inbusiness Milton Keynes June July 22

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inbusiness @ChamberMK

www.chambermk.co.uk

THE VOICE OF MILTON KEYNES BUSINESS

JUNE/JULY 2022

CREATING IMPRESSIVE WORKPLACES THE CORE PILLARS OF ACS OFFICE SOLUTIONS BUSINESS REPORT: BUSINESS AWARDS CROWNS TWO WINNERS SPOTLIGHT: LEGAL SERVICES THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF MILTON KEYNES CHAMBER

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INBUSINESS

CONTENTS inbusiness

JUNE/JULY 2022

16 BUSINESS REPORT

5

11

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Double crowning at Business Achievement Awards

6

Memorial planned for asbestos victims

7

Leasing firm welcomes new hire

8

Aviation firm celebrates milestone

10

Chamber Business Partners: Nick Freeman Photography and dbfb

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SMEs predict increase in turnover in 2022

12

Sign up to Boiler Upgrade Scheme

13

PR agency launches academy

14

New staff join IT firm

15

Visitor centre reopens

16

Success for business advice experts

GOING GLOBAL 17

Online Ukraine Hub is launched

TALKING BUSINESS 18

ACS Office Solutions sales director Michael Harley

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

18

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TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION Recycling firm launches battery division

22

LEGAL SERVICES Law firm completes charity challenge

TRAINING & EVENTS 24

The latest comprehensive list of Chamber training courses and events

MEMBER ZONE

20

22

26

Award for youth scheme

27

Full restoration for historic farmhouse

28

Member Profile: Paul Musselle, Giggabox

30

Next Generation, plus New Members

The August/September 2022 issue of inbusiness will include features on: Growing Your Business and Creative Industries The deadline for editorial submissions is: 16 June

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INBUSINESS

inbusiness THE VOICE OF MK BUSINESS

CONTACT DETAILS

VIEWPOINT

T: 01908 733082 MILTON KEYNES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Waterside House, 8 Waterside Way, Northampton NN4 7XD NEWS AND ARTICLES SHOULD BE SENT TO: inbusiness.MK@chambermk.co.uk Editorial process managed by Ballyhoo PR EDITOR: Laura Smith EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Katie Macdonald

PUBLISHED BY: Kemps Publishing Ltd Unit 8, The Courtyard, 707 Warwick Road, Solihull B91 3DA T: 0121 765 4144 W: www.kempspublishing.co.uk MANAGING EDITOR: Laura Blake DESIGNER: Stuart Burton ADVERTISING T: 0121 765 4144 E: jon.jones@kempspublishing.co.uk PRINTERS: Stephens & George Print Group FRONT COVER: Michael Harley, ACS Office Solutions See pages 16-17 COVER PHOTO: Jane Russell Photography ABOUT THIS MAGAZINE: inbusiness is a bi-monthly publication and digital magazine distributed to over 3,000 Chamber members and key businesses in Milton Keynes. The publication focuses on news and information about local companies and the initiatives and advice available to increase the prosperity of firms in the Milton Keynes area.

Milton Keynes Chamber welcomes newsworthy articles of business interest, giving preference to Chamber members. As editorial space is limited, inclusion cannot be guaranteed and the editor may amend or reject articles submitted.

FOLLOW MILTON KEYNES CHAMBER AT:

www.facebook.com/MiltonKeynesChamber @ChamberMK www.linkedin.com/company/milton-keynes-chamber-ofcommerce

A SEASON OF CHANGE AND EXCITING EVENTS Spring has arrived with a flourish and with it comes a real feeling of promise. It’s the same at the Chamber. We have so much happening to help and support our members and there’s so much more still to come!

Our popular MK Showcase will take place on Thursday 9 June at Kents Hill Park and will provide the perfect opportunity for local firms to showcase the wealth of opportunities, products and services available across the region. This was a sell-out when we did the last showcase back in November and is brilliant for both networking and putting your company in the spotlight. At the time of writing there were still a few stands left, so be quick if you want a spot. For more details see page 25.

Thank you to everyone who filled in our Quarterly Economic Survey for the first quarter of the year. I would really urge as many of you as possible to fill in the questionnaire for the second quarter of 2022, which is live now and can be completed up until 9 June.

At a local level, the QES is an important source for us at the Chamber to review performance, concerns and views of our businesses across the borough. At a national level, it is a leading indicator often picking up big changes in the economy long before other surveys or official statistics.

The BCC Global Annual Conference takes place on 30 June and offers an incredible chance for international traders to access tips, tricks and insights into exporting and importing trends and industry changes. For more details see page 17.

Finally, we are delighted to announce two new vice presidents on the Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes Chamber Group Board.

Reemesh Patel, managing consultant, SK Energy, and Scott Jones, CEO of 123 Internet Group have taken the positions and we look forward to having their contribution to our organisation.

Best wishes, Louise Wall Interim CEO, Milton Keynes Chamber

www.youtube.com/MiltonKeynesChamber You can also follow our International Trade Team on Twitter: @ChamberMKExport For further information on Milton Keynes Chamber, call: 01908 733082 or visit: www.chambermk.co.uk

inbusiness is produced on behalf of Milton Keynes Chamber by Kemps Publishing Ltd and is distributed without charge to all Chamber members and other leading businesses in the Milton Keynes area. The Chamber and the publisher are committed to achieving the highest quality standards. However, views expressed in the magazine are independent and while every care has been taken to ensure that the information it contains is accurate, neither Milton Keynes Chamber nor the publisher can accept any responsibility for any omission or inaccuracies that might arise.

PRIVACY NOTICE: Kemps Publishing Ltd process personal information for certain legitimate interest purposes, which includes the following: • To provide postal copies of this publication to Chamber members and Kemps’ customers; and • To offer marketing and promotional opportunities within this publication to Chamber members and prospects.

Whenever we process data for these purposes, we always ensure we treat your Personal Data rights in high regard. If you wish to, you can visit www.kempspublishing.co.uk to view our full Privacy Notice and to learn more about our legitimate interests and your rights in this regard.

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CHAMBER BUSINESS PARTNERS

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BUSINESS REPORT

BUSINESS REPORT

MILTON KEYNES CHAMBER keeps its members up to date with all the latest business news. Whether it’s through the pages of this magazine, our website or regular email updates, we will always endeavour to keep you in the picture and informed

DOUBLE CROWNING AT AWARDS Two impressive businesses were jointly crowned Business of the Year at the 2022 Milton Keynes Business Achievement Awards.

Naturally Tribal Skincare, a natural skincare brand with purpose and impact in its DNA and Emerging Markets Quality Trials (eMQT), a company that positions itself as the bridge between the pharmaceutical industry and Africa, helping transform healthcare research in Africa, made history at the 2022 Milton Keynes Business Achievement Awards.

For the very first ‘MILTON KEYNES time in the awards' history, the overall IS THE FASTEST Business of the CITY IN THE UK Year was jointly FOR ECONOMIC won by both Shalom Lloyd GROWTH’ businesses, linked by their mutual Shalom said: “Milton founder, Shalom Lloyd, Keynes is the fastest city who also took the award in the UK for economic growth for Entrepreneur of the Year. and the hub where innovation It was a well-deserved hat trick flourishes. for Shalom, who proudly launched “The theme for the 2022 Milton and grew both businesses in Milton Keynes Business Achievement Keynes, which she partly credits for Awards was ‘MK – Leading the UK’s their success.

(third from left) celebrates the awards with her team

Green Recovery – Survive, Revive & Thrive’ and I’m delighted that our companies, built on the shoulders of a fantastic team, have demonstrated their ability to adapt and have more than just a commercial profitability as a measure of success.”

“To win three awards in my hometown brought a wonderful feeling of belonging and I was honoured, proud, humbled, overwhelmed and full of gratitude.

I’m grateful to all who stock, purchase and believe in our Naturally Tribal Skincare products.”

REPORTING ON THE ETHNIC PAY GAP

Arv Kaushal

Milton Keynes College Group has become one of the first further education institutions in the country to release a report on the gaps in pay for people it employs from different ethnic groups. The report is being released to coincide with the legally-required data around gender pay disparity.

The headline figures show that staff from all black, Asian and mixed backgrounds earn £0.99 for every £1.00 earned by their white colleagues, and that women earn £0.91 in relation to £1.00 for men.

Equality, diversity and inclusion manager at the group, Arv Kaushal, says it’s easy to focus too much on the figures and too little on what the report represents.

He said: “Identifying a problem is one thing, but appreciating its scale and underlying causes is quite

something else. The ethnicity pay gap information gives us some very clear messages, most significant of which is the absence of minority representation at the highest level of management within the organisation. We are missing out on the experience and knowledge and differing approaches of people from non-white populations and that’s not just an issue in terms of equality and diversity, it also limits our ability to respond to the needs of our wider community.

“If we don’t have people in the top positions who understand the full variety of different lived experiences of the community we serve in Milton Keynes, we won’t be as agile and responsive as we should be in terms of meeting their particular educational needs. Put simply, a homogenous leadership

group is not the best equipped to deal with the needs and problems of a multiracial community.”

The report covers the 12 months up to the end of March last year, and illustrates that when it comes to career progression the issue which needs to be addressed is not how much people are being paid but one of representation.

The College Group are now looking at everything from recruitment and interview policies to the tackling of unconscious bias.

The report can be found on the MK College Group website at: mkcollege.ac.uk/wp-content /uploads/2022/04/MKCG-Payand-Data-Report-20-21-SummaryApproved.pdf#page5 JUNE/JULY 2022

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BUSINESS REPORT

LASTING MEMORIAL FOR ASBESTOS VICTIMS PLANTING TREES FOR THE FUTURE A firm which specialises in business training and coaching has found a special way to celebrate its 10th anniversary.

Beyond Theory has national and international clients but is most proud of the relationships it has with businesses across Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes.

Northampton-based owner Paul Beesley spends lots of time exercising in and around the town’s Abington Park and sees how much joy it gives to people. This has prompted Paul to mark Beyond Theory’s milestone anniversary by paying for a new avenue of trees to be planted in the park.

He said: “At Beyond Theory we dedicate our lives to helping businesses and their people to grow. This not only helps to improve company and individual wellbeing; it also benefits society and the planet.

“So, planting a new avenue of trees at Abington Park fits well with what we do and it’s nice to think it’ll be there for generations to come.”

Paul launched Beyond Theory in 2012 so he could use the skills he had developed as a People, Strategy and Insight senior manager at Nationwide to help businesses which don’t have their own in-house training team.

Paul added: “Over the years the relationship between employers and employees has changed. Traditionally, the role was similar to that of a parent and child but that’s not the case now and in addition to that customers’ expectations are increasing.

“This all means employers must look at the way they lead and manage people. If their teams aren’t engaged with their business it will have a negative impact on productivity and customer service levels.”

Visit: beyondtheory.co.uk

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Work has begun to create a lasting memorial to the hundreds of UK teachers who have died as a result of exposure to asbestos.

To mark Global Asbestos Awareness Week this year, Northampton-based asbestos consultancy Acorn Analytical Services launched the memorial project to highlight the issue of asbestos in our schools and the danger it poses to staff and children.

Surveys have revealed more than 80% of UK schools still contain asbestos and according to the National Education Union more than 200 teachers have died from the asbestos-related disease mesothelioma in the past 20 years.

Acorn director Neil Munro said: “People are always shocked to learn that teachers and children are being put at risk by asbestos in our schools every day.

“Tragically, it’s well documented that teachers and pupils have a heightened risk of contracting mesothelioma as a result of exposure to asbestos fibres in the school environment. In fact, the risk to teachers is three to five times that for other workplaces.

“Teachers are losing their lives from acts as simple as pinning up work on noticeboards because they’re unaware they contain asbestos. We want to pay tribute to these teachers by creating a lasting online memorial to them.

“We hope their stories will encourage people to be more proactive when it comes to tackling asbestos in schools with which they have links.”

Asbestos was widely used in school buildings between the 1940s and 1980s and regularly used in construction in the UK up until 1999 when it was banned. This is why the likelihood of asbestos being present in educational buildings built prior to 2000 remains high.

Families of former teachers are invited to submit a short biography and a photograph

of their loved one for the memorial.

To contribute to the project email south@acornasbestos.co.uk Visit: www.acorn-as.com

Neil Munro

EHSC WELCOMES NEW STARTER even internationally, it was time to After recently celebrating 30 years in business, European Health and hire more talent. We are delighted Safety Consultants Ltd (EHSC) to welcome Karina to the team.” continues to grow in numbers.

Karina said: “If one thing’s clear The health and safety after the global pandemic, it’s that consultancy has recently recruited health and safety is not something a new business and accounts that should ever be missing from coordinator, Karina Viscusi. any business plan. Allocating a Karina has previously worked for dedicated budget that’s nona national business advisors and negotiable in terms of cutting accountancy firm for over six years, corners and investing properly in developing and growing her professional career within the administration, brand, marketing and people fields.

Managing director Beckie Staincliffe said: “As a secondgeneration family business, EHSC’s built upon a genuine desire and commitment, to support business owners in navigating the complex world ‘WE ARE of health and DELIGHTED TO safety.

WELCOME “With a passion to continually KARINA TO provide an THE TEAM’ extensive range of services to companies both large and small, Beckie (left) and Karina and locally, nationally and

health and safety is a crucial component to the success of a business.

“The importance for employers to ensure their employees are operating within a safe working environment is nothing less than paramount - these measures could save somebody’s life. EHSC wants to make a difference, and that’s something I’d like to be a part of.”

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BUSINESS REPORT

STEVEN LONG IS AT THE WHEEL An award-winning car leasing firm has appointed a new contract hire and leasing specialist.

ICR Leasing, based in Milton Keynes, have welcomed Steven Long to the renowned team of vehicle specialists.

Steven, 57, facilitates funding of vehicles for business, dealers and brokers. He said: “I hope to meet lots of new contacts through networking with the Chamber and making new relationships in the local business community.

“I’ve had various roles throughout my 34 years within the automotive industry and I know I can bring invaluable knowledge and a bespoke experience to our customers.”

ICR Leasing’s senior business manager Will Chapman said: “Steven joins ICR at a time that we sit in a really good position and are ready to push on to the next step. His 34 years of experience in the motor industry is invaluable and product knowledge will benefit our customers no end.”

Fellow senior business manager Tom Ryan added: “Steven's approach to business aligns to ICR’s in that we look to build relationships with our customers and find solutions to their needs rather than perhaps a more typical sales approach in our industry.

‘STEVEN JOINS “Steve himself told us his aim ‘has always been to ICR AT A TIME deliver a tailored experience to customers, through THAT WE SIT IN A a consultative approach’. ICR seek to understand REALLY GOOD their customers business and personal needs, to enable the best solution and we are really excited POSITION’ to have Steven out meeting businesses and demonstrating this.”

Picture of Steven Long courtesy of DW Images

CAMPAIGN ADVERTISES GREEN CREDENTIALS A dynamic organisation which provides UK firms with telecoms, EV and energy solutions is launching an exciting new campaign to highlight the green credentials of its products and services. ylo’s new campaign - #gogreengoylo – is designed to raise awareness about its smart app-powered EV chargers, sustainable broadband and the new range of biodegradable products in its online store which are all delivered in recyclable packaging.

The campaign is backed by their first advert, called ‘Home’ which can be viewed at weareylo.com/green and will appear at local cinemas this summer.

Director Lee Wallis added: "This isn't just a marketing ploy - the whole of ylo is changing to better help our environment and to help local companies do the same. We’re going green internally too by upgrading our fleet to all electric vehicles by the end of 2022 and by only using biodegradable or recyclable products for our brochures, uniforms and stationery.” ylo is currently offering free consultations to Chamber members who want to find out how the organisation can help their business go green through connectivity.

Call: 01604 946888

The ylo campaign in action JUNE/JULY 2022

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BUSINESS REPORT SUPPORT FOR BEAUTY FIRMS Response Business Finance has launched Response Beauty Finance following an influx of enquiries from Milton Keynes-based beauty businesses, needing financial support, as the result of lockdowns and business closures during the Covid-era.

RBF continues to provide financial support to businesses in all industries, however since the market value continues to increase and beauty salons are now more than ever looking to invest in; costly machinery and equipment to fulfil their client needs, furniture that gives an ‘instagrammable’ salon and training courses that can enhance their skills and set them apart from the vast competition, it was only right to recommend the best financial options, through Response Beauty Finance, a dedicated beauty finance broker.

Managing partner Jonny Wilson said: “As Milton Keynes continues to be the home of many beauty salons, aesthetic clinics, training academies and start-up beauty businesses, Response Beauty Finance is fully committed in helping this industry grow.

“We understand that no size fits all with finance and we will structure a solution that fits your business. Whether you need to boost your cash flow, get help with payroll, grow your business, make investments or you just need a flexible cash injection, speak with your beauty finance partner today to see how we can help.”

Response Business Finance has partnered with Gemma Samuel, beauty salon owner from Tanning Salon MK, to collaborate financial education with salon experience to provide clients with knowledge and support on choosing the right financial solution for their beauty business.

Gemma said: “I opened my salon is 2018 and I was naïve about lenders. I quickly realised beauty trends are forever changing and cash is king. Since getting a business loan, I’ve invested in assets that were part of my commercial plan and used the income to not only repay my loan, but to grow my business by employing more staff.”

Email: gemma@rbfinance.co.uk

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POOLEYS FLIES HIGH AS IT REACHES MILESTONE Family owned aviation company Pooleys Flight Equipment is celebrating its 65th anniversary.

Pooleys - the leading manufacturer of flight equipment and publisher of aviation and flight training materials - was founded in the UK by Robert Pooley on leaving the Royal Air Force in 1957.

Seven decades later, they continue to manufacture the world’s largest range of pilot’s kneeboards, flight Robert Pooley (right) with Albert ‘SOME OF OUR Tiong, an Instructor at Singapore boards and flight TEAM HAVE BEEN Flying College who has been a computers from their WITH US FOR customer of Pooleys since the 1960s UK factory and now OVER 40 YEARS’ stock over 2,800 different products Council (GASCo) to a wider aviation To celebrate from many of the audience. their milestone world’s most recognisable Managing director Sebastian 65th anniversary, aviation brands.

Pooley said: “Much of what you see Pooleys will be In the last four years, they have in Pooleys today is due to the partnering with other aviation invested heavily in their internal passion and commitment of many associations, organisations and systems, processes and people from around the world, charities, as well as promoting infrastructure, completely within our aviation community. aviation to a younger audience and refurbishing their offices, factory offering bursaries to help young “But, above all, we are very lucky and warehouse in Cranfield. aspiring pilots to get into flying. to have the most incredible team.

After the UK left the EU, Pooleys Pooleys will be supporting Some of our team have been with us set up a new company, Pooleys charities Aerobility and Flying for over 40 years and staff turnover Flight Equipment EU Ltd based in Scholarships for Disabled People by is very low. I think our team are the Republic of Ireland, that donating equipment to support their proud of the company they work for continues to offer European amazing work and will continue to and that comes across when they distributors and flight training support grassroots aviation, such as deal with our customers. organisations frictionless trade. the British Women’s Gliding Team “If I was going to put it simply, Pooleys boast four pilot shops in and help to improve safety in our values are quality, teamwork, the UK, as well as a new pilot shop aviation by pushing out the message pride, trust and respect, passion at Wilson Airport, Nairobi, Kenya. from the General Aviation Safety and integrity.”

TAX MANAGER LAUNCHES PODCAST A tax manager at chartered accountants Hillier Hopkins has launched her own podcast – Tax Able with Tash.

Sponsored by her employer, Natasha Heron (pictured) has put together a series of 15 minute podcasts, taking a small bitesized topic in each one in order to demystify the tax world.

Karen Winrow, Marketing Manager at Hillier Hopkins, said: “We are delighted to be sponsoring the Tax Able with Tash podcast. As one of our team of friendly experts, Tash gives you a valuable yet manageable insight into how some of the key taxes work and empowers you to make better decisions and know when to seek advice.

“Her enthusiastic approach to tax transforms it from the traditional dry, dull and depressing topic best avoided by everyone who doesn’t wear a bowler hat, to a living part of your everyday life and how it affects you.”

In the podcast’s first season, Natasha breaks down important tax topics - such as tax legislation, understanding HMRC and self assessment tax returns into interesting and easy to understand episodes that entrepreneurs will find valuable.

Her second season, released in May, focusses on specific industries and includes interviews with business owners.

The podcasts are available on all the major platforms or at hillierhopkins.co.uk/tax-able-with-tash/ or on the Tax Able website taxablewithtash.co.uk

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BUSINESS REPORT

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CHAMBER BUSINESS PARTNERS

BUSINESS PARTNERS

Chamber Business Partners are an exclusive group of influential companies from within the Milton Keynes Chamber membership. There are three levels of membership – Silver, Gold and Platinum

PHOTOS ARE IN VOGUE One of the world’s most iconic fashion and lifestyle magazines has published a picture by a highly experienced Northamptonshire photographer.

Nick Freeman, of Nick Freeman Photography, is well known throughout the UK as a professional photographer who delivers eye-catching images for companies and individuals.

During his career, which has spanned more than three decades, Nick’s work has been featured in numerous national publications and most recently

one of his images appeared in British Vogue.

Nick said: “After 34 years of working as a photographer I’ve had many incredible firsts in my career and having a photo published in Vogue is definitely right up there among them.

“The photo is of a stunning pair of shoes which I took for a series of formal and informal shots for Northamptonshire boot and shoemaker Newman & Regent to mark their rebranding and the expansion of their range.

“I staged the shot while walking through their factory

looking for interesting locations and my client and British Vogue ‘NICK’S WORK loved it.”

Over the years, HAS BEEN Nick has built up an FEATURED IN impressive portfolio NUMEROUS and offers NATIONAL professional headshots, PUBLICATIONS’ commercial photography.

He also offers video clips and talking headshots which are regularly used by firms to help Call: 07971 434463 them create compelling online Visit: and social media content. nickfreemanphotography.co.uk

DBFB ARE TICKLED PINK TO SUPPORT CHARITY

dbfb team celebrate Pink Wednesday

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dbfb, a communications company specialising in flexible connectivity, IT and telephony solutions has launched a new internal fundraising initiative to support local charities.

The idea of Pink Wednesdays was started by Shannon Parris, a member of the Delight Team (the Customer Service arm of the business).

Shannon loves everything pink and wanted an initiative to get the whole business involved while having fun to raise money for charity.

Every Wednesday the dbfb team are encouraged to wear pink and a donation will be made to a different local charity each month. The teams at dbfb will choose a charity each, and these will be alternated each month and funds will be raised. dbfb as a business will contribute on top of the employees’ donations towards

the fundraiser (up to £250).

The team decided to donate their first Pink Wednesday collection to the Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal raising £235 by the team and dbfb donating £235 - totalling £470.

Simon Pickering, managing director at dbfb said: “For us as a business this was an easy decision.

Not only does it bring our team together, but it also raises money for charities that need the funding at the moment and it’s a great way to give back to our local community.”

To join in, simply launch the fundraiser in your company and tag #PinkWednesdays on your social channels to take part.

To find out more about dbfb email: discover@dbfb.co.uk, call 01604 673320, or visit www.dbfb.co.uk

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BUSINESS REPORT

SMES PREDICT INCREASE IN TURNOVER IN 2022 More than three quarters of SMEs major challenge for them during predicted their turnover is set to 2022, while 37% anticipated increase over the next 12 months, difficulties with employee retention. according to the latest survey from The pandemic has led many an award-winning HR consultancy. employees to re-evaluate their The second annual SME Survey, careers, demanding increased which HR Solutions launched last flexibility or choosing to take a year during the pandemic, showed completely different path in their that despite a second working lives. year of Covid-19 Similarly, employers related restrictions, themselves have had to diversify and consider many businesses ‘THIS YEAR new ways to reach diversified and their audience due to strengthened REPRESENTS A the Covid restrictions their offering, FRESH START enforced during 2021. standing them in FOR MANY 40% of participants good stead for stated that they will 2022.

BUSINESSES’ aim to diversify their The report, offerings and routes to which was produced market this year as 44% are in collaboration with concerned about securing new Nordens and Essential business in the current climate.

Safety, highlighted a number of key However, of the companies themes from respondents including surveyed, 27% believe a business potential recruitment challenges in restructure is likely to take place, light of the ‘great resignation’, 77% of showing that businesses are also SMEs predicted their turnover would looking internally at ways to increase increase over the next 12 months; profit and become more dynamic. and many expect to diversify their HR Solutions is also offering to secure new business. recommending that businesses look Half of the SMEs questioned at staff retention, company policies stated recruitment could be a

and company culture in order to improve recruitment, as well as considering a financial review of costs and reintroducing training and networking opportunities to help stay competitive.

To support SMEs in the midst of ‘the great resignation’ and potential economic challenges, HR Solutions will be hosting a series of webinars with experts in finance, marketing, HR and health and safety.

HR Solutions CEO Greg Guilford (pictured) said: “2022 looks set to be an interesting year, with clear themes in the survey indicating that this will be a year for change. These key themes - recruitment, profitability and securing new business – show SMEs need a strong team in place to secure new opportunities and increase the bottom line.

“This year represents a fresh start for many businesses, after a turbulent few years due to Brexit and the pandemic. With the right resources and support, SMEs can rebuild, develop and find success.”

To read the report in full visit www.hrsolutions-uk.com/smebusiness-survey

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BUSINESS REPORT

NEW SCHEME TO REPLACE FOSSIL FUEL BOILERS installation such as an air source Mechanical company M2 Mechanical Ltd have burst into the heat pump or £6,000 for a renewables sector this year ground source heat pump, and are welcoming the and is applicable for start of the new installations now.

‘FROM government upfront Head of the 1 APRIL 2022, grant to support the renewables team THERE WILL BE installation of low John McCarthy carbon said: “With the 0% VAT ON technologies to government RENEWABLE replace fossil fuel setting a target TECHNOLOGY boilers. date of 2045 for M2 Mechanical are zero emissions of INSTALLATIONS’ encouraging businesses all greenhouse to sign up for the new gases, not only have Boiler Upgrade Scheme they announced the Boiler (BUS) which entitles you to a Upgrade Scheme but have also £5,000 voucher off your renewable announced that from 1 April 2022,

John McCarthy

Richard Curtis

there will be 0% VAT on renewable technology installations, meaning that solar panels, heat pumps, and insulation will now become even more affordable and accessible for many homeowners.

“The professional team at M2 Mechanical have the expertise and experience to help you plan, design, install, and maintain low carbon technology solutions for your home.

‘We specialise in renewable heating solutions and supporting homeowners, landlords, architects and developers with their low carbon projects.”

Contact M2 Mechanical Ltd on 01280 460019 or enquiries@m2mechanical.co.uk, alternatively visit the website at www.m2mechanical.co.uk

REVOLUTIONISING CAR REPAIR

Car Doctor are investing in new technology

LEARN FRENCH FOR YOUR TRIP French language school Alliance Francais Milton Keynes are offering Holiday French classes this summer.

The sessions – perfect for those planning a summer trip to a French speaking country – run from 27th June to 29th July.

All Chamber of Commerce members can take advantage of a £10 discount on the course, as well as a free onehour class trial.

The course will be a mixture online classes and in person sessions in Stony Stratford.

All levels are welcome to join.

For more details and to book call 01908 562151 or email director@afmk.co.uk

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Investing in the latest technology, the team at The Car Doctor have taken delivery of its latest asset - a glue pull system.

Glue-pull repair (GPR) methods (cold repairs) are revolutionising vehicle body panel repairs because they eliminate drilling and welding. When a shop uses GPR, they return the vehicle close to original equipment manufacturer specifications and so the protection remains.

Terry, from The Car Doctor, said: “Today’s vehicles are more complicated than ever. Electronics are everywhere, from standard electric windows and doors to keyless entry to anti-theft and anti-collision systems.

This includes what used to be relatively simple items: body panels.

“Newer cars and trucks have sensors that cover the perimeter of the vehicle and are used for parking assistance, blind-spot monitoring, and lane-departure and pre-collision alerts. What used to be a simple piece of metal is now a sophisticated section of the vehicle that performs many functions.

“Having this state-of-the-art technology is absolutely the future for our repair centre. Confidently being able to repair electric vehicles and aluminium panels will be key to us being able to maintain the cars and vans our customers are leasing both now and in the future.”

Visit: www.cardoctoronline.co.uk

MOE JOINS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION MK Community Foundation have announced the appointment of a new business development manager, Moe Riaz.

Previously a national sales manager for National Car Parks, Moe has an extensive background in the business sector, working for prestigious brands such as Kellogs, Cadburys and Just Eat. In his new role, Moe will oversee the Community Foundation’s conference centre, Fairspace MK. Fairspace MK provides flexible working and meeting spaces in a contemporary setting in the heart of Milton Keynes, just a short walk from Centre:MK and MK Central Station.

CEO of MK Community Foundation Ian Revell said: “We are beyond excited to welcome Moe on board the team. His role is vital in responding to the business’ needs following a difficult couple of years

MK Community Foundation welcome new business development manager

and reshaping our conference centre, co-workspace and small business units to support the business centre as it recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic.”

The Community Foundation are on a mission to make the community a fairer place, by sending profits from Fairspace MK to local causes in need. Their

offices and business units enable them to give subsidised rent to local charities and community groups.

To find out more, visit www.fairspacemk.co.uk or contact Moe directly at moe.riaz@mkcommunity foundation.co.uk

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BUSINESS REPORT

BALLYHOO LAUNCHES PR ACADEMY PR agency Ballyhoo PR is launching an academy to teach local businesses how to do their own PR. The Ballyhoo PR Academy was due to launch in 2020 but was postponed due to the Covid pandemic.

The pilot intake will now begin this September and will run for six sessions, each focussing on a different element of public relations: how to get media ready, formulating a PR plan, writing a press release, pitching to the media, crisis management, and what to do with press coverage to promote your business.

Classes are designed for business owners or those working in marketing roles for a small or medium-sized business (SMEs) and have responsibility for generating press coverage for the company.

Numbers will be kept to a maximum of six people to allow everyone to get advice tailored to them and their business. This group of students will also get to know each other and develop relationships as the course progresses.

Fellow Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes Chamber member companies can join the pilot intake for £600 + VAT for the course – the equivalent of £100 a class. All classes will be taught at Ballyhoo PR’s picturesque Lamport office in Northamptonshire and the sessions include lunch.

Emma Speirs, director of Ballyhoo PR, will be running the Academy. She said: “The Ballyhoo PR Academy has been an idea in my head for a long time now and I am pleased to be able to finally see it come to fruition.

“One of the reasons I set up Ballyhoo PR was to help SMEs to share their stories and shout about their successes. Obviously, we can manage this for businesses through Ballyhoo PR, but a retainer contract arrangement isn’t always appropriate for everyone.

“I wanted to take a small group of people and work with them over a period of a few months and give them the tools and knowledge to be able to achieve results with PR for themselves.”

Emma Speirs

To register your interest, contact emma.speirs@ballyhoo-pr.co.uk.

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BUSINESS REPORT

NEW ‘SUPERHEROES’ JOIN IT FIRM IN RESTRUCTURE TIME FOR A HEALTH CHECK? Sunfish Online’s co-founder and procurement practice lead Gilbert Mackay (pictured) says there’s never been a better time to review your company’s suppliers to drive business benefits and uncover hidden supply chain risks.

Gilbert said: “As the author and businessman Stephen Cover said: ‘If there's one thing that's certain in business, it’s uncertainty’.

“With Covid-19 related issues, the war in Ukraine and other factors disrupting business and global supply chains, robust business and third-party relationship continuity management is key to maintaining success and avoiding pitfalls.”

The business change specialist, based in central Milton Keynes, suggests taking a forensic view of your supply base. This can uncover various actions that drive business benefits, including awareness of high-dependency relationships that need additional focus, over/under stocking materials against revised forecasted business volumes or inconsistent or uncompetitive commercial terms that may be affecting profitability to name a few.

Gilbert added: “Once a ‘deep dive’ has been undertaken, companies can typically prioritise actions into ‘quick wins’ that can be resolved with minimal effort from other actions.

“In the current business climate, performing a health check on your suppliers will definitely pay dividends in avoiding any customer disruption or business reputational damage. Equally, there is also a strong chance of capturing benefits that could release cash for investment or drive increased profitability.”

Visit: www.sunfish.online

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Kettering-based IT support “With an increasing number of company PCS continues to expand employees working from home, the services and welcomes change importance of ensuring that with a restructure in their team of systems and data are kept safe, superheroes. secure and retrievable is Two existing members of the paramount. PCS have been senior management team have focusing their key offerings around been appointed to the board of cyber security, disaster recovery directors. Shelley Thompson and business continuity to has taken on the role of support companies managing director throughout the difficult and Emma Emery global times.

‘TECHNOLOGY has taken on the “PCS understand PLAYS A KEY position of that IT forms a finance director. huge part of any ROLE IN HELPING This positive business and that’s ADDRESS THE change means where we step in.

SHORT TERM that Shelley and We encourage CHALLENGES’ Emma will take businesses to focus responsibility for the on the day to day running and direction running and subsequently of the company and help help with the management of manage the growing demand for all or some of their IT.” IT support and services.

To find out more about PCS and Shelley said: “Technology plays a what the company has to offer, get key role in helping address the in touch with the IT Superheroes. short term challenges created over No bull, no technospeak, gibberish, the last couple of years, and PCS gobbledygook, whatever you want continues to work hard at to call it. Just IT support in the providing customers with the most efficient way. innovative products and services needed to face these challenges Visit: www.pcs-systems.com or efficiently. call 01536 532 900

Shelley Thompson

Emma Emery

UNIVERSITY BUILDS PARTNERSHIP Cranfield University has partnered with stonework specialists Haddonstone to implement and embed innovative process improvements to the cast stone industry.

Haddonstone prides itself on the quality cast stone products it delivers to customers. Recognising that the cast stone industry has not made significant technological advancements in over 100 years, the company decided to undertake a

review with the Bedfordshire-based university. The partnership outcomes have been significant. Processes have been improved by approximately 20% in two major lines and Haddonstone are now looking into technological developments that would allow the company to diversify its product line.

In addition, the partnership has given Haddonstone a first in their industry where customers can view products using augmented reality.

Customers can now view products using augmented reality

The company have also gained an understanding of how to assess their carbon footprint with a view to making improvements.

Cranfield University successfully supported Haddonstone to develop a business case for a government funded Knowledge Transfer Partnership that contributed 67% of the project costs including a full-time associate dedicated to the project, associate training, travel costs and administrative support.

Haddonstone worked with Prof.

Mark Jolly and Prof. Konstantinos Salonitis who are based in Cranfield University’s Manufacturing Theme.

The academic skillsets, combined with the dedicated project associate, who has now joined the company as an employee, delivered significant outcomes for Haddonstone who have now embraced a culture of innovation at the heart of what they do.

To find out more about working with Cranfield University through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership contact Sandra Messenger, knowledge exchange manager, on sandra.messenger@cranfield.ac.uk

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BUSINESS REPORT

VISITOR CENTRE OPENS ITS DOORS Stanwick Lakes has appointed a new executive director, Kate Chadwick, who has reopened its visitor centre.

The nature reserve, heritage site and family adventure park in East Northamptonshire closed its visitor centre due to the pandemic back in 2020.

Kate has taken the opportunity to refurbish the centre and re-vitalise the Stanwick Lakes brand, all within the first 10 weeks of her appointment.

The transformed visitor centre now boasts a new, contemporary café, a gift shop, several function rooms and spaces that will house a

rolling programme of heritage and art exhibitions.

The first exhibition, which opened on 2 April, features photography by landscape photographer Amar Sood, who spent time during lockdown photographing his local park to stunning effect.

“We’re delighted with the outcome of such a fantastic team effort here at Stanwick Lakes,” says Billie Passchier, business development manager.

“The changes that have been made have not only re-launched the brand and the building but have also re-invigorated the team.

“We are looking forward to opening our new heritage exhibition area opening on the 26th June as part of the Nene Valley Festival of History, Archaeology and Heritage. This area will allow us to showcase some of the original artefacts found at Stanwick Lakes during the 1980s excavations including our Roman mosaic.

“A new three-year Heritage Lottery grant will also allow us to explore our Bronze and Iron Age history and with the help of community volunteers, repair and bring focus to our Bronze Age Barrow, build and sail a Bronze Age longboat and create a living history Iron Age settlement. The

history of this special site is rich and varied and can be dated back over 10,000 years. We want to celebrate this long history and share the site’s story with our visitors.”

Our sister Chamber will be holding a Business Before Hours and Netwalking event on Wednesday 20th July at 8.30am at Stanwick Lakes.

Arrive for a breakfast roll and hot drink and then take a walk around the beautiful Solstice Lake while you network. Cost £10 + VAT for Northamptonshire Chamber members and £15 + VAT for non-members.

To book call 01908 733082.

HAUS OF HR FOUNDER TAKES UP TRUSTEE ROLE AT FOODBANK The founder of a dynamic firm delivering HR consulting services has taken up a key voluntary role in her community.

Rachel Collar (pictured), of Towcester-based Haus of HR, has been appointed as a trustee by Towcester Foodbank which is working hard to combat hunger in the area.

The foodbank is run by volunteers and distributes food donated by members of the public and a variety of organisations.

Rachel said: “I moved from the corporate world to running my own business during the pandemic and this has given me the flexibility to be able to give something back to my local community. So, I’m keen to support the invaluable work that is done by the town’s foodbank.

“Sadly, with the rising costs of living that everyone is facing the need for foodbanks is likely to grow and they are set to be stretched even further.

“I hope that by sharing my experience and expertise with the volunteers and trustees at Towcester Foodbank I can make a difference to them.”

Anyone who needs to use the foodbank is asked to visit its base at St John Ambulance Hall in Islington Road or call 07724 832043.

Visit: towcester.foodbank.org.uk Visit: hausofhr.com

NEW ACCREDITATION FOR TONY Tony Byrne, the owner-founder of Wealth And Tax Management in Milton Keynes, has recently achieved Game Plan Practitioner status from the Academy of Life Planning after completing the eight-month accreditation process.

The Academy of Life Planning is an award-winning global network for wealth-creating individuals and planners. They are financial planners who don't sell wealth products. Their plans create and maintain wealth

and wellbeing. They are also known as wealth strategists.

If you want to create wealth and wellbeing over the next few years, then you need a vehicle, system, or solution. That's the GAME (Goals-Actions-MeansExecution) Plan.

Contact Wealth and Tax Management for more information www.wealthandtax.co.uk

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BUSINESS REPORT

TINDERBOX HAS THE SOLUTIONS Business advice experts Tinderbox have had a 100% record with their clients since they launched in the region just 12 months ago.

The company, which prides itself on helping businesses to grow profitably, achieves step change results, working closely with business owners or board directors to develop bespoke and targeted programmes for success.

Local regional director, Ian Taylor, said: “Since we launched here last year, we’ve worked with clients including telecom product providers, a shopfitter, a tiling supplier, a transport company, an event management company, a construction company and a campervan conversion company.

“Whether your business wants to devise or introduce a business plan that will dramatically improve your profit line, enter new markets, improve your processes, train and develop your management team or simply develop an exit strategy for you as a business owner, Tinderbox work with you and your leadership teams to create the best solution for your business.”

Ian, who regularly attends Chamber events, recently teamed up with fellow Chamber member Kevin Rogers for the charity single ‘Make You Feel My Love’ raising over £4000 for The Lewis Foundation. He also supported the ROkart karting challenge the Paulerspury Players Theatre Group and SEMLAP. Ian is offering to meet any business free of charge, in absolute confidence, to discuss their particular challenges and help them progress.

To connect with Ian call 07889 539814 or email him at ian.taylor@tinderboxbd.com Ian Taylor

Anjana Rajani

HOW WILL SMART CITIES TRANSFORM OUR LIVES? Data is at the heart of the smart cities of the future, according to the world's leading testing, inspection and certification company SGS United Kingdom Ltd. The organisation says building smart cities involves the integration of data from organisations across the private, public and non-profit sectors to improve almost everything we do.

This facilitates the sustainable and efficient management of assets, resources and services to better improve operations.

SGS are encouraging businesses to consider ISO/IEC 27001 - the international standard on managing information security. It sets out the requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining and continually improving an information security management system (ISMS), helping organisations to make their information assets more secure.

An SGS spokesperson said: “An effective ISMS brings together information security controls and formalizes processes, as well as for 16 inbusiness JUNE/JULY 2022

paperwork, connectivity, supply chain and many other associated elements including, critically, behaviours.

“The resulting processes and culture introduce several benefits.

These include reduction of error, accidental data leakage, and financial and reputational damage.

The ISMS implemented would also help comply with contractual obligations, regulations and laws such as GDPR. “Organisations responsible for designing and building smart cities face several challenges to ensure safety, security and data privacy.

This means that a unique amalgamation of cyber risks will need to be collectively addressed.”

To find out how SGS United Kingdom Ltd can help you with certification, audits and training for ISO/IEC 27001, visit www.sgs.co.uk/ISO27001 to download a free guidance booklet.

Contact SGS at +44 (0)1276 697 715 or uk.nowisthetime@sgs.com for further information.

PLATFORM TO HELP WOMEN IN BUSINESS The powerhouse behind a coaching, wellbeing and training company is championing a mentoring and networking association for women.

Anjana Rajani is well known as the founder and managing director of Power2Progress, but she also shares her skills with Milton Keynes Chamber’s innovative Women With Vision (WWV) platform which was launched last year to educate, inspire and promote women in business.

The talented entrepreneur is one of WWV’s official champions and gives up her time to help other members to overcome challenges which may be standing in the way of their progress.

She said: “Women face different challenges when it comes to business and I was thrilled when the Chamber launched its Women With Vision platform. I’m proud to support the organisation and to offer my support to its members and I can honestly say I’ve found the support I’ve received from WWV to be very beneficial too. It’s a privilege to be part of a group where women have created a support network for one another.”

Since joining the organisation, Anjana has run a session on How Women Rise which addressed what women want to achieve and how they can overcome issues which might prevent them from achieving their goals.

During the session she revealed the key habits which prevent women from rising and those that will help them to succeed. Anjana has also acted as a mentor for individual members.

Visit: www.power2progress.co.uk Visit: www.chambermk.co.uk/profile/women-with-vision

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GOING GLOBAL

GOING GLOBAL The Chamber’s INTERNATIONAL TRADE TEAM can help you navigate your way through all of the regulatory procedures and documents that you’ll need for successful international trading

GUIDANCE ON UKRAINE AVAILABLE British Chambers of Commerce have set up an online Ukraine Hub for Chamber members, providing up-to-date information and guidance for businesses about the situation in Ukraine.

The Hub is regularly updated as and when the organisation receives new guidance.

ChamberCustoms is also continuing to offer free export declarations for groups collecting and transporting humanitarian aid out of the UK. They are helping with the customs process, helping donators to understand what is needed at the UK border, create an export declaration (if needed), and provide guidance on the steps to follow.

Milton Keynes Chamber deputy CEO Julie Maclennan said: “Our thoughts remain with all those affected in Ukraine and we stand alongside our national counterparts in doing all we can to help get humanitarian aid to those who need it most.”

Businesses and traders with questions relating to trading with Ukraine, Russia and Belarus can submit their enquiries to the Department for International Trade's Export Support Service or call the helpline on 0300 303 8955.

To access the Ukraine Hub, visit www.british chambers.org.uk/page/ukraine-support

‘OUR THOUGHTS REMAIN WITH ALL THOSE AFFECTED IN UKRAINE’

Help is available for those trading in Ukraine, Russia and Belarus

TICKETS NOW ON SALE FOR THE BCC GLOBAL ANNUAL CONFERENCE Tickets are now on sale for The British Chambers of Commerce Global Annual Conference 2022.

The conference, which will be held at the QEII Centre in London on Thursday 30 June, is one of the main events in the business calendar and attracts senior cabinet ministers, policy makers and business leaders.

Featuring high-level keynotes, expert panel sessions, practical roundtable discussions and networking, it will be a highly interactive event, discussing the most important issues that drive the economy.

This year’s themes for the conference include Sustainable Trade, Skills and Social Values and Green Innovation.

Through thought-provoking discussions, talks and peer-topeer sessions, delegates will be able to explore and debate how we can individually and collectively rise to the challenges ahead, with particular focus on developing talent, boosting a green global economy and seizing new opportunities The conference will also explore the challenges and opportunities of climate transition for businesses of all shapes and sizes, to successfully meet the needs of a low-carbon economy.

For more information, visit https://www.britishchambers.or g.uk/events/annual-conference

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TALKING BUSINESS

THE SOLUTION TO WORKPLACE TRENDS ACS Office Solutions might have started small, but it’s come a long way. Sales director Michael Harley discusses the growth of the business and how it stays at the forefront of trends to offer the best solutions for workplaces large and small.

“We are very aware of how people are now ACS Office Solutions came from humble working post pandemic and so we’re creating a beginnings – their first premises was in a social working space for our vendors, suppliers, converted toilet. clients to use to catch up on emails and work But founders John Harley and Jon Thorpe are feeling flush now after the thriving from our offices. workplace solutions firm celebrated its best “We want to invite people into ACS. We are ever year of trading in 2021. proud of what we do and how we work, and The company has come a long way since its we want people to understand our DNA and inception in 1994 but its ingrained core values who ACS are.” mean that it still boasts both its first ever The move to hybrid working has been employee and first ever client on its books. accelerated following the Covid 19 crisis, which ACS started out as an information saw so many firms forced to diversify technology company in Birchfield their working styles in order to Road, Northampton, and its continue to trade. name was chosen so it would The pandemic is, no doubt, one appear first in the popular of the biggest challenges in ‘WE ARE PROUD telephone directory of the modern business.

OF WHAT WE DO nineties, the Yellow Pages.

Michael said: “Covid is the AND HOW WE It moved to its flagship obvious challenge we’ve all headquarters, ACS House, as faced recently. We were selling WORK’ the new millennium dawned lots of laptops at the beginning with 20 employees. Now the of the first lockdown but then company has almost 100 overnight our revenue halved. members of staff.

“But I feel we navigated it with Sales director Michael Harley – integrity and – most importantly - looked founder John’s son – said: “We’ve grown our after our people the best we could. We came business by focusing locally and then out strong, which has led to this year being our expanding out nationally. The business is best ever year of trading.” underpinned by four core pillars – technology, Lee – who joined ACS just five weeks before cyber security, communications and interiors – the first Covid lockdown – said: “It was so and while each pillar is designed to stand on its interesting to see the whole company totally own two feet, we believe in the collaborative mobilise. A load of people with technology approach so our departments all mix to create knowledge simply stripped the office and took an amazing client experience. it home. The business was functioning so well “There’s plenty of businesses who can make from day one of lockdown because of the your business look fantastic or equip you with skillset of our workforce. the latest technology but we can do both – fashioning an impressive workspace and also advising on the technology to allow the business to be flexible and to succeed.

“The client gets a better experience because they have the whole package and that’s where we really have the edge.”

ACS Office Solutions are at the forefront of workplace trends and are currently undergoing a huge transformation of their own offices to create a better environment – not just for staff but for clients, stakeholders and the wider business community.

Their purpose-built social working space will be available to use from September.

Lee Horsman, who spent 27 years in the interiors industry before joining ACS as their design and marketing director, said: “We are halfway through our office refurbishment. We run a hybrid working environment, but I believe Michael Harley with the office needs to be a tool in your armoury Paige Edwards and as an employer. You want your staff to prefer Sharon McDonald to be in the office than at home.

18 inbusiness JUNE/JULY 2022

“We’ve really come out of the pandemic swinging and we are still planning growth.”

With that growth has brought its own challenges. In just six months, the ACS team have fitted out 118 sites across the UK and, like many companies, is struggling to find the right staff.

Michael, who joined his father’s company aged 21 and has endless knowledge of the business, said: “Our average retention rate of staff is seven years, but a lot of my sales team have been here longer than I have. We are quite family orientated and our staff are our most important asset. We don’t always get it right, but it is a core value for us.”

ACS Office Solutions were named as one of the top 100 companies to work for in the UK for five consecutive years and are a Microsoft Gold Partner.

Their forward-thinking approach means they have a state-of-the-art CRM system and are currently working with the RAF on new virtual reality and augmented reality services, as well as encouraging all their clients and local businesses to be more aware of cyber security.

Lee said: “During the first month of lockdown in 2020, there was a 640% rise in phishing emails as hackers saw a new opportunity to get into more systems.

“With the hybrid way that people are working now, it’s so important to check your networks for security. We are focussed on that changing environment and security and are perfectly placed to help businesses through these challenges and enable them to succeed.”

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Michael Harley

FACTFILE: ACS OFFICE SOLUTIONS COMPANY BACKGROUND: ACS was started by John Harley and Jon Thorpe in 1994.

The pair met when Jon Thorpe went for a job interview at a typewriter company in Gold Street in Northampton where John Harley was a sales manager. Jon had no permanent Northampton address as he came from Bury, and was told to come back when he was living locally. He promptly went to the nearest lettings agent and rented a room from the lady working there – who he went on to marry! He got the job just moments later. When the typewriter company folded, John and Jon decided to go into business together and ACS was born.

COMPANY DESCRIPTION: “We are workplace. We are a blended business of four pillars – technology, cyber security, communications, and interiors. Our ultimate goal is to bring all these things together to improve the working environment and experience.”

JOINING THE CHAMBER: “We really do believe in the local business essence and that local business network. It’s imperative for us to meet other local businesses and share our story and we are proud to be a Chamber Business Partner.

“The Chamber have these vitally important services, it’s not just about networking.

We’ve used the International Trade desk so many times and lots of their other additional services.”

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT: TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

This issue’s spotlights are on the TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION and LEGAL SERVICES sectors in Milton Keynes.

CAWLEYS CHARGE AHEAD WITH BATTERY RECYCLING NEW VEHICLES ARE ON OFFER Jardine Motors Group have two brand new vehicles on its forecourt, the new BMW iX and i4.

The electric vehicles - one a four-door coupé, the other an SAV – are an exciting addition to the product offer.

A spokesperson said: “These vehicles are both pioneers and technological milestones in BMW’s journey towards an electrified future.

“Whether you need to source a BMW for an employee or develop a whole new electric fleet policy, the team at Jardine Motors have the expertise to help you find the perfect solution to suit your business needs.”

Contact Sam in the business team on 01908 255427 to discuss BMW Innovation – and mention the Chamber of Commerce to get your 24hour test drive.

Cawleys is delighted to announce the launch of its new business division - Lithium Battery Recycling Solutions.

The new business is a natural expansion of Cawleys’ hazardous waste department and will specialise in the collection, transportation, dismantling and recycling of lithium-ion batteries.

Lithium Battery Recycling Solutions is one of the very few lithium battery recycling services in the UK and has been developed to meet the growing demand ‘CAWLEYS for electrical power, HAS VAST both from electric EXPERIENCE IN vehicles and other THE RECYCLING areas such as machinery. Cawleys OF LITHIUM-ION has vast experience in BATTERIES’ the recycling of director, and Tony lithium-ion batteries and Goodman, who has been handling and becomes the new treating batteries of this type venture’s lithium business for almost 10 years. development consultant. Alongside This proven expertise in the field the expansion, the new business means that establishing Lithium division will also launch with a Battery Recycling Solutions as its brand-new state-of-the-art Lithium own brand is a natural evolution.

Battery Recycling Solutions website The business will be headed up by at lithiumbatteryrecycling.co.uk. lithium specialist Alan College who Alan said: “It is an honour to be at adopts the position of technical the forefront of this new business

Alan Colledge (centre) with Joe Chester and Gerry Robinson

that will lead the way in providing a sustainable and safe solution for the disposal of lithium-ion batteries. This launch involves working with many household names in vehicle and machinery production, as well as research and development. The automotive industry, along with many other with a reliance on electric power will be highly reliant on services such as ours in the very near future.”

KINGSFIELD IT HUGE CONTRACT WIN

Brian Boys

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Kingsfield IT have been awarded with a £2.2m contract as part of the TePAS framework. The IT specialist has been working in the public sector for over 20 years, and this is their highest value tender to date.

The opportunity, which is part of the RM6068 Technology Products & Associated Services agreement (NFC146 ITT) covers peripherals which will be distributed across 15 NHS Trusts around the country.

Bids and tenders manager Amelia Stevens, explained: “After our best year yet we’ve been able to keep the momentum going and are on course to deliver further significant growth this year. The whole team at Kingsfield are excited for what other future opportunities may come in light on this latest win on the TePAS framework.”

The win follows the appointment of new managing director, Brian Boys, who took charge of the organisation at the start of the year following a long career in supporting public sector organisations through the implementation of technology.

Brian said: “I am delighted that our team has been successful on the NFC146 ITT. We are dedicated to providing the public sector with the highest levels of service and best quality products.

“The sector has been under tremendous pressure over the last two years and technology has become even more crucial in mobilising the NHS and powering local governments to work at full capacity. Despite all these challenges, the company has been able to provide a ‘Best in Class’ level of service to our customers when it was needed most.”

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT: TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

SUPPORT FOR NEW IDEAS IN SMART CITY MK:U is offering a brand new Innovator Programme to help support entrepreneurs launch new ideas within the smart cities space.

The dynamic programme, which will run at the university’s new Innovation Hub, is free to attend and open to anyone looking to start their own business. Primarily delivered online and focusing on smart city technologies, this intensive course includes rapid idea development and problem-based learning while working on unique challenges presented by sponsors.

The programme gives entrepreneurs an accelerated route to market as well as access to a network of innovators. It will take participants through a rigorous ideation and validation process based on world-leading entrepreneurship teaching

methodology to build an idea designed for scale.

Kristian Mackie, MK:U Innovation Hub Manager, said: “Our Innovator Programme will help entrepreneurs boost their innovative mindset, generate and evaluate ideas, and develop them rapidly into marketable solutions.

“We will work with participants to develop new businesses and provide the support required to create and launch a scalable business idea and make it investor-ready.”

The new MK:U Innovation Hub – a collaborative space that brings together the local business community while helping to develop new technologies – is based at the Bouverie House premises in central Milton Keynes.

Visit: www.mku.ac.uk/InnovationHub

GIGGABOX LAUNCHES CLOUD PLATFORM Event production company Giggabox has launched a new form of sports event management, Cloudcast.

Cloudcast showcases events creation in a way that streamlines the entire process, allowing events to be delivered through what is known as the ‘cloud’.

Giggabox remotely monitors the cloud and sends the information to the event holder.

CEO Paul Musselle said: “Currently, live events in sport require huge amounts of onsite production. Large amounts of workers and technology are needed to tackle each event. With the world acclimatising to a post covid landscape, the need for change is crucial.

“Cloudcast gives you a huge opportunity to take full control of your sports content production. This allows you to think strategically about distribution to ensure the commercial return is maximised.”

“It is essential for sports rights holders start taking control of the commercial narrative around content and broadcasting. Obtaining data from users has never been more important in driving increased revenues and opportunities.

Cloudcast works on both a production level and a sustainable one too because the need for onsite workforce and technology is significantly reduced. As a result, the CO2 levels generated from constant vehicle usage is cut by at least 50%.

Paul added: “Cloudcast will be an integral feature of any business looking to futureproof their services and adapt seamlessly into the new world of sports events.”

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT: LEGAL SERVICES

CHALLENGE HELPS CHARITIES Franklins Solicitors LLP 40 Mile Challenge has raised more than £2,700 out and about on lunch breaks and use it as an opportunity to have for charity. walking meetings instead of sitting in an office.”

Nigel Birch, head of marketing for Willen Hospice said: The challenge was created to mark Franklins’ 40th anniversary and participants were invited to do 40 miles of “Congratulations to Franklins Solicitors LLP on their 40th physical exercise over 40 days and raise a minimum of Anniversary! It's a great initiative to have organised the 40 £40 each. mile challenge for their milestone year, and we're thrilled that they have used the opportunity to make a difference Altogether the participants raised £2,741.25 and the ‘THERE WAS A funds will be shared between Willen Hospice, Cynthia to their local community. We have been privileged to work REAL BUZZ with Franklins Solicitors over many years and are grateful Spencer Hospice and Macintyre.

AROUND THE As well as traditional methods such as walking, that they nominated us to benefit from their hugely CHALLENGE’ successful 40 mile challenge. To the participants who running and cycling, some of the more unusual ways people chose to achieve their challenges were through pledged and the people who supported them - a massive thank you.”

Zumba and skiing.

Franklins marketing manager Rosanna Stimson said: “There was a real buzz around the challenge. We received lots To find out more about Franklins Solicitors visit www.franklins-sols.co.uk of feedback from people who told us it had encouraged them to get

LAW TEAM TO TAKE ON THE THREE PEAKS A team of fundraisers at EMW Law will complete the Three Peaks Challenge in June to raise £7,500 for three charities.

The band of walkers and drivers include Leilani Price, Catherine Kiernan, Christopher Scerri, David Gudgeons, Hollie Tompkins, James Hottinger, Karen James, Kelly Loft, Lee Killner, Mark Rondel, Meer Gala-Shah, Priya Magar, Simon Arkell, Sirat Sheikh, Stefan Dingelstad, Tara Clarke, Tom Revitt, Toni Wright-Brown, James Geary, Jeremy Eden, Mark Davies, Mark Jacob and Matthew Holman.

The team will climb Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Mount Snowdon within 24 hours to complete the challenge for worthy causes Ride High, Crawley Open House and London Soup Kitchen.

Leilani Price said: “Being the highest peaks in England, Scotland and Wales it will be a big challenge to try and complete all three climbs within 24 hours but we know the EMW team will do their best to smash it!

“We are incredibly thankful for any donation, however large or small, and monies raised will be split equally between our three chosen charities who do amazing work.”

If you’d like to donate, head over to the Just Giving page: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/emw-law1?utm_term=7brZ62eeN

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The team from EMW Law

A training day in the Peak District

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INBUSINESS ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

THE REAL COST OF RECRUITING NURSES OVERSEAS DETAILED CALCULATIONS AND COMPARISON An overseas nurse in the UK

Article by Liza Moroz The Covid19 pandemic combined with the effect of Brexit heavily impacted the care sector, causing severe staff shortages. Traditionally the UK healthcare sector relies on foreign workers to fill about 15% of the positions, and the care industry may use the same path to find quality talent from abroad. Still, for many recruitment and home managers, overseas recruitment remains a complex operation related to too much uncertainty, especially regarding its cost. In this article, we will try to answer how much it costs to hire an overseas nurse.

FINDING THE RIGHT PEOPLE Finding the right people could be complex and cost your organisation a lot of effort and time.

Unless the organisation has dedicated personnel who deal with the task, you may seek external help from agencies who will connect with the right candidates. The fee often is equal to one month salary, starting at about £2K to £3.5K. Issuing the Visa will cost, £232 plus a TB health check for £55. To transport then to UK the place ticket will cost around £500-£700 depending on the country of origin.

GETTING LICENSED The primary and more complex step is getting the Certificate of Sponsorship that covers four years of sponsorship but could be extended.

Under this license, the employer may recruit for all their roles, and the chosen recruits are getting their visa to come and work under a multiyear contract. The cost of the Certificate of Sponsorship is £536 for small businesses and charities and £1,476 for medium and large organisations.

Additionally, the government charges Sponsors an Immigration skills fee for each overseas employee. The sum depends again on the size of the organisation and the length of the contract.

• small or charitable organisations pay £364 for the first year and £182 for every additional six months after • medium and large organisations pay £1000 for the first year and £500 for every additional six months after.

MANDATORY TRAINING Upon arrival overseas nurses have a strict timeline to cover the mandatory UK training and take exams: three months for OSCE and CBT, six months for OET. In total, candidates have eight months to obtain their PIN and become Registered nurses. When an employer pays for these courses, OET and OSCE may cost between

£1000 to £2000 each depending on length, personalisation, and quality of the coaching.

The actual exam also costs you as CBT is £130, OET £315 and £794 for OSCE. It is important to know that during the period of training, candidate nurses can work limited hours under supervision. The employer has an obligation to provide time for study and the opportunity to attend the exams.

OTHER RELATED COSTS NMC Application Fee of £140 is paid to Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) when a new nurse applies to the register. Upon receiving the PIN another £153 are paid to the same organisation.

Health Surcharge Fees of £200 per year are paid for access to free NHS healthcare.

Recruiting foreign personnel also increases the time load on people dealing with HR, compliance, and welfare as it will require monitoring, reporting and regular counselling. The whole process is time-consuming and requires specific knowledge. The sum of all related indirect costs will affect your bottom line with an additional £300 to £500 as working hours.

to selection, transportation, training and registration are covered entirely by the candidates during the initial period of their training in the UK. When introduces to the employers they are already Registered nurses ready to work.

In this case, the main expenditure will remain the licence and paying the compulsory government charge. The cooperation with QAQF will also reduce the indirect cost offering Legal, Compliance and Welfare support to the trainees before they settle successfully in the country.

QAQF partners with UK care and nursery homes in recruiting talent from all over the world directly from our training courses avoiding complications and reducing the related costs more than half.

DRAWING THE LINE After adding up all the related costs, the total sum may reach an impressive number over £10K. It could be 'money well spent' to guarantee long-term employment and access to a broader talent pool for some organisations. The cost will also spread if the organisation recruits and trains more nurses at the same time.

With Agent

With QAQF Difference

Approx.

Summary of costs 10.6K 3.9K

62%

Still, the cost is significant, and can be reduced with the QAQF Discover – Train Deploy scheme, by an astonishing 62% as the expenses related

Liza Moroz (pictured) is part of QAQF BD Department. She likes connecting with people, solving problems and finding new opportunities.

You can connect with Liza for more information about Discover – Ttrain Deploy via elisaveta.moroz@qaqf.co.uk

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TRAINING & EVENTS

TRAINING & EVENTS SALES & MARKETING UNDERSTANDING YOUR DIGITAL FOOTPRINT Date: Cost:

7 June (half-day) Member £150 + VAT Non-member £199 + VAT This workshop is designed to help the delegate understand the digital footprint they are creating and leaving in the public domain, how to protect the content you are sharing and using your digital footprint to your benefit.

HOW TO WIN BUSINESS USING SOCIAL MEDIA Date: Cost:

22 June (one-day) Member £249 + VAT Non-member £319 + VAT This course is suitable for marketing individuals/teams within a business.

The session enables those who use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and/or LinkedIn to gain skills and an understanding of the power of social media and utilise the skills learnt immediately.

EFFECTIVE TELESALES SKILLS Date: Cost:

5 July (one-day) Member £249 + VAT Non-member £319 + VAT An effective telesales call is not just about picking up the phone and ‘going for it’; to win business and achieve your call objectives it needs to capture your prospect’s attention, immediately build credibility and quickly develop a relationship. This workshop is designed to demonstrate the essential attitudes, skills and methods which are vital for effective telesales.

USING LINKEDIN FOR SALES Date: Cost:

21 July (half-day) Member £150 + VAT Non-member £199 + VAT By the end of this workshop delegates will: have a ‘sales-ready’ personal profile, understand what to post to attract their target audience, understand how to use their company page to build creditability and relationships, know how to use the intelligence within the platform for sales leads and development of strong business relationships and get results.

MANAGEMENT AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

stress more effectively within their organisation, be able to spot signs of stress and feel more confident when dealing with stress.

MANAGING YOUR WORKLOAD Date: Cost:

15 June (one-day) Member £249 + VAT Non-member £319 + VAT Anyone with a need to set priorities and make best use of the available time would benefit from attending this course. It offers you abilities and strategies to make a real impact upon your time management skills and motivate you to be able to organise your workload with appropriate time given to balance activities effectively.

EFFECTIVE APPRAISAL SKILLS Date: Cost:

23 June (half-day) Member £150 + VAT Non-member £199 + VAT This session explains why we do appraisals, what preparation is needed and puts a structure around the communication skills needed during appraisal meetings. The aims of this course are to provide business owners and leaders with the skills needed to approach appraisals with confidence.

COACHING FOR MANAGERS Date: Cost:

28 June (one-day) Member £249 + VAT Non-member £319 + VAT This course provides leaders/managers with an opportunity to develop their coaching skills by enabling them to develop people’s potential to grow within their roles and to take on new challenges which motivates people to continually increase their capability.

CONFIDENT CUSTOMER SERVICE Date: Cost:

29 June (one-day) Member £249 + VAT Non-member £319 + VAT In this competitive economy it is essential that you attract and keep clients. Customer service is a critical part of this process, and it is essential that you master the skills and confidence to keep the conversation flowing and obtain important information that leaves the customer with a great lasting impression of your company.

STRESS MANAGEMENT Date: Cost:

8 June (half-day) Member £150 + VAT Non-member £199 + VAT By the end of the workshop delegates will be able to prevent and manage

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MANAGING MENTAL HEALTH AT WORK Date: Cost:

6 July (one-day) Member £249 + VAT Non-member £319 + VAT

TRAINING COURSES Call the Training Team for more details on 01908 733082 or email training@chambermk.co.uk

Follow us on Twitter @ChamberMK

This course raises awareness of mental health and explores how to build resilience, share information and tools to support people in the workforce. It identifies what mental health means and how stigma can affect mental health.

SUCCESSFUL SUPERVISORY MANAGEMENT Date: Cost:

13 & 14 July (two-day) Member £498 + VAT Non-member £638 + VAT This two-day course is appropriate for any supervisors, team leaders and anyone who manages staff and is responsible for the work of others. The course will support you in developing your skills to enable you to manage and motive people effectively and productively.

LEADING HYBRID TEAMS Date: Cost:

20 July (one-day) Member £249 + VAT Non-member £319 + VAT The shift to hybrid working has had a substantial impact on managers. This course supports managers and supervisors to develop skills required to effectively manage diverse teams, adapt their management style to meet differing circumstances whilst understanding key elements of staff motivation.

BUSINESS TOOLKIT INTERMEDIATE EXCEL DATE: COST:

8 June (one-day) Member £249 + VAT Non-member £319 + VAT Anyone who is familiar with the basic features of Excel together with basic formulas will benefit from attending this course. This course places great emphasis upon the importance of understanding how to build the spreadsheet correctly with Dynamic Ranges. It is therefore important that participants are at the appropriate level to ensure a good learning experience.

EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE PROGRAMME FOR BETTER BUSINESS RESULTS DATE: COST:

9 June (one-day) Member £249 + VAT Non-member £319 + VAT During this workshop as a business owner/managing director/senior management, you’ll learn how to formulate a robust performance management process for your business.

You’ll be able to implement plans to develop existing employees to have the drive and skills needed to support your business goals.

EFFECTIVE INTERVIEWING SKILLS DATE: COST:

16 June (one-day) Member £249 + VAT Non-member £319 + VAT This Effective Interviewing Skills session will provide managers with the skills and approaches necessary to plan for and carry out an effective interview, ensuring you get the right person every time. This session covers everything from the purpose of an interview to dos and don’ts for interviewing.

ESSENTIAL FINANCE KNOWLEDGE FOR MANAGERS DATE: COST:

16 June (one-day) Member £249 + VAT Non-member £319 + VAT Every manager needs to understand how financial figures under-pin the activities of every business or organisation. By the end of this course, delegates will be able to improve their ability to make good financial decisions, have a better understanding of key financial ratios, different methods of pricing and key financial jargons and the importance of finance.

HEALTH & SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE DATE: COST:

21 June (one-day) Member £249 + VAT Non-member £319 + VAT This course provides solid and essential knowledge for any employee working in any area of the business, including how to identify potential hazards, how to report potential health and safety problems and how to work in safe and healthy manner.

FIRE WARDEN TRAINING DATE: COST:

30 June (half-day) Member £150 + VAT Non-member £199 + VAT This course is to train company employees to a high standard of fire safety and fire prevention to ensure they can conduct an effective, efficient and safe evacuation of their premises in the event of a fire.

FIRE SAFETY AWARENESS DATE: COST:

7 July (half-day) Member £150 + VAT Non-member £199 + VAT This workshop is designed to ensure employees have a good understanding and awareness of fire safety and potential fire hazards in the workplace.

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TRAINING & EVENTS The CHAMBER EVENTS TEAM has worked hard to adapt and deliver a new format of events, increasing the range and availability of our schedule.

ADVANCED EXCEL DATE: COST:

19 July (one-day) Member £249 + VAT Non-member £319 + VAT This course builds on prior Excel knowledge and progresses you further by using some of the more complex Excel functions, bringing your ability to a new level using new formulas and analysing data effectively.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE UNDERSTANDING EXPORT & EXPORT DOCUMENTATION DATE: COST:

15 June (one-day) Member £319 + VAT Non-member £389 + VAT This course is suitable for beginners who are new to the role or those who work in an export environment but may not have had previous training. The course takes a look at the end-to-end process providing an understanding of the export documentation requirements and shipping using freight forwarders and couriers.

EVENT IN FOCUS BUSINESS SHOWCASE

INCOTERMS

Milton Keynes Chamber of Commerce will host its popular summer Business Showcase on Thursday 9 June.

The event, which runs from 10am to 1pm at Kents Hill Park Training and Conference Centre, will provide the perfect opportunity for local firms to showcase the wealth of opportunities, products and services available across the region.

The event, sponsored by Chamber Business Platinum Partners 123 Internet and Chamber Business Gold Partners Right Digital Solutions, is open to both members and non-members and is free to attend for all visitors on the day.

The showcase will include 30 stands showcasing Milton Keynes finest businesses , Business Before Hours Networking Event and a topical seminar delivered by 123 Internet and Right Digital Solutions. Limited stands, including power, were still available at the time of writing, at a cost of £125 + VAT for members and £175 + VAT for non-members.

For those businesses and entrepreneurs looking to meet new contacts and forge new relationships with likeminded local companies, this is the perfect event.

DATE: COST:

Call 01908 733082 to book your stand or register your attendance today.

23 June (half-day) Member £199 + VAT Non-member £249 + VAT This half-day course is suitable for all those currently working in an export environment or are new to exporting. It will advise attendees on the most appropriate Incoterm® to use for their international transactions. This covers a full update on the changes between 2010 and 2020.

UNDERSTANDING COMMODITY CODES 6 July (half-day) Member £199 + VAT Non-member £249 + VAT Suitable for complete beginners or experienced operators who feel the need to refresh their knowledge. This course looks at understanding Commodity Codes, why they’re needed, and who is responsible.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS WOMEN WITH VISION NETWORKING

WOMEN WITH VISION SUMMER EVENT

Venue: Date: Time: Cost:

Venue: Date: Time: Cost:

DATE: COST:

Northampton Active Wednesday 8 June 2022 10am-11.30am £10 + VAT WWV Members only

BUSINESS BEFORE HOURS Venue: Date: Time: Cost:

Kents Hill Park Thursday 9 June 2022 8.30am-10am £10 + VAT Members £15 + VAT Non members

Northampton Active Wednesday 13 July 2022 11.30am-1.30pm £15 + VAT WWV members £20 + VAT non members

To book, please visit www.chambermk.co.uk/events or call 01908 733082.

NEXT GENERATION – SUMMER BBQ Can’t find what you’re looking for? Don’t panic! We offer a wider range of bespoke courses that can be tailored to meet your exact business needs.

Contact us at training@ chambermk.co.uk or call us on 01908 733082 to see how we can help.

Venue: Date: Time: Cost:

Northampton Active Thursday 16 June 2022 6pm-8.30pm £15 + VAT Members £20 + VAT Non members

SPEED NETWORKING Venue: Date: Time: Cost:

Kingfisher Hotel, Golf & Country Club Wednesday 6 July 2022 11am-1pm £15 + VAT Members only

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MEMBER ZONE

MEMBERZONE Latest news from MILTON KEYNES CHAMBER MEMBERS including award wins, relocations, appointments, new contracts, member profiles, mergers, company expansion plans, sponsorship deals and business success stories

AWARD FOR YOUTH SCHEME YMCA’s Hospital Navigator Scheme has been recognised for the important work it is doing to help young people aged 13-35 affected by serious violence in Milton Keynes.

The charity took first prize at the National Crimebeat Awards and the scheme was also awarded the High Sheriffs’ Association Special Award, which is chosen from all adult-led and youth-led projects.

George Anson, the high sheriff of Buckinghamshire, supported all stages of YMCA MK’s application and wrote a letter of recommendation for the Hospital Navigator Scheme.

Through the Hospital Navigator scheme, a group of volunteers

support young people who present in A&E at Milton Keynes Hospital as a result of serious violence. Led by a hospital navigator, the volunteers work with young people to provide signposting to ‘IT’S INCREDIBLY mentoring and REWARDING TO support within the SEE THE IMPACT Left to right: High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire community, including George Anson, volunteer Amelia Wilson, services provided by THIS SCHEME hospital navigator Tayler Tookey, volunteer YMCA MK. HAS HAD’ Alex Qerreti, and volunteer Shannon Coyle Hospital navigator Tayler Tookey said: We know that when had on the young lives of those we “Our brilliant team of people are in hospital, have supported.” volunteers have worked there is a reachable moment The Hospital Navigator Scheme really hard over the past year to when intervention can be launched in June 2021 and funded provide vital support to young successful. It’s incredibly rewarding by the Thames Valley Violence people experiencing gang activity, to see the impact this scheme has Reduction Unit. serious violence or domestic abuse.

YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS FOCUS ON WELLBEING

Stefanie Price Wealth Planning tree planting ceremony

STEFANIE PRICE PLANT TREES FOR THE JUBILEE The team at Stefanie Price Wealth Planning have held a tree planting at a unique planting site in Marston Vale, which is part of The Queen’s Green Canopy.

The national tree planting initiative marks Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee.

PA Kristina Richardson said: “It was a great day enjoyed by all. It is important to consider sustainability and community in everything we do, and we will continue to plant trees in partnership with the Forest of Marston Vale each and every year on behalf of our loyal clients.”

The Stefanie Price Wealth Planning team have also been busy planning an event in partnership with Nicola Hageman Accountancy (NHA), offering support and guidance for small business owners who are yet to retire.

This event was designed specifically for NHA clients offering support from the financial planning side of owning, developing, growing and extracting profit tax efficiently from their businesses. They also raised over £100 for local charity Olney Is Kind at the last quarterly coffee morning, which included informal networking for local businesses and the wider community.

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Denbigh School students who are competing in this year’s Young Enterprise National Business Challenge have chosen to focus on the wellbeing of young people in light of the challenges they have faced during the pandemic.

The Team of Sixth Form students, who are called Meta-Noya, which is Greek for ‘the journey of changing one’s mind, heart or way of life’, have created peace of mind packs which aim to stimulate the senses and relieve stress.

Every year, national charity Young Enterprise tests the entrepreneurial skills of students across the country by challenging them to create a product and sell it to the public. Meta-Noya has been selling its peace of mind packs containing incense sticks, herbal tea, candles, oils and sweet treats at school events and through social media.

Andrea Frame, head of school, said: “We are very proud of our Young Enterprise Programme. Meta-Noya has taken every opportunity both in and out of school to spread the word about its peace of mind packs and they are proving popular.”

The Meta-Noya team

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SAVING LIVES AND THE PLANET The Air Ambulance Service (TAAS) are actively partnering with businesses to provide a sustainable and cost-effective way to support a lifesaving charity while also offering a solution to both their environmental and social responsibilities.

The charity, based in Northamptonshire, are aware that Information Technology (IT) is ingrained into even the simplest of organisations.

Many businesses and institutions find themselves regularly updating their equipment and are aware and concerned about the environmental impact, as well as GDPR restrictions surrounding the disposal of tech correctly.

The TAAS IT Asset Reuse department provides a free collection and data secure

solution to this, giving organisations peace of mind.

Similarly, organisations with a car park and other outdoor spaces can also consider supporting the Children’s Air Ambulance by hosting a clothing bank. The reuse of clothing not only helps divert tonnes of textiles from landfill, but also provides an incredible source of funding to support the charity’s transfer of critically ill babies and children.

People can also support the Children’s Air Ambulance through Charity of the Year partnerships, challenge events, and fundraising. For more information, contact TAAS on 0300 304 5999 or email: Contact@theairambulanceservic e.org.uk theairambulanceservice.org.uk

Bradwell Abbey’s farmhouse

FULL RESTORATION FOR HISTORIC HOUSE The conservation works at Bradwell Abbey’s farmhouse have recently reached completion after an extensive programme, funded by Historic England, Milton Keynes Council, and Milton Keynes City Discovery Centre (MKCDC). The renovations have ensured the historic building will be safeguarded for generations to come.

The farmhouse, managed by MKCDC, revealed an array of historically significant findings, including a carved stone head believed to represent Eleanor of Aquitaine.

The next chapter in the building’s story will see the interior transformed into a visitor centre, including an education hub, café, shop, lecture theatre, and exhibition space. With an upcoming programme of events, including monthly site tours and Farmhouse launch celebration for Heritage Open Day on the 11 September, visitors will be able to experience Bradwell Abbey’s hidden layers of history in person.

MKCDC are also delighted to announce Good Times Café will be bringing their delicious range of melt-in-the-mouth grilled cheese sandwiches, home bakes, and a wide selection of teas and coffees to the Abbey on selected Sundays, the perfect accompaniment to strolls in the grounds!

For all the latest event details and how to book, follow @MKCityDiscovery on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

JUNE/JULY 2022

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MEMBER ZONE

MEMBER PROFILE

MEMBER BENEFITS For full details of all the benefits available to chamber members, visit: www.chambermk.co.uk

CHAMBER FX Exclusive foreign exchange member package offering free health check, low transfer fees and free account opening. Key benefits include bank-beating exchange rates.

CHAMBER PROTECTION NAME: Paul Musselle COMPANY: Giggabox JOB TITLE: CEO

This includes four services: Chamber HR, Chamber Health & Safety, Chamber Legal and Chamber Tax. They include an advice line covering HR, employment law, legal, health & safety, tax and VAT, legal and health & safety documents and legal expenses insurance cover.

WHAT DOES YOUR ORGANISATION DO? We’re a global event production business. We design, produce, and deliver very cool and engaging events that are either in-person, virtual or hybrid.

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

HOW DID IT ALL START? We were already producing live streams, live events and TV and video content. So, we leveraged that knowledge along with some great innovation from our fantastic team when Covid-19 hit.

WHAT’S YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR? Adapting after Covid-19. All our live event business disappeared within 48 hours of lockdown. Within five months we’d recovered that loss and were ahead of plan. We’d doubled our sales and staff levels!

WHAT KEEPS YOU AWAKE AT NIGHT? Thinking about the next stage of growth and development for the business. Figuring out how we’re going to get there.

WHAT HAS SURPRISED YOU MOST IN YOUR JOB? People are great! Give them the tools and a direction and let them crack on… they (mostly) don’t let you down!

WHAT’S THE BIGGEST RISK YOU’VE EVER TAKEN – AND DID IT WORK OUT? Pivoting to virtual/hybrid events in the belief we could make it work.

We’ve now done over 200 since June 2020. The latest was for a global pharma company for 3,000 people on four continents! We even remoted in all the presenters and keynote speakers from all over the world. Did it work out? So far!

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE STARTING OUT? Don’t quit. If your idea is sound and you work at it, you’ll get there. Be a little more patient than you think you need to be.

WHICH BUSINESS PERSON DO YOU MOST ADMIRE? Hope this doesn’t sound too clichéd because it’s true. Anyone who has the courage, tenacity, and self-belief to start, grow and manage a business. If you’ve done it, you know what it takes!

WHAT EXCITING PROJECTS IS YOUR ORGANISATION WORKING ON? We’re just launching a revolutionary solution that will remove the need for outside broadcast trucks from sporting events. Reducing costs for rights holders by as much as 40% and providing a huge reduction in the carbon footprint.

WHAT MADE YOUR ORGANISATION JOIN MILTON KEYNES CHAMBER AND HOW ARE YOU MAKING USE OF YOUR MEMBERSHIP? The opportunity to be part of a meaningful business network that was credible. Some of our best business relationships can be tracked back to our membership of the MK and Northants Chambers.

Call: 01280 735050 Email: hello@giggabox.co.uk Visit: www.giggabox.co.uk

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PRIMARY HEALTH PLAN Chamber Primary Health Plan delivered by Westfield Health, can give members cover from just £6.13 per employee, per month.

Employees will have access to 14 different healthcare benefits including money back towards their everyday healthcare expenses, such as optical, dental and therapy treatments, chiropody and consultations. Employees can also access several services, including a 24-hour advice line, access to MRI, CT and PET scanning facilities, personal accident cover, telephone access to a qualified GP and concessionary deals at UK health and fitness clubs. www.westfieldhealth.com

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MEMBER ZONE

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MEMBER ZONE BACKGROUND – TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOU! I grew up in Northamptonshire, but after finishing my A Levels, I moved to Southampton University to study Philosophy and History which I absolutely loved, but found that academia wasn’t necessarily the career route for me. One year after graduation, I ended up working as a PR and content executive supporting young people who were choosing their next career options. I found that supporting people in finding and growing their own passions had become my own. I joined Starting Off in 2019 when I discovered they had the perfect role for me that combined my enjoyment of digital marketing with my passion for supporting and guiding people.

NEXT GENERATION PROFILE

NAME: Sarah Chisnall COMPANY: Starting Off

JOB TITLE: Digital marketing trainer

WHAT DOES YOUR JOB INVOLVE? I am responsible for Starting Off’s online marketing. I also run workshops, mark work, schedule social media posts and more. It’s a busy job, but I love the variety. I feel that being able to stretch my own creativity and maintain a live experience of being a digital marketer while mentoring and training my learners allows me to provide a better-quality training experience.

WHY DID YOU JOIN NEXT GENERATION CHAMBER? Joining the Next Generation Chamber has enabled me to engage more with people and businesses from my own area. I enjoy the workshops and believe it’s important to always be learning. I often find inspiration for my own workshops that I run for my digital marketing course too.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE NEXT GENERATION CHAMBER EVENT AND WHY? My favourite event so far was the bouldering social. It was wonderful to meet people in

person and having a go at the climbing walls. I felt like a kid again!

WHICH NEXT GENERATION CHAMBER MEMBER DO YOU ADMIRE? WHY? I admire everyone for different reasons, but if I were to pick one, I would choose Sasha. She only joined recently, but has been warm, welcoming, and enthusiastic from the start and lovely to get to know.

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU’VE LEARNED FROM NEXT GENERATION CHAMBER? Being brave and just going for it! I don’t often feel confident attending events, especially if I’m on my own, but everyone at the Chamber has been so welcoming, I always end feeling glad that I did it.

LinkedIn: Sarah Chisnall | LinkedIn

NEW MEMBERS Ace Machines MILTON KEYNES 01296 720066 www.ace-machines-ltd.business.site Farm and garden machinery sales, service, and repair

Lista UK Ltd MILTON KEYNES 01908 222333 www.lista.com Sales of products manufactured by parent company Lista AG

Dread Group Limited MILTON KEYNES 01908 221666 www.dread-group.co.uk Corporate and promotional clothing, either imported complete or decorated at MK premises

M2 Mechanical BUCKINGHAM 01280 460019 www.m2mechanical.co.uk

emva Ltd DEANSHANGER 07814 759580 www.emva.co.uk Consultancy and executive PA specialists in business transformation, strategy review and development, project management, tender management and business analysis 30 inbusiness JUNE/JULY 2022

Facilities management and maintenance specialists Maplebrook Wills Milton Keynes Ltd NEWPORT PAGNELL 01908 478 988 www.maplebrookmiltonkeynes wills.uk Will writing, lasting powers of attorneys, legacy planning,

inheritance tax planning, professional land bid planning and probate assistance Moorhouse Payroll MILTON KEYNES 07505 932083 Payroll services VBMS Online Training GAWCOTT 01280 735007 www.vbms.co.uk All things online training, specialising in the production of bespoke courses, flexible hosting (LMS) solutions and the knowhow to make it work Volarti Business Services Ltd MILTON KEYNES 01908 893610 www.volarti.co.uk Supply bookkeeping and accounts services to small and medium businesses, providing a full finance function as well as tax services

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