Northern Insight - August 2015 by Northern Insight

INSIGHT NORTHERN

august 15

Read Milburn & Company The Coastal Accountants

business technology media leisure issue 02

est. 2015

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NORTHERN INSIGHT www.northern-insight.co.uk

foreword Welcome to the August edition of Northern Insight Magazine, the new business and leisure publication for the region. Many thanks to all for your wonderful support so far. I hope you find much to interest and enthuse within issue 2 which is packed full of business, news and views.

Enjoy ! Michael Grahamslaw, publisher

contents august 15

Business News - 6 In Conversation With - 10 Paul McGowan is Principal at Collingwood Legal

Cover story - 14

Technology news - 66 Leisure News - 72

credits Managing Director - Michael Grahamslaw Design - Louise O’Rourke Feature Photography - Chris Owens

Editorial Contributors - Ken Spearen, Holly Grahamslaw Additional Photography - Gordon Taylor

All photos are copyright MJG Publishing Ltd and are taken solely for use in Northern Insight. If you wish to purchase a photograph please contact Michael Grahamslaw on mjgrahamslaw@outlook.com Photo charges £50 for a single image, £295 for full buy out of a photo shoot Advertising charges: There is a £25 charge for every set of amendments, following the first initial set of amendments, which are free of charge, for adverts designed by Northern Insight (MJG Publishing Ltd) Cancellations: If an advert is cancelled by the booker within a 7 day period prior to our print deadline, the advert will be charged in full, plus VAT. Editorial Editorial Contributions should include a stamped addressed envelope. No responsibility is accepted for drawings, photographs or literary contributions during transmission, or while in the Managing Directors or Printers hands. Editorial must be received by the 15th of the month or no responsibility is accepted for errors.

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BUSINESS NEWS

Solutions Recruitment Teesside quadruple team as they celebrate growth alongside their 1 year anniversary

fter launching the business in July 2014, Solutions Recruitment Teesside have achieved a turnover in excess of £1m and grown a team that has quadrupled in size. The Teesside business forms part of the wider Solutions Recruitment Group, which is headquartered in Newcastle and was established in 1984. The Group provides recruitment in the temporary, contract, permanent, professional and executive markets and owing to their success have expanded their office space threefold at Boho 6 in Middlesbrough. Solutions Recruitment Teesside provide recruitment and training services across a diverse range of industry sectors in the region and

nationally. Specialist recruiters in finance, sales & marketing, IT, manufacturing & engineering, supply chain & procurement and industrial & construction, the business works in close collaboration with their clients to provide services that are perfectly aligned to their talent needs. Matthew Telling, Operations Manager, said: “I’m absolutely delighted with the progress we’ve made since launching Solutions Recruitment in Teesside a year ago. I’m also thrilled with the talent we have recruited into the team. Our recruitment strategy has been carefully planned, and I’m proud to lead some of the most experienced, capable and well-respected

consultants in the North East. Having to move into much larger office space just 12 months into our new project is testament to the tremendous work and commitment that everyone involved has put in to make it such a success. Solutions Recruitment are active members of the local business community, and we’ve created a sustainable business based on honesty, trust and value. I’m excited to be entering the next phase of our development and look forward to building many more successful client relationships in the future.”

GRAND DESIGNS AT HILL TOP FARM

ith two properties already sold at Dere Street Homes’ exclusive Hill Top Farm development, construction is going at full pace to meet the anticipated future demand once the showhome opens later this Autumn. Designed by Barnett North Llp, the 13 bespoke homes are breaking new ground in the region for luxury properties. Director, Louise Barnett, explained: “Dere Street Homes are a dream client as they allow us the creative freedom to design these superb homes. Their brief was for homes of outstanding quality which reflected the original farmstead and courtyard setting. All the homes have large areas of window with many also enjoying double height spaces and galleried

landings.” Energy saving has also been a priority. Underfloor heating with open fireplaces and tripled glazed windows create the best of both worlds – low energy utilisation with abundant light and fresh air within the homes. Dere Street Homes’ Construction Director, Geoff Woods, added: “We’ve had phenomenal interest from all over the country so far, especially from the golfers on the adjacent Ramside Hall Golf Club courses.” All the homes come complete with one year’s free membership to both the Golf Club and Ramside Hall Hotel’s new Spa and Leisure Club, which opens this Summer.

Call 0191 265 5278 Visit www.chemistrymarketing.co.uk

BUSINESS NEWS

Award-winning businesswoman joins the Entrepreneurs’ Forum Successful businesswoman, Fiona Raglan, has been appointed as the latest board member of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum. She said: “The Entrepreneurs’ Forum is a pivotal North East organisation that has not only inspired me to go that extra mile, but a platform that has enabled me to discuss the wider business ‘ups and downs’ with other entrepreneurial individuals.” The Entrepreneurs’ Forum, based in the North East, seeks to inspire entrepreneurs of the region to grow their businesses and create sustainable new jobs. Founded in 2002, Fiona is one of the 10 business leaders to make up the Forum’s board.

Family raises £8,000 to support medical team that treated baby son A mum and dad whose son underwent surgery when he was just 16 weeks old have raised £8,000 for the little-known charitable fund. The Cleft Lip and Palate Fund is dedicated to supporting the service based at the RVI in Newcastle. The team provides specialised care, treatment and support for babies, children and adults. The fundraisers took on the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge – climbing Whernside, Ingleborough and Pen-y-Ghent. The tough challenge plus extra activities and match funding from Andy’s employer meant they raised a grand total of £8,000 for the fund.

SKATING THE LIGHT FANTASTIC Ridley Bros of Gosforth is riding high with a contract to fit-out the new Skate Shack store at Gateshead’s Trinity Square. The installation is the latest in a string of similar contracts for a new type of eco-friendly lighting, which reduce annual energy bills by up to 50percent. Andrew Ridley, co-owner said: “Companies are now starting to realise that even by making simple small changes to the type of bulb they use can make a huge difference in terms of cost savings. Skate Shack’s new store looks great with its recent lighting install complementing the trendy shop-fit.”

North East Insolvency Advisor adds Tees Valley office

STATE-OF-THE-ART VETERINARY HOSPITAL OPENS AT SEDGEFIELD

Sunderland to benefit from high street regeneration programme

Northpoint, the business restructuring and insolvency advisors, have taken office space at the new state of the art Business Central office development in Darlington, adding to their Newcastle upon Tyne location. Greg Whitehead formed Northpoint in 2004 and works with companies in financial difficulty from issues including a downturn in trading, cash flow problems, creditor pressure or legal action.

Wear Referrals have opened a new veterinary referral and emergency hospital at Bradbury, which will be equipped with facilities for specialist animal care. The hospital will have MRI and CT scanners, four operating theatres, a chemotherapy and rehabilitation ward, a dedicated intensive care unit and staff training facilities. The hospital is purposefully situated close to the A1’s J60 motorway junction to allow rapid and easy access.

Business in the Community’s Healthy High Streets programme aims to increase footfall by 10%, reduce the number of vacant properties by 20% and stimulate the creation of new jobs in 100 towns over three years. Sunderland is one of 34 new High Streets selected for the programme across the UK. It will receive an action plan to address the specific challenges facing the city.

Northern Insight, launched. Northern Insight was recently launched with a party at the 467 Club, within the Assembly Rooms, Newcastle. Guests enjoyed champagne and canapes with entertainment supplied by the King of Swing, Jason Isaacs. Managing Director Michael Grahamslaw said â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was a wonderful way to herald the new magazine and I would like to thank everyone involved for their loyalty and support.â&#x20AC;?

INTERVIEW

In Conversation with... Paul McGowan is Principal at Collingwood Legal. Approaching their 5th anniversary and with impressive growth he spoke to Northern Insight about how the company has flourished in a challenging marketplace and his plans for the future.

What were your career ambitions growing up?

What has been your greatest achievement?

I originally wanted to be a pilot but that plan was scuppered by an eyesight test which revealed that I was colour blind. Immediately after school I then took a year out before university and that proved to be the most influential year of my career. Having a series of dull jobs during that year gave me the focus to follow a career path where I could do something interesting and helpful to people. It was then that I decided to become a solicitor.

I suppose building a law firm with breadth and substance in less than five years. Five of our team are now recognised employment law experts by the Legal 500 and I am very proud that they have each achieved this recognition.

What has been your career path? After working as a paralegal at one of the largest law firms in London, I moved to Newcastle where I spent over 15 years specialising in employment law at a leading local firm rising up the ranks to Partner. I have always been quite independent of thought and five years ago, and at the height of the financial crisis, I felt the time was right to launch my own specialist employment law firm as a way of offering a different type of service to businesses in the region to the larger firms.

What have you learned in the last five years since setting up Collingwood Legal? A massive amount about running a business and the importance and value of long term relationships.

Who have been your greatest influences? My family have given me great candid support. They can be critical too but I find that helpful and prefer it that way. I am also a huge fan of Kevin Keegan. He achieved so much as a player and manager and was a magnificent inspirational leader getting the best out of those he worked with.

What are you currently working on? Primarily growing the business in a measured and sustainable way while retaining personal relationships with our clients. The firm grew by over 50% last year and we are aiming for further growth this year and next too. In the last three months alone we’ve been working with 20 new business clients which is hopefully a sign that we’re going in the right direction.

What does the future hold? My aim is for Collingwood Legal to be the recognised and established “go to” law firm for employment law in the region and beyond. We are looking for further specialists to join the team. The future is looking bright in a challenging market place.

How do you relax? Having three young boys keeps me very busy! I also love cycling and time on the golf course.

What’s your favourite book? How to be Brilliant by Michael Heppell. I dip into it to help keep me focussed on the important things in life and business.

What’s your favourite film? Trainspotting – grim, gripping stuff.

Favourite CD? Difficult to pin down one but I love Indie music and Radio 6 is an ever present in my car!

Collingwood Legal host Employment Law Update Clients and contacts joined the Collingwood team of expert employment lawyers for an interactive breakfast briefing on the latest developments in employment law at the Marriott Gosforth Park Hotel. Those attending were given key legal updates on tricky issues such as managing holiday pay and plans to introduce a National Living Wage and to monitor pay equality. The training was led by Paul Johnstone (Partner) and Jane Sinnamon (Associate).

BUSINESS INSIGHT

Simple things please simple minds I

recently chaired a conference which was an update on recent events in the world of tax. It was an indictment of the current tax system that the conference was a full day and just about covered everything that was changing or it is proposed will change and this was before the recent Budget.

Stuart McKinnon

As a tax specialist I used to revel in the complexity of the tax system working out how new legislation would apply to my clients but even I am beginning to tire of the constant changes. These days these changes are often borne out of paranoia that, God forbid, someone might try and legitimately reduce their tax bill! One of the topics covered was the proposed abolition of the annual Tax Return as we know it to be replaced by some sort of confirmation that a pre populated return produced by HMRC is correct. Now don’t get me wrong, I have been a big supporter of the pre populated return. Why on earth, if HMRC knows what I have earned because my employer told them, do I have to tell them

again so that they can check that both figures agree? It’s madness. But if it takes trained tax professionals a whole day to keep up to date with changes in legislation what chance does the average man or woman on the Clapham (or Byker) Omnibus have of knowing with any certainty that their Tax Return is correct? And what if it is wrong - whose fault is that? HMRC who pre populated it or the taxpayer who confirmed it is correct? I think you all know the answer to that one! So before we get carried away with what is seen as tax simplification lets go back to basics and start simplifying the tax system not just the tax forms. I can’t believe I am actually saying that ...it must be my age!

“

”

It’s madness.

For advice on Tax Returns or other taxation issues, please contact Stuart McKinnon on 0191 255 7000 or email stuart.mckinnon@bakertilly.co.uk or your usual Baker Tilly North East contact.

INTERVIEW

Michael Grahamslaw meets...

What were your career ambitions growing up?

DAVID HODGSON

At school my best subject was Maths and so a career with a maths bent seemed to be an obvious choice, albeit this is only one aspect of my current Accountancy work.

“The Coastal Accountant”

Tell us about your career path In terms of career, I am still at the same Accountancy Practice where I started work 50 years ago this year. I left High School at 16 and commenced 5 years of “Articled Indentures” as it was then. By not taking a 2 year A-level course and a further 3 year degree course I was able to qualify as a Chartered Accountant at the early age of 21. My then Principal, Tom Read, was looking for a way of easing back and as soon as I qualified, he offered me a partnership which I was delighted to accept. Later as a building society director I also qualified as a Chartered Banker.

What have you learned over the past 50 years? Hard work and sticking to what you are good at usually pays dividends, although being in the right place at the right time can also factor in financial success in life. Irrespective of financial success, I have learned that happiness comes from treating others as you would be treat yourself and also from being content in whatever circumstances you find yourself. I believe you should plan as if you will live forever but live each day as if it is your last.

Who has influenced you in your life? Definitely my Christian parents. They had very little financially, but neither my sister nor myself went without what we needed. I could not have wished for a better grounding in life.

What has been your greatest achievement? On a business level, developing our accountancy practice, Read, Milburn & Co, over the years to where it is now recognised as a leading firm in the area – “The Coastal Accountants”. On a personal level, seeing my children develop and mature and retaining a close relationship with them brings me a lot of satisfaction, and this year I now have my first grandchild, Isaac, who already is bringing me even greater joy.

What are you currently working on? The Practice work continues to occupy my time but I am now also able to spend a lot of my time on charitable work. I am a trustee or officer of 12 local charities and I delight at being in the position to give something back to the community. Last month I was on a 10 day fundraising challenge in Cuba with a couple of ex 1st division footballers and an Olympic athlete which was really enjoyable and this provided funds for UK based children with disabilities. Then last week I returned from taking 28 local pensioners on a week’s holiday to Scarborough for another local charity.

How do you like to relax? I enjoy DIY and I am present renovating a rental property and helping my son in renovating a property that he owns. I am a glider pilot and that is quite exhilarating and I especially like flying aerobatics when I get the opportunity.

Favourite Book? I like biographies or autobiographies. I just finished reading “The Diane Modahl Story - Going the Distance” – an amazing story of how Diane overcame a truly unjust accusation of a positive drug-test as an athlete to make a come-back and take the 800m bronze medal in the Commonwealth Games in 1998. I urge you to read her book and ask the question “Was she the focus of a Russian conspiracy?

Favourite Films? Top Gun and Pretty Woman – I guess I’m a romantic!

Favorite CDs? Any music that has some tune to it – I enjoy a variety of sounds, - Il Divo, Barbara Streisand, Michael Buble, Robbie Williams to name but a few.

The Coast al Account ant s

ReadMilburn & C O M PA N Y

Chartered Accountants & Registered Auditors

71 Howard Street, North Shields, NE30 1AF t: 0191 257 0355 e: info@readmilburn.co.uk Annual Accounts • Self Assessment • PAYE Compliance • VAT Compliance • Management Accounts • Statutory Audits • Tax Planning • Revenue Investigations • Contribution Agency • Investigations • VAT Investigations • Company Formations • Business Start-Ups • Information technology • Forensic Accounting • Special Assignments

BUSINESS INSIGHT Iain Townsend

How to manage risk and safeguard your business Iain Townsend is an associate in the Restructuring and Insolvency team at Rowlands Accountants, www.rowlandsaccountants.co.uk. Here he takes a look at how management teams can prevent their businesses from getting into distress.

You work in Rowlands’ Restructuring and Insolvency team. Can you explain what the team’s role is and the type of businesses you work with? The team role is wide ranging. It can be providing independent advice to directors and stakeholders in managing their business in difficult trading conditions; advising creditors on the options available to them to recover funds from distressed situations; or if a formal insolvency process is required by definition the process becomes one where we are appointed with a remit to maximise recoveries for the creditors. The bulk of our work comes from SMEs but we also provide assistance to non-corporate entities like partnerships and sole traders. Liquidations and administrations seem to be on the rise – is this the case and if so what’s the cause of this? The statistics published by the Insolvency Service show that although there was a small increase in Administrations and Compulsory Liquidations in first quarter of 2015, creditor voluntary liquidations were down. The total numbers of corporate insolvencies compared with the same period last year show a decline of 11% following the steady decline in insolvencies since 2009. It will be interesting to see what the statistics up to June 2015 say. Historically speaking insolvencies have increased as a country comes out of a recession. There can be a number of reasons for this, over trading is one of the usual suspects as business expand too quickly. Another reason is that as asset values increase and the economy improves creditors who have been waiting for their money may decide that it is a good time to apply pressure to get their money back.

Can you explain what the process is when a company goes into liquidation or administration? The two processes although similar are often confused/misquoted by the general public. The liquidation process is one that very much brings an end to a company whereby it will no longer exist following the liquidation. This can apply to both solvent and insolvent companies. There are two types of insolvent liquidation: Compulsory Liquidations are a court process where a petition is presented to court to have a company wound up and this can be done by a creditor, shareholder or director. Creditors Voluntary Liquidations are when the directors of the company decide that it is no longer financially viable for it to continue and they advise the shareholders that the company should be wound up. The shareholders then hold a meeting and voluntarily place it into liquidation, before creditors ratify that decision. Administration is seen as rescue process whereby the company or part of it can be saved. The process can be initiated by various parties and there are two main ways for this to happen. Firstly there is an out of court process which involves filing the necessary paperwork in court but no actual court hearing to make the Administration order. Secondly there is the in court process which involves an actual court hearing where the administration order is made. How can businesses safeguard themselves from this happening and manage risk? Directors keeping themselves up to date with the financial situation is obviously key to managing risk and spotting any early signs of distress. Directors often find themselves focused on running the business which is usually where their skills lie and the financial records can get neglected. The company’s accountant is very

important here, be they internal or external to the company. Cash flow can be a problem if companies start to over trade - as previously mentioned this can be one of the main reasons for a company becoming insolvent. Companies take on more work in the improving economy and then find that they don’t have the resources/cash flow to fulfil the work. Again if the company accountants can produce budgets and projections this should help avoid this kind of situation. Should the directors feel that they might be heading towards a financial distress situation then I would always advise that they seek professional advice as soon as possible. The sooner we are involved the more options we tend to have and hopefully the company can avoid entering into a formal insolvency process. What other pieces of advice would you give to SMEs worried about their future sustainability? There is always going to be risk in business, what’s important is to manage that risk. Maintaining up to date financial information is obviously key to this and regular meetings with your accountant will help. Know your market, keep an eye on how it is performing, are your competitors struggling? Have any ceased trading? Why? Can you learn from their mistakes. Maintain good relations with your customers but don’t allow them more credit than you can afford to. Have you had them credit checked? When customers fall behind on their payments this is usually a good indicator that they might be struggling and the debt might become bad, this is not a time to allow them further credit.

Iain Townsend, Associate, Rowlands Accountants Tel: 01642 790790 Email: iain.townsend@rowlandsaccountants.co.uk

Over 100 years of accounting experience at your side. At Rowlands, our years of experience mean we’re committed to accounting excellence. But our expertise doesn’t stop there. We’re also big on personal service, that’s why you can count on us to be at your side. With six offices in our region, you can rely on us to provide up-to-the-minute knowledge and advice. So if you’d like to see what we can do for your business, get in touch. Hexham 01434 602 230 | Ponteland 01661 871 919 Sunderland 0191 565 1870 | Yarm 01642 790 790 rowlandsaccountants.co.uk

Crook 01388 762 478 | Portobello 0191 411 2468

Audit & Accountancy

Taxation & Planning

Restructuring & Insolvency

Development & Consultancy

BUSINESS INSIGHT

Pursuing debts and relationships Andrew Cawkwell

There is never a good time to be owed money in business, but unpaid bills and bad debts all add up and could ultimately affect your company’s ability to survive. Pursuing late payers and chasing unpaid invoices is a burden on both business resources and time. It’s not pleasant to repeatedly chase payments from people who you rely on providing ongoing business. Creditors don’t always take proactive attention to managing debtors as early as they could. At Muckle LLP, we can help you gain a better understanding of the situation and put together a focused debt recovery strategy to help improve cashflow, save time and maximise resources. We will conduct company credit searches to identify if there are any declining payment trends and whether any financial issues are prevalent within a business, such as refinancing with a subprime lender, or a finance director recently stepping down. Using market intelligence, we can form a view fairly quickly as to whether a business is suffering chronic cash flow problems, or if the debt has just not been paid yet due to a misunderstanding. We believe it’s important to take a diplomatic but firm approach to manage slow

payers and minimise risk. But if circumstances get complicated, we can step in and mediate between parties, helping keep the business relationships intact. We’ll aim to understand whether the debt is disputed by the company that owes the cash. If there is an element of the transaction in dispute, we can help a business react accordingly through the court. In the worst case scenario, we can utilise the procedures under the Insolvency Act to instigate actions towards recovering as much of the debt s is feasibly possible. Ultimately, we will help improve your cash flow in the short and long-term to reduce bad debt and improve your prospects of trading successfully. The first step is to talk to us. Our common sense approach, coupled with the experience of our lawyers, means that we are well placed to guide you through the process.

Andrew Cawkwell Partner and Certified Turnaround Professional Banking and Restructuring Team Muckle LLP e: Andrew.Cawkwell@muckle-llp.com @CompanyRescue

A difference that makes all the difference. It’s our commitment to provide a personal service for clients wherever they are that attracts many of them to invite us through their doors. This care led Legal 500 to recognise Muckle LLP as having ‘few peers’ in the region. As businesses around the North East discover, our expertise in providing commercial legal advice is matched only by our commitment to provide unprecedented service everywhere.

Muckle LLP. We think you’ll like the difference.

@MuckleLLP

Muckle LLP hosts AIMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 20th Anniversary Celebration The London Stock Exchange approached Muckle LLP, the leading law firm for company listings, to help them celebrate 20 years of the Alternative Investment Market. Partner, Andrew Davison, hosted a celebratory dinner at Muckleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s offices and Marcus Stuttard, the Head of AIM, gave the keynote address. They were joined by CEOs from across the north east from AIM listed companies, Main Market PLCs and the wider business community.

BUSINESS INSIGHT

North East Businesses Champion National Success of Gateshead College

mployers and North East business leaders have applauded news that Gateshead College has won the coveted ‘outstanding’ status in an Ofsted inspection. The report praised the college’s dynamic principal and championed the vision to develop strong partnerships with regional employers such as Vantec and Nissan UK and organisations like the NHS. Ofsted cited outstanding employability skills among learners, giving them the ‘employment edge’ in a difficult North East jobs market. Gateshead College is one of only two FE colleges to be recognised as outstanding this academic year. The college is exceeding national targets for its performance, with a success rate cited as ‘exceptionally high for all learners’ at 8.2% above the national average. James Ramsbotham, chief executive of the North East Chamber of Commerce (NECC), said: “Gateshead College is an important strategic asset within Tyne and Wear and is at the forefront of working with business, developing flexible ways to address the skills needs of local employers. Not only do its students leave with qualifications, they leave with the life skills needed to embark on the world of work. “We’re delighted to see the college get this outstanding status. Gateshead College not only delivers outstanding academic skills, but the skills our members need in everyday business and in years to come its students may well be North East business leaders of the future. Our partnership with Gateshead College means we’re able to work closely with them alongside regional businesses, meeting emerging skill gaps and encouraging

young people to meet their full potential.” Chris Lamb, head of Vantec’s Logistics Centre of Excellence, Sunderland, added: “We’re committed to developing our workforce and Gateshead College has become an invaluable partner in our recruitment and training programme. The college has been innovative and highly flexible in its approach and completely focused on aligning training with our needs.” Gateshead College is currently putting Vantec’s permanent staff through training programmes that are tailored to the company’s specific business needs, with 800 employees set to embark on training by 2018. Eligible staff will complete a 12-month adult apprenticeship in warehousing. Vantec staff will also work towards a qualification in managing the supply chain, which is recognised by the Institute of Supply Chain Management. Ofsted praised the outstanding feedback learners receive from a very wide range of employers. Learners are impressing those in industry with their English and mathematics skills, confidence, highly positive attitude to work, attendance and punctuality. Learners, who are exceeding national achievement targets, go into highly sought after careers and with prestigious employers, says the report, including the Royal Marines and The Ritz, London. Gateshead College was also praised for the high proportion of its learners achieving places at Russell Group universities. Robin Mackie, chairman of Gateshead College and business leader, said: “This Ofsted report places Gateshead College at the forefront of FE in the country. It is the result of a fantastic team

effort led by Judith and I am thankful to every single partner and colleague that has worked very hard to achieve such a great result. “I am delighted that Ofsted acknowledged the outstanding partnerships the college has with employers and business organisations like the CBI and NECC to ensure the curriculum is relevant to the local area and regional priorities.” Judith Doyle, principal and chief executive, said: “I am very proud of this outstanding achievement. It reflects both the efforts of teaching staff but also the strong partnership work with local business organisations and employers. Our outstanding results have been made possible because we have shaped the curriculum to meet the needs of the local market. “Businesses have told us they want a strong mix of soft skills along with specific industry relevant qualifications. Employers have provided great work experience opportunities for our learners to ensure they’re both motivated and equipped to enter the world of work.” Ofsted inspectors complemented college staff for developing outstanding links with a high number of local employers providing training, apprenticeships, bespoke training and work experience opportunities. The Ofsted announcement follows recent recognition from the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) that Gateshead College was the top performing college in the North East of England and the 3rd best in the country (out of 218 colleges) for success rates and the number of Level 2 courses. The positions are based on FE tables for success rates based on the numbers of students staying on at college and successfully gaining qualifications.

For full Ofsted report - http://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/find-inspection-report/provider/ELS/130551

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BUSINESS INSIGHT

LIVING TOGETHER – BY AGREEMENT Joanne Major

It is one of the most common legal misconceptions in this country - along with possession being nine tenths of the law - that there is an actual legal status of common law wife or common law husband. Not since the passing of The Marriage Act in 1753 has any form of relationship union been legally recognised as marriage unless a ceremony took place in a parish church or chapel, conducted by a minister of the Church of England with banns called for three weeks, or a Special Licence obtained from a Bishop if a shorter time scale was required. Parental consent for any person under the age of twenty-one was also required and the Act decreed that failure to comply with the rules rendered a marriage void. And yet, almost three centuries later, public perception persists in its erroneous belief that couples who live together for a certain amount of time – which incidentally varies from two years to 21 years depending on who you ask – somehow attain a legal status comparable to a married couple in the eyes of the law. Whilst in this age there is little or no moral prejudice against couples who live together

without marrying, it should actually be a positive, planned decision rather than a default position for people who object to marriage as an institution or for personal reasons. Because, whatever the reason for not formalising the relationship with a marriage, the legal effect remains the same: no matter how long the couple live together as man and wife, they do not acquire any kind of elevated legal status or financial protection if the relationship subsequently breaks down. Whilst the Courts have wide ranging powers and discretion to make financial provision for married parties who have separated, the same cannot be said for cohabiting couples, irrespective of whether those couples have children together. Financial disputes between separated cohabiting couples fall within the remit of property law and trust law, both of which are strict in their interpretation and make no allowance for family structure or circumstance. The procedure for pursuing a claim through these channels is often complicated and costly, producing results which fall far short of expectation or indeed need. Couples who choose not to marry, therefore,

have only one real option open to them to ensure any form of future financial security and that is to take early legal advice. Rest assured, this is not a sales pitch; on the contrary, it may be the soundest piece of advice you ever pass on to anyone. Couples contemplating cohabitation would be well advised to discuss with each other any number of practical and financial issues ranging from the ownership of the property in which they will live and how the outgoings and upkeep will be paid, to what will happen if and when the couple have children and how previously owned property by each of the parties will be treated. The terms of this agreement are then embodied in what is known as a Living Together Agreement, or Cohabitation Agreement. Despite any criticism to the contrary, such agreements are not cynical, pessimistic or money grabbing; they are in fact a necessity. And for those who are already cohabiting – even if they have been for some considerable time – it is not too late to take advice and have an Agreement drawn up. It’s only too late once the relationship breaks down and at least one of the parties is left counting the cost.

Joanne Major is the Principal at Major Family Law, the Divorce and Family Law Specialists, 12 West Road, Ponteland, Newcastle upon Tyne. T: 01661 82 45 82 www.majorfamilylaw.co.uk @majorfamilylaw

Mincoffs Summer Drinks Mincoffs Solicitors hosted a Summer drinks event on July 2nd. Attended by clients of the firm, the event took place in the Pitcher and Piano on Newcastleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Quayside. The evening was a great success and offered great networking opportunities for all.

Fizz in the City! On Friday 10th July, Mincoffs Solicitors hosted the 2nd ‘Fizz in the City’ Ladies Networking Event at Mr Lynch in Jesmond. Claire Fenwick, Marketing and Business Development Manager at Mincoffs commented ‘The best networking events I attend are ladies events and there seemed to be a shortage of those so we decided to set up Fizz in the City which is an informal bi-monthly event with lots of ladies, networking, prosecco, strawberries and chocolates! The events have been a phenomenal success and have already become a firm fixture on the North East networking calendar’.

Ahead of the game. Our corporate team can help give your business a competitive edge.

Our leading corporate team have expertise in all areas of corporate law, including sales and acquisitions, corporate finance and company reorganisations and restructuring. To find out more, visit: www.mincoffs.co.uk T: 0191 281 6151 E: info@mincoffs.co.uk

BUSINESS INSIGHT

How has crowd funding altered the investment landscape for entrepreneurs? Mark Lazenby explains crowd funding, how it works and the legal implications for growing businesses. Crowd funding is an increasingly popular way to raise finance. It offers an accessible and transparent method of raising funds as potential investors are told from the outset how much finance is required and what they will potentially get in return of their investment.

Equity Crowd Funding Investors can provide sums in exchange for shares or a stake in the business or project being marketed. The investment offers greater returns but also greater risk in that, as with ordinary share investments, the value of the investment can down as well as up. This route should be carefully considered as it could mean giving up a large proportion of equity and control. Debt Crowd Funding With debt crowd funding, investors receive their initial input plus interest. Given the increasingly stringent lending criteria of traditional high street lenders and historically low interest rates for savers, cash-rich investors are increasingly turning to peer-to-peer lending to make a return on their investment.

way to raise finance, especially if your project or business has a story with the potential to engage multiple audiences. To find out more about crowd funding and the legal complexities to consider, contact mark. lazenby@squareonelaw.com. Mark Lazenby

There are four distinct types of crowd funding:

Reward Crowd Funding This type of crowd funding often receives the most headlines primarily due to popularity on social media. Small sums are requested for returns that are often unquantifiable such as products, acknowledgement on album covers or the opportunity to be an ‘extra’ in a movie. Given that no real return on investment is offered, finance is usually sought from an emotive stand point whether it be progressing a ‘bright idea’ prototype into a mass-market product or an idea that has been rejected by traditional financiers such as a movie of a television show with a passionate fan base. Donation Crowd Funding This is used when raising funds for a charity or charitable project. As its name suggests it is simply a donation platform without any return generated. Crowd funding, in any form, has a number of legal complexities which need to be considered. It is vital that professional advice is sought from the outset as crowd funding is increasingly falling within the remit the Financial Conduct Authority. Nonetheless, crowd funding can be an effective

50 Ride for Remembrance F

ive local businesses have contributed greatly to Sunderland Foundation of Light’s recent Ride of Remembrance where over fifty cyclists rode from Brussels to Paris. The support given by means of sponsorship to Marc Millar, Director of Sales at Ailantus Hotels, will further the Foundation’s ability to provide opportunities to many local individuals and improve their quality of life. The Foundation utilises the power of football to involve, educate and inspire children and adults to fulfil their potential within the immediate area of Sunderland. The cycle in its fourth year is expected to raise over £90k for the Foundation and was another huge success with ex-player Marco Gabbiadini again taking part. Locally, Paul Coyne from PD Coyne Properties, Craig Shields from Great Annual Savings, Dave Brown from Community First North East, Simon Dunn from Prestige Taxis and Patrick McLaughlin

Senior Partner at St. James’s Place Wealth Management, all committed to the event and SFOL in advance of the cycle.

Taste of India Restaurant and Takeaway

Great Annual Savings’ Craig Shields commented, “Great Annual Savings were delighted as a prominent business based in the North East to commit to Marc and the Ride of Remembrance. The continued fantastic efforts of the Foundation to provide opportunities within the community ensured Great Annual Savings were delighted to play a small part, with what is a charity the envy of many globally.” All contributed greatly to a very worthwhile cause and placed enormous pressure on Marc to complete the 550 kilometre cycle in temperatures of 40 degrees plus over four full days of cycling. Special thanks are reserved for those same sponsors, who have been provided with a memento of a framed Foundation cycling shirt bearing their own company logo with each worn for one day of the event. Enormous credit must also be given to the Foundation itself for the organisation logistically, dealing with over fifty cyclists, bikes, luggage, food stops, accommodation, flights and many dramas over the five days.

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BUSINESS INSIGHT

Implications of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act Jonathan Waters

he Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act became law on 26 March and brings significant changes to the disclosure requirements of private companies, as well as altering the position of both corporate and shadow directors.

KEY CHANGES TO CONSIDER New PSC Register – People with Significant Control From January 2016, companies will be required to complete and maintain a new public register, setting out those persons with “significant control” over the company, and this will need to be filed at Companies House from April 2016. The register is to include personal details (name and address, date of birth), the date on which that person became registerable (i.e. obtained significant control) and the nature of their control or interest in the company. What is meant by “Significant control” is, broadly speaking, those having (either alone or jointly with others):

and will no doubt be addressed in the supporting guidance and be the subject of expert discussion. The spirit of the new register is, however, clear – companies are to disclose who owns and controls them, including whether this is through a trust, nominee agreement or shareholders agreement. It is quite likely that many of these existing arrangements / agreements were intended to be private, so companies will need to consider any implications of this register.

Annual Returns and Company Books

more than 25% of a company’s shares; or

Companies will no longer need to file annual returns as of April 2016. Instead, companies are to provide a confirmation statement to Companies House affirming that they have delivered all information required for the preceding year (which will include details of any change to their registered office or the company registers). Also from April 2016, companies will have the choice of alternate record keeping, so instead of housing the statutory registers in company books, companies can keep the information at Companies House. This change will no doubt make life easier for many companies.

more than 25% of the voting rights; or

Bearer Shares

the rights to appoint, remove or control the majority of the board of directors. It also includes those who have the right to exercise “significant influence or control over the company”. Quite what is meant by this is uncertain

The Act abolished the issue of new bearer shares with effect from 26 May 2015 and holders of existing bearer shares have 9 months to surrender these for conversion into registered shares. Any bearer shares not surrendered will need to be cancelled by the issuing company.

Corporate Directors and Shadow Directors The Act requires all directors to be natural persons. From April 2016, no new corporate directors can be appointed, and after the transitional phase of a year, any remaining corporate directors will be automatically abolished. This will impact particularly heavily on group companies, dormant companies and those used by trusts. There may be some limited exceptions, which are currently being debated in a Government consultation process. Finally, the general duties of directors will now also apply to shadow directors.

Points for companies to consider: Implications of the new PSC Register – all persons with significant control will need to be publically disclosed, regardless of whether this is set out in a previously private agreement.

Bearer shares – these will need to be surrendered by holders within 9 months of implementation. Otherwise, companies will need to apply to court for cancellation.

Corporate directors – these will be abolished from April 2017 and companies will need to ensure that suitable replacements are appointed if appropriate.

Shadow directors – will also be subject to the general duties of directors.

For further information, please contact Jonathan Waters, Corporate Partner at Hay & Kilner Call: 0191 232 8345 Email: Jonathan.Waters@hay-kilner.co.uk

BUSINESS INSIGHT Jonathan Gold

The wider North and strength in numbers Y

ou can prove most things with statistics. I have plenty on venture capital performance but the ones that have been in my mind of late relate to entrepreneurs and small business. We are all accustomed to seeing the North East at the bottom of performance league tables. So it is with some delight that I can pick out some recent better news. The Enterprise Research Centre ‘Growth Dashboard Report’ for 2015 shows the North East is on a par with London on the measure, ‘Scaling businesses growing from £1-2m to over £3m in turnover’. Read the report, it shows we can create businesses that grow even if we are still not producing enough of them. Over the last month I have been lucky enough to spend some time with a great band of assorted entrepreneurs from the region looking at data collected by the Global Entrepreneurship and Development Institute (GEDI) and others. It draws on a wide survey of the public in the North East and shows we were not seen as a great place to become an entrepreneur. It’s more complicated than that, but my point is it’s largely down to perception and of course perception matters! So what can the business community do to help people who want to start up in business? Why go on about it now? Don’t we know all this? Yes, but I think we all need reminding that

the finance and skills needed to help people start can be reached, even if we have to look harder and further. We need to help others raise their aspirations, showing it’s possible and making the successes we have really count. We are, after all, creating a lot of innovative stuff. The first mobile-internet bank in the UK to secure a full banking license, Atom Bank, has been founded by local entrepreneurs and is based in Durham. It is world leading. We have a crowd funding platform in Growth Funders in Newton Aycliffe. The wider region has attracted over £150m of private capital into deals from the five fund managers that operate our Finance for Business venture and loan Funds. As my own small contribution I have trained two new fund managers in the last 5 years and have two more trainees now. This is all great, but to attract more finance from private investors and to meet the skills shortages I see in many businesses we need to look to strength in numbers. One way to do that is to embrace the Northern Powerhouse concept and not to leave it to business in the ManchesterLeeds corridor. It seems to me this is vital as the wider North does have the financial investor pull and skill base to make a real difference. So how do we make this work? In part by building the connections ourselves. Nobody else is going to, only entrepreneurs and investors really create

businesses and jobs. Just look at the numbers; the North East has a population of around 1.9m and 48,437 businesses with 6,256 new startups in 2014. The Manchester City region, has a population of 2.7m with 12,605 startups in 2014. So what – Manchester is bigger. However, the key to the strength is they create 46 startups per 10,000 head of population compared to 32 in the North East. We should be opening up to links with such places. I’ve seen lots of great entrepreneurs and worked with many since I set up shop here; even more since building my own business in venture capital in Newcastle and Middlesbrough. For example, I’m proud to be sponsoring, through my firm Rivers Capital, the ‘If We Can, You Can’ awards for new and growing entrepreneurs. However, crucially, not enough of the initiatives I see look outward. Actually, one of our best law firms, Ward Hadaway, has expanded into the wider North with offices in Manchester and Leeds in recent years. I have always admired the team at Nigel Wright recruitment for looking out of region to expand while remaining a North East business.

So my challenge to you is - what can you do to help build the North East economy and grow your business while helping others to do the same?

Jonathan Gold is the Managing Director and Co-Founder of Rivers Capital Partners; contact him on 0191 230 6370 or via www.riverscap.com

BUSINESS INSIGHT

Work begins on £1m boathouse Danielle Dale, Sintons; Ken Hardy, Captain, Tyne Amateur Rowing Club

ork is underway to create a new £1m boathouse on the banks of the River Tyne, which will provide for the future of rowing for generations to come. Tyne Amateur Rowing Club – one of the oldest sporting clubs in England, which dates from 1852 – is investing in a new clubhouse for use

by current and future generations of members, as well as providing a facility for the local community intended to increase participation in the sport at all levels. The two-storey development is on the same site as the club’s former boathouse, in Newburn, and will provide state-of-the-art facilities for its membership of over 200 rowers, as well as local

charities including the Percy Hedley Foundation, Norcare and Visually Impaired North East. The building work is set to be completed in December and the facility open for use early next year. The clubhouse, which is being built by Newcastle-based construction company SV Rutter, is being financed by National Lottery funding from Sport England, Newcastle City Council, local business donations, and a £250,000 bequest from John Dalkin, a Tyne Rowing Club member who passed away in 2010. Simon Dobson, Chairman of Tyne Amateur Rowing Club, said: “Tyne Amateur Rowing Club is delighted to finally see building work begin on our project. The new boathouse should attract new rowers for generations to come.” Newcastle law firm Sintons handled the legal aspects of the development, with consultant Claire Morgan and solicitor Danielle Dale leading on the transaction. Claire Morgan said: “Tyne Amateur Rowing Club is investing significantly in their future through the creation of this new boathouse, and it is great to see the Club’s plans coming to life. It promises to be a fantastic facility for both the rowing and local Newburn communities, both now and into the future.”

BUSINESS INSIGHT

Louise and Sonia enrol as RMT Accountants invests in payroll services team

MT Accountants & Business Advisors is investing in its payroll services team inanticipation of growing demand from across the North East in the next two yearsand beyond. RMT has recruited experienced payroll professional Louise Downes and management accountant Sonia Pargeter in response to an increase in enquiries from companies looking to outsource their payroll function, taking the outsourcing team up to a total of ten. The increase is primarily being driven by HMRC beginning to contact more and more North East SMEs about auto enrolment for workplace pensions. Even though auto enrolment is currently only compulsory for larger firms and doesn’t become mandatory for businesses of all sizes until April 2017, the Gosforth-based practice has moved to increase its payroll capacity now in light of HMRC looking to getfirms to sign up to the new regime sooner rather than later.

Under rules that have been phased in from October 2012, all employers are legally obliged to automatically enrol eligible staff in a workplace pension scheme and must make a minimum contribution into it. Any companies that don’t fulfil their obligations in this respect, or miss the deadline for doing so, could be heavily fined by the taxman, and RMT is advising any North East businesses that are contacted about auto enrolment to make the necessary arrangements as soon as possible, regardless of any long-term deadline they’re given for doing so. Louise Downes says: “There are a great deal of rules and obligations for businesses to address regarding Auto Enrolment, and with the focus moving increasingly from larger to smaller firms over the next two years, it makes sense for regional SMEs to get moving on this front as soon as they’re contacted about it. “There are several basic schemes that have been put in place but there are also many

other options available which might better suit individual businesses’ needs, and it’s likely that the quicker you move, the more options you’ll have available to choose from. “Many of our clients have already been contacted by HMRC about auto enrolment, and our advice is to act as soon as this contact is made, so that you’ve as much time available as possible to get everything you need in place.” Stephen Slater, director at RMT Accountants & Business Advisors, adds: “Louise’s and Sonia’s expertise adds to an already-strong outsourcing team that we expect to see becoming increasingly active over the next couple of years in response to growing client demand, and it makes sense for us to act now to put these sources we know we’ll need in place.” RMTprovides the full range of financial and business advisory services through its Corporate Finance, Recovery & Insolvency, Medical and Specialist Tax divisions. For more information, please visit www.r-m-t.co.uk

BUSINESS INSIGHT

Pay for a Day Ian Watson, chairman of Hadrian Healthcare, has become the first to pledge to the Pay for a Day initiative to support the Marie Curie Hospice Newcastle. The initiative encourages individuals and businesses to donate or fundraise £6,584 – the cost of providing specialist round-the-clock care per 24 hours at the hospice, which this year is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Mr Watson, whose business operates 10 luxury residential, nursing and dementia care homes across the North East and North Yorkshire and employs 700 people, is a passionate supporter of the Marie Curie Hospice Newcastle after his father spent his final days there before he passed away in 2003. And in tribute to his beloved dad, the businessman - who was last year named North East Entrepreneur of the Year - has chosen to pay for March 29, the date of his parents’ wedding anniversary. The hospice, which has provided care to thousands of patients since being opened in 1995, provides both day services and in-patient

Ian Watson, chairman of Hadrian Healthcare

One of the region’s leading businessmen has thrown his weight behind a new initiative to help fund care at the hospice where his father spent his last days.

unit care for people with terminal illnesses. It offers specialist nursing and medical care, emotional support, holistic therapies and support for families and loved ones. Mr Watson said: “In 2003, our family were

devastated by the news that our wonderful, always fit and healthy dad had incurable cancer. Surely this only happened to other people, not us? “Hospice care had been mentioned and similarly dismissed on the basis it just wasn’t good enough for our dad, but then I visited the Marie Curie Hospice, Newcastle. I knew it was the place Dad could come to enjoy his last days with his family around him and the support and love of a dedicated team of professional people – and he did. “Our experience at the Marie Curie Hospice left us with an understanding and appreciation of how fortunate the North East is to have this facility, and how important it is we do everything we can to support its ongoing work.” Lisa Corfield, Fundraising Manager for the Marie Curie Hospice Newcastle, said: “We are so very grateful to Ian for his support - Pay for a Day is a fantastic initiative which offers individuals, groups or organisations the chance to make a donation to sustain our vital work here for 24 hours. Our donors can select a date which is personal to them, and can be assured that whatever day is chosen, they will be making a real difference to people with terminal illnesses and their families.”

For more information on Pay for a Day, or to donate, contact lisa.corfield@mariecurie.org.uk

Family Matters “We deliver a highly professional yet personal legal service, employing the depth of expertise and experience that being a part of a top 100 full service law firm brings.” Jonathan Flower Partner and head oF Family and matrimonial

Call Jonathan on 0191 204 4376 for a free and confidential conversation. www.wardhadaway.com Newcastle | Leeds | Manchester

BUSINESS INSIGHT

An entrepreneur interview with: Dan Smyth, Bede Gaming

an Smyth’s decision to leave university early for the entrepreneurial path carried great risk at the time. But, as he proved later with the rapid rise of his own gambling firm, calculated rolling of the dice comes naturally to this business leader. Today former Durham University student Dan is managing director of Bede Gaming, which was founded in 2012 and now employs 160 people, including 110 in Newcastle. Among several recent successes for the business is its ongoing project with the Rank Group, the UK gambling giant behind Mecca Bingo and the Grosvenor Casinos. That, like a number of other significant contracts on its books, was won in competition with billion dollar competitors from around the world. Before Bede, Dan ran Newcastle Marketing Services, a business he co-founded and grew as a marketing and customer services firm for the online bingo sector. But three years ago market forces exposed what Dan perceived as a gap in the market for a new software business in the gambling industry. Backed by his NMS investor and chairman Joe Suaramez Smith, and other funders, Bede was created with the aim of building a truly innovative software business with an in-depth understanding of gambling markets.

Dan, tell us about how your entrepreneurial journey started. I grew up in Newcastle, went to Durham University and did computer science and initially made a living playing poker before getting together with a few people to set up an online marketing business. I did that in 2005, having moved to London in 2003, and ended up coming back up here to set up the business. I spotted a few opportunities in developing software instead of marketing other people’s software and managed to secure several investors to support the launch of Bede Gaming in 2012.

Tell me about Bede Gaming’s inception. Our main shareholders all have our areas of expertise in gaming and software so we all knew our roles when we started out. We didn’t come from a standing start, with no industry or software expertise. We had well-qualified founders and the right industry contacts, so we could actually bring the right types of deal to the table and build our own products rather than becoming a software agency. In our early days, we had to choose what direction Bede was going; bingo, slot games, software, or full service, and it became very clear that the big demand in the market was really for a platform provider. So that’s where Bede’s core product; the underlying technology that can power any gaming solutions or retail offering. Today we also have industry leading bingo software, slots game design studio and business intelligence solutions.

You have more than 160 staff across your three locations, Newcastle, London and Sofia. Tell me about Bede’s growth. We seem to be hiring all the time and have grown by 60 to 70 people in the past 12 months. This is largely down to a game-changing contract. We originally started off doing reasonably small B2B deals, and we gradually started to step up into bigger contracts. We then got our first tier-one deal to do Rank Group’s work, including Mecca Bingo and Grosvenor Casino. That was signed in January this year and it’s been transformative for our business.

How do you ensure Bede Gaming is able to attract and keep hold of the best talent? Firstly, we pay people very well. But the most important thing in the IT world is that people want to work on modern technology and not on legacy systems. They want to create something new, using the best tools available and they want to have an impact. They also want to work in autonomous

teams and see a project from conception all the way through, and they like to be challenged. So that’s what we give people. There is no need to support legacy software, because we are too young, we don’t have any. There is no need to support old browsers or old types of mobile phone or anything like that. We are a really quick, nimble business and use all the latest tools. If you are up to date on your IT and you know the best practice across the board you are going to find best practice everywhere here, and that sort of thing attracts the best people. Our big win is that people want to be useful, they want to be challenged and they want to work on the coolest new tools.

What is your motivation now to drive this business forward? Over the past two to three years, we’ve had a vision for a platform to really disrupt the existing players in the market. We knew it would take us a bit of time to build the platform and to start getting clients using it. We’ve since stepped up the size of our clients and, over the past year and a half, have encouraged our first major tier-one client to actually leave one of our competitors, while we also beat another competitor to that contract – and both of them are billion dollar companies. That really validates the vision we had in building the platform and the techniques we use to build it.

How do you find the entrepreneurial community in the North East? I’ve had some mentoring in the past, which was quite fun. It was interesting that someone with a lot of experience was quite happy to share a coffee for an hour, listen and then give advice. Sometimes when you get to be in my position, the only outsiders you are interacting with in a business sense are accountants or lawyers, and they all have an agenda. With the Entrepreneurs’ Forum you can meet people who genuinely ask ‘how can I help?’, and that’s really valuable.

Dan Smyth is a member of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum, a unique group of like-minded people who come together through peer-to-peer mentoring and a series of inspirational events to share best practice, create valuable connections and grow their business. For more information, visit www.entrepreneursforum.net

BUSINESS INSIGHT

Lessons learnt from ‘The Island’ By Nigel Mills, chairman of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum

recent report published by the Global Entrepreneurship and Development Institute (GEDI) concluded that “local economic infrastructure” is critical to the success of any region. The research ranked all 125 EU regions, grouped under three main headings; attitude, ability, and aspirations. Unsurprisingly, London topped the UK and was second in the EU. The North East was disappointingly last among UK regions, but our position at 59 from the 125 was slightly more heartening. The report stated that the biggest boost to entrepreneurial activity was to unlock the “aspirational premium” of a region’s entrepreneurs. It concluded that, outside of London, entrepreneurs were not displaying the same confidence levels to take advantage of the “entrepreneurial ecosystem”, even if that region’s system was well established. Whilst I would somewhat disagree with this perceived lack of confidence, particularly in light of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum’s latest survey, showing business owners’ confidence to be higher than at any time in the past 15 months, the GEDI research cannot be dismissed entirely. Research has also found that more than 55% of adults that wanted to start their own business did not know where to look or who to ask for help. As a result, only one in eight potential entrepreneurs seriously thinking of starting their own business actually did something about it. Most of those asked an existing entrepreneur they knew for help, or had encouragement from other support networks. This illustrates the ecosystem around us, so

why does the North East have the worst track record among UK regions for entrepreneurial activity and what can we do about it? Perhaps some of the answers can be found on The Island, Bear Grylls’ TV survival programme, where groups of individuals are left on tropical islands and must find the means to unlock its lifegiving resources and, more importantly, work as a team to survive. The teams must master three key tasks: 1. F ind a sustainable clean drinking water source. 2. B uild a shelter to protect them from the elements, enabling rest and conservation of energy. 3. F ind a sustainable food source; namely, learn how to fish. Their aims are to survive and thrive, changing their attitudes and aspirations forever. To do likewise, the North East must change. We are caught between the SNP’s aspirations and devolved government and the momentum gathering around the Northern Powerhouse agenda across Manchester and Yorkshire. Fortunately, the appointment of James Wharton, MP for Stockton South, to the position as Northern Powerhouse Minister, strengthens the North East’s position. If we do not help ourselves, work as a team and share experience and resources, we will always fall short of our potential. In many ways, the three key tasks on the Island are similar to the challenges facing our region, to develop a more entrepreneurial economy:

1. W e must teach young people they can choose their attitude, exploit their natural abilities and raise their aspirations. These are the future entrepreneurs: the “sustainable clean water supply”. 2. We must raise awareness of the region’s existing entrepreneurial and business support networks, such as the Entrepreneurs’ Forum, which are ready, able and willing to act as mentors; the “protective shelter”. 3. We must leverage the “aspirational premium”, to show people the opportunities that exist here in the North East, both for entrepreneurs and business people within and without the region. As well as being bottom of the regional unemployment table, the North East has 701 businesses per 10,000 head of population, against 1,007 nationally. However, our rate of job creation – unemployment fell by more than 40,000 last year – and business start-ups – up 12% last year – is faster than all other regions outside of London. To continue this positive trend, we must work together as a team. The Island’s survivors had to learn before mastering their tasks that their chances of success increased immeasurably through collaboration. The world keeps changing. If change is not built into the daily routine of a business, then it risks losing ground to competitors. That is why business and economic networks, based upon mutual learning and support, are so important.

For more information about the Entrepreneurs’ Forum, call 0191 500 7780 or visit www.entrepreneursforum.net

BUSINESS INSIGHT

The story of Dalton Park

The Past… The sinking of the first shaft at Murton Colliery commenced on the 19th February 1838. It was to be one of the most difficult and expensive undertakings of its kind on record. It eventually reached a depth of 246 fathoms and at the height of its operation in 1925 employed over 3600 men. Since the 1970’s this area has undergone significant economic restructuring with the decline of the coal and mining industry and also textiles, manufacturing and heavy engineering. On 19th November 1991 the workings were closed after almost 150 years of operation and lay empty until work began on Dalton Park in March 2002.

Phase 1 development… The Secretary of state granted outline planning permission in January 2000 for the outlet shopping centre and leisure development at the former Dalton Flatts site, in order to

improve the image of the area, create jobs and provide services and facilities for the local people and those living further afield. The outlet shopping centre opened on 10th April 2003. This was the first major retail investment in the former East Durham Coalfields; Over 600,000 cubic metres of colliery spoil was shifted to create space for the construction of the buildings and car parks of the retail outlet, one of the largest examples of regeneration of its kind. Dalton Park Outlet Centre currently comprises circa 15,000sqm of retail floor space with over 60 outlets and welcomes 2.5 million visitors every year.

The Future… 12 years on, having created 800 local jobs and provided a unique parkland leisure environment for customers, it is time for Dalton Park to grow once more! Even at the very beginning Dalton Park has had people at its heart. From the local

community that campaigned and lobbied on behalf of the initial project and handed in a petition at Number Ten Downing Street, through to the children that wrote songs to support the scheme. And similarly to the first stage of Dalton Park, Phase 2 has not been without its challenges and delays along the way. But once again with the significant support from the local community, due to their recognition of the opportunity the scheme presents in delivering wider regeneration, economic and social benefits to the area, Phase 2 is coming! With the development of Phase2, Dalton Park is set to become an exciting combination of retail and leisure activities, positioned within a dramatic landscaped park offering a full day out. This revitalising stage of expansion comprises a hotel, family pub, 7 screen cinema, 4 additional restaurants a superstore and petrol filling station. The completed project is planned to be fulfilled in May 2016 will establish Dalton Park as a major economic and regeneration asset for the region.

Working in partnership

• Office Support • Sales and Marketing • Finance • HR • Technology • Contact Centre

GEM operates and promotes a partnership working philosophy, which means taking responsibility for our clients’ recruitment and manpower challenges in full, not cherry picking the easy-to-fill roles.

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BUSINESS INSIGHT Joe Bonalli, Financial Adviser for Inspire Financial

So what exactly is business insurance I hear you ask? H

i again everyone, Joe Bonallie here from Inspire Financial. With over two decades of experience in the financial sector, I’ve seen a lot of things done in what some may consider the right or wrong way. One of the things I get asked about time and time again is businesses coming to me about details for business insurance. Far be it from me to judge and as I say there is no right or wrong way to do business, but to me, setting up a business with any assets of value and not investing in business insurance is a dangerous road to tread. So what exactly is business insurance I hear you ask? Well, essentially it’s an insurance policy which covers any operational losses a business may encounter. These losses could be physical or monetary or any other losses a business may incur. Like most things however, it’s not quite as

cut and dry as it sounds. Think of car insurance for example, there are several types such as fully comprehensive and which one is right for you depends’ on your own circumstance and needs. This is also the case for businesses. As always I’m not here to tell which is right and which is wrong I’m here to advise because there are positives and negatives for all. Like most things financial, there are no right answers and no one-size-fits-all. There are two branches to business insurance that you could see as the two P’s - people and property. People make a business run, but they are only human after all, and mistakes can be made, and accidents can happen. So to cover a business’ back against human error and any injuries that may occur as a result, public liability insurance is often utilised.

Public Liability Insurance (PLI) covers a business in the situation of a business activity causing injury to members of the public as well as damage to any property or possessions. It should be noted that employees are not covered under PLI - instead a separate employer’s liability insurance must be used. Public liability insurance is not a legal requirement, however as a warning against those tempted to go without it should bear in mind that if it isn’t in place, they will have no cover in case of injury to the public. This could include things from falling signs to the seemingly trivial things such as trips and falls. This means that any insurance claims would have to be paid out in full without the backup of an insurance policy. Take into account that while public liability insurance is not a legal requirement, a business must, by law, have employers’ liability insurance.

Whatever financial issue you require help with be it pensions, ISAs or anything else don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at Inspire Financial on 0191 516 6326.

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BUSINESS INSIGHT

Retirement income - breaking the habit of a lifetime Universal Tax & Wealth LLP Team

Retired clients could be wasting up to £16,100 of tax free allowances each year by taking their retirement income solely from their pension. At the same time they could be reducing how much wealth could be left to their loved ones on death. The challenge is to undo generations’ worth of hardwired retirement savings habits. A key to achieving this is to understand that an alternative retirement income strategy using a range of savings products, held within different tax wrappers, can provide a sustainable source of spendable income while securing the best possible legacy on death from unused funds.

To achieve this will require: Breaking the instinctive link between retirement income and pensions - for over 55’s a pension fund is just like any other savings pot. Avoiding paying unnecessary tax by maximising available allowances - take income for taxable sources within the available allowances. Annually reviewing income needs to get the balance right - this isn’t a one off retirement income decision. Preserving tax privileged savings for longest - less tax not only means funds will generally last longer but there’s also likely to be more to leave behind. General rule of thumb for taking income

– firstly investment bonds & OEICs, secondly ISAs thus leaving pensions until last.

Habit forming Pensions and retirement income are synonymous with one another. The first thing most clients will think about when considering their income in retirement will be their pension. But with the new pension freedoms it isn’t necessarily the first place they should turn to when deciding where to draw retirement income from. It is now time to start thinking of savings collectively rather than as separate individual pots. Clients with savings across a variety of arrangements need to consider the best way to access these to meet their income needs in retirement. The familiar scenario of using the pension to provide income and having various savings earmarked for other purposes, perhaps as a future inheritance for the kids or as a rainy day fund, requires a rethink. It’s important to look at the long term goal when deciding which investment to take income from in retirement. Providing income utilising the reliefs available, and paying less tax by maximising the use of available allowances, can mean that savings are preserved for longer. This will generally result in a more sustainable income stream and it can also lead to a potentially greater inheritance for the client’s family.

Reviewing your pension arrangements makes sense because you may also gain the following advantages: Reduce your pension income tax bill by 10%. The beneficiaries of your pension fund save 10% in tax when they draw funds. Limit any over funding tax liability to 25% from 55%. Once set up correctly there are no limits or penalties based on the value of your fund. Further planning opportunities utilising trust arrangements. The bottom line here is that you can leave more to the family and in a more advantageous tax environment. There is no doubt there has been a sea-change in the financial planning world over the last few years with pensions taking the lead as the “goto” product. The tax advantages that they offer begin when money is invested and then continue throughout their existence. With a wide range of investment options available, nothing else quite comes close. I would strongly recommend any reader to take independent financial advice and to review their arrangements. Those with sizeable funds will be delighted with the options available to them.

Peter Rutherford is a partner in Universal Tax Strategies LLP and Universal Tax and Wealth LLP (authorised and regulated by FCA) and can be contacted on 0191 374 0333 or email peter.rutherford@utsllp.co.uk

BUSINESS INSIGHT

Steps to recession morale heaven Joanne Howe, HOWE Consultancy

he credit crunch, doom and gloom, the recession, whatever you may have heard it called; it’s a time when the only certainty is uncertainty, and feelings in your workplace may understandably suffer. Ever wondered how you go about reassuring your employees and maintaining workplace morale that undeniably helps boost productivity? Have you ever pondered the question “is there anything I could be doing to make people feel better about working for me?” If so, here are a few tips to improve moral because it leads to improved business performance.

1 2

STEP 1 – Minimise uncertainty and communicate openly Communicate with complete honesty – even if the news isn’t great. Don’t think that if you hide the bad news it’ll go away. Communicating just one piece of bad news with staff is hugely influential in gaining their trust. Create opportunities for staff to ask questions and get honest answers. If you can’t answer their questions, tell them that you can’t answer and explain why.

STEP 2 – Encourage sincere feedback Inspire managers to observe somebody doing something good every day. Don’t underestimate the power of a simple thank you. It must be sincere though. Do it in the right way – upbeat, sincere and positive - staff appreciate it. Try and use one of these phrases at least once per day –“Thanks for your help with…”

3 4

– “I like the way you handled that” etc

STEP 3 – Celebrate success If you win new business, retain business or get invited to pitch for new business – tell your staff. Actively encourage staff to get involved in finding and reporting on positive stories. Spend five minutes at your next team meeting brainstorming the teams’ successes (major or minor) over the last month.

STEP 4 – introduce very low cost, on the spot rewards Money is not a motivator. Sorry, it’s not a long term motivator. It helps for approximately 10 minutes before people forget about that extra cash in their back pocket. Rather than reward staff with money, reward them with a cheaper alternative. What kind of gestures might work? You could give them a £10 voucher to spend at a local sandwich shop, arrange for a free months subscription to the gym or a £5 iTunes voucher etc. Alternatively reward excellent performance by offering opportunities, such as a chance to represent the company at a trade show, conference or exhibition. Start making a list of potential individual on the spot rewards you can offer to your team if they perform exceptionally.

STEP 5 – Fix trivial housekeeping issues People at work tolerate stuff because it’s not a big deal. However, these small irritants tend

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to snowball. Suddenly people walk around the workplace with a dark cloud above their heads. And all because… ‘The photocopier is still broken’, ‘The tea and coffee area is a mess’, ‘The toilet doesn’t flush properly’, ‘I’ve run out of staples/ post-its/other “vital” stationery’, ‘Only one lift is working’ However, the list is NOT endless. AND, they have a completely disproportional effect on morale. Get fixing… straight away!

STEP 6 – Team meetings Weekly team meetings are your chance as a manager to set the tone for the weeks work. Create a buzz by doing things in a different way. Think creatively and give the staff a boost by making your next team meeting slightly different. Take your meeting somewhere outside of the office to increase productivity.

STEP 7 (or 6.5) - Make it happen You’ve invested your time in reading this article to try and find a way (or ways) in which you can improve morale in your workplace. So many people won’t ever make that step. You are different. You obviously care about what your people think and feel. That’s why the last suggestion is just ‘half a suggestion’. Just make it happen. Take one of these ideas and just try it out this week. In fact, if reading this has sparked your own idea, then that’s even better, use your own idea and make that one happen.

Joanne Howe is managing Director of Howe Consultancy Tel: 07921 256 981 www.howeconsultancy.co.uk

BUSINESS INSIGHT

Technology is transforming the construction industry By Pete Watson,CEO Atlas Cloud, The Hosted Desktop Specialists

The North East construction sector has experienced strong growth in recent years and business is booming. Companies in the industry can now utilise technologies such as cloud computing to make the most of their opportunities, manage resources better and work more productively. For example, Newcastle based Metnor Group have recently moved to the Atlas Cloud solution and are currently exploring new ways of working that were not possible before.

Mobility and real time updates Metnor will substantially increase its productivity

with site-based staff being able to access and update 3D modelling or project status documents in real time on any internet-connected device. They can now view and edit documents remotely while on site or in a client meeting instead of having to add changes to a physical paper plan and then returning to the office to make the adjustments at a work station.

Communication and collaboration With over 150 employees spread in offices around the UK, Metnor Group also requires a reliable and effective communication solution. File and data sharing is time consuming as is travelling between offices for face to face meetings; Skype

for Business, previously known as Microsoft Lync, helps reduce the need for timely physical meetups and video conferencing between both team members and clients. Atlas Cloud’s support also allows the company’s offices in Newcastle and Maidenhead to access data from a Common Data Environment, which simplifies file sharing and enables the use of tools and technologies associated with Building Information Modelling (BIM). We think it’s great to see architects, quantity surveyors and contractors communicating on tablets on site. At Atlas, we want this to become a standard working practice in the industry as it allows for lots of flexibility and quick reactions to changes. Adam Langman, Metnor Finance Director, said: “The introduction of cloud computing at Metnor is revolutionising our business operations by enhancing the way staff are able to work remotely, driving operational efficiency. It has afforded us much greater flexibility and boosted productivity by empowering our staff to work anywhere and as a result also has improved customer service.”

More at www.atlascloud.co.uk.

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BUSINESS INSIGHT

How Important Is Your Company Brand To Recruitment? Bryony GIbson

Bryony Gibson, managing director of Bryony Gibson Consulting, discusses the value of a strong brand when recruiting.

lassdoor recently revealed the results of its annual CEO Employees’ Choice Awards.

If you’re an employer who isn’t familiar with this website, you really should take a look. It shows hundreds of thousands of anonymously posted company reviews, all made by employees; many of which may even be your own. For some this will be quite an alarming notion, but it’s one that got me thinking about how important a company’s brand really is when it comes to recruiting new talent. Now I’m sure this won’t come as too much of a surprise when I tell you Larry Page was voted ‘best CEO to work for’, with Google also recently crowned ‘best place to work’ in the UK. When Google wins any employment prize, unless you’re also running a top multinational, it’s become all too easy to simply dismiss the survey as uncontestable, but consider this: would you work for someone who finished near the bottom of the same survey? That’s what I thought. With the emergence of websites like Glassdoor and social media firmly rooted in the fabric of our everyday lives, it’s never been easier for people to share their thoughts about your business - good or bad - and this can have huge implications on your company’s reputation and, in turn, ability to recruit.

It’s often said that strong brand equity leads to profit and it’s equally true that great people make great businesses. It’s also no coincidence that top company’s like Google, Apple and Nike have an abundance of both. Top brands stand out in their marketplace as trusted leaders. They have simple, clearly defined visions and goals, meaning they can sell their organisation’s aspiration to potential employees much easier than most. But this doesn’t happen by accident. The best businesses work extremely hard to get their organisational culture right. They reinforce it with each member of their staff over and over, taking every opportunity they can to make sure their company values are represented in all that they do. If you often struggle to attract good quality job applicants, consider how hard you honestly work at this within your business. Is your company vision clear? Are your brand values rooted throughout the very DNA of the organisation? Because this is what you need to try and achieve if you’re going to create long lasting relationships with employees that are built on trust. I’ve been working in the recruitment industry for more than 15 years, supporting accountancy practices in their search to find and integrate the

best talent into their organisations. Being in the service sector myself, I know only too well the importance the right people play in being able to differentiate yourself against your competitors. If you have a strong proposition and good, honest values, then the more consistent you can be across all aspects of your business, the more people will warm to you. After all, the employees you want to recruit the most are also in high demand by your competitors. If you want an army of passionate, engaged employees, then recruitment doesn’t start the day they see your job advertisement. It begins long before that, when they first read about you in a magazine like this one, or heard about the experience their friend had meeting one of your staff. If you haven’t already realised, the time has come to accept that, big or small, all businesses are being judged in the same way; and it’s public. It often feels like there are too many potential ‘touch points’ to manage them all, but by addressing them one by one, you will begin to build your reputation and gain the trust of those that matter most, including your future employees.

Contact Bryony for help finding the right tax & accountancy role or recruits on (0191) 375 9983. Alternatively, visit www.bryonygibson.com, connect on LinkedIn or follow @bryonygibson.

BUSINESS INSIGHT

Special iApps l-r: Catherine Milbanke, Partner at Leathers LLP with Colin, Beverley and William Dean

A business inspired by a couple’s quest to find suitable educational Apps for their disabled child is now seeing its products used in more than 100 countries around the world.

Special iApps has grown in only four years to have a global reach, and its Apps - which retail internationally through the Apple and Google Play stories - are available in 22 languages. International sales of their ten Apps account for more than 70% of their business. The multi award-winning business, based in Durham, was founded by Beverley and Colin Dean, who were inspired by the difficulty they had to find appropriate learning Apps for their son William. The seven-year-old was born with Down’s Syndrome and a number of physical problems - including duodenal atresia, Hirschsprung’s disease, hearing impairment and thyroid deficiency - which impacts on his speech and learning abilities. The couple, who are both from an IT background, set about creating Apps which are engaging and stimulating for young people with disabilities and learning difficulties, and only months later, saw their first App, Special Words, retailing around the world. The business has grown to such a level that the website - www.specialiapps.org - is being relaunched in response to global demand.

Special iApps, which is supported by a team of 50 volunteers, has won a host of accolades, including success at the Vodafone Foundation Europe Awards and Excellence in Diversity Awards, and has most recently been shortlisted for the North East Exporter Awards. Beverley Dean said: “The whole business stemmed from when we received a grant for William to have an iPad, and while he was amazed by it, there was very little to hold his attention. From speaking to other mums in my position, I realised there was a real lack of resources for children like William. While Colin and I have worked in IT, we had no idea about Apps or iPads. We had an old PC at home and mobile phones that we’d had for years, so started reading books about how to create Apps and it went from there. “Four years later, we have ten Apps, and are retailing in over 100 countries around the world in 22 languages. We have received requests from places as far afield as Brazil and the United States from people asking if we can do a version in their language, and the feedback we get from around the world from parents saying how much our Apps have benefitted their children is truly remarkable. “We are thrilled with the success of Special

iApps, but even more so that children like William can benefit from educational and stimulating material that enables them to learn and express themselves in a way they previously couldn’t.” Special iApps has been supported since its inception by chartered accountants Leathers LLP. Catherine Milbanke, Partner at Leathers - which has offices in Newcastle and Durham has worked with Beverley and Colin since their business was still a concept, and is now a nonexecutive director of Special iApps. Catherine Milbanke said: “Special iApps has gone from being a concept to a global player in its field in only four years, which is a phenomenal achievement for any business, but particularly one run by two busy parents and a team of volunteers. Beverley and Colin have devised a solution to a problem experienced by parents of disabled children around the world, and the reaction to Special iApps speaks for itself. “I am delighted Leathers LLP have been able to support Beverley and Colin with the creation and growth of Special iApps, and we are very pleased to continue to work with them as their business goes from strength to strength internationally.”

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BUSINESS INSIGHT

New face for Gordon Brown’s employment team

Gordon Brown Law Firm has appointed employment solicitor Alistair Smith to assist with the firm’s growing client base and to support employers with sound employment legal advice.

39-year-old Alistair, who is from Esh Village in County Durham, joins in a role which will see him liaise closely with employers to alleviate the pressures of people management and workplace issues, with particular emphasis on employee engagement and retention. As well as providing advice and assistance to a number of local businesses, Alistair is appointed on a national basis as the legal advisor for the Disputes and Disciplinary Committee of the National Federation of Self Employed and Small Businesses Limited. He is also the preferred supplier of employment law advice for the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers and a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Alistair will work closely with the firm’s head of dispute resolution Jonathon Stokes, focusing on all areas of non-contentious employment law

and HR solutions as well as developing Gordon Brown’s sister company Hadrian HR - a human resource consultancy offering bespoke and affordable advice to SMEs. Alistair began his legal career at Jacksons Law Firm in 2001, becoming a partner at the age of 35, before moving to BHP Solicitors to head up its employment team. Alistair said: “My experience to date has equipped me with a variety of skills and knowledge in the employment law arena. In my new role I’ll be focusing on taking the hassle out of employment, helping cultivate motivated workforces and achieve success - from day-today staffing issues, to company handbooks and contract issues. “I’m excited to be working for a company which is setting the trend for other law firms in the region. Gordon Brown is an ambitious but

highly personal firm and somewhere I know I’ll fit in.” Jonathon Stokes, head of dispute resolution, said: “We pride ourselves on working honestly, flexibly and differently with each and every one of our clients. From the outset we hope we can solve problems quickly, efficiently and with as little disruption to that business as possible. We become part of their team which means we put great emphasis on relationships. “Alistair brings unrivalled experience with him to the dispute resolution team here at Gordon Brown. Not only is he hugely personable, he has a sound understanding of the employment market nationally, with particular emphasis on the North East business landscape - its needs and the direction it is headed. It is a great boost to have him onboard.”

www.gblf.co.uk

PROPERTY INSIGHT

Summer Budget 2015 – how will it affect North East landlords?

From April 2017 and over the course of four years, tax relief for landlords will no longer be available at the current rate of 40% or 45% of interest payments on buy-to-let mortgages. The current regulations will be replaced by a maximum tax relief set at 20%, resulting in a lower profit for landlords throughout the North East and Britain. In a second wave of cuts, the chancellor also announced that landlords will lose their right to claim 10% of rent against wear-and-tear costs after April 2016. The summer Budget announcement comes after a Freedom for Information request outlined mortgage interest relief amounts to roughly £6.3 billion a year. The move also follows a Bank of England statement that the booming buy-to-let sector will be monitored over the coming months. The rapid growth in properties bought to let meant that 15% of mortgages taken out this year

were for buy-to-let properties. At Bradley Hall, we have seen a steady increase in North East buy-to-let properties since the company began over 25 years ago in 1988. It has become a source of income for many people, with some relying on property as a pension. The recent announcement, although not as bad as the expected abolition on landlord mortgage interest payment relief, will affect profits gained from owning rented properties. The cuts are said to ensure fairness in the property market, with the intention of creating a level playing field for investors and buyers, especially those who are purchasing their first homes. This said, the impact on profits made by landlords could see them sell up, and a flood of buy-to-lets could be sold in haste to avoid the new rules, resulting in less available rental properties. It is safe to say that the recent announcement will encourage a hike in rental costs and landlords may sell up to avoid the cuts. Rising numbers of tenants offset with a lower amount of properties can only mean that a rise in rental fees is imminent.

Peter Bartley, director at Bradley Hall

Buy-to-let landlords across Britain have been hit with a significant cut in tax relief as part of the 2015 summer Budget but what does this mean for the North East property market?

The rate of introduction over four years will help landlords and future landlords plan their approach, and those planning to purchase such properties will have to factor the new rules and guidelines into their calculations.

For further information, please visit www.bradleyhall.co.uk or call the Gosforth office on 0191 284 2255

UNW helps house builder grow sales to £40M with finance director find

AMILY-RUN house builder Cussins is fuelled to grow its business almost six-fold to £40m in the next four years after business advisers UNW helped find a new face to add to its expanding senior management team. Northumberland-based Cussins’ new finance director Richard Lowry, who was introduced by UNW’s unique Strategic Talent division, shares the company ambition to grow turnover from £7m currently to £40m in 2019. Rather than using a traditional recruitment consultant, fourth generation family business Cussins, which has a long standing relationship with UNW as a tax and audit client, called on the Newcastle-based firm’s unique new Strategic Talent advisory team, and the firm’s deep understanding of its business, when it needed to further bolster its leadership. Cussins chief executive Jabin Cussins said: “UNW’s energy and enthusiasm proved key, not only in building a high quality short list of candidates but, crucially, in identifying those that they felt would work well with our team and thrive in a fast-growing business.” UNW took on two former senior managers, with 25 years’ executive search experience within the region between them, from global

recruitment specialist Nigel Wright at the beginning of this year to lead the new Strategic Talent team, a unique move in the North-East professional services sector. UNW head of Strategic Talent advisory services Peter Neal said: “Richard’s appointment is a great example of how UNW is helping both new and long standing clients, who are planning for or delivering growth, to build backable boards and is providing a more value adding alternative to traditional executive search.”

As well as Cussins’ new finance director, the team has already facilitated several board appointments including: introducing a managing director to a high profile engineering business after it was bought out; putting a chief finance officer into a multi-site retailer as part of a five-year exit strategy for its owners; placing a commercial director into a growing healthcare service provider and finding a chair and trustees for two regional charities as part of their governance development.

PROPERTY INSIGHT

Making the Wright choice when it comes to your letting agent… i, Kerrie Dixon from Wright Residential, an independent property management agency on Chillingham Road, Heaton. Today I want to talk about something that has been getting a bit of media attention and is especially close to our hearts at Wright. It’s recently been found that an agent was caught adding a 33% commission fee on the cost of a light fitting – with the landlord being charged over £500 compared to the £412.50 the agent was billed. If you receive a charge for repair work, don’t be scared to ask your agent to see an invoice. They should provide you with a copy no problem; if they don’t however, there’s probably a reason… All agents charge a management fee – again, a perfectly normal thing to see. This is to cover the costs of their work (paying staff etc), such as in the case of our light fitting friends. However, by adding a commission they have essentially charged their clients twice, leaving a sour taste in the mouth of any landlord. Imagine that happening in Tesco, paying extra for someone to pack your bags, for example. My guess is you wouldn’t be too pleased! Luckily, neither was the landlord in question who promptly questioned the costs.

Because of this, the residential landlords association launched a survey into letting agent fees charged on repairs. One of the questions – ‘If you use an agent to manage your properties, do you know how much ‘commission’ you are being charged?’ As I mentioned earlier, the costs of organising repairs should be covered in the agent’s management fees. It won’t cover the cost of the work charged by a labourer, but, if you pay a fee for full management and included is “organising repairs where required” or similar, then why should you pay them extra for doing their job? That’s why at Wright Residential, we won’t charge commission on any costs or repairs, nor will you receive any hidden or surprise costs. This means what we pay is what you pay, and we will always provide the invoice to the landlord to prove this. We believe in honesty with all of our clients, it helps build trust, and with trust comes long lasting relationships, which we much prefer to making a quick buck! So, if you have a property that you are looking to let, give us a call at Wright Residential on 0191 240 1818 to find out how we can help, or, visit www.wrightresidential.co.uk to find out more about our services.

Kerrie Dixon

Claims against residential landlords for failure to protect deposits

Rosie Kiley

here private landlords receive a deposit from their tenant for Assured Shorthold Tenancy agreements entered into after 6 April 2007, they are legally required to pay the deposit into a government authorised deposit scheme within 30 days of receipt. Not only must the landlord protect the deposit, but must also serve the scheme provider’s ‘prescribed information’ on the tenant to allow the tenant to read and agree to the terms of the scheme. Ideally, the landlord will receive a signed copy of the prescribed information back from the tenant which will help to prove it has been served. Failure to carry out the above steps may lead to a claim by the tenant for non-compliance with the requirement set out in the Housing Act 2004. The penalty would be for the return of the deposit to the tenant, plus compensation up to three times the value of the deposit. This means the tenant could secure a county court judgment against their landlord of up to four times the value of the deposit, simply for their failure to protect and/or serve the prescribed information about the scheme on the tenant. It is not necessarily sufficient for a landlord to argue that a letting agent was instructed to deal with this aspect of the tenancy arrangement, as the Housing Act 2004 states that the court must order the landlord to pay the compensation.

A further problem arises where the period within the Assured Shorthold Tenancy comes to an end and the landlord and tenant agree to continue with the tenancy agreement. Unless a new tenancy agreement is entered into, the court will deem the Assured Shorthold Tenancy as ended, and the tenant will occupy the property under what is known as a ‘periodic tenancy’. The period of tenancy will be based on the frequency of the contractual rent, ie, monthly rent creates a monthly periodic tenancy. It is at the point where the Assured Shorthold Tenancy ends and the periodic tenancy arises that the court decided in the cases of Superstrike Ltd v Rodrigues (2013) and Gardner v McCusker (2014) that the landlord must re-protect the deposit and re-serve the prescribed information from the scheme provider on the tenant. This is regardless of whether the previous Assured Shorthold Tenancy was entered before or after 6 April 2007. Landlords and tenants alike should also be aware of a further important sanction for the landlord’s failure to protect the deposit and/ or serve the prescribed information: that the landlord is unable to serve a valid Section 21 Notice Seeking Possession on the tenant if the deposit has not been protected and/or the prescribed information has not been served.

If you would like further information regarding Landlord and Tenant disputes or re-protecting a lettings deposit please contact our Dispute Resolution team at your local BHP office in Newcastle, Darlington, Durham or Stockton in Teesside, or call 0800 590 019 now for some initial advice.

MEDIA INSIGHT

Ask Silver Bullet John Dias, Managing Director of Silver Bullet

“Why did Thomas Cook receive such bad press in June and what could they have done to prevent this?”

The end of May and start of June brought us a rich variety of news stories to help us forget the Election result. Sepp Blatter was doing his own thing and there’s no space here to say what a fine job he was doing to install public trust in his organisation, but there also was the Thomas Cook affair that demonstrated how organisations shouldn’t react in the face of a potential PR crisis. For those not familiar with the case, the Thomas Cook PR disaster started with the tragic deaths of Wakefield siblings, Christi and Bobby Shepherd from carbon monoxide poisoning from a faulty boiler in their Greek holiday apartment in 2006. A Greek criminal case found two Thomas Cook employees not guilty in 2010, but at a UK inquest in May a verdict of unlawful killing was returned and it was concluded that Thomas Cook had “breached its duty of care”. Thomas Cook hadn’t helped themselves by distancing themselves from the victims’ family, presumably on legal advice, but, up to this point, the story, whilst damaging to the company’s reputation, is still controllable but what happened next flushed this same reputation down the toilet… Any tragedy involving young people evokes strong emotions so when Peter Fankhauser, Chief Executive at Thomas Cook since November 2014, said, “…there’s no need to apologise because there was no wrongdoing by Thomas Cook.”,

the proverbial hit the fan, not only on social media but also in mainstream media where he was judged heartless and almost inhuman in his apparent ignorance of the suffering of the childrens’ parents. The already damaging situation was compounded by the emergence that Thomas Cook had actually received some £1.5m compensation from a settlement in 2014 with the hotel group whilst the parents of the Shepherd children were awarded just £350,000 in compensation. Public opinion rapidly turned against Thomas Cook who exacerbated the situation with two more clangers. Firstly by attempting to apologise at last to the parents by writing to them yet the first the parents heard of this was from reporters covering the case – the news of the letter had been leaked to them before it reached the parents. In a final attempt to create good PR the company then announced it was donating the £1.5m compensation, which, you may recall, it had been sitting on for over 12 months, to Unicef. Neither the public nor the media were fooled and the firms’ reputation, and share price, nose dived.

What should the company have done? Nothing could bring back Christi and Bobby Shepherd but there was no attempt to empathise with their grieving parents and become human, decent and at least, courteous. The perception to

the public was that this was a classic case where the lawyers and the suits controlled the company – say nothing and admit less seemed to be the mantra. The Unicef donation was universally seen as too little too late – why wasn’t it given to the parents straight away and why couldn’t the company meet, sympathise and help the parents right from the start rather than hiding behind silence and their lawyers.

Finally, why couldn’t they just apologise? So what we’re left with is a tragic but classic case of what happens when an organisation loses the ability to empathise with their customers and concentrates on a risk aversive course rather than admitting their faults and trying to rectify these. Remember, the lawyers will always advise the most cautious approach that is possible but they’re going get paid whatever their clients do - sometimes organisations have to shoulder their responsibilities and humbly apologise. Compare Thomas Cook’s reactions to those of Merlin Entertainments who admitted full responsibility for the rollercoaster crash at Alton Towers later in early June and have played an almost faultless game in dealing with the fallout, co-operating with the victims at every turn and with the HSE. TV grillings of Chief Executive, Nick Varney, even worked to their advantage with his open admissions of not knowing exactly what had gone wrong but admitting liability.

After reading this, ask yourself whether you have a Crisis Management plan in place? Do you need some help in creating one or have another PR or marketing challenge we can help with? Talk to us. Email your questions anonymously to us today hello@ silverbulletmarketing.co.uk or Tweet us (not so anonymously) @SilverBulletPR and use the hash tag #AskSB

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MEDIA INSIGHT Jackie Marston, Managing Director of JAM Marketing

Happy Talking, Talking, Happy Talk… The importance of interviewing I

f I were to ask you the best way of getting information from someone what would you reply? Email? Phone call? Carrier Pigeon? Surprisingly there are no wrong answers here, well apart from maybe the pigeon! The absolute best and only real way to get information from anyone is to talk to them and ask them questions. This could be face to face, via an email or over the phone - the most common method of interviewing in today’s lifestyle where time is money. Although a journalistic staple, interviewing is also vital for us in the marketing business. It allows us to gain initial information about a client - what makes them tick and more about their company which allows the basis of press releases and editorials. But what exactly makes a good interviewer? What is it that gets the best information and quotes from an interviewee? The first thing to keep in mind are your five ‘W’s. Who, What, Where, Why and When as well as how. Considering these before speaking to your interviewee will give you the skeleton on which to

build the muscle of the interview, the questions. Now you know roughly what you wish to find out about the interviewee, it’s time to create your questions. There are two types of questioning open and closed. Closed questioning is any which can only result in a yes or no answer. These are typically used by journalists to pin down a subject and push for a denial or confirmation. Not the greatest idea when trying to find out as much as possible! Instead opt for the open questioning, those which are based around the five ‘W’s. For example, instead of asking ‘have you been in business more than a year?’ ask ‘how long have you been in business? Open questioning will also allow for elaboration from the interviewee, potentially giving you more information than you initially expected. That in conjunction with not being afraid to branch away from your initial list of questions - a practice known as semi-structured interviewing - and you should be able to get the best information, and more of it to boot! On the subject of interview structures, avoid at your peril the set in stone fully structured

interview. With this approach, you limit the amount of information you will be able to get. This is writing questions down and sticking religiously to those questions without deviation, asking them one after the other. This is the approach taken by many inexperienced writers and usually gets ironed out with experience. There is another structure in which no questions are written and are asked off the cuff. It’s a method that isn’t used in marketing as it could be seen as bad preparation. It’s only used by journalists in the field, who are reacting on scene to a breaking story. Last and but by no means least - do your research! Knowing about the company or person you are about to talk to gives you an air of authority and professionalism and that you know your stuff. Even something as simple as referencing facts in your questioning can get the interviewee on side. As far as business and marketing interviewing goes, the moral of the story is know what you want. Going into an interview knowing what you need to know can be a big advantage. It allows you to find out what you want to know while leaving scope for more information.

If you have any queries you can call our office on 0845 900 2127 or email info@jam-marketing.co.uk. Jackie Marston is Managing Director of Jam Marketing

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MEDIA INSIGHT

Is it ever right to say the wrong thing? Christian Cerisola, Director of Glue PR

Christian Cerisola, director at new communications agency, GluePR assesses when the time is right to court controversy.

All PR is good PR. It’s a common phrase many in business will hear if you’re trying to generate awareness of your company’s product or service. It’s not one I wholeheartedly agree with and, in fact, wince more often than not when seeing some poorly executed attempts at grabbing the headlines. However, there is one company that I always look towards as one of the finest exponents of seizing the agenda and generating interest, conversation and, lets be frank, no little controversy. Paddy Power was in the news again recently when it liveried an HGV truck and drove it to the port in Dover at the height of the strike, a period that highlighted the desperate struggles of migrants trying to reach these shores. ‘Immigrants, jump in the back! (but only if you’re good at sport)’ it yelled. It carried images of Jamaican-born England footballer Raheem Sterling, Mo Farah, originally from Somalia, Samoa-origin England rugby player Manu Tuilagi and England cricketer Eoin Morgan, who is from Ireland. It also carried an image of Andy Murray in reference to the long-running joke of him ‘being British, but only when we want him to be British,’ according to the Paddy Power spokesman. The stunt generated widespread publicity across most of the national press, countless other online news outlets and, you wont be surprised to hear, thousands of retweets, shares and comments which rumbled on for days across social media. Of course, not all of this was positive. In fact, not much of it was. Crass and insensitive were

two of the kinder terms used to describe the stunt. Paddy Power’s self-styled mischief team dismissed the criticisms, labeling the stunt as ‘a bit of craic, a bit of fun.’ But this is a ‘mischief team’ operating for an online betting operation. They’re not selling smart business solutions to other businesses, or well-packaged meal deals to affluent couples on Valentines Day. You sense they’re a team who knows exactly where its core target market is and, for a large majority of that target market, ‘the craic’ is exactly what they’re after. Paddy Power understands its target market brilliantly. In their case, its quite clear that the negativity around what can be some very nearthe-knuckle ambush marketing campaigns has only positive business benefits. If it didn’t work, they wouldn’t keep doing it again and again. They do an incredible job of hijacking the media magnifying glass in many high profile situations and getting a little glare onto their own brand. Google Paddy Power rainforest ad to see

the reaction they generated around a doctored picture they released ahead of the World Cup in Brazil last year. Or take a look at the embarrassing climb down organisers of the London Olympics had to make in their failed attempt to force Paddy Power to remove ads which claimed they were official sponsors of ‘the biggest athletics event in London this year.’ Paddy Power had organised sponsorship of an athletics event taking place in the tiny village of London, France that same year. The resulting legal battle won Paddy Power more headlines than they could ever have hoped for. We don’t all have the budgets of a major national betting company, but a photoshopped image or an ad on the side of a truck is something well within the reaches of many. Their brilliance comes in the impact and influence that has on their target market. The identification of their target market is one thing they rarely discuss, but you imagine is always front and centre when they decide its time to create some waves.

WHEN IT COMES TO MARKETING & PUBLIC RELATIONS WE’RE LIKE A DOG WITH A PHONE!

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MEDIA INSIGHT

Made to Measure: Why PR campaigns need planning and evaluation Sarah Hall

Ask around and the reasons why will often be the same: client disinterest, lack of budget, scarce resource, limited knowledge or plain old laziness. Some will still be measuring with Advertising Equivalent Values (AEVs) and think that’s enough. None of these are reasonable excuses for failing to report the outcomes of PR campaigns. Measuring solely to justify the PR budget is equally unacceptable. Practitioners need to demonstrate the value of campaign activity and how it helps businesses achieve their commercial objectives if PR is to step up as a profession and thrive. PR’s credibility and influence will only be widely accepted once we can prove its contribution to strategic business decisionmaking and organisational success. Good measurement is also an indicator of how good a practitioner you actually are.

what messages have gone out and their degree of exposure and audience reach. This quantitative way of measuring has traditionally been supported by a qualitative approach to out-takes. Surveys of target audiences, search volume trends and sentiment analysis all being good examples of gauging how much an audience has been made aware of a message, understood and retained it. Analysing outcomes requires a significant and longer-term change in approach because this relates to the degree to which a campaign has changed audience opinion, behaviour or attitudes. There’s no arguing with the value that comes from understanding the impact on target audiences, from awareness and recognition right through to recommendations and purchasing habits. The analysis enables you to inform the PR programme and is also a language that is understood by those outside the PR team, such as members of the Board.

Outcomes over outputs

Business results trump outputs every time

The biggest shift that has taken place within measurement and evaluation is a move from reporting outputs and out-takes to outcomes. Outputs, from media evaluation and web analytics to numbers of people attending an event, have always been an easy way to record

While the better PR practitioners demonstrate outcomes within their measurement and evaluation, the best ones take it a step further and feature business results within their reports. Communications campaigns help to deliver an organisation’s commercial goals and those

t’s a fact that the majority of PR practitioners still don’t measure and evaluate well.

wanting to prove PR’s worth – and their own know this. The key is to establish clear links between organisational objectives and PR outcomes so that everyone can understand how PR has helped the company achieve what it set out to. From revenue/turnover and market share to employee retention, analysis should display how PR has played its part.

Help is available There is lots of advice and training available if you need help with measurement and evaluation. As a starting point, every practitioner should be familiar with AMEC’s guidance on Measuring the True Value of Public Relations. Both the PRCA and Chartered Institute of Public Relations offer training and guidance on best practice. Even so, beware introducing new metrics without wider buy in. How the Board measures performance and what its members define as success versus organisational objectives is key to how PR measurement is framed. PR practitioners must work closely with the management team and have an in depth understanding of the organisation’s business plan. Ensuring PR campaigns are aligned to this and agreeing appropriate evaluation techniques will bring the greatest success all round.

Sarah Hall is Managing Director of Sarah Hall Consulting Limited. For more information visit www.sarahhallconsulting.co.uk or follow her on twitter @hallmeister

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ÂŁ10,000,000 WORTH OF COVERAGE AND COUNTING - THAT'S WHAT SORTED PR ACHIEVED LAST YEAR. That's local, regional, national and international press - print, broadcast and online. We don't just talk a good game - we deliver the goods. We work in leisure and hospitality, in education, with charities, with premier league football clubs, with festivals and events, in green energy and in retail to name just a few. If you want to a company who can show you their success then get in touch - we're there when it counts. Telephone: 0191 265 6111 | Email: bernice@sortedpr.com

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TECHNOLOGY INSIGHT L-R: Garry Sheriff, managing director at ITPS; Michael Jopling, finance director at ITPS at the company’s latest data centre.

Your cloud, your choice G

arry Sheriff, managing director of data centre experts ITPS, explains why cloud is still very much a hot topic in business circles. If you listened to the hype around cloud you might think it was new, but here at ITPS we have been implementing successful cloud infrastructures for over a decade. Cloud simply means IT services delivered via the internet. There are so many options you can create your cloud, your way, so don’t fall into the trap of thinking you must decide between public and private cloud. Choose a tailored model that will deliver the right results for your business, and you could be looking at increased efficiency, flexibility and security, and in many cases a decrease in costs. Broadly, cloud allows for the following:

You pay only for what you use – Instead of the cost of maintaining an infrastructure designed to cope with peak demand, cloud pricing works on a pay as you go model with pre-agreed credit limits that keep costs under control. Improved resilience and security - your data is in the cloud so no need to worry about lost or damaged devices. Everything as a service – infrastructure, platform, software, disaster recovery and unified communications can all be provided as a service, just like any other business utility.

Part or all of your infrastructure can live outside your organisation – you choose. A virtual private data centre solution means your infrastructure is independent of physical server requirements, delivering more flexibility and simpler management. Increased flexibility – gives you instant extra bandwidth as and when you need it, for instance to spin up new virtual servers to test applications in a live environment without affecting service. So how do you make the right choice for your business? A good data centre partner will guide you through the options, but here’s a quick overview.

Private cloud: this can be on or off-premise, dedicated to your organisation, running over your own IT infrastructure. Public cloud: this describes off-premise IT capabilities or applications, provided by other parties and shared between multiple organisations, using high tech tools to keep your data separate and secure. Hybrid cloud: a computing environment that uses a combination of private, public, on and off-premise cloud services. Applications and data move seamlessly, according to where the computing power is required. Public cloud services can be deployed in a private cloud model.

Connectivity: Whichever cloud model you choose, make sure your IT partner has a fast, high capacity connectivity backbone in place, preferably 10G, to give a big enough pipeline to deliver a quality cloud service. To give you a couple of examples, client A might opt to hold their business critical applications on their own servers on premise and locate other less critical functions at our three ISO27001-certified data centres; while client B might choose to rent servers in our data centres and hold all applications and data there. In both cases the systems, applications and data can be securely backed up to our data centres, allowing clients to specify recovery point objectives (RPO) and recovery time objectives (RTO). RPO means the client deciding on the time lapse between backups, and the amount of data that could be lost between those backups, while RTO is the maximum period they are prepared to live without access to systems and data, without damage to the business. For instance organisations such as banks and emergency services often opt for zero RPO and RTO, as a loss of services and data would be catastrophic. That’s a very quick and simple overview of cloud. If you are still uncertain about what it can bring to your business, give us a call and we will help you create a model that is right for your needs.

For more information visit www.itps.co.uk, email contact@itps.co.uk or tel: (0191) 442 8300

TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Ambitious Calibre recruits to support growth

north east IT firm has launched a new recruitment drive to meet growing demand for its expertise and services, particularly in the education sector. Newcastle-based Calibre Secured Networks Ltd is looking to bring on board additional system engineers and a business development specialist. The news comes as the ambitious firm finalises several new deals to provide local schools with the latest BYOD IT and support services and is the latest step in a three year strategy to boost growth and revenue. Currently employing 10 full and part-time staff, new engineering resources will boost the

firm’s operational capacity, providing additional technical and support for installations at St Aidan’s Catholic Academy, Dubmire Primary School, Washington School and other sites. Outside of education, the company works across the UK and Europe for clients who include Sage UK and Ireland and G4S. Calibre’s managing director Karen Nelson said: “We have the skills available to spearhead expansion as the economy improves further and more and more schools look to improve their IT provision.” She added that Calibre will continue to support its talented team nurturing a new

generation of young, highly skilled people within the regional IT industry based at the new office. “The North East is a hot-spot for emerging talent and we are actively helping to deliver the skills our people need to be at the heart of delivering a pulsating regional IT economy.” Calibre provides ICT solutions, working across the UK and Europe with clients building long-term strategic relationships to deliver added value solutions, which provide lasting user benefits. This includes services and solutions, which enable schools, local government organisations and companies to maximise their return on investment through the deployment of technology to meet their business challenges.

Banking giant appoints Scott Logic to help transform its digital footprint

ACCOUNTANTS SHOW ARTS CENTRE THE SILVER LINING TO NEW CLOUD SOFTWARE

North East Engineers off to compete in Japan

A major player in the world of banking has chosen Scott Logic to be its digital transformation partner. Scott Logic was awarded the contract by RBS as it reviews its digital strategy for 2015 and beyond. A skilled team from Scott Logic will work collaboratively with RBS teams to ensure that innovative web development and open source technology are at the heart of this initiative. David Tuck, Sales Director at Scott Logic said: “We’re delighted to have established multiple Agile software delivery teams working across RBS and we look forward to the results of our ongoing collaboration.”

Vibrant arts centre, Alnwick Playhouse Trust, is saving time and money with new cloud software introduced to them by accountants at Tait Walker. Tait Walker recommended a selection of software that would help the not-for-profit cultural charity manage their finances quickly, easily and with the flexibility of working wherever they are. The team directed the charity towards online accounting software XERO, a product which was developed in New Zealand and allows users to log in online anytime, anywhere and on any device.

Ready to reduce costs and achieve more from your IT spend?

Four north east hopefuls have beaten off competition from fellow employees and suppliers and booked their places to compete in Japan. Kris Malloy, David Anderson, David Taylor and Richard Taylor, all employees of leading excavator manufacturer Komatsu UK Ltd, are gearing themselves up for a trip to Japan, following their success at the recently held Komatsu UK Technology Olympics. Komatsu’s Tracey Wilson, Senior Human Resources Manager said: “All four competitors will further improve their skills and learn new techniques which they will bring back and pass on to colleagues in the UK.”

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TECHNOLOGY INSIGHT

Fusion Hive offers a new opportunity for enterprise by David Roberts

new development managed by Teesside University is to help accelerate the growth of the Tees Valley’s digital economy. Fusion Hive, an impressive business and innovation centre, has been built on Stockton’s Northshore specifically for new and growing digital and technology companies to provide them with the best opportunities for growth. The facility will equip tenants with hightech modern workspace, along with access to the University’s established business networks, expertise and innovation services.

(ERDF), enabling the development to go ahead. The development is being led by Muse Developments, with the physical build of Fusion Hive carried out by Esh Build, part of the Esh Group. Fusion Hive is a three-storey, 36,000 ft2 facility offering flexible working spaces for around 60 small and medium sized enterprises in the digital and scientific sectors. Innovative open spaces for collaborative working will help like-minded businesses to interact, network and work together.

It has been developed in conjunction with Stockton Borough Council, who will provide opportunities for potential rates relief and access to other forms of funding support.

Laura Woods, Director of The Forge – Teesside University’s new business hub – says, ‘We have helped some of the region’s most exciting and successful businesses to grow. Fusion Hive represents a fantastic opportunity to grow our portfolio of services.

Fusion Hive is being built on land owned by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), which has invested nearly £3million in the project. This HCA funding has been matched by a similar investment from the European Regional Development Fund

‘Not only will SMEs at Fusion Hive benefit from a state-of the-art working environment but they’ll also have access to the University’s resources, knowledge base and talent and our proven expertise at helping companies to succeed.’

Stockton Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Transport, Councillor Mike Smith, adds, ‘This fantastic, modern facility in its enviable riverside location will offer small and medium sized businesses all the help and support they need to grow. ‘This area has a fine tradition in innovation and by providing high quality business accommodation like this, we can ensure that it continues for generations to come, and in exciting, rapidly developing fields such as digital and technology. ‘With its spectacular setting, University backing and opportunities to network with similar businesses, it’s hardly surprising that companies are already showing a strong interest in setting up home here.’ If you are a small or medium sized enterprise and are interested in joining the Fusion Hive visit fusionhive.co.uk or call 01642 384400 for further information.

Fusion Hive is a hub of innovation for ambitious technology companies. This exciting new build is set to redefine Stockton’s Northshore as a magnet for enterprise. Supported by Teesside University, and with unrivalled access to its expertise and networks, Fusion Hive offers three floors of optimum space and facilities to accommodate the needs of the most creative business. Competitive rent and payment arrangements • Easy in, easy out terms High-performing ICT with 24-hour support • Business rate relief for technology based companies* (*up to £50k pa for qualifying businesses)

FUSION HIVE Be part of the hive, visit us at: www.fusionhive.co.uk 68

MOTORS INSIGHT

Behind the wheel of the AUDI TT by Bob Arora I

can't believe the TT was launched in 1988, 17 years agoâ&#x20AC;Śand it was a total sales phenomenon. Dealers had waiting lists and cars were selling for premiums. The car was basically a Golf GTi with some radical styling and it didn't cost the earth to own, so in hindsight it's not a surprise Audi had a real cash-cow on its hands.

you either changed down a gear. Even though the car is very quick indeed the economy was brilliant and I found myself wondering if the fuel display was actually working. The 2.0lt engine has a top speed of 155mph and it gets to 60mph in six seconds. Most owners should expect to average over 38mpg. The Diesel engine trumps the petrol engine's figures with a top speed of 150mph and it also gets to 60mph in 7.1 seconds. Its trump card has to be its amazing fuel consumption, most owners should easily get 57mpg. The rear seats are ok for either short journeys or for young children and the boot is absolutely fine for the supermarket run. One thing that initially shocked me was the TT theme tune which always played every time the car was switched of it played a funny tune. The new TT is a very impressive vehicle, not only is it very sure footed to drive but its car interior sets the bar for its competitors. I am sure Audi have another winner on their hand with this brilliant car! Bob Arora

Having owned a few of the second generation TT's I can totally understand why they were so popular indeed. My 2lt petrol engine car was not only excellent on economy but it was such an easy and cool looking car to drive, and as they were always in demand, they really held their value too. It wasn't as focused to drive as a Cayman or Boxster but they were ideal for most drivers. This latest third generation TT isn't going to cause the same stir as the original in terms of styling but the shape has evolved like the Mini and the 911. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s much more fun to drive than ever before, the designers have used aluminium and steel extensively to reduce weight and this car is 100kg lighter than the outgoing model. Audi have cranked up the styling cues with razor style headlights, tapered bonnet lines and a single frame grill, all of which give the car a real sporty look and most people will be able to distinguish the second and third generation cars. It is the same length as the outgoing car but the wheelbase has grown by 37mm. The car is available in two trims either Sport & S Line as a two or four wheel drive or with a 6 speed manual or a 7 speed dual clutch auto box. All sport models have 18" alloys, xenon lights, led running

lights, dab radio and climate control as standard. The new LED headlights really are something else; not only do they illuminate the road ahead brilliantly, they also seem to be better for drivers on the opposite side of the road as well. The S Line models all get 19" alloys, deeper side skirts and unique bumpers as standard. The car is available with a choice of three engines; the most popular engines will be the 2lt Petrol or Diesel engines. As with all Audi's the interior is absolutely stunning and the TT is one of the best interiors to date. From the Bentley inspired diamond stitching on the seats the interior just oozes quality. The dash is dominated by a 12.3" screen, this not only has a traditional looking speedometer and rev counter but it also doubles up as a Sat Nav display with smaller speedo and rev counter dials. The phone, media and car settings are all also controlled via this screen. It can be a bit off putting at first but it soon becomes second nature. The optional technology package adds navigation with Google maps, music streaming and internet access. Apart from the digital dash my other favourite feature was the ventilation dials which also controlled the air speed, temperature and air flow. The dials next to the driver and passenger also controlled the heated seats. The car I drove had the optional Bang & Olufsen speakers which sounded absolutely amazing. As the car is much lighter it is also a lot more fun to drive around country roads and the beautiful RS4 style sporty steering wheel is an absolute joy to use. The engine sounded great with the exhaust rasping and popping every time

MOTORS INSIGHT

Benfield win ‘Dealer Group of the Year’ at national industry awards. Motor Dealer of the Year, Mark Squires, Chief Executive, Benfield Motor Group celebrates with their national industry award.

he North East’s largest independent Motor Group, Benfield has been voted the ‘Dealer group of the Year 2015’ in the UK’s Motor Trader Industry Awards, held in London. The national industry accolade caps an outstanding period for Benfield who have continued to expand their business through acquisition, organic growth and people development. The family business, founded in Newcastle in 1957, now has 30 dealerships across the North East of England, Yorkshire, Cumbria and South West Scotland, representing 12 car brands and employs over 1,500 staff. Annual turnover grew 13% to £700m for the year to 31 December 2014 and the group recently entered the Sunday Times Top Track 100 league table for the first time in the company’s history. Under Chief Executive Mark Squires, the

group has been investing heavily in its business and has continued its £20m capital investment programme to provide customers with new and improved customer services. Benfield recently opened a new-look £1m Volkswagen showroom in Newcastle and have invested in premium brands like Audi and volume players across its franchise portfolio including Ford, Nissan and Skoda. In 2014 Benfield opened a new £6.7m Audi dealership in Newcastle and a £5.7m Ford dealership in Sunderland and later this year plans to open a new £5.7m Audi dealership in Sunderland. Mark Squires, Chief Executive, Benfield, said, “We are absolutely delighted to be voted ‘Dealer Group of the Year’, the industry’s biggest accolade. “Whilst the scale of investment we are making in new facilities and the recent milestones in our results may be hitting the headlines, it is the fantastic team of people I have at Benfield who are to be celebrated and deserve the recognition

through this award. “We have something very special through our Be Benfield culture, the sincere efforts we make to give our customers a great experience and our passion to try and push the frontiers of motor retailing. I couldn’t be prouder to lead such a great team of people on what has been quite a journey in recent years”. Curtis Hutchinson, Editor, Motor Trader, said “Benfield continues to excel at a local level and is leading the way with ethical business practices at a national level, making it a worthy winner of the Dealer Group of the Year Award.”. Through the Benfield Charitable Trust, Benfield donates 5% of its operating profits to local and worthy causes, a factor commended by the Motor Trader Awards judges. The panel also praised Benfield’s successful brand identity initiative – Enjoy the Journey – which promotes the pleasures of car ownership.

Benfield is an independently owned family business which was founded in Newcastle in 1957 by John Squires Senior and developed by John Squires Junior the present Chairman. For further information contact Andy Naylor, PR Manager, on 07771 831 633.

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LEISURE NEWS

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Forth Banks restaurant has beaten its competition to claim city-wide acclaim for their cuisine. Sachins finest Punjabi cuisine has claimed first place in the Love N.E top Newcastle Indian Restaurant 2015 award after over 1700 people voting decided it was a cut above the rest – calling it “brilliant”, “absolutely fantastic and “so much more than a curry house.” Taking home the top spot after beating several other curry houses around Newcastle, it is the latest in a run of accolades for Sachins, who were nominated for chef of the year - North group in 2014’s English curry awards. Owner Neeta Arora has owned the restaurant with husband Bob since 2000 and says it is always an honour to receive credit: “We’re over the moon about being awarded the first place in the award and even happier about the comments we received. Right from taking over Sachins we wanted it to become known for our food being

not just a curry. We grind our own spices; make everything from fresh with the finest ingredients to ensure that each meal is individual. To see that recognised is a real source of pride for the whole team here at Sachins.” Sachins serves up dishes inspired by traditional Punjabi spices, therefore the spice grinders used in the kitchen are brought in from India especially. It was not just the food that received favourable reviews though, with the service afforded by the waiting staff, bar staff and even part owner Bob being praised as “seamless” in their presentation. Bob said: “We pride ourselves on getting the most dedicated, hard-working staff and the award just goes to show that it pays off and people do notice. After all, you’re only as good as the workforce you employ!”

CHRISTMAS AT THE CASTLE

ne of the North East’s best loved castles has Christmas all wrapped up with a programme of festive family events. Throughout December, Lumley Castle Hotel, Chester-le-Street, will be holding a series of Christmas lunches for visitors looking to celebrate the season in a suitably majestic setting. Anyone who books an event and pays in full before 31 August will also receive a 10 per cent discount. Those keen to kick start their Christmas

shopping are invited to the venue’s annual Christmas bazaars on 30 November and from 2 to 9 December, with mulled wine, carols and a variety of gifts on sale from local suppliers. Lumley Castle’s famous Elizabethan Banquets will also be held throughout the month, providing an alternative to office parties. Alternatively, partygoers can opt for one of Lumley Castle’s Casino Party Nights, on 12, 17, 18 and 23 December and try their hands at Black

It pays to advertise...

Jack, roulette and the wheel of fortune. The 73-bedroom venue will also serve a series of murder, mystery dinners, a series of tribute nights, and a traditional Christmas ceilidh. Lumley Castle’s Director of Sales, Nola Collinson said: “Lumley Castle is always magical at Christmas and this year looks set to be even better than ever.”

1996

...but you have to do it with the right people.

2015

THE MEDIA PLANNING & BUYING SPECIALISTS

www.mikelynchadvertising.co.uk

LEISURE NEWS

SUMMER IN THE CITY

A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN

Two, top Tyneside hotels are giving visitors the chance to spend summer in the city at a special rate between 26 July and 6 September. The New Northumbria and Grey Street Hotels in Newcastle are offering double rooms for just £75 per night, subject to availability. Grey Street Hotel is located in Newcastle’s city centre, while the New Northumbria is at the heart of Jesmond. Each hotel is including an early check in or late check out. In addition, guests at Grey Street Hotel can enjoy a free bottle of Prosecco, while New Northumbria is including a complimentary breakfast.

One Sunderland couple is proving to be a match made in heaven after winning a wedding at the Stadium of Light. Kay Lambert and Michael Storey will tie the knot for free in 2016 after scoring their big day in a regional competition. The happy couple will receive a daytime reception for up to 50 people, as well as an evening reception for up to 100. This includes a threecourse wedding breakfast, reception drink on arrival, wine to accompany the meal and toasts, an evening buffet and use of a DJ and disco for guests to dance the night away.

CATERING SUPPLIER BOOSTS KITCHEN DESIGN SERVICE WITH NEW APPOINTMENT

ANOTHER NATIONAL ACCOLADE FOR CAFÉ 21

A leading catering firm is taking its custom kitchen design to new heights by recruiting a specialist. Crosbys Catering Equipment has appointed John Clarke to the company as a project and design manager. John has 26 years of experience within the industry.

NORTH EAST HOTEL HONOURS MINING PAINTER One of the North East’s leading hotels is to rename a lounge in honour of one of the region’s best loved painters. Norman Cornish was one of the country’s most celebrated mining painters and now Ramside Hall Hotel is to rename its refurbished lounge the Cornish Lounge.

Newcastle restaurant waiter, Jamie Tones, has earned national recognition for his skills, winning the Annual Award of Excellence by the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts. Jamie is the latest among five members of staff at renowned restaurant Café 21 to win such recognition in recent years.

FOOD WITH A VIEW Diners at one of the North East’s most prestigious hotels can not only enjoy the finest food in the region but also one of the most spectacular views. Wynyard Hall Hotel and Spa, Tees Valley, has unveiled a Brasserie menu, served at the outdoor Terrace, overlooking acres of landscaped parkland.

Shouting louder than your budget will allow.

NEW SPA LAUNCHES WITH LIMITED EDITION PACKAGES The North East’s newest luxury spa has unveiled two special packages to allow visitors to enjoy its facilities during its first two months of opening. The Spa at Ramside will be opening its doors on August 1, the result of a multi-million pound investment at Ramside Hall hotel near Durham. The Arrive and Revive and Just a Perfect Day packages include a drink on arrival, full use of the spa facilities and a Pure Radiance ritual, along with a two course lunch in the Fusion restaurant and use of robes and flip flops.

A TASTE OF ITALY A menu of traditional Tuscan treats is on offer to diners. Chefs from Scalini’s at Gosforth and Jesmond have created contemporary versions of classic Italian dishes, which will be available throughout the summer. Within their established menus, the restaurants have re-introduced gnocchi dishes and extended their salad choice.

OODLES OF NOODLES HELP RESTAURANT WIN NATIONAL TITLE Wagamama, at intu Metrocentre, has been named the chain’s Restaurant of the Year and bosses put their success down to increased interest in Japanese cuisine and a growing awareness of a low fat diet. The restaurant won the award after exceeding its sales targets.

1996

2015

THE MEDIA PLANNING & BUYING SPECIALISTS

www.mikelynchadvertising.co.uk

LEISURE INSIGHT

Juice bar business plans expansion l-r: Emmie Brown; Alok Loomba; Anna Stevenson

A cold pressed juice bar which recently opened in Jesmond is already looking across the North East to find sites for further expansion. Clean & Press offers a range of raw juices and smoothies made from fresh ingredients, and boasts a unique menu comprising speciallydevised wellbeing drinks. It also serves healthy salads, wraps and snacks, as well as hot drinks. The venue, on the corner of Acorn Road and Osborne Road, has exceeded expectations in its first few weeks of business, and more Clean &

Press sites are now planned for around the region in the near future. Clean & Press is the latest venture from the JPG Group, which also owns the Sale Pepe restaurant on St George’s Terrace in Jesmond. The concept was devised by Nicky Peng Gillender, director of JPG Group, alongside Niyc Pidgeon - founder of wellbeing business Optimallyou – and then developed and brought to reality by the team at Clean & Press. Nicky said: “The idea first came during a trip

to Los Angeles last summer, where juicing plays a really big part in everyday life and using fresh raw ingredients is commonplace. I wanted to replicate that approach over here, so found this site and began Clean & Press. “The response has been amazing, we are drawing customers from across the region, and followers on social media from right across the world. All of our staff are very knowledgeable about our menus and make our entire selection of food and drinks themselves, so know exactly what is contained in them. That is a really important factor for customers in this day and age of processed food and drinks packed with preservatives. “Although we have only been trading for a short time, we are already looking for our second site, which ideally we would like to open this year.” Clean & Press was opened with legal support from Newcastle law firm Sintons. Alok Loomba, Partner in the real estate team, led the transaction. He said: “Clean & Press is the first venue of its kind in Jesmond, and has already proved extremely popular in its first few weeks in business. Nicky has identified a fast-developing trend for juicing as a means to improve health and wellbeing, and has devised a range of delicious juice and smoothie recipes accordingly. Sintons is pleased to have been able to support Nicky with this new venture.”

Lorelei to become Buddha Lounge following acquisition

Lorelei in Tynemouth, which has established a reputation as being one of the ‘go to’ bars and restaurants in the region, has been bought by Paul Johnstone and Carlo Giacomini, who have renamed the venue Buddha Lounge and are transforming it into an Asian-style restaurant. It is set to open in late July. Paul and Carlo are both well-known on the Tyneside leisure scene – Paul owns an array of property, including the Royal Hotel, Noir and Michelino’s in Whitley Bay, and Carlo, alongside his brother Fabio, has the Davanti restaurant chain and Ora bar in Tynemouth. Since buying the Royal Hotel three years ago, Paul and his wife Julie have invested significantly in acquiring and transforming their leisure venues, making them into high-quality locations with an emphasis on food. Their plans for the revamp of Lorelei echo what the couple have done elsewhere in their portfolio. Significant further investment is being made into Buddha Lounge to revamp the design of the interior, and a unique Buddha statue was commissioned for the venue which was designed and crafted by some of the UK’s leading sculptors.

Alok Loomba; Paul Johnstone

ne of Tyneside’s most talkedabout leisure venues is being transformed into a high-end Asian fusion restaurant after being bought by two North East hospitality entrepreneurs.

Paul, who previously founded the Newcastlebased Easilet letting agency, said: “Lorelei is a

beautiful venue which has become incredibly popular as a bar and restaurant alike, and we have big plans for it. Buddha Lounge will be a fantastic venue, and its food will be second to none. “We will be refreshing the whole interior, as well as changing the overall brand and theme, but the main difference will be the food, which will be very high-quality Asian fusion cuisine. There is nothing like it at the coast and it is a great project to be involved in. “Julie and I have built up a reputation for taking over venues which then go from strength to strength under our management. Together with Carlo, who himself operates a portfolio of very successful locations, we are pleased to become the new owners of this real gem of a place and are excited about the potential of Buddha Lounge.” The acquisition of Lorelei was handled by the specialist leisure team at Newcastle law firm Sintons, with the real estate and commercial work handled by Partners Alok Loomba and Adrian Dye respectively. Alok Loomba said: “Paul and Carlo are very well-regarded entrepreneurs in the leisure and hospitality sector, and both own a number of successful venues in their own right. The acquisition of Lorelei is a very significant transaction for the Tyneside leisure scene, and its impending transformation into Buddha Lounge is hugely exciting for Tynemouth and the coast.”

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LEISURE

INSIGHT

NEWCASTLE TO GET UK’S LARGEST CITY CENTRE MUSIC STORE Impression of the new showroom overlooking Grey Street.

ewcastle has long been known as a music hot spot, a favourite venue for artists to perform and a City that loves its music. Now one of the City’s iconic brands, JG Windows is expanding its Central Arcade store to the equivalent of 5 tennis courts, creating the largest City Centre music store in the UK . Rupert Bradbury, Managing Director, says, “JG Windows is known for their exceptional customer service and in depth staff knowledge on the wide range of products and brands that they supply. Our new store expansion will allow for an even wider range of products to be displayed and the creation of a new roles, the first of which is musical instrument manager, to oversee the huge new instrument floor.” Bradbury adds, ‘I’m very pleased to announce that Alex Cole will be taking up the new position, his wealth of experience, including many years at the Arcade store running the traditional instrument department will help him take the huge new instrument floor forward’. The world famous Central Arcade in the City is rightly acknowledged as one of Newcastle’s ‘Jewels’. Part of the Grey Street heritage area the buildings have grade 1 and grade 11 listing as places of historic value. JG Windows have been at the heart of the Central Arcade for over 100 years, since 1906 and the store will remain open to the public while the additional first floor showrooms are undergoing remodeling and fitting out.

A History of J.G. Windows Ltd James Gale (JG) Windows was born in 1870 in Cowley, Oxfordshire, the fourth son of a Police Inspector, Joseph and his wife, Fanny. In his late teens he moved to Newcastle, boarding in Elswick, whilst working as a Music Seller’s Assistant. He was married to Maud, also from Oxfordshire in 1896 and their first son Maurice, was born in Newcastle in 1898. By 1901 the family had moved to Heaton and James worked as a Piano Forte Dealer’s Assistant, In 1906 a second son, Hedley was born and in 1908 James opened his own shop in the Central Arcade, Newcastle selling music and musical instruments which is the current Newcastle store. In the early 1920’s, Maurice joined the company and opened a second music shop, which he ran, in Darlington. In 1925 the company

received its certificate of incorporation. By 1927, Hedley had also joined the company and ran the music department in the Newcastle shop for his father. James Gale Windows died in 1933, leaving his two sons to run the company. James Bowen Windows was born to Hedley and Marjorie Windows in January 1940. Both Maurice and Hedley fought during the war, along with a number of the Staff who they employed. James B. Windows joined the company in 1961, after training as a chartered accountant. James ran the company with his father right up to 2005. Hedley died in 1996 at the age of 90 having seen the name of J.G Windows grow into one of the most iconic and well known brands of the North East region.

In 2006 the company was purchased from the Windows family by three current/former employees and long-time associate. They have since driven the company forward opening a second branch in the MetroCentre in 2009 and a third in Darlington in 2011. J.G Windows is now 107 years old and is more popular today than ever before. This is down to their legendary customer service, exceptional staff knowledge and the wide range of products and brands they supply from Piccolo to Grand Piano, from DVD’s to digital drum kits. Over the last 107 years, the Central Arcade store has expanded several times but never on the scale it is doing now. It will end up the size of 5 tennis courts and become probably the largest music store in the UK.

LE TE AB RA L O VAI RP A O S C GE KA C PA

FUN FAIR ALL the fun of the fair came to St James’ Park, as VIP guests enjoyed a night of carnival-style entertainment. Around 300 guests rolled up for a preview of what is set to be the stadium’s most fabulous Christmas programme yet – and the chance to take part in sideshow favourites, from hook a duck to coconut shies. Throughout December, Sodexo Prestige Venues & Events is hosting a series of carnival party nights for groups of family members, friends and work colleagues. The carnival party nights form part of a packed programme of festive entertainment at the stadium. For further information call 0191 201 8525 or e-mail candb@nufc.co.uk

LEISURE INSIGHT

These are the Salad Days she told you to eat your greens! Now you have to learn to love them! Green leafy vegetables should be the foundation of every meal you eat (yes, even breakfast!)

Don’t Fear Fat Stay away from anything labelled “low fat”. Eat good quality fats derived from red meat, avocado, nuts, coconut and oils to build lean muscle mass and burn fat. Curb the Carbs

f you really want to clean up your act and tune up your body’s performance, no matter how active you are or how much time you spend in the weights room, you’re not going to get results unless you take a good honest look at what you’re putting into your body and make some fundamental changes. So what are my top tips for overhauling your diet?

Eat Protein Protein is often known as the body’s building blocks. Literally every function of your cells, organs and whole body is controlled by proteins. So eat lean, good quality protein with every meal. Even breakfast. Cut out the cereal and the toast. You’ll feel fuller for longer by eating protein too.

Go Green Your Mum knew what she was talking about when

Keep carb intake low and more importantly make the right choices of carb: they should come from vegetables, fruit and grains, not sweets, biscuits and processed foods.

Hit the Bottle Water bottle, that is! Use still mineral water; avoid tap and sparkling. Carry a water bottle with you everywhere. Not only will you look and feel better for drinking more water, but you’ll feel less hungry too. Glycogen (the body’s fuel stores) is made up of one part carbohydrate to four parts water so top up to keep fuelled up.

James Milburn, is owner and head trainer of James Milburn Training in Ponteland. He is an award-winning nutritionist, sports coach, lecturer and former UK athlete. James Milburn Training, 54 Merton Way, Ponteland, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE20 9SR. info@jamesmilburn.co.uk www. jamesmilburn.co.uk T: 01661 598 271

LEISURE INSIGHT

Health, well-being and luxury in the city Susan Hall

Mineral House is the new spa, pool and gymnasium within the luxurious Crowne Plaza Hotel. It will be an oasis of tranquility with an Asian inspired aesthetic. Mineral House opens in the City in late summer 2015. We spoke to Susan Hall, Spa and Leisure Manager, about plans and ideas for the spa of Newcastle’s largest hotel development for 10 years.

Q: What is your background? Have you been in the leisure industry for long? I started working in the industry while studying for my HND in hospitality and beauty therapy management in Newcastle College. After getting my qualifications I spent 18 months travelling. During that time I worked for Hilton Hotel in Cairns and Small salons in Australia. When I came back to Newcastle I joined Malmaison as the spa manager and worked there for around 12 years. During this time I managed a full refurbishment and supported the opening of Aberdeen Malmaison and Harrogate Hotel Du Vin. My latest employment was with Slaley Hall. I spent a year as their spa and leisure manager before joining Crowne Plaza.

Q: What are your career highlights? I’m very proud of my achievements with Malmaison Newcastle: while there I took the spa to The Beauty Awards and got nominated for The Caterer Awards two years running. Working at Slaley and managing a team of 30 was also very rewarding.

Q: What is Mineral House? Mineral House is health, wellness and luxury in the city. We will have a 10-metre feature pool, spa pool, steam room, gymnasium and three treatment rooms, one of which will offer luxury dual treatment experiences. The gymnasium will be fully equipped with the latest TECHNO GYM

machines and our personal trainers will be onhand to advise and train in dietary and fitness requirements.

Q: What are your aspirations for it? My aspirations are for the business to grow and for people to associate us with health, well-being and luxury. I am so excited to see where we will be this time next year.

Q: What type of treatments will you be offering? We will be offering holistic sensory and resultdriven treatments, dedicated exclusively to offering the client a true spa experience where the mind, body and spirit can be treated through a variety of sensations and specialised rituals with the very best products.

Q: What type of customer are you expecting to attract? We welcome all at Mineral House. It may be for a special occasion spa day, maintenance treatments or simply a chance to escape the office and city for a work out in the gym or an urban obstacle workout with a personal trainer.

Q: How is the recruitment process going? What kind of people are you looking for in your team? It’s going great. We have a fantastic range of applicants and are very close to deciding on the opening team. We are looking for personality, passion, knowledge and the desire to learn, grow and succeed with the business. Special rates memberships are now available.

Q: How is Mineral House going to be different from its competitors in the locum? There is nothing quite like us in the city centre. We will offer the whole wellness package, from holistic treatments to bespoke personal training. And of the course, the team we are looking to take on will be the icing on the protein cake. We also have exciting plans to use the city for urban obstacle training and a Run Station in the hotel will supply fresh fruit and towels along with a Newcastle City jog/run map of suggested routes for all running abilities.

Anyone interested in more information about Mineral House, its facilities and memberships should contact Susan Hall on 0191 230 1323 or susan.hall2@ihg.com

Café royal

This stylish café bistro in the historic heart of Newcastle offers all day dining in comfortable, social surroundings and beautiful Georgian architecture. From sumptuous breakfast and lunch menus to indulgent afternoon teas, our award-winning chefs lovingly prepare dishes with a contemporary twist, whilst our in-house bakery produce the freshest croissants, pastries and cakes. Whatever the hour, Café Royal is the place to be. Open from 7am to 6pm - Mon-Sat, 10am to 4pm - Sun.

www.sjf.co.uk 8, Nelson Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 5AW T: 0191 231 3000

y o j En

Plate Day Thousands flocked recently to the annual Northumberland Plate festival where Roger Charltons Quest for More took the honours in the showpiece event. High fashion was on show and the sun came out for the biggest event of the North East Racing calendar.

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LEISURE INSIGHT

The Copthorne is back on track by Michael Grahamslaw

s anyone in Newcastle will tell you, the Copthorne Hotel is situated on a prime site on the Quayside. Its positioning affords spectacular views of the River Tyne and its famous bridges. This 4-star hotel has 156 comfortable guest rooms, a swish Quay 7 restaurant and bar, a gymnasium and great panoramic views over the river.

The hotel used to be a firm family favourite of ours, but some years ago it rather fell off the radar for us since it’s heady days in the early years of the new millennium. The hotel was perceived to have had a lack of investment in modern times, and was felt in some ways to have diminished in its local reputation. In response, the insightful Millennium Hotels and Resorts Group looked to Ken Ellington, an old friend of mine, to return the hotel to its former glories and he has achieved this in spades. The hotel’s buzz is back again and is once more a force to be reckoned with. The “blood, sweat and tears” shed by Ken in this transformation has paid off handsomely and he and his staff are to be congratulated. As a result, and to show our support, Lisa and I chose it as a venue to celebrate our wedding anniversary. On our arrival, we were overwhelmed by possibly the cheeriest welcome we have ever had on Tyneside. A good start. We were shown to a super room overlooking the Quayside and just sat relaxing over a glass of fizz taking in the views and our sumptuous surroundings before going down to dinner. At the door, we were personally greeted by restaurant manager Paul who showed us to our table and assured us of his personal attention throughout the evening and we certainly weren’t disappointed. Over some more

bubbles, we examined the menu and made our choices. As calorie counting was definitely off our own personal menus for the evening, we tucked into a sharing platter of chicken wings, garlic bread, mushrooms and spare ribs before moving onto main courses of crusted salmon and fajitas. Simple, great tasting cuisine that ticked all the boxes for us. Feeling replete, happy and sleepy (in that order), we adjourned to the lounge for coffee and Cognac before surrendering to the irresistible arms of Morpheus for some solid “Zeds” in an extremely comfortable bed. A great end to a perfect day. The following morning, we had a look (a LOOK mind, just for information purposes, you understand) at the hotel’s new gymnasium which was already in full swing long before most folk in the town were awake. We passed on all the exertion, sweat and calorie expending and smirked all the way through an enormous full English breakfast. Oh yesssss! Two very happy and re-energised people headed home to look up another old business friend that has also risen from the ashes to put itself back on the map. We should never, ever overlook the fact that we have some very talented business people in our region and, like Ken, it’s their vision and acumen that keeps the beating heart of Newcastle vibrant and strong. Long may it continue.

For further information on all that is happening at the vibrant Copthorne Hotel, log onto www.millenniumhotels.co.uk/newcastle. (SatNav: NE1 3RT)

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The Hampton by Hilton Newcastle has welcomed 14,000 guests since it opened in March, and this month the hotel celebrated with its official launch party. Guests were joined by Mark Jenkins from Chanel 4’s The Hotel, the Mayor of Gateshead, colleagues, employees and residents from the region. Paolo Franchi, General Manager, said: “All of the hard work that has taken place since the plans were submitted, construction started and Team Hampton moved into the hotel, has really paid off. It was an absolute pleasure to be joined by local public figures, celebrities and corporate guests in what was such a successful night raising a glass to Newcastle’s newest hotel on the block.”

A time of reflection at Seaham Hall

INTERVIEW

Michael Grahamslaw meets Wendy Benson, Director of Sales at Seaham Hall

2. T he venue is always hugely popular for weddings. How have you evolved this aspect to the business in recent months? Our Wedding strategy has changed somewhat in recent years and our aim is to keep Weddings at Seaham Hall of an exclusive nature which is reflected in our pricing. As a boutique hotel we need to get the balance right to ensure we appeal to the luxury discerning traveller looking for an exclusive weekend retreat. 3. H ave you made any improvements to accommodation at the venue this year? We’ve seen an investment of over £2 million pounds in the last 18 months which has brought Seaham Hall back to its former glory. Our investment plans don’t stop there, a number of our suites have already undergone a complete make over and as part of the ongoing refurbishment plan, our remaining suites will all be completed over the coming months, and other new additions along the way including the new Vortex Meeting Room. 4. H as residential conferencing taken an increased emphasis within the business this year? Both residential conferencing, day meetings, events, incentives and team building have all taken an increased emphasis this year. As corporate spend continues to move in a positive direction, we are seeing more and more companies adding on and including team building activities into their conference and event programs. In order to stay ahead of our local and national competition, we have sourced a number of partners who are able to offer our clients something different. Our colleagues at Valley Adventures for example can make full use of our coastal location and take groups stand up paddle boarding on Seaham Hall Beach which is only a few hundred yards away from our Coastal Entrance. There’s such a vast choice of hotels in the region to choose from these days, but we find that City Centre corporate companies still see the benefits of getting out of the hustle and bustle of the city and spend some quality time in an inspirational coastal setting. We’ve embraced this trend and in September

Wendy Benson

1. H ow has the first half of 2015 gone at Seaham Hall? The first 6 months of 2015 have been very buoyant with significant growth seen across all areas of the business including accommodation, weddings, events, spa and membership.

will be launching The Vortex, a new concept in meeting spaces. The design takes its inspiration directly from the iconic water feature greeting guests at the front of the hotel, but also more abstractly from its location by the sea. A playful narrative references the movement of the water combined with a contemporary yet practical twist. This new innovate room is totally flexible so that our guests can enjoy unconventional meetings, private dining or film evenings all with the same high level of comfort and informality. 5. S eaham Hall is home to two excellent restaurants. What can diners look forward to? Seaham Hall is home to two award winning restaurants both of which have an emphasis and commitment to using only quality ingredients. Executive Head Chef, Simon Bolsover has created fabulous menus for both restaurants which we are both very inspiring with guests returning time and time again. Byron’s Bar & Grill is exactly that, a delicious grill, perfect for a scrumptious dinner for two or a convivial place for a group of friends to gather to enjoy great food delivered with warmth and a big dollop of panache. It’s also a fabulous spot in Durham to enjoy an afternoon tea and a catch up. In addition to it’ two AA Rosettes, Byron’s Bar and Grill recently scooped another accolade with the Taste Durham Awards, ranked among the top four per cent nationwide for quality. Ozone is our pan Asian restaurant located within the Serenity Spa offering authentic yet innovative menus in an informal atmosphere where you can enjoy wonderful cocktails, great food and fabulous views from the spherical wrap around outdoor terrace. We also have Chef’s Table in the Ozone where groups of up to eight guests

can enjoy a theatrical display of cooking in true Teppanyaki style! 6. T he Spa at Seaham Hall has long had international renown. How do you retain this benchmark of excellence? With so many Spa’s popping up both in the North East and on a national scope, it’s imperative that we keep ahead of our competition. We pride ourselves on the superb and envious facilities we already have, however we constantly strive to raise the bar. We like to be different, many Spas use the same branded products that can quite often be bought on the high street. We want to offer our guests something a bit more out of the ordinary. Our Spa Director, Davina Hassel has recently spent months researching new products and brands to help us achieve our inspiring goals. We have recently introduced ishga developed on the Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, creating the highest quality of natural ingredients provided by the purest Scottish seaweed. Combining hand harvested seaweed with natural spring water, the resulting mineral rich extract is then blended with other carefully selected organic ingredients and essential oils to create the seaweed skincare range which we now use as part of our ishga range of treatments and retail products. Our other new arrivals include Ytsara and Sundari both of which have been developed exclusively for high-end resorts catering to guests with a discerning appetite for beauty and excellence, coupled with their quest for a truly unique global spa experience. Of course our products are only part of our Spa experience. To ensure that we retain our award winning reputation, we are constantly training our therapists on all of our latest brands and treatment practices as well as monitoring our performance by carrying out our own audits, but also using skilled, knowledgeable industry experts such as the Good Spa Guide who regularly send their Spa Spies to us and of course give us constructive feedback on every aspect of their visit and their experience. 7. W hat are the Hotels plans for the following 6-12 months? Our plans for the next 6-12 months are very much focused on our on-going, investment, training and further development of the hotel and spa and by doing so, securing our position in the National and International market place as one of the top leading 5 star luxury boutique hotels in the UK.

LEISURE INSIGHT

A ‘Relentless’ future in corporate and event management Main Pic: Steve Wraith. Inset: Daniel Cox

ased in the beating heart of Newcastle, Relentless Promotions continually deliver the very best sporting and music events across the UK and Internationally. Our expertise and measured approach is both envied and unparalleled leaving Relentless Promotions as the clear forerunner across our respective marketplaces not only in sports and music but also working with companies across the region to provide conference and event management. We want to be considered to fit in with the bespoke, hospitality needs of local businesses. Formed in December 2014 Relentless Promotions amalgamated a mixture of sporting endeavours, musical prowess and corporate events and made a professional platform that will be, and is, the envy of many – and with the central location on Collingwood Street just off from the Central Railway Station, they are perfectly placed to meet the demands. The company, a joining of the minds of Steve Wraith’s Wraith Promotions and Danny Cox’s Precision Sports Management, combined for a one-of-a-kind powerhouse in the events world. Now, working with individuals and businesses at the highest level of mainstream sport and entertainment and with a strong media buy-in department where advertising opportunities are

available at the highest level in television, Wraith and Cox have what it takes to succeed, long-term, in the cut-throat business world. “We’ve got some big plans moving forward with a lot of music, sports and after dinner events, more so as this year progresses,” said Steve Wraith. “Now we are hoping that relationships we’ve built up continue to not only blossom, but create further opportunities for us and our clients.” One of those long-term clients is Newcastle’s Grosvenor Casino who have sponsored and hosted a large number of events over the past five years and played major roles in the arrival of Matchroom Sports to the area, and the upcoming International Darts Classic next month. Having worked together with the biggest names in sports and music added Danny Cox: “This type of venture is the best thing that has happened to the region, and the sports & entertainment industries. “Not only in recent memory but also going forward and, with what we have done before; Gascoigne and Shearer, Holyfield and Tyson, Taylor and Anderson, the list is endless, and what we have going forward – we can make your corporate needs a perfect reality, a relentless reality.”

To contact Relentless Promotions visit www.relentlesspromotions.co.uk, telephone 0191 2299618 or email info@relentlesspromotions.co.uk

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