Niche Magazine Issue 52

LICENCE TO PRACTISE LAW

EDITORIAL

Editor: Kerry Smith kerry@crossproductions.co.uk

Senior Journalist: Emily Miller emily.miller@crossproductions.co.uk

Feature Writer: Tom Young tom@crossproductions.co.uk

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Photography: Hitz Rao

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A WORD FROM THE EDITOR

November is a big month for men what with Movember and International Men’s Day, but how many men know they have their own awareness day? We look into the issues local men face as part of a special feature this issue.

These last two months of the year are also host to Remembrance Day and Guy Fawkes Night as well as many other important awareness dates. It’s an ideal time to get out of the house with loved ones. As always, we promote many local events, venues, and restaurants for you this season. Of course, it’s not as easy right now to enjoy these outings worry-free with the cost-of-living crisis. So, we have some advice for keeping costs as low as possible this winter. But it’s also important to keep trying to make special memories – we have a list of low-cost and free events to attend around the city this Christmas.

TML Solicitors’ dapper Dav Mahet heads up our front cover for this last issue of the year. His story tells how his business came to be and how it now supports local communities. It’ll no doubt be an inspirational read for those looking to set up their own business, or trying to take themselves to the next level.

BUSINESS

NEWS

Embark CSR launches first ever Leicester Giving Day

The concept behind Leicester Giving Day is to encourage businesses to actively engage with their local communities and charities, and to create partnerships through the offer of treasure, talent or time. The Day will also spotlight the important work of charities and community organisations in the city and county.

Founders, Chris Shaw and Stacey Wragg from Embark CSR said: “Leicester Giving Day is about celebrating what Leicester already does well, and encouraging more people to get involved in giving. It will encourage local businesses to devote the day to showcasing the work they do to support charities and community organisations. Hopefully, it will enthuse companies that haven’t started on this journey to see the benefits of giving back to their local community.”

Throughout the day there will be four Community Hubs operating in the city showcasing organisations that work across four themes: financial poverty; wellbeing and mental health; arts and culture; and career advancement and help to find employment. The Hubs will be open to the public and will offer activities, talks and insight into the work of up to 20 charities. Hubs will be hosted by St Martin’s House Conference Centre, Highcross, The Zinthiya Trust and Soft Touch Arts.

There will also be a Giving Day Gala on the evening of Leicester Giving Day, which will feature the winners of the Embark’s Leicester Social Responsibility Awards and the Community Impact Programme.

Leicester Giving Day has already helped to create several new active partnerships. Sandicliffe Ford’s Transit Hub will be working in support of Fareshare Midlands; Grounded Kitchen will be supporting Lamp; Mini Warriors will be supporting Menphys; Cross Productions will be offering a LinkedIn master class for charities; and Leicester Business Festival CiC has committed to getting behind the four Community Impact Programme winners.

Mike Kapur, OBE, His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire has given his backing: “Leicester Giving Day

is a fantastic idea to help raise funds for local charities and local communities and to showcase the essential work which they do. I hope businesses in the city of Leicester and in Leicestershire will embrace it and take part, which I am sure they will. Leicester has a great reputation as a philanthropic city and Leicester Giving Day will surely help build our reputation. Good luck to all involved.”

To get involved in Leicester Giving Day, you can visit www.leicestergiving.uk.

Exhibition stands available at Love Business Expo

Love Business Expo is gearing up for its biggest and best event yet in 2023 and businesses across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire are being urged to book fast to avoid disappointment.

Stand bookings for the event went on general sale on Monday, October 3 and demand has proved exceptionally high so far. Organisers Quiet Storm Solutions recommend that exhibitors

secure their place as early as possible to ensure they don’t miss out.

Taking place on Thursday, February 16 at Holywell Park Conference Centre, Loughborough, Love Business 2023 is set to attract hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of delegates.

Steve Megson, Managing Director of Love Business Founder Quiet Storm, said: “Businesses still have many

Breedon Consulting and ER Recruitment reach new highs after one year in partnership

East Midlands-based HR experts Breedon Consulting Limited is celebrating its first year in partnership with ER Recruitment.

Over the past year, the two companies have worked in tandem to provide a full scope of HR, recruitment, and learning and development services, and as a result have expanded their client bases across the East Midlands.

The partnership was forged after longstanding companions Nicki Robson, managing director of Breedon Consulting, and Eileen Richards, managing director of ER Recruitment, joined forces to broaden their services and provide complementary disciplines.

With the recruitment market continuing to be fast paced and candidate driven, more roles are being advertised than ever – and the ability to attract top talent has become increasingly challenging. ER recruitment works alongside its partners to identify hiring issues and offers solutions which go beyond recruiting a new candidate – consisting of upskilling employees, supporting companies to retain staff and brands to promote themselves as an employer of choice to attract new talent.

While Breedon also specialises in profiling, individual development, management development, employee engagement and performance frameworks, the pair have been able to offer an approach that focuses on employee retention and attracting new recruits into businesses.

challenges to contend with, from rising energy prices, global uncertainties and the increasing cost of living.

“Love Business is all about highlighting solutions, connecting business and helping them to seek out new opportunities to move forward and grow.”

If you want an exhibition stand you can book at lovebusinessexpo.co.uk/ book-your-exhibition-stand.

Nicki said: “Eileen and I both wanted to expand our service offering to clients, but also wanted to focus on our individual areas to not dilute our expertise, so the partnership made sense and it has been brilliant. HR and recruitment are interlinked, but both need different skill sets.

“Our teams complement one another to provide an integrated service, and as a result both companies have been able to expand their client bases as well as ER’s services to include psychometric testing for senior roles, which is carried out by Breedon.”

Eileen commented: “The partnership is much more than us just passing on work to one another; we support each other’s CSR initiatives and community involvement – all of which reflects our passion and commitment. We trust they are managing our clients with the same outstanding customer service as ourselves.”

Breedon Consulting and ER Recruitment plan to expand their offerings further as they look to diversify within new geographic areas to provide a combined, tailored service.

Over 16,000 LED Christmas lights and a 46ft Christmas tree rising majestically above the Clock Tower are sure to get visitors into the festive spirit.

The annual Christmas Lights Switch On will take place on the evening of Thursday, November 17. Following on from the success of last year, rather than one central stage, the countdown will take place across the city centre public spaces seeing them burst with festive activities.

The much-loved Jubilee Square ice rink will take pride of place, and families will be able to test their skating skills on its 680m2 of real ice from December 1. If it’s your first time on the ice, then you can book a skating aid – there is loads on offer from the friendly ice rink team. Or you may be an experienced skater who wants to practise their moves (and maybe show off a little). Whatever your level of skill, you’re welcome right through to the New Year. Tickets are available every day from 10am and this year there are

extra dates and sessions with super off-peak tickets on sale at just £5 per person. As always, there will be special SEN sessions, school group times and chances to skate alongside local sporting mascots Filbert Fox and Welford the Tiger. The clear roof provides fantastic views of the 110ft Wheel of Light which will be heading to Jubilee Square from November 11 and gives you incredible views right across the city centre.

This year, Town Hall Square is playing host to Santa, ready to hear the kiddies' wishes and hand out some pressies (all for free!). He’ll be there from December 3-23. Santa will be joined by the traditional nativity scene with the Christmas story narrated by local school children. Don’t miss out on the chance to drop off a letter to Santa in one of the four GEM FM talking postboxes. If you’re lucky enough to have your letter read out on the GEM breakfast show, you’ll win a fabulous festive prize.

BID Leicester has commissioned a fantastic Paint to Pixels animation on the screen at the back of the Corn

Christmas In Leicester 2022 promises a programme packed full of festive activities. Sarah Harrison, City Centre Director gets us into the festive spirit

Exchange in Green Dragon Square. The 20-minute shows start at 4.30pm from December 3. Humberstone Gate will come alive with all the fun of the fair.

Christmas is always the best time for a family visit to the theatre and this year you can follow the yellow brick road all the way to Curve Theatre where this year’s festive show is The Wizard of Oz. It’s time to shout “he’s behind you!” as De Montfort Hall hosts Cinderella with Strictly Come Dancing star AJ Pritchard as Prince Charming and CBeebies’ Evie Pickerill as Cinders. And over at The Little Theatre, Aladdin and the evil Jafar will get you booing and hissing. If film is more to your taste, then take in a blockbuster this Christmas at Showcase Cinema de Lux, or an art film at Phoenix cinema, which reopens on November 12 after essential works.

The shops will be brimming with Christmas gifts. Don’t forget to make time for refreshment in one of our many restaurants, cafés and bars and get a welcome break from all that hectic retail therapy. Look out for all the new names that have opened in the city centre since this time last year and support our local businesses. By choosing to shop locally, you will help keep choice and diversity on our high streets.

Just like a festive cracker, Christmas in Leicester 2022 is full of good surprises, so find your best party hat and get ready for treats aplenty!

To find out more, visit christmasinleicester.co.uk and visitleicester.info.

*Time and dates correct at the time of printing. Please check websites for updates.

Rosemary Conley handed lifetime achievement honour at Enterprising Women Awards 2022

THE WINNERS

Businesswoman of the Year

Female Entrepreneur of the Year

Female Employee of the Year

ALeicester businesswoman and author who made her name developing exercise and health programmes has been recognised for her 50 years’ contribution to the region’s business community at East Midlands Chamber’s Enterprising Women Awards.

Rosemary Conley CBE DL was presented with the Lifetime Achievement award at the gala dinner, held on September 30 at Leicester Tigers’ Mattioli Woods Welford Road Stadium in partnership with Futures Housing Group.

Designed to honour a businesswoman who has contributed to the region and their sector for at least a decade, the category was introduced to mark the Enterprising Women network’s 25th anniversary, which was also celebrated at the event.

Since joining the firm in 2013, Emily has driven investment in new machinery, improved efficiency and streamlined its processes, all with stakeholders and CSR policies at the forefront of her decision-making.

Enterprising Women co-chairs Jean Mountain and Eileen Perry MBE DL also presented special recognition awards to three finalists, including Monic Huang of Morningside Pharmaceuticals, Emma Baumback of Future Life Wealth Management, and Tracey Mosley of EMA Training.

Diversity Champion

Sponsored by

Sponsored

Rosemary Conley CBE DL

Rosemary is best known for authoring low-fat diet and exercise programme The Hip and Thigh Diet in 1988, which sold more than two million copies. She is now a trustee at Steps Conductive Education Centre, which supports children with motor and developmental disorders.

She was among 11 winners, featuring rising stars, entrepreneurs, and diversity champions. The Businesswoman of the Year title was presented to Emily Smith, operations and finance director at Michael Smith Switchgear and managing director at sister company AVW Fabrications.

Eileen said: “It was fantastic having the opportunity to honour someone of Rosemary’s stature with the Lifetime Achievement award as she is a fantastic ambassador both for enterprising women and our region more generally. Each winner is so deserving and I’m proud to be able to celebrate their achievements through the network.”

Eileen and Jean welcomed more than 350 guests at Mattioli Woods Welford Road Stadium on the evening – where they stepped into their usual double act on stage that has

coined them the affectionate nickname of ‘Ant and Dec’ after many years of hosting business lunches and networking events for the organisation.

As well as being the biggest awards programme yet for Enterprising Women, the gala dinner also marked the anniversary of when Jean co-founded the network in 1997, when it was part of Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce before its merger with its Derbyshire and Leicestershire counterparts.

Jean said: “When I co-founded Enterprising Women 25 years ago, the business landscape was very maledominated. We wanted to change that and create a space for women to network with each other, learn from one another’s experience and gain skills to use in their work, and sometimes personal lives.

“Recognising the achievements of women in business was an important part of that, to give them the confidence to succeed further and thrive in their careers.

“I’m so proud of how far the network has come, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the future.”

ITV weather presenter Emma Jesson returned to host the black-tie event, which was packed with entertainment provided by singer-songwriter Esmee Esho, comedian Patrick Monahan and Leicester band The Jamlocks.

East Midlands Accelerator helps 340 businesses with net zero plans

More than 340 businesses across the East Midlands have so far been supported in the development of their sustainability plans, as a result of the net zero strand of the East Midlands Accelerator project.

East Midlands Chamber, together with a project consortium of the region’s universities and business support agencies, is delivering the Net Zero Accelerator project, which helps organisations with changes such as reducing their carbon footprint, switching to electric vehicles and creating sustainability action plans.

The project, which is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Community Renewal Fund and led by the local authority in each region, has offered grant funding, growth vouchers and fully subsidised training to businesses in eight eligible districts, including Leicester city.

East Midlands Chamber deputy chief executive Diane Beresford said: “Businesses recognise that greener practices make business sense – not just because of the long-term efficiency gains, but because presenting a clear sustainability strategy is becoming increasingly important when it comes to winning new contracts and customers.”

Net Zero Accelerator support has been wide-ranging and includes: ♦ Support for making the switch to electric vehicles ♦ Support for carbon reduction and environmental management ♦ Net zero student placements and sustainability audits ♦ Support from the Zellar sustainability platform, which gives SMEs the opportunity to track, measure and promote their sustainability activities ♦ Specialist sector support for food and drink producers and visitor economy businesses

For more information, visit bit.ly/EMCNetZeroAccelerator.

A NET ZERO ACCELERATOR SUCCESS GREEN TOMATO, LEICESTER

Established in 2020, Green Tomato is Leicester’s first emission-free, mobile greengrocery. Its nostalgic 1970s milk float draws in customers across Stoneygate, Knighton and Clarendon Park.

Granting residents access to high-quality fruit and vegetables at the kerbside and through online orders is helping the city’s households reduce their supermarket trips and carbon footprint.

The business benefited from support via a 12-week University of Leicester net zero student placement and sustainability audit, as well as attending carbon literacy training delivered by De Montfort University and the University of Leicester. The audit recognised what the business had known for some time –that it is officially carbon positive.

Nisha Ravat, owner of Green Tomato, said: “What a massive difference the East Midlands Accelerator project has made to our business. The time I’ve invested in every aspect of the project is already starting to pay dividends – in terms of how we’ve digitised our processes, developed personal confidence, become more active on social media, and all the training we’ve received on profit and loss, and analysing markets.

“Better still, we’re now not only recognised as carbon neutral but carbon positive. As a relatively new micro business, we really couldn’t have done this on our own.”

Thought Leaders

Leading by example, one opinion, one idea, one lesson at a time, our thought leaders are significant in the Leicester and Leicestershire business scene.

With authority in their field of expertise, passion for sharing ideas, and commitment to helping others, they’ve been asked to express their most current brainwaves in print.

Selected organisations and individuals share how and why they go about their business, reveal their ambitions, provide clarity on matters within their industry, educate on complex or novel subjects, inspire with their forwardthinking and progressive perspectives, or look backwards to evaluate what’s been learnt.

Got something you’d like to see our team of thought leaders cover? Send your topics of interest to kerry@crossproductions.co.uk.

Darren Willoughby

Managing Director at 2XL Commercial Finance

Common courtesy – is it a thing of the past?

Now call me a grumpy old man if you wish, but at 42 I am officially classed as Generation X. I sit somewhere between the baby boom generation and the new ‘millennials’, which I believe allows me a foot in both camps as far as perhaps understanding two different generations.

The thing that I have been increasingly aware of over the last 12 months is the fact that common courtesy seems to be somewhat disappearing in both society and the workplace.

I checked out the official meaning of the word and according to the Cambridge Dictionary, it means: “The basic level of politeness that you expect from someone.”

As I regularly say to my seven-year-old son: “manners cost nothing”. The absence of a please or thank you from him comes with a swift “Errrm, anything else?” from me.

A seven-year-old can just about be forgiven for this, but as for adults, this should be a given, shouldn’t it? The number of times I see people not saying thank you when you let someone out when driving, when you help someone and they don’t acknowledge it, when

you let someone in front of you in the supermarket or move out of the way for someone, is absurd. I am also the manager of a junior football club and some parents think nothing of arriving five minutes before kick-off or midway through a training session without even an apology for being late, or worse still, just not turning up without any acknowledgement.

Now you might say that’s just all people in general, but that’s the point, isn’t it? In the workplace, where being professional is everything, surely this isn’t acceptable. When people don’t respond to an email or voicemail, completely ignore a pre-booked appointment, don’t apologise for being late on a deadline or for not coming back to you, it surely reflects badly on you and your business.

As the mantra goes: ‘treat people how you wish to be treated’. Although, in saying that, I opened a door for a lady in the shop the other day and her response was that she was ‘more than capable of doing it herself’, so what do I know? Maybe we should add being chivalrous and gentlemanly to the things disappearing among the different generations, alongside my patience.

Laura Kearsley

An important aspect of the legal protection for those identifying as transgender is the right not to be discriminated against, which all employers should be aware of

Supporting transgender employees in the workplace

November 13-19 is Transgender Awareness Week. It’s a week of raising awareness, visibility and understanding about transgender people and some of the issues that they face.

An important aspect of the legal protection for those identifying as transgender is the right not to be discriminated against, which all employers should be aware of.

Gender reassignment is a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010 and reference to a transsexual person is reference to a person who has the protected characteristic of gender reassignment. This characteristic can apply to those who have transitioned or are transitioning from male to female or from

female to male as well as those who are intersex or non-binary (ie who do not identify as male or female).

To benefit from the protection, the individual must be proposing to undergo a process or part of a process; currently undergoing a process or part of a process; or have undergone a process or part of a process for the purpose of reassigning their sex by changing physiological or other attributes of sex. Any process does not need to be medical in nature or medically supervised; it is enough to simply present permanently in a different binary gender to the one they were assigned at birth.

In the case of Taylor v Jaguar Land Rover, an Employment Tribunal confirmed that the protection extended to an individual who self-

identified as gender fluid and non-binary who had no plans for surgical transition but considered themselves on a spectrum and on a personal journey. Whether the protection would extend to an individual who does not identify as male or female but cannot be said to be on any sort of transition or journey, has yet to be clarified.

Those that qualify for protection are protected against direct discrimination (being treated less favourably than someone without that protected characteristic), indirect discrimination (where a provision, criterion or practice puts people with the protected characteristic at a particular disadvantage), harassment on grounds of gender reassignment and victimisation (if they are treated unfavourably after raising a complaint of discrimination or aided someone who did, for example).

As an example of how employers can get this wrong, see the case of de Souza E Souza v Primark: the claimant informed Primark when she applied for a role as retail assistant that she was transgender and that her preferred name was Alexandra rather than her birth name of Alexander. The interviewer agreed

that although Primark had to use her official name for pay, she could use whatever name she liked on her name badge. However, HR staff changed the preferred first name on the company’s IT system from Alexandra to Alexander, and her title from Miss to Mr. This error was repeated on her name badge and daily allocation sheets handed to supervisors on the shop floor. Despite using her preferred name for a number of weeks, a supervisor then began calling her Alexander and laughed when she was corrected. She also alleged that colleagues sprayed men’s perfume over her till, said she had ‘a man’s voice’, made comments about her sexuality, and called her ‘evil’ and ‘a joke’.

The employment tribunal held that Primark had subjected her to direct gender reassignment discrimination by failing properly to investigate the matter and deal with it appropriately. By failing to give her the outcome of her grievance or advising her of the right of appeal amounted to both constructive dismissal and direct discrimination on the grounds of gender reassignment.

Partner and solicitor in employment law at Nelsons

Saleem Arif

Chairman at ReviewSolicitors

are designed and built. And each new rule and update forces websites and content to improve. The more rules that are set, the more your website content needs to up its game. It helps to set the bar high.

Google’s ‘Helpful Content’ update: no shortcuts in digital marketing

Google’s somewhat mysterious search algorithm has seen its biggest change in a decade, and it has shaken up the world of digital marketing.

Dubbed the ‘Helpful Content’ update (a name which isn’t quite as catchy as its 2012 equivalent update, ‘Panda’), this major change in the algorithm has been created to tackle website content written purposely to manipulate the algorithm, rather than for

internet users themselves.

While the update began in late August 2022 and was completed in September, its effects will be felt for months afterwards, with some experts predicting it will impact the rankings of 50% of the internet.

Google, through its popularity and domination of the search engine market (91% of searches are made through the search engine), has become something of a gatekeeper of how websites

Attempts at manipulating the algorithm are shut down (the 2012 ‘Penguin’ update helped take down link farms and spam directories) and forces SEO experts and digital marketers to exchange their ‘black hat’ for a white one. The majority of the industry has proudly worn white hats for over a decade, but the Helpful Content update should squash those who want to shortcut their digital marketing once and for all.

Helpful Content is the next step in Google’s journey to making the internet a better place. Content stuffed with keywords, misinformation, AI-generated content and article aggregators are the target, alongside content created specifically to game Google’s algorithm.

How to ‘beat’ the Helpful Content update is

simple. To quote Google itself, simply ask yourself these questions when reviewing your website: ◆ After reading your content, will someone leave feeling they’ve learned enough about a topic to help achieve their goal?

◆ Will someone reading your content leave feeling like they’ve had a satisfying experience?

Your content needs to be in-depth, wellstructured (don’t be afraid of bullet points!), easy to read, accurate and, most importantly, written for human beings.

When sitting to create content for any website, you must always have the desired user in mind. Useful tools like the free Hemingway Editor will keep your writing human and easy-to-read, and Google’s Keyword Planner will help you with finding keyword variants and semantic fields you need to include in your writing.

In short, Google is sending the message that there are no shortcuts in digital marketing.

Gray Managing Director at PPL PRS

darker nights, and grey, misty mornings as we head into our workplaces, these last months of the year may be taking their toll on us all.

With these changes in mind, now may be a good time to do a ‘temperature check’ on your teams to understand how this could be affecting them.

A season of change

September 2022 will definitely go down in history as the month of change. With the sad passing of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II came the appointment of our new monarch, King Charles III.

Just days before this, a new Prime Minister took her place at No 10.

Pair these momentous changes with looming living and business cost rises plus the arrival of autumn bringing colder weather,

Mental health issues can manifest themselves in many ways. Some people may seem to be functioning and ‘happy’ on the surface, however offering emotional support and an opportunity to talk through worries and anxieties could be a welcome release.

Consider a short, anonymous questionnaire out to all team members asking them to give a rating

on how they are feeling, how current news stories are affecting them, could the business do anything more to support them, plus a reminder of the support and services available to them.

These changes affect us all, and whilst autumn is a sign that colder weather is on the way, remember it is also the season of beautiful, warm colours as the leaves turn from green through to gold. Taking care of our own mental health is vital too. Taking a long walk in the crisp air, talking to friends, and making time to appreciate that whilst some of these changes are unfamiliar, they can also bring with them a renewed positivity.

Andrea

Sarah Higgins

Leadership Coach at Sarah Higgins Corporate Coaching

The first challenge in leadership is knowing

yourself

When it comes to leadership, we often think about what we need to do ‘to’ others to lead them, concentrating on intelligence quotient (IQ), confidence and charisma. Historically, leadership has focused on how to manage people using qualities associated with being authoritative, decisive, forceful, and controlling. We now know that leadership and motivating others are more complex than that. If leaders are to be successful in our modern world, they need to moderate their behaviour with a high degree of awareness as to how they are perceived by others.

Leadership is about self-awareness, not selfconfidence Leadership is not just what we know, but what we do and how we do it. Selfawareness is the first step of emotional intelligence (EQ). The measure of our EQ is evident in our interactions and relationships with employees, customers, suppliers, and stakeholders. A Green Peake’s study in 2010 showed that executives in public and private companies with revenues from $50m to $5bn, found that selfawareness is the most critical trait for successful leaders.

Your success as a leader is based on your reputation

According to Hogan (world leaders in using personality assessment to improve workplace performance), our identity is the story we tell ourselves about ourselves — the person we think we are. We often have an inflated idea of our own talent, or we might be unnecessarily hard on ourselves. Reputation is what everyone else thinks of us and is based on our overt behaviours and social skills. Your success in the workplace is dependent on that reputation.

Overused or unmanaged strengths become weaknesses

The most effective leaders have a realistic view of their leadership abilities. They know that their strengths work in many situations, but at times they become their weaknesses (or development areas). For example, being driven, passionate and focused enables great results, but might mean a leader takes on too much and becomes overwhelmed.

Self-awareness is an ongoing process

It starts with real honest feedback from others in your team; a 360-feedback process, a personality

assessment, or from a coach. It’s continually noticing your thoughts, why you are thinking them, and noticing your words, behaviours and actions and their impact on others. It is reflecting and considering, listening, observing, and thinking. It’s a process that requires humility, to be OK with imperfection. Self-awareness is not about diagnosing and treating our fears of inadequacy, but about how to leverage our strengths and develop our personal expression of leadership. The more we learn about ourselves, the more confident we are to be leaders.

Feedback is an invaluable gift we often refuse Humility is one of the most powerful leadership behaviours because it is authentic and builds trust. When it comes to our own weakness, we tend to have blind spots. Willingness to look at ourselves through others’ eyes helps us gain invaluable insight into how our emotions and communication style affect other people. How often are you asking for feedback? How objective, and honest is the feedback? Are people telling you what they think you want to hear? How do you know your real impact as a leader?

You may have a fantastic product or service, but if your clients don’t know about it, they won’t know you’re ready and waiting

Rik Pancholi

Managing Director at Pattersons Commercial Law

Hiring the best and keeping them the best

Four challenges

In the lifecycle of every business, there are four areas that may pose a challenge. Over the last couple of months, I’ve advised on these areas frequently. From winning clients to growing a company, these are the challenges that business owners and leaders may be faced with at numerous stages of their organisation’s journey.

Winning clients

Generating work that will bring in revenue is always a tough one. You may have a fantastic product or service, but if your clients don’t know about it, they won’t know you’re ready and waiting. There are many methods of marketing, advertising and business development, so it’s important to understand what underpins your business. Our approach as a law firm has always been to focus on longterm relationships. Other

methods include joining established networking groups (provided the right people are in the room who can understand and value you bring to the table), issuing targeted press releases, maintaining your website, or creating a bespoke lead generation tool.

Keeping clients happy

Once you’ve won your client, you will want to keep them happy. This could be from giving them the best experience, so they become advocates of your brand. Remember, it’s more costeffective to keep an existing client than to acquire a new one! The thing most business owners will need to know is that sometimes, things will go wrong. It’s not what happened that matters but how you handle it that defines your approach. The key is to communicate and inform your client so they know what is happening each step of the way.

There appears to be a real skills shortage in many sectors at the moment. The cost of hiring and onboarding can be quite high, so you may want to explore what you can do to keep your amazing people. This can range from providing a great environment to work in through to short-term incentives such as bonuses and pay rises. For longerterm incentives, business owners can explore building share options (so key employees can buy in) or other creative mechanisms to align the key employees’ futures with the business owners. Keep them the best with continual training and development. Everyone will have skills gaps – it’s about knowing where those gaps are and how to invest in filling them. If you keep investing in your employees, they will do well for the business and it will perform at a higher standard.

Growing

As a corporate lawyer, I love seeing businesses grow. This can be through organic growth or acquisition. Growth through acquisition can gift the business functions it currently does not have, or an opportunity to spread its wings and really make something special happen. The key will be to concentrate heavily on the transition and integration of the two businesses.

Richard Kotulecki

CEO at Lamp

for pleasure, a sense of achievement, recognition, responsibility and autonomy. When these are central to job roles, they result in greater effort, improved performance and greater satisfaction.

personal lives. When we feel satisfied at work, we feel better within ourselves.

Supporting mental health fits in with sound organi sational management

In the last issue of Niche magazine, I wrote about the business benefits of supporting employees’ mental health. This time, I want to show how doing so fits seamlessly into wellestablished principles of effective management.

People who gain satisfaction from their jobs perform well in their jobs. Good performance increases satisfaction – a virtuous circle. The opposite

is also true; dissatisfied people perform less well, fuelling a vicious circle. So how can we create jobs that are satisfying and how can we motivate people to perform well?

Psychologist Frederick Herzberg distilled work satisfaction down to two factors: motivators and hygiene factors.

Motivators relate to intrinsic factors; things that power us to do things

Eileen Perry MBE

Owner of ER Recruitment

Hygiene factors relate to extrinsic motivation; the rewards that we expect for doing a job such as salary, employee benefits, and office location. Poor hygiene factors lead to dissatisfaction and poor performance. However, improving hygiene factors does not result in a long-term improvement in motivation, it simply prevents dissatisfaction.

Studies consistently show the correlation between job satisfaction and health. An analysis of 485 such studies carried out by the Manchester Business School showed that the link is strongest for mental health issues including burnout, self-esteem, depression, and anxiety (Faragher et al, 2005). On a smaller scale, many of us can relate to this from our

Current organisational management and leadership best practise recognises the importance of giving talented people the freedom to perform their roles to the best of their abilities. In a whole range of organisations including armed services and companies such as Microsoft, empowerment and enablement of people are recognised as key determinants of performance (HarperCollins, 2017).

As organisational leaders, we can create a win-win situation. By ensuring our people have clarity in the roles they perform; that they are empowered with autonomy, trust, and responsibility; that they are enabled to develop, learn, and grow; that they are encouraged to experiment and make the occasional mistake; and that they are recognised for their achievements – we can have a big positive influence on their mental health. And on our bottom lines.

Planning your headcount for the year ahead

Idiscussed in a previous feature the impact that seasons have on recruitment and the Christmas period is no different. By now, many of you will be close to completing your Christmas shopping and have your festive plans lined up.

You may have even already spotted the Christmas advert of the year. Yet whilst the magical mayhem increases in individuals’ personal lives, in business it’s a time to slow down, celebrate success and build the foundations for the year ahead.

Of course, there are industries that are ramping up for their busiest season of the year. Sectors such as retail and hospitality will have already begun their temporary recruitment drive to increase their headcount to support boosted demand.

In comparison, for industries such as manufacturing, construction, professional services and many others, the festive period brings the ‘Christmas shutdown’ when businesses choose to close their doors due to decreased workload and to reward workers. Whilst there has been much discussion over the years about the impact of the Christmas shutdown, the overarching opinion is that it gives business leaders the time to plan for the year ahead, which includes recruitment plans.

To ensure a business is proactive rather than reactive in terms of recruitment, it’s crucial to plan ahead to develop an attractive campaign to entice top talent. Taking into account the period of advertisement, interview stages and notice periods, businesses need to be thinking about starting recruitment 12 weeks before they ideally want a candidate to start. To do this, business leaders need to look at their existing team, identify where succession planning can be done, recognise skill shortages and create vacancies based on these gaps to build an all-around successful team.

Time away from the business gives the period away from the day-to-day to do this, ensuring that the new year ahead starts out with a strong strategy.

Carolyn Youn g, 45, Hinckley

Timothy West. I did meet him when he played King Lear at the Gala Theatre in Durham and he just has such a talent for Shakespearian acting. He’s now looking after his wonderful wife Prunella Scales who is suffering with Alzheimer’s. I love to watch the Great Canal Journeys programme they made where they travelled round the UK. And after him, I’d probably say Joey Tribbiani.

Jeremy Corbyn. As a working-class man, I believe Jeremy Corbyn fought for a lot of people like me. He fought for us to have a better life with the help of the law. He never won any elections, but he still fought for change until the day he resigned. Being so powerless to make such drastic changes myself, the thought of having someone like Jeremy gave us hope that things could get better

JoeMiddleton

Citycentre

My inspirational male is Sir Ian McKellen who I think is an absolute icon. He has done so much for gay and LGBTQ rights and he’s also an incredible actor, director and producer, which are things I’m passionate about – I love the theatre, acting and being creative.

RydenWilliamso n , 38,Citycentre

Who is an inspirational man to you?

As November is Men’s Health Awareness Month and this issue focuses on men’s inspirational stories, we asked city goers which men have inspired them and why

WORDS BY BINTOU SECKA AND KERRY SMITH

RichardAwdry, 42, MarketHarborough

Probably Curtly Ambrose, who is a West Indian cricketer. He was a bowler late ‘80s, early ‘90s and also happened to play for Northamptonshire when I lived there. I don’t really know why he stuck, but he has just always been a sporting hero. And I do know that he plays bass in a reggae band and I’m a bit of a musician myself as well.

My father brought five children all under 10 to this country almost 36 years ago. He did this to provide us with a better life, it was very challenging for him; financially, emotionally, and physically. However, he always knew that bringing us to the UK would provide us with opportunities he never had growing up. For instance, a good education, a safe home, and clean food and water. As a result, this has made me a very hard-working man and a father that would do absolutely anything for his children.

KadirMalhotra , 64, Citycentre

Gandhi. Firstly, he is the father of my nation, he brought independence to India. He is the reason we are able to indulge in our culture proudly, not only in our nation but all over the world. He did not just stop there; he also inspired the civil rights movement. Not only to me, but I believe he is the most inspirational man from India.

Words of Advice: The best of business books

When it comes to business advice, there’s a lot of information available, but knowing where to start can be a challenge. Phil Nassau gave us his recommendations

Phil’s five book recommendations to get you started are:

THE E MYTH

by Michael E Gerber

I send this book to every business owner I coach. It covers the foundation of how to run a successful business and the steps of how to build it. It will reveal the mistakes you are making and how to change direction. If there’s one book every business owner should read, it’s this one.

THINK AND GROW RICH

by Napoleon Hill

Most of us go into business believing our ability will bring success, yet the vast majority are shocked to discover that ability only carries us so far, causing some to give up. When asked what brought him success, Warren Buffet answered “compound interest”. The idea is that if you invest £10,000 in year one, 30 years later it will be worth over £1m.

The same principle works with learning; if you read one book, it won’t change your life, but read a book a month and – five years later – you will have read 60. Each one will have only changed how you think a little, but after five years, you’ll act, think and work very differently and will be vastly more successful than if you’d never started the journey.

The books I recommend here give you the confidence to believe in yourself. Confidence starts with the absence of negative thoughts. These five books will give you lots of positives, and by starting your learning journey, I can guarantee you will think and act smarter than your competitors.

This book taught me about consistency. One of the most common reasons for a business to fail is the habit of quitting when faced with temporary defeat. We change direction and don’t stick to the principles that we know bring success. The book shares how success comes for those who lay out a plan and focus on their daily goals. Business owners who focus on this principle are those who find real success.

EAT THAT FROG by Brian Tracey

A little book you can read in under an hour, and – if you take on its learnings – will bring organisation to your life. You will get more done, and what you get done will move your business forward.

THE ROAD LESS STUPID

by Keith J Cunningham

This book teaches us how to run a business and avoid the mistakes that could hold you back. Most of us start our morning by reading emails and reacting to what the business day is throwing at us. When I hear a business owner say ‘I was too busy’, what they’re really saying is ‘my day took control of me’ – this book teaches how to take back control. One strategy is ‘The Three Pillars to Success’.

◆ Write down your major outcomes that must be achieved that day

◆ Plan your day before it starts

◆ Be accountable to someone for your plans, commitments and results

HIGH PERFORMANCE:

LESSONS FROM THE BEST ON BECOMING YOUR BEST

by Damian Hughes & Jake Humphrey

This book will show you that successful people are not superhuman. They don’t have magical powers or greater intelligence than you. What eludes most people is grasping an opportunity. The skill is to focus on what you are good at, and become great at it. The book’s first action teaches us to focus on what you can control and less on the things you can’t.

THE BOOKS I RECOMMEND HERE GIVE YOU THE CONFIDENCE TO BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

Loyalty can be a fickle thing. No matter how much you love your job, if a competitor offers you a 30% pay increase, it’s difficult to ignore. That’s the world we live in now. Previously unseen pay packages are being used to lure the best talent away to corporate businesses that can afford to pay them. This comes at the expense of SMEs who don’t have the budget to compete. There’s never been a more important time to prioritise your human resources.

“It’s difficult to fill jobs – especially for specialist roles,” says Nicki Robson. “Pay awards are up, resignations are up, and there are people who don’t want to work in an office anymore – they’ve got used to being at home.”

Remote working has also made the world infinitely smaller. It’s now possible to work for a company based in London and be paid ‘London money’ while never leaving your house in Leicester. Workers are no longer restricted by geography and can get paid more without needing to relocate.

“Others have been approached by local competitors paying a stupid amount of money, and so consequently, people who would previously have been very loyal and stayed put, are now being lured away.

“Add in the rising cost of living and increasing bills… it

People Power: Why now is the time to take HR seriously

The job market is undergoing an evolution. The post-Covid world has created new opportunities for workers and a high demand for talented specialists. It may be a bubble, but Nicki Robson, director of Breedon Consulting, told us why now is the time to invest in your people WORDS

BY TOM YOUNG

has a massive impact on people. And if it has an impact on people, it has an impact on HR.”

If your staff do leave, you’re confronted with the challenge of replacing them while keeping to your budget. This creates a pressure to increase salaries, at a time when energy bills are already seeing a rise in costs for businesses.

“Smaller companies won’t have deep enough pockets to match their large-scale competitors who can offer people a 30% pay rise to move. It’s a horrible situation, and it means that smaller businesses need to get creative about employee satisfaction and retention, and really work hard on engaging and motivating their people so that they don’t want to go.”

There are ways to incentivise loyalty other than money. Culture is a prime example – if a worker knows they’re valued, they like the people they work with, and they enjoy the atmosphere, they’ll feel comfortable where they are. As the summers get hotter, even air conditioning could be an incentive!

“Now is the time to invest in the people that you’ve got. Ask yourself the question: ‘why should they stay with you?’ Make them love you. Make them want to stay. Make them enjoy it. Make sure they know their development

opportunity is where they are,” adds Nicki.

From a worker’s perspective, these salaries won’t be forever, as they’re unsustainable. Workers who get tempted into moving may be the most at risk when the bubble bursts.

“A job has a specific value, and the current circumstances are inflating that value, but it won’t be there forever. As every other fixed cost goes up, companies will think: ‘OK, we’ve got to cut costs somewhere’, and wages will be the answer. When salaries return to normal, it could see a lot of high earners suddenly out of work.”

In the face of all these problems, it’s vital to have experienced HR. Breedon Consulting has solutions.

“When Covid hit, and Rishi Sunak started announcing things we’d never heard of, everyone was making it up as they went along and working out how the new laws affected them. It was at that point that businesses realised the importance of having HR people who knew what they were talking about. They recognised the value of it because they were in crisis, and that time is coming again, so it’s best to make plans now, rather than waiting for things to go belly up.”

Whether it be for HR, marketing or IT, the advantage of hiring an agency is that you gain the knowledge and experience of a whole team, rather than one employee – and

the cost is comparable, because you’re sharing the agency with other companies. It’s a professional services timeshare!

“If you think of a big corporate HR department with lots of specialists, they might each be doing operations, HR, strategy, learning and development, employee engagement, etc. The big companies have all that in-house, but small companies don’t have any of it. We do all those things for small companies, as and when they need them.”

“Without an agency, SMEs are likely to treat HR as an afterthought – a luxury they can’t afford a specialist for – so the duties fall to someone like the Finance Director, because ‘it’s confidential’, but that person already has a fulltime role to focus on. It’s also a different skill set, and they may not have the best people skills.

“Alternatively, the responsibility goes to a PA, someone who gets on with people, and can fill in forms, but they don’t actually know their stuff. It covers your HR admin, but it doesn’t cover anything else. It doesn’t cover employee retention or employment law. It doesn’t add value or make things better for employees. It doesn’t do any of that; it just churns around bits of paper. An agency ensures everything gets covered.”

To discuss ways to invest in your people, visit breedonconsulting.co.uk.

Now is the time to invest in the people that you’ve got

From business to politics

Businessman Paul Hartshorn has been selected to be the prospective parliamentary candidate for South Leicestershire by the constituency’s Liberal Democrats.

He’s the director of technical consulting business Mr H IT and this role has developed the skillsets that would be required of him in a parliamentary role, such as great listening and perception skills, logic and reasoning, persistence and determination, networking, negotiating, problem-solving and attention to detail.

Paul says: “South Leicestershire has been my home for my whole

life and I am determined to be the champion our communities need. I will make standing up for local people on the issues that matter to them my top campaign priority.

“When I’m out and about, people tell me that they see our local councillors and activists working hard for them.

“I’ll be campaigning to challenge the government and its local representative not to scrap their ‘Net Zero by 2050’ pledge – something that would be catastrophic for our young people and our planet – as well as for better funding for local pupils, as South Leicestershire has the worst

per-pupil school funding anywhere in the country. I’ll also be asking why our local Police force is one of the poorest funded in the country and why our NHS Trust is one of the worst performing nationally.

“But I know that only by working together can we achieve these goals, and I am committed to working with local people, councillors, businesses and other organisations to make it happen.”

He hopes other businesses will be in touch with their concerns about the local area. Contact him on paul@paulhartshorn.co.uk.

Our Business Support Specialists are on hand to help businesses perform their daily tasks. We work very closely with our clients to help them prioritise and manage their time effectively. We work with you to follow the same procedures and processes as if they were a member of your team.

If you are looking for a helping hand that shares your enthusiasm and drive to make your business thrive, then consider us for all your business administration needs.

Paul Hartshorn tells us how running his own company has equipped him with the skills to become a parliamentary candidate

PAUL HARTSHORN AND GEOFF WELSH, CHAIR OF SOUTH LEICESTERSHIRE LIB DEMS

Niche

City goers spotted an unusual vehicle outside Athena back in September, which movie fans would have recognised as the DeLorean from the famous timetravelling movie franchise. Past and future was the theme of this year’s Niche Business Awards (NBA).

At the ceremony, Jenny Cross, CEO of Cross Productions, said: “Tonight, we come together to celebrate success, growth, best practice and the work carried out within our business community. I would like to say a huge thank you to our Headline Sponsor Leicester Castle Business School, our category sponsors, ambassadors, judges and event partners. We have the absolute honour of hosting an evening where the whole place is filled with the most driven and ambitious of our community – I cannot begin to tell you how proud that makes me. A room full of genuine winners.”

Headline sponsor Leicester Castle Business School teamed up with the event organisers Cross Productions this year. The partnership

has strengthened the education provider’s bond with local businesses and helped to grow its Help to Grow: Management programme that educates business people to lead their teams well into the future.

Sixteen awards were given out on the night. Compere Ian Stringer, who has been our resident NBA presenter for a number of years, took the title of Community Champion. The Cross Productions team worked hard to keep his win a secret, which resulted in an emotional reveal on stage for Ian.

The annual event recognises Leicestershire businesses with its prestigious awards each year, but the event is also well known for its uniquely themed ceremonies that inject fun and light-heartedness into the local corporate network, giving business owners a night to truly relax and celebrate their success.

This year’s theme symbolises the look back to the past that small businesses have taken to the confusing challenges and hardships they’ve faced to get to where they are today.

Professional

Businessman

A throwback to our awards night WORDS BY KERRY SMITH

Businesswoman of the year: Leading by example

Niche’s Businesswoman of the Year is leading the way in sustainability and equal opportunities. She joined me, Emily to Emily, to tell us what it takes to make lasting change

WORDS BY EMILY MILLER

What must it feel like to receive an accolade like Businesswoman of the Year, I ask Niche Business Awards 2022 winner Emily Smith.

“Well, it was an honour, especially when you consider how many incredible businesswomen we have here in Leicester.” When I raise the question of what it takes to gain that kind of recognition, the answer is ever so slightly lengthier, but revealing in a way that shows her to be not only deserving of the title, but inspirational with it.

“From the age of 13, I went into my single mum’s place of work and learned from her that working was not only important, but that it could provide a sense of achievement. I have worked towards that ever since.”

She’s now the managing director at laser cutting firm AVW Fabrications as well as the finance and operations director at manufacturers Michael Smith Switchgear. The starting point of her career began as an apprentice.

Emily signed up to an apprenticeship to become an accountant, knowing that this way of learning would not only suit her learning style more, but that it would lead to first-hand experience in the field in which she was training.

This is how she gets her motivation, and therefore her success, by learning from doing. And she believes fervently that by supporting those who want to do the same, she’s helping to create equal opportunity in the workplace.

“I work with a number of schemes as well as an enterprise advisor to be an advocate for careers and apprenticeship opportunities in schools and colleges, encouraging people to learn their trade in other ways, perhaps outside of a university setting.

“Not everyone works well on the typical academia path – and often those people get left behind. I want to do all I can to show those people that there is another route to success.”

Applying this mentality to her own working life has meant she often undertakes further training, studying different roles and working alongside those she manages, to understand each process from the inside out.

“It’s instinctual for me, in order to understand the processes I’m putting in place, I know that I need to be part of it in some way to ensure that what I’m implementing works in real life.”

The application of her skillset has been part of Michael Smith Switchgear’s growth, enabling the company to continuously improve its processes, efficiency, communication and employee satisfaction.

The night Emily picked up the award for Businesswoman of the Year also saw Michael Smith Switchgear win Eco Excellence. With Emily at its helm, she’s led the way for the company’s commitment to sustainability in a sector notoriously environmentally damaging.

Partnering with Carbon Neutral Britain to offset their carbon emissions, the company has taken huge steps to become an eco-friendly company.

“I am a firm believer in the saying that ‘there’s no prosperity in a dead world’. My mum brought me up to commit to sustainability and I have applied my commitment to Michael Smith Switchgear that has allowed us to become carbon-neutral – I can sleep well at night knowing that I have done the best I can for the business and the planet!”

Not one to rest on her laurels, Emily is now utilising and expanding her skill set at AVW Fabrications Limited, a sister company of Michael Smith Switchgear. “I love a challenge and honestly can’t simply sit back when things are good. I need to keep evolving and my role as Managing Director at AVW is enabling me to do exactly that.”

She closes our chat heralding the people around her: “The people I work with, they are a huge part of what drives me forward; that and my desire to learn and help others to do the same.”

I for one feel motivated and inspired by our chat and have a feeling that she has this effect on everyone.

For more inspirational content connect with Emily on linkedin.com/in/emily-smith-avwf.

I am a firm believer in the saying that ‘there’s no prosperity in a dead world’

Employment Related Securities:

Don’t get caught in the tax anti-avoidance trap

Tax expert Nick Wright, associate director at Jerroms Miller Specialist Tax, explains the Employment Related Securities rules and why you must tell HMRC about your employee gift and share option schemes

Gifts and awards of shares, commonly known as Employment Related Securities (ERS), are widely recognised as an effective way of incentivising, rewarding and retaining staff.

But to stay on the right side of the anti-avoidance tax legislation, you must ensure you tell HMRC about any ERS schemes in your business, including any one-off awards or gifts.

ERS also covers schemes such as Share Incentive Plans (SIP), Save as You Earn (SAYE), Company Share Option Plans (CSOP) and Enterprise Management Incentives (EMIs). They relate to past, current and

future employees, and, in terms of reporting obligations to HMRC, they apply to most transactions with few exceptions. So, for example, if a business is sold to its management team in an MBO, HMRC will still need to be notified under ERS rules, even though the new team has incorporated the company from scratch and effectively paid full value.

ERS is also a consideration when it comes to selling your business and when issuing shares to an employee, even if that employee has paid market value, or what you think is market value, for the shares. The rules are very wide ranging; there will still be hoops to jump through.

WE’VE ENCOUNTERED QUITE A FEW COMPANIES WHERE EMPLOYEES HOLD SHARES BUT ERS HAS NEVER BEEN TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT

We’ve encountered quite a few companies where employees hold shares but ERS has never been taken into account, making the whole tax situation quite a challenge to unravel.

Not only are there potential income tax charges, but there are also online filing obligations. You must declare ERS by July 6 following the end of the tax year or penalties will start to stack up. Niche readers can call 0121 693 5000 or email me on nickwright@jerromsmiller. co.uk for advice on how to avoid getting caught up by antiavoidance rules or miss online returns filing deadlines.

TAX EXPERT NICK WRIGHT

Licence to practice law

If you have a legal dispute, you’ll want help from someone who’s up to the mission. With a licence to practise law, Dav Mahet told us about his journey towards running TML Solicitors

WORDS BY TOM YOUNG

ow pay attention, 007. For Dav Mahet, the road to running TML Solicitors has been long and winding. Having started his career as an entrepreneur, he didn’t come into law until much later, yet now runs one of Leicester’s most well-respected law firms.

“Before I went to uni, someone had told me to do law, because they’d had a dream in which I was a lawyer, but I wasn’t interested because the other course I was looking at had less hours! At 18, fewer hours appealed.”

Dav got a degree in Business Information Systems and tried a few different careers, including working for Siemens, working in sales, and promoting events in Leicester. He moved up to Manchester to work for a newspaper, before being offered the same job in Leicester. By the time he’d moved back in 2002, that job was no longer available, so he decided to set up his own magazine.

After growing the magazine to the point of distributing 30,000 copies a month across Leicester, Birmingham and Coventry, at the age of 25, Dav sold the magazine, ready for a new challenge.

STIRRED, NOT SHAKEN

A friend with a shop wanted to exit his business – Dav had just sold the magazine and was therefore in a position to be involved in a new opportunity.

“I ended up buying his shop. Initially, it was great! It was an off-licence, and I’d never been in that shop environment before. It was something different. But by the end of the summer, I was going a bit stir-crazy, just sitting in the shop

Dav contacted De Montfort University and asked if he could do a course. Having told them about his previous degree, they advised that he come in for a meeting.

“The lecturer’s name was Vaughan Hall – he sat me in

TML SOLICITORS

his tiny, broom cupboard office, and asked ‘what do you want to do?’

“‘I don’t know,’ I said, ‘I just want to do a course to get my brain ticking again.’

“‘The law course has just started.’ And I thought, ‘OK, law, I could do that’. And he said: ‘Off you go then – your lesson’s started.’

“Aghast, I said, ‘I haven’t even got a pen!’ He took a pen from his pocket, handed it to me, and said, ‘there’s your pen – off you go.’ My law career was born.”

DOCTOR? NO. LAWYER? YES. While working on his GDL (Graduate Diploma in Law), Dav’s mentor was a local solicitor, who was working at a city centre law firm at the time.

“I’d often pop in and see her, and they ended up giving me a Christmas placement because they’d heard my backstory. I was a mature student – already 30 at that point – with a varied career history. I’d shown them copies of my magazine, and they ended up giving me a training contract. I ultimately qualified there.”

Dav found it an adjustment, having previously been the boss in his other jobs, now he was working with people younger than him, but more advanced in their legal careers.

“One of them said to me: ‘Do you want a cup of tea?’

“‘No, I’m alright.’

“’Oh, well we do…’, and I suddenly realised they wanted me to make it. I was in the kitchen, stirring their tea, when I thought to myself: ‘I’ll set up my own law firm.’”

LICENCE TO KILL PRACTICE LAW

TML Solicitors was founded in 2013, and Dav took sole control in 2018. At the time, they had eight staff. Dav is passionate about helping people, and the new firm allowed him to take lead on doing so.

When they began, TML practised multiple aspects of

TML SOLICITORS

law, including civil litigation, immigration, and personal injury, but Dav ultimately decided he wanted to follow a more focused path.

“I want to be a law firm with four or five core areas where we excel. Those are conveyancing, commercial property, family law, criminal defence, and wills and probate.”

The post-pandemic world has seen a rise in couples seeking divorces and in people wanting to prepare their wills – doctors and nurses especially. TML also work on some of the most high-profile criminal defence cases in Leicester, including murder, drug trafficking, and high-level fraud. There have been massive changes in the property market over the last few years which has vastly developed the commercial property and residential conveyancing departments. Dav has seen exponential growth across all departments, leading to his team expanding to 26.

“People come to us with problems, whether that’s wanting to buy a house, resolve family issues, needing defending on a criminal case, or requiring help with their will – problem-solving is something I’ve always enjoyed and been good at.”

It’s through Dav’s past business experience that he has the know-how to establish this thriving law firm. Success is great, but it’s in failure that we learn our lessons. Resilience and perseverance are key.

THE WORLD LEICESTER IS NOT ENOUGH

Continued growth is important for TML’s progress. While keen to continue being an influential law firm in Leicester and the East Midlands, Dav has aspirations for national expansion.

“We’re considering an office in the north – we like the idea of Newcastle – and another down south in London, and that will grant us national reach. That’s the long-term goal, with the head office remaining in Leicester.”

The other goal is to continue working with good people. As the team has expanded, a greater diversity of backgrounds and experience have joined.

“My co-director, Reena Bhalla, is a massive support to me in the business. She is a great driving force for the business – she’s the oil in the machine; it wouldn’t run as smoothly without her. And she’s really helped drive us forward.

“Some of our staff come straight from university or college; one used to work in a chip shop, and when she came for the interview, we knew she was going to be really good, so she joined on an apprenticeship. We’ve trained her, and after three to four years, she now runs her own conveyancing transactions and is a key member of the team.

“We look at the person more than the experience –we don’t mind if they need to be trained; it’s about them wanting to get to a certain place. It makes me so proud to watch our staff grow and develop.”

THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GLOVES

Earlier this year, Dav took part in a charity boxing match to raise money for Leicester’s mental health charity, Prosperity CIO. He won the fight!

“I’ve been boxing at Respect Fitness in Oadby for some time, just as a hobby. It’s run by Barinder Singh, an amazing coach and trainer. They put on shows to raise money for people with mental health, drug and alcohol issues. It encourages men to talk about their mental health – something they still don’t often do – and I’ve known

people who’ve struggled with their mental health and seen the issues it creates. Encouraging them to open up was massive for them personally.”

“I decided to take part in the boxing match for Prosperity. It involved 12 weeks of training, the fight happened in March, and I fought someone much bigger than me – I was 92kg at the time, he was 135kg. There were about 1000 people in the crowd, and I suspect most of them were looking forward to seeing me get punched in the face!”

TML has sponsored the show every year, with another coming up in December as part of a continued commitment to supporting Prosperity’s mental health services.

Within their office, TML operate an open-door policy for anyone struggling with mental health issues, always making themselves available, and ensuring that anyone needing to talk has the right person to talk to. They also hold regular social events, so the team can feel part of a community.

They’ve also supported a handful of individuals, including helping to send athletes to the Olympics.

“If I see something good in someone and believe they can achieve what they’re setting out to do, I want to help them along.”

Dav has sponsored a boxer, Ryan Hearst, who recently won his first professional fight, and a young girl, Ysabel Juniper-Smith, who is looking to join Britain’s Olympic karate team. He also sponsored Darren Bradbury’s recent challenge of cycling from London to Newcastle to raise money for Menphys.

“It’s a chance to give back to the community, and if we think we can help an event, we’ll try and get involved.”

Both Dav and TML continue to have a positive impact on Leicester’s community and legal scene. If you would benefit from their legal advice, visit tml-solicitors.co.uk.

There were about 1000 people in the crowd, and I suspect most of them were looking forward to seeing me get punched in the face!

When it comes to writing a will,

should expect great

service from your advisors. There are a lot of elements that need to be considered, with clarity, trust, and understanding.

We’re incredibly proud to say that Paradigm Wills and Legal Services recently won the prize for Excellence in Customer Service at The Signature Awards in London.

This is a reflection of our business ethos; ensuring that our clients feel valued is a top priority for us, as we know that writing a will can come with a degree of anxiety and apprehension, but we make the process as smooth as possible, taking the client through it step by step.

We treat each customer as an individual, with no “one size fits all approach”. We listen to the person’s needs, and tailor their will accordingly.

Offering complete peace of mind, we’re a Leicester-based team of experienced advisors, providing professional advice about the establishment of trusts, probate and lasting power of attorney. We ensure that your assets are properly inherited by your loved ones.

Employers and the cost-of-living crisis

With a rise in the cost of living, for some employers, there comes a rise in efforts to ease their employees’ financial difficulties. For those employers, however, it’s not without its potential implications WORDS

Many employers are recognising the effects of the cost-of-living crisis on their employees and are adopting ways to help. As Keeley Baigent, Director at ksabLAW tells me, they are doing so in a variety of ways.

“From one-off cost-of-living payments to pay rises, early bonus payments and temporary monthly added payments, employers are rising to the challenges of the cost-of-living crisis.

“Yet, there are implications with this that employers are becoming aware of,” Keeley adds. “They are giving cost-ofliving payments to their employees with very good intentions, however the way

BY EMILY MILLER

that the payments are being calculated and the level of these to different categories of employees could have implications later.”

What could those implications be? “The main issue is that the payments may be made in a potentially discriminatory manner in respect of the protected characteristics of age and/or sex. The intentions are good, but if how the payments are made and to whom is not thought through the employer could be at risk of a claim,” Keeley warns.

These repercussions can be avoided though, with thorough planning and perhaps staff consultation. A chat

with someone like Keeley will prevent any unexpected repercussions of your well-meant intentions.

The good goes a long way, both in terms of supporting your employees and how they feel about their workplace as well as the positive word-of-mouth results when recruiting or retaining staff it encourages.

If employers haven’t yet considered this concept, it’s worth doing so for the potential benefits, aside from having staff wellbeing at the forefront of their minds.

Book a free consultation with Keeley on 07761 813360.

KEELEY BAIGENT, DIRECTOR AT KSABLAW

Queues at court? Wait No More!

Sometimes, when a couple are parting and they cannot reach an agreement, they have no choice but to issue court proceedings. However, delays in the family justice system are a growing problem, made worse by the impact of the pandemic. Thankfully, there is another solution

WORDS BY EMILY MILLER

During the pandemic, the increased demand on the family law justice system was huge, and as a result, a parting couple could expect to join a waiting list of 12 months or more to settle their financial disputes at court.

“Waiting this long can cost a separating couple so much, as it places not only a huge emotional strain on them but also a financial one too,” shares Glynis Wright MBE, Partner and Solicitor specialising in family law at Nelsons.

As a solution to the problem, there is a new way of resolving financial disputes in divorce which avoids the waiting list, by offering private financial hearings outside of the usual court system.

Glynis explains: “The new approach allows clients to hire their own private judge. This means that hearings can be organised in a matter of weeks rather than months, the parties get to choose their own

private judge, and the hearing is conducted in a comfortable and user-friendly environment.

“In my experience, the likelihood of achieving a fair and consensual settlement is much greater at a private hearing compared to the court process. Our clients are finding the process less stressful, and more cost-effective and convenient –especially if the case is complex and potentially very expensive.”

The hearing can be in any location. Both parties have separate rooms in order to take private advice from their lawyers and there is one room in which the hearing takes place with the private judge. The parties must each have their own lawyer to represent them. The costs of the judge (which is commonly shared equally between the parties) falls between £2,000 and £5,000 plus VAT. Detailed submissions are made by each lawyer to the judge, who will then give an indication as to what they consider the right financial

IN MY EXPERIENCE, THE LIKELIHOOD OF ACHIEVING A FAIR AND CONSENSUAL SETTLEMENT IS MUCH GREATER AT A PRIVATE HEARING COMPARED TO THE COURT PROCESS

settlement to be.

“This indication is crucial as this guidance often leads the parties to an amicable settlement. If settlement is achieved, the terms are written up and submitted to the court. Although the cost of a private judge is a significant sum, I have found that parties spend less on legal fees overall because they have settled their cases much sooner.”

Nelsons are totally committed to private hearings and other forms of alternative dispute resolution.

Glynis adds: “We are always looking at ways in which we can provide our clients with a better, expedited service where complex financial settlements are resolved swiftly and costeffectively. So far, the feedback we’ve had has been fantastic! It is hugely rewarding.”

For more information on whether this method could work for you, call 0116 222 6666 to speak to Glynis for advice.

GLYNIS WRIGHT, PARTNER AT NELSONS

Bhumika Parmar, BP Legal Solicitors

Rent increase notices

There is always confusion as to how a landlord can increase rent and this has been a huge topic of debate since the mini budget. Current interest rates rising on mortgages will undoubtedly have a huge effect on rented properties and rental increase.

If a landlord wishes to increase the rent on a property, they can do so by either:

◆ Renewing a tenancy agreement at the end of the fixed term, stating an increased rent

◆ Use a form called a ‘Landlord’s Notice Proposing a New Rent’, which increases the rent after the fixed term has ended

◆ Agree a rent increase with the tenant. There must be a written record of the agreement that both parties sign

Landlords should always provide a tenant with enough notice if they are considering a rent increase. If the tenant pays rent weekly or monthly, a minimum of one month’s notice must be given. However, for a 12-month tenancy, six months’ notice must be provided.

If a tenancy agreement does not include a rent review clause, or it has expired and the landlord wishes to raise the rent, a landlord can use a section 13 notice. A section 13 procedure can only be used once a year.

A tenant can refuse an increase in rent and appeal to a tribunal to challenge a section 13 rent increase. If both the Landlord and Tenant cannot agree to a rent increase, then the tenant is usually given notice to vacate.

Trial period

100 years of 2 New Street Chambers

HEAD OF CHAMBERS

In their centenary year, 2 New Street Chambers considers what led them to becoming a key part of Leicester’s legal scene, and what the future holds. We spoke to Head of Chambers, Sally Barnett to learn more WORDS BY TOM YOUNG

For any institution to reach its 100th anniversary is an extraordinary achievement.

For 2 New Street Chambers, which is not one business but a group of self-employed barristers, it’s been a remarkable journey. For example, one of its founders and former barristers, Charles Loseby, worked on a most notable case.

“Loseby worked on the last UK witch trial,” said Sally, who is the first female Head of Chambers in New Street’s history. “He was defending Helen Duncan, who conducted a séance in 1941 in which she predicted the sinking of the battleship HMS Barham. She became one of the last people to be prosecuted under the 1735 Witchcraft Act, and ultimately the last ‘convicted witch’. She served nine months in Holloway

Prison. In reality, it turns out several thousand people knew the ‘secret’ about the Barham’s sinking and Duncan used it in her performance.”

The New Street premises were bought by Middle Temple in London in 1908. The Chambers itself was started in 1922 with Guy Dickson as Head of Chambers. Initially specialising in crime and originally featuring very few women, it’s now predominantly female. For many years, Chambers has only undertaken a wide variety of family and civil work.

“We’re a traditional chambers, aligned with modern practices. We have a blue plaque outside to commemorate Yetta Frazer –one of the first female members of the Bar in this country. We’re very proud of that.”

With the occupational

WE’RE A TRADITIONAL CHAMBERS, ALIGNED WITH MODERN PRACTICES

importance of being discreet, you might not know much about 2 New Street Chambers, as their successes must be kept under the radar, meaning their contribution goes unseen by the wider community. But they do have ways of celebrating their work.

“There are opportunities for people to be recognised, such as Emma Burden winning Barrister of the Year at the Leicestershire Law Society Awards 2022, and other members in previous years. We’ve also previously been awarded Chambers of the Year, and our support staff were recognised as well, but we generally celebrate our achievements on a more personal level. It’s not about the awards for us – it’s about the service.”

Continuing that service is at the centre of their vision for the future.

“Everyone at New Street is self-employed, so we maintain our level by each only taking on what we can handle. We also want to continue our contribution of legal and charitable service, increasing it if we can, to do even more.”

With 100 years of court success to their name, it’s been a more than successful trial period for New Street.

To learn more about the history of 2 New Street Chambers and view their current services, visit 2newstreet.com.

SALLY BARNETT,

THE MEN’S

ISSUE

November is a big month for men; it includes International Men’s Day, Movember, and Men’s Health Awareness Month. It wasn’t that long ago that the idea of men needing such occasions would be scoffed at. Niche spoke to several members of Leicester’s business community to find out why it’s needed now more than ever

WORDS BY TOM YOUNG

If you’ve never followed the comedian Richard Herring on twitter during International Women’s Day, you may not have had the pleasure of watching him reply to every ignorant tweet asking: “And when’s International Men’s Day?” with: “It’s on November 19.” It’s an undertaking so large, he had to retire from duty two years ago.

The fact that even men aren’t aware of International Men’s Day shows why it’s so important. There’s a variety of issues and pressures the modern world throws at men that they’re often expected to shoulder without sign of strain.

According to the Men’s Health Forum, even today, one in five UK men die before the age of 65. Suicide remains the most common cause of death for men under 45, though there are just as many suicides by men over 50 as under 45.

According to a 2012 study by the Samaritans, the following factors can increase the risk of suicide:

♦ Being male – men are more likely to respond to stress by taking risks like misusing alcohol

♦ Relationship breakdowns marriage breakdown is more likely to lead men to suicide

♦ Mid-life – people in mid-life experience greater unhappiness than younger and older people

♦

Emotional illiteracy – men are less likely to have a positive view of talking therapies

♦

Socio-economic factors – unemployed people are 2-3 times more likely to die by suicide than those in work and suicide increases during economic recession

Health issues often go undiagnosed, as men are less likely to go to the GP, wanting to avoid taking time off work. There’s an embarrassment factor, a desire not to inconvenience another – to “man up” and get on with it. This mind set needs to change.

Pressure to live up to expectation can also be an emotional burden, with financial and family obligations capable of weighing heavy on the mind. Pressure to

the notion of ‘manning up’ can lead to a ‘man down’

KEEP IT SIMPLE

Money can’t buy you happiness. Many of us spend our lives in constant pursuit of greater earnings, convinced that the security of a higher wage will eliminate our problems. Wesley Hughes – owner of Utilities Made Simple – disagrees, believing a simple life is when you’re happiest.

“When I first left home, I was on an apprenticeship wage, living in a council flat on housing benefit. To be honest, that was one of my happiest times. It’s weird how sometimes you can have absolutely nothing, and feel more appreciative of life.

“I usually think that when people are having a tough time mentally, it’s because they’ve got too much going on. I maintain an open door policy, so if anyone needs to come and talk to me, they can. We’ll go through the burning issues and tackle them one-by-one. If I can help, I will – it’s about trying to make the person feel valued again.”

Wes is very much a glass half-full

man. Even when he’s faced challenges before, he’s always able to find a silver lining – a learning moment that helps him move forward.

“When our office burnt down, I had to go back in to save our server or the business would’ve been lost. Out of that, everything is now digitalised, backed up and online. We did it overnight, so we’re better off now. When something bad like that happens, I tend to go: ‘ok, we’re insured, we lost nothing of value, and we’ve learned from it.’ Things are never as bad as they seem.”

Happiness comes from being true to yourself, but money can create a façade that prevents you from being authentic.

“I don’t do social media. People present themselves as this idealised version, when I know it’s not who they are. But it still makes you feel inadequate in comparison to this fake life. The truth is, my most affluent friends are often the unhappiest. Money creates a competitiveness that’s difficult to stay away from. ‘So-and-so

has a new car, how’d they afford that? I’d better get a new one.’ You always end up feeling like what you’ve got isn’t good enough, and you forget to be grateful for what you have.”

As life evolves, that competitiveness can come from other sources. As a dad, Wesley feels there’s a pressure to keep up with other parents.

“You want the best for your children, but you’ve also got to be realistic. I didn’t get my daughter an iPhone until about a year after all her friends had one, because I didn’t want to jump the gun and get her one too early. But eventually, I felt guilty that she was the only one going to school without it. So I bought her the best model out of guilt!

“On the other hand, she came to me asking for a pair of £800 trainers her friend had. Seriously?! She’s 14! It was not happening! Where are these parents getting that money? It’s tough to be the mean dad who says no, because there is a limit.”

WES IS VERY MUCH A GLASS HALF-FULL MAN

CHECK UP AND CHECK IN

Men need to take their health seriously. Robert Bright runs communications company BTT; he’s been on his own health journey in recent years, learning the value of regular check-ups, and believes men need to be proactive in looking after themselves.

“I’m part of an organisation that arranges free yearly prostate screenings for its members. The ages range from 20s to 90s, and you see different ailments come in as the men get older – especially if they don’t get tested or bury their head in the sand.

“One of the guys went for a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test back in August and the check-up revealed that he had prostate cancer –if he hadn’t gone for the test it would’ve gone under the radar. We’ve had a few people receive these results, though another of our members was screened too late, and – sadly – he passed away. It’s so important to get checked regularly.”

It can be very easy for men to dismiss minor health concerns, with a that’ll-go-away-by-itself mentality, but that can lead to early warning signs

going undiagnosed.

“Over the last two or three years, I’ve been trying to take better care of myself after I was diagnosed with high blood pressure. I’d ignored the symptoms for a long time, thinking: ‘It’s OK, I’m fine’, but when the doctor said: ‘You need to do something about this, or you might not be here in 10 years’, it really sunk in. I lost four stone during Covid – eating better and exercising three times a week – and felt the best I’d felt in a decade.

“Unfortunately, over the last year since restrictions lifted, I’ve slipped back into some bad habits. I’ve had to attend a lot of networking dinners – often having three-course meals eight to 12 times a month – to the extent that I’ve put 80% of the weight back on. I’d stopped going to the gym and started enjoying a beer. I went back to the doctor, and he said: ‘What did I tell you?’. I’m now starting over with my personal trainer and limiting myself to one dinner event a week, at most. You have to stay committed to your exercise routine, manage your work-life balance, and keep looking after yourself.”

A big problem is that bad habits are easy. If you’re coming back late from work, the McDonald’s drive-through

is far more tempting than spending an hour cooking. The pub is more appealing than the gym. If you have a pressured work life, anything that makes your home life easier (or vice versa) will appeal. For this reason, mental health is just as important to maintain as physical.

“There’s a mixture of ages in the business, and we’ve got a little group of us older guys who discuss our various pills and potions. We talk about what’s going on, what works, and encourage each other to stay away from the office doughnuts. It does help.”

“And I’ve always maintained an open-door policy for anyone who wants to come in and talk about anything, no matter what – if we can’t help, we’ll find someone appropriate for them to talk to.”

OVER THE LAST TWO OR THREE YEARS, I’VE BEEN TRYING TO TAKE BETTER CARE OF MYSELF AFTER I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

TRY, TRY AGAIN

Fear of failure can be an inhibiting factor. Experiencing failure can destroy confidence, willpower and even passion. Developing the resiliency and mental fortitude to persevere in the face of failure is a difficult skill to master.

Pete Talbot has had a unique career path. In September, he won Rising Star at the Niche Business Awards for his work with Next Level Rugby. The company provides young people with elite level rugby coaching, while helping to prepare them with additional life skills. The importance of this is a reaction to Pete’s experience, where one big failure changed his life forever.

“When I was younger, I was really focused on becoming a professional rugby player. To my detriment, because I didn’t think I needed anything else. I didn’t go on to higher education because I didn’t think I needed it. I was going to be a rugby player. That was the plan.

“Going through the age groups, I was an early high performer. I’m a September baby, so I was always older, stronger, faster – more developed – than the other lads in my age grade. That, combined with my determination and drive to become a professional rugby player, meant that the stuff I worked on off the pitch was quite limited. I didn’t enjoy the classroom. I didn’t enjoy other subjects. But I was so successful at rugby, and I found the age grade level so easy that I got scouted for and joined Leicester Tigers’ youth team in 1996.

“I was there for four years, moving through the development set up and thought that getting a professional contract was a foregone conclusion. I’d always succeeded at every youth level, so surely that would continue.

“It didn’t, and I didn’t see it coming. I was going into the meeting thinking: ‘They’ll probably offer me X pounds, and I’ll ask for Y’. So to be told they didn’t want me anymore was a complete shock.

“I’d never experienced failure before. I’d always been picked. I’d progressed through the youth system so easily,

NOW I KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH FAILURE, I CAN RE-FRAME IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE.

I WON’T FAIL AT THIS BUSINESS, BECAUSE I WON’T GIVE UP THIS TIME

I didn’t have the mental skills to handle the rejection; I hadn’t built up any resilience. I hung around in the professional game for a couple of years, signing contracts at Championship level for Coventry and Birmingham Solihull. Most people would still consider that a great achievement, but it wasn’t playing for the best team in the Premiership, so I’d checked out emotionally. I hadn’t got what I wanted. I hadn’t fulfilled my potential.

“It broke my dad’s heart more than mine. It was difficult to feel like I’d failed him as well as myself. I eventually stopped playing entirely, and – at the time – I was telling people that I’d fallen out of love with rugby. Knowing what I know now, I’d actually lost my love because I couldn’t handle not being successful. I was so crushed by failing that I had to remove myself from everything that reminded me of it. I stayed away from rugby for the next 13 years.”

After befriending a few car salesmen in the gym, Pete found a new way to make money and dropped rugby overnight. He was 23 at that point and didn’t come back to the game until he was 36. After car sales, he worked as a product developer for PepsiCo.

“Having had four promotions in three years, I was advancing quite quickly through the corporate ranks, and it felt good because I was back to being successful. I had this validation of people thinking I was good at my job again, but the truth of the matter is that I was a pretty average product developer. What I did have were the skills and personality that I’d developed from rugby – leading teams, talking to people of different levels, helping others get better, and learning from when things go wrong. I realised that those skills are what’s required of a coach, and if I went back to rugby, I could be one of the best. Coaching gives me a chance to succeed in a field where I previously fell at the first hurdle.

“Now I know how to deal with failure, I can re-frame it as an opportunity to improve. I won’t fail at this business, because I won’t give up this time – I’ll fight rather than flight – and that attitude really informs my coaching style. I tell the players that failure’s not the end – it’s the beginning.”

Next Level Rugby offers a standard of rugby coaching that many children and young people won’t have access to anywhere else. With two successful academies already up and running, Pete is seeking to open two more in the near future. The academies offer more than just rugby, ensuring

that the players have multiple skills and opportunities open to them.

“The idea is that they take what they’ve learned during the week back to their community clubs at the weekend and implement their new skills there. When I was coming through the youth system, I was at a comprehensive school but playing rugby alongside lads from private schools who had a much higher standard of coaching at their school and more training hours to practice. We want to make professional coaching available to more kids.

“But we also encourage them to keep pursuing academic achievement as well because the reality is that less than 1% of them will make it as professionals, and it’s important to ensure that they have what I didn’t have: another option.

“We hope to open our own facility soon, offering academies in the evenings, while operating as a further education facility during the day, giving players the chance to work towards BTECs in subjects relevant to their interests, like sports science.

“It’s about creating young people with the right attitude, focus and self-discipline, but also well-rounded, wellprepared human beings. Understanding that there are many different factors that contribute to a player’s current ability, our recruitment focuses more on attitude and effort, as it affords an opportunity to those that want it, and creates a training environment to excel in. Those are the kids we can take to the next level.”

Experience is the antidote to failure. Once you’ve lived through it, you know you can survive it, bounce back, and try something else. Failure is essential for growth, teaching us what we need to succeed next time.

TIME FOR YOURSELF

As a successful restauranteur, Jaimon Thomas is a very busy man – with four businesses in Leicester to run (and more outside the county), it’s important to find a way to balance life with work. When he’s not splitting his time between Kayal, Herb, Merchant of Venice and Donald Watson’s Vegan Bar, Jaimon can be found in his garage.

“I love my classic cars and motorbikes. My office is filled with models of cars – it’s a way for me to incorporate my mancave into what I do. I generally drive one of my vintage cars to work. It’s a way of balancing my passions with my work.”

Classic cars aren’t the most reliable. ‘What happens if it breaks down on the way to a meeting?’, I hear you ask.

“I’ve got the very best breakdown cover! When roadside assistance doesn’t arrive soon enough, I’ll call one

of my colleagues, who’ll pick me up in their car. Otherwise, minor repairs I can fix myself.”

As someone who works in a very people-centric industry, spending time in the garage gives Jaimon a moment of solitude, time to gather his thoughts and focus on himself.

“My mental health is refreshed by this time off – I work very hard, so it gives me time away to enjoy another passion. Hospitality can become quite an addictive lifestyle. It’s a tough job –sacrificing evenings and weekends. It’s not for everyone, but those who love it, really love it. They stay in the industry for years, if not decades.

“You’re always around people, we work as a team and share food and a drink after hours. We’re a family. If someone needs time off, we’re flexible and don’t follow fixed rules; we cover shifts, book-in holiday, and

look after each other. There’s always a community to make sure we’re taking care of ourselves.”

Community is very important. A sense of belonging and shared passion allows men to bond and can form the basis of years-long friendships. That might be through sport, cars, gaming, art, theatre, music or more.

“A lot of people share my passion for vintage cars, so I can talk to them about it in the restaurant, share stories, and go to view each other’s cars. Having a passion outside of work can help your professional life. It makes you a more rounded individual and gives you a way to connect with people.”

If you struggle to switch off from work, try finding another passion. Something you can do to unwind that isn’t expected to make a profit. As any classic car enthusiast will tell you, it’s really not about making money!

HAVING A PASSION OUTSIDE OF WORK CAN HELP YOUR PROFESSIONAL LIFE

SOMETHING FOR THE DADS

In a society that has often encouraged men to maintain a stiff upper lip, keep calm and carry on, it’s not always been easy to admit when pressure is mounting. Steve Smith, who now runs his own coaching company, offers a new way of thinking in order to help men help themselves.

Steve knows first-hand how tough times can weigh heavy on you. After a 16-year career, Steve fell ill and was diagnosed with a brain tumour.

“It gave me brain fog and made me really lethargic. As my condition got worse, I struggled to do my job. Around this time, I was introduced to meditation and the importance of a positive attitude, which really helped me. I’d started just before I became ill, so it felt like the universe prepared me for what I’d need. It helped me to grow as a person and feel like I could handle anything.”

Steve moved to another company but continued to deal with the effects of the tumour. When his new employer started making cuts, he was let go.

Deciding there was more to life than working for someone else, he set up his own business and became a coach. He focuses on helping all men, but especially overwhelmed dads – those struggling to balance the pressures of work, home, financial stability, and more.

“Unless you have balance, something always gives – whether that be your marriage, your family, your career, or yourself. I like to help men find their way through and lay the foundations to deal with these issues. Not necessarily get rid of these issues, but cope with them.

“It comes from everything I learned in my darkest days – when I was ill, I was still the breadwinner with a mortgage to pay, and that pressure is a burden. I work on creating positive habits, giving tools that help us manage.”

There’s more to life than being

stressed, skint, and stuck in a deadend job. Steve seeks to change your personal narrative, and squash limiting beliefs.

“I had a client who told me they were staying in an underpaid job they hated, because in nine years’ time, they’d receive a loyalty bonus of £20k. I asked: ‘How much more would you get if you worked elsewhere?’ They said, ‘about £4-5k per year.’ I pointed out that they’d have earned the £20k in just four to five years if they left. ‘Oh, I never thought about it like that’ was the response.”

People will stick with what they know, because it’s comfortable – but how comfortable is your comfort zone?

“If your favourite shoes had rocks in, you wouldn’t wear them. I want to help guys make their lives easier.”

“It’s not about pouring your heart out, if you don’t want to,” says Steve. “If you need that, we can do it, but it’s more about introducing techniques and exercises that help you to have a healthier mind set.”

If you feel you’d benefit from a conversation with Steve, you can email him on coachingbystevesmith@outlook.com.

THERE’S MORE TO LIFE THAN BEING STRESSED, SKINT, AND STUCK IN A DEAD-END JOB

CAMERA SHY

Hitz Rao has become one of the most ubiquitous members of Leicester’s business community. Anyone hot on the scene will have been photographed by Hitz, either in his studio or at an event. You’ll have already seen his work throughout this magazine.

It may come as a surprise to learn that Hitz’ most anxious clients are often men. It can be difficult to feel comfortable in front of the camera, especially if you hope to portray yourself a certain way.

“Men can be a lot more intimidated about how they look – most don’t wear makeup or fancy clothes on the regular, so you’re really presenting your true, unfiltered self. Some men want to look masculine or project a certain image. It’s my responsibility to put them at ease, make them comfortable, and make them look good.”

Getting that perfect shot is a process, and Hitz’ experience means he knows how to get what he needs.

“I like to get to know the person. We talk and break the ice, let them relax into the session and find what works for them. We have props that can be used as anchors to support their confidence, or we use power dressing or clothing they’re most comfortable in to help too. Everyone is different, requiring their own set-up, lighting, and personal touch.”

Hitz remains a beacon of humility and positive energy. He has an innate ability to make his subject feel like the most important person in the room, and really takes time with people, allowing him to forge friendships, loyalty, and admiration throughout the community.

Hitz’ father was also a photographer, and he learnt this way of business from him. Starting in 1989, Hitz joined the family business as an apprentice at 15.

“Dad had been made redundant from his day job and used the opportunity to set up the photography

business, which needed my help. I’d done a BTEC in photography, and so started doing that instead of going to uni.”

Things have come full circle as Hitz’ son, Yash, now works for the business too.

“It’s a big shock and sometimes surreal, as we hadn’t really planned for him to get so actively involved in the family business. Many of the conversations – and occasionally heated debates – give me and the family flashbacks of when dad and I worked together.”

Originally renting a small studio (that they’d eventually buy in 1997), the business grew steadily. They started with family portraits and other studio services, as well as wedding photography. As the business developed, Hitz started photographing corporate work and events, with clients including Cross Productions among others. As technology evolved, they folded in digital photography and film, fully embracing the evolution and running with it.

“It’s as stressful as you make it, but it can be fun. There are deadlines and pressures, but it’s all about learning the latest tricks, what’s new in the market, and what’s next. Photography is becoming very accessible, so it’s about staying ahead of the game.”

And it’s also through his good oldfashioned wit and personality that Hitz stays ahead of the game, helping his subjects to overcome camera shyness, and create beautiful photography.

IT’S MY RESPONSIBILITY TO PUT THEM AT EASE, MAKE THEM COMFORTABLE, AND MAKE THEM LOOK GOOD

Lighting the way for MEN’S MENTAL HEALTH

According to the Government’s national wellbeing survey, published by the Mental Health Foundation in 2021, three times as many men as women die by suicide and men aged 40-49 have the highest suicide rates in the UK. Men also report lower levels of life satisfaction than women and are less likely to access psychological therapies, with only 36% of referrals to NHS talking therapies being for men.

In addition, men are far more likely than women to go missing, sleep rough, become dependent on alcohol and use drugs frequently.

Leicester-based mental health advocacy charity, Lamp provides a free, independent mental health service and during the last 12 months, its team of advocacy specialists have supported around 450 advocacy referrals across the areas of community mental and physical health, carers advocacy, carers groups and informal patient advocacy. Almost 40 per cent of

these referrals were men and this number is growing.

Richard Kotulecki, Chief Executive of Lamp says: “It has long been understood that men are far less likely than women to seek help for both physical and mental health concerns, so there is clearly much work still to be done in terms of raising awareness of the importance of good mental health and reducing the stigma amongst males to talk about it.

“Poor mental health can sometimes tragically lead to suicide and can be triggered by any number of issues from depression, alcohol and drug use, relationship problems and unemployment, through to social isolation and low self-esteem. Society’s expectations of what it means to be a ‘man’ can also be quite stereotypical so we also need to consider the impacts that this burden to conform has on their wellbeing.

“Whilst we know that depression and some other

common mental health disorders are a concern in Leicester and Leicestershire, referrals to NHS talking therapies have for some time been considerably lower than the England average. It’s vital that those people who need help are able to find that support and that’s why organisations such as Lamp exist to help people through their own mental health journey and towards individual empowerment.”

Lamp is holding a ‘Make Mental Health Your Business’ workshop during the Leicester Business Festival from 1011.30am on November 18, 2022. The event will talk about the importance of mental health advocacy in the community and workplace, and how we can all play a part in supporting others who may be struggling.

Tickets can be booked at bit.ly/ MakeMentalHealthYourBusiness. Email info@lampdirect.org.uk for mental health advocacy support.

A Leicester Business Festival workshop on mental health in business will take place on November 18. Organisers, Lamp, told Niche about men’s mental health in particular this issue

IT HAS LONG BEEN UNDERSTOOD THAT MEN ARE FAR LESS LIKELY THAN WOMEN TO SEEK HELP

Tales from the print room

Every print job has a story behind it. In this regular feature, our print partner Soar Valley Press introduces Niche Magazine to the Leicester-based people they work with, to absorb the tales from when their projects go to press

Standing out in a thriving legal scene is a challenge for any law firm. Having recently celebrated their sixth anniversary, merchandise is a big part of Pattersons Commercial Law’s brand awareness. Enter Soar Valley Press.

Harinder Sahota is the Head of Practice Management for Pattersons Commercial Law. She’s forged a partnership with Soar Valley Press that has resulted in some of the most ubiquitous – and popular – business merchandise in Leicestershire.

The law firm started working with Soar Valley Press around five years ago with their first ever batch of personalised Christmas cards and since then, the quality and diversity of merchandise has increased massively.

What started off with Christmas cards has extended

into water bottles, takeaway coffee cups and golf umbrellas. What sets Soar Valley Press apart is the service level.

When Covid meant that the regular supply of a very particular pen was stuck on the other side of the planet, Soar Valley Press persevered and managed to eventually source the correct pen in readiness for the firm to give away at one of their exclusive events. This isn’t just a story about a pen, it’s a demonstration of Soar Valley Press’s understanding of what’s important to their clients and why these things are important.

Creating bespoke merchandise is all in a day’s work for a printing company, and it’s this ability to customise a product that the Team at Pattersons Commercial Law has really appreciated.

“If you have an image or idea in your head of what you want, you can sketch it out, and Soar Valley Press will help bring your design to life. Chris worked with Rik Pancholi, our Managing Director on our ‘Making Things Happen’ notebooks. He listened to the brief, understood our strict timelines, and worked to deliver these on time for an exclusive event. Chris was clear with his communication and kept us informed through the whole process, in fact, he drove to Cambridge and personally delivered these to eliminate any transport delays.“

The service and satisfaction promise from Soar Valley Press gives you great confidence when dealing with them and saves shopping around because it’s not always about price – service and quality take priority.

WHAT STARTED OFF WITH CHRISTMAS CARDS HAS EXTENDED INTO WATER BOTTLES, TAKE AWAY COFFEE CUPS AND GOLF UMBRELLAS

AN INTERVIEW WITH: Harinder Sahota, Pattersons Commercial Law

The tips of the Trident

Measure, design, develop, optimise, and monitor conversions. This was the advice Adam Burrage gave us for how to build an effective website in Niche Magazine’s 47th issue (you can read about it via nichemagazine.co.uk/ back-issues). The year that has followed has been one of growth for Trident, in terms of team, size of client, and –perhaps most importantly – client understanding of what they offer.

Trident – the company Adam bought from his dad and stepmum – is a full service creative agency, looking after their clients’ on and offline marketing needs, whether that be through web design, search engine optimisation, pay-per-click services, or design for print.

“I bought the business because I wanted to ensure that what my dad started in the ’80s would be around for at least the next 20 years – it involved a rethink of the company vision, shifting our primary focus from print to digital – but we’re in a much healthier position now, doing higher margin work than

we had before.”

Adam wants Trident to continue to expand, bringing in new team members that will allow the business to process more contracts. The importance of hiring well is crucial to this process.

“You need the right people in the team in order to develop a successful business. You can’t do great work without great people – we’ve now got the right people, with the right skills, in the right seats, and it allows us to do want we want to do.”

What they do is help businesses succeed. For Adam, it’s the reason he does what he does.

“I like to see good work. I’m really proud of what we’ve done for our clients, and the long-term relationships we’ve built – we become a consultant partner to their business to help them progress. That’s what we want to focus on – helping people achieve their goals.

“New clients are coming to us and the first conversation is about designing something that will really get results,

creating better content and getting better photography… all the things that really move a client’s website through the gears to set them apart and elevate their brand.”

All tridents come with three tips. At the start of the year, Adam told us what goes into building a good website – but it’s important to remember not to sit back and expect passive lead generation – you have to keep involved.

“If you launched a site at the start of the year, we’d recommend you continue to add fresh content, like blogs, videos and infographics as these help your SEO. If you want to get more leads or meetings, add an appointment booking form via apps like Calendly to make this simple.

“It’s important to check in and monitor progress. If you’re not seeing the results you’re looking for – or if you’ve got a website you’re not happy with – it’s worth talking to us about why it’s not working, so we can help set you up for success.”

Get more web content tips at wearetrident.co.uk/blog.

For Niche Magazine, 2022 began with Adam Burrage on our cover. As the end of the year approaches, we caught up with Trident’s owner to learn what the year has held for the company and seek his latest advice WORDS BY TOM YOUNG

I’M REALLY PROUD OF WHAT WE’VE DONE FOR OUR CLIENTS

Green Piece The

Leicester was named the first ‘Environmental City’ in the UK in 1990. Europe later selected, as its ‘Most Sustainable City’ in 1996. But how green can we say we are now?

WORDS BY BINTOU SECKA AND KERRY SMITH

Green Action

Three decades have passed since Leicester received the ‘Environmental City’ title in the ’90s. That’s quite a reputation to uphold over time. We looked at Leicester’s most recent environmental initiatives.

The city was ranked third in The UK’s Most Progressive Cities 2022 report by Bank Rate for how we addressed issues such as recycling rates and our number of vegan and vegetarian eateries.

Leicester also came in third place in Packaging Online’s ranking of ‘The Greenest Cities in the UK’. This was based on a range of factors including the amount of fossil fuels we burn, the number of tweets we tweeted in one week using the phrase ‘global warming’, and our percentage of green space versus buildings.

Leicestershire made an ambitious pledge to become net zero by 2045 –five years sooner than the government target of 2050. In order for Leicester to keep moving forward and sustain a clean and safe environment, businesses must play their part.

In 2022, it’s clear that more responsibility has been placed on organisations rather than just the individual. The question is, are Leicester businesses getting more involved in becoming eco-friendly to achieve net zero?

KH hair is an example that businesses in Leicester are helping to move towards an even greener city. The salon promotes an eco-friendly environment by recycling their waste which includes hair, foil, and chemicals. In addition, they use sustainable

products and push to reduce pollution in the environment. Then there are local organisations like Michael Smith Switchgear and Space Park Leicester winning awards for their work in sustainability.

The use of local and sustainable suppliers or partners will be beneficial to the city in more than one way. Businesses in larger premises like factories and warehouses can measure and reduce their carbon footprint by coupling improved sources of light with light sensors, wall insulation, and harvesting rain water.

Congestion caused by people traveling to work is also a top concern in the city centre. Leicester City Council’s Workplace Parking Levy proposes a charge on employers providing car parking for their employees. This will fund new, modernised, sustainable public transportation measures and also promote walking and cycling to work.

A fleet of 11 new electric busses should by now have come into service as planned for November 2022. They are 100% powered by renewable energy, benefitting the environment as there will no longer be carbon dioxide being released into the air from burnt fossil fuels like a normal bus usually would. The aim is to see electric buses rolled out to a third of the city’s network by 2024.

Niche wants more examples of green action happening in Leicestershire. If you or your business wants to show off your environmentally-friendly ways, email kerry@crossproductions.co.uk.

5 tips to help you through the cost-of-living crisis

Simple

ways to save money this winter that we’ve been testing out here at Niche

WORDS BY KERRY SMITH

When complaining of being cold in the house, my dad’s advice was: ‘Put a jumper on’. I’ve never related to him more than now I have my own home. Bills, petrol, and food prices are rising as the cost-of-living crisis deepens. And, with National Grid’s blackout warnings should the ‘worst case scenario’ happen where Britain is unable to secure enough gas and electricity from Europe, I’m making good use of all my jumpers and forever seeking more ways to save money around the house. Here are some energy-saving considerations I’ve been most focused on lately.

time to invest in new windows. The average price for new uPVC windows can be between £500 and £1,230, according to Everest.

2SWEEP IT UNDER THE CARPET

Excellent insulators, carpets help to retain heat in the home and allow heat to remain in the body when walking on them. Adding rugs to hard floors can reduce the amount of energy it takes to heat your home.

4DON’T STANDBY

Plug sockets that are switched on use energy. Before you leave the house for the day, do a spot check of all your plug sockets making sure they’re all turned off. Apart from the fridge, most appliances can be switched off at the plug without disturbing their programming. The same, of course, goes for lights – if you’re not in the room, switch it off; it could save you around £25 a year. Using LED bulbs could help you save more too.

1LOOK OUT FOR YOUR WINDOWS

Have you spotted condensation on the inside of your windows? This can actually be a good sign that your windows are well-insulated, while older windows may allow moisture to escape. But continuous moisture throughout winter can cause mould. Prevent buildup by turning on and making use of extractor fans in the bathroom or above the oven, opening trickle vents above windows (if you have them), moving houseplants away from windows, and investing in a dehumidifier to avoid bigger costs further down the line. However, condensation in between panes of double-glazed windows means the air-tight seal has failed. It can lead to mould and cause you to waste severe amounts of energy by letting heat out and cold in – this is when it’s

Prices depend on room size – for a 12x12msq room, a budget carpet would cost £70, midrange £280, and luxury £560, according to Real Homes. Under-carpet insulation can double up on energy saving and will also help to prevent mould around the house. Prices vary greatly depending on metres squared, material and provider. Energy Saving Trust says it could save around £60 per year in energy bills, so it’s worth getting some free quotes.

3GETTING TEA-COSY

Not filling the kettle up so much can save you money. Fill the kettle up only to how many cups you’re going to need. Based on the latest energy prices, as of October 2022, Metro worked out that if you had two cups of tea every day for a year, it would cost around £9.34 overall. Take a look around the charity shops to find a teapot and cosy, or a teacup warmer that uses tealight candles to keep tea warm for longer.

5WASHING ON COLD

Washing your clothes on a 30°C cycle and limiting your use of the washing machine to one run a week could save you £34 per year. Whirlpool says workout wear should be washed after one wearing, shirts and blouses after two wearings, jeans after five wearings, jumpers up to six wearings, casual jackets, suits and blazers every six wearings, and sleepwear every

WITH YOU EVERY STEP OF THE WAY

Ensuring

No

THE RESIDENCE COLLECTION OFFERS A BESPOKE PERSONAL TOUCH

The Residence Collection by Oadby Estates give our clients access to high net worth buyers with the use of professional photography including drone aerial imagery, full colour professionally printed property particulars, social media marketing and a feature in Niche Magazine.

We are here to exceed expectations and make the sale of your home a smooth and stress-free experience.

Five bedroom bungalow Stoneygate

£750,000

The property consists of a porch, entrance hall, kitchen/living/diner, spacious lounge/diner, 5 bedrooms - 2 with ensuite, family bathroom and utility room. Externally, the property benefits from a driveway for multiple cars and lawn area to the front and a well sized, south facing garden to the rear with extensive lawn and patio. In addition to the current large living space, the property has the potential to be extended to create more space without compromising the outdoor space.

Ring Road in Stoneygate boasts elite clientele with well-maintained, large houses within the local vicinity. There are direct links back to the city centre as well as schools within a close proximity. Access to all major motorway routes is provided by Ring Road making it very convenient for commuters.

Night Vision

The changing of the seasons is upon us, as we trade long summer nights for the shorter, darker days of winter. These conditions can cause difficulties for our vision, especially noticeable for those who drive. Anthony Clarke, owner of multi-award-winning Clarke & Roskrow Styling Opticians, tells us more

As the owner and principal optometrist of a boutique opticians, I know the extra strain the winter months can put on your eyesight, and there are simple steps you can take to look after your vision as the nights draw in. Shorter days will mean many of us driving in the dark or around twilight. We’ve also got the added challenge of drizzle and rain. Add to this the glare from oncoming headlights, and it’s no surprise that more people report the greater challenge that driving poses to their vision at this time of year.

According to industry research, an estimated 2,900 road traffic accidents occur because of poor eyesight. Worryingly, 30% of drivers have doubted whether their vision is good enough to meet the minimum legal standard but continue to drive anyway. These are exacerbated by external factors that affect vision, such as

rain, sleet, snow, fog, and dazzle from headlights.

Night driving is a concern for many drivers, with 40% of road accidents occurring at night. About 70% of spectacle wearers who drive say they’d be interested in an everyday lens solution, specially designed for driving.

The Drivesafe lens from Carl Zeiss Vision helps to meet those needs. We’ve been working with them for over seven years, and the Drivesafe lens is by far our most popular amongst clients who drive. Many wearers report more comfortable vision when driving at night as the lenses help to reduce perceived glare by as much as 60-70%, and they’re also help in twilight conditions or inclement weather such as rain or fog.

The Drivesafe Varifocal lens wearers report they’re fantastic at maintaining clear, comfortable “dynamic vision”, when alternating focus between

IF YOU’RE A DRIVER, IT’S IMPORTANT TO HAVE YOUR EYES CHECKED REGULARLY

the road ahead, the rear view and side mirrors. As a Drivesafe Varifocal wearer myself – and someone who commutes 30 miles to and from work – I honestly say they do exactly what it says on the tin!

Regardless of whether you currently wear glasses or not, if you’re a driver, it’s important to have your eyes checked regularly – not only to ensure your vision meets the minimum legal standard, but also so your optometrist can advise you on the most suitable lens choices for you if you do require glasses.

Clarke & Roskrow Styling Opticians has a special promotion for readers of Niche Magazine, offering a saving of as much as £246 on Drivesafe Varifocal lenses, or £186 for Drivesafe

Single Vision lenses, up until November 30, 2022. All you need to do is call us on 01858 462996 and mention Niche Magazine at the time of booking.

HEALTHY HABITS

Up your skincare game with our powerful does-it-all regime with just 5 products featuring Malachite, Stabilised Vitamin C,Pagoda Blend and Activated Charcoal.

Cleanse, moisturise, and protect with an easy all over skincare regime that’s easy to use and has maximum benefits.

GroomWell

GroomWell is more than skincare. It’s part of the Mind Body Skin philosophy that also includes adopting a nutritious diet, managing stress, connecting with nature and welcoming life with a positive mindset. Because when you live well, it helps you to establish healthy habits and a healthy lifestyle.

FeelFit

Feelfit, have more energy to get through the day. The Healthy Habits set helps to manage weight and to just feel better! Whatever your goals, the 30 Days to Healthy Living set and programme are here to help.

CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR HER

SuperCalm Soothing Hydrator with Tiger Grass Blend - £37

Specifically formulated to address signs of stressed skin, this lightweight, barrier-supporting, vegan face lotion featuring Tiger Grass Extract is formulated to lock in hydration to keep skin looking radiant. Suitable for all skin types.

Remarkable results are only three steps away. The formulas feature Bakuchiol, a plant based alternative to retinol that works to diminish the look of fine lines and wrinkles for smoother, more supple skin. Includes: Silky Cleanser, Collagen Nurturing Serum and Moisture Restoring Cream.

DermResults 3 Step Starter

Regime - £198

Empower glowing skin in 3 steps. This set includes: Cleanser, Illuminating Skin Therapy Concentrate, Glow Cream and Cosmetics Bag.

Awakening GoldColored Eye Masks with Caffeine - 60 gel masks, £49

These cooling, soothing undereye mask patches with vitamins and antioxidants deliver a surge of hydration that revitalises tired and puffy looking eyes, softening the look of fine lines and reducing the appearance of dark circles.

Look and feel the part this party season

It’s party season and whether you’re looking for that perfect outfit to dance into the night, or something snuggly-warm for a bonfire gathering, DC Boutique has the outfit for you.

Stocking handpicked, wonderful brands, shoppers can buy at their beautiful boutique in Kirby Muxloe, online or by watching their unique live presentations on their Facebook page and reels on Instagram from the comfort of your home.

Owner Debbie Clark says: “We all have a passion for fashion here at DC, we know the power of feeling good in your outfit. It can really make a big difference to your day and this time of year is filled with the perfect excuses to treat yourself. We are an independent boutique which is run by family and friends, and we love to help our customers to feel their best!”

Prices are comparable to normal high street prices, but their unique selections mean you won’t see everyone else wearing the same thing.

Expect clothing, accessories, footwear and a hand-picked selection of

Beverly Roll Neck Jumper by Fransa £49.99

Black Abela Gilet by Byoung £49.99

Zed Jeans dark denim £42

Black Leather Fossa Boots by Ravel £98

Christmas gifts including diffusers, candles and fun Christmas stocking fillers.

Usual open times are Monday to Saturday from 10am-4pm. From November 10 up until Christmas, you can shop in-store until 7.30pm.

On this page, Debbie brings Niche readers her exclusive picks from the Winter collection available now.

Party Outfits

Black and sheer velvet kimono by Malissa J £51

Zed Faux Leather Black Stretch Jeans £43

Marco Tozzi Black Quilted Heeled Boots £62

Pink Leopard Asymmetric Top by Malissa J £56

Pull on Faux Leather Jeans Black £35

Black Patent Nala Boots £48

Shop the latest collections at dcboutique.co.uk or in-store at Cherry Tree Court, Kirby Muxloe, Leicester LE9 2LQ

Late night shopping until 7.30pm from November 10

Khaki Abela Coat by Byoung £59.99

Super Fluffy Camel & Cream Scarf £16

Zed Jeans Dark Denim £42

Floral Silky Smock Dress by Malissa J £60

Caramel Faux Fur Gilet by Malissa J £80

Tan Suede Teelin Boots by Ravel £88

An immersive, transportive experience

When Restorative Energy Heal CEO Sukhina Garcia invited me to attend one of her soundbath sessions, I jumped at the chance. Having attended gong baths, yoga retreats and meditation sessions in the past, I was keen to experience the sound practise here in Leicester WORDS

BY EMILY MILLER

Entering the soundbath space was immediately immersive. Dimly lit with candles, the delicate scent of incense, the view of the crystal bowls laid out at the front of the room, which was decorated with cushions and blankets, I knew we were in for a relaxing, transformative experience.

Sukhina Garcia, the owner of Restorative Energy Heal, started by explaining that the purpose of this practice is to drop into a deep state of rest, relaxation and rejuvenation. “Through forms of yoga, meditation and sound healing, we can activate our rest and digest nervous system – also known as our parasympathetic nervous system. When this is activated, we enter a state of relaxation which breeds recovery in the body.”

She told us that the benefits were endless and that we should expect emotional wellbeing, stress management, pain relief, and improved sleep.

Sound healing is based on the principle that everything in the universe is made of vibration, that everything has a frequency. Every thought and feeling, every

organ, every part of our body has a vibration, even every illness.

The pure high frequency sounds made through crystal sound bowls resonate with our physical, emotional and energetic bodies, bringing the possibility of clearing, cleansing and balancing at cellular level.

When it was time to begin, we lay down with our warming eye masks and began with some light breath work to relax us before the flow of sound (played at the earth’s frequency) filled the room, our ears and bodies. I could feel my mind resisting at first, as it often does when I do any relaxation work, but pretty soon, by focusing on the hums and echoes of the bowls, I began to let go. It felt as though every cell in my body was responding to the sound, as though they were ‘waking up’.

Sukhina explained that everyone’s experience would be different and for me it was quite personal. By focusing on the sound, I was reminded of a beautiful moment I recently shared with my daughter. And from such a deep place, the tears of happiness flowed.

SOUND HEALING IS BASED ON THE PRINCIPLE THAT EVERYTHING IN THE UNIVERSE IS MADE OF VIBRATION

Having known Sukhina for many years now, there’s something about seeing her in this environment that simply ‘fits’. She’s found her place and is spreading the energy as far and wide as she can.

Sukhina also runs restorative yoga classes and 1-2-1 sessions which is a receptive, not active, practice and she told me: “When you practice this type of yoga, you enter into a state of deep relaxation, where the body and mind are brought into balance.”

Before leaving and floating through the rest of our day, we hug and I tell her we’ll be back again soon. I’m looking forward to introducing the rest of the Niche team to Sukhina’s soundbaths as she offers corporate team bonding sessions too.

Find her on Instagram at restorativeenergyheal or restorativeenergyheal@gmail.com. Sukhina’s soundbaths are held at The Yoga House in Leicester on Sundays at 7.45pm. Team wellness events and One-to-one Restorative Yoga is delivered by request.

Heritage Store

Rosewater Facial Mist. – £7.99

Ancient Healing Clay – £12.49

Castor Oil – £6.99

Gifted Palette – £10

Looking for the ultimate collection of fabulously festive eyeshadows? Love Cosmetic’s Gifted Palette contains a mix of 15 intensely pigmented matte and shimmer shadows that are guaranteed to get you (and your loved ones) into the Christmas spirit.

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS

Olverum Body Cleanser – £26.50

This innovative formula is great for sensitive skin. Fragranced with the aromatic blend of essential oils synonymous with the Bath Oil, it helps to ease stress and relax mind and body. The luxurious lather cleanses and softens without irritation. Crafted with over 90% natural origin ingredients, this product is vegan friendly and cruelty-free. Free from artificial preservatives, colourants, sulphates and parabens.

PMD Clean – £89

Give the gift of glowing and clear skin this Christmas! The PMD Clean is a smart facial cleansing device that not only leaves the skin dirt and makeup free, but also encourages collagen production, leaving the complexion more youthful.

OPV

Beauty 9pcs Brush Set

With Leather Bag – £45

OPV Beauty’s 9pcs Natural Hair Brush set comes with a gorgeous leather bag to help you achieve your look on the go. Made from the highest quality synthetic hair, these brushes are durable and kind to your skin, and help you to achieve a flawless look every time.

Shelley-anne Love Cusions – £27 each

These faux linen cushions have a soft luxurious feel. The cushion fabric is created using a dye sublimation print process to give superior reproduction quality, unrivalled durability and colour vibrancy. Mix it up for an eclectic, creative look.

Barbour For Him – £49

Contains a blend of woody notes of cedar, guaiac wood and vetiver, mixed with amber and musk for depth and warmth.

LOOK® V Timer – £94.99

With its modern design and several high-quality stainlesssteel features, this great filter coffee machine includes many handy functions such as a removable water tank, a patented AromaSelector and a practical time function. LOOK® V Timer is available via melitta.co.uk

Sass & Belle

From small stocking fillers, to striking home furnishings and something that the kids will love, Sass & Belle has something special for all loved ones this Christmas, whatever your budget.

Mojave Mug – £9

Fox Hot Water Bottle – £18

Mini Girl Power boogie plant pot – £6

Susie the Foodie

FOODIE THINGS IN LEICESTERSHIRE

In the build up to Christmas, here are some places to visit to get you in the festive mood

CHRISTMAS FAIRS & MARKETS

BOSWORTH CHRISTMAS FAIR

Saturday, November 19, 10:00–16:00

Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre Ambion Lane, Sutton Cheney, Nuneaton

BURGHLEY CHRISTMAS FAIR

Thursday, November 24 – Sunday, November 27

Burghley House, Stamford

MENPHYS HUB CHRISTMAS GIFT FAIR

Saturday, November 26, 10:00–16:00

Menphys, Bassett St, South Wigston

RSPCA WOODSIDE’S CHRISTMAS MARKET

Saturday, November 26 – Sunday, November 27

Woodside Animal Centre Pet Shop, 190 Scudamore Road, Leicester

MELTON MOWBRAY CHRISTMAS MARKET

Friday, December 2 – Sunday, December 4

Scalford Road, Melton Mowbray

STOUGHTON GRANGE CHRISTMAS MARKET

Saturday, December 3, 16:00–20:00

Stoughton Grange, Gartree Rd, Oadby, Leicester

LEICESTER GUILDHALL CHRISTMAS

CRAFT FAIR

Saturday, December 3, 10:00–16:00

The Guildhall Museum, Guildhall Lane, Leicester

QUORN GRANGE CHRISTMAS MARKET

Saturday, December 3, 10:00–14:00

Quorn Grange Hotel, 88 Wood Lane, Quorn Loughborough

ASHBY CHRISTMAS FAIR & MARKET

Saturday, December 3 – Sunday, December 4

Legion House, South St, Ashby-de-la-Zouch

FRAME

9 St Martin’s Square Leicester LE1 5EW

Inspired by vibrant flavours from across the Mediterranean, Frame offers a relaxed and friendly environment overlooking St Martin’s Square.

The sharing menu’s combine mezze, small plates and mains from the wood and coal fired grill.

Mezze’s include whipped feta, muhammar and tzatziki served with light fluffy pittas, from the plates you can choose from calamari, padron peppers or chicken wings and from the grill: lamb kofta, spiced cod, feta filo parcels or spiced cauliflower skewers.

The bar offers coctails as well as a good range of wine and beer. You are welcome to visit just for drinks too, which makes it a good meeting place for friends and work collegues for that christmas get together.

PENBURY FARM

142 Stretton Rd, Great Glen, Leicester LE8 9GP

This once thriving Dairy farm is now a well frequented eatery in a rural setting with a gift shop and a small herd of Wiltshire Horn Sheep, chickens and a couple of Pygmy Goats. Everything is made fresh to order and served by friendly staff.

I lunch here quite often to catch up with a friend and I am very much looking forward to December because from December 1 until Christmas, they are offering a Festive Afternoon Tea. This will consist of sandwiches of roast turkey and stuffing, smoked salmon with lemon and dill cream cheese, confit onion with goats cheese and rocket and a sage and onion sausage roll. The sweet part includes an All Spice fruit scone, a chocolate truffle snowman, a mini mince pie tart and a vanilla panna cotta. This festive tea also comes with a cracker and mulled wine and all for £21.95. Presecco is an added option if you really want to get into the festive spirit.

Also coming soon are the Christmas Markets, which will be held on Thursday, November 24 and Thursday, December 8, 4.00pm-8.00pm. There will be a variety of stalls, with many selling locally made festive goodies and crafts.

Pennbury Farm will be doing a festive takeaway menu to include mulled wine, turkey and cranberry ciabatta, plus lots more festive treats.

PORT & NATA

5 Silver Walk, Leicester LE1 5EW

Take a break when out Christmas shopping and visit this Portuguese café and bar just off Silver Street.

Try their Toasties with fillings of Queijo dos açores cheese and ham or tomato or caramelised onion in portuguese bread or Portuguese brioche croissants filled with cheese and ham or sweet fillings like chocolate or egg cream.

The ‘Nata’ part of the name is derived from the famous Portuguese custard tarts or pasteis de nata, these have become popular with customers and are authentically made to resemble traditional Natas. Boxes of four and six

are available if you want to take some home.

If you are shopping Friday or the weekend you can start the day off with some Rabanadas; French Toast covered in a sugar cinnamon mix served with maple syrup and fresh berries or choose a hearty Fusion of scrambled eggs, alheira sausage, slices of chouriço, smoked bacon and olive tapenade or a healthy granola with fruit and seeds. Vegetarian options are available.

If you just need a drink then there is a good range of coffes, teas, juices and soft drinks. Wines, beers and cocktails are also available.

Cooking To Temperature

Not Time Will Help You Turn Down

The heat This Christmas

We've all been there. Your guests are waiting and the spuds are done.. the turkey has been in the oven for what seem's like a lifetime and the timer on your phone doesn't quite cut it when it comes to serving 12 people undercooked festive poultry. That pressure would get anybody hot and bothered.

Luckily, we live in a world where MEATER exists. A completely wireless, hassle free kitchen tool that helps you guaruntee perfection every time you cook meat. Just insert the probe into the beef, turkley, pork, fish or whatever takes your fancy - set up our app to the meat you are using and MEATER will do the rest.

It not only tells you how long until the cook is completed, it gives you a 5 minute warning so you can finish your sides, lets you know when to remove from the heat and also tells you exactly how long to rest it for. How good is that? Better yet you can use it an oven, BBQ, air fryer or a pan meaning every meal can be made better with MEATER. You can find our best selling MEATER Plus at MEATER.COM

Get 10% Off Full Price items with the code NICHE10

Christmas

Arribada Cask Aged £44.95

A celebration of pure, unadulterated Caribbean and Latin American rum, Lost Years is totally authentic, with no colours, flavours, spices or added sugar sourced from some of the most revered distilleries in the world. Using the best ingredients, it’s also vegan and gluten free. This is simply exceptional rum.

FESTIVE FEASTS

Organic Oil and Vinegar

Gift Box – £21.35

A special gift box, with some of our best products.

Organic extra virgin oil, Balsamic Vinegar of Modena Organic, vegan and GM free. A gourmet gift which will delight everyone.

Tracklements

Festive Four – £ 14.15

Spiced Plum Chutney, 90g, Christmas Spice Chutney, 90g Cranberry, Port & Orange Sauce, 110g Sticky Fig Relish, 110g

Hamper – £20

The Cadbury Christmas chocolate combination is a great chocolate gift to treat everyone in the family. The Christmas gift box includes our Secret Santa ‘Merry Christmas’ Dairy Milk sleeved gift bar.

Ramsbury Gin Hamper– £75

The perfect gift for gin lovers, the Ramsbury Single Estate Gin Hamper. Packed in a Ramsbury buff wicker hamper:- 1 x Ramsbury Single Estate Gin 700ml - 2 x Ramsbury branded green tinted copa glasses.

Oro Gourmet Hamper

– £95

Oro Gourmet Hamper is made up of luxury Christmas delights from Spain paired with Oro’s award-winning gin. A one-of-a-kind hamper that is perfect for the food and drink connoisseur in your life. Content: 1 bottle of Oro or Oro V, pitted manzanilla olives, tortas and olive oil biscuits, pate set, rose petal jelly, fig and almond wheel, and oil set.

Zero-waste store for ‘food capital of the world’

A Little Less Waste in Melton Mowbray has been trading for less than a year, but its founder Lucy Stones recently won three awards at the Best of Melton Awards evening: Best New Business, Best Independent Retailer, and Business of the Year. Lucy Stones shared her journey with the Business Gateway’s Peter Allen

What are the myths about a zero-waste shop?

The main myth is that everything in here is mega expensive. There are certain things that, if they’re locally sourced or organic, will be more expensive. But herbs and spices, pulses and beans are so much cheaper than if you bought them in a supermarket. If you buy only what you need of everything else, then we’re cheaper than buying from the supermarket. You don’t need a kilo of pasta for a week, and you don’t need 500g of nuts. It’s not just about saving money; it’s about reducing food miles and packaging.

What inspired you to start the business?

I grew up here and we always used to grow our own food and buy locally from farms so that naturally kept waste and packaging down. With Melton being the food capital of the UK, it felt like the right place to try this. At work I was a nurse and in hospitals, you use loads and loads of plastic every day and throw it away, so at home I was thinking, ‘what can I do to make a difference and make it accessible’ so that’s why I set up the shop.

I did a questionnaire before we set about doing it. I sent it to the Wellness House mailing list. There was a very positive indication that people wanted it so that was good, but you never know if that means they’re going to come and spend their money with you. When we first started, we didn’t have a lot of stock as we didn’t know what people wanted. We’ve been growing since we found out what people wanted, and the community has been really good. We also had support from Rana, one of your Business Advisers, about six

months in. He recommended lots of courses about marketing and finance, sales, how to generate repeat business and so on.

Do you think people should change their shopping habits?

If we think about the cost-ofliving crisis at the moment, we’re all thinking about how we can save money on eating. I’ve done a lot of research recently about this. If we plan what we’re going to eat for the week, that will keep costs down and ensure that we only buy what we need and don’t have any waste. If we plan what we’re going to eat and you just buy what you need, it will still last you the week, but you will save money. If people went to their local greengrocers to buy fruit and veg and then a shop like ours to buy their dried foods, their supermarket shop would be significantly smaller. Also, if people want to cook recipes they’ve not tried before and they don’t want to buy lots of different ingredients in quantities that would be expensive, they can come here and buy 10g of an ingredient and it doesn’t matter.

I GREW UP HERE AND WE ALWAYS USED TO GROW OUR OWN FOOD AND BUY LOCALLY FROM FARMS

How did you know there was a market for this?

Dual purposespace

We’re all looking for ways to cut costs and make the most of what we have. Applying this mentality to our homes and businesses, if you can make a space work harder for you by being dual purpose with one change, why would you not? WORDS

An innovative, specialist interior team at a company called Stage Systems have been installing stylish wooden covers, brand name Pool-dek, as temporary (or permanent) hard wooden flooring over indoor and outdoor swimming pools for some time. But recently, they have been seeing demand multiply as home and business owners look to make their spaces work harder.

“Both private homes and commercial sites such as hotels install Pool-dek to transform their spaces for dual purpose, often saving or earning money from an ROI perspective,” Angela Allen at Pool-dek says.

The cost of heating a swimming pool can run into thousands, and with energy

BY EMILY MILLER

prices as they are, Angela tells me that clients are transforming their pool spaces into more costeffective spaces, such as a home gym or venue for events.

It could be the perfect alternative for families cutting out the cost of an expensive wedding venue and transforming their pool area. Or it could be an ideal solution for businesses and venues looking to rent out their lesser-used spaces to create a new revenue stream.

“Many of our private home clients have had wonderful parties or weddings of their family members in their pool rooms, for example. And for commercial clients like hotels, they are able to accommodate lucrative events with the space.”

The temporary covers can

be installed with water remaining or removed as easily as they are installed. They can be purchased or hired for one-off occasions, lending itself to the ideal solution for a wedding or big party in a home.

The Pool-dek concept is based on the primary product of the business – modular portable staging, which is available to hire or buy. Stage Systems has been trading since 1966 and supplied to thousands of schools both in the UK and internationally, allowing customers to have all the benefits of a stage without huge expense and use of space as they stack and store easily – in particular, if they hire the stage.

“Our company is the primary supplier of stages for schools across the country, but they also work well for things like choirs and theatre groups who want to rehearse or perform in a space which doesn’t have a stage set.”

If you want to make your space work harder, you can contact Angela on 01509 611 021 to discuss your options.

BOTH PRIVATE HOMES AND COMMERCIAL SITES SUCH AS HOTELS INSTALL POOL-DEK TO TRANSFORM THEIR SPACES FOR DUAL PURPOSE

‘There’s no place like Curve this Christmas’

Curve reveals the cast of its festive musical The Wizard of Oz

WORDS BY KERRY SMITH

The Made at Curve production marks the regional premiere of the musical which features additional songs from Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, as well as Harold Arlen and E Y Harburg’s iconic songs from the original MGM film including Over the Rainbow, Follow the Yellow Brick Road and We’re Off to see the Wizard

Running in Leicester from Saturday, November 19, 2022 to Sunday, January 28, 2023, Georgina Onuorah (Dorothy) will be joined by a powerful cast.

Stage, screen and YouTube sensation Christina Bianco will play Glinda, while Charlotte Jaconelli (Heathers the Musical, Theatre Royal Haymarket and Britain’s Got Talent runner-up) will join as the Wicked Witch of the West. Leicester actor Mark Peachey, who first made his Curve debut in the theatre’s community production of Richard III and has recently appeared in Dear Evan Hansen in the West End, will take on the role of Professor Marvel and the Wizard.

Leicestershire’s Jonny

Fines (Curve’s My Beautiful Laundrette) is cast as Scarecrow, Paul French (Curve’s Grease, Dominion Theatre) as Tin Man and Giovanni Spanó (Bat Out Of Hell, London Coliseum) as Lion. Ben Thompson (101 Dalmatians, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre) will take on the role of Dorothy’s canine companion Toto, brought to life on stage using puppetry.

The Wizard of Oz will be directed by Curve’s Artistic Director Nikolai Foster, whose recent productions have included the acclaimed Billy Elliot the Musical, Beautiful –

The Carole King Musical, and A Chorus Line.

Nikolai and Curve’s Chief Executive Chris Stafford said: “Joining our extraordinary Dorothy, Georgina Onuorah, on the glorious yellow brick road, is a company of musical theatre’s finest. We are thrilled to welcome them all, alongside a phenomenally talented company of actors, who will bring this magical musical to life.

“Christmas at Curve is always a special time of the year, but this year promises to be extra

WE ARE THRILLED TO WELCOME THEM ALL, ALONGSIDE A PHENOMENALLY TALENTED COMPANY OF ACTORS, WHO WILL BRING THIS MAGICAL MUSICAL TO LIFE

special with families and children of all ages coming together to share this much-loved musical adventure with magnificent actors, all born to play these iconic roles.

“There’s no place like Curve this Christmas!”

Get tickets for The Wizard of Oz at curveonline.co.uk, or call the box office on 0116 242 3595, or visit in person in advance. The musical runs from November 19 to January 28.

WHAT’S ON IN LEICESTERSHIRE

It’s Panto Season

Oh yes it is!

What December is complete without a family trip to a pantomime? We’ve rounded up the best in Leicestershire, so we can tell you when and where they are (they’re behind you!)

WORDS BY TOM YOUNG

CINDERELLA

De Montfort Hall, Leicester December 10, 2022 to January 2, 2023 Tickets for most performances from £27.50 (adult)/£23.50 (children under 16) Cinderella dreams of a better life. An invitation to a royal ball may grant her wish, but will her wicked step-sisters dash her hopes, or will her Fairy Godmother and loyal friend Buttons save the day? TV favourites and dancing duo AJ and Curtis Pritchard star alongside Jarred Christmas, Madison Swan and Martin Ballard. Tickets from demontforthall.co.uk.

ALADDIN

The Little Theatre, Leicester

December 15, 2022 to January 8, 2023

Tickets from £17.50 (adult)/£15 (child/concession)

The wicked wizard Abanazar steals Aladdin’s magic lamp, hoping to become the most powerful sorcerer in the world. He kidnaps the beautiful princess, seeking to make her his bride. Aladdin becomes entangled in the eternal battle between good and evil. Can he save the princess? Will she fall in love with him? And will Widow Twanky ever get her washing out to dry?

Tickets from thelittletheatre.co.uk.

SLEEPING BEAUTY

The Century Theatre, Coalville December 3-11, 2022 Standard tickets at £14.50 with discounts for group bookings or limited leg-room It’s Princess Bella’s 18th birthday and everyone (including you) is invited to celebrate at the castle. But will the evil Carabosse make an unwelcome appearance? Will Fairy FortyWinks be able to restore good over evil? Come and find out. There is an adults only performance on December 10. Tickets from centurytheatre.co.uk.

LoughboroughTownHall

SLEEPING BEAUTY

TicketsNovember9,2022toJanuary2,2023from£20.50(standard)/£19(concessions)/£75 (family)

forDeepinCoalvilleCastle,NurseNancyismakingplans wickedlythechristeningofthebabyPrincessRose.Whenthe glamorousCarabossediscoversshe’snotinvited dashingshesetsouttoputaspindleintheworks!It’sdowntothe PrinceVincetohackhiswaythroughthethorny Ticketsthicket,wakehistrueloveandhelphersavethekingdom. fromloughboroughtownhall.co.uk.

The best of the rest

While much of the focus this issue will naturally lean towards Christmas events, there are plenty of other great shows and events worth drawing your eye to. We’ve rounded up the best of the rest

9 to 5: THE MUSICAL

The Little

Theatre

November 22-26

A production of Dolly Parton’s musical adaption of 9 to 5. Pushed to their boiling point, three female co-workers concoct a plan to get even with the sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot they call a boss. In a hilarious turn of events, they live out their wildest fantasy – giving their boss the boot! Niche is delighted to include this production in our listings, as our very own editor is playing the lead role of Judy. Break a leg, Kerry!

Tickets from thelittletheatre.co.uk

THE CURSE OF KING TUT DINNER

National Space Centre Saturday, November 19 To mark the 100th anniversary of Howard Carter’s discovery of Pharoah Tutankhamun’s tomb, the National Space Centre is hosting a steam-powered celebration with food, music, murder and more! At £45 per person, the evening includes cocktails, exhibition galleries, a three course meal, live entertainment from Count Rostov, Alice Strange, followed by an evening of dancing the night away to Victor and the Bully. During dinner, watch out for something strange that may occur, as we try and solve the curse of King Tut!

Tickets from spacecentre.co.uk/event/king-tut

the 21st Century, blending cabaret, comedy, music, circus and burlesque. Expect the unexpected with plenty of glitter and glamour. It’s cocktails and cabaret o’clock!

Tickets from demontforthall.co.uk/event/an-evening-of-burlesque

Cattle Market, Melton Mowbray

CHOCFEST

November 19-20

Be honest, we had you at ‘ChocFest’, didn’t we? One of the UK’s largest chocolate festivals, it features all things chocolate from pancakes, ice cream, cakes, donuts, and marshmallows, to hot chocolate, biscuits, pastries, liqueurs, brownies, tarts, and puddings. There’s even chocolate pizza, beer and kebabs… Something for everyone then.

Tickets via meltonfestivals.co.uk/chocfest

The Music Room

Must see acts: winter 2022

Seeing live music isn’t just good for the soul, it supports a whole host of people in the music industry WORDS BY EMILY MILLER

romising that once the live music scene was fully open for business I’d be there too, and with things really back in full swing, this autumn and winter offers up loads of my favourites that I can’t wait to catch live.

The industry has been hit badly in the last few years. Touring musicians and their crews (of which there are usually lots!) were out of work, taking forced time out from doing what they love. By going to see live music you are doing more than having a good time. You are supporting musicians, their crews, and venues at a time when it has never been more important to do so. Here are my personal picks for acts that I’ll be seeing play live in the coming months.

Wet Leg

Wet Leg released their debut single Chaise Longue less than two years ago and they’ve made a huge impact in that short time. Globally, the duo have reached over 150 million streams and sold over 250,000 albums, as well as finding fans in the likes of Drew Barrymore, Lorde, Elton John, Harry Styles, Edgar Wright and Dave Grohl. Fresh from their No.1 debut album being shortlisted for the 2022 Mercury Prize, you can catch them close by in Nottingham and Birmingham.

Idlewild

Idlewild are a Scottish indie/rock band that formed in Edinburgh in 1995 and were one of the first bands that got me going to gigs. The band’s line-up consists of Roddy Woomble (lead vocals), Rod Jones (guitar, backing vocals), Colin Newton (drums), Andrew Mitchell (bass) and Luciano Rossi (keyboards). Their upcoming tour marks 20 years since the release of their album The Remote Part via Parlophone Records Limited. The alternative rock album featured singles, including You Held the World in Your Arms and American English. While they’re not playing locally to Leicester right now, they’re well worth the travel to their upcoming venues.

First Aid Kit

The two-time BRIT Award-nominated Söderberg sisters are back with their fifth studio album, Palomino, and an autumn UK tour. Written and recorded in their home country of Sweden, Palomino was created during a time of isolation for so many, yet it’s surprisingly First Aid Kit’s most popsounding record yet. The duo explain that the album’s title is “a reference to freedom, learning how to stand on your own two feet. Growing older and feeling more comfortable in your own skin. Riding off on a Palomino!” Expect catchy hooks and heavenly harmonising!

Idlewild

Nov 19 - Stourbridge Town Hall

Nov 20 - Manchester New Century Hall

Dec 17 - O2 Forum Kentish Town London Dec 20 - OGV Podium Aberdeen Dec 21 - O2 Academy Glasgow

Knocked it out of the (car)park

King Richard lll Visitor Centre

The media flocked to Leicester ten years ago to uncover the story of how the last Plantagenet king came to be buried beneath an unsuspecting city council car parking spot.

A museum was built around his burial site and people came from across the globe to witness his reinterment.

The King Richard III Visitor Centre shone under the spotlight at Group Leisure and Travel Awards, a national awarding ceremony held in Milton Keynes, where it won the prestigious accolade of Museum of the Year.

The multi-award-winning visitor centre – which has won over 40 awards since opening in 2014 –fought off stiff competition for the winner’s trophy, with other finalists including the Science Museum London, Bletchley Park, and World of James Herriot in Yorkshire.

Leicester’s City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: “This is great news for Leicester, and well deserved. It will be 10 years this December since we purchased the former grammar

school building, with the aim of transforming it into a world-class visitor centre, and this latest award helps to confirm we have achieved that.”

Phil Hackett, general manager of the visitor centre, added: “It’s fantastic for us and for Leicester to be named Museum of the Year, especially amongst such an aweinspiring group of attractions.

“We continue to welcome people from all over the UK and indeed from across the world to the centre, and we look forward

to welcoming many more thanks to this award.”

The King Richard lll Visitor Centre has also been shortlisted in the Best Place to Visit category at the Leicestershire Promotions Tourism & Hospitality Awards. Winners are announced in November, watch this space.

The centre is marking the tenth anniversary of the discovery of King Richard lll so keep an eye out on the website at kriii.com for upcoming exhibitions, learning workshops and events.

has scooped the prestigious accolade of Museum of the Year WORDS BY KERRY SMITH

IT’S FANTASTIC FOR US AND FOR LEICESTER TO BE NAMED MUSEUM OF THE YEAR

High Sheriff of Leicestershire hosts charity cricket, festival and community awards

ACommunity Cricket Match and Festival that rallied together people from the sports, business, and charity industries and the first ever High Sheriff’s Community Awards took place on September 6 at Leicestershire County Cricket Club.

Mehmooda Duke MBE DL is the High Sheriff of the city and county of Leicestershire, a role that has been around for over 1000 years to help support the criminal and legal justice system. As part of her commitment to bringing communities together, she created the High Sheriff’s Community Awards to celebrate ‘unsung heroes’.

“Each High Sheriff brings their own unique stance and priorities to the role,” Mehmooda said. “One of my aims whilst I am in this role is to connect communities and make the role visible and accessible to the diverse communities of this city and county.

“The aim of these awards is to recognise the unsung heroes who work hard behind the scenes but are rarely seen. It is the hard work of these individuals that I want to shine a light on.”

The Community Festival provided cricket-related activities, steel band entertainment, food, drink, and stalls reflecting the city and county’s diverse community such as henna art, hair braiding, crafts, and a bouncy castle. The event was organised as a collaboration between the High Sheriff and the Leicestershire County Cricket Club and its success was in part due to the input of the community; over 98 organisations and individuals helped to make the event a success including Shirin Mansur, Uzair Makadam,

Simon Winfield, Kauser Patel of Leicestershire Law Society, Taiba Lounge who did the catering and Krupa Bhatt.

While guests enjoyed the festival, there was also a charity cricket match in the Hundred format in action with two mixed teams, the Sheriff’s Foxes – v – Leicestershire Blades. Local figures from all three universities, and businesses, media, charities and local cricket teams donned pads and had the honour of playing on the pitch at Grace Road. Players included Bishop of Loughborough, Saju Muthalaly, Vice Chancellor of Loughborough University, Professor Nick Jennings, Ady Dayman of BBC Radio Leicester, Ally Statham of Premier Logistics, Simon Winfield of Red Monkey Play, Lucy Weston, and many more. History was made as this was the first ever Hundred game played on the pitch at Grace Road.

Mehmooda said: “This game gives an incredible opportunity for members of the community to meet, get to know each other and play cricket on a LCCC wicket.”

The event and celebrations raised over £16,000 for the Leicestershire County Cricket Club Foundation. LCCC CEO Sean Jarvis, said: “[The festival] represents the perfect opportunity to unite our county’s diverse communities, celebrate its unsung heroes and raise money for the LCCC Foundation.”

The High Sheriff’s Community Awards ceremony rounded off the day. Its deserving winners were put forward by members of the public for their contribution to community life. There were over 110 nominations.

16 days to make a difference

November sees 16 days of activism to eliminate violence against women and girls.

Founder of The Zinthiya Trust talks to Niche about its importance WORDS

The Global 16 Days Campaign, launched by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL) in 1999 at the first Women’s Global Leadership Institute, is marked by feminists from around the world to call for the elimination of gender-based violence (GBV).

It is run annually from November 25, which is the International Day Against Violence Against Women to December 10, which is International Human Rights Day.

In 2022, the Campaign is continuing its multi-year theme of Ending Femicide. Femicide is the intentional killing of women or girls because they are female.

Zinthiya Ganeshpanchan, founder of The Zinthiya Trust, a charity working to eliminate poverty and abuse against women here in Leicester, says of the campaign. “These efforts are essential in highlighting the need for change,

BY EMILY MILLER

placing a spotlight on Femicide. We stand with the campaign.”

This year’s campaign is focusing on women in society who may be more vulnerable to femicide including indigenous women, disabled women, black women, women living under fundamentalism and formal and informal women workers.

The campaign also hopes to create an international ‘End Femicide Day’ on December 6 to to amplify awareness, demand government attention and unite movements.

So, what can you do to join the campaign? You can go to change.org/endfemicide to sign the petition, advocate for femicide observatories, demand data collection on all femicides to your elected leaders and simply raise awareness in any way that you can.

Go to 16dayscampaign.org to find out more.

for over 20 years. It is one of the most respected dementia care homes in the country. The home has received many accolades and is one of only two homes in the whole of the UK to be awarded an EDE classification to qualify the home to continue to support their residents even when their dementia escalates

Hopeful Futures The Battle Cancer challenge London

Businesses in Leicester came together to support a group of CrossFit enthusiasts at The Battle Cancer Challenge on October 16

WORDS BY KERRY SMITH

Thousands of people attended the event at Olympia London where they were immersed in epic heats and challenges in a bid to raise funds for charities close to their hearts.

Tinashe Sigauke and his gym pals Louis Hamilton, Joe Cobb and Chris Hollist faced endurance tests and intense functional fitness workouts as part of the fitness fundraising challenge. The team, who named themselves Hopeful Futures, raised £1,855 for Hope Against Cancer.

“Two years ago, I lost my dad to cancer,” Tinashe said in a LinkedIn post. “He fought as much as he could through the chemo but lost his battle to cancer.

“I lost a massive part of who I was during that time and still now I’m trying to piece myself together – a huge loss for my family but not one that was going to destroy us.”

Local businesses heard Tinashe’s story and wanted to support Hopeful Futures

at the national event. Michael Smith Switchgear, Kings Real Estate, Meesh Consulting, JSP Business Support Services, Cross Productions, and Hamilton’s Honour gym supported the team to raise money for Hope Against Cancer, as well as Tinashe’s employer Soar Valley Press.

Tinashe attended a business networking lunch hosted by Hope Against Cancer and made it his mission to raise funds for the charity.

“I got involved to support this wonderful charity and their great work with cancer patients in Leicester. It was important for me because the charity is close to me and my family as we’ve been affected by cancer and wanted to support a charity that stands against it.”

Hopeful Futures are already gearing up for the next Battle Cancer CrossFit challenge.

“The atmosphere was electric! My body has fully recovered after a good week of doing nothing and focusing on recovery – can’t wait for the next one.”

TINASHE SIGAUKE (FAR RIGHT) WITH HIS TEAM ‘HOPEFUL FUTURES’

LEICESTER BUSINESSES WE NEED YOUR HELP!

To build a positive future for young people in Leicester 35 years of using arts, media, music & cooking to create opportunity and change lives for young people who need extra help & support across Leicester & Leicestershire

AN OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT OUR FUTURE PLANS

You can support our work with young people by joining other leading businesses in sponsoring a lasting personalised flagstone in our revamped building forecourt which leads onto Leicester’s New Walk.

You’ll be helping us to raise the funds needed to create a first of its kind outdoor performance area for young people to perform, organise events and for use by other Leicester community organisations and charities.

You’ll be helping us to put the building blocks in place for young people who need extra support to develop the self-belief and skills they need for a positive future.

Supporters can choose to be acknowledged with an etched flagstone co-designed with our young people in the landscaped outdoor performance area of our centre, or with an internal printed panel in our entrance hallway.

To find out more contact Chris Wigmore: chris@soft-touh.org.uk 0116 2552592

World-Class Leicester Cancer Charity Leads the Way for Howard

Howard Ludbrook has a sense of ‘starting again’ after nine months of groundbreaking treatment at the Hope Cancer Trials Centre at Leicester’s Hospitals

WORDS BY EMILY MILLER

Cancer patient Howard Ludbrook’s experimental medicine treatment is “going as well as could possibly be expected”, which is a cause for wider optimism in the fight against acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).

Experimental treatment developed and delivered by researchers and specialists at Hope Against Cancer here in Leicester has been vital in Howard’s fight.

In addition to the medical treatments that Howard received at the Centre, he is also full of praise for the warmth and professionalism of the staff and the quality of care. He says: “When I go to the Hope Centre, it’s like travelling first class. Knowing that I am contributing to the research in this area is also bringing me so much satisfaction.”

Howard discovered that the team have time for the human communication invaluable to anyone going through all the stresses of

a cancer-related illness. “The staff are always the same people, giving you a friendly face and someone to talk to. I can have quite intimate conversations, I can even call anytime and talk to someone, it’s a really personal treatment and I cannot praise them enough.”

Over the months of attending the Centre, Howard has come to recognise familiar faces among other patients attending at the same times and has developed a sense of community, providing him further support.

At the time of writing, Howard hopes to attend the Hope Against Cancer Trials Centre and follow his course of experimental medication for the remaining weeks, after which he anticipates returning to an active role in the family business. He added: “I will always be grateful to the Hope Against Cancer Trials Centre and everyone behind my treatment.”

THRIVE IN BUSINESS

In a mission to support the not-for- profit sector, She Inspire have developed a new programme in partnership with locally renowned business coach The Turnaround CEO’s Amanda Daly.

The programme called Thrive is aimed at leaders in the not- for-profit sector. Our unique programme’s first cohort started in October and will run for half a day each month for the next six months until March 2023. The programme aims to support middle and senior managers in the not-for-profit sector to build their skills and work towards making their organisations more sustainable. It also comes with one-toone coaching from Amanda and myself as She Inspires CEO.

In addition, building on the She Inspire business Playbox programme that was successfully completed in September 2022 we will are delighted to offer a a brand new support programme to women from Leicester and Leicestershire who want to set up their own business and become economically empowered. The programme will consist of Two cohorts and will run during evenings and week-days enabling women to join the sessions that suit them best.

The evening sessions will commence on evenings from Wednesday, January 11, 2023, from 5pm to 7.30 pm and will run for five weeks.

The day time sessions will commence on Thursday, January 12, 2023, from 10.30 to 1.30 pm for five weeks.

Participants on the enterprise’s development training will also have the opportunity to bid for seed funding at the end of their training as well as showcase their products at their monthly pop-up markets.

All training sessions are being held at Community and Enterprise Hub at 10 Bishop Street, Leicester, LE1 6AF. Email info@sheinspiresglobal.org.uk for more information.

Zinthiya

Ganeshpanchan

Founder and CEO of She Inspires (Global)

HOWARD LUDLUM AS A GUEST SPEAKER AT THE ‘HOPE THROUGH BUSINESS’ LUNCH

VAL Awards 2022

Earlier this summer, the public were invited to nominate their ‘real life heroes’. Hundreds of nominations were submitted before a panel of judges had the onerous task of shortlisting and then choosing the category winners.

The glittering awards, which were created by Voluntary Action LeicesterShire – and whose headline sponsor was Morningside Pharmaceuticals – took place on September 16 at The Mercure Grand Hotel. More than 220 guests celebrated the inspiring, local individuals and organisations that have gone above and beyond in their support of others during and since the pandemic.

The winners are:

City Charity of the Year Eyres Monsell Club for Young People

County Charity of the Year Hope Against Cancer Rutland Charity of the Year Rutland Clothing Bank

Social Enterprise of the Year Action Trust – Action Homeless

Volunteer-Led Organisation of the Year We Care UK

Trustee of the Year Ian Knight – Menphys

Volunteer of the Year Praful Thakrar – Shreeji Dham Haveli

Inspiring Leader of the Year Dr Iris Lightfoote – The Race Equality Centre

Lifetime Achievement Award

Joint Winner (posthumous): Kathryn Burgess - CALS (Community Advice and Law Service)

Joint Winner: Priya ThamotheramHighfield Centre.

Charity of the Year Eyres Monsell Club for Young People

Photography by Saul Morgan

Leicester Business Festival Launch

More than 80 events will be held throughout the #LBF2022 fortnight, which runs from November 7-18.

The programme launch on September 29 at Leicester Tiger’s Lounge 502 highlighted some of the events taking place such as DMU’s Digital Transformation session and Hidden in Plain Sight tour.

The festival will begin with a business breakfast event on November 7 and will end with the first-ever Leicester Giving Day. The initiative is run by Chris Shaw and Stacey Wragg at

Embark CSR who want businesses and schools to devote November 18 to showcase what they do or can do to help local charities and communities and put it into action.

Embark CSR will host a closing event which will also see the announcement of the first winners of their new Leicester Social Responsibility Awards.

The full list of events can be found at leicesterbusinessfestival.com. Most events are free, but registration is required.

Directors, specialist, CEOs, MBEs, PhD holders, and other higher ups… they’re all people you might meet in the boardroom. It’s a professional space where best behaviour is upheld. But these successful types are good people too! They have lives and we want to know what goes on in them. We squeeze answers out of them on subjects you wouldn’t normally discuss in the boardroom

PROFILE:

Chris Stafford

CEO, Curve

Age: 41

From: Merseyside

Lives in: Leicester City Centre

Noteworthy: Worked in theatre for 20 years. Produced over 100 shows.

FRIENDSHIPS: How would you describe yourself as a friend? I’m loyal and I can always be relied on when friends need me – that’s something I really value.

ADVENTURES: What’s the craziest thing you’ve done? I agreed to go on holiday with less than 12 hours’ notice – I booked a flight the next morning. I also stood in for a TV presenter who was ill on a show called Short Change, the children’s version of Watchdog. I was the face of the programme for four episodes!

ENVIRONMENT: Where would your nearest and dearest look for you? At work at Curve because I’m here all the time and I do love it, or at a really good beach with the sun, so it would have to be abroad.

HEALTH AND FITNESS: What’s your unhealthiest habit? I’m not the best cook in the world, but I always plan to cook. Unfortunately, by the time I get home, Deliveroo is far more tempting.

INTELLECTUAL LIFE: What do you geek out on? I’m really getting into autobiographies because I love

learning about people’s stories. I recently read This is Going to Hurt, Adam Kay’s book about working in the NHS, and I’ve just started Alan Rickman’s Diaries, which I really recommend.

LOVE RELATIONSHIPS: What’s your best relationship advice? To listen, understand, and empathise. Often things breakdown when you don’t listen. But also, I would advise you to laugh.

SKILLS: Weirdly good at anything? Karaoke. I’m not the best singer and I spend a lot of time around professional vocalists, but I’m always game for it, and I don’t need to have a drink!

SPIRITUAL LIFE: Which of life’s mysteries keep you up at night? What happens when we die? If energy never dies, where do we go? I’d hope I’d always be with those I love. If it’s nothing, that’s actually quite miserable, so why not hope for something nicer?

CAREER: What’s the worst part about your job? I don’t have enough hours! I’m really lucky that I love what I do, and if I could just have a bit more time, I could do so much more.

CREATIVE LIFE: Outside of work, what did you last ‘create’? I really put time into birthday cards. I usually do bespoke, personalised photocards, and really think about them and how the photos tell a story about us.

FAMILY LIFE: What’s your most fond memory from childhood? Christmas. I always remember it as a time of laughter and singing – there was always karaoke – and just joy and togetherness with family. Those memories are very special.

COMMUNITY LIFE: Which political topic are you most interested in right now? How can we have a system that is fairer and kinder to people? The inequalities in our society are getting wider and deeper, and those living in hardship are going to find it getting worse. How can we – and our leaders – fix that? Life’s about living, not just surviving. That needs to be sorted.

WORDS BY TOM YOUNG

The Christmas List

help Menphys to provide gifts to Children & Young People with Disabilities across Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland this Christmas? donated to The Menphys Christmas List, will enable us to provide an age-appropriate gift to a young person. All donations large and small will enable Menphys to do MORE this Christmas. Let’s help make Santa’s life a little easier this year by putting one more gift under the Christmas tree!

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