North East Times Magazine - June 2014

JUNE

2014

£2.95

ITPS & SHORETEL DRIVING COMMUNICATIONS

CONTENTS

June 2014 BUSINESS NEWS –

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SAVE THE DATE –

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Business events – mark them on your calendar.

NORTH EAST VIEW POINTS –

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Thoughts from the region’s business community.

10 QUESTIONS FOR... –

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Andrew Robson, Perfect Image.

ON THE MOVE –

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New executive appointments.

INTERVIEW –

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Charlie Hoult, founder of Dynamo.

TECHNOLOGY & ME –

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David Dunn, Sunderland Software City.

COVER STORY –

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ITPS’- partnership with ShoreTel.

STATE OF THE ART –

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BUSINESS LUNCH –

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Horton Grange.

MOTORS –

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CREDITS

Directors: Mike Grahamslaw, Mick O’Hare Commercial director: Martin Stout Editor: Alison Cowie Sales: Luccia Graham Editorial: Jessica Laing, Declan Wilk Senior designer: John Haxon Feature photography: Chris Owens

Office: Quayside - i4, Albion Row, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 1LL. | t: (0191) 265 7050 www.northeasttimes.co.uk | @NETimesmagazine Front cover: George Galloway & Daren Pattie, by Chris Owens.

All photos taken by North East Times staff are copyright North East Times Ltd, and are taken solely for use in North East Times magazine or products published by the Accent Magazines Group.

If you wish to use or publish a photograph taken for North East Times, please contact the sales department on (0191) 265 7050.

Photo charges: £50 for a single image, £295 for full buy out of a photo shoot.

Advertising charges: There is a £25 charge for every set of amendments, following the first initial set of amendments, which is free of charge, for adverts designed by North East Times Ltd. Cancellations: If an advert is cancelled by the booker within a seven day period prior to our print deadline, the advert will be charged in full, plus VAT.

Editorial: Contributions should include a fully stamped addressed envelope. No responsibility is accepted for drawings, photographs or literary contributions during transmission, or while in the Editor’s or Printer’s hands. Editorial must be received by the 12th of the month or no responsibilty is accepted for errors. Advertisements: Although every care is taken to ensure accuracy, the Publishers regret that they cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage caused by an error in the printing or damage to, or loss of artwork, transparencies or photos. Complaints: regarding advertisements will only be considered for up to a week after publication. Advertising must be received by the 15th of the month. No responsibilty is accepted for errors. © 2014 Published by North East Times Ltd.

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BUSINESS NEWS IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Conference shines light on IT sector Dynamo 14 showcases the North East’s technology industry.

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he first Dynamo 14 conference, a major one-day event celebrating the North East’s IT community, took place on May 1.

Respected BBC business and technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones (pictured) gave the keynote speech at the conference at Newcastle Civic Centre, which welcomed more than 300 delegates.

The day also included feature presentations and workshops with over 60 leading figures from the region’s IT scene.

Dynamo was founded by IT investor and entrepreneur Charlie Hoult, Accenture’s North East managing director Bob Paton, Professor of Computer Science and Director of the Digital Institute at Newcastle University Paul Watson, director of Orchard Information

Systems John Hunt, CEO of Opencast Software Mike O’Brien, CTO of Sage UK Stuart Lynn and director of MI-Case Anthony McMenzie, to help grow the North East IT economy.

The initiative brings together IT organisations and employers, technology hubs, education, local government and employer support initiatives. This collaborative approach is being used to promote the North East’s skills nationally and internationally, as well as support the development of education, research and development in the sector.

Charlie Hoult said: “Our IT community is already punching above its weight nationally and we are growing at a faster rate than other IT clusters elsewhere in the

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UK. Add that to the region’s strengths in industries including in oil and gas, renewable energy, manufacturing and the medical sector, and we have a strong stake in global growth.”

Bob Paton, who runs Accenture’s Newcastle Delivery Centre and is Dynamo’s vice chair, added: “The North East is an increasingly dynamic region with a thriving technology industry that makes a significant contribution to the local and national economy.

“Our aim is to attract more talent and investment to the region and by drawing attention to the energy, innovation and collaborative spirit in the North East, Dynamo will help us to build on our success to date.”

Green means go

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orth East businesses at the forefront of energy-saving technology have received almost £1m in funding from venture capital firm, Northstar Ventures.

Among the companies to have received investment are Hexham-based wind turbine and solar photovoltaic specialists Hadrian Electrical Engineering and biomass boiler experts The Wood Heating Company, based in Cramlington.

Global business partners film festival

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erwick Film & Media Arts Festival has announces its partnership with global strategic outsourcing business Mitie. Ben Jenkinson, regional manager of Mitie, said: “We see Berwick as a cornerstone of our North East business, and Berwick Film & Media Arts festival is an integral part of the cultural and community landscape.

We are delighted to be able to help sustain the festival through its 10th year and beyond.”

Cheers in Northumberland

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arry Hotspur Holdings, the parent company of Alnwick Rum and Alnwick Brewery’s beer, has acquired a major shareholding in Lindisfarne Mead. Directors of Harry Hotspur Holdings, will be working closely with members of the Hackett family, who have run Lindisfarne Ltd since 1962, to grow the brand internationally.

merican soul legend Alexander O’Neal and comedian Terry Alderton will headline the 11th annual Oyster Festival, to take place at Hardwick Hall Hotel on Friday, September 19.

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our students from St Cuthbert’s Catholic High School in Newcastle were invited to mark the beginning of the preparatory ground works for a brand new science and engineering building to be constructed within the school grounds.

The budding engineers were ably assisted

by John Reece, Trustee of The Reece Foundation, the main benefactor for the project that will include a 55-seater lecture theatre and ICT and CAD CAM areas.

Businesses still support Europe

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Taverners racing fundraiser

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ccording to a survey by the North East Chamber of Commerce, almost 69 per cent of regional firms think outright withdrawal from the European Union would have a negative impact on business, with just below 7 per cent believing it would prompt positive change.

he Northumberland and Durham branch of the Lord’s Taverners, the UK’s largest sports-related charity, held a successful event at Gosforth Park Racecourse recently, which raised a significant amount of cash on the day to enable disabled and disadvantaged young people to access sport.

New heights

Skills gap in UK

Oyster Festival entertainment announced

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School’s engineering facility gets underway

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new boutique studio has opened just off Northumberland Street, on Ridley Place. Hidden Heights is a collaboration between fashion photographer Marie Harkness and make-up artist Lo Dias.

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he majority of UK businesses are planning a hiring spree over the next 12 months but nearly two thirds (64 per cent) are concerned that they won’t be able to find the people with the skills needed to fill these positions, according to a survey by PwC.

DIARY GOSFORTH LADIES NIGHT

June

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Gosforth Central Middle School, Gosforth Tel: (0191) 285 179 Email: gcmsindulgencenight@gmail.com Price: £4 per person, £5 on the door, £1 for young teens Ladies in the Gosforth area will be given the chance to treat themselves at this special ladies event, where local companies will be on hand to offer advice on fashion and beauty, health and fitness, interiors and gifts. The event will also feature a Pamper Zone, where guests can indulge in mini beauty treatments, a wine bar and a raffle. Profits will be spent on improving the school’s facilities.

Save the date Charity balls, business dinners and seminars.

GRADUATE DEGREE SHOW June

19-27 Northumbria City Campus, Newcastle Tel: (0191) 232 6002 Web: www.northumbria.ac.uk/designevents Price: Free

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT AND PATENT BOX BRIEFING

June

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UNW, Citygate, St James’ Boulevard, Newcastle Tel: (0191) 243 6014 Email: roduns@unw.co.uk Price: Free Attending this briefing will be Alan Dickinson, head of Incentives & Reliefs Team at HMRC in Manchester, who will be discussing HMRC’s current approach to both research and development and the Patent Box regimes. The aim is to promote understanding of these areas among local businesses and establish how HMRC can work to improve schemes, including any suggestions that business owners may propose.

CHAMPAGNE DINNER WITH POL ROGER

NORTH EAST ACCOUNTANCY AWARDS

June

June

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Jesmond Dene House, Newcastle Tel: (0191) 212 3000 Email: info@jesmonddenehouse.co.uk Price: £95 per person The aim of this dinner is to celebrate what will become Jesmond Dene House’s new, poured house Champagne. Guests will enjoy a fourcourse dinner, followed by a presentation from co-host and associate director from Pol Roger, Jonathan Smailes, who will be providing a short presentation about the French Champagne’s history.

LADIES LUNCH WITH TANNI GREY-THOMPSON

June

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Rockliffe Hall, County Durham Tel: (01325) 729999 Web: www.rockliffehall.com/whats-on Email: enquiries@rockliffehall.com Price: £29.50 per person Baroness Grey-Thompson will be hosting this special ladies lunch, where she will be sharing her experiences about her life in sport and at Westminster as a leading member of the House of Lords. Guests will have the chance to quiz Tanni about her varied life and will be treated to a sparkling reception, two-course lunch and refreshments.

Hilton Hotel, Gateshead Tel: (0191) 241 4523 Web: www.accountancyawards.co.uk Email: info@accountancyawards.co.uk Price: From £155 Northumbria University’s highly anticipated graduate degree show, Reveal, will highlight the very best of its architecture, arts, design and media work to prospective students and northern employers.

The show, which will be open for public admission every weekday at a range of venues across the university’s City campus, will bring together the architecture, arts, design and media graduating students of 2014, allowing them to showcase their wares in front of industry professionals and the general public. Part of Northumbria University’s renowned programme of graduate arts and design shows, the show offers an opportunity for students to raise their industry profile and generate career prospects.

Email jessica.laing@accentmagazines.co.uk with your events

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Now in its 8th year, the North East Accountancy Awards recognise excellence in the fields of accounting and finance and annually attract around 400 business professionals from across the region. As well as celebrating local industry success, the glittering ceremony is a great opportunity for businesses to network with peers.

FUNDRAISING LUNCH

June

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Marriott Hotel Gosforth Park, Newcastle Tel: 07711159022 Email: janpallas@btinternet.com Price: £32 per person ChildLine founder and TV presenter, Esther Rantzen CBE, will host this exclusive lunch to raise money for the charity – the UK’s free 24hour counselling service for children and young people. As well as an inspiring talk from Esther, guests will enjoy a sparkling reception, luxury shopping, live entertainment, a threecourse lunch and a raffle.

OPINION

North East view points ALUN BAKER MANAGING DIRECTOR 4PROJECTS

Local business men and women share their thoughts …

Silicon Valley is unique and there are too many rushing to try and emulate it. The North East has something unique too but it needs its own identity and collective voice. It has a critical mass of early stage IT companies and a growing skilled labour pool fuelled by high quality universities which are innovative and looking to engage and support the business community.

What we need now is risk capital at levels not seen so far. This will come slowly with high profile successes.

I'm not sure we need to be.

Perhaps we'll create, or are already creating, an area that's known for the attributes that come naturally to us and really make a difference in my area of expertise – consulting and IT services. This is all about people, relationships, attitude and aptitude, and getting stuff done. I think people here live and breathe these things. I don't think we need to look elsewhere for inspiration as we have our own "secret sauce" – as our American cousins like to call it!

MANGING DIRECTOR NINE WORKS I’d love to think that the North East has the ability to become the UK’s Silicone Valley as we’ve built up a great reputation for technology based companies, companies using innovative software and technology products within a whole range of sectors. The challenge we face is that to do so we need skilled software engineers, designers and entrepreneurs, who want to remain in this region rather than moving to the traditionally accepted technology/innovation hotspots such as Cambridge or London.

MARC BURNS

MIKE O’BRIEN MANAGING DIRECTOR OPENCAST SOFTWARE

ANDY WALTON

Does the North East have the potential to be the UK's 'Silicon Valley'?

DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER NEWCASTLEGATESHEAD INITIATIVE With strengths in software, technical support, online games and creative services, and a thriving investment scene, the North East is ideally poised to take a leading role in shaping the future of the UK’s tech industries. The people in the North East have a passion and personality that manifests itself in the growing number of creative and digital hubs around the city and this had led to local companies growing from humble beginnings to become global leaders in software development and digital games.

DR LEE PUGALIS

ALASTAIR WILSON

NEWCASTLE BUSINESS SCHOOL ACADEMIC NORTHUMBRIA UNIVERSITY

TAX PARTNER TAIT WALKER With help and a healthy dose of collective strategic vision – yes! With Dynamo, Digital Union, Software City and Digital City Business, the North East has fantastic business support, training and infrastructure for digital and creative companies. But to compete with Silicon Fen or Silicon Roundabout, let alone Silicon Valley, the North East needs some heavy duty collective PR about the skills the region has, our educational establishments and vitally PR about some of the fantastic companies we have such as Double Eleven, Thap, SaleCycle, plus of course Sage, so that the global digital economy know we are a serious player.

As the home of tech-savvy and globally celebrated companies at the forefront of disruptive innovations – including Apple, Facebook and Google – Silicon Valley is a par excellence ‘enterprising place’. But the gestation period predates the twentieth century. It is a success story that has benefited from investment in advanced skills, the application of innovative ideas, effective business-universitygovernment collaborations and a stimulating cultural milieu. This in turn has produced a climate that inspires, incubates, attracts and retrains serial entrepreneurs. Thousands of copycat strategies have tried and failed. The North East would benefit from exploiting its own unique ‘place assets’ to lead the implementation of a long-term (i.e. 30 year plus) development strategy.

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EVENT

Left to right: Joe Wilkinson (Esh Group), Chris Wardell (Keepmoat) and Mark Quigley (Portland Consulting Engineers).

Left to right: Simon Watson (Keepmoat), Tony Ross (Keepmoat), Simon Willilams (Keepmoat) and Keith Tallentire (Galliford Try).

Frances Barlow (Fabrick Housing Group) and John Manning (Galliford Try).

Portland marks another successful year Portland Consulting Engineers celebrate another year in business.

Left to right John Hardy (Portland Consulting Engineers), Mike Catterick (Shepherd Construction) and Dave Southern (D&A).

T Left to right: Chris Old (STP Construction), Paul Del Prete (Robertson North East), Alan Morton (Robertson North East), Jonathan King (Robertson North East) and Charlie Parsons (Mentor).

his year Portland Consulting Engineers chose Newcastle’s stylish City Tavern as its venue to entertain guests at its annual Easter drinks reception.

The event – which is now widely recognised as a prominent ‘date in the diary’, with many key industry figures attending – allows Portland to express gratitude for regular business opportunities and continued support from clients and fellow professionals.

Left to right: Peter Burns (Gleeds), Ian Kettlewell (Nathaniel Litchfield & Partners) and Robert Dibden (Nathaniel Litchfield & Partners).

Left to right: John Hardy (Portland Consulting Engineers), Mike Foggon (Faithful & Gould), Tony Whelan (TW Construction) and Ian Belsham (Ian Belsham Associates).

Left to right: Andrew Mayfield (DKS Architects), Mark Barlow (DKS Architects), Daniel Robinson (Gus Robinson Developments) and Steve Bell (Gus Robinson Developments).

Left to right: Mark Grant (Portland Consulting Engineers), Alan Maskell (ISG) and John Luke (ISG).

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INTERVIEW

10 questions for ...

Andrew Robson Andrew Robson is CEO of Perfect Image, a Newcastlebased IT services company delivering tailored solutions, services and strategies to organisations across the UK, from blue chips to start-ups.

What was your first break in business?

What attracted you to your current role?

What has been your career highlight?

And your career lowlight?

IT has always been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. I enjoyed computer programming as a child and when I was 12 yearsold, I co-wrote a bestselling computer game with my mum (she was one of the first computer programmers for the Civil Service, back in the days of punch cards).

The game went into the top ten of the charts, and although I didn’t make a lot of money from it, the experience showed me that I could make money from doing what I enjoyed. It was certainly an influencing factor when realising I could set up and sustain a successful IT business.

After completing my Master of Arts degree in Computer Science at Cambridge University, I founded Perfect Image fresh from graduation.

I’ve been lucky (perhaps some would say unlucky) enough to have never had a role at another company.

From founding Perfect Image to present day, I honestly have too many career highlights to choose from. That said, I do enjoy working in a business that gives me the chance to try the latest technologies and then use only the very best for our clients.

One of the hardest things I had to deal with was when my very first employee left the company. She was a friend from university and at the time, there was only the two of us working at Perfect Image. Losing half of the team, who also happened to be a very close colleague, was difficult.

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What do you enjoy most about your role?

This may seem clichéd but I take great pleasure and pride in seeing people progress at Perfect Image. The company has been my career for the past 23 years; I’ve invested a lot of time and effort into growing the business, and there’s something very satisfying seeing our employees share my vision and grow with the business too.

What's your biggest challenge?

Who are your heroes, in and out of business?

The single consistent challenge for us has always been finding the right people, to fit the right role, at the right level in the business. At Perfect Image, we don’t take a one-size-fits-all approach with our customers; rather we work with them to deliver an IT solution that is right for their individual needs. We look for people to join the team who have a passion for what they do, who want to keep learning, and who can communicate well with clients, providing an excellent customer experience.

I’ve never had a particular business hero. However, when I was younger I did a lot of athletics around the time Seb Coe was at his peak. As an adult, I continue to admire how he’s since worked to improve sport in the UK, including his role with the London Olympics, as well as having success as a politician and businessman.

What is the best piece of business advice anyone has ever given you?

Be honest.

What does the future hold for Perfect Image?

What do you do to relax?

It’s a very exciting time for us all at Perfect Image. We’ve recently become one of the region’s first Amazon Web Services (AWS) consulting partners in the AWS Partner Network. This means we can offer our customers, both old and new, a managed cloud computing service including comprehensive advice, support and monitoring in a safe and secure environment, within our Managed Services division.

As a result of this partnership and demand for this service, we predict we will create approximately another 50 jobs at our head office, doubling our headcount within the next three years. Watch this space …

In my spare time I’m a keen cyclist. There’s nothing I enjoy more than getting in a few hilly miles on my bike over the weekend and I’m currently training to do the Etape, a race over one of the mountainous stages of the Tour de France this summer.

As well as cycling, spending time with the family is the ultimate way to relax. Being with my wife and our children is the perfect antidote to a busy day in the office.

www.perfect-Image.co.uk

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APPOINTMENTS

On the Move Your monthly guide to appointments and promotions.

SIMON BOLSOVER Seaham Hall has appointed Simon Bolsover (right) as head chef. Simon, whose career has spanned almost 25 years, has held senior positions at hotels in Bermuda and Canada and joins the hotel from Great Fosters at Egham, Surrey. In his new role, he will be responsible for the hotel’s Byron’s Bar and Grill and its pan-Asian Ozone restaurant within its Serenity Spa.

LISA RICKARD Newton Aycliffe-based shower manufacturer and designer, Roman, has appointed Lisa Rickard as credit control manager. With a strong track record in senior credit control positions in a variety of industries, Lisa brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to her new role, which will see her become a key member of the company’s finance team.

MICHAEL HANCOCK Newcastle-based marketing company, Horizonworks, has appointed Michael Hancock as marketing and business development coordinator. In his new role, the Northumbria University graduate, who has previously worked as a marketing assistant for Sony PlayStation, will be responsible for the coordination and delivery of the company’s marketing strategy.

ELIZABETH MCGREGOR

VICTORIA NORRIS

WESLEY HARTLEY

Newcastle-headquartered chartered surveying firm, Bradley Hall, has appointed Elizabeth McGregor as sales and marketing assistant.

Elizabeth joins the team having spent five years as a communications consultant at online property firm, Rightmove, where she gained valuable experience of property valuations and led several high-profile marketing projects. Her appointment is part of Bradley Hall’s ongoing strategy to increase investment at its Gosforth operation.

Newcastle-based Minister Cleaning Services has appointed Victoria Norris as account and sales manager, to increase turnover and maintain solid working partnerships with new and existing clients. Victoria joins the company after working in Ghana and in Qatar, where she took up the role as vice chairman in the British in Ghana Society, fundraising for the British High Commission.

North East venture capital firm, Northstar Ventures, has appointed Wesley Hartley as investment manager. In his new role, Wesley, who has previously worked in social finance and holds a degree in politics and sociology from Northumbria University, will be tasked with supporting start up and early stage companies seeking investment from the Proof of Concept Fund. He will also be responsible for assessing and completing investments from the fund.

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EVENT

Brewin Dolphin team with Kumar Sangakkara Port of Tyne team with Phil Mustard

Cestria Community Housing with Graham Onions

Durham CCC Golf Day Cricketers, sponsors and guests enjoy a round of golf at this popular annual event.

Muckle llp with Gareth Breese

W Cellular Solutions with Paul Collingwood

orld Cup Winner Kumar Sangakkara joined a number of his teammates as Durham County Cricket Club hosted its annual Sponsors Golf Day on May 8.

Each team of sponsors were paired with a Durham player for a round of golf at the idyllic Chester-le-Street golf course on a beautiful sunny day in the North East.

The participants then enjoyed a meal and a presentation ceremony at the Emirates Durham International Cricket Ground.

TSG with Gordon Muchall

Rowlands with Neil Killeen

European Golf with Ben Stokes

All players and squad before start on putting green

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INTERVIEW

CHAMPIONING NORTH EAST TECHNOLOGY IT INVESTOR AND ENTREPRENEUR CHARLIE HOULT IS ON A MISSION TO REBUT THE ADAGE, ‘IT’S GRIM UP NORTH’ AND SHOW THAT THE NORTH EAST IS ACTUALLY HOME TO A HOTBED OF TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION AND OPPORTUNITY. HERE, HE TELLS ALISON COWIE WHY BE BELIEVES CREATING A ‘CLUSTER’ IS KEY.

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fter years in London, building IT marketing agency Loewy Group to a turnover of £50 million and more than 400 staff, Charlie Hoult returned to his native North East in 2009 to take charge of the family business.

Hoult’s Yard, the 10-acre site located on the verge of Newcastle’s industrial Ouseburn area, has been in the Hoult family since 1917.

In the 1990s – largely driven by the closure of nearby Tyne Tees Television Centre – the yard blossomed into a hub of offices and studios for creative and cultural businesses.

When Charlie returned to take over from his father, he set about using the skills he had learned in the capital to market the yard.

Implementing a number of initiatives, including graffiti art projects, live music and events, Charlie has helped Hoult’s Yard grow to more than 100 creative companies – from PR and advertising agencies to TV and film producers, artists and fashion designers, website and app developers and digital marketing specialists – all working and collaborating to achieve their individual goals.

Asked what the advantage of similar creative companies working in such close proximity is, Charlie reveals: “It’s the theory of clusters.

“For example, it’s better to have three restaurants on a street, rather than just one, because it brings more people to the street and the restaurants have to be competitive and good quality.

It’s the same principle at Hoult’s Yard.”

Charlie describes himself as an investor and entrepreneur in the IT industry and, as well as being a landlord to a number of digital businesses, he has other tech interests.

He is chairman of Opencast Software, a systems integration business that works with enterprise IT departments to improve the efficiency of their technology, as well as two IT recruitment agencies, Futureheads and Tomorrow People, that specialise in technical IT roles in London and the North East, respectively.

Charlie has always been interested in the technology industry: “I like innovation and inventiveness and I believe that technology is where you can get these breakthroughs in today’s world,” he says.

It was while he was developing Hoult’s Yard, Opencast Software and his IT recruitment companies, that Charlie discovered the North East was an undiscovered hotbed of technology innovation.

He explains: “Trying to rent people offices, match careers and doing IT projects for people, I kept finding these hidden gem companies such as JHC, Perfect Image, Orchard Information Systems and Scott Logic, alongside major corporations such as Sage, Accenture and Hewlett Packard.

“I realised that these new industries were doing some great stuff but weren’t that well networked - particularly the mid-sized companies where the founders were so busy with national and international travel as well as having a family. They just didn’t

have time to bang the drum for their industry.

Charlie took it upon himself to change the situation and having previously helped establish First Tuesday, the seminal technology networking group in London in 2000, Charlie gathered the great and the good of the North East’s IT industry to Hoult’s Yard for its own event, named: Meet Your Sector Neighbours.

His aim was to create a North East IT sector cluster with companies that would be willing to collaborate in order to promote their industry in the region.

Charlie found an incredible amount of good will for what he was trying to do, leading him to establish the industry-lead initiative, Dynamo.

Dynamo was charged with growing the North East IT economy by promoting the region externally, developing skills and education, and supporting local IT research and development.

Charlie put together Dynamo’s board, which includes Stuart Lynn (chief technology and information officer at Sage UKI) and Bob Paton (managing director of Accenture’s Delivery Centre), who are passionate about promoting the region’s IT industry.

The initiative commissioned its own research and found that the North East has more than 30,000 people working in IT in the region.

Last month, 350 IT professionals gathered at Newcastle Civic Centre for the initiative’s first conference, Dynamo 14.

“We wanted to put on an event to tell the amazing IT stories – so that people could go ‘wow, I didn’t know all this stuff was happening in Tyneside, Wearside, Durham and Northumberland’.”

Among the 60 speakers – all with links to the North East – was BBC technology reporter Rory Cellan Jones, Professor of Educational Technology at Newcastle University Sugata Mitra, who was awarded the $1m TED Prize in 2013 in recognition for his School in the Cloud project, and Chi Onwurah, Labour MP and Shadow Minister for Innovation and Science.

The team at Dynamo is now planning to make the conference an annual event with other projects such as a careers fair in London, an awards dinner, more lobbying and research into the industry and its regional impacts, increased networking and a match-making service for IT recruitment, all under discussion.

“There’s plenty to do,” says Charlie. “We need to build an infrastructure within the IT sector and make sure what’s going on in the region is recognised.

“We need to show that it’s not ‘grim up North’ and that the North East has the talent that is as good as anywhere else in the world.”

For more information on www.dynamonnortheast.co.uk

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Dynamo

visit

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FEATURE

DAVID DUNN, CEO OF SUNDERLAND SOFTWARE CITY, REFLECTS ON THE TECH THAT HAS INFLUENCED HIM THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE. My first computer/games console was a Commodore 64. When I was young you were either a Commodore kid or a Spectrum one. I always remember arguing that you got more screen colours on the Commodore and so it was much better.

My first mobile phone was an Alcatel One Touch Club. That was at a time when calls were the main function of a phone, not texting or social media. It was the proverbial ‘brick’ phone – although a pretty sleek brick for its time.

The piece of technology I couldn’t wait to buy was, again, a Commodore – the Amiga 500. I must have been about 11 when I got one. This was the ultimate computer to have, with the ability to play games (mine came with the Batman pack) and paint on the screen using a mouse. I was lucky as my parents bought it for me under the impression that it would help my education!

The technology I get most frustrated by is computer operating systems. Once upon a time you could easily add or remove software – and not just because you could take the cassette or disk out. Now the computer seems to have control over itself and makes autonomous decisions on processing speed, or indeed whether you should have access to the internet at all.

A technology advance I think is unnecessary is social media – contentious, I know. I really don’t need to know what a friend had for tea or that some young, overpaid pop star is waiting in an airport taking ‘selfies’.

The innovation I would love to see in the future is ... flying cars. I’m sure if, in the words of the popular TV quiz, “you asked 100 people”, flying cars would be a popular answer. However, longer life batteries in phones are probably more realistic!

Apart from my phone, the technology I couldn’t live without is my television.

I’d have a good argument with anyone that you can learn as much from television as you can from books. The shift to on-demand TV and HD is fantastic. I’ve not become a convert to 3D TV … yet. I’m also looking forward to 4K (or better) becoming mainstream.

PC or Mac? I have both and use both. I like the ease of use of my MacBook Air and iPad but I’m not convinced by all the swiping and hand gesturing. Equally I’m not keen on the requirement to buy specific connectors and peripherals that the fruit company has a monopoly on.

Technology has made fixing and modifying cars a lot harder. The idea of plugging in a PC to diagnose something is great but you have to remember it is usually the ECU (internal ‘car computer’) that caused the problem in the first place. You then need specific software to fix the problem and it’s a lot more expensive than a spanner and big hammer.

Anyone who doesn’t say the internet has made their job easier is lying.

Access to information – and in some cases with opinion – makes my life much easier.

Companies like Google have made access to information omnipresent. We should be proud the internet was a UK invention. www.sunderlandsoftwarecity.com

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BUSINESS

Together we can take on the world The Entrepreneurs’ Forum holds is annual spring conference. ore than 230 business leaders came together at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art on May 15 for the Entrepreneurs’ Forum annual spring conference, Together We Can Take on the World.

On a day packed full of inspiration and insight, the region’s owner-managers saw contrasting stories of reclamation and innovation, a former supermodel turned businesswoman, an Indian fashion ecommerce guru and the founder of the UK’s first digital bank; all brought together with stories of growth from local entrepreneurs.

Opening the conference, Forum chairman Nigel Mills said: “It’s really important the area comes together and supports each other and the Forum plays a huge part in that.”

He said the Scottish independence debate and the proposed HS2 rail system stopping at Leeds meant, “from the outside the North East was becoming more and more isolated, but on the inside, the Local Enterprise Partnerships and business organisations including the Forum are standing up and showing people the unbelievable opportunities that exist here.”

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Kresse Wesling - Elvis & Kresse Canadian-born Kresse Wesling said her fondness for domestic refuse and hunting in skips led to the development of fashion business Elvis & Kresse.

A chance meeting with the London Fire Brigade revealed how tonnes of old fire hoses were going to landfill which inspired her to “create a glorious future for a glorious material”.

The company now has an exclusive contract

to obtain all the redundant fire hoses in Britain until 2025, which are being transformed into handbags, belts and other accessories with half of all profits going to the national Fire Fighters Charity.

Kresse said: “We get to create a community and give back… but until we have tackled even 1 per cent of the waste going into landfill in the UK I will never think of us as even remotely successful. We take responsibility for our materials.”

breaking into the Indian ecommerce market, estimated at being worth $20bn by 2019.

“In the next 45 minutes 100 million Google searches will have taken place in India, there will be 170,000 new mobile phone subscribers and 100,000 deliveries.

“The Indians are very open to learning and want the best. We are looking to the UK and US for people with the right skills. It’s about working with people together,” he said.

Caprice Bourret - By Caprice

Anthony Thomson

Lingerie

Atom Bank

Caprice’s business grew out of her need to find a life after modelling and began with a name licencing agreement with Debenhams. After five years she decided to launch her own brand,

By Caprice.

In an honest appraisal, she said: “Initially it was a bit of ego and a need for a plan B. It wasn’t about integrity, it wasn’t about passion.”

The first collection failed and, hit financially, she realised she would have to take the business more seriously.

“Now it’s 12 hours a day. I have my staff, I have factories, I have warehouses, I am supporting families, I have a big brand and I have huge responsibilities.

“But when you achieve success it’s a huge accomplishment. I want this business to stay in my family for generations, I’m very proud of it.”

Co-founder of the first new high-street bank in 150 years – Metro Bank – and now the UK’s first digital bank Atom, Anthony Thomson told delegates that the best reason to start a new business was to provide a better service for customers, not money.

“It’s the great malaise of UK plc that they think they are in business to make money and have forgotten about the customer,” said Mr Thomson, who went to school in Heaton and Gosforth.

“If you give the customer a better experience then they will give you their custom.”

Atom, based on an app and mobile platform, seeks to monopolise on the explosion in mobile and tablet technology with the use of new innovations including biometrics rather than passwords.

Paul Shoker - Koovs Serial entrepreneur Paul Shoker gave a master-class in the scale and challenge of

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To find out more about the Entrepreneurs’ Forum and its future events, visit www.entrepreneursforum.net

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BUSINESS

What is your

IT strategy?

Asks Rod Findlay, consultant at Your Sport Consulting.

hen I was advised that this was the Technology Issue it made me think about the benefits that technology can bring and the risks that need to be considered, too.

There are various technologies in any industry but IT is a standard across almost all.

It seems that every business is going to need some basic IT to enter the market but many might also use IT as a source of competitive advantage. There’s a need to develop a strategy and, as with any area of the business, effective contingency planning is vital.

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The basics It is hard to think of any major industry that does not require IT at its core. Ensuring that you have the basic technology will allow your company to enter a market or to remain in it.

As technology advances and some businesses do not invest then they will find that they are simply unable to compete. For example, maybe 30 years ago, most service companies might have had typewriters. It is inconceivable to think that a company operating in the same way today would survive. The basics might be different in each industry.

IT support is key but many firms don’t think of it until it is too late. Having swapped IT suppliers many years ago as a partner in a law firm and finding that the right sort of support meant that weekly outages became rare, I cannot stress enough the need to choose the right individuals.

Competitive advantage As well as being a barrier to entry into a market – or a reason for businesses being unable to compete at all – IT can also be a

EXPERT VIEW Rod Findlay Consultant Your Sport Consulting Email: rodfindlay@yoursportconsulting.com Twitter on @rodfindlay

source of competitive advantage. Amazon would not exist without IT but the simplicity of its IT offering and online purchasing is also a differentiating factor to many other companies.

The ways that IT can be used to deliver a competitive advantage are varied but it is worth thinking about your industry, your competitors and your internal capabilities.

Does this lead you to conclude that IT can give you something your rivals do not have?

This might be an ability to track a purchase; keeping up-to-date with a legal case by logging on; booking a gym class; or banking online.

First Direct were unique 20 years ago when they offered telephone banking. Now that telephone and online banking are basics, they need to offer more.

IT strategy Your firm will have an overall strategy but it is also necessary to have an IT strategy. The first step will be to know where IT is currently weaker than it should be. This should allow you to identify missing capabilities, which might mean the one or two key pieces your company should make widely available or

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figure out how to make productive use of them.

Reviewing this should lead to an IT strategic plan, consisting of projects to fix known weaknesses in your organisation and the technology it already supports, plus the projects and activities needed to build the new capabilities you know the business needs.

There might be different requirements for different divisions and these should be reflected in the overall strategy and the divisional plans.

Risk management Even the most basic risk management or business continuity plan would address IT. I generally consider strategy to be for when things are going right and risk management for when things go wrong. Whether IT is a basic entry requirement to the industry or your source of competitive advantage, it is vital that any business thinks about what they might do if IT fails.

There are many ways of doing this, but as a minimum a company should be identifying the risks; considering what the likelihood and potential impact of each are; prioritising them and then devising contingency plans should the risk materialises. Many of the strategies are well known such as backing up data or providing alternative power sources; but it is surprising the number of firms that do not methodically review the risks and plan for them.

IT is a specialist area and having a trusted IT supplier is important. But equally it is important to ensure that you have the internal capabilities or consultancy support to ensure IT sits as part of both your strategy and risk management planning.

BUSINESS Keith Glenton (Glentons) and Matt Hindhaugh (Oxford Innovation).

Recipe for growth A North East baker is helping to fill a gap in the market with the help of the Business Northumberland High Growth Programme. n order to meet growing demand and comply with strict food industry standards, Glentons Bakery has started production of a gluten free range at its unit in Morpeth, while continuing to prepare other breads, cakes and pastries in Ashington.

The move has required an overhaul of Glentons’ operations plan and new ways of working for the company’s 32 employees.

To support this transition, company owner Keith Glenton turned to the Business Northumberland High Growth Programme delivered by Oxford Innovation, the UK’s leading business coaching specialists.

Keith explains: “There is far greater awareness now of food allergies and we were receiving daily enquiries from customers to all four of our shops for gluten free products.

However in order to comply with Food Standards Agency regulations on production we needed to review our ways of working and restructure the business accordingly.

“The Business Northumberland High Growth Programme was recommended to me by other local business owners who have participated and seen the benefits it brings.”

According to regulations set by The Food Standards Agency, a product can only be labelled ‘gluten free’ if it contains less than 20 parts per million of gluten. The risk of crosscontamination with other flour-based products requires gluten free production to be

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completely isolated from other baking.

A former supermarket bakery manager who started his own business in 2006, Keith believes demand for gluten free production is one of the biggest changes the industry has seen in his 37 years in the trade.

Keith continues: “Consumers demand quality and with the rise of the celebrity chef and television programmes such as The Great British Bake Off, demand continues to increase and diversify. I want to ensure all of my customers have a wide choice of quality baked produce and that’s why we’ve taken the business in this new direction.”

Oxford Innovation business coach Matt Hindhaugh worked alongside Keith and his team.

Matt explains: “Glentons was already a well-established business with a loyal customer-base but Keith saw this opportunity in the market and he’s pursued it with all of his usual passion and determination. The key was to establish an operating plan and organisation structure that would maintain quality standards at both production units in Ashington and Morpeth while ensuring compliance with Food Standards Agency regulations.

“Keith and his team really embraced the coaching process and I’m certain Glentons is well placed for further growth by producing good quality food for all customers.”

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The Business Northumberland High Growth Programme offers established and start-up businesses in the county free support in reaching their full growth potential. It is jointly funded by Arch, The Northumberland Development Company, Northumberland County Council and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Since the programme was launched in April 2013, 55 client companies have been supported by Oxford Innovation’s team of expert coaches, recording between them a £5.3 million increase in turnover and more than 60 jobs created or protected.

Oxford Innovation’s methods have proved successful elsewhere in the UK, where the organisation has worked with over 2500 high growth businesses. And despite the challenging economic circumstances of recent years, Oxford Innovation has helped its clients across the UK access over £100 million of funding, creating or safeguarding more than 2000 jobs.

There’s still time for eligible businesses to participate in the Business Northumberland High Growth Programme. Anyone wishing to find out more about the programme and how Oxford Innovation can potentially support their business should call (01670) 528403, email northumberland@oxin.co.uk or visit www.businessnorthumberland.co.uk.

BUSINESS

Technology and recruitment Bryony Gibson, managing director of Bryony Gibson Consulting, shares her thoughts on the role of technology in the recruitment industry.

EXPERT VIEW Bryony Gibson Managing director Bryony Gibson Consulting Tel: (0191) 375 9983 Web: www.bryonygibson.com Twitter: @bryonygibson

often find it a job in itself just to keep up with the latest changes in technology as things seem to move forward at lightening pace. I am however fortunate in that, for the most part, I believe change is good; but I guess I would with a passion for recruitment.

For me, change brings both opportunity and challenge; and the IT landscape is no different.

Excellent processes and technology can give any business a competitive advantage, but it’s important to remember to be useful, technology has to solve a problem, not create one. Mary Kay Ash famously said: "A company is only as good as the people it keeps".

It's a quote I believe to be true and being able to cast your net wider than ever before through online job boards, digital marketing and social networks certainly helps recruiters to find more candidates, but job seekers beware, this can also make us more selective.

Social media is undeniably a useful way to engage and share opportunities with job seekers, but would I say it’s a better platform to advertise vacancies on rather than dedicated online job boards? Not for the kind of roles I recruit, even taking into account the additional costs.

LinkedIn is still the stand-out social network for recruitment. It has always been clear in its intention to support rather than replace the

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industry, but when it launched in 2003 it was seen by many as the end for recruitment as we knew it.

Of course good recruiters simply use the technology to their advantage, recognising that there still must be a strong focus on people, personalities and culture fit if you want to employ the right person.

With Facebook, testing pay-to-contact messaging and reportedly working on an official job board, it will be interesting to see if the world’s most popular social network is yet to transform the recruitment space; although you do feel there would have to be a significant shift in the type of content many users post if Facebook is to genuinely become the first port of call for employers.

The ease of mobile access to video conferencing through Skype and FaceTime has increased the number of ways recruiters can conveniently 'meet' with job seekers. Alongside online testing and assessments they can be particularly helpful in the early stages of recruiting, especially if you have someone looking to relocate.

One of the most important developments in recent years has come with the wide range of database and applicant tracking technology that is now on the market.

The choice is huge, but the productivity

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gains achieved if you fully embed the right one across your organisation are even bigger.

Most systems have the ability to hold a candidate database at the centre of a range of integrated software packages, parsing CVs and automating administration processes that would have previously taken up precious time.

The future seems to be where these databases no longer simply hold CVs and track emails, but instead delve much deeper. They now ensure social engagement is collated and advertising with online job boards is simplified.

They’re fully integrated with websites and as a result, add a whole new layer of useful data and insight, all hosted securely in the cloud so the information can be accessed at anytime from anywhere.

I think it’s fair to say I’m usually more ‘early majority’ than ‘innovator’ when it comes to technology, but I think it’s an exciting time when some of the best digital minds are turning their attention to recruitment to see if they can capture its human element and put it online.

Personally, I don’t believe all the technology in the world will truly change the way we recruit, but the key is to try and keep on top of developments and use technology to make you more effective and efficient, even if, like me, that means stepping out of your comfort zone from time to time!

EVENT

Rowlands and HLW Keeble Hawson’s annual spring meeting The accountants and solicitors host a day at Sedgefield Racecourse.

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great days’ racing was enjoyed by all at Sedgefield when Rowlands Restructuring and Insolvency and HLW Keeble Hawson Solicitors co hosted their annual spring meeting.

The blend of Yorkshire and Teesside professionals produced a multitude of winners and an excellent and convivial atmosphere in their box.

As you would expect from such conservative professions, betting was cautious and considered, but proved to be very rewarding. The real measure of the day was the smiles of all who were there.

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BUSINESS

Focussing on technology, innovation and the future Technology and innovation are playing a key part in driving the economy ... but companies at the forefront of these sectors can often struggle to get their messages across. Here, Samantha Davidson, managing director of North East full service marketing company Horizonworks, illustrates how this challenge can be overcome.

uring Horizonworks’ lifespan, we’ve had the pleasure of working with truly exciting, visionary companies, who have developed new technologies, or adapted existing systems and made their mark on new markets.

These firms can be large or small, and inhabit sectors from finance to healthcare, security to finance.

However, they’ve all faced a similar

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challenge: to show how a complex, highly technical product or service can be used in the real world. To make it appeal to end-users in real market sectors ... not just to their peers at industry get-togethers.

Our approach to marketing these companies ensures that they can meet this challenge and thrive, and takes them from strategy development to implementation.

We will look at a business through the eyes

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of its staff, customers, directors and competitors, leaving no stone unturned, from which we can create a strategy, which provides the bedrock for growth and a framework for the future. When we move to the implementation stage, we’ll take complex ideas, which are often underpinned by technical specifications weighed down by jargon or tech-speak, and translate them into clear, concise messages that resonate with end

users. And we’ll deliver this using a range of methods, including brand development, design, public relations campaigns and digital marketing.

Take Mediwikis as a case in point. The product, developed by Gateshead-based entrepreneur and Britain’s Top Role Model 2013, Stuart Maitland, provides medical students with free access to a collaborative revision website. It effectively creates a virtual community and the site is tailored to each university curriculum and encourages the sharing of information, ideas and resources to support student learning.

We were tasked with supporting the launch of Mediwikis into the 37 medical schools across the UK. Our approach included interviewing decision makers at medical schools to assess awareness of the product and this research led to the product being rebranded from its original name, Uniwikis, to Mediwikis.

Horizonworks then created a distinctive brand and clear visual identity for online and offline materials to position the product as an essential tool for the medical learning environment.

The You Company – a health and wellbeing organisation – also offers an online community platform, known as YETI. Horizonworks is working with the firm to enhance its marketing programme and is developing a strategy to provide the blueprint for future marketing activities.

Teleware presented another challenge. Last year we worked with the company – which provides integrated communications solutions included call handling applications – to

introduce its services to the healthcare sector, and raise its profile among NHS procurement personnel. Already established in the financial sector, Teleware’s push into the healthcare market was backed by the development of a clear sales proposition by Horizonworks, and marketing collateral to support this.

In addition, we’ve recently been brought on-board by Solutions for Accounting - a national accountancy finance and CRM

software provider (and a top 10 strategic partner for Sage) – to create and deliver a marketing strategy to drive sales and increase its profile among target businesses.

The firm, which has offices throughout the country, appointed Horizonworks to develop a creative campaign aimed at existing and prospective Sage users, and IT and accountancy firms who could refer Solutions for Accounting to their clients.

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Innovation doesn’t start and end with software or websites though. Securiclad, based on North Tyneside, had developed a premium, high security modular composite panel system designed to protect server rooms, critical infrastructure facilities and hazardous substances from the physical threats posed by criminals. We’re currently engaged to deliver PR and marketing activity that promotes this ingenious example of manufacturing prowess to the likes of data centre owners, facilities managers and utilities chiefs.

And the application of our strategic know how and focused marketing activity for Sunderland-based Hyperdrive Innovation, which provides electronic vehicle drive systems, is also generating significant results.

In February 2014, the firm recorded 300 per cent year on year sales growth as a result of new product developments and securing national contracts. The company’s technology is ground-breaking, but we’re ensuring that its messages open more doors to success.

So however you choose to innovate, whatever technology you employ, Horizonworks can tailor a strategy for your business... and deliver it in a way that gets results and gets you noticed.

Your message is all important – make sure it’s heard loud and clear by the people who matter to your organisation.

Samantha Davidson is managing director of Horizonworks. For more information, tel: 08450 759955, email: hello@horizonworks.co.uk or visit www.horizonworks.co.uk

LEGAL & FINANCIAL NEWS

New recruit for BHP Law A senior figure in employment law joins the regional firm.

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listair Smith has joined regional firm BHP Law as it seeks to build a leading and comprehensive employment law and HR service for employers.

Alistair is well-known in the region's legal sector, having been a partner at a Teessidebased firm for which he set up a new office in Newcastle. He is also a national legal adviser on disputes to the Federation of Small Businesses, as well as advising local and national businesses and trade associations on employment law and HR matters.

Alistair said: “For me, joining BHP is an exciting opportunity to offer everything that a business might need to employ people, from traditional helpline advice with insurance backing through to HR, training and even payroll. We think this full range of services will differentiate the firm from other providers who might not offer everything under one roof.�

Bond Dickinson continues work with Sainsburys

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ainsbury’s has re-appointed national law firm Bond Dickinson to its new legal panel.

Bond Dickinson will continue to advise Sainsbury's on dispute resolution, employment, retail and trading law. The new panel arrangements will run until 2017.

Head of Retail at Bond Dickinson, Gavin Matthews, commented: "We are delighted to have been re-appointed to Sainsbury's legal services panel. We have worked with Sainsbury's since 2004 and look forward the continuing development of our relationship with them."

Number of practicing solicitors falls

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he latest Annual Statistics Report from the Law Society reveals the first fall in the number of practising solicitors in over 20 years.

According to the report for 2013, the number of practising certificate (PC) holders linked to a named organisation on July 31 2013 decreased by 0.9 per cent to 127,676, compared to July 2012. However, the long-term trend is one of growth for the in-house sector but principally in commerce and industry (11.6 per cent of all PC holders).

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Harlands set to expand

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orth East accountancy firm Harlands is pressing ahead with expansion plans after recording a third year of double digit revenue growth.

The County Durham-based practice has achieved sales growth of 10 per cent in the year to March 31, 2014 and will reward staff with a company profit share scheme.

Harlands is also looking to exert its influence in the south of the region with the opening of an office in Newton Aycliffe and will appoint two senior accountants and two junior accountants in the coming 12 months.

EVENT

Managing Social Media in the Modern Workplace Mincoffs Solicitors and Trinity Chambers host a social media seminar.

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ewcastle Law Firm Mincoffs Solicitors and Trinity Chambers recently hosted a breakfast seminar at Jurys Inn Gateshead.

The seminar, entitled Managing Social Media in the Modern Workplace, was well attended by key professionals in the regional HR and marketing arena.

Mincoffs’s Employment partner Nick Smith and Jamie Anderson, employment barrister from Trinity Chambers, discussed the positive and negative developments arising in the workplace through the use of social media and how to ensure both employers and employees are fully educated to ensure that social media is managed effectively and businesses are protected as far as possible.

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LAW & FINANCE

Are you a risk taker?

By Ian Lowes, managing director of Jesmondbased Lowes Financial Management.

ow much risk are you willing to take with your investments? Most people would probably say they aren’t prepared to take much risk at all, especially in the wake of the 2008/2009 Financial Crisis.

But, in fact, were you to take a formal questionnaire to determine your actual attitude to risk, you might surprise yourself.

Certainly this was the finding of a survey conducted by AXA Wealth into the subject.

They asked 2000 people how they would categorise themselves in respect of investment risk. Then they asked them to complete a predetermined 14-step questionnaire designed to test risk appetite, in which they had to really think about the subject and answer questions on how they felt about investment in certain situations.

Before they took the test, they had to rank themselves from Very Cautious to Adventurous.

25 per cent ranked themselves as very cautious and 23 per cent as cautious in their approach to risk.

The test showed that having been made to think about it in more detail and make a decision on their investments, a large proportion of people were willing to take more risk than they might have expected. In fact only 6 per cent remained in the Very Cautious bracket, while 36 per cent now considered themselves as Cautious investors and others had moved even further up the ‘risk’ scale This discrepancy is attributed to a psychological phenomenon described as ‘recency bias’, which causes us to focus on

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EXPERT VIEW Ian Lowes Managing director Lowes Financial Management Tel: (0191) 281 8811 Email: enquiry@lowes.co.uk Web: www.lowes.co.uk

recent events – such as the impact of the Financial Crisis and the resultant volatility in the stockmarket, which at the time of the survey, in 2012, was still making investors nervous.

Interestingly, a survey carried out in 2014 by Schroder Investment Management revealed that 64 per cent of UK investors are more confident about investment opportunities this year compared to 41 per cent this time in 2013.

Moreover, 67 per cent of those investors were looking to invest in equities, which are usually deemed higher risk. This survey was concluded after a year in which stockmarkets rose, contributing to a ‘feel good’ factor.

These surveys illustrate the way human nature and emotion can affect investment decisions that are not based on solid research and constant monitoring of investment markets. In particular they can affect the DIY investor who jumps on the bandwagon when stocks are close to their peak and sells out when the stockmarkets are at or near the bottom of

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the curve. This illogical style of investing is termed the ‘behaviour gap’, it is invariably based on emotion and a feeling about the markets rather than sound investment principles and it more often than not loses people money. It is not a sound approach to investment.

As Independent Financial Advisers one of our most important roles is to listen to what people say they feel about investing and the risk they are prepared to take and then explain the scenarios so they can fully understand their options and what return they might deliver.

With interest rates so low, having your money saved in a cash account means you are likely to be losing money on a daily basis due to the effect of inflation. Consequently, most people need to take some investment risk if they are to make their money work for them.

Many people think that taking that risk means investing heavily in the stock market. It doesn’t.

There are many investment types which when carefully selected and blended in an investment portfolio can help mitigate the risk.

For most of our clients wealth preservation is top of their list, while they are also looking to see the value of their investments increase, and in as smooth a manner as possible given that markets by their very nature do go up and down. This requires a realistic assessment of the balance between growing investments and protecting our clients’ wealth, which we undertake through constructing investment portfolios based on thorough sound and logical investment research and strategy rather than emotion.

LAW & FINANCE

Modern laws for modern life Joanne Major looks at the new family laws that aim to better reflect 21st century society.

EXPERT VIEW Joanne Major Principal Major Family Law Tel: (01661) 824582 Web: www.majorfamilylaw.co.uk Twitter: @majorfamilylaw

pril 22, 2014 saw the implementation of the largest reform of the family justice system in a lifetime.

If you have no reason to come into regular contact with the court system nor have any connection with the legal profession, you could be forgiven for failing to be aware of this monumental change.

However, if you should ever find yourself requiring legal intervention in a domestic issue, these changes will affect you.

The changes are a necessary response to the significant altering of family structure in our society: marriage is in decline; children live in households where one or both parents may be present; parents may be married, unmarried, or remarried, cross-cultural, same sex, or the children may be raised by members of the extended family, in loco parentis.

The existing legal system, with its roots way back in the 19th century, has been ill equipped to cope with this redefined nuclear family, and has been awash with negative press and criticism for inefficiency and delays.

The new regime seeks to address those failings and to recognise the reality of modern family life.

It also acknowledges the situation arising out of the almost total withdrawal of legal aid from family law proceedings last year, which has

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resulted in approximately one in two family cases now having at least one party without formal legal representation: According to the president of the Family Justice System, Sir James Munby: “A system based on the assumption that parties are represented must be radically re-designed to reflect the reality that parties will no longer be represented in a new world where there is so little legal aid. “In the courtroom we must adapt our processes to the new world of those who, not through choice, have to act as litigants in person.�

Previously, proceedings were characterised by delay and lack of judicial continuity, which led to protracted and acrimonious proceedings.

Introducing the Child Arrangements Programme (CAP), the new system seeks to simplify and streamline the legal and court process with respect to children matters, in order to make it easier and cheaper to navigate for those who are representing themselves without the benefit of a lawyer. The new, single, Family Court replaces the previous court structure and judges will be afforded a more proactive role and will decide what issues need to be resolved and to what timetable.

Another factor in this new approach to family disputes is the active encouragement of

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disagreeing couples to settle their differences away from the court forum by exploring negotiated settlement methods such as mediation, collaborative law or arbitration.

Such is the belief that these methods lead to swifter, sounder outcomes that the new law makes it a precondition of making an application to the court that both parties have attended at least a MIAM (Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting) first.

Those at the head of the legal profession responsible for bringing into effect these monumental changes recognise that this is just the start of a larger revolution in which change will be brought to bear upon the way disputes over marital finances are settled, the rights of separating non-married couples, and the very grounds upon which divorce can be granted.

It is generally acknowledged that these changes are long overdue. Widely welcomed, the legal profession is on the cusp of a new era. The changes herald not only a change in law, but a significant change in attitude and one that needs to be embraced, not only by every member of the profession, but more importantly by every couple who finds themselves at odds over arrangements for their children and/or finances post separation.

Litigation over negotiation is no longer an acceptable approach in the family context.

LAW & FINANCE

The potential of technology Andrew Elliot, executive director at UBS Wealth Management looks at the impact of technology on the world’s economy. ew technologies have the potential to transform the global economic landscape. Recent advances in information and communications technology, new innovations in methods of manufacturing, and fresh ways of harnessing and exploiting energy could unleash significant growth benefits for the world economy over the next few decades.

Some of the new technologies allow companies to tap into a higher quality of physical capital at lower prices.

Enhanced energy storage, shale gas and oil techniques, and innovations in renewable energy are helping to drive down the price of energy relative to the trend that would have unfolded in their absence. In all cases, these technologies have the potential to lift productivity growth across sectors and countries, allowing faster growth and lower inflation. These new technologies can make the world economy more inclusive and more efficient, but they may also lead to significant dislocations.

Mobile communications technology has the potential to bring 2-3 billion people into the

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world economy in the coming decade. Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, could remove up to 90 per cent of the waste from some manufacturing processes. At the same time, advanced robots, which can work for as little as USD 4 per hour, may eventually displace some existing employment in manufacturing.

A recent study by the McKinsey Global Institute finds that these new technologies have the potential to generate a direct global economic impact in the order of USD 14-33

trillion per year in 2025. Our own simulations and estimates suggest that trend global growth could be 0.5 to 0.7 percentage points higher than in the absence of technological change, implying productivity gains comparable to those unleashed by the advent of the personal computer and internet revolutions of the 1990s.

Who are the likely winners? The US stands out as a likely beneficiary. The country is at the forefront of many of these technological innovations. Its competitive advantage in the production and deployment of information technology is widely recognized. The US is at the forefront of the shale revolution. The US financial sector, above all in venture and private capital activities, arguably underpins more entrepreneurial activity than anywhere else.

This is one of the reasons we retain our positive stance on US equities and in particular the technology sector within this region.

Taken from UBS view on 2014 World Economic Forum marketing paper.

UBS – Newcaslte office tel: (0191) 211 1000, web: www.ubs.com/uk

The price and value of investments and income derived from them can go down as well as up. You may not get back the amount you originally invested.

Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Authorised and regulated by Financial Market Supervisory Authority in Switzerland. In the United Kingdom, UBS AG is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and is subject to regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and limited regulation by the Prudential Regulation Authority. Details about the extent of our regulation by the Prudential Regulation Authority are available from us on request.

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LAW & FINANCE

MBO for iconic bar UNW advises on the management buyout of The Empress in Newcastle city centre. ne of Tyneside's most iconic and best loved bars has undergone a management buyout supported by business advisers UNW. The Empress, situated on the cobbled bank leading to the Quayside near St Nicholas' Cathedral, Newcastle, will now undergo a facelift after being sold to its manager by Leopard Leisure Leased for an undisclosed sum.

Chartered accountants and business advisers UNW advised Leopard Leisure on the deal, which will allow the vendor to focus on its real ale pub portfolio and the bar's long-standing manager Matthew Settle to continue The Empress' recent revival as one of the city's most vibrant and fashionable bars.

UNW partner and licensed trade specialist David Ward and corporate finance manager Katy Lamb guided Leopard Leisure, which is owned by former Pubmaster operations director Harry Costigan, through the process.

The regional pub operator runs other renowned outlets in the region including Rosie's Bar in Newcastle's China Town, The Hotspur at the Haymarket, Queen Victoria in Gosforth, and The Traveller's Rest in Wideopen. Legal advice was provided by law firm Sintons.

UNW partner David Ward said: “The Empress has undergone something of a

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Left to right: Katy Lamb (UNW), Matthew Settle (Empress Bar), Leopard Leisure Harry Costigan (Leopard Leisure), David Ward (UNW) and Adrian Dye (Sintons).

revitalisation in recent years as Newcastle's Diamond Strip, along Collingwood Street and beyond, has gained in popularity with local drinkers.

“The Empress has benefited from a more modern touch and is once again enjoyed by thousands of people every week. It made perfect sense for Matthew to take it on in the next stage of its history and we wish him every success as he makes the transition from

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manager to owner.” Leopard Leisure Leased owner founder Harry Costigan, a respected figure within the licensed trade for over 40 years, said: “Over the years, Leopard Leisure Leased has become a popular operator with our family, community and cask ale style of outlet.

“The Empress has undergone a transformation recently into a vibrant and popular cocktail bar and, as Matthew has worked with me for more than 10 years and is one of the best managers in Newcastle, he was the perfect person to take it over.”

New Empress owner Matthew Settle said: “Having worked in the Newcastle night life for nearly 20 years, I'm extremely excited to be the owner and operator of the iconic Empress Bar. “I've managed and developed it since it reopened in 2009 and now have imminent plans to give it a facelift, while still maintaining its infamous character and strong customer following.”

Adrian Dye, partner in the Company and Commercial department at Sintons, added: “The Empress has stood the test of time and is now an established part of Newcastle’s leisure scene. We wish Matthew and his team all the best as they continue to take this venue forward, and also wish Harry well in his other ventures.”

For more information on UNW visit www.unw.co.uk

EVENT

Left to right: Peter Atkinson (Benfield), Lynne Carroll (Scholes & Brown) and Lee Muter (UNW).

Sarah Turner and Jackie Watson (Percy Hedley Foundation).

John Hepple (S Jennings Limited) and Simon Hewitson (Mill Garages).

UNW employment taxes seminar The North East-based accountants was joined by representatives from local companies to tackle the complex issues of employment tax at this special event.

Left to right: Dave Redhead (UNW), Dave Wright (Wilton Engineering), Phil McClintock (Techflow Flexibles) and Michael Morris (UNW).

T Lee Muter (UNW) and Andrew Lowe (Fluid Group).

he red carpet was rolled out recently for UNW’s employment taxes seminar, held at the Tyneside Cinema. The event, hosted by Lee Muter, UNW partner, who gave a general update on employment taxes, also featured Lynne Carroll from Scholes & Brown who led attendees through the pitfalls of the new autoenrolment regime, and Peter Atkinson of Benfield Motors, who outlined the benefits of the Flexicar Scheme, a tax efficient salary sacrifice car scheme.

Ann-Marie Bowyer (UNW) and Steph Tobin (Potts Print).

Adam Serfontein (Hanro) and Andrew Wilson (UNW).

Helen Livingstone (Reece Group) and Dave Brown (Ringtons).

Guests enjoying their breakfast.

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LAW & FINANCE

Democratisation of entrepreneurship UK Entrepreneurship goes well beyond the London tech start-up, says Barclay’s Michelle Steggles.

he image of successful entrepreneurs has changed – gone is the suit-wearing business man or woman generating their wealth from business, manufacturing or retail. Now any student in your local coffee shop could be creating the next Facebook or WhatsApp. Entrepreneurs today, as they were in the Victorian times, are driven by the thought that if there’s something out there that needs fixing, they can fix it by quickly developing a technological solution. This disruptive economy sees students develop an idea, turn it into a business and exit all within their summer holiday – they return to university to complete their degrees as successful digital entrepreneurs.

I’m exaggerating, but you get the point.

This democratisation of entrepreneurship; opening the concept to younger audiences with less traditional business experience is undoubtedly what the UK economy needs today, yet there is still room for improvement.

Entrepreneurship isn’t something that just happens in HTML code, to those in suits or within London’s ‘Silicon Roundabout’.

As our most recent Entrepreneurs Index report, developed in conjunction with Business Growth Fund (BGF) reveals, entrepreneurial activity in the UK today has a range of fascinating regional nuances and sector stories.

The results show that the economic recovery is not just being led by London and is not just confined to the technology sector – in fact,

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EXPERT VIEW Michelle Steggles Private Banker Barclays Web: www.barclays.com/wealth

much of it is happening right here, in the North East.

This is our fourth Entrepreneurs Index report.

It tracks the full entrepreneurial lifecycle from start-up to growth and selling, by measuring the number of active companies and enterprises, the proportion of high-growth companies and the number of companies recording share sales.

We then crunch all of this data – some publicly available, others created specifically for the Entrepreneurs Index – by UK region and industry sector.

The North East was home to 56,425 enterprises in 2013 and is proving to be very effective at fostering high-growth entrepreneurial companies.

The proportion of high-growth companies in the region rose by 34 per cent between 2012 and 2013, compared to 17 per cent in London, with one in five companies in the region now considered to be high growth. These findings indicate that the North East is becoming a hub

for these types of fast-growing, successful ventures.* Recent years have seen the development of a number of initiatives to foster entrepreneurship in the region. For example, Newcastle Science City is a partnership led by Newcastle University and Newcastle City Council to provide access to business support and investment. To date, the partnership has created 43 companies in the North East and supported more than 750 regional companies to commercialise new ideas.

These initiatives give local entrepreneurs a much-needed boost and we must ensure that we do what we can to support not only their continuation, but the entrepreneurs that are given this initial step-up. In the wake of the financial crisis, policy makers and business leaders have repeatedly stressed the need for economic growth to be more balanced across every region of the UK. If the economic recovery is to be sustained, entrepreneurs need an environment in which they can start and grow successful ventures anywhere in the country. They need access to funding and talent, policies that remove growth barriers, and support networks to guide and encourage them onto a strong growth trajectory.

We are certain that we can bolster these elements to support entrepreneurial growth and we are committed to helping to foster these fundamental frameworks in the North East and across the UK.

*We measure the proportion of high-growth companies through Experian data and we class a company as high-growth when an SME with revenues of between £2.5m and £100m increases its turnover by 33 per cent over the preceding three years, and produces 10 per cent year-on-year growth for a minimum of two of these years.

Barclays offers wealth and investment management products and services to its clients through Barclays Bank PLC and its subsidiary companies.

Barclays Bank PLC is registered in England and authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Registered No. 1026167. Registered Office: 1 Churchill Place, London E14 5HP.

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LAW & FINANCE The specialist dental team at Sintons, led by Amanda Maskery (third from right).

Celebrating £60m in dental deals Sintons law firm oversees 200 transactions since 2011. aw firm Sintons has overseen more than £60m of dental practice sales and acquisitions across the UK in the past three years.

The nationally-esteemed healthcare team has carried out 200 transactions throughout the country, and has led to Sintons being regarded as one of the leading specialist providers to dentists in the UK. The specialist dental team – led by Amanda Maskery, who was recently made chair of the Association of Specialist Providers to Dentists (ASPD) – has over 30 years of experience working with dentists, and boasts unrivalled legal expertise in the North East.

Instructions from dentists have increased significantly over the past 12 months, and 2013 was a particularly successful year for dental deals at Sintons.

Among the transactions – which involve

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premises of all sizes, from one-person operations to high value, multi-practice businesses – are deals for clients whom Sintons has acted for over many years, and with whom the team has established close relationships.

Many dental clients also use Sintons for their private work, as well as their business transactions.

The team advises on a full range of issues, including sales, acquisitions and incorporations, negotiations over NHS contracts, procurement and competitive tendering, banking and finance and commercial property.

Amanda Maskery, partner at Sintons, has a national reputation for her work and was hailed

by Legal 500 as being a “top dental sector specialist”.

She said: "The fact we have been appointed to act in over £60m of dental transactions in

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the last three years alone is indicative of the strength and expertise of our team at Sintons.

“Our clients, many of whom we have worked with for numerous years, come to know us personally and trust us, and are left in no doubt that they are receiving the very best advice from a specialist team of lawyers.

"To provide advice to dentists requires an indepth understanding and appreciation of the very complex issues affecting them and the challenges faced by their profession.

“At Sintons, we have acted for dentists for over 30 years, and our expertise, coupled with the unrivalled personal service for which we as a firm are renowned, means that we are the lawyers of choice for many dental practices and groups across the North East and beyond."

For further information visit www.sintons.co.uk

LAW & FINANCE

Pensions probed Samantha Dolby, investment manager at Brewin Dolphin in Newcastle, looks at proposed changes to pensions.

he Budget caught the entire pensions and savings industry by surprise. Overall, the changes were aimed at making saving for retirement fairer. The result of the Financial Conduct Authorities (FCA) annuity review was expected by many to result in the open market option at worst, whereby insurers would have to compete for annuity business more fiercely. The announced changes therefore came as an unpleasant surprise to heavy annuity sellers.

There are structural shortfalls in the UK’s pension provision, a pensions time bomb to many, given the low level of the state pension and the closing of defined benefit schemes.

These changes will enhance the attractiveness of saving for retirement and, in combination with auto enrolment, should increase the level of savings in the UK. The main changes which will take effect from April 2015, if the proposals go ahead as planned (an Act of Parliament must first be signed) include the removal of the requirement to buy an annuity for most defined contribution scheme savers, this does not yet apply to defined benefit schemes. The penalty for removing cash from a pension above the 25 per cent tax-free lump sum was 55 per cent tax and this has been abolished and replaced by individual’s marginal rates of tax.

After receiving the pension commencement lump sum, consumers now have three choices when they come to retire: buy an annuity, receive a lump sum taxed at your marginal rate of tax, or draw down on the pension over time.

Most interestingly, there is a new ‘right to advice’ proposal with £20m of government

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EXPERT VIEW Samantha Dolby Investment manager Brewin Dolpin Email: Samantha.dolby@brewin.co.uk Web: www.brewin.co.uk

funding that will aim to ensure everyone receives free and impartial face-to-face advice upon retirement. This will potentially be paid for through a levy on insurers.

Together these changes generally save having to contract into an unattractive annuity for small pensions and are essentially an expansion of legislation already in place.

Additionally, the income requirement for ‘flexible drawdown’ has been lowered from £20,000 to £12,000, meaning that people with over £12,000 of secure pension income will be able to take out all pension monies above the amount required to achieve that £12,000 (this could be made from a state pension, work pension or an annuity).

The amount that can be taken out under the ‘capped drawdown’ withdrawal limit as income is now 150 per cent of what an equivalent annuity would buy, up from 120 per cent previously. Finally, the overall size of pension savings that can be taken as a lump sum (‘trivial commutation’) has been increased to £30,000 from £18,000, meaning those with total pension amounts of up to £30,000 will be able

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to take out the entire amount as a lump sum with 25 per cent paid tax free and the balance at their marginal rate of income tax.

As a direct result of the changes in the Budget, annuity providers such as Legal and General and Aviva have been affected the most.

Currently around 75 per cent of the 320,000 defined contribution retirees take out £11bn worth of annuities each year. Annuities will not disappear but clearly this rate will fall from next year. Investors may want to think about delaying pension drawdown to take advantage of the full reforms. Being the key beneficiary of drawdown plans, Standard Life is better placed than many.

While annuities will still likely be seen as a valid option, I suspect they will be repackaged.

Much financial innovation will likely result from these changes, with new retirement product types coming to market, principally from the annuity providers but also from others in the income drawdown space.

Finally, the FCA announced they plan to look into around 30m insurance company policies sold between 1970 and 2000 and test the fee structures and exit charges.

Transferability is likely to be the key issue but high charges on some products sold could also be attacked. The FCA have since clarified its position stating they will not be considering the suitability of historic advice and we are therefore not looking at another miss selling scandal.

The industry appears to be coming under significant unexpected Government and regulatory scrutiny at present and the markets see the risk to the downside in the near term.

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LAW & FINANCE

Accept the unexpected David Wilson, mortgage adviser and owner of NE Money, reflects on the Mortgage Market Review (MMR) and its effects on banks, advisers and consumers.

EXPERT VIEW David Wilson Managing director NE Money Tel: (0191)236 1042 Web: www.nemoneyifa.co.uk

he Mortgage Market Review (MMR) has been brought in by the regulator as a way to create a market that is sustainable for everyone involved.

Given the last six years, sustainability is a more than welcome introduction!

The hope is that the changes made will create a more flexible market that ultimately works better for the person that matters; the consumer.

Poor lending practices and mortgage fraud will be stamped out under the new proposals.

We will always welcome positive changes in the industry but only if these actions aren’t counterintuitive in respect to our own experience of trying to get a mortgage. But, the big question all our clients are asking is, ‘Is there less chance of me getting a mortgage now?’

In principle your chances of getting a mortgage haven’t changed from one month ago, a mortgage is based on your personal circumstances and as long as those are the same (and assuming you would qualify a month ago) then you shouldn’t notice a difference.

The difference we do need to be aware of is how your circumstances are assessed.

Since pre 2008 as independent advisers we have always provided ‘advice’.

This may seem like a confusing statement

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but when you look at many of the banks mortgage services they have been providing ‘non advised’ sales due to the nature of them only selling their own mortgage products.

Other than a few exceptions, all mortgages will now be advised sales that will bring much needed improvements to the quality of advice you receive. All mortgage advisers should now hold appropriate qualifications and competencies and this now includes bank advisers who under previous rules didn’t require this.

The key role of the adviser in today’s mortgage market is to: • Act in your best interests based on your individual circumstances.

• Assess the affordability of any recommendation both for today and long term.

• Ensure all eligibility criteria for the recommended lender is met.

• Ensure you understand all disclosures prior to proceeding with anything.

• Discuss rates, fees and costs and ensure all meet your requirements and a positive election made regarding fees.

The main focus on any mortgage is, and will always be, income and affordability. With this

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in mind, the aspects which are now of primary focus are: • Net income e.g. after tax/NI deductions and also any pre tax deductions made such as pension contributions, employee benefits etc.

• Committed expenditure – ongoing credit and contractual regular payments will all be considered when assessing affordability.

• Basic essential expenditure – utilities, housekeeping, telephone, council tax, insurances, travel.

• Quality of living costs – clothing, household goods, leisure/lifestyle, childcare.

• Stress testing affordability – what effect would a minimum 1 per cent increase in rate have on affordability Needless to say getting a mortgage isn’t as straight forward as it used to be, but given that this is likely to be the biggest financial commitment someone will make, we can have some peace of mind that the new practices are to our benefit. Media speculation of more declined applications and longer application processes have some merit, but in the main can be alleviated through being prepared for what’s required and accessing quality advice that you are comfortable with and trust.

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LAW & FINANCE

Deb Tweedy

Fruitful first year Hadrian HR celebrates a successful year in business.

North East human resources consultancy has expansion in its sights after celebrating its first year in business.

Following 12 months of successful trading, Hadrian HR, which offers a bespoke and affordable 24/7 service, is looking to expand the team by taking on another employee to support the existing team of five.

Developed by Gordon Brown Law Firm, Hadrian HR came into existence after employment specialist Jonathon Stokes recognised a demand for an expert HR service for smaller businesses in the North East, minus the hefty price tag.

Headed up by HR consultant Deb Tweedy and supported by Jonathon Stokes, head of Dispute Resoluton, the company offers cost effective packages that are tailor-made to each individual business, with a dedicated relationship partner and no long-term contracts involved.

Hadrian HR provides a range of service

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levels to SMEs, varying from retained 24/7 support to ad hoc advice for firms varying from one employee to over 50 members of staff.

Deb comments: “Our ethos was based on the chronic need for a no-nonsense HR consultancy. Our mission is to provide support to businesses and work as part of their team, no matter what their size. Small businesses often don’t require a full-time salaried HR position when they first start up, and the advice and guidance provided by Hadrian HR allows the business owner to concentrate on strategic matters – without the worry of tricky employment situations.

“The service we provide is intended to be a preventative measure to save our clients time and money in the long run, as the costs incurred when taking an employment law issue to tribunal or to court can be considerable.

“We are proud to offer a truly personal approach to a real mixture of clients from

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leisure and retail to professional services and we have had excellent response to date. If take up continues at this rate we will be growing our personnel at a steady rate to cater for demand.”

In addition to the 24 hour helpline, Hadrian HR also hosts regular employment law seminars, email updates and news alerts, at no extra cost to the client.

Hadrian HR client, Briony Holliday, director at Newcastle’s Sausage Emporium, said: “We decided to use Hadrian HR as they were more flexible in the services they offered than other companies.

“For a small business starting out this was important. After meeting with Deb Tweedy, I felt that she really understood our needs and advised us of the right package to get our business off the ground.”

For further information regarding Hadrian HR call (0191) 389 5191 or visit www.hadrianhr.com

LAW & FINANCE

Inheritance Tax planning Peter Rutherford of Universal Tax Strategies LLP looks at your options.

espite promises from politicians, Inheritance Tax (IHT) is reducing the estates of more and more families as time goes on. This is because the Nil Rate Band, where no IHT is charged, has been frozen at £325,000 per individual or £650,000 for a married couple. Above this level tax is charged at 40 per cent on death on assets passing to anyone other than a surviving partner.

IHT planning can be complex but there is a solution which has an immediate effect (no need to survive seven years) and which has virtually no limit on the amount that can be protected from IHT within it.

I summarise the benefits below:

• 100% of value available to beneficiaries free of any IHT/CGT liabilities from day one.

• No monetary limits on the value of assets that can be transferred into the plan.

• Beneficiaries access to benefits may be determined by the Settlor.

• No liability for initial or periodic IHT charges.

• Non Declaration of Tax Avoidance Scheme (DOTAS) as the arrangement is a nonaggressive statute compliant plan.

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• Accepts a wide range of assets/in-specie transfers.

• Tax free growth of assets within the trust.

• Lifetime access to income for the Settlor.

• Income tax on only 90 per cent of the income drawn.

• Loans available to provide tax free income and create estate debts.

EXPERT VIEW Peter Rutherford Partner Universal Tax Strategies LLP Tel: (0191) 374 0333 Email peter.rutherford@utsllp.co.uk

• Capital value of assets in trust are not assessable to means testing.

So what is this ‘wunder’ plan? In fact, it is a form of offshore pension. Do not be frightened by offshore as everything can be managed in the UK. Further, pension legislation is very helpful in IHT planning and little understood.

So who would benefit from this? Certainly anyone who has assets exceeding the NRB

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and/or would like to produce a tax efficient retirement income.

A classic scenario would be an individual who has sold their business. Prior to sale they probably benefited from Business Property Relief, which meant there was no IHT on the value of the business. As soon as the sale is complete all the proceeds are in the estate for IHT purposes.

Clearly this individual would have also lost their income. A solution would be to place some of the sale proceeds into the Universal Family Pension Plan. The money is immediately outside the estate and a combination of loans and tax efficient income can be provided. Control of the underlying investments rests with the Settlor and/or their advisors.

On the death of the Settlor the funds can be distributed directly to the nominated beneficiaries or placed into a trust with a letter of wishes stating, for example: “My spouse to receive income only and on death or remarriage, capital/income to my children.” If there is a spendthrift in the family then perhaps income only and no capital would be sensible for them.

The trust also protects against ‘predators and creditors’; the predator being the gold-digger or the spouse in an unhappy marriage.

If you have IHT concerns then this is one plan that certainly merits consideration. I, or my colleagues, would be happy to discuss it with you.

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LAW & FINANCE

Can distressed assets help you?

Asks Muckle LLP partner and certified turnaround professional, Andrew Cawkwell. hen business takes a downturn – getting back up may take an extra pair of hands. If the stumbling block is cash flow, but the order book looks good, the answer might lie in the sale of distressed assets, which would restore any compromised balance sheets.

There are indications that foreign investors are looking for opportunities in the UK. They've already bought iconic assets in London and they are looking across the UK. Big ticket opportunities are currently being marketed such as two Spinningfield office blocks in Manchester (which are fully let to RBS for another 24 years), and offer significant returns for investors.

The fully-tenanted Gherkin skyscraper in London was recently placed in receivership by its creditors in April. Co-owners, a Mayfair-based investment bank and German property investor, IVG Immobilien, ran into problems after the owners took on too much

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EXPERT VIEW Andrew Cawkwell Partner Muckle LLP Email: Andrew.Cawkwell@muckle-llp.com Twitter: @CompanyRescue

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debt and needed to restructure. This has not yet come to market but will attract significant interest when it does.

It’s not just the owners/stakeholders of landmark buildings whose fortunes can be turned around by the sale of distressed assets.

It’s an opportunity that is available to North East businesses, too.

At Muckle LLP, we’re ready to assist in the purchase of distressed assets. Whether you’re looking to buy or invest, we can use our expertise to identify opportunities, conduct due diligence and execute a deal.

The first stages involve assessing the value of the existing order books and other assets.

We then use our national and international networks, which include potential investors in Qatar, India and China, to generate investment interest.

Making the best deal is often about acting quickly. Once we know about you, we can make the most appropriate business introductions.

LAW & FINANCE

Same-sex marriages – is it really all change?

Asks Ward Hadaway’s Teresa Davidson.

EXPERT VIEW Teresa Davidson Partner Ward Hadaway Web: www.wardhadaway.com

he Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 came into force in March 2014, heralding the arrival of same sex marriage in the UK. While there has been debate about the moral implications of same sex marriage and the media has made much of the controversy surrounding same sex marriage, from a legal perspective, not much has changed.

For example, many do not realise that, in fact, this country already recognises the legal status of foreign same sex marriages.

If a person is in a same sex marriage celebrated abroad, the English court attributes the same legal status to it as it does to a heterosexual foreign marriage.

Following the introduction of same sex marriages there is now a consultation on the future of civil partnerships in light of the fact that same sex couples can now marry.

Among the issues being considered are

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whether civil partnerships should be abolished and whether they should be available to opposite sex couples who have an objection to marriage.

The new law allows civil partners to convert their relationships into marriages (although they are under no obligation to do so). However, this cannot happen until the end of the year when the Government's systems are updated.

With the law on marriage now changed, what is the situation when it comes to same sex divorce?

Legally, there are some differences on the breakdown of a same sex marriage as opposed to a heterosexual one. For example, same sex spouses cannot cite adultery as a reason for divorce.

They can, however, get round this by petitioning on the basis of unreasonable behaviour and make reference to an

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‘inappropriate relationship’ with another person.

Despite these small differences, the court has the same powers to order maintenance and provide for the division of assets as it does on the breakdown of a heterosexual marriage and on the dissolution of a civil partnership.

Same sex couples entering into either a civil partnership or a marriage should be aware that the court has wide-ranging powers to redistribute assets and order maintenance on dissolution or divorce.

One way of protecting your wealth from the court's powers is to enter into a prenuptial or pre-partnership agreement.

At Ward Hadaway, we are seeing an increase in clients looking to enter into such agreements and there is a strong likelihood that the trend will continue now that same sex couples are able to marry.

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LAW & FINANCE

Reform of EU data protection Hay & Kilner’s Tom Goodman looks at the introduction of new European regulation that is set to boost individual data protection rights.

single data protection law will be enforced across the continent, impacting on almost every business operating in the EU. Broadly speaking, the new regulation is based on the following main principles:

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A single set of rules A single data protection law will overcome the patchwork of legislation that currently exists across the EU, which has resulted in a historical lack of uniformity. The bad news for businesses is that they will be faced with hefty fines for non-compliance. Regulators will have the power to levy fines of up to €100 million or 5% of annual worldwide turnover, whichever is greater.

A one-stop (regulatory) shop Businesses which operate “cross border” will no longer have to comply with the individual requirements of multiple EU states.

Compliance will instead be governed by a single lead authority. The EU suggests that this simplification should allow greater opportunity, particularly for smaller businesses, to break into new markets, knowing that they do not have to deal with different regulations or associated costs.

‘Explicit’ consent and the strengthening of citizen’s rights The new regulation requires consent to the processing of an individual’s personal data to be “explicit” as opposed to implied, and requires a

EXPERT VIEW Tom Goodman Solicitor Hay & Kilner Tel: (0191) 232 8345 Email: Tom.Goodman@hay-kilner.co.uk Web: www.hay-kilner.co.uk

statement or a clear affirmative action by the individual.

Individuals now have the right to be “forgotten” and have their personal data erased, however such a request must be on the grounds that the data is no longer relevant (i.e. an individual could not ask for deletion of data if they are still employed by a company). Organisations processing an individual’s data will also be required to take reasonable steps to inform all relevant third parties of the deletion request.

What do the changes mean for businesses and what can be done now?

The predictions are that the initial implementation of the new regulation will prove more costly to businesses, and therefore allowances for these likely increased costs should be taken into account in future budget plans.

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Given that the new regulation will place a bigger emphasis on obtaining consent, it is important that existing processes are reviewed and amended to ensure that ‘explicit’ consent is obtained.

For bigger businesses, the shift from a riskbased approach to a compliance approach, and the need to appoint an internal data protection officer, is likely to translate into a red tape burden that costs more to manage. There is also a requirement to advise the regulating authority of any data security breach within 24 hours of identifying the breach, together with a requirement to notify individuals if there has been a breach involving their information.

The compliance requirements are reduced for SMEs who, unless data processing is their core activity, will not have to appoint a data protection officer. Additionally SMEs will no longer have to provide notifications to the regulator, and will not need to undertake impact assessments unless there is a specific risk.

It is suggested that the implementation of the new regulation will save businesses up to €2.3 billion per year, compared with the costs of dealing with the fragmented legislation currently in place. These costs savings could well be negated however, by the increased investment required to meet new compliance requirements, underpinned by potential fines of up to 5 per cent of annual worldwide turnover.

While there may be a temptation for businesses to wait and see what transpires, taking a pro-active stance and reviewing existing data protection systems could ultimately save in the long run.

LAW & FINANCE

Iain’s view Iain Townsend is an insolvency practitioner and manager in the Restructuring and Insolvency team at Rowlands Accountants. Here, he talks about life at the Yarm office ...

You recently qualified as an insolvency practitioner – what was the appeal of this as a career and has the job matched your expectations?

This career is appealing because you never know what’s round the corner – no two jobs are the same and different people, different businesses, different circumstances all make for different challenges. I have to say that the expectation has been matched and more. Every day brings new experiences and I am looking forward to continuing to grow as a member of the Rowlands Restructuring and Insolvency team.

The Yarm office is a key one for Rowlands Restructuring and Insolvency. How do you fit into the team?

I have worked at Rowlands for ten years now, having started in the accountancy department prior to my move to the Restructuring and Insolvency team in 2008. My role has developed over the years from case administrator to manager and since qualifying will do so further. I am now taking on more one-to-one client advice work, with a view to taking formal insolvency appointments in the future.

Following the economic downturn, many North East businesses have

experienced difficult trading conditions. Recent reports suggest an upturn is on the way – do you agree?

I’d agree certain sectors are beginning to expand, but if you picked a handful of local businesses I am sure that the majority would still say that times are hard and a real upturn is still a way off.

Statistics can sometimes be a bit deceptive as they give a general feel and overview – they are often more appropriate to bigger business. I think that small business growth is slower and, in my opinion, their growth is just as important to the overall recovery. In the North East and in Teesside in particular we have a number of large international businesses but the vast majority are SME businesses and they are still finding business growth patchy. Oil and Gas related businesses are enjoying strong sustained growth, but sectors such as retail are still finding times tough.

What advice would you give businesses that are struggling financially?

Seeking advice as soon as you think there may be a problem is always key. If it turns out that there is no problem then all well and good, but if there is an issue then the sooner advice is sought, the more options will be available. Ignoring the problem is likely to lead to even harder times and decisions.

By taking a proactive approach, we can help and

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quite often there is no need for a formal insolvency process.

What strategies are available for businesses that are no longer viable?

This can be dependent on many different factors.

A business that is no longer viable to one person may be an opportunity for someone else, so could the business be packaged up and sold or is it a case of breaking it up and selling certain parts? If there is no chance of rescuing any part of the business then you have to consider what is the best way to dispose of it is. This could be a straight forward liquidation or administration could be more appropriate if there are assets that need protecting.

With our expertise and experience Rowlands Restructuring and Insolvency are well placed to advise with the difficult and often distressing circumstances associated with an ailing business.

Tell us one thing that clients probably don’t know about you …

I am a keen rugby player although the balance has shifted more towards supporter in recent years as I have concentrated on my career and family (we have a three year old son and a baby on the way).

For further information on Rowlands visit www.rowlandsaccountants.co.uk

LAW & FINANCE

3R Land and Property celebrate The Durham property developer secures £20m refinancing, with help from Sintons, Bradley Hall, Baker Tilly and Knight Frank. £20m refinancing of Durham-based 3R Land and Property has been completed with the support of North East dealmakers, and has enabled the property business to consider ‘significant’ development opportunities across the region.

3R received the funding from Handelsbanken in Durham, who instructed law firm Sintons to oversee the transaction.

The deal, which was brokered by corporate financier Mark Nixon, is one of the largest in the city’s real estate market for several years.

Neil Hart and Peter Bartley of Bradley Hall provided commercial advice and instructed 3R on the management of its portfolio, with Baker Tilly and Knight Frank also advising on the deal.

Property business 3R – which has an extensive student accommodation portfolio in Durham, as well as an array of commercial property in Durham, Newcastle and Gateshead – is now looking at development opportunities for housing and commercial projects across the North East.

The Durham office of Handelsbanken, led by Bill Ridley, financed the deal. 3R turned to Handelsbanken after terminating its relationship with previous lender Northern Rock.

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A four-partner team at Newcastle law firm Sintons handled all of the legal aspects. Mark Dobbin, who head Sintons’ specialist banking and finance team, assisted by Laura Peace, carried out all the secured lending work.

Christopher Welch provided commercial advice, and Alok Loomba handled the real estate aspects for 3R. Robert Fulton, director of 3R, said: “Since changing to a new lender, with whom we have a very positive and supportive relationship, we are now able to consider plans for significant developments throughout the North East. We are grateful for the support of everyone who has enabled this deal to become reality.”

Mark Dobbin, partner in the Banking and Finance team at Sintons, said: “We have worked with Handelsbanken on many substantial transactions over the course of many years, but this is our first with their Durham branch. We are very pleased to have played a role in this deal.”

Alok Loomba added: “We are delighted to have been able to work with Robert to secure this new funding deal. Robert has a very exciting and diverse property portfolio and we know that this is the start of a long relationship

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between 3R and Sintons.”

Bill Ridley, head of Handelsbanken’s Durham office, said: “We are delighted to have been involved in such a significant deal for Durham and to have had the opportunity to work with great local professional teams.”

Peter Bartley, director at Bradley Hall, said: “The completion of this major refinancing opens up significant development opportunities for Robert and 3R. We are proud to have played a key role in one of the largest real estate deals in the North East this year.”

Mark Nixon, from Newcastle-based MN Corporate Finance, said: “Having worked with 3R and Handelsbanken for the past 18 months to bring this deal together, we have achieved an excellent outcome. This funding positions 3R very strongly as they consider exciting plans for developments across the region.”

Richard Urron, associate director at Baker Tilly North East, said: “We have worked with 3R for over 12 months assisting with the refinancing. It's a great business and this new facility will enable the company to look forward to exciting future projects.”

For more information visit www.sintons.co.uk

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TECHNOLOGY NEWS IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Synergi providing the right tools Walker Filtration turns to the SharePoint specialist to support ambitious overseas growth.

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orth East manufacturer and supplier of filtration and drying technology, Walker Filtration, is adopting some of the latest IT tools and services to support and help drive overseas growth.

International expansion and rising exports means the Washington-based group needs to strengthen its business management systems and improve its IT infrastructure.

The 220-employee group has turned to Gateshead-based software solutions business Synergi Information Technology to provide consultancy support and specialist assistance with its Microsoft SharePoint rollout.

Steve Palmer, IT manager at Walker Filtration, explained: “The business has successfully embarked on an ambitious growth strategy. Our IT and management systems need to be more efficient, robust, and flexible to handle the changes that are underway.

“Towards the end of last year we decided to implement Microsoft’s SharePoint software system, utilising some of the latest cloud technologies to help automate more of our

systems and help people access documents and data from around different sites.”

“To help implement some of the necessary changes, we needed a SharePoint expert so we turned to Synergi, a team of technology specialists who we’ve known for some time. Synergi understand latest technologies and are using them to deliver genuine business benefits.”

David Kaye, director at Synergi, added: “We’re at an early stage in an ambitious project with Walker Filtration. They recognise the value of matching technology with business objectives. We can help them on their journey and make the most of SharePoint and our apps, ensuring technology is actually moulded to actual business needs.”

Something to Shout about

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orth East digital media agency has expanded its workforce by 20 per cent in the latest stage of a rolling recruitment programme.

Shout Digital, located on Newcastle Quayside, which specialises in web design

and digital media services, was recently voted North East Marketing Business of the Year for the third year running and was awarded runner-up in the category of Digital Agency of the Year at the prestigious Mi Awards in Manchester.

Shout has strengthened its 21-strong team with the appointment of five employees in the first round of a recruitment drive, which will ultimately double its existing workforce within the next three years.

Age UK Northumberland goes mobile

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ge UK Northumberland is gearing up in its drive to future proof the Home Care service provided to over 800 people across Northumberland.

As part of the overhaul Newcastle-based technology and telecoms provider, Activ, has worked alongside both Microsoft and the CareFree Group to roll out a new technology

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package with the charity which, as well as reducing its IT and mobile telecoms costs, will increase safety and productivity amongst Age UK’s 300 care staff.

COVER STORY

DRIVING COMMUNICATIONS HOW A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN ITPS AND SHORETEL IS DELIVERING INNOVATION IN UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS, BY GEORGE GALLOWAY, COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR, ITPS

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T

he internet has transformed business into an always-on world of commerce

and communication. But while technology lets us reach colleagues, customers, and partners whenever and wherever needed, each innovation brings legacies

and layers of complication that add to the complexities involved in delivering the integrated, seamless world promised by technology.

This is never more apparent than when upgrading to a new phone system. Additional complexity, along with the constraints of today’s landscape—slashed spending, higher expectations, cycles of growth and downsizing, varying degrees of user savvy—put huge pressure on decision makers and IT staff to deliver within the available resources.

At ITPS, we have long been unified communications (UC) evangelists, recognising the operational and cost benefits of integrating data, video, and voice in one product that supports a connected, mobile workforce.

We chose ShoreTel as our UC partner because its platforms, applications and mobile solutions deliver the workforce engagement and collaboration that our clients want.

Easily integrated with existing enterprise applications, ShoreTel platforms deliver a costeffective and smooth migration path, regardless of existing voice and data networks.

Darren Pattie, ShoreTel’s director of Sales UK and Ireland, recognises the strength of the partnership: “We have a 100 per cent dedicated ‘go to market’ model that is centred around our channel partners, meaning our voice in the market is heard through independent Value Added Integrators.

“It is therefore mission critical for us to continue our growth that we work with the best partners available in each region, and we are proud to be associated with ITPS as our voice in the North East.

“The team’s experience, skills and expertise, not only across the full ShoreTel portfolio but on associated network, storage and virtualisation solutions, mean they can offer a wide breadth of value to address customer business needs. We have enjoyed many years of a positive and successful relationship with ITPS and have many satisfied customers in the North East and across the UK whose business is running on a ShoreTel solution and an ITPS infrastructure.

“I see ITPS as ShoreTel’s key North East partner and look forward to many years of continued growth as we add more value to businesses across all sectors.”

While ShoreTel’s easy-to-use and manage solutions are cleverly described by the strapline ‘brilliantly simple’, their complex configuration requires a skilled team. Led by Gary Ross, Head of UC, our team of consultants and engineers design and implement all-in-one IP phone systems, UC and contact centre solutions that deliver businesses a freedom and self-reliance that other providers cannot match.

The solution turns seamless communication and collaboration from an elusive goal into a vital and competitive business engine, and it enjoys the highest customer satisfaction ratings in the industry, with users quickly up to speed without long training sessions or steep learning curves.

It also takes the pressure off support thanks to an all-IP approach without the burden of supporting a legacy solution, and its minimal strain on IT resources leads to a low total cost of ownership.

Continual innovation drives the business, and last autumn witnessed

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the

European

launch of the ShoreTel Dock, which transforms Apple® handhelds that are running the ShoreTel Mobility app, into powerful business desk phones and enterprise collaboration tools.

Users can simply slide their ShoreTel Mobility enabled iPhone or iPad into the dock and get instant access to the comfort, battery life and call quality of a business desk phone. When combined with ShoreTel Mobility and conferencing applications, users get a phenomenal UC experience, utilizing voice, instant messaging, presence and conferencing on a device that they already know and love.

As the popularity of enterprise BYOD programmes continue to grow, the mobile UC solution ensures that employees remain productive while working on their personal devices. Since ShoreTel Mobility works over both Wi-Fi and cellular, the dock can be deployed anywhere so users can be reached on the same extension wherever they are, giving people the tools to work wherever they are.

ShoreTel’s approach has enabled the fast-growing company to deliver solutions to a rapidly increasing European customer base. In June 2013 it announced a technical partnership with the Williams F1 Team to provide a unified communications and collaboration platform. The business now delivers UC solutions across the full breadth of the Williams organisation, including the Formula One team and advanced engineering departments, as well as integrating communications within the team’s ontrack activities at races around the world. ShoreTel has delivered a single UC platform for Williams’ entire business.

Partnering with the iconic Williams brand is a real coup for ShoreTel and reinforces its position in the market, supporting customers across verticals including legal, professional services, education and not-for-profit.

The reasons Williams use ShoreTel are the same reasons behind our own customers’ choices, because it removes the barriers between people and locations. In the office, at home or on the road, users have a consistent and unified interface that frees them to choose the most appropriate means of communication and collaboration.

FTSE 250-listed Grainger PLC is the UK’s largest listed residential landlord, with residential property assets across the UK and Germany worth over £1.8bn.

IT Manager Robert Anderson is clear about the benefits of ITPS’s ShoreTel expertise: “The ShoreTel system is an integral part of our business, and I would give it 10 out of 10. There is nothing it can’t do, the quality of product and system stability is excellent, and as well as operational benefits we continue to save significant amounts of money each year in phone and conference calls alone. ITPS’s support in moving to UC has transformed our internal and external communications, and the team’s delivery, product knowledge and high end expertise are what underpin our long term and successful partnership.”

Whether your business needs just the basics for a single location, or a multi-office and contact centre solution with application integration, we can help you implement a ShoreTel solution

that

delivers

unrivalled

operational and cost benefits, and provides a phone system experience that your stakeholders will truly love.

For more information call ITPS on (0191) 4428300, email hello@itps.co.uk or visit our website at www.itps.co.uk

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TECHNOLOGY Paul Holborow

Microsoft Small Business Server 2003 or Windows XP? Paul Holborow, head of IT Services at RMT Accountants & Business Advisors Ltd, looks at the implications for small businesses as Microsoft withdraws support for some of its older products. ince Microsoft announced withdrawal of support for its very successful Small Business Server 2003 and Windows XP operating systems from this April, many companies will now have to review their options, and it’s not easy!

With SQL 2000, Office 2003, Exchange Server 2003 and SharePoint Services 2.0 also end of life, the range of options available in today’s marketplace is far removed from those back in the day.

Many companies are actually proving quite loyal to XP, with ComputerWorld predicting that by the end of 2014 between 22 to 25 per cent of PCs will still be powered by the XP operating system. Microsoft was due to provide the final public patches for known vulnerabilities in XP and SBS 2003 on April 8.

It had to quickly issue a final patch however to address a new issue with Internet Explorer which included the XP platform.

While this may not be the last patch Microsoft will make for XP, the fact remains there was vulnerability and this has led some industry analysts to comment that many more companies than first thought will be vulnerable to cyber criminals in future.

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Whether this view is reflected by small businesses today depends to a large extent on their own attitude to risk.

Whether it’s part of a cynical exercise by Microsoft to sell more Windows 8 licences remains to be seen, but that said, what are the implications for the small and medium sized business today?

To replace Small Business Server 2003 means considering a very different set of replacement server applications to the ones available 10 years ago. This is particularly the case for email where the default offering now is the cloud based Office 365 rather than onpremise Exchange included previously with Small Business Server.

For file sharing requirements, small businesses are now re-thinking whether they need a server at all, and are instead considering smaller storage appliances such as NAS storage drives which can be installed and configured at much less cost than conventional on premise server replacements.

With Microsoft’s own SkyDrive file sharing solution bundled in with Office 365, a small business might take this as an opportunity to move more of its productivity in to the cloud.

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Where a business relies on bespoke applications, or those powered by Microsoft SQL Server for example, the decision to move to the cloud is much more complex. With server virtualisation technology available as both an on premise or as a hosted cloud solution, those larger businesses that need server computing have more solutions available to them than they had 10 years ago.

Integration with other business applications, software compatibility and telecommunications infrastructure also need to be proven to guarantee performance with cloud solutions.

So while the withdrawal of support by Microsoft of their old operating system might seem a minor issue, it has brought with it the need for businesses, large and small, to at least consider the available options. Engage with a professional used to handling these kinds of complexities to get the best advice of what is right for your business before making investment decisions.

For more details please contact Martin Lea on (0191) 256 9550 or martin.lea@r-mt.co.uk.

TECHNOLOGY

State of the Art Declan Wilk looks at what’s new in the world of technology and gadgets.

JOHN LEWIS JL9000 SMART TELEVISION ohn Lewis has moved into television production with the brand new LJ9000 Smart TV. Made in collaboration with LG, the new system boasts a range of 49, 55 and 60 inch screen sizes, along with the sleek and elegant design, native to the LG brand.

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The Smart TV is accompanied by a Magic remote, which offers viewers point, scroll, gesture and voice commands for a simple, easyto-use interface. And a new Launcher menu allows quick access to viewer’s favourite apps, connected devices and recently accessed

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programmes. Passive 3D viewing is also available, and included in the price are two pairs of cinema 3D glasses. RRP: £1399 (49-inch), £1699 (55-inch) and £2199 (60-inch). www.johnlewis.com

APPLE MACBOOK AIR he new wave of Macbook Air notebooks offer a host of fresh features and updates.

The biggest change is the price, with basic models now starting at £749, showing a significant decrease from previous generations.

Battery life has been improved to provide up to two extra hours of usage, utilising the powerefficient fourth generation Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors. Both of the available size models also come equipped with Apple’s iLife and iWork apps. RRP: £749-£999.

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www.apple.com/uk

SAMSUNG GALAXY K ZOOM he new Galaxy K zoom is a Smartphone/camera hybrid, combining advance digital camera technology with the classic Samsung Galaxy Smartphone interface.

The device offers users a simple, portable platform on which they can create professionalquality visual content whilst benefiting from their basic mobile needs. The Smartphone comes with a 4.8-inch HD screen and a 20.7 mega-pixel rear camera with 10x optical zoom and full HD video recording capabilities.

Perfect for the spontaneous photographer.

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www.samsung.com

GETAC T800 TABLET he Getac T800 has been specifically tailored to meet the needs of the mobile worker; with a rugged, portable design and an 8.1-inch screen it’s just the right fit for those on the go.

The tablet features a unique snapback system, allowing for the addition of battery expansions and Smart Card readers for longer work sessions, and has been designed with the outdoors in mind, providing excellent touch controls and sunlight-readability.

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www.getac.co.uk

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CHARITY Left to right: Cllr Christine Shattock, Cllr Rosalind Copeland, Cllr Norma Wright, Theodora and Peter Adegbie and Graham Brown (RMT).

New stadium of light Sunderland charity is aiming to create a thriving new hub at the heart of a local community, with the help of RMT. he Sunderland Chapel Of Light International is launching a new campaign to create a vibrant new community hub at the heart of one of the city’s most deprived areas.

The charity took over the former St Columba’s Church on Cornhill Road in Southwick in 2012, which had been closed by the Church of England two years previously, and which had begun to fall into disrepair.

Since then, the charity has begun to run a range of activities for people in the local community, including toddler groups, music clubs and training, a food bank and a gym, and it also offers a computer suite and internet access to help support local start-up businesses.

But a campaign entitled Southwick Restore is now being launched to help the charity achieve even more, with objectives including opening a new cafe/restaurant, after school club, basic skills improvement courses and an oral history resource centre, which will record and archive people’s memories of the area’s history and heritage.

The installation of solar panelling on the large church roof is also being investigated, to provide as much of the power that it consumes as possible and thus minimise its environmental impact, and the addition of a new glass front to the building is also being

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envisaged to make it more welcoming and accessible.

The charity is working with RMT Accountants & Business Advisors to develop a detailed business plan for taking the project forward, and to help identify and access sources of funding to pay for the repair, renovation and refurbishment work needed on the church buildings.

The Sunderland Chapel Of Light International is led by award-winning Christian missionary, filmmaker and cultural entrepreneur Rev Dr Peter Adegbie and his wife, Theodora, who came to Sunderland six years ago.

The project is being supported by local councillors Christine Shattock, Rosalind Copeland and Norma Wright, who were among the first people consulted by Peter and Theodora when they moved into the area.

Councillor Norma Wright, who was raised in the area, says: “The Church was always at the centre of our community, so it’s wonderful to see what’s already been achieved by Peter, Theodora and their team to help put this magnificent building back into this position.

Rev Dr Peter Adegbie adds: “This centre is for everyone in our community, not just those that come to church, and we want it to act as a beacon for raising everyone’s aspirations

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towards achieving better things for themselves and for the area, as we know that, given the right motivation and opportunity, people here can succeed.

“This project will be self-sustaining in the longer term, and the extended employment and skills development opportunities that will be available in this wonderful building will make an even greater difference to the lives of people living in the area.”

Graham Brown of RMT Accountants & Business Advisors adds: “Regardless of whether you’re a charity, a small business or a major corporation, you need to have a clear strategy in place at the start of any development project to show how your objectives are going to be achieved.

“Our work with Peter and Theodora has been focused on how they can put such a strategy in place for the long term, and we’re already well on our way with attracting the resources required to make these plans a reality.”

RMT provides the full range of financial and business advisory services through its Specialist Tax, Recovery & Insolvency, Corporate Finance and Medical & Healthcare divisions. For more information, please visit www.r-m-t.co.uk

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EVENT

United Carlton golf day The office systems company hosts a corporate golf day.

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nited Carlton Office Systems hosted a special corporate golf day last month at Close House for staff, partners and special guests.

Director Mark Bryce said: “This was the first golf day we have organised for some time and as a corporate member at Close House it was the obvious choice for the venue.

“The staff at Close House are second to none when it comes to service and support so the day went like clockwork. Even the clouds parted and the rain stopped just before we teed off with a shotgun start at 11.30.” www.united-carlton.co.uk

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MEDIA NEWS IN ASSOCIATION WITH

National win for local PR firm R

ound Table Solutions has been appointed by the UK’s leading specialist business coaching company, Oxford Innovation, to manage its public relations and stakeholder engagement activities. The Cramlingtonbased company has been handling Oxford Innovation’s North East public relations work since June 2013 and won the UK-wide account following a competitive pitch process. Andrew Finley (left), commercial director of Oxford Innovation’s Enterprise Coaching Division, said: “We’ve been incredibly impressed by Round Table Solutions since we started working with them last year, so when our UK account was up for review we had no hesitation in shortlisting them. We feel Round Table Solutions understand our business and communication objectives.”

Managing director, John McCabe (right), formed Round Table Solutions in 2013.

Commenting on the new account win, he said: “Oxford Innovation was one of my first clients when I started the business, so to have my remit extended from the North East to the rest of the UK, is extremely satisfying. They are leaders in their field, so this is a fantastic opportunity.”

Robson Brown’s grand win

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ewcastle-based integrated marketing agency, Robson Brown, has scooped the prestigious Grand Prix award at this year’s Roses Creative Awards for its ‘School Morning’ campaign for Fresh Smoke Free North East. Written by the firm’s executive creative director, Guy Vickerstaff, the campaign targets the 460,000 smokers and their families in the North East. It illustrates the effects that smoking has on smokers and their loved ones, both personally and physically.

Raising a glass

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ngland’s newest and largest distillery, The Lakes Distillery, has appointed award-winning Newcastle PR agency, O PR, to manage all national, international and trade PR around its launch and the introduction of its core whisky, gin and vodka products. Ahead of its launch later this year, the agency has developed a high-impact campaign, covering everything from media relations and media events to product placement and product-led promotions.

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Overseas collaboration

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ewcastle-based marketing and PR agency, Ramarketing, has announced its collaboration with Canadian-based business development and consulting specialist, Generic Pharma 2.0, which will see the two companies provide a joint service offering to the global pharmaceutical industry. The alliance will see the agency provide PR, search engine optimisation, design and social media services to pharmaceutical clients across the world alongside the commercial consulting services delivered

by Generic Pharma 2.0.

INTERVIEW

In the boss’s chair

Jim Richardson Founder of Sumo Design

Briefly, what has been your career to date?

I started Sumo in 2000 after a couple of years working in a top Scottish design agency. I was 24 at the time but I’d always wanted to build my own company and I felt, at that age, I had little to lose by giving it a go.

Why did you decide to start Sumo?

I come from an entrepreneurial family, so people were always talking about business around me when I was growing up. I guess I was always going to work for myself.

My big question was where to start the business.The design industry is very Londoncentric, but I resisted the urge to follow the herd and within six months of starting the company in Newcastle, I had attracted our first client from the capital.

What skills and attributes do you need to do your job?

I think any small business owner needs to be brave or crazy and perhaps I am a little of both. I like to challenge our clients to step beyond their comfort zone and make their brands stand out.

We all work in very crowded market places and you have to take risks if you’re going to get ahead of the competition.

What's been your highlight in the role?

I am a very competitive person, and I get quite obsessed with winning on behalf of our clients.

Knowing that we played a role in an increase in sales or them winning a new contract always makes my day.

We helped to promote the Hepworth Wakefield art gallery in Yorkshire when that opened in 2012. We had a target of 150,000 visitors in the first 12 months, but we achieved that target in just 90 days!

What's been your biggest challenge?

In 2012 my son was diagnosed with Leukaemia, which took me out of the business for three months and knocked me for six. I don’t think any small business can plan for such an event but I was fortunate to have a really strong team in Sumo who allowed me to concentrate on helping my son to get through treatment while they took care of our clients.

That diagnosis changed everything for me and I’ve become heavily involved in fundraising for a local children’s cancer research charity, taking on challenges like running across England and doing a marathon in the Arctic Circle.

How has creative design changed since you began in the industry?

The landscape in which brands are operating is more crowded than ever before. We have a plethora of digital channels which didn’t exist a decade ago and ‘always on’ internet is changing

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the behavior of consumers.

To cut through this clutter, brands have to be prepared to take risks to stand out from their competition.

Why is getting the brand right so important to companies?

Your brand is the perception that people have of your organisation. It is formed through everything you do, from the products that you sell to how easy to use your website is. If you don’t effectively communicate your brand, the external world will do it for you – probably inaccurately.

What are your short and long-term plans for Sumo Design?

After a hard couple of years both in terms of the economy and my son’s illness it feels like we are at the start of an optimistic new chapter. We are expanding our team in Newcastle and with more and more work coming from London, we are talking about opening an office there too.

We are also looking at how we can share our knowledge with businesses in the North East and have set up a series of seminars called Ideas for the Brave with high profile speakers from companies like Easyjet and Bulldog Skincare, designed to get people thinking about how they might be braver with their brands.

For more information visit www.sumodesign.co.uk

MEDIA

Boosting your website’s

conversion rate Sarah Hall, managing director of Sarah Hall Consulting Ltd, the PR and marketing consultancy, looks at how boosting your website conversion rate can help achieve greater sales.

hat’s the conversion rate on your website? Do you even know what percentage of visitors who land on your page buy something or submit an enquiry?

Upping your online conversion rate is key to boosting your business, whether you are looking to generate greater awareness of what you do or get more cold, hard sales. If you don’t know what the rate is, you need to work it out using data from your website analytics program and then apply this formula: divide the number of new leads or sales by the number of visits to the site and multiply by 100 to give you your conversion rate percentage.

A better conversion rate doesn’t just mean more sales or leads, it also gives you a bit more money to play with in your marketing budget.

It will reduce the cost per acquisition for each customer, so you can divert that money into other techniques to further grow your business.

For example, you can use that money to advertise across media that was financially out of your reach before, or you can invest it in online in Google’s AdWords to attract even more visitors to your site. And if you can convert more of these new visitors into customers or leads, it puts you in a better position to bargain with your suppliers and benefit from economies of scale.

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So how do you increase this all important conversion rate? In most cases, you will be starting off from a low rate, but there are now affordable tools out there that can help you to improve it. If you think you’re doing OK at the moment, think how much better your business could be performing once you’ve tweaked a few bits and pieces to convert more visitors into customers.

Use the analytics package you have running on your website. It will tell you what parts of the site appeal to people – because they click on them – and what doesn’t. This is one of the most basic methods of finding out what works for your visitors, and utilising this data effectively can make a huge difference to your conversion rate.

Once you’ve made changes, you can see what works best by using split-testing software. It’s a technique used by the internet big boys such as Google, to assess what works and what doesn’t, by looking at the things customers like on your website.

The software won’t tell you what to test, but it will show you what appeals to people and importantly, persuades them to make the decision to interact with you or buy from your site.

There are a whole host of split-tests you can run online to analyse what works for visitors landing on your site.

One of the most simple is an A/B test, which allows you to trial two different

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headlines (for example) at the same time.

The software works out which headline has the best results – ie which brought in the most customers.

This type of test can take a number of weeks to carry out effectively, but if you use multivariate split testing software, you can test a number of variables at once.

The software analyses which aspects of a site are most successful with visitors, so you can use the results to fine-tune as necessary.

There are a number of different multivariate testing tools available but you don’t have to pay the earth to get your hands on the goldmine of information they can provide. Google Analytics Content Experiments, for example, is a free system you can use to carry out these tests.

There are plenty of effective testing methods available to help your create a website that does the business for you. Don’t be over-awed by the scale of the task – even a few changes can pay massive dividends and it’s worth spending the time.

For more PR and marketing related news and articles, please visit http://blog.sarahhallconsulting.co.uk.

Contact Sarah on 07702 162704, email sarah@sarahhallconsulting.co.uk, Twitter @hallmeister or visit www.sarahhallconsulting.co.uk

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MEDIA

Writing media releases How to ensure your news is used by the media, by JAM’s Jackie Marston.

EXPERT VIEW Jackie Marston Managing director JAM Marketing Limited Tel: 0845 900 2127 Web: www.jam-marketing.co.uk

t JAM, one of the services we offer is the writing of news releases to be sent to the media. With this in mind, we often receive a brief that is the clients’ perspective that seems newsworthy to them, but can often be of little interest to anyone else.

When writing news releases, there are a few things you need to remember in order to receive success in getting the story printed or to appear on whichever mode of media that you’ve sent it to.

Here are a few pointers to remember when writing and sending out news releases:

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Avoid jargon. Most people don’t know what internal abbreviations mean and can just put journalists off reading more of the release if they have to research much of what you say.

Remember the five Ws and then stop. The five Ws are: who, what, when, where and why.

All news releases should have this information in it but you must try not to waffle. Don’t write something then further down the page write the same thing again, using different words. If it needs to be said, say it once.

Is it newsworthy? Sometimes you can piggy back on stories that are already portrayed in the media, but leave it a day or two and it may become old news and not relevant anymore. In PR, much of what we do is taking advantage of what is out there at any one time and grasping opportunities to benefit your clients as and when they appear. Don’t be afraid to have an opinion.

Choose your journalists carefully. When sending out the release, send it to the

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relevant journalists. Don’t do a one-cap-fitsall approach. Journalists are busy people and will get frustrated if you send them everything.

Follow up. Don’t be afraid to ring the journalists in question and ask them if they intend to use it. Often journalists like exclusives, so if you say you’re not going to send it anywhere else until they’ve used it, then don’t. You need to remain ethical and not sell your granny in order to get the story in anywhere. If we promise someone an exclusive, we stick to it, we still follow-up, but we keep our word.

I hope that these tips help you, however if you prefer someone to do this type of work for you, then the JAMmy Dodgers are always on hand to help.

ADVERTISER’S ANNOUNCEMENT

Word spreads ...

This summer sees one of the region’s best known mediums filling her diary with appearances and events.

ince deciding to pursue her ‘gift’ as a full time career over 22 years ago, word has spread, encouraging more and more people to get in contact with medium Suzanne Gill.

Some may be sceptical and others may be unconvinced, but Suzanne believes that for those who are in a time of need, the smallest chance to make contact can give them the confidence and assurance that they can move on.

Suzanne will appear at the Roker Hotel and G Casino in Sunderland on June 3-8, at Catterick Social Club in North Yorkshire on

June 9, The Freemans Hall, Durham on June 11 and Dundee’s G Casino on the June 13.

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To find out more about Suzanne’s work and to view an image gallery please visit www.suzannegillmedium.co.uk. For regular updates and posts Suzanne Gill medium can be found on Facebook and @Suzanne_Gill can be followed on Twitter.

To arrange a private, one-to-one reading please contact Suzanne directly on 07818 664 321, email suzanne@suzannegillmedium.co.uk or visit Suzanne’s office in Old Eldon Square.

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MEDIA

Ask Silver Bullet …

Kerry Tudor of Silver Bullet Marketing answers your marketing queries.

Q. I’ve found lots of free and inexpensive packages online, so why should I pay and agency to design and build my website?

This is an interesting question because the answer probably seems obvious from both a business point of view and from a marketing point of view, however the answer isn’t likely to be the same from both parties.

In an age when being online is vital to the development of any business, large or small, it could be argued that any presence online is better than none but it’d be naïve to believe that your business’ brand can be properly represented by a template website that takes 20 minutes to build.

Of course finding fault with a free website provider is easily done for a company that specialises in web design, but professional designers and marketers have years of education, training and experience in creating, building and developing brands and the collateral that represents them.

Obviously the fact that a template website is free and/or inexpensive is a huge pro – all businesses need to keep an eye on overheads these days – but there are often several points in the terms and conditions of free site providers

that are worth close consideration as they can be tricky things to deal with should you decide to make any changes once you’re all signed up.

Typically once you have signed up with free site builders, they launch a sales offensive and will try and up sell you on everything from upgraded hosting packages to websites backups. A lot of the free site builders will charge fees for additional services that will be required for a fully working site, this could be web hosting, domain names, extra bandwidth (the amount of visitors that can visit your site) and sometimes a fee to remove excessive advertising.

The hosting may be free, but it is likely that your website will be put on the same server as thousands of other free websites and which therefore could be running overcapacity, at extremely slow speeds. This can mean people visiting the site can't find what they need quickly and competitor sites become more appealing.

Just a few things to consider, as there'll likely be tick boxes to opt in and out of these things that are designed to sound like they're making your life easier but in the long run can become a burden.

On the flip side a professional designer will work with your business to create a bespoke site with all options on the table whilst

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being totally transparent about the costs involved, most importantly the end result will be true to your brand.

So much more than a logo, your brand is inherent to the perception that your potential customers have of you and your products and services. It conveys a mix of experience, image and expectation that ensures a customer’s high expectations will not be misplaced. This is not something that can be conveyed via a one-sizefits-all template designed by someone who has no idea about your business and what it stands for.

Furthermore a bespoke site is entirely flexible, meaning you control what functionality the site needs as well as its content and style; do you want a news page that you can update or perhaps an image gallery?

As with all things, you get what you pay for so while a template site is probably appealing to your accounts department, you should consider that an investment into your website is an investment into your brand and the return on that is immeasurable.

Do you have a marketing question for Silver Bullet? Email your questions anonymously today to hello@silverbulletmarketing.co.uk or Tweet (not so anonymously) @SilverBulletPR and use the hash tag #AskSB

MEDIA

Directing Ads Direct Ads Direct is a North East-based media provider that specialises in a range of on and offline advertising. Founder and campaign director Dave Grieves, who now lives in Sweden, talks to North East Times about the company’s history and its most memorable campaigns.

monumental effort involved with moving all of our operations to Sweden in 2007. I was obviously concerned that not being able to see our clients and suppliers regularly would have a detrimental effect to our business, but it could not have been a more seamless transition.

Around 90-95 per cent of everything we plan is delivered online or via the telephone and if urgently required, and I can be back to the UK in hour hours… quicker than a train journey to Newcastle from London! My Swedish is still awful, but I now have two daughters to help me.

Tell me about why you started Ads Direct and how the business has developed?

One day I was sitting in rush-hour traffic opposite Gateshead International Stadium and I couldn’t help but realise how this large truck adjacent to me, with its huge posters, seemed to dominate the horizon. It struck me what a fabulous way to target rush hour commuters, followed by the excitement of wishing to get involved with Outdoor Media. Fast forward eight years and we are now a through-the-line agency, covering above and below the line media planning and buying.

Why should a company choose to work with Ads Direct? How will they benefit from working with you?

What services do you provide?

We like to think of ourselves as a natural extension to a company’s marketing team.

Whenever they are swamped with work or are struggling to find a source of inspiration for their next project, we step in to ease their workload. Our services are very diverse including website banners, social media campaigns, mobile app development, outdoor, radio, SMS (NFC, QR Codes, Bluetooth), press, direct mail (high street/event and door to door), experiential staff, design, print, exhibition and event supplies, promotional branded/customised goods and TV ads.

Which companies have you worked with?

Ranging from small SME’s to large regional, national and international blue chips, our portfolio boasts campaigns undertaken for Disney, O2, Hilton, Newcastle United, NHS, Greggs, Holiday Inn, Northumbria Police, Fenwick, Village Hotels, William Hill, Beamish Museum and Newcastle/Gateshead/Durham/South and North Tyneside Councils.

What are the most unusual/most memorable advertising campaigns you have been involved in?

That’s a tricky one, Clients dressed as human 3D arrows running around inside of the Discovery Museum, prior to meeting up with Jonathan Edwards for the launch of the Great North Museum, springs to mind (no jumping pun intended). Other memorable campaigns have included winning the pitch for window graphics and internal wall art designs for The Strata Tower in London, the capital’s largest residential tower block, and being honoured at delivering campaigns for Westlife, Tom Jones, James Morrison, Jamie Cullum, UB40 and the Sugababes.

What has been Ads Directs’ highlight?

It would have to be receiving a ‘yes’ from the Royal London Parks in regards to creating giant field impressions visible from the air. No other agency had approached them for the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate and they absolutely loved the concept to generate revenue. We also promoted the parks during the Olympics and the Queens Diamond Jubilee celebrations and we continue to offer this service for major global events held in London.

What’s been its biggest challenge?

One of our biggest challenge was the

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We are a rapidly growing company who strive to excel in everything that we deliver. Whether it’s one experiential staff handing out leaflets at an event or a heavy weight campaign covering multiple mediums over several months, we treat every enquiry with the same importance. We also like to think we are unorthodox – but in a good way. We unearth ideas from angles that you would never have imagined were possible.

What is the secret of good advertising?

To get tangible ROI, you must know who and where your target audience are. And you should not be afraid to try something new. Online advertising is the largest growth medium in the world, but that does not necessarily mean that other more traditional forms still cannot produce great rewards for your company.

What are the future plans for Ads Direct?

To develop our web based advertising options for our customers and to grow our customized/promotional goods portfolio, as it has been in great demand in 2013 and throughout this year. We also plan to start trading in Sweden, but at the minute, we’re so busy in the North East of England.

STYLE

Get the look Fashion and accessories for men.

By Jessica Laing.

New Look, £24.99

John Lewis, £25

H&M, £32.56

Debenhams, £100

njecting colour and personality into your summer work wardrobe doesn’t necessarily mean braving a bright suit to the office – small touches, such as mixing and matching fabrics or prints, are great ways of livening up your outfits this time of year. A hit trend in the world of menswear this summer, checkered suits are a stylish spin on the standard blazer and trouser combo and, whether you opt for black, grey or navy, come to life when partnered with a patterned shirt or tie. For extra dimension and a truly eyecatching look, why not clash checks with stripes or 80s-inspired prints? If that’s not your style, introducing pops of paisley to your look can be just as effective. Brighter is better here, so go all out with vibrant shades of fuchsia, turquoise or yellow.

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Next, £48

MODEL ATTIRE Sartorial suit, £249 Sartorial waistcoat, £85 Sartorial shirt, £39.50 Sartorial shoes, £79 All from Marks & Spencer’s SS14 Collection

Burton, £4

WORKSPACE & CONSTRUCTION NEWS

A new home for EEF Yorkshire Newcastle-based JK Property Consultants has secured a new Yorkshire regional headquarters for the manufacturers’ organisation, EEF.

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escribed as one of the biggest local deals to be completed so far this year, JK Property Consultants was asked by the organisation to acquire its new offices, based in Advantage House in Rotherham, after successfully selling EEF’s previous Yorkshire base and acquiring a site in Gateshead’s Team Valley on behalf of the organisation’s North East branch.

JK Property Consultants was able to secure the 6,878 square-foot second-floor offices at a rent of just under £9.50 per square foot before incentives are deducted. The deal allows EEF to move in rent-free for six months and pay half-rent for the next 12 months during the initial four-year lease.

Double win for Gus Robinson Developments T

he Hartlepool-based company, Gus Robinson, has won both its shortlisted categories, taking away the Leadership and People Development Award, for its successful apprenticeship programme, at the Business in the Community Responsible Business Awards. Chairman of Gus Robinson Developments, Dan Robinson, said: “To be shortlisted in such competitive categories was a triumph in itself, but to win two awards in one night is a massive achievement for us as a company. It is a brilliant reflection of the hard work and dedication of all our staff.”

It is a brilliant reflection on the hard work and dedication of all our staff and I cannot

wait to share this honour with them.

"The award also signifies the huge strides we as a company have made throughout the past few years, building awareness of our quality work and becoming a driving force in our industry."

The award wins come after Gus Robinson Developments celebrated being a finalist in the Residential category of the Renaissance RICS Awards as well as achieving a Big Tick in the Business and the Community Awards. The construction firm is also in line to receive its tenth RoSPA award later this year celebrating its dedication to occupational health and safety.

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PROPERTY

Regions driving market recovery

By Neil Hart, director of North East chartered surveying firm Bradley Hall. ou can take many statistics with a pinch of salt but RICS’ quarterly surveys are usually an accurate barometer of the state of the commercial property market.

The organisation’s latest survey for the first three months of the year showed that demand for commercial property rose at an unprecedented rate, with surveyors reporting a surge in demand for office and industrial space.

In previous economic cycles, London has been the primary driving force behind the market recovery but this time demand has risen in all regions outside of the capital – proving that there’s life outside of the south east.

Many national trends highlighted in the RICS survey are being replicated in the North East. Demand is soaring in the office and industrial markets, although investor appetite to gobble up retail space, while still growing, is not quite as voracious.

Rising demand has created a dearth of available properties and supply has been falling for some time.

This, though, will provide an opportunity

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for savvy construction professionals to build more offices, warehouses and retail units.

This in turn will push up rental yields and make commercial property investments more attractive to landlords.

At Bradley Hall we have seen several property professionals capitalise on rising confidence in the market. Recently we advised corporate clothing maker Workwear Express on the seven-figure purchase of the

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former Kerry Foods factory near Durham Retail Park – the first stage of a grand masterplan by Workwear’s MD Andrew Ward to create a £10 million trade and retail hub near Durham.

Andrew’s ambitious plans highlight the confidence that is surging through the market, both on a regional and national level.

The RICS report also showed that surveyors’ expectations for rental values have hit the highest level since the financial crisis broke in 2008. Office rents are expected to grow by 4.5 per cent and capital values by 5 per cent. In the industrial sector the mood is even more buoyant, with rents and capital values predicted to rise by 5.5 per cent and 6 per cent respectively.

Making predictions is a dangerous game and a sudden change in market conditions can render them useless. However, it’s hard to see anything other than growth this year and there are plenty of opportunities for property professionals to cash in.

For more information on Bradley Hall visit www.bradleyhall.co.uk

PROPERTY

Richard Farrey and Ben Hunter, directors at Silverstone Building Consultancy.

What does a building surveyor do?

Ben Hunter of Newcastle-based Silverstone Building Consultancy explains the often mis-conceived role of a building surveyor. am often surprised by the number of times I am asked what a building surveyors does?’ The role of a building surveyor is often mis-conceived by the general public as someone who simply carries out a valuation report or building survey relating to the purchase of a new house.

As a specialist firm of chartered building surveyors and project managers operating within the commercial sector, we often find ourselves explaining to people why this is not what we do.

We specialise in commercial property and here we have set out to explain (avoiding technical jargon) what a building surveyor can do for you if you are an owner or occupier of a commercial property.

A building surveyor is qualified to offer specialist advice on the development, management, conservation, refurbishment and maintenance of all types of real estate. We are experts in building legislations, technical codes and construction standards and ensure buildings are safe, accessible and energy efficient.

At Silverstone, we work on the design and development of new buildings as well as understanding existing buildings, how they have been designed and function and how they deteriorate over time.

Our knowledge of this is then used to advise on repairs, refurbishment and alterations cost effectively and in accordance with best practice.

This is a very wide field and may include advising on various aspects of buildings at different stages.

We can also co-ordinate teams of specialist contractors when a more complex project necessitates other areas of expertise.

The nature of our work may range from the design of large, multimillion-pound properties, to

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minor adaptations and repairs, and sometimes includes working with buildings of architectural or historic importance. Building surveyors also often work on preventative measures to keep buildings in good condition and look at ways to make buildings sustainable.

Our work is diverse and rarely routine, we have a genuine passion for what we do and there’s nothing we like better than getting all technical over a building.

As building surveying is a role that covers such a broad spectrum of duties, we have put together a defined list of specific services Silverstone can offer: • Contract Administration on projects where we design and produce drawings, tender and manage building works on site through to completion and the snagging process. 'Contract Administrator' refers to the role given within a standard building contract between a client and a contractor. We manage the terms of the contract on behalf of the client.

• Project Management of more complex construction projects working with specialist design team members such as engineers and architects including refurbishment, reconfiguration and new build.

• Due Diligence advice when buying and selling property producing Building Survey Reports.

• Acting for landlords or tenants providing dilapidations advice (when there is a legal liability for a property's state of disrepair); and resolving dilapidations disputes during and at the end of leases.

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• Building Surveys – determining the condition of existing buildings, identifying and analysing defects, including proposals for repair.

• Preparing and agreeing Schedules of Condition to be appended to leases mitigating repairing obligations.

• Acting as an Expert Witness providing CPR (Civil Procedure Rules) compliant reports to court to assist with resolving disputes in construction and building matters.

• Project Monitoring on behalf of financial institutions and occupiers.

Silverstone Building Consultancy is an independent North East-based firm and can offer all of the above services on a regional and national scale. Over the past five years we have built a solid reputation through offering a trustworthy, discreet and experienced service with a director-led approach.

All of our building surveyors have chartered status, which means we are regulated by the RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors) and adhere to their strict code of conduct and high ethical standards. We also pride ourselves in being a friendly, personable and like-minded group of people, so if you need any advice relating to your commercial property then please get in touch, we’d be happy to help.

For more information about the range of services we offer at Silverstone Building Consultancy, contact (0191) 231 4263 or visit www.silverstonebc.com

L E I S U R E & H O S P I TA L I T Y N E W S

Investment continues at Matfen The second phase of £450,000 work begins at the hotel.

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atfen Hall, Northumberland, has entered the second phase of a £450,000 investment into its golf and spa facilities. Around £150,000 has already been spent refurbishing the 53-bedroom hotel’s fitness suite, which now includes state-of-the-art Technogym equipment, including an excite cardio UNITY console, six Kinesis stations and an ARKE area. A further £150,000 is to be invested in introducing a brand new aromatherapy room and steam room, a traditional sauna, tropical showers and an ice fountain into the hotel’s spa. Finally, £160,000 has been invested in upgrading the hotel’s golf course maintenance equipment.

Complementing the existing machinery, the new equipment, including the latest electric hybrid greens mowers, will allow the hotel’s 27-hole course and practice facilities to remain at the forefront of the North East’s golfing experiences.

Double win for Seaham Hall

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eaham Hall has won two top industry awards, including a five AA star status and two AA rosettes for its recently launched restaurant, Byron’s Bar and Grill.

The awards come just months after the County Durham-based hotel was voted ‘Small Hotel of the Year 2013’ at the North East Tourism Awards – completing a hat trick of successes in less than one year.

Hospitality boost

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ewcastle Racecourse is predicting a strong performance for its Northumberland Plate Festival, after announcing that tickets for its exclusive Diamond Marquee package have sold out for the festival’s feature race day, the John Smith Northumberland Plate Day, on June 28. Hospitality packages have also soared, including the racecourse’s ‘super VIP’ hospitality package has already sold out to a maximum capacity of 350 guests.

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Major donation

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ockliffe Hall, County Durham, has handed over its final cheque to the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) for funds raised throughout its corporate charity partnership. The GNAAS, which provides high standards of prehospital care at accident scenes and operates without Government funding, has been the hotel’s nominated charity for the last two years. In total, the resort has raised over £10,000 for the charity.

LEISURE & HOSPITALITY

Summer is heating up at the Stadium of Light With easy access to the North East’s economic centres and unrivalled facilities to cater for events of every size and style, corporate bookings at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light are hotter than ever - and continuing to climb. his summer the Stadium of Light will be hotbed of activity, from two high profile concerts featuring One Direction and a whole host of other big name stars, to the annual Sunderland University graduation ceremonies, countless weddings and dozens of private parties.

But behind the scenes the stadium’s management team and hospitality subsidiary, 1879 Events Management, have been working hard to ensure this summer is also the venue’s hottest yet for corporate events and have developed a special seasonal package to capitalise on the typically quieter holiday months.

The Sizzling Summer package, designed to cover everything from training days and meetings to corporate entertainment, is based around an informal BBQ dinner or alfresco lunch, with unlimited refreshments served throughout the day.

It also incorporates full day hire of any of the venue’s function suites, including the Riverview Brasserie and James Herriot Suite,

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which both boast private balconies and panoramic views across the River Wear.

Every delegate who attends an event booked with the Sizzling Summer package will also receive a complimentary tour of the stadium, including the executive boxes and pitchside, subject to availability.

The Sizzling Summer package, priced from £28 per person, is available until September and can be adapted to suit any event.

But, for those planning a summertime awards ceremony or other large scale celebration, the Stadium of Light is also offering the opportunity to host the entire event outside.

A special stage, being erected on the covered stadium pitch to facilitate the Sunderland University graduations, is available for additional bookings between July 14 and July 20 only, with seating in place to cater for up to 3000 guests.

This will provide the perfect backdrop for awards ceremonies, conferences, graduations or presentations, with a wide range of catering

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packages also available to make the most of the occasion.

For more information about the stage celebrations or Sizzling Summer Package, visit www.safc.com/hospitality-and-events, call 0871 911 1555 or email conf&banq@safc.com.

But if these options aren’t hot enough to tempt you, then maybe this will. 1879 Events Management, which operates as a one-stop shop for event organisers at the Stadium and for a wide range of external events, also manages catering and hospitality at the National Glass Centre, Sunderland.

This particular venue, which boasts beautiful views across the River Wear, can cater for up to 300 guests and will be running a special seasonal menu throughout the summer for all manner of corporate gatherings.

For more information visit www.1879events.com, call 0871 911 1269 or follow @1879Events on Twitter.

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LEISURE & HOSPITALITY

Business lunch

Horton Grange Alison Cowie visits the country hotel and restaurant. orton Grange may not be as large as other country hotels in the region (the main house has just five traditionally decorated executive rooms while an annexe offers an additional five garden rooms) but its bijou feel is exactly what makes it special.

Entering the Grade II house feels as though you’re visiting a family residence – albeit a rather affluent one – which makes it a very intimate and personal affair.

I ventured to the hotel last month with two colleagues and the bright sunshine which bathed the beautifully mature gardens only helped make the hotel look more appealing.

After enjoying an aperitif in the drawing room, we made our way through to the bright and spacious conservatory with more

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spectacular views of the gardens.

At lunchtime, diners can choose between the a la carte or the lunch menu (two courses for £14.50 or three courses for £18.50), which provides a surprisingly good choice of starters, mains and desserts.

Two of us chose from the lunch menu and I found my beetroot salad with roasted walnuts, French beans and blue cheese dressing to be beautifully presented and my seared black bream perfectly cooked, while I was told the tomato, basil and red pepper soup and the grilled chicken breast were both full of flavour.

The third member of our dining party opted for the good quality bistro rump steak from the a la carte menu, which was served with lovely double dipped chips and garlic and parsley butter. He preceded this with the

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light and fragrant risotto of smoked haddock, spring onion and Parmesan.

There were no complaints for dessert either with the sweetness of the parfait of white chocolate coupled with the sourness of the brandied cherries a real highlight of the meal.

With its peaceful location and high quality food, you can’t help but feel relaxed visiting Horton Grange’s restaurant.

So, long as you don’t mind a short drive out of the hustle and bustle of Newcastle city centre, it is the perfect location for a stressfree business lunch.

Horton Grange Country House Hotel, Berwick Hill, Ponteland.

Tel: (01661) 860686, web: www.horton-grange.co.uk

Salad of beetroot, roasted walnuts, French beans and blue cheese dressing

Tomato, basil and red pepper soup

(Part of £18.50 three-course menu)

(Part of £18.50 three-course menu)

Risotto of smoked haddock, spring onion and parmesan

£7.50

Seared black bream, Moroccan cous cous salad, spiced chilli and tomato compote

Grilled chicken breast, roast chestnuts, pancetta and sprouting broccoli, gratin potatoes and green peppercorn sauce

Grilled bistro rump steak, double dipped chips, garlic and parsley butter and house salad

(Part of £18.50 three-course menu)

(Part of £18.50 three-course menu)

£17.50

Parfait of white chocolate with brandied cherries

Lemon curd Eton Mess

Lemon posset with candied lemons and butter shortbread

(Part of £18.50 three-course menu)

(Part of £18.50 three-course menu)

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£6.50

T R AV E L

The trip of a lifetime Ken Spearen travels East for some serious luxury.

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y wife and I have just returned from a cruise and stay holiday to the Far East.

This included a cruise on board Cunard's Queen Elizabeth from Hong Kong to Singapore, as part of its annual world cruise plus two pre-cruise nights in hotels with superior rooms in both Dubai and Hong Kong and two nights in Singapore post cruise.

Having looked at the prices with cruise.co.uk, it worked out at £1500 each for an inside stateroom or £1900 each for a balcony.

As this was an early significant anniversary celebration, I asked for a price for an upgrade to business class flights on all four legs of the journey as well as an upgrade to include a Q6 grade Queens Grill suite on the QE. I was not exactly holding my breath about the latter as these suites are the pinnacle of luxury and very expensive but was pleasantly surprised by the price which was only a little more than double the price of the economy flights and the superior balcony option.

I reasoned that why should we settle for the ordinary when the price of the extra-ordinary was well within reach?

I was told by Tamir, cruise.co.uk’s spokesperson, that the price reflected the company’s considerable buying power.

To prove the point, I tried to price the cruise and stay based on Emirates single flight prices and chosen hotel rack rates and it would have indeed cost several thousand pounds more.

After being picked up from home by a complimentary Emirates limo (all part of the business class package), we set off on the first leg of the tour from Newcastle Airport to Dubai for a very pleasant two night stay in the four-star Arabian Courtyard Hotel in a superior room.

It actually rained on the days we were there, a very rare occurrence indeed, but I noticed that it didn’t hinder my wife’s shopping trips. After three hectic days, we were taken to Dubai airport courtesy of Emirates again and jetted off to Hong Kong.

Our Hotel in Hong Kong was the quirky four-star Harbour Plaza 8 degrees Hotel. Parts of it are built on an angle, hence its unusual

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name.

With award-winning design and the help of some carefully used trompe l'oeil floor, wall and carpet designs to deceive the eye, it was a very unusual but pleasant experience. Even the table glasses in the restaurant were made at an angle.

After another two nights of over-indulgence, we were transferred to the prestigious Cunard Queen Elizabeth which was docked in Hong Kong on a leg of its annual world cruise.

On boarding this truly magnificent ship, we checked in and were immediately allocated a Q3 penthouse suite which absolutely blew our minds. This was serious money territory and we had benefitted from Cunard’s ‘up-grade where possible policy’ that the Q6 entry level brings. I wouldn’t know where to start in describing the ultimate luxury of our surroundings only to say that it included a butler, Jacuzzi-type bath, walk-in wardrobe with masses of other hanging space, a complimentary mini bar which included two bottles of Champagne as well as two bottles of your favourite spirit and mixers etc, two HD televisions that worked independently (no fighting for the remote), a huge veranda balcony and even personalised stationery. I have stayed in many fivestar+ hotels on Jumeirah Beach in Dubai that weren’t as good as this.

Just when we thought things couldn’t get any better, we went for dinner in

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the Queen’s Grill on the 11th floor.

This exclusive restaurant operates a single seating system for breakfast, lunch and dinner where diners can eat at a time of their choice during its opening hours and sit at the same table with or without company.

A different table d’hote menu is available every day for lunch and dinner but if you cannot see anything you like – there is an a la carte menu including caviar, lobster and chateaubriand etc available at no extra cost.

We were spoilt for choice and pampered to bits. As you would expect in such up-market surroundings, both food and service were exemplary and everything is geared around the customer. A truly memorable experience all round.

On disembarking in Singapore we experienced another two-night stay at the extremely busy fourstar V Lavender Hotel.

Singapore’s MRT (mass rapid transit) is a very modern and safe Metro-type facility that crisscrosses the city. The hotel even had its own station that we used to visit Singapore’s massive Chinatown, one of Asia’s biggest open-air markets.

Highlights of the trip were definitely the penthouse suite on the QE and dining in the Queen’s Grill restaurant, and flying into Hong Kong on the Emirates A380 in a centre-aisle mini suite. In retrospect, the only thing we would change is the two nights post-cruise stay in Singapore where we found ourselves basically killing time. After experiencing the pinnacle of luxury, it was somewhat of an anti-climax, although this was no reflection on the V Lavender Hotel.

Given our time again, we would prefer to fly home after disembarkation. Our affordable two-week trip as part of cruise.co.uk's TailorMade Holidays programme included all business class day flights and transfers with Emirates, three two-night, four-star hotels on a room only basis (but upgrades to five-star including meals are available) and a seven-night cruise on MV Queen Elizabeth.

It was a trip of a lifetime and one we will never, ever forget. We are still smiling weeks later!

For more information visit www.cruise.co.uk.

EVENT

Matfen Hall golf day The Northumberland hotel hosts its annual corporate golf day.

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n May 16 Matfen Hall hosted its Annual Corporate Golf Day. The competition took place over 18 of the 27 championship holes at the Northumberland hotel on what was the hottest day of the year so far.

Matfen Hall Senior PGA Professional, John Harrison, hosted the ‘beat the pro’ hole on the 10th, which was won by Paul from Veterans at Ease.

Teams from NECC, Smooth Radio & SCA, among others, took part on the day with the coveted team trophy taken home by Duco.

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LEISURE & HOSPITALITY

Business booming at Rockliffe How the five-star resort is making business a pleasure. ockliffe Hall in Hurworth, County Durham is a five-star resort synonymous with rest and relaxation. And we all know what they say about all work and no play, but what if business became pleasure?

At Rockliffe Hall business is booming as companies and organisations flock to the resort (and the North East region) for conferences, meetings, events or simply to reward employees.

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Heading north to stand out from the crowd Research carried out by Rockliffe Hall’s corporate events’ team shows that not only are more companies than ever choosing to bring their meetings and events out of London, but spend per head is also steadily increasing.

Team-building activities are becoming more and more popular as businesses want to stand out from the crowd and offer their clients, and potential clients, an experience to remember.

Corporate golf days on Rockliffe Hall’s championship course, wine tastings in The Orangery restaurant and spa treatments in the world-class spa have increased considerably in the last year and occupancy rates at the hotel regularly reach 100 per cent, especially at weekends.

Organisations ranging from Cummins, Sabic and Samsung, to the FA, Team GB and the North East Chamber of Commerce are among the host of companies and organisations who have used the luxury facilities at Rockliffe.

MD of Rockliffe Hall, Nick Holmes, explains: “In the last 12 months we have seen quite a leap in business tourism. More companies want an experience away from London and are slowly realising that the North East is just a couple of hours away and has so much to offer from luxury hotels and superb restaurants to coast, countryside and shopping destinations.”

Clients visit Rockliffe Hall not only from around the UK, but from as far afield as the Middle East and the USA, seeking exceptional meeting facilities, the space to relax, great food and good transport links. It is this potent combination that led to Rockliffe Hall clinching the VisitEngland silver award for business tourism 2013/14.

Nick adds: “Our guests, especially corporate clients, demand outstanding facilities and good transport links in a region that has a lot to offer – all of which the North East has. But our aim is to constantly break into new markets, both in London and worldwide. That’s why we’re continually investing in new ways to attract new clients.”

To expand its client portfolio and further grow the corporate side of the operation, Rockliffe Hall has recently expanded its business development team by recruiting London-based experts to help it break into these coveted new markets and to increase the volume of high profile businesses from London, and also around the world, using the North East as a meetings and events location.

The five-star resort has appointed GP Associates, the leading UK sales representation company and experts in the field of luxurious hotels, to attract new clients.

Based in central London, GP Associates delivers sales and marketing support for some of the world’s most prominent, independently-owned hotels, providing them with access to corporate events managers, conference agents and management companies responsible for organising high profile meetings and events at venues all over the world.

Making business pleasure As a result of its aims to further attract corporate clients, Rockliffe Hall is increasing its offering for

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those wanting to follow, or mix, business with pleasure.

From state-of-the-art meeting facilities, winetastings, dinners and golf days to precision driving, white water rafting, Nordic walking and clay pigeon shooting, there is a huge range of teambuilding opportunities on offer at Rockliffe Hall showcasing the North East region at its very best.

There’s even a range of quintessentially English activities to enjoy such as croquet on the lawn, G+T afternoons teas and fishing lessons in Rockliffe Hall’s private grounds, which the River Tees runs through.

If you want to get staff active, keep them motivated and encourage health and fitness, Rockliffe Hall’s brand new Boot Camp is an ideal way to get started. Don’t worry though, there’s no shouting, not too much sweating and it’s great for all abilities as packages are tailored to exact requirements whether you’re after fullon fitness – or maybe just full-on fun!

And golf days remain one of the most popular corporate events at Rockliffe Hall as more people than ever flock to the championship course, home to the European Senior Tour English Senior Open attracting the likes of former Ryder Cup Captains Ian Woosnam and Mark James and Senior Tour favourites such as Constantino Rocca, Barry Lane and Paul Wesselingh.

This year’s Tour returns on August Bank Holiday weekend and the event could provide the ideal opportunity to mix your business with pleasure as there are a number of corporate options available.

Whether you’re after a large or small golf day, for beginners or the more experienced, Rockliffe Hall’s golf days are the perfect way to experience the outstanding course and some great food once it’s game over.

For more details about teambuilding or corporate events visit www.rockliffehall.com.

For further information about the European Senior Tour English Senior Open, visit www.englishsenioropen.com or call (01325) 729999.

EVENT

Hell’s Kitchen feeds local charities Diners pay top prices for school dinners at Dame Allan’s Schools’ kitchen.

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upils from Dame Allan’s Schools entered the high pressure world of fine dining to take part in a Hell’s Kitchen challenge to raise money for the People’s Kitchen and Children North East.

The 11 boys and girls from Years 8 to 10 devised, created, cooked and served an ambitious, mouthwatering four course meal, including warm goats cheese, asparagus and parma ham, roasted lamb fillet and roast nectarine melba, for invited parents and VIP guests.

Sponsors of the event included Bidvest 3663 and C&S Supplies, which raised more than £1100 for charity.

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ADVERTISER’S ANNOUNCEMENT

Summer of love ...

How Martino’s restaurants can accommodate any special occasion. t the forefront of countless family celebrations for almost a decade, the Martino’s group of restaurants have played host to numerous birthday parties, christenings, engagement and wedding celebrations.

More than just your typical Italian restaurant, the Martino’s group boasts chic and opulent venues in the heart of their respective, local communities.

Both Martino’s in Seaham and Jarrow offer a stylish function suite, fully licensed and available for any private event. In fact, this summer, Martino’s is set to welcome a record number of wedding receptions at its Seaham and Jarrow venues.

Seaham offers a stunning location situated near the seafront and nearby Seaham harbour; a picturesque location, perfect for relaxing after the stresses of the day.

Jarrow has access to the recently refurbished grand ballroom within the historic, 150 year old Jarrow Civic Hall where up to 150 guests can celebrate alongside you.

lunch, dinner with family and friends or an afternoon escape with a cup of coffee and a delicious homemade cake or pastry, treat yourself to a trip to the Italian Experience at Martino’s.

Each of Martino’s restaurants specialises in making your special day one to remember; no matter what the occasion, the venues can cater for you. Available to hire or to simply dine as a large party, they can tailor make a menu to suit you, your family and friends. So whether you're having a birthday party, family get-together, christening, wedding, business meeting or private function – make Martino’s your first choice.

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Highlighting the culinary dexterity of the highly skilled and experienced chefs, the Martino’s team will work with you to create a sublime menu, meticulously crafted to satisfy even the harshest of critics.

Whether you’re looking for a light bite

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To find out more information visit www.martinosgroup.com or call into; Martino’s Seaburn, Dykelands Road, Seaburn, tel: (0191) 529 5295, Martino’s Seaham, 19-20 North Railway Street, Seaham, tel: (0191) 513 0078 or Martino’s Jarrow, 59-61 Ellison Street, Jarrow, tel: (0191) 483 26 90.

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

Fillets of mackerel ‘Escabeche’ Try this gorgeous fish dish by Linden Hall Hotel’s head chef, Jerome Cogne.

Ingredients:

Method:

4 fillets of mackerel 1 small onion 1 carrot 2 garlic cloves 3 large potatoes 100 ml Chardonnay vinegar 100 ml olive oil 3 red pepper Garlic Thyme Olive oil 1/2 bunch of coriander

Trim and clean the fillets of mackerel and peel the carrot. onion and garlic cloves.

Slice the carrot and onion and sweat them off in olive oil very quickly.

Deglace (a little splash) with white wine and white wine vinegar, salt and pepper. When boiling, add the liqueur on the top of the fillets of mackerel, then cover the tray and let it slow cook until cold.

Slow cook the pepper in the oven with olive oil, salt and pepper, and a pinch of sugar, crushed garlic and thyme for about 30 to 40 minutes at 150C then peel the peppers and put

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it in the blender with the juice from the cooking and blend it until you get that coulis texture.

Check the seasoning.

Peel the potatoes, cut into small cylinders then cook in vegetable stock.

Boil the coriander in salty water then blend it until you get a coulis consistency. Place this in a container on ice.

You then have all the ingredients ready to finalise your plate.

Bon Appetit!

For information on Macdonald Linden Hall Hotel visit www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk/linden_hall

MOTORS

Behind the wheel

by Jessica Laing.

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BMW i8 teeped in futuristic technology and complemented by sporty driving performance and sci-fi good looks, BMW’s latest creation represents a new generation of sustainability-focused sports cars.

The 2+2 seater i8 – BMW’s first plug-in hybrid vehicle - benefits from a hybrid synchronous electric motor and three-cylinder petrol engine (with BMW TwinPower Turbo technology), which, together, offer unrivalled sporty driving performance with low consumption and emission figures. Externally, its overlapping and interlocking surfaces and lines complement its most notable external features, which include wing-inspired doors that open upwards, standard 20-inch light alloy wheels and laser lights, which are available as an option for the first time in a production car. Internal highlights include an 8.8-inch control display and touch controller, a fully digital display, which provides 3D graphics, and a revolutionary key fob, complete with its own LCD screen, which allows you to pre-set the car’s temperature and lets you know everything from how much fuel is in the tank to how much charge the car has remaining launches this month.

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F.Y.I. Max power (electric motor): 96kW Max torque (electric motor): 250Nm Max speed: 155mph Combined O2 emissions: 49g/km Acceleration: 0-60mph in 4.4 seconds

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MOTORS

Mazda 3 n sale now, the all-new, thirdgeneration Mazda3 line-up (comprising 21 hatchback models – including eight with diesel power – and 15 Fastback models, five with diesel engines) offers British motorists the biggest ever choice of automatic models and is the first Mazda in history to offer drivers internet connectivity through their mobile phone.

Buyers can choose from five equipment levels and nine exterior colours and, thanks to the model’s 5-star safety rating, find peace of

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mind in knowing that they are driving one of the safest cars on the road today. Extending its technology lead over its rivals, the model debuts Mazda’s sophisticated new mobile connectivity system that integrates social media, Bluetooth, text messaging and navigation technology, seamlessly.

Two great features involve free smartphone apps, ‘Aha’, which brings free and safe webbased ‘infotainment’ content into the vehicle, and ‘Stitcher’, an award-winning internet radio service system that provides free online

F.Y.I. FUEL ECONOMY Combined - 55.4 (5.1) mpg Extra Urban – 65.7 (4.3) mpg Urban – 43.5 (6.5) mpg Fuel tank capacity – 51 litres

POWER 0-62mph in 10.8 seconds

TORQUE & TOP SPEED 1.5-litre SKYACTIV-G petrol engine – 100ps and 50Nm 2.0-litre powerplant engine – 120ps and 210Nm Top speed - 113mph

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streaming of content from thousands of providers. Standard equipment includes 16inch alloy wheels, air-conditioning and 7-inch colour touch screen, also every model comes with Smart City Brake Support (SCBS), helping to reduce or prevent low-speed collisions by automatically applying the brakes if the driver fails to act.

The Mazda3 line-up is priced £16,695 to £23,345 OTR. Visit www.mazda.co.uk for more information.

MOTORS

Benfield does more for charity The motor dealership’s Be More scheme is yields results.

enfield’s work in the community and staff charity fund raising scheme, Be More, has been very busy recently; even Terry Wogan would be envious at the amount of sizable cheques that’s been handed over to the motor dealership’s chosen local charities.

The Benfield head office handed over a cheque for £4800 for its first Be More project to cancer charity Shine’s ambassadors Soraya Kazi and Lesley Hardy, while the Be More Team at Benfield Renault in Newcastle raised over £2736 for the Newcastle Dog & Cat Shelter.

Leyla Rutter was invited from the shelter to the dealership to receive the cheque – she even brought along rescue dog, Winston, to help.

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The team at Benfield Road have also partnered up with homelessness charity Depaul UK by holding a fundraising Spring Fair at their showroom.

Staff celebrated the partnership with a day of fancy dress, bonnet making, car washing and springtime festivity.

Claire Allin, the charity volunteering and mentoring co-ordinator for the North East, was at a Spring Fair at the Benfield Motor Group dealership to help manager Rikki Ledger and his staff raise funds.

Additionally, the Benfield team at Toyota & Lexus Leeds recently handed over their Be More fundraising cheque for £1800 for the Sick Children Trust. They visited Eckersley House, one of the charities homes, to hand over the cheque to manager Jane McHale and Karrianne Linning from Helmsley who has been staying at Eckersley House with 10-weekold Esmie Toase.

The new Benfield team at Ford Sunderland has also been working hard raising funds, too raising £2517.09 for Friends of Grace House.

Terry O’Neil presented the charity members with their cheque at the official opening of

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Ford Sunderland.

Matthew Squires, Benfield’s brand manager, said: “Benfield has 34 dealerships throughout the North East, Yorkshire, Cumbria and Scotland and each dealership has selected a local charity or worthy cause they would like to support and help raise funds for in various ways.

“These are just some of the great examples of the excellent work, fundraising and relationships staff have been building with their chosen Be More charities and organisations.

“We are delighted to help lend an extra pair of hands to help support these worthy causes.”

For further information visit www.drivebenfield.com

MOTORS

Ray Riaz, general manager at Jennings Ford’s Yarm Road dealership in Stockton, with the Ford Kuga model.

King Kuga A sports utility vehicle that stands out from the crowd is available to test drive at Jennings Ford branches across the North East. ustomers who are looking for a sports utility vehicle that not only stands out from other traditional 4x4 models on the market, but one that is also built to the highest quality standard, offers peace of mind motoring and is competitively-priced, need look no further than Jennings Ford, part of the Jennings Motor Group.

Ford’s new Kuga model, which was launched last year, is on display and available to test drive at Jennings Ford’s Stockton, Middlesbrough and Gateshead dealerships.

Available in a choice of two petrol and two diesel engines, the new Ford Kuga is longer than its predecessor and boasts a spacious interior.

Customers have the choice between a 1.6 EcoBoost engine with 150PS, six-speed manual and 180PS with six-speed auto.

Ford’s ECOnetic technologies means both engines deliver plenty of power even in difficult off-road conditions with fuel consumption and CO2 emissions also reduced.

The new Ford Kuga 2.0 TDCi Zetec 2WD (140PS) which comes with Ford SYNC voice activated control and connectivity technology, is priced at only £19,495 after a £1500 deposit allowance when the vehicle is financed with Ford Credit with 4.2 per cent representative APR. Specification for the 2.0 TDCi Zetec model includes Intelligent Protection System (IPS),

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17inch five-spoke alloy wheels, keyless start, DAB radio/CD with six speakers and remote audio controls, air conditioning, cruise control, hill start assist, quickclear heated windscreen, in addition to three years Manufacturers warranty.

Ford’s Intelligent All-Wheel Drive System adapts to terrain and conditions in an instant; Active City Stop automatically applies the brakes at low speed to prevent a collision and Ford SYNC service reads out text messages and gives you hands-free control of your music, calls and much more.

The model’s leading five-star safety rating by Euro NCAP guarantees peace of mind motoring, in addition to boasting SYNC infotainment with Emergency Assistance.

To achieve a five-star rating, vehicles must offer excellent all-round protection and meet Euro NCAP’s stringent demands. Scoring 88 per cent for overall protection is one of the highest ratings for a mid-sized SUV, in addition to this 94 per cent was recorded for adult protection and 86 per cent for child protection.

The model’s new bold look also includes 96 litres of additional boot space and a selection of new features including a kick-operated tailgate which makes opening the boot with your hands full a very easy operation by simply sweeping your foot under the rear bumper, a bleep lets you know the system is engaged and that you have two seconds to stand back before the gate lifts. Other features include blind spot warning

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and self-parking.

In addition to the new Ford Kuga model appealing to both private and business customers, the full range of high quality Ford models is also available at Jennings Ford.

Everything from the Ka, Fiesta, Focus, Focus ST, Mondeo, C-Max, B-Max to the S-Max, Galaxy and Kuga models are on display and available to test drive at Jennings Ford’s Yarm Road dealership in Stockton, the group’s Cargo Fleet Lane branch in Middlesbrough and the Eslington Park site in Gateshead.

Customers who purchase a vehicle from Jennings Ford can also take advantage of an after sales service via the group’s service, parts and bodyshop departments on site.

Anyone who purchases a vehicle from the group will also be given the opportunity to take advantage of the company’s new Service Plan, a new initiative aimed to offer peace of mind motoring, save customers cash and improve the future value of their cars. The plan entails customers taking advantage of fixed monthly payments with 0 per cent interest free for up to five years.

For more information about the range of products and services available at Jennings Ford in Stockton contact (01642) 632200, Middlesbrough on (01642) 240055, Gateshead on (0191) 460 7464, or visit www.jenningsmotorgroup.co.uk

EVENT

South Northumberland Sporting Dinner The cricket club hosts 450 guests at its annual event.

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outh Northumberland Cricket Club hosted their annual Sporting Dinner with special guest speaker and Test Match Special favourite Jonathan Agnew entertaining the 450 strong audience.

The club celebrates its 150th anniversary this year and there were plenty of the region’s cricketing stars present to help with the festivities, including Durham's Phil Mustard and Michael Richardson and Sri Lankan international Kumar Sangakara.

Brewin Dolphin were again headline sponsors at the event that raised funds which enables the club to bring the game to the wider community.

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MOTORS

Sustainable driving Bob Arora drives the electric BMW i3. he car I have had the pleasure of driving this month is the BMW i3, courtesy of Lloyd BMW Newcastle.

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With the price of petrol only going one way, it was only a matter of time before manufacturers looked at alternative power sources.

When diesel engines were first introduced, people predicted they would never sell as they were slow and very noisy but recent technological achievements have made diesel-powered cars not only economical but also extremely refined.

A few cars I have been lucky enough to drive recently are exempt from road tax as they are so efficient.

Before everyone jumped on the electric bandwagon, the only electric powered vehicles around were either milk floats or mobility scooters! One of the first all electric cars to be launched in the UK was the Nissan Leaf. In the states the Telsa has been a sales phenomenon and it was only a matter of time before BMW introduced a premium electric car.

After seven years of development, BMW have finally launched this cool looking car. I drove the i3 with a range extender, which has both electric power and the added benefit of a small petrol engine.

The addition of the petrol engine should stop potential owners electric range anxiety. The car is fitted with a two-cylinder engine linked to a 9-litre fuel tank.

The i3’s passenger cell is carbonfibre and the batteries and motors are below the floor. The car has a low centre of gravity along with BMW’s trademark 50/50 weight distribution. The minimal noise levels make the cabin a very soothing environment. BMW have used adventurous materials and thankfully they don’t look or feel cheap at all.

The car’s cabin space is great thanks to clever styling; the car will seat four adults with ease.

The rear doors won’t open unless you have opened the front doors; only RX8 owners will be used to this feature. The front seat belts are mounted on the door itself so to let people out of the back you have to undo your seatbelt to open the rear doors.

The cars boot is very small and with the seats upright, is a measly 260 litres of space but fold the seats down and this rises to 1100ltrs.

The dash is dominated by an iPad style screen, which controls your navigation, heating and radio etc via the idrive control system.

When you drive this car two things will surprise any driver or passenger. The first thing is the total silence when starting the car and the second surprise is the cars amazing performance.

Floor the throttle from the lights and you will whizz past an M3 up to 30mph and then the M3 will retake the lead. The cars top speed is a not too embarrassing 93mph, however drive the car hard and prolonged, fast driving will send the battery power plummeting.

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The electric-only i3 has a 100-mile range but the addition of the petrol engine limits the cars electric only travel to 93 miles.

The addition of the petrol engine adds another 93 miles giving the driver a potential range of 186miles.

Driving the car in either Eco or Eco Pro mode will extend the car’s range by a further 15 per cent. Run the car on its official combined cycle and the range extender i3 will average an eye watering 471mpg.

This impressive figure is achieved by having a fully charged battery and running the range extender motor constantly to keep the battery charged is less efficient. The range extender is only there as a safety net to get you to your next charging point safely.

With the range extender turned off the i3 becomes a zero efficient vehicle. Charging the car from a domestic socket takes seven hours and gives you an 80% charge, though an AC fast charger can be fitted by BMW for £315 and this charges the battery in three hours.

Recent extensive electric vehicle trails have established an electric only i3 is more than adequate for most drivers. The average daily mileage for most drivers is only 25 miles and the average daily commute is only 13 miles. So an electric only 100-mile range should be more than enough but unfortunately its not. Most people expect their cars to travel 400 miles without refueling and this simply isn’t possible yet.

BMW have managed to bring a real desirability to the electric car market and the car has already got waiting lists.

With its amazing running costs it is easy to see why people are predicting the electric car revolution is definitely here to stay. When you see BMW’s next electric car the i8 it’s easy to see why the electric car is here to stay!

H E A LT H

Before

After

Is Obalon for you? balon is a new non-surgical weightloss treatment offered at Spire Washington Hospital. The treatment involves a lightweight balloon occupying space at the top of the stomach for 90 days to give the sensation of feeling full. In late January Charlotte Jeffery, an employee of Spire Healthcare, nominated herself to undergo the treatment as the trial volunteer. Here, she shares her experience and the results.

Swallowing the actual Obalon capsule was harder than the placebo, but the team were really encouraging and after a couple of attempts I managed it. It was interesting to see the image of the capsule in my stomach and this distracted me from the tickling in my throat from the tube.

When the balloon was filled with Nitrogen gas it had a slight cooling sensation. The procedure was very quick and after I felt like I had eaten a meal even though I had been fasting for eight hours!

Why did you want to lose weight?

A lot of patients report cramping and discomfort in the 48 hours after placement, did you experience any symptoms over the 12 weeks?

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After having my second child I really struggled to find the time or energy to lose weight and my BMI had gone into the overweight range. I was unhappy with the way I looked and needed to regain my self-confidence.

Why did you decide to have the Obalon weight-loss treatment?

As soon as I heard about Obalon I was excited and thought this was the answer I had been looking for. I had been thinking about the 5:2 diet for some time but was worried about not having enough energy on fast days. I thought Obalon could help me get my health back on track.

What was it like having the balloon inserted?

No, I did not experience any bloating, nausea or cramping at all. I only took the recommended PPI medication to stop stomach ulcers. I definitely had a reduced appetite for the first 4-5 weeks, after which I got a little bit hungrier, I can see why people get a second balloon at this stage, but I had already lost nearly a stone so that just motivated me to keep going.

Did you change your eating habits during the treatment?

I started the 5:2 diet as planned and found this surprisingly easy, and I couldn’t believe I could go eight hours of fasting without feeling awful!

My appetite was suppressed and I halved my

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portion sizes. I recorded my calorie intake using My Fitness Pal app that was incredibly helpful, I even started looking up things before I ate them to check the calories were worth it! I would never have believed prior to Obalon that I could consume only 500 calories during a fast day and feel fine. Obalon gave me the ability to reeducate myself about food.

What was it like having the balloon removed?

Again it was a little daunting but I felt reassured when I went through all the details with my consultant. Whilst in theatre the balloon removal did initially trigger some gag reflex when the tube passed down my throat but as I had some sedation it was tolerable. The whole procedure took about 20 minutes, afterwards I felt a bit drowsy and rested in hospital for about three hours before going home. I felt a little tired for about 24 hours but there was no empty stomach feeling, additional appetite or hunger pangs, which I was told could happen.

The Obalon treatment costs ÂŁ2995 for two balloons, the recommended number of balloons for the best result. This is a one-off payment for the whole treatment including the consultations, insertion, x-rays, dietician, removal and follow up care. For more information please contact Spire Washington customer service team on (0191) 418 8687 or email info@spirewashington.com.

WELL-BEING

Will St Leger

Liver health Be-Fit’s Will St Leger reveals his top tips ... ost people are aware that the liver is a filtration organ. Hormones, chemicals, bacteria and fungus are filtered through it, also 80 per cent of thyroid function occurs in the liver and what are we all aware of in regards thyroid function – metabolism, better control of this equals better control of your weight.

The liver is a key organ in the breaking down of fat, overwhelm it and you will loose the ability to burn fat efficiently.

So, apart from getting blood work done you may be wondering how to spot possible signs of a liver which is in need of some extra care.

One of the tell tale signs is the infamous “pot belly”, another is having a white film on the tongue with a deep split down the middle but the most common indicator that I myself come across from day to day is people complaining of disrupted sleep, specifically waking during the hours of 2 and 5am and having trouble getting back to sleep.

So how do you strengthen your liver? You may think I’m going to recommend some medication or some sort of supplement but in fact the answer

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is much simpler than that, all the changes are dietary: Eat more cruciferous vegetables: Dark green leafy veggies are high is fibre and greatly assist the liver in filtering out waste not to mention there cancer fighting properties. As a rule of thumb try to eat a healthy serving of green veg, daily.

Eat easy to digest protein: eggs are a fantastic source of easily digestible protein. Also wild fish and raw not overly cooked fish are great, for example some sushi or sashimi (without the rice) is very easy to digest.

Drink real cranberry juice: I’m not taking about the sugar-laden stuff that you pick up in most shops or mix with vodka. Most of these juices are loaded with high fructose corn syrup that actually stresses the liver. Find an organic cranberry juice that is unsweetened and 100 per cent natural.

Quick warning: to say the real stuff is tart is a bit of an understatement so I would recommend mixing around 100ml of juice with 600ml of water and consume one to two times daily.

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Drink pure lemon/lime juice: lemon juice specifically the phytochemical d-limonene acts as a liver tonic and assists in digestion by clearing the detoxification pathways and helping the liver produce more bile. The best way to consume your lemon/lime juice tends to be first thing in the morning when you body is going through its natural cleansing phase. Use the juice of a fresh lemon/lime in a cup of hot water as cold water causes vasoconstriction in the stomach resulting in less blood flow to the area, whereas warm water causes vasodilatation and will help increase metabolic rate. One cup every morning should do the trick.

So, try to consume more fresh juices, veggies, fibre and protein and avoid the kind of foods you know you should be avoiding and your bodies filter will function much better which in turn will allow your body to function much better, if that’s not an incentive I don’t know what is!

Good luck.

For more information call Be-Fit on (0191) 213 5300.

WELL-BEING

Train like a caveman Director of Bodyguards Fitness Service Ltd, Duncan Edwards looks at a fitness strategy that concentrates on the basics of human movement. ithin the fitness industry there are thousands of exercises and just as many theories on how to train, how to best keep fit and improve sporting performance. So which ones should we use?

One theory stipulates that the human brain does not have adequate storage capacity to hold the myriad of motor programmes for every single movement one person generates throughout a lifetime of movement. The brain, therefore, stores all movements (that display similar relative timing) as generalised movement patterns.

Hence the saying, ‘train the movement not the muscles’.

Research which supports this theory shows that isolating muscles by using fixed pieces of gym equipment as found in standard gyms (for example isolating the quadraceps on a knee extension machine) has very little carry-over to improving someone's ability to say jump higher.

In contrast, by training a generalised motor pattern with similar relative timing, like performing a resisted squat, provides significant improvement in vertical jump performance.

One highly recommended approach draws from the studies of evolution of humans and categorises these generalised motor patterns into the seven Primal Movement Patterns.

As a result of selective pressures placed upon our bodies by nature, these movements have shaped our anatomy as we know it today, meeting the demands of evolution. They are the Squat, Bend, Lunge, Push, Pull, Twist, and Gait

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patterns. Each one of these movement patterns were necessary for our survival and without being able to perform any one or combination of these patterns meant our chances of survival would be severely diminished.

Today, we are nothing more than cavemen with fancy clothes, sitting at desks. Even though our lifestyle is very different from our developmental ancestors, these seven movement patterns are still key to performing daily tasks and staying injury free. Although fortunately, nowadays injury doesn't necessarily lead to early death like it probably did back then.

In my 15 years of experience as a personal trainer I've observed many times that when a client cannot efficiently perform any of the Primal Movement Patterns at a level of subconscious competency, there are almost always injuries lurking if not already present and levels of sporting or occupational performance are reduced.

In order to improve quality of life and/or performance, we must determine which Primal Patterns are most commonly used by an individual in their work or sports environment and assess their ability to perform these patterns.

For example, a golfer tends to use the Bend, Twist and Gait patterns the most and would therefore hugely benefit from training these movement patterns in particular.

Often, mostly in a sports environment or physical occupation, we see these primal movements in combinations.

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Together they allow us to perform highly complex skills like a golf swing. To be able to execute these more complex patterns accurately and to meet the demands of high-level performance, it makes sense to first learn to perform each individual primal movement pattern and then integrate the patterns, one chunk at a time, to form the more complex skill.

As mentioned earlier, all of the Primal Movements are still relative to how we move and live our lives today, even if you aren't an athlete.

If someone is looking to improve their all-round fitness and avoid injury they should base their exercise programme around all seven of these movement patterns. By doing so efficiently, correctly activating the core muscles and with good postural alignment you can almost guarantee that every muscle in the body will be utilised and therefore get a 'work-out', providing the most bang-for-buck with every session.

For more information on how to include the seven Primal Movement Patterns into your workouts, contact Bodyguards Fitness Service Ltd Duncan Edwards BSc Hons CHEK ITP CMTA is a holistic lifestyle coach, certified metabolic typing advisor, CHEK practitioner, personal trainer and rehabilitation specialist.

For more information contact Bodyguards Fitness Service Ltd on (0191) 239 9000, info@bodyguardsapt.com or visit www.bodyguardsapt.com

EVENT

George Washington Golf Day The Hotel Golf and Spa hosts its annual corporate golf event.

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he Mercure George Washington Hotel Golf & Spa, held its annual St Patrick’s corporate golf day in April.

The event was well attended by key corporates and suppliers.

With the weather just holding out, Aspers Casino captained by Bob Jackson ran out worthy winners, in what was a close finish.

More than 20 teams took part, with funds raised for Relay For Life. Special thanks goes to Britvic, Matthew Clark, Benfield and TaylorMade for the support they provided.

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INTERVIEW

Get to know me ...

Stuart Lynn Chief technology and information officer for the UK’s biggest software company, Sage – the only FTSE100 Company with its origins and headquarters in the North East.

When I was growing up, I wanted to be an astronaut. Like many I grew up with, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do when I left school. However I was inspired by the events that took place on July 20, 1969 when Neil Armstrong stepped onto the lunar surface.

My first job was when I left school at 16 to start a career as an apprentice machinist with what was then the National Coal Board. The careers advice from my school maths teacher to, “Join the Coal Board, son, and you’ll have a job for life” is possibly the most lasting memory of my school days. That didn’t turn out to be true, but it wasn’t all bad as I spent the best part of my apprenticeship and a few years beyond in further education on the way to qualifying as a mechanical engineer – while earning a decent wage.

I’d tell my 18 year-old-self that nothing is impossible, so set your sights high, work hard, look for opportunities and grab hold of them. Also listen to what people tell you, and learn from every opportunity that is given to you.

I’m inspired by people who achieve great things despite the odds being

stacked against them. People like Nelson Mandela, Alan Turing and Thomas Edison. As a keen sportsman myself, I’m also inspired by those who have reached the top of their game such as Muhammad Ali and Tiger Woods.

My greatest achievements were when I was named Apprentice of the Year in 1977, when I won a British Computer Society medal for innovation in 1994 and when I was captain at Washington Golf Club in 1999. However, and I acknowledge it’s a cliché, but these pale into insignificance when compared to my two children. I love being a father and I take great pride watching my children (16 and 14) grow up. I’m very proud of their achievements.

When I need a helping hand I normally turn to people who are close to me. I’m very fortunate to have a great relationship with my colleagues at Sage and a wide network of colleagues and friends from different businesses across the North East.

Of course, when all that fails, I turn to my wife of 19 years who is always a great source of advice and counsel.

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My favourite film is actually the classic christmas tale, It’s a Wonderful Life. The story of George Bailey’s struggle and personal sacrifice, his battle of good against evil, how those he has helped rally around him in his hour of need, and of course a happy ending, is now an annual tradition in the Lynn household.

In my spare time, I love to spend time with my wife, two children and dog. I also have a passion for fast cars and I’m a keen golfer who can be found with his friends on the Links at Whitley Bay on a Saturday morning. I also spend some time outside of work as a founder member of Dynamo North East and as a native I would like to see the region recognised as a centre of excellence for Information Technology.

In five years’ time I would like to look back and see how North East businesses have continued to grow, prosper and create jobs for our young people – content at the thought that I played a small part in making it happen. www.sage.co.uk