Niche Magazine Issue 26 by Cross Productions

M May/June 2018

THE LADIES DAY FESTIVAL

#FindYourNiche

AT LEICESTER RACECOURSE

ISSUE 26

Christian Fuchs

Life outside of sport #NoFuchsGiven

Year of the Woman 2018

FSB 100 Women Women in Construction

Niche Business Awards Save the date: 7th September

2018

Niche Business Awards 2018 The fourth year of the annual Niche Business

HEADLINE SPONSOR

Awards will take place Friday 7th September this year

Another year of a scrupulous judging panel studying hundreds of nominations, another mystery theme, another great night out for our fourth year in a row giving the people of Leicester a chance to celebrate the success of local companies! As always, the Niche Business Awards 2018 will be held in the wonderful Art Deco building of the Athena in the city’s cultural quarter. Originally built in 1936 by Arthur Bulivant as an Odeon cinema that accommodated over 3000 guests, Athena’s architecture is aweinspiring and perfectly fitting to this year’s secret theme. Headline Sponsor is the family law and solicitors Glynis Wright & Co, the event will treat guests to live acts, a famed three course meal, themed entertainment, and a chance to network at one of the largest scale events of the year. Last year’s 400 seats were a complete sell-out months before the event so book your seats and tables now to avoid disappointment. Bookings can be made by phone or email. nichemagazine.co.uk 0116 271 2573

R PA RT N

AT I

X TA

HIP

THE

The Sponsors

SPECI

TAXIS AND PRIVATE HIRE

The Catagories BUSINESSWOMAN OF THE YEAR

TRADE & CONSTRUCTION

A businesswoman who has achieved concrete results while inspiring others along the way.

Open to any tradesmen and construction companies.

Sponsored by

ehlcommercial.co.uk NIGEL BATES Managing Director at EvolveIT Consulting Ltd

women in Leicestershire, Denise finds this new dawn and balance of gender in business refreshing. When she’s not hard at work she loves to spend her down time in her beloved VW Camper touring festivals, walking, seeing the world close to home and abroad and she also works with the Sick Children’s Trust, a charity very close to her heart with close family members being aided by the charity when her daughter was offered a room during a particularly stressful time during her granddaughter’s stay in London’s Great Ormond street hospital. Because of this life-line that the charity offered Denise would love to one day sponsor a room in a house to enable others this opportunity.

TONI ROBINSON Managing Director at Nucleus HR Limited For Toni there is nothing she doesn’t love about what she does, but she particularly enjoys the fast pace and high energy that she gets to constantly work with. A local born business woman whose uncompromising work ethic has led her to running her own highly successful business lives by the moto; ‘The most important key to success is having the discipline to do what you know should be done even when you don’t feel like doing it’. As a 7-year-old she dreamt of the Olympics as a Judo champion and

Fresh to the Evolve team, Nigel Bates’ intentions are to bring and grow new ideas to the sustainable business. Looking after the day-to-day running of Evolve with specific emphasis on sales and marketing, he also works closely alongside owner and CEO, Leanne Bonner-Cooke on the strategic direction of the business. Nigel’s career dreams never involved the football pitch, stardom or fire brigades; he always wanted to be a manager. When he was a school boy he would tell his parents that he wanted to be a manager, and so he finds having the chance to work and take a leadership role with a young and dynamic business really exciting. An Honours Degree in Engineering Electronics helped make his boyhood dream a reality when it led him to starting new businesses and developing large and small existing ones. Most rewarding for Nigel though was his work helping ‘great people to realise their full

potential’. Birmingham born and bred, Nigel’s upbringing taught him to work hard and reap the rewards later. At 16 he had two jobs, an apprentice with Post Office Telecoms (BT) and working with his dad as a carpet fitter at the weekends. His family have always supported him, and he looks to the likes of Richard Branson and latterly Elon Musk who have taken on the biggest challenges and made them successful. When he’s not working hard Nigel fits in time to be outdoors and is a keen Triathlete with his first Ironman 70.3 in the pipeline this year having completed his first Olympic distance Tri in 2017. Nigel is Chair of his Parish Council and Chair of it’s charity.

nearly got there with only injury steering her path in a different direction. A muchloved role at a national HR company for over 15 years led her to biting the bullet and setting up her own business delivering HR solutions to clients. Toni thrives on the fact that she makes an impact every day for the clients that she works with; by implementing effective and efficient HR strategies, which often result in cost savings, higher levels of engagement or productivity increases. Her dad gets the namecheck as her most significant inspiration who she says is the voice who pushes her to do better than the day before. Her ‘athlete style’ determination has really stayed with her and the dedication for her business certainly doesn’t go unnoticed in her local network. In the little spare time she has she teaches Judo and

spends quality time with her 9-year-old. Any spare moments left over are spent fund raising for Hope Against Cancer, a charity that is close her heart, and she’s looking to be a Trustee for a new Charity which will focus on injured athletes finding their path after sport. NICHE | 15

BUSINESS FOCUS

2018: The year of the woman ‘The year of the woman’ was a popular label attached to 1992 after the election of a number of female Senators in the United States, but with the 100 year anniversary of the suffragette movement that won women the right to vote, and a large media focus on gender politics this year, it seems there has been a ‘year of the woman’ reboot The centenary posed the opportunity to point out the success of local women who have achieved great things,

Working from home: you’re not alone

sometimes in the face of hardship. We’ve injected the theme of ‘influential women’ throughout this issue. From a

KAREN FOYSTER

chartered surveying company through to a charitable organisation, you’ll find stories of women from all walks of life, and the successful businesses they run here in Leicester. Here, we feature advice and information from Jennifer Thomas, a Development Manager from FSB, a company that is fully invested in the support and development of its female employees, and Karen Foyster, a life and work coach who created a new life for herself by running her own business. 16 | NICHE

Life, Work, Small Business Coach

t can be isolating for sole traders running a business from home alone. These businesspeople often come to me because they lack motivation, self-belief, or creativity. Sometimes they know exactly where they want their business to be and what they need to do to get it there, but something is stopping them from reaching that goal. I’ve never met anyone who isn’t capable of what they set out to do. It’s about identifying our gaps – we can’t be great at everything. You might feel you lack knowledge in marketing, social media, or any other area. When dealing with this on your own you might not know where to start. Reach out to people and

have a conversation. You can also learn loads from podcasts, books and online courses. Whatever your financial goals are, you need to take time to work out if it’s possible. Work out how many clients you’ll need or products you’ll need to sell in order to make it happen. And, on those days where you feel nothing’s going right (we all have them), have measures in place for you to look back and see how far you’ve come. This can be a vision board or monthly targets. Also, don’t make a promise to yourself that you’ll work when the kids are in bed if you’re always too tired to do it – you’ll only feel you’ve let yourself down. Aim to be productive rather than just being busy.

Strong Women THE 100 WOMEN WERE PRESENTED AS ‘DIGITAL ROLE MODELS’ ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY AS RESEARCH SHOWS THAT INCREASED VISIBILITY OF ROLE MODELS COULD HELP BOOST THE NUMBER OF WOMEN-LED ENTERPRISES BY 1.2 MILLION

TONI ROBINSON

JENNIFER THOMAS Development Manager at FSB

our leading businesswomen from Leicestershire are among 100 entrepreneurs from across the UK selected to appear in a digital campaign presenting inspiring women business owners, by the Federation of Small Business (FSB). I’m immensely proud that so many of our members in Leicestershire have been chosen. The 100 women were presented as ‘digital role models’ on International Women’s Day as research shows that increased visibility of role models could help boost the number of women-led enterprises by 1.2 million. The women highlighted in the campaign were asked to share a piece of advice for budding entrepreneurs. These were: “People don’t care about your business, they care about their problems. Be the solution they’re looking for” – Jenny Cross, Cross Productions “Surround yourself with positive people” – Alexandra Kowalczuk, The Business fixer “You can’t determine where you start in business, but you can determine where you end up” – Anne-Mari Nimela, Fox Print “Being in business is rarely smooth so learn to take obstacles and setbacks in your stride and keep your sense of humour!” – Julie Price, Julie Price and Co Research shows that women are less likely than their male counterparts to know a person in business and, as a result, have fewer opportunities to benefit from exposure to others with business experience and are less likely to see people like themselves succeeding. With this being the 100 year anniversary of when the first women got the right to vote, following the suffragettes’ campaigning, we felt it was fitting to feature 100 women FSB members and share their wealth of advice and inspiration with women all over the world. The UK currently has 5.7 million small businesses and selfemployed, but it is estimated that could be boosted by a further 1.2 million new enterprises led by women. This untapped business potential of women can be tackled, in part, by increasing the visibility of role models for women entrepreneurs, according to an FSB report.

IS A BOARDROOM THE PLACE FOR RATIOS? As a female Managing Director and a former director of a national business you’d perhaps expect me to be supportive of the continued interest in enforcing a ratio of women to men in the boardroom. According to statistics, boards with women on them are 56% more profitable than those without. So is enforcing the ratio argument the way forward? If it were a voting issue, I would vote an overwhelming “no”! As a female who worked hard for her seat at the boardroom table and for my voice to be heard and recognised due to the value that my contribution has, I, like most women, would be offended if I were to be ‘awarded’ my board position because the company needed to have a certain percentage of women around the table. Why don’t we look at this another way? Because we know that enforcement rarely works! 1. Work with Companies to help them to understand the positive influence working with female directors has on the organisation, 41% greater return on investment is gained by having the right women around the boardroom table; 2. Encourage women to value their contribution and if they feel that they aren’t being recognised then they should positively challenge the organisation or look to move elsewhere where their contribution would be valued. Let’s look at coaching women in leadership to be more confident in recognising their worth and encouraging them to award their labour to employers who will appreciate and reward their contribution. But ultimately, allow a business to make the choice based on the business needs and the competence that it can source, regardless of gender! If you need assistance with your recruitment strategies, or training, development and leadership programmes, please do not hesitate to contact Nucleus HR.

07960 418 494 info@nucleushr.com

nucleushr.com

NICHE | 17

BUSINESS FOCUS

Strong Women

When coaching would benefit you

100 FSB Women

You feel you’re at a stage in your life

Leicestershire women entrepreneurs

when you should have everything

have been selected as part of a

figured out. Other people have it all

campaign designed to highlight the

sorted. Or so it seems ….

achievements of women

hether you’re running your own business, just graduated from university, or retired, you’ll most likely have worried at some point if you’re heading in the right direction in your life or career. Karen Foyster, a life, work and small business coach specialises in coaching sole traders, people who feel fed up at work, and people who know what they want their life to look like but don’t know how to achieve it. It was during her 10 year career as a charity manager that she was trained as a workplace coach and where she found her love of coaching. Then when Karen found she wasn’t enjoying her job so much she turned to a Coach for help. “I realised through being coached how much I enjoyed working one to one with people to help them develop - so decided to become a full time coach.” Life and business coaches aren’t required to have qualifications but coaching since 2016, Karen qualified as an Accredited Transformational Coach in 2017, and has created an office space in her garden for clients to visit. She offers one to one, phone and Skype coaching. She explained: “It’s all down to whatever works best for the client’s schedule. If you can see the client you can see body language and expressions, but over the phone the coach and the client rely on listening to words and silence more. Both are effective in different ways.” Karen also uses techniques to help clients reach their objectives such as Values Cards and the Wheel of Life. If you haven’t got life or work figured out yet you can arrange a free 45 minute call in which Karen will talk to you about how you can benefit from coaching. hello@karenfoyster.co.uk karenfoyster.co.uk 18 | NICHE

imed perfectly to coincide with the celebrations for 100 years of the vote for women in February, FSB ran a campaign on International Women’s Day (8th March) called 100 FSB Women. The women were able to use the campaign as a platform to share their business advice and inspire women all over the world. The movement, which was complemented by a flagship FSB International Women’s Day event in Kent, was highlighted as one of the top 10 IWD campaigns by PR Week, alongside big-budget campaigns by household brands such as BA, McDonald’s and the Royal Navy. Its aim was to raise the visibility of role models for women entrepreneurs. Research has shown that increased visibility of role models could help boost the number of women-led enterprises by 1.2 million. The 100 women entrepreneurs from across the UK became ‘digital role models’ this year. Among the list were four Leicestershire-based businesswomen; Jenny Cross of Cross Productions, Alexandra Kowalczuk of The Business Fixer, Julie Price of Julie Price and Co, and Anne-Mari Niemela of Fox Print. Jennifer Thomas, Development Manager of FSB, said: “I’m immensely proud that so many of our members in Leicestershire have been chosen for this important campaign. We’re utilising digital platforms to raise the visibility of some really exceptional women. These women come from all sectors and each has a special story to tell and valuable advice to impart to other women.” #100FSBwomen #PressforProgress

NICHE FEATURE

Are you LinkedIn®

or LinkedOut? Niche attended a masterclass in the art of the professional

networking service – here we give away some hints and tips from the course

am Rathling, a LinkedIn® expert, Amazon best-selling author and international speaker, ran the LinkedIn® or LinkedOut Masterclass back in March. She’s known for all things LinkedIn® and boasts thousands of connections. Since September 2017 she’s helped clients generate over £2.04 million in closed business directly from LinkedIn®. She helps to position businesses as the ‘go to’ brand in their industry. The aim of the course was to turn connections into potential business and to give people a thorough understanding of why they are on the networking site, how it works and how they can connect with others. Gogglebox star Baasit Siddiqui recently took the masterclass; he went from 60 connections to 160 in under 12 hours. Each attendee was given a detailed handbook that

included interactive pages to fill out and keep a track of our LinkedIn® journeys. Niche, and around 20 others, were given a comprehensive explanation and walk through of an essential tool available to all LinkedIn® users. The Social Selling Index (SSI) gives you a live, everchanging score of how well you are doing in four different areas: establishing your professional brand, finding the right people, engaging with insights, and building relationships. We were also taught about Boolean searches. As you’re only allowed 15 searches per day, this tip is great for recruiters. By using quotation marks and words like AND, OR and NOT, you’re able to create a much more specific search. So, a Boolean search might look something like this: “product manager”

AND “customer service” NOT “director”. The class was made up of 12 topics and Sam was a great guide to encouraging us to think LinkedIn®. She runs the class across the Midlands with the next one being held in Derby on Tuesday 26th June. meetsamrathling.com

Testimonial

Sam’s LinkedIn training is just fabulous. She is so knowledgeable, generous, funny, and her approach is so effective. She builds trust by being trustworthy. So refreshing in a world with so many sales funnel gimmicks. She doesn’t need them because she’s the real deal and a total pleasure. I’ve done lots of training over the years and this was up there with the best. Thank you. Janine Eden-Riley, Thrive Future NICHE | 19

St Martins House: 24hr Conferencing New accommodation in Leicester’s Historic Quarter means the ideally positioned and fast-growing business forum, St Martins House, is one of our city’s most sought after, prestigious confab locations

aving hosted some of the world’s most recognised businesses – including world leading beauty brand Estée Lauder who, along with 70 guests, met in the building’s stunning Grand Hall – and now with the newly appointed nearby luxury accommodation at St Martins Lodge, conferencing facilities at St Martins House have become a 24hr offering with delegates travelling from across the UK and beyond. The excellent travel links that Leicester provides, not only due to its Midlands location, but also its easily accessible train and airport nearby as well as its proximity to major cities London and Manchester mean that delegates can reach the location easily wherever they are in the country, or indeed the world. The facilities provide the very latest in conferencing equipment, with the renovated Grade II listed building providing a unique, comfortable and stylish location for a wide range of conferencing needs. A variety of rooms are available, all of which provide access to conferencing technologies, refreshments and a supporting staff who are highly 20 | NICHE

experienced and driven to ensure your event is a success. St Martins House can be found in the ever evolving and stylish Historic Quarter of our city. It’s aesthetically pleasing with the beauty and high ceilings of the Grand Hall and its high ceilings, sprung wooden floor and stunning windows. Practicality is also highly valued by its clients with stateof-the-art technology, large capacity and bar access which make it suitably equipped for all events. Further rooms in the building allow for smaller to medium meeting needs, however all rooms come equipped with technology, refreshment facilities and plenty of natural light and character. Whether it’s for a small gathering of 12 or somewhere to host a large conference for up to 200, the range of rooms on offer will ensure all are comfortable in bright, airy, contemporary rooms complete with unique period features. The accessible building boasts a range of bright, open social areas complete with chic furniture and outdoor spaces including the peaceful, yet socially stimulating courtyard situated right next to the

stunning architecture of the cathedral. Dining options are vast with an experienced crew providing anything from pastries and coffee through to full tasting menu options. Should an event require entertainment, this too can be arranged with staff passionate about ensuring any event is far more than your average conference. The nearby recently built St Martins Lodge provides convenient, local and luxurious accommodation for delegates within easy walking distance, and the new addition to the Historic Quarter is a welcome one. Director Nick Quinn told us of the new hotel, “Our unique location is made even more accessible for delegates to attend conferences and events with the nearby St Martins Lodge, now we are delighted to be able to offer 24-hour conferencing facilities, adding to our unique and exceptional conferencing services.”

0116 261 5223 stmartinshouse.com bookings@stmartinshouse.com

NICHE FEATURE

Our unique location is made even more accessible for delegates to attend conferences and events with the nearby St Martins Lodge

NICHE | 21

BUSINESS FOCUS IAN GUYLER

Well it’s spring and Business Focus is having a spring clean Having more than 30 years experience in business and business consulting, Niche have asked me to review the structure of their Business Focus feature and work with them to set out a format that appeals to their target audience within the business community. The main goal here is to build on the current strong content but organise into a consistent format that business people find more easily accessible. Over the next few issues we will be working to structure this under key functional headings of a traditional business plan. Niche’s Business Focus is now about asking the experts for their views on current business practice – we don’t want to change this – we still want our readers have a say! Working with Jenny and the Niche team to set a 12 month plan of suggested topics, we have set out these areas: Sales management Marketing Financial management People Business processes Technology Legal framework and compliance And you, the readers and contributors, are very welcome to suggest hot topics too, just email info@crossproductions.co.uk with any thoughts. I’ll be introducing each Business Focus issue with a synopsis of ‘this issue’s’ expert contributions and a comment on the local business world’s ‘month that was’ and ‘month coming up’. I hope I can make this interesting for you and help Niche take the magazine to its next phase of evolution and development!

Catalysing improvement making good plans happen

ianguyler.co.uk 07973 693 455 ianguyler@pedigreefilbert.co.uk

w w w. i a n g u y l e r. c o . u k

■

Mobile 07973 693455

ianguyler@pedigreefilbert.co.uk

B U S I N E S S C O N S U LT I N G

22 | NICHE

Billesdon, Leicestershire

Bottom-Line Effects of a Dysfunctional Team

EILEEN RICHARDS STATISTICS SAY THAT THE AVERAGE EMPLOYEE IS DISENGAGED TWO HOURS EACH DAY

Managing Director at Eileen Richards Recruitment

s the Managing Director of a Recruitment Consultancy, I am privileged to meet many businesses who need to discuss their challenges with me around recruitment. Teamwork has been an issue for businesses for as long as I can remember, however the issue of dysfunctional teams is becoming an increasingly prominent hot topic that I am finding to be part of my discussions ever more frequently. It is clear that it is now dramatically impacting on efficiency, engagement and ultimately the profitability of organisations. Even the highest performing teams can lose their way – ask José Mourinho! There are lots of studies, theories and management assistance available for diagnosing and solving the issues that have driven the team to lose its way. Whether you are looking at building a winning team or transforming a now dysfunctional team, one of the critical factors to consider has to be how you recruit and integrate new team members. Whilst the issue is not a simple one to address, I always ask managers with recruitment responsibility to consider these three points:

Dysfunctional Teams With dysfunctional teams often resulting in poor performance and inadequate productivity, the real effects of a dysfunctional team are often far more costly. Determining the cost of disengagement within your organisation is an important step, but where do you go from there?

WHEN A TEAM BECOMES DYSFUNCTIONAL YOU CAN EXPECT DISENGAGEMENT TO FOLLOW AS INDIVIDUALS LOSE SIGHT OF TEAM GOALS, NOT UNDERSTAND THEIR ROLE IN THE TEAM AND WAIT FOR DIRECTION TO MAKE ANY PROGRESS.

SARAH HIGGINS Executive Coach & Leadership Consultant

M 1. To think about defining the values of the organisation and ensuring that any new talent reflects these principles is where success from a recruitment perspective can be found. 2. To take a look at not just the current skill set of the candidate, but to assess whether they have the personal characteristics and any skills that would be transferable which could positively impact on the team. So much talent is lost both internally and externally which can negatively impact on team dynamics by not looking more broadly when assessing skills. 3. To ensure your managers have the skills to assess the CV at the screening stage, to telephone interview effectively and to implement a thorough testing process which includes a face to face interview is going to make all the difference when trying to address this business changing issue. As experienced recruiters with an immense amount of industry experience, we encourage organisations who are trying to develop that unbeatable team to give us a call if they would like to discuss how positive recruitment practices can impact on your teams.

anaging ourselves can be enough of a challenge, so add the complexity of making an effective leadership team and new dynamics come into play. When left to our own devices, even with the best intentions, we can develop potentially dysfunctional team behaviours, which start small, but can escalate. Research shows that teams fail 60 per cent of the time1. Ineffective leadership teams can cause project failures, blame culture, lack of trust, lack of focus, lack of creativity and lack of responsibility. How can you fix these issues? 1. Embrace Leadership Humility Dysfunctional teams often lack a strong leader with humility. Ask for feedback and be open to developing yourself and you’ll build trust. Understand and share your strengths and development areas and your team are likely to follow suit. 2. Agree and Review Team Goals When too focused on doing our own job well, we can be less interested in the overall team’s objective. Discuss and agree the team’s goals and evaluate success regularly, agree team actions and hold your team to account for their results. 3. Develop Decision Making Decisions can often get made without buy-in or followthrough. Help your team to understand and respect each other’s’ strengths and weaknesses, which will make them more creative, comfortable with ‘conflict’ and motivated in following up actions. 1 Dr. Eunice Parisi-Carew, a Founding Associate at The Ken Blanchard Companies

NICHE | 23

BUSINESS FOCUS

Dysfuntional Teams

ONE THING YOU MAY NOTICE IS THAT AT NO POINT WAS OUR COACH EVER INVOLVED IN US ARRANGING TO COME IN ON OUR DAYS OFF TO DO EXTRA TRAINING. WE WERE PEER LED AND WE TRUSTED EACH OTHER

LEON LLOYD Former Leicester Tigers player

have been very fortunate to have played a small part in highly effective and successful teams. I’m often asked what the key ingredient was. In my twilight playing years I was recruited to help instil a different mind-set amongst the players who were to soon become my teammates. They were on paper, a very talented set of players, but collectively failed to reach their potential as a team. It was then that I realised how grateful I was to have been in such a positive environment for large parts of my playing days. Learning from this experience, once I’d eventually hung up my boots, I thought that if I could bottle up that ‘magic’ formula then I could create a very profitable organisation. However, what I learned as I transitioned out of elite sport into the world of business was that it’s not as simple as taking an exact model that had a proven track record and simply replicating it within the new working environment. What I failed to recognise or appreciate was that not everyone has the same motivations as yourself. Being the best at what you do is not always the driving force within each individual. I first experienced this when at 5pm my team all downed their pens, some even mid-email and signed off for the day. This was not only astonishing but was alien to someone who had spent his previous 15 years always looking for small ways to develop and for my team to improve. I fondly remember regular conversations I had with my old colleagues either before a big game or in preparation for an important fixture and they invariably went something like this: Player A: “We didn’t function as well as we could have last weekend with our counter attack plays and we know that this week’s opposition are going to try and find a weakness in our game to exploit.” Player B: “True, shall we come in on our day off and go through what we could have done better, try some new ideas and maybe run through some new plays for this week?” Player C: “If you need someone to come in and kick a load

24 | NICHE

of balls to you then just let me know, I’m happy to help as I will be doing some extra kicking anyway.” Player D: “Myself and ‘Player E’ were just talking about doing some extra passing so we can feed into your session if it helps?” Player A: “Great, let’s all come in early and do a couple of extra hours and work out a session that we can all benefit from.” What that very quick and frequent dialogue highlights is the desire to recognise areas we could individually and collectively improve upon, and a willingness to come in and help our teammates out in order to achieve a team objective. We were all very accountable for our actions and understood how our roles impacted those around us. One thing you may notice is that at no point was our coach ever involved in us arranging to come in on our days off to do extra training. We were peer led and we trusted each other. This creates a learning culture; one that makes you comfortable acknowledging that things might not have gone well and you may be part of that problem. Equally, it enables you to be the person to try to rectify the problem at source. We had a culture of encouraging continuous learning and were empowered to lead on team problem solving. For this to work effectively, there has to be buy-in from all layers in the management process from the top down. For example, if an organisation truly believes that its employees are major assets, other than saying it in a glossy company recruitment magazine, what actions demonstrate and reinforce the words they are using? One thing is for certain, when you are lucky enough to find yourself in one of these highly functional teams, you will know it and furthermore, you will find yourself and your colleagues doing more than what’s expected of you. Consistently, you will find yourselves achieving far more than the targets that were set for you as a team. Conversely, if you are currently in a dysfunctional team, you will also know it, so think about what behavioural changes you can do to encourage others to join you.

Your Local Recruitment Partner of Choice!

Sales & Marketing

Accountancy & Finance

Office (inc Legal)

Construction

Customer Service & Onsite

Human Resources Executive Search & Selection

With over 20 years experience

Connecting People, Businesses and Opportunities 0116 254 9710 Eileenrichardsrecruitment.co.uk Twitter: @ERRECRUITMENT1

Why emotional intelligence

is vital to business Corporate business coach Sarah Higgins reveals what emotional intelligence (EQ) is all about and how personal insight can enhance leadership development as well as recruitment decisions

Y Thinking about emotions doesn’t come naturally to me. But my work with Sarah and using her Power of Love Leadership strategies has given me an effective toolkit

ou‘ve heard of IQ (Intelligence Quotient: the measure of our intelligence) but in business that will only get you so far. The majority of your working success will be aligned to how effective and efficient your relationships are with others, whether that’s your customers, employees, line managers, board members, investors, suppliers, partners or other key stakeholders. “If you consider for a moment what it takes to create and maintain an effective working relationship, it will ultimately come down to how you understand and manage your own and other’s emotions. Like it or not, we all have them. Awareness and management of them in ourselves and others can make a significant difference.”

EQ enhances performance

my own and others’

In fact, TalentSmart (an international EQ provider and researcher) has shown that EQ makes up 58% of our job performance. They have also found that 90% of the best performers at work have a high EQ. Only 20% of the lowest performers have high EQ.

emotional responses.

EQ in Leadership

to get results by more effectively managing

Finance Director, Financial Services

26 | NICHE

Sarah often asks leaders to consider: 1) Who was the best leader and conversely the worst leader that you’ve worked for? 2) What did they both do that made them best or worst? 3) How did they make you feel and what impact did that have on you at work? “The sorts of behaviours that are seen by the worst leaders were: controlling, micro-managing, dismissive, unapproachable, lack of accountability

and anger. Conversely the best leaders showed understanding, adaptability, support, consistency, accountability. By doing this exercise, the leaders clearly see that these positive and negative outcomes which impacted them and their businesses, were borne out of how those leaders understood and managed their own and other emotions, especially when under more pressure or stress.”

Can we develop our EQ?

Although IQ is regarded as static over time, the good news is that EQ is not fixed, so we can change it for the better. In 1995, Daniel Goleman published his best-selling book Emotional Intelligence, which has been named one of the 25 “Most Influential Business Management Books” (TIME Magazine). Daniel Goleman states that there are four elements of EQ that can be developed: i) self-awareness ii) selfmanagement iii) social awareness and iv) relationship management. Sarah helps leaders to maximise their personal and team effectiveness and focusses on all of the EQ elements. “To be the best we can be, we need to develop our selfawareness, so I often help leaders by starting there first.” Daniel Goleman’s research states that although “selfawareness is the least visible emotion, it is an incredible predictor of our emotional intelligence success.” Sarah supports her clients to gain a picture of themselves, their main strengths and development areas, so that they can successfully achieve more of their goals.

NICHE FEATURE

Sarah guided me to see my strengths and weaknesses objectively and find keys to unlock better performance and working approaches for myself and my team. I would thoroughly recommend her. Managing Director and Associate General Counsel, US Global Investment Bank

How can we develop selfawareness?

“Most of us find self-analysis and thinking about our strengths and weaknesses quite difficult. You will know this if you’ve ever been asked this question in an interview.” Sarah explains that to become clearer on our strengths, she asks people about the things they find easier to do, or things that others have praised them for in the past. Conversely, what are the things that you find take more energy? The things we put off are usually the things we find harder to do. These things are usually our development areas or weaknesses. “Most of the time, our strengths and development areas are the opposite of each other. For example, if someone’s strength is that they are detail conscious, structured and organised, when overly used or perhaps when under more pressure, they might be too controlling, focus too much on detail, be too cautious or be less adaptable to unplanned change. Similarly, someone who has a strong interpersonal awareness of others or concern for harmony, might be great at considering others’ feelings, but if this is overly used, it can make them less willing to deal with conflict or potentially confrontational issues.”

Ask for Feedback

“Another way of developing selfawareness is to gain feedback from others around you. You can do this informally in conversations with people at work. Some leaders use 360-degree feedback, which is where you ask for feedback from your line manager,

your peers and your team. I recently supported one of my clients to overhaul their performance management (appraisal) process so that it would be meaningful and increase employee engagement. Leaders now ask a question in their personal development reviews to gain direct feedback, all of which has enabled the leaders to have greater self-insight and responsibility for their continuous learning.

Using a Psychometric Assessment

Many leaders gain value from using a psychometric assessment to help them develop self-awareness. “There are many available and your personal preference may steer you towards one or another, but they are all worthwhile as long as they aid enough self-insight to guide you towards meaningful action.” Sarah has successfully used Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) however, many of her clients also use Hogan to gain self and team insights. Sarah’s clients value Hogan because it identifies your day to day strengths and weaknesses and key values, and highlights potential ‘derailing’ behaviours under pressure or stress.

Personalised Approach

Sarah takes the Hogan raw data and personally writes an individualised onepage report, rather than sending you the computerised version. “Some of my clients found the computerised reports had too ‘harsh’ descriptions, that did not appropriately reflect them, so I decided to write a version that would.” Having now written hundreds of reports for her clients, she gets 100% positive feedback

about how valuable they have been. Following personal 121 feedback of the report, Sarah works with her clients to create a personalised action plan focussing on how to maximise strengths and mitigate weakness including the potential derailing behaviours under stress. Some leaders may then be happy to take that plan and make it happen, whereas others value working with Sarah as their coach to help them focus and consistently challenge them, especially when their day to day work is demanding as it can be easy to forget what you’ve learned and not have the chance to put it into practice.

Recruiting employees

Sarah also uses Hogan to help her clients minimise risks and costs of poor selection in the recruitment process. “You only get to see a glimpse of a person in an interview and we often don’t know what’s behind that. So, I write a report before the final interview to help my clients understand the whole picture of their candidates: strengths, weaknesses, potentially ‘derailing’ behaviours under pressure as well as their values. I also produce a ‘traffic light’ type of report to show how effective each candidate might be against each of the key requirements or competencies.” Sarah also identifies a list of questions for the final stage interviews, so that the interviewer can hone in on key issues. Sarah is currently writing a book on her emotional intelligence model, The Power of Love Leadership.

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“We contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle” Sir Winston Churchill

Succession Planning: Consider the tax implications before selling your business Are you thinking of selling your business in readiness for a relaxing retirement? Well, before you book that long-awaited Caribbean cruise, you should look at the tax implications and make sure you only pay capital gains tax at the entrepreneurs’ relief rate of 10%. If your buyer is paying you cash immediately, tax usually isn’t an issue. But, if you’re selling for debt, to be paid later, you may need to structure the disposal so that you only pay the tax when you get paid, and to make sure you keep your entitlement to the 10% capital gains tax rate. For example, to defer the tax until you are paid, the unpaid price needs to be a debenture (often called a “loan note”). To be certain that the redemption or sale qualifies for the 10% CGT rate, you must have at least 5% of the shares in the buyer company and you will need to be a director or employee. Generally, CGT must be paid on January 31 after the end of the tax year in which you get paid - so January 31 2020 for transactions completed on or before 5 April 2019 – but you’ll need to have the cash available to pay your tax bill at the end of January. If the purchase price hasn’t been paid, and you haven’t arranged for the tax liability to be deferred, where is the tax payment going to come from? Sometimes, instead of selling the company, owners sell the trade from the company and wind the company up to get the money out. But if you do this, beware the tax man if you come out of retirement and start working again in a similar business. HMRC might decide to tax the proceeds from your company as a dividend, at up to 38.1%, instead of as a capital gain at 10% (or 20%, if entrepreneurs’ relief is not available)

UK tax legislation is the most complex in the world and, when you’re looking at the Taxation of Company Reorganisations, Pete literally wrote the book The Miller Partnership are experts in all aspects of corporation tax. Our specialities include: Taxation of corporate transactions, mergers, acquisitions, disposals, demergers, reorganisations & reconstructions HMRC clearances Transactions in securities anti-avoidance legislation Taxation of corporate intangible assets & goodwill Disguised remuneration Taxation of partnerships Patent Box

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It was important to us that as an organisation we should work with a company that we could build a partnership with and ultimately put our trust in. I have always been delighted with the way Toni and Nucleus HR have supported us. Firstly protecting us from areas of risk, and then driving forward both the practical and strategic HR plans, from recruitment, training & development, performance management right through to exit management. No area of HR is left unturned – all delivered by commercial HR professionals who take time to integrate with our business. Without a doubt this has really contributed to my business moving forward. Marcus McGee

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DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

NOT JUST A BLACK EYE Domestic violence arises where one person in a relationship tries to control or dominate the other usually through physical abuse. The laws around domestic violence were reviewed by the government in 2015 as a consequence of which a new coercive behaviour offence under the Serious Crime Act 2015 was passed. Family lawyers were delighted with this legislative change. It has always been very difficult to prove that abusive behaviour can include extreme psychological and emotional abuse in the absence of out and out physical violence and this act seeks to address that issue. It means that victims who suffer from ongoing and severe psychological abuse that stops short of physical violence can take action. It is now recognised that a pattern of coercive control can lie at the root of many domestic violence cases. That’s the good news. The bad news is that the number of convictions since this law came into force is worryingly low. Public awareness needs to grow and victims of coercive control need to step forward to take legal advice to find out what steps they need to take to stop this behaviour. This means having a good family lawyer you can rely upon to guide you. If you believe you are the victim of any form of domestic violence including coercive control and you want to do something to stop this happening to you, get in touch.

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PROTECTING YOUR ASSETS? We often see clients who have previously had a will written and believe this is as far as they need to go to ensure their assets will be inherited by their loved ones in a straightforward manner. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Your life and the lives of your loved ones can be affected by many other factors – this is the same for your will. Many people simply forget to update their will when a life changing event takes place. You can safeguard your assets against care costs, divorce, bad influence, remarriage, bankruptcy, sideways inheritance and even reduce probate fees by utilising trusts. A Lifetime Trust protects assets ensuring – should any of the above

SATWINDER SIDHU events occur – your beneficiaries are safe from anyone inheriting who you do not wish to, and can guarantee an inheritance which a basic will does not do. It also allows you to control how and when they inherit so you can ensure you’re only funding a lifestyle you approve of. At Paradigm wills and legal services we aim to understand our clients, their situation and circumstances as well as their family and beneficiaries. This information enables us to advise the client in the best way possible and to help them achieve exactly what they want.

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BOUNDARY DISPUTES GREG HOLLINGSWORTH Disputes often arise around boundaries. A boundary is a line that divides two contiguous pieces of land. It may be a physical line, such as a fence or a wall. The title documents for the land will usually identify the boundary but rarely precisely. Some of the problems can be: ◆ The boundary does not follow exactly the same line as the legal boundary ◆ The boundary issues relate to both the horizontal and the vertical boundary ◆ The boundary is seldom a straight line The title deeds will generally be the first port of call for establishing the boundary line to see if the description is sufficiently clear to enable the extent of the property to be determined. If a boundary is interfered with or crossed, this can lead to trespass

claims. Boundary disputes are often complex and uncertain. The parties are frequently emotionally involved, making settlement of the dispute more difficult, especially where the dispute involves residential homes. In one case, a judge said that: “a party can litigate over a tiny strip of land, although I would certainly agree that it is usually economic madness to do so, but a person remains entitled in law to protect and preserve that which is his or hers.” It is well worth taking advice when boundary issues arise to try to avoid the ‘madness’.

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PITFALLS OF DIY WILLS VICKKI RIDGWAY

JUSTICE FOR WORKPLACE INJURY Over 25,000 people are forced to give up work every year as a result of work-related injuries or illness. Regardless of whether you or your colleagues have been provided with sufficient work equipment, and despite the fact you may have received adequate training, sadly workplace accidents still happen. They are quite often as a result of a lapse of concentration, lack of familiarisation with the working practice or a failure to follow that training. Despite this, six out of every seven workers who are injured or become ill through work do not recover compensation. Those who do seek to recover compensation are then penalised by government reforms in relation to the recoverability of costs. This results in the claimant facing a deduction of 25 per cent from their damages to cover part of their legal fees. Further reforms are likely to make pursuing a claim much harder, with those sustaining less significant injuries being precluded from instructing solicitors to represent them. Nonetheless, those injuries still have a major impact upon the individuals affected who may find they are unable to work for a period of time or cannot look after their dependants. My aim is to ensure that each and every individual has access to justice; that they are awarded the compensation to which they are entitled and they receive the support they need at one of the most difficult times in their lives.

0116 255 1811 josiahhincks.co.uk 34 | NICHE

People who are filling in homemade wills are at high risk of disinheriting their children. DIY will kits have become very popular over recent years due to the reduced cost. Tempted by the price of just £20 in some cases, many people are attempting to make their final wishes using a DIY kit. A number of legal professionals have documented a rise in the number of clients who could be disinheriting their desired beneficiaries, namely because they’re asking them to be a witness to them signing the will or they have not named any Executors. As a result, they are then ruled out of obtaining anything from the associated estate. Of course, where homemade will kits are concerned, this isn’t the only problem that could arise. Wills are complex documents with intricate legal language and in many cases, it’s

BHAVIN GANDHI important to obtain expert help. We explain everything to the client and ensure all questions are answered as well as that they are fully aware of all options that are available to them to fully protect their estate and their loved ones’ inheritance. I have seen DIY wills that have been put together that would not have been deemed valid if they were presented to the Probate Office for various reasons. I do not believe it is worth taking the chance as this is the one document that speaks on your behalf once you have passed away.

0800 999 7750 paradigm-wills.com

PROTECT AGAINST STORMS Protecting your business from any potential storms is a vital aspect to the success of any company, large or small. Ensuring your most valuable assets are insured, including your people, can mitigate against all sorts of potentially catastrophic events for business owners, shareholders and indeed profits too. Lots of people protect against the big things; that all-important thousands-of-pounds’ worth of printing equipment for example, which of course is a good thing, but all too often they forget to insure the likely only member of the workforce who knows how to operate it. If he/she is off work through illness will the cogs keep on turning and the profits keep on coming? Covering the business itself against these potential losses is hugely important.

PAUL BRADLEY We see so many people protecting the directors of a company while at the same time neglecting the less obvious but equally as potentially business-threatening individuals. This month sees awareness for a host of illnesses which could, if suffered by a team member, have a huge impact on your business. Strokes, cancer, heart problems – all these and more can come for us all, whether we consider ourselves healthy or not. Thankfully these days many of us survive them but we need time off work to recover and it’s this aspect to it which businesses need to prepare for.

0116 366 6866 halo-consult.co.uk

OUR SERVICES WILLS PROTECTION AGAINST COSTS OF CARE LASTING POWER OF ATTORNEY GUARDIANSHIP ASSET PROTECTION TRUSTS

Ask yourself the following questions

DISABLED PERSONS TRUSTS VARIOUS OTHER TRUSTS INHERITANCE TAX PLANNING LIVING WILL FUNERAL PLANS

• Is your will up-to-date and relevant? • Does it still say what you want it to say? • Does it protect your home from care costs? • Does it minimise your liability to inheritance tax?

If you’re unsure about any of these questions, get in touch

0800 999 7750

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE IT YOUR WAY, NOT SOMEONE ELSE’S

How important is cash flow

to your business? Cash flow is one of the single most important aspects to any business, large or small - Asit Jansari, Director at Hollingsworths Solicitors, explains

ash flow allows a business to negotiate better discounts with its own suppliers, invest in the business itself and, for the business owner, perhaps even sleep at night. So why is cash flow a problem? One of the obvious reasons is that sometimes invoices aren’t always paid on time. This means that the customer is using the supplier as a bank, borrowing money from it in the form of unpaid invoices! Late payment is a big problem for businesses. So whilst a business has an entitlement to be paid for work done, and most businesses set their terms of payment out before starting

their work, late payment can result in a business struggling to survive or even face closure. The Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 was introduced to help with business to business (B2B) debts. This gives valuable rights to late payment compensation (from £40 to £100 per invoice depending on value) on overdue invoices and interest at a rate of 8% above base rate. This currently amounts to 8.5%. In addition to this, businesses can recover their reasonable legal charges for B2B debts, so the legal expenses that businesses incur are paid by the

debtor and not by the business who has already had to wait for its money. So make sure: ◆ Payment terms are clear and agreed in advance. ◆ Invoices are sent promptly and followed up just before they fall due. ◆ There is a credit control process which is followed, using calls and written reminders. ◆ Use the Late Payment Act to encourage customers to pay, and to help cover the costs when they don’t. 0116 204 7260 hlegal.co.uk

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WHAT EXACTLY IS PR? CRAIG JOHNSON

FACEBOOK, GAPS & GOOGLE At the time of writing, website security has never been such a talked about topic, especially with Facebook reportedly improperly having shared up to 87 million individuals’ data with political consultancy company Cambridge Analytica. What can we learn from Zuckerberg though? For a start we can check that our websites are secure. Security ‘gaps’ across the web are more common than you may think, with some developers hosting vast numbers of websites upon shared, un-regulated overseas servers. Such numbers can mean that developers could lack the necessary controls when it comes to murky goings on. Security gaps aren’t the only concern here though, with speed often compromised on sites hosted on shared platforms. We at Iosys have that control. Our servers are UK based and host solely our developed websites and web applications. Then there’s the news that Google favour HTTPS websites over HTTP sites – not sure what that means? Well, put simply, HTTPS websites are securely encrypted using SSL and those HTTP ones aren’t. Many clients aren’t aware that they are unsecured and potentially vulnerable. It’s important that a web developer creates a secured site as standard, even more so now that Google are penalising those that aren’t! The answer to avoiding Zuckerberg shaped catastrophes? Check your security, be aware of where your data is located and who you share your data with.

01530 444 384 iosys.co.uk 34 | NICHE

I’m often asked what PR is exactly as, for many, it can be somewhat of an unknown science. I can, of course, recite the list of tasks which RDZ, being a pro-active and hard-working PR partner, carry out on behalf of our clients but, in truth, the reality is that the overall result of these activities is far greater than the sum of the individual parts. I prefer instead to think of RDZ PR creating a ‘virtual copy’ of our client, be they an individual or a company. Whilst the people we work with are busy with their day-to-day lives – work tasks, meetings, people management, IT issues, health, safety and compliance requirements and, let’s not forget, family life too – we get on with formulating an image of all the very best bits and take it out there to represent the business in all of the right places. None of us can actually be in two locations at once (and, by the way, I’m not prepared to accept video conferencing as an exception to this!)

RACHEL HARGRAVE so the opportunity to get in front of a target audience, whilst getting on with the actual work which makes you so successful in the first instance, is one which should not be, by any means, underestimated. So yes, we do social media and award nominations and networking and flyers and articles and adverts and events… (not an exhaustive list but sometimes a very exhausting one!). Much more importantly, however, we make sure our clients are fully and fabulously represented in the places where the people that matter to them are looking for them, or someone just like them.

01509 813 913 rdz-pr.co.uk

SO, YOU WANNA BE AN AUTHOR? CHRIS GOODMAN Ever wanted to add ‘author’ to your repertoire of talents and achievements? Thought maybe that it was a tad out of your league? Well, it isn’t. We can help you to self-publish and produce physical books at cost effective rates. Perhaps you know someone who wants to tell their interesting life story, or you are a business that wants to demonstrate how well you know your profession and would like to offer a book to potential clients. Or, maybe you are already a budding writer, but you just aren’t having any luck with the notoriously tricky world of traditional publishing? Whether you want 10 copies or 10,000 we can produce them in either hardback or paperback options at surprisingly-

more-affordable-than-you-would-think price points. If you are a business, writing a book on your ‘subject’ can score major advantages in your industry, it gains ‘kudos’ amongst your peers, gets you press for all the right reasons and attracts people to your business in a vast variety of ways. James Altucher, prolific entrepreneur/author says that: “Every entrepreneur should selfpublish a book, because having a book is the new business card. It shows your customers, clients, investors, friends and lovers what the most important things on your mind are right now.”

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LESS THAN HALF

OF LEICESTERSHIRE BUSINESS WEBSITES ARE SECURE OF 280 WEBSITES AUDITED, ONLY 47% WERE SECURELY ENCRYPTED USING SSL

Are you getting it right? Being present online is vital to any business, large or small, but getting it wrong can do more harm than good

e caught up with Craig Johnson, Managing Director of web developing company Iosys, to unearth the gaps that could be lurking in your web-based offerings. “Many people simply aren’t aware that their website is open to the elements, in terms of potential security breaches and malicious attacks. “Whether the most basic of website right through to extensive and large business cloud ERP systems, all are potentially without secure pathways - and their owners have no idea, either through creating their own DIY website or entrusting their web development to companies who don’t provide basic but essential security as standard.” You might be wondering, is my business’s website secure? Craig told us: “The quickest way to tell if a website is secured via SSL encryption, is all in the address. If it starts with ‘https’ then it is, if it starts with just ‘http’ then it isn’t! There are numerous other security implications to take into consideration, but from the outset, SSL encryption is an

absolute necessity.” It’s worth noting at this point that Google favours secure sites, with the unsecured left… well, demoted. And the Google Chrome browser will also soon flag non-secure/non-SSL sites as ‘insecure’, and who wants that!? A tailor-made website or cloud software system developed by Iosys is built from strong security foundations. Their bespoke service starts at the get-go and clients can expect anything but ordinary, with no two websites being the same and no WordPress in sight. “We recently worked with a client who came to us in what can only be described as ‘a mess’. Their existing website had been compromised with malicious software and was non-recoverable. We managed to extract the raw information – which was an extensive operation to say the least and re-appointed it all onto a new secure site in a matter of days. The client lauded it as nothing short of a miracle at what we had achieved in such a short time.” Iosys host all of its websites and cloud systems on dedicated

IF YOUR WEBSITE ISN’T SECURELY ENCRYPTED USING SSL, THEN ASK YOUR DEVELOPER WHY NOT?

UK based redundant servers, with clients having the same point of contact throughout. These factors mean websites by Iosys are high quality, stress free, and uncompromised by common issues. Clients are able to concentrate on their day-to-day; and leave this vital aspect of their business in more capable and safer hands. It’s this stable, secure and safe pair of hands which enables Iosys to help defend your website and business against many cybernasties which could compromise a poorly designed site. “There will always be opportunities for hackers, and threats adapt and change over time. If security breaches can happen to Government agencies or blue-chip companies, then it can happen to anyone. But let’s not be complacent, it’s about defence using the most effective methods – after all, prevention in this case is most certainly better and cheaper than cure!” 01530 444 384 iosys.co.uk NICHE | 41

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MIPIM 2018 roundup ‘Leicester is open for business’ was the key message for investors and developers at MIPIM, the world’s largest property expo which took place in March Midlands UK MIPIM 2018 The Midlands Engine Investment Portfolio update: Part 2 Midlands UK: Official welcome and drinks reception Inclusive Growth: How do we ensure that economic growth means prosperity for the wider community? Growing Leicester’s economy through mixed use development Showcasing occupier opportunities in manufacturing, logistics and other sectors Unlocking the housing potential of the Midlands Meeting the challenge: How can the Midlands create the quantity and quality of homes needed?

usinesses from across the city reported a successful week at MIPIM, which took place 13–16 March around the large scale exhibition in the Palais de Festival in Cannes in the south of France that attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year. Team Leicester, which includes public and private sector sponsors from across the region’s property and construction industry, was reported as Leicester’s strongest ever delegation sent out to MIPIM yet. Before the event, Rob McGuinn, chair of Team Leicester said: “Once again, we have a strong Team Leicester line-up of private and public sector organisations which will be working in collaboration to raise the county’s profile as well as bring forward key developments.” Driven by private sector partners, alongside Leicester City Council, Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise

Partnership (LLEP), Leicestershire County Council, Team Leicester headed to Cannes, France to showcase what the area had to offer to national and international investors. Rob said: “Leicester is a very exciting city at the moment with a whole host of opportunities for investors and developers, and we were delighted to be able to spread that message at MIPIM this year. Our events were both very well attended and we have been able to put the spotlight on the city and wider county on the global scale.” Team Leicester highlighted opportunities including a new development site for automotive manufacturing at MIRA Technology Park Enterprise Zone, and a major housingled, mixed-use, sustainable urban extension of up to 3,000 low/zero carbon homes at Ashton Green. Mukesh Patel, Managing partner at Freeths in Leicester, also enjoyed a NICHE | 45

successful MIPIM. He said: “From our perspective it is really important to be seen at the event and to make the most of the opportunities to meet with key decision makers. Team Leicester presented a united front for investment opportunities in Leicestershire and this echoes the regional message promoted by the Midlands Engine. We have a much more powerful voice when we work together.” Midlands UK, the Midlandswide delegation attending MIPIM 2018, hosted a comprehensive events programme at the global real estate show – with a significant number featuring members of Team Leicester. Major investment projects were unveiled to an international audience, while discussion panels and presentations covered topics including

Team Leicester sponsors

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regeneration, housing and infrastructure. Leicester and Leicestershire were part of the Midlands UK Pavilion at the global property expo, promoting its place at the heart of the UK economy. The Pavilion brings the region together, putting the spotlight on the Midlands and showcasing what it has to offer investors and developers. Matthew Moore, property director at Westleigh, added: “We found the whole event extremely productive and found that sponsoring the Midlands UK as well as Team Leicester raised our profile significantly in all our growth regions. The entire time was spent building new relationships alongside enhancing existing ones.”

leicesteratmipim.co.uk

NICHE FEATURE

Testimonials for MIPIM

Our sponsorship package gave us access to areas of business and a potential client base, such as local councils and private developers. We have met with some of the most influential people in the property and construction sector making likeminded contacts in the Midlands and nationwide. Furthermore, through being a sponsor of Team Leicestershire, we were able to play a key part in MIPIM 2018 and welcomed the opportunity to promote the fabulous work that goes on in Leicestershire and of course to promote TMDP Group Ltd. Nikki Bryan, TMDP Group, Company Director & Head of Sales, PR & Marketing

Being a MIPIM veteran of 10 years, this continues to be one of the best places to meet and get to know people at - and gets better the more often you go. Over the years I have spent time with many significant local business people at MIPIM and they have all been amazed how effective the time here can be in meeting new people and, just as importantly, getting to know better, people that you may already know but not that well and certainly not as well as you do by the end of the week! I have long been an advocate of coming to MIPIM – it widens one’s horizons and if you use the system you can meet many people which you would struggle to meet in the hurly burly of the normal daily/ weekly/monthly work cycle in the UK. I have often spoken with people who have been unconvinced of the value of coming to MIPIM and once they’ve been here they quickly realise the event’s power and become future regulars – this year 2018 has been no exception! Ian Guyler, Pedigree Filbert, Company Director

MIPIM gave BSD a great platform to promote our M & E Consultancy services to a large number of businesses, within the property and construction industry, who we had not met before. It also allowed us to spend more time with our existing clients and build on established relationships that we have formed over previous years. For the third year running BSD has hosted its wine tasting event, which has become extremely popular and is now an integral event on the MIPIM calendar! With around 100 guests representing the whole of the UK the event gave me, personally, a chance to introduce myself to those clients we work with in other regions who I had not previously met. MIPIM is always a great way of fast-tracking relationships and getting to know people and their business a lot better but in a less formal environment. BSD has certainly benefited from attending this year, and it was good to be part of Team Leicestershire again. Alexandra Kowalczuk, Business Development Consultant, BSD Consulting Engineers

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Construction a woman’s world Leicester has been distinguished as a driving force for encouraging women to join the construction industry – we interviewed Chartered Surveyors ECY on equality in construction

raise came from Rt Hon Baroness Smith of Basildon in the House of Commons in January this year when her speech commended the Leicester City Council on its ‘great work’ promoting the construction trade to women and recruiting women in the industry. The council’s free Women In Construction taster course has been running for over 25 years and has been useful in encouraging women to consider apprenticeships in the industry. The council currently has 51 women employed in craft trades, and 15 undertaking apprenticeships. Another Leicester body that has played a significant role in promoting careers in construction to women

is Edward Cooper Young Chartered Surveyors (ECY). ECY, owned by Ashley Cooper (43), is a key player in the industry working on schemes ranging from £50,000 extension builds to £27m care village projects. In a practice of 32 employees, 28 per cent are women. “It doesn’t matter what you look like, what gender you identify with or what your age is. What does matter is that you are passionate and competent at what you do”. Ashley commented. “We’ve tried to encourage more diverse apprenticeship applications by being actively involved with promoting our business and the surveying industry at local schools and colleges. At a recent careers fair, only a few female

NICHE FEATURE We heard the opinions of female ECY staff

Charlotte Cory - Digital Marketing Apprentice: I was allowed an education and the freedom to move forward into the working world just as any man. I strongly feel that opportunities are all around us and it’s our own choice to take them. I feel I’m able to discuss any opinions I have to people of all ages and genders and I know I will be heard and respected in all situations.

Lina Morgan - Development Monitoring Client Coordinator: I was chosen for this position because I bring a wealth of high level experience in a client facing role and will support the team with the coordination of the services day-to-day. I provide added strength to the team and continue to do so with the high levels of services ECY strive to provide our clients.

Tania Johnson - Land Administrator: I’ve had jobs in the past where females were in the minority so to work for ECY where I have always been treated as an equal regardless of my gender has been extremely refreshing. Over the last five years I’ve noticed the industry promoting to more females, which is fantastic.

Tracey Noon - PA: I have always found ECY very keen to engage with and develop all its staff within the company. I joined six years ago as a cleaner. I have been trained and mentored to develop my skillset so that I now work as PA to the Senior Partner. This level of engagement to staff is unique in construction. I feel throughout the industry there are very few employers so nurturing of its staff.

Louise Wood - Accounts Assistant: Accounts is accounts in any industry whether you are male or female. No matter what company I am in whether it is all men, all women or mixed, I never feel intimidated. We have a charming group of young men at ECY who are polite and respectful no matter whom they are speaking to.

Nadine Thomas - Office Manager: I feel that I have the full support and the respect of the rest of the team to enable me to carry out my role. Throughout my career, despite working in an all-male environment, I cannot say I have experienced sexism.

Vikki Cooper - Senior Associate: I was one of just a few women who gained degrees in civil engineering. I then worked as a site engineer, it required a thick skin as the only female on site. In the middle of an important concrete pour I was asked to make tea. How things have changed. I recently studied my Master’s in Quantity Surveying; almost half the cohort was women.

Samantha Gamble - Marketing Executive: There are no gender barriers ay ECY. We’re all invited to the football and other events that cater to other interests, and all treated the same. Most employees are of the younger generation which definitely helps as everything is seen as equal.

students came to talk to us. However, when we talked to them the general stigma of it being a male dominated industry suddenly cleared and they could see the opportunities which are there for them if they want them.” It was Samantha Gamble (37), Marketing Executive, who recognised the unspoken, unwritten ethos of ECY when visiting MIPIM in Cannes, France; the largest property conference in the world, in March. She said: “Women accounted for 25 per cent of the ECY team at MIPIM. I realised it must have been about 95

per cent men there so construction is still a man’s world in that sense. I noticed the same at the ProCon Awards. I think a lot of women just don’t get invited to these things. “Another issue for some women who do work in construction is they often don’t come back after leaving to raise a family. I think maybe that’s because they don’t feel they have a place after that but we’re very flexible. One of my colleagues Sanjay is about to become a dad and he’s been given time off for appointments just as a lady would.” Senior Associate Vikki Cooper (42)

said: “I couldn’t think of an industry where you get so many opportunities to travel, design, problem solve, communicate, negotiate, and be part of a team that creates vital infrastructure. We need to get girls interested at an earlier age so it becomes normal for them to consider previously male dominated roles.” See the ECY website for opportunities. 01509 416 519 ecycs.co.uk NICHE | 47

A specialist joinery and fit-out firm in Leicester has moved its premises from Church Road in Great Glen to Airfield Business Park in Market Harborough to facilitate its growth plans

A new chapter for

71 years in business 48 | NICHE

NICHE FEATURE

One investment we’ve made was to install a biomass boiler to help reduce our carbon footprint

he company many local businesses knew as Thorpes of Great Glen has changed its name to Thorpes Joinery in keeping with the Market Harbrough move. The company has resided in Leicestershire since its inception in 1947 when John T Thorpe created a workshop manufacturing everything from clocks to boats, and has been in Great Glen for the past 50 years until outgrowing the premises. After being grown by John and his son, Thorpes is now run by his grandson John C Thorpe with his great grandson Jamie Thorpe, also a part of this family owned business. Third generation of the business, John said: “We worked tirelessly to ensure that our chosen location would satisfy the criteria we identified early in the planning process. Logistically Market Harborough made sense with a vast majority of our work taking place in London and the space available meant that we had no constraints on our layout in terms of size.” When Niche visited the new 40,000 sq. ft. site last month, we were greeted by Jamie who welcomed us into the main reception, which is set up as a showroom to present just what the team is capable of. The walls are covered in wood panels of differing cuts and finishes, there’s an open kitchen area with secret-door storage cupboards and a huge dark wood meeting table all adding to the modern, progressive feel of the building. We could only imagine what they’ve designed for the likes of CBRE and Booking.com when they listed some of their clients. The self-financed £4m relocation was in planning stages for three years and completed in October 2017. Commercial Manager Jamie Thorpe said: “This is a new chapter for us. One

investment we’ve made was to install a biomass boiler to help reduce our carbon footprint.” The investment was made to keep in line with the company’s commitment to the environment – the move was even held back by eight months to re-home a group of newts living on the land before the build began. More than 90 staff now occupy the Airfield Business Park site that is home to advanced machinery and technology after Thorpes invested in further upgrades. But the company made a conscious decision to remain traditional in certain areas of the business compared to competitors. “There are many joinery companies but there are three main competitors for us within our tier and we’re the smallest and most northern of them,” Jamie explained. “But what makes us different is that we’re a personable

2017 IN REVIEW

60% 5

increase in manufacture space

apprentices employed

£6k - £4m range in product value

97.1% 10 60%

staff retention

new positions created reduction in waste

family business and our manufacturing methods are still traditional. Whilst we fully grasp modern methods we chose not to automate in certain areas so that we’d have more control, especially when veneering, which is all still handstitched. We’re also different because we’re flexible enough to take on projects that the others don’t because we’re able to handle varying sizes.” The Leicester joinery firm makes an effort to work with local suppliers and taking up contracts in Leicester as well as those across the country. It’s also committed to driving and developing talent in the area and within the Thorpes walls, with a target of promoting skilled careers in schools. Jamie told us: “We have a very high staff retention rate, with many staying with us for over 25 years. We have a very strong company culture and favour internal promotion where possible. This new space opens up more chances to do so and maintain our ethos throughout, as all the team then believe in the same thing. “The number of skilled applications is dropping so we want to get into the schools. We’re going to open up this new site for students to look around so we can show them all the opportunities.” On Jamie’s list for today, just below ‘meet with Niche’, was a reminder to make the arrangements for this. “I’ve just this morning sorted out four work experience placements and we’ve just got a new apprentice in today.” Joining Niche in one of the minimal, cleverly designed office rooms was marketing apprentice Becci from Market Harborough she said: “I decided university wasn’t for me so looked for local apprenticeships. I wanted to learn on the job.” Already a Thorpes employee through and through, Becci had by this point shared her knowledge on the company such as the fact it is FSC and PEFC accredited meaning all timber is sourced sustainably. Jamie added: “We like to employ locally and we have enough applications coming in that we don’t need to look outside of Leicestershire.” John added: “It was important for us to consider our employees as a main priority, and the Airfield Business Park offers terrific transport links and remains close to our original base in Great Glen. We worked closely with both Leicestershire County and Harborough district council in the purchase and their advice was valuable during the process.” 01858 438 350 thorpes-joinery.com NICHE | 49

BUSINESS FOCUS

How can Leicester overcome skills shortages? Last month The Telegraph reported that skills shortages were reaching “critical levels” in the last quarter of 2017 putting future growth at risk, according to a survey from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), with a record number of firms reporting recruitment difficulties. It is important for businesses to tackle this problem.

SOME SUGGESTIONS HAVE INCLUDED DEVELOPING STAFF BY IDENTIFYING APPROPRIATE TRAINING SUITED TO THE INDIVIDUAL, INVESTING IN APPRENTICES, RE-TRAINING PEOPLE WHO HAVE TAKEN ON A CHANGE OF CAREER, AND NETWORKING

CHRIS SUTTON Managing Director at James Latham

ell, my view is simple. Training is for everyone regardless of their academic qualifications. We need to provide training across every sector of our business, whether it be for a yard operative, desk sales person or accounts administrator. It’s not just about qualifications, training to me is about teaching staff how to interact not just within our office, but also with external customers and suppliers. Our company invests in trainees every year and they are given a detailed plan covering all aspects of their role but also in other areas of the business. We look for personality and the presentation of the individual. We try to explain what our business ethics are to ensure they are aware of our requirements. Existing staff are given refresher training and also the opportunity to enhance their skill sets to enable them to develop within the business by going on specific or bespoke courses. Training is something we must invest in, full stop! To be the differentiator in the market, you need well trained staff across the whole of your business. Training is for everyone and we are never too old to learn.

50 | NICHE

LEANNE BONNER-COOKE MBE Managing Director at Evolve Consultants

he skills shortage situation has been prevalent in our industry for at least the last five years and continues to become more chronic as the world moves into an ever-increasingly digital domain. More technologies need more developers, so the skills shortage is incredibly prominent for us. However, this ‘problem’ has actually encouraged us to diversify our teams and branch out into overseas resources. Last year we opened our Malaga office with a strong team of talented developers. Although off-shore, our Spanish team embody the Evolve brand in the exact same way our UK team do and provide outstanding products and services. Now, Evolve is officially an international business with

Skilled Workers

GLYNIS WRIGHT

JOHN THORPE

Head of Glynis Wright & Co

Managing Director at Thorpes

he construction industry is one that is likely to be particularly affected by the skills shortage, with Brexit likely to have a further impact on the amount of skilled labour available. Thorpes Joinery employs a number of skilled tradespeople in multiple areas and has seen first-hand the effect of the shift in educational trends. A lack of a cohesive strategy for employers across our education system has left many of today’s young people without a clear path. University education is seen as the only option by many, and whilst this is certainly the right choice for many, those who would benefit greatly from vocational training are missing out. We attended a careers fair at Leicester College last year and I was shocked by the number of attendees who did not know what an apprenticeship was, less surprising was that a vast majority

planned on attending university – many doing so simply because they assumed it was the done thing. Apprentices within our organisation have gone on to become bench joiners, quantity surveyors, draughtsman – I myself started my career as an apprentice joiner. There needs to be a paradigm shift within the ethos of our government to ensure this looming skills shortage is addressed. If attitudes are changed regarding career paths then there is a chance that vocational training can be seen as less unfashionable, and this will make a big difference. We also focus on internal promotions, rather than direct hiring. It increases the skills pool and means a company’s employees feel valued and uphold the firm’s ethos – which can directly result in increased productivity.

multiple offices! We are also committed to closing the skills gap by investing time in the software stars of the future; any opportunities such as presenting to school-leavers at assemblies or inviting IT students into the business for work experience are really important. Home-grown talent needs an injection of belief, encouragement and inspiration, and we at Evolve are absolutely willing and able to provide that to the UK’s young people. Skills gaps are our joint responsibility as a nation to close, with forward-thinking businesses at the forefront of change for the future.

AGENCY CENTRAL FOUND THAT SKILL MISMATCHING IS CONSIDERED A PROBLEM WITH 1.5 MILLION PEOPLE UNDERQUALIFIED TO PERFORM THEIR PRESENT JOB ROLE AND 4.6 MILLION OVERQUALIFIED IN 2015

eicestershire has an unusually vibrant and diverse SME business culture. However, the growth of our SMEs can be hampered by the difficulty of recruiting in areas of skills shortage. One solution is to bring in apprentices to develop the necessary skills within the company workforce. This is ideal but for embryonic businesses, is fraught with difficulty. Small businesses have scant resources and any apprentices have to be properly supervised and developed. This requires an allocation of time and money that may not be available to that business, unlike its larger competitors. However, even if the business is able and willing to plough time and energy into honing the skills needed from within, this does not assist them if they require skilled staff immediately in order to maximise a potential growth curve or a market opportunity. The answer has to lie in forging a much closer strategic partnership with colleagues in the education sector to ensure joined up thinking about plugging the skills gaps in our local market. From the discussion group hosted at Lathams in March, it was hugely apparent that there is very little clear strategic vision between local business and colleges. It was also clear that central government policy is currently hindering the ability of the education sector to work proactively with local industry. This can only be challenged if local businesses join together to become more politically aware of the impact of current policy and if they engage in effective lobbying. NICHE | 51

BUSINESS FOCUS

Skilled Workers

NATASHA DAVIES

ASHLEY COOPER

Assistant Principal at Wigston Academies Trust

Senior Partner at ECYCS

here has been a lot mentioned recently in the media about companies struggling to obtain the right calibre of candidates at all levels of experience, but especially in the trainee and apprenticeship market. Whilst training at all levels is important for the growth of our business, the emphasis is greater within the trainee/apprenticeship market. This is the next generation of business leaders and, ultimately, my successors within the business. It’s not just a case of getting an apprentice ‘in’ – there must be a long-term training strategy which you must invest both time and money in to develop them. At ECY we have adopted that philosophy and set up ECY Talent!

which is a structured training programme for all our trainees and apprentices. We are now on our fourth generation of apprentices, all of whom have succeeded in gaining their short-term goals with the ultimate view of becoming a fully qualified chartered surveyor and having a career, not just a job! Having a clear direction for everyone’s training broken down into bite-sized pieces, and encouraging them to buy into the companies’ focus and direction, all whilst showing them their potential long-term career progression ensures that, as the company grows, it will develop a well-trained workforce with high staff retention. You only get out what you are willing to put in!

HELEN DONNELLAN WE REALLY NEED EMPLOYERS TO WORK WITH US ON THIS PROJECT BY INVITING STUDENTS IN TO EXPERIENCE THE WORKPLACE FIRST-HAND

52 | NICHE

n schools we recognise the need to work with young people to get them ‘work ready’ and address the skills shortage. At Wigston Academy and Wigston College we are working closely with Enterprise Advisor Gareth Thomas of Skills and Employment Ltd developing a comprehensive careers programme focusing on employability and transferable skills. We are developing links with local employers to increase the encounters the students have with the world of work. This includes enterprise activities in years 7-9; work experience placements for students in year 10 and 12; mock interviews with local employers in year 11; an annual careers fair; speed networking in year 13 and regular career talks from a range of sectors. Where there are skills shortages in the local area we aim to support our students in developing these skills and would welcome working with any companies to help prepare young people for employment. If you are a local employer and feel you are able to support young people please do get in touch.

Director of Business Engagement at De Montfort University

or some time now businesses have been telling universities that they feel many young people are not prepared for the world of work. Young people are often regarded as lacking in the ‘softer’ or practical skills that they need to start their careers. De Montfort University is working hard with our students to prepare them to be the employees of the future by teaching them entrepreneurial and employability skills. Our Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) Gold ranking and metrics, highlight that DMU is one of the best universities in the country for helping students find highly skilled work. As part of our approach to employability, we have an ambitious and wide-ranging programme called #DMUworks that encourages all of our students to take up meaningful work experience during the course of their studies. We really need employers to work with us on this project by inviting students in to experience the workplace first-hand, and we believe that together we can have a huge impact on our young people and their ability to become the employees of the future.

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BUSINESS FOCUS

R&D in manufacturing – are you maximising the benefits? Research and development (R&D) isn’t something that only large companies do. Smaller businesses can benefit from R&D too! Are you making the most of the tax relief available?

SHELLEY HARVEY Director at SFB Group

ost businesses I speak to have heard of R&D tax relief, but it amazes me that a large number of them don’t realise they could benefit from claiming it. Some companies fail to claim R&D relief for activities because they consider them to be routine and not innovative. Also, there is a misconception that R&D relief is only available for high tech industries or those in cutting edge technologies. This is not the case! HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has a specific definition of R&D for the purposes of R&D tax relief, which is not the same as the commercial, engineering or accounting definitions. To qualify the company must be carrying out research and development work in the field of science or technology. The relief is not just for ‘white coat’ scientific research but also for ‘brown coat’ development work in design and engineering that involves overcoming difficult technological problems. This can include creating new processes, products or services, making appreciable improvements to existing ones and even using science and technology to duplicate existing processes, products and services in a new way. But pure product development in itself does not qualify. As you read on, think about the activities you are undertaking in your business. You may be pleasantly surprised at the tax relief you could claim! 54 | NICHE

PAUL ELLIOTT Relationship Director at Santander

anufacturers remain at the forefront of the UK’s business innovation efforts, according to a recent survey published by EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation and Santander. The monitor shows innovation is key to manufacturers’ success at home and overseas, and is seen as a critical part of their growth strategies. First and foremost, innovation helps manufacturers to do things better. It also helps them to enter new export markets as well as to seek new domestic markets. It’s about much more than new products and new markets. And as a result, the breadth and focus of manufacturers’ innovation activities has changed significantly in recent years. This new report shows that around half of manufacturers innovate to enter overseas markets and we at Santander are ideally placed to support those international trading ambitions. Innovation is a cornerstone of many businesses’ future success and is something that every business should be looking to embrace. We are committed to working with manufacturers to help them increase their productivity and capitalise on new opportunities.

Manufacturing

SEAN SMITH Managing Director at Michael Smith Switchgear Ltd

ur R&D journey began in 2013 when we became aware that a new standard was replacing the existing British Standard for LV Switchgear in September 2014. We reviewed our options and found we had two main choices: 1) Cease to manufacture our own metalwork and switchboard system and purchase pre-fabricated systems from approved system manufacturers or 2) Continue to manufacture the entire product including steelwork and busbar systems, but with stricter guidelines. We concluded that option TWO was the route we wanted to follow, as this enabled us to be more flexible in meeting customers’ needs and gave us more control over our product, in terms of quality, innovation and price. It also allowed us to remain competitive whilst being at the forefront of the market as only a few switchgear manufacturers opted for this route. However, to achieve this we needed to innovate! We designed and manufactured two switchboards and sent them to independent test laboratories in Nottingham, Manchester and then to Holland to carry out an extensive testing programme. This was a large capital investment of circa £150,000, which we were successful in claiming R&D tax relief for. In addition to the tax relief, the R&D delivered many commercial benefits for our business. During the switchboard design process, we engineered numerous cost and time savings: • A new system design from our busbar network to the individual switches generated a cost saving • Our copper raw material cost was reduced • We streamlined our selection of busbar supports which returned a large saving • In streamlining the manufacturing process with the new engineered parts, the switchboards can be manufactured faster therefore producing a labour saving We have continued to develop and test new switchboards over the last couple of years. Throughout this process, we have received enhanced tax deductions for the expenditure which has been extremely beneficial in terms of working capital and funding future R&D projects. In fact, we are currently looking to purchase new machinery to assist in the copper manufacturing process and in the near future, we aim to test the highest current rating switchboard available in the LV Switchgear marketplace, a 6300A switchboard. It is believed that currently less than five switchboard manufacturers in this country can offer this product! Watch this space!

SARAH-JANE STATHAM Tax Advisory Manager at SFB Group

id you know that if you spend money on qualifying R&D projects, you can claim tax relief on up to 230 per cent of the expenditure? You may also qualify to receive a cash repayment of tax from HMRC in respect of qualifying R&D projects. Qualifying R&D expenditure can be any of the following: • Staff costs – wages, salaries and employer NIC and pension costs • Consumables – anything used up in the R&D process – including but not limited to light, heat, chemicals, and anything used up or transformed or destroyed in the process • Software used in the R&D process • Sub-contract labour – where the R&D is subcontracted out to other bodies – in whole or in part • External workers – for example agency staff In the manufacturing sector, you may find that your project will qualify because although your competitors have something similar, their technology is trademarked or protected and private and therefore not in the public domain. At all points, you will need to think - would a competent professional in this field know how to do this? If the answer is no, you may have an R&D claim. One aspect of R&D particularly relevant to the manufacturing industry is prototypes. Many manufacturing businesses use prototypes to test out their new technology by actually making the product to test its viability before launching on the market. If the prototype is kept or scrapped, the costs of it would be part of the R&D claim and could qualify for the enhanced relief. If the prototype is sold, the costs of creating that prototype cannot form part of the R&D claim. If you need to make a prototype or proceed with a production run in order to be sure that the R&D has been successful, then the costs of running this will be qualifying R&D until the point that the uncertainty is cleared or the knowledge confirmed. If you think you have a project which may qualify for R&D relief, you should seek advice at the earliest opportunity. This will help you to keep the records necessary to make your claim more likely to succeed. NICHE | 55

SFB DIRECTORS AND THE LEICESTER TEAM OUTSIDE THE NEW OFFICES

A triple

celebration

for Leicester accountancy firm 56 | NICHE

NICHE FEATURE

A Leicester based firm of chartered accountants, wealth managers and business growth specialists have been celebrating this March as they launched their new brand, moved into new offices, and received award nominations

SFB Group, which incorporates longstanding Leicester firm Hayles, have recently moved from Castle Street in the city centre to modern premises in Leicester Forest East. Shelley Harvey SFB Director said: “The new offices at Oak Spinney Park provide a fantastic working environment for the team. With our new identity, we are excited about growing the Leicester office and working closely with the Leicester business community.” The company provides a wide range of services including accountancy, wealth management, tax advisory, corporate finance, forensic accounting, business advice and marketing services, and has offices in Leicester, Hinckley, Nuneaton, Coventry, Wakefield and London. The move coincides with a complete company rebrand, which has been rolled out across the whole business. The new branding reflects the firm’s vision and EPIC values. It promotes a culture of Enjoyment in the workplace, shows integrity and Professional excellence in all that they do, provide Innovative solutions for clients and are Commercial in their approach to meeting client needs and helping them and their businesses to grow. “Staff are excited about our EPIC values. I feel that having everyone working towards the same goals will be good moving forward. It has helped us to feel that we are all part of the same team. “The timing of the move and rebrand has worked well for both staff

it was time for the firm’s look to reflect the innovative forward thinking firm that it has become and clients. Having a fresh look and new facilities at our modern office means that clients enjoy coming for meetings and the team have a nice environment to work in. The office is easy to get to from the M1 and has lots of parking too,” Payroll Manager Elaine Hunt commented. As of 1st November 2017 Stewart, Fletcher & Barrett along with sister companies SFB Wealth Management, SFB Sanders Geeson, and Hayles Leicester came together to create SFB Group; a rebrand to reflect such a wide range of services. The new open plan office enables team members to work more closely together which has generated efficiencies for the business, and the new facilities are reportedly more energy efficient than those of the previous building. Marketing Manager Cheryl Stanley said: “The directors at SFB had been planning the rebrand for a number of years. It was part of a strategic plan to bring all areas of the business together. As the firm expanded, it became more important that all locations had the same identity and that the team were working to the

same vision and values. With SFB being established in 1955, it was time for the firm’s look to reflect the innovative forward thinking firm that it has become.” Just six months after the formation of newly named and designed SFB Group, the firm was shortlisted in two categories at the Coventry & Warwickshire FirstPro 2018 Awards. The categories they received nominations for were Deal of the Year; which the company believes is thanks to their re-financing of a hospitality leisure business, and the second is for People of Excellence; one the directors are extremely proud of because their team has been recognised. At the glitzy ceremony held on the 19th April, the team celebrated as their corporate finance team won the Deal of the Year Award. SFB Managing Director Paul Carvell said: “The Coventry & Warwickshire area boasts so many fantastic businesses, so it was an honour to be shortlisted for two different awards at this year’s FirstPro.” For more information on SFB Group and how the firm can help you achieve your business and personal goals, please contact Shelley Harvey by emailing shelley.harvey@sfb.group. 03333 444 171 sfb.group

NICHE | 57

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NICHE | 65

Life outside of sport

NICHE FEATURE

Fashion, football, and the futures of young people are just some of the things Premier League-winning Leicester City player Christian Fuchs is interested in – we found out more about the entrepreneur

legant finger sandwiches provided by Dimblebee Catering decorated the private bar, Niche Magazine journalists and podcast creator Peter Higgins gathered with notes in hand, and lights and cameras were set up by photographer Joe Whitmore and videographer David Sinclaire in the superior upstairs suite of Leicester’s glistening Lumbers Jewellers. It was decided that such a setting would suit the luxurious lifestyle of a PremierLeague-winning footballer, but as it happens, Christian Fuchs (32) really is a down-to-earth guy. Some might say there are No Fuchs Given when it comes to Christian, in fact, the phrase was thrown around somewhere between 20 and 30 times during Peter Higgins’ podcast recording with the footballer. No Fuchs Given is the name of the clothing brand the Austrian-born Leicester City player came up with after his series of YouTube videos sporting the hashtag #NoFuchsGiven became an internet sensation. The videos are based on a series of challenges: a popular one being named ‘Russian Egg Roulette Easter Special with Jamie Vardy’ gives a good idea of the premise behind them. It was the buzz in the city that was a result of LCFC winning the Premier League in 2016 which spurred Christian on to create a real company based around #NoFuchsGiven. Relaxing into the Lumbers sofa as Peter interviewed him, an excitable Christian jerked from his position: “The

videos really took off and after they had a couple million views I was like ‘woah! I should do something with this!’ It was a side hobby but became the player stepping out of his comfort zone.” And so the clothing brand was born and with it, the way of life and logo that has become a part of Leicester, London and New York – the smiling skull. “I think all people out there should give less Fuchs in life. We did some brainstorming about not only what #NoFuchsGiven stands for but who is #NoFuchsGiven? And we came across pirates at some point because of the way they behave, we all know Pirates of the Caribbean; it’s the best example, they don’t give a Fuchs. And people like skulls but the special thing about

[the #NoFuchsGiven] skull is that it always comes with a twist and it should entertain people, so our skull has to be smiling,” he explained. Even with a degree in economics, every day is a school day as he is open to learning and adapting, he admits, and after two years in business he’s learnt a lot about the industry and himself. “Me and my wife had no clue about anything and figuring out the whole process of how to produce a T-shirt – there are so many steps behind it. We went with Leicester City to Dubai and one player saw a shirt that was £300. Too expensive. I would not buy it myself but I also know how much goes into the production, so I now understand why the price is the price.” Just the day before recording the podcast, Christian was proud to say that after a run through of all his stock that his company now produces 80 products for men and women – a long way from the one T-shirt produced to wear in his videos two years prior. He thanks social media for much of this #NoFuchsGiven success and the ability to connect with fans on a personal level. It’s because of this online communication that one fan met Christian after his football challenge was accepted by the footballer on Twitter, and that one girl was invited to watch a game in his private box along with her father after he saw a photo of her at a game holding a banner asking for his shirt. Applauding social media, he said: “It’s the easiest and cheapest way to

NICHE | 17

PETER HIGGINS, JENNY CROSS AND CHRISTIAN FUCHS READY FOR PODCAST RECORDING AT LUMBERS JEWELLERS, LEICESTER

I think all people out there should give less Fuchs in life get in touch with the whole world. Gary Vaynerchuk, one of the first investors in Snapchat, said when he started his Twitter accounts for the first three years he invested so much time in answering the comments – and people appreciate that, and word travels. I see social media as a two-way street because it’s called social media; it’s a way of communicating with fans that might never have the chance to see you. If you go on my platforms you will see me interacting with them.” While his wife, Raluca, is actively trying to get his range into American chains such as Barneys, a launch for his new spring/summer collection took place at Topman in April with DJs, drinks and 300 guests. But Christian is all about keeping it local and also

attended independent store Pilot to launch the collection. Local partnerships have allowed the brand to expand; Christian praises DHL for example, for assisting start-ups with shipping. He also works closely with Leicester Riders as the team’s fashion sponsor as well as supporting Dorothy Goodman Academy’s #IAIM campaign, for which he has spent time with young people with physical and learning disabilities at the school before producing a T-shirt range to help raise vital funds. On how he fits so many avenues of his career and social responsibility into a busy family life he said: “It takes some effort. You can do it or be lazy and say it’s too much work. That’s not me. It’s not in my blood to. It’s never early enough to grow the brand. I want the

next step to be happening yesterday. But we also realise you can’t miss a step or you might fail later on. But I would not do it if it wasn’t fun for me.” It’s not just fashion and football that Christian gets a kick out of though. With his family permanently based in New York he’s constantly jet setting between the US, Austria and the UK. In all three of these places he calls home he runs the Fox Academy. This project began when his son started at an expensive New York soccer camp. When Christian and Raluca saw their son wasn’t being given any attention or good instruction, the pair, armed with the right knowledge and resources, decided to give it a go themselves. “In 2015 we just gave it a try. First camp, one week in New York, 25 kids. Amazing. They have this chance to meet a professional footballer. We had 120 kids in the second year.” The UK Fox Academy now runs every Monday, and every Wednesday in Austria. He continued: “Our goal is to find talent, to be the eyes and ears for local teams because I believe, and what my personal experience told me, was there’s still talent out there to be discovered. “I was 11 and the first team clubs said I was not talented enough. You can say ‘OK I will never make it then’, or you can say ‘hey you better watch out you’ll see me in a couple of years’. Four years later I signed my first professional contract. I want to give this hope to all the kids out there that might also have the same critics.” Hear the whole podcast, where Christian talks more about fashion, football, business, basketball and much more at nichemagazine.co.uk. nofuchsgiven.com

t. 0116 402 6222 e. salon@barriestephenhair.co.uk w. barriestephenhair.co.uk SALONS ANSTEY The Nook LE7 7AZ

ASHBY-DE-LA-ZOUCH Castlegate House LE65 2FH

LEICESTER King Street LE1 6RJ

NARBOROUGH Carlton Park LE19 0LF

Leicester for

Luxury

There has never been a better time for luxury brands to

invest in Leicester. With its diversity, vibrancy and dramatically

improved city centre shopping it’s a lucrative and exciting market that’s attracting investment on a national and international scale. Here luxury brands in Leicester comment on their experience in this market

Lumbers Jewellers

It is aspiration and success that fuels the jewellery industry and Leicester – being a vibrant, diverse and historically wealthy city with new local and international businesses – is thriving in today’s economy. It is therefore an ideal location for luxury brands to invest in. Fortunately, Leicester’s shopping experience is enhanced by the continued investment of Hammison in the Highcross shopping centre and now, Zara will replace the old tired Rackhams opposite the Lumbers store. We need sustained expansion of luxury goods within this shopping area to draw people from neighbouring cities and towns to shop. It was 1881 when John Lumbers, a young skilled goldsmith, set up a jewellery business on Lowesby Lane, just 200 yards from our current location. He and then his son owned the business until my grandfather purchased it, just after WWI. Coincidentally my wife Kim is a descendent of John Lumbers, so our son Freddie can follow his family tree directly to the originator of Lumbers should he become the sixth generation family owner of this magnificent business. I came into the business aged 20 under the tutelage of my late father Tony. One of my first memories was kindly being asked to a dinner party by Duncan Green of Pick Everard. There were six couples and conversation turned to my career. Every single guest had purchased jewellery from our competitor and hadn’t heard of Lumbers. It gave me my drive and direction to ensure that Lumbers is the first and foremost jewellery brand associated within Leicestershire. To that end we have created a store unlike any other UK Jewellery retailer. There is no other store that boasts the entertaining and VIP space that we dedicate to our clients. This has allowed us to give a totally different retail appeal and an experience unmatched by local or national competitors. Certainly the winning of the Independent UK Jewellers Award, both in 2003 and 2016, vindicate and illustrate how far we have come as Leicester’s finest family owned luxury emporium. Dominic Gomersall

Reep Midlands Luxury Car Care

Co-Director Pete George and I have run businesses with a B2B customer base across the UK and internationally. We wanted to work with a Midlands customer base where we can interact locally and meet the customer. Both of us are born and bred in Leicestershire and in the 18 months Reep Midlands has been trading we are proud to be able to call a lot of our customers and suppliers friends and enjoy the social side of the industry. Buying local is a big part of our business MO, although customers from around the UK and internationally are specifically choosing Reep Midlands as their car care partner. Despite being a private appointment only studio we are very welcoming and on a strict appointment basis will show you around the workshop (or sweetshop for those who love their cars). The warm opulent environment is securely protected by a complex CCTV setup and 24 hour security for peace of mind for the customer. With high

Hanlon Hospitality Originally named Life’s Luxuries, Hanlon Hospitality provides a seamless hospitality service with packages tailored to each individual client’s wants, needs, taste, and budget. This has never altered and nor will it as the business continues to grow. Always having been keen to attend prestigious events, I turned the hobby into a passion by making a business out of it. The best feeling ever is seeing the elation in a client from attending an event; a feeling that I have so many times experienced myself. Specialising in creating one-off experiences and packages to some of the world’s largest and most prestigious events, we organise luxury VIP excursions. Alongside sport, we also provide packages for festivals, events and concerts featuring some of the music world’s biggest stars. Our most recent events include the Cannes Film Festival, the Monaco F1 Grand Prix, and a Katy Perry concert at the O2 in London.

Being from Leicester myself and having built up a great loyal client base, it seemed like the most natural thing to set up my business here. Hanlon Hospitality engages with this particular audience building long-term business relationships. In the past five years Leicester has become home to many national and international corporates. Making Leicester their home and laying their roots here means inward investment and development has never been so high. There was a gap in the market for a bespoke events company to service this affluent audience. Jennifer Hanlon

Barrie Stephen Salons

profile vehicles arriving daily and weekly, the team are heavily focused on ensuring that the operation runs like clockwork. Every owner has a different relationship with their vehicle. We are not here to differentiate but offer a luxury experience to all whether it is a £2m supercar being prepared and delivered to St Tropez or a young first time car buyer who wants their pride and joy spruced up – we will provide the same inclusive service. Everyone who has their vehicle with us belongs here and we’ll always try to further tailor their experience where possible (think night time handover with Star Wars Orchestra in

the background and staff dressed as Stormtroopers!). Luxury car care does extend further on occasions to mobile homes, boats, motorsports, trucks and even motorbikes. Being one of the largest detailing studios in the Midlands (and UK), we can diversify if required. That’s why Leicestershire is a great location for luxury brands to invest in. It has a discreet market that is not well known, with a lot of understated wealth. We hope to continue to be a part of this market and continue to offer a world class solution to car care. Centre of the Country, Centre of the Universe. Pri Chauhan

I am so proud of my Leicestershire roots and how the business has grown to a successful group with five Leicestershire salons. From day one I had a clear mission to bring London concept hairdressing to Leicestershire – but just as there are many different communities in London, we recognise there are differences between our audiences here too. We have five salons, so there are in a sense five communities. Although we are based in Leicestershire, each location has its own microclimate and individual market. The group is made up of very different salons: founding salon Anstey; hair and beauty spa in David Lloyd Carlton Park Narborough; hair destination in the market town Ashby; flagship Leicester city centre salon at King Street, and the sassy little sister of the group, BStyled on Hotel Street. King Street is our flagship, fast-paced city salon with speed and colour express services, as well as the Barber’s Lounge to extend to young businessmen. Inspired by our New York trips, and with the rise of barbering, we dedicated half of upstairs to a very cool, new men’s zone. It has ceiling-to-floor-length mirrors and full of its own character with gorgeous red snakeskin leather chairs, rustic wooden shelving, edgy imagery, and a fully stocked fridge if a client should want a cheeky beer too! We’d never done anything like it before and, in true Barrie Stephen style, we said if we’re going to do it we’re going to be the best. So not only are we the best (in our opinion), we are also the most expensive in Leicester. That’s a big risk to go in at the top but we knew we could make it fly. Barrie Stephen

NICHE | 17

Your leading independent flooring retailer for over 70 years...

Soft as SAM MANSELL

NICHE FEATURE

Velvet

One of my favourite fabrics is velvet, whether made from natural fibres such as silk, or man-made ones like viscose

he way it drapes so beautifully, and the way it is soft and plush to the touch is just so inviting; I cannot help but enjoy the feel of it in my fingers. In interiors, I love mixing velvets for both curtains and furniture upholstery. Luckily, with modern manufacturing processes it no longer always has the extortionately high price tag it once held, but it still looks and feels very luxurious. Fortunately for me, velvet has never been more popular! There is a plethora of velvet-covered chairs, sofas, ottomans, footstools, even dining chairs out there at the moment. So I have decided to give you my top five favourite picks of the velvet-covered armchairs and sofas available, giving you a starting place when updating your home décor. I really believe there is something for everyone when it comes to velvet as the furniture it adorns comes in all shapes and sizes, from very traditional to very contemporary, and most things in between. One of the most appealing things about velvet to me is the lustre of the fabric, it shines and reflects the light in a way no other fabric does. If you invest in a velvet chair or sofa, it will certainly become the most popular seat in the house! It is just so cosy and cushy.

Samantha

Bertie Armchair in Teal Velvet £895

What’s not to love about a soft, cushioned, button-back in a punchy bright colour? The perfect combination of modern and traditional meets comfort. roseandgrey.co.uk

Regents Park Velvet Armchair £559.99

Buttons and studs – be still my beating heart! A lovely classic neutral colour and elegant shape, this will go in any décor scheme. wayfair.co.uk

Connor Armchair in Olive Cotton Velvet £499

I love the modern square shape combined with the beautiful turned wooden legs. Unusual and chic. made.com

Dax Buttoned Sofa £1495

I adore a good button detail and there is none more exquisite than this. Plus the colour is beautiful and right on trend. grahamandgreen.co.uk

Westbury Velvet Chair in Desert Rose £550

The colour is stunning and the winged back so elegant. Utterly gorgeous. coxandcox.co.uk

chrysalisinteriordesign.com/hotpicks

Tel: 0121 647 6709 f: Facebook.com/ChrysalisInteriorDesign t: @ChrysalisID www.chrysalisinteriordesign.com NICHE | 73

Demand for rental housing rises Director of Fothergill Wyatt Nicol Nightingale reviews the ‘Build to Rent’ market and showcases two of the newest schemes Leicester has to offer

ward winning think-tank The Resolution Foundation have recently published a report stating that one in three of Britain’s millennial generation will never own their own home. For many of these young professionals, renting is currently a choice that suits their lifestyles offering flexibility to relocate if and when required to further their careers. However, for young families wanting to put down roots and create a stable living environment for their children, it can lead to concerns about insecurity of tenure. With demand for rental housing at an all-time high, there is a concerning increase in the number of private landlords withdrawing from the market due to changes such as the increased legislative burden, introduction of a three per cent surcharge on stamp duty payable on the purchase of buy-to-let properties, the scrapping

74 | NICHE

of landlords’ wear and tear allowance and the phased reduction of tax relief on buy-to-let mortgage interest. It is therefore excellent news that there is a welcome rise in the number of big investors and developers focusing on the ‘Build to Rent’ (BTR) market. This has seen a number of large scale developments rapidly coming to the market across the country and this month the government gave its official blessing to the rise of the sector in its new national planning policy. Supporters of the BTR market hope that tenants will find greater security of tenancy (no risk of the landlord suddenly serving notice so they can move back in to the family home or sell up), and that living standards will improve. Here at Fothergill Wyatt we pride ourselves on the partnerships built

with our developer clients bringing a range of highly successful BTR projects to fruition. Both Stoughton House, Oadby in 2016 and The Laurels, Lubenham in 2017 have proved hugely popular ventures and the speed at which the rentals were taken up re-emphasises the appetite in the market for high quality rental accommodation. Fothergill Wyatt is delighted to announce we will shortly be launching two new BTR projects to the market: one a selection of apartments and town houses in Enderby, the other a development of four apartments on London Road, Oadby both of which are scheduled to be completed this May.

0116 270 5900 info@fothergillwyatt.com fothergillwyatt.co.uk

NICHE FEATURE Fothergill Wyatt Estate Agents and Chartered Surveyors

‘Build to Rent’ Properties from Fothergill Wyatt IMPERIAL BUILDINGS, ENDERBY

Formerly the site of Victorian factory Enderby Boot and Shoe Works, the newly refurbished BTR properties are ready for market this May. The conversion, by East Midland developers Goliath, offers refurbished townhouses, a new build apartment block, and one duplex apartment, all with allocated private parking. Between King Street and George Street in Enderby, it has convenient access to both M69 and M1 motorways. Narborough town lies nearby and Leicester city centre offers mainline rail connections to London and the North. Enderby lies within Blaby district and benefits from proximity to Fosse Park, Grove Business Park and blue chip employers such as Next PLC and

Santander on the edge of the village. Employment opportunities in this area remain strong, with a significant number of commuters living in the area. Specification: Four Three Storey Town Houses off King Street: from £725 PCM Two/three bedrooms with master ensuite, Two bathrooms with timber vinyl effect flooring, part tiled walls. Kitchen/dining room; washing machine, oven, four ring hob with extractor over, fridge/freezer and wood effect laminate worktop One Two Storey Duplex Apartment off George Street: from £650 PCM Two bedrooms; one with walk-in wardrobe. One bathroom: timber vinyl effect flooring, part tiled walls.

Kitchen/dining/living room; washing machine, oven, four ring hob with extractor over, fridge/freezer and wood effect laminate worktop Three Two Bedroom Apartments: from £625 PCM Bathroom with shower over bath. Open plan lounge/dining/kitchen; dishwasher, oven, four ring hob with extractor over, fridge/freezer, washing machine and wood effect laminate worktop Two One Bedroom Apartments: from £550 PCM Bathroom with shower over bath. Open plan lounge/dining/kitchen, oven, four ring hob with extractor over, fridge/ freezer, washing machine and wood effect laminate worktop.

APARTMENTS, LONDON ROAD, OADBY

This high specification BTR development is in a highly desirable and convenient location on London Road, Oadby. The apartments were designed with great attention to detail by Oadby Design Studio, which won the International Property Awards Best European Renovation accolade for its renovation of Swiss Chalet L’Arole in the exclusive Chesières enclave of Villars close to the world-renowned Aiglon and Beau Soleil colleges. Flooring is Chiltern, Regency Carefree carpets in bedrooms, wood effect

linoleum in the bathrooms and living kitchens (except apartment four which will have oak flooring in the living kitchen and hallway). Specification: Apartment 1: £875 PCM Two double bedrooms, two bathrooms, - ensuite in master, main bathroom has Jack and Jill doors to bedroom, bath with thermostatic shower. Large open plan living/kitchen with breakfast bar, ceramic hob, integrated oven, dishwasher, washer dryer and fridge freezer

Apartment 2: £875 PCM Two double bed, two bathroom apartment. Mezzanine master bedroom with built-in wardrobe and ensuite. Open plan living/kitchen: ceramic hob, integrated oven, dishwasher, washer dryer and fridge freezer Apartment 3: £625 PCM One large double bedroom. Bathroom with bath and thermostatic shower and Jack and Jill doors. Spacious living/ kitchen with five ring hob, integrated oven, dishwasher, washer dryer, extractor and fridge freezer. Apartment 4: £925 PCM Two double bedrooms, two bathrooms. Spacious master with ensuite and thermostatic shower. Family bathroom with bath. Living/kitchen with five ring gas hob, Oven, dishwasher & fridge freezer. Allocated parking. NICHE | 75

PROPERTY FOCUS

Forum

PRODUCTS NICOL NIGHTINGALE

LANDLORDS: COULD MEES AFFECT YOU? If you’re not currently a landlord or a tenant MEES will probably mean very little to you, and even if you are, it may have passed you by. The acronym stands for Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards, which came in to force on 1st April 2018 aiming to ensure all tenants have higher quality, better insulated homes so their energy bills are reduced and more affordable. However, there are currently 300,000 homes with an EPC rating of F or G so many landlords will have to make improvements to raise this to the minimum of an E by adding more insulation, replacing dated heating systems and by upgrading to double glazed windows. In some cases, if your EPC was carried out shortly after they were introduced a decade ago, you may not need to make improvements on the property as the methodology used to conduct EPC assessments has changed; you may simply need a new EPC conducting. The benefits for tenants are clear, but what about for landlords? In short, you aren’t obligated to carry out the work if there will be any upfront cost, the work will be financed via a scheme such as Green Deal Plan. If this isn’t possible, you should be able to register the property on the PRS Exemptions Register, but non- compliance could lead to a hefty fine of up to £5,000.

Nest smoke/carbon monoxide detector supplied and fitted from £173+VAT

Nest Thermostat supplied and fitted from £319+VAT

Nest internal camera supplied and fitted from £235+VAT

Nest external Camera supplied and fitted from £270+VAT

All costs are based on a single unit being supplied and fitted by 0116 270 5900 fothergillwyatt.co.uk 76 | NICHE

0116 265 4200

info@abelalarm.co.uk www.abelalarm.co.uk

Intruder Alarms from ÂŁ595 fully installed 2 door/window contacts, 4 detectors, panel with built in keypad, bell box, 2 remote fobs fully fitted by an experienced engineer from a company with more than 50 years industry experience

0116 265 4200

info@abelalarm.co.uk www.abelalarm.co.uk

PROPERTY FOCUS

MARK LUCAS

COMMERCIAL FLOORING? IT’S A FLAWLESS BUSINESS MOVE… When undergoing a new office or business refurbishment, it might be easy to think that flooring isn’t important. Sure, you can go with the standard, grey speckled look that can easily hide years’ worth of coffee stains – but did you stop to think about how practical your flooring could be? In the right circumstances, selecting the correct commercial flooring can actually benefit your employees and make your working environment generally more pleasant. We have improved a wide range of businesses nationwide with our versatile flooring options. These cater for a variety of ever changing criteria, and are particularly centred around health and safety. Many of our floors offer resistance to slipping and stains, and while more companies have employees standing for long hours we have anti-fatigue flooring. Investing in a good-looking, high-quality floor has many other benefits to businesses, for example, within the retail sector a well selected floor can improve the look and feel of a showroom, helping to strengthen the company image, while in healthcare buildings (such as hospitals and doctors’ surgeries) it can actually assist with creating a calming environment and even relax the patients. If you’d like to discuss your commercial flooring needs, pop into one of our Leicestershire showrooms to speak to one of our flooring experts and even see some of our ranges for yourself.

0116 254 1853 michael-john.co.uk 78 | NICHE

THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT Every keen gardener needs a greenhouse – well they don’t need one as such – however, they are a wonderful asset to have, particularly if you are wanting to grow your own vegetables. Allowing gardeners to make the most of our summer sun (which, let’s face it is a little fair whether!), it extends the seasons and helps to get the very best possible crops from a vast range of vegetables. Let’s explore their benefits a little further… ◆ They mean you can start off hardy vegetable plants earlier than outdoors sans greenhouse ◆ They get those tender plants such as French Beans from crop to table quicker due to greater protection ◆ They allow you to indulge in trying more exotic, heat-loving plants such as okra, melons and sweet potatoes ◆ They are gentler and a more

Forum

IAIN BENTLEY consistent environment for tender crops like aubergines, cucumbers, peppers and chillies and tomatoes which can sometimes struggle out in the elements of British summertime ◆ They make optimum use of the autumn sun to raise late salad crops, French beans and even calabrese So, not necessary but certainly helpful! Available in either Tanalised, Cedar, aluminium or powder coated aluminium with a wide variety of options including toughened glass, staging and shelving, automatic window openers, louvered vents, lean-to’s and much more. They’re a great addition to your garden space.

0116 267 5117 bentleysgardenbuildings.co.uk

YOUR GREAT OUTDOORS MICHAEL WHEAT We all have different ideas of what a ‘perfect pond’ means to us. Good practice is to take into consideration what would best show off the beauty of your outdoor space – and how creating a new pond will encourage wildlife, plant life and animals to visit your beautiful garden. Getting a team that specialise in pond building and design is fundamental. We understand that not everybody is interested in looking after marine life, so we reflect this in what we create for you. From the initial design, to the team coming to your garden, to the finishing touches of which plants to feature in your pond – Ponds by Michael Wheat have you covered.

Interaction starts at the phone call and initial consultation allows us to help you to home in on what your finished pond would look like. Our team listen to you. And we create for you. We aim to create something unique, something entirely bespoke, that suits your personality and is sympathetic to your outdoor space. We consider animals and wildlife; and we consider what’s best for you and your loved ones, creating spaces that are child-friendly, inviting to wildlife and perfect for you to sit down and enjoy with your family and friends (perhaps with a glass of wine or two, huh?)

0116 240 3735 pondsbymichaelwheat.co.uk

We create breathtaking, bespoke ponds.

We will transform your ordinary garden into a stunning, beautiful one! www.pondsbymichaelwheat.co.uk Call: 0116 240 3735

11087_Niche Magazine Landscape HP.indd 1

09/04/2018 12:44

24hr

call out

CALLING ALL LANDLORDS

WHEN DID YOU LAST GET A SAFETY CHECK ON YOUR PROPERTY?

Landlords are required by law to ensure that the electrical installation in a rented property is safe when tenants move in and maintained in a safe condition throughout the tenancy.

GET YOUR CERIFICATE NOW THE GLENFIELD GUARANTEE 0116 287 3226 80 | NICHE

glenfieldelectrical.com

NICHE FEATURE

A sunny scene Picture this… It’s sunny, you are in your perfectly planted and manicured garden relaxing with a cool drink of choice in hand in your top of the range, stunning, natural light-filled summer house. Sounds perfect doesn’t it?

summer house really does make the most of your garden space with outbuildings proving to be an ever-growing aspect to garden design. Situated away from your house, the building can help create a haven for peace and relaxation just a few steps from home. Bentley’s Garden Buildings are seeing a huge increase in demand for bespoke summer houses to really make the most of the summer months in the home. “Summer houses have come a really long way in recent years and the idea that a simple shed for a summer house will do couldn’t be further from the truth! The summer houses we provide boast lots of glass for perfect views and allowing for plenty of

natural light, they can be hooked up to electrics, refrigeration and essentially are an extension of the home with carpets underfoot and insulated walls. The possibilities are endless really,” Director Iain Bentley told us. Or, perhaps a bar summer house is more your style, after all which self-respecting social butterfly isn’t attracted to the idea of playing bar person in their own garden to friends and families during the warmer months? Bentley’s can provide the ultimate entertaining space for you and your guests with a summer house bar complete with optics, fridges and even electrical points so that your bar will be the most popular establishment in town. Experts in their field,

THE IDEA THAT A SIMPLE SHED FOR A SUMMER HOUSE WILL DO COULDN’T BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH

Bentley’s will visit your space to assess your needs. “We check a base is acceptable for example, and whether planning permission might be needed if a higher roofing is wanted. We can work round this for many clients though and suggest options to ensure an ideal space is created with minimum fuss,” Iain explained. Delivering and erecting the build, Bentley’s have a host of ‘extras’ to help bring your ideas to fruition, from side storage options, verandas, flooring and even the addition of log cabins at a later stage. Give your garden the edge this summer, contact the team at Bentleys. 0116 267 5117 bentleysgardenbuildings.co.uk NICHE | 81

Weight loss Surgery. Obesity rates in the UK are the highest in Europe and have increased dramatically over the past few years to such an extent that in excess of 20% of the population are now obese and the costs to the UK economy exceeds £3 billion per year. Due to the growing demand for Bariatric surgery Nuffield Health Leicester Hospital is launching its own Bariatric treatment pathway linking treatment at the hospital with recovery and wellbeing at Nuffield Health Leicester Fitness and Wellbeing Gym. Poor diet and lifestyle is now translating into our daily lives with obesity being blamed for about 30,000 deaths a year in the UK, 9,000 of those taking place before retirement age, pressurising the NHS and the UK’s healthcare systems. “People are dying needlessly from avoidable diseases,” wrote Prof Stephenson in the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges’ Measuring Up report.

Further, alongside disease, obesity can also affect peoples’ self-esteem, their wellbeing and their mental health. This impacts people’s ability to get and hold down work and can damage their social and family lives. A person is considered overweight if they have a body mass index (BMI) between 25 and 29, and obese with a BMI of 30 and above. Today, in England, 24.8% of adults are estimated to be obese. This is more than three times the levels in 1980, when only 6% of men and 8% of women were suffering with obesity according to the Health and Social Care Information Centre. Obesity is attributed as a cause of 13 types of cancer, including cancers of the bowel, breast and kidney, and results suggest one in 20 diagnoses could be prevented by maintaining a healthy weight. Andy Glyde, Cancer Research UK’s public affairs manager in Wales, said: “These research findings are startling in that, for the first time, we can see how many cases of cancer in Wales could be prevented by things like not smoking and keeping a healthy weight.

Obesity, Impacts on Adult Health Being overweight or obese increases the risk of many serious illnesses, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, as well as cancer. Further a BMI of 30 to 35 has been found to reduce life expectancy by an average of three years, whilst a BMI of over 40 reduced longevity by eight to ten years. This is comparable to a lifetime of smoking. “As a society, we are gradually realising that obesity poses just as serious a health threat as smoking,” says Chris Sutton, Consultant Bariatric Specialist at Nuffield Health.

Women’s Health Impacts

Men’s Health Impacts

•

13x more likely to develop type 2 diabetes

•

5x more likely to develop type 2 diabetes

•

3x more likely to develop colon cancer

•

4x more likely to develop high blood pressure

•

3x more likely to have a heart attack

2½ x more likely to develop high blood pressure – a major risk factor for stroke and heart disease

Nuffield Health Leicester Hospital has developed a comprehensive weight-loss programme which gives you access to the support you need on your road to success. Teamed up with Nuffield Health Leicester Fitness and Wellbeing Gym you will also receive our flagship recovery plus programme. Weight loss procedures are available from body mass index 27 upwards. Producers available include: Gastric Balloon, Gastric Band, Gastric Sleeve, Gastrostomy, Gastric Bypass and Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty.

Tim Shewbridge, Hospital Director, is delighted to introduce the new Bariatric Service at Nuffield Health Leicester Hospital. “We’re not just about the surgery. It’s about re-education, developing a healthier mind and enjoying the benefits of a healthier you, for the long term we are delighted to work with top consultants to offer a unique service expanding on the range of services we offer”.

Meet the team Mr Sutton is a Consultant General Surgeon at University Hospitals of Leicester. He has a specialist interest in weight loss surgery and surgery to treat acid reflux. He was the first surgeon in the UK to be awarded a fellowship in Bariatric Surgery from the British college. He offers a full range of primary bariatric procedures including; balloon, band, endoscopic sleeve, laparoscopic sleeve bypass, BPD.

Christopher Sutton David Exon was appointed as Consultant Upper GI & General Surgeon in Leicester in 2010. Originally from Birmingham, he studied medicine at the Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, London, qualifying in 1990. He then trained in all aspects of General, Upper GI & Pancreatobiliary Surgery in London and Hong Kong. After working in NW Thames, at hospitals such as Hammersmith & The Royal Marsden, he took up the post of Clinical Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Oesophagogastric Surgery, Chinese University of Hong Kong (2001), before being appointed Consultant Upper GI & Laparoscopic (keyhole) surgeon in Ninewells Hospital, Dundee (2004-2010). David Exon Professor David Bowrey is a General surgeon specialising in Oesophagogastric and weight loss surgery. He qualified from Cardiff in 1992, completed surgical training in Cardiff with fellowships in Los Angeles and Newcastle. He started as a consultant in Leicester in 2006. He holds Honorary Professor status and has a number of teaching and research academic interests. His current research interests are early blood sugar changes after weight loss surgery, the effects of fish oil supplementation on patients with cancer of the oesophagus and the effects of jejunostomy tube feeding on quality of life after stomach and oesophageal surgery. Prof David Bowrey

Like to find out more? Speak to a Consultant for free.

Weighing up your options? Talk to one of our experts.

Make an appointment for a free 10 minute one-to-one with a Bariatric Consultant. This will provide more information and allow you to chat through the options and ask questions you may have, so you can make a more informed decision that suits you.

Wednesday 25th April 2018 from 17:00 With Mr Christopher Sutton Friday 25th May 2018 from 17:00 With Professor David Bowrey Friday 22nd June 2018 from 17:00 With Mr David Exon

Spaces are limited to call today to book your place on

0116 2986787 These events are anyone considering weight loss surgery and would like to explore their options for treatment. You will receive a complimentary 10 minute mini chat with an expert consultant on the types of treatments that are available and what to these sessions do not replace a full consultation but are a great way to find out more information in a private surrounding. You are welcome to bring a family member or a friend for support and light refreshments will be served on the evening. NUF0318250340-1

Start your new smile journey with coffee and a chat A friendly, helpful team in a family

run practice established for over 70

years. With an average of 25 years of experience, you are in good hands.

All of our treatments are completely bespoke to your needs but one

thing that remains consistent is our exceptional level of service.

Leicester dentist offering general and cosmetic dentistry Recognising excellence in the general dental profession, our very own Dr Alif Moosajee at Oakdale Dental is the proud winner of two categories at The Dentistry Awards 2016. He won Best Young Dentist, Midlands and Best Young Dentist, UK

0116 26 27 150

oakdaledental.co.uk

info@oakdaledental.co.uk

NICHE FEATURE

A dentist ve-near you People are undergoing smile makeovers in just one day at Oakdale Dental in Leicester – Niche finds out how

“T

here is a connection from your brain to make you smile when you are happy; the connection also works in reverse. That means if you smile, you feel happier.” Dr Alif Moosajee, Principal Dentist at Oakdale Dental, is on a mission to transform not only the smiles of his patients but also their disposition. He offers an advanced form of dental technology that has made it possible to get the perfect smile in just one day. Rather than having a tooth replacement made in a laboratory, an in-house CEREC machine provides a CAD/CAM solution for dental practices enabling them to design, create and fit veneers in just one appointment. High quality, ceramic veneers can be produced in as little as nine minutes. “Before CEREC, patients would have to have messy, gooey impressions and then wear temporary veneers which

sometimes fell off,” Dr Moosajee explained. This technology means there is no waiting for veneers or crowns to be made and delivered, and no extra waiting on top if they have to be remade due to distortion. There’s also no need for awkward impressions to be made. Instead, simple scans are taken. “If there is any issue with the fit, a new veneer is milled there and then. Having your teeth scanned is really easy too. The dentist has the huge advantage over a technician of having seen your teeth personally so it’s easier to deliver a restoration that matches the other teeth beautifully. The fit of CEREC restorations is also fantastic and I find it to be much better than when an impression is taken.” The scans taken are converted into 3D virtual models and the information is sent to Oakdale’s state-of-the-art 3D

YOUR SMILE CONVEYS SO MUCH OF YOUR PERSONALITY

milling machine so the restoration can be manufactured. It uses high quality ceramic material to produce a crown or veneer that matches the natural colour of other teeth. He added: “Your smile conveys so much of your personality. If you are not confident about smiling then it can be misinterpreted as unfriendliness or aloofness, or just being downright grumpy. If you can’t or won’t smile you are missing out on all those happy hormones!” 0116 262 7150 oakdaledental.co.uk

FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT Ever heard of the Duchenne smile? It uses the cheeks and eyes to indicate a true, joyful smile. Research has shown that even when you fake a smile your mood improves. Try it today. NICHE | 85

HEALTH FOCUS

NICOLA ROSSELL

TOP SUMMER WEIGHT LOSS MISTAKES Calling all Leicester mums who feel frustrated, fed-up and unhappy about the hard reality of losing weight in 2018. Here’s how to avoid making some common weight loss mistakes this year. Drastic calorie cutting (yo-yo diets) Quitting your favourite foods and lopping off a bunch of calories to slim down may seem like the right approach (after all it’s what everyone else is doing) but it could be harming your metabolism and the results that you want to get for your body and your health. Instead, focus on finding your own personal healthy lifestyle balance and include lots of fresh foods that make your body and energy feel good every day. Overdoing it in the gym It can be tempting to hit the gym every day when motivation is high but this might be unwise. Move your body every day in different ways with workouts that vary in intensity, duration and activity. Don’t forget that working out should be fun too! Ignoring what your body is telling you Your body is super smart, and it will be able to tell you what you need. Your appetite, your moods, your energy levels and your gut can tell you almost everything that you need to know to make the right changes for the best and quickest path to the weight loss that you want.

07983 551 550 rossellfitness.co.uk 86 | NICHE

Forum

DON’T LET THE HEAD RULE THE HEART! Every second of the day a dialogue is taking place internally. It is one of the most important conversations you can have; a silent subconscious neverending chat involving emotion-based signals from your heart to the brain. However, we are taught that the heart responds to orders in the form of neural signals from the brain. Actually, the heart sends more signals to the brain! The quality of signals from your heart determines what chemicals the brain releases into the body. All of your reactions and emotions are triggered by chemicals. So when you feel negative emotions: anger, hate, jealousy, fear and rage, you feel it in your heart first, the brain gets a signal and mirrors your feeling. Negative feelings release stress hormones (adrenaline and cortisol) into the bloodstream. This prepares you for

PRITI COLES powerful, quick reactions, sometimes to fight or flee and/or speak without thinking. When you create uplifting and rejuvenating emotions like gratitude, compassion, care and appreciation, your brain harmonises with your heart to produce a chemistry that not only strengthens your immune system, but there is then no need to prepare for fight or flee, causing the stress hormones to dissipate. By realising that your heart has intelligence, you have already made the brain/heart connection. With this awareness you can lead a life that is peaceful and stress free.

07795 361 288 priticoles.co.uk

IS SUGAR REALLY THAT BAD? DR ALIF MOOSAJEE Sugar from fruit and milk is OK but all other sugars (non-milk extrinsic sugars or NMEs) can cause tooth decay because bacteria, which are always present in the mouth, will ferment them turning them into acid. Your teeth are hard because they have lots of mineral in them but acid can dissolve this. Teeth become rougher as mineral is removed which allows normal dietary stains to become deposited on the rougher surface causing dark staining associated with decay. Teeth are made up of two layers; surface enamel and inner dentine. Dentine has less mineral and loses it more rapidly. As this happens and decay progresses, teeth become weaker, which is why teeth can break or form cavities.

Saliva containing minerals increases to wash away sugary foods and acids in an attempt to repair teeth. If a large amount of sugar is eaten in one sitting, the mouth has a chance to neutralise the acid but if consumed frequently, the mouth ends up being in a continual acidic environment causing real problems. Genetics also play a big role in tooth decay as some people’s teeth will be packed with minerals which are more tightly bound in comparison to others whose teeth are more easily dissolved. Fluoride is an important toothpaste ingredient that helps prevent decay. Fissure sealants can be placed on teeth as a preventative measure. Treatment involves fillings, root canals or crowns to restore the rotten or lost tooth.

0116 262 7150 oakdaledental.co.uk

ENERGY -MOTIVATION-WEIGHT LOSS

New Ladies Weight Loss Programme WANTED: 5 frustrated and fed up Leicester ladies looking to lose weight and build their confidence, without giving up great food, sacrificing your social life and without spending endless hours in the gym. Apply for a space in the RECHARGE programme today

www.rossellfitness.co.u k/ niche

Join our friendly fitness family

NICHE FEATURE

The human side of

insurance Insurance Brokers with a difference, Halo Consulting are cutting the jargon and confusion for individuals and businesses alike

alo Consulting is a company that deals with the important stuff, so you don’t have to. You know, the big life stuff which if not done right can have huge consequences? Gulp. Those ones. Specialising in medical insurance, life insurance, income protection, and critical illness cover for individuals and group business too, Halo have the knowledge, experience and understanding to give people the information to make the best possible decision for them. We had a chat with Company Director Paul Bradley and his team to discover the human side of insurance. Each member of the close-knit team is passionate about providing a nononsense approach to insurance with the real-life humans behind each and every situation always considered. The team always digs into the back story, listens and provides a solution based on an individual’s exact requirements. “Our approach has always been honest. The general perception of insurance is all numbers, computers and quotes and yet really it’s always about a story; a person behind it, each situation is unique and so we always approach it in this way,” Paul told us. Whether a high-profile client with large policies or a simple medical insurance package, the treatment is the same – with not only the very best quotes the team can get but also a realistic attitude towards getting the right quality product at value for

money. “Saving money for our clients is always important but so is ensuring it’s the best solution for them.” This too is at the centre of Halo’s ethos, creating a balance for money versus quality in the policies and service that they provide for clients. Of course, for most of us insurance is a confusing thing, yet Halo’s approach means that it needn’t be. Their straight-talking ways make every client appreciative of their service and

The general perception of insurance is all numbers, computers and quotes and yet really it’s always about a story WHAT CLIENT’S SAY ‘Insurance with a human face. They listen, digest and then respond. Very happy with Halo Consulting and their service.’ ‘This will be my third year with Halo Consulting and I feel like I am in good hands.’

ongoing support, even when clients need to claim on a policy. “We speak insurance language and can help our clients ongoing, there’s no providing and then running.” Prevention is better than cure, having things in place for you if you can’t work, for your family, for your business sounds obvious but so often these things aren’t covered in the way they should be. “We never want to scaremonger people and businesses to be covered for things that perhaps they might not have considered but we do feel it’s our job to point out cover for the less obvious things such as the machine’s operator as well as the machine, both are equally as important after all! “Income protection is often overlooked by a lot of people who all too often assume because of their age or that they feel generally ‘healthy’ they don’t need it, it’s such an important insurance to have as it underpins our lives. If you can’t work due to illness, who’s going to pay that long list of monthly direct debits covering everything from your mortgage all the way through to your Sky subscription!” Paul explained. A safe pair of hands, Halo prepare for the worse case scenarios, so clients don’t have to. 0116 366 6866 halo-consult.co.uk NICHE | 89

Get ready for summer £35 FR O M

MICRO-DERMABRASION

The cold weather can leave skin looking a little dull. A non-surgical microdermabrasion treatment will visibly resurface the skin, stimulating new collagen growth and removing dead skin cells, which can often cause dull, lacklustre skin.

PE R SE SS IO N

WAXING

£40

A spring and summer essential, waxing frees up so much time in the summer months when you are likely to be showing more skin. Lasting up to six weeks, professional waxing for legs, arms, face and underarms will leave you smooth and fuzz-free for summer.

G FU LL LE IN I A N D B IK

CACI JOWL

£50 FR O M

As we grow older our facial muscles naturally start to lose tone and elasticity. Genetics, lifestyles, weight fluctuation and environmental factors can all influence the rate and degree to which our muscles will lose their tone. After a course of CACI facial toning treatments, the contours of the face will look lifted and toned. A monthly top-up treatment is recommended to maintain results.

NAILS

M A N IC U RE FR O M

£25

There is nothing like perfectly manicured and pedicured nails in spring and summer shades or a Classic French Manicure to freshen your outfit and really complete your look. Choose Shellac or gel nails for longer lasting result.

IO N PE R SE SS

HONEY I SHRUNK WRAP

If you are heading to the beach this summer, losing a few inches before you slip into that bikini is usually pretty helpful. The Honey I Shrunk Wrap is a fast way to lose inches with clients reporting losing a whole dress size! Painless and quick, the procedure is non-surgical and the treatment can fit into your lunch break.

£35 FR O M

PE R SE SS IO N

£250 FR O M

PE R SE SS IO N

BOTTOM FIX

MICROBLADING

According to FBC Research it is estimated that around 50 per cent of us fill in our brows with makeup everyday compared to 28 per cent in 2015. Microblading is taking the world by storm, one set of brows at a time. The procedure, which deposits small hair-like strokes of semi-permanent tattoo onto the brow, lasts up to 18 months and saves time, stress and money.

A session of Accent Radio Frequency treatment will heat up the skin and help to dissolve fat cells followed by a sculpting and lifting treatment – ideal ahead of the swimsuit days of summer weather!

£100 FR O M

PE R SE SS IO N

0116 270 9141 17 Allandale Road, Stoneygate, Leicester LE2 2DA beauaesthetica.com

NICHE FEATURE

Eileen Larder:

Changing Lives

s part of the original Cambridge Weight Plan team, Eileen has inspired and supported hundreds of people on their journey to better health and careers. The Plan, which was created by Dr Alan N Howard back in 1984, provides nutritionally balanced products to meet the needs of the individual based on their weight loss goals. The tasty foods have been scientifically and nutritionally developed over the years to become the range that is available today, which is tailored via an individual’s personal Consultant. A Consultant provides constant support via meetings, over the phone and even through daily motivational quotes and information. Eileen’s approach to mentoring both her Consultants and clients on the Plan is the same; supportive and inspiring with

Inspirational woman Eileen Larder’s journey started after losing weight on the Cambridge Weight Plan 30 years ago exceptional results which speak for themselves. “I believe, along with the nutritional foods, it’s the one-to-one support that you get with the Plan that is what gets clients real, long-term results, you simply don’t get that with any other weight plan,” Eileen told us. “The great thing with Cambridge Weight Plan is that it can be a sole source of food or used in conjunction with conventional food and includes Steps to both lose and maintain weight, it’s a lifestyle that many clients use successfully.” Becoming a Consultant allows for a career with longevity and a great deal of reward. She said: “I am very proud of how far I have come in terms of both with the company and personally. Back when I started the world wasn’t as it is today; a women’s place wasn’t

in a career! I had to come up against many opposing opinions to embark on a career as a Cambridge Weight Plan Consultant, including my lovely husband’s! Thankfully, the world is very different now, and women can become whatever they want to be.” Being a Cambridge Weight Plan Consultant allows for a great deal of flexibility in a career, with the option to work around family and other commitments seamlessly. “There has never been a better time to join, whether as a client or a Consultant. There are always exciting changes happening and so much opportunity!” Eileen enthused. cambridgeweightPlan.com/eileenlarder 0116 288 9449 / 07784 333 851

Gift Guide

Barefoot Pink Pinot Grigio £6.50 A crisp and fruity wine, full of tart apple, peach and raspberry flavours. Enjoy with seafood or whilst sitting in the sun! Available from all good supermarkets

Lava Brightsounds 2 £39.99 The BrightSounds 2 Bluetooth speaker, ambient LED Light & built-in power bank for your mobile devices. Your perfect companion for the festival season. Available from lavaaccessories.co.uk

The Bluebeards Revenge ‘Broadsword’ Straight Razor £99 The Bluebeards Revenge ‘Claymore’ Straight Razor £149.99 The Bluebeards Revenge ‘Cutlass’ Double-Edge Safety Razor £34.99 Available from shaving-shack.com NICHE | 91

FOOD COURT In this issue, local businessmen and women choose their favourite places to eat in Leicestershire

The best eating establishments in Leicestershire CHRISTIAN FUCHS

PHO 0116 489 0010 phocafe.co.uk 87-91, HIGH STREET, LEICESTER LE1 4JB Besides an Austrian schnitzel, only Vietnamese food comes close to my favourite food. I’m always trying out London’s Vietnamese restaurants and to me, Pho on the High Street is just as good. There are so many dishes to choose from so we always try something different each time. Me and my wife often just pick a number and go for it no matter what it is. The waiters and waitresses are always very keen to guide you through the menu if you’re not used to this kind of food or want to try something new. Stephen and Juliette Wall opened Pho in June 2005 after they travelled to Vietnam and fell in love with the food. They decided to open up a

JENNY CROSS

THE JOINERS ARMS 0116 247 8258 thejoinersarms.co.uk CHURCH WALK, BRUNTINGTHORPE, LUTTERWORTH LE17 5QH I love The Joiners Arms in Brunthingthorpe. Having first visited with my godparents, the place holds a lot of happy memories for me. The Joiners is a delightful gastropub serving simple, perfectly cooked food – this is what it suggests on their website but their humble attitude forgets to mention how simply delicious every dish really is. The Joiners Arms maintained its Bib Gourmand status in the 2016 Michelin Guide, which it held for five consecutive years. Stephen and Tracy Fitzpatrick took ownership of The Joiners in 2002, and since then they have transformed it from a traditional village pub into

92 | NICHE

restaurant serving phở (the Vietnamese national dish) while they were sat on high stools, slurping pho bo, in Ho Chi Minh City. Thirteen years later and Pho is still a family-run business serving great value, healthy Vietnamese street food, with restaurants across the UK. They make everything fresh inhouse, from their summer and spring rolls to their pork and lemongrass meatballs. Each comes with its own sauces. They also do an amazingly tasty and nutritious noodle soup, as well as other authentic Vietnamese dishes, coffees, beers, cocktails and fresh juices. And they do lots for vegans and people who need glutenfree foods.

an award winning eaterie. The pair have achieved this whilst managing to enrich the charm of The Joiners Arms’ historic building and offering a heartfelt welcome. One of my favourites from the à la carte menu is the medallions of beef fillet with classic Diane sauce and dauphinoise potato, and from the Sunday lunch menu the supreme of chicken, mushroom and tarragon sauce. If you’re still not sure, I would highly recommend the restaurant on a Tuesday night. Every Tuesday night is Auberge Night. They offer you the chance to sample a three course meal for just £16.95.

CHERIE CONCANNON

BARNACLES 01455 633 220 barnacles-restaurant.co.uk WATLING ST, HINCKLEY LE10 3JA My favourite place to eat in Leicestershire, is Barnacles – yes, a fish restaurant! – just off the A5 near Hinckley. I absolutely love the place, and go there as often as possible. And it has never let me down. I totally adore the Dover Sole with sweet potato fries, it’s a favourite of mine. The menu has a wide choice of fish as well as steaks, pizzas, wines, and tantalising desserts (I have a fiercely sweet tooth). Each dish is lovingly and carefully created by the chefs who change the menu seasonally. The owners at Barnacles have a huge focus on locally sourced meats, seasonal produce and fresh seafood. They even have their –

MIKE KAPUR OBE

ANATOLIA 0116 244 8818 anatolialeicester.co.uk 14 ALLANDALE ROAD, LEICESTER, LE2 2DA When I was asked to write a review of my favourite restaurant I had to flip a coin between Anatolia’s and The Exchange. It came down in favour of Anatolia. I’m regularly invited out to meetings over a lunch or dinner, so over the years I’ve had a chance to sample food at a wide range of venues. It’s not somewhere you would immediately think of going for a meal as it’s a little out of town but the area is now quite lively of an evening, even when the shops are shut. Anatolia is a great family restaurant with a fantastic atmosphere and a guaranteed warm welcome from the owner, Hasan, and his lovely wife. They serve Mediterranean and Turkish food, which suits me because I can choose

RACHEL HARGRAVE

famous I might add – fresh lobster held on site in their very own salt water tanks. A huge favourite at Barnacles since the early 90s is the fruits de mer sharing platter, which often includes lobsters, langoustine, oysters, scallops, clams, prawns and mussels all depending on seasonal availability and what’s fresh from the markets that day. But it’s only available on a minimum 24 hour pre order so call in advance! The place has always got a buzzing atmosphere at the same time as being relaxed and cosy. The staff couldn’t be nicer and the food and service never disappoint, it is definitely a place to visit. It most definitely deserves its certificates of excellence from Trip Advisor.

small tapas dishes or a substantial main meal depending on my appetite. My favourite starter is prawns in olive oil with garlic and chilli, although the lamb meatballs, and grilled haloumi run it close. My favourite main course is the chicken shish kebab but when I feel like really letting myself go, the blue cheese pizza is a must. The food is always fresh and home cooked with lots of friendly advice from Hasan to help make your choice. Service is always attentive and no request is too much trouble. I can’t wait for the outdoor extension to be completed – you never know, I might even get to enjoy my favourite Mediterranean food in some Mediterranean weather!

JOHN’S HOUSE 01509 415 569 johnshouse.co.uk 139-141 LOUGHBOROUGH ROAD, MOUNTSORREL, LE12 7AR John’s House in Mountsorrel has to be my absolute favourite when it comes to restaurants. As a vegan I am all too used to eating uninspiring food – but it really doesn’t have to be that way and John’s House leads hands down when it comes to fabulous food! Concentrating on head chef John Duffin’s passion for high quality, local, seasonal produce and with, therefore, a regularly updated menu, John’s House provides gorgeous and intriguing food that mixes taste sensations with stunning beauty. Before you say, ‘Yes but it’ll cost a fortune to eat there. John’s House is Michelin starred’, yes it is but a two course lunch costs £26 and three courses just £30.

Martin, their Maitre d’, is a generous host who puts all at their ease and their sommelier’s knowledge is just incredible. Whether its business or pleasure that takes you to John’s House you’ll be back time and time again whatever your dietary requirement. After working in top Michelin-starred restaurants, John returned to his family’s Mountsorrel farm to open this fine dining restaurant. The restaurant champions a ‘farm to plate’ philosophy, sourcing local, British ingredients, many of which originate on the family farm. Guests visit to experience home grown food and an extensive wine list with bottles from around the world. NICHE | 93

A foodie delight for the region

A family run manor house nestled on the edge of Charwood Forest in Leicestershire is building a well-deserved reputation for exceptional food and is fast becoming a top destination for foodies

t the helm of the kitchen-of-themoment is a stellar team with renowned chef Sam Dimblebee leading the Abbots Oak restaurant, kitchen and menus. Sam, who has many years of service behind her, is known for her success in the region and her exciting attitude to creating foods which combine both traditional dishes with a modern flair and play on flavour. Her signature style is a perfect match for Abbots Oak with their desire for a menu which places great emphasis on regional and seasonal ingredients sourced from the Abbots Oak kitchen garden, foraged from the local woods and from local suppliers - each dish finds inspiration from the manor’s stunning location. Working together with Abbots Oak owners, Anthony and Sarah Kurr, whose vision for a different kind of venue with a home from home atmosphere, welcomes families, couples, groups and even your dog! It truly is a venue available to all. The dynamic team are passionate about bringing seasonal, creative menus to diners and it can be seen in every dish. The result of their vision for a foodie location in the heart on the Midlands is a delightful mix of unique events and dining experiences. A welcoming destination and a relaxed atmosphere for locals and visitors alike, the boutique hotel’s

offerings include private dining and family room for up to 12 people - perfect for those significant occasions with family and friends or corporate events. Thursday is steak night - ideal for a pre-weekend date night treat and Sunday is roast day of course. For those looking for special day time food fare there’s the now famous champagne accompanied brunch, decadent afternoon teas and a great bar menu featuring sharing platters and tapas. Be sure to book for all except bar menu to avoid disappointment though! Sam’s reputation within the region is drawing diners at an ever-increasing rate with the destination proving to be a much talked about highlight of many foodie’s calendar. If guests want to really sample the food fare in its most superstar form, the manor hosts regular six-course gourmet evenings in the chandeliered dining room where the dynamic team’s skills can really take centre stage. Then there are the drinks. Abbots Oak take this equally as seriously with craft Burleigh’s Gins, local beers and ales from Charnwood Brewery and a carefully devised (and tested!) wine list by Anthony and Sarah with the welcoming bar open to passersby and hotel guests alike. Soak up the summer sunshine and take in the stunning garden on the garden terrace

and enjoy a drink (or two!) from either one of the well-stocked bars. Many people are finding the gourmet evenings are a great excuse for a weekend getaway with the destination’s cosy rooms and real open fires, the hill top views of surrounding countryside including the spectacular Barden Hill, wildlife such as deer and badgers found in the garden. It all contributes to the beautiful otherworldly experience that this special place offers. Having brought the building back to life in accordance with its original aesthetic, Abbots Oak provides not only fine food for the diner but also a stunning environment in which to dine. Dark beams, stone mullion windows and ornate carvings, an incredible staircase and yet with just the right amount of contemporary luxury added in the details can be found. State of the art music systems, coffee machines, beautiful baths and excellent showers, and if more delicious food is required (why not?!) breakfast too is happily part of the locally sourced and magnificently cooked ethos. Our advice: book now to avoid disappointment and discover what everyone is talking about. abbotsoak.co.uk 01530 833 952

NICHE FEATURE

The dynamic team are passionate about bringing seasonal, creative menus to diners and it can be seen in every dish

NICHE FEATURE

Calling all Retirees get Active this Spring

The White Swan pub in Shawell, Leicestershire is exclusively rewarding adventurous retirees who are looking to get active this April and May

hether it’s a brisk walk around the countryside, hopping on a bicycle, a morning horse ride or some other form of local activity, diners will be rewarded for keeping active throughout spring with a 10% discount on The White Swan’s contemporary lunchtime menu. Recommended in two Michelin eating out guides, the White Swan offers an extensive lunchtime menu, created with locally sourced, fresh, seasonal ingredients. Owner and Chef Patron of The White Swan, Rory McClean explains how the countryside pub is seeing a spike in retirees visiting following a daytime activity: ‘Due to our rural location, 96 | NICHE

WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE MORE OF OUR LUNCHTIME DINERS TO PARTAKE IN ACTIVITIES BEFORE COMING TO SEE US

recently we’ve noticed more and more guests coming to visit us after they’ve had a walk or been out and about in the area. This has been great to see and we want to encourage more of our lunchtime diners to partake in activities before coming to see us so that we can reward them with 10% off. We want to help our guests to get active whilst giving them a delicious and indulgent reward as their incentive!” The White Swan is using spring as a great excuse to reward those retirees looking to get active. For those of us heading into or already in retirement, it’s vital to have on the radar just how important it

is to remain active if one wants to stay healthy and maintain independence later on in life. To redeem this offer, you will need evidence of your activity in the form of a photo, sign up confirmation or a ticket. Whether you’re trying something new, rekindling your love for an old hobby or carrying on with a much loved activity, make sure you document it in some way and head over to The White Swan in Shawell for a delicious, fresh lunch TuesdayThursday with 10% off! 0121 200 0910 whiteswanshawell.co.uk

G R OW I N G C O R P O R A T E VO I C E & P E R F O R M A N C E

NICHE REVIEW

THE VICARAGE

wned by a family run group with local roots, the rural hotel is both aesthetically pleasing and welcoming. From its quirky décor seamlessly paired with country comforts, to its championing of local British seasonal produce each of its 26 ensuite bedrooms are decorated with unique personality where comfort is king. Having recently launched six signature rooms earlier this year in the oldest part of the building and with further plans to launch an additional three rooms later this year, it’s a hotel on the rise. Snug areas, a games room and a welcoming restaurant, bar and library complete the luxury home from home feel whilst the cosy country pub is fast becoming known as a food-led destination and showcases local producers and artisan supplies in its menus. We sampled an evening meal and breakfast here during our overnight stay and were more than impressed with the highquality food matched with their exceptionally friendly, helpful staff and atmospheric, relaxed rural setting. For our evening meal a sharing platter set the scene and whet our appetite for what was to come! Our mains where a perfectly cooked sirloin steak and the incredible seafood grill which was so very good - a real must have if you visit. Breakfast was served in a lovely setting complete with high quality ingredients and posh teacups! The hotel welcomes all, even your four-legged furry friends.

The Vicarage and The Courthouse We call a refurbished 17th Century Grade II listed country pub, restaurant and hotel in the heart of Cheshire our home for the night – we also checked out its Courthouse restaurant in Knutsford, Cheshire

THE COURTHOUSE

01477 533 393 thevicaragecheshire.com 98 | NICHE

he stunning, historical Grade II listed property, Knutsford Crown Court, aka the Sessions House, was used by The Ministry of Defence before it was closed and all proceedings moved to Crewe. A fascinating location, in March 1952 it housed the notorious trial of mathematician Alan Turing, a crucial figure during World War Two who played a major part in breaking the German Enigma codes (as portrayed in the movie The Imitation Game). After remaining untouched and derelict for several years, Flat Cap Hotels started their vision for the transformation of the iconic venue, restoring the stunning original architecture and adding in décor to suit. The bar is where the judge used to sit – we wonder what he might have to say about the drinking antics!? We started proceedings with the cured meat platter which consisted of parma ham,

pastrami and chorizo served with olives, pickles, breads and dressed rocket, a great ‘picking foods’ starter. The salted shin of beef was warm pressed in red wine with Dijon mustard, egg yolk, cornichons and gaufrette potato; it was wonderfully different and showcased the restaurant’s unique menu. The Courthouse burger was the star of the show however served with grilled mushroom, fried onions, Monterey jack cheese, Buttercross Farm smoked bacon, dill pickle remoulade, brioche bun and fries - it was comfort food at its best. Just to add some healthy into the mix we also opted for a Caesar salad of cos lettuce, cured grated egg yolk, anchovies, parmesan and torn croutes! That was us done, an amazing meal in an incredible and wonderfully unique setting. 01565 743 333 thecourthousecheshire.com

NICHE CULTURE

Back In Black

Diversity In Dreamland

’m a Marvel fangirl with a Stan Lee signed Avengers canvas which will feature, alongside my Star Wars memorabilia, in a future Miller Partnership Home Hub, and so the cinema release of Black Panther was hugely anticipated. And, boy, did it deliver! I was probably always going to love it, but so did arthouse fanboy Peter Bradshaw in the Guardian, no less. Director Ryan Coogler’s film is an action-adventure origin myth with Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa, a prince - sensitive, vulnerable and selfquestioning, who succeeds to the throne of the fictional African state of Wakanda upon the death of his father. Wakanda is, it would appear, dirt-poor, mountainous, jungly and

inaccessible. But the Wakandans have deliberately cultivated the west’s condescending stereotypes of Africa as camouflage. For, beneath the foliage, Wakanda is a secret city state with more flying cars and suspended monorails than you can shake a stick at. It’s a hidden world of ultramodernity – all powered by super-element vibranium, which supplies limitless energy, And, boy, do the women rock! T’Challa’s brilliant sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) is his Q figure, a scientist who designs equipment, weaponry and Black Panther’s vibranium-powered armoured bodysuit. Lupita Nyong’o is Nakia, a Wakandan intelligence agent with heart and soul, and with whom T’Challa has history. My favourite character is Wakanda’s top warrior, Okoye (Danai

TRACEY MILLER Gurira) who kicks ass, both literally and figuratively, with verve, wit and style. Angela Bassett is T’Challa’s widowed mother Ramonda, Forest Whitaker is also on hand as elder statesman Zuri – T’Challa’s Merlin, and Daniel Kaluuya (BAFTA Rising Star from Get Out) plays border tribe chief W’Kabi, a man of uncertain loyalties. So the problems in Wakanda don’t all stem from the film’s few white characters: CIA man Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and white South African career criminal Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis). The Wakandan exile Erik Killmonger (Michael B Jordan) wants to take over T’Challa’s throne, take advantage of Wakanda’s technological superiority, and free racially oppressed African Americans, and black people everywhere.

NICHE CARE

It’s a piece of cake for Melton care home A Melton Mowbray care home brought the local community together to help celebrate its first birthday in the town this week

he Amwell, an all-inclusive residential, nursing, dementia and respite care home in Asfordby Road, has proved very popular and has welcomed more than 50 residents since it opened its doors a year ago. The care home invited members of the local community from Melton Mowbray to come down and enjoy a free slice of birthday cake. The Amwell sits with its only private wooded area overlooking the River Eye and caught the attention of the media when it opened due to its superb facilities. The home includes a cinema, beauty spa, riverside bistro, a specialised gym, a beautiful landscaped courtyard garden, private dining and computer suite facilities. The care home was officially opened by fitness celebrity Rosemary Conley CBE, and has 88 luxurious en-suite bedrooms across three floors. She described The Amwell as ‘phenomenal’ and like a ‘posh hotel’, saying it will ‘create a new level of luxury for care homes’. Tracy said: “We were delighted to celebrate our first birthday in Melton - it has been a fabulous first 12 months in the town and we feel we have really been welcomed and accepted by the local community which is fantastic. I also want to say a big thank you to all the staff for making our first year in Melton so successful.”

01664 882 525 info@theamwellcare.com theamwellcare.com NICHE | 99

Europe’s first dedicated

diving resort R’S

EDITO

C HOIC

Saving the planet one piece of plastic at a time

Blue Explorers’ Resorts’ Gran Canaria haven is helping to drive the local economy as well as save our planet by being environmentally friendly and sustainable

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NICHE FEATURE

The only thing you should be leaving behind on the beach is your footprints

he Blue Explorers’ Resort concept was the brainchild of three entrepreneurs: Greg Wixted, Caroline Jackson and their French business partner David Clivet. This new resort concept is set to become Europe’s first ever resort chain dedicated to scuba diving. The first one opened on 1st May 2018 on the Island of Gran Canaria, ideally located close to warm waters teeming with diverse marine life with year-round sunshine. Blue Explorers guests are emailed pre-arrival and asked respectfully that they do not bring products on resort that contain plastic micro-beads, that they keep the use of plastic bags in their packing to a minimum, and to always tie any bags in several tight knots before disposing of them. Caroline Jackson is one of Blue Explorers’ Co-Founders. The Nottingham-based entrepreneur said: “To ensure this amazing opportunity to see under the oceans continues year after year, we have to do our utmost to preserve that fragile environment for future generations. Working to be as sustainable as we can, and encouraging our guests to follow suit is a lynch pin of our business.” Guests are also asked that the plastic holders around any soft drinks or beers that are bought outside the resort have the plastic cut or torn into pieces, not just discarded whole. The resorts use ecofriendly cleaning products, and toiletries that are ocean-friendly are provided in glass bottles and topped up throughout every guest’s stay, and source produce from local suppliers. This first resort offers a new and unique guest experience, where all things sea-related, diving, and care of the oceans meet and mingle. The experienced and multi-lingual dive crew and resort staff are passionate about the sea, to such an extent that all staff are divers, from the chefs to resort managers. Guests can spend their days underwater visiting shipwrecks or night diving, then be taken back to the Blue Explorers’ Resort to enjoy a meal in the site’s Reef Bar and Grill, which will use only locally sourced produce and line caught fish, from local fishermen. The Canaries offer some of the best value dive destinations internationally, which are accessible all year round. As

well, being within short-haul flight range from Europe means costs and travel times are kept low, making a weekend dive break possible, and travelling with young and older people much less stressful. The company has deeper considerations than just providing a wonderful action holiday for guests though. With a serious commitment to sustainability and a clear sense of its obligation to the environment and the community, the business will continually be striving to develop new initiatives and procedures to minimise its ecological impact that support the preservation of nature and cultural heritage. It will also focus on enhancing social and economic benefits to local communities in destinations where Blue Explorers’ Resorts operates. The company also regularly takes part in beach and ocean clean-ups and encourages their customers to join in. Staff and signs around the resort express to guests that the only thing you should be leaving behind on the beach is your footprints. Blue Explorers’ Resorts is looking to join forces with a global charity and action group to enable the company to play an even bigger role in keeping the oceans clean and raising funds and awareness in their little piece of the ocean.

THE BIG PROBLEM WITH TINY MICRO-BEADS Many skin care scrubs and toothpastes use tiny plastic balls instead of natural ingredients to work their magic. These tiny balls get washed into the drains and harm marine life as they eat them. Research estimates that 80,000 micro-beads per day are found in waste water facilities. That’s a worrying amount for the world’s sea life.

blueexplorersresorts.com (+34) 928 56 57 95 gc@blue-explorers.com

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in a one bedroom apartment, a free welcome cocktail, half board stay (breakfast/lunch or dinner) for just €770

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in a one bedroom apartment, a free welcome cocktail, half board stay (breakfast/lunch or dinner) for just €1300

10% off diving activities 5% off all other excursions Bookings must be made via email to info@blueexplorersresort.com quoting FAMILY2018. Offers valid until 26th October 2018. Visit blueexplorersresorts.com for more information, cancellation, diving policies and T&C’s. NICHE | 101

Music in his veins Martin Dalby is one of the UK’s most prolific classical composers – without doubt the work that he has created over the years has helped keep classical music alive in the 21st Century – here, we look back at his life and career A glittering example of how music, once it’s in your veins, can be a shining light in your life, Martin told us: “I am sure my first contact with music was in the womb whilst my father serenaded my motherplaying clarinet. Of course, I can’t remember what I heard but I just know there is no question about it, it had an effect on me!” So, what is the story behind this musical figure whose musical life spans over 40 years? Born in 1942, Martin grew up surrounded by music. Born to a father who was a prolific organist, his musical journey started in a more serious light during his education at Aberdeen Grammar School where music became an integral part of his study and leisure time. His father was, at the time, not confident of his son’s musical abilities but, thankfully, with the support of his school music master David Murray, his father’s concern was abated. “Mr Murray told my father, ‘Stop, because he’s really quite good.’ It was an excellent education and English composer Herbert Howells was my professor. He gave me everything he had and I adored him for his encouragement and faith in me.” In 1960 Martin was granted a prestigious scholarship in Composition at the Royal College of London. His fellow students included composer Herbert Howells and violist Frederick Riddle. His passion for music grew and grew as he immersed himself in the classical music world amongst talented peers who all encouraged, supported and inspired each other. “My fellow class members were a huge inspiration to me at this time in particular. We all fed from each other’s energy for music and it really was an inspiring

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time sparking creativity and cementing my joy in music,” Martin commented. Making music has enabled Martin to travel the world from his two years playing viola in Naples, Italy with L’Accademia di Napoli; the orchestra of a university-level art school. Touring Italy, the rest of Europe and even as far as North Africa, this time was thanks to an Octavia Prize and a Sir James Caird Travelling Scholarship. This was a true education in the life of a touring musician, as Martin explains; “This stage in my life was wonderfully educational. Touring and playing music like this was a real career highlight for me.” When he arrived back in the UK Martin diversified in his musical path as he embarked on a career in broadcasting at the BBC. The Scottish composer’s career began with the BBC after being interviewed by a high-powered line-up that included Peter Gould, William Gloch and Hans Keller. The interview certainly wasn’t an easy one. “Hans, a true musical great whom I greatly admired, asked me a very taxing question and I remember being completely at a loss for words in response – I was sure I wouldn’t get the job. Thankfully though I did! One of the first things I asked him when I got the job offer was why, after I failed to answer a question so catastrophically. His reply? ‘I shouldn’t have asked such a tricky question in the first place and I could see you were in trouble!’ I always look back on this fondly, he must have seen something in me and showed real kindness in offering me such a wonderful career opportunity,” Martin reflected. His career at the BBC was extensive and he

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transformed and motivated the people around him. Throughout his career he worked with and met musical greats such as the aforementioned Hans Keller as well as John Drummond, Herbert Howells and John Ogden to name a few. During these years at the BBC he was a producer and Head of Music and won a Sony Gold Award for producing BBC Scotland’s radio. Other career achievements include a wide variety of works within documentaries, films, orchestras, church, radio, television and chamber music. “As a composer with such a love for music it’s always been important to me to reach a wide audience and through a plethora of mediums I really feel that I have achieved that goal, and for that I will always be grateful.” Notable events where his work has been performed include the International Polish Festival of Contemporary Music, the Warsaw Autumn and the Henry Wood Prom in London (aka The Proms), for which he wrote The Mary Bean. In addition, he has composed The White Maa to celebrate 200 years of Union Street in Aberdeen. Over such a prolific career, which spans over 40 years Martin considers his musical life and comments: “I consider myself very privileged to have had so many truly wonderful opportunities over the years. I retired in 1993, but I remain active when I can be in the world of composition and music - I couldn’t not be, it runs in my veins.”

01360 660 427 martin-dalby.co.uk

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The Influence of

Hans Keller Hugely influential in his time at the BBC, Martin looks back fondly at his friend Hans Keller: “When I got the job at the BBC my first day I saw him in his office and it was piled high with papers and scores and I said: ‘You’re busy, I’ll come back later,’ and he said: ‘No, let’s have a beer,’ which shows just how relaxed, approachable and amiable he was. He gave me so much advice and guidance over the years and for that I will always be thankful.” He passed on advice that would be absolutely relevant to young people in music today; “When I was 23 in 1971 I was stuck and couldn’t get going. The late Hans Keller told me in his Austrian accent: ‘Get some manuscript paper. Put some notes on it. Any notes. It doesn’t matter but keep going!’ This is just an example of the kind of man he was: dedicated.” 104 | NICHE

An important figure in Martin Dalby’s life at the BBC we explore his life and career in honour

eller was born in Vienna in 1919 and as he grew up he participated as a chamber player, where he had apparently explored and memorised virtually the entire classical and romantic repertoire by his late teens. However, in 1938 the Nazis came. Rounded up and brutally interrogated with fellow- Jews, Keller seemed to face certain death. Against all odds he survived. He did however, undertake an internship between 1940 to 1941 on the Isle of Man and went on to study violin at the Royal Academy of Music, later to become known as a respected music critic. He resided in London and married artist Milein Cosman, famous for her drawings of dancers and musicians. He spent most of his early career freelancing in several professions: a string plater, writer, music critic and psychologist. He used his knowledge of psychology to write about music in general. It was in the 1950s that he dedicated his time to writing music for a variety of different mediums including film and TV. He became known as the leading critical voice of his day in the UK. In the late 1950s he invented the method of wordless functional analysis in which a musical composition is analysed in musical sound alone. Keller worked at the BBC between 1959 and 1979 and even became a part-time football columnist. He had built a reputation for himself due to his unmovable views and opinions as well as his quirky outlook on life. “Hans Keller was one of the most celebrated musical figures of his time. As a teacher, broadcaster, analyst, coach, polemicist and critic (he would have preferred ‘anti-critic’), he was a passionate and brilliantly articulate advocate of everything he deemed best in music, and an equally outspoken scourge of poor standards in verbal and musical communication as well as in ethical behaviour. “His combative presence had a remarkable effect on admirers and detractors alike: he

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Of Mozart’s string quintets, the ones in D major, G minor and C major are the greatest string quintets in existence was often sought out for his views, sometimes reviled for expressing them forthrightly, but rarely ignored because of them. His idiosyncratic blend of enthusiasms, especially football and psychoanalysis, ensured that satirical magazines never let him out of their sight; and his exceptional companionability enabled him to gather round him some of the most gifted musicians of his time. Indeed, to those who knew him well he became the unofficial guardian of their conscience.” Hans Keller: essays on music.

…it is true to say about Beethoven that all he did was new, except that Haydn had done it before…

FACTS:

An interview with Pink Floyd In 1967 Pink Floyd joined Keller in an interview for the BBC’s The Look of the Week show after the English rock band release the song Arnold Layne. Keller famously began the interview by asking the band members ‘why does it have to be so loud?’ As someone who grew up with the string quartet he explained that the volume of their performance made it difficult to appreciate their work. Guitarist Roger Walters politely explained there was no real need for the music to be that loud other than that they simply liked it to be. The two showed understanding for their musical differences as Walters suggested their musical roots were possibly a factor. On the band’s volume Keller replied: “Not altogether convincing, but I accept that you like it.” “Well, there it is. I think you can pass your verdict as well as I can. My verdict is that it is a little bit of a regression to childhood, but after all, why not?” – On Pink Floyd

By the time of his retirement in March 1979, Keller had been described as one of the most experienced radio broadcasters and Music Talks producers of his generation. In the late 1950s he invented the method of “wordless functional analysis”, in which a musical composition is analysed in musical sound alone, without any words being heard or read. You can find Keller’s manuscripts (radio broadcasts and musicological writings) at the Cambridge University Library.

As soon as I hate something, I ask myself why I like it so much NICHE | 105

creating possibilities for disabled children

becomes an

PHOTO TAKEN AT SHANGHAI CHILDREN’S ART THEATRE 2017

NPO! In April the company became a part of Arts Council England’s National Portfolio

his accolade identifies the work that Bamboozle does as being amongst the best arts practice in the world. Alongside this recognition comes an investment of public money which Bamboozle is determined to turn to maximum benefit for children with complex needs and their families in Leicestershire. In discussion with venues such as Curve, which has been a fantastically supportive partner over the years, Bamboozle plans to create more opportunities for children with disabilities and their families to experience the kind of cultural treats that most of us take for granted. The company also aims to provide more regular sessions of activity for families. This supports the development of social networks which can have a profound and lasting impact on parents and siblings who care for children with learning disabilities, as well as on the children themselves. Although secure public investment opens the opportunity for Bamboozle to make more regular commitments to families in Leicestershire, it does not reduce the company’s ambitious fundraising plans. Rather, the responsibility to make sure that public money has as much benefit as possible means that Bamboozle has more ambitious targets than ever, raising funds that will enable it to provide its life enhancing activities to more children with learning disabilities and their families than ever. 0116 255 2065 bamboozletheatre.co.uk 106 | NICHE

Bamboozle in Shanghai

guitar plays gently. An English folk tune. Two young Chinese women are sweeping. They are light-hearted and evidently enjoying themselves – the sweeping is rhythmic, almost a dance. Then a low rumbling in the distance. The young women break off and glance to the skies. They look at each other and back towards the horizon. Then what they have been anticipating… the sound of an air raid siren. They move into action – periodically glancing over their shoulders into the distance. This scene is taking place in the rehearsal room of the Shanghai Children’s Art Theatre [SHCAT] where Leicester based theatre company Bamboozle is in residence for the whole of April. The young women are 1940s Land Girls and are part of a group of seven Chinese actors rehearsing Down to Earth, under the direction of Bamboozle’s artistic director Christopher Davies. The play is set in the Second World War and is designed for children who have profound learning disabilities Bamboozle is working with the Shanghai theatre on a three year project to bring theatre for disabled children to China and to train Chinese actors so that they can perform their version of Down to Earth when Bamboozle come home. Christopher

said: “We have all been impressed with the commitment and skill of the Chinese actors we have recruited to work on the project. They are very keen to learn the Bamboozle approach as they realise that knowing how to engage with the disabled children is the key to successfully putting on theatre work for these audiences. Bamboozle will be returning in the autumn for further rehearsals before the show goes out in October. There is a lot of interest in the project here - two TV news channels are carrying items in their flagship news programmes and several newspapers are covering the story.” The company took Down to Earth and Storm, designed for children with complex needs and children who are on the autistic spectrum, to Shanghai in April 2017. Since then the Bamboozle team have been back to deliver training for teachers and parents, and to recruit the actors who are rehearsing this week. Christopher again: “This April we will be putting on 63 performances of three shows – the two we did last year and Michael Morpurgo’s Gentle Giant. In addition we will be running workshops for families and delivering a seminar on ‘How can theatre impact on the lives of children who have special needs?’ The company return to Leicester on 2nd May.

A couple from Leicester set themselves a unique challenge to mark their 40th wedding anniversary

40 celebrations

for 40 years O

n 12th March 2017, their ruby wedding anniversary, David Goadby (67) suggested the ‘40 things’ challenge to his wife Anne (64). Both active social butterflies in the Leicester business community, the pair are heavily involved in networking and social events and wanted to combine the two with something that would make a real difference. Becoming volunteers for Hope Against Cancer was a priority on their ‘40 Things’ list. David and Anne get involved in helping at Hope’s events: running the bar at the Hope Fashion Show; shaking a collecting tin and raising awareness at a local Sainsburys store. David, a Utility Warehouse Authorised Distributor and maths tutor, said: “20 years ago cancer patients in Leicester had the worst outcomes amongst Western Europe. Hope set about changing that. We wanted to be involved in the essential, cutting

edge research that Hope fund that we are so lucky to have going on here in Leicester, which wouldn’t be possible without the help of local people.” Their ‘40 Things’ list included a garden party, a visit to Glastonbury (not the festival), a family photo shoot, a day as a tourist around Leicester, and a trip to the Arctic Circle. Anne, who was a Paediatric Ward Sister and Health Visitor before retirement, also became an ambassador for Menphys. David added: “We wanted to do things we’d never done before. The reason I’ve been able to do all this is because of the flexibility I have with Utility Warehouse, earning even when on holiday. I encourage anyone to give it a go.” Their trip to the Iguazu Falls was a particular highlight. Found on the border of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, “The trip was absolutely amazing, we ended up being there on my birthday

THE REASON I’VE BEEN ABLE TO DO ALL THIS IS BECAUSE OF THE FLEXIBILITY I HAVE WITH UTILITY WAREHOUSE

so had everyone from our tour group wishing me happy birthday. The Copa Cabana beach was just spectacular and the Christ the Redeemer statue was just wow. With Ann being retired and me running my own Utility Warehouse business it’s quite possible there will be more trips like this for us!” Hope Against cancer’s Chief Executive, Nigel Rose said: “We were very pleased and humbled that David and Anne chose to share their wonderful milestone celebrations by combining volunteering for Hope! They are great ambassadors and very hard-working and we are pleased to welcome them to the Hope family of volunteers, a great network of people without whom we could not raise our funds for vital, local cancer research.”

07736 146 400 davidgoadby@uwclub.co.uk save-earnmoney.co.uk NICHE | 107

Charity Link’s Leicestershire 3 Peaks Challenge Have you got what it takes?! Join us on Sunday 23rd September 2018 16 miles: great scenery: make a difference Finding funding for people in need since 1876

Starting and ending at Bradgate Park, Charity Link’s Leicestershire 3 Peaks Challenge is a unique route taking in Beacon Hill, Bardon Hill (Leicestershire’s highest point) and Old John Tower in Bradgate. Walk or run the challenge and raise funds to buy essential items (including food, clothing and beds) for the most vulnerable people in our local community. Find out more and register at charity-link.org/leics3peaks or call 0116 222 2200 Team registration available Charity Link, 20a Millstone Lane, Leicester LE1 5JN Tel: 0116 222 2200

Fax: 0116 222 2201

email: info@charity-link.org

Web: www.charity-link.org

Follow us on twitter @charitylink or on facebook.com/charitylink Leicester Charity Organisation Society is a registered charity, no. 1078271 and a company limited by guarantee, no. 03761954

Recognition for Charity Link

Charity Link Artwork Niche May Edition 2018 half page.indd 1

23/04/2018 09:18:56

The Leicester Mercury Business Awards bestowed its not-for-profit Organisation of the Year award to vulnerable persons support charity, Charity Link

unning since 1876, Charity Link received recognition for its outstanding work in the community for the first time. On average the charity helps over 5000 local people a year by providing essential items which most people take for granted. Susan McEniff, a Director of Charity Link, said: “We were delighted to win the Leicester Comedy Festival community award in February for our A Bellyful of Laughs event and then the Leicester Mercury Business award in April. We’ve been a hidden gem but have worked hard to raise awareness and people are really impressed with how we work because it’s local and we’re bringing money into the community.” For every £10 donated, Charity Link can turn it into £50; the organisation untaps around £800,000 per year and has relationships across the board including other charities, teachers, doctors and social workers. Chris Hutchinson of BHIB Insurance Brokers, which sponsored the award category, said: “Finalists were judged on reach, impact and innovation. What swung it for Charity Link was their reach. People can lose their jobs or homes and lead to family issues with some getting involved in drugs and alcohol abuse, which can then lead to mental health issues and without help simply spiral out of control. They’re helping the people who are hidden, who the politicians don’t recognise, who could be living next door. They quickly target need and give a leg up in a crisis.” Susan added: “The team work tirelessly supporting vulnerable people and children. It’s wonderful to bring the award back to the office and say well done.” 0116 222 2200 charity-link.org 108 | NICHE

3 PEAKS CHALLENGE Sunday 23rd September 2018

charity-link.org/get-involved or email rachel.markham@charity-link.org

MAGICAL CHRISTMAS Saturday 15th December

Local businesses can get involved in a special event for vulnerable people held at Curve charity-link.org/magical-christmas In conjunction with Curve and RDZ PR, supported by Niche Magazine

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ale higher fem t rate n e m y lo p unem r te s in Leice

26%

olds in of househ are living Leicester in poverty

Zinthiya Ganeshpanchan strives to change the lives of the impoverished, abused, trafficked, homeless, and pained refugees for the better

ri Lankan born Zinthiya Ganeshpanchan is the Founding Trustee of the Zinthiya Trust, a registered charity based in Leicester providing support to local people. The Zinthiya Trust supports women and families from disadvantaged backgrounds. This often means providing support to those who are fleeing violence and people who are disabled, homeless or living in substandard accommodation, people facing food and fuel poverty, exoffenders and people in long term unemployment. The aim of their work is to prevent abuse and poverty, enabling people to live safe and fulfilling lives. The services of the Trust include providing support and counselling to women fleeing violence, providing money and energy advice, welfare and benefit advice, support, skills and volunteering opportunities. She said: “Growing up in Sri Lanka I have witnessed the violence women and girls undergo, and seen abject poverty and social exclusion. I have witnessed the impact of a prolonged conflict that led to communities being torn apart. These have taught me to value

the humanity, democracy and civil liberties that this country offers that we so often take for granted. I was also surprised by some of the social inequalities I saw here in the UK.” The Trust also provides practical support and one example of this is the Leicester community shop. Running a food bank since 2012 the team found many people facing poverty were reluctant to use food banks due to the associated stigma and would rather go hungry. The Trust partnered with the Leicester Community Benefit Society and created a community Shop. The shop, based at 10 Bishop Street, runs on a membership scheme priced at £5 per year. Members can buy food for as little as 25p. The aim was to create an accessible, inclusive store available to all, minimising the stigma of poverty and preventing food waste, encouraging local community action and volunteering. With the aim of preventing child poverty, the Trust also runs a uniform project that provides school uniforms and stationery to children, and sanitary towels to young girls who are not able to afford supermarket prices. With a passion to support the

GET INVOLVED YOU CAN GET ON BOARD IN A VARIETY OF WAYS SMARTIES TUBES - FILL YOUR TUBE WITH £1 COINS ALLOTMENTS - SEND YOUR SPARE VEG TO THE COMMUNITY SHOP HOMES FOR FOOD BINS DISPLAY A BIN IN YOUR OFFICE FOR FOOD DONATIONS

community and demonstrating her entrepreneurship skills, Zinthiya has created a variety of income generating streams aimed at sustainability. These include the Chapel Café on Bishop Street offering quality food and drink at affordable prices and a safe environment to meet friends, and hold meetings and events. She also created Spice 20, a range of authentic Sri Lankan spice blends and a leaflet distribution service for businesses to use. Income generated from these ventures is enabling the charity to pay towards the core costs and offer completely free, confidential services to help those in need to change their lives. “The current climate is very challenging and charities have to find new ways and means to supplement grant funding they receive and sustain the support to our beneficiaries. The cuts to public funding have shrunk the services but have also increased the demand and we are having to respond to these needs,” Zinthiya explained. 0116 251 5168 zinthiyatrust.wordpress.com Zinthiya.trust@gmail.com NICHE | 109

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Funding Fearless Futures An inclusive-only football club has received a whole team’s worth of kits from a

T PHOTOGRAPHY BY GARRY WOODFORD

Leicester football academy

he Future Foxes Foundation, founded by Leicester City legends Steve Walsh and Muzzy Izzet to benefit disadvantaged, sick and disabled children through sport, has donated 25 brand new Nike training kits to inclusive football club Wigston Foxes. The club takes girls and boys who are unable to join a mainstream team for whatever reason. It currently has an under 9s development team and two under 13s teams. Its creator Leanne Naudusevics said: “I started Wigston Foxes because [my son] Charlie wanted somewhere to play. I started liaising with the county FA in 2016 and myself and my friends’ partner started getting policies ready, completing training and so on. “We started training in January 2017 with five kids. We then affiliated to Leicestershire and Rutland Inclusive League. We grew quicker than we could ever have imagined and now have 21 players, spread over three junior teams.

We’re lucky to have had help from Wigston Mini Fire Engine, Wigston Rotary Club and now the Future Foxes Foundation. At the moment we’re the only inclusive-only club in Leicestershire.” Steve Walsh explained: “We wanted the foundation to support children and young people with a wide variety of disabilities, battling a serious illness or who have experienced a tough childhood through no fault of their own.” Fellow founder of the foundation Muzzy Izzet added: “When we heard about Wigston Foxes and what Leanne and her team were trying to achieve, it was a no brainier to get involved. We hope the training kits help this amazing team to stand out from the crowd. To be involved with Leicestershire’s first inclusive-only football club is an honour for us.” @WigstonFoxes @FutureFoxesFnd

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Watches, Wellbeing and Wine Mattioli Woods PLC celebrated the end of the financial year in style and luxury on Thursday 12th April as they welcomed clients and professionals from across the East Midlands to Lumbers Jewellers with their exclusive event Watches, Wellbeing & Wine. The theme of the evening was ‘unwinding’, which began with a champagne reception on the shop floor, surrounded by all manner of beautiful jewellery. Presentations started with Lumbers Managing Director, Dominic Gomersall delighting guests with stories of his watch-selling career, during which they were able to handle and admire some of the most fabulous pieces from Dominic’s impressive collection. Julian Hall of Calm People then gave an interactive presentation on how individuals may better handle stress and develop emotional resilience in their personal and professional lives. The evening was topped off with a wine tasting, with guests sampling a selection of fine French vintages and canapes.

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ECY’s 10 year anniversary This year see’s Leicester’s Chartered Surveyors Edward Cooper Young turn 10 years old. Ashley Cooper set up the company in 2008, starting out in the shed at the bottom of his dad’s garden. Now, his company employs more than 30 talented individuals and is renowned in the care home sector. ECY held a networking party to celebrate the anniversary at the Porsche Centre in Thurmaston Lane, Hamilton on 19th April. As well as many of the company’s staff, lots of important figures from across the construction industry, many of whom have worked in partnership with ECY, came to enjoy luxury canapes, a tour of the Porsche showroom, and a business card raffle. In Ashley’s speech, he expressed how being told Leicester wasn’t a good place to start a business gave him the determination to succeed. He also thanked his wife and children for their ongoing support, and thanked his mum and dad for their role in the beginnings of his business journey.

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Enterprising Women Awards 2018 The Enterprising Women Awards were held at Winstanley House in Leicester and hosted by presenter Emma Jesson. Co-Chair of Enterprising Women, Eileen Richards, of ER Recruitment, Leicester, and a member of the Board of Directors at the Chamber, said: “The standard of entries was, again, very high this year and proves there is a real hunger among women in the business community to be recognised for their achievements. These awards – now celebrating 21 years – are one of the best ways to achieve that recognition. Sponsors for this year’s awards are Pick Everard, B Audio Visual, CBA Business Solutions, Derby College, Leicester Racecourse, Leicester Tigers, Purpose Media, PwC and Smallman & Son, Mercia Image Print and Koobr as design sponsor. CATEGORY WINNERS Business Women of the year: Marion Plant – Principal and Chief Executive of a cross-border general FE College North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College. Social Commitment: G Wathall & Son. Apprentice of the Year: Amber Nicholson – AESSEAL. Female Employee of the Year: Aarti Raj – Pick Everard. Female Entrepreneur of the Year:Rosin Johnson – Magenta Iris. Team of the Year Award: Glynis Wright & Co Family Solicitors and Mediators. Small Business of the Year: Penny Price Aromatherapy

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Sports Dinner and Charity Auction The sixth annual Bodie Hodges Foundation sports dinner and charity auction took place on Thursday 22nd March and was the organisations’ biggest and best yet, raising over £40,000. The money will be used to help families that have suffered a breavement by losing a child and to help raise the awareness of organ donation. The evening was hosted by BBC commentator Ian Stringer, headlined by special guest Frank Bruno, and supported with entertainment by magician and illusionist Jamie Raven, and the dinner and auction was a huge success. Guests described how Stringer skilfully compèred the night, how inspiring Bruno had been throughout, and how hilarious and talented Raven’s act was. B Audio Visual prepared the room to look spectacular before guests arrived showcasing what a fabulous and sophisticated evening was ahead of them. Auction prizes were donated by generous individuals including boxing gloves signed by Frank Bruno. The Bodie Hodges Foundation gave a huge thank you to each of their charity partners who supported the event; Data Intensity, Everything Branded, Be the Star Posters, and WJ. Niche wishes to thank CDS Global for the invite.

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