North East Times Magazine - May 2014 by North East Times Magazine

GREG BOLTON BUILDING

MAY

2014

£2.95

CORPORATE FINANCE AT RMT

CONTENTS

May 2014 BUSINESS NEWS –

SAVE THE DATE –

Business events – mark them on your calendar.

NORTH EAST VIEW POINTS –

Thoughts from the region’s business community.

10 QUESTIONS FOR... –

Mike Jobson, Oxford Innovation.

ON THE MOVE –

New executive appointments.

ONE TO WATCH –

Alex Morris, Plainsight Consultancy.

COVER STORY –

Greg Bolton, RMT.

STATE OF THE ART –

BUSINESS LUNCH –

Thistle Newcastle, The County.

INTERVIEW –

Jason Cook.

MOTORS –

CREDITS

Directors: Mike Grahamslaw, Mick O’Hare Commercial director: Martin Stout Editor: Alison Cowie Sales: Luccia Graham Editorial: Jessica Laing, Elise Rana Hopper 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: Greg Bolton, 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.

BUSINESS NEWS

Airport announces multi-million pound development Major plans are set to transform the airside experience for passengers at Newcastle International Airport.

ewcastle International Airport has announced a major development of its departure lounge, with a total investment of over £14 million. The airport has outlined plans that will see the entire departure lounge transform over the next year. As well as offering new shops, restaurants, cafes and bar areas, the departure lounge layout will be changed in order to provide a more straightforward journey for customers. The first phase of the development is now complete, with The Beer House pub and Flying Hippo restaurant opening last month. The Aspire Lounge, open to all

passengers, and AspirePlus Lounge which offers an adult-only area with an enhanced menu, premium drinks package and exclusive Spey Whisky bar also opened. The next major phase will begin in autumn 2014, with most work expected to be completed by May 2015. Highlights still to come include a new walk-through World Duty Free store and new food and beverage outlets. Customers will benefit from an improved sense of flow as they pass through the curved walkways, seating areas and streamlined shop fronts of the new departure lounge. Dave Laws, chief executive at

Newcastle International Airport, said: “We’re investing a total of £14 million to ensure customers have the best possible journey through the airport. “ Cllr Iain Malcolm, Leader of South Tyneside Council and Leader of the LA7 shareholders, said: “This investment is great news for the region. The new development will reinforce Newcastle International’s role as a major regional airport, and a key economic generator for our region.” David Rees of AMP Capital, added: “The new departure lounge is a major investment by the airport, and its business partners, for the benefit of passengers. The plans are very exciting and I’m sure the full development will be extremely popular.”

MD shortlisted for industry ‘Oscar’

Northern biomedical sector celebrated

ick Holmes, managing director of Rockliffe Hall has been shortlisted for a major award. Nick has made it down to the final three in the Manager of the Year category of the Caterer and Hotelkeeper Awards, regarded as the hospitality industry’s Oscars and recognising the sector’s highest flyers, strongest performers and best brands, as determined by industry insiders. The final award winner will be announced on July 1, where Nick will be up against Erick Kervaon from the Bingham in Richmond-upon-Thames and Peter Avis of the Babylon at The Roof Gardens in London.

he founder of Britain’s first new high street bank for 150 years, Anthony Thomson, will speak at the Entrepreneurs’ Forum annual business conference, Together We Can Take on the World, on May 15. As well as being the founder of Metro Bank, Anthony is also chairman of the National Skills Academy for Financial Services and chairman of the Financial Services Forum. In 1987 he founded City Financial Marketing which, by the time he sold it in 1997, was Europe’s largest financial services marketing and communications group.

Port records buoyant year

Top award for Mill Volvo

orthern Rock Foundation looks set to close after Virgin Money confirmed it could not commit to future funding. Trustees will now begin to implement a plan for an orderly wind down with further announcements made later this year about the use of the foundation’s remaining funds.

osses at the municipally-owned Port of Sunderland have recorded an increase in ships tonnage between April 2013 and March 2014. A total of 365 vessels docked at Port of Sunderland’s quaysides including Lake Triview in December 2013, which discharged thousands of tonnes of steel over several days.

UK missing out on £1.2b

NE jobs on the up

ew research by PwC, commissioned by LinkedIn, reveals that poor talent adaptability is costing the UK in lost productivity. The study, Adapt to Survive, analysed millions of interactions from LinkedIn’s network and determined the UK is missing out on £1.2 billion due to mismatched talent.

orth of England’s biomedical companies were honoured at the 2014 Biomedical Awards, hosted by Bionow at the BALTIC on April 24. Winners on the night included Hart Biologicals Ltd, WhiteWash and Keiro which was honoured for its collaboration with notfor-profit housing association Erimus Housing. Geoff Davison, CEO of Bionow, said: “Congratulations must go to all the winners and those shortlisted on their achievements, and for the fantastic work they are doing to further the growth of the biomedical sector in the North of England.”

Foundation’s future dashed

Forum banks star speaker

abour Market Figures show employment in the North East stands at 1,206,000 or 69.1per cent – a rise of 31,000 over the quarter and 40,000 over the year. This compares to a rate of 72.6 per cent nationally.

osses at Mill Volvo North East were recently presented with the Top V40 Retail Award. The accolade, launched last year, listed the dealership as the best performing business out of the 140 Volvo networks across the UK.

Sowing seeds of success

eesside business, Nicholson’s Transport is helping graduate Dan Robson with business support, advice and mentoring for his fledgling business, Green Digit Gardening. Dan recently secured an order for 10,000 of his Seed Cells (herb and flower seeds in environmentally friendly packaging).

DIARY LADIES LUNCH WITH KATHERINE’S FLORISTS

May

Blackfrairs Restaurant, Newcastle Tel: (0191) 261 5945 Web: www.blackfriarsrestaurant.co.uk Price: £25 per person Katherine’s Florists, dates back over 100 years, with more than five generations selling the stores’ range of flowers to the people of the North East. At this informal ladies lunch, guests will hear all about Katherine’s journey and how the business remains at the top of its game. Includes refreshments, a glass of fizz, demonstrations and a three-course lunch.

FOCUS DINNER WITH MEENU MALHOTRA

May

Jesmond Dene House, Jesmond Tel: (0191) 500 7780 Web: www.entrepreneursforum.net Email: info@entrepreneursforum.net Price: £75 per person (members) This unique focus dinner provides members with a chance to share with and learn from Meenu Malhotra, head of The Malhotra Group, alongside other like-minded entrepreneurs. The Malhotra Group, which plans to invest over £100 million over the next five years, currently turns over around £40 million, employs 1000 people and owns around 150 major buildings in Newcastle alone.

Save the date Charity balls, business dinners and seminars.

PLAY ON THE PITCH May

Academy of Light, Sunderland Tel: 0871 911 1555 Web: www.safc.com Email: hospitality@safc.com Price: £1000 + VAT per team

Celebrating the strength and diversity of North East exporting and the local companies behind it, this prestigious awards dinner will see the winners of each award category revealed, including Overall Exporter of the Year. The recipient will be awarded from a shortlist of all the category winners on the night, as well as the winners of all other main export awards in the region over the last 12 months.

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

Ward Hadaway, Newcastle Quayside Web: www.eventbrite.co.uk Price: Free Small and medium businesses looking for support to develop ideas, or interested in funding, are invited to this seminar, which offers a mixture of presentations, workshops and one-to-one sessions with experts at Enterprise Europe Network and the UK’s innovation agency, Technology Strategy Board. Guests will learn about the support and funding options available to them and lawyers from Ward Hadaway and representatives from Newcastle University will also be in attendance.

FINANCE UPDATE

May

Ramside Hall, County Durham Tel: (0191) 201 6072 Web: www.northeastexportersawards.co.uk Email: sue.coulson@trinitymirror.com Price: £75 + VAT per person, £700 +VAT for a table of ten (non-members), £600 +VAT (members), £550+VAT (global members)

May

Bond Dickinson, Newcastle Quayside Tel: (0191) 244 4031 Web: www.service-network.co.uk Email: talk@service-network.co.uk Price: Free

Football supporters and aspiring players are being given the chance to compete in this special tournament, organised by Sunderland AFC. Play on the Pitch will run at the Academy of Light training centre and the Black Cats are appealing for amateur teams and groups of friends or family to take part. Each team, which must include 15 people, will be given exclusive use of the Academy dressing room before warming up, posing for a pitch-side photo and competing in an hour-long game, overseen by qualified match officials. Includes a special Man of the Match presentation, a post-match buffet and mini tour of the Academy.

NORTH EAST EXPORTERS’ AWARDS 2014

FUNDING FOR INNOVATION SEMINAR

Service Network’s annual Finance Update event includes the 2014 Bank of England Economic Review and a talk from Rosie Smith, the North East’s Bank of England agent, about the bank’s inflation report and the impact of the recession. Attendees will be able to have their say about the issues facing their own businesses and ask Rosie questions about the bank’s work.

CHILDLINE FUNDRAISING LUNCH

June

Marriott Hotel Gosforth Park, Newcastle Tel: 0771 1159022 Email: janpallas@btinternet.com Price: £32 per person ChildLine founder and TV presenter, Esther Ranzen CBE, will join North East women for an exclusive ‘Hats on for Children’ lunch to raise money for ChildLine, the UK’s 24-hour counselling service for children and young people. As well as hearing an inspirational talk from Esther, guests will enjoy luxury shopping, Champagne and a three-course meal. Local NSPCC fundraising group, the Newcastle Branch, have organised the event and hope to raise £2000 for the charity.

OPINION

North East view points ROD FINDLAY CONSULTANT YOUR SPORT CONSULTING

Local business men and women share their thoughts …

There have been many national studies on the economic impact of sport. For example, it is reported that Rugby League contributes £54 million pa to the North West economy, supporting over 840 jobs. Such results are undoubtedly replicated in the North East with football. Greater success obviously leads to greater benefit due to more events and greater interest. There are also indirect benefits with increased productivity being linked to happiness of workers. As a football region, our happiness and productivity is affected by the success or failure of our clubs.

KATHRYN TAYLOR MANAGING PARTNER GORDON BROWN LAW FIRM If the measure of a football club’s success is simply cup and league wins, then North East professional teams may struggle. Despite turbulent times for our teams, the social aspects of football – such as watching collectively on TV or in a stadium – remain strong in the region. Local businesses such as bars, pubs, restaurants, fast food outlets, shops and transport providers still have much to gain on a match day in terms of revenue and employment needs. In short, a good cup run is a huge boost to the local economy.

HARVEY MADDEN PARTNER ROWLANDS ACCOUNTANTS Fans’ jubilation or anguish depends on how well their chosen club is doing. If you look at the wider picture, the results also affect the numerous businesses linked directly or indirectly with a club, which include coach companies used to transport players and kit suppliers, to local pubs and restaurants that rely on crowds at games to fill their premises pre and post-match. The general feel-good factor that can envelope the area surrounding a successful football club can have a very positive effect locally.

How does the success or failure of our local professional football clubs impact North East business?

RUSSELL CROISDALE

DARREN HEDLEY CAMPAIGNS MANAGER ASPERS CASINO NEWCASTLE Newcastle is often called a ‘one club city’ and it’s impossible to deny that the performance of our beloved Newcastle United has an impact on everyone in the region. When the club is winning you feel the buzz throughout the city and everyone benefits from the crowds who flock to the ground. Retailers benefit from friends and family who shop while the fans attend the game and hospitality venues like ourselves welcome large numbers of people before and after the match. The clubs are an important revenue driver for us all.

ROB TAIT

MANAGING DIRECTOR ENCORE PACKAGING SOLUTIONS

GENERAL MANAGER HOTEL DU VIN NUFC and SAFC are part of the identity of the North East. Its hard to quantify the impact of success of these teams when sentiment is concerned however in reality, success increases footfall into the area, develops awareness, puts it on the map and improves prospects. With these two clubs, what can be classed at success/failure these days? Not being in the Premier League I'd imagine is failure and with this, hand in hand, opportunities, funding and prestige all directly effect future business growth.

When local football clubs perform well, teams and supporters do more to support and reinvest in the local area. Supporters are more likely to make the effort to cheer their team on when they see consistent successes, while the number of visiting fans increases which in turn contributes to the local economy. Take local team Middlesbrough. When they experienced success, a new stadium was built and a lot of investment was put into town and business development. Better players were purchased, the fan base widened – they even got into Europe!

EVENT

Barry Speker hosts event The healthcare sector welcomes the renowned lawyer to Sintons.

ore than 50 medics and leading individuals from the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust attended an event to celebrate the arrival of Barry Speker OBE DL at law firm Sintons, which is legal advisor to the Trust. The lawyer has joined Newcastle-based Sintons’ healthcare team and brings substantial expertise in medico-legal and other healthcare issues. Numerous leading figures from the Trust joined Barry – who has been the Trust Solicitor since it was founded – and his new Sintons’ colleagues at an event at The Cube to mark his arrival.

INTERVIEW

10 questions for ...

Mike Jobson In its first 12 months The Business Northumberland High Growth Programme has provided a significant boost to the county’s economy and the much-travelled man at the helm couldn’t be happier to be back on familiar ground. Here North East Times talks to Oxford Innovation’s Mike Jobson.

What was your first break in business?

What attracted you to your current role?

What has been your career highlight?

And your career lowlight?

What do you enjoy most about your role?

After starting my career in sales with Alcan Polyfoil I moved on to Colgate Palmolive and it was there that my boss asked me if I still wanted to be selling in my 50s. We both knew I didn’t so we mapped out a career path at the centre of which was the interest I’d already discovered in people development. I was appointed area sales manager responsible for training the sales force. There’s a difference between coaching and training but that job gave me my first opportunity to help others excel and the buzz it gave me stayed through my career which took me on to Guinness and Diageo before I joined Oxford Innovation in 2009.

I was coaching in the South West and my family were very settled there. Then in the early spring of 2013 Oxford Innovation won the contract to deliver the Business Northumberland High Growth Programme and, being from this neck of the woods, I agreed to come up for perhaps the first six months, just to open the office and get things underway. We hit the ground running and the programme has just gone from strength to strength. The North East is a special place and to have the opportunity to help businesses grow and employ people has just proved irresistible.

I have two, one of which I’m just in the middle of and that’s working with some of the remarkable businesses in this region. The other was when I was sales, marketing and logistics director with Guinness Nigeria based in Lagos. I moved out there with my wife, June, and originally signed up for three years … but we stayed for six. June and I immersed ourselves in the culture, ensuring we saw as much of the country as possible.

Retirement! I tried it once and didn’t like it. I missed being in business and around people.

Working with clients and seeing them achieve their goals. In the first 12 months of this Business Northumberland High Growth Programme my team and I have worked with 55 client businesses and in this period they have created or safeguarded more than 60 jobs and have increased turnover by more than £5.3 million combined. For me and my team of coaches to play a part in this is incredibly rewarding.

What's your biggest challenge?

Who are your heroes, in and out of business?

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

What does the future hold for Oxford Innovation?

What do you do to relax?

It’s answering the question, ‘what’s next?’. Oxford Innovation is just over halfway through this programme but we’d relish the opportunity to continue our work not just in Northumberland but across the North East. I have colleagues achieving similar results elsewhere in the UK so we can very clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of our coaching model. My role is to build on what we’ve achieved so far in Northumberland and raise Oxford Innovation’s profile further afield.

In business it’s the people I see innovating, investing and employing. They are today’s William Armstrong, Charles Parsons, George and Robert Stephenson and Isambard Kingdom Brunel; all visionaries who made lasting contributions. Outside of business it would have to be Sir Bobby Robson and Kevin Keegan for the joy (and hope) they brought to the Geordie nation.

Think like your client thinks.

A successful second half of the Business Northumberland High Growth Programme and the opportunity to work with other businesses to help them achieve their full growth potential.

June and I enjoy walking and travelling together. On a personal level, I ride my motorbike and I sail.

www.oxin.co.uk, www.businessnorthumberland.co.uk

APPOINTMENTS

On the Move Your monthly guide to appointments and promotions.

VICTORIA MCGURK

KEVIN HENDERSON

RICHARD HOLMES

Newcastle-based healthcare provider, Keiro, has strengthened its senior management team with the appointment of a new general manager at its Park Neuro Centre in Whickham. Victoria McGurk, a qualified nurse for almost 20 years, joins the stroke and spinalrehabilitation centre and will be responsible for directing the care and therapy teams and driving clinical care standards across the Chase Park Rehabilitation Suite, Nursing Suite and Healthclub.

Hartlepool-based construction company, Gus Robinson Developments, has appointed Kevin Henderson as operations director. Kevin rejoins the company’s management team after several years working for housing company Vela Group. In his new role, 53-year-old Kevin, who is a specialist in health and safety for the construction sector, will be responsible for streamlining procedures to establish one point of contact for the firm’s operational sites and project teams.

North East marketing company, Horizonworks, has appointed Richard Holmes as client marketing manager. Richard, a former journalist and PR and marketing account director from Newcastle, joins the firm following a number of high profile client wins across the engineering, manufacturing, transport and technology sectors. In his new role, Richard will be responsible for supporting the agency’s regional and national clients in the delivery of their PR and marketing strategies.

WENDY EDWARDS AND PATRICK QUIGLEY

EMMA MOUNTAIN

BEN LENIGHAN

Tees Valley law firm, Archers Law, has appointed two of its solicitors to associates. Wendy Edwards has been promoted within the firm’s wills, probates and trusts team and Patrick Quigley joins its commercial property team. Patrick, who joined the firm in 2008, brings more than 10 years’ experience in commercial property work to his new role. Wendy, meanwhile, joined in 2006 and specialises in the preparation of wills and care fee planning

Gosforth-based PR agency, HFPR Ltd, has appointed Emma Mountain as junior account executive. In her new role, 23-year-old Emma, who is a graduate from Newcastle University, will be assisting senior team members in providing PR for the agency clients. She will also be tasked with developing the agency’s social media activity and constructing targeted digital media strategies for a number of clients and high profile campaigns.

Newcastle-based PR and marketing firm, Karol Marketing Group, has appointed Northumbria University student, Ben Lenighan, as PR assistant. Ben was offered the part-time paid position to coincide with his studies, following a successful work placement with the multiaward winning agency. In his new role, Ben will be supporting Karol’s highly experienced team with their work with the firm’s new and existing clients, such as independent book publishers, Cicerone.

PROFILE

One to watch

Alex Morris In a series of interviews with talented professionals, Alison Cowie talks to an entrepreneur and consultant who has just embarked on a new creative business venture. wiss-born, Italian-raised Alex Morris came to the UK in 1994 for a year-out but never made it back home. She moved to the North East in 1997, and says the region now feels, “very much like home.” Over the past 17 years, Alex has forged an impressive career as an entrepreneur and a sales and marketing consultant. For her latest project, which officially launched at the end of March, Alex is heading a network of creative professionals known under the brand name, Plainsight Consultancy. The project, which has been 18 months in the planning, brings together North East-based freelancers whose combined skills are managed by Alex, to fulfil a client’s individual needs. Alex became a business owner at just 22 years old when she opened a fashion boutique in Hexham. “I was in Hexham for a couple of years but what I could do was quite limited in terms of the fashion I could sell,” she explains. Alex therefore relocated her boutique to the cosmopolitan suburb of Jesmond. It was fortuitous timing as Foot-and-Mouth hit weeks later, devastating the economies of market towns across the UK. Being based in Jesmond allowed Alex to stock the fashion brands that she wanted. The business grew and the boutique moved to larger premises on Clayton Road. While Alex narrowly missed the devastating knock-on effects of Food-and-Mouth, there was no avoiding the 2008 credit crunch and the UK’s worse recession for decades. “The whole of the retail and fashion industry was in crisis,” says Alex. “There was nothing anyone could do.” Personally, Alex was also going through a divorce and so, when someone offered her a “lot of money” to vacate her prime Jesmond retail unit, she took it. “I wanted an easier life and to downsize,” recalls Alex. “I also wanted to return to Italy.” But a home-coming wasn’t to be when the job she had arranged back in Italy fell through six week before she was due to fly.

It was 2009, and Alex found herself with no shop and no job. “I started putting my CV out there after 11 years of being my own boss. It felt very weird,” she admits. Alex was then approached by Maurice Duffy from Global Blackswan who was about to embark on some retail ventures and needed a project manager. She was perfect for the job and after meeting Maurice, was hired as a business development consultant. Alex was with Blackswan and GFI Consulting for a year before being contacted by Julian Blades from North East fashion retailer Jules B. “Julian was wanting someone to look after the operation of his shops, since the internet side of the business had grown so much,“ Alex explains. She became area manager for the Jules B stores and helped put more infrastructure into the outlets and then moved on to develop a marketing department for the retail side of the company. It was while at Jules B that Alex decided to take action on an idea inspired a couple of years previously by Mary Portas and her TV series Mary, Queen of Shops. “I was watching what Mary Portas was doing and thinking, ‘I know what’, ‘I could have told them that,’” she recalls. Alex formed a vision to become a freelance retail consultant and, having previously studied a degree in theology, returned to university to complete an MA in Media and Cultural Studies. “I had 15 years of retail experience but I wanted to have a qualification that would endorse this,” she explains. Alex combined her study with freelance consultancy work, registering the business name, Plainsight Consultancy. She initially worked on a number of largescale, time-consuming projects but it was when Alex was invited to a networking event of creative freelancers that set Plainsight Consultancy on a new course. “Everyone was sat in a circle talking about their creative expertise, projects they had worked

on and the clients that they had. “When it came to my turn, I had to say, ‘I don’t do any of that … I just ‘make things happen’. “But that was exactly what the group needed; someone focused on selling their specialist talents to clients. Plainsight Consultancy, a collective of freelancers offering a range of creative services including branding, marketing, digital, design, advertising, film, animation and photography – project managed by Alex – was born. “I’m kind of the face of the business,” explains Alex. “I do the sales and the account management side of business and then I get a team together depending on what the client needs. Plainsight Consultancy currently has 11 specialist creative freelancers, all of whom have their own businesses, but combine on jobs as needed. Many of the freelancers have experience working on large scales projects for giants such as Nike and Adidas and are highly skilled in their particular areas. “They are the best at what they do,” explains Alex. “They’ve all worked at agencies in the past and have started out on their own. “The problem is that most jobs need a varied skillset. At Plainsight Consultancy, I can collect the right freelancers for pretty much any job.” With no work premises or costly overheads, Alex is keen to stress the financial benefits to clients – opening up services to SMEs that may otherwise be priced out of the market. Alex is now focused on getting work in for the network of freelancers – using the personal service she has been developing since she first opened a business at 22. “I’m a big believer that people buy from people,” she explains. “It’s all about customer service and building a relationship with a client. “That will never change.” For more information on Plainsight Consultancy visit www.plainsight consultancy.com

BUSINESS

Are your messages

sticky? Asks Rod Findlay, consultant at Your Sport Consulting.

hen it comes to technology I generally see myself as an early adopter. So I was surprised when I realised that I had never downloaded an audiobook. Travelling a lot means quite a bit of dead time, particularly when driving. Audiobooks combine journeys with the ability to keep pace with the amount of books I’d like to read. My current Audiobook is the Secret Race by cyclist Tyler Hamilton and journalist Daniel Coyle.It is about the doping culture in cycling. The win at all costs mentality might have lessons for business but the first audiobook I tried definitely does. This was Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by brothers Chip and Dan Heath.

What does sticking mean? Mark Twain once observed, “A lie can get halfway around the world before the truth can even get its boots on.” The Heath brothers draw on this observation and ask, “Why do some ideas thrive while others die? And how do we improve the chances of worthy ideas?” The book's outline follows the acronym SUCCES (with the last s omitted). Each letter refers to a characteristic that the Heaths argue can help make an idea sticky.

Sticky secrets of SUCCES (sic) The first is Simple, which means finding the core of any idea. An example that occurred to me was Beat Coke, the legendary Pepsi vision

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

statement. I also remember it because of its simplicity. Perhaps also because it incorporates the second letter that refers to: Unexpected. You don’t expect such a short statement or for it to reference its main rival. But would you remember it more if it said ‘To gain a dominant place in the carbonated cola drinks market’? Concepts also need to be Concrete so that they can be grasped and remembered later. An example used in the book is the American health ad that avoided saying that movie popcorn contains 20g fat as this is too abstract and instead said it contains more fat than a bacon-and-eggs dinner, a Big Mac and fries for lunch and a steak dinner with all the trimmings, combined. You can picture that. Credibility of the message and the message giver and tapping into the audiences Emotions help people see the importance of an idea, remember it and want to tell it to others. Also Stories encourage a kind of mental simulation or reenactment on the part of the listener that burns the idea into the mind. For example, a flight simulator is much

more effective than flash cards in training a pilot. They are each the letters of Succes (sic) and combined will help ensure your messages are sticky.

Can your messages become sticky? After I had finished listening to this audiobook, I realised that I had been breaking many of the rules of stickiness in work presentations and I changed some basic attributes with immediate success. There were two major things I deliberately concentrated on when I next presented to senior executives. The first was to keep it simple and avoid the danger of expertise. I knew a lot more detail on the subject than I could ever hope to bring the audience up to speed in a limited time. I therefore stripped out a lot of information – I had it to my fingertips if questioned – and kept the message short. The second trick I adopted from the audiobook was to use a story or schema. Instead of explaining that I think the strategy should be to do X, Y & Z, I suggested that the aim should be to do what we had done with another investment but with one key improvement where we felt the other investment had been weak. That made it easier for the audience to imagine. My or your presentations might not have everyone hanging on every word but your chances of getting your message across will be improved if you follow the sticky rules. Sometimes external input can help with an objective assessment of stickiness.

BUSINESS

How to motivate and retain your best staff Bryony Gibson, managing director of Bryony Gibson Consulting, discusses how to keep employees happy, maintain productivity and hold on to your best staff.

sked to pick one question every company should consider if they want to improve their business, Jonathan Rosenberg, adviser to Google management, chose: "Among your stronger employees, how many see themselves at the company in three years and how many would leave for a 10 per cent raise?" Perhaps an unexpected choice given Rosenberg's product background, but once again it underlines the importance one of the world’s most successful companies places on retaining the very best talent. So how do you keep hold of your best staff? Getting your recruitment right in the first place is essential, but no matter how well you hire, employees will always differ in ambition, intellect and attitude. It's not until you see them working in your business that you can truly identify great staff; then it's up to you to do everything you can to keep them.

Lead by example

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

team is the only way you can paint a picture of the destination you want to reach in a way that allows them to visualise what success looks like and means to them personally.

Empower

Think about who inspires you. People listen to those they like and respect so work hard, keep high standards and help others. Strong leadership and communication will help you keep top employees on side.

If people understand the reason behind their actions and are allowed to make decisions they become more confident and autonomous. Combine that with encouraging ideas and discussion and you create an environment where employees are more engaged, productive and willing to go the extra mile.

Have a clear vision

Nurture talent

Everybody needs a sense of purpose and a clearly defined direction will help rising stars understand what they are working towards; whether that's building a business, helping others, achieving a goal or reaching the next stage of their career.

Talent is never a threat if the attitude of the people involved is right. The secret is to surround yourself with those you want to support and be successful, but who also want you to succeed.

Develop a positive workplace Treat people individually Understanding what drives each person in your

The quality of your environment has a significant impact on your enjoyment level, so

try to make yours fun. Be flexible, as in the modern workplace it’s much less about the business defining an individual and more about individuals defining the business.

Build a great team A good mix of complementary skills and characteristics will make your team more likely to be able to grow together. To keep people engaged make sure everyone knows their role and what is expected. If your team is struggling to bond, try arranging an away day to get them working together in a fresh environment.

Show them the opportunity Salary and bonuses are important, but its lack of personal development that's the number one reason people move on. The best people have ambition and there is often opportunity for career progression where they are, it’s just not communicated until it’s too late. Your job is to help them see how they can move forward, keep them challenged and develop their career.

Do something different The unexpected is always more appreciated, so why not give your staff a day off on their birthday, send them a card of thanks or let them leave early. Whatever you do, make sure it makes them feel good and they realise it’s because they are appreciated. It’s the little things that matter most and I lose count of the number of times I hear someone say, ‘I wouldn't mind if I just got a little more back in return …’ Ultimately, if someone’s worth it find out what they want and see if you can give it to them, because if you're prepared to be flexible it’s you who will benefit in the end.

BUSINESS

Left to right: Mike Jobson (Oxford Innovation) with Dawn and Simon Miles (Anarchy Brewery).

Anarchy on the rise How Oxford Innovation is helping a Northumberland brewery reach its goals. he husband and wife team behind a Northumberland-based craft brewery is targeting further expansion and exports after receiving specialist business coaching. Simon and Dawn Miles established Anarchy Brewery in 2012 and they’ve turned to the Business Northumberland High Growth Programme to support the next stage in their award-winning company’s development. “We set the business up with our own funds and that’s how we want to continue to operate,” says Simon. “However in order to create that self-sustaining future, we knew we needed to take some expert advice on planning our growth strategy. “Brewing quality beer is what we know best but the actual running of the business is incredibly demanding so we recognised the time had come to take stock and plan properly for the future.” The Business Northumberland High Growth Programme offers established and start-up businesses in the county free support in reaching their full growth potential. This support is being delivered by the UK’s leading business coaching specialists, Oxford Innovation. For Oxford Innovation programme manager Mike Jobson, working alongside Anarchy Brewery was familiar territory as he had previously held senior international roles with drinks industry giants Guinness and Diageo. “The fundamentals of the business were all

in place; a great product range, strong brand and most important, people with a talent and passion for what they do. My role was to apply some focus to Simon and Dawn’s efforts and to get them to work on their business as well as in it,” says Mike. One of the issues Simon and Dawn face is in managing the rate of long-term growth in their business. “We want to expand but at the same time we want to remain niche and we won’t ever compromise on quality,” said Simon. “Having looked at all aspects of the business, Mike has set us a two-year target to increase production from 30 brewers’ barrels a week to 50 but with that sharp rate of increase comes issues around space, staffing and logistics. “We already employ six people full-time and two part-time but we will need to hire more commercial expertise. And we need to establish how best to configure our plant and machinery to cope with the increased production all within the confines of the space we occupy. “However with our new business development plan, we’re confident we’ll overcome these challenges and reach our growth target.” Anarchy Brewery’s beers include Blonde Star, Quiet Riot and Sublime Chaos which won gold at the 2013 and 2014 Society of Independent Brewers awards. And while the North East of England remains Anarchy’s heartland, its beers are sold in pubs across the

UK as well as in Europe where the company works with distributors in Sweden and Germany. In April, Simon and Dawn will take Anarchy on the road when they attend the prestigious Barcelona Beer Festival. Mike adds: “The drinks industry is highly competitive with discerning customers enjoying more choice than ever before. “Simon and Dawn have worked incredibly hard to establish Anarchy in the market and with their renewed focus I am convinced they are well set on the path to growth.” Business Northumberland is jointly funded by Arch, The Northumberland Development Company, Northumberland County Council and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). 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 the last three years, Oxford Innovation has helped its clients across the UK access over £100 million of funding, creating or safeguarding more than 1600 jobs. Anyone wishing to find out more about the Business Northumberland High Growth Programme and how Oxford Innovation can support their business should call (01670) 528403, email northumberland@oxin.co.uk or visit www.businessnorthumberland.co.uk.

BUSINESS

Cool growth GrowthAccelerator is a government and private sector partnership that offers bespoke coaching to SMEs with the potential to grow. Here, Lucinda Richardson of Wheelbirks Parlour reveals how the organisation has helped her family business. hen Lucinda Richardson married husband Tom, she became part of a fifth-generation family business. Wheelbirks farm – currently owned by Tom and his brother, Hugh – has been farming the same pedigree herd of Jersey cows in Stocksfield, Northumberland, since 1925. It was the devastating spread of foot-and-mouth (Wheelbirks farm was thankfully spared) in 2001 that forced the brothers to look at expanding their farming business. With locally produced ice-cream gaining in popularity, Tom and Hugh made the decision to diversify into the frozen foodstuff, using the farm’s luxurious Jersey milk. Tom and Hugh invested in an ice-cream making plant for Wheelbirks and went on a number of courses to learn the craft. Initially, Wheelbirks ice-cream was sold to local hotels, shops and visitor attractions, but it was always Lucinda’s dream to open an ice-cream parlour at the farm. Her dream came true in the spring 2010 when Wheelbirks Parlour opened. Serving the farm’s ice-cream and selection of hot meals, the venture headed by Lucinda, was an instant success with families. For the next three years, Lucinda worked relentlessly on the business. The food menu expanded and a charming Victorian orchard with additional seating, a play area, vintage tractor, and ponies and chickens, was opened. Customers continued to flock to the farm Lucinda, who was previously a midwife, had done an amazing job developing Wheelbirks Parlour but with no experience running a business, the monumental effort began to take its toll. She started looking for some external help to take the business forward. “By 2013, our feet had not touched the ground,” says Lucinda. “We were, of course, thrilled with the success but we never had the time to stop and evaluate how far we’d come and

Lucinda Richardson

what our next step was. “I decided to find a coach who could come in and look at the business and give us some advice.” Lucinda found what she was looking for with GrowthAccelerator (GA), a bespoke service aimed at businesses with the potential to achieve high and sustained growth. Another key factor was that, because GA is a partnership between government and private sector businesses, Wheelbirks qualified for 50 per cent funding towards senior leadership and management training, in addtional to the coaching support. After meeting with Denise Franks, a growth manager at GA to discuss the parlour’s aspirations, capacity and opportunities, Lucinda was appointed a growth coach who best suited her and her business’s needs. Miriam Harte, a coach with a very strong business and finance background coupled with extensive customer service and visitor management experience from the heritage and tourism sector was chosen to work with Wheelbirks. “Miriam came out at regular intervals and got to know the business very well,” explains Lucinda. “She was sympathetic to a lot of different issues and was really inspirational with ideas and thoughts – some of which I took and some I didn’t.”

An additional benefit for those working with GA is access to business workshops. “I really liked that on top of the coaching, you, or anyone in the business, could attend these workshops, “ Lucinda reflects. “I went on a management workshop and a strategy one. They were really helpful and I got to meet people who were in a similar situation as myself. “ 2013 saw an extension built to the parlour. Seating grew from 70 to 115 covers and office space and a staff room were added behind the scenes. Wheelbirks also opened a children’s playbarn, and began hosting events and weddings at the farm. Lucinda’s staff numbers have also grown from five in the early days, to 47. Miriam helped Lucinda’s management style and her budget control to build more profitability into the business, too. “She helped to show me that I needed to take a step back so that I could look at the business and see what it needed. “I felt very guilty at first but it really helped my decision making. I am so much happier where I am now as a manager. I’m running the business more effectively and the business is going from strength to strength.” With Wheelbirks continuing to prosper in 2014, and a renewed vigour for the business, Lucinda is in no doubt of the benefits of GA. “Working with Growth Accelerator has been brilliant for us and provided invaluable help,” she enthuses. “I know it’s hard when you’re so busy like I was, but I would strongly recommend people see what’s out there. “I was so pleased I found GrowthAccelerator. It was the right input at just the right time.” For more information on GrowthAccelerator visit www.growthaccelerator.com or call (0191) 499 8401

BUSINESS

Picture perfect North East IT consultancy, Perfect Image, becomes one of the region’s first Amazon Web Services (AWS) consulting partners ...

he partnership with Amazon Web Services enables Perfect Image to offer its customers, both old and new, a managed cloud computing service, including comprehensive advice, support and monitoring. Through its managed AWS offering, the firm is able to provide flexible and scalable IT solutions in a safe and secure environment, powered by the world’s leading cloud platform. Perfect Image’s chief executive, Andrew Robson (pictured), said: “Working to offer AWS was a natural progression for us to meet our customers’ growing IT demands. We took the decision to partner with them because we understand our customers have a need for the type of infrastructure offered by AWS to support their business needs. At Perfect Image, we don’t take a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. Instead, our account managers take time to understand our customers and their business before advising on a bespoke, yet affordable, IT solution. In working with a team of experts like Perfect Image, businesses are able to take advantage of all the opportunities AWS has to offer.” Cloud computing through Perfect Image’s managed AWS technologies is not only secure

and reliable, it is also flexible and affordable. Customers can easily scale their usage up or down to meet evolving business needs without having to amend any contracts and with little lead-time. Resources can be up-scaled at a moment’s notice to cope with spikes in seasonal demand as and when they happen. This flexibility means customers can react to business cycles, seasonality and new projects both quickly and without risk. As well as offering greater flexibility, AWS is a pay-as-you-go service. Customers using managed AWS technologies through Perfect Image are only billed for the service and capacity that they use, regardless of the size and scale of their requirements. Furthermore, cloud computing services, like AWS, means there are no contracts, no upfront payments and no hidden costs for the customer. The AWS virtual infrastructure is also safe and secure. It has been designed to provide optimum availability, while ensuring complete customer privacy and segregation, making it a safe and reliable environment for a business’ cloud platform. Perfect Image’s Managed AWS team specialise in devising and delivering the most secure AWS platforms for

customers, allowing business owners and senior decision makers to have peace of mind knowing that data is safely held in the cloud. Durable and high availability platforms mean AWS is available as and when customers need to gain access to data in the cloud. Whether a business needs extra network redundancy to ensure 100 per cent up-time, or is looking for a CDN to reduce latency and increase data transfer speeds, AWS offers this level of flexible availability. Mr Robson continued: “AWS is the latest addition to an already comprehensive Managed Services portfolio at Perfect Image. We’re proud of the long lasting relationships we foster with our customers – we are their trusted IT partner – and they come back to us time and again because we provide them with bespoke solutions that are right for their business needs. We’re excited to be bringing the managed AWS offering to the North East and look forward to working with customers on a range of cloud computing projects in the future.” For more information about Perfect Image, visit: www.perfect-image.co.uk or call (0191) 201 2111.

LEGAL & FINANCIAL NEWS

Move for Clarke Mairs New city centre offices unveiled for the growing law firm.

ewcastle-based Clarke Mairs LLP has moved to new city centre offices to support its continued expansion. The commercial law firm has occupied newly refurbished offices at One Hood Street after relocating from Royal House on Market Street. The firm has grown steadily over the past six years and has made a number of key appointments in the last 12 months including Lee Betchley, a dual qualified barrister and solicitor specialising in employment law, Emma Pringle and Rachel Swinburne who are building the Private Client Services division. The practice also acquired Neil McQueen & Egner in 2012. The 7000 square foot offices have been selected to provide room for further growth. Tim Clarke, senior partner at Clarke Mairs, said: “We’re really pleased to have found offices in the centre of Newcastle. We had looked at premises on the Quayside and in business parks slightly out

of town but our client’s tell us they prefer the central location where they can easily pop in while in town.

“The larger offices give us the scope to continue the expansion and we are looking out for the right candidates”

Boosting numbers

Ruth joins BHP

NECC’s new legal partner

ix new faces have joined North Eastbased Tait Walker. The new team members will add to the specialist services available at the accountancy firm. The new recruits will work across a number of different divisions of the business, which now employs 143 staff across its offices in Newcastle, Northumberland and Tees Valley. The new joiners are Deborah Trelease (financial planner), Nicola Edmondson (tax manager), Jon Archer (business services manager), Siobhan Hooper and Craig Patterson (business services executives) and Victoria (IT support).

olicitor Ruth Markham, who has nine years' experience of dealing with personal injury cases, has joined BHP Law as an associate. As a highly respected specialist in her field, Ruth typically works on high value cases involving damages of £500,000 up to £4 million-plus. Ruth said: "There is a lot of expertise within BHP Law, which has a well deserved reputation for handling complex cases that can run for anything from two to five years or even longer. The firm's commitment to clients and pursuing cases for as long as it takes to get the very best outcome is what attracted me."

atson Burton law firm has joined the North East Chamber of Commerce’s Partners’ programme, by which prominent businesses work with NECC to deliver its members policy aims. Duncan Reid, head of Corporate at Watson Burton said: “We are passionate about North East business and helping our region reach its full potential. We see membership of NECC Partners as an opportunity to work with people from the business community who are equally as passionate and committed as we are to making the North East successful.”

LAW & FINANCE

Continual income or regular payment? Ian Lowes, managing director of Jesmond based Lowes Financial Management explains the difference …

hen we invest to achieve an income the natural place to start is with investments that are designed to produce income payments, typically a bond or equity income investments. However, this is not necessarily the best way to achieve the income we need. In fact, taking an individual’s tax situation into account, it could cost them money. The best outcome for our individual circumstances is not always the most obvious one. The majority of us use our income tax allowances each year, and yet very few of us take advantage of our annual capital gains tax allowance. Consequently, there is far too much tax paid in this country because people want an income from their investments. The reality is that while people may well want an income, what they actually need is a regular payment – which is not necessarily the same thing. To explain with a simple example: Let us assume we have a basic rate taxpayer who is looking to invest £50,000 with an objective of achieving an annual income of £2400 after tax, which equates to a return of 6 per cent. If we placed the £50,000 into what seems to be the obvious option, a portfolio of income bearing unit trusts achieving 6 per cent, then after tax the individual would get exactly what they set out to achieve – an annual income paid into their bank account of £2400. Ten years on, because all of the income has been withdrawn but nothing more, the investment should still be worth £50,000, with

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

no tax to pay on encashment. The incomegenerating objective has been met. But let’s say that rather than just taking what would seem to be the obvious option, we address and question the person’s needs and, as a result of this, our advice is to place the money into a portfolio of growth unit trusts, achieving the same 6 per cent per annum. How does this change the situation? As the name suggests, growth unit trusts don’t pay income. However, by setting up an annual withdrawal facility from the growth unit trusts, we can arrange for the £2400 that the investor needs each year to go into their bank account. This makes a difference because the growth portfolio is subject to capital gains tax (CGT), rather than income tax, and because the £2400 falls well within the annual capital gains tax allowance (for 2014-2015 an individual has an exemption from CGT up to £11,000) then unless your total annual gains exceed this allowance, there’ll be no tax to pay each year.

In addition, because the growth trusts are earning a return on the money they make, at the end of ten years there is more invested. On final encashment of the trusts there is likely to be 18 per cent CGT to pay on the gains, but by the time we take into account the capital gains tax allowance in the year of encashment, you’ll still end up being better off. This is not the only way to make use of the CGT exemption. If you are a higher or additional-rate tax payer with a spouse who is a basic rate tax payer, it can benefit you as a couple to transfer assets into the spouse’s name to utilise their annual exemption when it becomes time to sell those assets. It must be borne in mind however that, in order to avoid CGT, or indeed an inheritance tax (IHT) issue, this can be only be done by an outright and unconditional lifetime transfer between couples. Also, where an investment needs to be sold and it is too large to do so under one year’s exemption, spreading it across two tax years, thereby making use of two annual exemptions can reduce the tax bill even further or – depending on the size of the investment – avoid it altogether. The important point to remember is that, just like your annual ISA allowance, if you don’t use your CGT exemption each year, you lose it. So it makes sense to undertake a proper financial plan to ensure when you invest, whether it is for income or growth, that you are making full use of all your tax allowances and exemptions.

ADVERTISER’S ANNOUNCEMENT

Total vehicle care How recent investment has made Fenham Garage Services a one-stop-shop for your car, van or small lorry. oasting complete vehicle care across Tyneside, Fenham Garage Services has been the North East’s one-stop-shop for your vehicle needs for over three decades. Priding themselves on providing an impeccable level of service, without the unrealistic price tag, places the garage as one of the regions’ most trusted motor shops. From its state-of-the-art, purpose built workshop, Fenham Garage Services is able to carry out work, repairs and modifications to the highest of standards on up to eight vehicles at a time. The dedicated team of skilled and experienced mechanics are trained to a very high calibre, refusing to cut corners and never providing a level of care that is less than perfect. Approved and recommended by The Volkswagen Group, the staff at Fenham Garage Services bodyshop are able to carry out all body and paint work repairs to all vehicles from the VW Group; allowing body and paint work repairs to all VW, Audi, Seat, Skoda and VW

investment of over £500,000, which has extended the services offered. The equipment that has been installed is among some of the most hi-tech machinery currently in use in the industry. The additional installation of a semicommercial spray booth into the garage enables Fenham Garage Services to accommodate vehicles with a weight of up to 3.5 tonnes; the size of a large van or small lorry. So whatever the body work or paint job, why go anywhere else?

Commercial vehicles to the highest level of standards that you’d expect from an authorised garage. As a special offer to North East Times readers, Fenham Garage Services are pleased to offer a £29.99 MOT plus a free retest, subject to terms and conditions*. The workshop encompasses a recent

Fenham Garage Services is at 37 Hadrian Road, Fenham. Open 8:30am-5:30pm (Monday to Friday) and 8:30am-1:30pm (Saturday). For more information, email info@FGSGarages.com or call (0191) 272 2322. *Free retest is only valid to customers who book in for any work after original MOT. If work is carried out elsewhere, you will be charged a further £15 for retest and certification.

LAW & FINANCE

Staying power doesn’t mean standing still Joanne Major of Major Family Law reflects on five years in business. n April 1, I celebrated five years in business as Major Family Law. Having previously worked only as an employed solicitor, I took what seemed a monumental step to create my own, completely new business from scratch, initially working alone from my kitchen table. Had I known the difficulties, challenges and sheer determination required simply to keep going, I may have thought twice about embarking upon the venture at all, but like most things in life, the journey is a learning process, and I have learned many new skills as well as insights about myself along the way. I felt a huge sense of achievement when I opened my first offices and took on my first staff to assist me. Relatively speaking, it could have been easy to continue to operate at that micro level indefinitely. But being self-employed means constantly challenging yourself, constantly developing and constantly growing your business. I took on assistant solicitors and support staff, who all required equipment, insurance and training. It was a steep learning curve for aspects of business of which I had no previous experience, such as cashflow, budgets, business plans, and the rules and regulations relevant to operating business premises – as well as those specific to my chosen profession. Much is made of the amount of sleep lost by business owners and – as with many clichés –

there is a huge amount of truth in it. A project which was borne out of a desire to have flexibility in my working life to take account of my young family as well as a desire to work on my own terms, seemed at times to be controlling me rather than me it. Being self-employed can seem lonely, and that can be magnified rather than diminished by taking on employees as the sense of responsibility increases. I had not truly contemplated how different running and growing a legal practice would be to simply practising as a solicitor. In addition to being a family law solicitor, I have had to find time to plan and implement ways to raise the business profile and bring in new work, and instruct myself in technologies and skills unfamiliar to my professional training. With no pre-existing client base, no referral network, and no business partner to share the burdens, the path on occasions seemed too steep and too littered with obstacles. Focus, resilience, determination and a strong business network have made the difference between succeeding and giving up. With every achievement comes the need to drive further forward. Standing still is stagnation and slow death to a business, even when every instinct tells you to stay where there is familiarity and safety. From kitchen table, to my first small business premises, and on to our current

offices, the growth in physical surroundings has reflected the growth in stature of the business. I have a dedicated team of well respected specialist family solicitors, legal assistants, and an accounts clerk working with me. Last year, I was delighted to appoint my office manager and long-standing work colleague as my first co-director. I have a number of consultants who assist me on various aspects of offering an enhanced service to my clients, and on our fifth birthday, the team expanded in to our newly developed extended premises to allow us to grow further in size over the coming years. Being a business owner is not for everyone. Women account for under a third of those in self-employment, but since the recession started in 2008, there has been an increase of around 300,000 women self-employed, showing that determination can triumph over adversity. Despite the challenges, my journey so far has been hugely rewarding, and I don’t regret one moment. I am looking forward to seeing what the next five years brings! Joanne Major is the principal and a trained Collaborative Lawyer of Major Family Law, the Divorce and Family Law Specialists, 12 West Road, Ponteland, Tel: (01661) 824582, web: www.majorfamilylaw.co.uk, Twitter: @majorfamilylaw

LAW & FINANCE

Why technology is evolving in the clouds The growth of cloud technology and what that means for business, by Brewin’s Fiona Newborough.

echnology is evolving fast. This evolution is not confined to the number of tablets or smartphones that we, as consumers, use on a daily basis but increasingly to how technology and IT services are provided to organisations via the cloud and equally how the two overlap. Cloud computing can no longer be considered a new phenomenon. The word cloud is basically a metaphor for the internet. More and more companies are moving to the cloud for the provision of their IT services with Hosted Desktop Services offering the potential for virtual offices. Cloud computing is the process of using a network of remote secure servers hosted on the internet to store, manage and process data rather than doing so on a local server ‘on premise’ or in the office. Effectively it is changing the way IT is delivered, enabling users to consume technology as a service on a pay-as-you-go basis with no upfront capital investment in infrastructure, long-term contracts or ongoing maintenance costs. Many people believe that cloud computing could revolutionise the technology market in the way the internet did in the 1990s. Despite this, according to one of Google’s top techies Urs Holzle, only 1 per cent of the world has moved to the cloud so far. One can only imagine the opportunities that lie ahead for providers. One interesting aspect that ties the growing use of personal technology devices such as Smartphones and tablets to businesses, is the concept of Bring Your Own Device or (BYOD).

EXPERT VIEW Fiona Newborough Assistant director Brewin Dolphin Tel: 0191 279 7611 Email: fiona.newborough@brewin.co.uk Web: www.brewin.co.uk/Newcastle

According to Cisco we will average five internet enabled devices per person at home making consumers considerably more confident in terms of technology and in turn placing greater demands on an organisation’s IT infrastructure. Generation Y is not tied to their desks and now expects to be able to bring their own devices to work and Generation Z is likely to be even more demanding. Firms therefore need to adapt. There are two schools of thoughts on BYOD. Firstly, that it could have the potential to increase user productivity, cut costs, and get mobile technologies working in organisations. Alternatively it could be considered a disruptive phenomenon where employees bring non-company IT into the organisation and demand to be connected to everything without proper accountability or oversight. In either case there is scope for security to be compromised not to mention data protection issues to flare up if firms do not implement

clear BYOD strategies. This can create its own challenges but it cannot be ignored by businesses and indeed cloud providers are already assisting companies in coping with the issue. Clearly the rise of the tablet and this major shift towards the development and delivery of cloud computing is going to claim some definite winners and losers in the investment arena. The more traditional PC manufacturers are faced with serious headwinds and those that cannot adapt will no doubt struggle. So how can an investor obtain exposure to this fast growing market? As always, there are various investment routes. The higher risk option is to invest in one of the smaller AIM listed companies; examples include Iomart Group and Naastar. In the mid to large cap arena the options are relatively few. Telecity is a FTSE 250 company with an exposure to cloud computing although it doesn’t directly provide the service. Instead it rents out space in the form of power capacity to cloud vendors. An alternative and lower risk investment route is to obtain exposure via a unit or investment trust that is focused on technology such as the GLG Technology Fund. Funds such as this will invest in a broad range of themes including social media and smart phone expansion as well as cloud computing delivery. Although investment in the technology sector may have its benefits, we do recommend seeking professional advice before undertaking any type of investment to ensure it is suitable for your needs.

LAW & FINANCE

Letting others in Muckle’s Andrew Cawkwell on the benefits of talking to an external expert about your business.

e all know making the wrong decision can be costly. Nobody knows it all, so when making tough decisions, two heads are usually better than one. This is true when it comes to business, too. The bigger the company, generally speaking, the wider the expertise on offer and the more equipped they are to make informed decisions across a wide range of specialities. Making an informed decision – no matter what the issue – is harder when your company is smaller and you don’t have experts in-house across a range of specialisms. The wrong decision can also be harder to bear. Regardless of size, the best business leaders know that asking for expert advice is a strength, not a weakness. Whatever the issue, if you’ve a difficult decision to make, a turnaround specialist is a good place to start. As a facilitator I tap into my network of specialist contacts, including those that

EXPERT VIEW Andrew Cawkwell Partner and certified turnaround professional Banking and Restructuring Team Muckle LLP Email: Andrew.Cawkwell@muckle-llp.com Twitter: @CompanyRescue

evaluate process, costs and management issues through value stream mapping. What is clear from adopting this approach is that it’s easier to see the bigger picture when all the financial cards are on the table. I can then provide meaningful support and assist businesses to arrive at the best decision. Recently, I was engaged by a business that decided to save costs by consolidating two production sites into one. However the business hadn’t taken enough steps to understand the impact of its decision in the long-term or weighed up other options. While the obvious solution for a business operating below capacity may appear to be to consolidate – there are other factors to consider such as plans for growth and what happens when the limits of a single site are exceeded. For any business looking to grow, invest and win new contracts, the benefits of seeking expert advice in the first instance far outweigh the costs of doing so after a wrong decision has been made.

LAW & FINANCE

Corporate Finance briefing ... with Mark Irving, director at Irving Ramsay Limited. hope you have found my recent columns dedicated to the process of selling your company useful. I also hope they have demonstrated that when it comes to handling one of the most important business events of your life, taking expert advice is critical. I am taking a break from the column for a while so I thought I would share some of my hopes and expectations for the remainder of 2014. I will be sure to give myself a mark out of ten at the back end of the year based on actual performance! From a finance raising perspective, the Finance for Business North East funds are now in their last year (closing at the end of the calendar year). I would certainly hope that Irving Ramsay will complete more deals with the fund managers during the course of the year both in respect of new and existing investees. Of course the story does not end there, funds will be available in 2015 and beyond so there are still plenty of opportunities for a wide range of businesses (from early stage to mature and across a wide range of sectors) to raise funding to help create organic growth.

With greater levels of debt support from the banks and ever rising numbers of active EIS and SEIS investors, the finance raising landscape looks to be pretty positive. In terms of disposal mandates, I am seeing several new opportunities month in, month out. While these opportunities need to be taken through the process and completed before I can really express an opinion about the state of the M&A market, Irving Ramsay has enough

live ongoing projects where buyers have been found and deals struck in principle to know that the confidence required to make acquisitions is undoubtedly returning. Given the nature of the buyers I am currently engaged with (listed plcs, overseas companies and private equity backed businesses), it is clear that confidence and the ability to fund acquisitions exist at the large corporate level but this has not yet filtered down to the SME market. History suggests that this is a matter of time more than anything else. Generally speaking, I feel bullish about prospects for 2014 and beyond. If negative macroeconomic shocks can be avoided and confidence continues to gently grow and gain momentum I believe there will be greater opportunities for the owners of North East SMEs to create greater shareholder value and a far greater likelihood of crystallising that value by selling their business for a premium price. If you are thinking about selling your company, buying another business or raising finance for your company, email Mark on mark.irving@irvingramsay.com or call him on 07730 437 617.

LAW & FINANCE

The trouble with

time horizons By Michelle Steggles, private banker at Barclays Wealth and Investment Management, Newcastle.

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

n investing, as in life, ‘long term’ can mean different things to different people. Similarly, one’s emotional horizon, although rarely considered at the outset, can sometimes take years off the period of time that an investor stays in the market. While sensible financial advice extols the value of long-term investing, views vary over what ‘long term’ really means. Similarly, the notion of an investor time horizon remains one of the most misunderstood concepts in finance.

First, let’s look at what the investment horizon is not: When thinking about your overall portfolio, your time horizon should not be how long you’re prepared to stick with any single investment or manager. An investment horizon is distinct from your rebalancing horizon: we should all periodically rebalance our portfolio back to our appropriate risk level and make sure the

investments are still doing what they are supposed to. It is not (or rarely) the same as the time to retirement; many investors still have some capacity to invest post retirement. Put simply, your investment horizon should be determined primarily by when you need the money: i.e., how long do you have before your option to choose when to sell expires? Over our lives, most of us will have interim needs to withdraw capital – either to fund large purchases, or ongoing expenditure after retirement. These investors have finite investment horizons, and the larger or sooner the future withdrawals – unfunded by expected income – the more they reduce the overall time horizon. For example, someone who is retiring in three years and wishes to purchases an annuity with his entire portfolio has a very definite time horizon of three years. He has little flexibility to choose when to sell and should

therefore take very limited risk in the intervening years. On the other hand, an investor who can afford to stay invested after retirement has a long sequence of much smaller withdrawals over the rest of her life. She can afford to take much more risk in the pursuit of higher portfolio values over time. As a general rule, asking investors to tick a box to specify their investment horizon without considering their need to use the money is counter-productive – it often forces them to state a time horizon that is much shorter than their true goals. Finally, as mentioned, there is another threshold that we should be aware of – the emotional horizon. Selling low because you need the money can be resolved by reducing risk over time (to account for your shortening horizon); but many investors sell low even when they still have the option to hold on. In times of stress our emotional horizon shrinks. Good investing requires not just determining our investment time horizon, but also controlling our emotional one.

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.

LAW & FINANCE

The future of pre and post-nups Nicola Matthews, head of Family at Hay & Kilner, looks at pre and postnuptial agreements which are likely to be given binding status to give couples a more predictable outcome on divorce.

EXPERT VIEW Nicola Matthews Partner and head of Family Hay & Kilner Solicitors Tel: (0191) 232 8345 Email: nicola.matthews@hay-kilner.co.uk Web:www.hay-kilner.co.uk

he Law Commission's report proposes that pre and post-nuptial agreements are enforceable as contracts, but only after both partners' financial needs, and any financial responsibilities towards children, have been met. Both parties would also need to have disclosed all material information about their financial situation and both must have received independent legal advice. Under the current law, couples can make pre and post-nuptial agreements but no one can be certain they will be upheld, although they have been gaining in weight since the Supreme Court ruling in the 2010 landmark case of Radmacher v Granatino. The Courts generally look favourably if an agreement has been, “freely entered into by each party with a full appreciation of its implications unless in the circumstances prevailing it would not be fair to hold the parties to their agreement”. But at the same time that the Law Commission published its proposal, an heiress to a fortune from her father’s media

company that created Bob the Builder, was being told to buy her ex husband a house, at a cost of around £1.2 million, despite a series of nuptial agreements being in place. The ex wife is Victoria Luckwell and her ex husband was Francesco Limata, who agreed that he would not make any claim either during or after the marriage in relation to his wife's separate property or to gifts made by her wealthy family. The pre-nuptial agreement was followed by two supplemental agreements during the course of the marriage, when the wife received gifts from her parents. And despite the judge agreeing that if the pre-marital agreement had not been made, the marriage would not have taken place, and neither would the further gifts to the wife have been made without the supplemental agreements, he pointed to the importance of fairness. Justice Holman concluded that the former husband was "now, on any view, and in the context of this case, in a predicament of real need" and that it would be wrong for

the children to experience two wholly different lifestyles when visiting each parent. At first sight, this case may look as though it’s going against the flow, but is really a reflection of the role the family courts have always taken, which is to do the best by families following divorce, particularly where children are concerned. It’s about fairness, and while it is certainly likely that nuptial agreements will have greater weight in future, that principle of fairness will remain an overriding factor. Talking about money is often seen as unromantic, especially in the run up to a wedding, but learning how to sit down and discuss financial matters openly is really a very good way to enter a marriage. A pre or post-nuptial agreement may not be appropriate for every couple, but where there are significant assets or children from previous relationships, it certainly makes sense. If a split unfortunately happens, then anything that helps couples more easily negotiate a settlement has to be good.

LAW & FINANCE

Christopher Welch

Taking care with Sintons Care sector specialists at the Newcastle law firm oversee a major acquisition.

aw firm Sintons acted for North Westbased Creative Support in making an acquisition that strengthens its place as one of the UK’s biggest social care providers. Through the acquisition of Delos Community Limited, Creative Support now has more than 5000 employees across the country and an annual turnover of over £100 million. The organisation, based in Manchester, provides support to around 6000 people in more than 50 local authority areas across England, and has a North East regional office in Stockton-on-Tees. It offers services including supported living, supported housing and residential care. The management team, day-to-day operations and

clients served by Northamptonshire-based Delos will all be unaffected, and will transfer to the new enlarged business. The nationally-renowned care team at Newcastle-based Sintons – headed by Corporate partner Christopher Welch and Real Estate partner Alok Loomba – led the team working with Creative Support to complete the deal, which included the acquisition of a substantial property portfolio used for the provision of social care. Anna Lunts, chief executive of Creative Support, said: “Delos are a fantastic organisation with whom we share a clear set of common values and goals. We are excited about the future for Creative Support and Delos as this transaction comes to full fruition. “We would like to thank our legal team at

Sintons for their expert advice.” Christopher Welch, partner in the Company and Commercial department at Sintons, who has specialism in advising the care sector, said: “This is an excellent strategic move for Creative Support, and further strengthens and enhances its position as one of the key players in its sector. “Sintons works with businesses and organisations in the care sector throughout the UK, and we have an enviable reputation for our expertise in what is a very specialist area. We are very pleased to work with such a rapidly-developing client as Creative Support which has the interests of its service users at its core.” For more information visit www.sintons.co.uk

LAW & FINANCE

UNW Dental deals at record level It’s all smiles at the chartered accountants and business advisers. he Dental Business team at UNW chartered accountants and business advisers experienced a record final quarter of 2013, helping clients negotiate to buy practices and secure funding worth more than £4 million. Deal funding came mainly from Lloyds, RBS and Santander, indicating healthy competition amongst lenders and a continued enthusiasm for the dental sector. This year has also started well, too, with two practice acquisitions in excess of £1 million in progress with the Newcastle-based firm. UNW dental specialist partner Alan Suggett says: “I’m delighted, not only with record total amount of the deals, but also with the geographical spread from Northumberland to the Midlands, via Durham, Yorkshire and Greater Manchester. "Three of the deals were for practices worth more than £1 million, which goes to show that the large dental corporates aren’t having it all

Alan Suggett

their own way." Meanwhile, UNW has also developed a multi-purpose forecasting system for dentists:

The practice acquisition viability forecast. This tool enables prospective buyers to evaluate how much profit, and more importantly, disposable income they will have if they buy a practice. The forecast is cleverly designed so that dentists can easily plug-in different scenarios, evaluating the impact of different factors such as the number of sessions they work, changes in bank interest rates etc. Alan adds: "Although other forecasting systems are in use, the UNW system is perhaps unique in that it incorporates tax calculation modules (either for income tax, corporation tax, or both), so that all factors are taken into account in the viability evaluation. "Dental bank managers appreciate the viability forecast, as it helps them prepare lending applications for their underwriters and this is why UNW often receives bank referrals." For more information visit www.unw.co.uk

LAW & FINANCE

What’s in a name? Three Counties’ Andrew Alexander on what wealth management actually means.

EXPERT VIEW Andrew Alexander Head of Investments Three Counties Tel: (0191) 2303034 Twitter: @3CountiesIFA Web: www.three-counties.co.uk

he term wealth management is a relatively new phrase that has tended to supercede the more traditional moniker, Independent Financial Adviser in recent years. The internet-based font of all knowledge, Wikipedia, describes wealth management as: “An investment-advisory discipline incorporating financial planning, investment portfolio management and a number of aggregated financial services.” Taking the above as a starting point, the emphasis is clearly upon investment and investment portfolio management as a core discipline within the wealth management firm. The question is however, how can a potential client ascertain whether or not the firm in question are using the phrase du jour as a marketing gimmick or are they really dealing with those with expertise? Here is a quick (and wholly non-exhaustible) checklist to ask any potential wealth manager.

Independence The term has been hijacked, but fundamentally should relate to the investment universe that the advisory firm can recommend from. Open ended, closed ended, onshore,

offshore, active, passive, unregulated; the universe runs into the thousands and it is the duty of the wealth manager to be able to review these on an entirely whole of market basis.

Investment Process Has your advisor got one? Have you read it? Can you? Should you? Yes. This document should outline the fundamental beliefs of the wealth manager, detailing the steps that they go through in order to provide truly independent, whole of market investment analysis. This should be straightforward to read and hopefully answer any questions you may have in terms of what to expect from your investment management moving forward.

Technology With thousands of investment options available, if a whole of market analysis of the investment market is taken, technology must be used if only to cut the wheat from the chaff. Ask your advisor what they use and more importantly if this is free. High quality analysis software costs money but there are plenty of free options available, all of which are limited and inferior. If your advisor simply plays at investment portfolio management, they will be

reluctant to commit to this resource and that can be telling.

Qualitative analysis Whereas past performance analysis, both absolute and risk adjusted comes under the umbrella ‘quantitative’, the ability to actually sit down, face to face, one on one with the fund manager and his or her team is absolutely vital in order to ascertain their forward looking ‘qualitative’ view. My final point would be to ask your advisor what qualitative analysis they have undertaken in the last quarter. Ask who they met and where. Do they meet with all managers on a regular basis that they invest their clients’ funds into? Sitting in a large seminar room with fifty other advisers can only glean you so much information and I would always suggest that one on one meetings offer the opportunity to really get under the bonnet of the fund; see the whites of their eyes. If after asking these questions you are satisfied, congratulations. You have found one of a very select band of firms that do not simply pay lip service to the term wealth management. If you have not, please feel free to contact Three Counties, which certainly do fulfil the criteria.

LAW & FINANCE

The life and times of an IP specialist Neil Matthews of Leather Matthews Restructuring LLP reflects on a career as an insolvency practitioner ... or more than 30 years Neil Matthews has worked with businesses in all stages of financial health and growth, in our region and beyond. Neil is perhaps best known for his work on restructuring, administration and turnaround projects – some more complex than others. In his role as administrator or receiver, Neil has successfully run a variety of businesses in many sectors including farming, aerospace, retail, technology, manufacturing, construction, power, hospitality, hotel and motor. Although much of Neil’s work will be known by the regional business community, there are some back-stories that haven’t seen the light of day – until now, as Neil recalls: “There are one or two projects that have turned out a little differently than intended,” he says. “For instance, the buyer of a manufacturing business who pledged to keep manufacturing and jobs alive on site but revealed post deal that he would be clearing the site for development. Fortunately, in a final twist

to the tale, the buyer’s development plans were scuppered by the squatter’s rights of an ex-Polish POW. He had lived on the site since the end of WWII, but the buyer had failed to notice. “Occasionally I’ve been the one doing the upsetting, such as the run-in I had with the parliamentary office of a former Prime Minister over an unavoidable business failure in his constituency.

“At other times I’ve been left in no doubt about the local community’s feelings evidenced on one assignment by the strategically placed dead pigs outside my office window. “Admittedly they weren’t quite a horse’s head, and were more smelly than scary, unlike the double barrelled shotgun I faced on a European property recovery assignment.” As the economy continues to improve, albeit slowly, Neil believes there is much that businesses of all sizes can do to work with their bank, other funders, shareholders and supporters to improve their liquidity and to strengthen their financial position. “Turnaround principles can be applied to assist businesses in any state of health, or stage of growth, from ensuring survival to planning for expansion,” he says. If you would like further information Neil can be contacted at Leather Matthews on (0191) 224 6760 or nm@lmrllp.co.uk.

LAW & FINANCE

Don’s view Don Taylor has been with Rowlands Accountants for over thirty years. Here, he looks at life in accountancy and what the future holds for some of the sectors he works in. As a partner in Rowlands’ Crook office, tell us about how this has grown and who you work with. Rowlands has served Crook and its surrounding area since the mid 1950s and was one of the firm’s first offices. I joined as a partner in 1979 taking over the care of the existing client base, which included farmers, heavy and light industry, local services, clubs, charities and local professionals across the spectrum. Although many of these clients (or their successors) are still our clients today, the client base has significantly expanded with many clients representing the lighter or technology based industries now more predominant in our area. As a registered auditor I also have a significant number of audit clients who enjoy the added value that an audit brings. While we predominantly serve the local area and the North East, our client base is national, some of whom trade internationally and range from ‘one man bands’ to multi-million pound companies.

One of your specialisms is agriculture. How has this sector changed and in which way are you able to add most value to those within it? Crook is the gateway to Weardale, a picturesque agricultural area where hill livestock farming is predominant. As a Weardale boy, I took a great deal of interest in local farming and this has since developed into one of my

specialisms as an accountant. I am constantly impressed by the ingenuity of farmers who have followed the diversification route. These range from the more traditional B&B’s and holiday lets to highly successful farm shops and restaurants, sports and leisure activities, and even wind turbines. A strong agricultural sector is vital to the country’s economy. Weardale benefits enormously from the efforts of our local farmers to maintain the farming landscape, which helps attract many visitors and in turn stimulates tourist industries in the area.

You also have experience with the leisure industry. What challenges has it faced and what does the future hold? Historically, clubs and pubs have given a platform for performers working in the leisure industry. Changing social habits, followed by the smoking ban and the recession have all had a devastating effect on many of these places but our client base of entertainers has remained sound. The internet and social media create much wider, often global audiences. There is always a demand for live entertainment; it’s just now technology provides a new platform. We are helping the clients we work with evolve and signpost to financial support where this exists, for example government assistance is being introduced in 2014 that will help entertainment agencies involved in live theatre.

As someone has travelled extensively, what drives your wanderlust and

what have you learned on your travels? The stereotypical accountant is of a bookish, boring character. Whilst an avid reader of fiction I also enjoy historical non-fiction, which together with my past geographical studies has often been the stimulant for travelling, be it the war graves and battlefields of France or trekking to Machu Picchu in Peru. This is selfperpetuating as recommendations from fellow travellers leave me with an inexhaustive list of places to visit. Equally, clients’ tales of their own adventures, as diverse as rowing the Atlantic and climbing in the Himalayas spur me on even more.

What are your ambitions for Rowlands Accountants and what do you believe gives the firm its strongest competitive advantage? In my time at Rowlands we have expanded from offices in Crook and Chester le Street to six offices in the North East. These days, as well as the traditional base, we act for academies, pension fund holders, internet companies and foreign investors and also have a thriving Insolvency section. We have excellent connections with bankers, solicitors, financial advisors all of which add to the extensive service that we can bring to our clients. I believe that our wealth of experience is matched by our drive to train the best staff and provide the best service to our clients. For further information on Rowlands visit www.rowlandsaccoutants .co.uk

LAW & FINANCE

Globetrotting solicitor returns home Well-travelled Paul Crawley, from Gateshead, settles in at a local law firm. orth East law firm, Gordon Brown, has appointed Paul Crawley as commercial solicitor, marking the start of a new journey in his career that has seen him spend three years in south Asia. The 34-year-old, originally from Gateshead, has taken up the role this April after gaining a wealthy background of experience both in the region and on the other side of the world – on the tropical island of Koh Samui. When the recession hit the UK economy in 2008, Paul who was newly-qualified at the time, travelled to Thailand on his honeymoon. He returned with a job as commercial legal advisor at a multinational, multidisciplinary legal and taxation practice, DFDL Mekong, and moved out there to fulfill a sense of new adventure. Following a short span in New Zealand on his return, Paul relocated to the region gaining

experience at both Teesside-based Punch Robson and Butterworths Solicitors in Gateshead before joining Gordon Brown. Paul says: “I’ve certainly had a colourful career to date, and having had the opportunity to work abroad – escaping the worst of the recession – has stood me in great stead for this next challenge and my future at Gordon Brown. “I’m really looking forward to getting stuck in straight away – I’ve witnessed the company’s growth from a high street practice to a wellestablished law firm and wanted to be part of it. “Having set up a commercial law department from scratch in a previous role and heading up a small team, I’ll be looking to apply this formula to expand local business development. “I’ll have one foot in the corporate sector and the other in commercial property, despite

market conditions being tough at the moment.” In his new role, Paul will be dealing with landlord and tenant matters, business sales and acquisitions, and general corporate and transactional work in the commercial property department at Gordon Brown Law Firm, which has offices in Newcastle and Chester-le-Street. Gordon Brown, head of commercial property, said: “We’re dedicated to growing our commercial services offering, and further establishing this service with the region’s businesses. “It’s fantastic to have Paul join us at a time when we’re looking forward, to bring in a fresh outlook and new ideas. I’m confident he won’t waste any time in getting to work on the task at hand and making an impression on the future of the department.” For information on Gordon Brown Law Firm visit www.gblf.co.uk

RELATIONSHIP BUILDING AT RMT CORPORATE FINANCE AT NEWCASTLE-BASED ACCOUNTANTS AND BUSINESS ADVISORS, RMT, HAS BEEN GOING FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH. ALISON COWIE TALKS TO THE HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT, GREG BOLTON, ABOUT THE REASONS WHY. Since Greg Bolton joined RMT 18 months ago as head of will stick to their own thing,” he reflects. “But by working Corporate Finance (CF), he has achieved his mission to build together, we often achieve better results than either department the accountants and business advisors’ CF prominence on a can on their own.” regional, national and international scale. RMT also has the advantage of being members of the With the help of Corporate Finance manager Graham Corporate Finance Network, a national collective of CF focussed Brown, Greg has grown RMT’s CF client base considerably accountancy firms, and it is also the only firm in the North East and the team are now working on bigger, more complex deals. to be part of DFK International, a network of 200 speciallyOne of Greg’s greatest assets is that he can draw on his own selected firms worldwide. experience of running a business. Being members of such networks allows the firm to share After graduating as an electronics engineer, Greg worked information, ideas and experience. in research and development for five years before the Corporate Finance manager Graham Brown explains: “It’s opportunity arose to run his own business. good because we get all the benefits of still being an independent Five years later, he sold his share in the business which firm but we have a wider network of information.” allowed him to return to university to study an MBA at Durham Greg adds: “It’s very useful when we’re working on Business School. international deals. If a client shows interest in buying a business After completing his MBA in 2001, Greg embarked on a in a particular area, we can simply pick up the phone and call career in corporate finance. someone to get information.” “I was bright-eyed and full of ideas about how I was going Relationships with clients – new and existing – is another key to change the world of corporate finance and provide the kind area for Greg, and the CF team regularly host presentations and of advice I needed when I was running my own business,” he seminars to engage with the public. reflects. “We are very proactive about Previously based in Teesside, getting out there,” says Greg. “We do Greg had always been aware of a lot of events and are always happy RMT and the fantastic reputation it to have a chat with anyone. “ held. He knew directors Mike Pott The strategy of building internal and Maxine Pott, as well as and external relationship is paying Graham, and so, when he was dividends and work for the CF given the opportunity to join the RMT department is pouring in. team, Greg jumped at the chance. Greg and Graham also recognise After joining the 60-year-old firm, that confidence is returning to the which has six directors and more market. than 60 members of staff, Greg “There was strong evidence that worked with Graham and Maxine to when things began to fall apart back GRAHAM BROWN & GREG BOLTON formulate a plan to develop the CF in 2008, people sat on their hands arm of the practice, which deals in and tried to ride it out. But it gets to valuations, forecasting, due diligence, disposals, finance the point where people just have to get on with it,” says Greg. raising and private equity, mergers and acquisitions, “There’s a lot of activity out there right now and that lifts development capital and management buy-outs and buy-ins. everyone. It’s what we want: to see everyone up and buoyant.” One of the first tasks for Greg was to identify key people Investment bodies, such as the North East Access to Finance, within RMT who could assist in corporate finance. have also helped SMEs access funding which the CF team at RMT He added a number of tax and audit experts to the team to have had to keep abreast of. boost the service for clients by bringing in specialist “Regional Growth Funds have had a real impact on the knowledge. region,” reflects Graham, “with some significant grants now Recently, a client achieved a 30 per cent uplift on the price available to businesses. of their business, thanks largely to the firm identifying key “There are different funding pots for different things and, at synergies and tax implications that made the company a more RMT, we’ve been very involved in applying for those subsidies.” attractive option for buyers. Going forward, Greg and Graham are hoping that the market “Bringing in people with other disciplines and understanding continues to recover, allowing the CF department to grow of the market into the process means that, quite often, we can further – recruiting new members of staff to keep up with demand. identify buyers who will recognise a strategic value of a Greg, Graham and the CF team are also fully committed to business, not just its face value,” explains Greg. working with others and building those all-important relationships Developing closer relationships with other departments that help RMT and its clients to flourish. within RMT is something else that Greg has been keen to encourage. For more information on RMT visit “Traditionally, accountants have their own specialism and www.r-m-t.co.uk

COVER STORY

TECHNOLOGY NEWS IN ASSOCIATION WITH

TSG recognised for its national growth The technology company is awarded ISO 9001:2008 certification.

T solutions specialists TSG has been recognised for its achievement in integrating 27 acquired businesses in ten years, leading to the creation of a successful national company. TSG now has 12 offices across the UK and all were investigated as part of its assessment to achieve the international quality management standard ISO 9001:2008. Since it was established a decade ago, the business has grown through a strategy of acquisition with its regional bases developed from combining 27 smaller IT companies around the UK. CEO David Stonehouse said: “ISO 9001 is a fantastic achievement that will continue to benefit the company internally as well as strengthening our competitiveness all over the UK.TSG is committed to providing the best quality of experience possible to our customers and this certification will ensure we continuously tune our processes going forward as our business develops.”

Software company taps into graduate talent

oel Magee and Ashley Matthews are the latest in a long line of graduates to be offered employment at North East software consultancy and development company, Scott Logic, as part of a subsidised placement scheme. Michal Brosh, resourcing manager at Scott Logic, said: “The Newcastle Work Experience scheme offers a win-win situation for everyone concerned. We get the opportunity to meet and develop top talent that we can then hopefully hire, and students get the chance to get to know us and jump-start their career.”

Event celebrates superfast broadband

urham businesses met at the North East Chamber of Commerce HQ last month to debate the benefits of fibre broadband and mark its arrival at Aykley Heads Business Park. Fibre broadband arrived in the business park as part of the Digital Durham, a £25 million initiative to transform broadband speeds for businesses and residents across County Durham, Gateshead, Sunderland and Tees Valley. A partnership of eight local authorities, including Durham County Council, has agreed a deal with BT to extend high-speed fibre broadband availability to around 94 per cent of premises by the end of 2016.

NUFC fans first to trial APP

ewcastle United fans have been the first in the country to benefit from an innovative app that allows them to have refreshments delivered to their seat during a game. VenueMenu has been operating in North America for a number of years and is now planning to grow the scheme across the UK. The company has been working closely with Sodexo Prestige, which operates the catering at St James’ Park, and has trialled the scheme during the current season. Users download the free app on to their smartphone or access it via their browser and then register, allowing them to pre-order food and drink.

TECHNOLOGY

The future is wireless How to achieve secure wireless access, by ITPS’ Garry Sheriff.

ccording to the world leader in networking communications, Cisco, global mobile data traffic grew 81 per cent in 2013, with mobile video traffic exceeding 50 per cent for the first time in 2012. Over half a billion mobile devices and connections were added in 2013, totalling 7 billion, up from 6.5 billion in 2012 and smartphones accounted for 77 per cent of that growth, with 406 million net additions in 2013. This has sparked a need for high capacity connectivity, particularly 4G and wireless, and made wireless access a must have for companies looking to maintain competitive advantage. The biggest concerns for CIOs and IT Managers are around offering staff and visitors secure internal wireless access to the network at the same time as managed access for visitors. The ability to facilitate this exists, however secure management and change control present ongoing challenges. When Cisco bought out cloud computing company Meraki for £750 million it supported Cisco’s drive to help firms to manage their networks using the internet, and give it access to a customer base of mid-sized businesses looking to take advantage of the benefits of cloud technologies without needing to increase their IT resource or employ more staff. Retail is one sector that has embraced wireless wholeheartedly, having been quick to recognise its ability to support actionable customer feedback that helps to grow their

EXPERT VIEW Garry Sheriff Managing director ITPS www.it-ps.com

business. For instance, with Meraki’s presence location analytics a retail business can see and control what types of devices are connecting to its network, look at statistics showing time spent in the store, analyse new and repeat visitor traffic and use it to make decisions on staffing and store layout. It also means it can direct users to a promotions or social media page, optimising customer engagement at every point. In the legal sector, the growth in bring your own device (BYOD) has driven law firms to respond by seeking out comprehensive wireless solutions with robust security and traffic management controls. Security concerns can be addressed by simply setting up separate SSIDs to isolate the guest wireless network from the employee wireless network, so guests have internet-only access while the employee network uses a dual authentication process to provide access to the LAN. A typical law firm solution might have an

intuitive management dashboard handling daily monitoring and configuration, making it simple to manage by a small in-house team via an easy to use enterprise management console. They can secure the network to protect internal resources, set monitoring controls for rogue access points, block unwanted applications, install, re-configure or even wipe a device, and protect bandwidth by limiting use of sites such as YouTube and iTunes. Any temporary network access such as for arbitration or other ad-hoc purposes can be set up in minutes by unboxing and plugging in a Meraki access point, which will self-configure to the established environment. Its ability to deliver easy deployment and management, plus low total cost of ownership and high scalability makes the Meraki solution both an enabler and a guardian of an organisation’s wireless network. As businesses and consumers increasingly regard wireless connectivity as a necessity rather than a luxury, it’s becomes easier to see why the company, which built its reputation as an innovator with the launch of the industry’s first intelligent access points, is tipped to become the leading name in cloud managed networking solutions that dramatically simplify enterprise networks and deliver game-changing benefits to all types of organisations. As Cisco Premier Partners we are offering existing customers a try before you buy scheme, and for the next three months we are extending that offer to prospective clients too. Get in touch now to discover the benefits of the next generation Cisco Meraki WiFi.

TECHNOLOGY

State of the Art Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new in the world of technology and gadgets ...

HTC ONE (M8) he all-new HTC One (M8) combines premium design and advanced performance. The smartphone is honed from a single piece of aluminum and has a vivid, high-resolution, 5inch screen, while the technology features

include Motion Launch that automatically detects the moment you pick up the phone, enabling you to wake up the screen or unlock it and move straight to common functions with a simple swipe or double-tap or, if the phone rings, simple put it to your ear to

answer the call. The Duo Camera is also packed with features including UFocus which selectively blurs different parts of the image so that the subject stands out. The phoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s speakers are also 25 per cent louder than the M7 model.

PANASONIC HX-A500 anasonic has unveiled the world’s first 4K 25p wearable camcorder that can be securely attached to your body or head. The compact HX-A500 is dustproof and waterproof up to 3m and has EIS Image Stabilisation and a 1.5-inch LCD monitor on the main unit allowing you to check the camera’s field of view during recording. RRP £379.99.

www.panasonic.net

LG MINI 2 G has unveiled its first ever ‘compact’ smartphone. The G2 mini is a smaller version of the G2 and features many of its award-winning UX features. The mid-tier, Android 4.4 KitKat device has a 4.7-inch screen and comes with 1GB RAM and 8MP rear and 1.3MP front cameras. UK release date TBC.

www.lg.com/uk

SONY MDR-HW700DS et the ultimate cinematic sound experience all to yourself with the new MDR-HW700DS digital surround wireless headphones system from Sony. The innovate 9.1ch digital surround headphones reproduces the soundstage of multiple speakers enabling you to enjoy explosive surround sound, whether you’re watching a film, gaming or simple watching television, without disturbing those around you.

www.sony.co.uk

MEDIA NEWS IN ASSOCIATION WITH

OPR stamps its authority The PR agency walks off with an account win with Dr. Martens.

ward-winning Newcastle PR agency, OPR has been appointed to manage the store proximity PR in the North and Scotland for iconic British brand Dr. Martens. Following a successful launch campaign for Dr. Martens’ Newcastle store launch last Autumn, that broke global records for opening day sales, OPR has been selected to promote all its stores including and north of Birmingham, working with a southern counterpart and its national PR agency. Amy Nelson, UK Retail marketing manager at Dr. Martens, said: “The amount of local coverage generated for our Newcastle store opening made us realise the opportunity to have on-the-ground PR support across the UK that understands the individual media and dynamic in each city. Kari Owers, managing director at OPR, said: “Dr. Martens is exactly the type of brand we love to work with, as they embrace digital PR techniques such as seeding content with local ambassadors on social media, as much as good oldfashioned PR and they like to get under the skin of the city their customers live in.”

Horizonworks in bat for Durham N

ewcastle-based full service marketing company, Horizonworks, has joined the Durham County Cricket Club team this season – as a creative partner. Horizonworks has been appointed by

the Chester-le-Street-based club to deliver advertising, brochures and promotional material – and will be supporting Durham CCC’s marketing team in promoting both on and off-field activities. Samantha Davidson, managing director

of Horizonworks, added: “We’re thrilled to be working with one of the region’s true sporting success stories. We look forward to supporting Durham CCC in promoting match day activities as well as off-field proceedings.”

Pressing ahead with responsible business

North East company showed its support for Responsible Business Week (March 31-April 4) by pledging 1000 hours of staff volunteering time.

Sunderland-based Press Ahead is encouraged its 11 members of staff to participate in charity initiatives, including mentoring schemes and charity support

over the course of the next 12 months in order to build upon its already active corporate social responsibility programme.

MEDIA

Understanding the

customer journey Sarah Hall, managing director of Sarah Hall Consulting Ltd, the PR and marketing consultancy, looks at how understanding the customer journey can help retailers grow their bottom line.

f you’re a retailer or dream of becoming one, it is really important to understand the journey that customers go on when deciding to purchase – from the drivers and stimuli to timeframes involved. Purchases generally fall into one of three categories, impulse, habitual and those that have been researched. We’ve all picked something up in the shops that we hadn’t planned, while we also regularly buy certain things like groceries. Similarly, very few of us would buy an expensive product like a house, car or white goods without doing some research first. As you’d expect, buying patterns and timeframes change by retail sector. According to research carried out by Microsoft/Carat in 2011, five drivers shape customer journeys: contacts, consumer, culture, category and context. Whereas before we would have worked fairly smoothly through a process of awareness, familiarity, consideration, purchase and loyalty, digital technology has made the purchase process much more complex. Consumers use a variety of channels (they no longer just go into a shop to look around and buy) and the reviews and experiences of others feed – in a highly influential fashion – into the decision-making process for even the smallest of purchases. IPSOS OTX/Google released data in 2012 that illustrates this nicely. The research

identified that 44 per cent of people research online before buying online, 17 per cent visit a store then buy online, 32 per cent research online, visit a store to view the product and then buy online, while 51 per cent research online and then visit a store to go ahead with their purchase. These are interesting findings that show how important it is to having a digital footprint and which could make e-retailers consider having a bricks through and mortar presence too. Almost ten years ago, Proctor and Gamble coined the phrase First Moment of Truth (FMOT) to describe the first time a shopper encounters a brand on the shelf – a make or break moment where the product is either picked up or passed over for a competitor’s brand. The Second Moment of Truth (SMOT) describes the moment when the product either lives up to or fails the brand promise when sampled. This thinking was evolved by Google’s MD of US sales and service Jim Lecinski who introduced the Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT) – where consumers evaluate their options online taking into consideration reviews, pricing and much more. Leading digital analyst Brian Solis has actually taken the concept one step further, positing that there is also an Ultimate Moment of Truth (UMOT) where the shared opinions and experiences of others feed in a customer’s

ZMOT time and time again. Solis says: “In addition to websites, landing pages and corresponding SEO and SEM strategies, businesses now must consider how to create experiences in every moment of truth that aren’t just meaningful or remarkable, but also shareable. “The future of brands now lies in how UMOT meets ZMOT throughout the customer life cycle. Marketers must begin to architect, foster and optimize positive experiences in each moment that’s native to each screen, efficient in steps, and tied to desirable outcomes.” So what does this mean? Well it means retailers have to compete for the attention of customers much earlier than before – a useful prompt for thinking about strategies and tactics on how to show up at the right place, at the right time and with the right content. In short, brands need to consider how to harness positive experiences in order to secure that sought after and hugely powerful customer advocacy. 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

MEDIA

Marketing strategy helps drive success When North East technology business Hyperdrive Innovation wanted more growth, it appointed Horizonworks as its strategic marketing partner. As Horizonworks’ managing director Samantha Davidson explains, the relationship has yielded exceptional results.

yperdrive Innovation is really going places. Ingenious, creative and visionary, this engineering company is a prime example of cutting edge British industry. Based in the North East, the firm provides electronic vehicle drive systems for automotive, industrial, offshore and subsea applications. It is at the forefront of electronic and low carbon vehicle technologies, and boasts an impressive track record in R&D – its products include engine control systems, sensors, data loggers and range extending systems. When the time came to launch a range of new technologies, Hyperdrive Innovation turned to Horizonworks to develop a marketing strategy which would drive the company forward. The strategy provided both an informed and independent perspective on the markets for its products, and a focus for the company’s commercial activities, targeting increased sales as well as supporting diversification into new markets. Receptive to new ideas, but lacking an inhouse marketing resource, the company required a team who could combine strategic thinking with creativity, industry know-how and the ability to deliver results. Working with Horizonworks, that’s exactly what it received. Last year, we undertook a thorough communications audit for Hyperdrive Innovation, looking at the business through the eyes of staff, customers, directors and competitors, analysing its market ... and leaving no stone unturned. This benchmarking exercise allowed us to set new marketing objectives, define the company’s messaging and recommend a programme of tactical PR and marketing activities – creating a blueprint for the future.

Samantha Davidson

The marketing strategy was well received by the firm’s management team and we were appointed to deliver our recommendations. We’ve since undertaken a wide range of activities for Hyperdrive Innovation, from creating a fresh, modern brand, developing a new website and producing marketing brochures, to rolling out an e-marketing campaign, implementing a PR programme and designing exhibition materials. Their successful and timely completion has been underpinned by a finely honed marketing strategy. Hyperdrive Innovation has also benefited from Newcastle Science City’s business support services (Horizonworks is one of Newcastle Science City’s four approved providers of marketing services as part of the business support programme) and investment from Rivers Capital Partners, who manage the Finance for Business £7.5 million North East Angel Fund. In addition, we’ve helped the firm to access the Investment For Growth funding stream, which supports SMEs in the North East, and funding from GrowthAccelerator, which is

designed to support high growth businesses. The results of Horizonworks’ holistic approach has driven a step change in Hyperdrive Innovation’s business, providing the tools to effectively showcase the company and its achievements and providing reassurance of the quality of its products and service delivery. Our work has created the right perceptions to build its brand in the marketplace to support project bids and generate incoming enquiries for larger contracts and R&D collaborations. In short, we’ve helped to position Hyperdrive Innovation as a major player, with the ability to compete on a national level. And in February 2014, the firm recorded 300 per cent year on year sales growth as a result of new product developments and securing national R&D contracts. It has been thrilling to work with such a forward thinking company and to see it thrive, with a tailor-made marketing strategy providing the bedrock for both its current success and future expansion. In the words of Stephen Irish, managing director of Hyperdrive Innovation: “The strategy provided an excellent insight into our business and a marketing roadmap to drive forward the ambitious growth of the company. Horizonworks’ approach to working with us is constantly evolving to support the needs of our business, from strategy development and rebranding to raising profile in industry press and targeting new clients.” Proof, if it was needed, that a focused, effective marketing strategy should be at the heart of any organisation. For more information on Horizonworks, tel: 08450 759955, email: hello@horizonworks.co.uk or visit www.horizonworks.co.uk

If you want to make a real difference to your business, to help it expand and to ensure that it never stands still, join Horizonworks for our free Marketing Strategy Breakfast Seminar from 8am to 10am on May 22 at The Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. The seminar will highlight the importance of an effective marketing strategy, using practical examples, and will offer advice to help businesses achieve their objectives, through optional one-to-one sessions with our expert team. To book your place, call Michael Hancock on 0845 075 5955, or email: michael@horizonworks.co.uk.

MEDIA

Ask Silver Bullet … Kerry Tudor of Silver Bullet Marketing answers your marketing queries. Q: I heard there’s no such thing as bad press, can you send out too many press releases? PR is an invaluable part of any successful marketing plan and it accounts for so much more than sending out press releases to the local paper or trade press. At its essence PR is the tool that is used to maintain the reputation of your business, and when it’s used effectively it keeps things running smoothly from day to day (and fixes those nasty problems that come out of the blue). Whether through the press, digital media or at events, PR is, in my opinion, far and away the best means of outward communication at your disposal. When used effectively PR can be used to position you or your organisation as an expert in your field, as well as a likeable and relatable entity, instilling trust and familiarity in your brand, which keeps customers coming back for more. Bearing all of this in mind, the short answer to this question is that you shouldn’t just use

the PR function for the sake of it. You may have been told that you should work to a PR schedule – and that is good practice –however the schedule should be determined by stories worth sharing when the time is right, not by creating a timeline filled with a certain number of stories a week regardless of content, so that you appear busy even when you’re not. Being ubiquitous whilst also being useful and interesting to your clients is the PR dream, however if you’re there with the turn of every page with innocuous updates and irrelevant news stories, it can end up being a turn off to customers (and media!); your presence becomes akin to that bad smell that won’t go away. Just think of generic furniture shops and how well received they are, it’s bigger news when they don’t have a major sale … When you start a PR campaign you should take a good look at your calendar, which events and diary dates taking place over the next few months relate to your business? A good PR agency will fill in any gaps in between that you should be aware of, for

example, if you’re a builder and statistics have just been released about the improving housing market, they can advise you to take the opportunity to provide an informed professional comment to press that reflects well on your business. It’s worth noting here that business often take the opposite approach to PR and don’t believe that they have anything interesting to say when they’re actually sitting on some fantastically newsworthy content. The key is to run everything by your PR agency/consultant. It’s their job to keep an eye on trends, related news and news agendas that lend themselves to your line of work and make sure your brand and reputation is protected. Do you want to know more or do you have another marketing question we can help with? Is PR proving to be a nightmare? Or design doing your head in? Talk to Silver Bullet. Email your questions anonymously to hello@silverbulletmarketing.co.uk or Tweet (not so anonymously) @SilverBulletPR and use the hash tag #AskSB

MEDIA

What is a

brand? Jackie Marston, managing director at JAM Marketing explains all ...

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

ften at JAM we’re asked to create a brand for either a new company or one that wants to re-establish itself in a new light. This works well for companies if they are well-established and just want to freshen up their image. When we think of brands, we automatically think of logos and those of companies that we recognise. But it’s much more than that. From the moment we awake in the morning to the time we go to bed, our minds are bombarded with images of people trying to sell us something. Brands of every sector in the world are thrust upon us on social media, in the newspapers, magazines, on TV and radio and on billboards etc. These brands for whatever reason cause a reaction within us, whether it’s a positive one or a negative one. If you see the ‘golden arches’, you immediately think of McDonald’s and even if you’re not a fan of their products, you still know it’s them advertising. If you see the tick

on sportswear, you know it’s Nike, again, you may not wear their products, but you’ll have seen their branding often enough to know it’s theirs? So when you decide on your brand, take into account the following information to help you decide what it is you want to portray: • What is your long-term message and who is your target audience? You need to appeal to them. • Work out what you want your businesses brand identity to be and stick to it. • Most brands are there to authenticate your beliefs, your morals, code of ethics and your personality, so choose wisely. • Ensure that your brand is aimed at nurturing long-term relationships with your customers, after all, keeping a client happy is easier than constantly finding new ones!

• Ensure your branding is professional and consistent. Moving the goal posts constantly confuses customers, remember the KISS rule (keep it simple, stupid!). There are many companies out there that can help with branding and a good marketing strategy to accompany your brand is essential, even if you’re just starting up. At JAM we believe that marketing should be affordable to any size business, regardless of their budget, hence we work with everyone from one-man bands to global organisations. If you’re in need of any help, please get in touch with one of the JAMmy Dodgers. So to answer the question, what is a brand? It’s an emotion. The feeling that seeing a particular brand has on you as an individual. If you see something that is trusted by you, then you’re more likely to use it. Equally a brand can be well received for many years but destroyed in seconds, and if you don’t believe me, ask Gerald Ratner.

STYLE

Get the look Fashion and accessories for women. By Jessica Laing.

French Connection, £150

Topshop, £48

Miss Selfridge, £35

F&F at Tesco, £10

pring has officially arrived, meaning there’s no better time than the present to inject a little sunshine into your wardrobe. Forecast to be one of spring (and summer’s) most coveted colours, yellow arrives this season in an array of sunny shades suitable for all skin types, including lemon sorbet, bold banana and bright buttercup. Braving yellow for the first time? Partnering lemon pastels – in the form of either a sheer blouse, a pair of tailored trousers or thin jumper – with muted shades of cream or white is a great way of avoiding looking too bright for the boardroom. Those looking to make a statement at work, meanwhile, are encouraged to sport a pair of banana yellow court shoes or even a buttercup coloured blazer to add a pop of colour to your look.

Zara, £35.99

MODEL ATTIRE M&S Collection coat, £95 M&S Collection top, £22.50 M&S Collection skirt, £35 M&S Collection shoes, £19.50 All from Marks & Spencer’s SS14 Collection

Accessorize, £7

BUSINESS

The power of mentoring How the Entrepreneurs’ Forum’s mentoring programme is helping North East businesses.

Richard Farrey and Ben Hunter.

Samantha Davidson and Brian Jobling.

Steve Gaylor and Alastair Waite.

haring knowledge and experience has been one of the core elements of the Forum since it began. Nowhere is the mission more profound than in its mentoring programme, established to give entrepreneurs the chance to share their thoughts, ideas and challenges. Mentoring arrangements come in all shapes and sizes, and for different reasons. Finding the right person to meet may not be easy and can often come down to chemistry between two individuals. The Forum’s ‘matchmaking’ service has seen real success in identifying kindred spirits, whether it’s the right person to offer support and guidance to a young entrepreneur, or a mentee who will benefit from someone else’s wisdom and experience. A mentor isn’t an advisor, nor are they there to pass judgement, preach or interview. They give their time for free and are a sounding board, a voice of reason and hopefully a friend who the mentee can turn to for an informed, impartial viewpoint. Mentoring can range from a structured programme of regular meetings, to sessions that are just friendly chats giving the mentee a chance to reflect and voice their thoughts

away from running their business and dealing with daily issues. Paul Moody spent 23 years in the armed forces before starting his business, Gap Waste Management and Transport, in Wallsend, and was keen to share his ideas with a mentor. He says: “For me, talking with a mentor was about getting out of the office and into a different environment. In some ways it’s like a therapy session. It’s about looking at things in a different way and hearing from people with a different approach who know more about the areas you don’t know so much about. It instantly gave me some ideas which became phone calls on the way back to the office.” As a founding member and former board member of the Forum, and a highly successful entrepreneur and ambassador for the North East, Paul Callaghan is sought after as a mentor. He says: "By their nature, most entrepreneurs don't want to be told what to do. They have a view of the world, they have a business that's exciting to them, and they want to be the ones to develop it. "However, they also want someone to bounce ideas off, to reassure them that they're doing the right thing, to draw things out of them and to offer some fresh thinking or a

different perspective. "As an entrepreneur you can feel lonely and isolated so it's about having someone you trust to share both the good and bad." Mentoring is not only about a feel good factor between the mentor – who typically offers their services in order to give something back and gain additional value from the experience and knowledge they have gained – and the mentee – who can gain anything from some hand-holding to reassure them they are on the right track to introductions to contacts to which they would not normally have access. Studies have shown there is genuine business value in a successful mentoring arrangement with small businesses that have mentors more likely to survive. Figures suggest that 70 per cent of small businesses that receive mentoring survive for five years or more, which is double the rate of non-mentored entrepreneurs. Small businesses that receive mentoring are also 20 per cent more likely to experience growth than those that don’t, according to the Small Firms Enterprise Development Initiative. Forum chairman Nigel Mills is a huge advocate. He says: “Providing a platform for entrepreneurs to meet each other and be

mentored is a critical part of the Forum’s work, not just for the individual members who benefit from it directly but also the region as a whole. “The North East is blessed with some great talent and some great success stories, so it’s logical that knowledge base is shared and capitalised upon. Many of our best known entrepreneurs managed to be successful without the benefit of a mentor, but often say they wished they’d had one.” The Forum assists by matching mentor and mentee based on specific needs and expertise, for example in finance, sales and marketing, PR, strategy and planning. For instance, Steve Gaylor, the founder Darlington-based Synergy SG, was keen to meet Forum board member Alastair Waite. Steve says: “I wanted to meet Alastair as someone with experience in growing businesses and in funding and finance. It is always worthwhile talking to Alastair; he never preaches, just listens and absorbs, then comes up with what, at the time, seem like obvious things we should be doing. “As is often the case it needs an impartial observer to take an overview, to highlight our strengths and weaknesses and to give a subtle nudge in the right direction, so we gained a good deal of encouragement and suggestions on actions.” Mentors do not have to be in the same industry as the person they mentor; indeed some business challenges are common to many sectors, and a truly fresh perspective may come best from someone with no background in the mentee’s industry. Samantha Davidson, founder of strategic marketing company Horizonworks, met Brian

Some of the reaction to mentoring under taken by members of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum:

“I have gained a great deal from the advice of a mentor and wanted to give something back myself.”

“It’s a great two-way thing and you never know where our sessions are going to take you.”

“In every possible way, mentoring has really had a big impact on my business.”

“The other great thing about the mentoring is that I have come away with a really good friend.”

Jobling, founder of Eutechnyx and a Forum board member, to seek his views on how to take her business to the next level. She explains: “Meeting Brian was extremely useful. I chose him because, for me, it wasn't about talking to someone from my sector but someone who has grown a business and taken it successfully through each stage of growth. “Brian has attracted some of the biggest names in his industry and I wanted to learn from him how he'd done it. When you run a business you wear so many different hats, but he reminded me that you should play to your strengths.” After meeting with Nigel Mills, who has mentored a number of entrepreneurs, Richard Farrey and Ben Hunter, founders of Newcastlebased surveying and project management company Silverstone Building Consultancy, said: “The opportunity to pick the brains of someone like Nigel who took a small business and grew it doesn't come around very often. It was very useful and certainly provided food for thought, giving us ten points to work on.” For the mentor, there’s personal value too. James Robson, a non-executive director of Exwold Technologies and co-founder of BRH Business Advisors, says: “I enjoyed hearing about a different business as a mentor. I want increasingly to use my time to help other business owners, to offer advice and be a sounding board. There’s no script, so you have to offer what you think will be of use.” For more information about the Entrepreneurs’ Forum and its mentoring programme, visit www.entrepreneursforum.net.

WORKSPACE & CONSTRUCTION NEWS

Lucky 13 for Northshore Work begins on a £5.4 million office building

The building of a new headquarters for Thirteen Group, designed by Ryder Architecture, and located on the £100m Northshore enterprise zone in Stockton on Tees, has began. Thirteen Group is an amalgamation of two housing companies, Fabrick Housing and Vela Group, who together own more than 32,000 homes spanning North Tyneside to York. Extending to 43,000sqft (GIA), the new building will be located adjacent to the iconic Infinity Bridge and accommodate up to 436 employees. It is planned around a triple height central atrium which links the main entrance foyer to an informal cafe which breaks out onto a riverside terrace and cascades down to the river’s edge. The £5.4m office building has been developed by Muse Developments and will be the first to be built on the Northshore masterplan. A reserved matters planning application was approved by Stockton Borough Council with completion due January, 2015.

Luxury lifestyle on offer

ousebuilder Bett Homes has unveiled a new showhome at its unique development of high-end townhouses. Opulence, located on Cleveland Road, comprises an exclusive mix of 11 fourbedroom townhouses, priced from £339,995 to £354,995. Bett Homes’ sales and marketing director, Lawrence McGeehan, said: “Opulence is an extraordinary development, combining excellent design with our superior specification to create a lifestyle that is second to none.”

House sales hit six-year high

he average number of houses sold per chartered surveyor rose to its highest level in six years during the first three months of 2014 as increasing numbers of buyers looked to test the housing market right, according to the RICS March Residential Market Survey. In the three months to March, respondents sold on average 22.7 homes, the highest amount since February 2008. In the North East, sales were 19 per surveyor.

Top marks

North East construction firm's commitment to building stronger communities has been recognised with a major business award. Gus Robinson Developments has received A Big Tick in the Business in the Community (BITC) Responsible Business Awards. The honour recognises the firm's work developing the skills and prospects of young people from across the North East and in particular, its successful apprenticeship programme.

PROPERTY

Make a move to a Miller Home North East home buyers preparing to make their next move need look no further than the high quality homes currently available from Miller Homes, which has recently retained its five-star rating for customer satisfaction for the third year running. iller Homes has nine developments located across the region, from as far north as Blyth in Northumberland, to as far south as Redcar in Teesside, catering for a wide variety of buyers – whether they are firsttime buyers, second movers or downsizers. House hunters who choose Miller Homes can be confident that their home will be built to the highest standard and throughout the entire home buying process, and beyond, they will receive outstanding customer service. The Home Builders Federation (HBF) National New Home Customer Satisfaction Survey recently awarded the leading housebuilder a five-star rating for the third consecutive year. With 80 years’ experience of building exceptional homes and creating sustainable communities in the best locations, Miller Homes has reinforced its commitment to quality, innovation and care throughout the customer journey by outlining its promise of trust, quality and ease when purchasing a home. With a variety of housetypes available, buyers in Northumberland can choose from a selection of three and four-bedroom homes at Wensleydale Park in Blyth, priced from £152,450, or at Wheatfields in Seaton Delaval, priced from £176,450. In Newcastle, Greenvale Park offers

spacious family homes, priced from £184,950, while in Gateshead buyers can choose between four and five-bedroom homes at Park View, priced from £242,700, or threebedroom apartments, two and three-bedroom homes at Bishops Park, priced from £100,950. Miller Homes also has a range of three, four and five-bedroom homes currently available at its popular Framwellgate Moor development, The Meadows, priced from £209,950. South of the region, house hunters could choose from three, four and five-bedroom homes, priced from £111,840, at Wheatlands Chase in Redcar, three and four-bedroom homes, priced from £124,950, at Kingsmoor in Stockton or four and five-bedroom homes at St Mary’s Green in Acklam, priced from £239,950. In addition to an outstanding quality specification, skillful construction and the superb locations which set Miller Homes apart from other housebuilders, selected homes are also available to purchase using Government-backed Help to Buy or Miller Homes’ own Home Exchange scheme. The Help to Buy scheme offers assistance for buyers who only have a small deposit of 5 per cent through the provision of a 20 per cent equity loan from the Government for those who meet the qualifying criteria, meaning buyers can only need to secure up to

a 75 per cent mortgage from a provider. For buyers with an existing property to sell, Miller Homes’ Home Exchange scheme allows people to swap their current home for one of Miller Homes’ selected plots, regardless of whether they are looking to upsize, downsize or swap like-for-like. The scheme offers a cash buyer for the property and also eliminates advertising costs and estate agents’ fees. Once Miller Homes confirms that a property qualifies for Home Exchange, an offer could be made within seven days and once a price has been agreed and a new Miller home to move to has been chosen, the transaction can progress quickly. Karl Morton, Miller Homes North East’s associate sales director, said: “Over the past 80 years we have been listening to our customers, which has taught us a great deal about what buyers are looking for in a new home. We have learnt that the three things people care about most are trust, quality and ease and we aim to exceed, rather than match, all these expectations. “We have an outstanding track record and are proud of our innovative homes, quality craftsmanship and excellent levels of customer service.” For more information on Miller Homes and its North East developments call 0808 250 6426 or visit www.millerhomes.co.uk

PROPERTY

Relaxation of planning laws Neil Hart, director of North East chartered surveying firm Bradley Hall, reflects on George Osborne’s latest Budget. n the March Budget Chancellor George Osborne announced that he would review the General Permitted Development Order (GDPO) to simplify planning laws and make it easier to convert warehouses and light industrial buildings into residential properties. It was hardly headline-grabbing news for people with no interest in property. For professionals within the industry, however, it was a welcome announcement that should give the commercial and residential markets a timely shot in the arm. As part of the review process, proposals are being drawn up by the Government to introduce a three-tier system, under which small-scale changes would benefit from permitted development rights. Large-scale developments would still require planning permission, while developments that need consideration of specific issues would go through a ‘prior approval’ process. This review is long overdue. The complexity of current planning laws has been a bugbear for the industry for several years.

There would be several benefits to a simplified, three-tier system. It would help to remove obsolete stock from the commercial market, create much-needed new homes and stimulate more activity in the residential market. There are other benefits for the commercial

market. Businesses will have more flexibility to expand facilities such as car parks and loading bays (providing they don’t have an adverse impact on the local community). Not everyone agrees with the changes. Some organisations have flagged up concerns that a relaxation of planning procedures will lead to inappropriate use of certain sites. For example, currently unoccupied warehouses may be unsuitable, and in the wrong location, for conversion into residential properties. However, if a common sense approach is taken to each project – the Government could impose a ceiling on the size of warehouse to be converted, for example – surely this is a challenge that can be overcome. I only hope that this is not kicked into the long grass by the Government, which has not yet set a date by which the review will take place. Action is needed sooner rather than later to maintain recent momentum in the market. For more information on Bradley Hall visit www.bradleyhall.co.uk

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

Phase two of £15 million expansion begins

ounty Durham architects, Padgett White, and a team of skilled builders have moved on site to begin phase two of a £15 million expansion of Ramside Hall Hotel and Golf Club, County Durham. The major extension will see the hotel, which celebrates its golden anniversary this year, gain 47 new guest bedrooms and a new 32,500 square-foot spa. The spa, which is expected to open in May 2015, will include a 25-metre swimming pool, four therapy pools, including a rooftop hydro pool, six heat and therapy rooms, 10 treatment rooms, two relaxation rooms, a gym and aerobic studio, a hair salon and an Asian restaurant. Managing director of Ramside Estates, John Adamson, said: “We’ve had plans for the hotel expansion and spa in the pipeline for six years, so I’m delighted that work has finally begun. We’ve travelled to some of the best spas in the UK and beyond to gather our inspiration.”

Northumberland brewery strikes gold

narchy Brewery, Northumberland, has won the National Gold Award in the Premium Strong Beer category at the Society of Independent Brewers Awards, held in Sheffield, for its ‘Sublime Chaos’ beer. The breakfast stout, which is brewed at Anarchy’s site in Stannington, will now go forward to the Great British Competition, which is to be held in London in August. The stout is one of the 13 beers currently being brewed by Anarchy.

L-R John White, Padgett White, Andrew Sutherland and Paul Hammerton, Walter Thompson, John Adamson, MD Ramside Estates and Chris Padgett, Padgett White.

Seaham Hall earns top AA accolades

eaham Hall hotel, County Durham, is enjoying a double celebration after being granted two top industry awards. As well as a five AA star status, the prestigious hotel’s recently launched Byron’s Bar and Grill has also been granted two AA rosettes. The awards come just months after the hotel was voted Small Hotel of the Year 2013 at the North East Tourism Awards – completing a hat trick of successes in less than a year.

A trip back in time

umley Castle, County Durham, and nearby Beamish open air museum have joined forces and created a minibreak, designed to showcase the region’s heritage. The North East Heritage Break, which costs between £280 and £350 per couple, will combine a two-night stay at the 600-year-old castle with tickets to the award-winning museum. Guests will stay in one of the castle’s 73 rooms and be treated to dinner in its Black Knight restaurant.

STYLE

Back your winning look at Dalton Park Get on stunning form for Newcastle Races with smart, stylish looks from the region’s favourite shopping outlet.

e’re now under starter’s orders for two of the biggest sporting events of the season as Newcastle Racecourse gets ready for the Northumberland Plate Festival in June and Beeswing Ladies Day in July. Apart from the thrill of the race, these two premier meetings have become a highlight of the North East social calendar where the visitor code is definitely ‘dress to impress’. We’re talking ultra smart men and glamorous ladies – top to toe – so no reining in on the small details! Men – for your top race day outfit, visit Jeff Banks, Moss or Suit Direct at Dalton Park, where you’ll find a range of stunning smart coordinates at up 50 per cent off the normal high

street prices. This season’s key look is the suit – but updated with a choice of fits – so check out the style that will get you noticed! The Slim Fit with shorter jacket length is a big catwalk favourite this season. This new ‘attitude’ suit is trimmed down to give a leaner body silhouette complete with narrower chest, waist and sleeves and slimmer lapels. Tapered trousers complement the leaner look. The Tailored Fit offers a smart, flattering look with mid-line jacket and nipped waist. The trousers are slightly tapered to give a stylish but easier look. And the Regular Fit is for men who prefer a classically comfortable look with wider-fit, longer length jacket and straight leg trouser.

Remember: white and lighter coloured suits are as cool as black and navy this season – and stick to single breasted or one or two button styles. Now for those extra touches. Go one step further and upgrade to three-piece with a matching waistcoat – leave the bottom button undone for ultra-style and wear a pocket fob watch for sheer decadence! You also need to pay extra attention to shirts and ties. Go for a crisp white or pastel from Moss or Suit Direct – or opt for a more contemporary jazzy look with minute monochrome pin check or miniature floral designs from Studio at Jeff Banks. And the tie needs to match the fit of your jacket – so choose a narrower width for your Slim Fit jacket.

READER COMPETITION Win £100 to spend on a fabulous RACING DAY suit from DALTON PARK To celebrate the arrival of the big Racing Season at Newcastle Racecourse – we’re offering one lucky reader the chance to win £100 to spend on a fabulous suit or smart co-ordinates at Jeff Banks, Moss or Suit Direct at Dalton Park. To win this fabulous prize simply email your name, address and phone number to alison.cowie@accentmagazines.co.uk with ‘Dalton Park Competition’ in the subject line. Deadline for entries is May 31. Terms and conditions apply.

LEISURE & HOSPITALITY

House rules Jessica Laing enjoys an overnight stay at Jesmond Dene House ... hen neither our time nor our purse strings will allow for a weekend away, my partner and I love nothing more than discovering new places to stay right on our doorstep – even just for the night. Location-wise, Jesmond Dene House is pretty much spot-on. Pulling into the quaint driveway, we couldn’t help but feel hours away from home, despite the fact that the four-star hotel - which is blessed with historic, country house-like good looks - lies minutes away from Newcastle’s bustling city centre. Nestled in the peaceful heart of Jesmond Dene, the place appeared the perfect getaway. After a warm greeting from reception, my partner checked us in while I familiarised myself with the ground floor. Although on the narrow side, it is an incredibly inviting space, comprising one long hallway that forks off into a number of a good-sized rooms, including a quiet cocktail bar and loungestyle billiard room. Boasting ornate furnishings, complemented by soft lighting and rich mahogany wood, the hotel itself manages to achieve a grand, yet surprisingly cosy atmosphere throughout. Wandering up and down the hallway, you hear the crackling fireplace and slight creaking of the floorboards – but it only makes you feel more at home. For a couple looking for the ultimate hideaway, The Noble Suite was nothing short of perfect for us. One of the hotel’s 40 luxury bedrooms and suites (which are all

individually designed and styled), the tastefully decorated, open-plan suite is tucked away on the top floor and remained a haven of tranquility throughout our stay. While my partner marvelled at the private roof terrace (a welcomed surprise that we later took advantage of after our evening meal) and pair of HD flatscreen televisions, I sought pleasure in testing out the plush super king size bed, complete with fresh Egyptian cotton bed linen, and exploring the bathroom. For us, it was the suite’s standout feature: from the ample bathtub and his ‘n’ hers sinks, to the wet room-style shower and toasty under floor heating, it offers a degree of luxury that any couple would be pushed to fault. Resisting temptation to sample the delights of our well-stocked mini-bar, come the evening, we ventured downstairs into the hotel restaurant, which currently holds three AA Rosettes. Connected to a bright and airy garden room, the restaurant is undeniably opulent. Although not as spacious as I’d envisioned, inside, I was pleased to discover contemporary décor, crisp white tablecloths and smart waiting staff. After enjoying freshly-baked mozzarella bread and a zingy, fish-centric amuse-bouche, our mains of crispy half roast chicken with gratin potatoes (£17) and aged flat iron steak (£18.50), which arrived baby pink, succulent and smothered in its rich juices, were served. Popular dishes on the house menu, I must say,

both were executed beautifully – so much so, in fact, it seemed a shame to dig in and ruin the presentation. We rounded off the meal with a mini lemon cheesecake-like dessert each, before devouring the dark chocolate sphere (£10.50) with roasted peanuts and thick salted caramel (a deliciously deconstructed Snickers bar, if you will) and baked vanilla custard (£9.50), topped off with ice cream and sharp rhubarb jelly, from the dinner menu. Extra praise goes to the waiting staff who delivered top-notch service from start to finish and even took the time to remove crumbs from our tablecloth in between courses. If you fancy eating like a king for the night, look no further than here. After an undisturbed night’s sleep, we made our way downstairs into the garden room for a spot of breakfast before checking out. While many of our fellow diners tucked into goodlooking fry-ups, a pot of Earl Grey and a continental mix of cereal, buttery croissants and smoked salmon suited us just fine. Whether for a night or an entire weekend, if you’re looking for somewhere to escape to that isn’t miles away from home, I urge you to pay this charming hotel a visit – a place where you’ll find understated luxury, coupled with delightful cuisine, in serene surroundings. Jesmond Dene House, Jesmond Dene Road, Newcastle. For bookings, tel: (0191) 212 3000 or visit www.jesmonddenehouse.co.uk

LEISURE & HOSPITALITY

Master celebrations Peace & Loaf’s Dave Coulson is to join forces with fellow MasterChef contestant Claire Lara for a special anniversary event.

ollowing a successful first six months of business, the team behind Jesmondbased restaurant, Peace & Loaf, have planned an evening of unique celebrations. Thursday, May 1, will see director and head chef Dave Coulson welcome his former comrade and winner of the 2010 series of MasterChef: The Professionals, Claire Lara, to his kitchen where they will recreate some of the dishes that were designed for the show. A meticulously crafted eight-course MasterChef tasting menu has been created to highlight a particular passion of Dave’s; locally sourced produce. Speaking of the evening, Dave reveals: “It’s been a while since I’ve worked alongside Claire; I’m really excited to have her in my kitchen! “We had an amazing time together on the show, we’ve both come so far and I’m looking forward to tasting her food again.” Guests can choose from one of two sittings

on the night, either 7pm or 8:30pm, with reservations being taken now. Dave concludes: “Whether you’ve eaten at Peace & Loaf before, or you’re yet to try the dishes on offer; we’ve planned a real taste exploration. It is with great anticipation we’ve put together the menu, there are a few unexpected

dishes that we know will surprise you all!” Peace & Loaf is extending the invitation to all eager foodies across the region to join them in raising a glass to mark the special anniversary. Reservations for the evening cost £75 per diner, secured with a £10 per person deposit upon booking. For regular posts, updates and promotions Peace and Loaf Jesmond can be found on Facebook and @PeaceAndLoafJes can be followed on Twitter. Peace & Loaf offers an exciting, seasonal menu incorporating Dave’s signature dishes. Heavily inspired by traditional British cuisine with new ideas, the meticulously crafted dishes will excite and intrigue even the most discerning of palates. To sample the delights for yourself, Peace & Loaf can be found at 217 Jesmond Road. For more information and bookings call (0191) 281 5222 or visit www.peaceandloaf.co.uk.

LEISURE & HOSPITALITY

Get set to spa for summer Unwind, switch off, indulge and get ready for summer at Rockliffe Hall’s world-class spa. t’s easy to get swept away by daily life and forget to give ourselves time to relax but with summer just around the corner, when better to consider pampering yourself? Rockliffe Hall is one of Europe’s top rated spas and is at the heart of the North East, in Hurworth near Darlington. It is a real haven for escape, whether it’s just for the day, for a treatment or maybe a little longer.

Wishing on a spa “Decadent luxury” and “exceptionally good treatments”just some of the thoughts from the Good Spa Guide who recently awarded Rockliffe Hall its ‘5 Bubbles’ for the third year running. What’s more, the North East is home to one of Tripadvisor’s World’s Best Spas and a Sunday Times ‘Top European Spa’ as well. Why does Rockliffe Hall constantly come out on top? Rockliffe Hall’s 50,000 square feet spa includes a 20 meter leisure pool, a thermal bathing suite with a tepidarium, caldarium, roman and heat saunas, tropicarium, hydropool and ice fountain, sound wave therapy beds and an extensive range of signature treatments using some of the most luxurious products available from names such as Murad, Comfort Zone and ORLY. There are even spa butlers on hand to serve you fresh fruit, juices – or maybe even a glass of fizz to make your day even more indulgent. And then there are the treatments. The beauty of having Rockliffe Hall close to home is that is a destination spa, whether for the day or for a stay. There’s a host of packages and signature treatments available – for the girls and for the boys! Just a few highlights of

the new additions include: Just the Two of Us: Need to escape the kids? Work? Or just the daily grind? Then this is the ultimate getaway designed just for couples. As well as being able to enjoy a night of luxury in the 5* bedrooms, breakfast served in The Orangery and dinner in the all-new Spa Brasserie, there’s full spa use, a Mud Rasul treatment to relax and detoxify and then a treatment of your choice as well. Looking for the Best of Both Worlds? Aren’t we all! And Rockliffe Hall can offer you just that. This package gives golf and spa lovers the chance to get away together, making use of all the spa facilities, enjoying treatments and taking to the championship golf course, home to the stars of the European Tour English Senior Open. Something for everyone! From Twilight spa treats when the working day is done to Spa Your Way’ days, you can pick and mix the spa day that works for you. And don’t forget the boys! Rockliffe Hall has dedicated Man Space- a relaxing day just for men with use of the 50 piece Technogym, advice available from fitness specialists, a speciallydeveloped ‘just for men’ facial or the a sportsman’s full body massage to ease muscular tension. And, new for June 2014, don’t forget Dad this Father’s Day. Chuck out the chocolates, forget the aftershave! Treat dad to a pampering day that includes a Rockliffe full English breakfast (well, it is Dad’s day after all!), a treatment designed just for

men and use of all the relaxation and gym facilities. You might even want to join him yourself. And, how could you forget that the World Cup is just around the corner? Fancy a getaway with the girls to escape the football frenzy? Here Come the Girls is the ideal break to do just that. Wine, dine and relax in the spa whilst enjoying a top treatment and, at the end of your perfect day, you’ll adjourn to your very own 5* holiday home from home in the peaceful grounds of Rockliffe Hall’s 365 acre estate.

Health, wellness and more But there’s so much more to Rockliffe Hall’s spa than indulgence, treatments and relaxation. The TechnoGym is one of the best in the North East and has help and advice from top sports professionals. Then there are the wide range of eventsfrom Ladies Lunches with top names such as Tanni Grey-Thompson (Friday June 20) to Nordic walking around the 365 acre Rockliffe estate, an array of exercise classes, the Spa Brasserie with its range of breakfasts, brunches, platters and healthy eating options and the Spa Boutique- where you can pick up a treat from the many high profile brands that choose to stock their candles, make-up, bathing products and more. From Daniel Sandler, Murad and Comfort Zone to ORLY, Neom and St Tropez, make you visit to Rockliffe Hall’s spa memorable. For more details visit www.rockliffehall.com/spa or contact (01325) 729999

LEISURE & HOSPITALITY

More than music Sage Gateshead isn’t just a fantastic music venue; it’s also earning itself a top reputation for the quality of food and drinks on offer in its café, brasserie and bars. New general catering manager, Anthony Hegney, talks to North East Times.

Tell us about your career to date. I’ve been involved with the hospitality business since I was 17, starting out as a glass collector at a hotel in my home town of Halifax, eventually becoming bar manager and working in all parts of the hotel. I spent 12 years in Spain running my own family restaurant and when I came back to the UK, I was with the National Trust for a few years before joining French contract caterer Elior. That job took me all over the UK, from the Tower of London and Kensington Palace to sports venues including Durham County Cricket Club, and I cooked for the Queen and Prince Charles when they opened the Welsh Assembly. Before joining Sage Gateshead, I was the general manager for the Lindley Group at the John Smith Stadium in Huddersfield. Catering has been a brilliant choice of career. I’ve served meals to Michael Parkinson, Ray Winstone and Barbara Windsor, and I’ve been the chef on a tall ship in the Caribbean with the Jubilee Sailing Trust.

What does your role of general catering manager at Sage Gateshead entail? I jumped at the chance to join Sage Gateshead; it’s a fantastic and well-loved venue and no two days are the same. I oversee food quality and customer service, standards, staff training and recruitment. I’m also responsible for the finance and

marketing of Sage Gateshead’s food offer, as well as looking after the food at special events. I’m always trying out new dishes for menu development to ensure our catering stays fresh and different for both regular visitors and people coming for the first time. It’s a really varied job and what particularly excites me is there is lots of potential for us to become a serious destination for foodies across the North East and further afield.

Sage Gateshead recently revamped the café and brasserie offering. What can people expect when they visit? Visitors to Sage Gateshead can be sure of a warm North East welcome when they come to one of our bars, or our café and brassiere. We serve great quality home cooked food at sensible prices and we have a fantastic range of drinks, which includes Wylam ale, cocktails and Prosecco. We are now serving sumptuous afternoon teas and are lucky to have our own in-house pastry chef Anthony, who has an amazing passion for baking and creates some truly marvellous cakes and pastries. Finally we also have a new Sunday lunch offering (with pianist playing on the Concourse) and our hearty Yorkshire puddings are proving very popular!

Tell us about top chef Terry Laybourne’s involvement?

Terry is one of the region’s most decorated chef with a reputation that is second to none and we work closely with him on all of our menu development, focusing on great quality food with a local provenance. We’re planning some special events with Terry here at Sage Gateshead showing off his expertise and sharing some of his tips from inside the kitchen. Watch this space!

What exciting offers are coming up for those planning a trip to Sage Gateshead? We have some great offers coming up including draught Prosecco when you’re out with a group of friends and fancy a glass of fizz. With Father’s Day coming up, we’ll be putting on some special Gentleman’s Afternoon Teas. What better way to treat your dad than with roast beef and Yorkshire puddings, dripping bread with tasty treats to follow, washed down with a bottle of Wylam ale?

What three things can you offer to foodies? Home cooked food, great tastes from the local region and an in-house pastry chef creating some great treats. For more information visit www.sagegateshead.com

LEISURE & HOSPITALITY

Business lunch

Thistle Newcastle, The County Alison Cowie visits Rendez Vous restaurant at Thistle Newcastle, The County hotel.

f it really is all about location, location, location then you can’t argue with Thistle Newcastle, The County’s position with its Grade II Victorian edifice pretty much the first hotel passengers see when they exit Newcastle’s Central Station. Its close proximity to the city’s main rail link has, inevitably, made the hotel (formerly known as the Thistle) popular with business travellers for years. But it has also been a regular stop-off for local business folk, too – be it for a conference, a business lunch or a meeting over a coffee. My two colleagues and I visited the hotel for lunch last month and after parking in the onsite car park (a huge benefit with the

current traffic upheaval being caused by the station’s regeneration) we made our way to the hotel’s Rendez Vous restaurant. The food menu served during the day in the restaurant is described as ‘good honest food and drink’ which is accurate. There’s a choice of sandwiches, soups, small plates, salads and sides on offer, alongside more substantial pasta, Asianinfluenced dishes and ‘favourites’, which are bound to please the majority of palettes. The restaurant is light and airy with a neutral décor punctuated with bright flashes of reds and oranges. And there’s a lovely window mural of Newcastle’s iconic bridges. My colleagues and I feasted on favourites

such as steak and chips, prawn cocktail and vegetable soup, as well as the more worldly dishes of Singapore noodles and a Peri-Peri chicken burger. All were sizable portions and satisfyingly tasty. And while this isn’t somewhere I’d suggest visiting if you’re an out-and-out gastronome, my dining party and I had few complains about our experience. If a convenient city-centre location, friendly service and uncomplicated, hearty food appeals to you then I would recommend you give Thistle Newcastle, The County’s Rendez Vous restaurant a try. Honest. For bookings call 0871 376 9029.

Goat’s cheese and asparagus

Soup of the day: vegetable

Tiger prawn cocktail

£4.50

£4.95

Singapore noodles with tiger prawns

Sirloin steak and chips

Piri-Piri chicken burger

£9.95

£14.95

£9.95

Tropical fruit Eton mess

Dutch apple slice

Trio of chocolate

£4.95

£3.95

LEISURE & HOSPITALITY

Mica McNeill and Darren Hedley.

A winning team County Durham-based winter sports star Mica McNeill has just been crowned British Bobsleigh Champion after Aspers Casino Newcastle rescued her trip after her original sponsor pulled out. Here Darren Hedley, campaigns manager at Aspers, explains how the link-up happened and why the new relationship is set to benefit both Mica and the casino. Aspers Casino Newcastle recently stepped in last minute to help new British Bobsleigh Champion Mica McNeill reach the championships. Tell us how that came about? Aspers is all about having serious fun and taking calculated risks, so there are lots of synergies with the world of sport. As a company we already sponsor an all-female rowing team so when we heard about Mica not being able to make the British Bobsleigh Championships in Igls in Austria due to a sponsor pulling out, helping her out was an easy decision. It’s great that our support paid off for Mica and her colleague Nikki McSweeney who are now the reigning British Bobsleigh Champions.

Why was it important for the team at Aspers Casino Newcastle to support Mica in this way? Aspers’ focus is on helping people win and achieve and Mica’s ambitions fit very nicely with this. Bobsleigh is one of many adrenaline sports and high-energy pursuits and therefore it perfectly complements the fortune element of casinos and gaming. More than that however, Mica is just a

brilliant example of what success looks like when you’re focused and have a goal in sight. We have been hugely impressed by her professionalism and believe she has it in her to go all the way. Ultimately, Mica is a local girl with a lot of potential and it’s great to help support her vision of becoming a gold medal winner at the 2018 Olympics.

How is the relationship with Mica likely to develop in future? We are keen to support Mica in any way we can, hopefully all the way to competing at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang in South Korea. Our meetings with Mica have shown us she is very focused on winning gold – she’ll not be content with just winning a medal – and we want to help as she moves ever closer to her dream. We will be supporting her training, fundraising for any equipment she needs and helping to raise her profile. It’s not just about cash, it’s also about using any links and contacts we have to get her where she needs to be.

This is not the first time Aspers has supported up and coming sports talent as a company. Which other

teams are you involved with? Aspers also sponsors the Boatylicious all-female rowing team, who are aiming to set a new world record rowing 2400 miles across the Pacific Ocean from California to Hawaii. The four athletes (Laura, Emily, Aoife and Ingrid), are aiming to complete the first Pacific rowing race in 40 days this summer. They will be completely self-sufficient with their own food and equipment on board. We see our role as helping to raise required funds to complete their goal and again to raise awareness of the team and their fantastic challenge. It’s such a brilliant campaign to be involved with and we are confident that the team will do us proud.

How do these types of sponsorship deals fit with the wider corporate strategy for Aspers? This type of sponsorship places gaming alongside adventure sports and we are aiming to use sponsorship in the same way that Red Bull has with Formula 1 Motor Racing. Helping athletes achieve their long-term dreams allows us to bring casino gaming to a much wider market and give it greater acceptability and credibility so there is a benefit for all concerned.

EDUCATION

News from Dame Allan’s Schools Recent achievements from the independent school. Newcastle schoolgirls win national squash championship The Under 15 squash team from Dame Allan’s Girls’ School has won the 2014 National Schools Squash Championship. The five girls won two regional rounds to qualify for a place in the final, held in Manchester. They began with impressive wins, beating Wycombe High by 4-1 and then stormed past Benenden A without losing a game. The final was an all Newcastle match with Dame Allan’s meeting Gosforth Academy, the holders of the title. After a tense battle which went down to the final game, Dame Allan’s won the championship by three games to two. Laura Neill led the victorious team of Martha Spalding, Lowri Waugh, Isobel Brealey, Jessica Arnott and Hannah Ravenhall. At just ten years old, Jessica Arnott was the youngest member of the team. For two of the girls, Laura and Martha, the competition was not over, as they returned to the courts to join Charlotte Cooper, Emma Haley and Manon Walton Williams in the Under 19 championships. Again they made an impressive start, beating Wycombe High without losing a game to set up a match against Millfield School. Last year Millfield beat Dame Allan’s into second place in the final match, but this time the Dame Allan’s team played outstanding squash to win by 3-2. In the final match they

faced a very strong team from Tewskbury, losing 4-1. Jane Dennis, sports coach at Dame Allan’s Junior School and squash coach at The Northumberland Club, was thrilled with the results. She said: “This is the fifth year that Dame Allan’s has entered the championships and the fourth time they have reached the finals. So this year to return as national champions at Under 15 and runners up at Under 19 is a magnificent achievement, which the talented and dedicated girls fully deserve. ”

Winning eco-car design Junior School pupil Aaron Flack’s design for an eco car was judged a winner in a competition launched at the British Science Festival. The competition, run by Newcastle Science City, challenged schoolchildren across the region to use their science skills to design a low carbon vehicle of the future. Each design was judged by a panel of experts from electric vehicle component manufacturer Sevcon, Newcastle Science City, Newcastle University and Gatesheadbased Zero Carbon Futures. Aaron’s winning entry included a circuit diagram to demonstrate just how his eco-car powered by Hydrogen,would work. After the award ceremony at Newcastle University, Aaron said: “I feel happy and proud of myself in winning. I didn’t think I

would win so I am surprised and thrilled. My dad is an engineer and I always wanted to be like him”

Teacups in Noye’s Fludde Over 150 pupils from Dame Allan’s Schools took part in a spectacular performance of Noye’s Fludde at St James’ and St Basil’s Church in Fenham. The orchestra of Junior and Senior School pupils played a surprising range of instruments from the traditional piano and violin to the more unexpected windmachine, handbells and hanging teacups. The musicians accompanied the cast of God, Mr and Mrs Noye, their family and the animals who were played by the members of the Junior School choir to perform Benjamin Britten’s mini opera Noye’s Fludde. The text is based on the early 15th century mystery play in the Chester Mystery Cycle and Britten’s vision for this work was to integrate professional musicians to create an enviable opportunity for children to collaborate with top flight performers. Director of Music Mr Michael Dutton realised this vision with the support of baritone Thomas Asher and mezzo soprano Charlotte Heslop and musicians including Julia Watson and Ed Cross, both former pupils of Dame Allan’s. For more information visit www.dameallans.co.uk

THE

PRINCE OF HEBBURN

INTERVIEW

The award-winning stand-up, writer and creator of Hebburn, Jason Cook, tells Elise Rana Hopper about his funny family, drinking with Vic Reeves and why he’s moving back to the North East.

WERE YOU ENCOURAGED TO PERFORM AS A

WHAT’S THE MOST USEFUL LESSON YOU’VE

KID?

LEARNED?

I don't really know - we had a funny house, where everyone was always cracking jokes at the others’ expense and doing impressions of the neighbours and stuff so I grew up around funny people, it must have rubbed off.

That there is no substitute for hard work.

WHAT WERE THE TV PROGRAMMES AND

Favourite - the friendliness and cheekiness of the people, the way the river looks at night-time, the sense of community, the real sense of cultural identity. Least favourite - it gets cold, like.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE/LEAST FAVOURITE THINGS ABOUT THE NORTH EAST?

PERFORMERS THAT SHAPED YOU?

On TV, The young Ones, Blackadder, things of that era. As for stand ups, probably Billy Connolly, he's a great storyteller and that's kind of what my stuff is, telling stories.

THE NORTH EAST COMEDY SCENE: WHAT DO YOU THINK IT DOES WELL, AND WHAT COULD IT

HOW DID YOU DECIDE TO MAKE COMEDY YOUR

DO BETTER?

CAREER?

Well, it's expanded so much in recent years. I left in 2005 because there was only one club - a whole load of stand ups did, we all moved to Manchester. But now, there are more clubs, nights, promoters, it's expanding so much and there's new talent coming through that it's an exciting place to be now. That's why I'm moving back!

My friend was doing a sketch show and I was always the funny bloke in the pub so he asked me to write a few sketches for it. I was working on oil tankers at the time so after my shift in the engine room I would sit in my cabin and write sketches then post them home. The first time I saw people doing the stuff I'd written I decided I would give comedy a go. I’ve never looked back since.

YOU TOOK VIC REEVES OUT DRINKING IN NEWCASTLE TO CELEBRATE HEBBURN’S WELL-

IS IT TRUE THAT YOU DO YOUR BEST WRITING

DESERVED RTS AWARD. HOW DID THAT GO?

SITTING ON THE STAIRS?

I can't really give out too much information, but I was quite unwell for about three days afterwards.

When we were filming Hebburn, they mocked up the house I grew up in and that's where we set it. The stairs was the best place to be out of the way of the lighting and camera guys so I made that my base. That was for series one. On the second series, they built the pub in the same studio so we centered ourselves there. It's a great feeling, going to the pub at eight in the morning and getting paid for it. Even if the beer wasn't real.

HOW HAS IT BEEN RETURNING TO STAND-UP AFTER BEING OFFICE-BOUND?

Well, I never stopped doing stand up when we were making Hebburn, just for a few weeks when the filming was hectic, so I've always been on stage while I've been writing it. Stand up is my first love and and I'm still enjoying it so it's hard to just stop because you have a writing gig on.

WHAT MAKES THE FAMILY SUCH FERTILE GROUND FOR COMEDY?

It's so identifiable. The trick is to try and pick up little things that your family does that might resonate with others.

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON NEXT?

I’ve got a few scripts on the go, a couple for sitcoms and a movie idea I'm working on. There's also going to be an American remake of Hebburn so I might have to pop over to LA at some point. But the main thing at the minute is getting my new stand up show ready. I'm doing it at the Jesterval Comedy Festival at the Baltic Quay, it was a great show last year so I'm hugely looking forward to it.

WHAT KIND OF RECEPTION DID YOU GET FROM FAMILY AND FRIENDS ABOUT HEBBURN? DID MANY RECOGNISE THEMSELVES?

Oh, they all know who they are. They absolutely love it. WHAT INSPIRES YOU?

Jason Cook appears at the Jesterval Comedy Festival at Baltic Square on June 7. Tickets £7.50. www.jesterval.co.uk

Talented people. Working alongside people who are good at what they do really makes you raise your game.

MOTORS

Behind the wheel by Jessica Laing.

F.Y.I. Max power: 340hp Max Torque: 380Nm Max Speed: 177mph CO2 Emissions: 211g/km Acceleration: 0-62mph in 4.9 seconds

PORSCHE CAYMAN GTS nnounced as the fastest and most powerful edition of Porsche’s midengined coupe to date, the new Cayman GTS sets a new benchmark for sporting performance in its market. At the heart of the two-seater is an uprated 3.4-litre flat-six engine, which with the help of an optimally adapted 6-speed manual gearbox (complete with an upshift indicator to maximise fuel efficiency), integrated Sport Chrono Package and optional Porsche Doppelkupplung (which allows for faster acceleration and gearshifts to take place in milliseconds), allows it to achieve unprecedented levels of performance. External highlights include new, black-finish Bi-Xenon headlights, including the Porsche Dynamic Light System as standard, 20-inch Carrera S wheels, LED taillights with smoked lens covers, a restyled rear apron and, of course, the model’s striking black logo. Inside, you’ll discover a reversing camera, CDR audio system with 7-inch touchscreen, a ‘pure sportscar’ SportDesign steering wheel and a nifty centre console. Priced from £55,397. Available in UK Porsche Centres this month.

MOTORS

Steve Bainbridge

Benfield’s Bainbridge to roar again A former British Lions rugby star is to embark on an epic charity bike ride, with the help of the motor group.

teve Bainbridge, who formerly played for Blaydon RFC and was capped 20 times for England and the British Lions, is set to roar again … but this time for the Walking With The Wounded charity. Steve, now a sales and development manager for Benfield Motor Group, is taking part in the 620 mile, seven-day cycle challenge visiting the four international stadiums of Twickenham, Cardiff, Dublin and Murrayfield. He will take to the saddle in the cycle challenge along with nine other former British Lions team mates in a bid to raise as much money as possible for the Walking With The Wounded charity which helps support wounded servicemen and women.

The cycle ride will take place June 22-28, 2014, and Steve will lead a team of 15 other cyclists who are also raising valuable funds for the charity. Steve, who cycles to work every day from his home in Waldridge, Co. Durham, said: “Very few people alive today can appreciate how much these heroes have contributed to our country and how close they have come to not being here. “These people need our support and are worthy beneficiaries of all the support we can give them, this is the least I can do and I am looking to raise as much money as I possibly can. “I am a keen cyclist and for my part as a 57-year-old, 17 stone former rugby player who needs two hip replacements, I am totally

committed to the cause and just hope my body holds out and I make the finishing line.” Other British lions taking part in the Cycle challenge include Sir Ian McGeechan, Roger Uttley OBE, Peter Winterbottom MBE and Steve is very much looking forward to joining his former team mates for “The Spirit of Rugby on a bike” challenge which covers 4 countries and international rugby grounds. Steve has set up a just giving page http://www.rideofthelions.co.uk/#!solutions/ ch6q and further information on the cycle challenge is available on www.rideofthelions.co.uk if people want to take part or provide a donation.

MOTORS Steven Flack

Jennings Kia joins the 100 Club Exceptional sales puts Jennings Kia Stockton in Top 100 Club within six months of opening. ennings Kia, part of the Jennings Motor Group, has reported a continuous increase in sales since the opening of its latest dealership in Teesside, showing positive signs of recovery in the motor industry as demand for new and quality approved used cars continues to grow. Jennings Kia’s Concorde Way dealership in Stockton, the biggest Kia dealership in Britain, has reported a steady increase in sales since the dealership opened in September last year. Selling more than 100 new cars in March, as customers took advantage of the new registration plate change, also put the group’s new dealership in Kia’s prestigious100 Club. Competing against 179 dealers nationwide, Jennings Kia was one of 30 branches across the country not only to achieve a phenomenally high level of sales in one month, but also the 100 Club endorsement from Kia. Delighted with the on-going sales success at the dealership, franchise manager, Steven Flack, says: “More than a third of sales throughout March were generated by the competitively-priced and recently revamped urban friendly Sportage SUV model, in addition to this, customers have also been taking advantage of Kia’s industry-leading seven-year peace of mind warranty package and low rate finance, which is available across the new model line-up. “Placing in Kia’s 100 Club within six months of opening is a phenomenal achievement.” Styling upgrades and new levels of

equipment on the all-new Kia Sportage model is expected to keep it at the forefront of the booming crossover sector. From the outset, the Sportage model has been captivating the imagination of motorists and turning heads with its stunning appearance. The new line-up is based on the outgoing models trim designation with added specifications and design elements including enhanced versions of Kia’s ‘tiger-nosed’ grille and new-style 16-inch, 17-inch and 19-inch alloy wheels that have been fitted to all grades. A new soft nano paint finish has been added to the dashboard and centre console and customers can now take advantage of centre console illumination and soft-touch upper door trims along with further quality improvements to the range. Available for the first time on the Sportage model is the Infinity premium audio system, in addition to improved safety and driving dynamics including the addition of Kia’s Flex Steer system. Customers visiting the Stockton dealership have also been taking advantage of the all-new SUV Soul model, which is now on display and available to test drive. The stylish and sporty second generation Soul model is longer, wider and lower than its predecessor and offers a wide variety of compelling features and range of colours, in addition to a host of cutting edge technologies and upgraded performance. Customers can take advantage of a number

of model ranges including the Soul Start, Connect, Connect-Plus with the Mixx and Maxx models being available later this year. Steven adds: “Customers who come to the showroom, which boasts an impressive and modern interior spacious enough to display up to 22 vehicles, can see and test drive each model in the Kia range, including the recentlylaunched all-new Soul model, which thanks to its new design, is attracting customers and sales at the dealership.” The full range including the Picanto, Rio, Soul, Venga, cee’d, cee’d Sportswagon, pro_cee’d, pro_cee’d GT, Optima, Carens, Sportage and Sorento is on display in the showroom. Jennings Kia in Stockton also offers an aftersales service to customers via its service and MOT departments, where fully approved Kia technicians are employed to carry out work on vehicles, in addition to a parts department offering high quality and competitively-priced Kia parts. The group also has a Kia dealership based in Washington where customers can take advantage of the full Kia range available, in addition to a service, MOT and parts department located on the Parsons Road site. For more information about the range of products and services available at Jennings Kia in Stockton contact (01642) 632299, Washington on (0191) 5525800 or visit www.jenningsmotorgroup.co.uk

MOTORS

Porsche’s top trump Bob Arora looks at the new 918. hen I was a child one of my favourite games was Top Trumps. The winning cards would always be based on horsepower, top speeds or 0-60 mph times. Fast-forward 30 years and now the emphasis has changed to economy and lowest CO2 emissions. Another one of my fond memories was my uncle filling up his Jaguar XJ’s two petrol tanks! Every manufacturer is jumping on the Hybrid or Electric bandwagon. From the allelectric Nissan Leaf to the BMW i3, these cars are fast becoming a sales success. With ever stricter European legislation coming into force most car manufacturers have had to introduce cars that are not only economical but that are also kinder to the environment. Porsche has made supercars such as the 959 and the Carrera GT. Both cars were technological tour du forces of their time. Fastforward a couple of decades and here is its latest masterpiece, the amazing 918. This Hybrid Supercar can’t be described as cheap with a starting price tag of £650k. A bespoke paint job will cost a cool £50k and the fitted luggage is another £15k. The car is fitted with a 4.6lt V8 plus 3 electric motors that power the front and rear axles. The engine produces 608bhp and the electric motors add another 277bhp, with all of

this power combined it’s really hard to explain just how fast this car really is! The battery packs and Hybrid technology add 314kg to the cars Ker weight. Without the electric motor, the 918 was five seconds slower round the Nürburgring. In Weissal Specification (pictured), the 918 laps the Nürburgring in less than five minutes, which is no mean feat. Porsche’s engineers have done an amazing job, as you drive along and both petrol power is used the electric motors kick in and it’s totally seamless. The driver is faced with five drive modes:

Edrive, Hybrid, Sport, Race and Hot Laps. As you may imagine in Edrive the driver is using the battery power alone. Hybrid allows the driver to use both power sources more efficiently. The car’s interior is still unmistakably a Porsche but the normal array of buttons has been replaced with a simple touchscreen interface. The curved TFT screen and touchpad stereo/navigation console is intuitive and I am sure this design will filter its way down the range. As you sit in the car the exhaust pipes exit over the engine bay and behind the driver’s head; you get to hear every pop, growl and roar from the engine. The car’s trump card is the headline grabbing economy figure but, that aside, this car is just a deeply impressive beast. Not only does it sound amazing but it’s also so easy to drive. You can literally drive in the city on electric power alone and you will not be emitting any exhaust gases at all. For supercars to survive all manufacturers need to learn from this engineering marvel and if you have the cash get yourself to your Porsche garage. The moment you start and drive this car you need to have one in your life! For further information on the Porsche 918, visit www.porsche.com/uk

WELL-BEING

The secret to

losingweight Tony Douglass of Bodyguards Fitness on how to beat the bulge. t Bodyguards Fitness Service, we understand that there are a huge number of myths out there associated with health and fitness and many people are confused and do not know what to believe anymore. So what do we believe? One of the biggest areas of confusion for many people is weight loss. At some stage through our lives most of us will want to shed a few unwanted pounds but many of us will struggle to hit the goals we have set for ourselves.

taken in and calories expelled. The higher the defect then the more weight you will lose. You should try to aim for a deficit of 400-500 calories per day. Consider Personal Training, Personal Training is all about staying motivated, getting results and getting them on schedule. A good Personal Trainer will recognise that every client is individual, and know that every client requires a bespoke programme to achieve their goals. Frequency of exercise is key to weight loss success. Aim for some form of exercise everyday, even if it’s taking the dog for a walk.

What’s the secret? Is fat the enemy? If you are trying to lose weight then your main aim should be to make sure that you expel more calories than you take in. In other words eat less and move more! This may seem like common sense but many people fail to understand this principle. The thing to remember is to try to make small sustainable changes that you are able to continue for a prolonged time. In this way weight loss will be gradual and sustainable.

Do I need to exercise? By exercising you are expelling energy and therefore building up a deficit between calories

NO. Omega-6 fats (vegetable oils) and omega-3 fats (fish and meat oils) are essential to our diets. If they are eaten in the right quantity, roughly two to three grams per kg of bodyweight in equal proportions then weight lose will be much more rapid and sustainable than very low fat diets. Diets should be tailored to the individual, as one size does not fit all. In general ‘high’ protein diets (25 per cent protein, 33 per cent fat, and 41 per cent carbs) are very effective, however diets are a very hot topic presently and I will be talking more about this in the months to come.

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Keeping it off Maintain your new exercise regimes. Try to be ‘good’ 80 per cent of the time with your diet. Be honest about what you are eating and how much exercise you are doing. Set achievable goals and reassess these frequently. Bodyguards Fitness Service ltd separates itself from the others in Newcastle with our Personal Trainers having levels of knowledge and experience that is second to none. This gives our clients all the tools necessary for them to achieve their health and fitness goals. Your trainer will develop your bespoke training plan. Your trainer will guide you through your entire programme of health and fitness development, which includes your training inside and outside of the gym, your diet, your lifestyle and all support services to ensure that you are in full health. We aim to make you feel like yourself again, only better! Bodyguards Fitness Service ltd is located at Jesmond House, Clayton Road, Newcastle. Tel: (0191) 239 9000, web: www.bodyguardsapt.com, email: info@bodyguardsapt.com

WELL-BEING

Pain in the gut Befit’s Antonia Pellegrino looks at gluten-related disorders. have just returned from an amazing seminar In London with Dr. Tom O Bryan. The seminar was a round-up of all of the current medical research regarding; Gluten Related disorders and Non Coeliac Gluten Sensitivity (or NCGS coined by Dr. Volta). Gluten is mainly found in wheat, rye and barley. Many people may be tested for coeliac disease and be told that they have no issue with the food. However there is a whole spectrum of non coeliac gluten sensitivity and gluten-related disorders that are not yet tested in the UK. In Dr. William Davis book, Wheat Belly, he talks about the Frankengrain that has been modified for high crop yield. Our ancestors ate a gluten free diet until 10,000 years ago with the introduction of agriculture. The grains that we consume today are different in structure to ancient grains. Now, even the cattle we eat are fed on grain to fatten them up. Most people I meet eat gluten at every meal. The body is bombarded with gluten. How many portions of wheat based foods do you and your family eat daily? Dr. Aleesio Fasano, MD, states: “Gluten is not digestible by any human kind”. Many people can eat gluten and be symptom free, however the research indicates that glutenrelated disorders are not just confined to the gut. Studies have shown that 57 per cent of neurological disease can be linked to a gluten

related disorder. Many people may be told that they have IBS or a food sensitivity, however new research indicated that ‘brain fog’, poor balance and memory loss can also be signs of gluten-related disorders. Reproductive health, thyroid health, bone health and even weight loss/gain can be linked in some cases to Non Coeliac Gluten Sensitivity. The neuro-transmitters in the brain (i.e dopamine, serotonin) are directly affected by the health of the digestive tract. If the gut is sluggish because of a diet based on grains, then the brain can be sluggish too. When we eat gluten, microscopic holes can appear in the gut. A protein called gliadin found in gluten can be responsible for this so called ‘leaky gut’.

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Undigested food particles and bad bacteria can leak into the blood. The body creates anti bodies to the undigested stimuli and a whole range of symptoms can occur. I urge you to read a wonderful book called Grain Brain by Dr. David Perlmutter for a deeper insight. I hope that if you have any symptoms of gluten related disorder, you may be able to start your own research with your health care practitioner. To find thousands of studies, you can go to PUBMED and type in gluten-related disorders plus your symptoms. You will be amazed by the amount of clinical research available. It is time to start eating real food again. It is hard to make dietary changes, however the best thing to do is cook from scratch. Avoid eating processed ‘gluten free’ products. Most of the time they are full of tapioca starch, potato starch and other unnatural preservatives. If it used to run, swim, fly or is fresh then eat it. If the product you plan to eat has a long shelf life or lots of ingredients, the chances are it can cause a stress to your system. If a gluten-free lifestyle and nutritional support is something that you are interested in, I would love to help you with family meal planning. But please seek medical advice if you are unsure if dietary changes are right for you. For more information, contact Befit on (0191) 213 5300.

ADVERTISER’S ANNOUNCEMENT

Introducing Suzanne Gill ... A former chef has dedicated the past two decades to spirituality.

or the past 22 years, Suzanne Gill has devoted her time to developing her ‘gift’ as mediums. With a colourful career including appearances on The Discovery Channel, a regular spot on Metro Radio’s Night Owls and countless ‘Audiences with Suzanne Gill’, it’s easy to see why Suzanne has made a name for herself. During her time as a medium, Suzanne has come to believe in the existence of guardian angels. Suzanne said: “With all of my heart I know that the voices and messages I receive and relay give people comfort, advice and peace of mind. Without the support of my spirit guides and those that I help I wouldn’t have been able to build up the confidence in myself and the credibility that I have done.” Suzanne initially trained as a chef and only offered her ‘gift’ to close friends and family. As word started to spread about her more and more people wanted to be in contact with Suzanne and those that had passed, resulting in mediumship becoming

Suzanne’s fulltime career. Suzanne offers one-to-one readings, house cleansing and audiences of mediumship. Discussing her earliest memory of spiritual energy, Suzanne explains: “I was around four years old, sitting at home in Liverpool with my mam and I remember we were watching The Sullivan’s. In walked a man and woman and I began talking to them, like I’d known them my whole life. Mam asked who I was talking to, looking at me slightly confused. I believe it was the spirits of my grandparents, people I’d never met! I’m particularly fond of this memory.” Providing audiences with an unforgettable emotional experience, Suzanne invites you to witness her perceived gift. Suzanne explains: “There’s always a sceptic in the audience, in my experience it is those that provide the greatest credibility to my gift. It’s hard to describe the way I feel during a reading; I feel what the spirits want me to feel. I feel the way that they felt. I often feel their message too, if there’s

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something they need relayed in a hurry, I feel it.” Suzanne regularly performs around the country including recent sell out audiences in Glasgow, Newcastle, Blackpool, Preston and Carlisle. Suzanne tells us of her unique way to close her show and shares with us her most poignant thought: “I always remind those that I work with that life isn’t about living a day with the loss of a loved one, death brings about the realisation that each day we live without them is one day closer we are to once again being in their arms.” For details of upcoming events, to find out more visit www.suzannegillmedium.co.uk. 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 within Old Eldon Square.

LEISURE & HOSPITALITY

Seeing stars in Woolsington A five-star hotel and leisure complex with restaurant, spa, cookery school and golf course is planned for a historic hall near Newcastle Airport. n ambitious plan to create Newcastle’s first five-star hotel while also saving an historic asset has been unveiled to neighbouring residents and businesses at Woolsington. The consultation exhibition, held at nearby Kingston Park on May 1, for local residents and interested parties, was undertaken as part of Cameron Hall Developments’ application for Planning Permission for the exciting development. In essence, the company is seeking planning permission from Newcastle City Council for the renovation, refurbishment and redevelopment of Woolsington Hall into a 34 bedroom, five-star hotel and leisure complex with restaurant, spa, cookery school and golf course. To enable, or finance, the restoration of the heritage assets to provide this exciting hotel development, the application is also for the construction of 70 new detached executive homes on land to the South of the historic parkland. Cameron Hall Developments’ CEO, Paul Mackings, commented: “Newcastle is one of the few major cities in the UK which lacks a five-star hotel which this development will provide – a first class facility that will offer the very highest standards of service, accommodation, food and leisure facilities to a local and international customer base visiting the region for business and pleasure. “The building’s historic assets will be sensitively refurbished to provide a superb backdrop for this 34 bedroom ‘boutique’ hotel with each of the suites uniquely different. In addition, as part of the hotel, the

development will include the construction of a restaurant within the former stables, a spa complex within the former farm buildings, a walled garden marquee for events, weddings and receptions and a cookery school within the Walled Garden Cottage. “The leisure complex will be completed by the construction of a sensitively detailed 18 hole golf course designed by Jonathon Davison of Create Golf Design who has worked extensively with Nick Faldo on the design of courses throughout Europe.” Cameron Hall Developments’ consultants have estimated that the project will, upon completion, provide an additional £8.9m into the local and regional economy whilst also creating 187 new full time jobs, 22 of which will be in construction. The new homes will contribute some £1.2 milion directly to the city via Council Tax contributions under the New Homes Bonus Scheme with an additional £212,000 from Council Tax. It is also anticipated that the average retail expenditure of the residents will be in excess of £1m. Upon opening, the hotel and spa itself will employ around 100 staff and will enter into agreements with Newcastle College and Northumbria University to provide training and apprenticeship opportunities in association with the Hotel delivery, incorporating leisure and hospitality jobs within the health spa, restaurant and cookery school. To finance the restoration of the heritage assets to provide this exciting hotel development, an executive housing

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development of exactly 70 homes is proposed on land to the south of the historic parkland and visually removed from both the setting of the listed building and nearby housing. This is the absolute minimum number of properties required to enable the restoration of the historic hall, out buildings, gardens and parkland and secure its long-term future. This low density, exclusive development will be constructed by one the country’s most respected private home builders and consists of 70 detached three, four and five bedroom homes set in an attractive layout that encourages privacy. Paul Mackings continued: “It is very important to differentiate this enabling development from other larger housing development plans proposed around nearby Ponteland. This housing is the minimum development required to rescue the heritage asset that is the listed Woolsington Hall and turn it into Newcastle’s premier luxury destination hotel that will generate significant economic impact, jobs and visitors. “The feedback we received from the consultation exhibition was very positive on the whole, especially from those residents who can see the value of having such a facility on their doorstep and businesses who can see the potential of the customer base the hotel will attract.” The Planning Application will be submitted to Newcastle City Council in the summer. Further information on the Woolsington Hall Hotel development is available at www.woolsingtonhallhotel.co.uk

BUSINESS

As easy as ABC Ammar Mirza, founder of ABC, tells us what the social enterprise has been up to.

elcome to the revamped monthly ABC Column. We thought it would be good to get back in touch and share our news, views and offer oneor-two clues about the business world. It really is great to be using such a hugely popular medium as North East Times to share our upcoming stories. We are just finalising our annual review and, wow, what an incredible time our members, partners and supporters have had. A small list of our achievements include:

• Launching the Primary Inspiration through Enterprise Project that aims to engage, educate and inspire 10 and 11 year olds in the wonderful world of business.

• Being invited to meet David Cameron the Prime Minister, organising ministers, MEPs and other parliamentarians to visit the North East and recognise the collaborative work of small business and schools. • Lobbying local, regional, and national government to acknowledge and support the

• Continuing to host amazing ABCurry Clubs with some internationally recognised business and community leaders. • Our list goes on and on …

micro-businesses that are unrepresented; something we continue to do in adverse conditions. • Working with Newcastle College, up-skilling long-term unemployed and offering them work experience with world-class local businesses. An incredible 50 per cent of those interviewed have gone on to gain a job.

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ABC is a not-for-profit social enterprise that aims to connect, support and promote the Asian and wider business community. Please do get in touch for further information on any of our past or present initiatives. For more information on ABC visit www.abconnexions.org or follow @Ammarmirza

LEISURE & HOSPITALITY

The home of hospitality With companies of all sizes seeking new ways to reward staff and cater for clients, corporate hospitality has become big business – nowhere more so than at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light …

his summer, the stadium will play host to two high profile pop concerts, featuring some of the biggest artists from around the world. This includes the opening night of One Direction’s ‘Where We Are’ world tour on Wednesday May 28 and North East Live, a one-day pop extravaganza headlined by Jessie J, on Sunday June 22. In order to cater for the expected audiences, maximise on the venue’s capacity and enhance the experience for those who wish to do so, a range of hospitality packages has been devised to run at both events. These packages, specifically developed by in-house events and catering company 1879 Events Management, are loosely based on the experiences of catering for business leaders and football fans at Sunderland AFC’s home games, but have been specifically tailored for concert audiences. Gary Hutchinson, commercial director at SAFC, said: “We have been hosting high profile concerts at the Stadium of Light for

several years now and hospitality has proven extremely popular at all of these events, including recent concerts from Bon Jovi and Rihanna. Our hospitality packages have been specifically developed to allow for groups to join together, making it more affordable for them and even allowing them to experience the concert in private, if they prefer. We’ve worked hard to make them as appealing and accessible as possible.” This summer’s concert-goers have a choice of three hospitality packages, all offering the opportunity to enjoy refreshments and premium seating for their chosen show. The informal Party Package - the most affordable package - offers access to private bar facilities, a range of food available to purchase, a complimentary VIP souvenir laminate and a prime seat in the stadium’s Strongbow North stand. The Gold Package, meanwhile, includes a complimentary bar, access to a post-show bar with music, reserved prime concert seating and an informal pre-show buffet, with the

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addition of children’s entertainment for One Direction and a complimentary sweet table for North East Live. Finally, the top end Platinum Package, which is also being offered at both events, includes use of a private executive box, complete with a balcony that guarantees a great view of the show, a formal pre-concert meal, selected refreshments, a mini bar stocked on request and allocated car parking, if required. For North East Live, visitors have the option to upgrade to a Diamond Option, with the addition of a champagne reception and a top level padded seat. Hospitality is priced from £60 per person for North East Live and from £145 per person for One Direction. A full breakdown of each package is available at www.safcconcerts.com For more information, or to book, call 0871 911 1555 or email 1Dhospitality@safc.com or nelive@safc.com

EVENT

Rowlands race day The accountancy firm hosts a great day at Sedgefield.

ots of winners were in evidence at Sedgefield when Rowlands Partners Alan Hynd, Harvey Madden and Andrew Little hosted their regular event. The usual suspects were there and all had a splendid lunch followed by some exciting races. Alan Hynd said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were so lucky with the weather and the horses. That it was Cheltenham too was a real bonus.â&#x20AC;?

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INTERVIEW

Get to know me ...

Andrew Thresh General manager of the four-star Macdonald Linden Hall hotel, golf and spa.

When I was growing up, I wanted to be a hotel general manager. Yes, seriously. I wanted to be one from the age of 13, despite never regularly staying in hotels. Perhaps it was watching too much Crossroads on television and seeing myself as a David Hunter rather than a Benny! I believe that if you choose the right role in the right industry then you choose a vocation, not a job and work becomes a welcome part of your life.

My first job was washing pots at a local restaurant. I then progressed to a commis chef. I genuinely loved both jobs. I loved the buzz of the kitchen, the great food, the impeccable service and the hospitality industry as a whole. I worked at the restaurant

five nights a week for four years while I studied for my OND and HND. I worked hard and played hard.

my wife, Sharon. She keeps me level

I’d tell my 18-year-old self to stop wearing pvc trousers and thinking that I was Adam Ant. But also to keep

My favourite film is Schindler’s List. A

following my dreams.

I’m inspired by my children: Calum, Finlay, Abbie and Jamie. Each one inspires me in a different way, every day. My greatest achievement is taking up golf at 13 and playing off six at 16. When I need a helping hand I ask

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headed and is my sounding board. She also likes to remind me when I’m wrong!

tale of inspiration against adversity; the girl in the red dress was so emotive. I remember when I saw it at the cinema, the whole audience walked back to their cars in silence.

In my space time, I love to spend time with my family and friends, making them laugh. In five years’ time, I’ll be looking back with pride at my achievements at Linden Hall and looking forward at the next five years.