Chamberlink July August 24

CHAMBER

JULY/AUGUST 2024

Dugouts to boardrooms…

The CEO who became an FA Cup giant-killer

The Griffin Report – pages 12-13

• What business wants from the new government

• Lessons from history on global trade fears

• Royal backing for city institutions and skills

Picture: Shaun Fellows

Contents

Chamberlink July/August 2024

CHAMBER

Editor: John Lamb 07814 539329

lambjohn@mac.com

Deputy Editor: Dan Harrison 0121 274 3239, 0797 1144052

d.harrison@birmingham-chamber.com

Assistant Editor: Jon Griffin 07963 405538

j.griffin@birmingham-chamber.com

Reporter: Feron Jayawardene 0121 2743240, 07508 317356

f.jayawardene@birmingham-chamber.com

Reporter: Darby Newman 07951 245985

d.newman@birmingham-chamber.com

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Editor’s View

BY JOHN LAMB

English lamb in a royal beef world

My brushes with royalty, it will come as no surprise, have been few but remain indelible in my memory. The royals will remember nothing of me but I hope they would be delighted to know they feature widely in this month’s edition of Chamberlink

One of them is the Princess Royal, who, I was saddened to read, had been admitted to hospital with minor injuries and concussion after being injured in a collision with a horse.

The story reminded me of one of the occasions I met HRH. It was at Simpsons restaurant in Edgbaston and she was there in her role as president of the Scotch Beef Club. She was on her way to the Royal Show, then still held annually at Stoneleigh Abbey in Warwickshire, and had popped in to promote cheaper cuts of beef, like shin and skirt, from Scotland.

We lined up to greet her and when I was presented to her by chef patron Andreas Antona, I pointed to the name badge on my lapel and said: “I’m English lamb, ma’am.”

She did chuckle, saying “how funny”. Not sure it was but I did sit near her when Leamington Spa butcher Aubrey Allen demonstrated some very fine and affordable cuts promoted by the Scotch (not Scottish) Beef Club. Sadly, she could not stay for a splendid lunch because of engagements at Stoneleigh.

This was all part of the busy schedule Princess Anne and the rest of the royals pursue, often in

FRONT COVER: Charlie Blakemore, group CEO of Intercity. See pages 12-13

Laura Blake

Designers: Lloyd Hollingworth & Stuart Burton

Advertising: 0121 765 4144 jon.jones@kempspublishing.co.uk

Printers: Stephens & George Print Group

trying circumstances when they are not on top form because of illness.

She also found time to honour Chamber members Pertemps when she attended a skills event organised by City & Guilds (see page 76). She presented the HRH the Princess Royal Training Award to Pertemps Network Group’s people development director Andy Long.

‘King Charles has honored Birmingham Royal Ballet by becoming its patron and Queen Camilla is continuing her patronage of the famous Elmhurst Ballet School in Edgbaston’

The King and Queen, no less, are other royals who feature this month (see page 24). King Charles has honoured Birmingham Royal Ballet by becoming its patron and Queen Camilla is continuing her patronage of the famous Elmhurst Ballet School in Edgbaston.

At a time when the royals are not enjoying the best of times healthwise, it’s gratifying to know that they are prepared to get out and about to fulfil their duties.

• Chamberlink will be back in September, examining the activities of the new government, many other topics plus our usual popular features.

Business News

Latest news from Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce

Championing our city’s black entrepreneurs

By Dan Harrison

Anew business network which will champion the growth and development of Black-owned companies has been launched by Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC).

The GBCC Black Business Collective is a free subscriber network offering Black business owners and professionals a platform to meet, learn, stay connected and discover new opportunities.

The initiative has been proposed and developed by a committee of Black business leaders who will steer its future activities.

Subscribers are set to benefit from access to a dedicated GBCC Black Business Collective quarterly event, invitations to free events across the wider GBCC group and a quarterly digital bulletin featuring insights and opportunities for the Black business community.

Leading the GBCC Black Business Collective will be chair Alex Cole (CEO, TIN Ventures) and honorary president Karl George (head of governance at RSM and GBCC board member). They are supported by vice-chairs Justice Williams (co-founder and editor-in-chief, Black Business magazine) and Keith Shayaam-Smith (CEO, Legacy Centre for Excellence).

Joining them on the committee are Yetunde Dania (head of office, Trowers & Hamlins LLP), Rebekah Taitt (regional development director for the Midlands, Lloyds Bank) and Denise Morris (founder, TAG Network Midlands).

Lloyds Banking Group and law firm Trowers & Hamlins are founding partners, and the initiative was launched at the Birmingham Black Business Show at the NEC in June.

Alex Cole, chair of the GBCC Black Business Collective, said: “I’m genuinely delighted to be joining my esteemed colleagues in bringing this

vision to life. The GBCC Black Business Collective presents a huge opportunity to work collectively across community, private, public, education sectors and beyond to enhance the existing business support, ESG, and innovation ecosystems to facilitate sustainable growth.

“We look forward to using the many years of data and research now available on the need, and opportunity, for proactive, tailored solutions for the black business community, to inform the work of the Collective.”

Karl George, honorary president of the GBCC Black Business Collective, said: “I’m delighted to have played a key role in creating the GBCC Black Business Collective as a non-executive director of the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce. I look forward to seeing The Collective continue to connect and amplify opportunities for black owned businesses and entrepreneurs.”

Henrietta Brealey, CEO of the GBCC, said: “The GBCC Black Business Collective is an exciting new partnership between our Chamber and Black business community networks.

“We recognise that in order to be truly inclusive, we must directly engage with the very practical needs of our communities.

“We are proud to be working with Karl, Alex and the GBCC BBC committee to make this network by and for the community.

“Together, they have highlighted the need to create a space to convene and connect the brilliant individuals and organisations working with the Black business community, give the community a voice and bridge the gaps identified in years of research on interventions to support the success of the Black business community.”

Visit: www.greaterbirminghamchambers.com

Working together (left to right): Alex Cole, Karl George, Henrietta Brealey, Justice Williams and Keith Shayaam-Smith

Lessons from history

The message may be more than 200 years old - but the fundamental template for success in the business world remains largely unchanged.

In her opening address at the Global Business Conference, Henrietta Brealey, chief executive of hosts Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC), treated delegates to an intriguing history lesson,

Tracing the origins and foundations of the Chamber to the financial turmoil facing the West Midlands business world at the height of the Napoleonic Wars in 1813, Ms Brealey said: “They came together to learn from each other.

“The world has changed a lot since then, but this core area, the ability to learn from each other, and work with our global partners, very much remains at the heart of what we do.

GLOBAL TRADE SUMMIT 2024

“It is a very complicated environment when it comes to international trade - there are a whole lot of opportunities out there for businesses able to grasp their place on the international stage.”

And whilst the world of business and commerce has indeed changed beyond recognition since the distant days of Waterloo and Trafalgar, those in attendance at the Curzon Building at Birmingham City University were frequently reminded of other fundamentals which still apply in today's often volatile post-Brexit business world.

Shaun Gray, European managing director of global automotive components manufacturer Ginho, said: “The biggest thing is doing your research. It is about making the local connections, visiting locationsyou can't get it all through Teams and Zoom. Get on the plane, understand the products and the customers. It is about understanding the local people and customs. Across the whole of Europe, there are so many different variations of cultures and of doing business.”

Nasir Awan, straight-talking president of the GBCC and selfmade wholesale magnate whose Awan Marketing PLC boasts over 40,000 lines and more than 14,000 customers throughout the UK, said: “The language of business is international.

“Doing business person-to-person is so important. If you want to do business, you need to meet peoplethat is how business works globally.”

Meanwhile, the facts behind the West Midlands business sector - an economy the size of Slovakia, home to 200,000 businesses with 55,000 start-ups, the youngest and most diverse population in the UK - told their own story. Or, as Katie Trout, West Midlands Growth Company’s director of policy and partnerships, put it: “Here, we have an increasingly strong story to tell.

“I think when we get people here they are blown away and surprised, which I get annoyed about because they shouldn't be surprised about how fantastic it is. We should all be ambassadors for the city and for the region and promote us as much as possible.”

This was inspirational, tubthumping stuff in the name of wealth creation and strengthening the regional economy in the interests of everybody, a far cry from the often narrow party political rhetoric filling TV screens

Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and its Global Chamber sister brought together delegates widely experienced in how to succeed in international business, an area of trade often shunned through lack of experience or even fear.

JON GRIFFIN (pictured) sets the scene for our three-pages of reports. Additional reporting: Dan Harrison, Feron Jayawardene and Darby Newman.

Pictures: Edwin Ladd

as the general election campaign grinds remorselessly on.

But away from Punch and Judy politics, delegates were reminded that prospects for global trade were endless, embracing new transatlantic the opportunities following the signing of MOUs with eight US states, including the likes of Texas, Washington, North and South Carolina.

Raymond Davies, chair of British American Pacific Northwest, said: “This is a game-changer, although it is not really portrayed like that. We are in a great position for the West Midlands to take full advantage of that at state level, using these MOUs.

“When they (the US) do business with you, they do business with you - it comes with all their networks and they will actively work with you to expand yours.

“They are very serious about business, very focused, and you need to be on your game. If you are prepared to do that, you can do fantastic business with the Americans.”

Or, as entrepreneur Tim Luft, Create Central innovation lead, put it: “Just get out and explore, go on trade missions. Before you know it, you have got a global strategybut you have got to get out there.”

Just as Henrietta Brealey had earlier reminded delegates of the Napoleonic Wars origins of Birmingham's biggest business group, so Mark Smith, president of the Global Chamber, brought the story up to date with his closing remarks on the post-Brexit landscape.

“Brexit has created issues - you have overcome those issues. Now you have got to make further opportunities by working with people through networks like the Chamber. It exists to make your connections more straightforward,” he said.

More than 200 years of industrial history - from Trafalgar and Waterloo to the aftermath of Brexit - had been bridged in one fascinating afternoon at Birmingham City University’s Curzon Building….

Learn from each other: Henrietta Brealey with (left to right) James Tate, president Transatlantic Chamber; Nasir Awan, president Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce; and Mark Smith, president Global Chamber

on global trade fears

Trading with EU still strong

The West Midlands is maintaining a strong trade dynamic with the European Union despite challenges arising from Brexit, according to experts at the Chamber’s Global Business Summit.

Speaking on the topic “Business and Trade relations between the West Midlands and Europe post-Brexit", Professor Alex de Ruyter, director of Birmingham City University’s Centre for Brexit Studies, said the EU remains the West Midlands’ biggest trading partner despite the post-Brexit complexities.

State-level agreements can benefit local firms

Professor de Ruyter, who joined the panel hosted by Global Chamber president Mark Smith, said: “Brexit hasn’t altered the trade dynamics between the West Midlands and the EU.

“It's imposed additional costs and delays, but the EU remains our largest trading partner in terms of imports and exports.

Transatlantic business experts say the West Midlands is well positioned to take advantage of trading opportunities with the United States thanks to a series of state-level Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs).

The UK’s MoUs with eight US states – which include Texas, Washington and North and South Carolina - were discussed during the “Doing Business in the USA” panel discussion at the Chamber’s Global Trade summit.

It was hosted by James Tait, president of the Transatlantic Chamber, and featured Dr Raymond Davies, chair of BritishAmerican Business Pacific Northwest, Andrea Edwards, director of global relations and research at the University of Birmingham, and Shah Karim, founder of Sovereign Landmark.

Dr Davies said: “The best way to understand the United States in business terms is state by state. Although we're not getting free trade agreements, the

UNITED STATES

Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has been very active getting MoUs together.

“Although it hasn’t been portrayed as such, the US departments of commerce are serious about these MoUs and trading with the UK.”

He said they included healthcare, medtech, life sciences, advanced manufacturing and fintech as well, most of which the West Midlands could do business with.

Andrea said: “We have a

particular focus on North America, with a significant amount of investment to support academic innovation and collaboration.

“The US remains one of our most popular destinations for students wanting to study abroad, and we have over 300 US students on our campus and 3,000 alumni around the US,

“Our focus on is very much about our research, engagement, and our reputation, linked into our ambition to be a top 50 global institution.

“We have also seen some really great opportunities for collaboration, more generally around medtech, medical and health technologies, drawn upon the Birmingham Health Innovation

Continues on page 8...

“Practically speaking, organisations should lobby the government to ease the trading frictions. This is where the Chambers of Commerce comes in as a powerful voice.”

Other panellists included Dirk Virlee, trade and investment counsellor at Flanders Investment & Trade and Rob Janering, partner at Crowe UK.

Dirk spoke about the trade opportunities that exists between Birmingham and the Belgian region.

He said: “Brexit caused a lot of complexity and insecurity among trading with other countries and that complexity remains to this day.

“But if you’re well connected, there are solutions to this problem and it doesn’t stop businesses in trading.

“Let’s also not forget that Europe is the most important client in the UK and there is no need to complicate that.”

Dirk also highlighted the importance of Flanders as a key trading region with Birmingham.

“We had around 80 big companies that wanted to set up bases in Flanders. It had a lot to do with logistics and partnerships and I believe there's a good common ground with the West Midlands.

EU still region’s biggest trading partner (left to right): Dirk Virlee, Prof Alex de Ruyter and Rob Janering

West Midlands in great position to trade with the US (left to right): James Tait, Andrea Edwards, Shah Karim and Dr Raymond Davies

“Life science is very big in Flanders. We have around 350 companies active with a market value of £42bn.”

Rob stressed the importance of having business support organisations as a platform for SMEs to start trading.

He said: “When Brexit happened, the big businesses were able to continue and survive, but SMEs took a big hit.

‘There needs to be more access to networks, and this is where organisations like GBCC become valuable’

“Now we see SMEs picking up their feet again and exploring international markets.

“We don’t have free movement of goods, and everything has underlying costs. There needs to be more access to networks, and this is where organisations like GBCC become valuable.

“And I think it comes back to talking to those people, getting good advice, and really understanding the nuance of your business, to take a bit of time to step back and find the right people who can then help you.”

Another key discussion at the conference was “Going Global”, hosted by Global Chamber president Mark Smith.

Samuel Hooton, representing the Canton Fair - a major Chinese import and export fair - spoke about the evolution of the event over the years and the extent of the products and services available to exhibitors and attendees.

He said: “The Canton Fair holds a huge range of the latest products in the industry, and attending will allow you to get the best prices for those products. You can buy them there, bring them back here and start selling.”

Speaking about companies expanding their footprint internationally, Shaun Gray, European managing director of global automotive components manufacturer Ginho, said: “It really is a good thing, particularly as there is always some kind of geopolitical event going on around the world and that does impact where you trade.

“If you have a footprint in each of those key locations and they are close to your customer, you will benefit hugely.”

Betting on sport and culture to boost trade

The key role cultural and sporting institutions such as Black Sabbath and Aston Villa can play in boosting the West Midlands’ global standing was highlighted at the Global Summit.

Delegates were told the region must capitalise on the successes of internationally-acclaimed Birmingham Royal Ballet – who are taking their Black Sabbath: The Ballet production around the world – and Villa, who will compete in European football’s Champions League next season.

The West Midlands Growth Company’s director of policy and partnerships Katie Trout said capitalising on sporting and cultural strengths – and utilising the global

GLOBAL TRADE SUMMIT 2024

networks of Chambers of Commerce and universities – can boost the region’s profile.

She added: “We need to be thinking about to utilise Chamber connections across the globe.

“How do we utilise the global alumni that our fantastic universities have and get them to open and share their networks abroad for us?

“How do we best utilise our soft power so when the CBSO and

...UNITED STATES from page 7

Campus and our Birmingham Health Partnership in the UK.”

Shah Karim, an investment and asset manager operating exclusively in the US market, told how he began his legal career at PwC UK, then studied international law at Cornell University in New York before transitioning to real estate investment in the US. With 20 years of experience, he specialises in transforming distressed real estate into high-yielding investment properties in the US.

He said: “There are slightly different business cultures around the country, depending on the state. And what I've found is that the culture changes dramatically through different states and different regions."

Businesses looking to take their innovation products to an international audience were given expert advice from an

the

Birmingham Royal Ballet are touring, how do we jump on that and make even more of it a business and trading element?

“With Aston Villa now in the Champions League, how do you promote the region when people come and watch fantastic football here? This is going to be really critical to show how we can best harness our collective roles for international positioning and therefore the impact of the region.”

Ms Trout joined the GBCC’s director of external affairs Raj Kandola and Ryan Howell from global logistics and freight

“Internationalising Innovation” panel hosted by Innovate EDGE scale-up director Deb Leary.

Panel speakers included Tim Luft, entrepreneur and Create Central innovation lead, Trudi Sully, UK and Europe leadIndustrialised design and construction at Mott MacDonald, Sunny Claire, innovation and growth specialist at Innovate UK Business Growth, and Jo Birch, director for innovation, enterprise and employability at Birmingham City University.

The speakers discussed the different sectors within Birmingham that are well-placed to expand internationally, such as AI and VR, med-techs, electric vehicles (EV), construction suppliers, net zero solutions and waste-water treatments, as well as the services available to businesses looking to do so.

They highlighted the importance of universities in building innovation.

forwarding specialists Rohlig UK for a panel discussion about the region’s international positioning.

Katie admitted the West Midlands still had a “huge visibility problem” despite attracting record foreign direct investment (FDI) and visitor numbers.

“We have the likes of Greater Manchester who continuously score much higher than us in terms of perception, which we need to try and address.

“When we get people here, they are blown away and surprised, which I get annoyed about because they shouldn’t be surprised about how fantastic it is.

“We should all be ambassadors for the city and for the region and promote us as much as possible so that we raise awareness, get people here and then they will come and invest, host their events and visit.”

Birmingham Royal Ballet’s chief executive Caroline Miller said the company was flying the flag for the region by taking Black Sabbath: The Ballet across Europe and America following its sold-out run in Birmingham.

“There are a lot of things that we could tie together in terms of culture and businesses to re-remind people about this city and why it is so important,” she said.

“International trade is built on brand alliance with the UK and with quality – it’s what we do and what we shout about.

“Our patron was the Queen and is now the King, so we have that Royal brand that, particularly in America, means something to people.”

• Birmingham Royal Ballet links with art gallery – see Arts page 80.

Flying

ballet flag: Birmingham Royal Ballet's Caroline Miller (right) with GBCC chief executive Henrietta Brealey

President’s Focus

The Chamber’s young professionals division Future Faces is once again shining a light on the importance of mentoring through July. Here, president KASIM CHOUDHRY reflects on his own experiences as a mentor and mentee – and how the relationship between the two is mutually beneficial.

As you read through this magazine, you’ll notice that mentoring is back on the agenda as a theme for Future Faces over the next month.

It’s a topic that as a network we have covered in great depth since the launch of our thriving mentoring scheme in October 2022.

As someone who has been around the business community and networks such as Future Faces for almost a decade now, I can't overstate the importance of mentoring programmes for young professionals.

Reflecting on my own journey, I've realised how crucial the role of mentors have been in shaping my career and personal growth.

While I’ve never had an official mentor, I've always surrounded myself with individuals whose advice and guidance I valued deeply. The sort of people I’ve felt comfortable picking up the phone to when I’ve needed a question answering or help with solving a problem.

‘Many of the mentors also tell us they have experienced career promotions since being part of the initiative’

These informal mentors were people I sought out naturally through work and business connections. It wasn't just luck - I had to be proactive, putting myself out there and reaching out to those whose experience and wisdom I respected.

Through these relationships, I've learned invaluable lessons about decision-making, effective communication, and network building. Whenever faced with a challenging situation, I could turn to my mentors for credible advice, which has been indispensable for my business and career development.

They provided a different perspective, helping me see things

I might have missed on my own.

My experience as a mentee also inspired me to give back. I've had the privilege of myself becoming a mentor through various programmes, including the BSeen initiative.

Mentoring others has not only allowed me to share my knowledge but also hone my skills in listening, analysing situations, and selfreflection. It's a mutually beneficial relationship where mentors learn just as much as mentees.

To any young professional hesitant about seeking a mentor, I offer this: “You can't be what you can't see.”

Learning from others who have walked the path before you

provides insight into overcoming challenges and achieving success. It's about understanding the hurdles they faced and the strategies they used to leap over them.

The Future Faces mentor scheme exemplifies the power of such relationships. Its success is evident not just in the development of our mentees but also in the growth experienced by the mentors.

In just over 18 months, the scheme has matched almost 200 mentees and mentors across a variety of different industries.

While the feedback from mentees has been resoundingly positive, crucially many of the mentors also tell us they have experienced career promotions since being part of the

initiative. It just goes to show that it is a two-way street.

The mentoring programme has become a cornerstone of what Future Faces offers, fostering a community where knowledge and experience flow freely between generations.

Mentorship isn't just about receiving guidance. It's about building a network of support and learning that helps everyone involved grow and thrive.

I would encourage all young professionals to embrace mentorship - both as mentees and future mentors.

It's a journey that promises growth, learning and the forging of invaluable relationships.

Kasim Choudhry

The Griffin Report

He was the manager of the lowest-ranked team in the English footballing pyramid ever to reach the third round of the most famous cup competition in the world, the FA Cup. Yet Charlie Blakemore still found time to be a successful, globe-trotting businessman.

JON GRIFFIN discovers more about the Birmingham Chamber non-executive director.

Charlie Blakemore looks back on his days as a globe-trotting international businessman and nonleague footballing giant-killer with wry amusement…

“I was in charge of 7,000 people in the UK munitions business with seven sites. At the same time I was trying to manage Chasetown’s FA Cup run. It was crazy.”

In the lengthy annals of footballing and business history the CE0 of Birmingham-based IT specialists Intercity may well hold a unique career record combining boardrooms and dugouts, company acquisitions and last-minute goal heroics.

The Wolverhampton-born IT boss boasts a stellar CV which has seen him hold down international executive posts with global giants BAE Systems – at the same time as plotting giant-killing footballing exploits as manager of non-league Chasetown.

Charlie has led teams of thousands in the rarefied executive world – jetting around the globe at the helm of major BAE corporations. But in the rather less exclusive world of non-league

football he will always be the man who steered little Chasetown to FA Cup glory, beating Football League outfits Port Vale and giving Cardiff City a mighty fright on a dank winter’s day in Staffordshire back in January 2008.

The Intercity CE0 may have notched up plenty of successes at boardroom level – but in the wider world of grassroots sport he is remembered as manager of the lowest-ranked team in the English footballing pyramid ever to reach the third round of the most famous cup competition in the world, the FA Cup.

‘Wolves would have been a top, top dream for me. I have been a Wolves fan since

I was a young kid’

Even today, after more than 40 years of business success which saw him climb the ladder from shopfloor apprentice with GKN to lead teams of up to 13,000 at executive level within BAE Systems, the pitchside memories burn equally brightly for the former

Chasetown boss.

And for a man who has mixed with Prime Ministers, senior government figures, top military brass at home and abroad and other VIPs, Charlie still considers his all-time dream job would have been manager of his beloved Wolverhampton Wanderers.

“Wolves would have been a top, top dream for me. I have been a Wolves fan since I was a young kid and grown up with them, the frustrations, the highs and the lows. I would have absolutely loved the Wolves job.”

But while Charlie – who combines his Intercity CE0 job with a non-executive directorship at Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC) – never made it to the Molineux dugout, he’s enjoyed an extraordinary business career which has taken him all over the world in a variety of prestige roles, notably with BAE Systems.

Throughout, he has always prided himself on an ability to get on with people at all levels, a habit he first developed growing up in his late father’s pub in Codsall Wood, where as a football-mad youngster he first encountered journalist legend Denis Sunley, West Bromwich Albion reporter for the Express and Star for many years.

“Denis used to come and have a pint in there. I was fascinated because I was football-mad from the minute I could walk. He was such a lovely guy – he used to tell me he had just met Derek Statham, Cyrille Regis, Laurie Cunningham, Ron Atkinson… I was in awe of Denis doing his job.”

Decades later Charlie would achieve awe-inspiring achievements of his own in business and football – but his career started in humble surroundings as a technical apprentice with the then GKN Defence.

As he quickly progressed through the ranks with the defence group, which later became Alvis Vickers before being taken over by BAE Systems, so his talents as a goal-scoring striker took him to schoolboy honours with Shropshire and a distinguished playing career at non-league level with the likes of

went

“There are a lot of analogies that I have pulled from sport into my business career. That journey of starting as an apprentice and working with the shopfloor guys and understanding that everyone in the business has a part to play, was invaluable to me.

“The thing with football is that you are in front of 11 players from all different backgrounds. Different things motivate different people –it is the same as business. It’s not one size fits all with people, it needs to be tailored.”

As his business career progressed, so his footballing CV flourished, managing Shifnal Town’s Under-18s at the age of just 21 and

Shifnal Town, Rushall Olympic, Stourbridge, Bridgnorth Town, Bilston and his beloved Chasetown, where he

on to play over 300 games.

FA Cup glory: Charlie acknowledges the crowd

later coaching at the Wolves Academy under the wing of highly regarded ex-Wolves player Rob Kelly. Meanwhile, by the time of the Alvis takeover of GKN Defence, he had progressed to project manager level.

After completing a five-year Master’s Degree at Warwick University, he was appointed to the board of Alvis Vehicles, a £300m turnover business, by the age of just 30. As operations director he found himself running a 400-strong team based at Telford.

“It was the most fantastic learning experience – I was mixing with Major-Generals, I was having to have difficult conversations on programmes with Colonels. Then we bought Vickers, so I did my first big acquisition and integration of Alvis to Vickers. Then in 2002 BAE Systems bought the lot.

“All of a sudden this lad who has come up from the shopfloor in Telford is now being exposed to the opportunities that this huge business can offer – and also some of the challenges.”

‘The thing with football is that you are in front of 11 players from all different backgrounds. Different things motivate different people’

Charlie’s career under BAE Systems had reached new heights, leading its £20m turnover military bridging division in Wolverhampton before running operations for the UK munitions arm whilst also

taking the manager’s job at Chasetown in 2004.

“How I did it, I don’t know. I had two phones, a work one and a football one. They were both red hot.”

After five years with the munitions business, he was promoted to MD of the global combat systems business, a £1.2bn turnover concern with a 13,000strong workforce. “I was spending four to five days in Washington a month as well as running Chasetown in the FA Cup and FA Trophy runs.”

Eventually his business commitments forced him to step aside from the Chasetown dugout in 2011 leaving behind a host of wonderful memories – and after spells at executive level in the shipyards and air sectors he was offered a non-executive director’s

role at Birmingham IT firm Intercity by owner Andrew Jackson.

Seeking to spend more time with wife Charlotte and daughters Emily and Lily he jumped at the chance.

“After two or three years Andrew asked me to run the business. I was made up as group MD. We were at £29m turnover in 2021, and we have gone to £60m after three years of incredible growth. I have a vision to take the business to £100m turnover and over 500 employees by 2030. We have got this business bouncing, it’s brilliant.”

But Charlie admits football remains his biggest passion outside his family. He is a season ticket holder at Wolves, occasionally goes to watch Chasetown and still plays five-a-side and veterans’ football, at nearly 57. “I banged in a goal the other day,” he says, with a broad grin.

Boss of Intercity – but still dreaming of managing Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Agenda for new government – from a

Chamberlink presents a round-robin of what Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and some of its members expect from the new government. Views range from the immediate appointment of a Minister for Manufacturing to addressing the thorny and prolonged issue of business rates.

Emily Stubbs, head of policy at Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce

The past few years have been an extraordinary period of economic turbulence, with geopolitical tensions, post-Covid headwinds and the fallout from the energy crisis continuing to impact local businesses.

Earlier this year, ahead of the anticipated general election, the Chamber published the Business Commission West Midlands Roadmap for Business Growth, which sets out 32 recommendations for national government to put economic growth at the heart of the regional and national agenda. Ultimately, the recommendations of the commission can be summarised by three overarching themes that the new Government must address. Firstly, the fragmented and complex public funded business support ecosystem must be more straightforward and strategically coordinated. Secondly, we need ambitious vision, direction and action to set the course for UK industries.

And finally the Government must remove barriers to business growth and create the conditions for businesses to upscale and grow at every stage of their journeys.

As a Chamber we stand ready to work with the government to drive prosperity here in the West Midlands and across the country.

Naeem

Arif, managing director of United Carpets and president of Royal Sutton Coldfield Chamber of Commerce

The last five years have seen an ongoing series of challenges (high-street crisis, Brexit, Covid, cost of living) that have left businesses and consumers feeling drained of both energy and cash. This has been made worse with a regular series of headlines about poor leadership from both local and central government.

For the new government, I am very keen to see us finally breakout from this dark cloud which has hung over our nation for far too long and hopefully see a paradigm shift in the mood of the economy.

We need a boost in our morale, this will only come when we have leaders we can believe in.

We really need better leaders, who look into the interests of our cities and communities. Too many of the current crop are divisive and have shown poor character.

This may or may not happen and is not really in our control, as we can only vote for those who wish to stand for election.

The important thing for me was a high turnout at the ballot box, so people use their votes and so become part of the process, rather than feel that they do not have a say in the matter.

Johnathan Dudley, head of manufacturing, Crowe

We continue our call for the government to appoint a dedicated Minister for Manufacturing to support UK manufacturing.

For a sector that is so important to the nation’s finances, the absence of a dedicated government minister around the cabinet table, representing the interests of manufacturers and engineers across the whole supply chain, continues to baffle; especially against a background of global unrest, conflict and with the urgent need to decarbonise the planet.

Our Manifesto for Manufacturing compiles the views and needs of real businesses in the sector and provides recommendations to drive forward the UK’s manufacturing and engineering sector for the future benefit of the country.

manufacturing minister to rates reform

The immediate focus must be on implementing a clear plan which allows our businesses to have the right conditions to thrive. The stakes for business from the new government could not be higher.

Time and time again, businesses tell me they need to see a long-term vision for the economy.

The companies we represent are the drivers of economic growth and the employers of millions of people.

They need to know that politicians have got their back...but we want the government to know how to help business. Let’s not forget, over the past five years businesses have been hit with costs, costs and more costs.

It was relief to hear that increases in VAT are unlikely but the thorny issue of business rates must be addressed once and for all. I know some firms here in Birmingham whose business rates have risen by around 23 per cent which is a colossal figure at the best of times.

Factor in corporation tax, wage growth and import duties for those who trade internationally, then businesses have been hit from all angles.

Opportunities for an overhaul of the business rates system have been kicked down the road by previous governments and Chancellors of the Exchequer.

Nowhere else in Europe do firms pay approaching 60 per cent of the rental value of their premises and property taxes. At current levels, this is unsustainable and deters new investment in businesses.

The new government also has a golden opportunity to assess the UK’s place in the world and re-evaluate the challenges and possibilities for businesses who trade internationally.

Improved relations with the European Union – still our biggest trading partner - would, of course, be welcome in terms of reducing costs and barriers to trade.

We already have trade agreements with the likes of Australia and New Zealand, as well as a number of state level MoUs with the United States.

While these agreements are important, many of these countries are reaching the point of saturation in terms of bilaterial trade, which is why I’ve been working with the International Trade Centre on a programme of trade missions to developing countries in Africa, Asia and South America.

I have recently returned from Nairobi, where UK delegates met businesses from eight East African countries to promote British exports to these markets.

A lot of these developing nations are becoming self-sufficient. They have growing middle classes and burgeoning consumer markets, meaning there is a lot of untapped potential for trade.

And, as I’ve reiterated regularly, we should not underestimate the strength of the ‘Made in Britain’ around the world as a sign of quality. So, there is a lot for the incoming government to address when it comes to creating the right environment for business.

Naturally, the Chamber will be banging the drum for business to ensure these priorities are heard by those in power.

John Webber, head of business rates at Colliers

None of the three main parties’ manifestos provided me with reassurance. From the “Alice in Wonderland” policies of the Lib Dems to the dangerous tinkering with the Conservatives and vagueness of Labour, no one party came forward with concrete proposals for reform. What we need to do is reform, not to abolish, business rates. As we said in our Colliers 10-point business rates manifesto+ we need to:

• Address the multiplier: rebasing it to a sensible level that businesses can afford, such as £0.35, near its historical level. And de-couple business rates from inflation to make the tax more sustainable.

• Reform the reliefs system - removing business rates deserts, which are inequitable. And make sure everyone that benefits from public utilities and local services pays something towards them - but at a fair rate.

• Look at alternative means of funding/a range of measures

• Extend Empty Property Rates Relief to Twelve Months for All Sectors

• Introduce annual revaluations so business rates bills will accurately reflect values,

• Review plant and machinery- exemptions from business rates for All plant that is an integral part of the trade process should be exempt from business rates, as should investment in new technology that makes businesses more green/ sustainable.

• Improve Transparency from the VOA

• Reform the Appeal System

• Take a proper look at local authority financing.

• Address Rogue Rating Advisors by Regulating the Ratings Industry

The new government has a real opportunity to introduce key reforms to the business rates system – a system which, in its current form, is not working.

Over the past 30 years, various governments have over-complicated this tax, made it more opaque and increased its level disproportionately, leading to a growing chorus of criticism and contributing to destroying the high street.

We need a well-managed and transparent business rates system that supports growth, not hinders it; and we need it now. That is why we campaigned to all parties. We need meaningful reform - not more shallow soundbites.

Dr Nasir Awan MBE DL, president of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and CEO of Awan Marketing International

The Dezaro Limited projects team take their hats off to their maritime logistics team for their unwavering dedication.

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Understanding what CBAM will mean for you

Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC) has launched a new training course designed to help businesses understand what they need to do in preparation for Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) launching in the UK.

CBAM is a policy implemented by governments to account for the carbon cost of producing imported goods. It will place a tariff on carbon intensive products. Reporting has already commenced, with the fourth report due to be released at the end of July.

Although the CBAM doesn’t officially launch with financial obligations until January 2026, the webinar will provide key information so businesses can get ahead and understand just what CBAM means for them, what changes to implement now, and what data they need to start to gather ready for the official launch.

GBCC training manager Leah Quarmby said: “Although CBAM may seem like a long time off, businesses need to begin preparing how to gather the data now and learn how to report on their products they are importing and exporting, which are made from certain materials.”

CBAM will affect those in specific sectors, they are:

• Aluminium

• Cement

• Fertiliser

• Electricity

• Hydrogen

• Iron and steel

• The UK will also include glass and ceramics

Leah adds: “Acting now and being ready for the changes could avoid unnecessary hurdles in the future including fines for not providing correct information on goods.”

The detailed and informative webinar will provide everything companies need to know now, what is potentially coming up for the rest of 2024 and includes a Q&A session with an expert.

Go to www.greaterbirminghamcha mber.com to learn more and book a place.

Star performers: The Travelling Janes

Jazz and Blues festival expands into new venues

There will be a whole lot more live music going on in Southside and elswhere in July as the Birmingham and Sandwell Jazz and Blues Festival swings into action. The number of venues taking part in the annual festival from within the Southside BID area has tripled this year from just one to three and they will be part of 200 city-wide performances as the festival celebrates its 40th year.

The Southside venues taking part in the 40th Birmingham Jazz & Blues Festival, which runs from Friday, 19 July, to Sunday, 28 July, are; Hippodrome Square; the Holiday Inn hotel in Smallbrook Queensway and the Ibis Birmingham Centre hotel in Ladywell Walk.

Hippodrome Square has been involved in the festival for the last 10 years, but this is the first time that the Holiday Inn and Ibis hotels have staged performances.

Julia Robinson, manager of Southside BID, said: “This is our tenth year hosting jazz and blues festival events, but we have now added two new venues. We put on ten gigs every year and we love it.

“Hippodrome Square has been used for the two previous years and is an absolutely brilliant performance area. It has a capacity of around 1,500 and we get lots of people turning up to enjoy the music in the sunshine. We even put deckchairs out for them.”

Southside jazz listings:

Friday 19 July

5pm - The Journeymen – Hippodrome Square

7pm - The Travelling Janes – Holiday Inn

Saturday 20 July

5pm – Ben Toury – Hippodrome Square

Sunday 21 July

5pm – Florence Joelle – Hippodrome Square

Friday 26 July

5pm – Honeyboy Hickling Blues Band – Hippodrome Square

7.30pm – Alan Barnes Quartet – Ibis Birmingham Centre

8pm – The Hot Club of Halifax – Holiday Inn

Saturday 27 July

3pm – Anvil Chorus – Holiday Inn

5pm – The Smokin’ Ade Wakelin Band – Hippodrome Square

Sunday 28 July

5pm - Jump, Jive & Wail – Hippodrome Square

Copies of the full festival programme can be collected from all participating venues.

Uni tops student satisfaction list

Birmingham Newman University has been awarded the title as the number one university in England for student satisfaction, according to the Complete University Guide 2025.

This ranking reflects the university’s commitment to delivering an outstanding educational experience and fostering a supportive and inclusive environment for all students.

The student satisfaction rating, a key metric in the Complete University Guide, is determined by students’ opinions of the quality of teaching at the university.

Newman University say their top ranking is a clear indication of the positive impact its dedicated staff

and faculty have on students’ academic journeys and personal development.

Professor Richard Medcalf, provice chancellor (students) at

Newman said: “This achievement is a testament to the commitment of our staff to providing an exceptional academic experience and a truly supportive environment, where every student can thrive.”

This accolade follows a series of recent awards including:

• #1 University in the UK for fulltime student satisfaction (NSS, 2023)

• Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) Silver Award (2023)

• 1st in England for student experience, 2nd for “firstgeneration students”, and 3rd for teaching excellence, Daily Mail University Guide 2023

• 1st for Social Inclusion, The Times Good University Guide 2024.

Commitment of staff: Professor Richard Medcalf

From an apprentice to boss - city’s CEO returns home

Manchester City Council chief executive Joanne Roney has been named at the new managing director of Birmingham City Council.

Joanne, who grew up in Shard End and started her career at Birmingham City Council as an apprentice aged 16, will take up the position in her home city in the autumn.

She has spent the last seven years leading Manchester City Council.

In 2009 Joanne was awarded an OBE and earlier this year a CBE, both for services to local government.

Cllr John Cotton, leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “Joanne was the standout candidate to steer the council through its current challenges and transform it into an organisation that delivers consistently good services for the people and communities of Birmingham.

‘I’m a native Brummie and this was the only role which could have tempted me away’

“She’s from Birmingham, knows and loves this city and is a committed public servant with a proven track record and a wealth of experience. I look forward to working with her as we strive to give the people of Birmingham the council and the future they deserve.”

Joanne said: “

“I might be an adopted Mancunian, and proud of it, but I’m a native Brummie and this was the only role which could have tempted me away

“I began my career as an apprentice at Birmingham City Council at the age of 16 so the prospect of concluding it there as managing director, and helping

City’s

the place where I grew up and my family still live rise to its current challenges, was a compelling one.”

Joanne succeeds Deborah Cadman, who left Birmingham earlier this year in the wake of welldocumented financial struggles at the authority.

Henrietta Brealey, CEO at Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, said: “We would like to congratulate Joanne Roney in her appointment as leader of Birmingham City Council.

“Her track record of running a council the size and scale of Manchester will hopefully stand her in good stead as she takes up the reins in the coming months.”

sustainable efforts ranked

Birmingham secured a top half ranking in the sustainable Cities Index 2024, driven by strong performance in the planet and people “pillars,” according to a new report.

The publication of the Arcadis’ Sustainable Cities Index 2024 (SCI) comes with nearly 2,000 days until the 2030 deadline for achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The new report reveals some clear differences between leading

sustainable cities such as indextopping Amsterdam (1st), Copenhagen (3rd) and Munich (5th), and those trailing behindparticularly US powerhouses such as New York (48th) and Boston (56th), and Asian giants like Taipei (62nd).

Arcadis, with offices in Colmore Row, Birmingham, are a worldleading design, engineering and consultancy firm.

Birmingham’s focus on achieving net zero by 2030 with an emphasis on sustainable transport earned its

Rain dampens UK growth

The wet weather dampened economic growth in the UK during April, business leaders have said.

The UK economy recorded no growth in April, according to data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The ONS said Gross domestic product (GDP) was flat during the month, following growth of 0.4 per cent in March.

Economists had predicted that GDP would be flat in April, held down by weakerthan-usual retail sales over the Easter period.

The UK’s GDP, which measures the value of goods and services produced in a country over time, had grown 0.4 per cent in March.

top 20 ranking. It showcases equality in the People pillar but faces challenges with lower purchasing power. Birmingham’s diverse population and commitment to wealth distribution stand out.

While lagging in the Profit pillar due to economic intensity, Birmingham shows potential for growth, especially in job opportunities and economic development.

Arcadis has issued a rallying call to cities worldwide, as the publication of its latest Sustainable Cities Index reveals the need for accelerated action in tackling climate change and other urban sustainability challenges.

The SCI ranks 100 global cities across three pillars of sustainability - Planet, People, and Profit.

This year, for the first time, Arcadis has also added a fourth ‘Progress’ pillar to the index.

The full report can be downloaded at www.images.connect.arcadis.com

Raj Kandola, director of external affairs at Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, said: “In line with many city analysts’ projections, economic growth stagnated in April as activity fell in both the services and manufacturing sector.

“Heavy rain in April is likely to have dampened appetite for spending and businesses will be hoping that better weather and a good run for England in Euro 2024 would drive demand.

“Locally, data from our Quarterly Business Report reveals that businesses are still facing a raft of cost pressures.

“As we saw in the ONS release, the pressure caused by stubborn wage growth means the likelihood of an immediate interest rate cut remains minimal - especially in the midst of a General Election campaign.

“Creating a plan that tackles structural challenges around investment, skills and embracing new technologies will need to figure highly on the agenda.”

Cost pressures: Raj Kandola

Arcadis has issued a rallying call to cities worldwide

Native Brummie: Joanne Roney

Nordic flavour for the Brewers

Burton Albion Football Club is now under new majority ownership under the Nordic Football Group (NFG).

The announcement came after the English Football League (EFL) cleared the sale of chairman Ben Robinson’s entire majority ownership stake to NFG.

Mr Robinson will serve as honorary chairman and he has also accepted a role to remain in an advisory capacity working alongside the new owners.

The Robinson-family connection will be strengthened with Ben Robinson Jr. remaining an integral part of the club’s operations and Fleur Robinson returning to Burton Albion as CEO, effective from 1 July. She held the same role at Wrexham for the past three years when the team enjoyed back-to-back promotions from the National League to League One.

On the club’s newly formed board of directors Ole Jakob Strandhagen is appointed as chairman, NFG’s Founder and CEO

Tom Davidson as deputy chairman, Bendik Hareide as sporting director, while Kevin C. Skabo will take up the role of commercial director.

NFG said in a statement to the fans: “We are privileged and grateful for this torch to be passed on to us, and we take this responsibility of being the custodians of your football club extremely seriously.

Major milestone for Heritage Week

“We can assure you that we are committed to doing everything in our power to help move this football club forward as effectively as we possibly can, and to be proud ambassadors for the town and people of Burton upon Trent.

"The prospect of being part of the broader Burton family and community was incredibly compelling for us. We believe that

if everyone with a passion for Burton Albion can come together in this next chapter, we can achieve great things for the Club, town, and people of Burton upon Trent.

“We are already thinking ahead to next year and the 75th anniversary of the club’s formation. We are looking forward to meeting with the fans and all key groups to work on how we can mark this significant milestone and ensure we build the best possible foundations for another 75 successful years for the football club.

“On the pitch, we want to develop teams that the fans and town can be proud to have represent them. It is about seeing a team perform in a way that people can enjoy watching and obviously, we want to win.

“We believe there is a lot to look forward to, and that includes announcing plans for our new coaching setup in the near future.

• Turn to page 43 for more news form Burton Chamber.

Professional service giants in partnership

The Birmingham Heritage Week will return in September to celebrate its 10th birthday by shining a spotlight on more historic Birmingham buildings, churches and heritage locations.

Running from Friday 6 to Sunday 15 September, Birmingham Heritage Week is an opportunity to explore and discover some of the city’s buildings and outdoor spaces people would not normally visit.

The week would also feature a series of talks, tours, workshops, and walks.

All events will go live on Saturday, 3 August at 5pm, when bookings can be made through the website birminghamheritageweek.co.uk

Birmingham Heritage Week 2024 is sponsored by Birmingham City Council and organised by Birmingham Museums Trust.

Irene De Boo, Birmingham Heritage Week co-ordinator, said: “For 10 years now, Heritage Week has been about discovering how Birmingham’s past continues to influence the city today.

“We are so excited for Heritage Week 2024 and this year people will be spoilt for choice for guided tours, workshops, talks, open days and more, not only in the city centre but the suburbs too.

“More announcements will be made as we get closer to Heritage Week so be sure to visit the Birmingham Heritage Week website and follow our social media to find out more.”

Professional services firms Mazars and Forvis have joined forces to launch a new global network, making it the largest new entrant into the global rankings in decades.

The new network, to be known as Forvis Mazars, is classed as a top 10 global network comprising 40,000 people.

The regional office in Birmingham will continue with Mazars’ existing team and services, providing continuity for clients alongside a range of longer-term benefits with time.

Through Forvis Mazars, Birmingham office clients will have access to a greater range of services, knowledge and advice, alongside the local expertise they currently receive.

The Birmingham team will further enhance its strong preexisting relationship with Forvis through its continuing delivery of audit, tax and advisory assignments to clients both with US and UK interests.

Stephen Lewis, Birmingham office managing partner at Forvis Mazars, said: “The creation of the Forvis Mazars network is incredibly exciting, creating more opportunities for both our clients

and employees. We look forward to developing even stronger relationships with our colleagues in the US and providing our team in Birmingham with new opportunities as a result.”

Hervé Hélias, CEO and chairman, Forvis Mazars, added: “Mazars and Forvis have worked together for over 20 years and share a commitment to delivering an outstanding client experience. We are well positioned to deliver excellence, everywhere, under a single global brand.”

Forvis Mazars is a top 10 global network and the largest new entrant into the global rankings in decades.

Part of Heritage Week: Woodcock Street Baths, the oldest swimming pool in Birmingham, dating back to 1902

Settling in: The news owners at Burton Albion

Well positioned: Hervé Hélias

Ballet’s royal recognition

Two major artistic institutions in Birmingham have received support from the Royal Family. King Charles III has become the new patron of Birmingham Royal Ballet and Queen Camilla is continuing her patronage of the Edgbaston-based Elmhurst Ballet School.

Birthday celebration for the King (left to right): Dominic Antonucci BRB assistant director; Samuel Wuersten, artistic director of Holland Dance Festival; Caroline Miller OBE BRB, chief executive officer; Céline Gittens, BRB principal dancer; Joanna Roper, CMG The British Ambassador to the Netherlands and Jennifer Cosgrave, British Council country director Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, at the celebration to mark the official birthday of King Charles III, held in The Hague at the residence of the British Ambassador

King succeeds the late Queen at BRB

King Charles III has become the new patron of Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB), a role previously held by the late Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The Lady Sarah Chatto, the only daughter of Princess Margaret and the Earl of Snowdon (Anthony Armstrong-Jones), is named president of BRB, having previously been vice-president.

The news was shared as the BRB attended a celebration to mark the official birthday of King Charles, held in The Hague at the residence of the British Ambassador to the Netherlands, Joanna Roper.

It was one of the highlights of BRB’s tour to Rotterdam as part of Holland Dance Festival, where they performed the first international dates of their hit production, Black Sabbath - The Ballet.

The dates in Rotterdam marked the start of BRB’s summer European tour visiting Rotterdam, Luxembourg and Hamburg plus a gala performance of Carlos Acosta’s Classical Selection in Iceland.

This summer, Birmingham Royal Ballet will also be the only ballet company to be performing at the world-famous Glastonbury Festival, as well as taking up residency at Birmingham Museum and Gallery for a series of workshops and special performances.

Carlos Acosta, BRB’s director, said: “We are honoured that His Majesty King Charles III, a long time supporter of BRB and visitor to performances, will take on the role of patron, a position previously held by his mother, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

I am also delighted that the brilliant advocate for BRB, Lady Sarah Chatto, will continue her commitment in the role of president, continuing her service following her role as vice president.”

BRB is the United Kingdom’s leading touring ballet company performing a range of traditional, classical and heritage ballets as well as ground-breaking new works with the aim of encouraging choreographers of the future.

• BRB in new partnership – see Arts page 80

Queen’s role gives school global boost

Buckingham Palace has confirmed that Her Majesty The Queen will retain her role as patron of Birmingham’s Elmhurst Ballet School.

The role of patron of Elmhurst Ballet School, based in Edgbaston, was taken on by the former Duchess of Cornwall – now Her Majesty The Queen – in 2006.

The announcement of Queen Camilla’s retained patronage marks the 20th anniversary of the school’s move from Camberley, Surrey.

Jessica Ward, principal of Elmhurst Ballet School, said: “I am thrilled that Elmhurst Ballet School is to remain one of the organisations under the Royal Patronage of Her Majesty The Queen.

“The importance of The Royal Family’s support for the School is not to be underestimated; Royal Patronage has enabled the achievements and contributions of Elmhurst Ballet School’s students, alumni and staff to be recognised on a global scale.

“The Queen is an inspiring figure and supporter of Elmhurst Ballet School and the wider world of dance.”

In addition to the Queen’s patronage, Wayne McGregor is the school’s president, and Carlos Acosta, director of Birmingham

Royal Ballet, is vice president. The school celebrated its centenary in 2023.

Continuing the current season of “20 years in Birmingham” celebrations, Elmhurst Ballet School, in association with Birmingham Royal Ballet, has announced its summer run of shows under the umbrella title, 20.

Running from 5 to 11 July in the school’s studio theatre, these are the students’ final performances before moving upwards in the school or into professional dance employment. The shows allow audiences of family, friends, supporters, and ballet enthusiasts the opportunity to see the rising ballet stars of the future.

Artistic Director Robert Parker has chosen a bold selection of works to showcase the technical prowess and artistry of the school’s students, ranging in age from 11 to 19.

The programme features excerpts from Marius Petipa’s Swan Lake, including a joyful waltz performed by upper school students. The Kingdom of the Shades, one of the most celebrated pieces in all of classical ballet, from Petipa’s La Bayadère, and an excerpt from Spartacus by Yuri Grigorovich will be performed by Elmhurst Ballet Company.

Royal recognition: Queen Camilla with Carlos Acosta and Jessica Ward

Ambassador at vital charity

ISO Quality Services director Debbie Farr has taken on the role of a business ambassador with Midlands Air Ambulance (MAA).

The business management consultant will work with the charity to raise awareness and support by using her personal network to advocate for their services and participate in fundraising efforts.

‘The work the charity does is of utmost importance and quite literally ‘life-saving’

Debbie said: “The charity is an integral part of ISO QSL, having been partners for over 20 years, so it only seems fitting that I now join the business ambassadors and really look to assist in any way that I can with their vision and encourage further collaborations. The work the charity does is of utmost importance and quite literally life-saving.”

Pam Hodgetts, from MAA, said: “Our business ambassadors act as advocates for the charity so it’s important they are passionate about the work we do.

“As a long-term supporter of the charity, it made perfect sense to invite Debbie to join the team. We are thrilled to have her on board, we know she will be a proactive and valued member.”

MAA operates and funds three air ambulances that cover six Midlands counties including Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire, and West Midlands.

It costs the charity up to £14m a year to maintain its three aircraft, critical care cars and the provision of a lifesaving service

With a little help from B:Music: The musicians at the Abbey Road studios

B:anding together on a musical trip of a lifetime

Young musicians aged 11 to 19 spent a day at two of the most iconic music-making spaces in the UK, thanks to the Birminghambased music charity B:Music.

The charity, responsible for Town Hall and Symphony Hall, has for many years provided opportunities to make music with the organisation.

Twelve young musicians who are members of B:Music’s B:and Together ensembles were given an opportunity to learn more about music-making and performance when they were taken to London to visit Abbey Road Studios and the Royal Albert Hall.

The young people all take part in fortnightly Saturday workshops at Symphony Hall, where they learn gospel and jazz music from industry professionals in Birmingham.

At Abbey Road, the tour included the iconic Studios One and Two, which remain largely unchanged since the days of legendary recordings by The Beatles, and have produced many of the world’s most famous film soundtracks including The Lord of The Rings trilogy, all eight of the Harry Potter films, and a number of Marvel films.

At the Royal Albert Hall they were showed the Royal Box and were given insights into the history of the 5,200-seat concert hall, which has staged performances from musical A-listers Eric Clapton, Coldplay, Raye, and Adele.

Marianne de Wildt, one of the ensemble members who participated in the day, said: “I am eternally grateful to everyone at B:Music for providing this wonderful opportunity. I have only been involved with B:Music for a year, but the opportunities I have been able to experience have been absolutely unforgettable.”

Ambitious vision for Gas Quarter

Proposals for a new Gas Quarter in Birmingham drawn up by Westside Business Improvement District (BID) have been included in the city council's future vision plan.

A report called “Our Future City: Central Birmingham Framework 2045”, which maps out the city for the next generation, has now been officially approved by the council’s cabinet.

The 194-page document spells out future “growth zones”, including a “Western Gateway”, and details major development sites, revitalised streets, and green pathways.

The framework describes how the Western Gateway would “unlock major development opportunities that will reconnect pedestrian links between Westside’s canals, Broad Street and the Retail Quarter, and crucial links to Southside”.

The report continues: “Ambitious proposals will bring together several major redevelopment opportunities along Broad Street, Bridge Street, and the Goods Station site on Holliday Street, transforming under-utilised and cleared sites and buildings.”

Gerald Manton, chairman of Westside BID, said the city council had clearly adopted the BID's plans for a new Gas Quarter area.

He said: “A lot of what is in this framework is based on proposals we put forward to the council 12 months

ago. We want to develop the south side of Broad Street, namely the Gas Street area, which we see as having great growth potential.

“The council leader was all for it and, lo and behold, they have adopted the whole thing.”

Raising the MAA profile: Debbie Farr

Gas Quarter vision (L-R): Gerald Manton and the BID team Nasim Akhtar, Mike Olley, Elaine Weit and Luisa Huggins

Ex-director to join Kids’ Village

Katrina Cooke has been appointed as the first permanent CEO for Kids’ Village – the ambitious charity which is aiming to build the UK’s first holiday village providing free breaks for children with critical illnesses.

She joins Kids’ Village from the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC), where she has most recently held the role of chief commercial officer, having previously been the director of marketing and communications.

Before the Chamber, Katrina began her career at Aston Villa Football Club, where she held a number of roles in the marketing and communications department, with a focus on data analytics and customer insight.

‘Kat has a wonderful track record of delivering projects and was the standout candidate’

Kids’ Village, which has announced their first lodge has been secured by a generous six-figure donation from a local family trust, is aiming to raise £5m to build the UK’s first holiday village offering respite breaks to critically ill children and their families.

The Village will feature 10 four-bedroom lodges that will provide a home during their stay as well as a central communal building.

The project is the brainchild of Sam FletcherGoodwin, from Lichfield, who at the age of nine was diagnosed with a form of cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma. During that traumatic time,

Sam and her family were able to experience the Give Kids The World Village resort in Florida.

Katrina takes over the helm at Kids’ Village from former GBCC CEO Paul Faulkner, who has held the role of interim CEO since the charity’s relaunch in January.

Together with chairman Doug Wright, Paul led the process to recruit a permanent CEO. Paul will continue to work with Kids’ Village over the summer as he hands over to Katrina, and will then look to take up an ongoing trustee position.

Doug said: “Kat has a wonderful track record

of delivering projects and was the standout candidate through our recruitment process. She has all the attributes to lead Kids’ Village into our next phase and to ultimately bring the Fletchers’ dream of creating this much needed facility to fruition.”

Katrina said: “The charity is inspired by founder Sam Fletcher’s own experience with childhood cancer, and the Fletcher family and Kids’ Village chairman Doug Wright have my full commitment to making Kids’ Village a reality and to provide holidays for sick children and their families. Paul Faulkner has done a phenomenal job in his role as interim CEO in the last six months.”

Sam said: “I’m so excited about Kat’s appointment at Kids’ Village, she brings great energy, experience, ideas and balance to the team.”

Paul said: “Katrina is an outstanding individual who I have had the pleasure of working with at both Aston Villa and the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, where she played an instrumental role in commercial growth and developments.

“I have seen her grow professionally and have no doubt that she will do an outstanding job as she steps into this CEO role.”

Henrietta Brealey, CEO of the GBCC, said: “It has been an absolute privilege working with Kat for the last eight and a half years. While Kat’s role has evolved and grown significantly in that time, throughout, she has consistently demonstrated her drive, commitment and focus on quality as well as skills at building brilliant teams.”

...as Kinver Solutions backs the charity

A Black Country project management consultancy is marking its 10th anniversary by pledging support to Kids’ Village charity.

Kinver Solutions has agreed to donate one per cent of its annual turnover to support Kids’ Village.

This month marks 10 years since Dudley-headquartered Kinver Solutions was launched by husband and wife duo Darowen and Natasha Jones.

From 1 June 2024 to the end of May 2025, Kinver Solutions will donate a minimum of one per cent of its turnover to Kids’ Village, supporting the charity on its journey to raise the £5m required

to build the facility.

As Kids’ Village’ dreams become a reality over the next year, Kinver Solutions and its team will also use its extensive specialist knowledge and connections across the region to champion the charity in addition to its financial support. Kinver Solutions is hoping that this will generate at least £8,000 over the next 12 months.

Managing director Darowen Jones said: “As the business my wife and I created 10 years ago, grows and goes from strength to strength, we couldn’t see anything more fitting than at this incredible business milestone to support a charity that really means

something to us, as a whole business but also as a family.

“It would be fantastic to see more of us small business owners

contributing a % of turnover to supporting a charity like Kids’ Village and we hope our approach will encourage others to do the same.”

Paul Faulkner, interim chief executive of Kids’ Village, said: “We are delighted that Kinver Solutions have chosen to support Kids’ Village in this extremely generous way as they celebrate 10 years in business.

“That is quite the milestone for any organisation to reach and is testament to the qualities that Darowen and Natasha have instilled in the business and the great reputation that Kinver Solutions now enjoys.”

The latest KPMG and REC UK Report on Jobs survey, compiled by S&P Global, recorded a rise in the number of permanent staff placements across the Midlands for the first time since November, 2023. Though the increase was marginal, it was the only rise seen across the four monitored English regions. The picture for temp billings also improved.

Vacancies for permanent roles rose at a marginal, but slightly quicker,

rate in May, while the increase in temporary job openings lost momentum. An increase in demand for staff fuelled a further rise in starting salaries and temp pay rates in May, though only the latter saw pay growth accelerate.

The KPMG and REC, UK Report on Jobs: Midlands is compiled by S&P Global from responses to questionnaires sent to around 100 recruitment and employment consultancies in the Midlands.

Full commitment: Katrina Cooke at the site of the Kids’ Village project

Fitting gesture: Paul Faulkner (left) with donor Darowen Jones

Outstanding service: Park Regis in Birmingham

Hotel a favourite among travellers

Park Regis has received a Travellers Choice Award from leading travel website TripAdvisor following a consistent string of highperforming reviews from its guests.

Based on millions of travellers’ reviews, Park Regis Birmingham has been recognised by TripAdvisor for its excellent guest experience, placing the hotel among the top 10 per cent of the hotels worldwide.

Celebrating the highest level of excellence in the travel industry, the TripAdvisor Traveller’s Choice Award is given to hotels that receive a high volume of above and beyond reviews from the TripAdvisor community.

Situated in a prime city centre location, Park Regis Birmingham offers guests an industry-leading customer experience across 253 premium guest rooms and suites, 11 function rooms, as well as a fully-serviced bar and outdoor terrace. Guests can also dine at the hotel’s restaurant, INDUS, which offers authentic Indian cuisine.

Bahman Abbasiyan, guest relations manager at Park Regis Birmingham, commented: “To receive this TripAdvisor award is a huge milestone for us as a hotel. We’re delighted to be recognised for our exceptional customer service and guest experience.”

John Angus, managing director of hospitality experts Switch Management, added: “Park Regis continues to deliver an outstanding level of service from a hard-working and dedicated team of staff, who make every guest experience memorable. I’m exceptionally proud of the Park Regis team for achieving this important recognition.”

Sustainability campaign gets Lloyds backing

A flagship sustainable business campaign organised by Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC) will be spearheaded by headline sponsors Lloyds Bank.

The Sustainable Business Series will promote environmental sustainability by supporting businesses through sharing best practice and providing guidance and insight on a range of issues associated with achieving Net Zero.

For the first time, the series will span a whole year until March 2025, having started in April this year.

Rebekah Taitt, regional development director at Lloyds Bank, said: “We’re delighted to be the headline partners for the Chamber’s Sustainable Business Series 2024.

“At Lloyds Bank we support the UK economy through our lending, investments products and services and we recognise our role in

supporting our clients to transition to a low carbon future. The vast majority of SMEs (93 per cent) say that sustainability challenges are important to them, despite other challenges facing their businesses.

‘We are committed to using our scale and knowledge of the UK economy to help support progress towards net zero’

“According to our Net Zero Monitor, the biggest challenge faced by SMEs on their journey to Net Zero is insufficient budget and/or the high costs (43 per cent) of transitioning their business.

“We are committed to using our scale and knowledge of the UK economy to help support progress towards net zero, working with

partners to create a more sustainable and inclusive future for people and businesses, and shaping finance as a force for good.”

Go to www. greaterbirminghamchambers.com to register for the next sustainable business series event.

Acquisition boosts accountants

Accountancy firm Cooper Parry (CP) has exchanged on the acquisition of London-based Cloud Orca – the fast-growing Salesforce consultancy, making it the firm’s eighth deal in the last 16 months.

CP has also achieved the target of £250m turnover within 12 months after the deal, enhancing their reputation as the UK’s fastest growing accountancy firm.

Cloud Orca is leading the charge with award-winning implementation and support services for Salesforce, the undisputed global leader in CRM. Anticipated YoY growth is set to hit 70 per cent.

Its 55-strong highly certified team is co-located in London and the Philippines with proven experience across all sectors, including financial services, tech and healthcare. The firm’s impressive client roster includes Revolut, Starling Bank, Monzo Bank, Unum and Chilly’s.

The deal further accelerates CP’s consistent drive to best support its clients on value creation and growth.

Cooper Parry CEO Ade Cheatham said: “This Cloud Orca deal is a massive leap forward in our tech offering. It ticks tons of the right boxes: market reputation, powerful culture, huge growth, and a passion for sustainability.

“The fit is spot on. As we create the UK’s next-gen accountancy firm, the landing of such an impressive anchor firm in the digital and tech space is brilliant news.

“What a way to start the new financial year... and the great thing is, there’s plenty more on the horizon.”

Cloud Orca CEO Ed Rowland adds: “Our business was founded on simple, powerful, meaningful values.

“With Cooper Parry, we’ve found a firm which shares our ambitions in the mid-market space.”

Committed: Lloyds Bank’s Rebekah Taitt

Deal ticks right boxes: Ade Cheatham

How to get staff back to the office

Free food and drinks and social gatherings can be effective in enticing workers back into the office, a new survey has revealed.

While 78 per cent of respondents still want an element of flexibility in their working week, these elements could be key to drawing people back to more traditional ways of working in the wake of the pandemic.

‘These findings carry important implications for employers seeking to optimise their workforce strategies in a post-pandemic landscape’

The online poll, by recruitment firm Pertemps, showed 12 per cent of respondents said free food could help convince them to change their working habits to be based in the office.

One per cent of participants indicated free tea and coffee would be enough for them to ditch remote working, while social events emerged as a more compelling factor, with nine per cent saying

they would consider returning for regular gatherings.

Tracy Evans, group HR and quality director at Meriden-based Pertemps, said: “Social interactions, team bonding and incentives like food and drink clearly can have an impact on the inclination of people to return to the office.

“An element of flexibility remains important to many, but it is interesting that just small changes in culture could be the key to encouraging people back into an office environment where there are many advantages. These findings carry important implications for employers seeking to optimise their

workforce strategies in a postpandemic landscape.

“By accommodating the preferences of remote workers, organisations can create a more inclusive and responsive workplace environment that advances employee engagement and wellbeing.”

Chamber Patrons

Greater Birmingham Chambers’ leading supporters

Growing law firm moves to new home

Mills & Reeve is growing its team, with four new partners and four newly qualified lawyers.

Mills & Reeve have moved to their new 32,000 sq ft of office space on the fourth and fifth floors of the One Centenary Way in Paradise, Birmingham. The move marks an end to the law firm’s 18year stay at Colmore Row.

The full list of partner promotions and what their new roles will entail is as follows:

James Thompson will support the growth of the Birmingham insurance disputes team, with a particular focus on relationships with, and claims the firm deals with, on behalf of brokers and intermediaries and their insurers.

Kate Watkins is a specialist employment lawyer, advising commercial clients on a wide range of varied employment and HR related issues. She will focus on growth in the Birmingham commercial employment team, as well as retail and life sciences work.

Paul Krivosic is a corporate lawyer advising both private and public companies on all aspects of corporate law. Paul will focus

their new home

particularly on the continued growth of Mills & Reeve’s independent sector healthcare offering and the wider corporate team.

Adam Williams is an expert in the private client team. Adam will continue to develop and expand the philanthropy offering, as well as focusing on growing the Birmingham private client and charity practice.

Jayne Hussey, partner and head of the Birmingham office at Mills & Reeve said: “Our office move, partner promotions and our new qualifiers all represent a new era for our Birmingham office where we’re committed to supporting businesses in the region.”

Contact: Raj Kandola T: 07815 952462

Packaging changes as Cadbury removes plastic

Mondelez International has announced a reduction of over 1,000 tonnes of virgin plastic within the UK during 2023 as a result of positive packaging changes made to several products, including two iconic Cadbury Christmas gifts.

Selected Christmas selection boxes and Milk Tray, now include trays made with 80 per cent rPET – post consumer recycled PET, which is widely collected as part of household recycling. Additionally, Cadbury Milk Tray has removed the cellophane plastic wrapping from the outside of the product.

The company says these projects are another example of how the business is delivering on their

“Pack Light and Right” sustainable packaging strategy and are part of the wider global business ambitions to reduce virgin plastic in rigid plastic packaging by at least 25 per cent and in all plastic packaging by five per cent by 2025.

Joanna Dias, UK sustainability lead at Mondelez International, said: “I am proud to see even more positive changes being made to packaging across Mondelez’s portfolio, the innovation and drive from the business to make a significant difference and achieve its ambitious net-zero targets is clear to see.

“At Mondelez we want to accelerate the impact and meaningful change we can make as a business.”

High Sheriff is flying high

Midlands Air Ambulance Charity invited the new High Sheriff for the West Midlands, Doug Wright, to its airbase and charity headquarters in Shifnal, Shropshire, to find out more about its lifesaving prehospital emergency service.

Mr Wright has demonstrated his passion and support for the work of the emergency services by using his position as High Sheriff to encourage young people to become cadets.

This made his visit to Midlands Air Ambulance Charity all the more fitting, as the organisation is dedicated to encouraging and fostering future talent and inspiring the critical care paramedics and pre-hospital emergency medicine doctors of tomorrow.

Emma Gray, chief operating officer for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, said: “We were honoured to welcome Doug Wright for a tour of our airbase and charity headquarters, which was rated “Outstanding” by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

“Many members of our aircrew clinicians began their careers on cadet programmes so it was important to engage with Doug to explore ways in which we can work collaboratively to involve young people with the vital work that emergency services do across the West Midlands.”

Doug added: “It was inspiring to visit this best-in-class charity who are delivering such exceptional

work. It was great to have a tour of their cutting-edge new facility on the Shropshire / West Midlands border and to meet some of the wonderful crew that deliver such a vital service.

“At 20 years old, some 38 years ago, I had a very bad road traffic collision that resulted in a long hospital stay. Getting the right specialist help to the scene of an incident is truly vital and time is greatly of the essence.

“They can reach the centre of Birmingham in around ten minutes by air. This charity really is best in class and making a huge difference to the West Midlands and surrounding counties.”

To find out more about Midlands Air Ambulance Charity’s lifesaving work, visit midlandsairambulance.com and

follow the organisation on social media.

Other events attended by Doug in a busy month included visits to the launch of singing bus driver Ranjit Singh Veer’s new video; Birmingham Central Mosque; the newly-opened digital and physical design solutions facility at Aston University Design Factory; the Moseley Society, dedicated to preserving the history and heritage of the district; the ‘The Birmingham Says No Hub’, which tackles knife crime and violence; community cohesion talks in Darleston; started the Sutton Coldfield Fun Run; met 100-year-old June Harvey, awarded the BEM for services to the community; and lighting of a beacon in Wolverhampton to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

Moving in: Jayne Hussey and colleagues at

Making music: Mr Wright (third from left) at the launch of a new music video by Ranjit Singh Veer (front)

Businessman honoured with chancellor role

Aston University has appointed Birmingham entrepreneur and business leader Dr Jason Wouhra OBE as its new chancellor.

Dr Wouhra, who was awarded an honorary doctorate for his contribution to entrepreneurship and business development by the University in 2014, is the fifth chancellor to be appointed to Aston University since its inception. Not only is he the first chancellor of Asian heritage to stand, but he is also the youngest.

A highly experienced company director and successful entrepreneur, Dr Wouhra has been involved with businesses in the West Midlands for many years and has contributed widely across the UK and internationally through his work on various boards, as well as significant civic and philanthropic roles.

Chief executive of Lioncroft Wholesale, one of the UK’s leading independent wholesale businesses, Dr Wouhra was awarded an OBE by Her Majesty the Queen in 2017 for services to business and international trade.

Before Lioncroft Wholesale, Dr Wouhra was a director of his family business East End Foods plc, one of Europe’s most successful Asian food ingredients businesses,

manufacturing and processing ingredients as well as wholesaling branded food and drink products.

East End Foods was sold in 2019 to private equity. In 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, he bought back the wholesale arm of the business and has transformed it into one of the most successful independent wholesale businesses in the UK, supplying more than 10,000 independent retail and hospitality businesses.

Dr Wouhra has a degree and masters in commercial law and is an Institute of Directors chartered director. In 2013, he became the youngest and first BAME chairman of the Institute of Directors in the West Midlands.

He was appointed to Aston University’s governing body, University Council, in June 2020 and has held several other prominent positions including nonexecutive director of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust.

He takes great pride in mentorship and advisory roles and is also involved in philanthropic work in the city and the wider region, including his patronage of Acorns Children’s Hospice charity since 2018.

Professor Aleks Subic, vice-

first Asian

chancellor and chief executive of Aston University, announced the appointment of Dr Wouhra at the University Charter Dinner. Dr Wouhra succeeds Sir John Sunderland, who held the role of University Chancellor from 2011.

Dr Wouhra said: “Taking on this role is both a privilege and an honour. My connection with Aston University runs deep and I have long respected its commitment to delivering a truly outstanding education while creating and nurturing a community rich in

diversity, heart and soul for its students, people, businesses and the wider local area.

“As chancellor, I will endeavour to champion and support the university to achieve its mission and vision, while living its values, and build on its formidable legacy for the future.”

Professor Subic, said: “Dr Jason Wouhra has been a strong supporter of the University for many years. I know he will be an outstanding ambassador for Aston University in his role as Chancellor.”

...as university signs strategic partnership

Aston University and Symbiosis International (Deemed University) in Pune, India, have signed an agreement to form a strategic partnership between the two institutions, collaborating on a wide range of projects and activities in India, the UK and Dubai.

Symbiosis International is the second highest ranked private university in India in the 2025 QS World University rankings.

The areas of collaborative activity will include teaching and learning, research, enterprise, executive education, joint conferences and events and the sharing of good practice.

The official signing by Professor Aleks Subic, vice-chancellor and chief executive of Aston University and Dr Vidya Yeravdekar, pro chancellor and principal director of Symbiosis International took place during a visit to Aston University.

During the visit, the delegation from Symbiosis International met with senior staff from across Aston University.

Professor Subic said: “I am delighted to welcome Dr Vidya Yeravdekar from Symbiosis International to Aston University to officially sign the strategic partnership agreement forging links across our campuses in the UK, India and Dubai.

“Our universities have a shared purpose, values and aspirations, as well as synergies in the disciplines and programmes offered, overseas growth ambitions with an emphasis on inclusion, innovation and transformation. This strategic partnership will create new opportunities for both of our institutions.”

Dr Yeravdekar said: “Symbiosis and Aston have been in collaboration for some years now with a shared vision. We look forward to this strong collaboration with Aston University and to extend this beyond the shores of India, with our SIU campus in Dubai as well.”

Youngest and

chancellor: Dr Jason Wouhra

Partners (left to right): Dr Rajiv Yeravdekar, Dr Vidya Yeravdekar and Professor Aleks Subic

1813 Club and Premier Members

Greater Birmingham’s leading companies

A real display of teamwork from Chamber duo

Two members of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC) have collaborated to create an exhibition stand for the Multimodal exhibition at the NEC Birmingham.

Simpex Express, a Birminghambased logistics and transport company, sought a regional partner who could provide a high-quality, professional stand while also being conveniently local. Vertex Displays, known for their expertise in exhibition stand construction, met these criteria perfectly.

From their initial meeting with Vertex, Simpex Express felt confident that the project would

proceed smoothly. They were impressed with the professionalism and attention to detail shown by Vertex from the outset. The stand’s construction was completed successfully, showcasing the effective collaboration between the two companies.

The partnership highlighted the benefits of working with local businesses, not just for the convenience but also for the quality of service and local support.

Stacy Woodall, commercial manager at Simpex, said: “We really wanted to team up with a local company and were

Eventmasters extend partnership with Ascot

Corporate hospitality services providers

Eventmasters have been awarded a multiyear agreement at Ascot Racecourse following a record-breaking year at the 2024 royal meeting.

Over 3,500 guests attended through the Birmingham-based business as the five-day festival. The new contract will mean Eventmasters can offer hospitality packages at Royal Ascot within the Royal Enclosure, the Queen Anne and Village Enclosures and private grandstand box facilities until 2027

Denise Sheasby, CEO of the Eventmasters Group, said: “The appointment will give us the opportunity to offer our clients excellent entertaining options at the royal meeting alongside individual Ascot racedays throughout the season; It is a fitting tribute to the hard work and dedication of the whole team here at Eventmasters.”

Eventmasters have official appointments at a number of other major horse racing events including the Grand National meeting at Aintree, The Cheltenham National Hunt Festival, The Chester May Festival, Glorious Goodwood, the Newbury Winter Festival and the York Ebor Festival.

Premier Membership

Contact: Gary Birch T: 0121 274 3236

immediately impressed with Vertex. We were very happy with the end result, the stand build was exceptional, with notable professionalism and meticulous detail. Hopefully, this highlights the value of local partnerships and sets the stage for future projects together.”

The Princess Royal attended the show in her capacity as the patron

of Transaid, the international development charity founded by Save the Children. Transaid is transforming and saving lives through transport by focusing on professional driver training, transport management systems, and rural access to transport, to solve two of the biggest transport challenges in economically developing countries.

Arcadis on the road with National Highways

National Highways has appointed Arcadis to provide technical consultancy support for the implementation of its operational technology strategy (OTS), for the benefit of all road users, operators and those who live adjacent to the strategic road network.

Arcadis, in partnership with 4way Consulting, will provide a range of technical advisory and design skills to support National Highways’ delivery of the OTS.

Implementing the Operational Technology Strategy on the Strategic Roads Network will significantly improve the quality and safety of road users' journeys and reduce noise and enhance air quality for those living adjacent to strategic roads.

The vision is for operational technology to bring trusted, sought after, timely, relevant information, to the heart of the customers’ experience, helping National Highways deliver world leading personalised services.

David Threlfall (pictured), senior technical director at Arcadis, said: “Arcadis is honoured to play a key role in the development and implementation of the Operational Technology Strategy for National Highways, delivering highquality services that will have a positive impact on road users, operators, and local communities.

“This fits Arcadis’ vision of improving quality of life, by providing digital leadership and sustainable solutions with the many skill-sets that we can bring to the project.”

Successful collaboration: The Simpex stand

Hosts have a ball on NSPCC site visit

Journalist and broadcaster Marverine Cole and BBC Radio WM presenter PJ Ellis met volunteers and staff at the NSPCC’s Childline base in Birmingham to find out more about the vital service they offer young people.

The Good Morning Britain presenter and the former Big Brother contestant visited The CIBA building to speak to volunteers about their experiences running the helpline and to learn more about the NSPCC’s work and services in the region.

Marverine said: “I felt incredibly humbled speaking with volunteers who take calls from children and seeing first-hand how the service works. It was great to meet the team at Childline Birmingham and I came away with a better understanding of what the charity does and how it goes above and beyond to support and protect children and young people.”

PJ said: “It was a real privilege to be invited to meet the volunteers and staff at Childline and it was amazing to witness such an incredible force for good that is happening right here in the heart of the city. The team tackle a whole host of issues that are affecting young people and often deal with the most challenging of situations. And yet, they go about their business in such a calm and professional manner while doing so much to help scared and vulnerable children.”

This autumn, Marverine and PJ will co-host the NSPCC’s Big Birthday Ball at Birmingham’s ICC.

The event, on Friday, 11 October, will celebrate the NSPCC’s 140th birthday and raise vital funds for Childline and other essential charity services

and projects based in the Midlands.

Amanda Synnott, the supporter fundraising manager for the West Midlands, said: “We were all absolutely thrilled to meet Marverine and PJ in person and to show them around our Birmingham office.

“We’re so grateful that they’re hosting our Big Birthday Ball later this year, and it was terrific to

welcome them to the CIBA building to meet the team and help them build a stronger connection with the charity.”

To join Marverine and PJ at this year’s Big Birthday Ball, please purchase your tickets by sending an email to the NSPCC’s Birmingham Business Board at nspccwmbb@gmail.com

Hosts: Marverine Cole and PJ Ellis

International Trade

Exclusive Jerez route launched

A new Spanish route is launching from Birmingham Airport following “strong demand”.

Jet2.com and Jet2holidays have added an exclusive route to Jerez Airport in the Costa de la Luz region from next summer (2 May to 31 October 2025).

The tour operator is also launching holidays to the Costa de la Luz via Faro Airport from Birmingham Airport in 2025.

The Costa de la Luz, also known as the ‘Coast of Light’, is located on the south-western coast of Spain, making it a popular choice for a holiday and visiting business contacts.

Tom Screen, aviation director at Birmingham Airport, said: “This new and exclusive direct route to Jerez from Birmingham Airport will be music to the ears of those wishing to experience the beauty of southern Spain's Andalusia region.

“Jerez, known for its amazing wine, horses, and flamenco, will now be ever more accessible for those in the West Midlands region and beyond.”

Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be giving customers and independent travel agents the chance to discover an authentic slice of Spain thanks to the launch of Costa de la Luz as a new destination for Summer 25 from Birmingham Airport.

“As a result of this launch, customers can reach this stunning region and Spain’s best beaches from Jerez Airport, which becomes our newest Spanish Airport, as well as from Faro Airport too. We are incredibly excited about this new destination, and we are confident that it will prove extremely popular with our customers.

“This latest expansion comes on the back of strong demand from customers and independent travel agents looking to book with us time and time again on our awardwinning flights and holidays out of Birmingham Airport.

“Thanks to the launch of this brand-new destination, we look forward to welcoming even more holidaymakers onboard and showcasing all the reasons why we continue to delight customers.”

Law firm in UAE deal talks

Browne Jacobson will play a frontline role in advancing collaboration between the United Arab Emirates and Britain across key industries, including health, energy and technology, after joining a thought leadership forum.

The UK and Ireland law firm, with headquarters in Colmore Row, Birmingham, has become a member of the UAE-UK Business Council, which unites business leaders, entrepreneurs and academics from both countries to resolve barriers to doing business.

The partnership is led by

Healthcare challenges: Gerard Hanratty

Browne Jacobson’s head of health and life sciences, Gerard Hanratty.

He said: “Our deep understanding of the NHS and regulatory bodies, experience in working on a number of highprofile public inquiries, and strong portfolio of supporting the independent health and care sector both in the UK and internationally gives us a unique insight into the practical considerations of solving some of the world’s biggest healthcare challenges.

“As we continue to grow our presence in the Middle East, we look forward to broadening the scope of our activities in health and life sciences.”

Atlantic Declaration efforts stall

Leading transatlantic trade and business organisation

BritishAmerican Business (BAB) has warned that the Atlantic Declaration is at risk of becoming a missed opportunity and is urging the UK and US governments to fulfil their commitment to the agreement.

The declaration, signed over a year ago, aimed to establish a framework for a 21st century US-UK economic partnership, setting out 16 commitments in areas such as economic security, defence, technology, and clean energy.

BAB’s new RAG (Red, Amber, Green) report, released to mark the one-year milestone, analyses the progress made to-date and shows mixed results.

The report highlights since the declaration was signed, only half of the commitments have been

achieved. Overall, eight of the commitments have been assigned a green rating, six are rated amber and two have been flagged as red.

The ratings reveal strong progress in aerospace and defence as well as positive collaboration in AI, data regulation and future facing technologies.

However, concerns remain where progress has been minimal or non-existent, including the Critical Minerals Agreement and convening the governmentto-government meeting of the Comprehensive Dialogue on Tech & Data.

Despite the uncertainty caused by elections on both sides of the Atlantic, BAB encourages both governments to continue implementing the commitments.

BHX: Flights to Jerez launched.

Documents team plays a part in the Paris Olympics

Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce’s documentation team is playing a little known but vital role in the Paris Olympics – by helping firms with temporary export documents.

The in-house document specialists, led by team leader David Harris, are issuing carnets to firms who have signed up commercial deals for the summer sporting spectacular.

David explained: “Carnets allow firms to get goods in and out of the EU without paying import duties. We have had companies contact us, including one who is taking security barriers and crowd control stuff, turnstiles etc.

“Another is a firm providing materials such as planters, graphics etc to hang on lamp-posts and make the environment pretty.

“The ATA Carnet simplifies the customs procedure into a single document and makes the importation process much quicker and easier to handle.

“The world of export documentation can be difficult and complicated to those who are new to international trade. Even the most seasoned exporters can experience problems when completing the necessary

paperwork for their shipments. Here at the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce we have more than 50 years’ experience in assisting exporters and issuing them with a wide range of documents and we are able to streamline the whole process for members in our free ATA Carnet consultation with one of our ATA Carnet experts.

“The process is incredibly efficient and could save members thousands of pounds in potential fines from HMRC. People can apply via an online Portal and the process will be complete within 24 hours.”

David said post Brexit demand had seen the clamour for Carnets increase from just 10 a month to 500. “90 per cent of our Carnets go to the EU and the rest go worldwide.

“The Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce is proud to be playing a part in ensuring the Olympics run smoothly.”

Firms interested in applying for carnets are advised to seek information at documentation@birminghamchamber.com

New website for recruiters

Recruitment agency Beyond The Book, a patron of the Transatlantic Chamber, has launched a new website.

The agency, which specialises in creative and marketing roles, says the new website will help to explain the firm’s position in the market.

Among the new features are a user-friendly jobs page for candidates, a ‘shop window’ known as the Talent Hub, which showcases a small selection of the very many candidates, freelancers and contractors Beyond The Book represent, a resources section which includes free insights and tips and a testimonials page that offers a variety of trust indicators and case studies.

‘More than anything we wanted to effectively communicate what we are about’

Co-founder Anna Smith said: “Websites can quickly become outdated from a design perspective, but more than anything we wanted to effectively communicate what we are about, our quality approach to recruitment and the range of services

we offer. Gone are the days that all recruitment agencies look the same, so it's important we explain our positioning in the market. I'm really hoping clients and candidates see the value and service they'd receive from us. We truly care and want everyone we work with to come away feeling more positive about working with recruiters.”

Beyond The Book is based in Atherstone-on-Stour near Stratford and recently expanded into the United States.

accreditation

Third-party logistics (3PL) provider Kammac has been awarded both the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) and the Fulfilment House Due Diligence Scheme (FHDDS) certifications, underscoring the company’s commitment to secure, efficient, and compliant supply chain services.

The AEO certification, endorsed by the World Customs Organisation (WCO), aims to improve international supply chain security and trade efficiency. Recognised in over 70 countries, certification holders work together to reduce customs restrictions and enhance cross-border trade operations.

As an AEO certified company, Kammac now benefits from prioritised customs procedures, enabling faster and more efficient import and export processes, including filings, inspections, and clearances.

Leanne Lidell , director of compliance at Kammac, said: “Achieving AEO status following HM Revenue and Custom’s (HMRC) rigorous six-month approval process marks a significant milestone for us. The certification ensures simplified customs clearances and priority handling, meaning we can offer our customers more streamlined and reliable logistics services.”

In response to the needs of a long-standing global beverage client, Kammac initially attained AEO certification for its Wavertree site. Since then, all 15 Kammac sites have been included, further enhancing collaboration with global customers who require AEO status.

Significant milestone: Leanne Lidell Kammac secures

breakthrough feminist piece

Indian film festival returns to the city

Birmingham Indian Film Festival (BIFF), part of Europe’s largest South Asian film festival, returned to the Midlands with a programme of screenings and events for 11 days until 7 July.

BIFF venue partners included mac Cinema & Theatre, Cineworld Broad Street, Mockingbird Cinema, Light Cinema, Walsall, BOM and Royal Birmingham Conservatoire at Birmingham City University.

The festival is supported by BFI, awarding National Lottery funding and major partner Bagri Foundation.

After successfully launching web series premieres last year, the festival also screened the first three episodes of Canadian series Late Bloomer.

The festival’s pioneering LGBTQIA+ film showcase, Too Desi Too Queer, returned with a fresh selection of groundbreaking queer films.

The festival continued to champion a new generation of emerging South Asian filmmakers with both the internationally programmed Satyajit Ray Short Film Competition and the New Brit-Asian Shorts.

The competition, inspired by the humanist work of the legendary Indian filmmaker, offers five short films to be judged by a distinguished jury, with the winner receiving a £1,000 cash prize supported by Civic Studios.

Updates and useful information from the largest ethnic support organisation in the UK

Contact: Anjum Khan

T: 0121 274 3255

Opportunity knocks at IOD networking event

A networking event between members of the Asian Business Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) and the Institute of Directors (IOD) ended in a success with the participation of more than 70 guests.

The event, sponsored by Highfield Insurance Consultants, took place at the Alam restaurant.

Members of both professional bodies were welcomed by ABCC president Omar Rashid and chair of the IOD British Asian Business Group Abid Khan.

The IOD is a professional body for directors, senior business leaders, and entrepreneurs.

The Asian Business group of the IOD was established last year.

The largest Chamber of its kind, the ABCC acts as a gateway for any organisations looking to target the West Midlands Asian business community. Both, the ABCC and IOD offer different opportunities for the Asian business community.

This collaboration highlighted the unity and shared goals between these two support organisations, fostering a stronger network and demonstrating their commitment to empowering Asian businesses.

Abid Khan said: “We are absolutely delighted to have collaborated with the ABCC – it showcases the dedication and commitment from both organisations to create more opportunities for their members.

“This was a fantastic first event, with undoubtedly many more to come. It's all about supporting the Asian business community.”

Omar Rashid said: “It was such a fantastic and ground-breaking event and a great moment and opportunity for both organisations to come together and create such a platform for its members.

“Collaboration is key and this event demonstrated how it can be achieved for the betterment of the Asian business community”

New chairman will help United to kick on

Birmingham United FC has announced the appointment of Asian Business Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) president Omar Rashid as its new chairman.

Omar, managing director of The HR Dept at Birmingham Central and a business leader, succeeds Rajab Noor, co-owner of the club. Omar, a local Birmingham resident and devoted Chelsea supporter, brings a wealth of experience and a passion for community engagement to Birmingham United, members of Division 2 in the Midland Football League. As the owner and director of The HR Dept Birmingham Central and Wolverhampton, Omar has demonstrated a commitment to supporting

small and medium-sized businesses and fostering local talent. His leadership at the ABCC has been marked by a focus on maximising collaborations and opportunities for the local Asian business community.

Rajab remains a significant part of the club’s legacy alongside co-owner Siraj Hussain. Rajab’s dedication has laid a strong foundation for the future of Birmingham United.

Birmingham United FC has a clear and inspiring vision to support local BAME (Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic) children.

Birmingham United is seeking partners and sponsors to support the club for the upcoming 2024-25 season.

Breaking barriers: A screengrab of Sthal, a

Joint meeting (left to right): Omar Rashid, ABCC director Anjum Khan and Abid Khan

Shared vision: Omar Rashid (centre) with Birmingham United co-founders Rajab Noor (left) and Siraj Hussain

Business awards judges named

Five judges have been appointed to select nine category winners alongside the Overall Business of the Year in the upcoming Asian Business Chamber of Commerce awards night. Businesses of all sizes will have the opportunity to be recognised for their accomplishments at the ICC on Saturday, 30 November.

Members of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC), of which the ABCC is part, and non-members are eligible to compete for the awards.

Chair of judges will be Raj Kandola, director of external affairs at the GBCC, who will be joined by Professor Martin Levermore, CEO of Medical Devices Technology International Ltd (MDTi), Dee Kundi, CEO and founder of Find Me A Solicitor, general manager of Malmaison Birmingham Emma Morgan, CCO and founder of Word360 Kavita Parmar, and Amer Awan, CEO

of Awan Real Estate Ltd and Awan International.

Dee Kundi is a consultant independent qualified solicitor and heads Find Me A Solicitor, a digital legal tech business which is an independent free service for individuals and businesses looking to find the right solicitor.

Emma Morgan has been the general manager of Malmaison Birmingham in the Mailbox Complex for five years. Emma has over 20 years of hospitality experience working across the main cities in the UK.

Professor Levermore is chair of Medilink Midlands and vice chair for Nehemiah United Churches Housing Association (UCHA). In addition, Martin is the founder and CEO of Medical Devices Technology International Ltd (MDTi).

Kavita Parmar is the co-founder of Word360, which won three awards during this year’s GBCC annual dinner and awards night, including the

overall Business of Year award.

As the driving force behind Word360's continued success, Kavita's passion is for innovation and healthcare.

Amer Awan leads Awan Real Estate Limited and Awan International. The Real Estate arm is a property investment company consisting of both commercial and residential properties. Awan International is a wholesale company selling consumer electronics.

Sponsorships are still available with headline sponsorship priced at £10,000+vat and award sponsorships priced at £3,500+vat. Other sponsorship opportunities start from £1500+vat. Tickets are priced at £120+vat for both members and non-members.

For more details, go to: www.greaterbirminghamchambers.com

Two new sponsors have been announced for the upcoming awards night of the Asian Business Chamber of Commerce (ABCC).

Our Training Department (OTD) will sponsor the category award for Outstanding Charity of the Year while South and City College Birmingham (SCCB) will sponsor Outstanding Contribution to Diversity and Inclusion.

The awards ceremony, with catering by Mahirs Experience, will be followed by an after party at Malmaison from 11 pm till late.

OTD is a Birmingham-based training and coaching company that's been inspiring change in people across the world since 2007.

Andy Crotty, OTD joint managing director, said: “OTD is deeply committed to our CSR initiatives and values the opportunity to highlight and learn from the outstanding work being done by charities throughout the West Midlands.”

SCCB provides high quality education, technical and vocational training to young people, adults and employers looking to develop their workforce.

Principal Mike Hopkins said: “Everyone knows that Birmingham is a very diverse city, probably the most diverse in the UK. We are proudly a Birmingham College, and inclusivity and diversity are at the heart of everything we do.

“Our staff and student make-up reflects this and reflects our city. We serve, educate and train people from all walks of life, but primarily we support the most challenged areas of Birmingham.”

Members of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC), of which the ABCC is part, and non-members are eligible to compete for the awards. Businesses can enter a maximum of two categories and should have a branch or office within the West Midlands and Black County or Coventry and Warwickshire areas.

For more details go to: www.greaterbirminghamchambers.com

L-R: Amer Awan, Dee Kundi, Emma Morgan, Raj Kandola, Kavita Parmar and Prof Martin Levermore

Contact: Richard Brooks T: 07796 242029

TEDx talk on sex education goes viral

Comments on the contrast of sex education in her country and the UK by a Staffordshire University graduate went viral after being shared on a global platform.

Sharanya Ranganatha Urs, a 24-year-old journalism graduate from India, was speaking at the second TEDxStaffordshireUniversity event which was covered in a new series of videos being shared on the global TEDx platform.

It took place at the University’s Stoke-on-Trent campus and topics ranged from the future of antibiotics to sex education.

Among other speakers were British middleweight champion boxer Nathan Heaney, award-winning playwright Deborah McAndrew and North Staffordshire-based sculptor Andy Edwards, who all gave talks aligned to the theme “Back to the Future”.

Filmed talks by all 10 participants have been posted on the TEDx YouTube channel and are already attracting thousands of views.

Sharanya’s talk, in which she exposes the disparities between sex education in her homeland compared to the UK, is attracting most views.

She said: “The number of views has been overwhelming which shows what an important

topic sex education is and suggests there are a lot of people who feel the same.”

Also taking their place in the spotlight were co-founder of Affordable Food Stoke Nikki Barrett and foodie entrepreneur Cris Cohen of FEASTED, both passionate about effecting positive change in the area.

Two Staffordshire University professors Catherine Flick and Claire Gwinnett and graduates Genelle Aldred and Sharanya Ranganatha Urs were also selected by a panel to deliver talks.

Completing the line-up was advanced specialist pharmacist Patryk Majewskis, whose talk centred on how pharmaceutical companies are looking back at what we already know to produce new antibiotics for the future.

The speakers were selected by a panel, chaired by Staffordshire University vice-chancellor and chief executive professor Martin Jones.

He said: “This was a sensational second event and I’m delighted that we can now share these talks with a global audience. We are immensely proud of our speakers who, individually, all have ideas worth sharing.”

Office move reflects solicitors’ growth

Enoch Evans Solicitors has relocated their Cannock office to new, spacious premises in Progress Drive, Cannock.

The move comes following a period of significant growth and increased demand for its services.

With three locations across the West Midlands, the firm provides advice on company and commercial, commercial property, residential conveyancing, dispute resolution, family, employment and wills, probate, and trusts.

The firm is celebrating its 140th anniversary and says the move reflects its commitment to growth and improvement.

Emily Kenny (pictured), partner and head of Cannock office, said: “We see this transition as an opportunity to enhance our services, foster a more collaborative work environment and ultimately, better serve our clients.”

Children’s charity opens pop-up store at outlet mall

Newlife, the charity for disabled children, has popped up at their neighbours McArthurGlen Designer Outlet West Midlands to help raise funds so disabled children can receive the vital equipment and support they need.

The Newlife store was at McArthurGlen as part of a programme of events after being chosen as the Outlet’s Charity of the Year.

Like the other 10 permanent Newlife stores, three of which are in Cannock, the pop-up is packed with new items from labels including River Island, Monsoon, The White Company and many more.

Carole Simpson, Newlife’s director of retail and sustainability, said: “We were so excited about this opportunity to showcase the fabulous brands at discounted prices that Newlife has to offer shoppers, especially as McArthurGlen West Midlands attracts customers from near and far.

“This gives us the chance to raise awareness of how people’s purchases can make a difference to the lives of disabled children.”

Popping up: The Newlife store

Going viral:Sharanya Ranganatha Urs

Contact:

Richard Brooks

T: 07796 242029

Chamber collaboration leads to recruitment

Two members of Burton and District Chamber of Commerce have successfully worked together to recruit a communications and engagement specialist.

After meeting at a Chamber networking event, Ring Ring recruitment director Claire Barber helped MIH Solutions director Jon Beech recruit a specialist on a full-time role.

Ring Ring Recruitment are a boutique staffing agency providing top talent throughout the UK.

Claire Barber set up the business after relocating to Staffordshire from South Wales. With over five years’ experience in the recruitment sector and over 30 years in sales, marketing and events, Claire specialises in providing a high-quality service to clients across the UK.

Claire said: “When you start any business cash is king and I was worried that joining the Chamber perhaps wouldn’t work the way I hoped.

“I’m delighted to say it's been the best decision yet.

“I was given a very warm welcome at every networking event I have attended and have met superb contacts that I look forward to catching up with regularly.

“I met my very first client at a December event and it has been a huge pleasure working

Jon Beech, company director at MIH Solutions, said: “Claire has proved invaluable to our hiring process with her genuine dedication and thorough, tailor-made approach.

“She took the time to really understand our company culture, objectives and specific role requirements, and found us exactly the right candidate we needed.

“Working with Claire was easy and effective, and she took all the stress out of recruiting.”

Students link for Pride party

Burton and South Derbyshire College (BSDC) celebrated Pride Month with a series of activities organised by students and staff. This year’s theme, chosen by the LGBT Club, was "Loud and Proud" .

The highlight was the annual Pride Party, which kicked off with a lively set by student DJ, Stan Clements. The College’s LGBT lunchtime club led a march around the campus, which was followed by a powerful performance of Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing” by the college’s performing arts choir. There was also a variety of stalls hosted by BSDC and local organisations, including Burton Albion Community Trust, Everyone Active, SARAC, Staffordshire Police, Kooth and Travel Derbyshire plus sexual health services, among others.

‘Our pride party has grown significantly since our first celebration last year’

Large lorry joins charity fleet

A new furniture lorry, unveiled by housing association Trent & Dove as part of its new fleet of 39 vehicles, is so large it can almost “fit a house inside”, providing a more efficient service for customers.

The lorry will transport donate furniture to the not-for-profit organisation’s homes for new residents who may not have furniture when they move into their new property.

The fuel efficient and environmentally friendly vehicle replaces Trent & Dove’s smaller flatbed truck in which furniture had to be covered with sheeting during adverse weather conditions, creating delays in transportation.

The lorry forms part of a new fleet of 39 vehicles ranging from vans to trucks and lorries and featuring the association’s new branding. There are five varieties of vehicle including Doblo, Scudo, and Ducato. Each boasts Trent & Dove’s new branding.

Nick Sutton, head of property at Trent & Dove, said: “We are excited to reveal our fleet of 39 vans and our team are now enjoying the benefits.

“The investment in the fleet has seen, not only brand-new vans of various specifications, sizes and types, to suit the needs of our skilled team of tradespeople, but a huge enhancement into the image of Trent & Dove.”

A parallel celebration took place at the college’s Stephen Burke Construction Academy, where students enjoyed music and engaged with stalls from external organisations, mirroring the inclusive atmosphere of the town centre campus event.

Marie Linehan, progress coach team leader at BSDC, said: “Our pride party has grown significantly since our first celebration last year. It has been incredibly inspiring for our young people to witness the overwhelming support from both internal departments and the local community.

“The participation from external organisations has made the event even louder and prouder than before. We look forward to continuing to grow this celebration, providing a safe, vibrant and inclusive environment that represents our local community.”

with MIH Solutions based in Bretby.”

Loud and proud: Students at Burton and South Derbyshire College

Recruitment success: Jon Beech and Claire Barber

Ready to roll: New fleet of vehicles

Contact: Charlie Elliott T: 07753 453624

Garrick launches youth theatre

Lichfield Garrick Theatre has launched Young Garrick Lichfield, a new youth theatre for the young people of Lichfield.

The programme will launch in September, providing access to the arts in a professional community theatre, for people aged seven to 18 years old.

Young Garrick Lichfield will be split into three age ranges, with appropriate programmes for each age group, all running alongside the school year.

The theatre hopes to provide an affordable path into theatre and creativity to young people and their parents, as part of their philanthropy and outreach into the community.

Young Garrick Junior (7-11 years) will take aspiring young superstars, in years 3 to 6, on a fun-filled adventure encouraging them to embrace the joys of creativity, build confidence and make friends. It costs £125 per term.

Young Garrick Intermediate (11-14 years) will help talented young performers in years 7 to 9 take their creativity to the next level.

The sessions are specially designed to help these young people build their performance skills, boost their confidence, and explore creativity both on and off stage. Young Garrick Intermediate is £150 per term.

Finally, Young Garrick Senior (14-18 years) is for young creatives in years 10 to 13, putting creativity centre stage.

Beauty lounge secures prime spot

Le Chic Nails and Beauty Lounge has secured a prime retail space in Tamworth town centre, after a successful letting by property agents Rushton Hickman.

The 778sq ft retail property is situated in the heart of Tamworth’s town centre and is located near to the lively Lower Gungate, an established pedestrianised retail area.

Additionally, the proximity to the Gungate precinct and various public car parking facilities further enhances the accessibility and visibility for the new tenant.

The property benefits from both ground and first floor retail accommodation, which naturally lends itself to its new use.

Stephanie O’Leary, agency assistant at Rushton Hickman, said “This vibrant location offers Le Chic Nails and Beauty Lounge a fantastic opportunity to thrive in a dynamic and busy retail environment.

“It was a pleasure to facilitate this successful transaction and we look forward to continuing to connect businesses with their ideal premises and contributing to the growth and development of the property market in Tamworth.”

Lichfield Garrick’s Jonny McClean, head of community engagement, said: “It’s an incredibly exciting time for us at the Lichfield Garrick. Youth Theatre is often a critical part of young people’s lives, and we’re eager to get started with this new, revitalised approach to our work.

“We can’t wait to welcome the young people of Lichfield through our doors and give them the

space to embrace their creativity, find friendships and discover what inspires them in a safe, supportive environment.”

Anyone who would like to stay up to date with the theatre’s outreach projects can follow them on their socials, as well as checking the website. To sign up go to: www.lichfieldgarrick.com

Jan makes history as first female dean of Lichfield

His Majesty The King has approved the appointment of Lichfield Cathedral’s first female dean in its 1,300-year history.

The office goes to The Right Reverend Janet Elizabeth McFarlane, currently interim dean of Lichfield and an assistant Bishop in the diocese of Lichfield.

The Lord Bishop of Lichfield, the Rt Revd Dr Michael Ipgrave, said: “I am very glad that

Bishop Jan will be the next Dean of Lichfield. She has handled her role as interim dean over the last year with warmth and deftness and I know her appointment will be popular with staff and visitors alike.”

Bishop Jan said: “I am beyond delighted to have been appointed as the first female dean of Lichfield. I was ordained in Lichfield Cathedral 30 years ago and if you had told me then that I’d be returning one day as dean, I would have grinned with utter disbelief.

“I was born and grew up in Stoke-on-Trent and so, even though I have lived in very many parts of the country over the years, I feel as if I have come home.

“It has been a joy to serve as interim dean in this vibrant Cathedral with its hard-working and gifted staff and volunteers; and in the wider diocese, in all its wonderful diversity.

“And it’s a huge honour to be invited to lead us into an adventurous new chapter in the story of Lichfield.”

Jan will be installed as dean of Lichfield by the Bishop of Lichfield in Lichfield Cathedral on Saturday, 21 September at 2.30pm.

Welcome: Jan McFarlane greets the Lord Lieutenant and his wife

Building confidence: Young Garrick in action

Picture: Matthew Cawrey Photography

Contact: Charlie Elliott T: 07753 453624

Royal Town brings back High Steward

The Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield has resurrected the historic role of High Steward after nearly 50 years.

Former MP Lord Norman Fowler has been appointed to the ceremonial role following a meeting of the Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council.

This ceremonial title, which has been bestowed on distinguished servants of the Royal Town for nearly 500 years, has been resurrected on the recommendation of mayor Cllr John Perks and town council leader Cllr Simon Ward.

‘Lord Fowler’s appointment marks a significant milestone in the history of our Royal Town’

Having served as MP for Sutton Coldfield from 1974 to 2001, Lord Fowler’s appointment is in recognition of his distinguished public service.

He served in Cabinet roles as secretaries of state for transport, health and social security and employment and is highly regarded for his campaigning work around equal rights.

The position of High Steward was originally granted to the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield by King Henry VIII in 1578, under the Royal

Powering up with marketing packages

Charter which also formed the first Town Council for the Royal Town.

The last High Steward, Lord Leigh, was appointed in 1951 and the role was suspended when the Borough Council of Sutton Coldfield was disbanded and Sutton Coldfield became part of the metropolitan district of Birmingham in 1974.

Cllr Perks said: “I am delighted to confirm the reinstatement of the role of High Steward. Lord Fowler’s appointment marks a significant milestone in the history of our Royal Town and celebrates the legacy of this honorary position.”

Sutton Coldfield design agency CUDOS Creative has launched a new marketing service to help ambitious businesses increase their impact and achieve growth goals.

CUDOS’ new marketing Partner Packages offer businesses an all-round service that allows them to boost their marketing. Clients will benefit from an in-depth discovery session which will help CUDOS to understand the business. They will then receive a marketing strategy and 12-month plan, before choosing the level of monthly marketing support through the Spark, Shine and Dazzle packages.

CUDOS creative founder and director Kate Curry said: “A number of clients have been asking us recently for a complete “done for you” marketing service.

“We love to create solutions for our clients, so we are excited to launch our new Partner Package Powerup.”

180 years on – YMCA celebrates milestone

YMCA Sutton Coldfield marked Founders Day by celebrating 180 years of the YMCA movement.

Created from humble beginnings in 19th century London, 22-year-old draper George Williams joined forces with a group of friends to organise the first Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), a refuge of Bible study and prayer for young men seeking escape from the hazards of life on the streets of London.

YMCA Sutton Coldfield has been around for more than 100 years.

YMCA Sutton Coldfield marked the occasion of Founders Day by inviting the community to celebrate with them. Recently-completed renovation work was also unveiled.

Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust funded extensive work to The Lodge including replacing its roof and widening the doorway at the top of the ramp for wheelchair access.

The Youth Work room and the ‘Pod’ have been redecorated to create modern youth work spaces. The Sensory room has been updated

following a donation from parents of young people using the services and the residents’ kitchen was refurbished by a group of volunteers led by Clare Whalley, of Meta4 Business Coaching.

Rachel Dutta Choudhury, bid writing,

fundraising and development manager at YMCA Sutton Coldfield, said: “We are so grateful for the support of our funders and the community.

“Being able to update our facilities makes such a difference to the young people we work with.”

New service (left to right): CUDOS graphic designer Alastair Hughes, studio manager Shannon Williamson and founder Kate Curry

Supporting 800 young people every year: The YMCA Sutton Coldfield team

Distinguished public service: Lord Norman Fowler

All the latest news, advice and events for the Solihull business community

Contact: Samantha Frampton

T: 0121 678 7488

Conference will help firms build workforces

Business leaders and HR professionals from across Solihull are being invited to an inspiring collaborative event entitled ‘How to FutureProof Your Workforce - For Success’.

The Conference and Expo will take place on Thursday, 11 July, in the new Business Centre at Solihull College’s Blossomfield Campus.

Delegates will hear and learn from leading and inspiring specialists who will challenge current thinking. They will be imparting their knowledge, experience and insights through masterclasses, workshops and panel discussions.

Susie Ankrett, founder of Plum Executive and event organiser, said: “This is a truly very exciting ‘not to be missed’ event supported by Solihull College and University, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, The Careers’ Network and Solihull Chamber to showcase what’s available locally to employers.

“There will be a packed programme with presentations from thought leaders as well as expert led panel discussions and interactive

Education specialists promote apprentice

Digital Innovators, a company specialising in giving young people between the ages of 14 to 24 access to fulfilling career opportunities, has announced that Hannah Wright (pictured) has been promoted to operations manager.

By collaborating with education providers, businesses and community organisations across the West Midlands, Digital Innovators develop employability skills and provide valuable work experience to help people stand out from the crowd in the job market.

Hannah’s new role is focused on the dayto-day management of their Transition to Work Skills Programme and a student’s journey throughout.

Hannah said: “I have been working at Digital Innovators for over three years now, and I am extremely passionate about the work we do. I am grateful for the opportunity I have had to also study as a degree apprentice alongside my work.

“I am proud to be part of this work to support young people in their development. A key aim for me has always been to help others, inspire, and support them.”

breakout sessions. Powerful, practical ideas and strategies will be shared to address the perennial challenges faced by more than 70 per cent of employers to attract, recruit, retain and develop a vibrant workforce for their future success.”

A key feature of the event will be the opportunity for delegates to participate in a choice of expert-led interactive conversations, covering a wide range of important topics such as:

• A strategic approach to inclusive recruitment and workforce planning

• Accessing “hidden” pools of talent

• The power of training and developing skills

• Maximising budgets/accessing funding

• The value of developing strong relationships with education

• Understanding what motivates generation Z/Millennials

• Developing an EVP (Employee Value Proposition/Employer Brand)

• Harnessing the impact of AI

• Increasing CSR and social value.

Throughout the day partners and exhibitors will be showcasing their range of services to address some of the people challenges for business success, and there will also be the chance to network.

The free one-day event is open only to Solihullbased organisations with more than 20 employees. Limited places are available. Potential delegates can register their interest by contacting the organiser Susie Ankrett at susie@plum-executive.co.uk

Mayor welcomes pupils into council chamber

Pupils from Solihull Prep School and Widney Junior School held their school council meetings in Solihull’s Council Chamber – at the invitation of the mayor of Solihull, Councillor Shahin Ashraf.

After a welcome from the mayor, two pupils were chosen by the school as chair and vicechair to lead the meeting. Then, the primary school children engaged in lively discussions about their experiences at school and made decisions about what they would like to change.

Mayor Ashraf said: “It was a pleasure to host the members of Solihull Prep School council and Widney Junior School council in the Council chamber. We had some very interactive debates where the children could make their case heard

what happens at our Council meetings.

“I was really impressed by all the children’s contributions to their meetings. I hope they enjoyed the experience – maybe some will even think about becoming councillors in the future.

“Visits like these are a fantastic opportunity to give students an idea of the decisions we make here at the Council and I’d love to encourage more schools to pay us a visit.”

Schools who would like to visit the Council chamber, should contact mayor@solihull.gov.uk or scan the QR code.

Future-proofing a workforce: Susie Ankrett, founder of Plum Executive

Deaf student becomes role model

A painting and decorating student from Solihull College & University Centre has been juggling his academic pursuits with a part-time role supporting a fellow deaf student.

Throughout his journey at the College, Haaris Khan has not only excelled academically in his painting and decorating course, but has dedicated himself to supporting fellow deaf students in their integration into college life.

From offering guidance to sharing his own experiences, Haaris has been a beacon of support and encouragement to his peers.

More recently, Haaris took on an official parttime role as PA support worker with Sign Life. On learning about the company, dedicated to employing deaf people in the community, Haaris expressed his interest in supporting individuals one-to-one.

His proactive approach led to an interview where his passion and dedication shone through, securing him a position that aligned perfectly with his aspirations. He currently supports a student, Paul Sargent, taking him to college and picking him up at the end of the day.

In addition, Haaris is now gearing up to become a counsellor. Inspired by the lack of deaf counsellors, he’s decided to bridge the gap by embarking on an online counselling course with

the college, with plans to advance to the faceto-face Level 3 course in September.

Haaris said: “I want the deaf community to have access to direct, personal and private support for a more inclusive and therapeutic experience. Being deaf myself, I understand the importance of having a counsellor who can communicate effectively through sign language.”

Haaris often relies on body language to communicate with fellow students, who frequently approach him for assistance and express interest in learning sign language.

Deaf support coordinator Claire Whatmore has been a key figure in Haaris’ journey and has provided invaluable support, ensuring that Haaris receives the necessary accommodations to thrive in his studies and career aspirations.

She said: “Haaris is inspirational. “He has naturally become a deaf role model and source of support for fellow hearing impaired and deaf students. I couldn't be prouder of him.”

Haaris added: “Claire has given me lots of help and encouragement. She has made sure everyone is aware of how to support me, and her dedication has been instrumental in my success.”

Driving change for the deaf community: Haaris Khan (left) with Paul Sargent

Contact: Sophie Poduval-Morrell

T: 07540 751590

What I learned from my mentor

Member Georgina Turvey, paired with radio DJ Ed James for the Future Faces mentoring scheme, writes about the experience.

Founder of Lunar Agency and a Heart fm Radio DJ, Ed James was a great match for me as we both work in integrated agencies. I work as a social media content executive at Liquid, so we both understand the industry and demands of agency life.

Ed has a lot of qualities that aligned with my goals going into the scheme. For example, I wanted to improve my confidence when public speaking and Ed, as he is a radio presenter, speaks in public most of the time.

In our first meeting, we discussed what I would like to get out of the scheme. I made a list

of goals such as improving my public speaking skills, growing my personal brand and getting advice on standing out within my industry.

I’m pleased to say that with guidance and encouragement from Ed, I really feel I have improved in all of these areas.

One of the best things for me was having him hold me accountable. For example, I’ve always said I need to post more on LinkedIn, but then would always let it slip down on my list of priorities.

However, when I set a goal with Ed to post at least once a week that forced me into action.

Podcast gets to the heart of Pride

Members of the LGBTQ+ community can be killed or imprisoned in some parts of Africa, a leading Birmingham campaigner reveals in a candid Future Faces podcast.

Birmingham Pride UK’s director of people and culture Char Bailey tells of the brutality in a new episode of Future Faces: The Young Professionals’ Podcast series.

Future Faces was at the forefront of celebrations and activities during Pride Month and the podcast shines further light on the movement to ensure support and recognition for the LGBTQ+ community continues beyond the month of June.

Char Bailey joined Future Faces manager Sophie Poduval-Morrell and diversity and inclusion working group member Nadia Johnstone-Smith to discuss the evolution of Pride and the support offered by the organisation which has been running for 27 years.

Support services offered by Birmingham Pride range from a hate crime reporting hub, through a partnership with West Midlands Police, to financial wellbeing assistance to help young LGBTQ+ people who have been displaced from their homes.

Char, who candidly spoke about some of the barriers she has faced as an autistic woman of colour and member of the LGBTQ+ community, said: “I'm really lucky that I come from Birmingham where people are nice to you.

“But in places like Ghana, Zimbabwe and Congo, if you're like me, you get imprisoned or killed.

“So the work that we do here, the little drop of difference that we make, has a massive ripple effect for the rest of the world.

“That's why it’s so important to get everybody on board and to understand that Pride isn't just this thing that you see around New Street with loads of flags and people looking fabulous.

“It's a massive movement that connects people, brings them together, uplifts them and shows them that, actually, it's okay to just be who you are.”

The Future Faces podcast is available on all major listening platforms such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts, or by scanning the QR code.

Great match: Georgina (left) snaps Ed and his co-presenter Gemma Hill

Evolution of Pride podcast discussion (left to right): Nadia Johnstone-Smith, Sophie Poduval-Morrell and Char Bailey

The Chamber’s ever growing network for young professionals and the leaders of tomorrow.

Because of this, I went from somebody who was scared to post on LinkedIn to somebody who posts regularly and enjoys it, which I never expected.

I think Ed made a great mentor because he always referred back to the goals I had come in with at the start and helped me make plans to move forward with them.

For example, he was really proactive in helping me find opportunities to grow my confidence in public speaking, getting in touch with Sophie from Future Faces to plan a presentation evening where I could present among other mentees.

I also really enjoyed getting an insight into Ed’s day-to-day job at Heart when I visited the studio. I met the lovely Heart and Capital team and he even let me play a song, which was definitely a highlight for me.

Overall, the mentoring scheme exceeded my expectations. I came out of it with much more confidence, practical skills and some really valuable advice such as “if something makes you a bit scared, you should probably do it”.

I’m really grateful that I got to be mentored by Ed and would encourage any young professional to join the scheme.

Award sponsors announced

Future Faces have announced mfg Solicitors and Birmingham Metropolitan College as sponsors of the Greater Birmingham Young Professional of the Year Awards 2024.

Birmingham Metropolitan College (BMet) will be sponsoring the property, construction and engineering category, while mfg Solicitors will be sponsoring the finance category.

Suzie Branch-Haddow, vice-principal- external development at Birmingham Metropolitan College and past Birmingham Young Professional of the Year winner, said: “We at BMet are so pleased to be supporting Greater Birmingham Young Professional of the Year again.

“Members of our staff community and student alumni have been winners and finalists over the years so we have seen first-hand what an impact the awards can have.”

Chris Piggott, Birmingham-based employment partner at mfg Solicitors said: “Across the region there are so many impressive young professionals who are spread across a variety of sectors.

“These awards both recognise and celebrate their achievements, so as a law firm in the heart of Birmingham’s business district, we’re delighted to be a sponsor this year. We look forward to meeting the finalists at the Chamber’s showpiece event in October.”

The awards will take place on Friday, 18 October, at the ICC Birmingham. Designed to celebrate and recognise the exceptional talent and achievements of young professionals in the Greater Birmingham area, the annual celebration

honours individuals who have demonstrated outstanding performance, innovation, and dedication in their respective fields, contributing significantly to their industries and the local community.

To find out more information about sponsorship opportunities and ticket prices, scan the QR code.

The awards application deadline is 11:59pm on Thursday, 25 July.

New heights: Hiking for the homeless

Members take on mountain for charity

Future Faces members Ben Caseley and Hannah Ellis spent a day hiking in Wales to raise money for Birmingham-based charity St Basils.

Hannah and Ben hiked up Skirrid and Twyn yr Allt, which have a combined height of 809 metres. St Basils supports young people in Birmingham struggling with homelessness, offering help to 5,000 people a year (in person and virtually) through advice, housing, education and much more.

Hannah and Ben said: “Supporting the charity is important to us as young professionals in the West Midlands. We hope to support others who might not be in as fortunate a position and ensure that every young person in the region is presented with equal opportunities and affordable living.”

The walk covered 17 miles (it should have been 15, but there were some unintentional detours). Hannah and Ben, along with two other colleagues from Lloyds Bank have raised £5,000 for the charity.

If anyone is interested in supporting the charity, visit stbasils.org.uk

New Members

Nicole Lane Cazenove Capital

Charlotte Bates Central Hub Logistics Limited

Daniel Latham Dan Makes Films

George Deeley-Graham DLA Piper UK LLP

Atieth Atthi DLA Piper UK LLP

Bridget Walton DLA Piper UK LLP

Lottie Harper DLA Piper UK LLP

Brad Bolton DP Building Systems Ltd

Lisa Bull EBY Marketing

Raheel Ditta IFX Payments

James Cutajar James Cutajar

Steven Hannaford Jones Lang LaSalle

Camelia Cara-Ion San Carlo

Charlotte Jones Sydney Mitchell

Hayley Caprani-warner Sydney Mitchell

Claire Sargant Sydney Mitchell

Elinor Baldwin TOCA Social

Awards impact: Suzie Branch-Haddow

Over 300 attend business fair

Royal Sutton Coldfield Chamber of Commerce’s biggest networking event of the year was hailed a huge success – with businesses reporting a boost in contacts and knowledge sharing.

More than 300 people attended the annual Royal Business Fair at Sutton Coldfield Town Hall, which was sponsored by law firm Enoch Evans and Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council.

Delegates were able to take part in a speed networking session and seminars on grant funding and creative marketing, while also interacting with exhibitors from a variety of sectors including creative, hospitality and professional services.

Naeem Arif, president of the Royal Sutton Coldfield Chamber, said: “With over 300 people attending this year’s Royal Business Fair, it was a fantastic opportunity to create new business opportunities, as well as increasing their own knowledge from the seminars.

“We also launched a fundraising campaign for the Cancer Support Centre, who are the charity of the year for Royal Sutton Coldfield Chamber.

1. President Naeem Arif with head of Royal Sutton Coldfield Chamber Charlie Elliott and the Cancer Support Centre centre manager Jackie Price

2. Delegates and exhibitors were greeted by GBCC president Nasir Awan (centre)

3. An arcade game hosted by web design agency Adventure Graphics was popular with delegates

Three months of Chamber events

There’s a wide variety of events taking place right across the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce network throughout the summer. They range from advising companies how to achieve net zero, many networking opportunities to the much-anticipated Solihull Chamber awards in September.

AND MANY OF THE EVENTS ARE FREE TO CHAMBER MEMBERS

JULY

Sustainable Business Series - Net

Zero: Theory to Practice

Date: 2 July

Time: 8:30 – 10:00

Venue: The Deer Barn

Division: GBCC

Cost: Members: Free

Non-members: Free

Networking & Eid Celebration 2024

Date: 4 July

Time: 18:00 – 21:30

Venue: Millenium Point

Division: ABCC

Cost: Members: Free Future Faces members: £15 +VAT

Non-members: £60+VAT

The Good Business Forum

Date: 9 July

Time: 14:30 – 16:40

Venue: Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, 54 Hagley Road, Birmingham

Division: GBCC

Cost: Members: Free Future Faces members: £15+VAT

Royal Sutton Coldfield Social Networking with Future Faces

Date: 11 July

Time: 15:30 – 17:30

Venue: TBC

Division: Royal Sutton Coldfield/ Future Faces

Cost: Members: Free Future Faces Members: Free

Non-members: £50+VAT

Burton Networking Lunch and Speed Networking

Date: 11 July

Time: 11:45 – 14:00

Venue: Branston Golf Club & Country Club

Division: Burton & District

Cost: Members: Free Future Faces members: £15 + VAT

Non-members: £50 + VAT

Birmingham Summer Networking BBQ 2024

Date: 11 July

Time: 11:30 – 14:30

Venue: thestudio

Division: Birmingham

Cost: Members only

Canada Day and 4th July Celebration

Date: 16 July

Time: 12:00 - 14:00

Venue: TBC

Division: Global & Transatlantic

Cost: Members: Free Future Faces members:

£15+VAT

Non-members: £50+VAT

Joint Chamber Social Networking

Date: 18 July

Time: 16:30 – 18:30

Venue: TBC

Division: Burton & District, Cannock Chase, Lichfield & Tamworth and Royal Sutton Coldfield

Cost: Members: Free Future Faces members:

£15+VAT

Non-members:

£50+VAT

Pro Solihull Networking

Date: 18 July

Time: 17:30 – 19:30

Venue: TBC

Division: Solihull

Cost: Members: Free Future Faces members: £15+VAT

Non-members: £50+VAT

Quarterly Business Report (Q2)

Date: 18 July

Time: 9:00 – 11:00

Venue: Birmingham City University

Division: GBCC

Cost: Members: Free Future Faces members: Free

Non-members: Free

AUGUST

Business at Breakfast

Date: 18 July

Time: 9:00 – 11:00

Venue: TBC

Division: Birmingham

Cost: Members: Free Future Faces members:

£15+VAT

Non-members:

£50+VAT

Professional Development

Date: 8 August

Time: 17:30 – 19:30

Venue: TBC

Division: Future Faces

Cost: Future Faces members only

Premier Breakfast

Date: 13 August

Time: 8:30 – 10:30

Venue: TBC

Division: GBCC

Cost: Premier Members only

Social Networking

Date: 22 August

Time: 12:00 – 14:00

Venue: Distillery

Division: Solihull

Cost: Future Faces members only

September

Sustainable Business SeriesBuilding the Future: Green Infrastructure Solutions Date: 10 September

Time: 8:30 – 10:00

Venue: Lichfield Garrick Theatre

Division: GBCC

Cost: Members: Free Future Faces members: Free

Non-members: Free

Birmingham Networking Lunch and Speed Networking

Date: 10 September

Time: 11:45 – 14:00

Venue: TBC

Division: Birmingham

Cost: Members: Free Future Faces members: £15 + VAT

Non-members: £50+VAT

Royal Sutton Coldfield AGM and Networking Lunch

Date: 12 September

Time: 12:00 – 2:00

Venue: TBC

Division: Royal Sutton Coldfield

Cost: Members: Free Future Faces members: £15 + VAT

Non-members: £50+VAT

ABCC Member Social Date: 12 September

Time: 17:30 – 19:00

Venue: TBC

Division: ABCC

Cost: ABCC Members only

Solihull Awards 2024

Date: 13 September

Time: 18:00 – 23:00

Venue: Hilton Birmingham Metropole

Division: Solihull

Cost: £125+VAT

Table of 10 - £1,250+VAT

Lichfield & Tamworth Business at Breakfast

Date: 19 September

Time: 8:30 – 10:00

Venue: Assembly Rooms

Division: Lichfield & Tamworth

Cost: Members: Free Future Faces members: £15+VAT

Non-members: £50+VAT

International Networking Date: 19 September

Time: 17:30 – 19:30

Venue: TBC

Division: Global & Transatlantic

Cost: Members: Free Future Faces members: £15+VAT

Non-members: £50+VAT

Professional Development Date: 25 September

Time: 17:30 – 19:30

Venue: TBC

Division: Future Faces

Cost: Future Faces Members only

Growth Through People - Does ‘Work from Home Culture’ Pose a Threat to UK Productivity?

Date: 26 September

Time: 9:00 – 11:00

Venue: TBC

Division: GBCC

Cost: Members: Free Future Faces members: Free

Non-members: Free

Pro Solihull – Retro Games

Date: 26 September

Time: 16:00 – 19:00

Venue: Hogarths Hotel Solihull

Division: Solihull

Cost: Members: Free Future Faces members: £15+VAT

Non-members: £50+VAT

The

- how hiring apprentices can boost your business apprentice advantage

Apprenticeships have long been a valuable way for individuals to gain practical skills and knowledge in various industries. They can also help future-proof a business and bring new skills to your workforce. Many firms are looking to the future and how they can secure growth – and Chamberlink looks at how taking on an apprentice may help you achieve your business goals.

Tackling the skills shortage

All across the UK, firms have been experiencing a significant skills shortage across a wide variety of industries for a number of years now. This shortage can be attributed to several factors, including an ageing workforce, lack of interest in certain fields, and a disconnect between education and industry requirements. As a result, businesses are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit skilled workers, which has a detrimental impact on their productivity and growth.

If your business has been impacted by the skills shortage, one solution is hiring apprentices.

By embracing apprenticeships, businesses can tap into a pool of motivated individuals who are eager to learn and contribute. Moreover, apprenticeships offer the opportunity to shape and mould talent according to the specific needs of the organisation, ensuring you have the skilled workforce you need to take your business into the future.

Fresh ideas and costeffective talent

Apprenticeships offer a costeffective way to recruit and train new talent. While apprentices earn a wage, their salaries are typically lower than that of fully qualified workers, making them an

‘Apprenticeship programmes encourage apprentices to view their job as a long-term career opportunity’

affordable option for businesses looking to expand their workforce.

Additionally, apprentices can bring a fresh perspective and innovative ideas to your business. As apprentices are often young individuals starting their careers, they bring a level of enthusiasm and creativity that can breathe new life into established processes. Their fresh insights can help businesses stay competitive and adapt to an ever-changing market landscape.

Improve retention rates and staff satisfaction

One of the notable benefits of hiring apprentices is their higher retention rate compared to other employees. Apprenticeship programmes encourage apprentices to view their job as a long-term career opportunity, fostering a sense of loyalty and commitment to the company. This reduces recruitment costs and improves staff retention in the

The pivotal role of colleges in the UK’s rapidly evolving jobs market

There are seismic shifts taking place right across the UK, from demographic variation and technological revolution, through to evolving labour market demands and climate change. All have wide-ranging implications that will present significant challenges, but these are challenges that colleges can not only help to meet and manage, but also harness to innovate, drive-up productivity and deliver industrial strategies.

Firmly embedded as anchor institutions within communities, colleges like Bridgwater & Taunton College (BTC) have unique insight and an inherently practical understanding of education and skills training as drivers of economic development and social inclusion.

With a national reputation for excellence and an impressive track record of understanding policy changes and direction of travel, BTC and its staff are skilled at identifying and unlocking available funding. This has enabled it to attract significant funding for new technical facilities such as the National College for Nuclear and the Construction Skills and Innovation Centre, built to support

major infrastructure projects, including Hinkley Point C. These investments place BTC firmly at front and centre of the UK’s industrial strategy, and in prime position to seize new opportunities emanating from government.

Plans to build Britain’s biggest electric vehicle battery manufacturing facility in Somerset have been announced. Agratas – Tata Group’s global battery business – have confirmed that the Gravity Smart Campus located near Bridgwater has been chosen as the location of its new UK gigafactory.

BTC is proud to have been named as the education and skills lead for Gravity and will be playing a pivotal role in developing a skilled

workforce at the Gravity Smart Campus, to support the UK’s Clean Growth agenda.

Bridgwater & Taunton College stands not just as an educational institution, but as a vital catalyst for change and development in the UK. By aligning educational initiatives with the nation’s industrial and societal needs, BTC is poised to play a central role in shaping the future. Our commitment to innovation, collaboration, and inclusive growth is unwavering, as we continue to adapt, evolve, and lead in these transformative times. It is through this dedicated approach that BTC will remain at the forefront, turning challenges into opportunities and ensuring our students are equipped to make a significant impact in an ever-changing world.

If your organisation is exploring ways to enhance the skills of your workforce, get in touch with BTC. We can work with you to explore how we can deliver bespoke training solutions tailored to your specific industry needs.

For more information, please email business@btc.ac.uk or call 01278 655111

long run. Additionally, apprenticeships offer structured progression and development opportunities, which contribute to increased job satisfaction among apprentices.

How to find an apprentice

You’ve made the decision to take on an apprentice. What next? Your first step should be to establish partnerships with local education providers, such as colleges and universities and tap into their talent pool. These institutions often have dedicated career services or apprenticeship programmes that can connect you with potential apprentices.

Look to engage with online platforms and job boards that cater specifically to apprenticeship opportunities. These platforms provide a targeted audience of individuals actively seeking apprenticeship positions, increasing the chances of finding the right fit for your business.

It is also essential to showcase your company’s commitment to apprenticeships and the benefits they offer, as there is a lot of competition out there. Highlight your training and development programmes and the long-term career prospects within your organisation, as this will attract individuals who are genuinely

interested in learning and growing with your business.

Government incentives and support for hiring apprentices

The government has recognised the importance of apprenticeships and offers various incentives and support for businesses that hire apprentices. One such incentive is the Apprenticeship Levy, which requires businesses with an annual wage bill over a certain threshold to invest in apprenticeships. This levy can then be used to fund apprenticeship training and development within the organization.

Furthermore, the government provides financial support to businesses that hire apprentices aged 16 to 24. This support includes wage subsidies and grants, making apprenticeships an even more affordable option for businesses looking to invest in their workforce.

The government also works closely with businesses and educational institutions to promote apprenticeships and ensure that they align with industry needs. They provide guidance and resources to help businesses navigate the apprenticeship landscape and make informed decisions about their workforce development strategies, making sure that you have the support you need every step of the way.

The benefits of

strategic workforce planning

For employers, issues such as the ongoing skills shortage, ageing workforces and stiff competition for the best talent means that you might not have the workforce to take your business into the future. This is where strategic workforce planning comes in. In essence, this means analysing your current staffing levels and anticipating your future needs to ensure that you have exactly the right people for the job. As well as helping you uncover the training needs of your current employees, strategic workforce planning will also help you align your recruitment strategy with your long-term goals. But where to start? Chamberlink offers its top tips.

Consider

your goals

If strategic workforce planning is about making sure your people are able to deliver your company’s goals, a natural first step is to identify the short-, medium- and long-term objectives. Once you’ve figured out what you want to achieve, you can identify what you need in terms of the right skills and talent. It’s important to include your stakeholders, HR and senior management in this stage as they can all help you identify and outline your goals and the skills you need.

Assess

your current workforce

What kind of shape is your workforce in? What people and skills do you already have in your organisation and, more importantly, what skills are missing? When it comes to analysing your current workforce, there are two key areas to focus on:

Quality: Assess your employees on their current performance and future potential. Is anyone holding you back? Conversely, are there any breakout stars brimming with great ideas?

‘The modern business environment is constantly changing – as technology adapts, so does the customer’

Quantity: Assess how big your workforce is, paying particular attention to employee turnover, the effectiveness of your recruitment campaigns and the frequency of internal promotions.

Finding and filling skills gaps

Once you’ve a clearer idea of how many staff you have and the skills you have on board you will be able to better identify current and future skills gaps. If you have, for example, many staff you have of retiring age, you can begin to seriously think about how you can fill the gaps they’ll leave

behind. Will it be more economical to promote and train existing staff, or do you need to bring in new blood with fresh ideas in order to reach your goals? As well as traditional recruitment methods, there are other options such as apprenticeships and training schemes.

Preparing for the future

How will future technology, automation and other advancements affect your workforce needs? Of course, you can’t predict the future, but strategic workforce planning should help you better anticipate future trends. It’s perhaps unavoidable that some roles will become obsolete, but rather than making entire teams redundant (which would have a massive impact on staff morale) you can begin a training and re-skilling programme to move key players into new roles in order to keep the best talent. Remember that strategic workforce planning requires frequent monitoring. The modern business environment is constantly changing – as technology adapts, so does the customer. If you want to stay ahead of the competition, you need to make sure you always have the best possible workforce at your disposal.

Established in 2023, Amicis Legal Services specialise in all areas of Immigration Law and can assist you in obtaining visas and providing legal advice required in your particular area of life.

We assist individuals for personal needs and businesses for any corporate matters.

We can assist clients nationwide or internationally who are looking to enter the UK with bespoke advice tailored to your circumstances. For all your personal and business immigration needs, please contact us.

Offering Fuss-Free & Competitive Notarial,

Legalisation, Translation and Interpreting

services locally, nationally and internationally.

Fatchett & Co Notaries Limited provides notary public services to both private clients and businesses based in the West Midlands.

We offer a responsive, cost-effective service to our clients and an express service for urgent matters. We handle work from all corners of the world and can help guide you to the most cost-effective solution. We pride ourselves in guiding people through the process and offering dedicated support.

Our wide range of services include:

• Notarial Services: In addition to notarising documents, we can help with powers of attorney, affidavits and oaths, and matters of naturalisation.

• Legalisation Services: Some documents (Birth, Death & Marriage Certificates, Degrees and Criminal Checks) do not always need a notary. They simply need to be legalised. We can arrange this for you and if necessary, have your documents shipped to almost anywhere in the world.

• Specialist Services: We offer home visits, visits to care homes and hospital settings. We assist visually impaired persons and can provide audibly impaired persons with a BSL translator. We pride ourselves on being understanding and caring.

Whether it be the execution of legal documents for use abroad, attesting to the authenticity of deeds and writings, or protesting bills of exchange, we can help.

Try us, you will not regret it.

Tel: 0843 836 0201

Email: Gareth.fatchett@fatchett.co.uk

Website: www.fatchett.co.uk

Gareth Fatchett Director, Fatchett & Co Notaries Limited

“We aim to provide an essential support service to those who need overseas documents. The cornerstone of what we do is being responsive and flexible. Greater Birmingham needs a full time dedicated notary practice and we aim to be just that.”

For People and Businesses

Choosing the right logistics partner for you

Finding the right logistics partner is of the utmost importance for exporters. There is more to the role than delivering products to your customers – a good logistics partner should also be able to improve supply chain efficiency, effectively manage costs and enhance your customer service. Chamberlink looks at what to consider when choosing a logistics partner.

Price

You may be tempted to choose the partner that is the cheapest, but be warned – a logistics provider that does not meet your needs or expectations could wind up costing you more in the long run. Normally the costs should include transportation, warehouse storage, packaging and shipping, but check that the pricing model is transparent and there aren’t any ‘hidden’ charges you may encounter. Is there a monthly minimum payment? Are you being offered an introductory fee that will be increased in a few months’ time? Do they offer money back guarantees if you’re unhappy with their service?

Reputation

There are a lot of logistics companies out there, so it stands to reason that some of them are going to better than others. The reputation of your chosen partner is important – after all, the reputation of your business stands to be affected by the competence and expertise (or lack thereof) of your supply chain. If your logistics partner does a bad job it will reflect badly on you, and you may lose customers because of their mistakes. Check online reviews, social media and testimonials.

Customer service

Alongside reputation, customer service is another key factor to consider. If something goes wrong in your supply chain, or if there are costly delays, you need to be sure that the issues will be communicated clearly and swiftly dealt with. Will your chosen partner make you feel like a priority, or will they prioritise the needs of larger firms? Will you have a dedicated agent to speak to, or will you be left to the mercy of a chat bot? Do they offer 24/7 customer service, or will any weekend issues be left until Monday morning?

Services & expertise

On the face of it, the primary service offered by a logistics partner is the transport of goods from one place to another. However, not every logistics partner will offer the same services, or the same level of expertise. Food and drink exporters will need, for example, a partner that can transport chilled and/or frozen goods, while partners that operate on a small scale will not be the best option for exporters that require largescale distribution. Keep in mind your particular needs and make sure your chosen partner can meet them.

Technology

Does your chosen partner offer the latest technology innovations, or are their operations slow and antiquated? Technology plays a huge role in smooth and efficient delivery, and a partner with extensive technology at their fingertips can help you save both time and money. Warehouse automation will provide you with up-to-date reports at every stage in the process and allow you track your shipments from warehouse to customer, while a web-based booking system will allow you to submit an order at any time, anytime, making the process much faster and smoother.

Safety & security

Your chosen partner will both store and transport your goods, so if you want them to arrive on time and in one piece it’s vital that you check their safety awareness and operations if you don’t want to put your products are risk. Ask to see their storage facilities and enquire about their packaging and shipping processes. Are staff properly trained? How are accidents managed and mitigated? What security systems do they have in place to protect goods at every stage of the journey?

Sector Focus

The latest news from the sectors that matter to business

Government puts restrictions on liquids at airports

A new government directive has been issued nationwide across all ports. It means that the containers passengers carry in their hand luggage when leaving Birmingham Airport (BHX) can be no more than 100ml in liquids, pastes and gels until further notice.

This is a rule that Birmingham Airport has been complying with for months due to an outstanding regulatory approval on its new screening machines.

Despite having the 100ml rule already in place, the airport continually sees non-compliant bags with liquids, pastes and gels above this allowance taken through security.

Nick Barton, chief executive officer of Birmingham Airport, said: “The rules that we have been adhering to since March are now very clear in that only liquids, pastes and gels up to 100ml can be carried through in hand luggage.

“Since opening our new security area, and despite being one of the first UK airports to comply, we have been limited on the use of our

multi-million-pound equipment due to an outstanding regulatory restriction meaning we had to limit liquids to 100ml. This rule has now been implemented nationwide.

“Despite the 100ml rule still being in place, we continually have non-compliant bags with liquids over the allowance which have led to inefficiencies of our equipment and resulted in extended queuing time for customers.

‘Our enlarged teams will be on hand to explain the new liquid rules’

“It is now imperative that all customers comply with the nationwide rule to ensure a smoother and simpler transition through the airport. A non-compliant bag with liquids over 100ml can add up to 20 minutes to each passenger's journey through security.

“All travelling customers should check their hand luggage to ensure it complies with this restriction.”

Birmingham Airport is one of the few UK airports which met the government deadline of the 1 June. However, due to this regulatory restriction being placed on it previously, it has been unable to use its equipment to its full capability.

The airport has now launched additional temporary measures to help passengers pass through security this summer.

They include opening an enlarged temporary structure providing multiple “liquid check stations” to ensure that customers’ cabin baggage complies with new government regulations. The facility will be staffed by third party customer service specialists who

will check that customers comply with the temporary liquid rules on cabin baggage rules.

Mr Barton added: “These new measures are designed to give passengers a smoother and easier experience though security. Our enlarged teams will be on hand to explain the new liquid rules, we all have to comply with, and help passengers prepare for security.

“The more we can do together to reduce the number of bags that don’t comply with these rules, the more we can reduce queues at security screening.”

All advice to customers can be found at www.birminghamairport.co.uk

Car clubs could be the solution to grey fleets

Hybrid working and customer convenience are driving demand for new ways of managing business travel, with employers wanting to cut emissions and reduce grey fleet use.

Enterprise Mobility believes car clubs can be part of the solution, enabling dedicated, on-site managed pool car provision, coupled with a publicly available virtual network and traditional daily rental.

Car clubs are a form of shortterm vehicle rental, offering access to vehicles for as long as the user needs them, whether that is for 30 minutes or a day or more.

Andy Bland, head of business rental development for the UK and Ireland at Enterprise Mobility, said: “When you work with a customer

over a period of time on a real consultancy-type approach to understand how they travel, look at those journeys. You could replace a significant amount, if not all of that grey fleet with a multi-layered travel policy.

“Part of that may be managed pool cars on site, or access to our virtual car club vehicles that are parked on the street or traditional daily rental. The key to all of this is knitting it together with a very intuitive booking tool.”

For Enterprise Mobility, that intuitive tool is its Enterprise Travel Direct (ETD) booking and compliance management platform.

It allows employees to compare mobility options and find the most cost-effective and accessible mode of transport that complies with

their company’s travel policy.

Andy added: “All the employee has to do is say where they’re going that day and it will work out the best way for them to travel.

That could be a daily rental vehicle, it could be the on-site managed

pool car, it could be on-street, it may even be their own car that day.

“They don’t have to make that decision, the tool makes a decision for them, based on what we’ve agreed with the customer.”

New ways of travel: Car clubs help cut emissions

Rules “very clear”: Birmingham Airport

easyJet’s partnership with Costa Coffee takes flight

easyJet is to operate five new routes this year from its base at Birmingham Airport, adding to 16 new destinations.

Year-round routes from Birmingham to Prague and Marrakech will start on 13 November and 1 December respectively and will both operate on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Winter routes from Birmingham to Krakow start on 15 November, operating on Mondays and Fridays, to Reykjavik from 3 December on Tuesdays and Saturdays as well as a once a week service to Innsbruck son Sundays, starting from 15 December.

This was part of easyJet’s announcement of 60 new routes from 11 UK airports, with flights taking off for the first time from this winter.

easyJet and Costa Coffee have also announced a new collaboration in which the two leading UK brands will take flight together.

Serving millions of customers across Europe, Costa Coffee will be available onboard all easyJet flights from this summer.

easyJet has also finalised an agreement to acquire the SR Technics maintenance facility in Malta.

The signing ceremony with the Prime Minister Dr Robert Abela in attendance, was held at the maintenance hangar and signalled the handover of the facility to easyJet.

easyJet will now undertake heavy maintenance on its growing fleet of more than 340 aircraft and welcome the workforce of more than 400 currently based at the facility to the easyJet Group.

Coffee deal takes off: Costa Coffee personnel join the easyJet flight crew

Prime Minister Robert Abela extended his congratulations to easyJet and SR Technics on finalising a pivotal agreement, marking easyJet’s acquisition of the SR Technics maintenance facility in Malta.

He said: “The Government stands ready to support the industry. We take pride in the Maltese leadership managing these hangars and commend our dedicated technicians and engineers whose efforts have attracted and retained such esteemed companies”

David Morgan, chief operating officer for easyJet, said: “We have long held links with the island and look forward to further strengthening these in the coming years with this maintenance facility which will mean we will employ more than 400 people locally to maintain our growing, modern fleet of aircraft.”

Arriva looks to the future

Arriva Group, the leading provider of passenger transport across Europe, has completed its acquisition by I Squared Capital, a leading independent global infrastructure investment manager.

The acquisition, first announced in October 2023, encompasses all of Arriva’s businesses across 11 countries.

Mike Cooper, Arriva Group CEO, said: “Closing this transaction marks an important milestone and an exciting new chapter for Arriva. It is an opportunity for Arriva to recommit to working alongside passenger transport authorities to deliver essential transport links and build a more sustainable future for our colleagues, customers and the communities we serve.

“With the backing of I Squared, an independent and highly reputable infrastructure investor, I am confident that we will deliver on that commitment for the benefit of the millions that Arriva serves.”

Husband and wife secure joint funding for new project

A husband and wife team have secured the acquisition of a wire mesh business after receiving joint funding from business lending specialists BCRS Business Loans and UKSE.

Cameron and Elizabeth Wakeman, from Stourbridge, acquired Midland Wire Mesh Ltd following a joint funding package of £175,000 from BCRS Business Loans and UKSE, which helps companies in steel areas with business investments and premises.

Established in 1975, Midland Wire Mesh Ltd, based on Lodgefield Road in Halesowen, are industrial wire mesh manufacturers serving a multitude of sectors including construction, gardening, drainage, and the pet industry.

Cameron and Elizabeth took over the business when original owners David and Debbie Walters retired.

As a result, Midland Wire Mesh hope to create an additional three roles, diversify the in-house services they provide to include welding and invest in new machinery.

Cameron has more than 14 years of sales, marketing, and management experience of the metal industry, in businesses including Midtherm, Servosteel and Intec Laser Services.

A phlebotomist at Guest Hospital NHS in Dudley, Elizabeth will be responsible for the company’s finance and business marketing.

Rather than obtain funding from mainstream lenders, Midland Wire Mesh was introduced to UKSE by Birmingham-based Central Business Finance, commercial finance brokers based in St Paul’s Square.

Check your state pension says expert

A leading financial expert is urging people to consider their State Pension forecast when creating a retirement plan, after a survey showed a third of Brits don’t check it before they retire.

Mike Jordan (pictured) is the founder of Jordan Financial Management, which has been advising people on financial matters across the West Midlands for more than 25 years. He is now spreading awareness of the practical benefits of checking your State Pension forecast while planning your retirement.

BCRS Business Loans provides funding to West Midlands businesses that may not be able to access finance from traditional lenders. Businesses can secure loans from between £10,000 and £150,000 from BCRS to support growth and recovery plans.

Cameron said: “Myself and Elizabeth have always wanted to run our own business and when the opportunity came about, we were keen to make it happen.

“I have always worked in the metal industry in various roles from shop floor, operating machinery to sales and management roles so I’m looking forward to applying my skills and knowledge to Midland Wire Mesh Ltd.

“Our aim is to grow the business over the next 12 months and focus on diversifying into new markets including racking, pet care, safety and architectural.”

BCRS senior business development manager Lynn Wyke said: “As a lender that delivers funding for social and economic impact, it is great news that the funding will generate new jobs and enable the company to innovate.”

Accountancy group continues to grow

people do not check this detail, given that it is quite easy to do. It’s important to stay on top of your forecast to avoid a potential financial shock.”

Mike said: “The State Pension Age is currently 66 for both men and women, but it is slowly rising. For those born after 5 April, 1960, there will be a phased increase in State Pension Age to 68, possibly making the date you can claim your State Pension later than you expect.

“It’s worrying that so many

However, Mike warns that to claim the full amount, pensions usually will need to have made at least 35 qualifying years of National Insurance (NI) contributions. People who haven’t made this contribution will usually receive only a portion of this amount –but Mike advises there is an alternative pathway for people with gaps in their NI record.

He said: “You may be able to buy additional years, which could boost your retirement income. Typically, a full NI year costs £824, and could add up to £302.64 each year to your pretax State Pension income. You can usually only fill in these gaps for the last six tax years, so, it’s really important to know what your NI record looks like.”

Dains Accountants, celebrating its 100th year in 2026, now has UKwide coverage through a series of acquisitions over the past five years.

Launched in Lichfield in 1926, the firm says it still holds true to its founding principles of helping enterprising owner managed businesses to flourish and grow.

Dains’ managing partner Richard McNeilly joined the organisation 18 years ago as business development partner, when the firm was beginning to develop its client proposition by broadening the range of services it offered.

These included private client, corporate tax, VAT advisory, employment tax, corporate finance, payroll, and forensic accounting.

Richard said: “The secret of Dains’ lasting success and

sustained growth is our team. With each business acquisition, we had to ensure the cultural fit was right and we invested in our change management team to ensure that hearts and minds were aligned.

“This supported a clear integration programme and served to ensure a single way of working, so that we provided consistent service to our clients. We had brilliant collaboration from the getgo and now Dains Group is stronger than ever.”

Dains also made three acquisitions before securing private equity investment from Horizon Capital in 2021. The investment allowed it to begin a planned series of business mergers

New markets (left to right): UKSE regional executive Mike Lowe, BCRS senior business development manager Lynn Wyke, Midland Wire Mesh owners Cameron and Elizabeth Wakeman and Central Business Finance director Steve Harris

Cultural fit ensured: Richard McNeilly

Striving to be a global pioneer in sustainable practices

The construction industry has a key role to play in global efforts to reduce carbon emissions and the alliance is committed to driving change as we work to expand the Metro network across the West Midlands. Our continued efforts have led to considerable progress towards an ambitious goal to significantly reduce carbon footprint while building tram extensions.

Our longstanding promise to helping protect the environment and maintain biodiversity during construction activities, has led to the team exceeding its carbon reduction target for 2023 by more than 300 tonnes; making a carbon saving of 3,389 tCO2e, which is the equivalent of more than 400 million smartphones charged!

Embracing green innovations and materials

How are we achieving this? By looking at our construction activities through a sustainability lens, we’ve adopted a number of innovative initiatives that have bolstered our carbon saving achievements:

• “Earth friendly” low-carbon fibre reinforcement concrete is used across our projects; most recently, on the Birmingham Eastside extension where the sustainable product was used to form the base of the track in the Dale End area of Birmingham city centre.

• Our works to strengthen, rather than rebuild and replace, Dudley’s historical Parkhead Viaduct structure, as part of our Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro extension, led to a whopping 1,500 tonne carbon saving all while protecting a much-loved local icon.

• We’ve also cut down our use of single-use plastic bottles as well as installing drainage pipes made from recycled bottles, helping take action against plastic waste and pollution.

• What’s more, we’re lighting sites and powering cabins with solar energy.

But that’s not all! We’re already contributing to the reduction of C02 emissions by building a sustainable mode of transport, helping to reduce the negative impacts on the environment by improving air quality and reducing atmospheric pollution.

The Metro extensions will also allow more people to use this mode of transport for day-today travel, further reducing congestion, while helping to achieve a modal shift from private car use.

And it is not just our construction activity where the alliance is helping to improve the environment as the planting of new greenery, including trees, plants and shrubs, along Digbeth High Street and Lower Bull Street have also contributed to a greener and more pleasant Birmingham.

Contributing to a more sustainable future

As we strive towards contributing to a more sustainable future, it’s essential that we continue to implement responsible and sustainable practices wherever we can as we work to minimise our impact on the environment.

We are constantly researching and adopting the latest advancements in sustainable construction, and although we have already made such a significant difference in terms of carbon savings, there’s still so much more we can do as an industry for both us and our environment.

We’re already a leader in this activity but we will continue to take steps to bolster our sustainable credentials to further reduce our carbon footprint while placing sustainability at the core of everything we do.

Get in touch

If you would like to find out more you can get in touch by emailing communications@metroalliance.co.uk

Alternatively, you can follow us on X @midlandtram, Instagram @midlandmetroalliance or find us on Facebook by searching for Midland Metro Alliance.

Bank supports eco efforts

One of the UK’s leading bedroom furniture manufacturers is improving its carbon footprint and shrinking its energy bills with the installation of a new, energy efficient roof at its factory.

Birmingham-based AC Furniture Limited (Maysons Furniture) is taking a big step on its sustainability journey, replacing the roof of its factory in Sparkbrook – which pre-dates WW2 – with new insulated roofing that will help the business reduce its energy consumption and free up cash to reinvest for growth.

AC Furniture expects its energy bills to shrink with new skylights vastly reducing the need for artificial lighting. Meanwhile, in the winter, 100 per cent of the factory’s heat is generated as a byproduct of the manufacturing process, with the new insulation ensuring this is trapped to keep the space warm – rather than being lost to the environment.

The new roof installation was supported by £330,000 funding from Lloyds Bank’s Clean Growth financing initiative, which offers discounted lending to help firms with sustainable projects. As well as improving the factory’s energy efficiency rating, the new installation will mean the removal of asbestos in the older structure.

Muhammad L Afser, manager at AC Furniture Limited (Maysons Furniture) said: “We’ve earned a strong reputation in the UK as a leading manufacturer of freestanding bedroom furniture, supplying a wide range of well-known retailers across Great Britain. However, with the manufacturing industry constantly evolving and working to lower carbon emissions, we’re now putting more focus into improving our sustainability credentials and futureproofing our business.

“Investing in a new, more energy efficient roof was the first step and we’re already seeing benefits when it comes to cost and energy savings. The funding support from Lloyds Bank has put us on the right path, and we know they will be on hand to support us in the next step of our sustainability journey.”

High praise for EV at top motor show

scooters and battery technology earned high praise at the Geneva Motor Show.

Silence’s S04 Nanocar was rated among the top six most exciting vehicles by TechRadar.

The Solihull-based manufacturer has been holding its own among global manufacturers due to its innovative battery-swapping technology.

TechRadar praised the S04’s “unique petite, manoeuvrable and multi-person design”, stating "it can fit in designated motorcycle parking bays, yet it has air conditioning and a place to house and charge a smartphone.”

both the driving range, storage capacity, and top speed of 52mph.

As a result, there has been an unprecedented demand to test drive the S04 Nanocar when it was presented at the Everything Electric Car in London. It was also hailed as “the future of urban mobility” by motoverso.com.

Andy Fenwick, managing director of Silence UK, said: “Having the opportunity for customers to talk to the Silence team about the Nanocar S04 and then having the chance to test drive it, created a truly unique and joyful experience for many.”

Supply chain solutions to go on display at top airshow

Tiered manufacturers supplying parts to the aerospace industry will be able to discuss how G&P’s services could improve their quality and delivery performance at this year’s Farnborough International Airshow on 22-26 July.

G&P will be exhibiting as part of the Midlands Aerospace Alliance (MAA) members stand at the UK Pavilion.

“Quality remains the number one priority for the aerospace industry and responsibility is being driven back up the supply chain, more than ever before, to smaller manufacturers and suppliers,” says Stephen Molloy, group technical director at G&P.

“Through using G&P’s targeted services and intervention, we can help the aerospace supply chain create an efficient, consistent and high-quality process to minimise non-conformance and maximise customer satisfaction.”

To find out more about G&P’s quality management services or experience within the aerospace industry, visit www.gpqm.com

At Farnborough Air Show: G&P personnel

“The future of urban mobility”: The Nanocar S04

Manufacturers report a boost in confidence

West Midlands manufacturers are experiencing a much stronger picture as they enter the second half of the year with business confidence increasing and the sector forecast to outpace the economy overall in 2024.

The findings come in the Q2 Manufacturing Outlook survey published by Make UK. According to the survey, both output and orders have picked up substantially compared to the first quarter and are set to strengthen in the next three months in line with the national picture.

The West Midlands is set to benefit from increased production in the automotive sector through its supply chain which has a strong presence in the region. This better picture is translating into increased recruitment intentions with job prospects especially strong compared to historical levels.

Business confidence has also risen to equal the highest level recorded since the survey started measuring the indicator in 2014. The only previous occasion it reached the current level was during the immediate post Covid rebound.

The survey also asked companies to list their top three priorities for the next Government. More than two thirds of manufacturers (69.1%) said delivering an industrial strategy was the top priority, more than half (54.2 per cent) said strengthening EU/UK relations, while almost half (44 per cent) said reducing the business tax burden. This was followed by investment in national infrastructure (31.5 per cent) and reforming the Apprentice Levy (24.1 per cent).

Make UK is forecasting that manufacturing will grow by 1.2% in 2024 but moderate to 0.8% in 2025. GDP will grow by 0.9% in 2024 and 2% in 2025.

Chris Corkan, region director for the Midlands at Make UK, said: “At long last, companies can see concrete signs of growth and a much better economic outlook ahead. With prices cooling and, potential cuts in interest rates to come, the next Government must capitalise on this scenario by delivering a modern, long-term industrial strategy which goes beyond the 2030s and has cross Government support.”

Wilkes advises on racing deal

The corporate team at Wilkes have advised longstanding client Sports Purpose Limited on their acquisition of the renowned historic racing specialist, Sporting & Historic Car Engineers Limited.

This strategic acquisition will enable Sports Purpose to expand their expertise into the historic racing car segment, complementing their existing business serving the specialist rare Porsche market.

Sporting & Historic Car Engineers, established in 1989 by Tim Samways, has earned an esteemed reputation as one of the premier historic racing businesses in the UK, achieving numerous successes including the first win by a Ferrari at the prestigious Goodwood Revival RAC Tourist Trophy race in 2007.

‘Jeremy Parkin has been an invaluable advisor as we have grown Sports Purpose’

Tim will be retiring but will retain a role with the company as a consultant engineer, helping with the many projects that he has initiated.

Sports Purpose were advised by Jeremy Parkin, consultant from Wilkes corporate, with support from paralegal Matt Workman and Leighann Richards, of the Wilkes real estate team.

James Turner, founder of Sports Purpose, said: “Jeremy Parkin has been an invaluable advisor as we have grown Sports Purpose. While his legal counsel is excellent, I regard Jeremy as a trusted consigliere, providing reliable wisdom and guidance on our corporate matters. It's a pleasure working with Jeremy and his team at Wilkes.”

Wilkes also helped to facilitate the merger between two of the UK's premier contract moulders, Merriott Plastics and Talisman. This strategic merger will create a multi-site, multi-competence business poised to deliver enhanced product development, manufacturing, logistics, and technical support to customers, particularly in the Midlands, South West, and South East regions.

Freeths’ lawyers named on ENDS power list

Law firm Freeths’ director Richard Broadbent and senior associate Helen Mitcheson have been named in The ENDS Report Power List as two of the 100 UK environmental professionals who have made the greatest impact in the past two years.

The annual list includes individuals who have shaped or influenced national or local environmental policy, enhanced the reputation of the environmental profession, or unsung heroes whose work is delivering positive change. Out of the 100 nominees, Richard and Helen were two of only 15 lawyers who made the shortlist. The pair were nominated for their extensive work across habitats, species, wildlife and the natural environment both at Freeths, as part of its leading planning and environment group, as well as outside work.

This is the third time Freeths’ environmental law team has been named in the Power List, and the second for Helen with her previously appearing in the celebrated list in 2022. Penny Simpson, who leads the Freeths Environmental Law team, was listed last year

following her landmark environmental case win in Harris vs Environment Agency.

She said: “A well-deserved accolade for both Richard and Helen who work tirelessly to build our Freeths environmental offering into one of the leading practices across the UK.”

There was peer praise for both Richard and Helen. Of Richard, it was noted: “He is not only a real advocate for the beneficial impact that we can make on our surroundings, but according to one colleague, he is an ‘amazing and inspiring leader and a mentor as well as a role model to many’ who ‘genuinely cares for the development of those around him’.

Of Helen, supporters said: “She ‘is the kind of lawyer the environment needs’. Helen is the deputy director of Cet Law, an international not-for-profit organisation specialising in furthering law and policy to protect marine mammals. Outside of this, she has founded and co-convened the Marine Working Party of the United Kingdom Environmental Law Association (UKELA)’.”

Leading law firm appointed to housing association panel

National law firm Clarke Willmott LLP has been appointed to the legal panel of one of the largest housing associations in the UK.

The firm’s leading social housing team was successful in winning a tender for Sanctuary and has been appointed to Lot 5 – Housing Management and Housing Litigation. The four-year appointment is anticipated spend £4.9m on this lot.

Sanctuary is one of the UK’s largest providers of housing and care with around 125,000 units of accommodation across England and Scotland. A notfor-profit housing association, Sanctuary’s aim is to build affordable homes and sustainable communities.

Lindsay Felstead, co-head of social housing at Clarke Willmott, is client partner for Sanctuary. She said the appointment was proof of the firm’s high

standing in the sector. “Our experience in the social housing sector means we understand the challenges and pressures faced by our clients.

“It is a testament to our team's hard work and our firm's dedication to excellence in the housing sector. We look forward to contributing to Sanctuary’s mission by providing exceptional legal services and support regarding housing management and housing litigation issues."

Clarke Willmott has offices in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, London, Manchester, Southampton and Taunton and is this year celebrating its 135th anniversary.

The social housing team is one of the largest in the UK acting for over 100 Registered Providers as well as major frameworks.

Inspiring leader: Richard Broadbent

Tireless work: Helen Mitcheson

New lease of life for Button Works

New homes for rent will be available in one of the Jewellery Quarter’s most historic buildings that was originally designed by the Birmingham Council House architect.

Developers Great Hampton Street Button Works and Hanehouse Developments will restore the semi-derelict warehouse, originally built in the mid-19th century, and celebrate its heritage by bringing it back to active use.

The scheme, supported by investments from the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), will create 29 apartments – 20 one-bed units and nine two-bed units –providing quality accommodation for up to 53 people.

The WMCA has provided loan support from the Residential Investment Fund, along with grant support from devolved Housing & Land funds.

Button Works, formerly known as Great Hampton Works, was built in 1872. The architect behind the Victorian-warehouse, Henry Richard Yardley Yeoville Thomason – was the same person who designed the Council House in Birmingham city centre.

Richard Parker, mayor for the West Midlands and chair of the WMCA, said: “When you walk past the Button Works factory you see a wonderful building full of character – but one in need of restoration.

“We are proud of where we live –so I am pleased to see these buildings brought back as part of a vibrant high street in the Jewellery Quarter.

“We will continue to invest and support developers to regenerate former factories and industrial estates in our region into sustainable and high-quality homes."

Richard Whitehouse, director of Hanehouse, said: “We are proud to have been instrumental in bringing forward this important and impressive building for the next part of its journey.

“We are grateful to the involvement of WMCA in assisting with enabling the delivery of new homes and we are already looking for our next heritage project in the city.”

Arcadis predicts higher construction inflation

Design and engineering consultancy Arcadis has forecast higher levels of construction inflation from 2026 onwards even as industry’s recovery struggles to take-off in 2024 and 2025.

According to Arcadis’ latest Summer Market View report, this is due to resource constraints and the impact of delayed procurements on the future shape of the supply chain.

The report also highlights a ‘K’-shaped inflation trend in infrastructure, with varying levels of escalation across different sectors.

Construction material prices are also on the rise after a period of decline, signalling potential shifts in the market.

According to the report, entitled ‘The only way is up’, the mood in the construction sector is showing signs of improvement, triggered by growing confidence in the property sector.

However, significant headwinds are expected to delay the start of a new wave of construction projects.

These include residential projects under the new building safety regime and slow progress in the commercial and public sectors, which are likely to prolong difficult market conditions until mid-2025.

Even though workload continues to shrink, clients are facing capacity constraints.

Many contractors have teams committed to stalled two-stage procurements, reducing market competitiveness, the report notes.

Delays to project starts are creating a holding pattern where contractors’ resources are tied up, limiting their ability to pursue new opportunities.

This means that clients will continue to find it difficult to attract their panel of contractors – not because their project is unattractive, but because bidders are already committed to slow-moving opportunities.

Simon Rawlinson, head of strategic research and insight at Arcadis, said: “Political parties promise change during election campaigns, but there are few signs of improvement for the construction supply chain.

“In our Summer 2024 forecast, we expect challenging market conditions to persist. We foresee a more inflationary outlook for the recovery phase, especially from 2026 onwards, due to resource constraints.

“Present bottlenecks have various causes, some time-dependent and some market-dependent.

“Growth conditions are unlikely to improve in 2024 as blockers persist. By late 2025, with more projects and potential loss in industry capacity, conditions are set for an inflationary recovery.”

Go to www.arcadis.com to read the full report.

Duo bring expertise to team

A leading property consultancy has hired two commercial property management professionals with over 30 years’ experience between them to grow its influence in and around Birmingham.

Mark Povey and Jose Perez have joined Fisher German’s commercial

property management team, based at its Birmingham office on Colmore Row.

Mark, who joins as a senior associate after property management experience with a range of companies including Cushman & Wakefield, St Modwen,

and BT, will work across a mix of key client portfolios.

He will also play an active role in helping graduates settle into the company and improve through a mentoring scheme.

Jose joins Fisher German as an associate after stints with companies such as JLL and the former DTZ, along with smaller firms.

He will primarily be looking after a wide range of industrial and commercial assets for major Fisher German clients, as well as private clients with smaller portfolios.

Kerry Whitehill, Partner at Fisher German, said: “Mark and Jose have a superb network of contacts and our Birmingham office, right in the heart of the city in Colmore Row with many other major players, was a big reason for both of them choosing to join us.”

Vision: What the Button Works, originally designed by the Council House architect, may look like

Few signs of improvement: Simon Rawlinson

30 years experience: Mark Povey and Jose Perez

Rising star in the property sector wins top accolade

A woman described as “one of the most exciting prospects” in the commercial property sector has picked up the Rising Star trophy in The Midlands PROPS 2024 Awards. Sophie Froggatt, an agency surveyor at Siddall Jones, beat off competition from three other finalists to pick up the title at the Variety charity’s awards ceremony in Birmingham.

Ms Froggatt, who started at Siddall Jones five years ago as office manager, has been working in the role of agency surveyor for the company since July, 2023.

Ed Siddall-Jones, managing director of Siddall Jones, said: “We believe Sophie to be one of the most exciting prospects in the sector, and we’re so proud of her for winning this award.

“When she started with us in 2019, she quickly became one of our most proficient workers, an increasingly important cog in the wheel of our operations.

‘We believe Sophie to be one of the most exciting prospects in the sector’

“We decided that Sophie was capable of much more and so promoted her to agency surveyor last July.

“She took to the new job like a duck to water and was soon impressing our existing and new clients with her eye for the right properties and her attention to detail.”

Celebration: Sophie Froggatt (centre) with Ed Siddall-Jones (on her right)

Sophie triumphed in the Rising Stars award versus finalists Tom Rhodes of Keepmoat, Kaine Arkinson of Shepherd Commercial and Siobhan McGlynn, of Brookbanks.

The 28-year-old, who grew up in Walsall, said: “I was genuinely shocked but really pleased to win, as I was up against so many other worthy finalists.

“I’d previously been mainly office based as office manager, but my directors Ed and Ryan Lynch were always telling me that I ought to get out there and work face-to-face with clients.

“They pushed me out of my comfort zone and I’ve really

enjoyed the last year, ranked as third in the EG ranking for sales and lettings in my first six months.”

Since 1992, the PROPS have raised more than £11m for Variety, the Children’s Charity, providing support for countless children with disabilities.

Siddall Jones have also been appointed to look after a premium property overlooking St Phillip’s Square in Birmingham city centre. Portman House at 5-7 Temple Row West comprises the popular Damascena café on the ground floor, with three upper floors of office accommodation.

ConSpare thrives towards sustainability with Geo Green Power

Established in 1978, ConSpare is the UK’s leading support company for concrete production and is dedicated to improving sustainable practices within the mineral products industry.

After moving premises in 2022, developing sustainability was a focus for the new purpose-built facility. As their previous site was heated using a combination of natural gas and fuel oil, ConSpare aimed to eliminate the combustion of fossil fuels and instead power their business by electricity, with a large proportion coming from solar PV.

Tom Bullock, ConSpare, general manager and sustainability lead, said: “The system has been very successful on a financial basis, something which is vital for industrial and other large-scale adoption of solar power in Britain. As the system is expected to operate for 25 years or more, it is therefore likely to save hundreds of tonnes of CO2 during its lifespan – in addition to the carbon cost of the system itself.”

The completed project means ConSpare’s premises are now 100% powered by electricity and they have considerably decarbonised their operations. Since installation at the end of March 2023, they have consumed around 80,000kWh of power but produced even more, a fantastic 83,500kWh.

E: info@geogreenpower.com T: 0800 988 3188 / 01509 880 199 www.geogreenpower.com

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Boost skills with bootcamp

TRS, a leading provider of transport and logistics apprenticeships, skills bootcamps and commercial training, has launched a new Skills Bootcamp for West Midlands firms in collaboration with the British International Freight Association (BIFA).

This bootcamp provides an introduction to the importing and exporting of products, suited to those already involved in freight forwarding or those wishing to step into the sector.

Subsidised by the West Midlands Combined Authority, the discounted training course is tailored for individuals living or working within the combined authority’s catchment area.

Spread over five weeks, the 60-hour online course is delivered with the flexibility to ensure minimal impact on work commitments. The course features several technical workshops including freight forwarding essentials, customs essentials, and dangerous & hazardous goods.

With the first course already underway, TRS is now actively recruiting for courses running in July.

Businesses interested in boosting their workforce capacity through this Skills Bootcamp can request a callback from TRS for further details or call 01744 809 010.

Manufacturers still invest in people

Skills remain a key priority for manufacturers, with a report revealing that training budgets have not been hit by rising inflation.

Eight-six per cent of firms questioned in the annual In-Comm Training Barometer said that their spending intentions have remained unchanged, with more than three quarters investing in new technology to boost productivity –an eight per cent rise on last year’s findings.

The survey, which features the views of 113 bosses, also reveals that 61 per cent are planning to take on apprentices over the next twelve months, with 84 per cent taking this decision to develop future engineering skills.

Top-level training delivers rewards for recruitment firm

A “turbo-charged” learning and development programme delivered a 677 per cent return on investment in its first year for a leading recruitment specialist.

Carmen Watson, chair of Pertemps Network Group, said the statistic demonstrated the value of investing in talent and warned that those who don’t will struggle to find and retain the right people.

Carmen was speaking at a Skills Share event organised by City & Guilds and attended by HRH The Princess Royal.

A member of the City & Guilds Foundation Committee, she said Pertemps, based in Meriden, had received a Princess Royal Training Award for its learning and development programme focused on further upskilling sales consultants.

She chaired a panel discussion on “the Instrumental role of training in achieving core organisational priorities” to discuss the importance of investment in training to create a productive and progressive workplace, focused on achieving

sales, productivity and growth.

Andy Long, people development director at Pertemps, said: “We took a hard look at our learning programmes on the back of Covid and have, effectively, turbocharged our development plans to help people upskill and be the best

they can be. The return on investment from our first cohort was phenomenal and the programme has been rolled out across the business.

“It is helping us attract and retain the right people at a time when the marketplace is difficult.”

Creating the leaders of the future

Midlands-based coaching firm The Leadership Coaches will continue its workforce development through their future talent coaching programme, designed to accelerate the development of managers and leaders.

Deploying their robustly recruited, highly skilled and experienced coaches, The Leadership Coaches are providing processes and technology that seamlessly integrate with their clients’ programme to provide ongoing progress reporting, final evaluation and return on investment analysis.

Their deep understanding of the wider impact of coaching means the programme is designed for impact on both the individual and the organisation.

Programme highlights include:

• Each coachee has a sponsor who brings the external view, organisation objectives, support, and resources.

• Coachees, sponsors, and coaches meet at critical points in the coaching programme.

• All objectives are aligned to leadership and management skills with high expectations of what can be achieved.

• Coaches have senior leadership experience that enables coach mentoring to take place.

• Coachees are given experiences to accelerate progress with the aim of unlocking potential, building belief, and empowering people early in their career.

Improving relations with police

A pioneering digital design workshop with students at BMet College has helped improve relationships between young people and the police.

Led by Digital Skills Consulting, the “Addressing Young People’s Perception of the Police” design workshop took place at BMet’s Matthew Boulton College site.

It is one of a series of events and the initiative provides an opportunity for young people to “discover their voice” and see in practice that they can influence

decisions that impact their community – and specifically their age group.

Fifty students from BMet participated, with around 20 officers from West Midlands Police. They were joined by 15 professional designers from leading design agency, Experience Haus, together with 25 mentors from local and national businesses and charities.

The young people worked with the experts to create digital solutions that will help promote improved understanding and

encourage better relationships between themselves and the police.

Oliver Stokes, creative and digital director at BMet, said: “It was great to see our students’ creative knowledge and skills come to the forefront again and for a rewarding purpose.”

Chief Superintendent Kim Madill, from the West Midlands Police, said: “Our aim is to build young people’s trust and confidence in the police, as well as listen to their opinions and concerns around everything from vaping to knife crime.”

Royal recognition: People development director Andy Long receives Pertemps Network Group’s Princess Royal Training Award from HRH The Princess Royal

We are renowned for our superb customer service and while working with you on your metal forming project, our expertise and experience leads you all the way through from the initial metal working process, to the successful delivery of your project.

The VR

An adventure you can’t beat

An interactive VR adventure that transports audiences back to the West Midlands in 1989 is heading on a national tour opening at Waterhall at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery from 19 July.

In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats is an award-winning VR adventure that takes people into the heart of the Acid House movement.

The VR experience, produced by East City Films and created by Darren Emerson, will visit eight cities across the UK with Birmingham opening the tour.

The tour is jointly supported by Arts Council England and BFI National Lottery Audience Projects Fund.

The experience will take audiences back in time to the beginning of the Acid House movement and the creation of UK rave culture telling a multicultural story of collaboration and unity that celebrates music, friendship, and the joy of youth.

Beats was produced with the support of the BFI, awarding National Lottery funding, and Coventry City of Culture Trust. Following its world premiere and sell-out run as part of the 2022 Coventry UK City of Culture, it travelled on the international festival circuit and was seen by audiences across the globe. Returning to the UK for its homecoming tour, ‘Beats launches at Waterhall at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery from 19 July until 1 September.

For tickets go to: www. birminghammuseums.org.uk

Plans taking shape for region’s investment zone

A detailed plan for the delivery of a West Midlands Investment Zone capable of attracting more than £5.5bn of private investment and over 30,000 new jobs has been given the green light.

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) board agreed a delivery plan that will combine a mix of tax incentives, direct funding and business rate retention for the zone. The plan is focussed on driving growth in advanced manufacturing, green industries, health-tech and underlying digital technologies.

The Investment Zone itself will cover the whole West Midlands but will be powered through three specific sites with bespoke funding and incentives for businesses who set up there.

The three sites are:

1. The Coventry-Warwick Gigapark at Coventry Airport. Anchored by a new battery gigafactory and associated businesses and technologies, the site will get tax incentives, business rates retention and £23m investment for land remediation, infrastructure and connection to power grids.

2. The Birmingham Knowledge Quarter will run from Birmingham City and Aston universities through Duddeston and Nechells to Aston. The quarter will

offer tax incentives, business rates retention and receive £9m investment for public realm works and active travel infrastructure to help attract investment.

3. The Wolverhampton Green Innovation Corridor will create new green industries and skills through a partnership between the city council and university with £7m investment for land remediation and key infrastructure.

Laura Shoaf, WMCA chief executive, said: “The Investment Zone is already attracting significant private sector investment and following the deployment of this delivery plan will have the potential to attract billions of pounds more as well as tens of thousands of new jobs.

“Those jobs are key because this investment zone needs to be as much about people as it is about business. That’s why our delivery plan includes a comprehensive skills programme so local people can get the jobs being created, especially those in the new technology-based and green industries.

“At the heart of our plan, which could not have been put together without the invaluable support of our local councils, universities and the private sector, is the need for this zone to bring inclusive economic growth to every corner of our region.”

Event showcases science tech

Award-winning venue and charity Millennium Point welcomed over 1,000 schoolchildren to try the tech of tomorrow at their free SciTECH Showcase event.

The students enjoyed live science shows, interactive workshops and guest talks from technology leaders.

A wide array of organisations joined the event, including Thinktank, Birmingham City University, Kelia, University of Birmingham, Footprints The Silicone Centre and The University of Warwick, to deliver a range of interactive activities and information on tech roles.

experience: Pursuit of Repetitive Beats in action

Picture: Phil McNulty

Robotic studies: Abbie Viahkas, CEO of Millennium Point with students from Salteley Academy

Taking flight: The proposed Gigapark at Coventry Airport

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Does cyber security keep you up at night?

Rich Smith (pictured), founder of RS22, the Lichfield-based cyber security firm, shares some of his insights and experience on why good cyber security practices mean more restful sleep for business leaders. Rich began his career in cyber security at a time when most people were beginning to figure out Facebook.

So Rich, tell us what good cyber security practices look like?

Most business leaders understand that business practices change to adapt to the challenges of the environment, regardless of which sector they are in. What we’re seeing, right across the board, is that new challenges are coming in faster than ever before because of the malicious use of AI.

Sadly, there is no magic bullet ready to solve all the cyber security challenges businesses face with a single shot, because the methods to build resilience are constantly changing. However, admitting this is the first step because it creates a dynamic mindset and helps businesses prepare for the unexpected.

Which types of business require cyber security?

Data has been compared to oil. It has a value that can extracted by hackers, either directly from a business in the form of ransom ware, or from the black markets upon which that data can be sold.

Therefore, any business that has data needs to make sure that it is secure. And as far as I

can tell, every business has data – even if it’s just client account details or staff addresses.

How do you recommend finding the right budget for cyber security projects?

Well, comparing cyber security to the security at your physical office conveys the point quite well. There is no point putting a million-pound lock on your office door if there isn’t a millionpounds worth of resources on the other side. Or if the door is knocked over at the first push. Or if your staff are leaving the proverbial windows open at night.

Some businesses pay for round the clock services because they know they are targets and a few hours downtime can result in losses of millions, whereas others feel confident that someone is ready during working hours to

iron out the creases. Ultimately, knowing that your business is as safe as possible means you can sleep at night, so maybe ask yourself how much a good night’s sleep is worth.

How does RS22 fit into a business?

We're an extension of your IT & Cyber Team. We have a specialised set of skills that people call upon that IT managers simply haven’t had the time to acquire because they are so busy with other things.

We look after the cyber security stuff so they can crack on with what’s important. We begin by having a look at where you’re vulnerable and addressing that. It’s simple really.

Does cyber security keep you up at night?

No. I trust my team.

Discover how RS22 can enhance your cyber security resilience.

T: 0121 389 9022 or visit rs22.co.uk for more information.

On show: A Pogus Caesar photograph of Benjamin

that will feature as part of The

Poet honoured in exhibition

An exhibition ‘Benjamin Zephaniah – The Brighter Flame’, celebrating the life of the Birmingham poet and activist, will take place between 5-31 July.

It will feature more than 20 specially-curated artworks displayed in cabinets in Victoria Square as part of the 100 Days of Creativity programme.

Flags designed in his memory will fly on Colmore Row while a Q&A with David O Springer, Zephaniah’s brother, plus poetry recitals will take place at The Exchange on Broad Street.

Zephaniah was recognised as a champion of the people and his death on 7 December, 2023, aged 65, drew tributes from across the world.

Born in Handsworth and influenced strongly by what he described as “street politics” and the music and poetry of Jamaica, Zephaniah was gifted an old typewriter as a child, which inspired him to become a writer.

Through his work, Zephaniah was inspired by music, his lived experiences in Birmingham and his Barbadian-Jamaican heritage.

Zephaniah also made numerous acting and media appearances, most recently as the preacher Jeremiah Jesus in BBC’s Peaky Blinders.

Pogus Caesar added: “Benjamin Zephaniah was a local and international legend, an ordinary man who achieved extraordinary things.

“This exhibition, open to everyone, aims to tell one chapter in the multi-layered story of this humble man. Through talent and sheer determination, Benjamin Zephaniah proved what was possible and claimed the title, ‘Son of Birmingham’.”

Thunderbirds are go at Symphony Hall concert

Music and Birmingham connections from one of the most iconic back catalogues of all time, including Thunderbirds, Space: 1999, Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, and Stingray, will be celebrated in a special concert at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall on Saturday, 13 July.

The timeless soundtracks from the TV shows of legendary producer Gerry Anderson, including music from the series created with his former wife and collaborator Sylvia, will be brought to life in a new 2024 celebration by a full symphony orchestra with guest singers.

Gerry Anderson’s TV series have had a major impact on the childhoods of many, thanks to the introduction of ground-breaking special effects, captivating characters, inspirational stories, and evocative music scores by renowned composers including Barry Gray, Richard Harvey, and Crispin Merrell, that are so infused to the genre.

Many of the most-recognisable puppets for Gerry Anderson’s series were created in Birmingham. John Blundall was one of Britain’s foremost puppet masters and designers, who created memorable work in both theatre and television.

Born in Birmingham, Blundall had made his first puppets by the age of 14, before going on to train in puppet-making and theatre in Russia and Japan. In 1966, Blundall joined the staff of Birmingham’s Midland Arts Centre, where he founded the Cannon Hill Puppet Theatre in 1968.

Among the puppets designed by Blundall was Aloysius Parker from Thunderbirds. Blundall was one of four puppet designers who worked with Gerry Anderson to create the characters for Thunderbirds, as well as characters for Supercar, Stingray and Fireball XL5.

‘Many of the most-recognisable puppets for Gerry Anderson’s series were created in Birmingham’

And the original sound effects for many of Gerry Anderson’s TV productions were created in Birmingham. Grosvenor Road Studios, formerly the renowned Hollick & Taylor Studios, has been quietly operating in Birmingham for nearly 70 years.

During that period, many firsts have been recorded there, including all the original sound effects for Thunderbirds, Stingray, Fireball XL5, Supercar and others.

The effects were often improvised by studio owners John and Jean Taylor, placing Jean in a small group of women at the forefront of electronic music and sound effects. One of the recording suites at Grosvenor Road Studios has been named the Thunderbird Suite.

Stand By For Action! 2: Tunes of Danger will take place at Symphony Hall, a B:Music venue on Saturday, 13 July, at 7.30pm.

Cultural partnership revealed

Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB) has entered a new partnership with the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery – uniting two of the city’s celebrated cultural organisations.

The partnership has formed to celebrate the re-opening of Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery’s Waterhall where Britain’s biggest touring ballet company were filling the space with dancers, musicians

until the beginning of this month.

The residency offered a “up close” insight into the life of an internationally renowned ballet company and included a programme of free activities and paid-for performances. Visitors could watch BRB’s dancers taking class and a special family-friendly open day featuring dance performances, demonstrations and a display of costumes, wigs & shoes.

Zephaniah

Brighter Flame

Insight: Birmingham Royal Ballet performing at the Art Gallery

The Business of Sport

In Brief

Birmingham city centre hotel

Park Regis is staging a summer of sport, showing both the Euros and Olympics in the 1565 Bar & Terrace for eight action-filled weeks.

It kicked off with the opening match of the Euros and when the final whistle has blown on 14 July, the Olympics will take centre stage.

With capacity for over 100 guests, 1565 Bar & Terrace offers a luxurious spot for outdoor dining in the city with ambient mood lighting and fresh foliage.

Park Regis is the flagship hotel from Switch Management Ltd, which also provides asset management and consultancy services for aparthotel Birmingham Snowhill, St Martin’s Place, Lyndon House and Nite Nite Hotel.

For more details on Park Regis and the 1565 Bar & Terrace, visit: www.parkregisbirmingham.co.uk

Warwickshire CCC have struck a multi-year commercial partnership with British cruise operator, Ambassador Cruise Line.

Ambassador – which offers no-fly cruises from eight UK ports – will receive brand exposure and fan engagement on domestic and international matchdays at Edgbaston.

Bears Members and fans will also be able to access exclusive offers and discounts.

In another deal, PIB Insurance Brokers have renewed their partnership with Warwickshire, continuing its role as the club’s official insurance broker partner. This collaboration reinforces the shared values and longstanding relationship between the two organisations, committed to excellence and community support.

As part of this renewed partnership, PIB Insurance Brokers will continue to provide comprehensive insurance solutions tailored to the unique needs of Warwickshire Cricket Club & Edgbaston.

Stadium apartments win Midlands property prize

A new development of homes perfect for cricket fans has been named Apartment Development of the Year at the Insider Midlands Residential Property Awards.

Edgbaston’s Corkfield complex, a 375-home development built close to the stadium on former derelict housing, fought off strong competition from high-end projects across the region to land the accolade at the awards event at Birmingham’s Eastside Conference Centre.

Corkfield opened to residents in November and is Phase 2 of Warwickshire CCC’s Masterplan to transform the stadium and its wider estate into a multi-use sports, residential, commercial, and community destination.

Accommodation ranges from studios to three-bed accommodation, with underground parking, 14,000 sq ft of retail space, and a spacious rooftop terrace overlooking the stadium.

Edgbaston chief operating officer Craig Flindall, said: “Corkfield is a stunning development and this award is testament to the development,

design and ethos of the complex.

“Phase 2 of our Masterplan also marked the opening of Xcelerate with Edgbaston which is a new catering and hospitality centre of excellence, operated with our catering partner Levy, which promises great career opportunities at the stadium. Phase 3 is our ambition to re-develop Edgbaston’s Raglan and Family Stand with an incorporated four-star hotel.”

Richard Scutt, real estate development director at PATRIZIA,

said: “We are thrilled Corkfield has been recognised for this prestigious industry award.

“At PATRIZIA we take huge pride in embedding ourselves within communities to make a positive and long-term impact in the towns and cities where we invest.

“Corkfield epitomises this philosophy in action and represents the exceptional collaboration between us, WCCC, Winvic, Native Residential, the MAC and the wider Edgbaston community.”

Legend to lead basketball team

British Basketball League (BBL) legend Charles Smith has been appointed as head coach of the City of Birmingham Rockets’ men’s team.

The team, who finished just outside the playoffs in National Basketball League (NBL) Division One in 2023/24, will be Smith’s first as head coach.

He has been an assistant coach at Team Newcastle University (also NBL Division One) since retiring from playing in 2016.

The 2024/25 season will be the team’s second in NBL Division One and is set to start in October. The club was founded in 2003 and is Birmingham’s largest basketball club playing predominantly out of Nechells Wellbeing Centre.

Rockets’ CEO Robert Palmer said: “We are delighted to welcome Charles to the club as we prepare to continue our ongoing progress on and off the court in 2024/25. The season ahead promises to be an exciting one in NBL Division One and we look forward to the team developing in what will be a highly competitive league.”

Smith said: “I want to thank Robert Palmer, Paul Douglas, Kirk Dawes and the rest of the organisation for putting their faith in me and giving me this incredible opportunity. It feels like a perfect fit. I look forward to getting started on this journey.”

Home with a boundary view: The Corkfield complex

Shared vision: Charles Smith

Chamber Insight

Focus on a member

Name: Gavin Burns

Company:

Staying Cool at Rotunda

Job Title: General Manager

What does your company do?

We’re a small independent aparthotel atop the Rotunda providing a home-from-home for our business guests and a great Brum experience for our leisure guests. We combine the best views in Birmingham with a personal hotel experience.

How did it all start?

The fab gang at Urbansplash invited us to Birmingham in 2008 as their hotel partner when they redeveloped the building with architect Glenn Howells.

What’s your greatest achievement so far?

Being the first five-star accommodation in Birmingham.

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

I left Salford in 2008 to come to Birmingham for our new venture here at Rotunda (I’m a proper home boy, I didn’t even leave for uni – I went to Salford). Best decision I’ve ever made. I love the city, I love Rotunda and even met the love of my life.

What keeps you awake at night?

Me… but I’m sure that is everyone working in hospitality is feeling the same!

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

Darker furniture and carpets from the beginning… red wine, beige carpet… never again.

What has surprised you most in your job?

The love that Birmingham

residents past and present hold for Rotunda. I’ve been here for 16 years now but I can't go anywhere without people telling me how much they love the building (I often wish we could bring back the Coca-Cola sign).

What advice would you give to someone starting out?

Never worry about the things you haven’t done in your career. Passion is the key. I had never worked in a hotel environment but as long as you are passionate, your clients will believe in you and know they will have a great stay.

Which business do you most admire?

I have two. Clean Kilo as my local choice and Who Gives a Crap as my global. They really do care and I love working with one and supporting the other.

What exciting projects is your business working on?

I can’t tell you that but I’ll be first to shout when it happens.

What made you join Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and how are you making use of your membership?

We had a great relationship with networks up north. We really appreciate the contacts, knowledge and networking that comes with GBCC membership. We couldn’t have made it through Covid without the Chamber.

Tel: 07917 773677

New Members

Your guide to new sign-ups

Whatever your business size and requirements, the Chamber has a membership scale to suit your needs. For more information visit: www.greaterbirminghamchambers.com/membership

Armac Martin

Steven West

0121 359 4821/0121 359 2111

www.armacmartin.co.uk

Transatlantic Chamber

Manufacture of kitchen furniture

Cash for Kids

Alison Jones 0121 566 5293

Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

Other service activities n.e.c.

Design Space 2 Ltd

Riyaz Nilar 0121 638 0555

www.designspace2.com

Asian Business Chamber of Commerce

Architectural activities

Elec Training Ltd

Jas Mannu 0330 822 5337

Elec.Training

Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

Other education n.e.c.

Element45

Mark Taylor 07841 974994

www.element45.co.uk

Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

Management consultancy activities other than financial management

Guarding Nationwide Ltd

Muhammad Absar

0333 577 8868

guardingnationwide.co.uk

Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Private security activities

HEXIS UK Ltd

Scott Wilkins 01543 411221

hexis.co.uk

Lichfield and Tamworth Chamber of Commerce Wholesale of other intermediate products

Ignite Your Inner Potential

Kul Mahay 0333 242 2954

www.igniteyourinnerpotential.com

Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Management consultancy activities other than financial management

In-Line Studio Scott-David Jones 07563 900969 in-line.studio

Burton and District Chamber of Commerce

Business and domestic software development

Lord Accounting & Finance Ltd

Emma Sherry 0121 445 7900

www.lord.co.uk

Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

Other activities of employment placement agencies

Milfort

Sam Miller 07940 829846 milfort.co.uk

Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Management consultancy activities other than financial management

Monex Logistics

Rachael Preece 01633 293777

monex-group.com

Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Freight transport by road

Outdoor Places Unusual Spaces Ltd

Caroline Davis 07980 995580

opusartsevents.co.uk

www.sse.com

Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Support activities to performing arts

Spectrum Telecommunications Limited

Jenny Holt 0844 856 3301

www.spectrum-coms.co.uk

Burton and District Chamber of Commerce Wireless telecommunications activities

SSE Energy Solutions

Demi Grady 0345 725 2526

www.sse.com

Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Activities of head offices

Sydney Mitchell

Roy Colaba 0121 746 3300

www.sydneymitchell.co.uk

Asian Business Chamber of Commerce Solicitors

TOCA Social Elinor Baldwin 0121 815 8945

www.toca.social/birmingham Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Licenced restaurants

Translift Bendi Ltd

Paul Berrow 01527 527411

www.bendi.co.uk

Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

Manufacture of lifting and handling equipment

Tribera

Shane Sidaway tribera.com

Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Public relations and communications activities

TRS TRAINING LTD

Pavlina Kiakides 01744 809010

www.trstrainingltd.com

Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Educational support services

...any other business

A roundup of news from Chamber members

Pub

days Museum offers away days deal

The Black Country Living Museum has announced their latest offer for businesses to experience a team away day package.

They include a 1950s team away day in a historic pub and a meeting in an Edwardian committee room.

The package includes use of the Elephant & Castle pub’s lounge with AV facilities, unlimited refreshments throughout the day, the museum’s famous fish and chips for lunch and an exclusive interactive session either in the Edwardian school or the underground mine.

Business development manager Kate Kirkpatrick said: “We’ve been proud to provide unique and historic backdrops for corporate special events and occasions for several years. Most recently we hosted a graduation ceremony for the first time.

“We’re always open to trying new things and tailoring our offer to suit each need. We’re excited to add our away days package to our offer.”

The museum also has several other historic spaces that are available for hire for other purposes, from a company celebration to an annual conference.

This includes the recently refurbished Museum Conference and Learning Centre and the replicated Elephant & Castle Pub.

As part of their latest capital development, the museum now has a purposebuilt welcome centre. The multi-functional space has won several awards including a RIBA West Midlands Award 2024.

Cheeky Maharaja, a mobile street-food vendor known for its sustainable and innovative take on classic British fish and chips, has been recognised by The Guardian as one of the top 20 fish and chip shops in the UK.

The accolade highlighted the exceptional culinary creations of Avesh, Sokhal, the founder of Cheeky Maharaja.

Avesh says that while growing up in the West Midlands his favourite meal was the quintessential British fish and chips. Drawing on his Indian heritage, he fused the dish with traditional Indian flavours, resulting in a menu that includes sustainable fish fried in a spiced batter, keema and paneer loaded chips and a samosa platter.

The Guardian’s feature provided a testament to Avesh's dedication to quality and sustainability, in an

industry often dominated by conventional practices.

Avesh says: “When I found out about being on this list by the Guardian, I was over the moon. My hard work and vision are coming to fruition and I would like to thank my amazing team and customers.”

Arcadian manager’s honour Street food vendor wins accolade for sustainability

The manager of one of Birmingham city centre’s bestknown hospitality centres has been announced as Southside Woman of the Year 2024.

Jo Kinsella, centre manager of The Arcadian, won the award for her leadership, dedicated commitment and hard work establishing the Southside Safe Space.

The Safe Space is a dedicated resource staffed by trained paramedics from Saint John’s Ambulance based in The Arcadian, which offers help and support to anyone needing it during a night out at the weekend.

Julia Robinson, manager of the Southside Business Improvement District (BID), explained how the Safe Space had helped more than 5,000 people since it was jointly launched by the BID and LCP Management Ltd in 2019.

Julia said: “The Safe Space is staffed by paramedics from St John Ambulance and offers help and support to people who need it from midnight until 5am every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

“This has been an incredible success thanks largely to the impressive leadership and unswerving support shown by Jo Kinsella throughout the last five years.

“Jo’s commitment to Safe Space means that the service is welcomed every weekend and that all the staff across The Arcadian, Southside District and Birmingham city centre know exactly where to guide anyone who is feeling unwell, upset or threatened.”

Jo received her trophy from Kin Bong Lam, chairman of the Birmingham Chinatown Business Association, which sponsored the award when it was launched for the first time in 2024 on International Woman’s Day.

Maharaja’s mobile van can be found at various events across the West Midlands and can be hired for special occasions. Avesh says he and his team are excited to continue sharing their culinary creations and are grateful for the support from their community.

Jo

managed the day-to-day

since 2017, the base for more than 20 restaurants, seven bars, two coffee shops, two hotels, a comedy club and 15 other outlets.

has

running of The Arcadian

stop: Available for away

Cheeky

Dedicated: Jo receives her award from Kin Bong Lam

Cheeky Maharaja at Coventry Cathedral ruins

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