SBT issue 457

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SUSSEX BUSINESS TIMES

A BUSINESS IN EASTBOURNE IS FIRING UP IMAGINATIONS AND INSPIRING INTERIORS AROUND THE GLOBE

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S E RVI NG TH E SUSSE X BUS I N ES S COM MUN ITY S I NCE 197 5

All business is symbiotic in nature.

You can be inspiring your peers one day, learning from them the next.

In the end, people buy people.

That makes sharing our stories the most compelling way to connect with one another.

What’s needed is a platform to embrace and empower our regional business ecosystem.

Where varied backgrounds and perspectives provide new context.

Harnessing potential, enabling growth.

And at the heart of it, a dedicated term of curators unlocking insights for the good of us all.

So we’re changing the way people think of connecting.

Because we believe in self-reflection, rather than self-promotion.

By demystifying the art of storytelling, we deliver authentic thought leadership through events, publishing and broadcast media.

We come together to discover, share and grow.

But we won’t be limited by geography, or our imagination.

Instead, we’ll seek out local leaders, visionaries and experts, wherever great businesses thrive.

Growing communities, in partnership with the businesses that power them.

And nurturing the enterpreneurial spirit in everyone.

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JOIN OUR COMMUNITY

SBTWelcome

W E LCO M E

Welcome to another issue of SBT

Depressing headlines are all too commonplace at the moment. A continuing war in Europe, spiralling inflation and the prospect of recession are juicy topics for those who routinely peddle pessimism.

Good news doesn’t quite prick the conscience - or sell newspapers - in the same way, but it should.

Behind all the negative stories currently engulfing business, you will find many causes for optimism - not least banks’ willingness to continue investing in great ideas and good business models.

In this issue of the Sussex Business Times, you will discover more things to celebrate and look forward to than gloomy forecasts or warnings.

As the Head of Commercial Finance at Seico Mortgages, Andy Page, points out: “We have been here before and have come through it.” Many of the current challenges - although not all have been encountered and successfully overcome in the past.

Valuable lessons have been learned.

When it comes to reasons for optimism, we are not talking about fantasy ‘sunlit uplands’ but the reality of what is already happening in Sussex right now.

We meet a start-up that is a multi-award-winner after just two years, the project inviting Sussex innovators to create new products and numerous examples of sustained success.

In addition, we introduce you to the changemakers who are channelling equality into both business and sport with great success.

Optimism is actually anywhere you look for it - and hold that thought because inspiring local entrepreneurs are always coming up with new ideas and fresh ways to move business forward.

They also inspire, making optimism a mood that can ‘catch on’.

Whether you are feeling optimistic or not, this issue of SBT certainly aims to steer you in that direction.

Sam Thomas, Managing Director

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Issue 457

SBT POWERED BY:

ISSUE 457

FREE

SUSSEX BUSINESS TIMES

A BUSINESS IN EASTBOURNE IS FIRING UP IMAGINATIONS AND INSPIRING INTERIORS AROUND THE GLOBE

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SERVI NG T H E SUSSEX B USI N ESS C OM MUN ITY SI NC E 1975

Cover 457

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Monthly News

10

County Business Clubs’ Stories

14

Legal

18

Finance

20 Joint Managing Director/Publisher Sam Thomas sam@thebusinessgroup.co.uk 07894 762304 Joint Managing Director Lee Mansfield lee@lifemediagroup.co.uk Production & Design Kim Butler kim@lifemediagroup.co.uk Accounts Clare Fermor clare@lifemediagroup.co.uk Published by The Business Group Sussex Ltd. Licenced to TBG by Pixel Publications Ltd Unit 1a Swan Barn Business Centre, Swan Barn Road, Hailsham, BN27 2BY Printed by Gemini Print Group 1A Dolphin Way Shoreham-by-Sea West Sussex BN43 6NZ 01273 464884 www.gemini-print.co.uk

All material in this publication is strictly copyright and all rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. The views expressed in Sussex Business Times Magazine do not necessarily represent the view of The Business Group Sussex Ltd. Every care is taken in compiling the contents but the publishers of Sussex Business Times Magazine assume no responsibility for any damage, loss or injury arising from the participation in any offers, competitions or advertisement contained within Sussex Business Times Magazine. All prices featured in Sussex Business Times Magazine are correct at the time of going to press.

Copyright The Business Group Sussex Ltd. 2020 ©

4 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

We meet a family-run company with a new contract to clean one of Sussex’s top shopping centres and discover how a firm of accountants went viral on TikTok.

Meet the women working together to push for further equality in both sport and business.

The usefulness of the Lasting Power of Attorney and how to avoid workplace discrimination claims.

There’s room for optimism despite gloomy headlines says the Head of Commercial Finance at Seico Mortgages.

New Business

From a business idea to multi-award-winners in just two years - the Business & IP Centre Sussex talks to Watch This Sp_ce. Meanwhile, the BRITE project launches a search for the next Product Foundry cohort.

24

Good Business

28

Cover Story

32

Tech

34

Charity

38

Networking & Events

50

Motoring News

54

Meet SuperLooper CIC, a circular economy-inspired enterprise renting out pre-loved baby clothes and delivering them by bike.

The Eastbourne business supplying wallpaper and co-ordinated accessories to the world. We talk to Melanie Adams, Global Head of wallpaperdirect.com which is part of the Brewers group.

The race to Net Zero and why SMEs must play a part. A reflection on Silicon Brighton’s first sustainability-themed Business Leaders’ event.

How people living with HIV are receiving specialist care and support by The Sussex Beacon.

We also catch up with Rob Starr who is pressing on with a huge challenge to raise £100,000.

August doesn’t have to be a quiet month for networking explains Bradley Hatchett and Mike Monk talks about his decades in sales.

Rivervale reveals what the average Brit spends a year on driving and writes about the temporary Plug-In Car Grant Scheme.

Chamber News

Ana Christie, CEO of Sussex Chamber of Commerce, reflects on the inaugural Sussex Chamber Business Expo and Brighton Chamber talks to Claire-Jones Hughes about celebrating neurodiversity.

58

Sport

64

Ask the Expert

66

Wine of the Month

The pride of England as the Lionesses roar in Brighton and the ‘bad boys’ of tennis.

John Richards ponders the context of Søren Kirkegaard’s famous quote ‘Of All Deceivers Fear Most Thyself’.

Wine expert Michael Yeoman reveals two wines from the same producer are his picks.

www.simplybusinessfinance.com

Simply Business Finance Limited is a Sussex based independent commercial finance brokerage, helping businesses save time, money and manage that all important cash-flow. Allowing them to get on with the most important job of running their business.

With so many different types of business finance being advertised, it can seem like a complicated process. We take the time to get to know our customers and remove the need for them to enter lengthy (and sometimes pointless conversations) with their incumbent lender, all so that we can deliver the correct type of finance that will enable their business to grow.

With access to over 250 different lenders we can provide multiple funding types including (but not limited to);

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We pride ourselves in being able to source the most suitable finance facilities to match the individual needs of a business. Some recent success stories of how we have helped with one of our top funders ACCREDO, can be found here:

If you are considering any type of business finance, we’d love to hear from you, so for a free and no obligation chat please contact us on 01273 961 755.www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

5

MONTH LY N E WS SP ON S OR

Sussex company wins cleaning contract for The Beacon in Eastbourne Uniclean becomes the first SME to be chosen by the shopping centre for its threeyear cleaning contract A family-run Sussex

Monthly News in Eastbourne.

company has won a three-year contract

to undertake cleaning duties at The Beacon

The centre’s 20-strong team of cleaners,

who keep the centre in tip-top condition, have transferred across to Uniclean.

There are no redundancies.

This is the first time that centre owner

Legal & General has chosen a local firm for this vital work. The cleaning team all

live in the Eastbourne area and are wellknown to regular shoppers.

Brighton-based Uniclean beat stiff

competition from 10 other companies who tendered for the work. The

new contract, which started in July,

represents significant growth for the company and Legal & General will become its largest client. Former

cleaning provider Churchill Services has also agreed a new technology

partnership with Uniclean to use its

facilities management platform Mo:dus to help grow and scale the business.

All employees working at the centre

are on permanent contracts and paid

the real Living Wage, with employment

benefits including access to counselling

and mental health support, sick pay and death in service.

Legal & General recently published The Marmot Review for Industry

with Sir Michael Marmot. The report sets out how businesses can drive improvements in health equity.

6 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

The Review demonstrates the clear links

between the built environment and health, wellbeing, and happiness. It provides a

roadmap for the role of industry in levelling up across the country and sets out ways

that businesses can improve people’s lives

that the right employment conditions are awarded to the team with new procedures in place to emphasise

our commitment to a cleaner, safer environment for our customers.”

by reducing health inequality. One of these

Mark Tyson, Head of Property

through pay and benefits, hours and job

Assets business, added: “We want

is to promote the health of employees security and conditions of work.

The Beacon’s Director James Roberts said: “We are delighted to award the three-year cleaning contract for The Beacon to Uniclean. There was stiff competition from national and local

companies, but Uniclean’s submission was really impressive.

“It is great that we have been able to

award the contract to a Sussex-based business so that we can help their

growth and invest back into the local economy at the same time. We have

collaborated with Uniclean to ensure

Operations for Legal & General’s Real to deliver positive and more inclusive outcomes for the communities we

operate in. This contract provides an

opportunity for us to help scale a regional business whilst introducing enhanced

benefits and employment conditions for front-line workers who are critical to the operation of our investments.”

Uniclean has been supporting Sussex

businesses since the 1960s. Managing director James Ingram said: “This contract is a game changer for our

company. We are thrilled to be working with the team at The Beacon and can’t wait to get started.”

MO N TH LY N EWS SP O N SO R

Local accountancy firm goes viral on TikTok - 1.5m views!

Jonny Matthews, digital marketing executive at Carpenter Box, a local accountancy firm with offices across Sussex, recently created a TikTok video to promote the business’s recruitment campaign to younger people. And it’s gone viral!

In just a week, the

Monthly News

nine second clip,

featuring the firm’s communications director Kira

McKinney mouthing words from a

scene in Disney Pixar’s Finding Dory

and encouraging eight Carpenter Box

employees to dance, has received over 1.5m views.

It has also received nearly 150,000 likes on the popular social media platform, almost 2,000 comments and 1,000

shares, turning Kira and her team into a TikTok sensation!

Finding Dory, the sequel to Finding

Nemo, is about a blue tang fish (Dory) who gets separated from her parents as a child. As she grows up, Dory

tries to search for them but, due to

her short-term memory loss, gradually forgets them.

Carpenter Box’s TikTok dance is based

on a Roblox video, which went viral and started the trend. Roblox is an online platform that allows users to create games and play games created by

amongst young people on our TikTok

Those interested in applying should

games so far.

managed by our digital team, and

carpenterbox.com for more information.

Jonny said: “We’re recruiting for trainees

follow it up with some more sensible

You can find Capenter Box’s

others. There are approximately 50m

channel, which is an ongoing project

promised our managing partner we will

call 01903 234094 or visit www.

and wanted to show the fun side to our

posts about accountancy.”

viral TikTok here: https://www.

hoped the video wouldn’t ‘flop’, but

Carpenter Box recruits trainees into

video/7119883169213582597

firm to attract potential applicants. We never expected it to take off like this!

departments such as tax and business

“We’ve successfully managed to

relevant qualifications and supports their

raise the visibility of Carpenter Box

tiktok.com/@carpenterbox/

services, pays for them to study the long-term career goals.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 7

MONTH LY N E WS SP ON S OR

East Sussex Attracts International Coffee Guru for new venture

A man who has spent his entire career in the world of coffee has picked Lewes for his next venture.

Andrew Knight, 72,

Monthly News

has spent 40-plus years importing,

roasting, blending and distributing

coffee to high-end aficionados around the world.

From visiting the coffee plantations

and producers of South America to

importing the finest green beans and

roasting to order, he knows everything there is to know about our favourite hot brew. As part of that business,

Andrew was responsible for supplying

coffee to Harrods and many other highend outlets throughout the UK. He is

considered one of the leading industry experts on coffee and coffee trends.

Andrew said: “I love everything to do

8 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

with coffee and when Costa Coffee

Lewes, in particular, stood out for

opportunity presented itself.”

offerings so I’m thrilled to be part of

pulled out of Lewes train station an

He opened The Espresso Room in

its independent and bijou culinary this community now.”

the station after being alerted to the

Andrew opened Fuoco Pizza early this

Lewes is a town that’s very supportive

arch opposite the Depot in central

appreciating really good coffee,”

stone walls, large couches and the

vacant unit by the council. “I feel

year. It is tucked away under a bridge-

of independent shops, while also

Lewes. With twinkly lights, rustic

he said.

smell of wood fired Italian fare, Pizza

At the same time, Andrew spotted a

haunt for those who’ve spotted it.

station and inspiration hit. “It was the

become an Instagram sensation.

It was so unique, it was too good an

Thursday to Sunday.

Fuoco quickly become a favourite

stone archway under the bridge by the

Unsurprisingly, Pizza Fuoco has also

ideal spot for a wood-fired pizza oven.

Fuoco is the Italian for fire. It is open

opportunity to pass on.

“When I was based in London, I visited East Sussex frequently -

Find it on Instagram:

@pizzafuocolewes or visit: www.pizzafuoco.co.uk

MO N TH LY N EWS SP O N SO R

AAB announces acquisition of Sussex customs duty firm Charlton House AAB, a tech-enabled business critical services group, has re-branded the consultancy which will be a key part of its growing indirect tax team.

Charlton House,

Monthly News

based in Horsham, West Sussex, has been acquired by AAB. It provides

customs duty advice and compliance

services to a wide range of businesses on all aspects of the customs’ supply chain and has a particular emphasis

on customs compliance services. The

company has a broad mix of customs

professionals whose backgrounds range from HMRC to industry and accounting.

Charlton House’s founders, Jon Hicks

and Seanna Whitmore, will remain with the firm to support ambitious plans to grow the Charlton House business as part of the AAB Group. The business will be re-branded as AAB with

immediate effect, forming a key part

of AAB’s expanding indirect tax team

focused on providing clients with VAT and customs duty services.

With international trade becoming more

complex, particularly for UK businesses following the UK’s withdrawal from the

EU on 01 January 2021, Charlton House is considered a good strategic fit with the expansion of the AAB Group.

Following investment from August

Equity in October 2021, AAB Group

has grown rapidly and now employs

more than 550 people across 10 office locations. The acquisition of Charlton House, for an undisclosed amount, will expand the specialist services

provided by AAB while strengthening the support available to businesses trading internationally.

The AAB Group

recently merged with FPM, a leading all-

Ireland independent accountancy and

business advisory

firm, which created a significant new hub

for the group across

the island of Ireland.

The acquisition of

Charlton House gives it the opportunity

(L to R) Alistair Duncan, Jon Hicks and Neil Dinnes of AAB

to provide customs

duty services across

the AAB Group offices in the UK and Ireland as well as internationally.

Alistair Duncan, Head of AAB’s Indirect

Tax Practice, commented: “The last two years have demonstrated the growing need for customs duty advice. The

addition of the Charlton House team will strengthen our existing team, bringing

fresh skills and expert knowledge which will enhance our capabilities in the indirect tax space.”

Neil Dinnes, Partner and Head of

Corporate & International Tax at AAB, said: “We have achieved significant growth in our VAT compliance and

advisory business in recent years and

this acquisition strengthens our overall Indirect Tax proposition by adding

the ability to provide more specialist

Customs Duty compliance and advisory services to our clients.

“We are delighted to welcome Charlton House to the AAB Group, and we

look forward to working together to

strengthen our existing service offering to existing and new clients across the UK, Ireland and internationally.”

Jon Hicks, Director Customs Advisory at Charlton House, commented: “We have for some time had ambitious plans to grow the business into the rapidly expanding customs

compliance market. From the outset,

AAB demonstrated that they share our vision and, following the acquisition, we are now well placed to recruit in

line with the demand for our specialist skills and services. AAB also gives

us the geographical reach to expand

across the European Union and further afield. We are all very excited to be

joining such an energetic and forwardthinking organisation.”

Maintaining good customs compliance records allows businesses to avoid

punitive penalties and minimise goods held up at the frontier. For more

information on customs compliance and customs advice visit https://aab.uk/ business/tax/customs-duty/

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 9

CBC STO RI E S S PO N S OR

The Game Changers Striving For Equality Karen Dobres, Director of Lewes FC, and Jo Child, Founder of CoWomen, explain what it means to impact diversification and how it benefits everyone.

Football has finally

CBC Stories

come home - thanks to the Lionesses’ 2-1 victory over

Germany in the UEFA

Women’s Euro 2022. We meet two

local businesswomen who are working together to push for further equality in both sport and business.

How did you get to the positions you are in now?

Karen: The first thing to say about Lewes FC is that it is 100 per cent

community owned. That means that we have a board of directors elected from the ownership. So, once you become

an owner, which is very easy - it’s just

fifty pounds a year, three clicks away on

our website - you can stand for election.

10 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

I started to volunteer for the club in

2017 when it introduced the concept of

gender equality to football by paying the women’s team the same as the men.

I was interested in this and started

to volunteer and to tell people, really communicate, about what sexism is

doing in football - especially to women who may not necessarily like football

because of the gender divide around the sport. I got so into it, wanting to really

encourage women to come through the turnstiles to the women’s matches in solidarity with the cause.

I started to get sponsors on board, but

thought I might as well stand for election to become a director because I was

already doing so much for the club and it gives me a bit more of a platform and

authority. I became a director in 2019. In

October, when we have our annual general meeting, I have to decide whether to restand or step down for a bit.

Jo: There’s been quite a few drip fed

issues of equality throughout my journey, I guess. When my marriage broke down in 2008, I went back to university, did a degree in event management, decided that I wanted to work in the events

industry and gleefully applied for jobs in

London thinking I was just going to walk into this amazing events job and that it

would be the start of my new career. At least three different places turned me

down and were quite clear that it was because I was a single mum. I don’t think it would happen now.

Over ten years ago, one lady sat me in the

C B C STO R I ES SP O N SO R

www.whufc.com interview and she said we don’t really like to employ a single mum because you will need time off for your children. That was the first kind of hint I had that there was

a real issue - like if I’d have been a single dad, would I face the same issue?

Over the years after that, I bounced from job to job and then decided that the only

option for me was to start my own events

business. I delved into the wonderful world of networking and came across comments such as: ‘Has your husband helped you to get this started?’ and ‘Where have

you had the help from?’ It just felt very

insidious - you know. The assumptions

made that women in business would have

had to have help somewhere or that it was a hobby or side project.

I struggled a little bit with networking in general. I just found it very corporate. I felt that it didn’t really feed into neuro-

diversity either. I just felt it was very formal.

Gradually, over time, what started as a

very generic events business very quickly became something that needed to be for

women - for women to feel confident and empowered in business and not feel the

massive layers of imposter syndrome that many many women feel.

Karen, how does it feel to be a woman involved in sport?

difference - even though it sometimes

was a real pain and I did feel ignored at times too. What I brought to the board

It’s hugely male-dominated and the

was very different - like being concerned

what women are paid compared to what

breast feeding areas, chanting practice

are the pitches the women play on the

would make someone like me feel

much further away from the town that

at the Dripping Pan. That was, I think,

people to come to?

it was that gate figures for both teams

When I first said I’d stand to be a director

couple of seasons - I kept thinking what

disparities are vast. We can talk about

about whether we had designated

men are paid, but we should also ask

for women, and thinking about what

same, or are their pitches inferior and

comfortable and enjoy the atmosphere

they’re representing making it harder for

really useful and the good thing about

went up, quadrupling for the women in a

at Lewes FC, my friends were laughing

I’m doing is good.

football, but people like me have to feel

Having said that, there are things that I

to feel I can be a director - we’re talking

One of the things I always say to women

know, let’s just take action to do it!

environments is ‘Just stay away from

When I first became a director, there was

everyone tea! I have learned that you

she stepped down and I was the only

matter. I’m not saying I haven’t had what

– that shows how we are progressing all

think it is a syndrome - I think we are

was the only woman.

I felt it and I still feel it sometimes. I

The thing is, I have to keep valuing my

diversifies the organisation.

at the thought, as I knew little about

comfortable at a football ground. I have

remember I had to change about myself.

about diversity all over the shop and, you

if they are going into male-dominated

the kettle’ – don’t be the one who makes

one other women on the board and then

can say stupid things and it doesn’t

woman for quite a while. It’s 50-50 now

we call ‘imposter syndrome’ but I don’t

the time at Lewes FC. But, back then, I

imposters! I am an imposter in football. think it’s a good thing to be because it

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 11

CBC STO RI E S S PO N S OR

Jo Child

I would encourage more women into

male bastions because, if Lewes Football Club is anything to go by, you become very successful economically and

morally. You’re doing yourself a favour.

Karen, why aren’t more clubs paying women players the same as men?

It is an excellent question because if

you look at what’s happened to us at

‘Equality FC’ it’s been brilliant. We’ve got big sponsors and the women’s takings

have gone up by 367 per cent, the men’s by 82 per cent. Both first teams sold out

last season which is unheard of. We beat Liverpool. We’ve had so much success

from equality. In fact, we are just having a new pitch laid ready for the new season.

The grant for that, £750,000, has come

because of the women’s team. The men will, of course, benefit from that.

It just shows you how equality really is a rising tide, lifting not just one of the

boats because both teams benefit. Why aren’t other clubs doing it if it’s working so well for us? It is very hard to run a football club; it’s a financial struggle.

It’s also about the size of the club. It’s

about what you prioritise, and you have to be quite compassionate to other

12 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Karen Dobres

football clubs - when they could be

struggling just to make the men’s team

work why would they start investing in a women’s team?

If you look at bigger clubs like the Premier League clubs, although they are waking

up and starting to invest (the Euros have

been on and people have been watching - they aren’t going to ignore that), if you

look at the kind of amounts they invest in the men’s side there just isn’t that kind of market yet for them to be doing that.

There are changes they can make that

Jo, tell us about some of the challenges you have faced.

I think in the beginning the biggest

challenge was not having a clue what I was doing. I’ve got no business

background, no experience in marketing, in finance. I didn’t have any access

to financial help and did not have the confidence, as a woman, to ask the

questions or even know what questions I had. It was just starting on a very, very basic platform and being hyper-aware

that I was a woman starting a business.

don’t cost anything, like playing on the

What encouraged you to get over that?

website prioritisation of the women’s

Jo: I just knew that it was something that I

same pitch and with social handles and team. Understandably, because the men’s market is so mature and the

product is so mature, you’re not going to put the same money into women as the

men - not like we did at Lewes because we are the size that we are and have

teams in the leagues that they are in.

It worked out that we could create that

little bit of sunshine around the globe by putting the inspiration out there: valuing and resourcing the women exactly the same as the men. We now have 2,300 owners in 38 countries.

had to do. I didn’t see any other option at that time. I still think the mission is really important. I still think that women need

representation and I just felt that I don’t

know what I’m doing but the only way I

will get to know what I’m doing is just to keep on this path. It took an awful lot of resilience and it was difficult.

I think along the way, another big

challenge I had was that I was trying to do something that hadn’t been done before so I was trying to bring more joy as a

priority into the lives of women. Women

C B C STO R I ES SP O N SO R

work really hard and they deserve to have this social life created for them.

Another thing that I’ve noticed with

women in business is that they feel this

need to be serious, to be taken seriously, to present themselves seriously and,

again, going to these events women were not smiling. I was thinking ‘Why not?’

A few years ago, there was a very big

company and their manifesto was leaked on how women should and shouldn’t behave. It was wear heels a certain

length, talk at a lower tone of voice, don’t laugh too high pitched. It’s trying to get that mission out there - that it’s okay

to have joy and joy is concomitant with

health. It’s so important. We’re in a time now where we practice mindfulness,

yoga, meditation, and we’re really seeing

the benefits of all of that breath work, but no one is prioritising joy in their life.

Men have been conducting business on the golf course since time began and

they’re having a whale of a time, so why is it that women feel the need to be so serious? Is there a perception that it’s men versus women?

Jo: The idea of men versus women is

such a trigger for people when it’s not men versus women in the first place.

It doesn’t matter what product or

service you’re providing, you’re going

to have your demographic. It’s a shame that feminism has got such negative

connotations attached to it because if

you just strip it back to basics it simply means equality for men and women.

Unfortunately, we have got to a point

now where we’ve got extreme feminism.

With any project, the pendulum always has to swing completely the other way

before it can come back and rest in the

middle and I think that’s what’s happening right now. We’re on this path for equality for women but that triggers people into thinking that it’s something that is not.

Karen, you’ve done some volunteering

ADHD. They actually frazzle and, if you

a bit about that?

headaches and make yourself poorly.

around mental health. Can you tell us

don’t nurture them, you will get chronic

I was a counsellor. I have also managed

How is your work-life balance?

major player in the music industry.

Jo: For me, I think it’s acceptance

Do you know the concept of the wounded

something that I think you have to make

an internal counselling service for a

of my health. Work-life balance is

healer? Most counsellors have had

work for you.

partly healed or completely healed and

Karen: I believe it’s about knowing

they know about. It’s where they feel

you have the luxury of working for yourself

purpose about making a difference in the

hours that suit you, when they suit you.

have more access to themselves.

Covid helped us at least in that respect

Just being allowed to be yourself brings

those flexible hours. We are all inter-

It’s mental and physical.

care of yourself, you are taking care of

some wounds themselves that they’ve

want to do the same for others. It’s what

yourself and what works for you and, if

comfortable and have a strong sense of

or have a trusting employer, doing the

world. Helping people feel not happier but

a bit of joy and is good for your health.

Jo, tell us about ADHD and diversity in

with working from home and having

connected. You know, if you are taking everyone else at the same time.

mental health

* Karen and Jo both recognise that skills

I wasn’t diagnosed until I was 36, so I

keeping, team spirit and confidence are

spent most of my adult working life not

fitting and not really understanding why.

learned through sport aid business - timejust a few.

Jo, what piece of advice would you

The first thing I’ll say about the way

give to your 18-year-old self?

a very skewed circadian rhythm so the

Prioritise joy, allow yourself to be

nine to five Monday to Friday simply

believe in.

where the brain fog is just so heavy. It is

Karen, who inspires you?

more likely to own your own business

Women footballers. They continually

the ADHD brain works is that we have

idea of going into an office and working doesn’t work because there will be days another reason why you are three times if you have ADHD because you work to your own hours.

coachable and be fearless in what you

inspire me.

Co-Women membership is open now

I was constantly losing jobs through no real

and ready to welcome more Sussex

brain chemistry with ADHD. The harder

a huge variety of joyful social events,

you will make it worse because you do

days across Sussex, helping women

brain and they expand. The neurons talk

clients and collaborators.

over time. That doesn’t happen with

www.co-women.org

full of my, just health. There’s a different

women in business. Membership offers

you try, if you are not managing burnout,

networking opportunities and coworking

have things like memory muscles in your

who work hard to find their friends,

to each other and everything develops

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 13

Do I need a Lasting Power of Attorney for my Business?

A lasting power of attorney, or LPA as they are often referred to, are extremely useful to put in place during your lifetime.

An LPA ensures that,

Legal

should you be unable to manage your own

affairs, the people you have appointed can

manage your business on your behalf.

This can save a great deal of money

and distress, and will ensure that your

business affairs will be handled correctly and quickly. LPAs give authority to

those you chose to act on your behalf to make nearly all decisions, financial or otherwise, if you were to become

14 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

mentally or physically unable to do so

yourself, or even if you were going to be out of the country for a while.

So, how would they apply in a business situation?

An accident, physical ill health or the onset of mental illness may make

everyday tasks like paying bills and

managing a budget difficult, stressful and, in some cases, impossible. It is, therefore, important for any business

owner to consider what would happen to

their business if they became unable to

make decisions in such circumstances.

You should not assume that a family

member or a business colleague will

automatically gain the authority to make these decisions on your behalf.

Having a Business LPA in place

allows you to appoint an attorney

who understands your business and

who you trust to take over the day-today affairs as soon as is necessary.

Without such a document in place,

L EGA L SP ON SO R

Jessica Partridge

there can be a detrimental impact

on a business. For example, banks

may freeze your accounts, contracts

may not be entered into and business insurance could be invalidated. Your

business could also be in breach of its

regulatory obligations if a key business owner is incapacitated and measures are not in place. A Business LPA is

necessary for an effective business continuity plan. It is also important

to note that a Business LPA need not only be used if you lose capacity but

can also be used if you travel abroad on holiday or for business.

What happens if I do not have an LPA? If you do not have an LPA in place, an

application would then have to be made to the Court of Protection to enable

someone else to deal with your affairs.

The process to apply for a deputy

application is a much lengthier process (at least 6 months, with your assets potentially frozen) than applying for

an LPA, not to mention costlier (three

times the cost of an LPA and sometimes more). It doesn’t stop at the application, either. When you become a deputy,

you must send an annual report to the

Office of the Public Guardian each year, explaining the decisions you’ve made.

How do they apply to the different

Sole trader – If you are a sole trader,

Partnerships – If you are a partner in

legal identity and therefore a Business

partnership agreement may provide for

else to come in and for the business to

business structures?

your business will not have a separate

a business with several partners, the

LPA will be necessary for someone

what should happen in circumstances

continue to trade.

need to seek advice on the contents

If your business doesn’t already have

Business LPA is required, further advice

place, then we recommend you look into

where a partner loses capacity. You may of the partnership agreement and, if a

the protection of a Business LPA in

on the wording of the document so that

getting one.

the partnership agreement.

At Mayo Wynne Baxter we have a

Directors of companies – If you are

the best way to legally protect you

it does not conflict with provisions within

number of experts that can advise on

a director of a company, it will be

and your business. Please feel free

articles of association to consider

Baxter for expert legal advice and

of a director’s appointment if they lose

the preparation of lasting powers

private company, then the company’s

questions you may have.

for the termination of a director’s

Jessica Partridge

necessary to check the company’s

to contact the team at Mayo Wynne

whether this provides for the termination

to discuss how we can help with

capacity. If you are a sole director of a

of attorney, or for any other legal

articles of association may not provide appointment and a Business LPA will be

Partner

necessary for business continuity.

jpartridge@mayowynnebaxter.co.uk

Self-employed – If you are self-employed

www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk

running your own business, again, you

will not have a separate legal identity to

your business and a Business LPA will be needed to continue trade.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 15

Employment Law: How to avoid workplace Discrimination Claims

Top tips from an expert who has advised both employers and employees for over 20 years.

When acting for

Legal

employers, that advice is often

proactive, seeking to minimise any

risk that employer may face should an employee bring an Employment

Tribunal claim. Discrimination claims are once such area. I also act for

employees in such claims, and it is

often the case that employers with no

equality and diversity policies in place do badly at the Employment Tribunal.

Some employers have those policies in place, but do not implement them

16 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

in any meaningful practical way, often viewing equality and diversity as a

marketing tool, rather than a workplace relations one, and also lose at the Employment Tribunal.

An employer that is proactive about

any workplace discrimination issues

will be much better placed, should any claim arrive.

How is any reasonable employer best placed to have a diverse workplace

and avoid Employment Tribunal Claims for discrimination?

1) Engage with staff early about any

issues that might, if not dealt with,

lead to a discrimination claim, eg any

disability, preferred working patterns, anything booked coming up etc

This is important and often avoided by employers because they think

that if they are not told, they can’t be criticised later. Using disability as a

specific example, the duty to make

reasonable adjustments applies if an

employer knew or ought to have known about a disability. It is much better for

the employer to be proactive when an

L EGA L SP ON SO R

employee starts, and engage with them on the issue of adjustments.

2) Have a full Equality and Diversity Policy in place together with an

anti-harassment/bullying policy Setting out the policies and procedures

that inform employees what is expected of them in terms of behaviour, and what to do if they feel they are discriminated against is incredibly important. By

having such policies in place, with a

practical means for employees to raise concerns, serves two purposes -it can resolve issues more effectively and

it can assist an employer defending, for example, a sexual harassment

claim, when it can be shown that they put the best procedure in place that

enable such actions to be stopped and prevented in future. It goes without

saying that the employer must have

more than a policy. That policy must

be regularly reviewed and must work in practice. Simply telling employees

you are against discrimination will not be enough. The policies must work when tested.

3) Have some sort of training on those issues, even if once a year

Once the policies are in place, staff must be aware of them in practical terms.

In this regard, equality and diversity

training is important, and employers

should do this annually to make sure

staff understand what is expected, what behaviour is unacceptable, how to raise

any concerns, and how concerns should be dealt with.

4) Have a confidential complaint

channels as part of your policies

– if you are small, use an external provider

Employees who feel they are being discriminated against, particularly

those who are being harassed, need

to be able to raise those

allegations confidentially.

This is hard with a small business. Employers

should have a confidential, allocated person available to deal with any such

complaints. It might, in

some situations, be better for a small employer to appoint either an HR

Advisor or Employment Solicitor to investigate.

5) I nvestigate all allegations of

discrimination

irrespective of source and or who the

complaint is about –

don’t fail to investigate

Alex Jones

good performers

I have dealt with many discrimination allegations for clients (employee

and employer) over the years. One

factor that often applies is employers are reluctant to criticise employees who are good performers, even if

they are accused of discrimination.

This is not an acceptable practice, and an employer will lose at the

employment tribunal if they take

this course of action. Keeping a well

performing employee who is behaving in a discriminatory way will be hugely negative for the business, not just in

liability terms but also in reputational terms. Employers should be fully

prepared to discipline any employee

for disciplinary acts, irrespective of the value they hold to the business.

6) T ype detailed minutes of all internal meetings and/or discussions

be recorded. This will enable a clearer thought process on any investigation, and also be evidence to defend that investigation if a claim is raised.

7) Seek regular pro-active advice from an employment solicitor - either

through a retainer, or by contacting when an issue arises

Employers should also always be alert

to any issues involving departing staff, and always take proactive advice in how to deal with these issues. The earlier this is done, the better the outcomes are likely to be.

Alex Jones

365 Employment Law Solicitors Tel: 01903 863284

ajones@365employmentlaw.co.uk www.365employmentlaw.co.uk

where discrimination is an issue,

give feedback on any non serious

investigation and/or training issues All allegations, including interviews

connected with any investigation, should

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 17

FI N A NCE S PO NS O R

Andy Page, Head of Commercial Finance at Seico Mortgages

Despite the impending doom of the headlines, there’s room for optimism - Says Andy Page, Head of Commercial Finance at Seico Mortgages.

Pandemics, global

Finance

conflict, inflation,

rising interest rates,

recession - worrying about everything

in the news right now takes so long it feels like there’s no time for anything

else. I often muse that headline writers will only be happy once we’ve all

succumbed to the powers of negativity.

But having been around for more years (and economic cycles) than I’m happy to admit, I remind myself that this has always been the way of things. Even

when everything’s going swimmingly in

the world, there will always be a headline telling us why it will all come crashing down before the next quarter’s end.

And that’s not all- if you are a small

business owner there are even more

headaches to deal with. It takes superb time management just to fit all the

worrying in - what with staffing, red-tape

and, of course, Brexit (whatever way you saw it) to deal with.

But it is also true that we have been

here before and have come through it.

‘There is nothing new under the sun’ is a phrase so ancient it was in the

Old Testament. Business people do

not simply give up in the face of bad headlines, and it’s just as well. They

know that planning for the future is a continuous process, not confined to

the good times alone. And if you are

making plans, there’s a good chance

that funding will be required to see them through. So, here’s a piece of good

news... Money is available to businesses who have made such plans. I have been involved in business finance for many

years and talk to banks every day - I can genuinely say that funding is out there

– notably to trading businesses and as much now as it ever has been. Banks like to make funds available to this

sector because it helps to create and safeguard jobs and makes for better headlines - something they haven’t always benefited from. That said, a

good business idea needs to be put in

front of the right lender, and it’s our job at Seico to make sure that happens.

Seico have been arranging finance for property owners and business people for over 30 years and, despite the

headlines, we are as busy now as ever.

If you have a business idea, I’d welcome the chance to discuss it with you. Please don’t be shy about getting in touch on: 01273 778888 Or email: Andrew@seicogroup.com • www.seicogroup.com

18 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Whole of market mortgage specialists, helping property owners since 1990.

Make sure you’re getting the best possible rates for: •

First time buyer purchases

• Equity release

•

Re-mortgages

• Commercial finance

•

Buy to Lets

• Rate switches

•

Self-employed mortgages

• Life cover

•

Foreign mortgages

Scan to find out more:

Contact us today to access exclusive deals and lenders not available on the high street.

01273 778888 / mortgages@seicogroup.com

www.seicogroup.com

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 19

N EW BUS I N E S S SP ON S OR

From a business idea to multiaward-winners in just two years A start-up success story: Watch This Sp_ce A wide variety of

New Business

entrepreneurs, startups and businesses come through the

doors at the Business

& IP Centre Sussex. We listen to their

business ideas or business journeys so far and what their inspirations are, so

that we can offer them the best-suited support. But, our relationship with

them doesn’t end there. We follow their

progress and celebrate their successes.

One of these start-ups is Watch This Sp_ce, an innovative diversity and

inclusion consultancy set up by Mo

Kanjilal, Allegra Chapman and Rachel Pearson during the pandemic. We

asked one of the founders, Mo Kanjilal, to share their inspirational journey of

20 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

becoming a multi-award-winning startup business in just two years.

Year award at the Dynamic Business

Awards run by Platinum Media Group.

Who are Watch This Sp_ce?

What was the inspiration for your

business on a mission to re-imagine

Watch This Sp_ce began at the beginning

We are a Sussex based start-up

the world of work to include everyone.

We want to see diverse leaders, leading organisations and starting businesses.

We founded the business during

lockdown in April 2020, at a time when

the world was forced to re-think the way it does business. The three of us were already working together on volunteer projects and we realised in lockdown

we had the time to do something about

changing the world to create a world we wanted to see. And now, two years on, we have won three awards! The latest one, in June, was the Start-up of the

business idea?

of the first lockdown. The Directors of

the business have been running a group called Brighton Digital Women since

2015. This community was founded to support those who identify as women

to start and grow careers in the digital

sector and to make women more visible

in this sector. As part of our work running this group, we heard story after story

from our members of harassment and discrimination they had experienced at work. Whilst we were working

predominantly with women, the impact of intersectionality was clearly visible.

N EW B U SI N ESS SP ON SO R

We knew the issues were about more

than women in tech careers. And, as you may, unfortunately, expect, we all had

our own experiences that had haunted

our working lives. We all felt strongly that we wanted to do something to make the world of work better for under-

represented people. We also recognised that there were huge benefits that

organisations were missing out on. We

knew that the world of work needed to be re-imagined in order to benefit everyone,

but we had busy jobs and lives that got in the way of pursuing that goal.

Then the country went into lockdown.

Not only did we find ourselves with more time and less work but also the sudden need for flexible approaches to work

made it clear that it was now imperative to challenge the status quo. We,

therefore, made a commitment to move

away from our former roles and focus on making Watch This Sp_ce a reality.

How did the BIPC help you develop your business?

We built a good relationship with BIPC

Sussex early on, and this has helped us in many different ways. The free BIPC

databases helped us with research for

finding prospects and partnerships and we often use their space to work. I became

one of their Experts in Residence, offering one-to-ones, and this has helped us

develop relationships with people starting

businesses. We’ve also run webinars with

What’s the best piece of business

great to get to know the team and how

To network as much as possible and find

the BIPC on a range of subjects. It was they help people start businesses. We

often recommend BIPC Sussex to people we talk to, as it’s such an invaluable free resource for any start-ups.

What are your plans for the future?

We want to continue working with clients who operate locally, nationally, and

internationally to scale the business and secure longer-term contracts. Building

on our strong customer reviews, awards, and our reputation, we want to grow

our client base through sales activities, networking and strategic partnerships.

To grow the business even further we

are planning to invest in technology to

help us scale our products and services to reach more people. And we are

already expanding our team, bringing in people to help us as we grow.

What’s been your proudest moment in business so far?

Winning the Simply Business, Business

Boost competition in October 2021 totally

changed everything for us. We beat 25,000 businesses to win £25,000. And if you

advice you can give to start-ups?

every opportunity to meet people. It takes time to grow your reputation. In those

early days, every conversation counts

and could be an opportunity. We also say enter competitions, because someone has to win and it could be you!

What book has impacted you?

There’s a book we quote very often in our training, Rebel Ideas by Matthew Syed. It’s about the power of diverse thinking and diverse teams. It’s a

great book to help people see how

different types of people and different

perspectives are what we need to have in workplaces.

Would you like to be our next success

story? Get in touch with BIPC Sussex to book a free one-to-one session with an Information Specialist so we can help

you develop your business idea or grow your existing small business.

Visit www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/bipc or email bipc@brighton-hove.gov.uk

have seen the video of us being told we

had won, our reactions are totally genuine!

We had no idea what we were dialling into

a call for. We’re so proud to have won that award, and now the Dynamic Business Award for ‘Start-up of the Year’ too.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 21

N EW BUS I N E S S SP ON S OR

The BRITE project is on the hunt for the next Product Foundry Cohort ‘As a city, we need to cultivate and advocate for our makers, the radical thinkers and physical creators who are coming up with new products and remedies for the problems we’re facing in our communities.’

Although Brighton

New Business

and Hove has

abundant space and support for service businesses, there

aren’t anywhere near as many options for the city’s product makers to create

and prototype. Access to maker spaces can be difficult, slow and expensive.

This is where Plus X innovation hubs

and the University of Brighton step in;

empowering our city’s physical makers, providing them space to test, fail and

create at speed. Since opening in 2020, the innovation hub has been one of the only places in the city that combines

entrepreneurship with facilities for creation and has quickly become the beating heart of Brighton’s innovation scene.

22 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

As well as providing office space and

digital fabrication tools like 3D printers,

co-working spaces for businesses of

laser cutters and other hardware.

BRITE Project - a series of innovation

With the next programme starting in

team at Plus X and the University

innovation experts will guide participants

Product Foundry, aims to support the

eight to ten fellow product makers, they

advanced prototyping workshop.

way from testing ideas to maximising a

Product Foundry is for anyone that

is no idea too big or too small.

individuals looking to explore the seed

Product Foundry is open to anyone in

looking to develop new technologies and

product idea and strong vision, even if

and new designs. Rather than waiting

The programme will provide them with

you’ll be able to create in-house, using

see the product through to completion.

all sizes, Plus X Brighton is home to the programmes developed by the innovation

October 2022, the team of product

of Brighton. One such programme,

through seven weekly sessions. Alongside

development of physical products in an

will develop early-stage prototypes, all the

wants to create a physical product;

product for its commercial impact. There

of an idea, to established businesses

the Coast to Capital area with a great

processes for both existing products

they’re new to a workshop environment.

weeks for your prototype to come back,

the tools and knowledge needed to

Fung-Bedford-1-1-690x860.jpeg 690×860 pixels.pdf Saved to Dropbox • 2 Aug 2022 at 16:48

Andy-Mindel-Shore-Ride-1-1-690x860.jpeg 690×860 pixels.pdf Saved to Dropbox • 2 Aug 2022 at 16:47

Jazmine-Tiley-Protective-Bubbles-1-1-1-690x860.jpeg 690×860 pixels.pdf

N EW B U SI N ESS SP ON SO R

Saved to Dropbox • 2 Aug 2022 at 16:48

Angela Fung

This fully-funded programme is

completely free for participants, and is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund. It is open to both

current members of Plus X Brighton, and non-members that are able to travel to Brighton one morning a week.

Could this programme be right for your business or idea? Let us introduce

you to some of the alumni from the

first cohort to find out more about the

types of businesses benefitting from the Product Foundry: Angela Fung,

Director of Fung and Bedford Fung and Bedford is the design studio

of Sussex-based designers Angela Fung and Ashley Bedford. They combine

architecture with origami to create largescale, bespoke paper installations for

inspiring spaces. Their designs are low-

impact, sustainable and 100% recyclable.

Angela and Ashley joined Product

Foundry, with the duo splitting time on the programme. Their time on Product

Foundry was used to explore how they could retain their intricate designs and

Andy Mindel

commitment to sustainability whilst

creating pieces on a smaller scale. In addition, it enabled them to focus on creating a lighting prototype that

could be used to collaborate with lighting companies.

Andy Mindel,

Owner and Director of Shore Ride Combining his love for the ocean with his passion for sport, serial

entrepreneur Andy is on a mission to make it easier, more environmentally

friendly and more accessible for people to enjoy watersports.

Jazmine Tiley

Tiley, came up with the idea for her

product Drink Bubble after she and a

group of friends had their drinks spiked.

Her Company Protective Bubbles will launch Drink Bubble to help protect

people from being spiked or spilling their drinks in busy venues.

Whilst taking part in the Product

Foundry, Jazmine focused on the

product’s packaging alongside some

additional material exploration centering around price per unit and sustainability.

She is completing the programme while studying for a BSc in Psychology at the University of Sussex.

Wanting to eliminate unnecessary car

Applications for Product Foundry close

easily attaches to your SUP or kayak

to find out more, visit briteinnovation.

journeys, Shore Ride is a product that that allows you to then either walk or

cycle to the water. Andy used Product Foundry to refine his product and

explore the design alongside alternative materials for manufacture.

Jazmine Tiley,

Founder of Protective Bubbles A 2022 winner of the University of

Sussex’s Social Impact Prize, Jazmine

on the 17th of September. To apply or co.uk/product-foundry.

Product Foundry is part of BRITE (Brighton Research Innovation

Technology Exchange). Led by Plus

X, in partnership with the University of

Brighton, BRITE aims to support leaders of companies that have ambitions to

grow and scale their business, receiving

up to £5.5m of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 23

GOO D BUS I N E S S S P ON S OR

The Joy of SuperLooping!

SuperLooper CIC is a circular economy-inspired pre-loved baby clothing rental service created to help parents dress their babies in lots of lovely clothes whilst reducing waste and making better use of clothes already in circulation.

Babies grow so

Good Business

quickly and their

outgrown clothes

have often only been

worn a few times. So,

instead of parents buying and owning

their baby’s clothes, why not rent them for as long as they’re needed and then swap them for the next size up?

Our customers are parents who love dressing their baby in sweet clothes

but feel guilty about over consuming.

They’re people who choose to use

pre-loved clothing which they find after a trawl through second hand outlets or acquire from well-meaning family and friends handing down their outgrown treasures. (Sometimes these things

aren’t actually wanted or needed by the

‘lucky’ recipients who end up with a load of things they now have to get rid of!)

With SuperLooper, parents can choose as many clothes as they want from an

already curated selection and have their order delivered to their door.

All this hoarding is a terrible waste of

Hubbub, the environmental

resources and money - and is where

million items of outgrown baby clothes

to get lightly-worn clothes back into

are multiple understandable reasons

possible. Recycling minimises the

planning more babies, they may be

production and its inherent negative

they may intend to pass them on or

the amount of textile waste ending up

campaigners, found that there are 183

SuperLooper comes in with a mission

stored away in UK cupboards. There

circulation and worn for as long as

why parents do this - they may be

need for so much textile and clothing

emotionally attached to certain things,

environmental impact, and reduces

sell them. But, ultimately, these clothes

in landfills.

gathering dust. As a mum of three, I

Not only do SuperLooper users update

of the clothes worn by my kids … and

also choose a new-to-them wardrobe

too often end up forgotten about and

have to admit to still holding onto some

their order as their baby grows, they can

they’re now in their teens and twenties!

if the season changes or if they simply

24 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

want to try-out new styles and colours.

The subscription is just £23 per month,

which includes delivery and returns fees and clothing rental to the value of £20

- if they want more items they just add

them to their cart and pay at checkout. A report by Ergo Baby found that first time

parents in the UK spend on average £83 per month in the first year of a baby’s

life, so we can save them time, money and storage space.

We make recycling a bit of a no-brainer for parents who love fashion but feel

uncomfortable about buying too much.

All the clothes in our library have been

GO O D B U SI N ESS SP ON SO R

given to us either by parents doing a

their outgrown items in

or by brands who want to make sure

to redeem when they next

‘conscious clear-out’ of their cupboards that their overstock and sample items go to good use. We get other people involved by offering gift vouchers for

friends, grandparents and workmates to give to new parents, so in this way we

can all play a part in reducing some of

the waste that inevitably happens when we have babies.

We’re all about collaboration - we work with other like-minded businesses that complement what we do and help us

build awareness of the whys, hows and whats of our service.

Locally we’ve teamed up with Zero Waste Brighton as part of Bella

Kennard’s Low Waste Parenting Group,

where parents can meet-up every month at Wrap’s work & play space in Brighton.

As well as SuperLooper, this brings

together other sustainable baby services like nappy and sling libraries.

Via the ‘SuperLooper Loves’ page

on our website, we work with brands

that complement what we do. So far, we’ve joined the Jubblies (reusable

nursing pads) and Nimble (child-friendly

cleaning products) affiliate programmes.

This means our customers get to know

about great products and enjoy a bit of discount while we benefit from a little

bit of extra income and more exposure to a wider audience.

We’re very proud of our Brand

SuperLoop collaboration which we

recently launched with the backing of

Little Green Radicals, the London based organic and fair-trade baby clothing

company. Realising that there are plenty of people who don’t want to dress their

exchange for a voucher

shop with the brand. This returned stock is then

added to the SuperLooper library ready to go to another home.

Through the data we collect, participating

brands can gain valuable

feedback on the longevity of their products and,

where necessary, can make improvements. They also build a more meaningful

engagement with existing

customers and attract new ones through their positive sustainability messaging.

Of course, SuperLoopers hugely benefit too by

having access to more great

clothes - a win-win for all, including the

planet. Little Green Radicals have added one of their retailers to their SuperLoop

so now their customers can join, on and off-line. We’re now adding Lucy & Sam

to the scheme and we’re talking to other genuinely sustainable brands who want to join us too.

You can find more about the Little Green Radicals SuperLoop here.

We take care to focus on sustainable

and ethical working practices wherever

we can. We use recycled and re-usable

cardboard boxes, sustainably produced tissue paper, flyers and stickers and

we deliver our local orders by bike. We

know we can do more and are working hard to reduce our carbon footprint as much as possible going forward.

baby in pre-loved clothes, but who

SuperLooper addresses The UN SDG

we’ve set up a scheme which includes

numbers 12 - sustainable consumption

do want to do their bit for the planet, them too. It offers an opportunity

for the brand’s customers to return

(Sustainable Development Goals)

and production - and 13 - climate change. Our aim is to:

• Reduce waste, avoid over-

consumption and change the way people shop

• Create a platform to make it easy

and attractive for parents to re-cycle baby clothes

• Build a supportive network of parents wanting to connect and do their bit for the planet

• Create a nationwide operation that is scalable globally

In other areas of good business practice, we’re members of the Brighton & Hove Living Wage Campaign and employ

someone we were lucky enough to find as a perfect match via the KickStart scheme managed locally by social

change incubator Koreo. Kate has now been taken on as a valued permanent

member of our team. I was introduced

to this scheme by fellow Good Business Club members Jo Godden, of Ruby

Moon, and Iain Chambers, of The Bevy and The Brighton Food Factory.

We’re currently developing a scheme

to include families on low income in our

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 25

GOO D BUS I N E S S S P ON S OR

Through 2022 we hope to raise early-

stage seed/growth capital and transition from the MVP stage to a fully functional

business model. To do this, we may have

to look at changing our CIC status but we

don’t want to end up susceptible to having our core values diluted, so we’re looking

at a hybrid structure, using a guardian or golden share, and pairing a not-for-profit

and a for-profit together. [https://medium. com/planestories/re-balancing-

company-ownership-through-guardianshares-3a4608685d66]

It’s a big ambition but we want to make ‘SuperLooping’ a verb - like Ebaying

with a purpose! Thanks to the likes of Ebay, Uber and Airbnb, the sharing

economy has become the norm and

customers, hungry for new ideas, want to consume more responsibly.

My thoughts for you, if you’re SuperLooper family. We believe that

we can’t have a significant impact on increasing the lifeline of baby clothes

unless we involve as many people as

possible - too often these ideas are only available to people on higher incomes, so we want to change that pattern.

Before SuperLooper, I’d previously run an organic baby and children’s

clothing brand but this was a fresh and disruptive business model and I liked the idea of creating something that

hadn’t existed before. I fully believe

in living and working with a purpose and, although I love fashion and

clothes, I never felt quite right working in an industry so largely polluting

and harmful to its workers and to the

environment. The idea of sharing and

recycling what already exists ticked a lot of boxes for me.

I ‘conceived’ SuperLooper in 2017 as a result of a chance meeting in the coffee queue at the Brighton

Chamber Summit! After a long labour involving focus and beta test groups

26 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

and support from friends and experts

considering either going into business

Innovation Centre, UnLtd, Yermi, The

The City’s [https://www.escapethecity.

& Hove, The Co-Women’s Club, The

seek purposeful work that matters to

from the fashion industry, The Sussex

for the first time or maybe taking Escape

Mumpreneurs Club, Circular Brighton

org] lead to quit the corporate world and

NatWest Accelerator and of course The

you and to the planet - just go for it!

finally born in October 2020!

We’re so lucky in Brighton to have the

I now have a business partner, Ashwin

creative community, open to fresh ideas.

rental platform enabling us to tailor our

organisations, like those I mentioned

Good Business Club, our ‘baby’ was

interest and engagement of such a

Susarla, who has built a customised

We can connect to masses of supportive

service with our own features.

earlier. Our local council is also very

Together, we’ve created a Minimum

circular economy city and a hotbed for

keen to make Brighton and Hove a

Viable Product. Up until now, we’ve only

pioneering and game-changing ideas.

years of age, but the potential for renting

So, really…what are you waiting for? As

(and any clothing come to that) is huge!

Good Business!

our model and tech, and find ways to

Written by Jenny Barrett, founder of

our service is having. We think it’s really

works in Hove but at the moment is

changing the way they shop can have a

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenny-

future of our planet.

jenny@superlooperlife.com

concentrated on renting baby clothes 0-2 maternity clothing, children’s clothing

Ashwin and I would like to further develop

Sara Osterholzer would say - Let’s Do

recycle clothes and track the impact that

SuperLooper, who normally lives and

important that people understand that by

working remotely from Los Angeles!

significant positive knock-on effect for the

barrett-b91a70a/

Selling, buying or starting a business?

Call us on 0800 84 94 101 Offices across Sussex

www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 27

A business in Eastbourne is firing up imaginations and inspiring interiors around the globe Wallpaperdirect, a trading name of C. Brewer & Sons Limited, has cornered a niche in not just wallpaper but co-ordinating fabrics too - making it the go-to online brand for effortless decorating projects.

It is a business

Cover Story

renowned for stocking top designer patterns, being at the forefront of interior trends and

offering customers unrivalled choice.

We spoke to Melanie Adams, Global Head of wallpaperdirect.com, to find out more about the brand’s

28 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

international success and to get a

flavour of what is currently trending in interior design.

“Wallpaperdirect was started online

in Eastbourne in 1999,” she said. “At the time, people thought we were

slightly mad. They couldn’t see who would buy wallpaper online. We

now have websites in the UK, USA,

Canada, Australia and India but have

customers across the globe. All orders are supplied out of Eastbourne.”

Melanie, who has worked for the

Brewers group for 28 years, says

customer services are provided out

of Eastbourne for everywhere except

North America, which is serviced by a dedicated team based in Tennessee.

C OV ER STO RY SP ON SO R

How did the pandemic impact the business?

“We carry a lot of stock and that saw us very well placed to meet demand.

We saw the average order value go up,”

“It grew it somewhat,” she said.

Melanie acknowledges. “Online sales

and the majority of our customers are

purchases rising. However, online sales

a young market.

been in America for 10 years now and

“Wallpaperdirect.com is a consumer site

have flattened now in the UK with in-store

women aged between 25 and 45 - quite

continue to grow in the US. We have

“During the pandemic, they suddenly

found themselves looking at their walls.

They realised how boring they were.

wallpaper is very fashionable over there.”

What trends are you seeing?

“There is a big increase in blues and

“Wallpaper is a fashion-focussed

yellows at the moment, and we are also

change their walls more often.”

the colour of the year. Wallpapers that

With people confined to their homes

wildlife, have been popular because they

industry and, because of that, people

seeing a lot of green which has been

depict nature, such as trees, flowers and

for weeks on end during the early

bring the outside in.”

reached fever pitch - and the versatility

What the doubters didn’t envisage in

fashion focus, saw website sales soar.

live was that the internet could bring

part of the pandemic, DIY projects

of wallpaper, coupled with its strong

1999 when wallpaperdirect.com went

people closer to design ideas and see how wallpaper patterns would look in any number of locations in a home.

Melanie said: “Every pattern we put online you can see in a lounge, a

kitchen, a bedroom or a hallway - so

people can get a true scale of how it will look in their house.

“The whole Arts and Crafts theme is

driving sales. Sales of William Morris, with a more contemporary colour

palette, have been amazing. Customers love the fresh colours coming through.

“People like the feeling of Arts and

Crafts. And that look is not something you can achieve with paint.”

While statement walls are still popular, there is a shift towards papering four walls and ceilings, Melanie revealed.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 29

COVE R STO RY S P ON S OR

She is also head of designerpaint.com, another trading name of the Brewers

designers, that must-have new look has

wallpaper online giving our customers

never been so easy to achieve.

a huge range of choice worldwide,

uplift in sales following lockdowns.

Tell us a bit about the business

stocking thousands of these for next

Wallpaperdirect makes it easy for

“In Eastbourne, we employ 250 people.

handmade curtains and blinds, as well

Melanie said. “From Eastbourne, we

enables our customers to create the

group, and that too has attracted an

those browsing online to find what they are looking for. The Trends section of

the website, for example, has ‘Colour

Crush’ sections so people looking for a particular shade of wallpaper can find tons of inspiration.

They can also discover what is popular with other customers too.

This is a website that opens up a whole new world of all-over patterns. One

example that is currently trending is the stunning Morris & Co’s Willow Boughs wallpaper, which has been given a

fresh new green on ecru colouring.

Recoloured from the original archive

design it is one of many new takes on the Morris classic patterns. Stunning.

With luxury patterns from pedigree

30 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

offering over 20,000 wallpapers and

day delivery. The fact that we also sell

Across the UK, we have 1,500 workers,”

as complimenting/co-ordinating fabrics

send out thousands of wallpaper

whole look, which is really important”

samples and orders every week.”

She added: “Brewers is a growing

The Brewers group of companies has roots that date back to 1904 when the Brewer

business with 190 stores and currently

family started a decorators’ merchants.

We are moving further North and

The company is also proud to be a

established in 1904 in Eastbourne,

decorating materials to the Queen and

opening a new store every month. into Wales. Still a family business

Royal Warrant holder and supplies

the company prides itself on being

her residences.

multiple brands and great service.

Website: wallpaperdirect.com

“We understand that every customer

@designerpaintuk

the first choice for decorating with

is different. And, of course, one of the beauties of wallpaper is that you can feel you are being unique and ‘make your home your own’. We are proud to offer the worlds widest choice of

Social: @wallpaperdirect and

Since 1999

Brilliant BLUE

wallpaperdirect.com designerpaint.com

Make your home your own www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 31 Coordonne / Kerry Caffyn / Sanderson Exclusive / 1838 / Paint: Earthborn

T ECH S PO NS O R

The Race to Net Zero

On June 9th, Silicon Brighton hosted its first sustainability-themed Business Leaders event at Plus X Brighton. It showed SMEs how to get to grips with the challenge. www.sas.org.uk

In the year after

Tech

the UK hosted

COP 26, business

communities have been stepping up

action to tackle the climate crisis.

Whilst large corporations have been

vocal about net zero pledges, the 99% of UK businesses that are classed

as SMEs have been grappling with the terminology, complex carbon

measurement and implementation of net zero plans.

One thing is clear: The Race to Zero

is a race we either all lose or all win -

and we only win when the last person crosses the line.

Silicon Brighton partnered with Low Carbon Leaders to programme our speakers that equally inspired and

educated the audience to take action

for their businesses that will have a big impact on saving the planet.

32 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Living Beyond Our Planet’s Resources

The situation is bleak and with

widely now that it is easy to lose sight of

slower than is needed. The context of

means the ability to “maintain or support

to the business community about what

That word “sustainability” – it is used so

governments all over The World acting

what it actually means. As a definition, it

our evening was set with a rallying call

a system or process over time”.

more can be done.

How unsustainable is our current

Collective Action Works

The 28th July 2022 is this year’s “Earth

night who has a track record of taking

day has been modelled every year

As co-founder of the Surfers Against

scientists and represents the day

more recently Director of The Eden

biological resources to sustain our

and radical belief in protecting our

Polman, ex-CEO of Unilever and

opened hearts and minds from the

way of life?

Step up our keynote speaker for the

Overshoot Day”. Since the 1970’s this

action for the planet - Chris Hines, MBE.

from data gathered by environmental

Sewage movement in the 1990s and

by which humans have used up the

Project, Chris’s infectious enthusiasm

way of life for a whole year. As Paul

natural world from human destruction

author of Net Positive, puts it: “Every

moment he took to the stage.

days in 2022) we are in planetary

Chris recounted the tragedy of ocean

be regenerated. That’s 156 days that

in his local area in Cornwall were

future generations.”

sanitary waste.

day after Earth Overshoot Day (156

deficit, using up resources that won’t

pollution 30 years ago, when beaches

we are stealing from the planet and

filled with raw, untreated sewage and

TEC H SP ON SO R

Surfers Against Sewage achieved

notoriety and huge support as they

took on the water companies and the government in an era where online

petitions didn’t exist and direct action

involved turning up to Westminster in a

wetsuit and gas mask carrying a 20 foot inflatable turd to make their point.

The movement used the media to apply pressure on the perpetrators of the

ocean sewage scandal and not only

achieved success with UK Government legislation passed but even got a faceto-face meeting with the head of the European Parliament.

One thing is clear from the Surfers

Against Sewage story…collective action can succeed against all the odds. Never doubt the power of a small group of

determined people to change the world for the better.

And so, we can translate this story to the SME business community in Brighton and beyond. It takes strong will,

perseverance and co-ordinated planning to achieve real impact.

We Have The Solutions

Chris’s final point was in stark contrast to how the climate crisis is often portrayed

in the media. “Don’t be fooled…we have

all the solutions we need to tackle climate change and WE WILL WIN. It just takes

enough people to stand up and act. And that means everyone here…from today.”

With hearts beating hard at the prospect of playing a part in solving the biggest

challenge of our times, our expert panel

took to the stage to provide insights and knowledge to our audience about how

they, as individuals and businesses, can take action straight away.

Panelists:

Zoë Osmond – Director of Clean Growth UK – green innovation accelerators at the University of Brighton

Ben Knight – Head of Sustainability fin-

acceleration of business action.

James Manktelow – Green Angel

perspective and shared how increasingly

tech pioneers GoCardless

James Manktelow provided an investor’s

Syndicate investor and founder / ex-

the investor community are moving

CEO of mindtools.com

away from fossil fuel and carbon

A fascinating 45-minute discussion

green transformation that supports the

measurement and reduction, going

His syndicate seeks out pioneering tech

challenge is more than just carbon

positive IP and a resilient business

intensive businesses and fuelling the

covered key areas of carbon

transition to a low carbon economy.

beyond net zero, recognising the climate

businesses that have strong, climate

emissions and fighting for climate justice

model to scale.

least damage but are on the front line

One Piece of Advice

global south.

providing a single piece of advice for the

Zoë Osmond shared information about

came shining out were:

360 (https://www.clean-growth.uk/

Do something now… however small -

workshops, a free carbon calculator tool

Work with others. No-one is an expert at

on behalf of those who have done the

of the impact of climate change in the

a new service for SMEs called Net Zero net-zero-360/) which offers free online

Our evening ended with each speaker

businesses in the room. The themes that

just get started

and access to funding and expertise

climate action and collaboration is key.

innovation and R&D support.

We have the solutions to solve this

There is also a local grant scheme

Don’t let perfect be the enemy of

Kent that match-funds up to £10,000

doing nothing.

solar panels and retrofitting office

The conversation ended where we

from Brighton University to provide

(https://locase.co.uk/) in Sussex and towards eco initiatives like installing

buildings to lower carbon emissions.

Ben Knight shared the progress

problem. Take a positive approach

good. Doing something is better than

began - with Chris Hines delivering the last rallying call:

GoCardless have made in the

“Imagine you are waiting on your

measurement and company policies to

day and you see it coming… paddle like

included employees being given “smart

you catch it - if you don’t you could miss

from home working and a new business

Our future depends on it.”

transition to net zero including carbon

surfboard to catch the best wave of the

support low carbon solutions. These

your life depends on it and make sure

plugs” to reduce energy consumption

the ride of your life and get left behind.

travel policy to reduce air travel.

Written by Sam Zindel, Founder of Low

He shared the TechZero free net zero

Carbon Leaders , Managing Director of

pdf/technation-techzerotoolkit-v1.pdf)

- Race to Net Zero event.

our audience to sign up to the TechZero

You can watch Chris Hines’ keynote

passion is to “open source sustainability”

Silicon Brighton’s YouTube channel:

toolkit (https://techzero.technation.io/

which he has helped produce and invited

Propellernet and host of Silicon Brighton

pledge (https://techzero.technation.io/). His

speech and the panel discussion on

and is focused on collaboration and

https://youtube.com/SiliconBrighton

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 33

CH A RITY S PO NS O R

The Sussex Beacon - specialist care and support for people living with HIV The Sussex Beacon is a local charity that has been providing specialist care and support for people living with HIV for the last 30 years.

Their services

Charity

promote

independence and

improve health and

wellbeing by providing

inpatient and outpatient support.

Working from their centre in Brighton, The Sussex Beacon comprises a 10-

bed inpatient unit, therapy rooms and larger rooms for group work. There is

34 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

also a landscaped garden for patients and visitors to enjoy all year round.

The aim is to provide high-quality care and support in a friendly, homely and inclusive environment.

The Sussex Beacon’s services have

been needed more than ever in the last few years and the charity has ensured

that they have been constantly available, offering support, care and practical help

to people across Sussex. Their service users face daily challenges, whether that be physical or mental ill health,

social isolation or being stigmatised in

their community. Many have stated that

without The Sussex Beacon, they would have nowhere to go.

It is the only specialist inpatient unit

for people living with HIV in the South East and the unique service is open

C HA R I TY SP O N SO R

365 days of the year, creating a haven

can to help people living with HIV.

free place within Team Beacon at the

they need.

How to get involved

sponsorship funds raised being added

#BeMoreJill

#BeMoreJill? The Sussex Beacon would

in which patients can receive the help

To celebrate 30 years since its foundation, The Sussex Beacon has teamed up

with one of its lovely patrons, Jill Nalder, creating a #BeMoreJill campaign.

Jill was the inspiration behind Russell T Davies’ hit show ‘It’s A Sin’, which

was aired on Channel 4 last year. The

show follows a group of friends facing

the HIV epidemic whilst living in London in the ’80s. The character Jill (based

on her real-life namesake) shows deep compassion and care whilst helping both her loved ones and complete

strangers, who are facing an unknown

illness at a time when few others would.

The public fell in love with the person

they saw on their screens each week, and as a result #BeMoreJill began

trending on Twitter each time an episode was released. It was a call to arms,

encouraging the rest of us to act with

the same level of kindness as Jill herself.

Would you like your company to

love for you to get involved, and they

have loads of ideas of how you can do it.

Collection Tins

• They will provide your business with a

collection tin, to collect funds that you

raise. They will credit you £10 per month towards your total initially and for each time they swap it for a new one.

Fundraising Events

• Their fundraising team would be delighted to help you set up a

to take on the challenge of doing all they

how your organisation could #BeMoreJill – the more creative the better!

Your hard work won’t go unrewarded – if you raise…

£1,000, you will receive a table at one of the popular Beacon comedy nights with

meals and drinks included as well as social media coverage promoting your support.

WestEnders, including a “meet &

Volunteer

• Volunteer for them and for each hour

a fabulous show featuring The

greet” with Jill Nalder and social media

coverage of your organisation’s support.

of time provided (in the shops, at an

£5,000 you will receive a table at

credit you £10 towards your total.

WestEnders, including a “meet & greet”

event, or at the main centre) they will

Donate to our shops

• Simply donate an item to one of their

£5 towards your total.

local companies to “get on board” and

from you if you have any other ideas of

at fundraising@sussexbeacon.org.uk

they decided to help maintain Jill’s

#BeMoreJill. This year, they are asking

The Sussex Beacon would love to hear

£3,000 you will receive a table at

service users. Simply contact the team

two shops and for each item in good

caring message, by asking people to

to your total.

fundraising event, to benefit their

When the real Jill came on board

as a patron of The Sussex Beacon,

Brighton Half Marathon 2023, with the

condition donated they will credit you

Brighton Half Marathon 2023

• Each company joining The Sussex

Beacon to #BeMoreJill will receive a

a fabulous show featuring The

with Jill Nalder, social media coverage of your organisation’s support, and a video endorsement of your business by Jill!

Would you like to sign your

organisation up to #BeMoreJill, or

would like to know more? Please email fundraising@sussexbeacon.org.uk and they will be happy to chat and answer any of your questions.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 35

CH A RITY S PO NS O R

52 x 52 Triathlon Challenge

SBT’s Sam Thomas caught up with Rob Starr, Founder and Chairman of the Starr Trust charity, to see how he’s fairing with his extreme year-long 52 x 52 Triathlon Challenge.

An Olympic Distance

Charity

Triathlon every

week for 52 weeks

during 2022 to raise money for local

young people struggling to overcome roadblocks in their lives. Rob is more than half-way to completing his

challenge, having ticked off an amazing 34 out of his 52 challenges to date. He plans to double up some weeks to be finished by the end of November.

Sam Thomas said: “I believe in life,

we meet people who have a profound impact on us, change our lives and

inspire us to in many ways. For me, Rob Starr is one of those people. I

have heard Rob’s story in the past,

about his business journey, why he started the Starr Trust and many

of his previous challenges such as

swimming the channel, Ironman Long Distance Triathlon and many more,

but, after doing the cover story at the beginning of the year and getting to know this amazing individual, I am

simply in awe of his incredible mindset and feel lucky to now call him a friend.

When I met him for a sea swim, he had been suffering with his sciatic pain

but didn’t let that beat him and, rather than the 1500 metres he needed to

swim, we actually swam over 2.5km.

This amazing challenge he has set

himself is quite an incredible feat and, over 60% of the way, he is getting

closer to his target. If you are yet to

sponsor or support him, I urge all our

members and readers to do so. Keep going mate, you are smashing it.”

Rob Starr said: “Now being over 60% into the challenge, I finally realise how

difficult it is; clearly I am a slow learner!

The hardest part has been trying to

keep injury-free, which has not always been possible, and then carrying on

regardless of the pain. The other tough

part about the challenge is definitely the mental aspect rather than the physical;

having to push forward no matter how I

feel. When Sam surprised me by joining me for my sea swim one morning after

my sciatic nerve started playing up, we swam pier to pier and back – Sam’s

furthest sea swim ever. I was so happy to have his company and support -

Sam truly is a good friend. So far we have raised just over £50,000 of our

£100,000 target. The amazing money

we are raising is already changing the lives of so many young people and

along the way I am becoming the fittest

I have ever been. That’s a win-win in my book. Absolutely no regrets at all.”

Find out more about getting involved as a business or sponsoring: enquiries@starrtrust.org Or visit: www.starrtrust.org

36 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

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www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 37

N ETWO RKI NG & EVE NTS S P ON S OR

Best of British Events, London On July 8th we attended another fantastic Best of British event, this time at the London Waldorf Astoria.

It was held in the

Networking & Events

iconic Palm Court,

which was amazing, and the food was

simply excellent. The

guest speaker was cricketing legend Phil Tufnell, who entertained the guests with cricket stories, career anecdotes, what it’s like to be a captain on Question of

Sport, plus secrets from I’m a Celebrity!

The event raised thousands of pounds

for The Starr Trust – and it was great to hear from fundraising manager Tracey

Starr as well as a heart-felt talk from the charity’s ambassador, Jason Burrell.

The was event was sponsored by Britton and Time Solicitors. Co-

sponsors included RubixVT, FRP

Advisory, DevAssist and FirmBalls ,

who were all thanked by Best of British founder Ryan Heal. He said: “These

38 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

events don’t happen without sponsors

the last year at the many fantastic events

and partners, and we are truly grateful

they have delivered across Sussex and

for their support.”

up to London.

Sam Stephenson was there to

From this, they announced that from

amazing shots, some of which you can

not only raised awareness of many

Best of British website. Once again, the

events have exceeded OVER £100,000!

partner for the fundraiser.

It is a true honour and privilege for SBT

If you missed this event, please

see the difference they make across our

British Events to book one of the last

fantastic charities.

events featuring Jeff Stelling and Bob

To learn more, visit bestofbritish.org.uk

photograph the day. He took some

July last year to date their events have

see in this feature as well as more on the

charities, but the funds raised at those

Sussex Business Times was the media

register for 2023 or contact Best of

tables for the Gatwick and Eastbourne Champion, respectively.

It has been quite an amazing seven months being involved with Best of

British Events. We recently caught up

with Ryan Heal to take a look back over

to support these amazing events and county and beyond through so many

N ETWO R K I N G & EV EN TS SP O N SO R

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 39

N ETWO RKI NG & EVE NTS S P ON S OR

Westgate Chambers bring staff and clients together for an event with a difference hosted by team Dasaki Westgate Chambers are one of County Business Clubs’ newest Value Added Partners - and they are celebrating their 35th anniversary year in 2022.

Stuart Taylor, Deputy

Networking & Events

Senior Clerk, and I have known each

other for many years

and when Stuart was

looking to host an event with a difference, where he could engage staff and invite

clients to help build strong relationships, they decided to team up with Dasaki to deliver a Greek Cypriot cooking class.

In July, six members of the team and six

clients from various solicitors’ firms across the county including Goodman Ray, Gaby

Hardwicke, Stowe Family Law, and Britton & Time, attended the Community Kitchen

on Queens Road in Brighton where Uncle George and I shared four of our family recipes that have been passed down through generations.

We started with Koupebia, stuffed vines leaves but with a vegan twist. Teams of

40 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

three to four worked together making

After the cooking had finished, the

whilst sharing a glass of wine or two.

Cypriot Family-style and enjoyed the

the sauce, rolling the vine leaves - all

Whilst the vines leaves where cooking, the

teams all sat around the table in true dishes they had prepared.

teams made a traditional Greek Cypriot

Stuart Taylor said: “It was a wonderful

yoghurt, lemon, cucumber, garlic and mint

food, with new and existing clients to

dip called Tzatziki, which combines Greek

evening making traditional Greek

with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Chambers. Good fun was had by all and

Stuart continually mixed the pairings

and with full stomachs.”

get to know each other. For the final

To find our more about Dasaki, visit

vegetarian and meat eaters and made

To book a team-building event, email

at each dish so staff and clients could

everyone left with a smile on their faces

dishes, the teams separated into

www.dasaki.co.uk to view the recipes.

separate pasta dishes.

info@dasaki.co.uk

The vegetarian dish was Village Macaroni,

To find out more about Westgate Chambers,

a very simple macaroni dish cooked in

visit https://westgate-chambers.co.uk

mint. The meat dish was Pasta Pastourma,

To find out more about the Community

Greek Cypriot sausage and coriander.

cookery-school/

vegetable stock with Haloumi cheese and pasta with fresh plum tomatoes, spicy

Kitchen, visit https://bhfood.org.uk/

N ETWO R K I N G & EV EN TS SP O N SO R

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 41

August a quiet month to network?

Think again.

Bradley Hatchett, Founder of Network My Club, explores this further to help you avoid going through a networking lull this month.

August. A funny old

Networking & Events

month for networking, I’ve noticed it can go one of two ways.

Here’s my take.

Firstly, it’s hard to predict. Network My

Club have had really busy August events in the past, as well as quieter ones (and

I exclude 2020 as I’ve tried to erase that from memory).

42 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

What I’ve noticed is; you’ve got one side that takes that time to rest, take a break

from networking, go on holiday, schools are off etc. And that’s great, it’s very healthy and I applaud it.

I too will be. A sangria in the Seville sun is calling my name now!

But you’ve also got the other side who

have a little bit more time. Perhaps their clients are away so they have more

availability to go out networking. Or,

maybe, their business and industry does naturally get quieter.

Meaning? These people are far more proactive in this period than they usually would be.

And there’s no right or wrong way.

But what I’ve learned is, ultimately, you’ll

make August whatever you decide it to be.

N ETWO R K I N G & EV EN TS SP O N SO R

Bradley Hatchett

If you are saying it’s a dead month,

nothing happens and you can’t wait until September when the world comes back to life. Guess what? It’ll be exactly that.

But if you say it’s a month to explore

opportunity, a chance to get out there a bit more and tap into areas or your

network that are little quieter. It will be that too.

August follows a busy networking

period. I’ve never seen so many events

take place during a period than between April and July this year.

Use it to evaluate your networking

activity, following up on new people you met and conversations you had.

It also falls before a notoriously busy

networking and event period through

September-November. There is a real ‘back to networking’ feel and focus

amongst business owners to finish the year strong before Christmas.

So, you can use August to take the

A ‘quieter’ August for Network My

time to get a running start on that. Use

Club includes:

different areas of your business or refine

• 1 x in-person event

it to strengthen relationships, develop your focus for networking.

It will ensure you are not going into September from a standing start.

• 3 x online meetups

• 4 x 60 minute Networking & Sales Masterclass Series

The latter will arm members with the

And, yes, I appreciate school holidays

tools and knowledge to use August as

with children. But the world and way of

month ahead of September.

does not become such a barrier either.

Yes, there aren’t as many networking

You don’t need to be at physical events

opportunities to network.

are opportunities in:

Unearth new opportunities this August

•A ttending virtual events - network

attending a Network My Club event

• Setting up virtual meetings

www.networkmyclub.co.uk.

make it difficult for business owners

networking has evolved to ensure that

to network and grow in August. There

from anywhere

that planning, improvement and growth

events in August. But there are plenty of

or kickstart your September by near you. Find us at

• Visiting clients or prospects

• Webinars - swat up on some skills • Building connections with your LinkedIn network

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 43

N ETWO RKI NG & EVE NTS S P ON S OR

Interview with Mike Monk

Mike Monk’s business career has spanned more than three decades.

He is a sales,

Networking & Events

networking and expo expert and has been a franchisee and

franchisor. He ran

Monk Marketing for many years, set up

Advantage Business Mentoring in 2020 and launched the Brighton and Hove Business Show earlier this year.

Tell us a bit about you and your story?

My father died when I was 13 and it had a big impact on me. I’d always wanted to go into sales from a young age and

my uncle had an office supply shop in

Brighton, called IT Office. I approached him and said could I come in on a

Saturday and learn how to sell type -

that’s how long ago it was, typewriters.

One Saturday, they decided to leave me alone for a couple of hours,

looking after the shop. I was 15. This

44 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

couple came in and I thought ‘Here

we go, here’s your chance’. To cut a

long story short, there was a particular type of typewriter, it was new from Italy, and I immediately steered

them towards that one - and I ended up selling them two. That was the beginning of my career in selling.

Did you envisage from a young age

that sales would lead you to run your own business?

I worked in the rag trade and travelled

across the South of England. I was then headhunted by a company that printed T-shirts. They had a shop in Church

Road, Hove. They took me down to the

basement and asked if I’d be interested

in selling T-shirts. I said I’d give it a try. I went to an English language centre and a golf range, and they ended up buying 500 T-shirts. I joined the company as sales director.

Carnaby Street was still very popular back then. I thought there must be

some good potential clients, so I got

on the train and went up to London. I

went in and out of shops - it was ‘No,

no, no’... After four hours, I thought I’d go and get a coffee - it was driving me

mad and it started to rain. I was sitting there, having a coffee, and thought ‘I don’t think I’ve been in that shop

over there’. One more shop before I

go back. I went over and introduced

myself and the guy said: “Actually, the boss is upstairs. I’ll go and see if he

wants to see you.” He owned 18 shops in and around London - a huge retailer - including Oxford Street. All the main places. He ended up spending a

quarter of a million pounds with us that year. That’s the thing about sales - you should never give up.

What has been your biggest challenge

and tell us about how the past two years

Brighton and Hove Business Show-93.JPG 2,100×3,150 pixels.pdf Saved to Dropbox • 26 Jun 2022 at 22:03

N ETWO R K I N G & EV EN TS SP O N SO R Brighton and Hove Business Show-91.JPG 3,150×2,100 pixels.pdf Saved to Dropbox • 26 Jun 2022 at 22:03

have impacted the expo business?

Radio 1’s Smiley Miley Roadshow.

wife has been very supportive.

It has not all been plain sailing. I had

As long as my family is happy and

What does the future hold for

a very bad time in the late 80s. I was

comfortable, that is success to me.

Mike Monk?

business and interest rates hit 18 per

How important was culture in that

I’ve already got the dates for next year’s

had young children. It was a really tough

advice do you give your clients

and I’m going to surprise the exhibitors

running my own promotional clothing cent. It wiped me out. I lost my money, I

franchise model? As a mentor, what

time. I said to my wife: “We will be back

about culture?

have to set yourself a target.

Training was ongoing. I would have them

The pandemic was very challenging.

days going around with them, then I’d

give to your 18-year-old self?

sitting there, looking out the window

country - so they could see how T-shirts

Listen more, especially to advice.

‘How about a virtual exhibition?’ So, in

all the time: “If you do things like this,

Who has been your biggest inspiration

within three years.” And we were. You

down here with me, then I’d spend a few

show. It’s going to be bigger and better, with a little event at a hotel a couple of weeks before which I will fund.

What one piece of advice would you

There were no events. Again, I was

take them on factory tours around the

in my office at home, and thought

and mugs are printed. I instilled in them

partnership, I put on an exhibition. We

you will be successful.”

throughout your journey and why?

much financial reward in it, because we

It’s all about instilling confidence in people.

Sir Alan Sugar - a very smart guy and a

the ball rolling. I’d never heard of Zoom

Being honest is important, and I cannot

And collaboration is something I’ve

transparent. Having people who are

had 20 to 30 exhibitors. There wasn’t

didn’t charge very much, but it just kept

fantastic salesman.

before the pandemic. I now have Zoom!

stress that enough, as well as being

Could you recommend a business

really bought into.

interested in your business is key.

had an impact on you and

What has been your career highlight

You have been married for many years

to you?

created a work-life balance?

and what does success look like

and are a family man, how have you

My career highlights were building my

It’s good now but it hasn’t always

that client in London in the pouring rain.

40,000 miles a year. You’ve got to pay

contract to supply 60,000 T-shirts for

is a really tough time - it’s full on. My

book or podcast for our readers that your career?

Two books - How To Win Friends and

Influence People by Dale Carnegie and

Think And Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.

franchise without question and winning

been like that. I used to travel 30 to

Websites:

Another career highlight was winning the

the bills. The build-up to the exhibition

advantagebusinessmentoring.co.uk

brightonandhovebusinessshow.uk

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 45

N ETWO RKI NG & EVE NTS S P ON S OR

Big Business Breakfast Club

For the up-coming Big Business Breakfast, the sponsor will be the Cyber Resilience Centre for the South East.

The cyber resilience

Networking & Events

centre for the South East is a policeled partnership

with academia and

businesses aimed at improving cyber

resilience in business in the South East of England.

Using a combination of police officers and cyber talent, the cyber resilience

centre for the SE supports and helps

protect small businesses, SMES and

supply chain businesses as well as third

sector organisations in the region against cyber-crime. A new line, covering the

areas of the Thames Valley, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, West

Sussex, East Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, sees the resilience centre work with local universities and police forces, providing access to the latest

local as well as national information on

emerging cyberthreats, criminal trends,

46 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

best practise for cyber resilience and new

Peer support is the cornerstone of

guidance to prepare and protect their

and national events to bring survivors

from cybercriminals.

and networks to support them through

technology to provide people with timely

COPS’ work. The charity arranges local

businesses comment staff and clients

together, where they build friendships

The cyber resilience centre for the SE

the good times and bad.

has chosen UK COPS as their chosen

COPS also provides specialist counselling

month’s BBBC.

its two partner organisations, Winston’s

Care of Police Survivors (COPS) was

opportunity to talk through their feelings.

Fulton MBE and the late Jim McNulty, a

This month’s event takes place on Friday

charity and it is the beneficiary of this

founded in 2003 by survivor Christine

support to bereaved families through

Wish and Red Arc, giving survivors the

Strathclyde Police Detective.

the 19th of August at the County Cricket

Care of Police Survivors provides peer

is Grace Prior, from Silicon Beach, joined

counselling services to help surviving

of Marketing 101

shattered lives.

Tickets can be purchased here: https://

It supports families of police officers

We look forward to welcoming you later

support opportunities and access to

family members (‘survivors’) rebuild their

who have lost their lives on duty.

Ground in Hove. Our speaker for August

by our regular marketing guru Alex Ryan,

www.bigbusinessbreakfastclub.co.uk/ this month.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 47

Join us for our Rockinghorse Charity Golf Day 2022 Thursday 29 September Mid Sussex Golf Club £350 per team of 4 players To book contact the team on:

01273 330 044 Amanda@rockinghorse.org.uk

Sponsored by 48 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Media Sponsor

N ETWO R K I N G & EV EN TS SP O N SO R

Boundary Club The boundary club is

Networking & Events

Sussex cricket’s own unique networking

and membership club

where business meets

cricket, hosted on the boundary s edge.

Julys Guest speaker was the very inspirational Floyd Steadman

Floyd was one of the first Black

Business has a story to tell. Networking on its own is not always enough but to understand the people you are connecting with.

I was fortunate enough to sit on a table

where great conversations were happening with people I had never met. This

conversation enabled us to learn a lot from each other from sharing our stories.

Stephen, Mr Taxi Man alias Skin Wig, sold eggs and bacon to Paul in London Road market.

And Dan Richards (Acumen) works for my neighbour.

This is the opening paragraph of the County Business Clubs manifesto and I believe encapsulates this event and why it is at the heart of what we do and what we believe.

rugby captains and the UK’s first

Our Table: Our Story

sector. Steadman, a former rugby

Sally Waite (Harbour Hotels) grew up

All business is symbiotic in nature.

hundreds of miles from where born.

You can be inspiring your peers

black headteacher in the independent scrum-half, captained Saracens in

the 1980s taking them to the brink of Glory against the Wasps. Aside from his rugby career, Floyd has also had

a successful career within education, climbing the ladder.

This particular Boundary, for me,

completely underpinned our core values at County Business Clubs, that every

where my brothers now live even though

Will Farthing (Rubix) grew up down

the road from where we currently live.

Paul Kendrick (Kendrick Property

Services) back in the day went to roller discos with Sally and also attended at the same time.

one day, learning from them the next.

In the end, people buy people.

That makes sharing our stories the most compelling way to connect with one another.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 49

MOTO RI NG N E WS S P ON S OR

Mapped: Average Brit Spends £3,800 Per Year on Driving

With rising fuel costs, insurance premium hikes and the eye-watering price of parking, the pleasure of driving doesn’t come cheap.

But how much are

Motoring News

Brits spending every

year? We researched the average cost

of insurance, fuel,

parking, tolls, repairs, servicing, and

road tax in the 50 most populous areas of the UK.

The data reveals that British drivers spend a huge £3,800 per year, on

average – and that’s without buying the car itself.

Read on for the full breakdown of our research as we uncover the

50 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

cheapest and most expensive places to drive a car.

City of Westminster is the most

expensive to drive in, costing £8.7k per year

It’s no surprise that the London borough is the most expensive place to drive in

the UK at £8,722 per year – that’s £4,922 more than the average.

A large chunk of this comes from the London Congestion Charge, costing

£15 a day to drive through the capital’s busiest areas.

But even without the Congestion

Charge, the City of Westminster is still

the most expensive place to drive in. It’s also the priciest place to park overall, costing a huge £3,684 each year.

Liverpool follows as the second-most expensive city, costing drivers £5.5k each year

Commuters in Liverpool won’t be

happy to hear that it’s the second-most expensive city in the UK to drive in,

costing £5,505 per year, including a

whopping £2,780 on parking and £600 on insurance, on average.

MOTO R I N G N EWS SP ON SO R

Our research also shows that drivers who

travel through the Mersey Tunnels will pay £683 per year when travelling to the city

centre four days per week (accounting for one day working from home).

Edinburgh takes third place thanks to pricey parking

Parking in Edinburgh city centre will seriously set you back, costing a

massive £3,483 per year – higher

than any other area, bar the City of Westminster.

Outside its pricey parking, however, we also found that Edinburgh’s insurance

prices aren’t so high compared to other areas at £472, and there are no major tolls to pay.

But if you do want a spot in the city

centre, you’ll need to fork out. The huge cost of parking means that Edinburgh

is the third-most expensive city on our list, costing £5,390 annually.

Leicester revealed as the most

expensive city for insurance, setting you back £955

Breaking down the data, we looked closely at average insurance prices

across the UK. We found that Leicester is the most expensive city overall,

costing £955 per year on average.

It costs over £3k per year to park in these UK areas

Commuters who want to cut back in the City of Westminster, Edinburgh

and Islington might want to consider car parking costs. Drivers could be spending over £3k to park in these

areas each year, with a huge £3,684 in Westminster, £3,483 in Edinburgh and

From toll roads and tunnels to the latest Clean Air Zone charges, some will have to shell out more than others to drive within the UK road network.

We researched the charges from toll

roads, bridges and tunnels, London’s

Congestion and ULEZ zone, plus Clean Air Zones to reveal how much drivers spend each year. Our calculation

considers Brits working four days per

week in the area’s centre and one day working from home.

Thanks to the London Congestion

Charge, the City of Westminster is the most expensive area at

a whopping £3,015 per year.

Birmingham follows, thanks to the

newer Clean Air Zone charge, totalling around £1,608 annually.

Crawley is the cheapest area to

drive in the UK – a third cheaper than the average

It’s not all doom and gloom for drivers, though, as we can also reveal the cheapest places in the UK.

With low costs on insurance, fuel, parking and no tolls, the town of

Crawley is the cheapest overall, costing £2,618 annually – that’s £1,182 less than the UK average of £3,800 (or almost a third lower at 31% less).

Dudley is the cheapest place to park at just £615 per year

Coming second overall in our study, we found that the market town of Dudley costs only £2,719 to drive in. It’s also

offers and find an affordable deal on your next brand-new car?

Methodology

We researched the average cost of

insurance, fuel, parking, tolls, repairs, servicing and road tax in the 50 most populous areas of the UK.

Insurance costs were calculated by

collecting quotes using a profile of the

average UK driver. The only factor which changed while researching insurance quotes was the driver’s postcode to determine the policy price in each central area.

The cheapest petrol prices were

recorded and cost determined using

the average UK mileage of 7,400 miles per year.

Car parking costs were calculated

using the average of the three cheapest

spaces in the location’s centre according to JustPark. This was based on parking four days per week to account for those

working from home, based on Office for National Statistics data.

Tolls, congestion and Clean Air Zone costs are recorded by charges from

that area according to the RAC, driving

four days per week to account for those working from home.

Repairs, servicing and road tax are based on the UK averages, which

do not change as these factors are

mostly dependent on a person’s car, not location.

the cheapest place to park, costing only

Our data was collected in May 2022.

centre on weekdays.

request a callback at a time that

£615 annually to leave your car in the

£3,007 in Islington.

Find more motoring studies and news in

The most expensive driving charges in

the rising cost of fuel plus the cheapest

the UK – from tolls to Clean Air Zones

Why not browse our latest car leasing

Get in touch on 01273 433 480, or suits you.

the Rivervale blog, including advice on cars to insure.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 51

MOTO RI NG N E WS S P ON S OR

UK Electric Vehicle Grants & Initiatives The plug-in car grant (PiCG) scheme was launched in 2011. Its purpose was to reduce the cost of buying or leasing an electric car.

Motoring News

The PiCG was always a temporary initiative, with government funding only made available until 2022/2023.

Reductions in the size of the grant, and the choice of vehicles available to purchase under it, had minimal impact on rapidly increasing sales, or on the ever-growing range of electric vehicle models being manufactured.

As a result, the existing scheme was closed to new orders from 14 June 2022, after supporting the sale of almost half a million electric cars.

The UK government is now committed to refocusing funding to tackle some of the key barriers to achieving successful EV transition. The new objectives include: • Expanding the public chargepoint network. £1.6billion has already been invested in the UK’s public chargepoint network, with further investment planned.

• Supporting the purchase of eight different types of plug-in vehicle, including low-emission electric vans, motorcycles and wheelchair-accessible vehicles (such as minibuses).

It is hoped that the new plans will make it easier and cheaper for businesses and individuals to achieve zero emission travel.

Battery and hybrid electric vehicles (EVs) account for over 50% of all new cars sold, while sales of fully electric cars have increased by 70% during the past year. 1 in 6 cars being driven on UK roads is an electric car.

Read on to learn more about the latest

52 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

government initiatives to help you save money when you buy or lease an electric or plug-in vehicle.

Government discount for brand-new low-emission vehicles in 2022 Certain brand-new low-emission vehicles will be available at a discounted price, through a grant the government pays to vehicle manufacturers and dealerships.

If you are considering buying or leasing one of these vehicles, there is no special process to follow. The price you pay to buy or lease the vehicle will reflect the value of the grant.

Eight vehicle categories are included in the scheme: • Small trucks • Large trucks • Taxis • Small vans • Large vans • Motorcycles • Mopeds • Wheelchair-accessible vehicles A full list of eligible vehicles is available on the government website.

Rivervale Leasing offers lease deals for a number of eligible vehicles, including small vans, large vans, and minibuses.

When leasing an eligible vehicle, instead of the value of the grant being deducted as a single lump sum, your savings will be spread out across the term of the lease.

For example, if you choose a vehicle that is eligible for a grant of £2,500, and you choose a 36-month lease deal, you could save approximately £83 per month.

The value of the grant available will vary according to which category your

preferred vehicle falls into. The grant does not cover all low-emission vehicles; it is only available for vehicles approved by the government.

Small vans Eligible vehicles in the ‘small vans’ category have a gross vehicle weight of under 2,500 kilograms, co2 emissions below 50g/km, and can travel a minimum distance of 96km (60 miles) without emissions.

The following vehicles are eligible in the small vans category: • Citroën e-Berlingo • Maxus eDeliver 3 (short wheel base variants) • Nextem Orca • Nissan e-NV200 • Nissan Voltia • Peugeot e-Partner • Renault Kangoo ZE • Renault Zoe Van • Toyota Proace City Electric • Vauxhall Combo-e The grant can be used to pay for 35% of the purchase price for a small van, up to a maximum total grant of £2,500.

Businesses are entitled to receive a maximum of 1000 plug-in van and truck grants per year. The limit resets on 1 April each year.

Large vans Vehicles in this category have a gross vehicle weight between 2,500kg and 4,250kg, co2 emissions below 50g/km, and are able to travel a minimum distance of 96km (60 miles) without emissions.

The following vehicles are eligible in the large vans category: • BD Auto eTraffic • BD e-Boxer

MOTO R I N G N EWS SP ON SO R

• BD e-Ducato • BD e-Relay • Citroën e-Dispatch • Citroën e-Relay • DFSK EC35 • Fiat e-Ducato • Fiat E-Scudo • Ford E-Transit (Leader) • Ford E-Transit (Trend) • LEVC VN5 • MAN eTGE • Maxus eDeliver 3 • Maxus eDeliver 3 LWB Chassis Cab • Maxus eDeliver 9 • Maxus eDeliver 9 MC L3 Chassis Cab • Maxus eDeliver 9 LC L4 Chassis Cab • Mercedes-Benz eVito • Mercedes-Benz eVito Premium • Mercedes-Benz eVito Progressive • Mercedes eSprinter • Peugeot e-Boxer • Peugeot e-Expert • Renault Master ZE (3.1 and 3.5 tonnes) • Renault Trucks Master ZE • Toyota Proace Electric • Vauxhall Vivaro-e • Volkswagen ABT e-Transporter • LDV EV80

more reliable public charge points. The government has committed to installing 10 percent more EV chargers on public streets by 2030.

The grant can be used to pay 35% of the total purchase price, up to a maximum ceiling of £5,000.

What are the benefits of the Workplace Charging Scheme?

• Available to any business, including charities and public bodies • Claim for up to 40 charging points • Save over £1000 per year in employee fuel costs across 10,000 miles • Reduce benefit-in-kind tax for company cars • A chieve sustainability goals (here’s why electric cars are better for the environment)

Businesses and organisations will be entitled to claim up to 1000 plug-in van and truck grants every year. This allowance resets on 1 April each year.

What are the benefits of running an electric vehicle?

Driving an electric vehicle often leads to significant savings when compared with petrol or diesel counterparts, and the savings are often higher than the current value of the grants. What’s more, electric vehicle drivers enjoy generous incentives, including lower company car tax rates, and zero road tax, which could save more than £2,000 per year.

Aside from lower running and refuelling costs (as low as just 2p per mile), a steady increase in cheaper, faster, and

The motor industry has also taken steps to encourage drivers to choose greener vehicles. More than 20 different zero emission cars are available for under £32,000. What’s more, the cost of signing up for monthly purchase schemes and lease deals has dropped significantly.

To learn more, check out the EV hub, and read our guide on costs to maintain your electric vehicle.

What is the Workplace Charging Scheme?

Another government scheme offered by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) is the Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS). Designed to make EV owners’ lives easier, it reduces the cost of purchasing and installing a single socket charging station at work by 75% (with a maximum cap of £350 per socket).

How do I apply for the WCS? You can apply for the WCS here.

What is the EV chargepoint grant?

The EV chargepoint grant replaced the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS), which was closed to new applicants on 31 March 2022. If you have already submitted an application for the EVHS and your case is under review, you don’t need to submit a new

application under the new EV chargepoint grant scheme. The EVHS is still open to resubmissions until 31 March 2023.

The purpose of the EV chargepoint grant is to make it easier to charge an electric vehicle at home, instead of having to rely on public charge points. With the grant, you can receive a 75% contribution towards the cost of one chargepoint and the cost of installing it. There is a cap of £350 (including VAT) for each chargepoint installation.

To be eligible, you must own, lease, or have submitted an order for a qualifying vehicle (as determined by the government). You must also have allocated off-street parking at your home.

You can apply for two charge points to be installed at one property, but only if you have two qualifying vehicles.

To use the scheme, you must first find a person qualified to install your EVHS chargepoint. The installer will check your details to ensure you meet the grant eligibility criteria, before applying for the grant on your behalf. The installer will send you an invoice for the price of the installation, minus the grant amount you have made an application for.

Should your grant application be approved, the installer will receive the grant funds, which will have been offset from your invoice. EVHS grant claims will be processed by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) within 30 working days.

You can find further information on the EVHS here.

Want to take advantage of the EV government incentives available to your business?

Check out the growing range of ecofriendly electric and hybrid van lease offers from Rivervale Leasing.

Call us today on 01273 433480 to discuss your requirements with our knowledgeable team.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 53

CH A M BE R N E WS S P ON S OR

Sussex Chamber of Commerce Supporting Business Growth

by Ana Christie, CEO I was absolutely

Chamber News Business Expo.

thrilled when Mims Davies MP agreed

to officially open our

first Sussex Chamber

The expo allowed members to network, increase their brand awareness, and

brought business together from across the Sussex county.

My amazing team managed to put

the expo together in a very short period of time. For our first expo, it was incredible!

54 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

A huge thank you to our keynote speakers on the day:

•C laire Beech, Senior Account

Manager, Love Local Jobs Foundation

without the support from our wonderful sponsors. Thank you to Pentagon

Plastics Group, Harwoods Group and Creative Pod.

who spoke about Inspiring young people

Of course, a huge show of gratitude

and professionally

came along to support us but,

to reach their full potential, personally

• Clive Bonny, Owner/Director, Strategic Management Partners Ltd who spoke about How your eco and social value credentials can win new business

We could not have delivered the expo

to the amazing attendees who

more importantly, to meet all of the

exhibitors and amazing companies.

Mims Davies, MP for Mid Sussex,

officially launched the expo and took the time to speak to many of the businesses on the day.

C HA M BER N EWS SP O N SO R

She said: “I was delighted to open,

global British Chambers of

Sussex Chamber of Commerce

has huge potential for

alongside Ana Christie, the inaugural Business Expo, held at the Kings Church in Burgess Hill. This very

Commerce, your business growth.

successful event gave our brilliant local

Businesses want to train,

together to showcase themselves,

opportunities to grow. We

companies the opportunity to come promote their latest products and

services and make those all important new connections to grow their

businesses. It was a pleasure to meet with them, hear their experiences

and their plans for the future. This

was a really valuable opportunity for

businesses to network and I hope to

see more of these important events in Mid Sussex going forward.”

To support business growth in Sussex, I will continue to work closely with

local MPs, local authorities and other key stakeholders.

We all know that businesses are

facing unprecedented challenges.

The economy is still facing massive

structural issues, including uncertainty

about the UK’s relationship with the EU, supply chain breakdowns, problems in

develop and give their staff are already seeing a drag on economic growth due

to the lack of people in our labour market. Too many

businesses are struggling to find the people they need to succeed and

grow. 78% of firms tell

us they are struggling to

recruit. Government can do more to help firms fill

their gaps. We supported businesses through the

Ana Christie

Kickstart scheme, helping young people from job

centres into work to develop key

essential skills - a scheme which was

supported by Mims Davies MP, when she was appointed as Parliamentary Under

Secretary of State for Employment at the Department for Work and Pensions.

recruiting people and rocketing energy

A great example of the Power of

network, we will ensure Government

been in the development of the eight

costs. Through the British Chamber

are aware of business concerns and

these are addressed to develop a longterm economic strategy for growth.

The role of Government is to set the

conditions that allows the UK to be the

best place for our entrepreneurs to start and grow a business and to incentivise investment in growth.

Only a few weeks ago, I attended a SussExport event with local MPs,

Department for International Trade and

businesses to promote the county. Sussex

Partnership over the last year has

Trailblazer Local Skills Improvement Plans, one of these being Sussex Chamber. We are already seeing

positive outcomes from this truly

collaborative process with colleges

adapting their provision to better meet local needs, and businesses having a

renewed focus on the long-term skills

they need to succeed. All businesses can get involved to help develop

the local skills plan. Email: skills@

sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

has a global brand that can be maximised

Tackling the devastating effects of

international trade. Through our export

challenges facing the world today. All of

through the Chamber’s services in

and customs documentation services, as

well as connections with both national and

climate change is one of the biggest

us have a responsibility to play our part in reducing our carbon emissions, and

the time to do that is now. The journey

to Net Zero can be daunting, especially

for SMEs who may have fewer resources to dedicate to it. The Chamber network is here to help and guide businesses to

sources of advice and funding. Reducing

our carbon footprint is crucial but helping businesses to innovate through green products and services is essential.

All of the businesses I meet across

Sussex are run by innovative, dynamic, committed people. Now is an exciting

time to support each other to grow back our local Sussex economy.

The Sussex Chamber Business Expo was a new development for the

Chamber. We will continue to evolve and bring greater opportunities to all.

Our next expo is already planned for November 15th, so contact us to

book! Join us in supporting Sussex business growth.

sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

info@sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk Tel: 01444 259259

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 55

Celebrating neurodiversity with ClaireJones Hughes: neurodiverse leadership

by Hannah Jackson, Membership & Marketing Executive at Brighton Chamber.

About 15-20% of the

Chamber News

world’s population is neurodivergent.

When we talk about

neurodiversity, or being

neurodivergent, we’re referring to the

cognitive differences in our brains – the

way we perceive and process the world around us.

This might include the autism

ultimately, better business.

As part of a mini-series celebrating

neurodiversity in business, we spoke to Claire Jones-Hughes, Partner at

Contentim. She shares what she’s learnt

about herself after receiving her diagnosis as an adult, how she celebrates

neurodiverse leadership in her business and her ADHD superpowers.

spectrum, ADHD, ADD, dyslexia,

Here’s what Claire had to say.

and leaders has proven to lead to more

On the initial diagnosis

dyspraxia. Having diverse teams, talent productivity, better performance and,

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At the grand age of 48, I received

a diagnosis of adult ADHD.

Perimenopause triggered escalations of

symptoms I had been masking very well since childhood. Getting a diagnosis is the start of the journey, and it’s a

positive step forwards to understanding your brain and developing strategies to live and work positively.

After receiving a diagnosis as an adult, it’s not uncommon to look back over

your life and reframe moments that were

stressful or felt like a failure. This process also allowed me to spot common

denominators that contributed to success

C HA M BER N EWS SP O N SO R

at school, university and work and see how I can continue to apply them.

What I learned about myself

I learned that where there is structure, I thrive. I like deadlines, clear objectives and data. In the past, where structure

my team to understand areas where

me by understanding how people

tools and tactics I employ to improve

perspective on life through other

I talk about my ADHD superpowers and

then, that I found myself in a variety

I struggle. But also show them which

feel and think. I want to broaden my

productivity and focus. More importantly,

people’s experiences. It’s no surprise

where they can rely on me.

of customer-centric roles during my professional life.

was lacking, I could deviate and

My ADHD superpowers – the benefits

in the title – attention deficit). You often

ADHD people can often hyperfocus

Contentim.

well, it helps regulate brain activity

As part of our series celebrating

hyperfocus in my professional life is

spoke to James Dempster, MD of

other humans. Adults with ADHD can

founder of The Joyful. Read their

like small talk. And will attempt to get

www.brightonchamber.co.uk/blog

procrastinate. I get bored quickly (it’s

see me zone out, fiddle with my hair or doodle. But I am processing audibly

and usually get the gist. My desire for

structure and change means I often look to where processes can be streamlined and improved. This also fuels my role

as a creative lead, where I never accept the status quo and seek new ways to communicate and new visual ideas.

I am accepting my brain is different.

In a leadership role and as a business partner, it’s been crucial to educate

of working with someone like me

on specific things. When channelled

Claire Jones-Hughes is a Partner at

and emotions. The most valuable

neurodiversity in business, we also

my desire to connect mentally with

Fox&Bear, and Alice Reeves, Co-

often have social challenges. I do not

stories on the Chamber website:

to the heart of a meaty topic quite quickly while networking.

I have recently realised this is my need to make sense of the world around

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www.i.eurosport.com

The pride of England as the Lionesses roar in Brighton Sunday July 31st 2022, the day momentous history was made as the England women’s football team won their first ever major tournament, beating old rivals Germany 2-1 to be crowned as European Champions. Germany had previously won the tournament eight times and had never lost a final.

Finally, the nation was able to celebrate lifting a trophy that had Sport almost become the holy grail after fifty-six years of hurt. A record crowd of 87,192 watched the game at Wembley with millions glued to their TV sets across the country as Chloe Kelly scored the winning goal in extra time. A reported audience of 17.4 million tuned in, making it the most watched women’s match on UK television.

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Under Dutch boss Sarina Wiegman, England Women began the European Championships on the back of scoring fifty-three goals and conceding none in her first six games. Following success in the Arnold Clark Cup and winning their three pre-tournament friendlies against Belgium, Switzerland and impressively over the Netherlands, the then reigning European champions, the Lionesses kicked off their Euro 2022 campaign with a slender 1-0 win over Austria at Old Trafford.

Then the Lionesses came to Brighton to play Norway and that appeared to be when momentum began to gain pace and people started to believe.

Those lucky enough to secure a ticket out of the crowd of 28,847 at the American Express Community Stadium, witnessed a memorable night as England broke their own tournament record with a sensational 8-0 victory. Ranked eleventh in the world, Norway were completely

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www.nme.com

outclassed and outplayed in every department as Beth Mead netted a hattrick and Ellen White scored a double to move within one goal of Wayne Rooney’s all-time England goalscoring record.

The Amex crowd produced an electric atmosphere which the players undoubtedly fed off and a stunning performance by England only served to support their status as one of the tournament favourites. After the seventh goal went in, there was a loud rendition of ‘It’s coming home’ around the stadium and, as supporters shone lights from their phone cameras, the full-time whistle was greeted by the players dancing in wonderful scenes of celebration. The players gathered in front of fans and the stand containing their families, held hands and sang ‘Sweet Caroline’ before walking around the pitch to reap the plaudits that were coming down from the stands.

However, their toughest test was just around the corner as one of the other tournament favourites, Spain, were

the visitors to the Amex in the first of the quarterfinals.

England were unbeaten in 17 games heading into the match, but they fell behind when Esther Gonazalez broke the deadlock in the 54th minute to give Spain a deserved 1-0 lead.

With a new quarter final high of 28,994 people packed into the stadium and tension rising with every minute that passed, the pre match excitement reached fever pitch as coach Wiegman’s expertise came to the fore. Two of her changes combined to draw England level with just six minutes left as Manchester United team-mates, Alessia Russo heading down for Ella Toone to score. With thirty minutes of extra time to play the nail biting thought of a penalty shoot-out simply became too much to contemplate and the crowd noticeably raised the noise levels. The players responded, Spain looked rattled and when Georgia Stanway advanced towards Spain’s penalty area six minutes into the restart and unleashed an absolute rocket into the top corner, it

felt like if there had been a roof at the Amex, then it would have come off.

Rapturous celebrations followed and continued for the rest of the match and when the whistle went for the end of the contest, there were scenes of unbridled joy both on and off the pitch as England’s women had secured a remarkable 2-1 success.

Despite the clash being interrupted by a protestor who tried to tie themselves to the goalpost, this was unquestionably a match that will live long in the memory for those who were there. Jubilant scenes were echoed by chants of “It’s coming home” across the stadium in the dying moments of the match and at full-time, a joyous crowd joined the England players again in a chorus of ‘Sweet Caroline’.

The show rolled on to Bramall Lane, Sheffield United’s ground for the semi-final where an equally incredible atmosphere undoubtedly helped to produce a resounding 4-0 thrashing of Sweden.

Then, onto Wembley and a day that created history. It’s finally come home!

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Panamera – more than just a Porsche!

2022 is currently enjoying the 30th anniversary of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, which got underway at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari track at Imola in Italy on 24 April.

Eight races will take place over the season, including Sport the exclusive street circuit in Monaco and last month’s race at Silverstone, with proceedings concluding back in Italy on 11 September at the Autodromo Nazionale in Monza. All the races are there as support events for the Formula One season this year.

purveyor of German perfection.

Ask the average Joe or Jill on the street what Porsche they think of, generally the 911 is the answer. However, there is so much more to the array of choice within the Porsche line up. Step forward then the lovely people at Porsche Centre MidSussex in Burgess Hill who were kind enough to lend me a Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid Sport Turismo for a weekend away in Bath.

to understand why. Described as a mid/full size luxury car, this is unquestionably the largest car I’ve ever driven; despite being just over five metres long and just shy of two metres wide, it’s handling, particularly in the corners, was effortless and smooth in equal measure. At just under £89,000, the 3.0-litre V6 twin turbo engine was sharp and active when required and felt like the luxury sports car it was meant to be.

So as a hat tip to the world of Porsche, I thought it would be remiss of me not to have a test drive in one and acknowledge the creative engineering and design that goes into today’s

The Panamera is probably the model that’s least visible on the road and providing an extremely comfortable and effortless three-and-a-halfhour drive both ways, it’s difficult

Unlike the 2-wheel rear drive 911 that I had the pleasure of driving a few years ago, this Panamera is a front-engine all-wheel drive with an eight-speed dual clutch automatic gearbox, together

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with an electric motor allowing you to change from petrol to electric with the added bonus of the electric motor that charges up while you’re on the move.

Whilst the fuel economy supplies up to an acceptable 134.5 miles per gallon (I drove to Bath and back without needing to fill up!) the electric range is only 34 miles so the automatic charging while you’re on the move is a definite plus.

With 457bhp at 5400-6400rpm, the Panamera provides a tremendous 0-62mph in 4.4 seconds with a top speed of 174mph the latter which unfortunately I couldn’t test for obvious reasons…honestly! Under acceleration, there is no question that despite it’s size, it pulls away strongly with effortless ease.

Despite being a relatively quiet car on starting the ignition, things noticeably change when Sport or Sport Plus mode are activated, with the exhaust emitting some great sounds that you would hope for from a car of this magnitude.

So, what’s it like to look at from the outside? With the lines and curves in all the right places, the Panamera oozes class and sophistication whilst having the look of a car that could wreak havoc on the roads whenever the situation

demanded it. The considerable wheel base and 21-inch alloy wheels with neon green brake callipers only served to enhance the feeling of excitement and satisfaction in tandem.

Internally Porsche never fails to disappoint, and the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid is no exception. Surrounded by cream leather, a minimalist array of buttons and Bose speakers supported by an easy to navigate touch-screen system there is an abundance of space coupled with class and style.

The seats are very comfortable as you would expect and by adding the majority of the vital controls to the flat console surrounding the automatic gear shifter, Porsche has been able to push the dashboard further towards the front, thereby creating more legroom, especially important for a six feet tall person like myself.

This is undeniably an extremely well-built car and including an additional satellite navigation system on the driver’s side as well as the centre console allowed me to enjoy the sensation of being safe without spoiling the fun.

With front and rear cameras and side sensors built in to aid parking, let me tell you this was an absolute godsend in the

hotel car park. Tight spaces between the cars was an understatement and having this system of protection should be built into all makes and models and not just Porsche. Scrapes and scratches from careless drivers would be reduced significantly and I’m delighted to say, despite taking a little longer, being the largest vehicle in the car park, I was able to manoeuvre without incident.

Finally, the boot provides 418 litres of space or over 1200 litres with the rear seats folded down, in other words, acres of room for all the family luggage and with a beautiful weekend of sunshine, the sunroof was duly utilised to the full. There are plenty of other features I could describe and let you know how I swooned over them, but I don’t unfortunately have the same space as the Panamera. In summary then, the Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid Sport Turismo is an absolute delight to drive, I would thoroughly recommend it as a luxury sports car, it’s more than just a Porsche…I certainly didn’t want to return it that’s for sure.

To find out more or book your test drive at Porsche Centre Mid Sussex visit them at Innovation Drive, York Road, Burgess Hill, West Sussex RH15 9TW or online at https://www.porschemidsussex.co.uk/

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Bad boys of tennis

Last month saw Nick Kyrgios reach his maiden Grand Slam final, where he lost in four sets to Novak Djokovic.

However, his antics through the proceeding rounds Sport of arguing points and line calls, spitting in the direction of fans as well as accusing the referee of ‘financial bias’ set him apart from the other players. His opponent in the quarter-final, Stefanos Tsipitas even appeared to lose control of his emotions, wacking the ball into the stadium clock and also against Kyrgios to win the point, no doubt through annoyance and frustration at the Aussie’s behaviour.

While some people think he’s a breath of fresh air and others find him an absolute disgrace to the sport, it had me thinking that surely tennis always needs a bad boy or pantomime villain which we either love or hate. After all there have been a few in the past whose notoriety on the court wasn’t always for the right reasons.

Step forward my personal favourites, starting with Ilie Nastase.

The mid 70s saw the arrival of Ilie ‘Nasty’ Nastase, who set the standard for which others are measured today.

He’s probably best remembered for his frequently bizarre and rude behaviour where on occasion he would walk off the court, resulting in fines, suspensions, and even disqualifications. Reportedly in one match, when he got mad at the crowd, he revealed a T-shirt under his regular shirt to reveal a picture of the infamous middle finger.

Jimmy Connors Eight-time Grand Slam winner Jimmy Connors won a record 109 titles and regularly argued with umpires. In

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https://img.lemde.fr

1977, he even refused to take part in a parade of former champions to mark Wimbledon’s centenary and was booed when he went out to play the following day. He was recognised for regularly being foul-mouthed, swearing at umpires and even the fans when things weren’t going his way.

John McEnroe The original bad boy of tennis, John McEnroe was nicknamed “superbrat”.

He upset the Wimbledon committee so much that he was denied club membership despite winning the title in 1981 - the first winner to be treated that way. That year he unleashed his famous “You cannot be serious!” tirade against the umpire over a disputed line call on court one. He repeatedly smashed rackets on tour and was even disqualified from the Australian Open.

Goran Ivanisevic Goran Ivanisevic is best known at

Wimbledon for his extraordinary 2001 triumph as a wild card, when he beat Tim Henman in a rain-interrupted

five-set semi-final. But Goran certainly knew how to behave badly on court too. He holds the rare accolade of being the first tennis player to forfeit a match because he had run out of rackets, by smashing them.

Jeff Tarango Kyrgios’s antics don’t compare with Jeff Tarango, when in 1995, things quickly escalated with the French umpire during a third-round match.

Tarango lost the first set on a tiebreak and was serving early in the second when he exchanged words with spectators. The umpire gave the American a warning at which point Tarango accused him of being the most “corrupt official in tennis” before storming off court and promptly being disqualified. In a match with Michael Chang, Tarango also once dropped his shorts on court.

“Bad Boys Bad Boys… watcha gonna do…?” For me a refreshing face of tennis…unpredictable, controversial and compulsive viewing.

Hosted by:

Sam Thomas & laurence elphick

This podcast converses with the great and the good from the world of sport and business about …. Well sport in Sussex, from FootGolf to fencing, from wakeboarding to weightlifting and everything in between.

Discussing with guests what makes them tick and why business and sport go hand in hand Sponsored by

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ASK TH E E XPE RT S P ON S OR

‘Of All Deceivers Fear Most Thyself’ Søren Kirkegaard Many people ponder the context of Søren Kirkegaard’s famous quote.

In order to become increasingly aware, Ask the one of the primary Expert things that we must be willing to do is to explore our true selves; us as we really are.

As we discover truths that are unpalatable about ourselves, we face an enormous battle if we are not to pander to our overwhelming egoseeking to constantly drag us from reality and back into the comfort of our complacent individualism.

Though this is such an exciting journey and the most powerful that we can ever embark upon, it is simultaneously traumatic and must be prioritised in the face of the constant temptation to stop altogether.

Our entire modern culture is structured to distract us from looking at who we really are and the difficult work of our inner journey, because such work requires the two things that we prioritise least: time and reflection.

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Furthermore, humans who are selfaware and understand who they really are, will not buy and desire things relentlessly or give their time solely to the pursuit of success.

Consequently, this revelation is simply incompatible with what our society requires of us to maintain its ravenous appetite for our constant spending.

Capitalism requires the sacrifice of our souls for its relentless drive towards ‘growth’ and we offer them gladly.

ASK TH E EX P ERT SP O N SO R

We frantically pursue security and wealth, and yet the self-attention and nurture that we need most evade us.

Modern life simply steals them from us, and we are not self-aware enough to miss them or to get them back.

A good way for us to understand and measure this phenomenon is to ask ourselves when we last had an hour alone, undistracted and quiet, in which we had the opportunity and peace to think about ourselves and how we are doing.

We become addicted to filling our free time with more ‘things’ and spend longer at work or on our phones, feeling that we are ‘connected’ when the most crucial person to connect to and invest in, ourselves, is left alone and slowly withers away.

This is why children are infinitely more alive and well than us - more capable of happiness and joy than adults; because their inner life and self-communion has not yet had time to be extinguished.

As they grow older and the overwhelming emptiness of adulthood in a materialist culture is forced upon them, they develop the emptiness that we know only too well.

Actually, the greatest and most valuable of all gifts we could possibly give to our children is to daily exemplify a person who honestly knows themselves and in that knowledge is able to consistently demonstrate self-love, selfaccountability and self-nurture.

When I work with parents around this phenomenon and think about myself as a father, I witness the most profound truth: We are aware enough to know that this is the most important thing of all but we are rendered helpless to teach it despite our desire and longing to do so.

Instead, we know that we are unable to teach it because we don’t practice it.

We do not have it within ourselves and it can only be instilled by example.

So it is better to suppress what we really know and, in order to quieten our guilt, we give our children far too many things and thus distract them.

The internet, television and the relentless demands of our busy lives mean that we are constantly bombarded by information, products and images that monopolise our attention.

Individualism and materialism only need appeal to our hunger: our ravenous desire to feel better about ourselves driven by the subconscious knowledge of our true fragility.

The journey of inner discovery is at best sporadic and is nearly always only considered in the most extreme conditions of personal duress, precipitated through conditions such as personal crisis of some kind: the breakdown of a relationship, illness, bereavement, alcoholism, depression or psychological breakdown. This is because these occurrences tend to simply expose our true vulnerability and us as we really are and force us to address the reality of our human fragility and brokenness.

True awareness, despite its certain pain and inherent suffering, is a wonderful journey containing endless reward, if only we can continue in our bravery and willingness to negotiate that which is yet to be discovered within.

We contain both the propensity for tremendous good, and for great evil.

In our deepest parts, we are simultaneously both light and dark, truthful and self-deceiving, glorious and yet vulnerable.

We are lovely; in fact, we can be more supremely beautiful than most of us have ever dared believe even in our wildest imaginings.

But the key to the unlocking of this beauty is actually found only in first exposing and then facing the very real darkness that lives in part of our souls.

This knowledge can not really be taught.

It can only be discovered; accepted within - and then lived out.

This is Awareness.

It is in this cumulative and lifelong humility that such people find their limitless ability to be fruitful and to do real good.

Isn’t this a wonderful paradox!

John Richards has spent over 20 years working in Crisis Intervention with a vast range of clients and organisations as a Speaker, Writer and Consultant specialising in Awareness and Spiritual Development.

He is a founding Director of The Inspiration Programme and, with his co-directors explorer Neil Laughton and wildlife trails leader Angus Wingfield, leads adventure retreats in wild places around the world including Tibet, The Himalayas, the Mediterranean coast and South Africa.

His first book, about Awareness, Change, Relationships and Fruitfulness, was published by EyeWear in the UK in October 2018.

Find out more: www.awarenesschange.com

The more that we run from facing such evil and pretending that it does not live in us, the more we give it overwhelming power.

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W I N E O F TH E MO NT H S P ON S OR

County Business Clubs’ Wine of the Month August 2022 Stopham Estate – Pinot Gris 2020 and Bacchus 2020 For this month, we have chosen two wines from the same producer as I found it a real challenge to choose between the two of them from Stopham Estate, in West Sussex, the other side of Pulborough.

Both are perfect for a refreshing

mid-summer glass of white wine on

their own or with food. The owner of

Stopham, Simon, has a motto for his Estate’s wines, which is “Made with

Precision and Passion”, and so I have to agree with his statement - all his wines have a clean and fresh taste

Visit the Vineyard at

with subtle, well-balanced flavours and

Stopham Estate

elements coming through.

Simon and his team are open

The first wine is a Pinot Gris, a versatile

for wine tasting and tours

throughout the summer. Set in

grape grown across the globe from

South Africa to the US and Argentina

with original origins in Burgundy, France.

For this wine, I had a lovely hit of

stone fruit together with good acidity making the mouth water (in a good

way!). Because of the fruit and texture of this wine, it works really well with spicy or heavier flavour dishes that

it matches with its ample character.

Typical sales price is £16.

FOOD PAIRING - For me, personally I

would say this works well with Chinese or Thai dishes.

Winemaker’s comments;

If you like a little sweetness and texture in your wine, then our Pinot Gris may suit you. It is off-dry, with aromatic peach and pear fruit.

The second wine of the month from

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Stopham is the Bacchus which is a

a beautiful rural location, it has the

its elderflower and floral notes. With

nearby, a great lunch excursion for all

be too prominent but with Stopham’s

South and North Downs. I would

start of Covid), we have a delicate hint

sparkling wine, which is excellent.

grapefruit and citrus coming through

Michael Yeoman,

orange peel with limited floral notes. A

Wine Specialist

this wine. Typical sales price is £15

Michael Yeoman produces his

FOOD PAIRING - I would say that this

with Spirit of the Downs (www.

English winemakers’ favourite due to

Stopham Bridge Pub on the river Arun

some Bacchus, the elderflower can

where you have views of the rolling

Bacchus 2020 (a great Summer at the

also recommend trying their English

of Elderflower quickly followed by a followed by a slight sweetness of

nice minerality from start to finish for

wine works particularly well with white

English Wine and International

own range of sustainable spirits spiritofthedowns.co.uk) and works

fish, goats cheese or asparagus.

with small batch local vineyards with his

Winemaker’s notes;

brightonandhovewineclub.co.uk)

Our Bacchus is floral on the nose with orange peel and grapefruit on the

palate. It has moderate acidity with a touch of sweetness.

Brighton and Hove Wine Club (www.

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A

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