Chamber Connect Q2 21

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CHAMBER

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF

connect Sheffield City Region Chambers of Commerce

SPRING 2021

Rugby star backs tree planting campaign Welcome to Yorkshire launches new membership

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Contents Spring 2021 Making Connections 4

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James Muir, Chair of the SCR LEP, on the support available for businesses

Business News 7

Stimulus to kickstart recovery announced

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Helping people get back to work

10 Students take part in virtual work experience

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Yorkshire firm wins Covid-19 test contract

12 Supporting grassroots sports 14 Local leaders commit to reducing flooding risks 15 Fusion Camps keep children healthy 16 Rugby legend helps tree planting charity campaign 19 Another chance to fly with The Flock 20 Building a way out of recession 23 Documentary shows the strength of BAMER community 24 The risks of home working

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26 Support for entrepreneurs 27 Improvements approved for bus network

The SCR Chambers 31 Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber The Chamber reflects on the Covid-19 challenge 37 Doncaster Chamber Hopes for Doncaster’s high street as shops reopen

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43 East Midlands Chamber How landmark sites could drive the East Midlands’ recovery 49 Sheffield Chamber Interview with Anne-Marie Martin, Director Global Business Networks at the BCC

Features 57 Communications & Marketing The rise and rise of selling online 58 Video content you should be using in your business 61 Professional Services The benefits of the Cloud 62 Returning to work – what you need to know

Sector Focus 64 Legal Family lawyers welcome mediation vouchers 67 Corporate Hospitality Planning events in the ‘new normal’ 68 Finance How R&D tax relief can aid lockdown recovery 70 Manufacturing Manufacturer takes home another award 75 Skills & Training Sourcing the perfect apprenticeship Spring 2021 CHAMBER connect 3

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Making Connections

Welcome... ...to Chamber Connect

James Muir, Chair of the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, on the support available for businesses

Leading recovery and growth in the Sheffield City Region he past year has been a challenge for us all, but as we see more businesses able to open their doors once again, we can certainly have hope for the future.

At the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, we’re working closely with our Business Growth Hub, Mayoral Combined Authority, Local Authorities and Chambers of Commerce to ensure we support businesses across South Yorkshire, both new and established, to recover, renew and grow.

Throughout the restrictions of the past months, the impact on our business community has been severe, but we’re pleased to have supported more than 20,000 businesses across the region with over £30m of grants, and the support does not stop there. We need long-term investment in jobs, skills and infrastructure to drive our economic renewal, so in March we announced a new £860m stimulus to unleash

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our region’s potential as we recover from Covid.

With the past year having an unquestionable toll on our people, businesses and places, this is a huge opportunity for our public and private sectors to work together to deliver a new deal for South Yorkshire.

Young people across the country have been hit disproportionately hard by the impact of Covid, with 16-24-year olds most likely to have worked in severely impacted sectors and experienced job losses. The South Yorkshire Young People’s Pledge will support young people across the region to travel with discounted bus and tram fares, improve their skills and find work. The support we offer them now is imperative to their future.

We’ll also be spending £360m to fund South Yorkshire’s recovery over the next 12 months, creating jobs, revitalising high streets and town centres and protecting the environment as we

invest in infrastructure, new homes, apprenticeships, flood defences, and better transport links. From 2022, we will be creating the South Yorkshire Renewal Fund, worth up to £500m, to unlock investment and transform the region post-Covid through innovative investment in places, infrastructure, transport, jobs and skills.

As businesses have begun to reopen and rebuild, we’ve been seeing ever increasing interest in the growth, start-up and funding support offered by the Sheffield City Region Business Growth Hub, a very positive step forward. We are continuing to invest in the support we offer to businesses in South Yorkshire, with more Business Support Advisors now hired to work closely with SMEs across the region. The Growth Hub acts as a ‘gateway’ so businesses can access support when it is needed the most and within the shortest timeframe, with advisors offering guidance in business

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CHAMBER

connect The Official Publication of

Sheffield City Region Chambers of Commerce

Front cover: Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield See page 16

You can read the latest issue of Chamber Connect and view back issues online at: www.kempspublishing.co.uk/chamber-connect

Published by

Kemps Publishing Ltd Kemps Publishing Ltd Unit 8, The Courtyard, 707 Warwick Road, Solihull, B91 3DA 0121 765 4144 www.kempspublishing.co.uk Managing Editor Laura Blake laura.blake@kempspublishing.co.uk Designer Lloyd Hollingworth Advertising 0121 765 4144 jon.jones@kempspublishing.co.uk

development, innovation, growth, logistics, trade and exporting, and accessing finance or training.

Through our plans for the future, we are committed to backing our business community, helping our existing businesses to adapt and thrive post-Covid, and attracting new ones to locate and grow here. Working with our local leaders and all of us who live and work here, we are delivering on the priorities that matter to people in South Yorkshire and we will improve people’s lives.

There’s no shying away from the investment needed in both our recovery and renewal over the coming years, but this is an opportunity for us all to work together, across public and private sectors, to deliver the development our region needs. South Yorkshire’s best days lie ahead of us, and we should all share the confidence that we’re making our region an even better place to live, work and invest.

Printers Buxton Press The next issue of Chamber Connect will be available in August 2021

‘The impact on our business community has been severe’

CHAMBER CONNECT is produced on behalf of Sheffield City Region Chambers of Commerce by Kemps Publishing Ltd and is distributed to members without charge. The Chambers 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 Chambers 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 Chambers. 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. PRIVACY NOTICE: Kemps Publishing Ltd process personal information for certain legitimate interest purposes, which includes the following: • To provide postal copies of this publication to Chamber members and Kemps' customers; and • To offer marketing and promotional opportunities within this publication to Chamber members and prospects.

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Chamber Connect

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Business News

Dan Jarvis

Stimulus to kickstart recovery ayor Dan Jarvis and local leaders have approved a £860m stimulus to start South Yorkshire’s recovery from Covid-19 and unleash the potential of the region’s people, businesses and places.

The ground-breaking plan was approved at a Mayoral Combined Authority meeting in late March and heralds a ‘New Deal for South Yorkshire’.

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The package includes: • The South Yorkshire Young People’s Pledge. A promise by leaders to help the region’s young people get around with discounted bus and tram fares, with support to improve their skills and find work.

• Almost £360m funding for South Yorkshire’s recovery over the next 12 months, investing in infrastructure, new homes, apprenticeships, flood defences, better transport links – to create jobs, revitalise high streets and town centres and protect the environment.

• From 2022, creating the South Yorkshire Renewal Fund, worth up to £500m by drawing down the MCA’s gainshare funds to unlock investment and transform the region. This will roughly be split between £300m for places, including infrastructure and transport; and £200m for jobs and skills.

Mayor of the Sheffield City Region Dan Jarvis, said: “We are investing in South Yorkshire’s future. We will not be blown off course by Covid-19. We’re working to create a stronger, greener, fairer

South Yorkshire for all – delivering not just recovery, but renewal. Our plan sends a message of ambition and confidence: that South Yorkshire’s best days lie ahead of us, and that we’re making our region an even better place to live, work and invest.

“We are backing our young people: with a pledge to help them get where they need to be, to help provide the skills they need, and to create the opportunities they want.

We are backing our businesses: helping them adapt and thrive after Covid-19, and attracting new ones to locate and grow here. We are backing our places: with investment in flood defences, new, greener homes and revitalised town centres and high streets.

“Rather than Westminster calling the shots, it means local leaders and I can deliver on the priorities that matter to people in South Yorkshire and improve people’s lives. This is the power of devolution, and we will use to deliver a New Deal for South Yorkshire.”

Councillor Chris Read, Leader of Rotherham Council, said: “Protecting our local economy from the worst impact of the pandemic, while ensuring that we have measures in place to support jobseekers, businesses and communities to recover, is a priority for both Rotherham Council and the City Region.

“We particularly recognise the need to focus support on people entering the jobs market for the first time, with practical help for young people to develop skills and subsidised public transport to work through our Young People’s Pledge.

“I am delighted that we have agreed this comprehensive package which will contribute towards new and existing schemes, including town centre regeneration, flood defences, job creation and transport – demonstrating how the South Yorkshire devolution deal can deliver practical benefits to Rotherham residents.”

Cllr Sir Steve Houghton CBE, Leader of Barnsley Council, said: “Barnsley will benefit enormously from the £860m New Deal for South Yorkshire.

“It provides us with an opportunity to drive forward Barnsley’s future by investing in the areas that make a real difference to communities across the whole borough.

“We’re absolutely committed to helping the borough to recover and rebuild from the Covid-19 pandemic. Barnsley is a place full of possibilities, and later this year, we’ll launch Barnsley 2030, a partnership-driven ten-year strategy.

“This investment will help us bring aspirations to life, providing our young people, residents, communities and businesses with opportunities to grow and develop.”

‘Our plan sends a message of ambition and confidence’

Mayor of Doncaster Ros Jones said: “This funding will boost Doncaster’s recovery as well as delivering much needed investment in green infrastructure, travel, jobs and skills and revitalising our town centre with investment in homes, active travel routes and high-speed broadband. I am determined that Doncaster as a place won’t just recover from the effects of this pandemic, but will go on to thrive and provide opportunities for our people to flourish and succeed.

This is a great example of how devolved spending can deliver for the whole Doncaster borough.”

Councillor Bob Johnson, Leader of Sheffield City Council, said: “In agreeing this deal, we are taking our future into own hands and using our money to invest in a scheme that will protect jobs; supporting businesses to recover from Covid-19 and encouraging new investment in the region to stimulate growth and create new employment opportunities.

“While we continue to work hard to protect our communities from the effects of Covid-19, we must also put plans in place for the years to come, which is why we are putting schemes in place that will transform our infrastructure and improve transport links in and around Sheffield, help people to up-skill with enhanced access to work, and create an environment that is safe and attractive.

“We are investing in this deal so that the people in our region can continue to have confidence in Sheffield as a great place to live, work and visit and know that it will continue to thrive.”

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Business News

Helping people get back to work A

s the region prepares to get back to work, Sheffield training specialist The Source is opening up to help businesses bounce back and support people the pandemic left jobless.

Since 2003 the Skills Academy, a not-for-profit charity, has upskilled thousands of local people, helping many into work and others to boost their careers.

It continued serving the community throughout the pandemic, focusing initially on online training to boost the skills and morale of furloughed workers at over 70 Sheffield City Region SMEs. Vital face-to-face training for first aiders was resumed as soon as possible and The Source is now working hard to fully re-open its base on Meadowhall Way by 21 June, if Government easing of restrictions goes as predicted.

“In this fragile economic climate, we are needed more than ever by businesses and unemployed people alike. We have a raft of help to get the region back to work,” said Tricia Smith, CEO of The Source.

Local companies who have had to make job cuts are being helped to fill gaps in their workforces by taking on recruits through the government’s six-month paid work placement scheme Kickstart, and via apprenticeships.

The Source is also helping companies to access training to

‘We have a raft of help to get the region back to work’ Tricia Smith

boost the skills of existing employees taking on extra responsibilities, or returning after a long period on furlough.

To help combat the region’s rising unemployment, a community learning zone has opened on the ground floor so jobless people of all abilities can access support and boost their confidence and job prospects.

Its Community and Employability team is already on site and giving

support and training to people made redundant in the pandemic.

Tricia said: “We exist to help people of any age, but we are also acutely aware that the prospects of the young have been badly hit.

“Those whose qualifications and confidence have suffered can take up our traineeships, Apprenticeships or Kickstart Placements, which will help them improve in key subjects and gain a deeper understanding about the world or work.”

On 12 April, The Source opened up more facilities with safety measures including socially-distanced learning and training spaces, Covid-19 lateral testing capacity, and mandatory mask-wearing.

Parts of the building can also be rented on short or long-term agreements, a scheme to assist new start-ups and businesses who have had to give up larger premises.

Visit: www.thesourceacademy. co.uk

Software specialists extols virtues of digital ecosystem Chesterfield-based software specialists, Lobster DATA, are launching a new vision to demonstrate how a sustainable, competitive edge can be achieved through digitalisation.

The German group’s Head of UK, Jeni Steele (pictured), said: “The pandemic has accelerated the need for integrated digital processes and firms that embrace this approach will come out on top.”

Lobster provides user-friendly data integration solutions that connect companies internally and to external partners, automating many back-office processes via a transparent flow of information.

The firm’s Lobster_data and Lobster_pro packages work together to collect and disseminate data through a business and can be

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configured to match specific processes. By eliminating coding, they enable clients to achieve full digitalisation and benefit from increased efficiency, reduced costs and greater customer satisfaction.

Dr Martin Fischer, Lobster’s Managing Director, added: “We believe data processes that belong together should not be treated separately. Rather than focusing on isolated internal solutions, or investing in peripheral external areas, we urge clients to prioritise decisions that are comprehensive, scalable, secure and flexible. By developing software that everyone can use, we provide the tools to help companies navigate their digital transformation for long-term viability.”

Call:(0114) 399 1551 Visit: www.lobster-world.com Twitter: @_lobsteruk

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Business News

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Business News

ENGIE supplies inspiration to Rotherham college students onstruction students who took part in a week-long virtual work placement with leading energy and regeneration specialist ENGIE have been enriched and inspired by the experience.

Over five days, three students studying plumbing, carpentry and joinery learned about the company and the workplace, important practices such as health and safety and what it is like to work for ENGIE. The students also heard from a range of employees from ENGIE who gave talks relating to their experience and advice for working in the industry.

Level 1 Carpentry and Joinery student Bonolo Mangwana, aged 28, said the work experience had provided her with new hope for the future. She said: “As an asylum seeker, I am not able to do a full work placement but I can do

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voluntary work experience and I’ve felt like giving up recently, but the experience gave me an opportunity to see where I might fit into after college.

“As part of the work experience, one of the gentlemen who gave a talk was an older man doing an apprenticeship and that really motivated me – I didn’t realise adults could do apprenticeships.

Hearing his experience made me realise that I shouldn’t be defined by my age and not give up on my dream.”

Level 2 Plumbing student Tommy Douglas, aged 17, is in his first year of plumbing and was also inspired by the experience.

Tommy said: “The college gave us a few companies to pick from and I chose ENGIE as I’d heard good things about them. Because of the restrictions everything was online, but the interaction was brilliant;

‘All of the students showed commitment, dedication and enthusiasm’

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there was a range of employees that volunteered to speak to us and they were all fantastic.”

Rotherham College Construction Skills and Employability Tutor Anna Gascoigne designed the programme in collaboration with Kerri White, Social Value Officer at ENGIE. Anna said: “The college is so lucky to have an incredibly positive relationship with such a respected company and that we were able to create a bespoke experience for our students. They were able to gain an insight into the construction industry as well as honing their employability skills.

They all came out of the experience with improved skills, greater confidence and an excellent reference.”

Kerri said: “All of the students showed commitment, dedication and enthusiasm. They have been amazing, really engaging and they are a credit to the college. It’s been a pleasure to watch their confidence grow. The experience has been very rewarding on a personal level.”

Bonolo Mangwana

Tommy Douglas

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Business News

Yorkshire firm wins Covid-19 test contract ollowing a successful pilot scheme, an innovative Yorkshire-based business that was launched last spring in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, has joined forces with Sellafield Ltd to provide its workforce with at-home lateral flow Covid testing and a support service for employees.

After completing an accelerated two-week trial with 150 staff at the Cumbrian nuclear waste management site, Moore Medtech has rolled out its services to the full 5,000-strong Sellafield team of key workers. In line with Government protocols for large businesses, staff will be sent rapid (15-minute) athome tests to use every three days in order to mitigate the risk of asymptomatic employees who are currently infectious going on site.

In addition, Moore Medtech, an engineer-led work safety provider,

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has implemented an online programme, including a video, to train Sellafield personnel about how to carry out the testing correctly and to support any employees with test-related issues and concerns.

“With thousands of key workers providing vital services, businesses have to find a way of keeping people on site as safely as possible and this is exactly what our services have been designed to do,” explained Jamie Moore, CTO of Moore Medtech. “We were recommended to Sellafield by another large business for whom we have successfully developed remote testing, training and support services, and, in a matter of weeks, we were able to devise and implement an appropriate programme for Sellafield.

“It’s not enough for a business simply to send out test kits –

personnel need to be trained to use them correctly in order to get a clear result and also be given guidance about what to do next, depending on the outcome of the test. In addition to a training video and comprehensive bespoke website, our programme at Sellafield gives employees access to two online drop-in support sessions every day, run by trained nurses, who can quickly provide assistance and answer any questions.”

Madeleine Archer, Strategy Lead in Corporate Strategy, and part of the Covid-19 Recovery Team at Sellafield, said: “We don’t have the kind of business where everyone can work from home or the option of just pausing operations as some of our facilities require 24/7 supervision for nuclear safety, however, we needed to increase workforce confidence in attending work.

Home testing kit

“Having reviewed options for testing in the workplace, we realised that the sheer number of employees would have required a very large facility and with lots of our teams on 12-hour shifts, asking them to wait for testing before they start work would make the day too long. We had heard about Moore MedTech’s home testing programme for other large organisations and this sounded like the best solution. The testing programme has been well-received with good up-take so far from the workforce. Moore Medtech’s support has been excellent, helping us achieve our aim of increasing employee confidence to come to work on site.”

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Business News Tom Flowers Cricket Coaching

Supporting grassroots sports to assist post-Covid recovery A

s lockdown restrictions have eased, thousands of small businesses and community organisations linked to grassroots sports have reopened across Leicestershire – many of them supported by Leicester-Shire and Rutland Sport (LRS).

The not-for-profit group, one of 43 active partnerships in England to deliver sports development and physical activity programmes at county level, has helped organisations in the sector to adapt to shifting lockdown restrictions that presented significant challenges to business models.

Indoor and outdoor activity restarted in April, with leisure centres and gyms then reopening, and mixed classes resuming in May. But it came after a year in which many organisations absorbed mounting costs while simultaneously unable to bring in revenue through events and training.

LRS offered support throughout the pandemic through its Sports Organisation Support (SOS) work. It advised organisations, many of them

early stage, as they attempted to access central support and helped them pivot to new styles of business.

Ali Clements, Economy and Sport Growth Manager, said: “The sector and the local area as a whole has had a really tough time. Sports businesses across the area will need a good summer to kickstart their recovery.

“The work of the LRS Active Together campaign across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, primarily focusing on health and wellbeing, is driving interest and demand, which in turn supports business and sector recovery.

“We will continue to help organisations navigate the extensive support available through the sport sector, and the business sector, and act as a sounding board as we all progress through the road map out of lockdown.”

LRS has been focused on the local sporting economy since 2016. Before the pandemic, the sector included 515 businesses and 18,000 jobs in the area.

3PL firm welcomes Doncaster business colleagues to opening of new sites A 3PL business that has recently exceeded 1,000,000 sq ft of warehouse space as it expanded into the Doncaster Borough, has welcomed business colleagues to the official opening of the new sites.

Carlton Forest 3PL, has almost doubled its facilities in just seven weeks after acquiring three separate sites at Bawtry Park, near Doncaster, and was delighted to welcome representatives from Doncaster Chamber, namely CEO Dan Fell and President Jill Wood of Signum Facilities Management, to the socially distanced opening.

“Moving into the Doncaster area seemed like the natural progression for us, and the site at Bawtry Park met with our requirements perfectly,” said Adam Jones, Managing Director, Carlton Forest 3PL. “Our strategic growth plans are ideally suited to the wider logistics and supply chain network for which Doncaster is renowned, and we look forward to ongoing engagement with other logistics providers in the region, such as the Rail Port and i-Port, and working together to

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consolidate Doncaster’s amazing offering within the logistics and supply chain sector.”

The new sites at Bawtry Park join an existing portfolio of warehouses – 125,000 sq ft at Hellaby and 170,000 sq ft in Barnsley (both in South Yorkshire) and its original headquarters – 250,000 sq ft in Worksop, North Nottinghamshire.

“To be able to deliver the first phase of our growth plans in such a short space of time is testament to the great team we have here and the support of Commercial Property Partners (CPP) who helped us source the site and completed everything so efficiently,” said Adam. “Now, we will look forward to continuing the development of our strategic five-year plan and to a very bright and prosperous future.”

Dan Fell, CEO, Doncaster Chamber of Commerce, said: “I would like to congratulate

Carlton Forest on this ambitious new venture.

They are an innovative and green business that, in many areas, are leading the way in their sector. This is a real vote of confidence in Doncaster and demonstrates that, despite the presently challenging economic circumstances, many businesses are forging ahead with investment and growth plans. I am delighted that Carlton Forest have recognised that Doncaster is a great place to do business and look forward to further developing the relationship between Carlton Forest, the Chamber and the borough to make this venture a huge success.”

The growth of the business has resulted in the creation of 25 long term and 50 short term jobs in the local community.

‘Moving into the Doncaster area seemed like the natural progression for us’

Visit: www.carltonforest3pl.com Email: Alistair.plant@carltonforestgroup.com

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Business News

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Business News

Local leaders commit to reducing flooding risks outh Yorkshire will start building a better future over the next 12 months, with Mayor Dan Jarvis and local leaders announcing a £68m package to improve infrastructure and reduce the risk of flooding.

That £68m includes £21.35m from the Mayoral Combined Authority’s newly devolved ‘gainshare’ money, which will fund new bricks-and-mortar investment to revitalise the region’s towns and high streets. The devolved funds will support major projects in each of South Yorkshire’s four local authority, including: • £3.6m for Barnsley’s key Glassworks regeneration project, including a state-ofthe-art new community library, new market spaces, and new town square – giving a new heart to the town centre • £4.6m to fund a pilot for zeroemission electric buses in Doncaster and retrofitting homes across the Borough • £4.35m for a new business centre in Rotherham, and further investment in

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Rotherham Bus Interchange • £8.8m to further fund Sheffield’s transformative Heart of the City project around the Peace Gardens and Fargate; work on Stocksbridge High Street; and brownfield housing schemes.

In addition, the MCA is putting another £5.5m of its own funds into flood prevention, to maximise the impact of money already secured from government and accelerate the delivery of eight of the 27 schemes that form our South Yorkshire priority programme. This includes areas like Bentley that were badly hit in the 2019 floods, but the schemes cover the whole region.

The spending announced is just one part of a wider long-term recovery and renewal plan worth up to £860m. This year the City Region will make some £357m of investment into South Yorkshire, the Combined Authority’s largest annual budget since its formation in 2014. In addition, the MCA has agreed a programme to leverage

the additional funding unlocked by devolution to borrow up to £500m for future projects to transform the region.

Dan Jarvis, the Mayor of Sheffield City Region, said: “We’re putting money into our towns and our community, rebuilding the infrastructure that we need to give our people better opportunities and better lives. Rather than wait around for a Government whose version of levelling up is to help the places that are already doing well, we’re taking our destiny into our own hands.

“I’m determined to push the pace on protecting our communities from the threat of flooding which has been so painfully demonstrated in recent years. The Government has been slow to act, and while our pressure has yielded some results, there are still too many gaps. We’re investing in the hope of spurring the Government to join us and give South Yorkshire the protection it deserves.”

In 2021/22 the MCA proposed budget totals some £357m, the

The River Don flooding in 2019

largest since the MCA’s formation in 2014. This includes direct investment, from sources including the Transforming Cities Fund, Getting Building Fund, Local Growth Fund, and others, which will go to support the following priorities: • Jobs and apprenticeships, and helping people find them • Helping businesses to survive and thrive • Revitalising high streets and building homes • Getting people moving with better transport, by foot, bike, bus, tram and train • Protecting the planet – retrofitting homes and improving flood defences.

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Business News

Fusion Camps keep children healthy in the school holidays hildren from across Doncaster were able to keep active and healthy throughout the Easter holidays because of Active Fusion’s newly revamped ‘Fusion Camps’.

On the back of the success of the February half-term camp, alongside the camps that ran in 2020 as part of Doncaster Council’s Summer Staycation programme, we were able to offer children between the ages of 4-12 the chance to keep physically active during the Easter half-term.

Determined to build on the success of previous camps and offer children more opportunities than ever before, the team at Active Fusion have worked tirelessly to make sure these camps were available to children across Doncaster who needed it.

Due to the efforts of Doncaster Council, we were able to run 11 camps in some high areas of deprivation within the borough, to 434 children, with more than 50% of those children eligible for Free School Meals or classing as SEND. The camps were free to children and consisted of a variety of sporting and artistic activity that included: elite sports master classes; physical activity and enrichment; health eating sessions; numeracy and literacy through physical education; essential life skills; cooking workshops and ingredients boxes sent home with a tutorial video link to encourage family cooking and education about nutrition.

Children also took part in: arts; drama; dance; music; orienteering; film making and developing relationships with modern technology. Encouraging children to remain active throughout the two-week camp, the

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Karen Rendi

A new career behind the wheel

coaches at Active Fusion spent time delivering sessions that saw children develop and learn new skills, interact with their peers and increase their knowledge on healthy eating.

Community Shop CIC, based in Barnsley, delivered life-changing learning and development cooking workshops to children across all camps in an effort to build stronger individuals and more confident communities. Children were given a taster session on how to cook simple, yet healthy, meals at home with their families and were sent home with a box of ingredients to kickstart their healthy eating journeys.

Daniel Wake, Lead Mentor at Community Shop CIC, said: “We met some amazing people from Active Fusion and some fantastic kids across the schools we visited. We have enjoyed every minute and can’t wait to get cooking with even more kids in the future.”

Teaching your offspring to drive is usually a stressful ordeal, but Rotherham shopkeeper Karen Rendi enjoyed it so much, she decided to set up her own driving academy, Zebra Motoring School.

Karen, 50, was the owner of Thorpe Hesley’s Village Store but on selling up she decided to become an instructor after helping her eldest son Alexander learn to drive.

She found the confidence to launch her own school thanks to a business start-up course with The Source Skills Academy at Meadowhall.

She said: “My six-week startup course taught me a huge amount, including how to do my own accounts and marketing ideas and strategies that will help my business to grow.”

Visit: thesourceacademy.co.uk/ online-training-0

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Business News

Kris Wigfield, Managing Partner at Begbies Traynor in Sheffield

Businesses in rising distress Businesses in Sheffield are experiencing rapidly escalating levels of distress, despite Government support measures designed to avoid mass insolvencies.

According to the latest Red Flag Alert data, published by leading independent business rescue and recovery specialist Begbies Traynor, numbers of businesses showing earlystage, or ‘significant’, signs of financial distress had risen by 29% since Q1 last year, to affect 5,138 firms in Sheffield.

In the last quarter alone 665 more Sheffield businesses had begun to experience financial problems, a 15% increase on Q4 2020.

The picture was reflected across the UK, which saw a 42% rise in symptoms of early distress, compared with the same quarter last year, immediately before the outbreak of the pandemic.

‘Significant’ distress rose by 15% quarter on quarter to affect 723,000 firms across the UK. Kris Wigfield, Managing Partner at Begbies Traynor in Sheffield, said: “It is enormously worrying that we are seeing distress levels rising so steeply across the board, despite the raft of support measures put in place by the Government to stave off widespread business collapse.

“It is inevitable that Government support will have to be withdrawn at some point, and, coupled with the fact that the courts are still struggling to catch up with a backlog of cases brought against indebted companies, it seems likely that what we are seeing unfortunately is the calm before a very turbulent storm.

“For small business owners in particular it can seem that there is nowhere to turn in the face of such large-scale financial challenges but seeking professional help should always be the first port of call.”

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Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield

Rugby legend helps tree planting charity campaign elcome to Yorkshire’s My Y personal membership was launched on Yorkshire Day, 1 August 2020, promoting Yorkshire across the globe and uniting those connected to the county by planting a tree for each and every member.

Welcome to Yorkshire is now joining forces with the inspirational former Leeds Rhinos rugby league player Rob Burrow to launch a special Welcome to Yorkshire Rob Burrow Membership. The membership costs £30, and £5 from each membership will be donated to the MND Association and recorded in the MND Association Rob Burrow Fightback Fund.

Pontefract born Rob was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in 2019 and has since spoken publicly about his illness, raising awareness and inspiring his close friend and Leeds Rhinos Director of Rugby, Kevin Sinfield, to raise £2.7m in his ‘Seven in Seven Challenge’ (seven marathons in seven days) in support of people impacted by MND. Kevin Sinfield MBE said: “Rob is a proud Yorkshireman and loved playing for his county during his glittering career. This is a wonderful way for people to support the MND Association and help families just like Rob’s.”

Over 2,000 trees have been planted since Welcome to Yorkshire successfully launched its personal My Y membership scheme, with plans for thousands more to follow

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in the coming months at sites across the county. High-profile celebrities with trees planted in their name include multi-awardwinning actor Sir Patrick Stewart, Yorkshire shepherdess Amanda Owen, gardening guru Alan Titchmarsh and the late Captain Sir Tom Moore.

The global membership scheme with a range of options, includes offers, discounts, a much-coveted green Y badge and a donation to Welcome to Yorkshire’s dedicated charity, Yorkshire Cancer Research.

Welcome to Yorkshire Chief Executive James Mason said: “Rob Burrow is an absolute Yorkshire legend and the team at Welcome to Yorkshire are honoured and proud to be joining forces with Rob to raise money for his chosen and incredibly important MND charity through our My Y membership, which also helps the environment by planting a tree for every single member.”

Kevin Sinfield and Welcome to Yorkshire CEO James Mason

Jenn Dodd, Regional Fundraiser for Yorkshire, Humberside and the North East at the MND Association, said: “We are so grateful to Welcome to Yorkshire and Rob Burrow for providing this exciting membership option where in addition to having a tree planted in your name you can also help support people affected by MND. We hope that the membership and trees will inspire future fundraising and awareness raising activities for people affected by MND, and that this will grow into a long-lasting legacy for Rob and the 5,000 other people living with MND in the UK right now.”

Playing an important part in combatting climate change, trees remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and every six trees can help to absorb up to a tonne of carbon over a 50-year lifespan.

Visit: www.yorkshire.com/becomea-member

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Business News

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Business News

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Another chance to fly with The Flock housands of people ‘flew with The Flock’, Wentworth Woodhouse’s moving outdoor art installation to mark the Covid-19 pandemic.

Now there’s a chance to own a part of it.

A concept created by Planet Art, The Flock saw people from all walks of life hand-decorate 10,000 wooden birds with their memories of the first lockdown in spring 2020.

It became a symbol of how people pulled together to cope with the challenges - and

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throughout October, vast numbers flocked to walk through the creative and emotional sea of birds displayed on the front lawns of the Rotherham stately home.

Just 500 of the birds will now be given a new lease of life. They will be sold to raise funds for the Preservation Trust in its 20-year, £130m task to regenerate the Grade I listed Georgian country house.

“As we all look forward to restrictions lifting, Wentworth Woodhouse decided this was the right time to ‘release’ some of the

birds,” said Samantha Heritage (pictured inset), Head of Fundraising at the charity.

“Each one is beautiful and has its own story to tell. We reckon they will fly off our virtual shelves and every sale helps towards our running and repair bills.”

The birds - each one an original artwork - will be released in batches of 100 and will be sold for £15 each.

Visitors to the mansion’s private gardens can view a selection of the Flock birds for sale.

They are on display in new

garden cabins which will be ready to hire from June.

Bought alongside a new outdoor classroom with a Culture Recovery 2020 grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund last spring, the cabins will add to the Trust’s outdoor facilities during the pandemic.

Flock birds are being sold through the Trust’s online shop at digitickets.co.uk.

Wentworth Woodhouse’s gardens are open every Wednesday to Sunday.

Admission costs from £3.

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Business News Ian Hodgkinson, Managing Director at Hodgkinson Budilders

Building a way out of recession Derby construction firm has released a report describing how the UK could build its way out of a looming post-Covid recession and save billions of pounds for the taxpayer.

Hodgkinson Builders has produced its first Annual Social Housing Report in conjunction with support and research from the University of Derby.

The 96-page white paper paints a “warts-and-all” picture of the current state of the construction industry, including the deep-seated problems caused by skills shortages and poor construction methods – but its main focus is to highlight the crisis surrounding a lack of social housing.

Managing Director Ian Hodgkinson is urging businesses and governments to use smarter,

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‘Never has there been a better time to improve housing’ more sustainable methods to build much-needed social housing quickly – and in doing so will reap rewards for society as a whole.

He said: “Never has there been a better time to improve housing and social housing in the UK. Faced with the economic challenges caused by the current pandemic, this is an area that could drive our economy in the right direction and give us a chance to build our way out of a crisis.

“Although this report was written during the pandemic, it’s something that I’ve been meaning to do for a long time. But now, the conclusions it draws are even more poignant than they were beforehand.”

The report explains that every affordable home built in the UK generates an additional £108,000 for the economy, due to the creation of jobs and boost to businesses in that area.

It also details why improving the housing stock for people on low

incomes will cut billions in unnecessary expenditure from the NHS bill.

Ian added: “Investment in social and affordable housing has profound benefits for the economy, for people’s health and wellbeing, and for the adhesion of local communities.

“I hope this white paper helps to sort out the facts from the myths in such a way that we can finally achieve the goal of providing every person with a solid roof over their head.”

Shopping outlet sets out green pledges As retail reopened across England, a Doncaster shopping outlet is making sure that the environment is high on its agenda by making a number of green pledges for 2021.

The management team at Lakeside Village shopping outlet are keen to hold themselves to account by setting out their plans and promising to review their

20 CHAMBER connect Spring 2021

achievements at the end of the year.

Before the pandemic forced retail closures, recycling at the centre stood at 77% and the team are pledging to work to improve this figure during 2021.

Di Rodgers, Centre Manager at Lakeside Village, said: “The past year has been very difficult for the

retail sector and we are all looking forward to safely reopening stores and welcoming customers back to the centre.

“We have always worked to ensure that we find ways to improve our environmental impact and while we are really proud of our achievements in this area, we know that we can all do more.

“Last year we had a number of plans that unfortunately weren’t able to happen, but we did manage to arrange a litter pick around the Lakeside area with key partners including McDonalds and Business Doncaster, who were extremely supportive.

“This year we want to build on this with more proactive activities and a further increase in our recycling rates.”

In 2019 some 219 tonnes of waste were recycled from the centre including cardboard, soft plastic, coat hangers, glass, metal and paper.

The centre management also works with its retailers and food outlets to make sure that any food waste is recycled and sent off to be turned into renewable energy and nutrient rich bio fertiliser for local

farmers. The onsite Gregg’s donates leftover food to a local homeless shelter on a weekly basis.

In 2021 Lakeside is pledging to: • Increase the overall Lakeside recycling rate to 80% • Offer recycling opportunities to customers for clothes, coffee cups, batteries and printer cartridges • Arrange quarterly litter picks with local businesses.

“We will review our progress on these pledges quarterly and explore further ways that we can improve the environment in which we work and the surrounding area.

Di added: “As we prepare to fully reopen the centre, we want to make sure that we do so in the best possible way making shopping a safe activity for customers but also encouraging people to think about positive changes that they can make to the way in which they work and the environment around them.

“We’re hoping to see other businesses in the area pledge to do more this year and we’re more than happy to talk to our neighbouring businesses to see what we can achieve together.”

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Business News

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Business News ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

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Information Security Management System If you have read this far, the chances are Standard ISO27001 and Cyber Essentials Plus that your business will benefit from a partnership (both are often required to successfully bid for with TriplePs – The Sales Team Mark Frudd and contracts), helping protect your systems and your Mick Fleming are waiting for your call, email or LinkedIn. data.

TriplePs are there to support SMEs not just in Yorkshire, but TriplePs also reviewed the support needs of SMEs which across the UK. led to the Software Development Team delivering the heart of the service, the TriplePS Portal. The Portal provides each customer with their own tailored dashboard designed to meet their business needs. Providing access to fault management and asset management the Portal gives users access to support for their devices and services, and management access to a range of reports with shared 24/7 real time access to a knowledge base of helpful online articles.

T: 01226 449600 When asked about his team, Head of Digital Operations, E: hello@triplepsltd.com Danny Bisby, responded ‘Our Service and Development Teams are local, talented, enthusiastic and use language W: www.triplepsltd.com

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Business News

Graduate documentary shows the strength of BAMER community G

iving a voice to Sheffield’s Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and Refugee communities is the aim of a documentary project supported by recent graduates from Sheffield Hallam University.

Iulia Nistor, a film and media production graduate who directed and coproduced the film said: “Making Tick Boxes was such an eyeopening experience.

“I can almost call it a ‘call to action’, as I was shamefully unaware of the social injustices that the BAMER communities have suffered for decades in the UK and beyond.

“When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, it shone a spotlight on these issues.

“Meeting the extraordinary leaders in Sheffield that have single-handedly and without any funding come together to make a change in Sheffield has truly left me speechless. I want to help amplify their voices and spread their message further.”

Dr Tom Heller, from Sheffield Community Contact Tracers, said: “The students were excellent to work with, highly skilled and professional with a willingness and drive to complete the project. Everybody has done a fantastic job.”

The next episode is in development and will focus on the impact the pandemic has had on our mental health.

Sheffield Community Contact Tracers was established in March 2020 with the initial pilot project of setting up a contact tracing initiative for residents of Sheffield before the Government had a national scheme in place.

Since conducting this study, the group has grown and expanded its work, now providing vaccine and Covid confidence training workshops to communities across the city.

From delivering food to those in isolation to helping translate Government guidance to help people overcome language barriers, the group has played a key role in supporting marginalised communities through the pandemic.

Munha Taha

‘Making Tick Boxes was such an eye-opening experience’

Olivier Tsem

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Queen’s Award for life-saving equipment A Rotherham-based medical device company that helped an A&E nurse to realise the potential in her idea to administer potentially life-saving treatment has been awarded a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation.

The award was secured by Marsden in recognition of the work the company has undertaken in developing a unique Patient Transfer Scale, which is used to provide accurate weight measurements when a patient is admitted to hospital. Launched in 2018, today the Marsden Patient Transfer Scale is used in 65% of all NHS Trusts across the UK and also sold worldwide.

The innovative product was developed when Nurse Gillian Taylor witnessed first-hand the discomfort and delays to treatment caused when medical staff attempted to weigh immobile patients using traditional hoists.

When a patient suffers a stroke or is diagnosed with sepsis it is vital for medication to be administered as quickly as possible.

However, before treatment can begin a patient must be weighed to identify the correct dosage required. It was recognised that cumbersome hoists could lead to delays in the time taken for a patient to receive treatment.

Drawing on her nursing expertise, Gillian was determined to do something to try and solve the problem.

NICE Guidelines require every patient to be weighed when they are admitted to hospital and reviewed regularly during treatment. Gillian hit on hit on the idea of combining a weighing device with a patient transfer board, used when moving a patient from a trolley to a hospital bed. After developing a prototype of the invention, Marsden was approached for help in realising the potential offered by the unique product which enables accurate weight readings to be taken within a matter a seconds.

Marsden refined the design and secured the vital Class III certification, enabling the product to be sold in NHS and EU hospitals. Today, the Patient Transfer Scale can weigh patients

up to 250kg (39 stone) and provides accurate readings up to 500g.

Gillian Taylor (pictured), Clinical Consultant and inventor of the Patient Transfer Scale said: “When patients are admitted to hospital, getting accurate weight measurements is vital because it determines the amount of medication needed. I first began thinking about this when I saw my young son and one of his friends playing together. Under the guidelines of the time, the medication prescribed to children was based upon formulas, determined by their age. It struck me that there was such a significant difference in the height

and weight of the two children that it could potentially lead to incorrect dosages being administered and so I began thinking about ways in which patients could be weighed quickly and more effectively.

“The support I’ve received from Marsden has been incredible and I feel incredibly proud that as a result of all our collaborative efforts, the scales I imagined are now being used to help patients across the world. I feel incredibly honoured that our work has been recognised by the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation.”

Mark Holdaway, Chief Executive Officer at Marsden, said: “The invention is a genuine first for the healthcare industry and a product which will clearly help to save lives. The success the product has enjoyed is a testament to the hard work, determination and passion which has driven the development of the product. I’m thrilled that our collective work has resulted in a Queen’s Award, and we hope to ensure that even more hospitals and healthcare providers will be able to benefit from this truly unique product.”

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Business News

The risks of home working revealed ellowes Brands is calling on employers and the public to act now to future-proof the health of the nation, as lack of clarity around home working legislation could put workers at risk Research from global healthy workspace solutions provider, Fellowes Brands, with its UK head office based in Doncaster, reveals the alarming impact home working is having on the mental wellbeing and physical health of the nation. Over a third (35%) of UK workers admit feeling stressed or anxious while nearly half (49%) have experienced more physical strain while working from home.

Current legislation around home working states that it is only a legal requirement for employers to provide workstation risk assessments if employees are ‘permanent’ home workers.

“Employers have the same health and safety responsibilities for home workers as for any other workers. The coronavirus pandemic has meant more people are now working from home, a trend we are likely to see continue,” said Kizzy Augustin, Health & Safety Partner at Russell Cooke Solicitors. “This means an increase in flexible or hybrid working between office and home, so employers need to take responsibility, be proactive and work collaboratively, to continually review and adapt working practices for their employees. Current regulations are somewhat outdated and do not necessarily reflect modern working practices. If there is a permanent shift to new ways of hybrid working, legislation and associated guidance should be updated to ensure it remains relevant and protects the health, safety and welfare of employees.”

Despite the common perception that home working means a better work/life balance, nearly half (47%) work longer hours when working from home, compared to in the office. One-in-five feel guilty taking a break and 29% are too busy to do so. It is no surprise, then, that nearly half (49%) experience more physical strain working from home, with over a quarter suffering strained eyes (27%), stiff neck (27%), a sore or aching back (26%), and headaches (25%).

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‘Employers have the same health and safety responsibilities for home workers’

Home working can cause physical strain

While working from home is placing physical strain on workers and negatively impacting their mental health, most people (89%) are keen to continue working at home in the future.

Fellowes Brands is calling for employees’ health and wellbeing to be more of a key focus for the future, as just 29% of senior-level decision makers are considering the introduction of specific guidelines or regulations around home working, welfare or equipment provision.

Renowned Yorkshire Recruitment Specialist, Nigel Brewster, Chief Executive of Brewster Partners Recruitment Group ,said: “An employer’s brand value proposition may be well-crafted, but many will be destroyed by simply failing to provide homeworkers with equipment that’s pretty mandatory in the corporate office. We are already seeing this new dimension as employees question just how much their employers and prospective employers really care about their wellbeing and truly value them as a brand asset. In my opinion this will only increase over the coming months.”

New office and recruitment drive for innovative Nottingham tech firm Fast-growing Nottingham hospitality tech firm Groubook has relocated its head office to the city centre to facilitate its ambitious growth plans.

The business is looking to take on additional staff to tie in with lockdown restrictions easing and the hospitality sector beginning to reopen.

Groubook, which was launched last year, lets groups book, organise and arrange nights out online and take advantage of a wide range of discounts and rewards.

But within months of launching, the business was forced to go on hold as the Covid-19 pandemic shut down the hospitality sector.

Now the founders have ambitious plans for growth, starting with moving to their new premises in Ronald Street and taking on six new team members to enable the next stage of growth.

Groubook launched in Nottingham in August 2020 just after the first lockdown restrictions began to ease and saw rapid initial take-up with numbers growing by 250% in the first six weeks.

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Groubook’s new head office

Founder Bradley Gough launched the innovative app with fellow founders Ollie Pod, Chief Operating Officer, and Sam Famulare, Chief Growth Officer.

Following the early success, the business was forced to put plans on hold as the pandemic forced further restrictions on the British public and the hard hit hospitality sector.

But the tech start-up from Nottingham has turned the crisis into an opportunity as Groubook allows bars and restaurants to easily

sell pre-booked slots to customers, allowing them to effectively control numbers.

While under unusual trading circumstances, Groubook believes they can give independent bars and restaurants a head start when they’re able to open for business and help them recoup some of the losses from the last ten months.

Commenting on the new office and recruitment drive, founder and CEO Bradley Gough, said: “We can’t wait for when the hospitality sector

starts back up and all our existing partners and potential new partners can start trading again.

“We are excited to offer our users and partners a more comprehensive service than we did moving forward.

Hospitality as an industry has been beaten up in the last year and we’re planning to help to bring it back, bigger and better than ever before by offering our partners more functionality, better integration and lower costs and offering our users a simple way of getting together with friends.

“For us to do this effectively, we needed a new larger office space, and more ambitious colleagues to help drive this forward and realise our growth potential.

“Our plans for growth are ambitious and despite everything that’s happened this year, we’re confident we’ll achieve them.

“Once restrictions begin to ease, we’re ready to go full steam ahead and support Nottingham’s hospitality sector as it starts to rebuild.”

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Business News

EMCAL Systems Limited are a specialist company providing bespoke consultancy, maintenance and design services for your fire safety, emergency lighting and renewable energy 'off grid' systems.

Our ethos is that everyone deserves to have their own personal engineer. Our main priority is to ensure that you get the best service possible from the moment that you first contact us.

Every project, whether it is a residential or commercial property, requires its own unique solution. That’s why here at emcal systems, we take the time to understand your needs and to create bespoke solutions specifically for you. To this end, we work closely with our customers to ensure high quality, responsive client led service. Most importantly, we guarantee a professional service from start to finish.

Whether you are in the industrial, commercial, health or educational sectors we have the perfect solution for you. Our clients include supermarkets, hospitals, local authorities, landlords, universities, schools retail outlets and developers needing their own ‘off-grid’ solutions.

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Whether you’re looking for an upgrade, maintenance or an entirely new solution, CONTACT US TODAY to see how we can help you.

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Business News

Business accelerator offers support to entrepreneurs College makes award shortlist Barnsley College has been nominated for three TES Awards.

The college was nominated for the prestigious FE College of the Year Award. Staff were also recognised for their innovative approach to teaching for students resitting their Maths and English GCSE with a nomination for the Outstanding GCSE resits provision Award, as well as their dedication to student care with a nomination in the Support for Learners category.

Yiannis Koursis, Principal and Chief Executive at Barnsley College, said: “To have the extraordinary work that Barnsley College staff do recognised in this way is a welcome ‘shot in the arm’alongside the Covid vaccines!”

Winners are announced on 28 May 2021.

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business accelerator that supports budding entrepreneurs is offering £250,000 to young people across the UK who want to grow a digital business.

The sought-after scheme from TwinklHive provides grants and mentorship to individuals aged 18 to 24 and enables young people to commit and pursue entrepreneurship as a full-time career path and make their business dreams a reality.

The combination of funding and dedicated support on offer has been designed to provide a unique educational experience and equip successful applicants with the knowledge and skills to grow successful and sustainable businesses. To apply, the young entrepreneurs must have a validated concept for a technologyenabled business and a clear vision.

Their idea should also be focused on solving a real problem for their customers, as the scholarship is looking to develop the next mission driven founders and cultivate startups that will make a real difference to society.

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Each successful applicant will receive a grant of up to £40,000.

The scholarship is a full-time position that is set to run for six months, with the opportunity to apply for follow-on investment from the TwinklHive accelerator at the end of this period.

Set up in 2019, TwinklHive was created by the entrepreneur Jonathan Seaton, who is the CoFounder and CEO of the global educational publisher Twinkl.

Jonathan started Twinkl with his wife Susie Seaton in their spare bedroom over ten years ago. The business

now operates in over 200 countries and regions and has over 790 team members based at its offices in Sheffield and around the world.

Jonathan said: “We’re absolutely delighted to now be in a position to offer support and mentorship to young individuals across the UK. “Covid-19 has undoubtedly impacted the job market, and people are looking to find new opportunities and explore new directions as a result. Through the TwinklHive scholarship we endeavour to support young entrepreneurs.”

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Business News

Improvements approved for bus network South Yorkshire’s bus network is the backbone of communities and an essential lifeline for workers and families across the region.

That’s why Mayor Dan Jarvis and local leaders have approved a £3.2m investment to improve the region’s network, as part of the Mayoral Combined Authority’s recovery plan for the region.

Using the first year of devolved gainshare resource, the investment will deliver long overdue improvements, including: • Replacing up to a third of community transport buses with electric vehicles, as a step to reducing emissions.

• Upgrading up to 300 bus shelters across the region.

• Installing electronic displays in up to 250 bus stops.

This investment in the bus network follows a previous announcement that everyone aged

21 and under will pay concessionary fares for bus and tram journeys, a major extension of the current 11 – 18 policy.

The announcement was the centrepiece of a South Yorkshire Young People’s Pledge, where the Mayor and leaders are investing more than £23m to support young people with support for their travel costs, skills and to help them find work.

Dan Jarvis, Mayor of the Sheffield City Region, said: “Our bus services across South Yorkshire have been in managed decline for many years and the comprehensive Bus Review led by Clive Betts MP laid out the challenges we face in stark detail. Covid-19 has only exacerbated the challenge.

“However, I am determined to deliver a better bus network for passengers, and that’s why we’re using our devolved powers and resources to make improvements for passengers now. Alongside this

The investment will deliver overdue improvements to the bus network

investment, we are developing a comprehensive plan to recover and renew our bus network in light of Covid-19 and the Bus Review, including action on fares, services, integration with other forms of transport and the conversion to zero-emission vehicles.

“I’m determined to build a transport network that South Yorkshire’s residents and communities can be proud of. I will also be pressing national Government to ensure the promises made in the National Bus Strategy are backed up with the levels of investment we need to see.

Currently funding for buses in London is £76 per head: in Sheffield it is £5 – this is unacceptable. I’ll continue to fight our fair share of funding to build

the bus network our region needs and deserves, because that is the only ambition that makes sense for South Yorkshire.”

Clive Betts MP, said: “I welcome this announcement as the first step by the Mayor and the Combined Authority towards implementing the proposals in the bus review and creating a better service for all bus users and those who need to be attracted to use buses again. I particularly welcome the concessionary fares scheme extension to the 21-year olds and under.

“Ultimately as the Mayor says, the sort of bus service the people of the city region need and deserve will require significant additional resources from central government as well as additional local support.”

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The SCR Chambers Barnsley Office T: 01226 491421 Rotherham Office T: 01709 386200

E: info@brchamber.co.uk W: www.brchamber.co.uk Twitter: @brchamberuk

Reflections on the challenge ontemplating where we find ourselves during what has been a very challenging, but strange start to 2021, the Chamber as ever finds itself in a position to be able to both inform and advise our members as to many of the decision they will be making throughout the course of the next few months, whilst also engaging widely with a number of our partner organisations across the region and on occasions be able to add influence on important decisions that are being made.

It is just over 100 days since we moved into the transition period following the last minute agreement made between the EU and our own government on Christmas eve. The impact of that agreement is now beginning to be realised, not only in Europe but also closer to home in Northern Ireland.

In early January it became very apparent that a number of our regular exporters across the region were suffering numerous issues, which may have been referred to as “teething problems”, but in reality underlined some major difficulties in the new international trade protocols that are now in place. Only time will tell as to whether these remain as long term challenges or can be resolved with a pragmatic and realistic approach to the way we trade with our near

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neighbours. As to the situation across the Irish Sea, a resurgence of long standing disagreements, coupled with the failure to get the trading arrangements correctly in place from day one, has meant it is likely that this problem will take much longer to resolve.

The silver lining to the ongoing trade issues is that we appear to be emerging, albeit very slowly, from the curse of Covid. Coupled with the implementation of the vaccine programme and the gradual removal of lockdown restrictions we would hope by midsummer that all businesses and indeed our personal lives should be heading towards a much more stable situation.

Throughout this period the Chamber will not only support and engage with our members as widely as possible but provide opportunities to recognise and reflect properly on the past year, but also celebrate appropriately the achievements, personal contributions and positive partnerships in which we have all played our part.

The challenge has been immense, but we have all learnt so much that can provide us with opportunities and the potential to make sure that the recovery is not only sustainable but one that will provide a bright future for all of us.

‘The challenge has been immense, but we have all learnt so much’

Andrew Denniff, Chief Executive

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The SCR Chambers: Barnsley & Rotherham The chamber helps its members by focusing activity in 5 key areas: 1. Protecting your business 2. Raising your profile 3. Growing your network 4. Representing and sharing your views 5. Saving you money

Historic firm reaches incredible milestone L

Thomas Mackrill and Andy Bethel, of CSP Systems Ltd

Fifth anniversary for Chamber Patron Barnsley-based CSP Systems Ltd has just marked its fifth year in business, providing South and West Yorkshire commercial organisations with bespoke tailored solutions, to meet their office copy, scan and print demands.

CSP Systems Ltd take pride in partnering with Develop, supplying their digital multifunction network systems to education, commercial, health and charitable bodies, all the machines installed are fully supported on site and remotely by CSP System’s own experienced service team.

All the solutions they provide enhance client’s efficiency with document workflow and image quality on paper.

Directors and owners Thomas Mackrill and Andy Bethel founded CSP Systems Ltd and are proud of the achievements so far.

Andy has over three decades experience within the copy, print and scanning industry, he is extremely proud of the companies’ success within its first five years.

Becoming a Patron member of the Chamber is a highlight for Andy. He said: “We are very thankful for the invaluable relationships and business connections we have formed by being involved as a Patron in the local business community.”

Reaching this milestone in business is a credit to the fantastic team that work as one at CSP Systems Ltd and they look forward to the next five years as a team too.

ong established Patron and well known local firm, Oxley & Coward Solicitors LLP, is celebrating 230 years of providing legal advice to South Yorkshire businesses.

The business was first formed in 1791 and the Partners attribute the success of the business to the long lasting relationships that have been established with their clients. Those relationships have been built over a number of years with the same team. It is not unusual for many clients to have instructed the same Solicitor at the firm for over 20 years.

Providing legal advice on all business legal matters including commercial property sales and purchases, sales of business assets and dispute resolution local businesses can rely upon their expert knowledge. Many clients have commented upon the approachability of their solicitors and the transparency of their fees. The firm is happy to discuss a variety of pricing options for businesses that may be concerned at the cost of obtaining legal advice.

The firm’s Managing Partner, Richard Sheppard is responsible for ensuring that the firm delivers a high quality service valued by its clients.

“We know that it is sometimes difficult to decide which firm of solicitors to use. A helpful guide is to look to see if the firm has any accreditations which are a sign of good internal management procedures.

“At Oxley & Coward we were pleased that despite all of the difficulties that arose last year we ensured our standards did not drop and were delighted to retain our ISO9001 and Lexcel accreditations. We also hold a number of accreditations from the Law Society for the work that we do for individuals.”

Oxley & Coward work closely with the Chamber and are proud to have been a Patron for over 15 years.

BARNSLEY & ROTHERHAM CHAMBER PATRONS 2021

32 CHAMBER connect Spring 2021

‘Despite all of the difficulties last year we ensured our standards did not drop’

Managing Partner, Richard Sheppard

Richard added: “I am grateful to the Chamber for its support during what has been a very difficult 12 months for everyone. Early on in the pandemic the Partners identified that we would support local businesses by buying local. We turned to the Chamber and they identified members for us to work with.”

Oxley & Coward are looking forward to celebrating this amazing milestone and to building new long lasting business relationships with members of the Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber of Commerce.

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The SCR Chambers: Barnsley & Rotherham

Gala Tent announces growth as demand for marquees rises S

outh Yorkshire marquee and gazebo manufacturer and retailer, Gala Tent, which defied the odds in 2020 to post growth during uncertain times, has once again exceeded their predicted sales figures in 2021 by posting a massive 400% growth for the month of March. This comes off the back of an impressive 91% growth for Q1.

Facing the lockdown 12 months ago, when the vast majority of the company’s usual market sectors were forced into extended closure, CEO Jason Mace refused to be beaten by uncertainty.

He recalls March 2020 clearly. “When the Government announced they had shut down the event industry in March, I stood on the shop floor informing my staff that we would have to close, and many of them would be furloughed. One of the first questions I was asked, was ‘will the company survive? Will we have jobs to come back to?’ I told my team yes, 100%. I predicted that a large order would land with us before long and it would kickstart our survival. A complete restructure was actioned, and new markets were targeted. It was a long and hard slog for those who remained on the team to bring the company back on track, but we did it.”

“A complete change of direction was structured, and all of the management team, me included, were picking and packing in the warehouse to send out what orders we were scraping together.”

Indeed, Jason’s prediction was proven correct, and April produced an order for almost £100,000, supplying the emergency services with much needed tents for testing stations, as well as a high-profile contract to supply the NHS Nightingale Hospital in Birmingham, and from here, the company began to see glimmers of

‘A complete change of direction was structured’

hope in dark times.

In June, the company’s fortunes began to show real signs of recovery, with staff being recalled from furlough to manage the increase of demand and by July they had recalled 100% of staff and were proudly able to boast zero job losses from the effects of the pandemic as a phenomenal summer capped a remarkable turnaround of fortunes for the Rotherham-based company.

Marketing Manager Ryan Bracha said: “Right at the start, we knew there would have to be a boom of some sort when it was all over, but we didn’t predict exactly how quickly or how hard it might come. We didn’t waste a single minute of the first lockdown, everything we did was with a view to improving everything we do. We were determined to become a stronger and more resilient team, and all-round better at everything

when things came back to normal. Jason set up daily video calls between us all to push us on and encouraged us to actively participate in the company improvement processes. Some of us had to perform the roles of three or four people at times, and now we’re sitting on the results of that effort with pride that we’re better placed to succeed than ever before.”

Sales Manager Darren Perry said: “During the lockdown everyone was working from home, and because of the SOTpay payment system we use, we didn’t jeopardise a single customer’s card details in that time, where others perhaps failed.

The majority of the team continues to work from home, and homeworking has genuinely improved our team’s morale and productivity.

We have twice-weekly video conferences where everybody can make suggestions to improve the business and our processes and feel like they remain a valued part of our continuing success.”

Unique opportunity for Kickstarter Ellie Unique School Solutions have taken on their first employee through the Government funded kickstart scheme. Ellie Lavery will be stepping into the role of Recruitment Administrator.

Her role is to make sure that their unique process flows easily and ensure that candidates have the best experience possible.

Ellie said: ‘‘I believe that the most important part of my job is to make sure all candidates are fully compliant and are ready to jump straight into their role. The team at unique are amazing to work with, so inviting and welcoming from day one. I love working with a forward thinking and progressive team that really want to make a difference in the recruitment industry.”

Ellie will work alongside the rest of the team at Unique to reach their goal, to provide support and improve access to high quality

educational staff. They hope to extend their large network across South Yorkshire to promote Safe and Fair recruitment.

Rebecca Dodd, Director, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Ellie into our team, we are passionate about supporting young people in our community. Already Ellie has fit straight into our team.”

The team at Unique School Solutions

As the education sector begins to rebuild and evolve due the challenges faced throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, Unique are focused on relieving as much stress as possible through supporting and aiding schools.

Unique recently introduced their Covid Response Team to help schools throughout the pandemic.

They’re keen to introduce their distinctive approach to education recruitment, which is structured to benefit schools and trusts. Their 12-week model allows schools to assess new members of staff and ensure the right decision is made every time.

For Unique School Solutions, the ultimate goal is to connect high-quality teachers, teaching assistants, support staff and other educational professionals with schools that match their culture and personality.

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The SCR Chambers: Barnsley & Rotherham

We’re here to support your business Membership of the Chamber is about supporting your business and helping you to flourish and grow in today’s markets.We welcome all businesses large and small and understand that the needs of businesses can be very different.

How do we steer the recovery in the right direction? he last year has created a challenge on a scale that our economy and our businesses have never seen before.

However, together we have also worked collaboratively like we have never seen before.

It has required tremendous innovation and sacrifices from everyone. Many businesses have had to close or respond to demand for their product or services collapse overnight. Money coming in one day and the next day nothing.

As we head toward the end of June, we can now begin to see the result of that hard work and commitment to a concerted public health effort. The number of cases and deaths from the virus are at increasingly low levels compared to the spike earlier in the year. As a result, we can begin to open more and more businesses, all learning to operate in new and different ways.

The opportunity this presents us with allows us to think about how we steer our economic recovery and if we are to be successful with a sustainable recovery, then no single person, business or organisation will be able to achieve that alone.

Our view is that this needs to be a jobsfocused recovery. The Chamber have engaged extensively with businesses over the past few months, and we will continue to discuss ideas

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and views with many organisations and our members as to how we can create the maximum benefit from the recovery.

We feel that this approach underlines our willingness to listen and collaborate with businesses, local authorities and other organisations to protect and create jobs in our economy. We know that innovation and the willingness to adapt will be the keystone of our economic recovery and we are asking all of you to work with us to create good quality jobs and rise to this challenge.

There are many sectors of business that have a strong over riding impact on the economy. At the Chamber we want to ensure their objectives are aligned to create maximum impact on the type of economic recovery that we all want.

The way we all approach the next few weeks and months will determine and set the foundation for how business positions itself to cope with the demands and challenges but working in a different way to how many of us operated pre-Covid.

The opportunities that flexible working present for many employees should be seen in a positive light giving a number of staff the chance to maximise their potential whilst benefiting from an enhanced work life balance

‘The Chamber have engaged extensively with businesses over the past few months’

34 CHAMBER connect Spring 2021

and enabling many businesses to realise the long term benefits of investing in their biggest asset, the people who work for them.

Buy local, support local, keep it local The relaxation of Government guidelines provides an opportunity to invest in ourselves.

If we cannot support each other, why should we expect others to do that?

At some stage in the near future, public funding for business will dry up, and Government grant schemes will cease, support from the local council will come to an end and the furlough scheme is due to finish by the autumn, so we have to accept a reliance on publicly funded support, at some stage this year will come to an end. So, the mind set must be that we have to start to learn and adapt to look after ourselves and what better way to do that, than support each other within our own locality and at the very least, across the wider region.

While everyone accepts the fact that working practices and how we operate on a day-to-day basis will change, we also have to understand the way we do business with each other must also modify and adapt to a much more efficient and self-supportive way of working, something that Chambers of Commerce over many years have been encouraging through their established networks which importantly rely on businesses talking to and engaging with each other.

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The SCR Chambers: Barnsley & Rotherham

Chamber Events A calendar of events designed to engage both members and non-members and enhance their business.

For full booking information on all Chamber events visit: www.brchamber.co.uk/events

Live Events City Region Business Networking Date: 1 June Time: 9am-10.30am Our popular City Region Business Networking Event is back (online).

The three South Yorkshire Chambers are working together to bring you a unique networking event. This event is free for Chamber Members and £10+VAT for non-Chamber Members.

Membership of the Chamber is all about helping your business to grow and what better way to meet new businesses and make new contacts from across the area than at the City Region Business Networking Event. Each Chamber will have 30 places available. Please come and join us to promote your business and grow your network. We will run the event through Zoom.

To book visit: www.brchamber.co.uk/event/city-region-business-networking-june

Largest titanium casting poured in ceramic mould

Chamber Means Business Exhibition

Castings Technology International (Cti) has recently produced the largest single component ever cast by the company in Commercially Pure titanium and probably the largest titanium part poured into a ceramic mould. With an envelope of 1000mm square by 600mm high and requiring over 1.2 tonnes (2,650lbs) of metal to be melted, the casting showcases several novel casting techniques developed in-house at Cti; the heart of cast metal innovation.

This casting was part of an order from a Japanese OEM and will be used by their client in an industrial pump that handles highly corrosive media at elevated temperatures. Titanium casting production is complex and requires expertise not only in metallurgy, but advanced foundry methodology.

Involved in the production of this titanium casting were George Appleby who joined CTi as an apprentice in 2018 and his training and development has led to him running the one of the largest ceramic shelling rooms in the world.

Vilma Klimaviciene whose first role in engineering also started with CTi in 2018 works in the Titanium Finishing department.

Made in Sheffield and being exported to Japan this week where the machining and assembly will take place.

Chamber Means Business is an annual exhibition which has been put together to give member businesses the opportunity to promote themselves and their products and services. The exhibition is free to attend.

Date: 16 September Venue: AESSEAL New York Stadium, Rotherham

Why attend?

• The exhibition is open to all businesses, regardless of location.

• Whether you’re looking for products, contacts or networking, exhibitions are a productive way to build relationships and leverage the best contacts.

• There will be over 50 businesses exhibiting, along with delegates on the day, allowing you to meet and build relationships face-to-face.

• Keep up to date with trends and innovation, talk to exhibitors and attend seminars to learn about the newest products to enter markets or latest updates to industry and the community.

• There will more than likely be a goldmine of freebies, our exhibitors are generous, and if you are interested in their service, they may very well let you take a sample, pen, stress ball or more!

To book visit: www.brchamber.co.uk/event/chamber-means-business-exhibition-2021

Women In Business - Afternoon Tea Date: Time:

7 October 2021 9am-10.30am

Chair, Cllr Lyndsay Pitchley invites you to our first face-to-face 2021 Women in Business event.

Join us for our annual afternoon tea at Holiday Inn Barnsley.

On arrival you will have chance to network with fellow attendees before enjoying a high tea.

• 2.00pm - Arrival • 2.30pm - Afternoon tea served • 3.15 – Floral Demonstration by Wickham & Taylor • 4.30pm - Networking and close To book visit: www.brchamber.co.uk/event/women-in-business-afternoon-tea-4 Sponsorship also available, contact diane.graham@brchamber.co.uk for more information

Webinars Webinar Recap Did you miss out on a Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber webinar? You can now catch up on our previous webinars through the webinar recap section on Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber website. Hosted through Barnsley & Rotherham YouTube channel you can now re-watch and review any of our uploaded webinars in your own time. The webinars available range from returning to work safely, creating your digital marketing strategy, and overcoming HR challenges during the Covid-19 shutdown plus many more.

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Chamber Connect

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

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

Cargo moving under ‘FCA’ terms of shipment (equivalent to FOB) can be freely accepted. Any ex works shipments will be checked by our dedicated rail team on a case-by-case basis to ensure that collection from the factory/delivery to the Xi’an rail terminal is possible.

WE CAN ARRANGE AIRFREIGHT TOO IF YOU NEED A FASTER DESPATCH

T: 01709 529709 W: www.daviesturner.com E: rotherhamsales@daviesturner.co.uk

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The SCR Chambers: Doncaster Even more membership services

T: 01302 640100 E: chamber@doncaster-chamber.co.uk W: www.doncaster-chamber.co.uk Twitter: @DNChamber

We relaunched our membership packages back in May. Now, we’re pleased to announce even more membership services that reflect the diverse needs of our business community.

These include research and development support, energy and low carbon assistance and bid writing services.

For more information visit doncaster-chamber.co.uk

Doncaster high street

‘The reopening of businesses was a long-awaited relief for many business owners’

Hopes for Doncaster’s high street as shops reopen ubs, restaurants, gyms and non-essential shops are among the businesses that were allowed to reopen on 12 April, in a major step of easing lockdown measures.

Doncaster Chamber Chief Executive Dan Fell said: “The reopening of businesses was a longawaited relief for many business owners whose doors had been closed for months. They have heavily invested in and been busy making preparations to make sure their sites are Covidsafe.

“We can support them in the best way possible by giving them as much custom as we all can. If you can buy it locally rather than from a distant warehouse online you are helping rebuild Doncaster’s economy.

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“Doncaster Council have made supporting small, local businesses accessible through the ShopAppy website and we encourage businesses and shoppers to explore it as an option.”

Supporting local business online Doncaster Council is enabling independent shops and businesses across the borough to join the local shopping and business website, shopappy.com.

ShopAppy.com is free for local shops and businesses to join for the next 12 months. Once registered, businesses can quickly populate their own mini-site with goods and services on their own page at no cost – businesses are now being invited to register on shopappy.com/vendor.

Assistance is provided by the ShopAppy.com team to help those new to technology.

ShopAppy.com provides a bespoke, online shop window and ordering service. Founder Dr Jackie Mulligan said: “We’re very excited to be working across the whole of Doncaster and partnering with the council on the launch of ShopAppy.com here. It could not be a more critical time for businesses to work together and make it easier for locals to spend closer to home.

When we spend local, our spend stays local – so whether you use ShopAppy to browse and go in person or to book something or shop online, you can easily help your area – because where you spend matters for local jobs and local businesses.”

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The SCR Chambers: Doncaster

A credible Chamber We believe in the power of collaboration to get things done on behalf of our members and partners across the borough

How Doncaster Chamber can help

International trade

Doncaster Chamber’s international trade team has a wealth of experience working with hundreds of businesses exporting all manner of goods and services, regardless of size or sector.

Brexit Hub Practical advice and guidance to help you navigate the new trading terms.

ChamberCustoms ChamberCustoms is a customs broker, training and advisory service and the only customs broker with direct links to all air, sea and land port terminals in the UK. With direct links to the HMRC Customs handling system and all inventory linked ports, Doncaster Chamber can guarantee that your goods, no matter where they enter or leave the UK, will be cleared for onward transportation smoothly.

Accredited training on international trade The British Chambers of Commerce has ten nationally accredited international trade courses delivered by the Accredited Chamber Network that together form an import and export curriculum.

These courses give international traders the essential skills invaluable to small and large businesses alike.

During each one-day course the candidates must demonstrate knowledge of the subject, and their performance is marked by an external assessor.

International trade and customs advice With over 30 years’ collective experience in international trade and customs, our team are ideally placed to help you get your goods moving.

Visit doncasterchamber.co.uk/international-trade

38 CHAMBER connect Spring 2021

hen Boris Johnson announced his Brexit trade deal on 24 December , he said it would enable UK companies "to do even more business" with the European Union.

Britain, after completing its exit from the European Union, would benefit from prosperous trade deals around the world and seamless exporting to the EU market’s 450 million consumers.

But since the UK split from its single biggest trading partner, Brexit has proven to be disastrous for many of the Sheffield City Region’s exporters, which have rejected government’s description of the issues as "teething problems".

“The difficulties that exporters are facing are not just ‘teething problems.’ They are structural issues that, if they continue to go unaddressed, could lead to long term, potentially irreversible weakness in the sector,” said Adrian Platts, Head of International Trade at Doncaster Chamber.

Doncaster Chamber, together with Sheffield Chamber and Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber of Commerce investigated the challenges that international traders in the region faced.

“Despite easements at UK ports for overseas goods movement, we heard from business that the sheer volume of paperwork and administration that now needs to be in place was causing significant delays on getting goods moving.” He continued.

Adrian Wilkinson from Four Friends Pet Foods told Doncaster Chamber a now all too familiar story of red tape and lost time.

“On our delivery that left Sweden last week there are 1,000 sample bags of cat food. We don’t purchase these, they are free of charge.

They are then given away free of charge from our website.

“Swedish customs have held the delivery for four days claiming you can’t have goods on a commercial invoice with a zero value and must put a minimum value of £10. Under that theory we then have to pay UK VAT on the £10. While not a massive amount of money that is not how I understand commercial sampling works. We can have items moved out of the EU with a zero

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value. In the end we have manually changed the commercial invoice and given the samples a value of one penny and Swedish customs have accepted this. So that will be another five days transit time lost to bureaucracy.” He explained.

“Before Brexit our delivery always left on the first Thursday of each month. It would be delivered to us in Thorne first thing on the following Tuesday morning. Now that can take in excess of two weeks. We have now started importing every week on a groupage basis. This still takes in excess of two weeks. The worrying thing here is our cash flow is under a serious strain thanks to red tape. Come June/July we will have to make a decision if we are to continue or not. Groupage has a cost and red tape is killing our business. We simply can’t keep passing those costs on to the customer.”

And the problems don’t end there. Even when goods make it outside of the UK, hold ups caused by mixed consignment challenges add to the lengthy delays.

Mixed consignments – shipments with multiple types of goods classified under different tariff headings – depend on paperwork being correct for all of the goods on board.

“Before Brexit, businesses who traded with EU buyers and suppliers didn’t need to know or understand customs until now. Those businesses with less experience trading outside of the single market model are finding it difficult to adjust to the new trading regime” said Adrian Platts.

How to get ahead with the SME Brexit Support Fund The Government’s £20m SME Brexit Support Fund will help smaller businesses adapt to the new trading regime. Grants of up to £2,000 are available for businesses to help with the costs of training.

Government guidance suggests the grant can be used for training on: • How to complete customs declarations • How to manage customs processes and use customs software/systems • Specific import and export related aspects including VAT, excise and rules of origin.

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The SCR Chambers: Doncaster

Speculative development hat trick completes at Doncaster’s iPort

erdion has completed the final letting in its current round of speculative development at its iPort multimodal logistics hub in Doncaster.

A luxury homeware retailer has taken the 119,060 sq ft (11,061 sq m) warehouse iP2g, which offers space for up to 12,194 pallets with 12.5 m clear headroom and a 55 m deep yard.

This deal is the third and final unit in Verdion’s most recent tranche of speculative development at iPort. iP2c was let to local printing specialists Kingsbury Press, while iP2e was let to one of the UK’s largest, privately owned logistics companies Woodland Group. Other occupiers that also call the logistics hub home include CEVA, Fellowes, Lidl, Maritime Group and Amazon. iPort is the UK’s most advanced multimodal facility, spanning 800 acres with 52 MVA power,

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‘We’re pleased to welcome our newest tenant to iPort and mark the completion of our latest phase’

close to junction 3 of the M18 in Doncaster. iPort Rail, its on-site rail freight terminal, takes daily services to/from Southampton, Felixstowe and Teesport, with more routes across the UK being planned.

Alongside its programme of speculatively developed space at iPort, Verdion’s masterplan also includes developmentready sites for units of up to 800,000 sq ft that can be built to suit specific occupier requirements.

John Clements, Executive Director at Verdion, said: “We’re pleased to welcome our newest tenant to iPort and mark the completion of our latest phase of speculative development. With demand for space continuing to increase, driven

Unipart Rail unveils brand new E-Commerce website Unipart Rail has launched Unipart Rail Store, an E-Commerce website which will provide customers with a quick and easy way to order quality products online, 24 hours a day.

Thousands of items are available to order on the site including fasteners, workshop consumables, tools, PPE and workwear.

The award-winning rail group plans to expand their range in the upcoming months.

Registration on the site is quick and easy. Once an account is created, customers can immediately log in to view prices and availability and start browsing the range of products. At checkout, secure payment is made via credit or debit card.

Unipart Rail are currently offering free next day delivery for all items ordered before 4pm.

Kelly Warburton, Managing Director UK Rail Commercial at Unipart Rail, said: “We are excited to launch this new platform to the market and are already working on the next phase of development for the site which will include an extended product range and additional functionality to enhance the experience for our customers.”

You can visit the site now at www.unipartrailstore.com If you would like more information on the new site or any other solutions offered by Unipart Rail, please get in touch at enquiries@unipartrail.com.

by our demographics as well as widespread demand for logistics, we’re also seeing much greater interest in build to suit opportunities too.

Demand for our phase two development-ready sites is increasing which means we can offer speed to market as well as opportunities for specialist uses including ecommerce.”

Mike Baugh, Senior Director at CBRE, which acted for Verdion, said: “It’s been great to work on this letting with Verdion and secure another high-quality occupier for iPort.”

Visit: www.iportuk.com Visit: www.iportrail.com

Chartered Accountants reaches 75th birthday On 30 April 2021, Smith Craven Chartered Accountants celebrated 75 years of Partnership.

In 1946 Mr Ronald William Craven joined Mr A. E. Smith in Partnership after working together for a number of years.

On the same anniversary 75 years later, Smith Craven was pleased to announce that on 30 April 2021, Claire Docherty became a Salaried Partner after joining the firm in 2014.

Mark Dickinson and Robert Hood have also been promoted to Associate Status.

Mark’s new role will focus on new client development and networking, while Robert will support and lead across compliance areas of audit.

Smith Craven offers its congratulations to Claire, Mark and Robert and wish them continued success.

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The SCR Chambers: Doncaster Celebrating Doncaster Business Heroes The Covid-19 pandemic was as devastating as it was unforeseen, but out of crisis emerged heroes.Those people and organisations didn’t do it for recognition.They did because it was the right thing to do and they knew they could help.We launched our #DNBusinessHeroes campaign to recognise and thank those who stepped up to the plate to help others.

Businesses help inspire Doncaster’s next generation

n 19 May, Opportunities Doncaster LIVE kicked off with an introduction from inspirational speaker Rachael Mackenzie (pictured), Director at Workathlete, International Sports Champion and Mindfulness Coach who delivers inspirational and powerful talks on resilience, belief and determination.

Students across Doncaster got an early look at career fields and industries that may interest them. The virtual Opportunities Doncaster LIVE careers fair – sponsored by Doncaster College and Unipart Rail - took place between 17-21 May, with live activities, speakers and workshops on 19 May.

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Sporting champion and inspirational speaker Rachael Mackenzie opened the day. She said: “The young people I meet are so inspiring for me. It is amazing to see so much enthusiasm and desire to achieve. By learning new skills and disciplines that they can apply to all aspects of life, today’s youngsters can really strive to achieve all of their aspirations.”

Doncaster Chamber’s Education Director Suzy Broadhead said schools support all their students with an individual career plan. She said the event allows them to start looking at future careers and make informed decisions about which subjects will help them achieve their ambitions.

“One of the things that Opportunities Doncaster LIVE has done is help to prepare the workforce, and we will continue to do that.

So, partnering with businesses is critical to our success.”

Pre-registered classes logged on throughout the week and visited different exhibition stands where they learnt about different companies and their jobs.

Over 4,000 students in Doncaster attended in 2020 and more than 100 local employers exhibited, many of which returned 2021. Some of those include MechFS, VolkerRail, Unipart Rail and Cementation Skanska.

‘It is amazing to see so much enthusiasm and desire to achieve’

Skanska’s Emerging Talent Manager Katie Alovisi said: “Cementation Skanska is looking forward to supporting the Opportunities Doncaster LIVE event, which is a fantastic forum to facilitate interaction between students and business. The virtual platform will allow new and different forms of engagement, to showcase and communicate the opportunities within the industry.”

There were also live workshops for small classes to engage directly with employers for

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The SCR Chambers: Doncaster

Chamber Events A calendar of events designed to engage both members and non-members and enhance their business.

For full booking information on all Chamber events visit: www.doncaster-chamber.co.uk Our in-person events programme might be on hold for the foreseeable future, but that doesn’t mean we’ve stopped creating opportunities for our community to connect and learn from one another to grow their business.

The Business Academy – upskill your workforce with our range of short courses, delivered in partnership with industry experts.

Returning to Work Safely to Protect your Business (two x half days) About: Learn how to bring your workforce back to work safely and maintain that level of safety, including COVID-19 guidance and compliance Date: 25 June and 2 July Time: 9am-12pm Cost: Members: £75 Non-members: £105 Register: tinyurl.com/8rj9tutb For more professional development courses, visit www.doncaster-chamber.co.uk/thebusiness-academy

Inspiring Women in Business: Mental Health Awareness Our panel of guests hosted by one of our Chamber Board will discuss the importance of mental health and we will hear from truly inspirational women. We will delve into the challenges and difficulties life has presented to them as individuals as well as their businesses and the opportunities they have made from them. We will also hear from inspirational women who work tirelessly to support positive mental health.

• Sales analysis and cash flow forecasting • The reasons behind good business record keeping Date: 14 June Time: 9.30am-1pm Cost: Free Register: tinyurl.com/3dnwxbw6

Date: Time: Cost:

18 June 12pm-2.30pm Members: £25+ VAT including lunch, £10+VAT not including lunch Non-members: £35+VAT Register: tinyurl.com/ynfjrbrd workshops on a range of employability and further education topics. These include sessions on understanding apprenticeships, developing a growth mindset and understanding Doncaster’s future employment sectors.

“Many of our schools do face-to-face industry visits and fairs, but that number has dropped since the pandemic,” Suzy said. “So hosting Opportunities Doncaster LIVE on a virtual stage bridged the gap and provided a virtual experience so that students can still learn about these careers and opportunities.”

Launchpad: Business Start Up Workshop (Day one of three) Are you looking to start your own business or have recently started trading and need support? Having attended this three-day workshop you will understand: • What each element of a business plan requires • Business status, set up and legal issues • How to identify your client base • What defines good customer care • Simple book-keeping and tax information

Ladies Day With in-person events set to resume this summer, why not book to attend our exclusive Ladies Day event at Doncaster Racecourse?

The perfect opportunity to expand your network at an iconic event.

Remember, tickets are only available in advance so get yours now as we are expecting tickets to this year’s St Leger to sell out.

Date: 9 September Time: All day Register: www.doncaster-chamber.co.uk/stleger-ladies-day

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Chamber Connect

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The SCR Chambers: East Midlands East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire) T: 0333 320 0333 E: info@emc-dnl.co.uk W: www.emc-dnl.co.uk Twitter: @EMChamberNews

The Chamber is the largest business representation organisation in the East Midlands.With a growing membership of more than 4,300 businesses, it represents the interests of businesses across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire.

Landmark sites could drive regional recovery new vision for the long-term future of the East Midlands economy has been revealed – with images showing how landmark sites could together deliver tens of thousands of new jobs and drive a futuristic recovery from the pandemic.

They show how three major zones – covering areas around East Midlands Airport, the HS2 station at Toton, and Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station – might be transformed by major development that would boost growth to levels which drive largescale job creation and unlock a new era of “green” growth for the regional economy.

Artist impressions have been released as the region takes a decisive step towards setting up the organisation that will help drive the vision’s progress – after Chancellor Rishi Sunak backed the region’s bid to host a trade-boosting inland freeport.

The five councils covered by the three zones have come together to fund an interim body, which will begin the work of the planned East

Midlands Development Corporation before Parliament formally approves what will be a pioneering new model for upping the pace of regional growth.

The interim body will help masterplan and enable development, working with businesses, investors and universities to help get projects off the ground.

It has now submitted a business case to Government, outlining what investment in the sites could deliver for the region – 84,000 jobs, more than £4.8bn in added value, and thousands of new homes.

Midlands Engine Chairman Sir John Peace – one of the region’s most senior business figures – has chaired the group that led development of the new body.

He said: “What we have in front of us is one of the biggest opportunities the UK has ever seen to not just build on the potential of some major economic assets, but to transform the economy of an entire region in the process.”

Artist's impression of development around the Toton hub station

Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station is earmarked for redevelopment for green energy use

Development around Toton and Chetwynd

The airport site

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Chris Hobson, Director of Policy and External Affairs

QES shows business confidence at a high Confidence among East Midlands businesses is at its highest since before the last general election, according to new data compiled by the Chamber.

The latest Quarterly Economic Survey for Q1 2021 showed a net 53% of businesses expect their turnover to improve over the coming year, with a third (net 35%) anticipating a rise in profits.

It was the most comprehensive Chamber survey yet, with responses from a record 540 businesses between 15 February and 8 March.

Chris Hobson, Director of Policy and External Affairs at the Chamber, said: “Sentiment among businesses is as strong as it has been since summer 2019, supported by the successful rollout programme, a roadmap for reopening the economy and a broadly positive response to the spring budget.”

Investment intentions are on the up, with a net seven per cent and 15% planning increased spend in people and equipment respectively as they look to repoint their business to succeed in a post-pandemic world. Recruitment expectations are also strong, with 30% expecting a growth headcount, versus only seven per cent anticipating reductions. Despite these positive signs, cashflow – which worsened for the majority of firms in each quarter of 2020 – remains a problem for a significant number of businesses, with a net 14% reporting this to be down once again in Q1.

And while UK activity is recovering well, overseas activity continues to trail behind with a net nine per cent reporting a decline in sales over the quarter.

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The SCR Chambers: East Midlands

Your Chamber The go-to place for answers in business

Helping school children expand their horizons n innovative programme aimed at raising aspirations among primary school pupils in seven of Derby’s most deprived wards engaged more than 12,500 children and teachers in its first 18 months, a new report shows.

Our Future Derby, which brought together a unique consortium of education providers and employers including East Midlands Chamber, delivered career-based learning at 32 schools between April 2019 and December 2020, with the goal of expanding opportunities, improving gender equality and enhancing social mobility.

In an evaluation and impact assessment report published last month, it was found that after taking part in activities as part of the £250,000 Government-funded project, 81% of children said they had learned about at least five new jobs.

Meanwhile, 93% agreed that “people like me can do any job they want when they grow up”.

Pieter Eksteen, the Chamber’s Education and Business Partnerships Manager, said: “Research shows children’s aspirations are often shaped, moulded, and restricted by gender stereotyping, socio-economic background and the people they meet in their local area.

“We believe that collaboration between

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schools, families and businesses will help children to gain a better understanding of world of work, the opportunities that are out there and how they can make the most of them.”

The Our Future Derby project began in summer 2019 to link children and schools in the seven wards – Abbey, Arboretum, Boulton, Chaddesden, Derwent, Normanton and Sinfin – to the world of work.

Commissioned and funded by the Department for Education’s Opportunity Area Board, the programme works in partnership with 32 primary schools and is led by a partnership including dmh associates, East Midlands Chamber, Education and Employers, Forum Talent Potential and Learn by Design.

Many activities are interactive and help to broaden children’s horizons of future possibilities, as well as tackle stereotypes about the jobs people can do based on their backgrounds, and to understand the relevance of learning.

The project continues until July 2021, and this year it is rolling out a “My Career Learning Log” to help children record and reflect on what they have learnt while chronicling their future aspirations.

Dr Deirdre Hughes OBE, Research Programme Director at dmh associates, conducted the

‘Broadening horizons and raising aspirations from an early age is essential’

The Our Future Derby scheme has been delivered in 32 schools

evaluation for the Our Future Derby Report 2020, which found that 68% of children initially indicated the main influencers of their job ideas were from parents or other close family members.

She said: “Children can’t be what they can’t see – therefore, broadening horizons and raising aspirations from an early age is essential.

“Children have high hopes for their future, but there is evidence from our research programme of unconscious bias and gender stereotyping.

“Derby city primary schools and business links are leading the way in being highly innovative to inspire children to have brighter futures.”

As part of its aim to connect employers in the region with their future workforce, East Midlands Chamber launched the Chamber Schools programme in September 2019, with more than 130 secondary schools signed up for free membership.

For more information, visit www.emcdnl.co.uk/chamber-schools/

Chamber welcomes freeport announcement A freeport could be a “game-changer” for the East Midlands – bringing jobs, growth and investment, says the Chamber.

The Chancellor confirmed East Midlands Airport was one of eight locations in England to receive freeport status, which provide companies inside the sites with tariff-free trade and temporary tax breaks, in the budget.

The news was welcomed by East Midlands Chamber, which had campaigned for this since 2018 when it published the Delivering a Great Future manifesto at Westminster and presented ‘The Big Opportunity’ for the region, featuring a free trade zone linked to the airport.

Chief Executive Scott Knowles (pictured) said: “Since our manifesto was published, we believe both the need and the scale of the opportunity for our vision has only grown, and it was great to see a fantastic collaborative effort from our region during the bid process – including 15 of 44 CHAMBER connect Spring 2021

our MPs coming together to offer their support.

"Our region already has fantastic national and international trading links – something highlighted during the pandemic – and freeport status means we can cement our role at the centre of Britain’s post-Brexit global trading relationship.

"We are in a unique position as the only inland freeport among the eight designated zones, which is testament to East Midlands Airport's reputation as the country's most important mover of international freight and the catalyst for the explosive growth we've witnessed in our region's logistics sector in recent years.

"This free trade zone, which will have a focus on innovation, low carbon and trade, signals the direction of travel for the East Midlands economy – giving investors something tangible to back in order to deliver the inward investment and jobs that will enable growth.”

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The SCR Chambers: East Midlands

Generation Next welcomes champions eneration Next, the new East Midlands Chamber network for young professionals, has launched a board of “champions” to help shape its offer.

The group of 11 individuals will take an active role in the development of the network’s activity and profile.

Generation Next supports professionals and the next generation of business leaders aged between 18 and 35, based in Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.

It features a series of networking events and educational workshops led by a range of East Midlandsbased companies and specialist advisers, with the goal of developing its members’ professional networks and skills.

East Midlands Chamber’s director of resources and Generation Next lead Lucy Robinson (pictured) said: “We are thrilled to be launching the Generation Next board ‘champions’. It features 11 truly fantastic young professionals, representing a range of sectors and backgrounds, and we look forward to working closely with them all.”

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The champions will meet with the Generation Next team quarterly to inform the network’s future direction. The group will also be involved in the judging process of the inaugural Generation Next Awards, which features seven categories spanning from Apprentice of the Year to Generation Next Future Leader.

Emma Baumback, an independent financial planner at Future Life Wealth Management, has been elected as chair of the board.

She said: “From experience, I know that confidence can play a huge part in shaping what people in our younger generation decide they want to do in life and how to progress their careers and ambitions. Generation Next’s vibrant community is the perfect vehicle to help develop our skills and get the support from our amazing role models out there.

“Having the opportunity to work with likeminded young professionals to deliver this mission is a humbling and inspiring opportunity and I will put my all into making a real change for the next generation of business leaders in our region.”

Generation Next headline partner the University of Derby will also put forward two members of its student base to sit on the board.

Shortlisting is currently underway and the successful applicants will be confirmed in the coming months.

To become a member of the network, visit generationnextemc.co.uk/become-a-member or email the team at gennext@emc-dnl.co.uk.

You can also keep up with the network via LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Meet the Generation Next champions 1. Emma Baumback (chair) Emma is an Independent Financial Planner at Future Life Wealth Management. She has recently been listed in the Top 35 Next Generation Advisers list compiled by New Model Adviser and was also shortlisted for Rising Star of the Year in the 2020 Women in Investment Awards.

2. Beth Bearder Beth is a Senior Associate Solicitor at Keebles specialising in employment law. Beth advises on a range of employment law matters including claims for unfair dismissal, harassment, breach of contract and misconduct investigations – with expertise advising on disability discrimination and the exit of senior executives.

3. Byron Burghart Byron is an Investment Manager at Brewin Dolphin and works with people from a variety of backgrounds to help them make the most of their finances. He has recently completed an MBA at Cranfield University.

4. Chathura Sudharshan Chathura is the founder of digital fashion technology business Chanodil. He has both a fashion design and product development bachelor’s degree at the University of Moratuwa in Sri Lanka, and a master’s degree in entrepreneurship and business operations at Nottingham Trent University.

5. Daniel Nikolla Daniel is the Marketing Manager at professional and digital signage company Hardy Signs. Last year, he was awarded Generation Next Young Professional of the Year at the Derbyshire Business Awards.

6. Hope Thorley Hope is a Senior Resourcing Adviser at multidisciplinary construction and property

consultancy Pick Everard – and is responsible for sourcing and attracting talent for the firm.

7. Katie Gilbert

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Katie is the Head of Product Development at food gifting company, TTK Confectionery.

Accolades to her name include the Rising Star Award at the Nottingham Post’s Women in Business Awards and the Chamber’s Enterprising Women Awards Team of the Year 2020.

8. Katrina Starkie Katrina is the Space and Community Manager at the new Dryden Enterprise Centre at Nottingham Trent University. The centre is a new home for entrepreneurs, start-ups and SMEs at the university. Katrina is also on the board for the D2N2 Growth Hub and is a long-term supporter of the Chamber’s Enterprising Women network.

9. Lee Tomes Lee is an award-winning filmmaker and Managing Director of video storytelling company Orange Fox Studios. Lee has had various projects screened at national film festivals as both a director and cinematographer. He is also the winner of Generation Next Young Professional of the Year category at the Chamber’s Leicestershire Business Awards.

10. Rubina Lokat Rubina Lokat is an accomplished Management Accountant with a specific eye for design combined with a drive for results. She is the managing director of PrintPrint, a Leicesterbased design and print house.

11. Scarlett Tinsley Scarlett is the Brand and Marketing Executive at Leicester-based recruitment consultancy ER Recruitment. Scarlett initially joined the business as an intern while studying at De Montfort University.

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The SCR Chambers: East Midlands

Putting your business needs at the heart of our strategy RSM joins Chamber as resilience partner RSM has signed up as the Chamber’s official business resilience partner – with a mantra to share its expertise with members across the network throughout 2021 and beyond.

The audit, tax and consulting firm will deliver workshops, webinars and other online content that is designed to help businesses build an organisation fit to respond to the twin challenges of Covid-19 and Brexit.

It will also help them to recognise the opportunities that arise as the pandemic subsides and the UK sets its sights on global trading relationships.

Kevin Harris (pictured), Leicester office Managing Partner for RSM, a strategic partner of the Chamber, said: “2021 will be a year where resilience and agility will be the hallmarks of successful businesses.

These traits can come in many different forms. By joining forces with East Midlands Chamber, RSM will support local businesses throughout the year to quickly adapt to any business disruptions while maintaining continuous business operations and safeguarding their people.

“The coming year will be one of growth and excitement for East Midlands businesses. Through this partnership, Chamber members will have access to the best knowledge and support in the region to help them make the most of the months to come.”

RSM has already supported the Chamber through the implementation of 4Risk, a cloud-based risk management platform, within the organisation to provide a complete picture of its enterprise-wide risks, mitigations and assurances.

The tool, which sits within the company’s Insight4GRC suite for governance, risk and compliance software, helps businesses to understand, map and monitor the various risks they face.

As the business resilience partner, RSM will also help members understand their exposure to cyber risks and steps they can take to safeguard against these.

Scott Knowles, Chief Executive of the Chamber, said: “We are still living with ongoing disruption and, therefore, resilience is the watchword for 2021. It’s great to strengthen our already fantastic relationship with RSM to offer invaluable expertise to our members.”

46 CHAMBER connect Spring 2021

Blueprint Interiors Founder and Chairman Rob Day

Chamber offices achieve health and safety rating ast Midlands Chamber has signed up to a new building health and safety accreditation to ensure its offices have a recognised safety seal in time for the anticipated return of employees and visitors after lockdown.

The organisation’s offices in Chesterfield, Nottingham, Derby and Leicester will be assessed according to the WELL Health-Safety Rating.

Established by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) public benefit corporation, it provides a third-party verified rating focusing on operational policies, maintenance protocols and design strategies to address a post-Covid environment.

Office fit-out specialist and workplace consultant Blueprint Interiors is working with organisations across the East Midlands to roll out the accreditation and the Chamber is the first to sign up.

East Midlands Chamber Chief Executive Scott Knowles said: “After such a considerable period of working from home, we wanted to ensure we could display a certificate that is an internationallyrecognised seal of approval that our workplaces are safe.

“When Blueprint Interiors approached us, we jumped at the chance to be the first organisation in the East Midlands to sign up to achieve the WELL Health-Safety Rating and we will be encouraging all Chamber members to consider the reassurances this seal of approval can provide.”

The WELL Health-Safety Rating was created with input from IWBI’s WELL Building Standard

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and more than 600 experts within its Covid-19 Task Force, in addition to guidance developed by groups including the World Health Organisation.

It helps building managers and organisations address the health, safety and wellbeing of their people via 22 strategies, including sanitising spaces, assessing air and water quality, and communicating health and safety efforts.

The accreditation is a visible indication of confidence and trust as the WELL Health-Safety Rating communicates to everyone entering a space that evidence-based measures have been adopted and verified by a third party.

Blueprint Interiors is a longstanding Chamber member and patron. In 2017, the company completed the fit-out of the Chamber's Chesterfield head office, which was designed to provide more agile workspaces.

It has also revamped the organisation's Leicester and Derby offices.

The company is now advising businesses in the region on how to achieve the WELL Health-Safety Rating.

Blueprint is also redeveloping its own office in Ashby-de-la-Zouch to illustrate the benefits of safe and agile working, in a project called WorkLife Central.

Founder and Chairman Rob Day said: “Businesses that achieve the WELL HealthSafety Rating seal have to demonstrate that they have met the highest health and safety standards, and therefore employees and visitors will feel confident knowing the space they are entering is managed by an organisation that believes in putting health first.”

‘The accreditation is a visible indication of confidence and trust’

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The SCR Chambers: East Midlands

Chamber Events For full booking information on all Chamber events visit: www.emc-dnl.co.uk

Identifying skills future workforces will need

Dr Nik Kotecha OBE

quipping the region’s workforce with future skills needed for digital-era jobs that don’t yet exist is top of the agenda for East Midlands Chamber’s next major event series.

Skills & People Week, taking place on the week commencing Monday 14 June, will explore how the region can address the challenges businesses continue to face in relation to accessing people with the right skills.

Featuring a series of online workshops, seminars and a centrepiece summit, the week’s activities will focus on how to create an environment where policymakers, employers, educators and individuals can work together to ensure everyone can respond to the seismic shift taking place in the local jobs market.

Chamber Chief Executive Scott Knowles said: “With the economy emerging from the impact of the past 12 months, the Chamber’s People & Skills Week 2021 will explore which skills are required to support recovery and growth, to what extent they exist in the region, and how we can work collectively to deliver skills for the economy beyond the recovery.”

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Confirmed workshops include: • 14 June, 10-11: Building skills for net zero (Construction Industry Training Board) • 15 June, 2-3: Employer guide to traineeships (Education & Skills Funding Agency) • 17 June, 10-11: How to reset recruitment to attract future generations in a postpandemic world (Access Generation) • 17 June, 2-3: Employer guide to T Levels (Strategic Development Network and Derby College Group) • 18 June, 10-11: HS2 supply chain readiness, skills, employment and education (HS2 Ltd)

RDS Global CEO Andy Flinn

The week will be anchored by the People and Skills Summit 2021: The Skills Landscape Beyond Recovery on Wednesday 16 June.

It will include speakers from education providers and Government giving policy updates about the future of further education, as well as a panel discussion featuring leaders from the Chamber, Access Training, the Education and Employers charity, Morningside Pharmaceuticals, Loughborough College, RDS Global and ER Recruitment.

People & Skills Week is held in partnership with Loughborough College, Morningside Pharmaceuticals and RDS Global.

RDS Global CEO Andy Flinn said the event was strategically aligned to his company’s goals of developing transferrable skills.

“This allows us to continue on with the development of our academy, placement and apprenticeship programmes that we have in the company, which is primarily focused on retaining and further enhancing the talent pool in the local business community,” he said.

Morningside Pharmaceuticals Chairman Dr Nik Kotecha OBE is a keen advocate of preparing young people for the world of work and promoting education to disadvantaged communities. He said: “The so called ‘skills gap’ is a challenge in the East Midlands, which is why we’re pleased to be sponsoring this event because it is focusing on ways that the business community can support and develop our future workforce.”

Visit: bit.ly/SkillsWeek21

Speakers announced for Invest Midlands Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng will make a keynote address at the Invest Midlands conference on 26 May. He will outline his ambition for the Midlands and look towards its postpandemic future as an engine for growth.

Other speakers at The Business Desk’s virtual event, in which East Midlands Chamber is a channel partner, include Midlands Engine chairman Sir John Peace and leaders from East Midlands Airport, British Business Bank, Network Rail, Midlands Connect and MAKE UK. Alan Barratt, the founder and CEO of sports nutrition firm Grenade, will take part in an interview on how he built and sold the company to multinational giant Mondelez, while topics for discussion include “big ideas to change the Midlands” and “selling the Midlands to the world”.

To book a ticket, visit www.investmidlands.uk

Understanding the importance of giving Business leaders can find out how to further activities that bring community and social benefits – while maximising the commercial benefits of doing so – at an upcoming Chamber event.

Titled the Corporate Social Responsibility Summit: Where Good Business Makes Good Sense, the two-hour session later this month features speakers from companies including Futures Housing Group, Morningside Pharmaceuticals, Capital One and TTK Confectionery. They will speak about topics including the different routes available for businesses wanting to engage with communities, how CSR activities can support the achievement of wider business goals, and the link between responsible business and successful procurement.

At the event, the Chamber will unveil unique research about CSR among East Midlands businesses and launch a campaign encouraging more businesses to do more with communities – and in a more impactful way.

Chamber Chief Executive Scott Knowles said: “As the East Midlands economy continues its recovery from the impact of Covid-19, the importance of ‘growing back better’ carries additional significance. This event is designed to support business in understanding the benefits of engaging with their communities, and the practical steps to take when implementing activities.”

The Chamber’s Corporate Social Responsibility Summit takes place on Friday 28 May from 10am to 12pm and is free to attend. To register, visit bit.ly/CSRSummit21 Spring 2021 CHAMBER connect 47

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Chamber Connect

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The SCR Chambers: Sheffield

Supporting our members

T: 0114 201 8888 E: membership@scci.org.uk W: www.scci.org.uk Twitter: @sheffchamber

Our region’s businesses will lead the way in the recovery and Sheffield Chamber will be right beside you every step of the way.

Supporting business. Connecting business.

Representing business.

Driving trade across the world Anne-Marie Martin (pictured), Director Global Business Networks at the British Chambers of Commerce, discusses the Global Business Network, upcoming projects and their ambitions for growth.

To begin, tell us a little about yourself and your background I joined the BCC’s team in 2019 as Director of Global Business Networks, with responsibility for developing and implementing the global network integration strategy of the BCC. Since those first few months, our global footprint has grown exponentially.

Before that, I was CEO of the pan European British Chamber Network COBCOE, which has since transferred into the BCC network, and before that my first role in Chambers was as CEO of the British Romanian Chamber of Commerce during a time when Romania embarked on its reform journey towards EU accession.

However, I actually cut my teeth in industry, with a relatively long career responsible for sales, marketing and operations of an SME distributor of speciality chemicals and non-destructive testing equipment to the aircraft, aerospace and heavy engineering industries across complex emerging economies in the Central and Eastern Europe, on the export front line.

What are your main responsibilities?

My primary role is to create, grow and maintain a dynamic and fully engaged, integrated global community; to deliver a programme of activities and projects that add value to the network, and a platform whereby Chambers are able to connect, work together, exchange ideas and best practice and drive trade and business together, across the world. Despite the many challenges of the last year, we have experienced increased interest in our network and its scope, and the network has never been more active than it is at the moment, with successful business connections being made across the world.

Who are your target audience and what is the main aim of the Global Business Network?

The Global Business Network is a unique international member network of currently 71 and growing British Chambers of Commerce located across all continents of the world directly connected to the 53 regional Chambers of Commerce located across every key business hub in the UK. The primary strategic objective is to provide any company that is a member of any Chamber in the network with the opportunity to connect to a rapidly growing international ecosystem of known, trusted business connections and support.

What projects are you currently working on?

My stand outs include managing our 2021 Global Annual Conference which will take place in cyberspace on 16-17 June this year. This will be hugely exciting, because it will a brand-new virtual styled event, bringing together high-level keynote speakers, including Government officials, senior business leaders on expert panel sessions, practical workshops and a fresh new look virtual exhibition space. We will bring audiences from across the world together to discuss and debate the most pertinent topics of our time.

We plan to launch a ‘Year of Trade’ campaign this year in response to the seismic decline in business growth, export sales and investment which are at their lowest since the last major economic crisis of 2008. The programme will include a series of virtual events, thematic surveys, practical guides and policy outputs.

Another project I am keen to roll out is a digital community platform that will connect the Chambers in our Global Business Network to each other seamlessly, enabling them to

communicate and respond to respective enquiries, to organise joint trade forums and to showcase the best that their market or region has to offer.

Looking ahead, what are your main aims for the Global Business Network and how would you like it to develop?

The possibilities are absolutely boundless. Our ambition is to grow the international membership to 100 by 2023, that together with our UK Chambers, will help businesses to surmount barriers to trade and seize opportunities by creating a framework of connectivity and practical support provided by a trusted, known private sector led network of reputable business partners via a truly global business network of Chambers of Commerce working symbiotically together. I would like to see this network eventually take on a life of its own. At that point, it will give me a huge sense of achievement and pride in the knowledge that my job is done.

Parts of this article first featured in West Cheshire & North Wales Quarterly Business Magazine. Visit wcnwchamber.org.uk/aboutus/quarterly-magazine

SHEFFIELD CHAMBER PATRONS 2021

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The SCR Chambers: Sheffield We are a community. Working together to make businesses stronger.

Whatever the sector, shape or size of your organisation, we want you to be a part of it.

Visit: www.scci.org.uk

Melinda Schofield, Station Director at Hallam FM and Greatest Hits Radio South Yorkshire & North Derbyshire

Hallam FM scores another greatest hit Celebrating its 45th year, Hallam FM continues to be the region’s leading commercial radio station in South Yorkshire. Big John @ Breakfast continues to entertain his loyal listeners, every weekday morning, with all the biggest hits, entertainment, and travel news.

The station is multi-platform - on-air, onground and online – it also provides video production services, making Hallam FM a total media solution for business.

They continue to be the voice and digital vehicle of choice for many organisations, providing guidance, support and advice, to ensure businesses in the region have the tools ready to bounce back and beyond.

After further acquisitions and rebranding, the station has also launched Greatest Hits Radio, into their growing portfolio. Greatest Hits Radio, which covers South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire, forms an integral part of the radio landscape and compliments the heritage brand of Hallam FM. Following this expansion and rebranding, it is now a leading brand for listeners and advertisers, offering significant scale and access to highly valued audiences.

Businesses can be a part of this. Hallam FM continue to be a strong and reliable vehicle for advertisers. Commercial radio provides brands with a way to engage with millions of people via a medium they can trust.

Radio provides reach, resonance and is an emotional influencer with a power to enhance brand perception at a subconscious level.

For more information and to explore opportunities visit hallamfm.co.uk

50 CHAMBER connect Spring 2021

The Sheffield College businesses that equip students with the skills for their future careers are gradually re-opening following the national lockdown easing

Students offer a warm welcome to customers he Sheffield College businesses that equip students with the skills for their future careers are re-opening following the national lockdown easing.

Revive Hair and Beauty Salon at City Campus, run by hair and beauty students, re-opened on 19 April.

Dog grooming students have returned to complete their assessments at Hillsborough Campus; they are appealing for the public to provide their pet pooches to groom.

Meanwhile, catering and hospitality students are looking forward to the reopening of the Silver Plate Restaurant at City Campus from 17 May. These on-campus businesses, supervised by staff, develop students’ customer service and vocational skills as part of a wider focus on careers not just courses.

Kelly English, Assistant Principal, Creative and Design Faculty, The Sheffield College, said: “It’s great to see our college businesses getting ready to safely re-open. They provide fantastic, real life industry experience for our students

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enabling them to develop the vocational and employability skills to go further in their careers.”

Revive Hair and Beauty Salon provides hair, nail, facial and body treatments, and offered NHS staff free haircuts in gratitude for their work during the pandemic.

The dog grooming salon has specialist industry equipment including electronic grooming tables and finishing dryers.

The Silver Plate Restaurant offers high quality lunch menus and gourmet dining and has earned AA College Rosette Highly Commended status and AA Covid Confident accreditation.

A range of safety measures are in place to ensure that the College remains a safe place to learn and work in line with an ongoing, thorough risk assessment, and government guidance.

The college is continuing to implement social distancing measures, mass testing and limit campus occupancy to help keep everyone safe. Face coverings must be worn in learning and social spaces unless people are exempt.

‘They provide fantastic, real life industry experience for our students’

Email: info@sheffcol.ac.uk Visit: www.sheffcol.ac.uk Call: 0114 2602600

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The SCR Chambers: Sheffield

Your dedicated Chamber team P

eople make successful businesses.

Sheffield Chamber is no different. We can have all of the ambition in the world but without the right people we are going nowhere fast.

At Sheffield Chamber we are lucky to have a passionate and dedicated team who know the organisation and its members inside out. Some have been at the Chamber for years, quietly honing their skills and developing strong and lasting relationships with businesses across the city.

Some joined us in relatively junior positions and have gone on to take on more and more responsibility.

Right now, the Chamber’s Operations Manager, Jenna Selwood, who joined as an Apprentice 10 years ago, is managing brilliantly well our contribution to the Government’s £2bn Kickstart programme. She has gone from benefitting from an apprenticeship to playing a leading role in the Sheffield Partnership for Jobs and Skills which is coordinating over 194 vacancies in organisations across Sheffield. Others across the Chamber team are making equally important contributions as we look to build the strongest Chamber of Commerce in the UK. The strengthen of the Chamber’s existing team, particularly over the last 12 months, has provided the organisation with a platform for further growth. That is why this Spring we’re not only enjoying the easing of restrictions, but the Chamber is also welcoming new colleagues.

First up are two new Account Managers, whose primary responsibilities are to support members on a day-to-day basis. Jake Wilson and Paige Millington joined in February 2021 and have already directly supported over 100 businesses. Welcoming new colleagues while working from home brings challenges, but Jake and Paige have brought boat loads of energy, enthusiasm and ideas. With their new colleagues Lorna, Will and Sam in the Chamber’s membership team they are

‘We are lucky to have a passionate and dedicated team who know the organisation and its members inside out’

L-R: Jake Wilson, Account Manager; Paige Millington, Account Manager; Jenna Selwood, Operations Manager; Rachael Page, International Trade Facilitator

welcoming more and more businesses into our community of members.

Next up. Who can forget? Brexit. The last few months have been hugely busy for the Chamber’s trade team in the International Trade Centre. Whether supporting businesses experienced in exporting, but grappling with mountains of paperwork, or helping new companies to reach overseas markets, Sheffield Chamber has been at the forefront of efforts to make sense of Brexit. The Chamber team now support over 470 businesses and remain the only Chamber in Europe to be accredited as an

Authorised Economic Operator – a mark of the Chamber’s expertise and excellence in international trade. With this success and growth comes the need to scale up, which is why the Chamber was delighted to recently welcome Rachael Page as an International Trade Facilitator.

With the challenges and opportunities surrounding every business, no one can afford to stand still. Sheffield Chamber is investing in the future to lead the way in Sheffield becoming the best place in the UK to do business.

Helping you with your Brexit enquiries Business Sheffield, the business support programme for Sheffield City Council are funding a dedicated Brexit Support Service for Sheffield companies to help them trade successfully post Brexit and support them with information and advice from a single service.

Business Sheffield’s Business Growth Manager Yvonne Asquith said: “We want to give our local businesses the best opportunity to continue working with their customers and suppliers across Europe and support new growth opportunities for those aiming to develop new markets. We are funding a dedicated team to ensure the service is personal, that you can speak to someone rather than being lost in web pages or pressing the next phone option.”

The service is being co-ordinated by Sheffield

Chamber of Commerce with the support of the Sheffield International Trade Centre and specialist advisers.

Enquirers to date have included a wide range of organisation from start-up companies and retailers to advanced manufacturers with questions about trading with Northern Ireland, selling online to Germany, how to import from Turkey and talking through the numerous documents and declarations that are now required.

The phone line is manned from 9am–5pm Monday to Friday where you will speak to someone, or you can use the email address and receive a call back.

Tel no: 0114 223 8188 Email: brexitsupport@scci.org.uk Spring 2021 CHAMBER connect 51

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The SCR Chambers: Sheffield

What we do Our mission is to lead the way in making Sheffield the best place in the UK to start, grow and run a successful and sustainable business.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park reopens Y

orkshire Wildlife Park reopened in April, and visitors were greeted with new animals and a new reserve as the awardwinning park kick-started a fresh era.

The 175-acre park, which has more than 5km of pathways, unveiled its new entrance and the Atlantic Reserve, marking the first phase of an exciting development plan.

A pair of recently arrived Lowland Tapir, Maned Wolves and a pack of Bush Dogs all made their debuts in the new Atlantic Forest reserve, which is the first of several new areas in the Park’s expansion project.

The park, at Branton, near Doncaster, has deployed extensive safety precautions including advance booking only, restrictions on visitor numbers, controlled time slots for visits and clear social distancing marking and messaging and increased cleaning protocols.

“We are delighted to have been given the green light to reopen the Park. So much has changed from our new entrance to our new arrivals in Atlantic Forest,” said Chief Executive John Minion.

“We have been planning the expansion for several years now, so to be taking the first step of opening the new entrance and the first new reserve Atlantic Forest is amazing. This is only a small part of our plans for the next few years so watch this space and, as restrictions lift over the coming months, we will be opening more exciting new developments.”

New animals and a new reserve as the award-winning park kick-starts fresh era

The new species will provide visitors with even more to see among the 450+ rare and endangered animals at the park, which is the UK’s No. 1 walkthrough wildlife adventure.

New facilities are also be on offer at the leisure shopping area, the Yorkshire Hive, featuring a mix of local independent shops and boutiques selling artisan food and drink, delicious sweet treats and confectionary, homeware, cards and accessories. The wide

range of products continues with children’s clothes, stunning African art and wildlife photography and a new plant for the garden.

The Hive is a phased development over two years and the Park will announce the arrival of more new animals and a new signature reserve in coming weeks.

The new Park entrance is off Hurst Lane, near to Doncaster Sheffield Airport and the new postcode for satnav is DN9 3QY.

ProAktive by name, proactive by nature Regional insurance and risk management consultants, ProAktive, have added a new service to their risk management division.

ProAktive Environmental has the ability to support your business to ensure compliance with environmental and workplace legislation.

ProAktive, who have been in business since 1975, welcome Bill Green as their Environmental Specialist. Bill offers clients specialist environmental consultancy, which complements the current HR Support and Health and Safety service portfolio.

Bill joined the independent risk consultancy on 1 March and already works together with organisations across multiple sectors from SMEs to large businesses.

“This is a tremendously exciting development, and one that has been a long time in the planning. It completes the circle of risk management,” said Ian Clayton, Managing 52 CHAMBER connect Spring 2021

L-R: Andy Morley, Bill Green and Ian Clayton

Director of ProAktive Risk Management.

ProAktive Group Managing Director Andy Morley commented: “The launch of our environmental division is a significant milestone, being able to help our clients on their environmental journey as society moves towards a more sustainable future.”

ProAktive MCERTS accredited staff are able to provide a bespoke, competitively priced and

flexible emissions monitoring service tailored to meet your business' individual requirements.

The offering ensures that monitoring work fulfils both any legal requirements and provides relevant information for plant optimisation.

Under COSHH Regulations, companies have a duty to ensure that employees are not exposed to harmful levels of substances found in the workplace; this includes both the products produced along with associated components and by-products, for example dusts, gases, aerosols, noise and vibration. Consideration should also be given to the control measures employed to protect operatives following the Hierarchy of Control ProAktive are well placed to assist in ensuring adequate control measures are implemented.

If you would like to have a conversation with ProAktive, contact Natalie Wilson on 0114 243 9914.

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The SCR Chambers: Sheffield

Chamber Events A calendar of events designed to engage both members and non-members and enhance their business.

For full booking information on all Chamber events visit: www.scci.org.uk/events

City Region Business Networking Date: 1 June and 3 August Time: 9am-10.30am Cost: Members: Free/non-members: £10+VAT Membership of the Chamber is all about helping your business to grow. This event is the ideal place meet potential clients in an informal online environment, from across the Sheffield City Region. Attendees will rotate breakout rooms to ensure they have a chance to network with all attendees.

Conversation’ sessions, panels, interactive workshops and essential keynotes, exploring how we can restore confidence and build a more resilient sustainable future that supports businesses to recover, grow, invest and thrive.

Simply Business Net-Walking Date: 23 June Time: 4pm-6pm Venue: J G Graves Discovery Centre, 260 Abbey Lane, Sheffield, S11 9NW Break away from your desk. Close down your computer. Say goodbye to networking only through a screen. It's time to say hello to netwalking!

SCR Business Net-Walking

BCC Global Annual Conference 2021 Date: 16-17 June Time: 8am-5pm Cost: Various – discounted to Chamber members The Global Annual Conference, held virtually over two days, is one of the most eagerly anticipated events of the business calendar.

Both days will feature an impressive roster of senior political figures, Leader to Leader ‘In

Date: 7 July Time: 9:30am-11am Cost: £10+VAT - members only event Held in partnership with the three South Yorkshire Chambers, join us for net-walking at Yorkshire Wildlife Park. Attendees will be treated to a delicious selection of breakfast treats and refreshments, before setting out in groups to network, whilst exploring all that the park has to offer.

Sales Success - Being a Trusted Advisor Date: Time: Cost:

15 June 10.00am-11.30am Free (members only)

You want more sales, we want to help you to get them! Achieving success in sales is about building trusted relationships with your clients.

In partnership with Dale Carnegie, we have designed a free interactive workshop to help you become established as a trusted advisor. You’ll learn how to put your customers first, increase your sales and ultimately, grow your business.

Sales Success - Create Customer Champions Date: Time: Cost:

14 July 10.00am-11.30am Free (members only)

Are your customers championing the work that you do? Are new customers coming to you directly from word-of-mouth referrals? Your customers are an extended sales arm to your business. Partnering with our friends over at Dale Carnegie, we have put together a free interactive workshop to help you turn your customers into Champions, and to help your business succeed and grow.

These last two events are part of Sheffield Chambers leadership and growth programme. Exclusive to Chamber members, the programme is designed to equip your team with the knowledge and skills needed to accelerate your business growth, in this ever-changing world we live and work in.

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Chamber Connect

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Chamber Connect

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Feature: Communications & Marketing

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Feature: Communications & Marketing

The rise and rise of selling online

By Tom Scott (pictured), Head Mester at Little Mesters Global retail trade rose from 14% in 2019 to about 17% in 2020. That’s pretty significant. The global pandemic has made it abundantly clear how important selling goods and services digitally is for businesses. We are approaching a time where physical and online will both be back available to consumers, here’s our top tips for those considering selling online.

Choosing a platform I’ll be honest, there are a lot of choices out there for where to host your store or services. From third party providers like Shopify and WooCommerce, to more bespoke solutions, it’s well worth taking some time over this decision. Some key factors to look at: • Costs – What are you ongoing monthly costs, including payment system fees?

• Aims – How does the platform fit in with what you’re trying to achieve?

• Growth – Will choosing a third party platform restrict you from growing compared to a custom solution?

How will customers discover you?

So you’re all set up with a lovely online store, and your products or services are there waiting to be discovered and bought. How are you going to get people there?

There are plenty of avenues to choose for this, and I would be lying if I said I wouldn’t recommend looking at paid social media as a means of finding your audience. But first things first, make sure your tracking is in place. You need to think about: • Google Analytics (other analytics platforms are available) – Here you are recording a wide range of statistics that will help you work out performance

• Social media tracking pixels – They all have them and with it you’re going to be able to do so much more.

Once you’ve laid that groundwork it’s time to think about where your audience lives online and who else do they connect with, such as competitors brands, celebrities etc. Doing this analysis is going to allow you to have confidence in choosing the right avenues to communicate with them. Oh, and build an email marketing list. It’s priceless.

Evaluate what’s working You’re going to need to know what’s working once you’ve started. Being able to evaluate and measure means you can make educated decisions on which avenues to increase budgets for, which to pause, and which ad creatives to do more of. Once again the options here are pretty overwhelming. Here’s a few popular options: • Native analytics – Most platforms have some form of insights available for you to use. The downside to this can be the breadth of statistics they make available, and it can be time consuming if you have multiple platforms to check • Data studio – Google’s much underrated and underutilised tool. You will be able to pull in statistics from Google channels for free e.g. Analytics, Google Ads and Search Console. You can connect other services like Facebook using third party connectivity tools which do come at a cost • Analytics – We’d recommend having this set up from day one. There’s a lot you can do here, but even at its most basic you can quickly see traffic, referrals and time on site.

‘There are a lot of choices out there for where to host your store or services’

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Feature: Communications & Marketing

Video content you should be using in your business

By Rob Campbell, Lead Video Strategist at Bear North Media ideo is one of those things people either love or hate to do. But whether you’re a lover or a hater, it plays a key role in the digital world, especially when it comes to marketing your business.

Wyzowl says that 66% of consumers prefer watching a video to reading about a product, so whether you're B2B or B2C, here’s five different ways you can use video to your advantage.

V

Introductory video Start with basics. Especially effective on platforms like LinkedIn, produce a simple video (whether filmed as a ‘selfie’ or you get someone to film you) where you introduce yourself, what you do and an interesting fact about your business.

Short and sweet. I can hear some of you thinking ‘I hate being on camera, I’ll skip this’. I was the same (which is why I learnt how to use a camera instead) but just take a deep breath and go for it. Keeping it short means you there are no lines to learn and you won’t go off on a tangent and once it’s done, it’s done. Imperfect action is better than no action at all after all.

FAQs

Your product/service

Now you’ve got your first video out the way, you can talk a bit more about what you do. A great place to start is by answering your most frequently asked questions. It allows you to speak about your business in-depth and helps people understand what you offer.

For example, I might make a video explaining what we do to help people feel more at ease in front of a camera. This sort of video you can then keep on top of quite easily with a weekly offering titled ‘common misconceptions of (your industry)’.

Once again, short and sweet is the way forward. I also advise you speak from the heart rather than preparing a script; it will feel more natural and will help you connect with your audience better.

Once you’ve answered a frequently asked question, this is an ideal time to present one of your products or services. If you have a product show it off in the video, or film someone using your service or providing a review.

No-one wants to be sold to so keep it informative and advise as to what to do next to purchase, e.g. call, send a message, visit your website etc.

What’s new

Secrets

A nice simple one to round it off. Provide an update on what you’ve been up to, any wins you’ve scored or introduce new staff - these are some ideas that will do the trick.

Once again, speak from the heart; it will make your video a lot more engaging to your customers and they can keep up-to-date on what’s going on in your business.

Sound intriguing? Who doesn’t enjoy seeing a little ‘behind the scenes’ action, a type of video that extremely popular on TikTok and Facebook.

Use video to show the secrets of your industry. What becomes the everyday norm to you other people are completely oblivious to, so a little insight can capture some interest from your customers.

I hope this has helped give you some tips on what kind of video content you can create for your business.

Your biggest critic will always be yourself, so take a deep breath and press record. I look forward to seeing your videos online soon!

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Feature: Communications & Marketing

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Feature: Professional Services

We bring the experience of an accomplished work-based provider that has worked with large and small organisations, consistently bringing fresh and innovative ideas and delivery systems.

We provide both online and in-house training opportunities with fully supported, flexible delivery. Our courses range from one-five days, while longer qualifications range from 6-12 months.

We can also provide bespoke training for individuals.

Our current provision covers:

• • • • • • • • • • •

Project Management Customer Service level 2,3 Business Administration level 2,3,4 Facilities Management level 2,3,4 Cleaning Support Services level 2 Cleaning Supervisor level 3 Business Improvement Techniques Warehousing level 2,3 Waste and Recycling level 2,3,4 Sustainable Resource Management level 2,3,4 Management and Team Leading level 2,3,5

T: 0114 2484445 60 CHAMBER connect Spring 2021

• • • • • • • • • •

Micro Teaching Stewarding and Spectator Safety Personal License (bar) Stress Management Self Awareness Equality and Diversity Safeguarding Food Safety Health and Safety Fire Safety

E: enquiries@tagcommercial.org

Our staff are qualified within their areas of vocational delivery and our courses are fully accredited by awarding bodies.

We can deliver our courses nationally, catering for both employers and individuals alike. Please contact the office for further information.

Our team work constantly in the background ensuring quality and consistency of provision

W: www.tagcommercial.org

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Feature: Professional Services

The benefits of the

Cloud

By Tony Houlihan, Chief Technical Officer, TwentyFour IT Services Ltd

ver the past few years the end user IT landscape has been changing drastically. Many businesses are now looking to managed services and Cloud providers to offer unprecedented levels of network resilience, flexibility, mobility and performance through the use of Cloud driven applications and infrastructures.

Particularly within the SME market space moving your infrastructure to the Cloud can have many benefits over traditional on-premise servers and desktops which many companies find it difficult to understand. Yet in many cases people within these businesses have already been using the Cloud for many years. We have all seen the benefits of these services, like having an always on accessible from anywhere and at any time service at very low cost or even free in some instances.

Of course, the use of a webmail service is just dipping the smallest part of your little toe into the Cloud. So, what does it really mean for a business to move to the Cloud and what benefits can they see from transitioning from an on-premise server and desktop solution to a Cloud-based one?

To help answer this question set out below are the top five reasons and benefits of considering a move to the Cloud:

O

Scalability With a hosted desktop solution, companies can scale up and down scale to meet business changes, meaning you only pay for what you use, when you use it. This is true for the resources required to run your applications and desktop efficiently as well as the number of users a business may have.

Imagine a user’s PC running slowly and being able to give it more memory or processing power at the touch of a button, rather than needing an engineer to install more capacity to get that PC running back to an acceptable level. When businesses need more resource, this can simply be deployed by the end user, meaning applications always run at optimal speed.

Improved productivity With hosted desktops and Cloud-based apps, there is better connectivity and collaboration among the work force working in different geographical locations. All employees can access the same information and data anywhere, anytime. This results in improved collaboration among the team members which leads to improved performance.

Access to your systems from any device, from anywhere One of the key benefits of a hosted desktop solution is the ability for users to access their data and applications from any device, anywhere. Whether it's their office applications or accounting packages or their ERP and CRM suites. They are all accessible at a moments’ notice from any location using pretty much any device.

This corresponds nicely if you have remote or home workers or maybe satellite offices, all of whom can collaborate and work on the same systems using standardised platforms quickly and securely.

Financial benefits Hosted desktop solutions are typically priced on a per user basis reducing the need for large capital expenditure. Companies enjoy a low fixed monthly fee per user for all their licensing, support, backup and storage. Which can grow and shrink as your business requirements change meaning you can better forecast for the future.

Furthermore, in a recent guide published by VMware entitled Desktop as a Service (DaaS) for Dummies, VMware stated that: “By virtualising desktops and applications and moving to the cloud, organisations can realize many benefits — centralised and simplified management and orchestration, greater business agility, improved security and compliance, and reduced IT capital expenditures (CAPEX) and total cost of ownership (TCO) — across their entire IT infrastructure portfolio, from servers, storage, and networking to desktops and applications”.

By having desktops hosted it can significantly reduce the licensing, purchase and ongoing maintenance costs of your IT estate.

Improved reliability With a 99.999% up time guarantee (offered by most hosted desktop providers), a business can always be online and working. Most providers host clients’ data in secure data centres, behind corporate grade firewalls and offer 24/7 support along with disaster and recovery services. By using server farms if a server host fails the workload is simply moved to another server within the farm to continue the work without interrupting the users.

This is complemented by having geo-redundant replication sites meaning if the data centre goes off line the workloads can be re-established in pretty much real time in a secondary location with little or zero disruption to the end user.

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Feature: Professional Services

Returning to work – what you need to know hen the lockdown order was announced, businesses across the region quickly shifted to remote work and encouraged their staff to stay at home, and stay safe.

However, as lockdown restrictions ease, many employers are considering how to safely resume operations.

The relaxation of lockdown and return to the workplace may result in a variety of legal and HR issues which you may not have considered or be ready to respond to. Chamber Connect explores some of the steps you will need to follow to make the workplace a safe environment.

W

‘Return to the workplace may result in a variety of legal and HR issues’

Health and safety As an employer, it is your statutory duty to ensure the health and safety at work of your employees.

This requires you to implement and maintain a safe system of work and ensure that your employees follow it.

Employers will need to carry out Covid-19 risk assessments to establish what guidelines need to be put in place, and the results from the assessment should be shared with all employees.

Businesses with over 50 employees must publish the results of the risk assessment on their website – and it’s a good idea for smaller firms to do the same.

Before you re-open workplace, your risk assessment must factor for the following: • Safe distancing – all workspaces should be re-designed to maintain a two-metre distance between all staff wherever possible. Changing layouts and creating one-way walkways/staircases can help achieve this.

• Transmission risk – where the two-metre distance can’t be maintained, you should look to manage the transmission risk. This can be managed by erecting physical barriers between individual workspaces in shared spaces and minimising the amount of contact different teams can have together.

Consider providing gloves and disposable supplies such as drinking cups and utensils.

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• Cleaning – workspaces should be cleaned more frequently. Pay close attention to high contact objects, such as door handles, taps and kitchen equipment. Hand sanitising stations should be set up at all entry points, and alternatives to touch-based security devices, such as key pads or fingerprint scanners, should be provided.

Bringing employees back • Staggering shifts – Consider staggering start and end times and employing shifts, so employees can both minimise the amount of interaction they have with each other but also avoid public transport at peak times. Consider flexible schedules that let workers have one week in the workplace followed by one at home. If it’s possible for staff to continue working from home they should do so for as long as possible.

• Reluctant employees – Be prepared for employees who are reluctant or unwilling to return to the workplace; they may be from high-risk households, have underlying medical conditions or be unable to travel safely to work. In these instances provide appropriate support but consult legal advice.

Under the Employment Rights Act 1996, an employee cannot be dismissed if they leave or refuse to attend the workplace because they reasonably believe there is a serious and imminent danger that they can’t avoid. But if the workplace has the appropriate measures in place and the employee can commute to the workplace safely, it becomes a matter of discretion.

• Annual leave and time off – Workers who have not taken all of their statutory annual leave due to Covid-19 can to carry it over into the next two leave years, thanks to a new Government regulations. The regulations will allow up to four weeks of unused leave to be carried over, easing the requirements on business to ensure that workers take statutory amount of annual leave in any one year. This will mean staff can continue working without fear of losing out on annual leave entitlement.

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Feature: Professional Services

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Sector Focus

The latest news from Sheffield City Region businesses operating in the Legal, Corporate Hospitality, Finance and Skills & Training sectors.

Law firm supports major acquisition The East Midlands corporate team at law firm Shakespeare Martineau played a key role in the multimillion-pound acquisition of a financial coaching business.

It supported Adam Price, the founder of financial planning firm Hatch Financial Planning, throughout the takeover by Octopus Group on all its legal aspects.

Hatch, which works with the likes of MoneySuperMarket, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Epson, and Experian in offering affordable expert financial coaching, will rebrand to Octopus Moneycoach.

Ambitious plans are in place to grow the business from 30 to 200 employees over the next two years and to bring financial coaching to the mass market, with both AI and human advice services available to customers.

Partnering with other established financial advice businesses already housed within the Octopus Group – one of the UK’s fastest growing financial services companies – Octopus Moneycoach will focus on offering financial coaching and planning to the employees of businesses looking to further support their workforce.

Shakespeare Martineau Corporate Partner Michael Squirrell (pictured), who led the legal support team, said: “It was a pleasure to act for Adam on the sale, playing our small part in this important step forward on Hatch’s mission.

“The creation of Octopus Moneycoach to complement Octopus’s existing financial services businesses is the perfect next stage for Hatch.”

Adam Price, founder and CEO of London-based Hatch, added: “I am hugely grateful to Michael and the rest of the corporate team at Shakespeare Martineau, whose expertise and guidance made the acquisition as smooth as possible.”

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L-R: Michaela Heathcote and Dawn Lowry of Taylor&Emmet

Family lawyers welcome vouchers for mediation amily law experts at Sheffield’s Taylor&Emmet LLP are welcoming the introduction of a new voucher scheme that will enable more local couples to access mediation.

Vouchers are now being offered by the Ministry of Justice, up to the value of £500, for participants in family mediation who are not eligible for legal aid.

Dawn Lowry, a family law expert at Taylor&Emmet’s Rotherham office and qualified Mediator, said: “There are huge delays in the family courts at present, so the introduction of mediation vouchers is a boost for separating couples wishing to move on with their lives. Not only will they save money, but they will also have the opportunity to reach a settlement that works for them, in a less stressful and confrontational environment.”

Free mediation is available to individuals who qualify for legal aid, however, if their partner is funding the mediation privately, they are responsible for their fees from the second session onwards, which can cause disengagement. Using the voucher scheme, the private client can access additional funding, allowing them to continue with the process.

In some circumstances, this may mean another two or three mediation sessions can be undertaken before payment is required and, in many cases, this

F

would be sufficient to resolve the issues.

The Family Mediation Council has been allocated £1m to administer the Mediation Voucher Scheme, in a bid to reduce the costs of separation and keep couples out of the courts. Vouchers will be granted to participants in pre-mediation meetings (MIAMs) and paid directly to mediators registered with the scheme.

Dawn added: “The average legal fees associated with taking children proceedings to court range from £3,000 to £5,000, depending on their complexity.

Mediation was already a costeffective alternative for separating couples willing to enter into meaningful discussions about the future of their family, but the new voucher scheme will significantly reduce the costs further and we urge private clients to give it serious consideration.”

In cases where both parties are funding a separation privately, MIAMs would be payable at £108 each, before the voucher could be applied. This should then fund two sessions, or one longer meeting, as required.

‘The introduction of mediation vouchers is a boost for separating couples’

Call: 0114 218 4000 Visit: www.tayloremmet.co.uk

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Sector Focus:Legal

Marks & Spencer is suing Aldi for infringing its Colin the Caterpillar trade mark

Colin vs Cuthbert: Aldi in legal battle Aldi is being sued by Marks & Spencer over claims that its Cuthbert the Caterpillar cake infringes M&S’ Colin the Caterpillar trade mark. Carys Thompson – Partner at leading Yorkshire law firm, Keebles LLP – explains why M&S is suing and what it could mean for the industry.

Carys said: “M&S has three registered trademarks relating to its Colin the Caterpillar cake.

The company lodged an action against Aldi in the High Court claiming that the similarity of Aldi’s lower priced Cuthbert the Caterpillar cake infringes M&S’s trade mark.

“M&S argue that despite being a lower-priced product, it leads consumers to believe the Aldi cake is of the same standard as M&S’s Colin the Caterpillar cake and ‘rides on the coat-tails’ of M&S’ reputation.

“The verdict will depend on

whether the High Court decides that Aldi is seeking to benefit commercially by bringing a confusingly similar product to market.”

The case raises questions about retailers selling similar products which are closely related to those sold by competitors but are branded up differently in an attempt to avoid trade mark issues such as this.

Carys added: “This will be an interesting case to follow.

“If M&S is successful, it will be interesting to see whether the company takes action against other retailers that have created their own similar products or whether those retailers remove their products from sale.”

To discuss trade mark laws in more detail, contact Carys Thompson at carys.thompson@keebles.com or on 0114 252 1485.

Re-accreditation for personal injury expert John McQuater, Partner and Head of Litigation at Doncaster-based Atherton Godfrey, has successfully secured re-accreditation as a personal injury specialist, by the Law Society of England and Wales.

Members of the scheme are reassessed regularly to ensure that they continue to meet the stringent standards set by the Law Society.

Each member must evidence that they have extensive experience of handling cases throughout the entire claims process, including through the courts, where necessary.

In addition to the personal injury accreditation, Mr McQuater also holds Law Society accreditation as a clinical negligence specialist.

The Law Society accreditations complement the Association of

Personal Injury Lawyer (APIL) accreditations held by John, which include Brain Injury Specialist and Fatal Accident Specialist.

John said: “There are many personal injury lawyers out there, which can make it difficult for people to know who to go to.

“These accreditations are an important kitemark for clients looking for someone to represent them. They offer reassurance that they are engaging a legal professional with solid experience in a particular and often complex field.”

Mr McQuater has practiced personal injury law for more than 30 years and is an accomplished author in the field. His expertise is acknowledged by the Legal 500 and Chambers UK legal directories.

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Sector Focus:Corporate Hospitality

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Sector Focus: Corporate Hospitality

Planning events in the ‘new normal’ Lockdown restrictions are coming to an end and soon, indoor events will be allowed to take place once more. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has, perhaps irreversibly, changed the corporate hospitality industry, and there are a number of factors to plan for when organising an event that you may not have considered before. With this in mind, Chamber Connect provides a handy checklist to help you navigate events planning in ‘the new normal’.

Where to start When planning your event, consider the following as a starting point: • Does your event need to take place in person, or could you switch to a virtual model?

• What will you do to make your guests and staff feel comfortable? Can you remove or reduce the risk of close contact?

• Will travel restrictions affect how attendees will reach your event?

• Are you flexible enough to adapt to changing Covid-19 guidance?

• Have you considered the scenarios that would necessitate postponing or cancelling your event? How can you prepare for these scenarios?

Health and safety The health and safety of your guests, speakers and staff should be your major priority. Although lockdown restricts will eventually ease, many people will still be concerned about the cleanliness of the places they visit, and may refuse to decline to attend events if they feel health and safety isn’t being taken seriously.

• Have you carried out a risk assessment, and does this include all Covid-19 related risks?

• What additional hygiene measures must be put in place across the site, and how will these be monitored and maintained?

• Do you need PPE, and can this be secured in time?

• Will your chosen site need to be deep cleaned before/after your event, and are you responsible for organising this?

• Assuming social distancing may still be a requirement, how will this be implemented? Will you need a one-way system, separate entrances and exits, and how will you manage queues?

Catering Pre-Covid, it was a given that corporate events would be catered in some capacity.

However set ups that involve delegates queuing at buffets and using the same utensils to serve themselves may well now be a thing of the past.

• If your event is catered, have you considered the Covid-19 risks associated with serving food and drink? Could you consider varying the food offer, such as providing hampers or table service, in order to minimise contact in dining spaces?

• If guests will be given the option to buy food on site, can you implement cashless payment systems?

‘Are you flexible enough to adapt to changing Covid-19 guidance?’

Communications While much is still uncertain surrounding the easing of Covid restrictions, you will need to develop a communications method that will allow you to quickly share vital information with your delegates and staff. Consider how you will share the following information: • General information, welcome materials, emergency protocols etc.

• Covid-19 information (track and trace details, protocol if a delegate develops symptoms etc.)

• What happens in the event of cancellation and how the refund process will be handled.

Finance How can you guarantee that your event will make a profit?

• Do you have sufficient finances and cash flow to manage ‘sunk costs’ if the event is cancelled or postponed at the last minute for reasons beyond your control?

• What are your contractual obligations to your venue, staff and suppliers? Do they have cancellation policies in place?

• If you are operating at a reduced capacity, is your event still financially viable?

• Do you have sufficient event insurance in place? Is cancellation due to Covid-19 and the surrounding risks included in your policy?

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Sector Focus:Finance

How R&D tax relief can aid lockdown recovery ith lockdown gradually easing, businesses around the region hope this marks a return to ‘normal’ trading (or a ‘new normal’).

At the same time, many companies are counting the cost of the pandemic and are keen to explore all areas of support available to them.

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Support through R&D tax relief Post-Budget, R&D remains an important part of the UK’s recovery plan, with the Government keen to increase investment in R&D. This is great news for companies looking for additional support, as accessing R&D tax relief can be a quick, efficient way to get cash back into your company.

R&D tax relief works by reducing corporation tax liabilities, generating tax refunds from previous years, or creating payable tax credits from HMRC. Companies may benefit from corporation tax relief of almost 25% of qualifying costs, which will increase to 32.5% in 2023. The extension to the loss carry-back rules also means loss making companies may benefit from higher rates of relief than previously.

‘R&D tax relief is largely underclaimed because companies do not realise they are eligible’

How to claim R&D tax relief is largely underclaimed because companies do not realise they are eligible. If your company is engaged in product or process development or improvement, speaking to an R&D expert can determine whether you are eligible to claim.

The relief is available to companies in all sectors. R&D claims are made via the company’s tax return and, if the company is due a cash payment

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from HMRC, HMRC aim to pay this within 28 days of the claim being submitted.

An R&D expert can work with you to prepare your claim whilst saving the company’s time and resources.

Super-deduction

A new relief was also announced in the Budget which is of interest to companies investing in R&D facilities in the UK, or any companies undertaking investment in fixed assets.

An enhanced first year capital allowance will apply for expenditure between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2023. Qualifying plant and machinery will be eligible for a super-deduction of 130% which can be combined with the existing 100% Research and Development allowances (RDAs) on all capital expenditure relating to R&D facilities (excluding land).

Radius specialises in helping businesses claim their full entitlement to Government-backed tax reliefs for innovation, and are proud to be R&D Tax Relief partners to the Sheffield, East Midlands, Barnsley and Rotherham Chambers of Commerce.

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Sector Focus:Finance

Whether just starting out or well established, businesses use finance for any number of reasons. Cash-flow along the supply chain is a frequent concern. Suppliers, tax liabilities and wages can’t wait. Assets and property require funding.

An extensive range of financing solutions is available, with access to lenders across the whole of the market.

If you’re an employee, sole trader or running a business then you’ll know how illness can impact on your income and productivity.

Plans available for individuals, families or your business.

With NHS waiting lists for non-essential surgery at an all-time high, (you could wait 18 weeks or more for the repair of a slipped disc!) wouldn’t it be good to know you can have treatment when YOU need it in the best possible private care.

Well, that’s where IPMI come in….

The preferred choice for Private Medical Insurance.

An independent PMI specialist broker, directly authorised and regulated by the FCA. We can find you the best private medical insurance based or your individual requirements and budget.

We can also help with life and relevant life insurance, income protection and critical illness cover through Clever Life Limited.

T: 01964 253 088 E: enquiries@cleverlife.co.uk W: cleverlife.co.uk

Don’t just take our word for it, check out our client reviews on our website. Call us now:

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Sector Focus:Manufacturing

The team at Gripple Automation

Gripple takes home another award ripple, Sheffield-based celebrated manufacturer of innovative suspension systems and wire tensioning systems, is set to emerge from the pandemic with confidence after receiving another national award and increasing its presence in its home city.

Gripple is no stranger to major recognition. Last year Gripple came top of the class in the national 2020 Make UK Manufacturing Awards, crowned as Manufacturer of the Year, winning two other categories, and an apprentice receiving a regional award.

In this top award employee owned Gripple was judged to have blazed a trail within the UK manufacturing sector, for leading by example and developing progressive best practice for others in the industry. And for showing

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exceptional initiative, boldness and dynamism, as well as exemplary management practices.

Stephen Phipson, CEO of Make UK, said: “Gripple has been an exemplar company for many years and these awards are a testament to the people, innovation, drive and dynamic performance to which all manufacturers should aspire. We are proud to have given them our highest award and look forward to seeing Gripple continue to prosper.”

Growing demand for Gripple Fast Trak, one of its ground-breaking products, means the repurpose of a

brand-new building – previously intended to be home to Gripple Automation – and acquiring a new home for GA which had outgrown its existing premises.

Gripple had invested £2m in a brand-new 18,000 sq ft building on Foley Street which is now dedicated to Fast Trak manufacture.

Christened the Norfolk Bridge Works, this building will provide the additional production space required for Fast Trak, the rapid trapeze bracket solution designed for the suspension of building services.

The ‘next generation’ Gripple building, will provide 15,000 sqft

‘A testament to the people, innovation, drive and dynamic performance’

production and 2,000 sqft office space, plus room to support Fast Trak’s increasing popularity and a showcase for the latest Gripple products in addition to a ‘green’ wall and solar panels.

The bespoke automated production and processing solutions provided by Gripple Automation, both in-house and external, continue to increase beyond expectations. This necessitated a move into another building – a new 16,000 sqft facility, with a 9,032 sqft build space, close to the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Orgreave.

Ed Stubbs, Gripple Managing Director, said: “This prestigious recognition and expansion is absolute testimony to how our employee owners have gone above and beyond to support their business in such a challenging year.”

Insulation manufacturer lands £250k funding One of the UK’s leading building insulation manufacturers, YBS Insulation (“YBS”), has received a £250,000 loan to progress its growth plans.

YBS secured the finance from the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF) East & South East Midlands Debt Finance Fund, managed by Maven Capital Partners.

The business, based in Creswell, Derbyshire, will use the funding to invest in new production machinery to increase its output capacity, as well as strengthening its sales and marketing function.

The deal will help YBS continue to generate new business opportunities by enhancing its digital presence, improving its e-platform and growing its social media presence.

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bubble laminates, cavity closers and foil membranes. Using its on-site laboratory and testing facility, YBS has developed a product range that is thinner, lighter and more energy efficient than traditional products that are on the market such as those that are made of mineral wool and polyisocyanurate (PIR) board.

The business already supplies major UK builders’ merchants and DIY retailers such as Screwfix, Wickes, Toolstation and Homebase, in addition to retailers in Europe.

Simon Sharkey, Managing Director at YBS, said: “This marks another exciting milestone for YBS as we look to continuously improve our customer offering though new product developments and improved efficiency. We have significantly advanced the business over recent years, but this will provide the investment to really accelerate our plans. Jonathan and Maven have been instrumental in securing this

investment and we at YBS are looking forward to building on this relationship.’’

Jonathan Lowe, Investment Director for Maven, said: “We are delighted to support Simon and his team with this MEIF loan as YBS look to develop to the next stage. Increasing numbers of property owners in the UK and overseas are seeing the benefits of investing in energy efficient insulation and YBS is well placed to expand further at its site in North Derbyshire.”

Sajeeda Rose, Chief Executive, D2N2 LEP, said: “Through the Midlands Engine Investment Fund, we want ambitious businesses to have the opportunity to grow and innovate.

Supporting companies like YBS, which are helping to reduce energy consumption and reduce carbon emissions, will help our regions collective vision for green led recovery and growth.”

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Sector Focus:Manufacturing

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Sector Focus: Skills & Training

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Sector Focus: Skills & Training

Sourcing the perfect apprenticeship igned, sealed, delivered… three teenagers who didn’t know what path to take when they left education in lockdown are now beginning careers in logistics.

Their futures look bright thanks to The Source Skills Academy, which found them apprenticeships with innovative company InXpress Sheffield.

The company, a franchise of a larger worldwide logistics operation, was launched in 2018 with the aim of giving city businesses cheaper shipping and logistics support on their doorsteps. It experienced huge growth in the pandemic, as companies turned to e-commerce to get their products to their customers and suppliers.

“We work with a range of local companies – from manufacturers of machine parts, tools and PPE to makers creating anything from recycled cardboard furniture to harmonicas and penny whistles,” said Neil Armstrong, Business Development Manager. “We find them competitive prices from bigname carriers such as DHL, UPS, TNT and FedEx.” An additional arm of the business, Cloud9 Fulfilment, helps

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Source Skills Academy apprentices Alex Watson, Luke Jones and Tom Cutts

local businesses by securely storing their stock and taking care of their e-commerce orders from a customdesigned fulfilment warehouse just off the Parkway.

“Their orders come directly to us and we pick, pack and dispatch on a next-day service,” added Neil.

The growing company decided to go down the route of apprenticeships to give young people the chance of building a career.

Neil said: “The pandemic has caused havoc with their futures.

They have little training or experience and need that foot in the door and we know the right people will excel in our organisation. Being able to access Government grants has meant we have been able to afford to take on three apprentices.”

Alex Watson and Luke Jones, both 19, are Level 3 Business Administrator Apprentices and Tom

Cutts, 18, of Brampton Bierlow, Rotherham, is a Digital Marketing Apprentice.

“The Source found us excellent candidates. Tom, Luke and Alex are very bright, committed and keen to learn,” said Neil.

Alex, of Heeley, who gained ALevels at All Saints Sixth Form, said: “I was struggling, not knowing what to do after my education abruptly ended due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Suddenly, my ties to universities and future opportunities had been cut. The Source put me forward for what I realised was a unique opportunity to join a promising young business.”

Kerry Cook, Business Development Officer at The Source, said: “During the spring 2020 lockdown I helped Neil and his MD Joshua Hegarty to study via our fully-funded, accredited online management courses.

“They told me about their expansion plans and I explained apprenticeships would be a great way to grow their team. I told them about the funding and incentives available to them, highlighted what apprenticeship roles would suit their needs and matched them with three young people I felt would be fantastic additions to the team.”

Eurosafe invests in safety with new training centre Eurosafe, a market-leader in working at height training, inspections and equipment, announced completion on their purpose-built training centre in Sheffield.

Armed with 2,800sq ft of indoor training space – with an additional 2,800sq ft of rooftop training space – the centre offers the latest in safety equipment and technology for working at height and working in confined space.

Eurosafe, founded in 2000, works with national brands to deliver safety training, inspection, and equipment services for the construction, industrial, retail, rail, health and aviation sectors.

Starting out with an offering of bespoke access systems and fall protection throughout the UK and Ireland, the company naturally expanded to include training services in 2011.

Throughout the pandemic in 2020, many businesses halted operation. Eurosafe carried on with their plans, investing £400k in a purpose-built centre to take their training services to the next level.

They recognised the upcoming

need for more working at height and confined space safety training as construction, retail, and industrial operations restart and expand as part of the post-pandemic economy.

One of the most interesting elements of the centre is a two-level confined spaces training crawl space, covering a total of 40m.

Combined with Eurosafe’s track record in working at height safety training, the expansion to hands-on crawl space training with state-ofthe-art MSA breathing apparatus and gas detection technology, partnered with other industry leading fall protection equipment from Globestock, was a logical step in the next moves for the business.

“Having a purpose-built confined space simulation facility, and working with the industry leading safety equipment suppliers for our confined space training, is showing our investment in the safety and wellbeing for the people on the ground,” said Training Manager Simon Miller.

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Sector Focus: Skills & Training

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