Business Voice Q1 2023

CHAMBER POLICY

How the Jet Zero Cluster is taking strides towards greener aviation

Why apprenticeship programmes bring benefits to business

MEMBERS ARE INVITED TO SEND THEIR EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS TO:

PRODUCTION EDITOR

David Allison

E: david.allison@hampshirechamber.co.uk

T: 01329 242420

MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

Sophie Taylor

E: sophie.taylor@hampshirechamber.co.uk

T: 01329 242420

HAMPSHIRE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Fareham College, Bishopsfield Road, Fareham PO14 1NH

T: 01329 242420

HAMPSHIRE CHAMBER CONTACTS

Chamber membership: Coral Benham

E: coral.benham@hampshirechamber.co.uk

Chamber events and training: Joe McDowell

E: events.south@hampshirechamber.co.uk

BY ROSS MCNALLY EXECUTIVE CHAIR, HAMPSHIRE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

It really is all about skills

BCC Accredited Chambers of Commerce up and down the Country have been designated by the Secretary of State to help develop local skills improvement plans (LSIPs) that are set to help grow local economies and boost opportunities for future generations.

This is a once in a generation opportunity for employers to help shape how their current and future workforce can access the right training to thrive in the modern workplace.

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ABOUT THIS MAGAZINE

Business Voice is a quarterly magazine distributed to around 5,000 members, affiliates and key businesses in the Hampshire region.

DISCLAIMER

Business Voice is produced on behalf of the Chamber by Kemps Publishing Ltd and is distributed to members and leading businesses 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 or the publisher. 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.

Hampshire Chamber of Commerce will be at the centre of delivering this programme in partnerships with Isle of Wight Chamber and Maritime UK Solent (across Solent area) and Surrey Chambers (across EM3 area). In the first half of 2023 Hampshire Chamber and partner business networks will be bringing together local businesses, colleges, and training providers, plus a broad range of stakeholders, to identify the skills needed to enable economic growth in our communities.

Hampshire has globally significant assets in our Freeport and maritime cluster, our advanced manufacturing and digital technologies, the growing investments in aerospace and computer sciences, and the developing creative and cultural sectors.

To ensure these and other sectors remain vibrant our LSIPs will be exploring an indepth understanding of our current situation, then shaping realistic collective goals to address critical skills gaps and skills needs. Please get involved over the coming months to help us shape a skills plan for the future.

MEMBER NEWS

HWB appointment strengthens its Hampshire offering

AHampshire accountancy firm has strengthened its business advice credentials for clients with the appointment of a senior industry professional.

Nick Whitemore has joined Chandler’s Ford-based HWB with 10 years’ postqualification experience and the coveted status of Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, the highest rank that members can achieve.

He has moved to HWB from one of the UK’s top 10 regional accountancy groups, Azets, where he provided tax and business advisory services for individuals and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Southampton-born Nick, who has an honours degree in Business & Finance from the city’s Solent University, will continue focusing on SMEs in his new role of Senior Business Adviser at what is an especially challenging time for many businesses.

Nick said: “The pressures on the economy coupled with the changes in tax announced in the mini-Budget mean businesses are having to keep up to date with the mass of current issues coming at them thick and fast.

“Many are having to change their plans and forecasts to deal with the uncertain times we see across the board.

“Our message is that it has never been more important for businesses to keep in touch with their professional advisers.”

Nick said he was looking forward to applying his skills and industry experience for the benefit of HWB’s client base, adding: “I trained and started out in a small accountancy firm and now, having had experience with a larger provider and different industry sectors, I believe I can bring excellent insight to a wider variety and size of clients.

“I have had a warm welcome from everyone at HWB. I knew they had a great reputation and stature in the business community, and I am keen to play my part and help develop the firm as it moves forward.”

HWB’s Director Michaela Johns said: “Nick brings with him a wide range of skills and a wealth of experience and great enthusiasm, all of

THE LATEST NEWS AND SUCCESS STORIES FROM CHAMBER MEMBERS

‘Our message is that it has never been more important for businesses to keep in touch with their professional advisers’

Nick Whitemore has joined Hampshire accountants HWB as Senior Business Adviser. With him at the firm’s Chandler’s Ford office is HWB Director Michaela Johns.

SKILLS

which will benefit our business advice services.”

Married to Louise and with two children at primary school, Nick lives in Eastleigh. His leisure time pursuits include music, travelling and being a “fair weather scuba diver”.

Chartered accountants HWB, headquartered at Chandler’s Ford, near Southampton, provide business and tax advice.

Charity works to bridge the gap between school and the workplace

EBP South is a charity that for over 20 years has linked schools and businesses to help young people understand more about their career options and build their employability skills. Working with many schools and colleges across Hampshire, EBP South provides professional careers practitioners to help connect young people with businesses, a work experience service, and specialist events that allow young people to expand their skills and learn about the career opportunities in their local area.

In 2023, EBP South are proud to provide a varied programme of events in which businesses can participate, to help bridge the skills gap and strengthen their recruitment pipeline. Get Inspired will be returning to the Apollo Hotel Basingstoke on 8 February with an additional day to include Test Valley schools on 9 February. They will also be returning to Solent University for Get Inspired Southampton and New Forest on 11 May.

Through these events, young people have the opportunity to engage with businesses in their local communities and learn about industries that they may not have previously heard of.

EBP South will also be continuing to support the promotion of STEM job roles through Primary Schools’ STEM Fairs at CEMAST, Lee-on-Solent on 8-9 March, and Queen Mary’s College, Basingstoke on 15 March. By inspiring young people about STEM careers at an early age, businesses can influence the future workforce and break down job role stereotypes.

Inspiring STEM, a brand-new event for 2023, will be taking place at the National Oceanography Centre on 28 June. With 19 STEM businesses providing engaging activities, students can interact with professionals from the STEM world and learn about new and upcoming technology.

EBP South also have many events scheduled to take place in schools that business volunteers can take part in, such as Business Speed Networking and Employer Interviews. As well as helping raise awareness of their business and brand and sharing their knowledge with the future workforce, volunteering at these events is a great CPD (Continuous Professional Development) opportunity that allows businesses to form links in their local communities and address their corporate social responsibility.

Richard Kennett, CEO of EBP South, said: “At EBP South we’ve been really pleased at the growth in our partnerships with businesses and schools this year, meaning we are in a great position to continue to deliver fantastic employment-focused events in 2023, supporting young people and employers across Hampshire and beyond.”

For businesses, taking part in EBP South events provides a chance to influence future generations and change the landscape of business. For more information and to sign up, please email enquiries@ebpsouth.co.uk or visit www.ebpsouth.co.uk

IT’S ALL ABOUT

Helping you to be better connected, promoted, represented and supported.

Charity Meetthe

HAMPSHIRE & ISLE OF WIGHT COMMUNITY FOUNDATION (HIWCF)

AN INTERVIEW WITH:

Rebecca Kennelly MBE, HIWCF Chair

Iwas attracted to Hampshire & Isle of Wight Community Foundation (HIWCF) because I’m passionate about our local community and voluntary sector and HIWCF supports the organisations that are working hard to meet the needs of local people.

So often we hear about the big national organisations, which have a really important place in our sector, but we don’t hear about those smaller, community-based organisations and charities that really make up the fabric of civic society.

Our local community and voluntary sector often don’t have access to funding from higher wealth individuals, corporates, and the funding mechanisms that larger organisations can more easily access and that’s where HIWCF can step in.

HIWCF exists to represent communities across Hampshire, Portsmouth, Southampton and the Isle of Wight – and those are four massive communities – incredibly diverse, unique and varied.

across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. There’s a rhetoric that poverty is only in the North – but actually poverty i s in every single community whether that’s rural, urban, North or South and we certainly have our share of poverty, marginalisation and disadvantage across the region.

A big risk factor for us now is the continuous complexity of the external environment – we went from Brexit to a global pandemic, to a cost-of-living crisis and the sector, in places, is absolutely exhausted. Charitable organisations were on the forefront, supporting communities during the pandemic and then they came out of that and straight into a cost-of-living crisis where their own costs have rocketed.

The backdrop to this sees individuals who have always given generously to our community-based organisations thinking carefully about whether they can continue to be a donor because their own costs are being stretched.

However, one of the things that is unique about HIWCF is our leadership role within the sector and our knowledge of local communities and the need within them.

We work incredibly hard alongside our partners, local government, health, police, and civic society to make sure that we really understand how our communities are faring so that we can tailor our funding in a way that is most impactful.

Therefore, it’s really important for us as a board of trustees that we have varied representation in relation to demographics, age, ethnicity, gender, culture and heritage and so on, and also a wealth of different types of skills and experiences.

So, across our board of trustees, we have a diverse and wonderful group of individuals and I wake up every day feeling blessed at the wonderful talent that we have within our board.

One of the most common misconceptions is that we have little poverty or disadvantage

There is also a misconception that these issues can be easily solved, but issues such as social mobility, health inequalities and housing issues are systemic and not easily solved. Added to this, the cost of living is spiralling, and that’s even before we mention the impact of the pandemic, so we have so many different and complex issues in our society and there is no magic wand or ‘one’ thing that will solve these issues.

What our charity sector offers is a safe and a loving space, where people have knowledge and experience and where individuals can come and ask for help at whatever level that help is needed – I find that beautiful, and something I’m incredibly proud of.

We make a commitment to our philanthropists and corporate partners that their donations will be used in the most incredible and impactful ways, and you just have to visit our website to see the breadth of work that we’re engaged in and the lives that we are changing.

To find out more about HIWCF please visit hiwcf.org.uk or email info@hiwcf.com

‘Poverty is in every single community whether that’s rural, urban, North or South’

Rebecca Kennelly MBE, HIWCF Chair

Awards donations benefit foundation

Donations from guests at the Maritime UK Solent Awards 2022 have raised more than £1,000 for the Wetwheels Foundation charity.

Wetwheels was set up to ensure that everyone can access the water with a safe barrier-free, enriching experience, and was the official charity partner of the inaugural Maritime UK Solent Awards. The Awards, held at the Leonardo Royal Hotel in South ampton at the end of Maritime UK Week, celebrated the very best of the Solent’s maritime cluster.

Founder of the charity, Geoff Holt MBE DL gave the 250 guests an inspiring talk about the ground-breaking work the organisation has been carrying out for the last 12 years, providing disabled and disadvantaged people of all ages with access to the water.

With an ambition of supporting 12,000 people every ye ar, the money raised from the evening will enable the Wetwheels team to take up to 40 disabled people and their families out onto the water in 2023.

Geoff said: “We’re incredibly grateful to the Maritime UK Solent team for their support with amplifying our message on such a prestigious stage. We know that this money will contribute hugely to enriching the lives of the children and adults we work with."

Graham Barnetson, Vice-Chair of Maritime UK Solent, said: “It was a pleasure to welcome

Geoff and the team to the awards event. It was a fantastic evening celebrating the continued success of our world-class maritime sector, and inspiring to hear from Geoff about the

incredible work of the Wetwheels team in the Solent region, helping people who might not otherwise have the opportunity to experience the joy of being out on the water.”

Geoff Holt MBE, Founder of Wetwheels (front) with nominees and representatives for the Maritime Hero Award

Coaching expert supports Wendy’s South Pole adventure

By the time you read this, Wendy Searle will be safe and warm back home. However, as we write, she is heading to the South Pole to become the fastest solo, unsupported woman to ski there. Wendy has been to the South Pole before so much of the preparations were familiar to her but, this time, she knew she would need something extra for her record attempt.

“My last trip was all about physical preparation,” Wendy explained. “That’s huge but within reach if you put the training in. For this trip, I realised that I could make more little gains by focusing on my mental preparedness too. It was at that point, by happy coincidence, that I happened to meet Vicky Maddison.”

Vicky, coach and mentor at Maddison Coaching and Consulting, was pleased to be able to support Wendy. “Wendy has been great to work with as she’s wanted to explore techniques to improve her performance, not just for motivation but to help clear her mind and stay calm. I was also able to use my operational experiences to help focus on getting everything ready in time: communications, logistics and so on,” Vicky said. “Wendy understands that the brain is a muscle that needs training, so she’s been practising the techniques we’ve covered before her trip so she can use them when she needs them. We’ve even talked about what happens if she doesn’t succeed in her attempt, both in

terms of addressing possible obstacles but also coping with disappointment.”

With Vicky’s support, Wendy feels mentally ready for the record attempt. “Vicky has helped but I don’t think what we’re doing is unique to a physical journey, it’s about how you

navigate life’s journey in general. In a work context, it could be about ‘checking in’ with yourself. If you don’t have a mentor, having someone like Vicky can help you see the big picture. Facing challenges – any challengecan quickly become a negative spiral. I think we should all be working with someone like Vicky as a matter of course. It never feels unnatural, it’s always interesting and it’s about understanding yourself more so you can tackle any situation knowing yourself better.”

Vicky is happy to chat with any Hampshire Chamber members who feel they would benefit from her skills, either on a one-to-one basis or working with teams within the workplace. Chamber members also receive a 30% discount. Please contact 01794 341583 or email enquiries@maddisoncoaching.com

Vicky Maddison

‘Wendy understands that the brain is a muscle that needs training, so she’s been practising the techniques we’ve covered before her trip so she can use them when she needs them’

Wendy Searle

How to keep projects on track

Over budget. Over time. Under delivered. That’s the nature of many big business projects. Whether it’s the launch of new software, a transformation project, an internal restructuring, or the upgrade from on-prem to the cloud, the results are often the same. Underwhelming. So why is it so hard to get projects off the ground successfully and delivered on time? Simple. Lack of dedicated resource.

When undertaking major projects, it’s not enough to rely on internal IT and business teams. Plans stagnate, internal politics get in the way, and staff prioritise their day-today work over the long-term goal. As a result, the work loses its way and sense of direction. It's a reality that all businesses face, and it’s why projects take more time, cost more money and fall short of expectations. So what’s the alternative?

Interim project management

With over 30 years of experience I’ve helped organisations of all sizes deliver programmes and projects often in a recovery situation. My expertise can help your business deliver on its goals for 2023 and beyond by providing a set process, clear communication, and an outside perspective. Interested to find out more?

Get in touch for a one-to-one consultation.

Andy flies high with new position as CEO of GS Airports Ltd

AGS Airports Ltd, which owns and operates Aberdeen, Glasgow and Southampton airports, has confirmed that Andy Cliffe will succeed Derek Provan as Chief Executive Officer.

Mr Cliffe has extensive experience of the aviation industry having previously spent 19 years with the Manchester Airports Group (MAG) where he served as a member of the group’s executive committee.

During his time with MAG, Mr Cliffe held the position of Managing Director of East Midlands and Bournemouth airports. He also held senior positions across a variety of functions including finance, operations, commercial, real estate development, strategy and corporate development.

Latterly, Mr Cliffe was the chief executive of Midland Expressway Ltd which operates the UK’s only major toll road, the M6toll. Mr Cliffe took up his position at AGS on 1 January 2023 and will work closely with the board, chaired by Lena Wilson CBE, as it seeks to build on AGS’ position as one of the UK’s leading airport groups.

Lena Wilson CBE, Chair of AGS, said: “We are looking forward to welcoming Andy on board in the New Year. His track record within aviation speaks for itself, particularly his experience of leading and developing regional airports. The board and I will work alongside Andy as we continue our journey of regrowth post-Covid and balancing the undoubted economic and social benefits AGS delivers with our commitment to growing sustainably.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Cliffe said: “I am relishing the opportunity of joining AGS and leading the group into the next chapter of its development. Having worked in the sector for almost 20 years, I fully recognise that the success of airports and the regions they serve is intertwined. Not only are they enablers for the success of other industries, they create much needed employment and drive wider prosperity. I am looking forward to getting started and working with the teams, business partners and wider communities served by Aberdeen, Glasgow and Southampton airports.”

“I would also like to thank Derek for his commitment and leadership during his time at AGS and for supporting the Board as we worked to appoint his successor.”

Derek Provan, CEO of AGS Airports, added: “I feel honoured to have had the opportunity to lead this fantastic business and to have worked with the dedicated and committed people who make AGS. I now leave the business in a strong position and in the hands of a very experienced and capable chief executive and wish Andy and the business every success in the future.”

‘I fully recognise that the success of airports and the regions they serve is intertwined’

Andy Cliffe, CEO AGS

Derek Provan

Over a decade of growth for leading telecoms provider

Hampshire-based engineering telecoms provider Maincoms initially focused on the installation and maintenance of Mitel, Avaya and Samsung on-premise solutions.

Eleven years of growth has proved an established and loyal maintenance base who have embraced the move to cloud-based telephony, adopting additional products and services along the way.

Maincoms extensive knowledge across many telephone systems, from on prem, hosted or via MS Teams has enabled them to provide a sought after white labelled engineering service to facilitate and help plan installation and support to tech companies across the UK that lack their engineering expertise’s and resources in house.

on-premise solutions to Gamma hosted. It has been a key focus to increase the Gamma Horizon Seat count and provide a more flexible remote hosted solution which Gamma has allowed us to do slowly and steadily. Becoming a Gamma Gold and Technical Alliance Partner demonstrates our commitment to the Gamma portfolio.”

Louise Fairley, Partner Programmes and Engagement, Gamma, commented on this achievement: “We’re excited to welcome Maincoms as both a new Gold and Technical Alliance Partner, building upon our existing successful relationship. This achievement further differentiates Maincoms from other channel partners in what can be an extremely tough market. This achievement is a credit to Maincoms long-standing relationship with Gamma and reflects criteria such as achieved revenue, technical expertise, and customer service.

The programme will open some further exciting benefits including accreditation badges, full access to premium features on the partner marketing portal Gamma Accelerate, campaign consultancy and annual marketing funding.”

Lance Gearing, Managing Director, Maincoms said: “Since becoming a Gamma partner in 2016, we have seen the number of on-premise telephone systems reduce and a massive increase in hosted telephone sales. Being an engineering focused telecoms supplier has allowed us to build a trusted client base and now 95% of our sales are hosted solutions with a steady stream of upgrades from our legacy

Leading supplier of Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) in the UK, German, Spanish and Dutch business markets, Gamma, operates an awardwinning four tier Partner Programme. To gain these new Gamma accreditations, Maincoms needed to meet several high-level objectives and requirements.

‘Being an engineering focused telecoms supplier has allowed us to build a trusted client base’

Eastleigh College learners in double cooling awards scoop

Eastleigh College alumni Gemma Dormer and Luke Haile have claimed prestigious awards in national refrigeration competitions.

Gemma became the first female to win the RAC and IOR National Student of the Year prize in the Cooling Awards 2022. It follows on from previous impressive wins earlier this year where she took home both the ARC News and ARC Journal Award. Luke picked up the RAHCP World Skills UK Award in the BESA Awards 2022 and will be further competing in the RAHCP World Skills UK National Finals later in November.

Gary Appleton, Assessor in Engineering at Eastleigh College, said: “I had the pleasure of witnessing Luke getting his award and it was extremely well deserved. The achievements of these two gifted learners truly shows the depth and breadth of upcoming talent in the refrigeration industry and can hopefully inspire more to consider a career in this important trade.”

Gemma joined Eastleigh College in 2019 as an apprentice, working with a number of

different refrigeration businesses before settling with J & E Hall International, who she has been with for the past 18 months. J & E Hall International have over 125 years of refrigeration expertise and at one point had installed more than half of the world’s cargo refrigeration.

whom encouraged me to make the leap this year. I look forward to continuing my strong progress in the industry and would also like to mentor other new upcoming talent going forward.”

Luke’s Eastleigh College journey also began in 2019, where he undertook a full Diploma in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning alongside an apprenticeship with Lightfoot Defence. Lightfoot Defence have been developing cutting edge refrigeration military solutions since 1885 and having completed his studies earlier this summer, Luke has now progressed onto the role of Junior Technician in the company.

Gemma commented: “I am very proud and honoured to receive this award, I have been shortlisted twice previously, so it shows that perseverance is key. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the support of my employers and my trainers at Eastleigh College, all of

Luke commented: “Winning the RAHCP World Skills Award is an absolute honour. To further reach the World Skills UK National Finals reflects my ability to problem solve, process information and successfully interpret diagrams - the guidance of my tutors has been invaluable to my success in these areas. The future is far reaching in this industry as we collectively seek to adapt to the threat of global warming.”

‘The achievements of these two gifted learners truly shows the depth and breadth of upcoming talent in the refrigeration industry’

Award winners Luke Haile and Gemma Dormer collecting their awards

Meachers joins partnership to reduce Solent emissions

decarbonisation initiative to substantially reduce CO2 emissions from industry, transport and households across the Solent and the south coast of England.

The Solent Cluster is a cross-sector collaboration of international organisations, including manufacturers and engineering companies, regional businesses and industries, leading logistics and infrastructure operators and academic institutions, with decades of proven expertise in carbon capture and storage and hydrogen technology.

Meachers, signed up as a member at the launch event alongside founding members the

details of their vision for the Solent and how it could secure existing jobs and produce lowcarbon fuels for sectors including maritime and aviation, as well as providing energy to heat homes, businesses, and public buildings. This effort could position the Solent at the centre of low carbon fuel production in the UK and make a major contribution to the country’s Net Zero ambitions by 2050. The project could capture approximately three million metric tons of CO2 every year.

Gary Whittle, Commercial Director of Meachers Global Logistics said: “We are delighted to show our support to The Solent

societal and environmental benefits to the Solent region and helping it become a major contributor to the UK’s Net Zero ambitions.”

Anne-Marie Mountifield, Chief Executive of Solent Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “Decarbonisation is at the heart of our economic strategy for the area and the creation of The Solent Cluster will sit alongside our ambition to pioneer approaches to climate change adaptation and decarbonization, linked to our coastal setting, and establishing real expertise which other regions - nationally and globally - can learn from. The Solent Cluster will provide a

Allied

Office Machines makes workshop donation

Allied Office Machines have been supporting Southampton Special Purpose Workshop for the last 10 years.

Southampton Special Purpose Workshop (SSPW, www.sspw.co.uk) is the longest established private and independent day service provider for adults with special needs in Southampton. It was founded in 1993 by Jim Parker as an alternative to the traditional day services. The main workshop in Portswood is divided into four areas: woodwork, garage, craft and a canteen. The group also includes a farm in Durley and a shop in Woolston.

SSPW always tries to find meaningful, useful and enriching activities for their clients.

To help with one of these activities, Allied Office Machines donate all their old photocopiers to SSPW. The clients take part in the whole process where they come and collect the copiers, load them onto a trailer and take them back to their workshop. Here the equipment is stripped down and all metal components are prepared for recycling while the clients learn about the different types of metal and copier parts. Once completed, all the metal parts are sold to a scrap yard.

This generates an income for the recreational fund, which is used to fund trips

to museums and other fun activities chosen by the service users.

Sean Parker, Service Manager at Southampton Special Purpose Workshop, commented: “We have been proud to provide the day service for the last 25 years and many clients rely on us. It was very difficult with Covid where we had to close our doors. We still offered door step visits, phone calls and activity packs as our service is vital for some of our vulnerable clients. It is great to be fully open again and provide the full range of services which enhance our clients’ lives.”

Steve Drayson, MD at Allied Office Machines, added: “We are very happy to donate our old equipment to SSPW. It’s reassuring to know that the old upgraded equipment is not only put to good use but is also fully recycled and helps to fund the worthwhile activities for the clients of SSPW.”

Jamie Paulton from Allied Office Machines and SSPW team

platform for the excellent work that is already taking place and the partnership has a unique opportunity to affect real change in energy production and consumption, establishing the Solent and wider region as a leading centre for low carbon investment now and in the future.

“This is an important opportunity to decarbonise the Solent Region, and we are proud to be a part of this collaborative effort

multiplesectors,’’ said Dan Ammann, President of ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions. “We look forward to working with our founding members and others to develop a compelling project.”

The Solent Cluster could enable organisations to bid for government investment support for projects to decarbonize the Solent region and realise the benefits that can flow to the region’s businesses and communities. Dr Lindsay-Marie Armstrong, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Academic Cluster Lead for the Solent Industrial Decarbonization Cluster at University of Southampton, said: “The Solent is recognised as one of the leading

approximately 3.2 million metric tons of CO2 emissions released from energy-intensive manufacturing processes every year. To form a decarbonisation cluster that spans the public, private and higher education sectors is a monumental step forward for the region.

“It will introduce sustainable fuels for local transportation, the aviation and the shipping sectors; create low carbon energy to heat homes, businesses and public buildings; and open up new highly skilled jobs opportunities. This can only be achieved by working together as a community, covering all sectors and ultimately working with the same desire to achieve a low carbon economic future for the Solent region.”

‘We are delighted to show our support to The Solent Cluster by announcing our membership to this important partnership’

Gary Whittle (pictured)

,

commercial

director

of Meachers Global Logistics

WSX Enterprise awarded for innovative business support

WSX Enterprise Ltd is delighted to announce they have won the award for Enterprise Support Organisation of the Year at the Annual National Enterprise Network Awards (NEN) 2022. It was presented for their innovative approach to business support, particularly recognising the success of their Transformational Business Support model.

The award seeks to recognise organisations who have established and maintained recognition and impact within their local communities this year. Applicants were asked to demonstrate sustainable and resilient business models which will enable their organisation to continue providing enterprise support into the future.

Peter Grant, Chief Executive of WSX Enterprise said of the award: “I am delighted that all the hard work of our staff and the positive impact we have had with businesses across the South has been recognised on the national stage.

“Supporting new and existing businesses and developing their potential is the lifeblood of what we do and this award will only serve to make us more determined to help sustain businesses in this difficult economic environment.”

The judges, who included Darren Farnell, Managing Director, Head of Telephony & Support, Barclays and Liz Barclay the Small Business Commissioner said of the WSX entry: “It was clear from their application that WSX are very forward thinking, very current and future focused. Their offer to entrepreneurs and businesses is comprehensive and shows that they have created a resilient and sustainable transformational business support model which includes online learning resources which are available 24/7, live events and webinars”.

Established more than 10 years ago, the NEN Awards celebrates excellence in delivering enterprise support and encouraging the exchange of good practice and the development of improved services and organisations. Winners and nominees were recognised for their passion, steadfastness and adaptability.

The event was held in person on Friday 25 November, for the first time in three years, at Barclays in Canary Wharf. With Declan Curry hosting the event, attendees celebrated the outstanding contributions that members across the enterprise support sector are making.

Robyn Brookes of WSX Enterprise being presented the award by a representative from Staffordshire University, sponsors of the Enterprise Support Organisation of the Year Award

‘I am delighted that all the hard work of our staff and the positive impact we have had with businesses across the South has been recognised on the national stage’

Law firm announces senior Southampton promotions

Inumber of senior promotions in Southampton, including three new Managing Associates and one new Associate.

Amy Prime, in dispute resolution, and James Macmillan and Amie Kelsall, in real estate, have been promoted to Managing Associate. Meanwhile dispute resolution lawyer Jenny Gibbs has been named associate.

Amy works in WBD’s commercial dispute regulatory team and has experience in a broad range of contentious matters. Amy also plays an active role in the delivery of innovation across the firm, supporting WBD’s ambition to become a market disruptor by providing outstanding client service delivery through innovation. Last year Amy led on the creation and implementation of WBD Clarity, a safe and secure online solution aimed at delivering a cost-effective response to manage data subject access requests. The initiative was recognised at last year’s FT Innovative Lawyers Awards.

managing their real estate portfolios as well as investors in their full property life cycle, from acquisition and management of the asset through to disposal. James is also experienced in the secured lending process over real estate portfolios from acquisition to re-financing.

Jenny works in WBD’s commercial disputes and regulatory team and has experience in commercial dispute resolution in the energy and technology sectors. She also specialises in data protection and cyber security disputes.

The good news in Southampton is part of a wider raft of promotions with 28 promotions announced across WBD's UK offices. Last May, the firm also announced 13 partner and legal director promotions, including three new partners based in Southampton.

Amie advises clients on real estate requirements and specialises in investment work throughout the whole life cycle of the asset. Amie has significant experience dealing with acquisitions and disposals of high value multi-let investment assets, sale and leasebacks and asset management across key sectors as

Paul Stewart, UK Managing Partner, said: “We want our people to enjoy long and successful careers with us and we work hard to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to develop, grow and be rewarded for their success.

“Congratulations to all of our new associates and managing associates on their well-deserved promotions. They have all made fantastic contributions to our business and their talent, expertise and excellent client service deserves to be recognised."

‘We work hard to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to develop, grow and be rewarded for their success’

Paul Stewart, UK managing partner, Womble Bond Dickinson

increase their energyefficiency

How can businesses and lower their costs?

Low Carbon Across the South and East (LoCASE) provides grants to help businesses increase their energy efficiency and develop and promote green goods and services.

Energy Reduction

With autumn fast approaching and substantial energy price increases happening, it is essential for businesses to look at all possible measures to reduce energy use.

Replacing lighting is an obvious low cost option with high returns in terms of savings. The LoCASE programme has supported many SMEs to replace old style strip lighting with LED systems which generally result in savings of 60-8 0%.

The bigger the building (like warehouses), the bigger the savings! LoCASE has recently supported a football club to replace inefficient and expensive to run flood lights, helping them to reduce their costs and improve their facilities whilst tackling their carbon footprint.

Heating costs are much the same, using gas or electric portable heaters which are generally inefficient compared to infrared heat ers, replacing aging gas boilers for electric ones with added zoning controls. Air or ground source heat pumps work well in suitably insulated buildings to provide greater energy savings than using older gas boilers.

Fuel costs have stabilised but remain higher than in 2021, so moving your fleet to electric vehicles can also provide good savings and help promote your green credentials. LoCASE has supported an SME to replace a diesel van with two e-cargo bikes, saving thousands of pounds each year in fuel costs and other fees. Other SMEs are buying second hand cars, vans and taxis to reduce their business costs and drive down their local environmental impact..

We are also seeing high demand to support solar projects from sports clubs, village halls, charities and other businesses to reduce the day to day use and cost of grid supplied electricity, with some using battery storage to support

energy use in the evenings. With LoCASE grant funding helping to reduce the overall project cost, the return on investment can be made in just a few years.

Green Goods and Services

LoCASE also provides funding to help promote green goods and services, whether that be electricians promoting heat pump or solar installations, dou ble glazers promoting increased energy savings in their products or those in manufacturing working to develop new goods that need extra R&D support or marketing to help promote a new product launch.

Steps to Environmental Management - a free resource

The aim of this free business support is to facilitate the reduction of carbon emissions across the South and East by providing training, tools and resources to small and medium enterprises to implement an environmental management system or plan. This is delivered by the LoCASE partnership across three levels: Blue, Silver and Gold. Each

SME completes a stage, moves on to the next level and achieves accreditation. Check out www.locase.co.uk for more information.

The Low Carbon Across the South and East Programme has been funded by the European Regional Development Fund. It is a partnership between the Kent County Council, Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council, East Sussex County Cou ncil, Essex County Council, Isle of Wight Council, Portsmouth City Council, Rushmoor Borough Council, Southampton City Council, Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, Surrey County Council, Test Valley Borough Council, Thurrock Council, the University of Brighton, the University of Portsmouth, West Sussex County Council, and Winchester City Council.

CHAMBER NEWS

ADVICE, NEWS AND UPDATES FROM THE CHAMBER

LSIPs work to put employers at the heart of skills planning

Project teams behind two Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) have begun collecting and analysing evidence ahead of a three-year strategy designed to give Hampshire employers a much stronger voice in the planning of essential skills provision.

Led by ‘employer representative bodies’ and funded by Government, LSIPs aim to align post-16 technical education and training more closely with local labour market needs.

A fundamental priority in the process is to bring employers together with colleges, other education providers and a range of interested stakeholders who can support delivery of the plan. LSIPs reflect the geography of local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) so there are two in Hampshire, covering the Solent and the Enterprise M3 areas. Hampshire Chamber of Commerce is the designated employe r representative body in the Solent and is supporting Surrey Chamber for Enterprise M3.

Project Leader in the Solent is Claire Froggatt, experienced in further education

policy, skills strategies and partnerships, who has been seconded from Hampshire County Council.

“LSIPs are all about putting the voice of the employer at the very heart of skills planning,” explained Claire. “We have a unique opportunity in developing LSIPs, giving employers, through the representative bodies, a clearer, more direct role in explaining the priorities for change and shaping skills provision in a structured way.At the same time, colleges and other education providers are empowered and incentivised to flex their activities to meet the skills needs that employers articulate.

“The aim is to make a positive difference to productivity, competitiveness and growth while ensuring local people have the skills training they need to take advantage of opportunities in the workplace.”

Under the LSIP ‘road map’ set down by the Department for Education (DfE), Claire is busy gathering data and insight to inform a highly detailed picture of where skills gaps exist in the fast-moving Solent labour market for an initial draft report in March 2023.

After consultation, a full report will then be submitted to Government in summer 2023 with the aim of guiding the Solent’s skills strategy over the coming three years. Pending approval, the report will be published by the Secretary of State and the plan put into practice, ensuring all interested parties are aware and education providers embed LSIP priorities in their curriculum development.

Claire’s task is to make a compelling case that identifies the skills gaps in the Solent, expresses the priorities of employers, reflects learner demand and sets out ‘actionable solutions’.

“LSIPs present us with a great opportunity to support employers to navigate the skills system and make sure it is fit for purpose,” says Claire. “It is strategically important that DfE is funding employer representative bodies to lead this. The fact that it is now businessled is really exciting.

“The data capture stage will help to ensure we have a solid, accurate evidential basis to guide action on the ground over the three years of the plan.

IT’S ALL ABOUT SKILLS

...as local colleges welcome the creation of Solent LSIP

Leading figures in Hampshire’s further education community have welcomed the move to create LSIPs. While Chambers of Commerce are the ‘employer representative bodies’ on the plans, colleges have a pivotal role to play in how they are shaped and deployed.

Andrew Kaye (pictured), Principal and Chief Executive of Fareham College, said of the Solent LSIP: “It will be an important catalyst for businesses and the region’s colleges to come together to shape the technical skills system in response to skills shortages.

“Businesses in every sector describe challenges in securing the skills they need. There are many reasons for this, from advances in technology, an ageing workforce or rapid growth.

“The LSIP will further develop collaboration between colleges, working with businesses to deliver a collective response to those identified skills needs.

“Importantly, the LSIP will support future investment into the skills development most needed in the region.”

Andrew’s comments were echoed by Anthony Bravo, Principal of Basingstoke College of Technology, who said of the Enterprise M3 plan: “I absolutely welcome the LSIP as it will allow different organisations to collaborate on better solutions for employers on a regional scale, providing them with the skills they need.

tend to stay loyal if they have the right support. We assist employers in many ways, through help with funding, support for learners’ mentoring, safeguarding training and guidance on how to support learners in the workplace. We can also provide bespoke programmes to help employers and add extra units to take an apprenticeship into the next level of management.

Register today to be part of a once in a generation opportunity to transform skills and training provision.

“I encourage Chamber members and other Hampshire businesses to follow what we’re doing and engage with us. There are events happening across the county to which all are invited. You can find out more via the QR code above. My immediate message for businesses in the Solent as we go through this preparatory phase is to start thinking of your needs and be ready to come forward and talk to us about where you see skills gaps, what difficulties in recruitment you face and what you feel needs to be done to improve matters.

“I want to reach employers of all sizes and in all sectors. The Chamber’s role means it already has strong links across the business community in the Solent so we have a fantastic starting point to work from. In helping to ensure that skills provision matches employer demand more accurately, LSIPs can be seen as a conduit between employers and training providers, strengthening existing relationships and creating new ones. There will always be emerging gaps, but the skills system needs to be agile and responsive so that change can be actioned quickly in response to changing need.”

“At Basingstoke, we already have employer links that are second to none in sectors such as catering, engineering, computing, care, automotive and public services. Every single course has employers attached to it.

“The LSIP will further strengthen our capacity to research and develop course material and offer an even broader range of resources and solutions to employers.

“It will be successful if we can cultivate strong engagement from the business community and together take innovative approaches to recruitment and retention.”

Around 600 employers offer apprenticeships in collaboration with Farnborough College of Technology and University Centre Farnborough. Altogether the college currently deals with 54 different kinds of apprenticeship at workplaces from the smallest of businesses up to international conglomerates. Around two thirds of employers are in engineering and construction but a range of other industries, from aerospace to hairdressing, offer places too.

Karen Morris, the college’s Associate Director of Apprenticeships and Business Development, is in Hampshire Chamber’s area strategy group covering Farnborough and provides a regular skills report for fellow members. Karen said: “The college has seen apprenticeship numbers double in 10 years. Many company owners have previously been apprentices with us themselves so they realise the value of apprenticeships. They know apprentices

“What employers ask for has changed and grown hugely over the past ten years. The government has done a good job and brought apprenticeships to the forefront of employment options in recent years. I encourage employers to speak to their local education providers and not be afraid to articulate their needs.”

Also welcoming LSIPs is Julie Milburn, Principal and Chief Executive of Sparsholt College Group, which includes Sparsholt College, Andover College, University Centre Sparsholt and Sparsholt College Services. Julie said: “We work with a wide range of employers to help individuals and businesses to develop the skills they need.

“In so doing, we have built a body of knowledge around partnering on skills strategies and industry-led projects.

“We are keen to play our part in supporting LSIP aims to ensure the further education sector continues to provide a pipeline of talent that will enable Hampshire businesses to grow and prosper and individuals can further their career aspirations.”

‘Around 600 employers offer apprenticeships in collaboration with Farnborough College of Technology and University Centre Farnborough’

Swooping in to save you money on your energy bills

Could you get a better deal on energy? Upload your bills here to find out if you can switch and save.

We are working with our funding partner Swoop to provide steps you can take now to safeguard your cashflow while the energy crisis spikes the cost of keeping your business running.

By uploading your energy bills to our trusted partner, Swoop, you’ll be on a state of the art tracking system to let you know whether you’re getting the best deal.

What does this mean? By uploading your energy bills, we will be able to provide you with the best short term (one year) and medium/long term (three-five year) options. We will provide you with a market summary and if appropriate, put you in contact with an advisor on how to switch.

Some energy providers are asking businesses to pay a deposit up front, which

may be due to a low credit score. Swoop can help you to improve your credit score, which will release these funds back to the business. Other solutions may involve accessing funding to make energy saving changes to your businesses equipment. Swoop can assist you in identifying what funding solutions may be appropriate.

The bottom line - there will be an energy cap introduced for businesses. However the problem is not going away. If you send your latest bill you will be put on to our system, given the feedback on where improvements may be made, and then be able to make an informed choice on how you want to act.

Take the first step by scanning the QR code and uploading your energy bill to Swoop and let us see if we can help protect your cashflow.

Find funding solutions with the Finance Finder platform

Many businesses are struggling to navigate the current funding landscape as interest rates climb.

The Chamber Finance Finder platform simplifies and speeds up the funding process, matching member businesses with the right funding solutions across loans, equity, and grants.

Register for a free account and within minutes, you could be matched to all funding opportunities available, including grants for innovation and progress towards Net Zero. You will also find innovative products such as VAT loans and invoice finance alongside traditional loans and asset finance.

It’s quick and easy to check your eligibility and progress via the Swoop portal.

Visit the Chamber Finance Finder using the QR code.

Chamber members will have access to several exclusive benefits, including:

Five days a week chamber hotline

Dedicated chamber hotline five days a week from 9am to 5pm to support your members.

Free financial health assessment

Speak with a funding manager to assess potential savings and funding solutions.

Templates and advice to aid applications

Let our funding advisors guide you through your application to increase your chance of success.

Finance updates

Monthly content and updates on the funding landscapes to keep you and your members up-to-date.

Marketing support

Refreshed marketing supports and initiatives to continually serve your members.

No better place to put your dollar

Discover why the United States is the top investment destination

By Dr. Frank Levene (pictured), Principal Partner at Blue Link Worldwide

America has always provided foreign investors a stable and welcoming market. Offering an entrepreneurial-friendly environment and a quality of life culture, it is the least complicated business economy to get access into. With its low taxes, transparent legal system, outstanding infrastructure and productive workforce, the United States offers not just an opportunity to thrive, but access to the world’s most lucrative consumer market. For UK businesses looking for a home run into a major market, investing in the US has many advantages.

Size matters

The US economy is still growing. With 379 million people and an astonishing $21 trillion GDP, America offers the largest consumer market on earth. Household spending is unmatched, accounting for nearly a third of global household consumption, and free trade agreements with 20 other countries provide enhanced access to hundreds of millions of additional consumers. In its 2009 Global Competitiveness Report, the World Economic Forum ranked the US first out of 134 economies.

Robust consumer market

One of the greatest appeals for foreign investors to operate in America is to be closer to their suppliers and customers in a dynamic market, as well as the free trade agreements allowing unparalleled access to diverse markets around the world. The United States accounts for 42% of the global consumer goods market, with a per capita disposable income of $32,000. The UK is by far the leader in investment, especially in key market sectors from energy, security and healthcare, to financial, engineering and creative industries.

Education and technology

Of the top 10 universities in the world, six are in America. A further 4,000 of its universities

and colleges attract over half a million international students each year. Not surprisingly, US companies are leaders in technological advances and innovation, prompting the World Economic Forum to rank the US first for innovation, labour market efficiency, and sophistication of business operations. It also provides foreign investors a strong regime of intellectual property rights protection and enforcement.

A roadmap to success

Although many UK businesses make a great success of opening for business in the States, some will fail because they do not have the correct internal alignment. Happily though, with the correct guidance, almost all of the obstacles and pitfalls can be safely navigated. Typical issues to get right might include: Leadership – setting up project management and assembling experts; Entry Plan – market research and dependencies; Legal – corporate structuring and contractual terms; Immigration – ensuring appropriate Visas; Insurance – mitigating the risks of US litigation; and so on. Basically, Americans love to buy from Americans, and if their companies just happen to have a British pedigree, then so much the better.

Date for your diary: Tuesday 21 March USA – Are you missing an opportunity? Webinar in partnership with Blue Link Worldwide.

Ease of doing business

As well as speaking the same language as UK investors, the US is a hospitable country, geared toward fostering new ventures. Hosting the most developed, liquid, and efficient financial markets in the world, the US offers a wide range of funding sources and is consistently ranked among the best internationally for supporting business. Since the Reagan administration, foreign investors have always received non-discriminatory treatment and compete on an even playing field with Americans.

The right people

Diverse, educated, skilled, innovative, and mobile, the US workforce is among the most productive in the world. Its output per hour is more than 30% above the OECD member country average and is perfectly placed to meet the needs of a 21st Century economy. But perhaps the greatest endorsement for expanding into the States is that one million Americans already work for UK companies.

For further information and or to register your interest please email jacqueline.highmore@hampshirechamber.co.uk

POLICY

CHAMBER POLICY

REPRESENTING OUR MEMBERS LOCALLY, REGIONALLY AND NATIONALLY

EM3 leads regional response to the global Jet Zero challenge

Enterprise M3 LEP brought together key stakeholders of a newly formed Jet Zero Cluster at Farnborough Airport, in Hampshire, to identify regional strengths in three important areas for greener aviation.

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), advanced materials and airport operations including hydrogen fuel storage, are crucial in meeting the Government’s Jet Zero Strategy.

The workshop was the second EM3 Jet Zero Strategy event, with representatives from aerospace businesses, trade bodies, local authorities and universities – all part of the internationally renowned Farnborough-based aerospace cluster.

During the workshop Mark Sanderson, Group Corporate Responsibility Manager at Farnborough Airport, spoke of how the airport has plans to achieve Net Zero emissions within its direct and indirect control by 2030 or sooner.

This will result in a 91% reduction of emissions with Farnborough being the first airport in the world to offer SAF, which can reduce life cycle CO2 emissions by up to 80%.

Ayantika Mitra, Business Strategy Director, TISICS Metal Composites, spoke of how materials technology has the potential to transform CO2 reduction in aviation.

She said this presents a significant growth opportunity for UK aerospace with the EM3 region well positioned to capture a significant proportion of growth markets. Ayantika emphasised collaboration is key in capturing

growth opportunities, providing green jobs in aviation’s transformation to Net Zero. Keen to include partners beyond the EM3 area, Stuart Baker, Business Development Manager, Solent Local Enterprise Partnership, was invited to discuss the recently launched Solent Cluster Decarbonisation Initiative, while Tom Carnay, Strategic Innovation Programme Lead, from University of Southampton shared information about opportunities for funding cluster development.

Sue Littlemore, Joint Managing Director for EM3 who chaired the workshop said: “There is a tremendous amount of fantastic work going on based in and around Farnborough and resonating out across the rest of the EM3 area and beyond, which we should shine a light on.”

“The Farnborough Aerospace cluster clearly has great strengths in research, innovation and business development and we look forward to working with the range of partners to lead the way in ensuring the aviation sector meets the Jet Zero targets, and the Farnborough-based regional aerospace sector is recognised as a major contributor to those goals.”

If you would like to know more information about EM3’s work with the Jet Zero Cluster please email information@enterprisem3.org.uk

‘We look forward to working with the range of partners to lead the way in ensuring the aviation sector meets the Jet Zero targets’

Q3 insolvency figures paint a worrying picture for businesses

Chighest level in a decade, according to R3, the trade body for restructuring and insolvency professionals in the South and Thames Valley.

The Q3 2022 corporate insolvency figures for England and Wales, which were published by the Insolvency Service on 28 October, were 40.3% higher than Q3 2021 and 27.9% higher than in Q3 2019:

• There were 5,595 seasonally adjusted corporate insolvencies in Q3 2022, a fall of 0.9% compared to Q2 2022's figures of 5,645 and a 40.3% increase compared to Q3 2021 (3,987). Q3 2022’s figures were also 27.9% higher than Q3 2019’s figure of 4,375.

• Personal insolvencies decreased by 4.9% to 27,927 in Q3 2022 compared to 29,361 in Q2, and were 2.3% higher than Q3 2021's figure of 27,302. Q3 2022’s figures fell 12.4% when compared to Q3 2019's total of 31,864.

Garry Lee, Chair of R3’s Southern and Thames Valley region, said: “Two years of economic turbulence are translating into a rise in corporate insolvencies.

“Government support paused rather than prevented the economic effects of the pandemic from leading to more businesses entering insolvency processes, but now that support has ended, we’re starting to see numbers exceed pre-pandemic ones.

“Although the figures show a quarterly fall in corporate insolvencies – driven mainly by a reduction in Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidations and administrations, as well as the summer bringing the traditional slowdown in inquiries and appointments – they are still the second highest quarterly figures for corporate insolvencies in a decade.

“Despite the quarterly fall in Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidations, figures for this process are higher than this time last year, the highest we’ve seen in Q3 for 10 years and close to the highest figure we’ve seen since 1960. Compulsory liquidations have also risen compared to the last quarter and are at the highest level since before the pandemic.

“The cause of the increases in figures for these processes is a perfect storm of directors running out of road and creditors being able to pursue unpaid debts after the temporary legislation designed to deter this ended in the summer.

and restructuring services department at professional services group Evelyn Partners’ Southampton office, added: “It seems inevitable that numbers will increase in the coming months as the state of the economy, increased costs, and people’s reluctance to spend money because of the cost of living deals a further blow to those businesses that have struggled since the beginning of the pandemic.

“We urge anyone who is worried about their finances to be brave and seek advice. It’s incredibly hard to talk about your money worries – whether that relates to your business or your personal circumstances – but having those conversations while your worries are new generally leads to more options and a better outcome than if you’d waited until the situation worsens.

“Most R3 members will offer an hour’s free consultation to potential clients to allow them to understand more about their situation and outline the potential options for improving it.”

‘We urge anyone who is worried about their finances to be brave and seek advice. It’s incredibly hard to talk about your money worries’

Why your pension isn’t just for retirement

By Adrian Russell, Financial Adviser at Webster Associates

Most people are not aware that Defined Contribution Pensions can be used for purposes other than providing them with income for retirement.

In fact, some people have planned to not use their Pension for retirement at all. Instead, they are choosing to use it as an intergenerational wealth planning tool and pass their pension funds onto someone else once they die. This can occur over multiple generations and presents a unique wealth generation tool.

For example, the pension may pass to a spouse who perhaps doesn’t use all the capital.

Under current legislation, the remaining funds can be passed to their children, who may then decide to leave it for their children - and so on, indefinitely.

How does this work?

Your pension is a trust and all funds held within it are excluded from your estate for inheritance tax purposes. Think of your pension as tax efficient investment account with a built-in ability to provide the capital saved in it to someone else, should you die and the opportunity for future generations to benefit.

Furthermore, if you die before age 75 then beneficiaries can draw on the capital tax free.

What’s the catch?

Of course, there are drawbacks to pensions. For example, there are limits to the amount you can contribute to a scheme on an annual basis and the amount that can be held within the wrapper itself. These conditions do not mean that a pension isn’t an efficient and simple method of investing for your future or leaving money to those important people around you.

GREEN BUSINESS

CELEBRATING HAMPSHIRE FIRMS TAKING THE STEPS TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY

Wightlink praised for sustainability

Wightlink has won recognition for its ongoing campaign to reduce carbon emissions and encourage environmental initiatives. The Isle of Wight ferry operator has won the ‘Communicating Sustainability’ award from the Southern Sustainability Partnership and was presented with a trophy by Chris Packham at a ceremony in Southampton.

Since Wightlink’s hybrid energy flagship, Victoria of Wight, entered service on the Portsmouth-Fishbourne route in 2018, the company has embarked on a major programme to review its operations and operate as sustainably as possible.

By combining conventional engines with powerful batteries, Victoria of Wight’s carbon emissions are 20% less than other similar ships. Across the company Wightlink has cut emissions by 47% since 2007 and has ambitions for its next new ferry to be all-electric.

Wightlink’s achievements have already attracted national attention. The

Government’s Transport Decarbonisation Plan showcased Victoria of Wight as a pioneering example of sustainable transport, as UK shipping aims to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. In addition, the Cabinet Office interviewed senior master Captain Sam Mitchell for a video on sustainability ahead of the COP26 gathering of world leaders in 2021.

generate electricity, wooden cutlery has replaced plastic knives, forks and spoons and single-use plastics are eliminated whenever possible. Electric vehicle (EV) charging points have been installed and solar power generation is being explored. Wightlink buys from island companies wherever possible, encourages local schools to carry out environmental projects and links with scientists from the University of Portsmouth, the BLUE Marine Foundation and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.

“We are thrilled to receive this prestigious award,” says Wightlink Chief Executive Keith Greenfield. “While Wightlink always operates as sustainably as possible, we are also committed to spreading the word about the importance of reducing carbon emissions both within the shipping sector and further afield.”

Across Wightlink, almost nothing goes to landfill, 99% of rubbish is recycled or used to

Wightlink has also achieved a Silver Award from Green Tourism, the largest and most established sustainable certification programme in the world. This scheme recognises businesses’ success in working responsibly, ethically and sustainably, contributing to their community, reducing their impact on the environment and aiming to be accessible and inclusive to all visitors and staff. To achieve accreditation, Wightlink was graded against criteria, covering areas such as energy and water efficiency, waste management, biodiversity and social involvement and communication.

‘This scheme recognises businesses’ success in working responsibly, ethically and sustainably’

FastCat Captain Christian Ktomi (centre) and his crew Andrew Wishart, Eva Sprude, Pawel Wisniewski and Victor Fernandes celebrate winning a Big Sustainability Award

FOCUS FEATURES

AN IN-DEPTH LOOK INTO THE KEY BUSINESS SECTORS OF THE REGION

SKILLS

The business benefits of an apprenticeship

By Sam Lunn, Head of Apprenticeships & Work-based Learning - Aspiral Team, Basingstoke College of Technology

The growth and success of any business depend on its workforce. Developing a team of the right people with the right skills ensures stability for the future as well as opportunities to expand and even diversify.

With a skills shortage in almost every industry, businesses must re-evaluate how they can acquire relevant skills across all levels. Apprenticeship programmes are a proven and successful way of meeting

that skills gap and future-proofing an organisation’s future.

Over the past five years, more than 1,700 apprentices have entered the workforce gaining valuable experience and new skills through programmes at Basingstoke College of Technology. As one of the largest providers of apprenticeships in the south and working with both large and small employers across all industry sectors, we can see what benefits apprentices bring to the individual but also the host business.

Nurture your talent

Hiring an apprentice is a productive and effective way to grow talent and develop a motivated, skilled and qualified workforce. Apprentices are far more likely to stay within your business than other employees, regardless of the industry. The programmes empower young people to take ownership of their careers and with the opportunity for further development, this often leads them to stay committed and loyal to your business for longer.

Apprenticeships display clearly defined routes for career progression, and their next step in the company is outlined from the beginning. This can reduce recruitment costs and improve staff retention in the long term.

Motivate and upskill existing staff

Bringing new people who are eager to learn and progress into the company can often stimulate existing staff, helping them to be more productive.

Introducing apprenticeship programmes to existing staff can also have the same effect – continuous learning and development can unlock potential in even the most demotivated employees. In 2019/20, 47% of apprenticeship starts were by people aged 25 and over, which suggests that apprentices are becoming a professional development pathway for those in existing employment.

Improve your productivity

Apprentices are enthusiastic about the qualification they’ve chosen and want to do well. This motivation can lead to a boost in productivity, indeed 74% of employers have said apprenticeships helped them improve the quality of their product or service while 78% of employers said apprenticeships helped them improve productivity.

Match the skills of employees to the skills you need Apprenticeships can be tailored to suit your needs,

meaning you will get the skills you require for your business - 86% of employers say apprenticeships helped them develop skills relevant to their organisation.

Through our Aspiral Team, we work with you to analyse and identify the right apprenticeship solution for your business. We will help you advertise and secure the right applications for the role, ensuring the programme is designed to be the best in your industry. The need to offer flexible working solutions is more prominent than ever before. We’ve helped a number of employers offer Flexi Job Apprenticeships. This allows the apprentice to secure multiple short employment contracts directly with businesses that support the requirements of the apprenticeship. Supported by their training provider, the apprentice takes their learning and progress with them as they move between employment contracts (perhaps with a gap between each) and change employers.

This has been particularly successful nationally with construction trades and we are currently promoting this option to small and medium local employers.

Increase your diversity

Apprenticeships offer businesses an ideal opportunity to improve diversity across the organisation. Apprenticeships are open to people of all ages, backgrounds and career levels, which enables employers a greater opportunity to go into the community and reach out to more women and more people with BAME backgrounds, and raise their awareness of apprenticeships and encourage them to take them up. Through our experience, we have seen that apprenticeships work best when they are embedded into the fabric of recruitment and workforce strategies. By putting apprenticeships at the heart of your workforce planning, you can increase staff motivation, keep staff for longer and be more productive. The benefits are there for all to see.

Visit www.bcot.ac.uk/apprenticeships or call 01256 306237

‘Apprenticeships can be tailored to suit your needs, meaning you will get the skills you require for your business’

Working to raise aspirations and unlock potential

By Helen Mitchell (pictured), Apprenticeship Manager at Sparsholt College Group

Sparsholt College Group (SCG) consisting of Andover College, Sparsholt College and University Centre Sparsholt is a thriving community of students studying a variety of post-16 to master’s level courses including over 30 apprenticeship standards.

Apprenticeships are currently in a very exciting position in the post-pandemic era with Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak making apprenticeships a key element of the government’s Covid pandemic recovery plan. Employers are reconsidering their need for apprenticeships as they look more and more for creative solutions such as workplace training as a recruitment tool to tackle gaps in industry skills shortages. With these factors in mind, apprenticeships in England have returned to prepandemic levels and are continuing to grow with industry demand.

Unlocking potential

At SCG, members of our dedicated Apprenticeship Team offer advice and information about the benefits of the apprenticeship programme, something we believe in wholeheartedly as we employ several apprentices of our own in many areas across our campuses.

By working closely with each employer to find the right student for the apprenticeship, employers can find the right staff to fulfil their specific business needs and feel fully supported by the apprenticeship team who also mentor both employer and apprentice throughout their placement. This working relationship places our employers right at the heart of our college community where they have been for over 120 years, and we continue to commit to helping employers to build skills pipelines and develop a confident and capable future workforce to meet the needs of the industries we and they represent.

Raising Aspirations and advancing futures

In an ever-changing and fast-paced world, our learners must be suitably prepared to take advantage of opportunities that allow them to thrive. SCG recognises our obligation to work with each learner so that they can access a curriculum designed around the needs of the industry so that they progress and excel in their chosen field, and to flourish in wider society.

An apprenticeship can be undertaken whether you’re starting your career, want a change or you're upskilling in your current job role. You can have a previous qualification like a degree and still commence an apprenticeship. At SCG we offer a fantastic choice of apprenticeships in a wide variety of professions and are continually conducting labour market intelligence to

CASE STUDY

Eleanor Animal Care & Welfare Assistant Apprentice at Sparsholt College

Initially I put myself forward for this role as it seemed like a great way to start working with animals while also studying for a qualification at the same time.

I am a very hands-on person and the idea of going back into full time studying didn’t appeal at all but this job offered the best of both roles. When I first started I remember being so nervous. I’d never been around many larger animals let alone handled them! Within the first hour on day one I had placed a head collar on one of the Jersey cows and taken her for a walk, something that then became one of my daily highlights as the cows proved themselves to be a firm favourite of mine!

Looking back now I remember first handling each of the animals, the warning from colleagues to be mindful of the pigs when cleaning them out for instance, and I compare this to the recent months where being mindful of an animals behaviour become instinct. I loved my time on the farm – I have learnt so much.

I have been so lucky to work and study at a farm with such varied animals. I had a massive variety from llamas, alpacas, goat, sheep, ferrets, rabbits corn snakes and bearded dragons; and of course not forgetting my favourite – cows! To name just a few! I was able to learn a variety of handling skills, routine treatments such as foot trimming and shearing, alongside more novel things such as

vaccinating animals and halter training cows. I believe this variety helped me become more confident within myself and my skills. It has also provided me with a huge range of skills relating to different species, something which my current employers picked up on during my interview.

Sparsholt College helped me to learn the knowledge behind everything. With my experience and my college qualification I have now been able to gain a job as a Patient Care Assistant within a Veterinary Practice.

I would recommend anyone wishing to learn some new skills who maybe like me isn’t looking to (or maybe isn’t able to) return to full time education to seek a role as an apprentice.

There are so many different apprenticeship roles in a huge variety of companies, and I have a new-found appreciation for anyone who has been an ‘apprentice’ as it isn’t always easy juggling work and life and studying all at once!

develop our offer in new and exciting standards to provide learners with wider course choice such as the new Content Creator at our Andover Campus in 2023 and our first of many Higher Apprenticeships with University Centre Sparsholt starting the Countryside Ranger standard in March 2023.

Email apprenticeships@sparsholt.ac.uk or call 0845 850 0916

The fight for business

Right now, businesses are closing through no fault of their own. From the global pandemic, war in Ukraine and rise in energy prices, to localised issues including Brexit, political instability and increases in the cost of living and tax liabilities, UK businesses are having to navigate the eye of a perfect storm. So what happens when things get difficult? Head of Litigation at Dutton Gregory Solicitors, Andrew Witt (pictured), explains.

It started with the closure of hospitality in 2020. Just when the sector was in recovery from Covid, soaring energy prices and people reducing their spending has dealt another killer blow and caused a ripple effect through suppliers of food, furniture, laundry, business support, etc.

The Commercial Property sector is adjusting to a fasttrack evolution, Retail is coping with the public having less money, and everyone is suffering from an unpredictable and weakened economy. At the end of the day, if outgoings of a business are higher than its income, it is no longer viable and there is a widespread misconception amongst business owners that having a Limited Company protects them from any personal liability. Even if a business fails, individuals have responsibilities to creditors.

This is when a licensed insolvency practitioner can conduct a review of a business and advise upon an appropriate course of action:

Corporate Voluntary Agreement (CVA) Creditors can agree to be paid a percentage of what is owed rather than potentially receiving nothing. Any

CVA needs the approval of the majority of creditors and will be subject to the supervision of an insolvency practitioner. An agreed amount will be paid over a period of time.

Administration

A company may have some value in its brand or intellectual property that would be attractive to a third party. Administrators will look for buyers that could agree to take on some of the liabilities, provide liquidity and save jobs.

Liquidation

Insolvency Practitioners will be appointed to wind up the company’s affairs and try and realise monies for the benefit of creditors. Liquidation can result from directors recognising the company cannot continue or a Winding Up Petition being presented by creditors (including HMRC if tax has not been paid.)

Contd on page 56...

Lawyers such as myself can introduce clients to insolvency practitioners and then assist in the process as may be necessary, such as securing the appointment as Administrators. We can help pursue or defend claims and assist with negotiations between directors and creditors.

More recently, we have been asked to review advice given by financial advisers and accountants to companies about the application and use of “Bounce Back Loans”. Introduced by the government to help businesses during the pandemic, they were subject to certain criteria and had to be used appropriately. In some cases they were not, professional advice was incorrect and directors who misused the loans now face a personal liability to repay the money.

It’s the same for dividends, which should only be declared and paid when a company makes sufficient profit. If business owners have been advised incorrectly, there may be a Professional Negligence Claim.

The next 12 months will be hard, but it is important to remember that professionals can offer help and support, as well as protect and sometimes help save a company.

Andrew

01962 624477 or at a.witt@duttongregory.co.uk

For companies still doing business, my tips for 2023 are all about good credit control:

Be proactive and quick in debt recovery

Review credit terms and policies (e.g. ‘Money on Account’ and ‘Payment on Delivery’)

Witt is a Partner and Head of Litigation at Dutton Gregory Solicitors, a law firm with Hampshire offices in Southampton and Winchester, as well as Dorset and London. He can be contacted on

Getting your business ready for a new year

Preparing for the next 12 months (and beyond) will help your business create a sustainable foundation for growth. We could be in for a challenging year, so having realistic goals in place and a plan to achieve them will enable you and your team to stay agile and focused. GetSet Solent helps businesses grow and develop effective strategies to find new customers, access finance and increase their resilience for the future. Getting your business off to a great start in 2023 is crucial as GetSet Solent explains.

What are the advantages of strategic business planning?

Understand where you are now

The first step of strategic business planning is an analysis of your current situation. To do this, you must evaluate your company’s financial performance, sales success, resource needs and efficiency of processes and systems. It’s a valuable time to also reflect on what has worked and what hasn’t and why. Once you know where you are, you can start plotting where you want to take the business, and how to get there. It’s important to know your company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats – a SWOT analysis is a great way to establish what these are.

Navigate your way to success

Having a business strategy sets the direction for your company. It creates a clear roadmap to follow and targets to aim for over the next 12 months or beyond. Its success relies on planning resource requirements, the sales and marketing efforts needed, the systems and processes relied upon and the quality of your financial forecasting. What will it cost to implement your plan? Make sure you know what that cost is, and that there is a return on your investment. You might need to access financial support through business grants or loans to achieve your goals.

Inspire your team

A business strategy helps keep your employees focused and driven. Cultivating a drive to achieve within the company and celebrating its successes, creates more job satisfaction. Make sure you communicate all components of your plan and allow for feedback; you may be able to enhance it by listening to the ideas of the wider team. Once your staff are invested in your business plan, you’ll all be on the same track – giving you a greater chance of success. More brains are better than one, your team can help generate new ideas, opportunities, and solutions along the way to success.

Make the best decisions

Without direction and a sense of purpose, it’s difficult to assess the merit of a certain decision. It’s also tricky to take advantage of the best opportunities and allocate resources effectively. There are also benefits to being able to respond quickly to, for example, changing market conditions or rising supplier costs. Also like any good plan, it may need adjusting along the way. This means being flexible and agile when you need to be, helping you to stay ahead and continuously move your business forward.

Know what success looks like

By having clear quantitative goals, you’ll know what you’re aiming for and what success looks like. It’s important to track progress and evaluate performance, so you can determine where you are on your journey to success and deal with any problems along the way.

Having clarity with your objectives will also help hold you accountable and it’s worth being aware of the ramifications if you don’t hit a target and having a contingency plan in place.

So those are the advantages of strategic business planning. You’ll be taking control and making success happen rather than letting your business drift along without purpose or relying on luck.

Getting started is easy and if you need finance, it’s worth knowing that having a business plan is often a requirement when applying for a business grant or loan.

And remember, help is at hand if you need external support to guide you through the process. A third-party is often more objective and able to ask the critical questions to challenge your thinking to ensure you have a robust business strategy for future growth.

To find out more about the GetSet Solent programme and 2023 Kick start business planning workshop register your interest today - visit www.getsetforgrowth.com/solent/contact

EVENTS

SEMINARS AND EVENTS

THE LATEST LIST OF CHAMBEREVENTS TO HELP YOU NETWORK AND GROW

As we enter 2023, we are more than aware that businesses will be seeking out new strategies and opportunities to overcome the urgent challenges around the skills agenda, inflationary pressures, and geopolitical events.

As your voice of business, we have organised a series of events to help assist you with the upcoming challenges and guide you through the opportunities available, ensuring your business can not only survive but also thrive.

Meeting business contacts through events and informal social gatherings is rapidly becoming the most successful method of building relationships and creating new business. As well as networking being key at our events, we also welcome industry experts and guest speakers to tackle the hot topics.

Remember, as membership is corporate any employee or partner of your business is welcome to attend. If you aren’t attending our events, you should make it your goal for 2023!

January- March 2023 Events

Unlocking Hampshire Potential

Date: 19 January Time: 17:30 – 20:00

Pure Networking @ Fareham College

Date: 24 January Time: 16:30 – 18:30

Health and Wellbeing at the heart of your business

Date: 31 January Time: 09:30 – 11:00

Portsmouth and South Coast Business Week 2023 Launch Event Date: 6 February Time: 08:30 – 11:30

Meet the Chamber @ Portsmouth Football Club

Date: 7 February Time: 09:00 – 11:30

Future Portsmouth – The Future is Green Date: 10 February Time: 08:00 – 10:30

People Planning in a Moving Market Date: 22 February Time: 11:00 – 14:00

Increasing your Business Online Visibility Date: 28 February Time: 08:30 – 10:00

TRAINING

BOOST YOUR WORKFORCE WITH CHAMBERTRAINING

BUSINESS TRAINING WORKSHOPS

Learning, development, and upskilling within organisations has proved challenging for several years.

Through our members and providers, we continue to develop and evolve our training programme to deliver top of the range training courses at affordable rates.

International Trade plays a huge part in Hampshire. With two major ports and an airport, businesses located in the region, as well as the Solent Freeport, have fantastic links to Europe and beyond.

We can offer a wide range of training courses to ensure that those who are involved with import and export receive the training that they need to operate efficiently and effectively.

We work closely with our members to develop new and informative courses and workshops which we know will upskill your colleagues. Whether this be through Marketing, Sales or Engagement and Motivation, we only use our trusted members, who have the experience and knowledge to help your colleagues and business grow.

For more information on all our training courses, please visit our website.

January- April 2023Training Courses

Understanding Export

Date: 25 January Time: 09:30 – 12:30

Import Procedures Date: 7 February Time: 09:30 – 12:30

Documentary Letters of Credit

Date: 8 February Time: 09:30 – 12:30

Preferential Rules of Origin Date: 21 February Time: 09:30 – 12:30

Leadership & Management

3-Part Course part 1 Date: 21 February Time: 10:00 – 13:00

Inward/Outward Processing Date: 22 February Time: 09:30 – 12:30

Incoterms Rules Date: 23 February Time: 09:30 – 12:30

Customs Procedures & Documentation

Date: 7 March Time: 09:30 – 12:30

Social Media for Beginners Date: 8 March Time: 09:30 – 12:30

Kickstart Your Marketing Date: 14 March Time: 12:30 – 14:00

Leadership & Management 3-Part Course part 2 Date: 21 March Time: 10:00 – 13:00

Methods of Payment

Date: 22 March Time: 09:30 – 12:30

Leadership & Management 3-Part Course part 3 Date: 18 April Time: 10:00 – 13:00

SECTOR FOCUS

NEWS AND ADVICE FROM THE SECTORS THAT MATTER TO BUSINESS

Take a journey by sea back into the past

Steamship Shieldhall is tucked away in Southampton Western docks, moored between the gigantic containerships and the world’s largest ocean-going liners. Shieldhall is unique as a time capsule providing a working example of steamship machinery both above and below deck, typical of the cargo and passenger ships that plied the oceans of the world from the 1870s until the mid 1960s.

She is one of the last reciprocating steam engine ships built, using technology that dated back to the last quarter of the 19th Century and which was obsolete at the time of her construction. She spent her working life as one of the Clyde sludge boats, making regular trips from Glasgow down the River Clyde to dump treated sewage sludge into the Irish Sea.

In 1976 after 21 years of service, Shieldhall was laid up and then bought by the Southern Water Authority to carry sludge from Southampton to a designated area south of the Isle of Wight until she was withdrawn

from service in 1985. Since that time the ship has been restored and now maintained by Steamship Shieldhall Charity.

Despite being 68 years of age, operated and maintained completely with dedicated volunteers, this heritage ship is the largest working steamship in Northern Europe and possibly, the world. A member of the National Historic Fleet she serves as a sea going tribute to Britain’s maritime heritage.

You too can experience the golden age of steam by booking on an excursion or visiting her in Southampton. As part of your Shieldhall experience, see the impressive engine room with its original steam engines at work and the bridge, with its traditional instruments and gleaming brass work.

From June through September the ship carries up to 200 passengers on public sailings and for private hires. During the off season the ship is based at Berth 110 in the Western Docks Southampton and is now available for alongside hires, providing an exciting venue for celebrations with ample free car parking close by. It offers a fully licensed bar and catering options. For corporate events, the ship is a unique venue for business meetings and training seminars.

As all events include guided

tours of the ship’s Engine Room, Navigation Bridge and accommodation; guests are guaranteed to enjoy a memorable occasion onboard.

Steamship Shieldhall also offers tremendous facilities for filmmakers. The deck layout is spacious and flexible. The Boat Deck has removable weather shields and is an excellent camera platform.

For further information about Steamship Shieldhall please visit www.ss-shieldhall.co.uk

‘You too can experience the golden age of steam by booking on an excursion’

Visitors to Steamship Shieldhall can visit the engine room and boiler room

How T-Levels can help engineer careers

By Alan Vallis, Training & Development Group – LG Motion

With most of us being aware of apprenticeships, and with many understanding that the historic ‘framework’ has recently transformed into a ‘standard’, perhaps only a few are aware of the new ‘T-Levels’an alternative way to gain employable skills.

As part of the re-vamping of technical education in the UK, in 2016 Lord David Sainsbury and his panel of experts agreed numerous recommendations to align training to meet the requirements of industry.

With the assistance of hundreds of companies, T-Levels have been constructed, and in September 2020, the first courses were rolled out in schools and colleges. For 2022, there is expected to be over 20 courses, covering industries such as agriculture, catering, engineering, science and many more.

Previously the choice for the budding engineer to learn the trade would be to undertake an apprenticeship, or to study the topic full-time at college or university. This is where the T-Levels are taking the next step – for a Level 3 qualification, there is a requirement for 45 days of industry experience over the courses two-year duration. That’s 315 hours’ worth of opportunity for the learner to practically reinforce and enhance the knowledge associated with the 17 units covered in the engineering theory. This enables the employer to bring on new talent, developing the student in the values and ethos of the company (should the opportunity arise for employment at the end of the course). And this is where the commitment comes in.

IT’S ALL ABOUT

SKILLS

From the student: a desire to learn, to be flexible, to adopt current practices and demonstrate the ‘soft skills’ in tandem with the practical ability.

From the employer: It quite something to say that you will partake in the nurturing and development of a 16–19-year-old with potentially no industry experience. There’s the insurance to think about, Health & Safety implications, and the supervisory constraints that overseeing the gaining of skills will undoubtedly

have an impact on productivity.

Being asked by Basingstoke College of Technology (BCoT) to assist in their T-Level program has encouraged us to question why this company exists.

Of course, businesses by their very nature seek to make a profit. But that can be viewed as the foundation that the business sits upon. On top of this foundation stands the service to the community, the satisfaction that the employees can earn a living, and undoubtedly some of the wages will make their way back into local services. For this continuation, new staff will need to be sought, and this new talent will bring along new, fresh ideas –often seeing how new technologies could improve efficiencies.

We are planning to interview those that apply, and the chosen learners will receive the introduction into this field that they deserve. T-Levels were conceived to fill the gaps in skills and knowledge. We will certainly be playing our part in making this vision come to life.

Would you climb a mountain without training?

Frances Fawcett, at International Trade Matters, discusses why training is critical for any business.

Most people would agree that training is important in life to carry out tasks successfully and, in some cases, safely. No one sensible would attempt to scale a mountain without undertaking training first. They would be putting their life in danger.

The same is true in business and training brings significant benefits as well as enabling people to carry out tasks properly. Training is beneficial for organisations and employees alike. For organisations it delivers more efficiency leading to increased profitability, improved employee satisfaction and morale, and helps with accreditations valued by customers and other stakeholders. Consider this – are your people trained to meet the requirements that keep your company safe and well run? Organisations have statutor y compliance requirements to meet and must ensure their staff are trained on exactly what that means.

training programme has operated since 2013 and can lead to the BCC Foundation Award in International Trade. This is a nationally recognised, NVQ 2 equivalent, qualification.

There are 11 modules in the programme, and each offers a credit towards the award. Six credits are needed to receive the award, but it may be that some roles only need two or three. Not everyone completes all the modules required for the award and that is completely fine. It is important that training is undertaken which is relevant to someone’s role. Imagine undertaking that mountain climbing training but not going near a mountain for a year or two. There is a reason training in topics such as safety and first aid need to be r efreshed periodically –you forget knowledge if you don’t

have the opportunity to put it to use.

In addition to the BCC Award, bespoke training is also considered a good option by many businesses. If the qualification isn’t as important as the knowledge, a training programme built around your international trade activities is often more time-efficient and cost-effective.

We are in turbulent times in the international trade arena. Not only are we coming out of a global pandemic, but we are also settling into the realities of trading postBrexit and countries around the world are experiencing challenging economic times.

Now is therefore a critical time to ensure your staff have the skills

Positive feedback from our customers:

“Great Course. Very Helpful. The trainer was well informed.”

“The trainer was so easy to listen to and explained everything perfectly.”

“Well experienced, knowledge of the trainers was excellent. Definitely worth it and absolutely necessary to take these courses for every business in international trading.”

they need. Here at ITM, we have always had a very flexible approach to training because we know that every company is different. We d eliver online public courses in partnership with Chambers of Commerce. We offer bespoke training either in-person or online that is tailored to the needs of individual companies, and even individual teams. Happily, our courses are well received by attendees. We monitor feedback regularly and continually develop the materials and the content. Imagine our delight when we recently reviewed feedback and found that over three quarters of attendees gave us an overall rating of “Excellent”.

For individual employees, undertaking training increases their worth, improves performance and morale and makes them more valuable now and in the future.

For some years, International Trade Matters Ltd has been working with Hampshire Chamber of Commerce to build and deliver the British Chambers of Commerce international accredited training courses. The

“Mike was an excellent presenter. His knowledge and his style of delivery was very good.”

“Very clear and well executed by Frances.”

“It was a great experience - informative and interactive and I felt able to get bespoke answers and info to address my particular needs.”

“Would like to thank Frances for this training, it's given me a better understanding keep up the good work :)”

“Mike was absolutely brilliant. so much knowledge he has.”

Businesses large and small are facing challenging times now. It is therefore critical that your teams can work as skilfully and effectively as possible to increase your productivity and, as is always so vital, ensure you are meeting your compliance obligations. Some would say that current global challenges give many businesses a mountain to scale. Let us help you gain the skills to scale that mountain safely and successfully.

‘It is important that training is undertaken which is relevant to someone’s role’

Are Model Articles suitable for your business?

By Raksha Aggarwal (pictured), Corporate Solicitor at Clarke Willmott

Articles of association are the internal rules which set out the basic management and administrative structure of a company.

Model Articles are the standard default set of rules which a company can adopt.

Model Articles will not be suitable for all companies and therefore companies can either amend the Model Articles or adopt bespoke articles.

A recent High Court decision has clarified some uncertainty around Model Articles being suitable for sole director companies, which was prompted by a decision earlier this year in the case of Fore Fitness Investments Holdings Ltd. Fore Fitness suggested that any company incorporated with unmodified Model Articles could not operate with one director.

In the recent case of Re Active Wear Limited, the court ruled that an out-of-court

administration appointment, instigated by a sole director of a company with unmodified model articles, had been able to operate from incorporation with only one director.

Although the decision in Re Active Wear will be welcomed by sole directors with unmodified Model Articles, the position in Fore Fitness may still apply to a company with Model Articles that have been amended to include a specific quorum requirement.

Going forward, if a company intends to operate with only one director, the articles should be drafted in a way that makes this clear. Sole directors who previously acted alongside codirectors may need to review their company articles of association.

Given that some uncertainty remains, sole-director companies, or any companies which may operate with a sole director, should consider whether it is

necessary to amend their articles of association in the meantime.

Clarke Willmott can review company articles and discuss any implications current articles have on a company for sole directors. They can also assist with drafting new articles of association, any associated ancillary documents and filing them at Companies House. Further, they can advise

generally on structuring a company to ensure that it can operate effectively in light of the For Fitness and Re Active Wear decisions.

Clarke Willmott LLP is a national law firm with offices in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, London, Manchester, Southampton, and Taunton.

IT’S ALL ABOUT

SKILLS

Apprentices add value to a business

The Bank of England recently forecast the country’s longest recession since records began, suggesting the downturn that began in the third quarter will likely last deep into 2024.

In these challenging times, apprenticeships can be a huge benefit and add real value to a business. There are lots of myths around apprenticeships and many businesses aren’t aware of how much value apprentices can add and the support available to take on an apprentice.

Data from the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) website shows 90% of apprentices stay on after completing an apprenticeship, and with their skills being tailored to the specific job role you’ve given them, it means you’re effectively training a new employee to think and act in the interests of your business from day one.

Fareham College are one of the biggest providers of apprenticeships in the region and they work closely with employers to ensure training is in line with what is needed by the industry.

Contracts Manager for R&W Limited, James Poole, said: “The training apprentices receive at the CETC site is massively beneficial. Individuals arrive onsite with all the required tickets and accreditation to go straight out to work. The construction and civil engineering workforce is ageing, and an apprenticeship programme is vital to ensure the continued supply of highly skilled individuals.”

Mitchell Pink, a Level Two Apprentice with R&W, continued: “Fareham College has helped us massively fast-forward our apprenticeship. We will have all the tickets and training we need when we go onto the site. During the apprenticeship, we rotate between CETC and onsite with our employers, enabling us to put our skills into practice in the workplace.”

Here are some myths about apprenticeships and the actual facts….

The myth: Apprenticeships are just for teenagers

The truth: Statistics show that more than 50% of people who started an apprenticeship in England this year were aged 25 and over*. Whether you are just starting out, upskilling, or looking for a major career change, there's an apprenticeship for everyone.

The myth: Apprenticeships are only in limited subjects

The truth: In 2020/21 there were more than 78,000 apprenticeships in science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) in England*

The myth: There is only one type of apprenticeship

The truth: There are five levels of apprenticeships available (Levels 2 to 7) which all have a corresponding, recognised educational level. While Intermediate Level 2 is equivalent to 5 GCSE passes at grade A* to C , Levels 6 and 7 are equivalent to a bachelor’s or master’s degree*.

The myth: We can’t afford to take on apprentices

The truth: The government pays the vast majority of apprenticeship training and assessment fees for apprenticeships offered by small businesses. In fact, 98% of businesses pay a maximum of around 5% of the training costs towards an apprenticeship, with the Government covering the remaining 95%. The other 2% of businesses pay into the apprenticeship levy – a tax on large employers used to fund essential training and development.

If you’re unsure where to start with apprenticeships but want to explore how apprentices could fit into your business or need help recruiting apprentices, there is support available at Fareham College. Business Plus is Fareham College’s specialist department offering high-quality information, support and guidance for employers and organisations. You can reach them at 01329 815153 or by emailing business@fareham.ac.uk

An innovative safety solution designed to prevent fires

By David Vincent, Managing Director, Sporting Edge UK Ltd

AHampshire company has developed a remarkable solution that completely prevents firessimply using air.

Specifically, air modified to contain a little less oxygen and a little more nitrogen. When this novel atmosphere exists in a room it is simply impossible to start a fire in there. Even when fire is deliberately started outside and introduced, it is quickly extinguished by the ‘air’ already in the room. No detection is required. No suppression system has to activate – it’s 100% reliable.

High value, irreplaceable or mission critical assets can be completely protected from fire – a human analogy would be rather like being vaccinated against disease compared to allowing the disease to occur, then hoping to be able to cure it. This amazing ‘Hypoxic Air’ effectively vaccinates the room against catching fire.

What’s even more remarkable is that this super protective environment has a very similar oxygen availability to the air we breathe on a commercial flight or when skiing. It’s even the same oxygen availability that many serious athletes use for “Altitude Training”, so not only does it cause no harm to persons ¹, it is actually beneficial for the vast majority of people. Yet it won’t allow fire!

This is puzzling as we’ve all seen woodburning stoves burning happily when we’re enjoying an ‘après-ski’ in the so called ‘thinner’ mountain air. But, it turns out that if you simulate this altitude by altering the molecular composition

of the air to achieve the same oxygen availability, something amazing happens – at the equivalent of around 2,200m it becomes impossible to start a fire. Yes, impossible. There is also a secondary benefit in that the reduced oxygen environment causes less degradation to many types of organic materials such as paper, parchment, inks and colourings.

The UK Government and a number of world-class organisations ranging from National Libraries to Cold Stores, from Data Centres to Museums, are now using this unique form of protection to remove completely the risk of fire, protecting not only the items inside the building, but also the buildings themselves. Whilst there are operational guidelines, these environments are perfectly safe for long term occupation and so they can be used in active operational areas as well as closed off archives.

Often far cheaper than traditional suppression systems to install, the systems can be implemented in any room or building where the protected space can be well sealed from other zones or the outside world. Using only electricity as the source of energy, the systems can be seriously green and – if used in conjunction with an energy recovery system – very cost effective to operate.

1 A small number of personnel with certain serious medical conditions should avoid any reduced oxygen environment and so access for these people should be monitored and/or controlled.

NEW MEMBERS

Paultons Park, the UK’s Number one theme park attracts over one million visitors a year to Hampshire. Set within 140 acres of landscaped gardens, it has become not only one of the area’s leading visitor attractions, but also the UK’s. Located just off the M27 with free parking, we offer a range of solutions to companies looking for corporate hospitality.

From straight forward meeting space up to exclusive hire, we have options for any company of any size looking to take their staff offsite; or reward their staff and families with a memorable event.

An away day package is a great way to get the team off site. Comfortable meeting space, ride access and team building activities available in either a half-day or whole day package. Food options and drink reception packages are also available to refuel teams. For those companies wishing to reward their employees and families, our Family Fun Day or Exclusive Evening packages are a great way to bring everyone together in a social format.

Full Park access available with a daytime package, or for those wanting exclusivity, our £14m land Tornado Springs is available to hire for either a summer or winter gathering.

For more details, or to arrange a site visit, email corporate@paultons.co.uk

Essential Members Charity Members

Be There Global (UK) Limited

Martin Shepherdly Emsworth www.bethereglobal.com 01243 939793

We are online conference and event experts. From design and production of hybrid and virtual events, to the intricate and fastchanging technical practicalities of delivering a live stream to your participants’ screens. We have every aspect of your online congress, conference, webinar or training course covered

EXL Project Management Ltd

Lloyd Exley

Newport, Bridge Road, Bursledon, Southampton, Hampshire, SO31 8AL 07725340410

EXL are multi-discipline Project Managers specialising in Land, Property and Construction. We offer end-to-end management from concept and land assembly, through Town & Country Planning to construction and sales.

Flude (West) Ltd

Shannon Dodds

Atlantic House, 114 Kingston Crescent, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO2 8AL www.flude.com 02392 629000

Flude Property Consultants are an independent, regional firm of Chartered Surveyors regulated by the RICS who specialise in advising clients who own or occupy real estate. The firm provides a range of services to include lettings and sales, property development and investment, asset management, lease advisory, valuations, business rates advice and property management.

ISON Travel Management

Lindsey Hanwell- Rowell

Arena Business Centre, Threefield Lane, Southampton, Hampshire, SO14 3LP www.isontravel.com 020 3657 9738

ISON Travel is a UK-based travel management company with a global reach. We pride ourselves on our bespoke service and our expert response teams are available 24/7, looking after our client’s every need. Business travel with a personalised service.

Loganair Limited

Colin Gracey

Lightyear Building, 9 Marchburn Drive, Glasgow, PA3 2SJ www.loganair.co.uk 0141 842 7171

Loganair Scotland’s Airline is the UK’s longest established and largest regional carrier offering fast, frequent services connecting Southampton, Edinburgh , Glasgow & Newcastle. Luggage is included free, great business/commuter fares, a generous reward scheme Clan Loganair & complimentary inflight service.

The Content Consultancy

Kate Llewellyn Basingstoke www.thecontentconsultancy.com 07736942348

The Content Consultancy offers consultancy and copywriting services for websites, blogs and other digital marketing assets, alongside the running of The Content Club – an online membership group – supporting members to ensure their content is working hard for their business.

Brain Tumour Research

Julie Lax

Suite 37, Shenley Pavillions, Chalkdell Drive, Shenley Wood, Milton Keynes , Buckinghamshire, MK5 6LB www.braintumourresearch.org 07538 510138

Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer. One in three people know someone with this devastating disease. I support local companies and individuals raise money, funding research into finding a cure.

Safe New Futures

Nina Kelly Southampton www.safe.org.uk 02380179590

Choices Training and Development run bespoke Transforming Mindsets programmes, enabling the workforce to be more engaged, helping managers to drive through culture and change, thereby improving productivity and profitability for business owners. Your commission will support the charity Safe New Futures.

Speakers for Schools

Valentina Csaki

St Helen's, 1 Undershaft, London, Greater London, EC30 3DQ www.speakersforschools.org 02075 493694

Our aim is to end educational inequality by giving young people access to fantastic career education opportunities. We do this by providing schools, colleges and independent training providers with free employer-led workshops, enrichment activities and talks from inspirational figures

Youth Options

Carly Redwood Romsey www.youthoptions.org.uk 01794 525510

Youth Options believe passionately that every child and young person has the potential to achieve a better future. We are committed to supporting those who need it most, to engage, develop and become empowered to improve their life chances.

Membership is open to businesses of all sizes and from all sectors with packages starting from as little as £2.30 per week.

D7 Advisers Limited

John Kerner

Farnborough www.jkerner@d7advisers.co.uk 07706957201

Business Advisers, Business Management Consultants, Project Management

Front Page Advantage

Chris Pearson

Office 15 Century House, Vickers Business Centre, Priestly Road, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG24 9RA www.frontpageadvantage.com 01256517473

Website Marketing, Digital & On-Line Marketing, Digital Marketing

Fourtify Cyber Security Ltd

Byron Bucknall

Unit 53 Basepoint Business Centre, 1 Winnall Valley Road, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 0LD www.fourtify.co.uk 07704390453

Computer Security , Computer Services & Support, Security Consultants

Haslar Marina

Zoe Harrison

Haslar Road, Gosport, Hampshire, PO12 1NU www.boatfolk.co.uk/haslar-marinaportsmouth 02392601201

Hospitality Services, Marinas, Restaurants/Bars

Moon Roast Limited

Jo Coupland

Chilton Manor Farm, Chilton Candover, Alresford, Hampshire, SO24 9TX www.moonroast.co.uk 01256389996

Coffee Roasters, Tea & Coffee Merchants

Portsmouth Film Society - Southsea Community and Arts Centre

Hayriye Epengin

1-3 Palmerston Road, Southsea, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO5 3QQ www.portsmouthfilmsociety.org.uk 07854700126

The Academy of Beauty Therapy

Estelle Bentham

Four Marks www.theacademyofbeautytherapy.co.uk 07704186122

Educational & Training Establishments, Beauty Salons & Consultants, Training Services

The Marketing Centre

Christine Durkin Portsmouth www.themarketingcentre.com 020 80128281

Marketing Consultants

Universal Simulation Ltd

James Markey

Halpern House, 1-2 Hampshire Terrace, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO1 2QF www.unisim.co.uk 07375808817

Educational Equipment & Supplies, Software Development, Technology Education Equipment

Vesta E-Fashion Milenne Tanganelli Southampton www.vestaefashion.com 077917 66567