Driven - by Steve Bulley

This month I wanted to celebrate the Highway

Code turning 90

Research from the AA found nearly three quarters of drivers (72%) think the Highway Code should be updated with more information on smart motorways, according to research by the AA Driving School.

Drivers were asked what changes they think should be made to the Highway Code this year as it marks its 90th anniversary.

Six in 10 drivers (62%) said they wanted to see more information on electric vehicles, including charging infrastructure and road sign meanings. Currently there is no official section with guidance on electric vehicles, despite the government’s push for drivers to buy more ecofriendly vehicles.

A further 60% said they wanted the Highway Code to include more guidance on behaving around vulnerable road users like electric scooters and cyclists.

The latest government figures show the number of cyclists killed or seriously injured on Great Britain’s roads has increased by 8% since 2009. In 2019, cyclists accounted for 14% of casualties and 6% of road deaths in Great Britain.

The Highway Code was introduced in Great Britain in 1931 when there were only 2.3 million vehicles on roads, but more than 7,000 people died in road accidents each year.

According to the DVSA, the first edition of the Highway Code did not mention the use of mirrors and it advised drivers to sound their horn when overtaking.

The Highway Code is currently undergoing a review to improve road safety for cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders. Last summer, the AA submitted evidence to the review and broadly supported the government’s proposals, but shared concerns around the lack of clarity and guidance on some of the proposals.

Earlier this year, the AA also submitted evidence to a separate review into plans to include guidance on smart motorways, one year after the government was first advised to do so by the Transport Secretary.

Robert Cowell, Interim Managing Director of AA Driving School said: “Our research shows drivers want the Highway Code to be brought into the 21st century to keep up with the growing demand for electric vehicles, and concerns about education on smart motorways.

“Drivers in 1931 wouldn’t believe the ways in which road safety and technology has developed over the last 90 years.

“We hope that with this milestone anniversary the Highway Code will keep up with the times and keep drivers safe and informed of the latest developments. If we want drivers to choose electric vehicles or feel safe around electric scooters, we need the Highway Code to guide them from the outset.”

Dorset Chamber members SAVE 67%on home and roadside recovery with our exclusive discount. Speak to the membership team on 01202 714810.

Chris loses his hair for the HealthBus

Charity the HealthBus provides a mobile health facility that travels to areas where people sleep rough, providing basic health care, a GP service and access to addiction and mental health support services.

The service provision is designed to be appropriate and accessible, supporting people as they move away from rough sleeping.

Their key to success and unique selling point, is that they take healthcare to people that are on the margins of society, disengaged and in many cases dehumanised by wider society. Through the HealthBus and allied services, they provide hope and opportunity at the point of need.

Vice Chair Chris Wakefield who has experienced homelessness said, “I remember how difficult it was to access our wonderful NHS during that very difficult period of my life.”

The HealthBus is a standalone charity, with no NHS funding and survives financially, through the generosity of others.

Chris added; “My small contribution will be having my head shaved, at the end of July, to raise much needed funds for this amazing charity.

“I would like to thank Salon 88 for volunteering to shave off my lovely locks.”

Find out more about The HealthBus. www.healthbus.co.uk To donate see: https:// uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ ChristopherWakefield2

Apprenticeships for Dorset

On the 8th July 2020, Rishi Sunak delivered his speech ‘A Plan for Jobs’. A key focus was ‘Apprenticeships’, a tried and tested programme of training which have been shown to support social mobility and business growth. As part of the spring budget, cash incentives for employers to hire new apprentices were doubled and now sit between £3000-4000 per apprentice.

To enable businesses to consider your options we’ve put together a guide.

There have been numerous changes over the years to eligibility and it’s a good starting point.

• Apprenticeships are for people of all

ages – whilst traditionally training was for those aged 16-24, this is no longer the case and it’s a great way of reskilling as you get older.

• Apprenticeships are available in

most industries – The Institute for

Apprenticeships has a catalogue of available job roles.

• Apprenticeships are for new and existing

staff - Apprenticeships are available from

Level 2 (GCSE equivalent) to Level 7 (Masters level) and can provide continuous development for staff throughout their working lives.

• Apprenticeships can be for degree

educated students – if the Apprenticeship is materially different to the degree, funding is often available. What is an Apprenticeship? An apprenticeship is a job with a structured package of training that allows employers to develop sector specific skills by either upskilling current employees or recruiting new ones. Why take on an Apprentice? • 86% of employers said they helped develop skills relevant to their organisation. • 78% of employers said they helped improve productivity*. • 74% of employers said they helped them improve the quality of their product. Key Facts • Apprenticeships are a minimum of 12 months in duration. • Apprenticeships are available for current employees and new recruits of all ages. • An apprentice trains ‘off-the-job’ for 20% of their working hours – this could at your premises or as part of day release to a local training provider. • You’ll need to pay your apprentice at least £4.30 per hour for the first 12 months. How to set up an Apprenticeship To start your journey today visit – https://findapprenticeshiptraining. apprenticeships.education.gov.uk/ What Funding is Available? • For most SME employers, the government will pay 95% of training and assessment costs, meaning employers pay a balance of 5%. The value of the 5% will be determined by the type and duration of the apprenticeship. In certain cases, the government will pay 100% of the training costs. • For large employers who have an annual pay bill of £3 million or more, they can use their Apprenticeship Levy Tax (which you’ll be paying whether you have apprentices or not), to pay for training and assessment costs. The government tops this up by 10%. You can then use these funds to pay your training provider. What about incentive payments? • In response to the Coronavirus pandemic, incentive payments have been increased to £3000 for new apprentices of any age, who join your organisation before the 30th

September 2021 and £4000 for those aged 16-18 years or under 25 with an education or care plan. The incentives can be used as you see fit. What next? If you would like further support to take on an Apprentice please do not hesitate to contact us at the Dorset Gateway on 01202 714 800 or gateway@dorsetchamber.co.uk

Weblinks www.dorsetlep.co.uk/workforce-planningand-recruitment *www.apprenticeships.gov.uk https://findapprenticeshiptraining. apprenticeships.education.gov.uk/

Pensions on divorce can be complicated to value, and there are a number of things to think about when considering the division of pension pots says Trethowans Solicitors.

It’s easy to overlook the pension assets when you’re faced with a divorce or breakdown of civil partnership, as there are so many other things to think about at that moment. As well as dealing with the immediate issues, such as where you, your children (if you have them) and your ex-partner will live and how you will meet your ongoing immediate expenses, it is also vital that you consider your position on retirement.

Pensions can be a very valuable part of the ‘matrimonial pot’ (the assets that have built up during the marriage). When you divorce, if you do not consider the pensions properly you are unlikely to get a fair outcome and may find yourself in financial difficulty later in life.

Pensions can be shared on divorce just like other assets and can sometimes be the most valuable asset that exists. They can be complicated to value so there are a number of things you ought to be aware of when starting to consider the pension pot. What do I need to consider when splitting a pension on divorce? The first step will be finding out how much the pensions are worth, which will mean requesting full information from your pension providers. You then need to exchange this information with your ex-partner and consider if you are going to need expert help from an actuary or financial planner on how they could be shared. It will be important to get expert assistance if one of the following situations applies: • The pensions add up to more than a cash equivalent value of £100,000 • If there are any defined benefit pensions • If the pension values add up to less than £100,000 but make up a large percentage of the overall assets in the case • If any of the pensions are public sector pensions such as Armed Forces, Teachers,

NHS or Police Federation – you could miss out on a lot if you just accept a cash equivalent valuation of a defined benefit pension • If you have defined contribution pensions with extra benefits – there are some pensions with guaranteed annuity rates for example that may make the true value of the pension higher than that which is indicated by the pension statement • There is a significant age gap between you and your ex • If you are considering offsetting capital for pension • If one of you has a serious medical condition diagnosed by a medical professional which is likely to impact on how long you are likely to live • Where there is a choice of pensions to share, as some pensions lose significant value when they are shared How can pension assets be shared? There are three ways you can share pension assets: • Pension sharing order • Pension attachment order • Offsetting a share in pension for another asset You should seek legal advice to ascertain what would be the best option for your particular circumstances.

You could seek to divide the pensions according to the income they will produce, which will be more suitable if you are older and/ or if you have significant pension funds. It will be important to think about what both your income needs will be when you retire. Or you could divide the pensions according to the cash equivalent valuations, which may be appropriate if the marriage has been short, or if the pension pot is not large enough to justify the cost of an expert working out the division needed to equalise your incomes in retirement.

If you separated some time ago but did not dismiss your claims for a pension order with a financial consent order it may not too late to get some advice. Or if you are separating now and are not sure what to do about looking at the pension pot, please do not hesitate to contact the family team at Trethowans on 0800 2800 421 or www.trethowans.com.

Your unique space

Becks Neale Designer & Brand Consultant asks if you think of your business as a garden? – a space bespoke to you, that you can create exactly how you want it. Plan & prepare the ground First off you need to put pen to paper and draw out your ideal space – in words and in sketch form, so you have something tangible to refer to, authentic to you. • What are your key values? • Who is it for? • How should it feel? Then prepare the ground ready to sow your main idea.

This will likely include cutting back some ‘wild thorns’ and removing the ‘rocks and stones’ in the soil (caused by imposter syndrome).

You have the tools you need. You are enough. Your talents, skills and values are what make you and your purpose unique and attractive. Test your limits. Work to your strengths. Remember you also have specialists around you to help you when you need them, to support and guide you with what they do best, freeing up your time to do what you do best. Sow one seed There is always that temptation to plant all of your ideas – for maximum instant impact – but believe me, hold back! Pop the other ideas in seed packets to revisit later.

I had so many ideas and things I wanted to do when I first started out. Each idea felt really connected with each other so they initially made sense working on at the same time, but in reality each idea had completely different needs: • audience • 'growing conditions' • amounts of exposure 'to sunlight' (in the spotlight) To successfully grow, each individual idea needs a lot of consistent attention and nurturing.

If you are growing lots of ideas all at once, your time and energy available for each one is diluted. The duplication of types of tasks is multiplied many times over as they each need something slightly different. For example identifying and learning the best platforms for reach and discovery. If you have very different audiences, what do they each need to know and hear? Think about your brand tone of voice, your ideal client’s interests, the types of information and follow up they need etc. Without ‘cloning’ yourself or developing a dedicated team to focus on each idea, you will likely end up completely overwhelmed and exhausted.

Remember, your other ideas are never lost or forgotten – you have a system in place to safely keep your new ideas as and when they appear, ready to inspire you. You can revisit your seed packets of ideas in the future once your main idea is tested, adapted, working, established and flourishing.

Focusing on one idea allows you to evolve and establish your brand over time. Keep working the ground. Don’t wait for ‘perfection’ to launch. Start sharing with others what you are creating early on; your vision of what you are working towards and why. Provide unique insights behind the scenes. It may inspire others to take action or even be the spark of something new.