SBT issue 459

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.

SBTWelcome

another issue of

While it has been a rollercoaster month for the financial markets, you will find plenty of business owners steering steady ships in Sussex.

The emphasis is firmly on the future, with progressive yet sustainable strategies winning real upward shifts in growth.

Found in every sector, these examples of excellence should be the guiding lights for local start-ups and would-be entrepreneurs.

This month’s cover feature throws the spotlight on the outstanding services being delivered to solicitors by Brightonbased Westgate Chambers.

Elsewhere in the magazine, we learn about the cost savings of investing in electric vehicles - an especially relevant topic for businesses who lease as fuel costs rise.

Sussex Chamber of Commerce highlights some of the businesses it recognised at its inaugural awards event, and we also discover what makes a traditional pub different.

If you have ever found yourself pondering the phrase that has become a new phenomenon since the darkest days of the pandemic - ‘quiet quitting’ - we have got a feature that spells out what it really means.

And if you have ever wondered what content is or how it should be created and used, we have got useful information on that too.

Rising above the uncertainty of politically created market turmoil is what many of you may be thinking about right now but, as the economic landscape changes, don’t ever let growth stray far from your thoughts.

Sam Thomas, Managing Director

Joint Managing Director/Publisher

Sam Thomas

Joint Managing Director Lee Mansfield lee@lifemediagroup.co.uk

Production & Design Kim Butler kim@lifemediagroup.co.uk

Accounts Clare Fermor clare@lifemediagroup.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.

10

Monthly News

CBC Stories

Legal

24 New Business

The

Good Business

Cover Story

HR

Loch Associates discusses leaders and dealing

40 Charity

We catch up with Rob Starr and share information about Rockinghorse Children’s Charity’s

44 Tech

Silicon Brighton shares not-to-be-missed forthcoming events.

46

Networking & Events

A round-up

54 Motoring

news from

Going electric - the real benefits.

58 Chamber News

organisations as well as details on up-coming events.

advice from Rivervale Leasing.

Sussex Chamber of Commerce reveals the winners from its inaugural awards and meet

Brighton Chamber.

Lifestyle Spotlight on The Cleveland Arms.

64 Ask the Expert

What is ‘quiet quitting’? Mia Neupauerova explains.

Wine of the Month

Michael Yeoman reveals the County Business Clubs Sussex October Wine of the Month.

Golf day raises over £25,000 for Special Care Baby Unit

Event was an

Eastbourne Car Auctions (ECA) held a charity golf day last month at the Royal Eastbourne Golf Club, raising £25,000 for the Trevor Mann Baby Unit in Association with the Early Birth Association.

A total of 96 golfers competed during the day, with IEP Financial finishing as the overall winners and Caffyns A finishing as close runners-up.

Following the main event, 120 people sat down for a dinner and charity auction. They were entertained by sporting impressionist and comedian Arron James. Raffle prizes included a Brighton and Hove Albion T-shirt signed by the players, a stay in a luxury villa

of what unit did for business owner’s twin

The Trevor Mann Baby Unit is a based at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton and is a specialist department for premature and sick new-borns and is a charity close to ECA’s heart.

Jon Mitchell, Managing Director at ECA, found himself at the special care unit after his twin daughters, Amelia and Eleanor, were born prematurely at 30 weeks. Both girls received lifesaving neonatal care and now, aged 18, are fit and healthy - and looking forward to starting university in September.

Jon said: “This was our first charity golf day, and it was a huge success. We are so pleased to have raised such a large

amount of money for the Trevor Mann Unit and we would like to thank all of our sponsors and all those who attended for their generosity.

“Claire and I are so grateful for the support we received from the Special Care Unit when our girls were born 18 years ago. We hope that these funds can help the Trevor Mann unit to continue to care for other families who find themselves needing support.”

Over 600 babies are treated at the Trevor Mann unit every year. To find out more about the work the unit is doing, visit: https://www.bsuh.nhs.uk/tmbu/

To find out more about the Early Birth Association, visit: https://www. earlybirth.co.uk/

in Marbella, a sunset beach cruise and many more.

Officially the world’s best beer - again!

Long Man Brewery, based in Litlington, East Sussex, has won six major honours at this year’s World Beer Awards, including the ‘World’s Best Beer’ for its Old Man premium bitter for the second time.

Three beers from the Long Man range have won a combined six awards in the Taste category, which featured over 500 of the finest beers and ales from across the globe.

Duncan Ellis, Co-Founder of Long Man Brewery, said: “I’m absolutely thrilled that our Old Man premium bitter has been crowned the World’s Best Beer for a second time. Achieving six awards at this year’s World Beer Awards is an incredible feat, and I’m immensely proud. These accolades are the wellearned recognition our brewers deserve

for all the hard work and attention to detail they put into crafting our naturally excellent beer.”

The Old Man premium bitter (4.3%) won:

• World’s Best Dark Mild Beer 2022

• Gold Winner (UK)

• Country Winner (UK), Dark Beer

The Long Blonde (4.1% - 3.8% Cask) ale won:

• Gold Winner (UK)

• Country Winner (UK), English Style Pale Ale

While the Long Man Helles Lager (4.6%) won:

• Bronze Winner (UK), Lager Helles/ Münchner

The World Beer Awards, which returned this year following a pause during the pandemic, was judged by a leading panel of industry experts. There were

several stages of blind tasting before the judges crowned the winning beers.

Adrian Tierney-Jones, Chair of the World Beer Awards, said, “Once again, the winners in the World Beer Awards show an exciting snapshot of some of the best beers being brewed across the globe today. Naturally, I would like to congratulate the winners, but I would also like to thank the many judges who have applied themselves to their tasks with diligence and great professionalism.”

This latest batch of awards takes Long Man Brewery’s total to almost 50 since it started brewing from its converted flint barn in the heart of the South Downs National Park in 2012. The Old Man premium bitter is the Brewery’s most decorated beer, with 16 individual awards, including World’s Best Beer in 2017 and 2022.

Rapid Riser award for Creative Pod

Growth and sustainability recognised at Sussex Chamber’s inaugural awards.

Creative Pod was recognised during an awards ceremony at Buxted Park Hotel last month.

The event was staged to celebrate the success of local businesses over the last year, with categories focusing on equality, sustainable business models and community engagement - to name just a few.

The full-service marketing, design and print agency was singled out for recognition for its exceptional levels of growth with a strong plan for sustainable

financial performance.

Having grown from nine employees in 2020 to now 25, the company has almost tripled in size, as well as actioning internal promotions, dealing with mergers and acquisitions, and working with more businesses than ever.

This award is seen as another achievement to add to other accolades. It won the ‘Creative Design and Marketing’ award in March at the Gatwick Diamond Business Awards, was County Business Clubs’ ‘Sales and Marketing’ award for two years running and become a Drum Recommended

marketing agency this year too.

Matt Turner, CEO of Creative Pod, said: “We’re delighted to have won the Rapid Riser award from the Sussex Chamber of Commerce. This achievement is a testament to our growth - in employees, in clients, in achievements, and financially too. It feels wonderful to be recognised by such a prestigious body and to be highlighted for the hard work the team puts in. A huge thanks to the chamber for this accolade!”

Creative Pod is based in Crawley and is celebrating its 16th year in business.

Newly launched foundation is charity partner of Brighton Christmas Festival

Focus Foundation hopes the partnership will raise the profile of its campaign work.

At a glittering event, held at the Malmaison Hotel, the foundation’s team was joined by friends, supporters and local business leaders to celebrate its successful launch and highlight how the Brighton Christmas Festival partnership will amplify its efforts to support local grassroots charities, young people in the community and those suffering with their mental health.

Focus Foundation is a fundraising and grant-giving charity, and the philanthropic arm of Focus Group - a leading Sussex-based provider of essential business technology.

Its main ambition is to connect

communities and make a positive and lasting change to people’s lives. With Focus Group covering the running costs of the foundation, the charity is able to ensure that all the donations received go directly to the beneficiary charities.

Chris Goodman, founder and trustee at Focus Foundation said: “Our partnership with the Brighton Christmas Festival is an incredible opportunity for us to raise our foundation’s profile, enabling us to develop our connections with local charities and community groups, but also to help highlight our work and the importance of grant-making foundations in directing money to some of the lesser-known charities in and around our county.”

David Hill, founder of E3 Events, added: “Brighton Christmas Festival is a citywide event with a traditional Christmas Market, festive shows and all the unique attractions that our city is famous for. It will significantly boost the local economy over the winter period, and we have partnered with the Focus Foundation so we can help the local community through its grant program.

“As our official charity partner, the Focus Foundation will ring fence any money raised from our festival and use it for community and charity grants within the city.”

The Brighton Christmas Festival runs from November 18 to December 24.

From L-R this is Chris and Elaine Goodman (Co- Founders and Trustees), Deputy Lieutenant of East Sussex Juliet Smith, and David Hill (Director of E3 Events).

PR, parenting and powerlifting

CBC Stories meets Aneela Rose who is not only the founder of successful PR agency Rose Media Group she is also a British powerlifting champion. Here, she talks about the three Ps in her life and offers some words of inspiration to encourage more women to take up a sport.

CBC Stories

How did you get into powerlifting and when did you realise you wanted to do it at a high level?

I get asked this all the time because I am not your typical, muscular person.

Fair enough - that’s how I felt about it, years ago. It is not something I planned

to get into. It actually happened through injuring myself when I was participating in another sport.

When I was a teenager, I represented the county in javelin throwing. I am actually very good at chucking a spear, believe it or not! When I left school, I left that behind. When I was at school, I wanted to be in the

Olympics - javelin throwing. Tessa Sanderson, Fatima Whitbreadremember those icons of the 80s and 90s? They were my absolute heroines and I wanted to be like them.

Then, what happened in 2012? The Olympics came to London, and I was just beside myself. It was actually my father who said to me: “Aneela, are you

watching the javelin? You have got to get your javelin back out. You need to start throwing again.”

I remember saying: “Dad, I’m in my forties. I haven’t done this for decades.”

He said: “Just do it.” So, I did. I chucked the javelin in my back garden.

My husband saw the look on my face and said: “Aneela, you have just so got to take the javelin back up.”

I ended up tweeting Tessa Sanderson. Believe it or not, she replied. She said, she did not offer javelin coaching, but she knew a couple of coaches in Crawley. So, I joined Crawley AC, started throwing the javelin again and was the oldest one there. I was training with youngsters and I loved it.

But what happened was that I injured myself because I wasn’t a teenager anymore. My arm and shoulder weren’t as flexible, and I ended up injuring my shoulder.

My coach said to me: “Aneela, get to the

gym. Start strengthening your body and improving your flexibility.”

That’s what I did. I hit the gym. Lo and behold, my personal trainer took me to that part of the gym where the really heavy weights are. The very first squat I did was 50 kilos, which was my body weight.

He said to me: “So you realise you are freakishly strong!”

That’s where it started.

I went back to my javelin coach and he said I was better at lifting than the javelin and that I’d better switch sports.

I can’t remember ever being so upset. Javelin was my first love.

I ended up doing my first powerlifting competition in 2016. The coaches just trained me and trained me, and I got addicted.

During the pandemic, I encouraged my children to exercise with me in the back garden and we threw some javelins. We put it on social media. It

got spotted by Tessa Sanderson and we were in the paper.

For me, it is about how something makes you feel.

Coming from a Pakistani background and having a father who encouraged me to get into sport is very unusual. I was very fortunate that my father was very open-minded and modern. He could see the talent and nurtured that.

That is where it comes from - that drive that I have.

If I see something in my own kids, that is what I nurture and support. There’s no point encouraging them to do something that they are not interested in.

I really do believe that everybody on this planet is good at something.

For those who don’t know, what’s the difference between powerlifting and weightlifting?

People get confused between weightlifting, body building and

powerlifting. I am not a weightlifter, and I am definitely not a body builder.

With body building, you break the muscle down to get it to grow.

Powerlifting consists of three lifts - back squat, the bench press and the deadlift.

With weightlifting, you have two liftsthe snatch and the clean and jerk. The snatch is the full fluid fast movement, from the floor and then up, which you see in the Olympics. Clean and jerk is a slightly slower one where you bring it up, stop and then push it up.

Powerlifting is not an Olympic sport and has slower movements. Although weightlifting is technically more complex, you can recover from weightlifting faster than you can with powerlifting. Because powerlifting is slower, it takes the body longer to recover. Powerlifting takes longer to train for too.

Tell us about the awards you have won.

I have got some amazing coaches. They keep pushing me and pushing me. Without them, I wouldn’t have achieved.

I have broken some records. I qualified for Team GB for the World Championships this year. I won the Worlds back in 2018 and I’ve won various medals.

It’s broken down into age and weight classes. It’s a really fair sport, which is brilliant because I am not competing against women who are half my age and double my body weight.

More and more women are getting into powerlifting.

What would you say is your most memorable achievement?

Representing Team GB at the World

Powerlifting Championships in Manchester in 2018 and winning a gold medal. Such a surreal experience.

I had trained exceptionally hard and my diet in the eight weeks leading up to the event had been incredibly tough too as I had to meet a particular weight class. Lifting kick ass heavy weights requires not just physical strength but mental agility too - it’s insane what you put your body through, but I had set my goal, surrounded myself with the right people and was consistent with my training.

It all came together and I achieved something I had only dreamt about.

Away from powerlifting, what are your hobbies and interests?

I’m an avid cook, and you’ll find me experimenting with new recipes from around the world, usually inspired from watching MasterChef!

I’m also into fast cars and like racing cars around Thruxton race track.

But it’s my family that are central to my life and everything revolves around them. I have a rule that if my kids and hubby can’t watch me compete, then I won’t take part.

Your business came first (set up in 2004), you’ve got 2 children but how do you balance training and competing with running your business?

My life is made up of three cogs. My family is one, then I’ve got my business and I’ve got my sport. They are all joined up. If you take one away, everything else falls apart.

The reason is that they each offer me something complementary that empowers me to drive another.

Where it is all joined up, it’s not me that sits in the middle. You can’t do this alone. You have to have somebody or a network. My husband sits in the middle of this.

Without his support

I wouldn’t have the childcare, he helps me with my business (because he’s an accountant) and, with my sport, he’s always the one that will come and support me in the front row with the children.

You need to be mentally strong to power lift. I take that into my business.

I’m happier, stronger and more positive - my kids see that and my husband sees that. I am a happier, fulfilled and content mummy and wife. I’m more relaxed.

I’ve always worked really hard - my kids see that and it inspires them. It is all interlinked.

What’s next?

I would love to inspire women and girls to get more active, particularly women from the Indian sub-continent to take up sports. It’s empowering, confidence

building and hugely beneficial for wellbeing and mental strength.

I appreciate it can be challenging due to family and work constraints, but even a jog around the block or attending a HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) class can be a fantastic boost and perfect way to start the day.

* This is a small extract from a County Business Sports podcast, hosted by Sam Thomas and Laurence Elphick. To listen to the entire interview, visit https:// youtu.be/dkRK28MNgJc

To be, or not to be…

Legal

“To be, or not to be…married? That is the question.”

Shakespeare was a little more eloquent but, if he’d been around on Valentine’s Day, he may have overheard one or two proposals, and read more than a few cards proclaiming his poetry.

Shakespeare and his mastery of the English language have survived 400 or

more years, but some things haven’t, even if we think they have. For example, many people still believe that the idea of a common law husband or wife exists. It doesn’t. The only way to guarantee you have the rights of married couples is to get married or have a civil partnership. It may not be romantic, but it can have very significant consequences. I have been writing wills for a few more years than I care to remember now, and I know that I have been responsible for

several weddings, including one for a lovely couple who had been together for over 20 years, and were very happy as they were, until they realised the tax consequences. They went to the town hall, got their certificate, hid it somewhere safe, and as far as I know are still living happily ever after.

Mrs W, who I heard about on the news a while ago, had been living with Mr M for 18 years before his sudden death. They

Fiona Dodd, a partner at Mayo Wynne Baxter, explains the potentially serious implications faced by couples who don’t marry and don’t have wills.

owned a house together, and probably thought of themselves as an “old married couple”. However, they weren’t. Mr M had separated from, but never divorced, his wife. Nor did he have an up to date will. When he died, his share of the home that he bought with Mrs W passed not to her, but to his wife.

Nearly four years after her partner’s death, and following a long, and expensive court case (with costs of over £100,000 being mentioned), Mrs W finally secured the right to inherit her partner’s share of their joint home. But Mrs M has the right to appeal, so the ordeal didn’t end there.

Even if the appeal does not proceed, the emotional costs of this case are enormous for all concerned, and the

sadness is that it could all have been avoided for a relatively small sum if he had written a will.

The law does not provide unmarried couples with the same protection as married couples, even if, as in this case, Mr M lived for many years with his unmarried partner, instead of his wife. His wife had an automatic inheritance, his partner did not.

Divorce is expensive, both emotionally and financially. Many couples decide to bypass the lawyers where possible and opt for DIY. However, if there isn’t a court order in place dividing the finances, an ex-spouse can make a claim for a share of the estate. I dealt with a very sad situation a few years ago when Mr K, who was twice divorced and had two children died before the second financial order was made. There were four sets of lawyers and eventually his assets, after a long battle, were finally divided between all four parties. Lawyers would rather people don’t get into difficulty in the first place, and it’s no victory to see so much spent in fees when a Will could have helped them all.

Marriage is often the happy joining of

two families. But that’s not always the case, and I see many parents wanting advice on how to protect what they see as their family’s inheritance from their children’s chosen spouse. A will can be part of that protection, or the use of family trusts, or even simply talking to your children about pre-nups before marriage. We can help clients think through their priorities and structure their arrangements to suit their aims. Often the question is not what are you protecting, but why? And from whom?

That protection may extend not just to personal assets, but business owners need to be sure that they have put measures in place to ensure that their business can continue, and that they haven’t inadvertently caused a tax problem by making the wrong arrangements! We can advise and discuss the best options to ensure that a client’s happiest day ever really isn’t the start of a list of legally avoidable problems!

Whether or not a person chooses to marry, or to divorce, or to live together is an entirely private matter. However, it should be an informed decision, bearing in mind all the known legal implications. Shakespeare also said in the Merchant of Venice: “One half of me is yours, the other half yours. Mine own, I would say; but if mine, then yours, and so all yours.” If that’s what you want to happen, then make sure you have the everything in place to achieve this, instead of “Love’s Labour’s Lost”.

Employment Law: equality and diversity in the modern workplace

365 Employment Law explains how legal protections and cultural shifts have evolved over the past two decades.

As an employment law specialist for over 20 years, the issue of equality and diversity in the workplace has evolved over time - in terms of both the legal protections afforded to workers and the cultural shift in attitudes to workplace equality.

Legal

Whilst those cultural attitudes have evolved, for those workers who are on the receiving end of discriminatory acts it is often harder than ever, in practical terms, to enforce the rights they have.

Discrimination and the law

The rights that workers have in respect of non-discrimination are under The Equality Act 2010. This piece of legislation, when brought into law, largely combined the various nondiscrimination rights under legislation such as the Sex Discrimination Act, Race Relations Act, and Disability Discrimination Act into one piece of legislation. Whilst it updated some interpretations of rights, based on case law, it was largely aimed at harmonising the various rights that had been brought in over the previous 10 or so years. Other than the three original rights (sex, race and disability), prior to the early 2000’s, there was no discrimination protection in place, for example, on grounds of sexual orientation or age. This was remedied by multiple regulations in that period and harmonised under the Equality Act.

The Equality Act provides protection

from discrimination for workers, employees and, in some cases the self-employed, on grounds of nine “Protected Characteristics”, namely sex, race, disability, age, religion and belief, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marriage/civil partnership and pregnancy/maternity.

For obvious reasons, some of those protected characteristics apply to all, and some to qualifying workers i.e. disability, maternity, but the simple position is that workers are protected from discrimination on grounds of those protected characteristics. That discrimination applies to both direct discrimination, which cannot be justified in law (other than for age), and indirect discrimination, which can only be objectively justified as a defence. The rights relating to disability

also have a duty, on the employer, to make “reasonable adjustments”, and in respect of maternity rights, these overlap with sex discrimination rights, particularly in respect of flexible working.

Practical considerations

I often deal with employers who have had employment tribunal claims brought against them for alleged acts of discrimination. This is from both the perspective of defending those claims and bringing them for workers. Whilst some acts of discrimination are aggressive and obvious, many are not, and some of the examples that I see are easily avoidable. I have specifically seen the following examples come up regularly:

1) “But we have all of the policies in place”

Employers often obsess over policies,

particularly relating to non-discrimination. They spend a lot of time putting them in place, and often train staff on them. This is where the problems start for them, because they then do not consider actual discrimination in the workplace, the triggers for it, and when it has taken hold. I have often seen examples where despite obvious evidence of workplace discrimination, the employer refuses to accept it can be occurring, because they have the policies in place that indicate it is not tolerated. It is good practice for employers to bring in someone external, even on an annual basis, to road test their policies through some practical examples.

2) “We have followed the flexible working policy”

Subject to qualifying criteria, employees have the right to request flexible working through a process set out in law. That process is only the right to request flexible working, not have it granted. Employers often, as a result of that, have a silo mentality about a flexible working request. If an employee requests flexible working, through the process or otherwise, and the reason for that request is for a protected characteristic, the employer needs to engage with the reality of that request, and not rely on the process as being one of request only. I have seen lots of examples where employers refuse a flexible working request, because the process lets them - without understanding that any such refusal could be discriminatory. This is particularly prevalent over the issue of employees returning to work parttime after maternity leave, or in respect of reasonable adjustments as a result of disability. I recently represented an employee who had made a flexible working request, which had been refused under the policy, that by its refusal was a failure to make reasonable adjustments due to that employee’s disability, and therefore discriminatory.

Even up to the final hearing, the employer could not understand how the

discrimination had arisen, when they had complied with the flexible working request process.

3) “We treat everyone the same”

The whole purpose of discrimination legislation is to even the playing field. I see a number of employers who have a starting position of treating everyone the same, which then causes indirect discrimination e.g. “we don’t have flexible working and everyone is treated equally”, or “we don’t need to maintain the lift to the third floor, and everyone is expected to take the stairs”. This type of positioning is classic indirect discrimination i.e. on the face of it, everyone is equal but, in practice, it affects one minority group on grounds of their protected characteristic. In law, indirect discrimination can of course be objectively justified, but employers need to think about that in advance.

Enforcement issues

Whilst the position in law is one of protection for employees, and a means of resolution for both employer and employees, the practical reality is more complicated. The Court and Tribunal system has been brought to its knees by a decade of cuts, and it can be up to a year before even basic employment rights come before an Employment Tribunal. This is not ideal for either employees or employers, as the issue hangs over them for an extended period. With that in mind, parties can often engage in practical and constructive settlement discussions, but if that is not possible, the issue is often there for extended periods.

Modern working

The issue of modern working practices, including remote working, was not necessarily envisaged at the time the Equality Act came into force. A specific update of the law as regards nondiscrimination is needed as, without it, Employment Tribunals will interpret

Alex Jones

obligations differently, and conflicting legal authorities will arise. Chaos also awaits in December 2023, when the Government’s legislation to remove all retained EU law from UK law happens. This could cause real problems for employers, as certain EU regulations eg relating to part-time workers, and holiday rights could cease to be law in the UK. This could lead to a two-tier workforce (most will have existing contractual rights), and lots of litigation about staff not offered basic rights that others already have. At this stage, it is a case of waiting to see what will be retained!

The simple position is that employers who consider discrimination issues in advance, and how they work in practice, will always be better placed than those who don’t!

Please always take advice on any staff related issues.

By Alex Jones, Managing Director

Employment Law

thetimes.co.uk

A risky budget strategy?

In his first Budget speech as Chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng said that “we need a new approach for a new era, focused on growth”.

Mr Kwarteng said he would build this ‘new approach’ around three priorities: reforming the supply side of the economy, maintaining a responsible approach to public finances, and cutting taxes to boost growth.

Finance

What followed certainly delivered on the third of these: this package has been described as the biggest tax cutting budget for half a century,

following on from the earlier announcement of very substantial support for individuals and businesses coping with rising energy prices.

The Chancellor also put forward a number of proposals to reduce costs and regulation for businesses, moving the levers of tax and legislation to encourage investment, employment and economic growth. It remains to be seen whether the UK’s productivity and national income will respond in

line with his aspirational target of 2.5% a year.

The other priority, fiscal responsibility, was covered in less depth. The response of the financial markets to the announcement of such substantial tax cuts was immediate: the value of the pound and the main stock market index both fell.

In response, the Chancellor has now backtracked on one of the unexpected tax cuts – the abolition of the 45% top

rate of income tax for those earning more than £150,000.

The Chancellor put off the publication of plans to reduce government debt over the medium term, and full economic and fiscal forecasts. It would be fair to say, the government is taking big but potentially risky steps to promote growth.

Significant points

• reversal of the April 2022 increase in National Insurance rates with effect from 6 November 2022

• cancellation of the Health and Social Care Levy that was to be introduced in April 2023

• cancellation of the 1.25% addition to

dividend tax rates that was introduced in April 2022, with effect from April 2023

• basic income tax rate cut to 19% a year early, from April 2023

• cancellation of planned corporation tax increase to 25% in April 2023: the rate will remain 19%

• increases in thresholds for Stamp Duty Land Tax with immediate effect

• from April 2023, repeal of the ‘offpayroll working’ measures introduced in 2017 and 2021

• confirmation of energy cost support packages

The sudden announcement of significant

tax changes can make it hard to keep track of what is changing and when, and how it affects your finances. Below we cover the main areas that will be of extra interest.

Energy costs

The Chancellor began his speech with what he described as the issue most worrying the British people – the cost of energy. He did not announce any new measures, but summarised the support that has already been announced: the Energy Bills Support Scheme, which will provide a £400 nonrepayable discount to eligible households to help Emergency Budget 23 September 2022 with their energy bills over the coming winter, and a new Energy Price Guarantee, which will reduce the unit cost of electricity and gas so that a

Stuart Noakes Partner, Head of Tax Services Group

typical household in Great Britain pays, on average, around £2,500 a year on their energy bill, for the next 2 years, from 1 October 2022.

The Energy Price Guarantee limits the amount a customer can be charged per unit of gas or electricity, so the exact bill amount will continue to be influenced by how much energy the consumer uses.

There are further measures to support businesses, and different arrangements for people on different types of energy supply contracts. The Chancellor noted that the volatility of the energy market meant that it was not possible to be sure of the cost to the government of this support, but it is estimated to be £60 billion over the next six months.

Personal income tax

In March 2022, Rishi Sunak announced his intention to cut the basic rate of income tax from 20% to 19% from 6 April 2024.

This was costed at over £5 billion a year and was said to be conditional on the government continuing to meet its ‘fiscal rules’ – borrowing going down and not being required for day-to-day spending. Kwasi Kwarteng has brought the cut forward by a year to 6 April 2023, with no conditions attached. For someone earning over the 40% threshold of £50,270, this will mean a reduction in income tax of £377 in 2023/24.

National Insurance Contributions

From 6 April 2022, the rates of Class 1 NIC paid by employers and employees, and of Class 4 NIC paid by selfemployed people, were increased by 1.25 percentage points. These increases were a temporary measure for the tax year 2022/23, pending the introduction of a separate Health and Social Care Levy (HSCL) to be paid by the same people on the same income from 6 April 2023.

The Chancellor has decided to cancel the HSCL altogether, and to cancel the increases in NIC from the earliest practicable date – 6 November 2022. It is recognised that some payroll software may not be able to deliver the reduction to the old rates in time for the November payroll, but affected employees should receive a rebate retrospectively with their December payments.

Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) thresholds

With effect from 23 September 2022, the threshold above which SDLT must be paid on the purchase of residential properties in England and in Northern Ireland will be doubled from £125,000 to £250,000.

At the same time, the thresholds for firsttime buyers will increase from £300,000 to £425,000 and the maximum value of a property on which a first-time buyer can claim relief will increase from £500,000 to £625,000.

These changes may save first-time buyers up to £11,250, with savings of up to £2,500 for other purchasers.

Corporation Tax – rate of tax

As widely expected, the Chancellor confirmed that the planned increase in the main rate of corporation tax from

19% to 25% will not now take place on 1 April 2023, reducing government revenue by an estimated £67 billion over the next five years.

The government states that ‘this will maintain a competitive business tax regime, which will support investment, innovation and economic growth in the UK’.

Annual Investment Allowance (AIA)

The 100% AIA, which is available to companies and unincorporated businesses, is available for qualifying expenditure on plant and machinery (P&M) up to £1 million. The limit was intended to drop to £200,000 for expenditure after 31 March 2023, but the higher limit has now been made ‘permanent’. This is described as intended to ‘support business investment, provide businesses with more stability, and make tax simpler for any business investing between £200,000 and £1 million in plant and machinery’.

Get in touch

We will be happy to help you adapt and reassess your plans in light of any legislative changes. Please get in touch on 01903 234904 or visit www. carpenterbox.com for more information.

Information correct as of 4 October 2022.

Don’t panic! Fixed rate mortgages

still

Rob

interest rates

The mortgage market has had the biggest interest rate rise in over 20 years, which means higher monthly payments for anyone not on an existing fixed rate or for anyone wanting a new mortgage now. Not great news, but not exactly unexpected either.

It is important to be aware, despite what the media will lead you to believe, that there are fixed rates available.

In fact, there is still a huge choice on fixed rates, from two years to five years and even 10 years.

A fixed rate gives you the comfort to know that even in a tough and changing financial climate that your mortgage payments will not increase. Anyone on a variable rate or about to see their current fixed rate expire, should consider taking advantage of a new fixed rate now and make sure that they can weather the storm until it eventually runs out, which if history tells us anything it will.

Currently we are seeing lenders starting to remove a number of their fixed rates as they wait to see what the Bank of England will do over the next few months, so it is important that you speak with a Whole of Market broker as soon as possible.

Not only can we offer you choice from across all lenders and make sure that you do not miss out on the best deal

Rob Starr CEO – Seico Group

available on any given day to suit your own position, but also we can hold a rate for you today for up to six months, so you are prepared and ready without fear of yet another increase.

We also saw unexpected, good news after the Bank of England interest rate increases - the help that followed straight afterwards.

Firstly, there is a stamp duty adjustment, which increases the allowance from £125,000 to £250,000 and even better for first time buyers as they see an increase from £300,000 to £425,000. This could not have come at a better time for people wanting to buy their first home or move home.

Seico Group is a Whole of Market Mortgage Brokerage that has been assisting residential and commercial clients with all their property and personal insurance needs since 1991. A whole of market broker like Seico has access to all the very best Fixed Rate deals - including those not on comparison sites or the high street.

talk to us to see what’s possible and we can get the rate that is most suitable for you.

Business finance: whatever happened to your Bank Manager?

Page, Head

Ask anyone to name a famous bank manager - not that there are many to choose from, admittedly - and they will almost certainly come up with the name of George (Captain) Mainwaring, who is long-departed and, of course, did not even exist in the real world in the first place.

A TV character whose many comedic faults became the stuff of British folklore, Mainwaring was the quintessential bank manager who knew all his customers inside out - which ones were good for the money and also had the authority to look after them accordingly.

Most business people reading this are likely to have enjoyed that type of relationship with their bank manager at some stage, but probably not for a while. It’s more likely that their accounts are now

Commercial

dealt with by a telephony unit and that their former manager has left the bank.

So, what can the customer do if they need to discuss their plans?

Well, I’m one of the ‘missing’ bank managers, with 25 customer-facing years on the clock, and I now work in the Commercial Department at Seico, who are a long-standing and respected mortgage brokerage.

I’m doing pretty much the same job today as I did in the bank - I have the same discussions now with business people as I did when I worked on the High Street.

One major difference is that I can discuss the whole of the market as opposed to just one bank’s products. Businesses still need to have these discussions and because at Seico we look

at the entire market. I have the flexibility to be creative and to get the best deal for each customer. As an example, I recently saved a healthcare business around £200k over the course of a five-year loan, compared to the ‘best’ offer they were able to arrange themselves.

I’m always ready to talk to people about their future plans - whether they’re being looked after by their bank or not. If someone has a good business idea it needs to be put in front of the right lender and it’s my job to do that. If this sounds like you and you’d like to talk about it, please don’t be shy about getting in touch.

How

The BRITE Pioneers

Pioneers do things differently.

Business

Last month, Plus X Brighton welcomed 15 businesses that are on their way to changing the world.

Pioneers is a two-day innovation programme created by the BRITE Project to forge partnerships between innovative small businesses and industry partners that can help them reach their goals.

This group of fresh thinkers are making changes in areas including food and drink, health and hygiene, and digital media.

Together, they are learning how to scale through positive partnerships, uncovering ways to improve supply chains and be more sustainable and comparing different ways to have a positive impact.

Pioneers is a fully funded programme held at the Plus X Brighton innovation hub. The programme welcomes partners including University of Brighton, OLIO, Sky, Mathys & Squire, The Joyful, Low Carbon Leaders, Magick, Watch This Sp_ce, Shoreham Port, World of Books, and Kimberly-Clark.

If you’re part of a business looking to make a positive impact on people or the planet,

the BRITE Project needs you! Join the next Pioneers cohorts in November and January. If you have any questions on Pioneers, get in touch with the BRITE team to find out more.

Introducing the Pioneers

INSPOHUB

Inspohub - Ekaterina Blake

InspoHub helps brands engage their audience online with bespoke video solutions. The broadcast and video agency was founded by Ekaterina Blake, and are trusted by leading names including Aston Martin, Klaviyo, Sony and England Rugby

to deliver seamless online experiences.

SPIRITED FUTURES

Spirited Futures is a leadership academy for young changemakers and trailblazers who want to create change environmentally and socially. Through nature-based retreats, mentoring and workshops, Spirited Futures enables young people aged 18-25 to tap into their inner wisdom for purpose-led change.

Karen Stenning and the team are guided by the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and have a strong purpose and values focused on helping future generations become the leaders our world needs.

IN THE LOOP DRINKS

In The Loop Drinks makes English Vermouth and ready-to-drink cocktails

from their solar-powered winery in Uckfield, East Sussex. The awardwinning winemakers have won multiple awards and were created with sustainability at their core.

Created in 2020 by Director Gnina Balchin, In The Loop’s products are vegan, gluten free and created to advance the circular economy. It was founded on the principle of keeping English wine ‘in the loop’ by using English wine that would have otherwise gone to waste. Alongside their eco-friendly winery and efforts to limit wine waste in the industry, In The Loop prioritises mindful packaging, sourcing biodegradable and recyclable materials.

DROP ZERO DIGITAL

Drop Zero Digital has a global team of email marketing specialists that help ecommerce brands make more impact

from their emails. Tom Fenton and the remote team manage email marketing from strategy all the way through to reporting, with all of the creative bits in between.

The scaling business is joining Pioneers to connect with partners and likeminded businesses.

MENTEATH

Menteath is an award-winning Britishmade organic skincare and fragrance brand created by Felicity Stuart-Menteath.

Fragrances are handcrafted with wild and ethically harvested ingredients, putting sustainable farming practices and the environment at the heart of the business. Fusing traditional smoke rituals from the Middle East and Old England, Menteath brings neuroscience and skincare together.

FEMALE PERSPECTIVE

Tabatha Roberts is the Founder of Female Perspective, a photo agency that represents female talent for commercial photographic assignments. Earlier this year she launched the ShotByWomen platform as the world’s first global stock image library to house exclusively women-created content spanning all areas of photography.

Tabatha is both a photographer and agent member of the Association of Photographers, at which she sits on the working group of the f22, a group that was set up to support the AOP’s women and nonbinary members.

THE SOCIAL SOCIETY

The Social Society is on a mission to make local volunteering easy. Led by Founder Toni Finnimore, The Social Society connects businesses with grassroots charities across the UK, and lead on internal workplace programmes. Along with making a difference in cities across Europe, The Social Society runs social events to connect people and reduce isolation and loneliness.

FUTURE HUMANITY VENTURES

Future Humanity Ventures is currently being structured as a venture builder studio that is developing social and environmental products in partnership with high value companies and people, who have a similar ethos for positive change through technology.

Founder Brian Mcilwaine has also created a subdivisional company Future Humanity Materials, a sustainable material solution supplier and consultancy. The methodologies and mindset for the venture building is taken from the accelerated product development used in motorsport.

HATSUMI

Hatsumi is a design studio that combines technology, healthcare and the arts to help people understand each other using virtual reality. This powerful work enables the communication of invisible experiences to improve cognitive empathy, and lead to faster and more accurate diagnostic outcomes.

Alongside founding Hatsumi, Sarah Ticho is also producer at Explore Deep, and Cofounder of both Lemonade and XR Health Alliance. She sits on the XR Safety Initiative Medical Council, and in her spare time is an End of Life Doula in training.

SITEVISIBILITY

SiteVisibility is a full-service digital marketing agency with offices in Brighton and London. Founded in 2001, the business has an outstanding heritage in SEO and a team dedicated to the future of marketing. Finance Manager Vicky Evans will join Pioneers to represent the agency’s strong commitment to CSR and sustainability.

SiteVisibility is Co-Founder off brightonSEO, Europe’s largest free

search marketing conference, and hosts of the hugely popular Internet Marketing Podcast, which started in 2006 and has over 650 episodes.

YOCORY

Yocory is an innovative SaaS platform that combines everything freelancers, entrepreneurs, and side hustlers need to grow their business. Created to help entrepreneurs streamline their businesses, Yocory is the perfect project management tool for fast-moving small businesses.

Founder Lucia Desperati is a familiar face to the BRITE innovation project, having undertaken the INSPIRE programme previously.

GOMI + ZERO WASTE CLUB

Gomi is leading the way as a consumer technology brand that puts sustainability at the heart of design. Tom Meades and the team started out in the design world releasing the world’s first portable speaker made from “non-recyclable” trash.

Gomi and sister business, Zero Waste Club, are passionate about turning waste into circular products that will be loved for generations to come.

PERCEPT IMAGERY

Percept Imagery is an award-winning immersive technology company based in Brighton, founded by Akshay Saswade.

Their world-class augmented reality platform Sprie® lets consumers personalise online shopping experiences and drive revenue growth by letting online shoppers virtually try products before purchase.

SPRINGBOARD MEDIA

Springboard Media provides publishing and media services to

global publishers and organisations across the globe. Publications include Publish My Book, Chichester Life, and Faithbuilders Publishing.

Founder David Powell set up Springboard Media with a commitment to give back. As they continue on their path to growth, they aim to help micro businesses and businesses in emerging markets with space and support. David also mentors young people to achieve their career goals.

DIGITAL SALUTEM

João Bocas, CEO of Digital Salutem, is on a mission to make health uncomplicated. Digital services include technologies such as remote patient monitoring platforms, PR and social media support, and consultancy for the healthcare industry.

Plus X Brighton member João is a wellknown expert in the digital health space, sharing insights with the world through his social media channels to help further the field, with a strong focus in wearables.

The first cohort of Pioneers may just be getting started, but if you’re inspired to make positive change within your own business, the project is accepting applications for November and in early 2023.

Find out more or apply at www.briteinnovation.co.uk

Pioneers 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.

How to kiss a stranger, and other marketing advice

There is a myth in marketing that you need to start from a place where ‘nobody cares about you or your business’. Toby Moore, of Content Club, disagrees and explains why.

People are looking around the room all the time, looking for stuff that will excite then, amuse them, educate them and inspire them.

Sometimes this even transcends into making and/or saving them money. Can you believe it?

But just like being a good-looking, single 20-something at a house party, you’re probably thinking, ‘sure, but how do I get them to look at ME?’.

How do you get them to want to kiss a stranger?

Content is trust, at scale

I work in marketing (kind of). Or at least people come to me for help because they think I work in marketing. However, the honest truth is that I really rather dislike marketing. And I would even go as far to say that I’m not actually very good at it. But what I do love is content.

The reason I love content is because everything is content. We often get told that content is something highly defined

and tactical, such as blogs for SEO, or podcast for building an audience, or webinars for generating leads. But this is a very narrowminded and ultimately ineffective perception of what content is.

I say content is everything - because content is everything. The ideas you have across a coffee table, this is content. The comments you leave on a friend’s social post, this is content. The question you ask at the end of a talk at a conference, this is content.

Content is anything that enables you to

pass on your thinking, ideas, processes, messages, questions, answers, knowledge, expertise or curiosities.

How you capture that and share it with the world outside of just that moment, that thought, idea, or answer appeared. That then defines your ability to turn content into customers.

I have subscribed to this concept of content for almost 10 years of my career now. I’ve taken it across as many industries as I can think of. And I’ve worked with businesses all shapes and sizes, from FTSE 100 brands all the way across to freelances, charities and founder brands.

We have to stop saying content is something that we use to earn clicks likes and leads, and transcend our thinking into believing that the purpose of content - whatever shape it takesis to build trust. Then more importantly than this, the purpose of content is to build trust at scale. To take a moment in time, where our work has the power to inspire one other person. Then figuring out a system to allow that moment to reach an unlimited number of people through the power of the internet and digital.

Trust is the ultimate goal, because trust is what allows us to show up in our work as exactly who we are, and for the person sitting across the other side of the table to believe everything that we say, to understand exactly what we have to offer, and to feel happy, comfortable and confident in taking action to follow our lead as a provider of compelling services and products.

Without trust, there is no ability to believe, there is no reason to understand, and there is ultimately no compelling opportunity to say yes to.

Therefore, to fail to put trust at the very

heart of your content, is to fundamentally fail to take advantage of the most human element that you have available to you uncapped, 24/7, for free, within your business.

How to build trust

I’m going to tell you about the three components of building trust through content. And then I’m going to give you the most powerful, easy to do and lowcost approach you can use to changing gears with the way that you create content immediately, in order to place building trust at the heart of your work.

Let’s start with the three components of building trust. These are education, empathy and entertainment. Or if you like, the three E’s.

Education

Valuing the way that you educate the people around you - both customers and community alike – will get you noticed, develop authority in your industry and ultimately demonstrate to anyone and everyone exactly what you’re capable of doing.

People are often afraid of over educating online, on the basis thier clients might run away with their secrets and do it themselves. I say, let them try… If one blog post can provide someone with the answers the 5, 10, 15 years’ worth of experience has taught you, in order to do it just as well as you can… well that would be a rare thing. Instead, educating your audience simply places you as a person in your industry that values educating generously which intern builds trust, and offers people the opportunity to see what you know and what you can do. Which also builds trust.

Empathy

Empathy might sound like a soft and squishy thing, but frankly the world of work needs more squishy things. If you want to build trusting relationships with potential customers and you need to be less afraid of getting down in the fluffy stuff and figuring out how to come back out of that develop it into a method that attracts customers systematically. In this context, empathy is about understanding the problems challenges and ambitions of your customers.

You can figure this stuff out by simply imagining the conversations that you have with your best and favourite customers. Consider the questions that they ask you, the questions that you ask them, goals ambitions and dreams to share with you and the different ways that you like to respond in order to make them feel like you get it. Spend 15 minutes writing stuff down on a piece of paper and start building it into your content strategy, and you’re onto a winner.

Entertainment

Now I don’t mean entertainment in terms of jazz hands, showtunes or telling a bunch of crappy dad jokes. What I do mean is taking a conscious and purposeful approach to building your personality and your characteristics into your content.

Toby Moore

Much like empathy, this comes down to understanding exactly what it takes to build excellent and trusting relationships in real life, capturing that as knowledge, and then translating it into ideas, stories and language within your content. To do this, spend 10 minutes doodling down things on paper that help you understand how you behave in front of your best customers. Then take every opportunity you can to work those behaviours into the tone of voice and characteristics of your content.

Putting it down on paper

Those are the three E’s. Now before I go, I did promise you a super-killer technique for developing fantastic ideas for content. It will immediately improve your ability to build trust online. And it goes a little bit like this.

Write down the name of the customer, they can be imaginary or real. The important thing is it has to represent the type of customer they would love to do business with again and again and again.

Now write down next to their name three questions that you know that they would want to ask you. Try to focus these questions around tapping into the

knowledge and expertise that you have - that they would normally have to pay in order to access and understand.

Example: if you were an HR consultant these questions might look something like: ‘What percentage of my staff should be on the payroll?’ Or ‘How should I approach diversity and equality in my organisation?’

Now I want you to write down two more questions that you would like to ask them. And these questions should represent things that you would want to know about this person, in order to figure out whether they have a problem that you would like to solve.

Again, if you’re a HR consultant these questions might be something like: ‘Have you ever used an HR consultant before?’ Or ‘What are the biggest staffing challenges in your organisation right now?’

Now grab a fresh piece of paper and create five columns across it. At the top of each column write each these five questions. Next up, set a timer for 20 minutes. Try to write down five ideas or headlines for content and each heading.

These headings can be as simple

as ‘Five ways to find and choose an HR consultant’, or ‘How to tackle the biggest staffing challenges facing businesses right now’.

If you’re ruthless with this and don’t waste any time. Within 20 minutes you’re staring at 25 new ideas for pieces of content that are borne out of actual questions, challenges and qualifiers that are relevant, helpful and educational to new and potential customers

Did we get lucky?

Who knows. Henry Ford once said: “Fifty per cent of the money I spend on advertising works, the problem is I don’t know which 50 percent.”

This mentality translated into decades of marketers’ thinking that they had to throw mud at the wall wait to see what sticks.

You don’t have to do this. You don’t have to put it down to luck.

Instead, place building trust to scale the heart of everything that you do, whether that be online, off-line or in-person. Everything is content, and every piece of content has the potential to surprise both you and a potential customer.

But the more strategic, intentional and consistent you become at creating content that is designed to build trust, the more likely it becomes that you will successfully build awareness, connection and conversation with relevant like-minded customers in a way that is easier to do more enjoyable to me than any SEO, growth hacking or algorithm gaming technique that the marketing cowboys never seem to get tired of selling you.

Good luck. Go be you. Go build trust at scale.

Toby Moore Content Club

Westgate Chambers – Changing perceptions

How the only remaining Common Law Chambers in Sussex embraces change and prides itself on delivering a progressive, approachable and efficient service.

From what was believed to be a Criminal set of Chambers in Lewes to a powerhouse across Family, Civil and Criminal Law in Brighton – changing the perception has been a key obstacle to overcome in its continuing pursuit of excellence.

Story

It may be celebrating its 35th anniversary but Westgate Chambers has both feet firmly in the future.

While proud of its past, it has swept decades-old perceptions to one side to carve out a forward-thinking brand that brings Barristers and clients closer together.

Forging those links is the Clerks’ Room, headed by Senior Clerk Sean Gould, with the new addition of Deputy Senior Clerk Stuart Taylor, it prides itself on providing excellence. No case is too small, and this approachable, friendly team are acutely aware of the need to ensure that excellence is provided as standard. There is nearly 100 years’

experience in this ‘engine room’ and one of their core beliefs is providing the Solicitor with the right Barrister for the client, at the correct price. The clerks’ room believes in a truly collaborative approach to providing legal services.

We spoke to Sean and Stuart about the Chambers’ work and priorities. What we discovered is that there is nothing stuffy or set in stone when it comes to running a modern Chambers.

Flexibility is a real buzzword hereand that nimbleness even extends to negotiating fees.

“It is important to us that individuals and businesses know we are

approachable,” said Stuart. “That is why we make getting to know our Solicitor clients a priority.”

“Building friendly but professional relationships helps us continue to provide the stellar service we are so proud of. In every relationship there is give and take and our modern approach to client management allows us to facilitate repeat instructions of members of chambers.”

Areas of work

With 44 Barristers and three pupils, Westgate Chambers offers rapid access to leading specialist Barristers who can provide outstanding advocacy or

advisory services. Westgate Chambers accepts instructions within Family, Civil and Criminal law as well as Regulatory, Police Law, Local Government and Health and Safety. The largest percentage of its work is focused within Family law, most notably in Public Law Children, Financial Remedies and Divorce and Child Arrangement proceedings.

Barristers travel across Sussex, Surrey, Kent, London and Hampshire to provide excellent representation.

While many sectors experienced an almost total shutdown during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Westgate Chambers was busy re-branding and relocating to Pavilion Parade in central

Brighton. It wasn’t a time for the team to stand still.

Sean Gould said: “We have gone from strength to strength, and I am certain that is because we are constantly thinking progressively.”

“Many businesses expect Chambers to be rigid and stale, but that is not the modern reality with us. For example, we are open to negotiation on fees. We are flexible.”

Stuart points out that flexibility is at the heart of all good relationships. “In terms of fees, I do not want to be reactive to your lay clients’ needs. We put the Solicitor’s budget at the heart of our negotiations. It is not lost on our clerks’ room that what we agree with our instructing Solicitors has to be paid by

the lay client, and that at times this can cause a difficulty that we would not want our Solicitor to have to constantly face.”

Reaching out

From clerks to Barristers, everyone has embraced technology - so much so that Chambers has been invited to participate in a seminar on Twitter.

The clerks are ‘faces’ in local networking circles, attending events across Sussex, Surrey and beyond. Westgate Chambers has a renowned seminar package that provides training to Solicitors firms, Law Societies and Organisations. It recently entertained Public Law Children lawyers from local Solicitors’ firms. The exclusive invite only event was staged at Enter Gallery in Bond Street, Brighton.

It also supports community events, recently sponsoring a local school summer fete. Chambers has also been a staunch supporter of fundraising efforts for Brighton Hospital’s Neonatal ICU and often contributes to the fundraising efforts of its clients. It even recognises the achievements of its Solicitor base, when individual lawyers have obtained further accreditation.

Stuart says reaching out has been a powerful and successful communication strategy. He sees the wider reach as a way to further foster relations and demonstrate there is a friendly, human side to Chambers. ‘Reciprocal communication’ is how he paraphrases it.

After all, having a multi-faceted approach is what has given Westgate Chambers the edge.

“We are not only bringing solicitor clients in, we are keeping them,” he said. “Clients share their needs - and we assist them to ensure those needs are met, without fail.”

“We understand the value of giving back and working collaboratively.”

Culture and diversity

Developing and nurturing a supportive culture has paid dividends. Westgate Chambers is described as a ‘diverse, friendly and forward-facing’ place to work.

Sean said: “There is fairness in Chambers but also a healthy amount of competition. “

“It is this culture that has enabled us to offer a one-stop-shop to help individuals and businesses collectively.”

“We can take a flexible approach to clerking because of it.”

Ongoing training

With laws being constantly tweaked or replaced, training never stops at

Westgate Chambers. It is ongoing. Direct training takes place regularly and Chambers is planning to host a mock trial training session in the very near future.

Members of Chambers keep the clerks constantly up to date, ensuring they are kept up to speed with new and relevant changes in the law and directions provided by the courts. Members of Chambers also sit on local legal steering committees.

Along with its impressive seminar offerings, members of Chambers produce blogs and legal updates to its Solicitors as well as having a bi-monthly newsletter ‘Briefly Westgate’

What clients say

Clients continue to provide extremely positive feedback about Westgate Chambers. Here’s what just a few of them have to say:

‘Weightmans Police Team appreciate the super quality clerking we receive from Deputy Senior Clerk, Stuart Taylor. We have instructed several members of their Police Law Team

who are all excellent, friendly, and approachable.’ – Hannah Walsh, Partner – Weightmans LLP

‘When I have instructed Westgate Chambers on behalf of my clients, I always receive a swift and first-class service from beginning to end from the Clerks and Counsel’ – Deborah Sandford, Head of Family – Setfords Solicitors.

‘Our family law department regularly uses Westgate Chambers. We find Stuart, and the team of clerks, are always happy to help and are extremely responsive. They go over and above to make the admin easier when booking and organising Counsel. The Chambers has a wide ranging and knowledgeable offering of Barristers, who provide a high level of service to the Solicitors instructing and to the lay clients throughout their instruction.’ – Emma Taylor, Head of Family and Partner –Goodlaw Solicitors

‘Westgate is a highly respectable set of Chambers who I instruct regularly. I have found the clerking team and their Barristers to be easy to deal with, experts in their field and always on hand

to assist wherever possible - nothing is too much trouble.’ Tia Harrison, Partner – Mayo Wynne Baxter.

‘In recent months I have instructed a number of Barristers in the Family Law Team at Westgate Chambers in both Private Law children cases, financial remedy cases as well as Family Law Act injunction proceedings & have been impressed in the way the cases were dealt with. Counsel have been well prepared in all my cases with the result that my clients have been very happy & satisfied with their representation.’ Debra Frazer, Partner –Gaby Hardwicke Solicitors

‘Westgate Chambers consistently provide us with first class service across the board. The Barristers we have instructed are not only specialists in Financial Remedies, Child Arrangements and TOLATA, but they are also very approachable, favouring a collaborative working relationship which is invaluable for us as Solicitors and, in turn, our

clients. The team of clerks at Westgate are extremely affable and a pleasure to deal with. We can always rely on them to respond promptly and provide fair fee quotes taking into account the limitation of our clients budgets when needed, which is refreshing. They are our ‘go to’ set.’ Natalie Jones, Head of Family and Partner – Heringtons Solicitors.

‘The Barristers at Westgate Chambers provide a fantastic service with significant expertise in a wide range of legal sectors. The clerks are very responsive and make the instruction process as seamless as possible.’ Daniel Dickson - Dean Wilson Solicitors

‘Westgate Chambers are our Chambers of choice and are at the top of our list when we instruct Counsel! The clerking team are extremely swift to respond and go above and beyond to assist in every way they can. It’s always a friendly voice on the other end of the telephone’ –Lauren Robinson - Wannops LLP

What’s next?

Keep an eye out for further news from Westgate Chambers in our subsequent editions and podcasts.

In the meantime, it is keen to spread the word that it is recruiting Barristers across all levels. For Barristers looking to join a progressive, thoroughly modern Chambers – please get in touch with Sean or Stuart.

www.westgate-chambers.co.uk

Telephone: 01273 480510

Twitter: @Westgate1987

LinkedIn: Westgate Chambers, Sean Gould, Stuart Taylor

Chambers has a highly competitive commission rate which is confirmed to be lower than the local market.

Are you ready for a tough chat?

Being a leader means wearing multiple hats, some of which are more challenging than others. As an employer or manager, you will be required to handle difficult conversations with employees when they arise professionally and sensitively. This includes workrelated situations, such as performance, career development and pay rises, to more personal issues, including health concerns, maternity/paternity leave, and personal problems affecting work. It’s vital they are handled correctly to ensure your employee feels heard, understood and respected, ultimately achieving a mutually beneficial goal for all parties.

So, why is handling these conversations correctly so important? To start with, 92 per cent of highly engaged employees claim they feel heard in the workplace and a byproduct of engaged employees is, usually, a stronger ability to reach company goals whether profit, engagement or customer service. This gives evidence that listening to employee needs supports company success.

When employees feel heard, they feel empowered to initiate difficult conversations when an issue arises. Although this may be harder than simply brushing issues under the rug, it creates an opportunity for senior staff to discuss and resolve any worries before it becomes

a bigger problem and the risk of staff opting to resign increases. It’s better to deal with any concerns as they arise rather than having a more complex situation to resolve later down the line. You want to use your time and resources to help your team achieve performance goals, which leads to higher retention rates.

If sensitive issues are mishandled, employees are more likely to become demotivated, disloyal and speak negatively about the corporation, all of which can have a detrimental effect on your company’s reputation and success. A common mistake from senior team members is not reacting to situations as seriously as necessary; this is especially

true when an employee raises the issue informally. If not reacted to effectively in the first instance, this can quickly lead to a formal grievance which may spiral into an Employee Tribunal if not resolved. Therefore, take all talk of an issue seriously, whether in passing or a formal grievancethis will allow employees to feel supported and as if they’re a part of a team.

“No matter how brilliant your mind or strategy, if you’re playing a solo game, you’ll always lose out to a team” - Reid Hoffman, Co-Founder of LinkedIn.

Often a team member will approach you about a sensitive subject with little to no warning. Therefore, it’s vital to be prepared at all times. There are some simple changes you can make to support your employees, and more significant steps necessary to create a fully supported workforce.

1. Listen more than you speak

During difficult conversations, whether about a pay increase or health worries, there is a potential that employees will feel vulnerable, so it is integral that you allow them to speak and feel heard when talking. Ensure you are in an environment and mindset where you can give your full attention away from potential distractions to understand what they are saying entirely. At this point, empathy is key. Attempt to understand what they are feeling and ask questions for clarification if you don’t feel you’ve fully understood. Your choice of language at this stage is important as a positive response will ensure the employee doesn’t feel judged and will be more likely to bring up issues in the future. Remind them that your sole intention is to help them achieve what they want to in their role. Once this conversation has finished and before any further steps are taken, it is helpful to reflect back to confirm you’ve understood correctly.

2. Discuss goals

During your conversation, discussing each party’s goals and what they aim to gain from the discussion is helpful. This way it makes setting expectations and reaching a compromise that suits everyone easier, as well as supporting

decisions on the next suitable steps.

3. Involve the correct people

Occasionally, an issue may require additional people to be involved to support the employees’ needs, and to protect both parties. For example, if the employee has a grievance to raise, then it would be best that an employment solicitor is present. After an initial chat to discuss the issue if you feel it would be beneficial to involve other people, don’t be afraid to reschedule for a time when everyone can be present.

A company is only successful due to its team and its management. Your senior team members must have these conversations and manage them efficiently, so individuals feel comfortable and prioritised.

At Loch Associates Group, our highly experienced Solicitors and HR Consultants have designed the highly informative Nip it in the Bud seminar that educates leaders on how to effectively and efficiently handle difficult conversations with their staff. You can see when the next session will be by visiting our website.

info@lochassociates.co.uk www.lochassociates.co.uk

Olympic Triathlon Challenge - charity closes in on £100k

Rob Starr, Chairperson of the Starr Trust charity, is on the final stretch of a personal challenge to complete an Olympic distance triathlon every week in 2022, supported by Olympians Daley Thomson CBE and ‘Eddie the Eagle’ Edwards.

Charity

Rob completed his 42nd triathlon of the year on September 30. His mission is to raise £100k to support disadvantaged young people in Sussex who are struggling to overcome roadblocks in their lives.

Rob, 53, has now completed thirty-eight of his fifty-two events.

Supporter of the Starr Trust, Olympic gold medallist Daley Thompson is set to join Rob for a star-studded evening at the prestigious Soho House, which it is hoped will help boost the fundraising efforts even further.

Daley said: “I jokingly told Rob his adventures never impress me but, seriously, if Rob completes this challenge, I really will be very impressed.”

Nick Jones, Founder and CEO of global membership-only club Soho House, has offered support and his team are looking forward to hosting the fundraising evening.

Nick said: “Rob, congratulations on all that you’ve achieved so far – super impressive.”

Ski jumping Olympic legend ‘Eddie the Eagle’ Edwards, who is supporting the Starr Trust at their Winter Extravaganza Ball in Brighton this

year, said: “When I heard what Rob was about to do, I thought he was mad! This is a heroic effort. Well done - we are all behind you.”

Rob’s idea for the challenge came about because Nathan, one of the young ‘Starrs’ who the charity supports, needs to raise around £15,000 to enable him to reach the next Paralympics as a wheelchair tennis player. He is a remarkable young man who has Cerebral Palsy and who, until eighteen months ago, was a successful wheelchair racerwhich the Starr Trust also supported.

During a world championship race, Nathan suffered an accident which

meant he could no longer participate in that sport. Rather than give up, he switched to wheelchair tennis and is now on the cusp of being chosen for the next Paralympics.

The Starr Trust is awarding Nathan their maximum funding of £5,000, but this falls £10,000 short. Therefore, Rob has pledged to raise this for him.

The Starr Trust has a large number of applications from young people in need and Rob’s challenge is to raise enough money to support Nathan fully and also support as many of the new applicants reaching out for help.

Nathan said: “I can’t believe Rob is doing this for me. It’s amazing, I don’t know how he does it. Rob and the Starr Trust have been supporting me for years and they just make me feel I can achieve anything. They are such a big part of my family and are literally making this dream possible for me.”

Rob completed his first triathlon of the challenge on 1st January 2022 and has

continued weekly thereafter throughout the year to date.

Rob said: “Now being over 70 per cent into the challenge, I finally realise how difficult it is!

“The hardest part has been trying to keep injury free, which has not always been possible, and then carrying on regardless of the pain. Also. as a long-term sufferer of Crohn’s disease and arthritis, I have had to cope with pushing my body way past its comfort zone, but movement is the best medicine, so each injury or flare up has cleared up pretty quickly.

“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 and with no one there to support you on the dark, cold mornings has taken a lot of self-discipline.

“But one thing I have learned about myself is that whilst I might have regretted committing to a triathlon each

week, I have not once regretted doing them. 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.”

A weekly blog on the Starr Trust website documents Rob’s progress on this mammoth challenge to inspire businesses and individuals to get involved or support however they can: www.starrtrust.org/52x52-challenge

One hundred per cent of all funds raised will be given out to young people, because the charity has all its running costs covered by Rob’s company, SEICO Group.

Established in 2008, the Starr Trust has supported over 4,000 young people to date.

Get your tickets for the Rockinghorse Glitter Ball!

Rockinghorse Children’s Charity has announced their next fundraising ball will take place at The Grand Hotel in Brighton.

and paediatric services across Sussex.

Charity

The charity will be hosting its major fundraising event of the year at The Grand Hotel on Saturday, March 4 in 2023.

The Glitter Ball will be sponsored by The Agora Clinic along with Cardens, ILG, United Us, Living Room Health, Creative Pod, Firmballs and Platinum Media Group.

After last year’s incredibly successful event, it’s a welcome return for the everpopular ball - the most important in the charity’s yearly fundraising calendar.

Rockinghorse is best-known for its work with the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital and Trevor Mann Baby Unit in Brighton, but they also support the Special Care Baby Unit in Haywards Heath and many other children’s centres

Next year’s ball will be raising money to help babies, children and young people throughout the county with a range of specialist equipment and support.

The charity is hoping that there will be a keen interest among their supporters to come along to the ball, especially after the success of last year’s event which raised £59,000 to help support children and young people with their mental health.

Donna Holland, Rockinghorse CEO, said: “Our annual Ball provides a wonderful opportunity for supporters to come together and enjoy an evening of entertainment, whilst also helping us to raise vital funds. We can’t wait to welcome everyone to our fantastic glittery evening at The Grand Hotel.

“I’d like to thank our headline sponsors, The Agora Clinic, for kindly supporting our Ball, and extend our thanks to our supporting sponsors Cardens, ILG, United Us, Living Room Health, Creative Pod, Firmballs and Platinum Media Group for helping to make the event possible.”

Tickets for The Rockinghorse Ball are on sale now and, for a limited time, they are available at an early bird rate of £975 for a table of 10.

To book your table or for more information, call the charity on 01273 330044, email enquiries@rockinghorse.org.uk or visit www.rockinghorse.org.uk and search ‘Events’

Events Not To Be Missed

Silicon Brighton is a community-led initiative supporting those working in our local digital sector. We provide a variety of free and accessible events to help people learn new skills, make connections, and progress their careers in tech. This month is buzzing with activity, so read on for a taste of what’s in store!

Scan the QR code or visit hub.siliconbrighton.com/events to find out more.

UX Brighton Social

Tuesday 11th October | 7-9pm | In person at North Laine Brewhouse Network and chat about UX over a drink, ask your peers questions, make meaningful connections, and share your experiences.

South Coast Sellers Club: “There May Be Trouble Ahead”

Wednesday 12th October | 12:30-2pm | Online

What are some sure-fire ways to shield your business in a recession? Learn 7 strategies to maintain and grow your revenue in tough times.

People & Culture Club: Creating a Culture of Wellbeing

Thursday 13th October | 10-11am | Online

Learn how to create a healthy mindset in your workplace, which could be the difference between your business’s success and failure.

PHP Sussex: Are You a Modern Software Engineer?

Thursday 13th October | 6-8pm | Online / In person at Spaces

Is your software engineering knowledge upto-date with the latest trends? Join us as we guide through the rapidly changing field of web development.

Brighton R October Meetup

Thursday 20th October | 6-8pm | Online /

In person at Spaces

R programmers! This month’s meetup treats you to three talks: “Modelling Sales Data with GLMs”, “A Medical Student’s Learning Curve With R” and “Highlights From EARL 2022”.

JavaScript Brighton

Thursday 20th October | 7-10pm | In person at The Walrus

Discuss all things JavaScript with others in the community, make connections, share knowledge and swap tips - all experience levels welcome!

Lean Agile Brighton Conference

Friday 21st October | 8:30am-5:30pm | In person at Ironworks Studios

Bringing together agile thought leaders, practitioners and enthusiasts, Lean Agile Brighton is a day of advice-packed talks from industry experts.

Startup Grind Brighton: Power Hour Startup Marketing

Monday 24th October | 4-5pm | Online

Are you an entrepreneur or recent startup founder? Learn what lean marketing techniques you should be utilising.

Game Dev Drinks

Friday 28th October | From 7pm | In person at Green Door Store

Calling all local game developers! Pop along to Justin French’s (Dream Harvest) game dev get-together for networking and live music.

Best of British EventsEastbourne 2022

Former jockey Bob Champion, who won the Grand National on Aldaniti in 1981, shared his sporting story with an audience of hundreds.

Last month Best of British Events hosted another fantastic evening of entertainment with a sporting theme.

This time the event was staged in Eastbourne. Bob Champion was the guest speaker at The Grand Hotel and two hundred people attended to hear what he had to say.

The event was sponsored by Mayo Wynne Baxter, and co-sponsored by Handelsbanken and RubixVT.

As always, media partner Sussex Business Times was there to cover the occasion and entertain guests alongside other event sponsors and supporters.

The event raised funds and awareness for the work of the Children’s Respite Trust.

Organisers wish to thank all those who gave so generously to this fantastic cause.

You can see a few pictures taken on the day by Sam Stephenson.

Best of British Events never fails to deliver and the Sussex Business Times’ team

can’t wait until the final event of the year, which will be at Gatwick in November.

It truly has been an honour to partner with them this year. We have certainly enjoyed some fantastic events.

For more information on Best of British Events or to book a table for the last event at Gatwick, contact ryan.heal@ bestofbritish.org.uk or visit https:// bestofbritish.org.uk/

Network My Club joins forces with Saracens

The new collaboration will enable Network My Club to expand to North London.

Announcing the partnership, the club said it was delighted its newest collaboration comes from the world of rugby - in the form of European giants, Saracens.

The joint venture will see the launch of the Saracens Business Club at the StoneX Stadium.

& Events

The aim of the Saracens Business Club is to connect SME business owners between Central London and

Watford (and beyond) at bi-monthly B2B networking events at the club’s impressive stadium.

Situated a stone’s throw from the M1, the StoneX Stadium is nestled in a prime position to attract business

leaders from the region.

Founder and Managing Director of Network My Club, Bradley Hatchett said: “We’re delighted to team up with Saracens. The club’s pedigree speaks for itself on and off the pitch.

“There is an impressive group of business supporters connected with the club, who are situated in an area populated with thriving companies, within a stone’s throw of central London.

“Our ambition is two-fold. To deliver exceptional networking opportunities for local businesses to help them connect and grow. And to help Saracens be better connected with the local business community, their current clients, whilst showcasing the impressive stadium facilities and commercial opportunities at the club.”

Bradley added: “With the Saracens Business Club becoming part of the Network My Club group, it’ll attract our wider network, helping expand relations and business opportunities further afield for those involved.”

Mike Godfrey, Head of Sales and Business Development at Saracens, said: “The Saracens Business Club is set to connect our partners, sponsors, local companies and welcome new businesses to the club, which is something we’re very excited about.

“We look forward to engaging with them, highlighting the club’s range of commercial opportunities, while providing all involved with the chance to connect and grow their companies.

“Teaming up with Network My Club means working with a company with a

track record in delivering high-quality networking events at professional sports clubs for SMEs in a professional, friendly and informal environment.”

The inaugural Saracens Business Hub event at StoneX Stadium takes place on Wednesday 26 October, 12pm2.30pm, and businesses can book onto the event now.

The Saracens Business Club becomes the latest edition to the Network My Club group, which spans with networking events across Sussex, the South, London and beyond.

Visit www.networkmyclub.co.uk to book onto an upcoming event, or even try out the Saracens Business Club launch.

More networking, more space

Hot on the heels of a successful inaugural event is some exciting news - in 2023, the Brighton and Hove Business Show is expanding to two exhibition lounges.

The move to include both the Mayo Wynne Baxter and Focus Group Lounges at the Amex Stadium means the show will be able to accommodate between 90 and 100 exhibitors.

With stand bookings already coming in, it will ensure more businesses who want to build connections with brands in Brighton and the wider Sussex area will have the best platform to do just that.

Organiser Mike Monk points out: “We will still have the Gap Solutions Lounge. That is where the seminars, keynote speech and speed networking will take place.”

More networking

To give exhibitors an enhanced networking experience, a special Drinks and Nibbles event is being staged six weeks before the show.

Mike aims to host the free event

between 5pm and 7pm at a Brighton hotel. The date is to be confirmed and exhibitors will receive their invites as soon as the venue is confirmed.

He said: “It is all about exhibitors making new connections and getting to know each other in a relaxed atmosphere ahead of the big day.”

In addition, this year’s show will kick off at 8am with The Network Breakfast. The event is being staged in HB’s restaurant and will feature a guest speaker. Tickets will be available from Eventbrite nearer the time. They will cost £25 per head and include a full English or vegetarian breakfast. This event will be open to both exhibitors and visitors. It aims to offer everyone the best possible start to the day.

Exhibitor perks

Exhibitors in both lounges will be able to take advantage of free tea, coffee and cookies, provided courtesy of the organiser, in dedicated spaces. The aim is to give exhibitors a well-earned break from their stand - and to provide yet another networking opportunity.

The floor plan for next year’s event has been released and will give those thinking

of exhibiting a chance to choose the best spot at the show for them.

Sponsors

Pest control specialists Cleankill have been confirmed as official sponsors of Show Bags. Award-winning corporate finance boutique SRC is the official sponsor of the Seminar Room.

Testimonials

Following this year’s event, Mike received so many testimonials that there is now a dedicated page on the show website for them.

They include this one from Amanda Young, Head of Membership at Sussex Chamber of Commerce: “Such a great show and lots of excellent contacts were made. The Sussex Chamber of Commerce is very much looking forward to attending next year’s event.”

* You are invited to the 2023 Brighton and Hove Business Show. Visit https:// brightonandhovebusinessshow.uk to book a stand or register in advance to attend.

You can keep up to date with latest news from the show on Twitter @MonkFranchising.

The Big Business Breakfast Club is back - bigger and better

At Webtrends

Optimize they help businesses increase online conversions to maximise the ROI from their website and other digital assets with informed, data-driven decisions. On average, their clients achieve a 26-times return on their investment.

Taking place from 8am on Friday 21st October at Brighton & Hove Albion, Amex Stadium, Falmer, the guest speaker is newly crowned Sussex and Southeast Entrepreneur of the Year 2022, Ryan Heal from Best of British Events.

Ryan will be joined by BN1 Consulting for a Q&A with Sam Thomas. Alex Ryan from Marketing 101 will, as usual, offer marketing hints and tips to make your business pop.

Get there early so you have plenty of time to meet other like-minded businesspeople in the room.

More about the sponsors... With their simple approach and market-leading technology, Webtrends Optimize enhance digital experiences and allow experimentation without restrictions, with an absolute focus on the customer at all times.

Through testing, analysis and personalisation tools, or a combination of all of these, they look to find the right solutions based on the data, the industry, the brand, the website, the consumer…

One size very rarely fits all, and that ethos is at the core of everything they do.

Their technology was created in 2000, the first testing and targeting solution in the market. The platform has grown exponentially since then, and even more rapidly so since the acquisition of Webtrends Optimize in August 2018 by the UK-based Accelerate Group Ltd.

The founders of Accelerate Group Ltd, Matt Smith, Matt Goodchild and Ben Charlesworth, have a long history in technology, e-commerce and marketing, and a long-held belief in the power of CRO.

They have implemented huge infrastructure improvements, a completely new, intuitive UI and continuous stream of new tools and features.

This is effectively just the beginning of their story, but with 19 years of solid research and development behind them, they know they have the right structure in place to tell it.

As ever, the guest sponsor gets to choose the month’s charity - and, for October, that will be the Sussex Cricket Foundation.

As Sussex Cricket’s charitable arm, their aim is to actively change lives through cricket across the community.

They use the game and the Sussex Cricket brand to deliver accessible and enjoyable opportunities that grow the sport, tackle inequalities, improve health and wellbeing and enable people to fulfil their potential.

You can show your support and make a donation when you purchase your ticket to the event, which the charity will get directly.

Book here now www.bigbusinessbreakfastclub.co.uk

The website has had a bit of a make-over, so check it out, while booking your ticket.

Going Electric - the real benefits

One in every eight new cars is electric.

and more affordable, there is more to the EV experience than just cheaper running costs

Most people who now drive an EV have made the switch from fuel because they see going electric as a money-saving investment. And who can blame them? The benefits can be compared to solar panel installations or going to university. While the initial cost can be intimidating, it can be easily justified by the long-term savings.

How going electric saves money

Not only are EVs cleaner environmentally they come with an array of individual and business tax incentives.

• Fully electric cars don’t require a road

fund licence, making them free to tax.

• Hybrid cars are liable to vehicle tax as they still emit CO2 – savings will depend on levels of emissions.

If you are fortunate enough to have a company car, it is highly recommended that you request an electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle.

As well as leaving a much smaller carbon footprint, the Niro EV model would cost the employee £27.79, this is around 90 percent less per month than the Niro Hybrid which costs £286.26. The reason? The BIK is much lower for electric vehicles due to the difference in

CO2 emissions. Additionally, compare these statistics to similarly priced petrol and diesel models, with similar P11Ds, and the difference is crystal clear

For example, the Hyundai IONIQ comes with a hybrid or electric engine. The range of the electric model is 193 miles (310.6 km), at the cost of circa 3p per mile to charge. A full charge could cost around £6.37*, depending on where the vehicle is charged.

Conversely, the hybrid version can achieve 62.8 miles (101.07 km) per gallon. A petrol car’s range is naturally longer than its EV counterparthowever, say we only intend to go

193 miles (310.6 km). We averaged £1.80* for a litre of petrol, converted to gallons gives us £8.17 per gallon. At these rates, it would cost about £25.10 to fuel this vehicle.

The cost of refuelling the EV is 74.62 percent less than that of the hybrid engine. Although these figures may not be 100 percent accurate, it is undeniable that EVs save you money.

*Energy and fuel prices were estimated at the time of writing and are subject to change.

Concerned about the electric range not being enough? Use Rivervale’s mileage calculator.

EVs are cheaper to maintain The cost of maintaining an EV is far smaller than its petrol and diesel counterparts.

Electric vehicles have significantly fewer moving parts, leading to a reduction in wear and tear. For example, due to how electric engines function, an EV will start to slow down quicker than a petrol car when the accelerator is not being pressed. This reduces the amount of stress placed on the brake padsreducing the amount of wear that they receive over time.

Government Incentives

Although some previous government EV incentives were revoked in June 2022, efforts continue to tackle some key barriers to achieving a successful EV transition.

The aims are:

• For at least 50% — and as many as 70 percent — of new car sales to be ultralow emission by 2030, alongside up to 40 percent of new vans

• To enable the massive roll-out of infrastructure to support the electric vehicle revolution

• To set the stage for the biggest technology advancement to hit UK roads since the invention of the combustion engine

Charging an EV is easier than ever

The UK has benefitted from improved charging Infrastructure. The Government has pushed for a £20 million cash injection to boost the number of on-street electric vehicle charge points in towns and cities across the UK. This, in turn, will create more access to charge so you can charge your EV near home or at work. But that is not all. Consider the various other charging locations, such as supermarkets and car parks that offer free charging, and you are flying!

In addition to these benefits, you don’t have to pay for parking while using a street car charger – a real plus if you begrudge paying the ever-rising parking charges. Oh, and don’t forget, these charge-parking spaces are reserved exclusively for EVs!

Fast charging has ‘rapidly’ improvedthanks to a rapidly expanding network of charge points. By the end of 2020, there were 20,964 devices. It is now up to 33,281 devices (August 2022), 57.1 percent of which host fast chargers and 18.3 percent rapid chargers.

Imagine this... Your electric Hyundai IONIQ 5 is on 10 percent battery (about 30 miles). You drive to the local supermarket for a quick food shop, plug a rapid charger into your car and return 18 minutes later to find your car is at 80 percent battery (about 240 miles or 386.24 km of range).

Convenient and cheap! In addition, Hyundai says that IONIQ 5 users only need to charge the vehicle for five minutes to get 100 km of range. This is quickly becoming industry standard and certainly alleviates any potential need for

range anxiety. However, if you can only use a fast charger, a more affordable car such as the Nissan Juke can perform a fast charge from 20 percent to 80 percent in 60 minutes.

Home chargers provided added benefits. Installing of a home charging point adds value to any property with a drive or private parking - especially once the 2030 petrol and diesel car ban is implemented. Great news for homeowners.

Additional benefits

With the introduction of clean air zones in major cities now in full effect, it may be worth considering the switch and EV to avoid being charged. Clean air zones are designed to reduce carbon emissions within certain areas, predominantly dense cities. Drivers will be charged based on the CO2 output of their vehicle when driving in these zones. This is to incentivise more sustainable methods of transport, such as cycling, public transport and, of course, electric vehicles.

Fully electric or hydrogen-powered vehicles are automatically exempt, as they don’t produce any exhaust emissions. Driving a non-exempt car through the London Ultra Low Emission Zone twice a week for a year would run up a cost of £1,248!

Finally, an extra benefit of EVs is that they often include the latest safety technology, letting you drive in style and comfort on longer journeys. Along with this, EVs are exclusively automatic vehicles, making the drive smoother. All the more reason to make the switch!

Interested?

Get in touch with Rivervale on 01273433480 to discuss EV leasing.

The impact of rising energy prices on drivers

At a time when 66 per cent of British adults say the cost of living has risen for them in just the past month, rising energy prices are now a growing worry for more and more households. Of those who have been impacted by rising prices, 79 per cent blame hikes in gas and electricity bills.

So, what’s in store for winter and how will inflation impact drivers?

The first thing to remember is that energy price caps are set by government regulator Ofgem. It aims to ensure fair pricing for gas and electricity. New Prime Minister Liz Truss has announced that UK households will now pay up to an average £2,500 a year on their energy bill. Currently, no provider is offering

any cheaper deals - so there is no way around higher bills. We believe this will have an impact on drivers.

Is owning an EV still financially smarter? We can’t ignore the fact that EV charging costs will increase. However, charging your EV will still be considerably cheaper than filling your car with fuel. Petrol and diesel prices

are also at an eight-year price high. The cost of unleaded petrol in August 2021 was £1.35.4. In 2022 it averaged £1.86 per litre - a 27.4 percent increase.

The differentiation is highlighted in this example - the Hyundai IONIQ EV has a range of 193 miles (310.6 km) and currently has a cost of circa 3p per mile to charge. If you add the October 80 per cent energy price increase to this figure, it will increase to 54p per mile. A full charge could cost around *£10.42. In contrast, a similarly priced hatchback, the BMW 1 Series (petrol engine) gets 49.6 miles per gallon. If you wanted to fill this up from empty to achieve 193 miles, at an average fuel cost of *£1.86, then it would cost around *£32.86. So, even

with an upcoming price hike, an EV is still much cheaper to run.

*The energy and fuel prices estimated at the time of writing, are subject to change.

EV drivers can also benefit from charging EVs at home or a private business. This is because they pay 5 percent VAT, rather than the 20 percent operator margin for charging at public points.

And, of course, this money saving is only one of the benefits of going electric. Soon the government will rule out the sale of new petrol or diesel vehicles, so the cheaper costs are incentivising people to get ahead of the curve and make the switch now.

What about leasing an EV?

If you are worried about the upfront cost of an EV, why not consider leasing? It is often the cheapest way to get behind the wheel of a new electric car. With typically lower fixed monthly payments than other forms of finance, such as PCP, leasing makes more unaffordable cars affordable. It also allows you to cycle through new vehicles as they appear on the market. Naturally, over time, these cars will also be more economical with energy consumption, have larger batteries and even faster charging times.

Interested?

Contact Rivervale on 01273433480 to discuss EV leasing.

Sussex Chamber Business Awards 2022

The perfect opportunity for the Chamber to celebrate the local business community’s achievements, to take stock of the outstanding performances of UK businesses,and to encourage and inspire others to follow in their footsteps.

News

This year we had an overwhelming number of entrants as well as nominations for businesses across all sectors and across the county.

Recognising and rewarding excellence in British business, the national Chamber Awards is one of the UK’s most contested and prestigious business award programmes. Each year, organisations of all sizes and from all sectors compete for the coveted titles.

Firstly, Chamber members can enter the Sussex Chamber Business Awards (Sussex being one of 53 Accredited Chambers in the UK), which then leads onto the Regional Chamber Awards (12 regions covering the Chamber network). Then, finally, eight winners from each category are announced at the National Awards leading to one overall winner.

We were delighted to celebrate the achievements at our inaugural Sussex Chamber Business Awards evening which took place at the beautiful Buxted Park. The hotel kindly sponsored the welcome sparkling reception drinks to kick off the evening.

Following a tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Patron to the British Chambers of Commerce, to honour and celebrate her unwavering service, the evening commenced with entertainment from the one and only Perry McCarthy, an exFormula One driver, bestselling author and world famous as the original ‘secret’ racing driver from BBC’s Top Gear – ‘The Stig’.

We paid tribute and recognised the incredible achievements by business at the Sussex Chamber Business Awards 2022, which this year had eight categories. A huge thank you to all of our sponsors that made the evening possible.

Winners

The Community Champion Award - an organisation that facilitates, participates and enables community engagement, demonstrating the power of giving back.

Winner: LoveLocalJobs Foundation.

The Equality Trailblazer Award - an organisation that champions diversity and promotes inclusion in their workforce, their customers and any community outreach work.

Winner: Tisshaws Family Law Solicitors

The Game Changer Award - an individual who has transformed an idea into a successful, sustainable business by understanding their market’s key challenges, customers and the competitive landscape.

Winner: Best of British Events

The Global Player Award - a business

that has demonstrated significant and sustained international growth through a clear understanding of overseas markets, proving that borders are not a barrier to trade.

Winner: 7th Sense

The Planet Saver Award - for organisations with sustainability at the heart of their business. They are fully committed to sustainable best practice and making the world a better and safer place.

Winner: GreenBlue Urban

The Problem Solver Award - a business that has transformed the market that they operate in or their product or service in order to gain a strong position in their market.

Winner: Drallim

The Rapid Riser Award - an organisation that can demonstrate exceptional levels of growth with a strong plan for sustainable financial performance.

Winner: Creative Pod

The Workforce Developer Award - a business that has shown how their approach to the learning and development of their team has enhanced their business performance.

Winner: Augustinian Care

The winners from all categories were put forward to the British Chambers - Regional Chamber Awards. It was fantastic to hear 5 out of the 8 Sussex Chamber Business Awards Winners had gone on to win the Regional Chamber Awards! Absolutely amazing.

Congratulations to all the Chamber Regional Winners!

Businesses are the backbone and driving force of the UK economy. Even in the face of uncertain times, they continue to show their resilience and strength, creating opportunities for employment, investment and growth.

All the best of luck to the Regional Winners as they face the next stage of the National Chamber Awards 2022. The UK’s most contested and prestigious business awards programme.

Being a Sussex Chamber member is a fantastic way of growing your brand.

By Ana Christie, Chief Executive, Sussex Chamber of Commerce.

Website: https://www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

Eight weeks at Brighton Chamber: reflecting on an internship

Imogen Pelham started an eight-week internship at Brighton Chamber in July. Here, we ask her some questions about the time she spent at the Chamber and discover what she learned, what were her highlights and, importantly, what’s next.

Can you tell us a bit about your internship?

My internship at Brighton Chamber has been in Digital Marketing and Content. Day to day, this has involved lots of contentbased tasks - like writing posts for social media, uploading and managing content on the Chamber website, and working on blogs.

I’ve worked hybrid from both at home and in the office, like the rest of the team

do. I’ve helped out at events, worked on membership projects, produced Net Zero content and social media posts, as well as sharing topical information with members and lots of things in-between!

What are some of the key skills you’ve developed?

As this role has been my first ‘professional’ job, working from an office and working on a laptop, I’ve learnt a lot of new skills!

I’ve worked in events before, having

attended Glastonbury festival with crew every year since I was eight. Now I pack my summers full of voluntary positions at different festivals with Oxfam. Networking and working alongside the Chamber team has exposed me to different sorts of events, and meeting members has really developed my people skills in a professional environment.

My digital skills have also expanded in developing copywriting and content creation, using new platforms like as Canva, CRM and Hootsuite. I’ve also

learnt how to send out mail merges, which was scary at first.

What events have you been to?

The first Chamber event I attended was the Summit last April, where I volunteered through the University of Sussex to help the team out. The day was packed full of lots of exciting activities and opportunities to meet people. There was an amazing keynote from Floella Benjamin. This was the first time I met the Chamber team, and it was great fun - and part of the reason I got the chance to do this internship.

I went to a Chamber Breakfast on my first day, and this was a fun and exciting way to start a new position and meet some members. The Bite-sized Learning event I attended on LinkedIn, run by Miles Duncan, gave me lots of new and useful tips - from how to construct an ‘about’ section to what sort of images are most appropriate to use for your header or headshot.

My favourites have been the networking events. At Slo-mo Networking, I got to network and meet lots of members. I really enjoyed the style of the event, sitting in groups of three, and each person in the trio

had several minutes to speak about themselves. As well as hearing about members’ businesses, this helped me to perfect ‘pitching’ myself, and getting used to speaking to others about who I am and my aspirations.

What have your highlights been?

The events have been the main highlight of my time at the Chamber, as I’ve had the chance to speak to people in many new and different ways.

I’ve also been helping Amy and Hannah on a membership project, speaking to members about their membership to understand their challenges, successes and how they use the Chamber. I’ve spoken to a range of members in person, virtually, and over the phone - from sole traders to owners of larger business and employees at different levels.

The types of businesses that people work for have been so varied - from individuals working in photography, the music industry, and events to financial services, marketing and law, and it has been great to hear about the different industries and professions. Some I didn’t know existed!

So, what’s next?

After leaving the Chamber, I have a lot of big changes going on.

I am officially moving on from the Brighton chapter of my life - where I have lived and studied, having graduated in July. The few weeks following the end of my internship

I will be starting a new position as a Sales Development Representative at Intercity Technology in Birmingham, as well as packing up all my possessions and helping my mum with the big move up from Surrey to the Midlands.

My future plans are to continue to travel and see the world - my next trip booked is to Vegas - and, in the long-term, my best friend and I plan to travel around South-East Asia. I will also be returning to Brighton to help the team at the next Summit.

* Immy’s internship at Brighton Chamber was through the University of Sussex. Find out more about internships on the University of Sussex’s Career Labs page at sussex.ac.uk/careers/services/careerlab

For more information about Brighton Chamber, visit brightonchamber.co.uk

The Cleveland Arms: more than a back street pub

Having won several awards for service, hospitality, and food quality, The Cleveland Arms has introduced a stylish, fresh, small plate menu which is offered alongside its award-winning Sunday roasts.

The menu is expertly put together by Head Chef Louise Solomon whose excellent culinary creative cuisine shines through on the menu, receiving rave reviews.

Lifestyle

TripAdvisor, August 2022

“We went for dinner recently to try the new menu. Oh, my goodness, this chef needs to be acknowledged! The small

plate concept is new to the local pub but wow it delivers!! Incredible tasty small (but they are not) delicious and creative plates. We had the aubergine, the cod nestled on smashed peas, the belly pork, the wings, the broccoli and the cayenne fries! Every mouthful did not disappoint!! I strongly recommend this pub for food!”

Supporting local suppliers

All produce is Sussex sourced

where possible, supporting all local suppliers. Time is taken to build each dish and its flavours. Try the roasted aubergine served with macadamia Feta, green sesame dressing and pomegranate or heritage tomatoes served with mozzarella gazpacho, basil, and pine nuts, every plate perfectly presented.

The menu is served Monday to Saturday, midday to 9pm. Whatever your appetite the menu can provide.

Nibbles are available alongside a range of meat, fish, vegetarian and vegan dishes.

The menu is perfect for sharing with family and friends or ordering a couple of plates for one. The Cleveland Arms remains as family friendly as it always has and there is a fresh home-cooked children’s menu available too.

The focus on local suppliers does not stop with the food menu - when you visit, you will see a range of Sussex Brewers which include Harvey’s of Lewes and Longman Brewery. To celebrate the quality of Sussex Craft beers, The Cleveland showcases a variety of awardwinning craft brewers like UnBarred, Abyss, Missing Link, 360 Brewing and Lost Pier as well as many others.

The pub has a cosy, comfortable feel where you can sit back and relax by the log burner or sit in the stylish, warm conservatory area for a more formal dining experience.

Overlooking Blakers Park, the pub has created a weather protected outdoor space with heaters alongside a heated covered area.

Embedded within the community, The Cleveland Arms supports local schools and charities, including Whoopsadaisy based in Preston Park, raising much needed funds though their popular twice a month quiz night.

The team works hard to create the perfect atmosphere and it is no surprise it is a popular choice for special occasions. Its conservatory space can be hired for birthday’s, christenings, weddings, and celebrations of life.

To book, call 01273 502396 or email info@clevelandarmsbrighton.co.uk www.clevelandarmsbrighton.co.uk

The Cleveland Arms, 27a Cleveland Road, Brighton, BN1 6FF.

What is quiet quitting and how can you avoid it?

Is ‘quiet quitting’ really a new trend in the workplace or has it simply become more obvious in the wake of Covid-19? Mia Neupauerova explains.

Ask the Expert

It’s an interesting question. And one which has been receiving a lot of media attention in recent weeks.

The workplace is constantly evolving as new technologies, changing approaches to management and economic developments affect the way we work. More recently, of course, the pandemic led to a significant change in the working environment as pressures emerged on work-life balance, employee wellbeing

and job security. And, of course, many office-based workers moved to a ‘working from home’ model.

Let’s define quiet quitting

To put it simply, it’s about doing the bare minimum at work, starting and finishing on time every day, taking your allocated breaks and turning down any tasks that fall outside your day-to-day responsibilities.

The term caught the popular imagination in July when American TikTokker @

zaidlepplin posted a video that went viral. As he puts it, ‘You’re still performing your duties but you’re no longer subscribing to the hustle culture mentality that work has to be your life.’

Seems reasonable when you look at it like that! Hustle culture glorifies overworking as a badge of honour, taking on extra jobs, working unpaid overtime and always going the extra mile. All in the name of a better job title or a bigger salary. This can be toxic, causing mental exhaustion and leading to burnout.

And let’s not kid ourselves, it’s been around for a while. After the last recession in 2008 a lot of jobs were cut but, the fact is, the work was still there, and someone had to do it. Even I can remember the demands changing. Doing more in less time or for the same money.

Is work a four-letter word?

I wonder whether a long-term trend of piling too much work on to a business’s employees has led to burnout and people feeling they’ve simply had enough. Combine it with two years of furlough or working from home – where many people realised that there is more to life than just work – quiet quitting slowly crept in.

As BBC News reported recently, ‘an increasing number of young workers have grown tired of not getting the recognition and compensation for putting in extra hours. They’re saying no to burnout, and instead focusing on work-life balance. The movement is centred around self-preservation and “acting your wage”’.

Many people are exhausted and the uncertainty we currently live in doesn’t help.

What’s worse, managers themselves are busy with their own jobs and don’t have time to build strong relationships with their staff. I’ve certainly heard comments like, ’I don’t have time to have one-toones with my team members. We’ve even stopped appraisals because we have so much to do!’ And this, I believe, is where the problem of quiet quitting lies.

Like any other relationship, when you are personally invested in it, you want to genuinely help each other to succeed. You have their back and if there is a problem, you find time to sit down and talk. Preferably before it escalates to the point of no return.

In other words, work needn’t be a four-

letter word. But can be rewarding for employers and employees alike.

Together we can do so much

Just think about your relationships at home. What happens if you don’t talk to your partner? What happens if one of you doesn’t fully communicate your frustrations? One of you either closes up until you realise you no longer have anything in common or there is an explosion of built-up tension. Even in intimate relationships, the best way to prevent this from happening and building strong bonds is to talk and find time for each other.

Why shouldn’t the same apply to relationships at work? What do you think will happen if your employees can’t share their frustrations with you on a regular basis? How can you expect positive outcomes if you don’t communicate your expectations clearly, whilst also checking progress and providing constructive feedback to nip any problems in the bud?

As social beings, we do need to communicate on different levels not just take orders from each other. Some need this more than others. Many profiling tools can provide you with a good idea of who you have in your team and how they like to interact. You can get the same result with personal questionnaires. But not those where you simply tick a box. Just like me and you, everyone wants and needs to feel valued and feel that they matter.

From experience, I know that 98% of people are not motivated purely by money. For some, it’s growth and new skills they can learn, For others, it’s job security. Some people love variety, if that’s what the job offers. And there are people who enjoy the social aspect and the sense of belonging within their ‘work family’.

Building trust

So, what can you do to stop your employees quietly quitting?

A fascinating study in the Harvard Business Review suggests that ‘quiet quitting is usually less about an employee’s willingness to work harder and more creatively, and more about a manager’s ability to build a relationship with their employees where they are not counting the minutes until quitting time.’

So, you need to show them that you care. Pay them what they’re worth. Get to know your staff personally. Learn what you have in common (because we like people who are like us) but also learn from your differences. Every team member will be on a different journey. Some might need a more stable and predictable environment; others will need to move on to the next exciting task. But even this can change for individuals depending on their personal circumstances. This is why regular catch-up sessions are essential.

Invest in team-building activities. You might believe that training is expensive but look what happens if you don’t do it. If your employees are already quietly quitting, it’s only a matter of time before they start to leave for a more fulfilling work environment. And then you will have to pay for recruitment and training, and wait to see if you’ve hired the right person. If you don’t make your employees feel valued, heard and understood, as well as provide motivations that suit individuals, you will find yourself in the same place a few months or years later.

Quiet quitting may just be a new name for an old problem. But if you’re a bit confused by all this or don’t know where to start, don’t worry - drop me a line at mia@neupauer.org to arrange a free no-obligation call to find out if I can help you look after your employees more effectively and build a more inclusive workplace.

County Business Clubs’ Wine of the Month October 2022

North Star - Bringing in this year’s wine harvest

nice body. It is rare to have such a depth of flavour from an English wine. Well done, sir!

North Star is a rare dessert wine made in the UK.

Food pairing

This month has seen the start of the wine harvest for 2022. After a scorching summer, we have seen a turn in the weather which has seen many winemakers considering whether to take the grapes now or to push for a couple more weeks of ripeness to produce the best wine possible. If the winemaker holds off for the next few weeks, there is the increased risk of disease and also the loss of grapes from wild birds who equally love a ripe grape. It’s always a difficult call to make with so much riding on choosing the time to pick grapes.

Wine of the Month - North Star 2017

For this month, I have chosen a sweet dessert wine from Nottinghamshire. Yes, Nottinghamshire - the middle of England! This wine is made by Tony Skuriat assisted by his wife, Veronica. They have been making wine for the last 45 years and he is very much a pioneer of English wine. I visited Tony last month when in the Midlands and enjoyed a tasting after initially enjoying the wine around seven years ago.

Long-serving winemakers

Tony and Veronica are two of the longestserving wine makers in the UK. The North Star wine is made using the same process

as most other Ice Wines. These wines are typically from Germany or mainly now from Canada where the grapes have achieved a temperature of around -7 degree centigrade before picking. At this temperature the grapes are frozen and, when pressed, only produce a limited amount of sweet juice. Tony ages his North Star for at least two years on the lees to enhance its concentrated flavour. The grape used is called Madeleine Angevine, which is a white wine grape from the Loire Valley in France and is also popular in Germany, Kyrgyzstan and Washington state. It is also a relative of the popular Riesling grape.

Eglatine Vineyard in Nottinghamshire grows still, sparkling and sweet wines.

Tasting notes from the winemaker

North Star is a multi-international, award-winning dessert wine, with a wonderful fruity bouquet, a smooth silky feel in the mouth and a superb, multifaceted flavour, comprising elements of apricot, mango and marmalade.

Michael’s notes

This wine has such complexity, offering a great nose followed by a lovely taste of stone fruit and tropical notes together with

This sweet wine is the perfect after dinner digestive so is great with both desserts and a nice cheese board. My personal preference is with Blue Stilton as this is the same area designated for the making of this world-renowned cheese.

Previous awards for North Star wine

• 2017 vintage

• Bronze Medal IWSC London 2022

• 2014 vintage – Gold Medal Feminalise Paris 2018

• Silver Medal London Wine Competition 2018

• 2011 Steanowicz Trophy UK Wine of the Year 2013

• Gold Medal – UK Wine of the Year 2013 Plus, many more awards.

This is a great addition for your Christmas dinner together with your cheese board. The wine can be purchased online for £36 in a 375ml bottle at 11% ABV rom www.eglatibevineyard.com or www. brightonandhovewineclub.co.uk

Michael Yeoman, Founder www.brightonandhovewineclub.co.uk

English wine specialist and creator of award-winning Sussex grape spirit and brandy using the pomace from English wine production with Spirit of the Downs.