while and it’s always been my aim to one day work for a creative agency and be a part of that fast-paced environment, while working with a range of brands and really utilising all of my expertise.

I’m incredibly happy to be here and I can’t wait to begin working on some exciting projects.”

Chris has been promoted from the role of senior designer. He joined The Dairy in 2017 and has been an integral part of the agency’s in-house studio ever since – working across a wide range of branding, web and design projects.

“We had a great period pre-Covid where we were on an upward trajectory and growing nicely,” said Chris. “But as was experienced by many companies, that growth was halted slightly and we’ve had to focus on consolidating what we have

Hannah Taylor and Chris Skeggs

and re-gaining that momentum.

“We have a focused, creative team here that does right by its clients and we have all of the foundations in place now to grow considerably over the coming years and push boundaries for ourselves and the brands we work with.”

The Dairy managing director Nigel Rowlson added: “Hannah joins us with a fantastic pedigree, as well as a hunger and a desire for success. She’s creative, focused and will add an exciting dynamic to our team, and I know that our clients will love working with her.

“Chris has been at the heart of a

lot of our creative success in recent years. It only felt right that he should be given the opportunity to go to the next level. He’s proven himself to be an invaluable member of the team and we look forward to watching him flourish in his new role.”

Located in Nottingham’s suburb of West Bridgford, The Dairy provides its clients with access to full-service marketing support – from strategy and branding through to design, digital marketing, PR, animation and content creation.

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APPOINTMENTS

New faces join the board of leading design practice Planning & Design Practice has announced two new additions to its board of directors.

Specialist conservation architect Lindsay Cruddas and chartered town planner Michael Bamford join Richard Pigott and Jon Millhouse as directors of the Derby-based team of town planning consultants, architects and heritage specialists.

The company said this diversification of the board represented both continued growth and its increasing architectural ambition.

Lindsay said: “After leading the architectural team for more than six years, I’m delighted to be appointed as a director. The change in the company reinforces our practice core values that planning and architecture go hand in hand to make spaces better for the people who live in and use them.”

Michael added: “I am excited to be a part of the next chapter in the future of Planning & Design.

“We have seen considerable growth over the past two years within the Yorkshire region as well

From left: Lindsay Cruddas, Michael Bamford, Jon Millhouse and Richard Pigott

Lauren Hiller

Accountant adds Vibrant new tax head

as across the country and I look forward to working with the team to continue to deliver projects we are proud of.”

The news coincides with the announcement that Planning & Design’s founder Jonathan Jenkin is stepping down as managing director to work part-time in a consultancy role.

Jonathan said: “In order to strike a better work/life balance I am

stepping back to work part time.

The new directors are talented and ambitious, they will bring fresh drive and capability to the company and this change represents an important milestone.

“This is certainly not a goodbye from me, and I look forward to my new role as chairman of the board, and the opportunities it presents to strengthen relationships with our key clients as well as develop new ones.”

Agency nets three new team members

Highlander fills two key support roles IT services provider Highlander has welcomed two new recruits.

Daniel Beal joins as an enterprising resource planning support advisor and will work in the Chesterfield-based company’s new software division, while Taylor Thrall joins as a helpdesk engineer.

Managing director Steve Brown said: “Daniel and Taylor are fantastic appointments as they have the customer focus that we continually strive for. The bolstering of both our service desk and onsite operations has been key during the pandemic.

“It is also exciting to be working on new ventures that will soon be ready to launch. These will complement our existing portfolio and will give our clients greater choice and a greater return from their technology.”

Digital agency Netbiz Group has added three new members to its team as part of the company’s growth strategy.

The business has recruited Selina Talbot and Melisa Soleimani as account managers, with Ian Bailey appointed as digital marketer.

They will join its expansive sales and digital marketing teams.

Headquartered in Newcastle-under-Lyme, and with an office in Nottingham, Netbiz Group offers website design and development, paid-per-click, search engine optimisation, social media and digital marketing as well as PR and branding.

The recent recruitment drive is a result of a record sales year in 2020, despite the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s hoped staff growth will support the company’s continuous growth plans.

Managing director Will Hayes said: “It’s fantastic to see new team members joining us. Their recruitment reaffirms our commitment to attracting and retaining top industry talent to support the growth of both our new and existing client base.

“We’re proud to have expanded the business despite the pandemic and are pleased to have Selina, Melissa and Ian joining us to help us continue to grow from strength to strength.”

L-R: Melisa Soleimani, Ian Bailey and Selina Talbot

A Derby accountancy and business advisory company has welcomed a sixth new member – and is searching for a seventh – as it continues to go from strength to strength.

Vibrant Accountancy, based on Duffield Road, has welcomed Lauren Hiller as its head of tax.

Lauren, from West Bridgford in Nottingham, will cover all things tax-related, including personal and corporate tax and project-based tax issues.

She joins co-founders Ian Ball and Beverley Wakefield, chief bookkeeper Samantha Carter-Roe, office co-ordinator Lynn McCabe and head of accounting Emma Vicars.

Lauren, who spent 10 years working for Cooper Parry and, before that, worked with Grant Thornton – one of the world’s largest professional service accountants – has known Bev for several years and is a long-time admirer of Vibrant Accountancy.

She said: “Vibrant is a fastgrowing business and I admire just how very different they are; they’re disrupters in an industry which has a reputation for being ‘stuffy’ and the company has a real ‘family feel’ to it.

“They’re accountants but so much more; they’re very personal and hands-on with their clients and I like that.”

While Bev will continue to work on tax-related issues for Vibrant Accountancy clients, Lauren will become the first port of call for tax queries.

Bev said: “Lauren joins Vibrant at an exciting time; we want to become the first accountants of our size in the East Midlands to supplement core bookkeeping, tax advice, VAT and year-end cloudbased accounting services with mentoring, coaching and general business support as part of a holistic approach to our clients.

“There will be subsequent appointments which will support our accountancy side further and we also want to continue to disrupt the market, hoping that other accountancy firms raise the bar.” business network September 2021

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THE BIG INTERVIEW

A university that looks to the future Building more meaningful and impactful partnerships between higher education and businesses has been one of the key priorities for Professor Kathryn Mitchell DL ever since she was appointed as vicechancellor at the University of Derby six years ago this month. She explains to Dan Robinson how her institution plays a critical role in the local economy and why it’s never been more important for the region’s key stakeholders to work together. he “university on the hill” was the less-thanflattering nickname that Professor Kathryn Mitchell once heard to be directed at the University of Derby. With its Kedleston Road campus based on the north-eastern outskirts of Derby, near Markeaton Park, it reflected a perception of an institution dislodged from what was happening in the city.

But there’s a feeling it’s time to update this description as it becomes deeper ingrained into the city’s ongoing regeneration and growth.

“Any university is pivotal to the communities that surround it – whether it is business, health or any of the large components that make up a conurbation,” says the vice-chancellor, now looking forward to her seventh year in office.

“But in Derby, what is particularly important to remember is we have a significant amount of industry and a large number of SMEs. “We all need to be working together to make sure we bring the right amount of innovation into the city and, as an education provider, we need to match the skills base.

“Marrying innovation with skills is the vital ingredient of making the case for the importance of a university to the city and region – and this is certainly critical in Derby and the East Midlands.”

Behind any nuptials should be a successful partnership and it’s the ultimate responsibility of Prof Mitchell – aside from overseeing an institution with 25,000 students, 3,000 employees and a £180m turnover – to build relationships locally and nationally.

She is a member of boards for the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, Derby and Nottingham Metro Strategy, Active Partners Trust and Derby Renaissance Board, as well as chairing the Derby Opportunity Area Board – giving her a strong stake in local issues related to the economy, regional development, health and wellbeing, and social mobility.

More pertinently, the university is playing a key role in projects that will help bring its strong industrial heritage into the 21st century, while it recently unveiled plans for a new city centre business school.

“It is really important that businesses and universities work together,” she says.

“There are a lot of projects we believe Derby is doing well that will influence the local economy but, to maximise their impact, we need to be working in partnership.

“When I joined six years ago, we were the ‘university on the hill’, but we’re now the university in the city.

“Universities are often viewed as being just for students, but through students and our many other activities we generate a huge impact on the local economy and community.”

T

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IN OCTOBER 2020, Derby City Council announced its ambition for the city to become the UK’s centre for excellence in future fuel technologies.

Calling on its advanced manufacturing expertise, the initiative pledged to revolutionise the way low-carbon energy is used to power businesses, transport and homes – with the aim of creating new jobs, reducing energy costs and supporting key pillars of the city’s post-Covid economic recovery plan.

The university, alongside businesses such as Bombardier, is one of several partners in developing the future fuels strategy – demonstrating how the complex problem of decarbonisation is one of the strongest examples of collaborative working on a local level.

“Derby has fundamentally sat down as a city and looked at the pathway to get to net zero, and it’s partnership working that will be the engine of this project,” says Prof Mitchell. Environmentally-friendly travel is at the heart of a university collaboration with car manufacturing giant Toyota that sits within a research project called Derby’s Urban Sustainability Transition (DUST).

The voices of businesses and students will be heard when the “iconic” new Derby Business School is developed, says Prof Mitchell.

The university unveiled its proposal in May for a new landmark building in Ford Street on a site it owns opposite One Friar Gate Square.

Due to open in September 2024, it’s projected to be the study base for more than 6,000 students by 2030.

It will move the business school from its current base at the Kedleston Road campus, which supports the university’s ambition to have a greater physical presence in the city centre and provide an attractive destination for students.

Prof Mitchell says: “We feel it is very important to have a stronger presence in the city and think it will lead to a more vibrant city for students.

“But it will also support the city centre economy by having more students taught there too.

“It felt logical for this iconic building to be home to our business school because it should lead to greater engagement between students and companies.

“The voices of both businesses and students will be critical to what it should be delivering – including the environments where they want to learn and the technology they feel will be valuable for their futures.

“A lot of organisations could put up a nice building, but we want it to be a business school that makes sense for the local economy.”

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THE BIG INTERVIEW

THREE KEY PRIORITIES FOR THE EAST MIDLANDS – BY PROFESSOR MITCHELL 1. Digitisation We have a lot of industries in the East Midlands that we know need to invest in further automation.

During the pandemic, we have also seen a stark digital divide in the region, which has a critical impact on the skills of our workforce.

2. Decarbonisation We do not have an option to do this but we do have a wealth of industry knowledge to help us get there – whether it is Toyota exploring the potential of hydrogen-powered cars or RollsRoyce building small modular reactor nuclear power stations and electric aeroplanes.

3. Communities How do we re-energise or create a vibrant economic community that is centred on its people? We need to think about how we develop the right opportunities, which will require effective partnerships between education and business.

Technology, and therefore skills, can quickly become out of date so we must be moving forward all the time.

Backed by a legacy donation of £640,000 gifted in the will of former Derby professor Richard Horsley Osborne when he died in 2018, aged 93, the three-year project will lay the groundwork for long-term sustainable urban development planning of the city and surrounding area.

It will realise this by producing an augmented reality vision of how it could be configured to reduce transport emissions, improve air quality and create new active transport infrastructure while capitalising on existing green and blue spaces.

Prof Mitchell explains: “It’s not just about transport, but looking at the city as a whole in order to improve sustainability and wellbeing.

“Our university might not be able to solve all the city’s challenges, but we can develop the critical thinking and understanding to underpin this.”

Artist’s impression of University of Derby Business School

HEALTH AND WELLBEING, smart cities and communities, and social and educational policy are the three broad themes that underpin much of the research carried out by the University of Derby.

Applying this knowledge in real-world settings to meet regional, national and global needs has been one of the main priorities for Prof Mitchell since she was appointed in September 2015 following a stint as deputy vice-chancellor at the University of West London.

One of the most prominent tools to achieve this are knowledge transfer partnerships (KTPs) – collaborations between a business, the university and a recent graduate that are backed by Government funding.

“To be successful in applying research, we have to work with businesses proactively, and KTPs are probably one of our greatest strengths,” says Prof Mitchell, who is a chartered psychologist by profession.

An example of a successful KTP can be found in its work with Bloc Digital, the immersive technology firm that was named the Chamber’s Derbyshire Business of the Year in 2019.

An initial approach from the company for a student placement has evolved into it hiring 15 Derby graduates over the past six years, while two KTPs have provided researchers who have helped the firm to significantly reduce the time and cost of delivering its VR training applications.

Going full circle, academics are now using learnings from the KTPs to develop the next generation of AR and VR-enabled teaching to students. Further collaboration continues after Bloc moved its digital visualisation studio into the university’s Enterprise Centre last year.

The DE-Carbonise project, meanwhile, is a collaboration between the university, Derby City Council and Derbyshire County Council that helps SMEs to bolster their sustainability credentials and save money through reducing energy costs and carbon emissions.

Launched in 2019 and backed by the European Regional Development Fund, it offers bespoke technical support to make process improvements based on recommendations from a carbon reduction audit, as well as grant funding and cohort-based learning and development.

One of its beneficiaries is Nottingham-based Crassus Grab Hire, which has been supported to business network September 2021

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THE BIG INTERVIEW

turn waste it removes from commercial and domestic sites into reusable non-hazardous products – topsoil and aggregate – leading to eventual estimated carbon reductions of 14 tonnes per year and annual cost savings of more than £60,000.

Prof Mitchell says: “It’s a good example of how we can collaborate with a company to work more effectively in a low-carbon way by managing its processes.”

ACTING AS A gateway to funding is another key component of modern-day universities, whether it’s supporting businesses in their applications for Innovate UK grants or administrating funding pots – such as the ERDF-funded Invest to Growth programme.

The scheme provides grants and loans of between £15,000 and £250,000 to support private sector firms across the East Midlands that need funding to increase the scope or scale of their company, and ultimately create new jobs or safeguard existing positions.

Since being launched in 2015, it has awarded £26m to the region’s companies, leveraging a further £102m in private sector funding and creating 2,000 jobs.

Prof Mitchell says: “What has been interesting for me is we have seen the growth of industry during the six years it has been running. There have been so many successful businesses that have thrived as a result of the funding and had a strong impact on the regional economy. Even during the pandemic, there have been very few that have defaulted on repayments, which tells me it has made them more resilient.”

In March, the university and Derbyshire County Council launched a £2m Green Entrepreneurs Fund to help SMEs interested in developing green energy and carbon reduction schemes.

“We realised we needed to do something that supports low-carbon growth, while there are a lot of businesses that need to take action,” adds Prof Mitchell.

“The key thing is funding must always demonstrate a real-life impact for businesses and the economy.

“The role of the university in all this is to understand the national agenda and then apply it at a local level, which also brings in more funding for Derbyshire.”

SUPPORTING ORGANISATIONS TO grow and create jobs is one thing, but having people with the required skills ready to fill those positions is equally vital to the region’s economic prosperity.

The University of Derby takes a central role by partnering with other organisations across various points in the skills spectrum, believes Prof Mitchell.

As chair of the Derby Opportunity Area Board, she leads a partnership of educators, employers, the voluntary sector and Derby City Council to improve outcomes for children and young people in Derby from early years through to employment.

Some of the work has involved bringing employers on board to engage with schoolchildren about the various types of jobs available – including in the Our Future Derby project, which is part-delivered by the Chamber and involves broadening children’s horizons.

Knowledge transfer partnerships are a major part of the university arsenal for how it supports businesses

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University of Derby's Kedleston Road campus

“Derby was one of the places where attainability was found to be lacking and much of this was because some children did not have role models of adults going to work and engaging in a business environment,” says Prof Mitchell.

“We have had a lot of success in getting businesses to engage much earlier in young people’s lives by going into primary schools and talking about the jobs they could have in the future. East Midlands Chamber has played a key role in this.”

At the other end of the spectrum, the university delivers the Small Business Charter-accredited Help to Grow: Management programme, a 12-week training scheme that supports senior managers of SMEs and builds leadership capabilities.

In between, it is headline partner for the Chamber’s Generation Next network for business leaders and professionals aged under 35. Two students sit on the board, which “champions” the needs of young people in business.

Kathryn hopes the network will help the next generation to “think differently”, adding: “We want this generation to develop real problem-solving and critical thinking skills. But we also need to support those people to look at focused approaches to solving issues rather than just providing an exchange of knowledge.”

It’s just the latest avenue for bridging the gap that has traditionally existed between businesses and universities. Industry has often looked at universities just for bringing graduates into their workforce, and in Derby our businesses were not looking to us to innovate and transform them,” adds Prof Mitchell.

“That has been the difference in the past six years in the way our research is now much more applied and the way we are very open to businesses has led to a partnership approach rather than two separate elements coming together.”

Crassus Grab Hire

‘We realised we needed to do something that supports lowcarbon growth’

UNIVERSITY OF DERBY’S ECONOMIC IMPACT IN NUMBERS The University of Derby brings £281m to the city every year, according to the latest data.

Figures compiled by Prospect Research in the 2016/17 academic year, and published in June 2018, placed this number on the combined financial output of the university and its students’ activities – with more than 3,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs created either directly or indirectly.

A further £86m and 891 FTE jobs were brought to the rest of Derbyshire. For the whole of the East Midlands, the figures were £613m and 6,128 FTE jobs.

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BUSINESS NETWORK

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PATRONS

We must offer Covid help to all The UK and other wealthy nations have a moral obligation to help poorer countries in rolling out mass vaccination after the successes of their own programmes, an East Midlands business leader claims.

As borders reopen, Dr Nik Kotecha OBE, founder and chairman of Loughborough-based Morningside Pharmaceuticals, believes it would also benefit their own countries because it will reduce the chances of a vaccine-resistant variant arriving on their shores.

Dr Kotecha, a Department for International Trade “export champion”, said: “We should take pride in the fact that more than 40 million people in the UK have received at least one dose of a vaccine, but at the same time be mindful of the fact that just 9% of India has been vaccinated and, even more alarming, less than 2% of people in Africa.

‘The NHS has done an outstanding job of this in the UK and has valuable lessons to offer other countries’ The vaccination programme needs to go global

“The Covid crisis has shown that none of us are safe until all of us are safe. The virus and its variants transmit across borders, and it’s in our practical interest to roll out vaccines worldwide.”

The International Monetary Fund estimates the Covid recovery will bring a $9tn benefit to the global economy by 2025.

But Dr Kotecha stressed each country can’t operate as an island during this period, claiming “there is also a moral imperative to help poorer nations”.

The G7 has pledged to donate 870 million vaccine doses by the end of next year and the UK is one of the largest donors to the Covax Advance Market Commitment, pledging that most future surplus vaccines will go to this pool.

But some estimates claim another billion vaccines could be redistributed to developing countries without compromising the rollouts of richer nations.

Dr Nik Kotecha

“Support is not just about what we can give, but about meeting the needs of the poorer countries,” added Dr Kotecha. “Sometimes countries with basic health infrastructure may not be able to receive a high volume of vaccines, or may not be able to store them at the right temperatures.

“The last thing you want is medicines piling up at an airport and going to waste. Developing countries may need help implementing a vaccine rollout programme. The NHS has done an outstanding job of this in the UK and has valuable lessons to offer other countries.

“The developed nations of the world now have a golden opportunity to show global solidarity and do more. History will judge whether they were able to put politics and internal self-interest aside to truly defeat Covid on a global scale.”

More Access to best candidates Businesses across the East Midlands have been told their chances of finding the best candidates has improved after a training provider in the region was awarded a significant contract to improve recruitment.

Access Training, based in Nottingham, will deliver Access Works, which offers employers the opportunity to take part in sectorbased work academy programmes (SWAPs) – providing flexible tailored training via short courses.

Employers can weave their particular requirements into the SWAP courses – which are fully funded under the Adult Education Budget – so that individuals who go on to join their company are more prepared for the role in question, such as in areas like 34

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telephone techniques or health and safety.

They can go on to recruit, at no cost, from a pool of candidates who have shown commitment towards their own personal development and in a particular sector or role.

Access Training managing director Corrina Hembury (pictured) said: “Tailoring what we do to meet the needs of each individual learner and business is what sets us apart as a training partner. Our delivery of this contract is no different.

“We are offering different programme designs and lengths across functional skills, digital skills, employability and vocational qualifications, and blending online and face-to-face learning so that

we can reach as many of our region’s learners and employers as possible.”

Participants on the programme are aged 19-plus who are either unemployed and in receipt of benefits, or who are learners in receipt of a low wage.

As well as the opportunity to acquire valuable English, maths and digital skills, they can receive vocational training in one of Access Training’s core sectors and skills, including construction, housing, customer service and business administration, equipping them with the skills needed to become employment-ready.

For more information about Access Works, visit www.atem.co.uk/AccessWorks

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PATRONS

Housing group cleared to land at new airport headquarters

Blueprint Interiors’ operations director Rachel Biddles and designer Rebecca Beadle

Putting the WELL into wellbeing

Halinka Hepworth

Futures Housing Group, a social landlord and property developer based in Derbyshire, is moving into a new office at the heart of the region.

The not-for-profit company, which is currently based in Ripley and operates more than 10,000 homes, is relocating to East Midlands Airport.

Futures House will be within easy reach of Futures’ patch, stretching from Northamptonshire to Derbyshire, and will open in the autumn.

Group chief executive Lindsey Williams said: “Moving to our brand-new office in the heart of the region is the next step for Futures and something our teams have worked tremendously hard to make happen.

“It brings together our culture of having a central base within our operating areas and being one organisation, together with our agile and progressive approach. Futures House will be a place to meet, create and collaborate – the office of the future.”

Future Housing Group’s new offices

Futures has been looking for a new base at the heart of its operating areas for five years, having moved to Asher House in Ripley following a stock transfer from Amber Valley Council in 2003.

Finding the perfect location that met all the requirements for the group’s current and future needs has proved a challenge, but the group acquired the new site last year.

‘Our new office and touchdown points put us more at the heart of our operating area’ The new office, which has more than 20,000 sq ft of floor space across two storeys, is based at Pegasus Business Park to the south of the airport runway.

A tenant has been secured to occupy the first floor of the building, which has been extensively renovated using sustainable building techniques. There will also be a café space, courtyard area and large atrium entrance.

The new base will be a central location for collaborative working, training, events and key functions to carry out activities, with agile working now at the core of the company’s workplace culture after proving successful during the pandemic.

Halinka Hepworth, head of people services, said: “Our new office and touchdown points put us more at the heart of our operating areas, delivering our services and working with our partners.

“Workspaces and the way people work have transformed. We feel our approach creates a positive working environment and culture, where we can work collaboratively, and our people are trusted.”

Workplace design consultant and interior fit-out specialist Blueprint Interiors has become the first company in the East Midlands to achieve the WELL Health-Safety Rating.

The new building health and safety accreditation, which gives offices a safety seal as employees return postlockdown, is informed by the WELL Building Standard and more than 600 experts from the Covid-19 Task Force.

The company, based in the Ashby-de-la-Zouch, is also the first in its sector across the UK to achieve the rating.

Blueprint founder and chairman Rob Day said: “We are delighted to have become the first business in our sector to achieve this standard because not only can we display a recognised seal that demonstrates we are practicing what we preach – and investing in our most valuable asset, our people – but anyone entering our building will also now feel confident knowing the space they’re entering is putting their health first.”

The WELL Health-Safety Rating is designed to empower business owners and operators to take the necessary steps in order to prioritise the health and safety of their staff, visitors and stakeholders.

THE CHAMBER IS HONOURED BY THE SUPPORT OF ITS STRATEGIC PARTNERS AND PATRONS

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CHAMBER NEWS

Awards celebrate the best of the region’s incredible young talent The most promising young business talent in the East Midlands has been celebrated in the first ever Generation Next Awards.

Kate Walker, a Loughborough University graduate who founded ExpHand Prosthetics to make affordable and bespoke 3D-printed prosthetic arms for children in 2018, was crowned the Generation Next Future Leader at a virtual awards ceremony hosted by Avit Media director Ash Stanley on 16 July.

She was one of seven award winners at the inaugural event, part of East Midlands Chamber’s new Generation Next network for young professionals and business leaders aged under 35. It was held in conjunction with headline partner the University of Derby.

The Chamber’s director of resources and Generation Next lead Lucy Robinson said: “Generation Next is a really exciting new initiative from the Chamber and we’re delighted to have held our first major event, which was a fantastic showcase of the amazing young talent we have across the East Midlands.

“Our winners are an incredible advert for our region’s entrepreneurial instincts and we can’t wait to continue supporting them as their careers develop.”

The University of Derby, along with Chamber representatives, chose Kate, who graduated in product design engineering in 2019, for the Generation Next Future Leader Award. They recognised how she took a risk to translate her “knowledge and specialist skillset” into a strong start-up business, based at Loughborough University Science and Enterprise Park.

Other winners included an Entrepreneur of the Year title for the three founders of Project D, an artisan doughnut bakery based in Derby that has grown rapidly during the pandemic by pivoting its

GENERATION NEXT AWARDS 2021 WINNERS BREAKTHROUGH AWARD (SPONSORED BY NOTTINGHAM UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL) Winner: Daniel Jones - Professional Heating Solutions Finalists: Holly Daulby - Honest Communications Max Poynton, Jacob Watts and Matthew Bond - Project D Kate Johnson - Rate Social Junyi Xiao - W&W Trading and Consulting

EXCELLENCE IN INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY AWARD (SPONSORED BY GBS APPRENTICESHIPS) Winner: Tony Buck - EyeSiteView (Division of Oasis Studio) business model to a delivery service with strong online presence.

The Excellence in Innovation and Technology Award went to Tony Buck, who has led Chesterfieldbased creative design studio Oasis Studio’s EyeSiteView team, which is aiming to transform how residential property is traded by using virtual and immersive technology.

Fraser Stretton Estate Agents, GBS Apprenticeships, Hardy Signs, Loughborough College and Nottingham University Business School were partners of the Generation Next Awards and the Generation Next network, alongside the University of Derby.

Professor Kamil Omoteso, pro vice-chancellor and dean of the University of Derby’s College of Business, Law and Social Sciences, said: “Celebrating the success of young people through these awards demonstrates the huge talent that exists across all areas of employment and enterprise.”

For more information about the Generation Next network, visit generationnextemc.co.uk.

Finalists: Rikan Patel and Tanrik Patel - Business 2 Business

THE COMMUNITY AWARD (SPONSORED BY HARDY SIGNS) Winner: Charlotte Robey Turner - Leicestershire Cares Finalists: George Hanvere and Elliot Dipper - Paragon Law Nisha Pahuja - Charnwood Regency Guesthouse Limited Katie Gilbert - TTK Confectionery

APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR (SPONSORED BY LOUGHBOROUGH COLLEGE) Winner: Coral Guard - GBS Limited Finalists: Chloe Newton - BEDE Events Chris Guard - GBS Limited Chloe Deville - Hardy Signs Olly Torrence - Purpose Media

ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR (SPONSORED BY FRASER STRETTON) Winner: Max Poynton, Jacob Watts and Matthew Bond - Project D Finalists: Trent Peek - CCM Group Holly Daulby - Honest Communications Jordana Chin - Nutri2Go Ltd Aaron Gent - Aroment

CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD (SPONSORED BY EAST MIDLANDS CHAMBER) Winner: Jenna Hadfield - Banner Jones Solicitors Finalists: Beth Bearder - Keebles Rob Spence - Paragon Sales Solutions Emily Marriott - Order Blinds Online Evie Margetts - Corporate Architecture

GENERATION NEXT FUTURE LEADER AWARD (SPONSORED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF DERBY) Winner: Kate Walker - ExpHand Prosthetics

The Chamber's director of resources Lucy Robinson, president Eileen Richards MBE and Avit Media director Ash Stanley 36

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Finalists: Edward Morley - Rise & Recline Harry Dodge - Far-UK Leah Binney - TTK Confectionery Theo Kirk - Express Recruitment

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CHAMBER NEWS

More than just a helping hand Kate Walker (pictured), founder of ExpHand Prosthetics in Loughborough, won the top prize at the Generation Next Awards.

The 25-year-old tells her story to Business Network.

Tell us about your journey to Generation Next Future Leader?

I was inspired to start ExpHand Prosthetics after meeting a young girl who was born with an upper limb difference. After chatting with her parents, I found there was a real need for change in children’s prosthetics as devices were hard to access and kids would grow out of them really quickly.

I then spent the next year developing a 3D printable prosthetic arm that could be adjusted to grow with a child as my dissertation project. After that was a success, I formally set up the company. Since then, it has really evolved and developed with two patents pending, four interns and prototype devices currently being tested across the country.

they've presented themselves and growing our network. We've been able to connect with a wide variety of people who have been able to offer advice or connect us to other organisations that have been able to help us as we’ve developed over the past few years.

What has been the secret to the company’s success?

I think the secret to ExpHand’s success has been getting involved with new opportunities whenever

How does it feel to be recognised as a Generation Next Future Leader?

It’s great to be recognised by Generation Next as a Future Leader

What tips would you have for any young person considering setting up their own business?

Get involved and get connected.

Link up with other new businesses and find out about enterprise opportunities near you. I've been part of incubators and business accelerators, which have allowed me to surround myself with other founders and early-stage companies. They're great ways to gain and share knowledge with others and you get to learn from other people’s experiences.

and a real encouragement to know others have faith in not just my company, but also in me as its founder. Particularly as a young founder, it's common to experience imposter syndrome and feel like you don't know enough to run your own company, so this is a fantastic confidence boost to have someone recognise my potential and validate my leadership skills.

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CHAMBER NEWS

Always thinking of the ‘Next’ thing A board of “champions” oversees the Chamber’s Generation Next network for young professionals in the East Midlands, with the cohort representing the 18 to 35 age bracket of the group. One of those is Daniel Nikolla, a 28-year-old marketing manager of Chamber patron Hardy Signs, based in Burton upon Trent. He tells Jasmine Thompson how he got to his current position.

What has your career journey been to date and what does your current role involve?

My career journey has been very diverse. My dream was to become a footballer but that stopped at 19.

Since then, I’ve been working in the film, marketing, finance sectors and now manufacturing – where I oversee all the marketing activities at Hardy Signs. We produce lots of social content to make signage more understandable for everyone. According to LinkedIn analytics, we have outpaced every national signage company on the platform over the past three years.

What have been your biggest achievements to date and how did they come about?

My proudest involvement has been working with UEFA to produce a short film for Euro 2016, which received millions of views and was played across Europe.

Before that, I worked briefly on The Comedian's Guide to Survival film set with James Buckley. The two awards I won last year – Young Professional of the Year at East Midlands Chamber’s Derbyshire Business Awards, and Future Face of Sales, Marketing and Comms at Greater Birmingham Chambers’ Future Faces Awards – are part of my most significant achievements.

Over the past three years, I completed a BA in film production, Chartered Institute of Marketing Level 6 diploma, and Institute of Leadership and Management Level 3 and 4 qualifications.

These and the work at Hardy Signs certainly helped.

What are your future goals?

My main goal is to be in a position where I can live a good life and support my family, friends and other

young talents determined to break through. I really like the industry I’m in and the people I work with. My future goal is to collaborate only with intelligent and forward-thinking people. When I’m ready, I would love to create a start-up – be that in education, marketing, crypto finance, or sports. I’m thoroughly loving being a board member of Generation Next and would love to help the organisation grow further.

Do you have any advice to other young people on how to succeed in business or their career?

If you can, only get involved in projects that align with your core values. Associate yourself with already successful people. Start pushing from day one and work on your confidence because it will help with your articulation and public speaking skills.

As Matthew McConaughey said in his Oscars acceptance speech: Chase your hero! If you’re in your 20s, your hero is you in 10 years’ time and once you get there, your hero is 10 years away again. So, every day, every week, every month and every year, your hero is 10 years away. That leaves you with somebody to keep on chasing with a burning desire. Make sure to look after yourself and those who support you!

Why did you want to be involved with Generation Next and how can it help young people?

Supporting young people and their best interests has always interested me. I firmly believe that the youth and, in this case, young professionals, come up with the most innovative and genuine ideas.

I first heard about Generation Next at a business show at the beginning of 2020. Immediately, I thought this is a fantastic platform and wanted to be part of it.

I believe it will soon become the most prominent young people’s network in the East Midlands, and the most gifted talents in the region will be part of it. So, if you’d like to meet the leaders of tomorrow before they reach for the stars, join now to learn from them and become their connection.

Duo join our board of young professionals Two more people have joined the Generation Next board of champions.

Taking the group that steers the East Midlands young professionals’ network up to 13 people are Anthi Karyofylli and Shadelle DicksonMorris, who are students at headline partner the University of Derby.

Anthi is studying business and management while running a small Instagram-based business selling handmade accessories – alongside a voluntary role as sales and marketing assistant for a friend’s company.

Law student Shadelle is embarking on a career change after 38

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previously working in healthcare.

She aims to complete her LPC qualification after university and become a solicitor.

Professor Kamil Omoteso, pro vice-chancellor and dean of the College of Business, Law and Social Sciences at the University of Derby, said they were chosen from a field of top candidates after a rigorous selection and interview process.

“The appointment of Anthi and Shadelle to the Generation Next Champions Board is a significant new stage of our partnership with the East Midlands Chamber on this brilliant initiative,” he said.

Anthi Karyofylli

Shadelle Dickson-Morris

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CHAMBER NEWS

www.rheintacho.com

sales@rheintacho.co.uk business network September 2021

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Contact Rachael Dilks: T: 07956 582705 E: rachael.dilks@smartpasupport.com W: smart-pa.com

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CHAMBER NEWS

HS2 is ‘fundamentally misunderstood’, say UK’s largest Chambers of Commerce HS2 is about “much more than a new railway” and should be viewed as a catalyst for levelling up, according to chief executives at the four largest Chambers of Commerce along the route – as they urged the Prime Minister to deliver the project in full.

Scott Knowles at East Midlands Chamber, Henrietta Brealey at Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, Clive Memmott OBE at Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, and Sandy Needham DL at West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce – whose organisations represent more than 14,000 businesses combined – claimed the high-speed rail project “remains fundamentally misunderstood” as only a transport investment.

In a joint letter to Boris Johnson, they said HS2 would bring strong economic growth to each of their areas and called for the “speedy confirmation” of its delivery in full and as planned.

‘We cannot emphasise enough how HS2 is about much, much more than a new railway’ A final sign-off on how and when the project will be delivered has been delayed on several occasions and its future is still shrouded in doubt.

In the letter, the Chambers of Commerce leaders say: “We believe that HS2 remains fundamentally misunderstood. In many quarters, it is still viewed as being purely a rail investment project sitting within the Department for Transport.

“The various reviews done to date – and in which we have wholeheartedly participated – have approached it almost universally as being

Chamber leader Scott Knowles is backing HS2

solely about transport investment, judging it through this singular lens with regards to cost/ benefit analysis.

“Such an understanding of HS2 is hopelessly flawed. While even with this narrow focus the project still more than stands up to scrutiny given capacity constraints, connection shortfalls and the need to upgrade transport to green, clean alternatives, we cannot emphasise enough how HS2 is about much, much more than a new railway.”

The letter points out how each of the regions that HS2 will pass through have developed local plans for growth, “often in areas that have faced chronic underinvestment over a number of years”.

“This growth is about new business investment, house building, place regeneration, high-skilled job creation, innovation, green

technologies and more,” the leaders add.

“Indeed, we are already seeing these plans start to come to fruition across Birmingham, where the certainty of the first phase of HS2 has already spurred private sector investment and development.

“Without the development of HS2 as promised, these plans will be critically undermined, and any delivery that does happen will certainly not be of the magnitude aspired to.”

Rather than just being viewed as a transport project, the four chief executives believe it should be regarded as a “levelling up game changer” and an opportunity to rebalance the UK’s economy.

While much of the conversation around the project since its launch a decade ago has focused on cutting journey times to London, they argue it goes much further.

They add: “It is a comprehensive transformation programme that will change the way as a country we approach innovation, environmental commitments, skills development, modern methods of construction and more – not to mention our broader understanding of the ways in which we live, learn and work.

“Ultimately this is about the most ambitious investment made by this country in living memory and its returns will be realised across multiple facets of our economy for generations to come.”

The Chamber leaders round off the letter by reiterating their belief that “anything other than the full development of the new HS2 line on the scale and scope intended will fall short of what is needed”.

Panel aims to boost manufacturing economy

Martin Rigley MBE

A new Manufacturing Advisory Panel has been established to support and accelerate the growth, productivity and competitiveness of the manufacturing economy across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

The D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) will work with manufacturing business leaders, universities, local authorities and trade organisations such as Make UK to champion and strengthen sectors including aerospace, automotive, food and drink, medical and rail.

It estimates the industry employs more than 125,000 people across

the two counties and generates £7.2bn for the region’s economy – ranking third outside London and the South East – with the largest cluster of transport manufacturing and R&D in the country.

Primary objectives of the panel include developing an action plan for competitive and sustainable manufacturing, as well as coordinating, facilitating and forging closer links between academia and industry. The focus will be on supporting businesses to adopt new digital innovation and disruptive technologies, and embrace low-carbon growth.

The panel will also forge strong connections at a national level, particularly with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), and Innovate UK. Chamber board member Martin Rigley MBE, CEO and managing director of Lindhurst Engineering, will chair the D2N2 Manufacturing Advisory Panel. He said: “Clearly the way manufacturers do business is changing at a rapid rate and it’s important that manufacturing is prepared to face the challenges this brings, particularly in the adoption of digital technologies and meeting net zero targets.” business network September 2021

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CHAMBER NEWS

East Midlands labour market bounces back strongly

Will Morlidge will initially take up the role for six months

D2N2 appoints Will as interim chief executive The D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has appointed Will Morlidge as its interim chief executive.

Will has been with the LEP since last year as head of strategy and policy, leading its economic and growth strategy, as well as approach to changes in Government policy.

Sajeeda Rose, the LEP’s current chief executive, has left to take up a new role as corporate director for growth and city development at Nottingham City Council.

The interim chief executive will lead the LEP through the next six months to ensure continuity and pace during the ongoing national LEP review and build on the Economic Growth and Recovery Plan, which sets out the LEP’s vision for the region, focusing on opportunities in clean growth and decarbonisation, as well as the continued investment to support productivity and inclusive connectivity.

Will said: “There is an incredible energy around the region, and I am really keen to work with our private, public and academic partners to drive the growth programme forward.”

D2N2 LEP chair Elizabeth Fagan CBE thanked Sajeeda for her “leadership and support” over the past three years.

She added: “I would like to congratulate Will and look forward to working with him on the LEP's next phase of development, and supporting our public and private sector partner organisations in driving the economic growth of the D2N2 region.”

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The jobs market in the East Midlands continues to bounce back strongly – with the proportion of people out of work now below the national average for only the second time during the pandemic.

The unemployment rate for the period between April and June 2021 was 4.3%, compared to 4.7% for the UK, according to the latest labour market figures by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

It was the fourth lowest regional rate in the country and marks a 0.6% reduction on the 4.9% reported last month for March to May. The East Midlands unemployment rate has consistently been above the national average since April, only once previously dropping 0.1% below for the period between June and August last year, when restrictions eased. Its 5.9% pandemic peak was 0.8% above the UK figure.

‘As lockdown has been gradually lifted, it’s no surprise to see more people return to work’ Chamber chief executive Scott Knowles said: “Throughout this pandemic, the East Midlands has been disproportionately affected by Covid-19 as industries that are heavily represented in our economy – including hospitality, tourism and retail – were forced to close.

“As lockdown has been gradually lifted, it’s no surprise to see more people return to work, with more positive news regarding this expected in the coming months as the period in which almost all restrictions were removed is reflected in future statistics.

“It also proves what we have said all along in that those hardest-hit industries have always remained viable in a fully open and functioning economy.

“These statistics also reflect the results of the Chamber’s latest Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) for Q2 2021, in which a net 20% of East Midlands businesses increased their headcount in the three months to June and a net 41% expected to hire more people over the next quarter.”

UK job vacancies also hit a record 953,000 in the

three months to July, the ONS data reported.

Scott believes this confirms the ongoing recruitment difficulties many firms have faces as a result of the “deep-rooted squeeze on labour supply from the impact of Covid and Brexit”.

In the Q2 2021 QES, 60% of firms tried to recruit but 62% of those reported difficulties in finding people with the required skills across a wide range of roles.

Scott added: “More needs to be done to ensure businesses have access to skills when these can’t be recruited locally – including access to rapid and agile training and re-skilling opportunities for adults in the workforce, and a more flexible immigration system that allows firms to access the high and low-skilled workers they need.”

The UK’s economic output is also bouncing back, with ONS figures showing GDP grew by 4.8% between April and June 2021.

Despite the positive trajectory, this fell just shy of the 5% predicted by the Bank of England and remained 4.4% smaller than pre-pandemic.

Scott Knowles

Rule changes will beat ‘pingdemic’ Key changes to self-isolation rules finally give businesses “muchneeded certainty”, says the Chamber.

Since 16 August, fully-vaccinated people are no longer forced to isolate if they come into contact with anyone who tests positive for Covid-19.

Scott Knowles said: “While the removal of almost all restrictions on businesses in July was a landmark moment in our battle against coronavirus, the so-called ‘pingdemic’ caused huge issues for companies that found themselves under-staffed and receiving cancellations from customers.

“The desensitisation of the NHS Covid-19 app and exempting some key workers from the self-isolation

requirements helped some businesses but many industries that weren’t included have had to struggle on.

“Removing the requirement for double-vaccinated people to selfisolate means we are now arriving at a crucial point in the pandemic as we move from state-mandated rules to personal responsibility, which is what businesses have wanted to see for a long time.”

The Chamber has also called for a “fundamental overhaul” of the international travel traffic light system by removing the amber list.

Scott added: “Simplifying the traffic light system into red and green lists, with more countries added to the latter for restrictionfree travel, will remove the ambiguity and finally give people the confidence they need to go abroad.

“We should also seriously consider allowing all doublevaccinated passengers to arrive in the UK without quarantining, no matter which country they arrive from, and step up the limited progress we’ve made so far in driving down the prohibitive costs of Covid tests required by the system.”

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CHAMBER NEWS

Skills Accelerator bid successful Businesses and further education providers throughout Leicestershire have secured Government funding to develop a pioneering strategy that sets out the skills needed to impact human health in the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Chamber, colleges and the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport & Physical Activity (CIMSPA) collaborated to successfully bid to become a Government Skills Accelerator programme pilot area – one of only eight in the UK. Each area will secure a slice of a £65m funding pot to spearhead the development of plans that aim to support colleges to align the courses they offer to local employers’ needs. The colleges involved are Loughborough College, Leicester College, the SMB Group, and North Warwickshire & South Leicestershire College.

Together, they will explore how the further education and physical activity sectors can play a role in health and the wider economy – particularly around preventative health and long Covid recovery, as well as other social issues such as youth crime, education, the ageing population and social mobility.

Chamber chief executive Scott Knowles said: “In our conversations with businesses we represent, it’s clear one of the biggest barriers to their growth during the post-Covid economic recovery is a lack of skills to fill vacancies they are creating.

‘Collaboration is the key to supporting the skills-led recovery from Covid’ “Giving employers a central role in the skills agenda is therefore a major step in the right direction and we’re excited about working with Leicestershire colleges, training provider partners and CIMSPA in this Skills Accelerator pilot – with a keen focus on health and wellbeing, a subject that has grown in prominence over the past 18 months.”

The Skills Accelerator programme is a Government scheme aimed at putting local employers at the centre of skills provision while building stronger partnerships between employers and their local further education colleges, training providers, and ensuring that provision meets local needs.

It has announced eight areas to

Jo Maher, principal and CEO at Loughborough College

be Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) trailblazers and Strategic Development Fund pilot areas, with another 10 to pilot only the development fund. The LSIP trailblazer covers Leicestershire and Leicester city, and focuses on the sport and physical activity sector

and its impact on human health.

Jo Maher, principal and CEO at Loughborough College, said: “Collaboration is the key to supporting the skills-led recovery from Covid. The impact on health has never been more important to understand and to improve.”

Last chance to get Kickstart from Chamber Businesses have until the end of this month to use the Chamber as a gateway organisation in applying for the Kickstart scheme.

The Government-backed employment programme gives funding to companies so they can hire eligible young people on a six-month work placement.

With the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) stipulating that Kickstart employees must have started their job by 31 December 2021, the Chamber – an official gateway organisation that helps firms to navigate the application process – has now set its own deadline of 30 September for submissions to be made.

Chamber deputy chief executive and Kickstart lead Diane Beresford said: “Businesses taking part in the Kickstart scheme are playing a vital role in their communities by supporting and preparing our future workforce.

“But it’s also a fantastic and relatively risk-free opportunity to trial new roles that could lead to future growth. With time running out to take advantage of the programme, we would urge any businesses that want to explore how they could benefit to get in touch as soon as possible.”

The Kickstart scheme is aimed at 16 to 24year-olds on Universal Credit or at risk of longterm unemployment.

It funds 100% of the age-relevant National

The Kickstart scheme will help young workers

Minimum Wage, employer national insurance and pensions contributions for 25 hours a week over a six-month period.

Employers can choose to top up this wage and are also eligible for a £1,500 Government grant for training people on a Kickstart placement.

Once applications are accepted, young people are referred into the roles via a Jobcentre Plus work coach.

The Chamber has secured more than 3,000

placements among almost 800 businesses located in Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and other locations. More than 900 of these roles have been filled, with over 2,000 vacancies live.

One company that has taken advantage of the scheme is Jetpack Marketing, in Leicester, which the Chamber helped to secure three Kickstart roles – web development, digital marketing and social media assistants.

Finance and operations director Orhan Ahmed said it had been “game-changing” for the business, adding: “We have been able to try new things, bring fresh ideas to our clients and continue growing at a steady page.”

Web development assistant Bhakti Mistry, from Leicester, joined after struggling to find a job since graduating in computing at De Montfort University.

The 23-year-old, who has created and edited websites for clients, said: “This has been a great experience because the job has allowed me to develop my coding skills, my confidence and a better understanding of the website development industry.”

Businesses interested in applying for the Kickstart scheme should contact Pieter Eksteen on pieter.eksteen@emc-dnl.co.uk or 0333 320 0333 (Ext 2241). business network September 2021

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CHAMBER NEWS

Key sectors help build for the future Housebuilding, automotive and logistics could be among the key sectors to drive the East Midlands economy forward in the coming years.

That’s according to the academic whose research underpinned the East Midlands Top 500 Companies 2021 index, the second listing of its kind that placed Boots first among a group of firms with a combined turnover of £94bn and more than 455,000 employees.

‘We make more stuff here than anywhere else in the UK and that needs to be shipped Professor David Rae, of De Montfort University’s Leicester Castle Business School, led the project in collaboration with Derby and Nottingham Trent universities, supported by the Chamber and Reach plc.

He said: “There’s four or five really big housebuilders based in the region and one of the interesting things that took place during the year was Miller Homes, through restructuring, moved its office from Scotland to Derby so it entered the list at number 21.

“If you also look at transport, logistics and distribution, the East Midlands is a hub for this sector and, with all the investments that have been made in the likes of Segro Logistics Park East Midlands Gateway, this has to be one of the areas for significant economic growth.

“We tend to think of the West Midlands as being very dependent on automotive, but actually with Toyota and a number of really big vehicle distributors like Pendragon,

Housebuilder Miller Homes recently moved its HQ to Derby. Inset: Prof David Rae

Sytner Group and Motorpoint, it’s a large part of the East Midlands economy too.”

He said the decarbonisation of transport, as well as the longerterm Brexit impact, will transform the industry but has already detected signs it is adapting quickly – a statement backed up by former Sytner Group managing director John Quigley, who believes electrification will be a “great gamechanger” and expects to see self-driving cars within 15 years.

Prof Rae said: “It will be very interesting to see how this sector performs in the future with decarbonisation as we move much closer towards electric vehicles, as well as the Brexit effect. It seems to me the automotive sector is adapting very quickly.”

With almost all the top 10 featuring household brand names – including Boots, Next, Sports Direct

and Toyota – Prof Rae said the East Midlands was “very fortunate to host these businesses”.

But he was also interested in an 11% churn, with 55 new companies in this year’s list and eight businesses, including a green energy supplier, that have moved up the list very quickly.

“I’d like to see more new entrants and more companies coming to the East Midlands to base themselves here,” he added.

“The West Midlands is a hotspot for foreign direct investment and the highest region after London, so we’d like to see this happen in the East Midlands.”

Scott Knowles, chief executive of the Chamber, which collaborated with DMU on the list as part of a mission to improve intelligence about the region’s economy and ultimately promote investment opportunities, said the list

demonstrates the “rich diversity” of the business ecosystem in the East Midlands.

Reflecting on the importance of the logistics and transport sectors, he added: “We have to recognise that we make more stuff here than anywhere else in the UK and that needs to be shipped across Britain and the globe.

“Over the past few years we’ve seen huge growth in logistics and that trajectory looks set to continue.

“Projects like the freeport and investment-led developments like the East Midlands Development Corporation will provide new opportunities for the region to be a globally-recognised leader in transport and logistics.”

To see the full East Midlands Top 500 Companies index, visit bit.ly/EMTop500-21

Experts show you how Survey will offer first to get your pitch perfect post-restriction update Founders of innovative businesses can learn how to fast-track their investment prospects at the latest Innovate UK EDGE Pitchfest.

Applications for round two of Pitchfest Midlands are now open for individuals who want to gain valuable insights from pitch training experts to create a compelling proposition and receive guidance to help pinpoint what makes their company most valuable to investors.

The application deadline for Midlands Pitchfest is on Tuesday 21 September at 5pm and the scheme will take place between 12 October 46

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and 23 November.

It will feature two days of comprehensive pitch training, a session with a panel of investors and ongoing bespoke innovation and growth support.

Innovate UK EDGE is aimed at UK-registered, high-growth and innovative SMEs interested in internationalisation and seeking to raise about £500,000 of investment over the next two years.

To apply, visit bit.ly/Pitchfest-Mids and for more information, email midlands@innovateukedge.ukri.org

Businesses can give a key update on how they are faring during the economic recovery as the Chamber’s next Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) opens.

The Q3 2021 survey will cover the period in which almost all Covid-19 restrictions were lifted but issues related to the “pingdemic” lingered.

It will ask business leaders about their sales, advanced orders, recruitment, cashflow, investments and confidence over turnover and profitability.

The Chamber uses this data to determine the fortunes of the East Midlands economy, which is illustrated by the State of the Economy Index. Recent improvements mean QES reports are now more interactive, user-friendly and personalised.

The deadline to complete the Q3 2021 survey is 13 September. Visit bit.ly/QESQ221

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CHAMBER NEWS

Loans help firms to bounce back

Business community to reunite as festival returns Leicester Business Festival (LBF) will return this autumn – bringing the business community back together after a challenging year.

Taking place from 8 to 18 November, it will involve a combination of physical, digital and hybrid events exploring an extensive range of themes that aim to support, educate and share knowledge – or create forums for networking, engagement and business growth.

The festival, which has been running since 2015 with thousands of attendees each year, has become an annual economic showcase for the area and been cited as contributing to the Leicester and Leicestershire Economic Recovery Plan, which aims to help build back a prosperous and growing economy.

Run by business for business, it relies on the local business community to support it and the Chamber is one of a number of partners, alongside headline

partner De Montfort University.

Family-owned property development business Bradgate Estates, a Chamber member, has returned as a sponsor this year.

Managing director Joe Levy said: “We would encourage everyone to get involved with LBF. Whether that’s by hosting an event, attending an event or sponsoring, there are endless benefits for businesses.

“The more companies that get involved, the bigger and better it will be, putting Leicester and Leicestershire on the map as the place to do business.”

Businesses have until 10 September to submit applications to run an LBF event at www.leicesterbusinessfestival.com/event-organisers For more information on bespoke partnership packages, contact Ian Morris on 0116 464 5995 or im@associate-events.com

East Midlands businesses received almost £4.7bn in funding under the Government’s two largest Covid-19 loan schemes.

More than 98,500 loans worth nearly £2.9bn have been provided across the region under the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS), which provided a six-year loan term between £2,000 and £50,000.

Over 7,300 loans worth nearly £1.8bn were also provided under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), which offered business loans, overdrafts, invoice finance and asset finance of up to £5m to firms with a turnover below £45m.

Dr Sophie Dale-Black, UK network director for the Midlands at the British Business Bank, which managed the loans, said: “The Covid-19 loan schemes have been an important part of the Government’s response to the pandemic. We’re pleased to see evidence that they have helped smaller businesses across the East Midlands.”

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CHAMBER NEWS

Track and trace is a goods move Distribution and warehousing firm Translink Express Logistics has taken a big step towards becoming a greener business after introducing real-time track and trace service for palletised goods.

The family-run haulage company, based in Narborough, Leicestershire, used a Business Gateway Growth Hub grant to help purchase the hardware, which uses handheld digital and mobile technology, investing about £24,000 to provide this enhanced service.

‘In one week we hired 16 extra vehicles and two teams’ Much like domestic parcel delivery, the new electronic system means pallet recipients can now track their goods along the journey and know exactly when it will arrive. It also adjusts and alerts customers should there be a delay giving new delivery times, while also keeping the office informed on vehicle capacity.

A key benefit of the new system is that Translink’s drivers are now virtually paperless with everything controlled by their handheld devices including schedules, travel routes and communication with both customers and their office. With less chance of taking the wrong route, there has also been a marked saving on fuel costs helping the business cut its carbon footprint.

Chris Hobbis

Commercial director Chris Hobbis said: “We were fortunate when the pandemic first hit as we became a warehousing centre for an existing supermarket client and managed to support the distribution of wine, beer and BBQ coal – then later, crisps, pasta and toilet rolls – to its 264 stores.

“It’s not something we’ve done before but in one week we hired 16 extra vehicles and two teams to do the picks then ran it 24 hours a day, for about 12 weeks.”

Translink has more than 70 fulltime employees and has been distributing parcel and palletised goods across the UK and Europe, as well as providing warehousing facilities, for over three decades.

The Business Gateway Growth Hub, part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, is delivered by a partnership between the Chamber, Leicester City Council, Leicestershire County Council and the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP).

FIRST 40 SIGN UP FOR GREEN PROGRAMME The first 40 Leicestershire businesses have secured a place on a carbon reduction programme offered by the Business Gateway Growth Hub in partnership with sustainability platform provider Zellar.

The pioneering scheme – the first in the East Midlands and only the second in the UK – will eventually aim to involve 100 companies across the county taking part to do their bit in tackling climate change.

The “sustainability-as-a-service” Zellar platform enables a business to identify its carbon impact and then provides a bespoke plan to reduce it – including advice on how to offset emissions, how to find sustainable energy providers and how to change behaviour among employees.

Zellar founder Gary Styles said: “We’ve created Zellar to tackle the climate change issue before it’s too late. We’re delighted that Leicester is showing such leadership in green issues for the business sector.”

Blackfriars Bakery, NEBOSH, Countrywide Properties, the Bradgate Park Trust, Three Point Design, Fisher German and Acorn Training are among the first cohort to gain a place on the programme, along with representatives from Leicestershire’s fashion and textiles, retail, hospitality and space technology sectors.

Sonia Baigent, LLEP director and chair of the Business Gateway board, added: “For these 40 businesses, this is a great first step in becoming greener.”

Scholarship aims to create business leaders Business leaders of the future who are passionate about driving change at a global level could have a chance of winning a prestigious scholarship backed by the Chamber.

Nottingham University Business School (NUBS) has launched a new East Midlands Chamber of Commerce Executive MBA Impact Scholarship.

It offers £5,000 towards the fee of an Executive MBA course, which is designed to develop executives by building on their existing management experience.

Delivered as a flexible, part-time programme that allows learners to combine study with a demanding career over a period of between two and four years, it offers valuable and sought-after skills such as problem-solving, leadership, 48

business network September 2021

Dr Christos Braziotis

entrepreneurialism and creativity.

A rolling admissions timetable means students can start their

course at several points during the 2021/22 academic year.

Dr Christos Braziotis, head of MBA programmes at the business school, said: “We offer a powerful combination of innovative current research with a practical understanding of how to lead teams and businesses. We aim to enable learners to develop their expansive critical thinking, and capacity to influence and inspire others.

“Importantly, the executive MBA encourages students to develop well-rounded strategic capabilities so they can operate effectively across organisational boundaries. It provides an advanced management education that helps them expand them global career prospects and earning potential.”

NUBS is offering eight Executive MBA scholarships, which are open

to Chamber members and businesses located in Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.

Candidates will be considered who demonstrate exceptional academic and professional achievement and are impactful leaders.

They should be passionate about meeting business challenges and driving positive change as a socially responsible leader, committed to benefiting business and society.

There is also an Executive MBA healthcare programme led by healthcare management specialists.

To explore the funding and scholarship options available, visit www.nottingham.ac.uk/business/st udy-with-us/mba/mbascholarships.aspx

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CHAMBER NEWS

Pandemic encourages nine in 10 East Midlands businesses to innovate

FIVE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POLICYMAKERS TO SUPPORT INNOVATION 1. Enhanced funding and focus on communication of existing policy to support innovation

Nine in 10 East Midlands businesses have innovated in some form due to the pandemic, according to a new report.

In addition to responding to the impacts of coronavirus on the economy, half of the region’s companies did something differently to survive or grow as a result of Brexit, the joint research by the Chamber and audit, tax and consulting services firm RSM found.

The organisations have published the findings in a new report, Helping you understand innovation in the East Midlands: Business innovation over the past 12-24 months, which also features policy recommendations for Government to support future innovation.

It found that many businesses expect to continue innovating over the next two years, with 57% planning for new products and services, but others still face barriers ranging from skills to resources to achieving this.

The Chamber’s director of policy and external affairs Chris Hobson said: “The past two years have seen significant change for businesses’ operating environments, with Brexit swiftly followed by the pandemic.

“While this period has caused huge challenges, new opportunities have also arisen that have encouraged firms to make adjustments to the way they operate, create new products and services, or even pivot their business models in some cases.

“Barriers remain, however, with the most significant being a perceived lack of appropriate

‘While this period has caused huge challenges, new opportunities have also arisen’

2. Additional investment into leadership and management resource among SME businesses, building on the current Help to Grow Management programme 3. Further financial support for those businesses engaged in collaboration activity 4. Incentives for businesses to encourage investment in the creation of specific innovation-focused roles, including a greater focus on engagement with educational institutions Chris Hobson

5. Aligning R&D incentives with the wider Government targets and objectives

funding. Further work is needed in this space by funders to understand where current products are falling short and to what extent businesses are aware of funding options available.”

THE RESEARCH WAS conducted during the Chamber’s Quarterly Economic Survey for Q2 2021, in which 432 businesses – a third of these manufacturers – responded between 17 May and 8 June.

The report found that 45% of businesses “innovated significantly” and 46% “innovated somewhat” in response to the pandemic, with only 9% not innovating at all.

While only half did so in response to Brexit, the proportion jumped to 75% for manufacturers, which have been more exposed to changes in international trade.

Meanwhile, four in five East Midlands businesses (81%) innovated in response to broader challenges or opportunities, with 70% doing so as a response to competition.

For firms that have innovated, improving workforce efficiency (65%) was the most popular method, followed by creating new products and services (61%), improving IT and technology (55%), and upgrading back-office or support services (45%). One in five transformed or pivoted their business model.

Sheetal Sanghvi

When looking at plans for approaching continued innovation over the next 24 months, developing new products and services was top of the wish list – with 57% of businesses setting their sights on achieving this.

Almost half (49%) plan to explore the introduction of new technologies or business models, 46% recognise the importance of developing an internal culture to support innovation, and a third (33%) plan to “recruit innovative people”. Only 4% reported no plans for innovation in the coming period.

A lack of appropriate funding was cited as the biggest barrier to innovation (46%), while four in 10 respondents said they were too busy.

Innovation can be supported by R&D tax credits, a key incentive and tool available to businesses,

which can claim a cash refund or corporation tax reduction for money spent on developing new products, processes or services, as well as enhancing existing ones.

While the Chamber and RSM research found 36% of respondents had successfully accessed R&D tax credits previously, 38% didn’t believe they were relevant to them.

Sheetal Sanghvi, partner and head of innovation reliefs in the East Midlands at RSM, said the study demonstrated that largescale innovation has taken place in the region over the past two years.

“Going forward, general awareness of the importance of the need to continue evolving and innovating in order to succeed is high, but there remain a number of businesses that require further support – both practical and in terms of guidance – in order to maximise innovation activity in the region,” she added.

“R&D tax credits play a key part of the Government’s strategy to encourage investment in innovation in the UK. However, a significant proportion of companies do not see these as being relevant to their organisation, suggesting more work is required in the region to raise awareness of this generous tax relief and supporting businesses to navigate the rules.” business network September 2021

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Awards recognise best of Chesterfield The very best Chesterfield-based businesses and developments have been revealed by Destination Chesterfield.

Thirty-five finalists have been named in the brand-new 2021 Love Chesterfield Awards, which is set to be the first in-person awards ceremony held by the organisation since March 2020.

Recognising the heroes of the business community over the past 18 months, Chesterfield’s annual High Street Awards and Food and Drink Awards have been combined to create the new celebration.

After what has been a challenging time during the pandemic, the awards will celebrate the town’s food, drink and retail businesses, entrepreneurs, regeneration projects, contributions to the local community, apprenticeships and sustainability.

Members of the public nominated their favourite businesses throughout May. The nominations have now been counted and reviews assessed by

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Destination Chesterfield, resulting in a 35-strong shortlist across 12 categories.

The winners of the Love Chesterfield Awards, organised by Destination Chesterfield in association with EntireFM, will be announced at a black-tie awards ceremony at the Winding Wheel Theatre on Wednesday 20 October.

Peter Swallow (pictured), chair of Destination Chesterfield, said: “We are delighted to be hosting our first inperson awards since the pandemic hit and celebrating Chesterfield’s heroic businesses, people and projects in person once more.”

The Chamber is among the awards partners as sponsor of the Retailer of the Year category, in which Adorn Jewellers of Chesterfield, Dotique, Huckleberry Willow and Shop Indie are the finalists.

To see the full list of finalists, visit www.chesterfield.co.uk/ lovechesterfieldawards

Matt Jones Photography-Destination Chesterfield

CHAMBER NEWS

Chesterfield Market

Have your say on plans for market Town centre businesses, residents and visitors are being encouraged to have their say on ambitious plans to revitalise Chesterfield Market by taking part in a public consultation.

Chesterfield Borough Council is seeking people’s views on plans to create a vibrant open-air shopping experience with new event space, seating, and landscaping to help shape its final proposals for the site.

The draft Revitalising the Heart of Chesterfield Vision Master Plan aims to ensure the market area remains a modern shopping destination, despite the challenges posed by a rise in online shopping and, more recently, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Councillor Kate Sarvent, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for town centre and visitor economy, said: “We recognise the need to invest now to make sure Chesterfield town centre remains modern, vibrant, and relevant – and our market is a key part of that.

“As the heart and soul of our town centre, we must do all we can to make sure that Chesterfield Market continues to prosper in today’s world, as a destination of choice for traders, residents, and visitors.

“These ambitious plans lay down a new vision for Chesterfield Market and are based on what market traders, town centre retailers and residents told us they wanted to see when we asked for initial feedback on the project.”

The council has already secured £1.15m funding through the Derbyshire Business Rates Pilot and D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership.

Further funding for later phases is being sought as part of a bid that the council has recently

CHESTERFIELD MARKET PROPOSALS • Re-siting of market stalls currently located in New Square and Low Pavement into a single market ground of 100 stalls in Market Square – creating a more defined and vibrant market area that also includes a flexible events space • Re-modelling of New Square as a flexible events space that can hold large-scale events, and accommodate temporary installations and active edges linked to local bars and restaurants • Upgrades to paving to improve quality and accessibility • Introduction of new seating areas and attractive landscaping to create spaces for people to sit and chat • Planting more trees to increase biodiversity and improve street scene • Brighter and more vibrant stall coverings and flexible stalls supplied with water, better lighting and digital connectivity.

submitted to the Government’s Levelling Up Fund.

The draft master plan proposals were approved by the council’s cabinet in July a six-week consultation ends on Sunday 12 September 2021, with initial work set to begin on site early 2022.

The consultation includes a virtual exhibition, which is available to view at www.chesterfield.gov.uk/marketconsultation

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CHAMBER NEWS

If your supply chain is being affected by the coronavirus outbreak, our EXPRESS CHINA RAIL SERVICE could be the answer to getting your shipments back on track.

With Wuhan still affected we have moved our weekly LCL and FCL rail service to Xi’an, offering a transit time of just 22-24 days from Xi'an terminal to our Dartford depot.

Cargo moving under ‘FCA’ terms of shipment (equivalent to FOB) can be freely accepted. Any ex works shipments will be checked by our dedicated rail team on a case-by-case basis to ensure that collection from the factory/delivery to the Xi’an rail terminal is possible.

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SUSTAINABLE EAST MIDLANDS

www.emc-dnl.co.uk/sustainability

Grasping the ‘green growth’ opportunity Every year, the Chamber and University of Derby collaborate on a study to determine the level of engagement in the sustainability agenda among East Midlands businesses.

Dr Fred Paterson (pictured), associate professor of sustainable business and clean growth at the university, explains the latest findings and how they relate to other net zero policy developments With COP26 just over the horizon, and the Midlands Engine Ten Point Plan for Green Growth following hot on the heels of the UK Government’s own plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, East Midlands firms are not short of impetus to enhance their environmental performance.

It’s nearly five years since the University of Derby launched the Low Carbon Project to help local SMEs decarbonise and grow their green business, and there have been significant changes in that time.

Firstly, the data and evidence available on clean growth and the low-carbon economy has vastly improved. In addition to the ongoing collaboration between the university’s Sustainable Business Research Group and East Midlands Chamber, the Midlands Engine has recently established an Intelligence Hub with a dedicated focus on green growth.

The Hub hosts market snapshot reports that provide an evidence base for the low-carbon and environmental goods and services (LCEGS) sector across nine local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) and 65 local authorities within the Midlands Energy Hub region.

The D2N2 market snapshot for 2021 estimated that in 2019/20, 1,876 LCEGS companies employed nearly 35,000 workers (up from 24,000 in 2017/18).

While the D2N2 LCEGS sector has grown in terms of sales (4.6%), employment (2.7%) and number of companies (3.9%), the level of employment growth is lower than in the Midlands Engine region (5.0%) and the UK as a whole (7.3%).

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The second key change is national and regional policy agendas for the low-carbon economy are becoming clearer.

The D2N2 Recovery Strategy makes a clear case for “green recovery” following the pandemic, and sector growth estimated as 11% annually by 2030 – four-times faster than the rest of the economy.

Third, the range of support for local companies that want to become greener and do their bit in the “race to zero” has expanded enormously.

The Chamber launched the Sustainable East Midlands campaign in 2021 and the University of Derby leads the ERDF-funded DE-Carbonise Programme for SMEs and the Low Carbon Business Network, as well as a host of more general funding and support programmes for forward-looking firms, such as Invest to Grow.

Other regional universities have similar schemes, such as the University of Nottingham’s Energy for Business programme and Nottingham Trent University’s Sustainability in Enterprise.

There are also several excellent international schemes focused squarely on smaller companies.

The International Chamber of Commerce set up the SME Climate Hub scheme to help futureproof businesses by committing to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and reach net-zero emissions before 2050.

As well as the excellent resources offered by the Carbon Trust and FutureFit Business Benchmark, BCorp – an international certification agency – has launched an excellent free and accessible environmental impact calculator and tool especially for SMEs.

LATEST FINDINGS OF CHAMBER AND UNIVERSITY OF DERBY SUSTAINABILITY RESEARCH The Sustainable Business Research Group at the University of Derby has been working with the Chamber since 2016 to track trends in proenvironmental business practices through the Chamber’s Quarterly Economic Survey.

It’s important to distinguish between withinbusiness practices that are aimed at energy and resource efficiencies, and those aimed at increasing supply of pro-environmental goods and services.

Our most recent report shows that: • In February 2021, 36% of the companies surveyed said clean growth was already wholly or partly integrated into their business growth strategies, up from 29% in 2020.

• Larger companies (more than 250 staff) continue to be more advanced than smaller firms in integrating clean growth in their business strategies – 62% of large firms have done so, compared with only 27% of micro firms (fewer than 10 staff) • 42% of firms still do not feel well informed about support for clean growth and 29% are not engaging with the clean growth agenda • Businesses deriving turnover from supplying pro-environmental goods or services increased from 16% in 2015 to 37% in 2021 Although trends in sustainable business and clean growth are moving in the right direction, there is still much to do to meet our net zero targets.

It’s important to remember that 89.6% of UK firms have fewer than ten employees, with a higher proportion of these “micro businesses” (95.8%) found in the energy and low-carbon technology sector. These firms have less capacity to support green innovation, so agencies and supply chain behemoths need to re-double their efforts to assist them. However, with the market for low-carbon and pro-environmental goods and services set to grow significantly in the coming years, this shift in business practices should be seen as an opportunity to be grasped.

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Climate change will hit workers A new study has predicted that climate change will significantly affect people’s ability to work effectively if the goals of the UN’s Paris Agreement are not met.

An international team including the University of Nottingham found that global labour could be reduced by between 18% and 25% – the contrast depending on whether people are working in full sunlight or indoors – if pre-industrial temperatures rise above 2°C. If the Paris Agreement’s most ambitious goal to limit global warming to 1.5°C is met, the declines in global labour are smaller – with a 7% drop for indoor working and 10% for working in full sunlight.

Professor Simon Gosling, at the University of Nottingham, leads a working group that is focused on estimating the impacts of future climate change across society and was involved in the research, which has been published in The Lancet Planetary Health.

He said: “The recent US-Canada heatwave is typical of the extreme temperature events we will see with climate change. As we know, heatwaves can have devastating effects on human health, wildfires and infrastructure.

“Labour is one of the other areas that will be affected most directly by climate change as rising temperatures affect people’s ability to work.

“Our study underscores the importance of securing ambitious global greenhouse gas emissions cuts at COP26 in Glasgow later this year because we show that the declines in labour with climate change are much smaller if

Print firm certified as carbon-neutral

we achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement.

“It also shows that work environments are going to have to be adapted to deal with the higher temperatures expected with future climate change.”

The research estimates “effective labour”, which combines the hours of work people can do in a day along with their productivity in those hours.

The team analysed data from more than 300 censuses conducted around the world that provide data on number of hours worked per week. This data was combined with data on historical temperatures to assess the relationship between historical climate and labour.

These relationships were used to estimate how the number of hours worked, and productivity, might change under different global warming scenarios in the future.

A digital print and direct mail specialist in Nottingham has been certified as a carbonneutral business.

Eight Days a Week Print Solutions, based in Glaisdale Parkway, had its status confirmed by Carbon Neutral Britain, an initiative that helps businesses to measure and offset their carbon emissions.

After the company reviewed its carbon footprint – taking into account production, deliveries and staff commutes – it was calculated that 42 tonnes of CO2 equivalent were emitted in the 12 months to June 2021.

It has now signed up to the Woodland Fund portfolio of certified global carbon reduction projects to offset these emissions.

Managing director Lance Hill said: “I’d advise any responsible business that hasn’t already done it to investigate the impact their business has on the environment.”

For more information on carbon offsetting projects, visit carbonneutralbritain.org

Visit yuenergy.co.uk or call our team on 0115 647 0499

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INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Innovative lab is taking best to East The Ingenuity Lab, based at Nottingham University Business School’s Haydn Green Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, offers crucial support to homegrown start-ups. But it’s also playing a key role internationally, as Dan Robinson discovers by speaking to three companies now enjoying success in China.

hen Lili Zhu arrived in Nottingham as a teenage student from China just under a decade ago, she felt a familiar sense of isolation.

Stuck in a cold and wet city thousands of miles away from friends and family – not to mention the significant cultural and language differences – she admits it was a “sink or swim situation”. Having kept her head above water, she’s now passing on her experience.

“Because I struggled to adapt myself, I can bring a unique perspective,” says Lili, owner of Nottingham-based Miiito, which helps Chinese international students to transition into careers and entrepreneurship in the UK by tackling cross-cultural barriers.

“The university does a great job at embedding students but there are unique challenges for Chinese international students, who are exposed to completely different cultures.

“Employers don’t know where to start with improving their confidence, so we offer cultural and language training to bridge this skills gap and help them get their first job.”

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UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM film and television graduate Lili drew on her knowledge of the demands for the 200,000 Chinese international students based in Britain when she set up Miito – then called CareerInsider – in 2016.

It is located at Ingenuity Lab, which is based at the University of Nottingham Innovation Park and supports members via office space, peer-topeer networks, mentoring, events, visa sponsorship and internships.

The company, which employs 20 people, provides bespoke training, toolkits and knowledge to Chinese students – more than 85% of who leave the UK with no significant work experience – by identifying the key skills missing due to cultural difference or a lack of industry understanding.

It has helped students to land jobs with the likes of Accenture, KPMG, BBC, Vodafone, Unilever, Virgin, Goldman Sachs, BP, Barclays and GlaxoSmithKline.

It also acts as a consultant to educational institutions to improve engagement with this demographic and strengthen the overall attraction of UK higher education.

Lili, who was named Entrepreneur of the Year at the Nottingham Post Women in Business 56

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Miiito founder Lili Zhu

Awards in 2019, believes that despite being the largest student group in the UK and contributing £1bn to the national economy, Chinese international students have been undervalued because many struggle to fit into British culture.

But she believes they are an untapped resource for businesses, adding: “These students

are ambitious, resourceful and have their own skillsets. As they’re ‘outsiders’, they look at things differently and can solve problems, which is a great attribute for businesses.

“In the future, we also think we can help companies wanting to access the Chinese market. Lots of UK brands have the history and values that make it easier for them to succeed, and we could help them to understand Chinese customs and cultures.”

ANOTHER COMPANY FOUNDED at the Ingenuity Lab but having a significant wider impact is Systematic Review Solutions (SRS), which is helping to advance evidence-based healthcare research in China, Malaysia and the UK. It was founded by Jun Xia, a qualified healthcare researcher who identified a need to assist other countries in developing evidencebased approaches to how they evaluate the results of healthcare interventions after often being invited to hold talks on this subject in her native China.

WIDE VARIETY OF BENEFITS FOR ENTREPRENEURS Google-style offices and visa support are some of the benefits enjoyed by entrepreneurs based at the Ingenuity Lab. Members – who are University of Nottingham students and alumni – also use the space at its Jubilee Dr Terri Holloway Campus to mix with peers, learn from mentors and meet future funders.

The start-up incubator sits at the heart of the university’s Haydn Green Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which is one of four University Enterprise Zones in England and aims to help local economic growth.

Ingenuity Lab co-ordinator Dr Terri Holloway says: “It’s a Google-like space that automatically sets up new businesses as professional outfits from their early stages. Seventy-three percent of our members are alumni, so entrepreneurship is now a viable career opportunity for graduates – whether they come from the business school or a research degree.”

The lab, which is overseen by six staff, has a core membership of 112 companies. Combined, they have 519 employees, a £159.78m turnover and attracted £69.97m in external investment.

On average, businesses stay there for about three years before flying the nest and finding bigger premises. These are nicknamed “the eagles”.

One of the key benefits it provides for international students is sponsoring a start-up visa, which allows them to stay in the UK for two years and prepares them for a longer-term entrepreneur visa.

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INTERNATIONAL TRADE The Systematic Review Solutions team

Coming to terms with Incoterms Understanding Incoterms – a set of internationally-recognised rules that define the responsibilities of buyers and sellers – is crucial for UK exporters and importers that trade with the EU. Julie Whiting, international trade training and services manager at the Chamber, explains why and how training courses can help.

The company is now headed up by director Dr Sitong Dong, who says: “The UK life sciences sector is about 20 to 30 years ahead of China in terms of methodology development.

“In Britain, any treatment and diagnosis decisions must be based on evidence. This philosophy is gradually being adopted in China but there’s still a lack of awareness and understanding on how to do this.

“That’s why SRS was set up to deliver training on the basic concepts of epidemiology and evidence-based medicine.”

Since its inception in 2009, the company has held more than 60 workshops on systematic reviews, clinical guideline development and network meta-analysis.

Education and training has been at the focus of its services but it has evolved to become a consultancy for global firms such as Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson to help them secure approval for drugs in China, as well as for various national drug approval agencies such as the Chinese Center for Disease Control on setting criteria for quality of applications.

Additionally, it has undertaken a research project for the World Health Organisation and contributed to medical school research on Covid-19.

The company, which has bases at the Ingenuity Lab as well as in China and Malaysia, employs 15 people full time alongside 30 freelancers and part-time staff, and has a turnover of £1.2m.

Dr Dong adds: “We can benefit the entire healthcare industry because we’re professionally trained on quality of evidence and we’re bringing those standards to real-world applications.

“We’re now one of the world’s most prominent companies in the area of evidencebased medicine, and the Ingenuity Lab has been instrumental in helping us grow and expand.

“The biggest impact we’ve made is in China, where we’ve been able to improve patient outcomes by helping doctors to establish consistency in their practices.”

DELIVEROO AND UBER Eats have been two favourite apps for many young people in Britain during the pandemic, but Chinese students craving authentic food from their homeland may have felt a little underwhelmed.

Unless they had downloaded HungryPanda, the Mandarin-language food delivery app

specifically aimed at Chinese consumers living away from home.

“We’re talking about hot pots and Sichuan fish in hot chilli oil,” says Panwen Chen, the company’s global head of strategy and vice-president. “The authentic dishes that students and permanent UK residents who come from China, and other parts of Asia, struggle to get from mainstream apps.”

The start-up, formed by University of Nottingham computer science and management graduate Eric Liu in 2016, is one of the Ingenuity Lab’s most successful exports. It is now live in 60 cities across nine countries, employing more than 600 people.

The company had raised $70m in funding as of November last year and Panwen is heading a planned expansion to move beyond deliveries for Chinese restaurants and Asian grocery stores into other products.

Estimates put the number of Chinese people living abroad at 50 million – and only likely to grow with second and third generations of families – so the market is potentially huge.

“At the time we started, food delivery apps were only just becoming known and there was nothing in the market targeted specifically at the Chinese consumer,” says Panwen.

“For the merchants, it’s difficult for them to work with mainstream platforms because of the cultural and language barriers – you’re not likely to see Deliveroo and Just Eat selling pigs’ trotters and chicken feed on their apps.

“So we’re able to help these independents to reach their customer base by providing a spotlight and online platform for them to grow their business.”

Dr Sitong Dong

Incoterms rules have always played a significant role in international trade, but many companies are unaware of their purpose or are using them incorrectly.

The UK-EU separation has really brought this into focus as we now have full import and export procedures for EU countries, as well as the rest of the world.

Clarification of buyer and seller responsibilities for the movement of goods is essential if companies want to avoid delayed deliveries, incurring charges they have not anticipated, or having goods rejected by customers who were not expecting to pay import duties and taxes.

Many European businesses haven’t fully grasped this either. Businesses need to be confident in their own understanding so they can communicate this effectively with their suppliers and clients.

Now, more than ever, couriers and freight forwarders need clear instructions from importers and exporters – which in turn need to understand their legal responsibilities.

It’s important that businesses know exactly who in their team is responsible for agreeing Incoterms 2020 rules with suppliers and clients. It may well be time to review these or refresh the team’s knowledge to make sure everyone is up to date and using the correct terms.

The Chamber offers a comprehensive, interactive training course that walks delegates through the rules, highlighting the pros and cons and common mistakes to be avoided. The next Incoterms 2020 Rules course begins on 23 September and will take place virtually.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE TRAINING COURSES IN SEPTEMBER 8 September, 9.30-12.30: Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) – “trusted trader” status 9 September, 9-12: Preference rules of origin relating to EU countries 9 September, 1-4: Preference rules of origin relating to non-EU countries 15 September, 1.30-4.30: Understanding commodity coding 16 September, 9-3.30: Customs procedures and documentation 21 September, 9.30-12.30: Customs special procedures – how to save time and money 23 September, 9-1: Incoterms 2020 rules 23 September, 9-2: Customs declaration training For a full list of courses, visit www.emcdnl.co.uk/enabling-internationaltrade/international-trade-training3

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POLITICS

‘Biggest regeneration in a generation’ is finally taking shape

The much-anticipated performance venue is due to open in 2024

From the £200m regeneration of the Becketwell area to the new Museum of Making, Derby city centre is undergoing a seismic transformation. Some of the key players in the various schemes took part in the Derby Property Summit, with Dan Robinson in attendance. aul Morris admits he almost shed a tear when he saw piling rigs on the Becketwell site. After lots of talking and plenty of illustrations over the past few years, it was the first sign of real progress in the transformation of Derby city centre.

“I got very emotional because it does take a long time and this site has a chequered history with so many false starts that people never really believed we would get it off the ground,” says the director of its developer St James Securities.

“So, at long last, having cranes on the skyline is very significant for investors looking at this city. I’ve had 18 months of promising people we were going to do something but actually we can now show we are getting on with it.”

Bringing together six acres of the city centre, the £200m Becketwell project is Derby’s biggest regeneration scheme in a generation.

Once a busy shopping area, it includes the neglected Duckworth Square and the former Debenhams store, which closed more than 10 years ago. After previous attempts to redevelop the site were unsuccessful, the wheels were finally put in motion when it was bought by Derby City Council in 2017.

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‘We want the hearts of these places to start beating again’ Paul, who is passionate about “reinvigorating” run-down areas of cities, has previously worked on major regeneration projects including St Paul’s Place in Sheffield, The Round Foundry in Leeds and Wakefield Waterfront.

He adds: “We want the hearts of these places to start beating again. And the idea is we bring people to live, work and play here, whether that’s through cultural events, museums, restaurants or places to meet with friends.

“That’s a microcosm of what we’ve been putting together on the Becketwell site.”

The masterplan features seven sites that will comprise apartments, offices, restaurants, shops, a hotel, new public square and – perhaps most significantly – a 3,500-capacity multi-purpose performance venue.

Leeds-based St James’ Securities says it could host 220 event days per year – from concerts and theatre to conferences and sport – attracting 250,000 visitors and generating £15m for the local economy annually, after its anticipated completion in late 2024.

ASM Global, a Los Angeles-based events giant that runs more than 300 venues including 58

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Paul Morris (left) and Cllr Chris Poulter

Manchester’s AO Arena and the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, has been signed up as operator.

Performance venues are a “sweet spot” for many cities, believes Paul, as drawing more people into the city leads to knock-on inward investment.

“ASM’s pedigree is absolutely fantastic and it speaks volumes that it saw Derby, in its own words, as ‘growing, dynamic, friendly and a cosmopolitan city’.

“We can’t underestimate how big this is because when someone investing a lot of money sees the city like that, some of the battle is won.”

This will be the second phase of the development – phase one is underway, featuring the apartments, shops, and the St James’ Square public realm – and a planning application was submitted in July.

Further phases include a “multi-storey car park of the future” featuring EV charging points, solar panel roof canopies, electric bike hire and Amazon lockers; Summerhill Yard, including an upmarket hotel, offices, flats and gallery space; and Duckworth Square, which will seek to establish a new collaborative office space designed for post-Covid working habits.

WHILE BEING A relatively small and compact city – its population of roughly 260,000 puts it behind Nottingham and Leicester – it’s one that Marketing Derby managing director John Forkin MBE believes “really punches above its weight”.

But with a consensus that city centres need to be repurposed in light of Covid-accelerated trends such as shopping, he wants Derby to be at the “cutting edge” of new ways of thinking.

In a recent survey of more than 400 people that asked what would bring them back into Derby post-pandemic, the most popular responses included an enhance cultural offer (76%), enhanced leisure offer (70%), independent

The St James’ Square development

retailers (64%) and more green spaces (58%) – with these results set to shape how decisionmakers approach future development.

The city council’s mantra for attracting investors and businesses, meanwhile, is around three core themes – confidence, diversity and decarbonisation – with leader Councillor Chris Poulter saying “positive thinking” about the future is key to its new image.

An example of this newfound confidence, he believes, can be found in Project D, an artisan doughnut bakery that pivoted very quickly from a bricks and mortar business to an imaginative and fast-growing online seller during the pandemic.

“It’s a young, up-and-coming entrepreneurial company that within weeks of the pandemic, went on the road to take its products to the people, investing in a new factory and is doing fantastically well,” says Cllr Poulter.

Although Derby owes much of its industrial heritage to the rail and aerospace sector, their Covid-induced struggles have prompted the council to realise the need to diversify.

SmartParc Derby, the 155-acre, high-tech food manufacturing campus to be built on the former Celanese site in Spondon, could be crucial, while

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POLITICS

Projects prove it really is all happening in Derby

Cllr Poulton also points to the significance of engineering group Nèos International moving its headquarters to Derby, creating up to 150 jobs.

And when it comes to decarbonisation, the council has outlined a vision to become the UK’s leading centre for future fuels technology, with engineering giant Arup exploring the potential for hydrogen.

About £267m in public funds are being invested into regeneration projects. Headlined by Becketwell and SmartParc, they also include a transformation of the 1866-built Market Hall to create a space for pop-up food and drink outlets; public realm improvements as part of the Eastern Gateway scheme; enhancement works to riverside areas; and the recentlyopened Museum of Making at Derby Silk Mill.

The council is also spearheading a bid for Derby to be crowned UK City of Culture in 2025, something Cllr Poulter believes is a “no-brainer”.

He adds: “We feel putting culture at the heart of Derby’s recovery is essential and I don’t think there’s any other city in Britain that could benefit more from UK City of Culture than we could with our plans and potential for Derby.”

Small businesses are now talking about a “ripple effect”. Bam Boom Cloud, the IT provider spun out of Castle Donington-based Cooper Parry after a management buyout, picked a Georgian building in Derby city centre for its global HQ, with CEO Vicky Critchley saying it’s the type of fun and collaborative space that will “entice people from the home back to their offices”.

Micro-developer Urban Sister Developments’ director Ruth Hobbs, meanwhile, believes there’s a greater incentive to repurpose empty buildings when exciting progress is happening around them.

“It’s almost like a blank canvas,” she said. “We bought two buildings near the Becketwell scheme because of St James’ Securities’ plans. There’s a ripple effect we can feel and hopefully we can encourage others to come into the city centre.”

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Derby is a “city that is finally going places”, believes the city council’s chief executive.

Paul Simpson (pictured) says after lots of promises to residents and businesses, the local authority is now in a place to deliver on key schemes.

“This city is making significant progress in building confidence and hopefully you can see Derby is absolutely somewhere that’s open for business and well worth coming to invest in.”

He lists some of the key building projects and other developments happening in Derby right now: • iHub Derby (1): The centrepiece of Infinity Park, it provides flexible workspace for start-ups, early-stage businesses and established high-growth SMEs in the aerospace, rail and automotive supply chains.

• SmartParc Derby (2): A 155-acre site for sustainable food production on the former Celanese site in Derby, which could directly create up to 5,000 jobs. Plans have been approved and ground will soon break on construction.

• Moorways Sports Village (3): A new leisure centre, set to open in spring 2022, featuring a 50m swimming pool and water park.

• Museum of Making (4): Located at the Derby Silk Mill, widely regarded as the world’s first modern factory, this new museum showcases the region’s 300-year history of manufacturing and innovation across 30,000 exhibits.

• Market Hall (5): A key project in Derby city centre’s masterplan for 2030, work is underway to turn the 19th century building – located in the Cathedral Quarter – into an attractive, flexible retail and leisure destination fit for the 21st century with traditional and themed markets, events, performances and pop-ups.

• Nightingale Quarter (6): An 18.5-acre regeneration site that will create about 800 luxury apartments within the Victorian “Pepper Pot” buildings.

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FEATURE

CORPORATE CHRISTMAS

Top tips to ensure your festive party is a cracker With event planners now looking ahead to Christmas party season, Roberta Parr, events team manager at Derby-based travel, meetings and events specialist Agiito, offers her essential tips for organising the perfect festive work celebration.

1. KEEP YOUR VENUE FRESH A Christmas party is one way to reward your employees after a year of hard work, while giving them the opportunity to let their hair down. A new venue gives your event a buzz.

Whether it’s a warehouse-style venue or an intimate restaurant, it’s worth considering whether it accommodates your guest numbers. Alternatively, you may want to go virtual again.

2. GET FEEDBACK Asking previous attendees what they liked (and didn’t) is a great way to build a more concise brief. Ask your team how they’d prefer the budget to be spent, so you’re fulfilling their expectations.

3. BUILD YOUR BRIEF TO BUDGET Using the pointers from your colleagues, build a detailed brief and attribute a budget to different aspects of the event.

For example, if food isn’t important,

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perhaps a buffet is best, allowing for outof-this-world entertainment and drinks tokens. The more information provided at the brief stage, the more successful the event.

4. THE MIDWEEK TRICK If you don’t want to compromise on your venue, consider holding your party midweek as there is more availability – even during the busy festive period.

However, consider the impact on productivity the next working day – this may outweigh the savings.

Alternatively, hold a New Year party so everyone has something to look forward to before the “January blues” begin to loom – all while making your budget go further.

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CORPORATE CHRISTMAS

FEATURE

T: 07427 797487 W: mimissoulfood.co.uk

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FEATURE

CORPORATE CHRISTMAS

5. REMEMBER CONTRACT TERMS

9. DON’T FORGET THE FOOD AND BEVERAGES

Events experts can recommend venues and negotiate with suppliers based on your needs. Don’t forget the contractual obligations: if you cancel, it may cost you.

Be realistic about the number of guests so you meet minimum numbers.

Most guests judge a Christmas party on its food, but make sure it fits your theme and mood.

There will always be those who prefer a traditional festive dinner – but will serving turkey and all the trimmings detract from your Cirque du Soleil-themed extravaganza?

Depending on the vibe and your budget, perhaps consider a seven-course taster menu or more relaxed buffet.

If networking is the purpose, lighter bites or “street food” work best to keep people mingling. How about hiring a mixologist to put a twist on traditional cocktails – Moscow Yule Mule or Cranberry Mimosa anyone?

6. DON’T MAKE A THEME FAUX PAS Theming your event will make everything, from food to entertainment, more immersive for guests. But choose your theme carefully and know your audience.

Popular themes for 2021 include Winter Olympics, German markets and Narnia-style forests.

Alternatively, if budgets are tight, find a venue that’s already themed.

10. REHEARSAL 7. GET CREATIVE WITH ENTERTAINMENT When choosing entertainment, consider the scale of your event. Stage shows work well for big audiences. Acts, like aerial performers, add a “wow” factor and a different dimension – plus, you won’t need to worry about whether your guests can see the show!

For smaller groups, an acoustic band or iPad magician with a Christmas twist could be more enjoyable and personal.

Alternatively, guests can be entertained virtually with cocktail masterclasses or cook-a-longs – with kits sent out beforehand.

When organising a Christmas party, we arrange planning meetings with venues and customers whenever possible.

From food tastings and risk assessments, we pre-plan the guest flow through the venue to minimise queues and ensure compliancy with restrictions.

11. BUILD MOMENTUM Pre-invitation teasers get people talking and you can create an event website to collect RSVPs. Use the website afterwards to share photos and collate feedback.

12. STAY PROFESSIONAL 8. MAKE IT MEMORABLE Activities outside the main entertainment make it memorable. There are endless possibilities – our tried-andtested favourites include “selfie” mirrors, photobooths, casinos and iPad illustrators.

And don’t underestimate the effectiveness of simple, low-cost activities in bringing people together (think quizzes, lip-sync battle or Britain’s Got Talent).

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Make your event memorable for the right reasons. Advise the venue to bring out canapés before cocktails and ensure there are plenty of non-alcoholic drinks available.

If you’re holding the party midweek, set expectations about the next working day.

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FEATURE

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FEATURE

CORPORATE CHRISTMAS

From jingle Getting the most out of

By Josiah Bate, content marketing assistant at PPL PRS t’s safe to say that last year’s Christmas left a lot of us with a resting Grinch face. However, this year, with call for greater optimism, the ghosts of Christmas past will hopefully not be returning. As summer comes to an end, we are starting to swap the sunshine and cocktails for log fires and blankets, getting the stage set for the most wonderful time of the year. However, is it too early to be thinking of Christmas?

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YULE BE SORRY IF YOU DON’T PLAN By planning ahead this year, your business could benefit greatly. A recent survey conducted by eBay Ads UK found that 25% of UK consumers start to think about Christmas shopping before the end of August.

‘Music choices can not only reflect your brand, but they can also influence and appeal to early shoppers and last-minute gifters alike’

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FEATURE

to mingle music this Christmas Consumers stocking up early this year could be due to several factors, one of these being the financial implications of Covid-19 putting a strain on countless individuals. So spreading the cost over a longer period is potentially a more viable way people can ensure a “normal” Christmas takes place this year.

WHEN SHOULD YOU START PLAYING CHRISTMAS MUSIC? Playing Christmas music in September may seem out of place.

However, introducing the Christmas joy steadily gives customers and staff alike time to adjust.

Large retailers tend to release their much-anticipated Christmas adverts around 5 November and, according to Google Trends, searches for “Christmas music” in the UK start to see a rise in mid-November, peaking on 13 December.

For many, Christmas songs are a large part of the overall experience of shopping for gifts for family and loved ones. By gradually introducing your festive playlists in this time frame, you can deliver a build-up of anticipation for the big day, while also keeping in touch with staff and customer’s wants and needs.

DIVERSIFY YOUR PLAYLISTS It can be very tempting to press shuffle and let the likes of Mariah and Wham! do the rest. However, you could spend a little extra time this year and think about the atmosphere and tone you want to set within your business.

We now have countless Christmas songs in different genres available to play. Businesses can easily mix different styles of Christmas music that bring a unique, tailored experience for your customers – curated by you.

Furthermore, diversity in your playlists is not just beneficial for your customers but for your employees too – trust us, by 31 December they’ll be singing your praises!

CREATE A SCHEDULE FOR DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE DAY Just as with your everyday background music usage, you should consider which songs are suitable for different times of the day.

Caffé Nero does this extremely successfully, as co-founder Pablo Ettinger explains: “We use music to change the atmosphere so, like all good retailers we split our day into parts… and you can actually feel the atmosphere change. More and more up-tempo as we go through the day so it has a huge influence.”

Christmas music can evoke a range of emotions in us, and songs can vary substantially in their styles and genres.

While relaxing festive jazz might be nice in the morning or later in the evening, at peak hours playing well-known, recognisable songs could help to motivate and boost morale for your employees, and encapsulate the festive spirit in your customers.

Remember, your music choices can not only reflect your brand, but they can also influence and appeal to early shoppers and last-minute gifters alike.

Involve your employees in playlist choices, and listen to their feedback about the style of music that motivates and engages them during their working day too.

If you are going to introduce music this Christmas, or if you are already using music in your business, you’ll usually need a music licence.

By purchasing TheMusicLicence, you are supporting the future of music by helping to ensure its creators are fairly rewarded for their music. TheMusicLicence covers virtually all commercially-released music available – millions of songs and recordings, including the most popular and well-loved music not just from the UK, but globally, allowing you to choose the music that reflects you and your customers this Christmas.

Visit www.weaverswines.com/chamber or call 0115 958 0922 Quote CHAM21 at checkout

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FOCUS FEATURE

UNIVERSITIES AND BUSINESS

From Mansfield

to Mars Universities’ reach stretches from East Midlands to outer space From space and artificial intelligence to medical and automation technologies, the East Midlands’ universities are at the cutting edge of research that has a big impact on businesses in the region and beyond. With an estimated combined value of more than £4bn to the UK economy, Dan Robinson explores some of the best examples in which higher education works with industry.

he presence of life on Mars is one of humanity’s great existential questions. Going some way to answer it is the key objective of the ExoMars mission, which is jointly overseen by the European Space Agency (ESA) and Russia’s Roscosmos agency.

The UK has built the Rosalind Franklin Rover spacecraft that is scheduled to land on the Red Planet in June 2023 and, even closer to home, the researchers who worked on the PanCam high-resolution 3D camera that will serve as its “eyes” on the Martian surface are based at the University of Leicester. Three of its academics have developed Raman spectroscopy techniques, which use laser light to identify particular minerals and organic compounds in the search for life.

“It will be one of the key things they’re looking for during the mission,” says Professor Sarah Davies, pro vicechancellor and head of the university’s College for Science and Engineering.

“There’s a number of things the PanCam can help the ExoMars team to understand, such as studying the geology of the planet’s surface to see whether it suggests there’s been past life.”

ExoMars is critical to the ESA’s vision for Space 4.0. Tied closely to Industry 4.0, it represents the evolution of the space sector into a new era of accessibility via interaction between governments, private sector, society and politics.

This means that while discovering life on Mars may plug one giant knowledge gap back on Earth, the mission – and Leicester’s key contribution – have wider economic ramifications. The UK currently captures 5.1% of the global space economy, which directly contributes £16.4bn to national income and employs 45,100 people.

Although lagging behind the likes of the US, China and Russia, the Government wants to double its share by 2030, with plans to recruit another 30,000 people over the next 15 years.

“We’re catching up rapidly and it’s an exciting time for the UK’s space sector right now,” says Prof Davies.

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LEICESTER IS WELL-placed to be at the centre of Britain’s surge towards intergalactic heavyweight, with its history in space dating back to the 1960s when university researchers 66

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led by Professor Ken Pounds discovered the first cosmic Xray source.

The city, of course, hosts the National Space Centre and, since 1967, there’s always been at least one Leicester-built instrument in orbit.

There are currently eight, including on board the BepiColombo spacecraft that launched in 2018 and is due to reach Mercury, via a Venus flypast, in 2025 as part of a European-Japanese mission. The university’s technology will be used to capture images that study the composition of the surface on the Solar System’s smallest planet.

Building upon this heritage and excellence is Space Park Leicester, a new cluster of industry, academia and students located next door to the National Space Centre that aims to drive world-leading research, innovation and skills development in space and earth observation.

A 52,000 sq ft facility comprising offices, shared laboratories, classrooms and co-working spaces that are

Since 1967, there has always been at least one instrument in orbit created with input from Leicester

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Space Park Leicester recently opened its doors

primarily focused on research, development and applications of space, has now opened as part of the £100m first phase of the project. It has been developed by the University of Leicester and will bring together spacerelated hi-tech companies and researchers.

Phase two, which is also designed for collaborative work between industry and academia, is due to be completed in the autumn.

It will provide state-of-the-art labs and workspaces, with a focus on AI and robot-assisted satellite production.

“Space Park Leicester is a spectacular building that allows us to have a hub for the UK’s space sector and commits our country to ground-breaking research,” says Prof Davies.

“There’s big international collaboration ventures that Leicester will be at the heart of, but it’s also providing opportunities for all to enter the sector.

“We already have businesses like EarthSense, which provides insights on air quality, moving in and this colocation of companies in similar fields will provide synergy.”

The facility is closely linked to the proposed Leicester and Leicestershire Institute of Technology (IoT), which would have a focus on space, engineering, advanced manufacturing and digital skills.

Developed by a consortium of commercial and education partners led by the University of Leicester, it is one of 13 IoT bids to reach the second round of consideration by the Department of Education, which has allocated £120m for eight sites that will raise the quality and prestige of technical education – ultimately enabling it to play a key role in raising growth and productivity and deliver future skills.

While it used to be that only the absolute elite minds in astronomy had the opportunity to work in one of the world’s most exciting industries, the Space 4.0 mantra is dedicated to opening up the playing field.

Its research also goes far beyond just reaching for the stars, with huge significance for life back on Earth.

Prof Davies explains: “The space sector needs skills in subjects such as propulsion, advanced manufacturing, energy, cyber security and AI. “By working with companies such as Airbus, IBM, WSP Global, Zeeko and Reaction Engines, we’re going to upskill young people across Leicestershire and boost the local economy.

“And while there’s the aspect of exploring other planets, so much of what we do in space is about looking back at ourselves.

“Satellites are generating vast amounts of data that can really benefit the population on Earth by understanding air quality pollution, greenhouse gases and climate change, as well as wider health-based research.

“It’s so exciting and the region probably doesn’t even realise the full potential.”

Motion capture technology now being used in immersive live theatre can have benefits for businesses

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THE ROYAL SHAKESPEARE Company’s (RSC) 2016 iteration of The Tempest, the circa-1610 play about the aftermath of a shipwreck, was something of a landmark, being the first stage production to feature motion capture technology and exploring the future for how audiences watch live theatre.

Rendered in the video game developer Epic Games’ Unreal Engine, it brought together live performance, virtual production and gaming technology for the first time.

It was followed earlier this year by RSC’s Dream production, which could be watched online by people around the world from their mobile phone, tablet or desktop computer – interacting with the cast as the drama unfolds.

At the core of this Audience of the Future project is artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (XR) immersive technologies developed at De Montfort University (DMU) – which is now adapting these creative experiments for cultural applications into the enterprise world.

Professor Tracy Harwood, a prominent digital culture academic at DMU’s Institute of Creative Technologies, says: “The current trend to visualise assets using digital technologies has drawn heavily from special effects used in filmmaking and computer games – machine cinema and virtual production.

“Using game-based platforms like Unreal Engine, Unity and others, this process results in 3D photorealistic models that can then be used to simulate behaviours of products and services to generate new insights, optimised through datasets and artificial intelligence.

“The potential is huge. Well beyond things like 3D CAD drawings from years ago, visuals are becoming incredibly sophisticated and can, for example, now model how light and different materials might influence how products are perceived under different conditions.

“Through this process, data can be generated and modelled using AI to predict and simulate behaviour.”

One key application for businesses is in creating “digital twins”, which provide visualisations of how products or services will behave as conditions change in order to manage manufacturing lifecycles and make better decisions.

DMU’s usability lab has previously developed virtual stores for brands by mocking up where items might be positioned and learn how consumers respond.

Photogrammetry – which extracts 3D information from photographs – video game technology and virtual reality are all used to understand and mimic behaviour.

“With this kind of process, you no longer need concepts to be physically mocked-up or tooled for them to be market-tested, which can ultimately save cost and time in the R&D process,” adds Prof Harwood.

FOR AS LONG as many people in Mansfield can care to remember, youngsters with potential have flown the nest to find high-quality work and rarely returned later in life.

It’s a rite of passage that those in the town know must end if it’s ever to fully prosper but, with university Sarah Mayfield leads the cities on the doorstep in every direction, the challenge Mansfield Hub to overcome is substantial.

But perhaps the answer may lie in a unique new partnership between further and higher education that could establish Mansfield as a university town.

“We saw a gap in the Mansfield area for higher education provision, which will help to not just upskill the local population but also attract and retain talent, so that people don’t need to go away for university and never come back,” says Sarah Mayfield, head of higher education at the Mansfield Hub, which has effectively become a third campus for Nottingham Trent University. business network September 2021

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UNIVERSITIES AND BUSINESS

UNIVERSITIES CAN POWER THE POSTCOVID ECONOMIC RECOVERY Over the past year, universities have played a vital role in helping the UK respond to many challenges faced during the pandemic – training frontline workers, supporting communities and contributing to cutting-edge research.

While hurdles remain, University of Nottingham vice-chancellor Professor Shearer West (pictured) says they will also be at the heart of post-Covid regeneration by providing the knowledge and skills needed to catalyse the country’s economic and social recovery. n my roles as the current higher education representative on the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) board and chair of its people and skills advisory board, I am fortunate to have a good appreciation of the economic strategy for the region, priorities for funding and labour, and where the region’s universities fit into that overall picture.

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DIGITAL NOTTINGHAM One of the key themes for the D2N2 skills strategy is improving the uptake and supply of digital skills, and the University of Nottingham is supporting that with its recent launch of Digital Nottingham, which combines data science, technology and innovation to support recovery, growth, investment and jobs.

Digital Nottingham aims to maximise the city’s reputation as the UK’s leading destination for data science start-ups. We have already announced partnerships with Blenheim Chalcot, a technology venture builder, and a highskilled cluster of firms engaged with financial services, including KPMG. This collaboration draws on university expertise in harnessing the power of big data and linking the next generation of scale-up businesses to university expertise, which can help them innovate and grow. However, this is just the beginning, as we anticipate rapid scaling up of activity and a potential city centre presence to provide a hub for our initiative.

UNIVERSITIES FOR NOTTINGHAM INTERINSTITUTIONAL PARTNERSHIP In January 2020, we launched our ambition to co-create the Universities for Nottingham (UfN) Civic Agreement with Nottingham Trent University, in partnership with local stakeholders.

Naturally the pandemic had other ideas, and unfortunately our programme had to be cancelled.

However, one unexpected positive outcome was the way all partners worked together as we collectively shifted into crisis mode.

Strong and effective inter-institutional bonds were formed, and effective working relationships and trust were built – underpinning the strength and focus of our civic collaboration.

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supply PCR equipment to enable an additional 20,000 tests per day at the height of the first wave.

We finally launched our first UfN Civic Agreement last July and we are proud of the successes it is delivering, including the establishment of an Expert Advisory Group to provide academic expertise on meeting local challenges and a suite of funded programmes to support post-Covid recovery in SMEs – comprising management and leadership skills support for women; introducing immersive technologiesin the visitor economy, creative and digital sectors; and delivering expert support and graduate placements to enable sustainable growth.

The university also has several business support programmes specifically aimed at local SMEs, including a £1.6m project to support the recovery of Nottingham’s cultural sector, and a productivity improvement programme to help businesses recover economically.

LINKING UP WITH THE CHAMBER Importantly, the university’s close relationship with the Chamber is providing a focus on the needs of the region’s businesses and addressing the skills gap.

Nottingham University Business School has recently announced the East Midlands Chamber of Commerce Executive MBA Impact Scholarships initiative to invest in the skills development of the senior managers in our region. It is also an active supporter of Generation Next, the Chamber’s initiative to develop entrepreneurs in our region aged 18 to 35.

And we are leading the field in working with other higher education institutions across the region to deliver the Government’s Help to Grow training programme for SME leaders, providing a unified engagement with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Our students, staff, researchers, and graduates have lots to offer. We must now ensure local employers and partners are benefiting from what our universities can provide during this process of recovery.

By working together to address the challenges facing our region, I believe our future is a hopeful one.

‘The university’s close relationship with the Chamber is providing a focus on the needs of the region’s businesses and addressing the skills gap’

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The Mansfield Hub at West Nottinghamshire College

“We’re very involved with the local area and looking at ways we can grow the economy here. Ultimately, we want to turn Mansfield into a university town that includes all the accommodation and facilities students expect.

“Being a university town gives it prestige, as well as access to resources like funding and experts. Businesses in the area will also grow and create more jobs as a result.”

HOW BUSINESSES CAN ACCESS UNIVERSITY SUPPORT Access to resources, funding and talent is at the cornerstone of what universities can offer to SMEs. This includes: • Skills development: Helping managers and leaders to upskill • Recruitment: Supplying graduates for internships, short-term projects and permanent jobs • Funding: Businesses can access grants to support innovation, growth and sustainability • Knowledge transfer partnerships: Academics and businesses can link up to roll out research in commercial environments, helping companies to develop new products and services, or address key challenges • Facilities: Many business schools offer a base to SMEs so they can be co-located with other like-minded businesses

WHERE TO FIND OUT ABOUT UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SUPPORT De Montfort University: www.dmu.ac.uk/business/sme-support/index.aspx University of Derby: www.derby.ac.uk/business-services Leicester University: le.ac.uk/school-of-business/services-for-business Loughborough University: www.lboro.ac.uk/enterprise University of Nottingham: www.nottingham.ac.uk/workingwithbusiness Nottingham Trent University: www.ntu.ac.uk/helptogrow

LOCAL INNOVATIONS WITH THE POTENTIAL TO SOLVE GLOBAL CHALLENGES Building low-cost ventilators for developing countries and using technology to predict flooding are some of the innovations coming out of Loughborough University with far-reaching consequences.

A team of engineers have developed the non-electric ShiVent system, which can be used to treat patients with Covid-19 by non-specialised health workers with only 30 minutes of training.

It is suitable for medical settings with unreliable power, requires almost as little as a third of the average oxygen consumption of highflow oxygen systems, and is a lot cheaper than the average ventilator used during the pandemic.

After tests at Leicestershire hospitals, the systems have been sent to Lagos in Nigeria and Pune in India – with plans to roll out the SubSaharan Africa and Asia.

Loughborough PhD student Yusuf Bilesanmi, a member of the team, is from Nigeria, where there are as few as 288 mechanical ventilators serving almost 200 million people.

He says: “ShiVent is designed for under-resourced areas where mechanical ventilators are scarce and expensive, with unreliable electricity supply and limited specialist knowledge.”

Meanwhile, university spinout company Previsico has partnered with insurer Zurich to help reduce the cost of false alarms by plugging a major forecasting gap around surface water flooding.

In a market-first pilot scheme across 5,000 UK locations, the Loughborough start-up’s geospatial technology – developed in partnership

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The partnership between NTU and Vision West Nottinghamshire College was formed in 2019 as part of the university’s social mobility pledge and the Mansfield Hub – based at the new £6.5m University Centre in Derby Road, Mansfield – launched in September last year.

It involves foundation degree courses for subjects ranging from business and nursing to criminal justice and sport and exercise science.

They are designed in close collaboration with local employers with the aim of enabling learners to either exit straight into the workplace or pursue higher education courses. Evening courses in subjects such as digital marketing and social media are also available.

Sarah says: “We work very closely with local employers about the skills they need and, as it’s a small area, we can be more agile in how we design our curriculum.

“Because there’s no need for travel like you would if these courses were in a city, it makes further and higher education more accessible to people in the area who have caring responsibilities or are in employment.”

The partnership has been described as “gold standard” by the universities minister Michelle Donelan, due to the way it actively meets the demands of local employers.

Research by the Centre for Cities think-tank three years ago estimated that a third of jobs in Mansfield could be lost to automation by 2030.

This led West Nottinghamshire College, in partnership with other stakeholders including local authorities, to successfully bid for funding to establish a planned Automated Distribution and Manufacturing Centre that will eventually become a national hub for automation and robotics training.

This will be just part of a wider jigsaw that will seek to tackle skills shortages in the area and will soon also include a Knowledge Exchange and Enterprise Centre at the college’s Chesterfield Road site to provide access to university research, expertise and technologies.

David Harper, head of economic programmes at NTU, believes this stream of work will help to “level up” the Mansfield and neighbouring Ashfield area, to borrow a Westminster turn of phrase.

“It’s a general upskilling challenge we need to confront as a country, but is particularly important in Mansfield and Ashfield,” he adds.

“The job market is drastically changing and the world is going to be increasingly automated, so the work we’re doing will be really important in equipping residents to succeed.”

The ShiVent system

with IBM – can make real-time weather predictions to alert the insurer’s customers of imminent flooding down to individual properties.

One of the UK’s biggest risks comes from surface water flooding, which affects three million properties compared to the 2.4 million impacted by river and sea flood risk.

By 2030, 147 million people worldwide will be affected by flooding each year, costing $700bn.

Previsico CEO Jonathan Jackson says reducing flooding will help alleviate “the huge cost and waste of reliance resources caused by inaccurate early warning systems”.

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PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

info@dva.org.uk www.dva.org.uk @DVA_info

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Creating the perfect cross-sector partnership Charlotte Repton, project manager of Community Chesterfield, a National Lottery-funded partnership between Derbyshire Voluntary Action and the University of Derby, reflects on what makes an effective partnership when working across different sectors and why it’s worth doing, having been recognised in the East Midlands Chamber Business Awards for a collaboration project. erbyshire Voluntary Action is a specialist voluntary and community sector infrastructure membership organisation supporting 320 groups, clubs, charities and organisations in Derbyshire.

All these members offer support and services to their local communities to improve health and wellbeing. When the University of Derby opened a new health and social care campus on the site of the former St Helena Grammar School in Chesterfield in 2016, it seemed like a natural fit for a partnership. After a successful application to the National Lottery’s Reaching Communities fund, Community Chesterfield project was born – with the strapline “putting the uni in the community”.

The project team facilitate the sharing of skills, knowledge and experience between the voluntary sector and the university’s staff and students. We are delighted to have been shortlisted in the Chamber’s Derbyshire Business Awards 2021 for the Collaboration Award, as our project is not only the result of a fantastic partnership itself, but everything we do is to encourage and facilitate collaboration.

What we do through the project varies from training and shared learning opportunities, student placements in community settings, research and short projects via courses and volunteering opportunities.

Our project has a strong learning and sharing ethos, so here are the things I’d like to share with you about effective sharing of skills, knowledge and experience across sectors.

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MAKE SURE THE BENEFIT IS MUTUAL Shared aims and ambitions are clearly the ideal recipe for a partnership, and recognising that different sectors have different strengths and talents is the first step.

One of the targets for our project was to create “meaningful connections” between the university and the voluntary sector for the benefit of our local community.

For us, a meaningful connection is anything that joins the university and the voluntary sector – the important thing is there is a clear benefit for both sides.

An example of this is where we matched charity Rethink Mental Illness with a cohort of criminology students to use real-life projects as case studies as the basis for research

Above left: The refectory at the University of Derby’s health and social care campus. Right: Jacqui Willis, chief executive of Derbyshire Voluntary Action with Dr Paula Holt MBE, pro vicechancellor dean of the College of Health, Psychology and Social Care at the University of Derby Below: Charlotte Repton

through their course. Rethink Mental Illness benefitted from the research but also from the opportunity to raise awareness of the organisation to a new audience. For the students, they got some real-life examples to use for their research and increased their knowledge of what support exists in the community.

Another fantastic result from this connection was that 18 students went on to volunteer with Rethink Mental Illness’ Tech Buddies scheme.

VALUE ALL EXPERIENCE A hugely successful piece of work we are able to deliver is Experts by Experience, which links people with “lived experience” directly with staff and students at the university. For example, people from the community with experience of informal caring, managing multiple medications and mental health issues talking to nursing students about their experiences as part of their course.

This ethos is key to a successful partnership, allowing all voices to be heard and valued, and to guide your direction.

ALL LEARNING IS GOOD LEARNING, SO LONG AS YOU SHARE IT Another way of saying this could be “don’t be afraid to fail, be afraid not to try”. Our project is a pilot to show what is needed for a successful partnership between a university and the voluntary sector – which we hope can be replicated anywhere. Part of that is learning what doesn’t work, which is in itself valuable – particularly if you can share what you’ve learned for others to benefit from.

The University of Derby’s Health and Social Care Research Centre is undertaking research throughout the project to look at the partnership itself, as well as the impact on students and the voluntary sector – which will hopefully lead to us sharing what we learn far and wide.

The current phase of the project is due to finish in June 2022, but we are planning for the next phase to include even more scope for learning across sectors – as increasing the scope to allow the private sector to share their skills, knowledge and experience while learning from the voluntary sector and university.

‘Shared aims and ambitions are clearly the ideal recipe for a partnership, and recognising that different sectors have different strengths and talents is the first step’

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T: 0115 947 5662 E: enquiries@higson-accountants.co.uk W: higson-accountants.co.uk

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Being unique can get you a pizza the action

By Duncan Mercer (pictured), CEO at Magnatec Ltd he majority of small businesses are established in response to market demand for a product or service.

Every choice you make when buying a product or a service represents a point of differentiation between one company and their competitors.

Consider the well-documented case of Domino’s Pizza. Why did Domino’s become a billion-dollar behemoth in an overcrowded market in just a few years?

Domino’s dominated by adopting and implementing one major strategy. It created a market-dominating position, which was fast hot pizza targeted specifically for hungry university students.

So now ask yourself makes your business different from your competitors as perceived by your targeted prospects and customers?

Creating a market-dominating position involves a five-step process:

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1. DETERMINE YOUR STRATEGIC POSITION IN THE MARKET Which specific niche market or segment of the marketplace should your business focus on?

Determining this involves combining the skills your business has with the unmet needs of your targeted prospects and then designing your product or service to fulfil those needs.

2. DETERMINE YOUR PRIMARY MARKET-DOMINATING POSITION This is the most dominating advantage that separates you from your competitors. Domino’s claimed it could deliver its pizza in 30 minutes or less, or it would give it to you for free.

3. DETERMINE YOUR SUPPORTING BUSINESS MODEL How will you specifically deliver what your strategic position and primary marketdominating position promises? To make good on the promise of fresh hot pizza delivered within 30 minutes every time, Domino’s was forced to create a supporting business model where it built lowcost stores strategically located near university campuses.

4. DETERMINE YOUR SECONDARY MARKET-DOMINATING POSITION What additional competitive advantages does

your business offer that your customers will perceive as being different from your competition? Domino’s secondary benefits might include special pricing, assorted sizes, or additional menu items.

5. CREATE YOUR MARKET-DOMINATING POSITION STATEMENT OR ELEVATOR PITCH This is a simple statement you can create by combining steps one to four. This helps you to state unequivocally what differentiates you from your competitors to your targeted customers.

Domino’s’ market-dominating position is neatly summed up in its slogan, “fresh hot pizza delivered in 30 minutes or less, or it’s free”. An expanded version of this might say: “Domino’s provides busy customers with fresh hot pizza and other food items within 30 minutes or less. Our assorted pizza offerings, combined with our value pricing, makes Domino’s affordable to everyone.”

The key to adding value is determining what your customers and target market perceive as valuable. You must understand their needs, wants, troubles and inconveniences – then answer these clearly within your marketdominating position.

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Quickwork provides specialist skills in sales, looking for new business, marketing and social media support, helping keep your finances in check or looking for additional sources of income.

We are experienced in many business arenas including health and safety, human resources and

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recruitment, project and event management, people management, training, administration, legal services and many, many more.

Whatever you need to help your business get to the next level, or if you’re looking for new ideas, Quickwork is here to help.

T: 07932 626147 E: info@quick-work.co.uk W: quick-work.co.uk

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If you’d like to join us, please contact Amanda on 07715 078 789 or at amanda.mcfarlane@vistablind.org.uk for your invitation and the meeting link. www.vistablind.org.uk Registered Charity No. 218992

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TRAINING

So many reasons why our future must be inclusive The Chamber has launched a new programme of diversity and inclusivity training to help businesses progress and thrive. Courses will be delivered by Pippa Blessett (pictured), managing director of performance and leadership training specialists Exceptional Zebra, who speaks to Business Network about why it’s a never been more important for firms and their employees to learn about this topic.

WHY IS THE CHAMBER’S RECENT DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION COMMITMENT SO IMPORTANT? It is fantastic to see the Chamber leading the way as an influential SME committed to investing in diversity and inclusivity (D&I), to strengthen the organisation and its relationships both locally and globally.

Over the past 18 months, I have been working with the Chamber to deliver a programme of training to address unconscious bias and develop more inclusive workplaces.

The response from Chamber staff has been phenomenal, driving collaboration and resulting in a new business goal of creating an internal Diversity Network by summer 2021 – in fact the new team is now working on a strategy for the organisation, which is a huge strength during these challenging times.

Work is also continuing with the senior leadership team on a project to bring greater transparency and access to the skills held by staff across the company, to promote equal opportunity and recognition.

I am hugely impressed that, for the for first time, D&I has been featured in the Chamber’s business plan for 2021-24, and this signifies just how important this area of work is for growth and progress.

The Chamber is leading by example to demonstrate that D&I is something organisations of all sizes should be addressing – not just big corporates. Smart spend on D&I can help achieve goals and deliver excellent return on investment.

AS PEOPLE RETURN TO OFFICES, WHAT IS THE ROLE OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN A HYBRID WORKPLACE? These courses have been designed to focus on equality, team cohesion and productivity, tackling the new 78

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challenges of the pandemic and hybrid working.

Hybrid working has huge advantages and can be a great strength in building greater diversity and equality, such as creating new opportunities for people who may not have been able to access a 9-5 job in a fixed location capacity.

‘It is clear that investing in diversity and inclusivity is no longer a nice-to-do, it’s business-critical’ However, working from home and adapting to new ways of working can also create divisions as our different personal experiences of the pandemic may cause grievances and increase unconscious bias, with 50% of people thinking a colleague is lying about how much work they do from home, according to Westfield Health.

To encourage diversity and nurture a culture of inclusivity, it takes a considered programme of action over a period of time – but the benefits for both the individual and organisation are immense.

WHY SHOULD BUSINESSES CARE ABOUT DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION? The benefits of diverse and inclusive organisations are widely recognised, improving productivity, innovation and staff recruitment and retention – all vital for business growth.

Research from Accenture has shown that team performance alone increases by 50% when everyone feels included, while ethnically-diverse companies are 35% more likely to outperform competitors.

It’s become a game-changer for

Courses focus on diversity and inclusivity Three new commercial training courses will support businesses in their diversity and inclusivity commitments. They are: • High performance in hybrid workplaces – disrupting unconscious bias for outstanding teamwork: Wednesday 22 and 29 September, 9.30-12.30 online (£245 + VAT for members) Exploring how the pandemic has impacted team cohesion, engagement and productivity, this will provide participants with the tools to disrupt unconscious bias, and create positive action for collaboration and agile working • Managing the menopause in the workplace: Thursday 7 October, 13.30 online (£175 + VAT for members) Expert speakers look at the information employers need to break down social taboos and support their staff – combining reliable medical information with a practical approach to developing a more inclusive and supportive workplace • Building a diverse and inclusive workplace for business success: Wednesday 3, 10 and 7 November, 9.30-12.30 online (£365 + VAT for members) Introduction the key elements of understanding D&I and how to start building a more inclusive workplace using a bespoke strategy For more information, visit www.emc-dnl.co.uk/developingskills/diversity-and-inclusivity

staff recruitment and retention too, with 47% of millennials proactively looking for a credible D&I culture when job hunting. That’s 75% of the workforce by 2025.

It is clear that investing in diversity and inclusivity is no longer a nice-to-do, it’s business-critical.

HOW CAN SMES ON A TIGHT BUDGET PUT THESE POLICIES INTO PLACE? Building a more diverse and inclusive workplace can seem a bit baffling, and it can be hard for

SMEs to afford bespoke consultancy or training.

That’s why I’ve worked with the Chamber to create a series of webinars designed with SMEs in mind to provide a comprehensive introduction to tackle the most prominent challenges.

In my experience, effective training needs to not only provide quality information, but be linked directly to business goals and challenges to achieve high-end results. There has to be a practical take-out.

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EVENTS

Celebrating our winners as we look to 2021 awards With the East Midlands Chamber Business Awards on the horizon, Business Network profiles the three Business of the Year winners for Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire last year.

DERBYSHIRE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR 2020: PR MARRIOTT DRILLING From drilling for water in Derbyshire to oil and gas exploration in some of the world’s most dangerous wells in East Africa, it’s been a remarkable journey for PR Marriott Drilling over three-quarters of a century.

Set up in 1947 by the late engineer Richard Marriott, who built his own drilling rigs, the Chesterfield business remains in the family under the ownership of his grandsons Paul Marriott and Jonti Hobday.

It diversified from locating water resources into oil and gas exploration in the late 1990s, and has drilled in a number of countries across South America and Africa in particular. The company is now in the geothermal market too.

Closer to home, it has collaborated with the British Geological Survey to set up a geolaboratory in Cheshire and built an exploration well in Shropshire to investigate the Jurassic formations.

It has also worked on key nuclear and mining projects.

LEICESTERSHIRE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR 2020: DB AUTOMATION AND PREMIER BOWL FEEDERS These sister companies, based at Wycliffe Industrial Estate in Lutterworth, are at the cutting edge of automation technology.

DB Automation manufactures bespoke automation systems for the pharmaceutical, medical and ocular sectors, while Premier Bowl Feeders produces feeding solutions for automation machinery.

Clockwise from top: Air IT, DB Automation and Premier Bowl Feeders, and PR Marriott Drilling

Their parent company PCE Group also received a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade last year following a rapid rise in its export operation across mainland Europe, North America, and Central and South America.

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR 2020: AIR IT Established in a cottage in Nuthall, Nottinghamshire, in 2005 by founder Todd McQuilkin, Air IT has grown into a powerhouse of the managed service provider (MSP) space.

Now based in Sandiacre, the company – which offers services including managed IT support,

communications, cyber security, digital transformation, cloud and business intelligence – received major investment from private equity firm August Equity Partners LLP in January 2020.

John Whitty took over as CEO and has steered the company through rapid geographical expansion via a series of mergers and acquisitions, taking headcount from 75 people in March last year to more than 230 now.

Its reputation in the industry was recently cemented when it ranked first in the East Midlands, third in the UK and number 79 in the world in the prestigious 2021 Channel Futures MSP 501 list.

Ceremony dates and venues confirmed Venues have been confirmed for the 2021 Business Awards – which are set to be held physically once more.

After the three awards ceremonies were broadcast virtually via YouTube last year due to the pandemic, the Chamber is planning on a return to celebrating at gala dinners in accordance with the latest Covid-19 guidelines at the time they take place. The dates are as follows: • Friday 12 November: Derbyshire Business Awards at Derbyshire County Cricket Club • Friday 19 November: Nottinghamshire Business Awards at Colwick Hall • Friday 3 December: Leicestershire Business Awards at Mattioli Woods Welford Road Stadium

The Leicestershire Business Awards will be held in the daytime to coincide with the annual Christmas Lunch, which raises funds for the Chamber’s charitable fund.

Accountancy company Mazars is once again headline sponsor of the Chamber’s Business Awards.

Finalists have now been revealed across 13 categories in each awards, which feature new honours for Collaboration Project of the Year and Excellence in Innovation.

To book a place at the gala dinners, visit bit.ly/EMCAwards2021. To see the shortlists, visit www.emc-dnl.co.uk/businessawards2021

Generation Next to meet in person Nottingham University Business School will host the first in-person event for Generation Next this month.

An informal networking barbecue takes place at the De Vere Jubilee Conference Centre and Hotel, in Triumph Road, on Thursday 16 September from 4.30pm to 7.30pm.

Generation Next members will have the opportunity to speak to like-minded entrepreneurs from across the region and take a tour of the business school’s start-up incubator, the Ingenuity Lab. There will also be speeches from Professor Duncan Angwin, dean of the Business School; Professor Simon Mosey, director of the Haydn Green Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship; and the Chamber’s Generation Next lead Lucy Robinson.

Winners of the inaugural Generation Next Awards, which were held virtually in July, will receive their awards.

The free event is available to Generation Next members only. To register, visit generationnextemc.co.uk/event

Charity auction will be a ram raid!

Bidders will have the chance to get their hands on a colourful ram at a charity auction to mark the end of a public art installation.

The Derby Ram Trail auction will offer the 30 sculptures to the highest bidder – with funds raised for Derby Museums’ Endowment Campaign.

The event will be held at the Museum of Making, based in Derby Silk Mill, on 9 September at 6.30pm to mark an end to the 12-week trail.

Generation Next sponsored one of the 5ft sculptures.

Nicknamed “Ramtastic”, it was designed by artist Amrit Singh and located at the very beginning of the route outside Derby Museum & Art Gallery Tickets to the auction cost £25, including a bidding paddle, canapes, souvenir guide and a glass of fizz on arrival. People can also bid online via Hansons Live or watch a live stream.

For more information, visit derbyramtrail.org/auction

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DIGITAL & TECHNOLOGY

E-commerce: The good, the bad and the getting started It’s a bandwagon well worth jumping on for many businesses, but making a success of e-commerce has numerous challenges. Digital Growth Programme consultant Rob Gregory (pictured) offers tips on how to get started and points out potential pitfalls. o here we are, it’s happened. E-commerce now dominates many of our purchasing habits – funny how a pandemic that stopped so much happening can accelerate certain things forward.

In my opinion, the high street is far from dead, but few would argue it will be the same ever again – online shopping has been the clear winner among all the turmoil.

E-commerce is the (not so) new thing and its dominance is not going to wane anytime soon. Is now the time for you to explore starting your own online business, or maybe a division of your existing business?

A well-executed e-commerce business can be a revenuegenerating enterprise with plenty of rewards and the potential to scale quickly. It’s not right for everybody though, so hold your horses before jumping straight in.

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THE GOOD Selling online compared to a traditional bricks and mortar business has plenty of benefits, including lower start-up and running costs, a wider customer base and greater efficiencies. Add the ability to work from anywhere with a laptop and an internet connection, and it all sounds rather enticing.

But you still need to have the right products to sell, great marketing and a way to fulfil those orders. Thankfully, it’s easier than ever to source products with tools like Alibaba and Oberlo from Shopify. You might make your own products and that’s great too.

Delivery partners are many and the services they offer is now efficient and cost-effective. You can even start with using your local post office – start small then scale.

There are a plethora of marketing tools and analytics platforms that can help you to understand your

customers and serve their needs better. If you set everything up correctly, you can see in real-time how your e-commerce store is performing – try doing that offline!

THE BAD I don’t want to be negative but it’s important to look at the risks versus rewards before taking any business decision. If you spend any time on social media, in particular YouTube and Instagram, you’ll no doubt have seen posts of young “entrepreneurs” who are making millions each year selling online.

Most people’s experience of running an e-commerce business is rather less glamorous and, just like any business, it can be hard work – particularly at the start when getting your store built, populated with products and marketing in place to drive traffic to your site. All perfectly doable with the right planning but do expect to put in plenty of effort.

E-commerce is also highly competitive, so you need to watch your margins. Revenue is one thing, but you need to be sure there’s enough left over for a ‘Lambo’, or Ford Focus at least. Marketing and paid advertising all come at a cost, which eats heavily into your profit if you don’t get it right.

GETTING STARTED So, you have looked at the good and the bad parts of e-commerce, and you’ve decided to go for it.

You’ve nailed your product offer, business model and have a solid marketing plan in place. How do you get started?

Lucky for you, it’s 2021, which means getting started with e-commerce is easier than it’s ever been. There are many ways to get started, from using a platform like Shopify to hiring an agency to build you a WooCommerce store.

My advice is to do your research before getting started.

WooCommerce and Shopify are the two obvious choices for an SME, but there are others so speak to a trusted expert for advice.

Taking payments via your store is clearly an important part of your setup and I’d recommend looking at Stripe payments, which integrates with all major platforms.

Finally, start small – you don’t need to have your full product catalogue online to make a start.

Build your site with one category or a sub-set of your range, and start marketing and advertising ASAP. Measure your results and then grow your store from there.

FURTHER RESOURCES The Digital Growth Programme will deliver a series of e-commerce workshops from September onwards on topics including: • Developing a profitable e-commerce website • SEO for e-commerce • Email marketing for e-commerce • Getting started with social shopping • Paid digital advertising: Marketing for e-commerce To book a place on a session, visit www.leics-digital.co.uk

The Digital Growth Programme is designed to help SMEs located in Leicester and Leicestershire to improve productivity and growth using digital technology via themed action planning workshops, grants and digital advice. It is part-funded by the Chamber, European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Leicestershire County Council.

Visit www.leics-digital.co.uk Businesses based in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire can access similar support by visiting www.d2n2growthhub.co.uk High-growth businesses across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire can access knowledge and investment support to scale up through embracing new technologies via the Digital Upscaler programme, part-funded by the ERDF. Visit www.emc-dnl.co.uk/digitalupscaler

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DIGITAL & TECHNOLOGY Matt Wheatcroft

Purpose Media secures Digital High Street deal Derbyshire-based digital, web development, creative and video agency Purpose Media has secured a significant contract to help local businesses move online and grow their sales and presence.

Its team has been tasked with delivering the new Chesterfield Digital High Street project that will help 120 traditional bricks and mortar companies move online and grow their sales.

Funded by Chesterfield Borough Council and delivered by the Chamber, businesses can apply for expert support to set up a digital presence so they can increase their opportunities to trade online and get their brand noticed.

Grants of £2,200 covering 100% of costs will also be awarded to 50 of these organisations.

Purpose Media’s team of experts will be on-hand to support companies looking to bounce back after the pandemic. The full-service agency will support on getting SMEs’ websites live and offering continuous training to give business owners control of their new online platform.

Managing director Matt Wheatcroft said: “In times like these, trading online could be the difference between growing or losing your business, and our team of experts are here to help owners bolster their sales and support their move to digital.”

The Chamber’s chief executive Scott Knowles added: “We look forward to working closely with our strategic partner Purpose Media, which will be instrumental by creating the modern websites, equipped with the latest e-commerce technology, to ensure these much-loved independent businesses thrive in a sustainable fashion for a long time to come.”

Applications can now be made for the Chesterfield Digital High Street project at www.emc-dnl.co.uk/ chesterfield-digital-high-street

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Air IT ranked one of the top three MSPs in the UK Air IT has been named one of the best managed service providers (MSPs) both in the UK and worldwide.

The Sandiacre-based company ranked first in the East Midlands, third in the UK and number 79 in the world in the prestigious 2021 Channel Futures MSP 501 list.

It has been a particularly busy 12 months for Air IT, responding to the challenges of the pandemic, helping the majority of their clients transition to remote work and making six acquisitions in as many months.

‘We have now broken into the top 100 MSPs worldwide’ Innovation has also been a key focus over the past year, bringing new solutions to market in response to the onset of remote work and investing in its specialist cyber security and business intelligence divisions.

John Whitty, CEO of Air IT, said: “We’re so happy to have been recognised by Channel Futures once again for the progress we are making in the technology industry and the high standard of service we are providing as an MSP. “Over the past year, the team has worked incredibly hard to adapt to the challenges of remote working and provide innovative solutions to help our customers

Above: Air IT CEO John Whitty (left) and COO James Healey. Right: The company’s offices in Sandiacre

work more effectively.

“We have now broken into the top 100 MSPs worldwide and the top three in the UK, a huge accomplishment that is testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire team.”

Organised by industry analyst Channel Futures, the MSP 501 is the world’s first, largest and most comprehensive survey and ranking list in the IT channel, celebrating MSPs across the globe.

For the past 15 years, it has carried out an in-depth analysis to examine organisational performance based on sales and

revenue, growth, innovation and technology solutions.

Robert DeMarzo, vice-president of content at Channel Futures, said: “The 2021 Channel Futures MSP 501 winners are the highest-performing and most innovative IT providers in the industry today. They stand head and shoulders above the competition.”

Taking the LEAD on workspace IT A Derby business is connecting offices across three cities after winning a contract to provide state-of-theart IT services for the innovative series of workplaces.

LEAD IT Services will provide joined-up systems for CCTV, office access and meeting room booking technology, super-fast secure internet and printing services to CUBO offices in Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield.

CUBO is a multi-use workspace that allows companies to rent office rooms and use communal facilities without having to pay upkeep bills.

LEAD IT, which specialises in supporting schools, is based in CUBO Derby – a Grade-II listed building in Victoria Street that was once home to the Post Office.

Company director Lee Jepson said that CUBO offered a great solution for his company and winning the contract to provide the IT services for the group was an added bonus.

He said: “We loved the funky CUBO space straight away, and there are loads of perks like the printing services and even barista coffee to provide a wake-up boost in the mornings.

“It created a better environment for everyone to work, and it’s a little bit more relaxed. There is hot desking space on the ground floor too, which is really helpful.

Charlotte Derrick and Lee Jepson of LEAD IT Services

“We love being in the city. For us, Derby is our hometown and the majority of the schools we look after are in Derby city, so keeping it local for us is really important.”

CUBO managing director Rebecca Brough added: “LEAD IT has enabled CUBO to offer excellent services to our members.”

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LEGAL

Trade marks can’t just be a symbolic gesture Under UK law, there is no requirement to register a trade mark before you can refer to it as one. Conversely, if you say your trade mark is registered when in fact it is not, you might find yourself facing prosecution, as Emma Ward (pictured), partner and head of Nelsons' intellectual property team, explains.

A trade mark acts as a guarantee of origin – it confirms to the buyer whose goods or services they are buying.

In this way, a trade mark will distinguish a business’ goods and services from those of its competitors and can influence buyer behaviour.

After all, how many times have you stood in the supermarket and chosen a branded product over a supermarket own brand? In making that decision, did you objectively weigh up the intrinsic qualities of the two competing products or did you make a choice based on the perceived attributes of a brand you recognise? Did you associate that brand with a particular level of quality?

Although a very basic example (and one that does not factor in other variables, such as cost), the supermarket versus branded product comparison does demonstrate the value that trade marks can add to a business.

Like any other business asset, a trade mark may be exploited (such as through licensing), and used to attract and secure investment.

REGISTERED VS UNREGISTERED TRADE MARKS Under UK law, there is no requirement that a business must register a trade mark before it can use it as one or say it is a trade mark.

Registration brings with it a host of benefits, including exclusivity of use of the mark for the goods and services included in the registration for the jurisdiction where registration is obtained.

If an unauthorised third party uses your trade mark, registration will likely put you in a better position to prevent that unauthorised use.

While there are claims available to prevent unauthorised use of an unregistered trade mark, these tend to be a more complicated to prove 84

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and, therefore, more expensive to pursue.

VS ™ ® In view of the benefits that flow from registration, it is not surprising that businesses see trade mark registration as a smart move.

Generally speaking, the registration process is quick and cost-effective. Registration can be obtained in most countries, although a business should bear in mind the rights acquired from registration will vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, as will the laws that determine whether a trade mark is registerable or not.

In the UK, businesses are able to use the ™ symbol to indicate their brand is a trade mark. This remains the case regardless of whether the trade mark has been registered.

The situation is different when we consider the symbol: if you use (or the word “registered”), where the mark in question is not registered and you know or have reason to believe the mark is not registered, this would constitute a criminal offence, punishable by fine.

In addition, if or “registered” is used to misrepresent the goods and services of the registration – ie the registration is for lipstick but it is claimed the mark is registered for spin bikes – and you know or have reason to believe this is the case, again, this would constitute a criminal offence.

A business will not necessarily escape prosecution if its trade mark is registered overseas and not in the UK. In that circumstance, prosecution will only be avoided if the business can demonstrate the labelling relates to a foreign trade mark registration.

Given the implications of a prosecution (both reputational and financial), it is imperative that businesses understand exactly what rights they have and how they can advertise their existence.

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FINANCE

Why the only way is up for Employee Ownership Trusts NII appoints new president Joanne Marriott (pictured), commercial manager at Nottingham-based independent insurance broker Russell Scanlan, has been appointed as president of Nottingham Insurance Institute (NII) – the first person from the company to take on the role.

The long-established firm, based in Wellington Circus, has a historic partnership with the Institute, with many of its employees on the council throughout the years.

Now, after 19 years of being a member, during which time she enjoyed the roles of dinner secretary, treasurer and deputy president, Joanne is taking on the role of president for the next 12 months.

She joins other industry professionals who voluntarily give up their time to offer a range of key benefits to Chartered Insurance Institute members in the local area.

Joanne, whose role at Russell Scanlan involves working alongside the management team to oversee the commercial and SME service departments of the business, said she was “very honoured” to be chosen for the presidency.

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with some inspirational past presidents, so there are certainly some big shoes for me to fill,” she added. “Nonetheless I’m excited for the challenge ahead and I know I have the support of the council every step of the way.”

Researchers back in Notts The Centre for Private Equity and Management Buyout Research (CMBOR) has returned to its founding institution, Nottingham University Business School, after a hiatus in 2020.

CMBOR will reinstate its practice of providing comprehensive data and insight around European buyout activity, and extend its 35year track record as a leading academic institute devoted to the study of private equity, sponsored

by Equistone.

The centre, led by Dr Kevin Amess, associate professor in industrial economics at the business school, will continue in its previous scope of independently analysing management buy-outs and providing private equity statistics for Europe in a comprehensive and objective way.

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The ripple effect of the pandemic means there will be business owners looking to take a step back and they could do worse than consider Employee Ownership Trusts as an exit strategy.

Andy Ryder (pictured), corporate finance partner at Shorts Chartered Accountants who specialises in these transactions, explains the benefits.

Employee ownership in business is growing. As of June 2021, there were 730 employee-owned businesses in the UK, with 250 of these appearing in the last 18 months.

The most common employee-ownership model is an Employee Ownership Trust (or EOT). But what is it, and how does it work?

An EOT enables a company to become owned by its employees. It is a trust, set up by existing company owners, for the benefit of all employees. This trust becomes the majority owner of the business as part of an exit or succession planning strategy.

BENEFITS FOR THE SELLER In the appropriate circumstances, an EOT is the most tax-efficient way to sell your business.

The transaction is completely tax-free for the seller, resulting in no capital gains tax whatsoever.

The seller is also guaranteed the full market value for their shares, and gains certainty of exit in a defined time frame, free from the whims of trade buyers. The price agreed for the controlling stake will be market value, based on independent assessment.

Sellers also often comment that a sale to an EOT rewards the team that has helped to develop the business. This satisfying legacy can be an important element of making an EOT an attractive succession planning option.

BENEFITS FOR THE EMPLOYEES Employee ownership brings numerous advantages to the employees. For one, all qualifying employees can enjoy tax-free annual bonuses of up to £3,600.

There is also a real incentive for employees to engage in improving business performance – employees will be directly rewarded for their work in growing the business. They will also be able to have a say in how it is run.

Once the previous shareholders have been fully remunerated for their shares, all employees will collectively participate in the economic benefits that would normally be accrued by shareholders.

BENEFITS FOR THE BUSINESS Evidence shows employee-owned businesses are highly resilient, more profitable, and more sustainable, with highly motivated and incentivised employees and high employment standards.

The employees are more committed to business goals and adopt a more entrepreneurial mindset than they may have had before the transaction.

BENEFITS FOR THE UK ECONOMY Employee-owned companies often have a greater commitment to corporate and social responsibility, and involve themselves more with local communities.

Greater business performance also means a greater contribution to the UK economy, which is why successive UK governments have passionately advocated EOTs since they were introduced in 2014.

WHO RUNS THE BUSINESS AFTER THE SALE TO AN EOT? It is not the trustees’ role to run the trading company; this remains the role of the senior management, while there is also no reason why selling shareholders may not remain involved. Exiting shareholders often gradually transition away from the business to help maintain stability.

WHICH OTHER COMPANIES ARE EMPLOYEE-OWNED? Well-known employee-owned businesses include John Lewis, Richer Sounds and the Arup Group. The top 50 UK employee-owned companies generated more than £20bn in combined sales in 2020.

HOW IS AN EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP TRUST FUNDED? EOTs require funding to purchase the shares of the company – this funding comes from surplus cash on the trading company’s balance sheet, a loan from a third party, and a loan from the existing shareholders that is repaid over time from future profits generated by the trading company.

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FINANCE

Remote accountancy after lockdown With lockdown hopefully now permanently behind us, businesses across the economy are re-evaluating how they’d like to work in future.

Kayleigh Williams (pictured, inset), head of business services at Duncan & Toplis, explains what the future of accountancy will look like.

After a year in which people have been encouraged or required to work from home if they can, the relationship between workers and workplaces has transformed.

Official figures show that 47% of workers across the country have been working from home, and commentators are predicting many will continue to do so – either in part or entirely – long after the obligation to do so ends.

There are many considerations which employers and employees need to consider, ranging from the impact different arrangements may have on mental health to productivity and team dynamics, but how will it affect accountancy and business advice services in future?

A BREAK WITH TRADITION Not long ago, face-to-face meetings and site visits were a necessity, printed paper documents needed to be examined, shared and signed, and, of course, it was a cultural expectation. But the past few years have seen advisors and clients adopting more and more systems and practices that make in-person working less of a requirement and more of an optional preference.

Back in 2019, when the first phase of Making Tax Digital was soon to come into force, many predicted it would take years for businesses to adapt to cloud

accountancy and remote systems, let alone embrace it. Postpandemic, remote working has taken over.

As the Making Tax Digital deadlines approached, some clients seized on it as a chance to streamline their services so more could be achieved in less time through remote accountancy services, but most preferred faceto-face, in person services – even if it was simply for the purpose of looking someone in the eye and shaking their hand.

This will undoubtedly play a role in determining how the balance is struck between remote and inperson services going forward.

For our more regular services such as monthly and quarterly bookkeeping, VAT support and computer system training and support, working remotely has proved to be more efficient. There is also the environmental benefit of less travelling.

Remote meetings have proved very successful and these will continue for any short ad-hoc meetings clients require, making us even more accessible.

For annual client meetings, the feedback has been that clients would like these to be in person again when possible. I believe face-to-face meetings do create a stronger bond to secure a longlasting relationship. business network September 2021

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SKILLS

Putting skills at the heart of levelling up The Government’s much-anticipated Levelling Up White Paper, expected later this year, will outline a vision for the whole of the UK to have the same access to opportunities for recovery and growth.

Professor Baback Yazdani (pictured), executive dean of Nottingham Business School at Nottingham Trent University and treasurer of the Chartered Association of Business Schools, explains what role business schools can have in this key policy agenda.

In this time of crisis for many businesses, we must look at what will make a tangible difference to them. The key to productive growth is, of course, skills.

Skills development is not only key to successful management but vital in creating a productive workforce. The Chamber’s Quarterly Economic Survey for Q2 2021 suggested a rise in unemployment is in part due to employers being unable to recruit people with the right skills.

Likewise, in an organisational needs assessment (skills and talent) carried out as part of the ESF High Level Skills Programme across D2N2, SMEs felt the skills gap impacts most on business growth, delivery, productivity and new business – regardless of size and sector.

Coupled with the Skills for Jobs White Paper, which led to the introduction of the Skills Accelerator programme, the levelling up agenda provides another opportunity to boost targeted support in this area.

BUSINESS SCHOOL UPSKILLING PROGRAMMES This is where the region’s business schools play a vital role. As a collective, we have a long history of supporting organisations of all sizes with upskilling. Business schools are filled with industry expertise, global perspectives, knowledge gained from research, and best practice aimed at improving business strategy and operations.

The Government has already put its trust

in management educators with schemes such as the Small Business Leadership Programme and its new Help to Grow: Management scheme, a 12-week course that Nottingham Business School (NBS) is contributing to. The first five cohorts are already underway across the country and region, including in Nottingham and Derby, with more businesses being recruited for September.

NBS recently celebrated the completion of the ERDF-funded D2N2 UpScaler programme, which supported 250 SMEs in collaboration with the Chamber. It offered intense diagnostic, leadership and management development workshops, peer learning and access to a part-funded grant scheme.

Businesses told us they had benefitted from improved management and leadership confidence, as well as strategic, marketing and performance improvements that are helping them to grow.

Many of the programmes at business schools offer an excellent strategic overview of these areas, but we’ve also seen an important link between participation in programmes such as UpScaler and the need for a skills pathway. This allows people to progress to higher-level skills courses and “micro” accredited courses, such as practical marketing skills, and sustainable and inclusive leadership. Sustaining business growth and development helps the region to level-up.

REMOVING BARRIERS TO PERSONAL GROWTH Not only do we have the expertise and resource to offer this range of support, as business schools with diverse student and staff communities, we understand the personal barriers to upskilling too.

For example, two years ago NBS launched a fully-funded management and leadership short course for women leaders in SMEs. The course was designed with accessibility in mind, to ensure women from different socioeconomic backgrounds and varying levels of experience in education would be encouraged to participate.

Individual courses were also structured to allow for maximum engagement for those who had additional challenges, such as caring responsibilities, which have traditionally been barriers to participation. It has now supported 17 cohorts of female SME leaders, totalling almost 270 participants – many of whom are following the pathway of support we offer.

Organisations in the East Midlands are fortunate to have a host of excellent business schools on their doorstep, which have been providing high quality, tailored executive support for many years.

We know where skills gaps lie and what our local organisations need to grow – and are prepared to adapt in order to support accessibility. In fact, we are already playing a significant role in the levelling up of the region through skills development, no matter what the white paper proposes.

Free bootcamps offer chance to build real skills Businesses in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire can enrol staff in “skills bootcamps” with a digital focus.

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across the UK to deliver an expanded national skills bootcamp programme, part of the Government’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee and Plan for Jobs.

Delivered as flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, it helps people

build sector-specific skills. The new courses will cover coding and software development; IT, networking and infrastructure; cyber and system security; and digital marketing.

The free courses are available to

anyone aged 19 and over who are employed, self-employed or unemployed.

Employers and individuals can find out more at www.gov.uk/guidance /free-courses-for-jobs

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PROPERTY

We need to make plans for the future, not scupper them Planning battles between councils and developers are often played out in public, but the economic benefits of new buildings aren’t always explained clearly. Shruti Trivedi (pictured), partner and planning solicitor at Roythornes Solicitors, explains how policydriven rather than pragmatic local authority decisions are delaying progress for businesses, communities and the UK economy.

The Government’s “New Deal”, announced in June 2020, promised to deliver jobs, skills and infrastructure through a “build build build” initiative. However, there is often continued resistance from local authorities to approve the planning decisions that will enable this agenda.

From commercial developments, including offices and business parks, to residential projects such as retirement villages and housing estates, we are seeing rejections across the board from planning committees seemingly keen to put policy over people.

Even sustainable energy schemes and town regenerations are subject to the iron fist of local decision-making, should they occupy too much space or block certain views, which are usually entirely subjective judgements.

Of course, concerns for the local environment and the wellbeing of the community should always be taken with the utmost seriousness, but we are now seeing an overwhelming number of planning applications rejected without a sensible and balanced consideration of the benefits of each scheme.

Development, or as it’s often

dubbed, “over-development”, is seen as inherently bad, but it’s important to remember new developments bring progress, growth and jobs, in turn elevating a town or city.

ENTERPRISE PARK EXPANSION CONFLICT POINTS TO HURDLES FOR DEVELOPERS In the case of a recent successful planning appeal for the expansion of Lincoln Enterprise Park, a very welcome decision was made to allow the Lincolnshire-based scheme to go ahead, despite it being initially rejected on the grounds of being “in the countryside”.

Although the extension will indeed occupy some rural land, the development has been designed with environmental sensitivity, adding native trees, hedgerows and wildflowers to the site. The plans include significant ecological and biodiversity enhancements and will have no concerning landscape or visual impact on a location just off the A46, where there is already an existing development in situ.

In addition to the environmental mitigation, the expansion of the

business park will also bring 50 new jobs to the area and offer 15 mixed-use units to local businesses, most of whom are existing customers with a real demand for additional space for growth.

REMOVING THE STIGMA OF THE ‘BIG BAD DEVELOPER’ The events of the planning application and appeal for Lincoln Enterprise Park are a prime example of an oversimplified approach to planning decisions. Far from tarring every development with the same brush, committees and local authorities must consider the holistic benefits of each scheme, looking at the details of each project, and evaluating its net benefit, rather than finding reasons to arbitrarily reject proposals.

Taking a narrow approach and

rejecting a scheme on points of policy alone can halt progress, contradicting the Government’s “New Deal” approach, and prove costly in both time and money.

Ultimately, this will harm the local communities that authorities are striving to protect and hinder growth for the local and national economy.

Despite a strong, clear, and welcoming approach to development promised by the Government, we are seeing resistance from local authorities and planning committees time and time again.

The stigma of the “big bad developer” needs to be quelled and replaced with the understanding that development is indeed what it says on the tin – expansion, growth and improvement – for communities and the people that constitute them.

Huge demand for Nottingham industrial park An established eight-acre industrial park in Nottingham has been snapped up in a multimillion-pound deal.

Bar Lane Industrial Park, in Basford, features 113,000 sq ft of industrial accommodation with more than 20 tenants in situ.

Due to its popularity, the unique freehold opportunity eventually went to best bids and was secured by Meadow Lane Services Ltd, a well-established investor in the region, in an acquisition overseen by commercial property agent Innes England.

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highly attractive due to its underlying development potential for a mixed-use scheme.

It is in a prime location within a 15-minute drive of the centre of Nottingham and is home to a number of existing local businesses, including shed, metal, fencing and insulation providers as well as other industrial suppliers.

Innes England director Scott Osborne, who secured the sale, said: “It is a sizeable deal with well-established industrial accommodation and is in the perfect location close to the city centre.”

Innes England and Heb Surveyors have now been retained by the purchaser to act as agents on the site and continue to let vacant units.

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PROPERTY

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MOTORING

Try topping the

Touareg ’ve always been a fan of the VW Touareg. One of my highlights was driving the fearsome V10 diesel version many years ago that had more torque than the Queen Mary.

It’s in a fiercely-competitive sector, but going headto-head with the likes of the BMW X5, Volvo XC90 and the Audi Q7. You have a choice of diesel engines – one is the lower-output version producing 228 horsepower, the other 282. All come complete with four-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

These classy VWs come in a few specifications, the lower end offering a surprising amount of good standard equipment, with the higher end fulfilling all the goodies.

Mine here – the more powerful diesel variant – has the more gutsy engine, producing 282 horsepower, good enough to see it hit over 140mph, with a 0-60mph time of an impressive 6.1 seconds.

Lots of torque is offered – even at low speed, it dispels close-on 600Nm at just 1,750 revs per minute.

This, to me, is all the performance you’ll ever need.

Being four-wheel-drive, grip is sure-footed and it feels a lot more nimble than its obvious size suggests.

Mine has the lowered suspension that one may think interferes somewhat with the ride, but coupled to the larger wheels and tyres, I’m happy to sacrifice a bit of comfort for a car that looks squat and purposeful.

You can opt for a petrol V6 that offers 335 horsepower, or the V6 petrol plug-in hybrid, which stirs a colossal 456 horsepower.

Internally, mine offers a great elevated driving position that all 4x4 owners simply love, plus my seat and steering wheel are electrically-adjustable to form that perfect posture.

To my left is the standard eight-inch touchscreen system that features all the obvious controls for Bluetooth, DAB radio, two SD card readers, air conditioning and the satellite navigation.

I

The VW Touareg is well-equipped internally

You’ll not be wanting for space either, front or rear – access is good, plus there are plenty of storage cubby holes and deep pockets in the doors for driver and passenger.

I can expect the fuel returns to be around the 44 to the gallon figure, which is good for a car weighing in at nearly 2.2 tonnes.

The Touareg is cheaper to buy than most of its competitors, but perhaps the residuals further down the line won’t quite hold value at the side of the premium badges.

But as we know, savings at either end are always sought, and I’d sooner save at the purchase price, enjoy my car and worry about what it’s worth if I decide to sell. And with the Touareg, it may just be a hard thing to part with when push comes to shove.

FACTFILE MODEL VW Touareg PERFORMANCE Top speed: 140+ miles per hour 0-60 mph: 6.1 seconds

CO2 EMISSIONS 253g/km

COMBINED MPG 44 mpg

PRICE OTR £46,930

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INFORMATION

The times they are exchangin’ It has been just over five years since the UK voted to leave the EU, while the pandemic has changed the world dramatically over the past 18 months.

Andy Medler (pictured), senior account manager in corporate partnerships at moneycorp, the Chamber’s foreign exchange service, reflects on the transformative financial impact of both events on UK businesses.

At the start of 2021, sterling was 15% weaker relative to the euro than it was on the eve on the EU referendum.

There are multiple reasons as to why currency moves but, over the past five years, one of the main factors of the fluctuation of currency rates is because of trade frictions between the UK and EU. The increase in the uncertainly and persistent political instability resulted in financial institutions looking to sell off the pound, and as a result its value weakened.

Brexit has created a significant amount of uncertainty in the foreign exchange market. However, the fall in the value of sterling occurred before Brexit actually took place, with exchange rate movements relatively minor when the UK-EU transition period finished at the end of 2020.

PLUSES AND NEGATIVES OF A WEAKER POUND One immediate consequence of a fall in sterling is foreign goods, services and assets become more

expensive for UK residents. This results in higher levels of inflation and a higher cost of living.

But a weaker currency can be beneficial since it can make exports more competitive by reducing the cost of domestic goods and services to residents of other countries. This can potentially have positive consequences for the country’s trade deficit and aggregate economic growth.

If we cast our eyes back to just before the Brexit vote, sterling was held up at just over €1.40 against the euro and $1.50 against the US dollar, and we have seen sterling fall to a low of €1.07 and $1.15 over the past 12 months. This really shows how much of a hit sterling has taken.

CURRENCY IMPACT ON BUSINESSES It’s very easy for a business to just look at the currency figure, €1.10 or €1.15, but not really comprehend what the sterling cost equates to for their bottom line.

If we look at the past 12 months,

we have seen sterling move by 9%, so for a business importing €500,000 from the EU, their costs have fluctuated by £40,975.

Currency movements can easily wipe out a large proportion of profit in a deal or, in the worst case, profit for the whole business if not managed correctly.

Helping businesses keep an eye on risks associated with the financial markets, and to plan ahead as the world eases out of Covid-19 restrictions and into a post-Brexit landscape, moneycorp offers a number of tools to assist Chamber members with international payments and foreign exchange.

We do still see some signs the pound will continue to recover but the road will be a long one, with many bumps along the way.

The UK has had huge success in the vaccine rollout and the end of lockdown restrictions should now see the economy start to really enter full recovery mode.

But as we wait to see what the

roadmap will be for the Bank of England before it starts to raise interest rates, this uncertainty will affect the value of the pound.

To conclude, Brexit will continue to affect forex trading even though the transition period has now ended. The latest chapter in the saga will have many more developments related to the economy and trade deals.

Chamber FX, powered by moneycorp, can support Chamber members to reduce risks around currency movements. To discuss requirements, contact Andy Medler on 07551 170665 or email chamberfx@moneycorp.com quoting East Midlands Chamber.

Campaign addresses workplace mental health A new campaign created by employers for employers to boost mental health and productivity in East Midlands workplaces has been officially launched.

“Bridge the Gap, Start a Chat” is a new initiative by the Mental Health and Productivity Pilot (MHPP) that gives organisations of all sizes and sectors the help they need to encourage staff and bosses alike to open up about their mental health.

The campaign was created by MHPP – a Midlands Engine-funded partnership between universities, local authorities and mental health

charity Mind – with input from 10 Midlands cross-sector employers, as well as employees with lived experience of mental health problems.

Research has shown that mental health is one

of the biggest causes of sickness absences in Midlands businesses – and the impact of Covid19 has recently become another key factor in poor mental health at work.

As well as tips and advice on starting conversations, for line managers and employees, employers can access a free resource pack on the MHPP website featuring campaign planning guidance, promotional materials, social media assets, video call backgrounds and email signature banners.

For more information, visit mhpp.me business network September 2021

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COMMENT

THE LAST WORD Chamber president and ER Recruitment owner EILEEN RICHARDS MBE on the importance of bringing business and education closer together he role of further and higher education is integral to our region’s economic future.

That’s not just the opinion of our leaders in the sector, such as those expressed by Professors Kathryn Mitchell and Sarah Davies in this magazine. It’s also the view of numerous industrial policies working their way through local, regional and national strategic planning.

As in so many other ways, the pandemic has accelerated existing trends. A glance at preCovid regional industrial strategy shows that colleges and universities were already being viewed as fundamental, not just to education but to knowledge transfer with business.

It’s clearly something Prof Mitchell has long had in her sights, and knowledge transfer will support innovative and creative collaborations that grow enterprise while helping to tackle the East Midlands productivity challenge.

So a weight of responsibility on the sector, then. And that’s why the role of further and higher education in recovery was the theme of my most recent president’s roundtable.

T

RELATIONSHIPS GROWING STRONGER There are examples all around us of tangible and intangible increases in education and business collaboration. Tactical investment and activity is feeding into regional strategy designed to further tighten relationships between business and academia – with the ultimate objective of improving growth and productivity for all.

From Derby’s planned city centre business school to the developing Mansfield Hub, from NTU’s exciting new Dryden Enterprise Centre to the first-of-its-kind Loughborough Careers and Enterprise Hub, there are concrete (if you’ll pardon the pun) gains being made across the region.

But there are also gains being made in ideas, notably through some exciting partnerships and collaborations.

Prof Mitchell makes the point that the role of universities in relation to business has shifted in recent years to something far more applied. It is now less about providing young people for workforces and more about people working together to make impactful change.

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BRIGHTER FUTURES INVOLVING CHAMBER MEMBERS It was the potential for this kind of universitybusiness partnership that attracted me to team my own company up with De Montfort University to launch the BrightER Futures programme earlier this year.

Our 12-month partnership will see 20 students introduced into Leicester’s business community and help them gain professional skills including networking and business communication.

Students are learning key skills at employers as diverse as Breedon Consulting, Brewin Dolphin, Flogas, Freeths, Mocha Marketing, Cross Productions, Corporate Architecture, Hinckley & Rugby Building Society, Michael Smith Switchgear, PPL PRS and RSM. But they are also sharing their own ideas to give established employers a fresh take on what is happening in the marketplace.

Armed with practical business experience and applied learning from our region’s further and higher education institutions, our young people are shaping their own future prospects while also contributing to those of the East Midlands as a whole. They will succeed.

COMING NEXT Meanwhile, there’s been much discussion about grade inflation and the pandemic. Will A-levels follow GCSEs to a 9-1 scoring system?

There was much evidence of the emerging business talent we have in our region on show at the Chamber’s first Generation Next Awards in July. This event was completely different to the Chamber’s traditional approach. It was streamed through YouTube. It had a drinks cabinet on the stage. Colin the Caterpillar made it to the top table.

But the stars of the show were the business leaders, all of them aged under 35.

The event was bright, articulate, confident and contemporary. So were all those involved. They rose to the challenge in some style.

RECRUITMENT OPPORTUNITY The Chamber’s latest Quarterly Economic Survey found that more than 40% of respondents

expected growth in the coming quarter. However, a big chunk of them are struggling to fill vacancies.

What I have seen is that, although the market is throwing up well-publicised challenges for sectors such as logistics, it is simultaneously presenting great opportunities for jobseekers in growth industries.

ER Recruitment is working with businesses that have grown exponentially during the past 12 months. Meanwhile, part of the BrightER Futures mission is helping graduates gain experience in competitive sectors related to their studies.

The risk of young people not having a chance to make their mark in their chosen industry is they end up taking positions in entirely different fields simply to secure a job.

Worse, and as will be tackled by the Mansfield Hub, is that we lose bright young people with great potential to other parts of the country.

It’s why investment in closer links to local communities is investment in the growth of local economies. And that applies to recruitment firms as much as universities.

ENTERPRISING WOMEN IS BACK! It was brilliant to see the Enterprising Women network host its first face-to-face event in over 16 months.

The “Netwalk” event, which took place in August at Attenborough Nature Centre, saw female business professionals enjoy the opportunity to connect physically and share their experiences of the past year and a half in a safe and picturesque outdoor space.

Fellow co-chair Jean Mountain and I look forward to welcoming back even more familiar faces at our Enterprising Women Awards gala dinner next month. We are delighted to have received another record number of applications and are incredibly excited to see who wins on the evening.

The event takes place at 6pm on 8 October at Nottingham Belfry Hotel & Spa, and we look forward to seeing both Chamber and Enterprising Women members on the evening.

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