Contact magazine - December 2015-January 2016

Celebrating 200 years of North East business

DECEMBER 2015-JANUARY 2016

Raising the bar

Toby Hedworth QC on a life in crime

Magic wand

Council chief exec Gill Alexander’s wizardry in the face of austerity

necc.co.uk - necontact.co.uk

WINNING FORM

Rockliffe’s footballing leader’s drive for goals

PROFILE

BACK TO THE FUTURE

Paul Smith: The head of accelerator Ignite on firing up business SPECIAL FOCUS: ACCESS TO FINANCE PLUS: FOCUS ON RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING

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The North East Chamber of Commerce (NECC) is producing a special limited edition publication showcasing the past, present and future of North East business. It looks back at the last 200 years, celebrates the Chamber’s landmark bicentenary year and looks forward to a bright and successful business future for the region.

Pre-order your copy for £20+VAT. Order today as limited copies available.

0300 303 6322 enquiries@necc.co.uk www.necc.co.uk/NECC200book @NEChamber /NorthEastChamber

NECC200 PATRONS

Welcome...

Welcome to the latest edition of Contact, which includes inspiring profiles of businesspeople such as Paul Smith, who features on our cover, who are driving the business success of the region.

But our positive news is reported under the shadow of the closure of the SSI steelworks at Redcar. Here in the south of the region, our economic foundations were forged in spark-filled steel plants and, like the coal mines of Co Durham and Northumberland and the shipyards of Tyne and Wear, the closure of SSI goes into the fibre of our society.

Obviously, our thoughts are with the SSI workforce, and the skill and passion of these people must be harnessed elsewhere in industry.

Since the announcement of the suspension of production and subsequent closure of SSI, NECC has worked as part of the Government Task Force pulling together rapid response measures to use the £42m

NECC president Mike Matthews on steel and the importance of devolution to the region

support the Government has made available. We’ve also called on our members to notify us of vacancies which may be open to former SSI workers and we’ve been overwhelmed, with around 300 vacant positions identified in just two weeks. We continue to work with the task force and Lord Heseltine, who has been appointed as an international ambassador for the Tees Valley to support the companies affected and attract new investment to the area.

I hope a greater say in our own destiny will create a positive future and it is timely that Chancellor George Osborne visited Newcastle College’s £5m Rail Academy to announce the region’s double devolution deal, which provides greater localised powers over employment and skills, transport, planning, business support and investment. We must use this historic deal to ensure we become the engine room of the Northern Powerhouse.

The £1.3bn deal will see £900m of funding channeled through to the North East and £450m to the Tees Valley, plus a Metro Mayor for each area, expected to be elected in 2017.

For years, we have been telling the Government that our region has untapped potential and that we are an un-realised asset. Hopefully, these deals are the start of the North East taking greater control of its own future, which will mean that finally we can show the rest of the country what we are capable of.

Mike Matthews MBE, NECC president

EDITOR Jane Pikett jane@offstonepublishing.co.uk EDITORIAL TEAM Dean Bailey Liz Hands Elise Rana Hopper Owen McAteer Paul Robertson Contact is the magazine for NECC members. News and press releases should be sent to submissions@necc.co.uk ADVERTISING Contact our commercial team 01661 844 115 sales@offstonepublishing.co.uk PHOTOGRAPHY Kevin Gibson www.kgphotography.co.uk Nicky Rogerson www.nrphotography.co.uk Peter Skelton www.photo-psp.co.uk

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TOBY HEDWORTH

GILL ALEXANDER

PAUL SMITH

“There’s never an end to finding out what human beings are prepared to do to each other. Just when you think you’ve heard the ultimate, someone trumps it.”

“We have to focus on what a council is for - a community’s first line of defence against poverty and vulnerability. We have to protect services for the most vulnerable.”

“I don’t have time for people who will only give advice if they can sell it. You will have more value as a person and a professional if, when you’re in a position to help, you do so.”

Trinity Chambers

Hartlepool Council

Ignite

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ISABEL MARANT ÉTOILE

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JACOB COHEN

VERSUS VERSACE

LA MARTINA

MARC BY MARC JACOBS

PAUL SMITH

RAG & BONE

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD

ALICE & OLIVIA

JEFFERY-WEST

PAIGE DENIM

HUGO BOSS

ALEXANDER WANG

CANADA GOOSE

MICHAEL KORS

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Contents

To keep up to date with all the latest NECC and member news download the NECC app by searching for NECC in the Apple app store and on Google Play

Plus 08 INBOX News and views from the world of business

42 SKILLS

Apprenticeships and training

44 EXPORT

Making your mark in the global marketplace

46 SPECIAL FOCUS

Funding for business

51 SPECIAL FOCUS

Recruitment and training

55 APPOINTMENTS

Features

06 60 SECONDS

With Durham and England cricketer Graham Onions

09 IN MY VIEW

With NECC’s James Ramsbotham

Above: Paul Smith

24 NECC POLICY

30

Movers and shakers

57 FAB 5

My dream Christmas present

58 OUT TO LUNCH

With Gareth Thomas of Icon Plastics

66 LAST WORD With Northern Education Trust’s Les Walton

We explore the potential impact of an exit from Europe

26 SUCCESS

From home garage to global exports with Beanies The Flavour Co.

28 FAITH IN THE FUTURE

Hartlepool Council chief exec Gill Alexander’s unique approach

30 DISRUPTIVE INFLUENCE

Digital start-up investor Paul Smith on firing up accelerator Ignite

34 GAME CHANGER

Rugby, football and five-star service with Rockliffe Hall chief executive Eamonn Elliott

38 THE EXTRA MILE

Toby Hedworth QC on the law, the North East, and luxury cars

06

28

Clockwise from above: Graham Onions, Gill Alexander and Toby Hedworth

38

PROUD TO BE SUPPORTED BY OUR ANNIVERSARY PATRONS:

DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 5

60 SECONDS

Bowled over At the end of his benefit year, Durham and England cricketer Graham Onions talks cricket, family, and what the future holds with Dean Bailey

S

ince signing his professional contract with Durham aged 19, Graham Onions has become one of the county’s leading wicket takers with 528 wickets in 143 first class matches to the end of the 2015 season. He has also represented England in nine test matches and four one-day internationals, having made his test debut against the West Indies at Lord’s in 2009.

Following his 10 years in the first XI at Durham, the Gateshead-born bowler was granted a benefit year in 2015, during which he has raised funds for COCO, the PCA Benevolent Fund, Sir Bobby Robson Foundation and the Special Care Baby Unit at Gateshead’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Q Who did you look up to as a child?

My parents - they’ve shown me the way and I’ve always wanted to make them proud. As I got older and played more sport, I looked up to footballers like Alan Shearer. In cricket, I’ve always looked up to [former England international] Darren Gough and [South African international] Dale Steyn. Darren presented me with my England cap in 2009 and he’s a great role model on and off the field. Playing against Dale in South Africa was incredible and I’ve always admired his passion and how much he values playing for his country.

Q How do you compare to your 21-year-old self?

I’m far wiser and more experienced. At 21 I was raw with a lot of talent; it took me until I was 28 to hone my skills and become a mature cricketer. I’ve always had aggression and determination; I’ve just learned to channel that.

Q What’s the best thing about being a professional cricketer?

To put in match-winning performances for your team.

Q What’s the worst thing?

Touring. It’s an amazing experience to play for your country and travel the world, but as you get older it becomes tougher. Although I’m not travelling overseas, we’ll still spend up to a week away at a time with Durham and it’s tough to be away from the family.

Q What would you be doing if you weren’t a cricketer?

I was signed up as a teenager so I’m not sure where I would have ended up. When I was 18, I met with Durham coach Geoff Cook before I was going to head off to university to study Sports Science. He offered me a contract and I’ve never looked back. I was always going to be involved in sport, it’s something I’m passionate about and I’m sure I would be working in sport in some way.

Q What’s the best decision you’ve made?

In 2010, when I had a back operation, I went through stages of

6 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016

thinking I’d never play again. The decision to grit my teeth and push through that was really important.

Q What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?

Geoff Cook is the best coach I’ve ever worked with and he has always told me to be myself.

He helped me highlight the best parts of my game and stick with those attributes as I improved the other parts of my game.

Q What’s been the highlight of your career to date?

There have been so many with Durham and England, but the one that really stands out is Durham’s County Championship win in 2013. To represent the county that I love, and to put in match-winning performances that year, was an amazing experience. To be able to repay the support Durham gave to me through my back injury was fantastic.

Q What’s been the best moment off the field?

The last year has been my benefit year at Durham and a fantastic opportunity to raise money for charities close to me and to my family. The births of my children Esme and Oliver were also massive occasions.

Q What does the future hold?

It’s very exciting. I’m coming towards the end of my career, but I still want to put in the performances, take some wickets and help the team win more silverware. I’m also studying for my level four cricket coaching qualification and I hope to continue to be involved in the game that way.

Apart from that, I’m looking forward to settling down and spending more time with my family – they’re the most important people in my life.

INBOX

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Tweet Tweet!

Here’s our pick of #NECC on Twitter Dan Robinson, centre, with event host Miles Jupp (left) and Daniel Abbott of event sponsor LeasePlan Go.

ROBINSON HONOURED

Gus Robinson Developments chairman Dan Robinson has been named one of the UK’s best businessmen.

Robinson, who took over the running of the company in 2011 following the sudden death of his father Gus, was named SME Company Director of the Year at the Institute of Directors ceremony in London.

Since taking over the running of the business it has seen impressive growth.

Steve Irwin, MD sales and marketing at Newcastle Building Society, Lady Elsie Robson, and SBRF patron Alan Shearer at the Foundation’s recent celebrity golf day

BANKING FOR SIR BOBBY

Savers and investors with the Newcastle Building Society have helped it hit a new fundraising milestone.

NBS set up a unique partnership with the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation in 2012 by launching Foundation-branded ISA and Saver accounts, with an additional 0.1% of the balances held in all such accounts paid by the Newcastle to the Foundation.

It has helped raise more than £1.5m with more than £500,000 donated in the last 12 months alone.

HELPING HANDS

Volunteers from PD Ports finance departments have done their bit for autism support charity Daisy Chain, 30 of them spending a day away from their Middlesbrough office to complete repair and maintenance work at the charity’s base in Stockton.

They painted newly refurbished rooms and weeded and planted new flowers in the sensory garden enjoyed by the charity’s clients.

GOING FOR GROWTH

Two Durham dads went back to school to join their children and recreate an event first staged 40 years ago.

Peter Bell, 46 and Gary Parnaby, 48, from Bowburn, planted a commemorative tree at the village junior school to mark its opening in 1975. That tree was removed to make way for a development project involving the Durham Villages Regeneration Company (DVRC) so the company arranged for another which Peter and Gary, with their children Lucy and Scott, both seven, planted.

8 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016

MR BIG

Steven Goldswain is what you might call a big thinker, and his business creating giant event props including huge deckchairs, gingerbread men, and fairgrounds is growing at record speed. Clients of Creative Imagineering, set up

by Goldswain earlier this year at UK Steel Enterprise’s Innovation Centre on the Kirkleatham Business Park at Redcar, include weddings, parties and special events.

MAKING THEIR MARK

Tyne Metropolitan College students have been busy in sport and the arts lately.

HNC and HND Fine Art students showed off their talents with a collection of fine art at the Beacon Shopping Centre in North Shields.

Charlie Leask, 19, (pictured) who is studying the Level 3 Diploma in Rugby Excellence, was called up to Scotland’s U19 squad, while Dan Sherman, 17, represented GB at the International Powerlifting Federation World Championships in Prague.

David Coppock (@David_Coppock1) Export discussions with @NECCJames @UKTINorthEast #exportingisgreat Chris Lishman (@chrislishman1): Many congratulations to David Laws of @NCLairport on winning #NEBOY 2015 Award.

Michael D. Williams (@mdwilliams1971) Thanks to Gateshead & The Sage for hosting a first class event - Explore Export. Would-be exporters - go for it!

NTIMBALE CHALLENGE (@GoNtimbale): A big thank you to @BotswanaGEC and their lead partners @VidereGlobal and @EuniceKira for lighting up our community.

Richard Swart (@richswart): SAf/UKgov Bilateral success as focus shifts2 @UKTINorthEast Feb tradevisit @UKinSouthAfrica @NECCJames @PScotlandQC Tom Wilkinson (@tommywilkinson) Hundreds turn up to see Penshaw Monument near Sunderland lit in the colours of the tricolour. #paris #nefollowers

IN MY VIEW

@NECCJames

In my view

NECC chief executive James Ramsbotham reflects on our region’s ability to come together in times of success and disappointment

on exporting goods and services overseas.

We welcomed the Rt Hon Lord Maude, UK Minister for Trade and Investment, and representatives from 57 overseas markets to discuss which markets best suit their needs with the aim they will take this information back to their home countries.

It was a great success, with businesses from all over the region exploring new ways of increasing their client base. In any industry, exporting can be a daunting prospect, but we are here to remind people that there is help available.

A delegation of South African businesses also came to our region for a special trade and cooperation conference in order to strengthen the country’s multimillion-pound links with the North East.

It was a busy time for the North East as the region welcomed tens of thousands of fans for the Rugby World Cup 2015. What better opportunity for people to see our region at its absolute best.

We continue to work alongside the SSI Task Force which has secured more than £42m in total so far from Government to deliver on-going support to workers who lost their jobs at the Redcar steelworks, including a £16.5m Jobs and Skills Fund to help local firms employ former SSI workers or their spouses.

The skills and work ethic of the SSI workers are in high demand and we have had huge demand from employers and

training providers, which is extremely positive news.

Skills continue to be a central point and I believe it’s more important than ever to look at the number and quality of vocational courses available to students. I urge our members to continue to take on apprentices or offer work experience and help graduate development training. We must not forget to share the advantages of living in the North East and keep skilled people in the region.

Continuing the engagement between education, business and Government is imperative and I look forward to seeing further progress being made in the year ahead.

It has also been a time of celebration with the recent Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. Congratulations to all winners who are proving to be successful role models and such an inspiration to the next generation of female talent in our region. Learning from peers is vital for female business owners with growth aspirations, and all winners will inspire and encourage others.

I also look forward to accompanying our seven-strong contingent of NECC members shortlisted for the national BCC awards in London, and I wish them the very best of luck. They are a leading light in the North East and will do the region proud on the national stage.

W

e may be approaching the end of the year, but events in the North East are by no means slowing down. It has been a time of extremely disappointing news, particularly for our colleagues in the south of the region, and also a time of success.

What I have noticed is that our members not only come together to celebrate, we work together to find solutions to problems and do everything possible to support our associates.

On a hugely positive note we welcomed an announcement from Nissan which confirmed a £100m investment to its Sunderland plant. It was a well-deserved seal of approval for the Nissan team at Washington, one that its supply chain will be thrilled to hear.

Our region’s export record continues to grow strong and NECC and UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) North East urged businesses across the region to take part in a week-long series of events focusing

Lord Maude launches the national Exporting is Great campaign at Sage Gateshead DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 9

NEWS

NEWS FOR SALE

Seeing the light NECC and R&B Group delivered an amazing high-intensity immersive projection sequence at the NECC Gala Dinner at Durham Cathedral, but how was it done?

A

s NECC’s 200th Anniversary Gala Dinner at Durham Cathedral is shortlisted for Best Small Event and Best Corporate Event at the UK Event Awards 2015, the 800 guests at the event in September may still be wondering just how the spectacular projection sequence they enjoyed, which told the story of 200 years of North East business, was done.

Now its creator, R&B Group, has revealed its secrets, including the fact that the projection backdrop in the event marquee comprised 63 white felt panels measuring 262ft in length and up to 15ft in height and was so large the fire exits had to be built into the set.

The large scale of the projected surface required stable rigging in the centre of the marquee to hang the 10 high-definition projectors used to seamlessly blend the projected image, which covered the entire backdrop, including two 90 degree curves.

The projection sequence was controlled by an array of pre-programmed media servers and the image projected was 10 times the resolution of HD. The spectacular show, which was

created by R&B Group’s 3D motion artists, was eight minutes long and depicted key moments during NECC’s 200-year history via photographs, bespoke animation and 270 degree video.

Clever use of sound and vision technology created a fully immersive experience, with the 7.1 surround sound delivered by seven stacks of line array and 18 sub-woofers. The historic setting added to the complexity of the job, and during rehearsals the sound levels had to be altered to avoid windows shattering in the historic buildings around the cathedral.

Meanwhile, clever programming of the lighting ensured guests were focused on the screen and not dazzled by the lights.

The amount of power required to deliver the show necessitated two generators, and the media server village, part of the AV control desk at the back of the marquee, comprised 12 monitors plus sound and lighting desks.

R&B Group project manager Paul Borthwick says: “I was thrilled to be involved. It’s always fantastic to see the initial vision come together on the night.”

You can view the projection on NECC’s YouTube channel youtube.com/NEChamber

in association with

The Newcastle offices of Bilfinger GVA and Cushman Wakefield have been instructed by Parabola Estates to market and sell Central Square, a prime Grade A office investment in Newcastle city centre.

Central Square occupies a key position in the city core adjacent to Newcastle Central railway station and the new Stephenson Quarter development. Constructed in 2000, the building provides 72,389sqft of grade A office accommodation with a five storey atrium, 33 space basement car park and an additional 64 space external car park. The building was a winner of the BCO Best Refurbished Workspace national award.

NEWS HAVE YOUR SAY Business Durham, the economic development company for Co Durham, is urging manufacturers to take part in a survey which aims to help the County Durham Manufacturing Task Force understand areas for growth, expansion, and improvement.

The task force is a public/ private sector partnership, with senior business leaders ensuring that the manufacturing sector’s needs are met. It will draw on the success of North East manufacturing companies such as Gestamp Tallent, Caterpillar Peterlee and NSK Bearings Europe. For details of the survey, see www. businessdurham.co.uk/mtf

DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 11

NEWS

NEWS PIONEERING CENTRE LAUNCHED Specialist training provider AIS has officially opened a second multi-million pound industrial training centre of excellence in Grimsby to mirror its North Tyneside site.

The centre, at the world-renowned CATCH facility near Grimsby, will provide skills training for the global wind, maritime, oil and gas, nuclear and heavy industry sectors.

It includes a fully equipped wind training centre with 17metre high training tower, climbing and rescue platform.

AIS Training’s North Shields site attracts more than 17,500 delegates from around the world every year.

NEWS CONNECTED People living, working, shopping and visiting Newcastle can now connect to free Wi-Fi in public buildings citywide.

As part of the Go Digital Newcastle programme, BT is providing the service in 69 public buildings. It means people in the city are able to get online free of charge in the Civic Centre, Newcastle City Council customer service centres, Your Homes Newcastle centres, libraries and museums to connect to the internet and check their emails, search for jobs, look up information, book tickets and more while on the move.

BUILDING BLOCKS

Lego volunteers do their bit NECC colleagues joined Durham Cathedral’s Lego builders for a day as the chamber of commerce continued its Volunteering Days project.

Ten members of staff worked with the Lego team at the cathedral, sorting, building and selling bricks for the fundraising Lego reconstruction project at the site.

The fundraising model sees every brick sold for £1 and then placed by the purchaser on the model.

The funds raised go towards the Open Treasure exhibition at the cathedral.

Durham Cathedral development officer Clare Chillingworth says: “We are extremely grateful to NECC for choosing us as one of its nominated charities. This project is an important part of our fundraising for Open Treasure.”

SIGHT SAVERS A pioneering sleep mask designed to prevent blindness among diabetic patients, which was created in Co Durham, has been named among the top 100 Objects that Changed the World.

The Noctura 400 sleep mask is an innovative treatment for Diabetic Retinopathy (DR), which can cause sight loss.

Made by health technology firm PolyPhotonix, which is based on NETPark, Sedgefield, the mask has been chosen by the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) to feature in a new exhibition.

To mark the re-opening of IET London: Savoy Place following a £30m two-year refurbishment, PolyPhotonix was invited to send one of its masks to go on display.

It comes after the firm won the start-up category in the IET Innovation Awards.

PolyPhotonix CEO Richard Kirk (pictured)

12 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016

says: “It’s an incredible honour to be named among the top 100 Objects that Changed the World. While traditional treatments for Diabetic Retinopathy involve painful injections into the eyeball or laser therapy, our mask not only provides a non-invasive alternative but could also save the NHS and health services around the world billions of pounds.”

in association with

MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES

MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES THANK YOU! As NECC’s bicentenary celebrations draw to a close, NECC has thanked its Member Anniversaries Club for its participation throughout the year.

NECC established its ‘MAC’ as part of its anniversary programme, working with 52 members also celebrating big birthdays - from 5-200 years - in 2015.

With NECC’s 200 years, collectively they represented an incredible 2,085 years in business.

NECC established a host of benefits for this group throughout the year.

Charlie Nettle, NECC’s head of marketing said: “This initiative brought together a very diverse group of members.

They did, however, all have at least one thing in common; they had all reached significant milestones with their businesses and with over 2000 years of experience between them, they all had stories to share.”

THE BIG 40

NEWS LOTTERY WIN Wilton Centre reception area in 1975 (right) and above in 2015

The Wilton Centre in Redcar is celebrating 40 years of innovation with a look back at its pioneering history.

Originally commissioned by ICI’s Petrochemicals division as a headquarters and research complex for 1,200 staff, it was designed by the now internationally acclaimed architecture firm, BDP (Building Design Partnership) and recognised by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in its Architecture Awards 1976.

Site director Steve Duffield says: “The focus on quality and investment has been

in association with

retained to this day. The centre was innovative when it was built, both in terms of its design as well as the work and research that took place here, and that hasn’t changed 40 years on.”

In 1975 everyone based here worked for one company. Now there are more than 60 tenant companies at the centre. The boardrooms and former directors’ dining rooms are no more, replaced by a gym and conference rooms. Events this year include an exhibition, and a bursary for a promising architecture student on Northumbria University’s MArch course.

Social enterprise Groundwork NE & Cumbria has secured a £355,400 Big Lottery Award to boost community spirit and residents’ wellbeing in the Gateshead area.

Groundwork, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary, will develop the Community Hub @ Lobley Hill by rejuvenating an existing community centre at Scafell Gardens. The aim of the project is to increase community participation through activities.

DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 13

NEWS

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KPMG has once again supported us in our response to the Spending Review and Autumn Statement, sharing its insight into how these will affect NECC members. We have collaborated with BT on an event to discuss innovation in the digital and creative sector, stemming from our Connecting For Innovation report. And we are progressing our project on Great Reasons to Build Your Career in the North East with Nifco, providing excellent resources to inspire youngsters.

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in association with

We welcomed BBC North East political editor Richard Moss as guest speaker at November’s Partner lunch.

Richard gave a fascinating insight into regional politics and a media view of the North East economy. We will shortly be meeting with Northern Powerhouse Minister James Wharton, where similar subjects will doubtless be under discussion.

Our Partners have helped us to develop the NECC Manifesto for 2016. This document sets out the issues we will campaign on next year on behalf of all NECC members, and we are, as ever, extremely grateful to our Partners who lend their expertise to both its design and delivery.

NEWS

I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H

With Eamonn Leavey Head of NECC President’s Club

l-r NECC chief executive James Ramsbotham; Adam Barber, Fenwick; Tom Daniels, Brewin Dolphin; and Daniel Marsden-Knight, NECC events manager at the first Future President’s Club event

TOMORROW’S WORLD

N

ECC has launched its new Future President’s Club, designed to bring together future business leaders from around the North East.

In association with wealth management firm Brewin Dolphin, NECC invited members of its existing President’s Club to recommend some of their most talented employees to attend the first Future President’s Club event at Brewin Dolphin’s Newcastle headquarters.

The idea for the club came from Tom Daniels, an investment manager at Brewin Dolphin. “There is an abundance of young business talent in the North East, from professionals helping to shape companies to inspiring entrepreneurs,” he says. “By bringing these people together at regular events, Future President’s Club will provide

a catalyst for meaningful business relationships among these people.”

Fenwick Food Hall buyer Adam Barber spoke at the first Future President’s Club about the multi-million pound redevelopment of Fenwick Food Hall, which has created landmark new restaurants and retail outlets.

NECC chief executive James Ramsbotham said: “We identified a gap in the networking sector for ambitious, hard working employees to come together from across a variety of sectors to make new connections. We’re looking to hold three of these evening networking events in 2016.

“Our members are always looking forward, thinking of innovative ways to stay at the forefront of their industries.

Together with Brewin Dolphin we hope this is the start of greater things to come.”

ROYAL APPOINTMENT Darlington-based Stone Technical Services (STS) is carrying out important restoration work at Windsor Castle.

STS experts are restoring a timber flagpole which flies the Royal Standard when the Queen is in residence and the Union Flag when she is away.

The current 15metre flagpole was first raised in 1892 and STS is using specialist rope access to complete the job without scaffolds. in association with

A big thank you to the President’s Club members who supported the NECC 200th Anniversary Gala Dinner at Durham Cathedral in September. It was a very special evening and one I’m sure all the 800 guests will remember for a long time.

Our next President’s Club Lunch will be at the fantastic new Crowne Plaza Hotel in Newcastle and will feature a keynote speech from David Horne, the new MD of Virgin East Coast. A big thank you to Accenture for sponsoring this event.

In the past month, NECC President’s Club has been given a fascinating tour of Calsonic Kansei’s manufacturing sites in Washington and Sunderland.

Thanks to them for a fantastic day, and congratulations to all the team for being awarded North East Manufacturer of the Year.

We also hosted our first Future President’s Club event recently, and welcomed more than 50 attendees from firms across the region. Thank you to the Brewin Dolphin team for hosting the event, which featured a fascinating presentation from Fenwick Food Hall’s Adam Barber.

The new development looks fantastic and is another welcome addition to the city, bringing with it fantastic new food outlets and retailers featuring the best of the region’s local produce.

DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 15

NEWS

NEWS

THREE DEGREES

Actor Stephen Tompkinson, rock climber Steve McClure and industry stalwart Maurice Dawson have all received honorary degrees at Teesside University.

Maurice Dawson (above) is chairman of AV Dawson, a specialist in logistics, transport and freight which has been operating in the Teesside area for almost 80 years. He received a Doctor of Business Administration.

Stockton-born actor Tompkinson received a Doctor of Art, and worldleading climber Steve McClure received a Doctor of Civil Law.

l-r Matt Stewart, investment manager at UK Steel Enterprise; Peter Taylor, UKSE area manager; Ian Vermeulen of Stylco; Andrew Fotheringham, head of corporate finance at Evolution LLP

Buyout backed

A

management buyout backed by a £250,000 investment from UK Steel Enterprise is putting a Co Durham-based distributor of brand-leading domestic appliances on the road to growth.

Stylco UK, formerly owned by global group UEG, has been acquired by a management team led by MD Ian Vermeulen, who has worldwide experience of the sector as a distributor, merchandiser

and retailer. The UK Steel Enterprise funding is from its Equity Growth Fund, backed by the Government’s Regional Growth Fund, and is providing working capital for the company, which has expanded into new warehousing facilities in Newton Aycliffe.

Stylco UK has the exclusive rights to distribute Brabantia products in the UK, Ireland and Europe and handles a range of other leading brands including Masterchef, Nakimichi, and Stylus.

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16 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016

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NEWS BESIDE THE SEASIDE

WORK-READY CALL

I

courses are available.” mproving the link between Elouise Leonard-Cross of the Home education and business was on the Group said: “There is the question of menu at The Journal’s Top 200 whether young people and their families breakfast event at Sunderland’s can afford university fees and the Stadium of Light. associated costs. There is a role available An expert panel answered questions for organisations to use salary sacrifice from an audience comprising prominent and support their employees to earn an business people at the event which income while they learn.” explored employability ahead of the Discussing the building of links publication of The Journal’s Top 200 between business and education, Rob Businesses supplement, which is sponsored by NECC as part of its 200th year. Earnshaw of the North East LEP said: “Skills need to be employer-led.

The panel was asked whether they Employers need to work with thought there were enough schools, colleges and people going to university, to universities. Employers need which NECC chief executive “IT IS THE to reach out to young James Ramsbotham said: RESPONSIBILITY people and show them “Rather than looking at the OF BUSINESSES their companies exist.” number of people starting TO OFFER WORK Karen Simms of law firm a university course, it’s EXPERIENCE” Sintons said: “It is the more useful to look at the responsibility of businesses number of vocational courses to offer work experience, advise available to students. It is on writing CVs and offer imperative that they are offered the practice interviews.” right skills to reach their potential.

Organisations were also reminded to “People mustn’t think that if they start think about their future. Tony Lewin said: an apprenticeship they can’t go on to further study. Many successful North East “Companies need to engage in future needs. Some professions know what their business leaders started their careers workforce requirements will be in five as apprentices. years, but others do not. By scanning the “Learning can be lifelong and if horizon, they will focus on retraining someone feels they have taken a wrong existing staff and bring in new employees, route and has the opportunity to change so they will not be left with a gap.” their career, they should feel they can do Rob Earnshaw concluded: that, no matter their age.”

“Apprenticeships are still a popular option.

Tony Lewin, principal of Newcastle We’ve found students are applying for College, said: “It’s not a case of getting apprenticeships first before university. more people into higher education. It’s Apprenticeships get people work-ready.” ensuring that the right type of vocational in association with

A stunning new South Tyneside seafront attraction has carried off its first national award.

The £5m Littlehaven Promenade and Seawall project in South Shields was named Best Urban Regeneration Project at the national Brownfield Briefing Awards, which recognise technical and conceptual excellence. Littlehaven provides a beautifully lit promenade with striking views plus flood defence for homes and businesses in the area.

NEWS IF THE SHOE FITS

Work is progressing well at Teesside-based shoe retailer Charles Clinkard’s new £3m head office and warehouse.

The 5,000sqm building is taking shape at Cannon Park, Middlesbrough and is due to be complete by January 2016. MD Charles Clinkard said: “It’s an exciting time for the company and will be the start of a new chapter in the family’s 90-year retailing history. We have 33 stores across the country and our online sales are increasing year on year, which means we need to increase our warehouse space in order to meet demand.”

DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 17

ADVERTORIAL

LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS

N

Veronica Swindale, Director.

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nesma, 19 Lansdowne Terrace, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne Tel: +44 (0)7590 018 205 Email: info@nesma.co.uk 18 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016

NEWS NEWS AND VIEWS FROM NECC RELATIONSHIP MANAGERS Essentials portfolio manager I’m looking forward to connecting with the small business members who have entered our Christmas Wish Campaign.

Members have until December 11 to submit a star, and in return you get business referrals and the chance to win an iPad. Julie Digman tel 07912 478 964 julie.digman@necc.co.uk Twitter @NECCjuliedig NECC Global A warm welcome back to NECC and NECC Global to Cottam Brush. The family-run business supplies brushes and rollers for all sorts of uses, and is exporting globally. Matthew Ord tel 07717 300 351 matthew.ord@necc.co.uk Twitter @NECCMatthew Teesside Excluding the terrible news of the closure of SSI, 2015 has been a positive year for NECC members in Tees Valley. The number of members has grown, and there has been investment and growth in most areas. We enter 2016 with optimism.

Tom Warnock tel 07714 845 617 tom.warnock@necc.co.uk Twitter @NECCTom Darlington and West Durham It’s a pleasure to extend a warm welcome to Plasrec (UK) Ltd, A & H Testing Ltd and Business Enterprise Fund. I look forward to seeing you at events around our region in the coming months.

Susan Anderson tel 07736 799 727 susan.anderson@necc.co.uk

in association with

Northumberland It’s been great to welcome more businesses into membership recently, and I hope more will see the benefit of working together in the north of the region. It is good to see NBSL helping businesses again.

Les Dixon tel 07850 740 645 les.dixon@necc.co.uk Twitter @NECCLes Medium Business Welcome to new members ADM Pressings, ORE Catapault, Godfrey Syrett, Lowes Financial and Durham Community Action. Thanks to Calsonic Kansai for hosting the behind the scenes event in November and we look forward to the Economic Briefing from Brewin Dolphin on December 11.

Andrew Heavisides tel 07912 478 961, andrew. heavisides@necc.co.uk Twitter @NECCAndrewh Newcastle/ Gateshead Thank you to all the members who have joined NECC in 2015. I look forward to continuing working with you all in the New Year. Lynsey Fairless, tel 07834 444 627 lynsey.fairless@necc.co.uk Twitter @NECCLynsey Sunderland/ South Tyneside/ Durham Thank you to all members for your continued support throughout NECC’s 200th year. Keep up the good work. I look forward to working with you all. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Arthur Hodgson tel 07980 259 991 arthur.hodgson@necc.co.uk Twitter @NECCArthur

NEWS MAJOR EXPANSION

l-r: Oberlin Filter project manager Mark Blewitt, MD Alistair Jameson and sales engineer Mike Johnson

THEY’VE GOT IT MADE

T

yne and Wear’s TV channel Made in Tyne and Wear celebrated its first year on air with a special live broadcast.

The special MADE365 programme was broadcast from Tiger Hornsby bar on Newcastle’s Quayside in front of a live studio audience.

The special show line-up included appearances from former Apprentice contender Katie Bulmer-Cooke, who is lead panellist of the station’s new show Chatty Lasses (pictured right), BBC Radio Newcastle presenter Anna Foster, and Team GB olympic volleyball star Peter Bakare.

Broadcasting on Freeview channel 8, Virgin 159 and Sky Guide 117, Made in Tyne and Wear transmits 24 hours a day with a schedule of locally made shows

alongside programmes shared across the Made Television network.

Made in Tyne and Wear is part of the Made Television Network, operator of local TV licences in the UK including Made in Bristol, Made in Cardiff and Made in Leeds, plus Made in Teesside, which is set for launch next year.

STAR AWARD

Ramside Hall near Durham is the first four star hotel in the region to receive the AA’s new Silver Star award for hotels which achieve particularly high standards.

AA inspectors gave Ramside Hall, which has benefited from a £16m

investment in the last two years, the Silver Star for its “high standards of hotel keeping, superior level of quality, hospitality, service and cleanliness.”

The new spa at Ramside has also been given a five bubble rating from The Good Spa Guide - the highest rating it gives.

in association with

The UK arm of a US-owned global filtration manufacturer has moved to larger premises in a £350,000 expansion after doubling turnover to £1.8m.

Oberlin Filter produces automatic pressure filtration units for companies in sectors including heavy engineering, medical, aerospace, surface treatment, and automotive.

It began production in Newton Aycliffe in 2002 and has now moved to new 11,000sqft premises on Hurworth Road, enabling it to maintain recent growth and explore new markets.

NEWS NEW LOOK One of the best examples of Middlesbrough’s industrial heritage is set for a major regeneration.

Commerce House, one of the town’s most iconic buildings, has been owned

by NECC since 2006 and was used by the former Teesside Chamber of Commerce. The building is set to be turned into a vibrant town centre office hub for businesses and potential inward investors by new owner Commerce Chambers Ltd, with work carried out by Adavo Properties.

DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 19

NEWS

NEWS

STRONG RESULTS Fairstone Group, based in Boldon Colliery, has announced a strong set of financial results for the year ended December 2014, with operational results for 2015 ahead of forecast.

Highlights include a 29% increase in revenues to £17.4m. Current revenues stand at £30m and more than £100m of client funds are now within its managed portfolio products, which operates under the regulated entity, Fairstone Private Wealth Limited. Chief exec Lee Hartley (above) says: “We are committed to working with high-quality firms aiming to drive their performance upwards and, by doing so, realise optimum value for their business.”

LEGAL 500

North East-based law firms have increased the number of recommended lawyers in the annual ranking of top legal firms.

Practices named in the Legal 500 include Watson Burton, where 19 lawyers are recommended across all practice areas and partner and head of corporate Duncan Reid (pictured) is also named one of 50 leading lawyers in the North.

Construction partners Sarah Wilson and David Spires are recommended for their broad expertise, while the practice area is described as “fantastic to deal with”. The corporate and commercial team is recognised for its track record in the technology and leisure sectors with partner Andrew Francey recommended.

Meanwhile, the founder of specialist Newcastle-based employment law firm Collingwood Legal has been listed in the Legal 500 for the first time. Paul McGowan is joined in the guide by colleagues Sarah Fitzpatrick and Paul Johnstone.

NEWS SUPPORT FOR BOULBY NECC has pledged its support following 220 job losses at Boulby Potash in Cleveland.

NECC chief executive James Ramsbotham says: “This is a significant blow for the area and will have a serious effect on the local economy. The Tees Valley community has pulled together over the SSI closure and no doubt will do so again following this announcement.

“There are jobs available in the local economy and NECC will be working with the council and Job Centre Plus to make sure we give the company and the workforce as much support as possible.”

JACKSONS ASSISTS ON £7M DEVELOPMENT

l-r Steven Stipetic, director, Bathroom Cladding Shop; Jane Armstrong, managing partner, Jacksons Law Firm; Rebecca Dawson, associate, Jacksons Law Firm; and Geoff Clark, development manager, Ravensworth Property Developments LLP

Commercial law firm Jacksons has acted for Ravensworth Property Developments LLP on a £7m development at Portobello Trade Park, Birtley - the first speculative industrial development in Gateshead for six years.

The development consists of 15 new sustainable light industrial units on a brownfield development site adjacent to the

20 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016

A1(M). The units are designed to provide accommodation for the SME market with sizes ranging from 2,100sqft to 23,000sqft.

Jacksons managing partner Jane Armitage says: “This development is of significant importance to the region. It’s great to see investments in projects like this to help improve the economy in the region. “

in association with

NEWS ON THE RIGHT TRACKS

NEW ARRIVAL FOR LINGFIELD POINT

It’s every boy’s dream - two mechanical engineering trainees have joined North Yorkshire Moors Railway’s (NYMR) apprenticeship programme and will get to work on restoring and maintaining its heritage diesel locomotive fleet.

Peter Dawson and Josh Smith, both 18, will assist NYMR’s engineers with the upkeep of the heritage diesel fleet, carrying out work on its brake system, electrical circuits and power unit. Peter was selected from Middlesbrough-based training provider TTE, while Josh was recruited directly.

NEWS HOWDY, PARTNER

Lingfield Point in Darlington has welcomed 450 new people to the site with the arrival of Capita following one of the North East’s biggest commercial property deals of the year.

The hi-spec bespoke fit-out of the 42,000sqft of space to meet the company’s specific needs is now complete, allowing it to join the 60-plus businesses already based at Lingfield Point. in association with

Capita is one of the UK’s leading providers of business process outsourcing and integrated professional support services and will join businesses including Student Loans Company, NAAFI, and FaulknerBrowns architects.

Capita employees will have access to on-site facilities including Little Lingfields Nursery, a café bistro, free bike hire, a book swap club, and an on-site bus service to Darlington town centre.

Leading North East oil and gas supply chain companies Nortech Group and Wilton Engineering have formed a new collaborative arrangement to deliver full-service engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) for brownfield oil and gas projects in the UK. The deal combines Nortech Group’s engineering design and project management and Wilton Engineering’s construction, engineering and fabrication expertise to offer industry a responsive EPC contracting service.

DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 21

NEWS

NEWS INHERITANCE CAMPAIGN

Law firm Latimer Hinks CEO Anne Elliott (above) is campaigning for changes to the Inheritance Tax Residence Nil Rate Band (RNRB) announced in the Budget, because, she says, it discriminates against childless people.

By 2020/21 married couples and civil partners will be able to leave estates including homes worth up to £1m to descendants without paying Inheritance Tax. But the family homes element worth up to £350,000 only applies to gifts to direct descendants.

NEWS SHED LOADS OF SPACE TO LET Naylors Industrial Agency team has been instructed by the Port of Tyne to market some of the largest industrial space available in the region.

Units 5, 6 and 20 at Tyne Dock, Port of Tyne in South Shields, are coming to the market and will be ready for occupation early next year.

The units, which total more than 300,000sqft, are currently occupied by Vantec, which will be relocating most of its warehousing operation to a 436,000sqft new build office and warehouse facility in Washington, close to its existing site.

Jayne-Anne Gadhia CBE, chief executive, Virgin Money, at Northumbria University

Banking on opportunity

J

ayne-Anne Gadhia CBE, chief executive of Virgin Money, gave an inspirational public lecture at Northumbria University as part of NECC’s 200th anniversary, focusing on the need for innovation and positive change.

The lecture at the university’s Newcastle Business School outlined opportunities to bring a fresh approach to UK banking based on a virtuous circle of support through which businesses, customers and communities help one another. Gadhia also detailed how Virgin Money is supporting communities, outlined the importance of breaking down competitive barriers in banking to benefit

consumers in the UK, and discussed how the Northern Powerhouse can present new opportunities for the finance sector and the North East.

Gadhia, the first female chief executive of a publicly listed UK bank, said: “Business can be a force for good and I passionately believe that great things can happen when people come together.”

NECC chief executive James Ramsbotham added: “We were thrilled to have Jayne-Anne in the North East. She gave a fascinating insight into her story in the banking sector and gave NECC members and Northumbria University students an inspirational message about innovation and the need for positive disruption to change the world.”

BUSINESS HONOURS The North East Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Awards enjoyed a glittering night at Newcastle’s Crowne Plaza Hotel, where The Bazaar Group’s Jayne Dolder (right) received The Susan Dobson Award for Entrepreneurship and the Best Creative Award.

The other winners at the awards organised by Women Into the Network were: Best Home Based Business - Margaret Manchester (Durham Hens Limited) Best New Business - Kelly Bentham and Helen Godfrey (Amber North East) Best Service Award - Fran Mulhall (GFW Letting) Best Small Business - Angela Sterling (Lingotot) Best use of Innovation - Laura Leigh Wayman (Child’s Play Private Nursery)

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Heart of the Community - Paula Gascoigne (Smile for Life Children’s Charity) Leadership Award - Holly Armstrong (George F. White) STEM Award - Ruth Plummer (Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre) Young Entrepreneur of the Year - Lyndsey Johnson (LJ Retail Group) Best Apprenticeship Award - Victoria English (Caterpillar Peterlee)

in association with

NEWS

Expertise at your side

PRAISE FOR AWARD WINNERS

I

n a month of disappointing news for the region, there was optimism at Newcastle’s Assembly Rooms where NECC welcomed some of the winners of the North East Business Awards to a celebratory lunch supported by Brewin Dolphin.

The award-winning NECC members will represent the region at the forthcoming national British Chamber of Commerce awards in London.

Representatives from Hodgson Sayers, Tomlinson Hall, Gus Robinson, Andrew James Ltd and Brewin Dolphin joined NECC to discuss the business landscape.

Multi-faceted business AIS, PJA Distribution and Gateshead College will also be representing the region at the national awards.

Employees of the companies represented at the event won special praise. Colin Simpson of Tomlinson Hall

said: “Our enthusiastic workforce is paramount in our efforts to expand our business. We invest in our people and in turn we have a loyal workforce and low staff turnover.”

Mike Wade, Hodgson Sayers, said: “Successful organisations understand the importance of investing in their people. We reward our employees and inspire them to work with us for the long term.”

Adam Jones, of Andrew James Ltd, said: “We have new competitors emerging all the time so it is extremely important for us to maintain an innovative workforce.

We are always open to ideas from our employees and our customers.”

Mike Mathews, NECC president and MD of Nifco UK (pictured above at the event), said: “Many of our new employees spend time on the factory floor before they join the office team. It helps them understand every facet of the organisation.”

NEW CHAIR FOR NECC DARLINGTON The Darlington branch of the North East Chamber of Commerce (NECC) has a new chairman.

Patrick Masheder, MD of Darlingtonbased Real Results Marketing, has taken over from businessman Denis Pinnegar, who has stepped down after 12 years.

Pinnegar, who came to public prominence when he headed a consortium that saved Darlington Football Club in 2012, said his greatest achievement was building stronger links with Darlington Borough Council. “Now I think the local authority really listens to businesses in this town. We have a seat at the table in all the big decisions,” he

l-r: Patrick Masheder presents Denis Pinnegar with a copy of Jacqueline Larsen’s painting marking 200 years of NECC

said. Masheder has been vice chairman of the Darlington branch of NECC for the past two years.

in association with

THROUGHOUT THE NORTH EAST Hexham, Ponteland, Sunderland, Yarm, Crook, Portobello www.rowlands accountants.co.uk

DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 23

NECC POLICY

Are you in or out?

As David Cameron’s demands for continued EU membership begin to become clearer, we consider NECC members’ views of the future of Britain in Europe

I

f last year’s Scottish independence referendum was anything to go by, the business community’s appetite for constitutional debate is greater than many had previously realised.

The promised referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union is likely to generate as much, if not more, debate. The North East conducts significant trade with the EU, more than £6bn worth of goods were sent to Europe in 2014 and more than half of our imports originated from the EU. The region’s economy is highly reliant on overseas trade and is therefore vulnerable to political circumstances that may cause a decline in this trade. Much has been made of

the potential risks to this trade relationship that a ‘no’ vote, and subsequent ‘Brexit’, would create. Exporters say they foresee a shift to a less welcoming trade environment, including import tariffs and higher transactional costs, if the UK leaves.

Our relationship with the EU also extends beyond trade. A great deal of business activity is subject to regulation with its origins in the EU. Frustration over these regulations is not helped by a perception, with at least some elements of truth, that competitor businesses in other countries are less constrained by EU rules in areas such as health and safety, and employment.

NECC is committed to

championing the benefits of continued EU membership while also building the case for reforms that tackle business frustrations with the EU. These reforms, such as eliminating the barriers faced by service companies operating in other European countries, should re-focus institutions on developing an effective single market across the continent.

Any views we express on behalf of members should reflect their views, so we are committed to gauging opinions throughout the run-up to the referendum, including further surveys and briefing events.

In August, in partnership with the British Chambers of Commerce, NECC surveyed members to understand how

24 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016

the referendum debate had affected them to date. We also asked what they wanted to see as a result of any renegotiated relationship, and how they would vote if the referendum were held tomorrow. Our respondents represented a cross-section of NECC membership, including exporters. We discovered that the debate so far has had little impact on the way businesses operate. More than 80% said there had been no effect on sales and orders, while almost 85% said their ability to attract investment was unaffected.

This isn’t surprising. While awareness in the North East about the EU debate is slightly higher than the rest of the country, almost one third of

the single market, coupled members reported little or no with a reduction in the level familiarity with the potential and cost of administration implications of a change in associated with business relationship with the EU. regulations from the EU. Clearly, there is work to do in Does this chime with what raising awareness.

North East businesses want to The Prime Minister is see? To some extent it does. committed to winning major More than 40% of our concessions from the EU in members want the UK order to remodel the to be able to opt UK’s membership.

The details of what “POLITICIANS out of the EU’s desire to achieve these might look MUST PAY closer union like are becoming HEED TO THESE between states, slightly clearer and CONCERNS” with nearly include a call for two-thirds hoping greater protection to see the UK for non-Euro countries Parliament become more in the EU decision-making process, an end to the drive for able to block EU legislation.

A restriction on migrants’ ‘ever-closer union’, restrictions access to benefits was also on migrants’ rights to claim demanded by 44% of benefits, and an extension of

members we surveyed.

The reform that would have the biggest impact on our members, however, would be a reduction in the volume of regulation or ‘red tape’ that comes from the EU. Well over half of the members who responded to our survey cited this as the change that would bring the most benefit to their businesses.

The reason for pondering the PM’s proposed reform package is its potential ability to sway business leaders’ votes in the referendum.

Almost half of our members said that the outcome of any renegotiation would be likely to affect their vote.

But what would this vote look like if it took place

tomorrow? Given our strong trade relationship with the EU, it is unsurprising to find that more than 60% of businesses told us they would vote to remain in membership.

Of course, the vote isn’t going to happen tomorrow, nor in the immediate future.

But we know it will be soon.

We also know that there are many businesses that are dissatisfied with the deal that the UK receives from the EU, but the importance of our trade relationship with our nearest neighbours cannot be overstated. Clearly, there are businesses which fear that the UK will take a backward step if we jeopardise this relationship.

Our politicians must pay heed to this concern.

DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 25

SUCCESS

Perfect blend

Laura Facey meets the brains behind Beanies The Flavour Co., the North East based global leader in coffee flavours

A

s you might expect from a company with unlimited access to caffeine, the atmosphere at Darlington’s Beanies The Flavour Co. is buzzing when we drop by.

But it’s not all down to the world’s original energy drink. The Beanies team, all with matching smart Beanies polo shirts and laidback attitude, know they’re on to a good thing.

With new premises, a quirky website, powerful social media presence and year-on-year growth of 100%, it all seems a bit too good to be true. But Beanies is no ordinary cup of Joe. In a billion pound coffee industry, Beanies is a hot brand, and it’s growing fast. So when director John Evans (favourite flavour - Cinder Toffee) says “Beanies is fun, but we’re not funny,” you’d better believe him.

So why is this particular company, founded by a husband and wife in their garage in Darlington in 2009, now making the coffee giants shake?

“For people to invest, you have to be investable. We have a good quality product at a competitive price,” says Evans. “And people love the flavours.

Chocolate Orange, Irish Cream, Amaretto Almond, the list goes on. We’re ambitious and absolutely committed to growing our

brand. And we’re not just limited to coffee.” Director and founder Mark Porteous (favourite flavour - Irish Cream) says: “The first step is getting your product right. It takes a lot of planning, a little bit of luck and knowing when to ask for help. We’re in a good place now, but it’s been a lot of hard work.”

Originally from a finance background, Evans and Porteous were introduced by mutual friend Andrew Fenner, now Beanies’ director of sales UK and Ireland.

Beanies the Flavour Company has since gone from producing 2,000 jars of flavoured coffee a month to a substantial 8,000 jars a day. And, according to research by data and insight company Kantar WP, Beanies is now the brand of choice in the flavoured coffee market.

“Our brand is very important to us,” says Evans. “Brand Britain is booming and the foreign markets are making it clear that they want British products.”

As well as its secret recipes, cool brand and packaging, Beanies’ online presence is causing a stir among the world’s caffeinistas.

“We really started to push our online presence in August last year and now we have more than 80,000 Likes on Facebook,” says Evans. “Actually, we’re in the Top 20 Food and Beverage companies in the world on Facebook,

26 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016

which is huge. People love the product and go out of their way to post comments about their favourite flavours and their suggestions. We value this feedback and we listen to our consumers and this has been a very important part of our success.

“We’re also known for being only two calories per drink, so we’re popular in the slimming world. We have a very loyal online community.”

With a team of 11, Beanies is an efficient operation. “We’re really into developing our people,” says Evans.

“We hire locally and if someone shows the right attitude and talent, there are opportunities for them.

We’re always looking at our recruitment and development.”

Taking a sip from a Beanies-branded mug, Porteous says: “That’s one of the reasons we’re based here in the North East. We have access to skilled people,

determined to make a success of their careers and not afraid to try something new.”

Teesside University graduate Victoria Cooper (favourite flavour - Chocolate Orange) joined the Beanies marketing team last year. “We all get involved in everything,” she says. “An important part of our job is taste-testing. You don’t have to like coffee to work here – but it helps.”

On the wall in the office is a world map showing the brand’s global reach. Already in Tesco and Sainsbury’s and exporting to more than a dozen countries including South Africa, South Korea, and Hungary, there is a huge sense of pride.

It’s a far cry from the company’s humble beginnings when Porteous, after being made redundant, mixed flavoured coffee, by hand, with help from his wife Michelle, a nurse at Darlington Memorial Hospital.

Starting out in 2009 in the midst of a

recession with a young son and another baby on the way, it could have been a perfect storm in a coffee cup.

“It was stressful to say the least,” he says. “I don’t think we realised what we were letting ourselves in for.”

Although the risk is clearly paying off, it is evident that this particular entrepreneur doesn’t take the company’s success for granted. “If you decide to go for it, it’s all or nothing. There are no half limits - you’ve got to be prepared to work every hour of every day.

“It’s daunting, but luckily in the North East there are advice and funding options and you can never ask enough questions.

Looking back, I remember thinking after we’d exported to one country, it’d be the same process for the next country. But it’s not. Sometimes I’ll be in the supermarket and I have to do a double take when I see a Beanies The Flavour Co. jar on the shelf. I can’t believe how far

we’ve come in the last few years.”

Passionate about their product and growing their relationships in both the domestic and export markets, the partners make a formidable team.

“We’ve recently gained distribution in Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and are planning to launch in Germany soon,” says Evans, “and we’re currently in discussions with six more countries.”

There are jars with “Top Secret” stamped across them and everyone remains tight-lipped around new flavours.

“When I look back at where we were six years ago it’s hard to imagine where Beanies might be in another six years,” says Evans. “We’re looking into new products, innovations and range of product extensions. There are so many options, but we’ll make the right decision for us.”

And with that, he’s off to make a cup of coffee. Mine’s a Chocolate Orange...

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PROFILE

Faith in the future

Elise Rana Hopper talks to Hartlepool Borough Council’s Gill Alexander about tough decisions, the moral compass and why she believes in magic

“

I suppose I’m not quite like other chief execs,” says Gill Alexander as she clocks me looking at the maroon and yellow lanyard around her neck.

“Gryffindor,” she says with a grin, explaining the branding on the gift from her daughter, whose love for the Harry Potter novels in which Gryffindor House features has more than rubbed off on her mother. “I’ve got a magic wand over there, too,” she says, nodding in its direction.

You can get away with quirks when you’re the right person for the job. Appointed by unanimous vote to replace the long-serving Dave Stubbs as chief executive at Hartlepool Borough Council in May, following 18 months as its director of child and adult services, Alexander’s CV includes the stewardship of children’s services at North Tyneside Council during which it became one of the country’s best. Plus, with the axe of austerity hanging over the head of local government, novel approaches may need to be conjured.

“My first address to the staff was about the Dementors [demons from the Harry Potter books] circling local

beginning of a 17-year stint in government trying to strip our North Tyneside. “My passion soul away and how, to keep has always been helping to them away, we had to connect shape a better future for the with what we believe in and North East, and councils have stand for,” says Alexander. an important role to play in “I had everyone on their feet that. Hartlepool’s a great chanting a Patronus charm place, and I see the job of [a good guys’ weapon in the serving some of the region’s books] for the region.” poorest areas as a real Born in South Shields, she opportunity to try and make a describes her background difference. How I became the as “relatively poor”, and chief executive of a council I though her early ambitions don’t know, because it’s not of studying medicine were something I ever set out to thwarted - by careers advice do, but sometimes you find that, as a female, she was yourself realising someone unlikely to get into medical has to step up.” school - she became the In what is an first in her family to incredibly full go to university, “HARTLEPOOL life, Alexander studying English regularly goes at Birmingham.

IS A GREAT for 40-mile Subsequent years PLACE WITH bike rides, in academia A GREAT cycling having left her feeling FUTURE” replaced a unfulfilled, however, former passion for and following running which led to several years working her running a half-marathon with Save the Children in the along the Great Wall of China. developing world and in some This endeavour was at the of the poorest areas of the persuasion of Dagmar Winter, UK, Alexander returned to Rector of Hexham and head her roots to combine three of the clergy team at Hexham core interests - education, Abbey, where Alexander community development, was until earlier this year lay and the North East. “I came chair of the Parochial Church back in 1996, the same year Council, playing a major part as Alan Shearer - a return of in the planning, fundraising, the native moment,” she says and delivery of a landmark of a move that marked the

28 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016

“I had everyone on their feet chanting a Patronus charm for the region”

restoration of the Abbey’s medieval former monastery complex to create community facilities including a major visitor centre. Now, as if she doesn’t have enough to do, she is an Anglican priest in training. “That’s my weekend job I suppose,” she laughs, “though I don’t see them as that distinct. We all need a moral compass and when I have to make important decisions I take a moment to reflect on the morally right thing to do, rather than the most administratively straightforward.”

She passionately believes in local government and devolution. Over the last four years, the average cut in public expenditure in Hartlepool has been more than £300 per head - twice the national average in this, one of the most deprived areas of the country. “We have to acknowledge that if councils are having to make 25%-40% cuts, we have to think very hard about which services we continue with. We have to stay focused on what a council is the first line of defence against poverty and vulnerability.

We have to protect services that meet the needs of the most vulnerable and create pathways out of poverty, which in the long-term reduces pressure on our services.

“I’d like to leave this job with better joint working in the health and social care system.

I’d like to have significantly increased the number of businesses operating in Hartlepool, and accelerated the rate of housing growth.

And I’d like to leave Hartlepool with every school and college rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted, because that, first and foremost, is creating a better future for our young people.

We’ve got plans in place to achieve those things” - the twinkling grin returns “and anyway, I have my magic wand.”

DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 29

PROFILE

“I don’t have time for people who will only give advice if they can sell it”

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A disruptive influence

Could the North East be the next Silicon Valley?

Paul Smith of tech support community Campus North and accelerator programme Ignite tells Elise Rana Hopper about fast-tracking the future

“

number-crunching, he flexed I will not be a common his creative muscle writing for man. I will stir the The Guardian, set up a mobile smooth sands of app-creation agency, and used monotony.” The poetic Twitter to travel around the prescience of the world, writing a book, Twtichiker, teenager who became the about his experiences travelling legendary actor and hellraiser Peter O’Toole, re-purposed as a with rules including only accepting offers of travel and Twitter bio, makes for an apt accommodation from people on statement of intent for Paul Twitter, and making travel plans Smith, co-founder and CEO no further than three of the Newcastledays in advance. based accelerator “I’m always programme Ignite.

“WHAT I’M happy to work As an adviser DOING NOW hard, but the and investor DOESN’T FEEL moment it starts in technology LIKE A JOB” feeling like a job start-ups, he when I stop having knows better than any love or passion for most that in the world it - then I leave,” says Smith. of technology start-ups, “What I’m doing now doesn’t disruption can be a very good feel like a job.” thing - even when ‘stirring the It’s true that Campus North, sands’ might mean a leap into the Kickstarter-funded space the unknown. that now serves as HQ for A science fiction fan with Ignite and numerous small a GCSE in astronomy at the enterprises, doesn’t look like age of 14, the young Smith the typical office - an openwas just eight weeks into an plan warehouse-style space astrophysics degree at Leeds adorned with murals, an 8-bit University when he dropped out Mario rendered in spray-painted and embarked upon a career in floppy disks, a row of Skype local and national radio. booths with old-fashioned red Then, 13 years on, came phone box doors, a pinboard the next leap - tired of radio’s of the mostly 20-something escalating cutbacks and

occupants captured in goofy snapshots.

But there is serious work happening here. Envisioned as a one-off when it was founded in 2011, Ignite is one of Europe’s most successful accelerator programmes, now into its seventh round in Newcastle and rolling out to London and Manchester.

The formula? “Rocket juice for digital start-ups,” is how Smith describes the programme, with teams receiving £17,000 each, a trip to the US and four intensive months of coaching and support designed to de-risk them and build their sustainability.

“We’re the middle-man between experienced angel investors and VC funds, and early-stage technology companies,” he says. “On one side we’ve got billionaires and millionaires and on the other we’ve got teams of two or three people who’ve got really exciting ideas.”

Rolling up his sleeves and helping those ideas come to life is his favourite part of the job, he says, citing the advice of his co-founder Jon Bradford - ‘give

DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 31

PROFILE to receive’ - as the best career wisdom he’s had. “I don’t have time for people who will only give advice if they can sell it.

You will have more value as a person and a professional if, when you’re in a position to offer help, you do so - one day the favour will be returned.”

Indeed, here at Ignite it’s part of the culture. “The benefits of co-working are why we built Campus North - you can hire a chair and a desk anywhere, but there’s so much more value here in terms of business support. People meet in the kitchen or sitting down to lunch and solve one another’s problems over a cup of tea. It sounds incredibly British, but it happens all the time.”

More than the tech itself, it’s the people that make an idea a success - or indeed a failure.

“You can have the best idea in the world, but if you have a mediocre team, there’s no faster and further if people point - so it’s better to find out weren’t just motivated by their early. A good team will have own self-interest and greed. complementary skills, will be When you want to do things loyal to one another, will be that are in the interest of the able to have disagreements greater good, you end up being and move past them, and seen as a troublemaker. Ignite not implode under pressure has needed an evangelist and a - because building your own cheerleader, and the North business is a challenging East tech scene has thing to do. It’s every needed people who waking moment “I SOLD MY will stand up and for the next 5-10 TELESCOPE... be counted.” years - if it goes NOW I Smith’s love for well - and a lot of his home patch sacrifices along MIGHT BUY is evident, but still the way.

ANOTHER” he’s sanguine “And ultimately the Ignite is based here for team have to make it by good reason, not sentimentality. themselves - we can put a hand Newcastle, he knows, is a on the shoulder, but we can’t world-class city with quality and take them by the hand.” affordability of life and a thriving Whether it’s on the native tech community already importance of failing quickly, the in place. But lacking the hubris futility of attending conferences, - and the Government focus or the persisting problem of of London or Manchester, he all-male panels, Smith takes believes that if Newcastle is no prisoners when it comes to to rise above the rest, it must airing his opinions, blogging and shout louder - and have the tweeting prolifically and with support to do so. passion - stirring, as mentioned “Because the city is such a above, those sands.

“We could get along so much well-recognised metropolitan

32 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016

brand, there are people who assume that this kind of stuff will happen anyway. We’ve had no local government support, even though we are a centre of innovation pulling in hundreds of thousands of pounds from outside the region to invest in local businesses.”

By way of example, Smith cites e-commerce app builder moltin, which came to Ignite in 2013 as a team of three with an idea to potentially revolutionise global e-commerce.

Now worth in the region of £10m following international investment raising, the company is expanding to create 25 new jobs on the second floor of Campus North. “We’ve taken $3m out of California and put it into Newcastle. In five years time it could IPO. That could be another Sage, and we have the opportunity to create an environment that will produce a Sage every 10 years. As a city and as a region we are ultimately in control of our own destiny, but everyone - schools, SMEs, local government - has

to play a part. If we don’t come together and take advantage of the fact that there is a community here, we’ll lose it and we’ll have nobody to blame but ourselves.

It’s an irrepressible enthusiasm for ideas and their potential. “Technology is going to permeate every industry, and the thing about technology is, it has the ability to scale globally without the traditional costs of manufacturing or commerce.

You build a piece of software and you can market and sell it anywhere in the world.”

In terms of what happens next, he’s ready and willing to see science fiction turn into serious fact: virtual reality, holodecks, replicators - this stuff is all straight out of Star Trek. Is the teenage stargazer still in there, still imagining the possibilities of the future? “I sold my telescope to pay a tax bill when I was 23,” he says, “but I saw one the other day in a shop and now I think I’ll buy one again.” And with that, he’s gone, back to the future.

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O

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rganisations enrolled in the Go Smarter to Work programme in Tyne and Wear seeking to support sustainable and active travel in the workplace are being encouraged to submit an application to the programme’s final round of matched funding.

Businesses currently working with Go Smarter can apply for matched funding up to £5,000 to introduce a sustainable transport or flexible working scheme for its employees. Organisations must contribute at least 50% of the total cost and final claims - along with invoices for the works - must be submitted to Go Smarter by 29 February 2016, prior to the end of the programme in March 2016.

The hugely successful matched funding scheme has already supported some of the region’s biggest employers to transform how staff travel to and from work, as well as support employees to use flexible working. intu Eldon Square, one of the largest city centre shopping destinations in the UK, worked with Go Smarter’s matched funding programme to introduce improved internal conferencing facilities. Richie Williamson, Operations Coordinator at intu Eldon Square said: “By improving our ability to effectively communicate with our head office in London, we’ve reduced the need for staff to continually travel to the capital for meetings and also reduced the requirement to provide off-site training and development. This very simple change has made a huge difference to staff output and efficiency.”

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Rebecca Allen, Sustainability Officer at Newcastle University said: “By working with Go Smarter we have been able to increase staff engagement with greener travel which has helped raise the profile of the University’s wider sustainability agenda. Our Go Smarter to Work Breakfast Mornings were a fantastic way introduce people to the activity available on campus.”

Go Smarter to Work has helped a number of small to medium sized design firms introduce changes to their flexible working policies.

Superkrush, based in Gateshead, relied heavily on its office-based computer software and servers meaning that staff did not have the flexibility to work from home. Superkrush used its Go Smarter matched funding to improve its ability to store video in the cloud and provide staff with home working equipment.

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DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 33

PROFILE

Game changer

Owen McAteer meets the former pro-footballing chief executive of Rockliffe Hall, where effective teamwork is driving business goals

I

t was perhaps serendipitous that the all-conquering All Blacks and Eamonn Elliott’s worlds came together when the world’s top rugby union team stayed at Rockliffe Hall on their way to Rugby World Cup glory.

A desire to be the best, driven by first-hand experience of professional sport, shapes everything Elliott is striving to achieve at the North East’s only five star hotel.

Brought up in Belfast’s tough Falls Road area at the height of the Troubles, raw determination propelled the teenage Elliott to the unlikely dream of a professional football contract in England.

And the same tenacity that saw the 43-year-old move to Carlisle United at the age of 16 continued once his football career was over, this time in the hospitality industry,

culminating 12 months ago anything like it. In 20 years in his appointment as chief managing hotels I’ve looked executive at this 19th Century after some leading people, Grade II-listed destination but these guys were on a near Darlington. different level.

Rockliffe Hall opened six “As soon as the team bus years ago following a £50m pulled up in front of the hotel conversation to create a the management and players luxury 61-bedroom hotel with formed a chain from the coach championship golf course to the reception to pass and spa. It has made the luggage in. Then its mark, and you it was all lined up “I KNEW don’t have to in alphabetical THERE WAS spend long in order. The coach, ONLY ONE the company Steve Hansen, TEAM GOING of the convivial told our concierge, Ulsterman to ‘these guys carry TO WIN” realise that the drive their own bags’. which shaped his early That was the start of life was never going to let him five days that made me aware settle for second best once he there was only going to be one entered the hospitality trade. team to win the World Cup, And of the New Zealand and I told Steve Hansen their team, when they arrived on most wonderful attribute was Rockliffe’s doorstep in October humility, the most I have seen ahead of their match against in any group of individuals.”

Tonga at St James’s Park, The Kiwis also left Rockliffe Elliott says: “I’ve never seen with a lucky charm. “I put the

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“Going out to be the best every day is a trait you can’t train”

DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 35

PROFILE

Middlesbrough mascot bear in Steve’s room and he took it with him,” says Elliott, and a few weeks later they lifted the cup.

Brought up by his parents Paddy and Sally alongside six siblings, Elliott later studied part time to gain an economics degree, “so mum and dad could say one of the seven had a degree,” he says.

“The early 1980s were a challenging time in West Belfast, but I only had one passion, and I thought if I trained hard enough I would make it into football in England. In those days, getting across to England with a contract was almost an impossibility, but I was hungry for it, and I got a contract at Carlisle.”

One day, after playing Liverpool’s youth team, the teenage Elliott and his teammates were invited to watch Liverpool’s first team, the Alex Ferguson of the hotel which included legendary world, and he saw something names such as Kenny Dalglish in me. I was a health spa and John Barnes. manager and he put me in “They were playing charge of a hotel. I’m a tee Middlesbrough, who I’d never totaller, and the wine list at the heard of. It was 1987 and Devonshire Arms was worth this great Liverpool team was £2m retail.” held by them for 75 minutes.

A stellar path followed. He All those kids went on to be managed the Mount Falcon Middlesbrough legends and Spa in Mayo, Ireland, Pallister, Mowbray, Slaven which was recognised as the - and that was the first live AA Irish Hotel of the Year, and football game I watched then spent five years in England.” at the Grand Jersey He played on “THE TEAM Hotel, taking it to into his 30s at the position of the non-league MUST EXCEL Channel Islands’ level, combining EVERY TIME highest-rated the game with THEY COME hotel, gaining a managing health TO WORK” Michelin Star and spas where he was five star status. spotted by leading This led to Elliott hotelier Jeremy Rata, being named the Institute who appointed him to the of Directors Young Director Michelin-starred Devonshire of the Year for 2013-2014 Arms Hotel in North Yorkshire. and it was in Jersey that “It was just hard work he and Middlesbrough FC leading to opportunity,” he owner Steve Gibson, whose says now. “Jeremy Rata is 36 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016

firm owns Rockliffe Hall, met for the first time. He says: “There was no hesitation. If it wasn’t Rockliffe I would still have taken the opportunity to work with Steve and Warwick Brindle, our chairman.”

Elliott equates running hotels to running a football club, the drive for excellence beginning with the owner, chief executive and chairman and running all the way through to the people washing pots.

“You talk about DNA traits and both industries require similar skills; if it doesn’t have a strong spine, the football team will struggle, and it’s the same for a hotel. Going out every day to be the best is a trait you can’t train into people.

“We have pretty much the same team we had a year ago when I arrived. We have 330 employees and 275 of them are from Teesside. I’ve never seen that anywhere else. Like a sports team, it’s about trying

to maximise what these guys can do. The facilities here are second to none, so the team have to excel every time they come to work.”

No surprise, then, that Elliott’s new signings at Rockliffe include Michelinstarred chef Richard Allen, who followed him from The Grand Jersey. “The North East is the hidden gem of the UK,” says Elliott. “I’m a complete adopted Teessider.

If there is a better spa, a superior golf course, a better team, a better food and beverage offering, I haven’t seen it yet.”

A survey by wealth intelligence company New World Wealth in September put Rockliffe alongside The Ritz and Claridge’s in London.

“It has been open for six years and we can make it one of the most iconic hotels in the UK and Ireland,” says Elliott. “It’s in our DNA.”

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PROFILE

Going the extra mile Never pre-judge, says leading Newcastle barrister Toby Hedworth QC, as he tells Elise Rana Hopper why law isn’t always about the lucre

Newcastle Law Courts. Image credit: Alastair Wallace / Shutterstock.com

“

It’s the one with the lion and the unicorn above the door - you can’t miss it.”

As impressive offices go, Newcastle’s Customs House takes some beating - but then it does house some serious businesses. Almost 70 of the city’s top barristers operate in the 18th Century Grade II-listed building at the heart of the Quayside, with its early 19th Century Royal Arms above the entrance. And Toby Hedworth QC, head of Trinity Chambers, appreciates it more than most.

“I’m interested in buildings

and I’m a very proud Geordie, A fine building it may be, so I bang the drum for good but his reputation extends well architecture in important beyond it. Born in Tynemouth locations in our city,” he and brought up in Whitley Bay, says, looking out from Hedworth was called his desk over the to the bar in 1975 “IT’S magnificent and took Silk in arch of the 1996. He has FASCINATING Tyne Bridge. made his name WORK, WHICH “The curve of handling highIS WHY I’M Grey Street is profile criminal IN IT ” the pinnacle, the cases from drugs Quayside is great conspiracies and and what they’ve done gangland murders to over the river is wonderful. white-collar crime, police Design competitions are corruption and terrorism. If it great for this - look at the sounds like interesting stuff Gateshead Millennium Bridge, it is, and that’s why he does it. or Newcastle Crown Court “To be a good barrister, where I work every day.” you have to enjoy what you’re doing,” he says. “My elder brother was a criminal solicitor, and he found it restricting, only being able to take a case so far before handing it over to the barrister.

He thought I’d enjoy doing the bit that comes next. And I have done.

“I’m fortunate in that nowadays, I can choose the more serious and the more interesting cases, but there are people who have a much higher charge-out rate than

38 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016

me because they’re doing work for companies - criminal law is virtually all publicly funded. But if I’m at a supper party with other lawyers around the table, no-one wants to hear about how much they’re earning from dealing with sub-clause 5 of a building contract. They want to hear about some salacious case that I’m involved in.

What’s going on in the courts is what half the newspapers are full of, it’s what half the books people take on holiday are about - it’s just absolutely fascinating work, which is why I’m still doing it.

“There’s never an end to finding out what human beings are prepared to do to each other. Just when you think you’ve heard the ultimate, someone trumps it.”

One particularly chilling case was that of child killer Robert Black, convicted in 1994 for the abduction and murder of three schoolgirls and in 2013 for a fourth, results that the prosecution team’s painstaking trawl through an estimated 22 tonnes of evidence

DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 39

PROFILE

files helped to secure.

“To succeed in this job you’ve got to have determination and you’ve got to be prepared to go the extra mile - you get out what you put in. Whether you’re defending or prosecuting, if you’re seen to be giving it your all, you’re more likely to get people coming back and asking for you again. As in any walk of life, it’s possible to go through the motions - but everyone’s got a story to tell.”

This does of course mean it won’t always be a case of representing ‘the good guy’.

“My friends find it infuriating that I always have to see both sides of the argument, but as a lawyer you tend to have to take a morally ambivalent stance. Whether my client is right or wrong is for the jury to decide - I’m there to follow what my client tells me and put forward their argument in the best possible way,

even if superficially it’s very think I ever do a case that unattractive. I’ve been doing involves less than one of those this a long time, and every boxes - that’s at least 2,000 so often something reminds pages that you’ve got to read me why you shouldn’t preand know. You can carry two judge or jump to conclusions or three of those in your head - you delve deeper and find a at once, but you’ve got to be perfectly respectable witness able to put it down or your turns out not to be the person head will explode, so you do they appeared to be. It’s for learn to compartmentalise.” a judge and a jury to decide So accustomed to who’s done what, searching for relevant it’s not my job to bite-sized chunks “YOU HAVE make a decision of information, he TO BE for them.” admits he finds it Despite difficult to relax PREPARED the gravity enough to read TO GO THE and indeed a book, but finds EXTRA MILE” a trip to the match sheer volume of information he takes his mind off deals with on a daily work. “Going to watch the basis - stacked in the corner football pretty soon makes you are numerous large boxes, forget when you realise there’s each full of bulging lever-arch something much worse in life, files - he does find it possible namely your team!” to switch off at the end of the A more reliable source day, to some extent. of enjoyment is his car, a “It might all fit on a BMW 650 sport coupé made memory stick now, but I don’t to his exact specifications

40 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016

through the BMW Individual programme. “I’ve got exactly the car I want and I like it a lot. I’ve had it a few years but I won’t replace it - I’ll get something smaller and keep that one because in time it will become a collector’s car.”

Just as he prizes the more interesting work over the more lucrative, even this most proven of persuaders can be counselled to forgo dull investment in favour of pleasures more immediate, like the luxury of driving a bespoke car that’s the equivalent of a suit tailored on Savile Row. When he has time to drive for enjoyment it’s usually to the Lake District where the family have a long-term rental on what he fondly calls a ‘shack’. “I wish we could buy it,” he smiles. “It’d be nice to have an asset - but I’ve spent the last 30 years spending money on cars instead.”

HI! TECH

LEGO!

Hi tech Christmas

A Christmas essential, this year’s Lego pick is The Tumbler from the latest Batman movies – though a Star Wars Deathstar may be added to the list, too.

Pictured: The Tumbler, £159.99 www.lego.com

The best of this year’s Christmas gadgets for the business person with everything

H

overboard, e-board, Segway, self-balancing scooter – whatever you call them, they’re the must-have gadget this Christmas.

There are a lot of options when it comes to choosing your hoverboard, and they range from £400 to around £1,500. As a rough guide, they’ll take 2-3 hours to charge and you can get upto 20km on one with a top speed of 10 kmp/h – which is more than enough

LOOKING GOOD for a trip to the end of the street on Christmas morning!

These things operate much like a Segway, with a gyro-stabilised platform.

The direction of travel is controlled by pressing down on the rubber footpads while standing up straight, which sounds easier than it is. With some practice over the Christmas break you could look as good as star fans like Usain Bolt and Justin Bieber. Until then, watch out for the dog, and the coffee table!

A Christmas jumper for the ultimate Star Wars fan with style points if you wear it to see the new movie at the cinema.

Star Wars Christmas tree sweatshirt, £21.99 www.iwantoneofthose.com

APPLE WATCH

For those not willing to wait for the launch of the Watch 2, this is perfect for playing with on Christmas morning. £299-£13,500 www.apple.com

Pictured: MonoRover R2, £400, www.monorover.com

WARM DIGITS

An essential accessory for serious tech fans, a pair of touchscreen-friendly gloves won’t break the bank and will come in very handy when you’re out and about.

Pictured: Mujjo Double Layered Touchscreen Gloves, £24.52 www.mujjo.com

CAPTURE THE MOMENT

Capture the full 360 degrees of Christmas with a 108 megapixel Panono ball camera.

Just don’t let the dog have it!

Panono Explorer Edition, €1,499 www.panono.com CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 41

SKILLS

TRAINING DAYS

Technical training provider TTE has announced the addition of more than 300 young people to its programmes during 2015, bringing the TTE student cohort to 600 across engineering-based courses at the company’s South Bank facility.

Following a six-figure investment in facilities, the latest cohort have access to fully refurbished engineering workshops, industrial scale process plants and a restaurant.

As a charity, TTE reinvests surpluses from commercial training operations into the development of young people on Teesside.

WORK EXPERIENCE DEMAND The majority of North East business, school and college leaders want ministers to recognise the importance of pre-16 work experience, says a new survey by NECC. In association with the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), the survey of more than 210 business and education leaders found that 82% of business respondents and 73% of respondents from schools, colleges and universities believe secondary schools should offer work experience for pupils aged under 16.

While the majority of businesses offer some form of work experience, a third (34%) offer none.

Apprentices join expanding team

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making apprentices 10% of its workforce. en young people have taken up The new apprentices are aged between apprenticeships at building 16-21 and are working in construction, and roofing specialist Hodgson roofing and administration.

Sayers, winner of the MD John Sayers says: “We apprenticeship award take great pride in ensuring our in the North East “APPRENTICES workforce has the necessary Business Awards.

ARE A CENTRAL skills to take the company The company has welcomed 10 new starters, PLANK OF OUR forward. Our executive chairman, myself and most of bringing the number of CULTURE” the contracts managers apprentices to 24 as it started their careers as continues to expand across a apprentices. It is a central plank of range of divisions. The Stanley, Co our culture.”

Durham-based company is committed to

DEVELOPMENT UNDERWAY Work is underway on East Durham College’s multi-million pound redevelopment of the Houghall Campus.

The redevelopment will include improved classrooms and learning spaces, a new animal care centre

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including aviary, dog kennels and a dog agility area, and agricultural courses will move from Houghall Farm.

Funding for the project comes from NELEP, with a £10m capital investment as part of the Government’s Local Growth Fund.

INSIDE CATERPILLAR

l-r Steps 4 Success trainee Liam Wells with Caterpillar HR consultant Jonathan Clappison Prof Brian Cox opens Middlesbrough College’s new skills centre

Celebrity professor launches STEM centre

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elebrity physicist Prof Brian Cox delighted students and college leaders alike when he officially opened the new £20m STEM skills training centre at Middlesbrough College.

He said the centre – which delivers world-class skills training in science, technology, engineering and maths - was “an incredibly impressive place”.

He added: “It’s ground-breaking - there’s a real understanding here of what industry needs and the new centre is delivering the kind of training that provides real experience.

Everybody will benefit, and it’s obvious that centres of this kind are needed across the country. It’s an act of genius – before you

can train a skilled workforce you have to ask what it is industry wants and that’s exactly what has happened here. It has genuinely surpassed my expectations, it should be used as a blueprint and I’ll be lobbying very hard for places like this across the country.”

The centre also recently welcomed more than 100 of the North East’s most successful leaders on a tour of its facilities. The event, organised by NECC and Middlesbrough College, marked the completion of the centre.

Mike Matthews, NECC president and MD of Nifco UK, was joined there by former apprentices who appeared in this year’s list of NECC Apprentice Greats – 200 North East leaders who began their careers as apprentices.

IN THE FAST LANE An ambitious young rally enthusiast from Co Durham is fulfilling a life-long dream to become a motor vehicle technician after securing an apprenticeship with Jennings Ford, part of Jennings Motor Group.

Connor Hook, 16, is currently second in the British Trials and Rally Drivers Association championships and the nineteenth apprentice appointed this year by the region’s longestestablished motor dealer. The next three years will see Connor working within the service department at the group’s Eslington Park dealership in Gateshead.

The Caterpillar articulated trucks plant at Peterlee welcomed a group of 16-18-year-olds on the Steps 4 Success course, run by the Newon Aycliffebased charity DISC. Developing Initiatives Supporting Communities (DISC) is an independent charity working to combat deprivation and promote social inclusion. Under its Steps 4 Success programme, trainees work towards an NOCN Certificate in Skills for Employment, Training and Personal Development.

HAND PICKED TALENT handPICKED - a shop set up by Gateshead College at intu Metrocentre with £50,000 of funding from Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) to give students the chance to grow start-up businesses has achieved £250,000 of takings in its first year.

In addition, 180 people have benefited from the scheme, which was launched in November 2014, in roles ranging from employees, traders and trainees.

DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 43

EXPORT

POSITIVE RESULT Blyth-based Dräger has won the contract to supply the Medical Bureau of Road Safety in Ireland with its drug testing device for use

by An Garda Síochána.

After a tender process, the Dräger DrugTest 5000 was selected by the Medical Bureau of Road Safety as its preferred device. It comes as the gardaí prepare for a major crackdown on drug driving. The DrugTest 5000 will be used by gardaí at the roadside, where it will test for up to four of the most commonly abused substances. The equipment has been designed for real time usage, with saliva samples able to be analysed immediately for precise results on the spot. If a driver fails the roadside test, gardaí will be able to arrest them on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs.

CAPITAL DEAL Swinburne Maddison LLP has acted on behalf of the owners of Walker-based FHP Ltd, in connection with the disposal of the entire issued share capital of the company to Royal IHC. FHP, which exports more than 60% of its products, will continue to operate within the international subsea oil and gas markets with an emphasis on developing its equipment hire business.

IHC operates in the UK from Stocksfield Hall, Northumberland, designing, building and supplying specialist equipment for the offshore oil and gas, submarine telecoms, and renewables industries. It has a worldwide network of support from its parent company Royal IHC, with more than 3,000 employees throughout the world.

Exploring export

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ECC and UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) North East hosted a week of events to encourage and advise would-be and existing exporters in the North East.

Working with NECC, the North East and Tees Valley LEPs, and successful exporters, UKTI shared experiences, advice and support designed to get more North East goods and services into worldwide markets.

The week began at Sage Gateshead when Minister for Trade and Investment Lord Maude launched the national Exporting is Great campaign, which will offer export opportunities across a range of broadcast and digital channels in the next five years.

Lord Maude expressed his confidence in North East businesses, congratulating the region on continuing to have the only consistent positive balance of trade in the UK. Following the launch, Lord Maude visited Zytronic, in Blaydon, which produces projected capacitive technology (PCT™ and MPCT™) touch interactive products used in electronic displays for information kiosks, ATMs, ticketing and gaming machines, as well as by military, computer, telecoms and medical manufacturers. The company exports 95% of

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its goods and services with UKTI support.

At the Explore Export event, representatives of more than 50 countries met with North East companies, helping them to target markets.

Meanwhile, at the North East in a Global Europe conference at Ramside Hall near Durham, business leaders benefited from workshops in accessing new international markets, exploiting new tools and exploring new routes to market. Experts were also on hand to share expertise in supply chain support services, access to funding, and the role of the British Chambers of Commerce.

Julie Underwood, director of international trade at NECC, said: “The week was a great success with businesses from all over the region exploring new ways of increasing their client base.”

David Coppock, regional director for UKTI North East said: “Exporting can lead to greater opportunities for innovation, development and employment.

“There is advice available on finance and billing, cultural considerations, support available from UKTI and others. Companies we help range from the very small and recently established trying to win their first orders abroad, to established multi-nationals.”

NEW LIFE

Scott Vieira of Clive Owen Technology Services with Marion Milsom of Springfield

SPRINGFIELD EYES GLOBAL GROWTH Precision engineering firm Springfield (NE) Ltd is celebrating its 10th anniversary after doubling its office and manufacturing space and investing in a new website ready for global growth.

The engineering firm, which counts Nissan and Dräger Safety among its clients, has increased its floor space to 20,000sqft at the Chilton Industrial Estate

and invested in a new website to capitalise on its growing reputation within the global marketplace.

Springfield designs and manufactures bespoke machinery for industries in markets including automotive and heavy goods. Its new website was provided by Clive Owen Technology Services, the IT arm of Clive Owen LLP in Darlington.

Linda Conlon, chief executive of Newcastle’s International Centre for Life, has been elected to a top role with the global body representing science centres and museums.

She is only the second European in its 42-year history to be elected chair of the Association of Science and Technology Centres (ASTC). Based in Washington DC, ASTC’s membership comprises 660 organisations from 50 countries. Globally, it is estimated that some 95m people visit science centres each year and as chair of ASTC, Conlon will promote excellence and innovation in learning outside schools and academic institutions and lead ASTC in its efforts to help members address critical global issues such as climate change.

GOOD HEALTH SOUTH AFRICAN CONFERENCE KICKS OFF

l-r James Ramsbortham, NECC; Richard Swart, NECC; and Thomas Mketelwa, Thekwini Municipality

Days before the Springboks and Scotland clashed in the Rugby World Cup at St James’ Park in Newcastle, NECC welcomed South African business delegates to a special trade and cooperation conference in the city.

More than 200 people attended the North East England and South Africa Trade and Cooperation Conference at Newcastle Civic Centre, which was designed to strengthen

the multi-million-pound links between South Africa and the region. Organised by NECC, UKTI and Newcastle City Council, the event saw industry leaders from sectors including ports and marine economy, tourism, oil and gas, education, training and skills, renewables, and advanced manufacturing. NECC is now working with UKTI to organise a market visit to South Africa and Mozambique in 2016.

Lynch Healthcare, Sunderland is doubling the size of its premises to serve demand from the UK and internationally.

A specialist in patient handling and hygiene equipment, Lynch is expanding into the unit next door to its existing site at Sunderland Enterprise Park, giving it a total of 7,000sqft for manufacturing, storage and distribution. The company makes its own range of patient slings in Sunderland and employs an engineering team to service, repair and install overhead hoists and associated equipment. It also imports and distributes shower chairs and stools from leading global brands.

The company, set up by David Lynch in 2009, employs 17 people.

DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 45

I DON’T SEE BORDERS I SEE OPPORTUNITIES. AS A CHAMBER MEMBER I’M WELL CONNECTED. IF IT’S NEW CUSTOMERS YOU’RE AFTER OR THE RIGHT ADVICE TO KEEP YOUR BUSINESS GROWING, BELONGING TO YOUR LOCAL ACCREDITED CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEANS YOU ARE ALWAYS WELL CONNECTED. VISIT WWW.NECC.CO.UK TO SEE HOW WE CAN SUPPORT YOUR BUSINESS. #JOINYOURCHAMBER

FUNDING FOCUS

Special focus:

Investing is a local business and the North East is good at it Rivers Capital managing director Jonathan Gold explores the North East’s investment success Most investors like to be able to visit the business they invest in, and they like to talk to the people running it, face to face.

There are of course exceptions, but often, if you have an investor in your business, you might want to meet them regularly too. After all, there are other benefits an investor can bring apart from money. Small and start-up businesses need people or venture capital funds who can add value and advice and who know the environment around them.

This is one reason why the North East suffered a huge disadvantage compared to London and the south for many years. The money was not where the businesses up here needed it. The Government began to do something about this more than 20 years ago, recognising that there was a national equity gap, but also a need to stimulate and grow investment communities outside of London.

This local approach to funding is what brought me to Newcastle in 2003. Several others followed and we have the seeds of a growing investment community. This could not have been built without several hundred million pounds of EU

and UK Government capital. The latest £130m of funding in the last five years has attracted around £150m of additional private cash into some 800 businesses and even more jobs.

So let’s shout about our success. It has been done by local fund managers, teams appointed in firms like mine investing in businesses like yours with local networks. If we don’t shout about it, we will continue to be defined by our problems, not our achievements.

We need to point out that we want to do it again. For once, the model here is not broken so don’t try and change it. I’m referring to the JEREMIE Funds, the original £142m and the potential £130m-plus that is being, we hope, put in place for the North East by the Government and EU. The Northern Powerhouse, if it is to mean anything, must facilitate local investment activity here in the North East and not just build on the Manchester-Leeds axis.

True, we are a lot smaller up here in economic terms but have demonstrated we can control our own cash and investment climate.

I have argued passionately that the North East must reach

out to the other parts of the north.

We can’t do things alone, but equally we need to control our local investment base in order to work well across the north.

Tech City North, the offshoot of the London and Government sponsored initiative to support the IT and tech sector, says the North is the right focus for new investment funds and the region is failing to attract the private investment it should. I disagree, but I only disagree because we need local management of funds.

The North is not a uniform economy; Newcastle is not the same as Middlesbrough.

For example, Rivers Capital has now invested £9.5m with an additional £8m of capital raised with investors into 66 businesses in the region. To do this we have seen more than 1,000 business plans and entrepreneurs and helped a significant number to other investors. We also run the £6.5m North East Micro Loan Fund and have lent to almost 500 businesses to date that would not have managed to attract a bank loan. We can do more, but all this is only possible with the help of North East Finance, which manages us, and the other four fund management businesses locally.

I hope James Wharton, the Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, and others support their own part of the North and build with us on the great investment climate we have made here.

DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 47

FUNDING FOCUS

Innovation legacy

T David Thomas, NEL (left) and John Suggate, Formula Plastics

Growing ambition

I

njection moulding firm Formula Plastics is aiming for further expansion after more than doubling its turnover in the five-year term of a Finance for Business North East Growth Fund investment.

The Newton Aycliffe-based firm worked with NEL Fund Managers in 2010 to secure a £100,000 investment from the Growth Fund, which it used to invest in new equipment, diversify into new markets and boost its sales operations.

Since then, it has increased its annual turnover from £1.5m to around £3.5m, and has seen its workforce grow from 33 people to 55.

The business manufactures a range of components, which are used in vehicles made by some of the best-known names in the automotive industry, including Nissan, Honda and Jaguar Land Rover.

Alongside its automotive work, it also supplies tooling and mouldings for other major names in a range of sectors including lighting and electronics.

Formula Plastics has had a long relationship with NEL, which provided

start-up funding for the business back in 1996 and subsequently made a number of investments in the following decade.

Chairman John Suggate says: “The global downturn had a big impact on the whole of the automotive sector, but the companies that came through those difficult times have been able to take commercial advantage of positive market conditions ever since, and we’ve grown every year for the last five years.

“The Growth Fund investment provided the capital we needed to bring in new equipment and resources that were required for us to take on a significant new contract, and at a time when development funding of this type was available from very few sources, it proved absolutely essential.

“We’ve continued to invest in new equipment, resources and people as the business has demanded over the last five years, picking up several new contracts along the way, and we see a number of further opportunities in front of us that will help us continue to grow the business.”

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he Stephenson Quarter, a £200m mixed-use development in the heart of Newcastle, has been supported by £1.7m loan funding from the North East Investment Fund (NEIF).

The site was once home to the Robert Stephenson and Co. Locomotive Works, the crucible of the railway industry where the Rocket was built in 1829.

Contemporary architecture, restored listed buildings, three acres of new public realm, a contemporary art and culture programme, restaurants, bars and events spaces will combine to make The Stephenson Quarter one of the most desirable urban locations in the UK. North East Investment Fund (NEIF) loan funding of £1.7m using Regional Growth Fund monies approved by the North East Local Enterprise Partnership’s Investment Panel, was key in the first phase of The Stephenson Quarter’s development.

Around 130 people now work at Crowne Plaza Newcastle hotel at The Stephenson Quarter.

Clouston Group, the Crowne Plaza Newcastle

developer behind the project near Newcastle Central Station, has started marketing the nearby office building, The Rocket, which could accommodate up to 350 new jobs when fully occupied.

The adjacent 360-space Stephenson Quarter multistorey car park is also now open.

Michelle Percy, managing director of Stephenson Hotel Ltd and director of Clouston Group, says: “Part of our vision at Clouston Group and one shared by the city council was to design and develop Stephenson Quarter into a high value location, a distinct destination that the city can be proud of. We believe phase one sets the tone perfectly.

“Our ambition is to embrace and promote the talent that exists in the region and showcase it to the rest of the country and beyond.”

Coun Ged Bell, cabinet member for investment and development at Newcastle City Council, added: “The Stephenson Quarter is a prime example of what can be achieved through a strong and committed public private sector partnership.”

ADVERTORIAL

PORTOBELLO TRADE PARK THRIVING WITH NEIF LOAN BACKING

T Carl Jones, Technically Compatible

Full marks

T

echnically Compatible, which provides online skills assessment for the technology sector, has experienced rapid growth in its first year following major investment, leading to the recruitment of 10 staff in Sunderland.

The business has secured substantial six-figure investment in a round led by regional capital firm Northstar Ventures. The funding comes from the Finance for Business North East Accelerator Fund, with additional investment from private sector co-investors.

CEO Carl Jones says: “We’ve had a great first year, achieving several key goals.

These included assembling a strong board of directors, as well as staff across several departments, gaining some fantastic customers across 19 countries and releasing a raft of product

enhancements. This puts us in a great position to secure investment at a fantastic multi-million pound valuation and choosing Northstar Ventures to be our partner was in truth very easy.

“This investment enables us to ramp up our growth plans more aggressively, growing our commercial teams while continuing to invest in our technology.”

Technically Compatible recently introduced new developments to its testing platform, which has improved the customer experience and allowed it to expand its team. New talent has been hired across technical, sales, marketing and account management teams.

The company, based at Sunderland Software Centre, has now provided more than 25,000 tests across 19 countries to help technology companies find suitable candidates when recruiting.

Jeremy Middleton, Head of Investment Panel

he £7m Portobello Trade Park near Chester-leStreet has welcomed its first tenant with further strong interest in the new development promising more jobs and prosperity for the local area.

Developer Ravensworth Property Developments received a £982,000 loan from the North East Investment Fund (NEIF) using Regional Growth Fund monies and £2.75m from the European Regional Development Fund to help complete the funding package for the park.

Sitting on more than six acres of land off the A1(M), Portobello bosses say it will provide space for 15 light industrial units for small and medium-sized firms, creating about 200 jobs and supporting 250 construction posts.

The Bathroom Cladding Shop has just moved onto Portobello Trade Park and Steven Stipetic, director, said: “This move will be key to our continued growth, and the highly visible and accessible location of the new premises will make it easier for customers to find us.”

Geoff Clark, Ravensworth development manager, said: “We now have interest in more than 50 per cent of the development and a further two units in solicitors hands, which are expected to complete imminently.”

Final decisions about NEIF applications are made by a North East Local Enterprise Partnership Investment Panel – a private sector-led body headed by respected businessman and LEP board member Jeremy Middleton.

“We have already invested the first cycle of £55m and we are starting to see that investment coming back into the fund which will be reinvested into new and exciting projects,” said Mr Middleton.

For more information on NEIF criteria and the application process, please go to: http://nelep. co.uk/funding/north-east-investment-fund/ applying-north-east-investment-fund/ DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 49

ADVERTISEMENT

A £66 MILLION ALTERNATIVE

Two investment funds are unlocking the growth potential of established North East businesses, says Joanne Whitfield of FW Capital.

T

Joanne Whitfield, FW Capital’s Fund Manager in in the North East

wo funds set up to drive future economic growth in the North East have injected around £66 million into the region’s economy since 2010, helping 44 established businesses to grow and create or safeguard over 1,400 jobs.

To date, FW Capital has invested £29m from the North East Growth Plus and Tees Valley Catalyst Funds, attracting an additional £37m of private investment.

These funds offer an alternative source of finance, and combined with FW Capital’s flexible and collaborative approach, have resulted in numerous success stories and made a real difference to the economy in the North East.

The £9m FW Capital has so far invested from the Tees Valley Catalyst Fund has been instrumental in helping North East businesses unlock contracts worth well over £120m.

“The North East Growth Plus and Tees Valley Catalyst Funds are really focused on helping businesses to unlock their growth potential and with our backing many of our portfolio businesses have achieved their goals,” explains Joanne Whitfield, FW Capital’s Fund Manager in in the North East.

Launched in 2010, the North East Growth Plus Fund makes longer-term debt, equity and mezzanine investments from £350,000 to £1.25m which can be used for a range of purposes including equipment and stock purchases, property deposits and fit-out costs, to employ more staff or provide additional working capital. Investment from the Growth Plus Fund is often combined with funding from

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other providers, giving businesses a solid platform to realise their ambitions.

The Tees Valley Catalyst Fund, on the other hand, provides short-term loans from £100,000 and £2m to fund the performance, warranty and other bonds suppliers often have to provide to fulfil large contracts.

“Businesses grow in different ways and we offer them short and longer-term finance solutions to ensure they maximise their potential. We also work with other funders to come up with the right finance package,” Whitfield continues. “On average, businesses in our active portfolio have seen their turnover increase by 30 per cent in the year following our investment. Our investments have also helped others to attract much larger funding rounds from new investors.”

Whitfield believes this demonstrates what management teams can achieve with the right finance facilities and the backing of the right funding partner.

“We back management teams and we’re focused on the future viability, long-term success and economic impact of the businesses we invest in,” Whitfield adds. “Our finance is supporting some exciting businesses in a range of sectors and to help many more,” Whitfield explains.

Having seen first-hand the impact of FW Capital’s investments, Whitfield believes they’re an alternative worth considering. “The businesses we’ve invested in are bolder about winning new business and more confident about their future,” she concludes.

Find out how FWCapital could help your business.

Visit www.fwcapital.co.uk/northeast or @fwcapital.co.uk

RECRUITMENT & TRAINING FOCUS

Special focus:

Training and recruitment NECC policy adviser Paul Carbert explores how the Chamber is responding to members’ concerns on skills shortages and difficulty with recruiting NECC members frequently cite skills shortages as a key concern. Businesses find that their ability to grow is restricted by difficulties in recruiting staff with the right skills. Ensuring that the region’s workforce has the skills to meet future business needs is a priority for our members, and it will form a significant aspect of our campaigning in future.

The North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Strategic Economic Plan highlighted that by 2020 the

demand for jobs requiring Level 4 qualifications would increase by 120,000 in the North East LEP area.

Furthermore, the Employer Skills Survey by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills in 2013 found that 18% of employers in the region, across all sectors, reported a skills gap - the highest rate of any English region. Our members have reported difficulties recruiting in construction, advanced manufacturing, electrical

engineering, and digital.

To support the development of skills, NECC Training offers a variety of apprenticeships in sectors including AAT (accountancy), Business Administration, Dental Nursing, Electrical Engineering, ICT, and Logistics Operations.

In addition to our role as a provider of apprenticeships, NECC holds three Linking Business with Education events for our members every year to encourage the development of partnerships between schools,

colleges, and employers.

We have responded on behalf of our members to recent Government consultations relating to skills and education policy, and we work with local partners to promote the value of apprenticeships and ensure young people are aware of career opportunities.

For advice about employment, contact NECC’s Skills Development team tel 0300 303 6322 or email apprenticeships@necc.co.uk

DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 51

RECRUITMENT & TRAINING FOCUS

Does your marketing department have the right skills?

W

North East Sales and Marketing Academy director Veronica Swindale shares her thoughts on the skills marketing departments need to succeed

hen we work with businesses of all sizes, we find there are often two very different skill sets in the team.

The newest members of the team, and recent graduates, tend to have excellent digital skills and a passion for marketing online. However, the drawback of this is often a lack of traditional marketing skills, and knowledge of the role marketing plays in the wider business.

On the other hand, those who have worked in marketing departments throughout their careers, and those in senior management positions, tend

to have substantial marketing skills, but lack confidence and skills in digital marketing.

When looking to build a well-rounded and effective marketing team, a mix of these skill sets is vital, and having staff skilled in both traditional and digital marketing is key to promoting your business across all platforms and having a team that work well alongside one another.

Our training programmes aim to support the development of marketing professionals across all platforms by identifying key areas for development and focusing on curiosity, detail, analysing data and how these can affect a business as a whole.

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Do you have the skills you need in your finance team?

F

Hays Recruitment business director Rachael Richards explores the need to have the right employees with the right skills in finance teams

inance leaders agree that a major barrier to business growth is a lack of employee skills, one of the main causes being the capability gap – how employees rate their skills compared with the reality.

Hays Accountancy & Finance recently surveyed employers and employees and found a considerable disparity between employer and employee views, with employees consistently overestimating their skills in areas including communication, problem solving, organisation and technical knowledge.

Our survey found many employees were reluctant to address their skills

development, almost half saying their day job prevented them developing their skills.

Yet just 63% of employers had programmes to overcome barriers to development.

We are seeing significant demand for experienced payroll professionals, credit controllers and financial analysts. Candidates with the engagement and communication skills needed to work closely with business operations, particularly production teams, are significantly more successful in securing roles. If employers are to take advantage of this potential they need to act quickly to attract and develop the skills they need.

ADVERTISEMENT

SENIOR-LEVEL RECRUITMENT ON THE RISE

A

David Harries, Senior Executive Recruitment Consultant and Allena Clarke, Operations Manager.

s the UK’s workforce hits a record high, research shows that it is the demand for professional talent that is helping to drive the growth.

Senior level and interim placements remain up on last year and the job market is currently experiencing an increase in senior level vacancies, with the finance sector once again leading the way.

As more and more companies look to hire, the average salary across all professional sectors is continuing to climb, increasing by approximately 6 percent year on year - a clear sign that market confidence is continuing.

However, companies who are actively recruiting at a senior level are now embroiled in tense battles with other employers, when it comes to attracting the best, the brightest and the most skilled professional talent.

Today the power has shifted from the employer to the candidate, as employers find themselves losing top performers, and then finding it almost impossible to replace the skills lost, as quickly as they would like.

It is for this reason, that Westray Recruitment Consultants is experiencing unprecedented growth within its professional services division, with new clients seeking support in sourcing those quality candidates who are not generally active in the job marketplace.

We can help you identify top talent for your permanent or interim executive roles by blending together a rich portfolio of services and then tailoring our approach to focus on your priorities. We can help you to develop your employer proposition, design and deliver attraction strategies from research to implementation and design, and manage the recruitment selection and assessment processes.

We want to play an intrinsic part in our client’s business growth and success by delivering first-class recruitment services, and in order for us to achieve this, the importance of a candidate’s synergy with an organisation cannot be underestimated. Our sourcing process is much more than just placing any candidate into any role; we spend time understanding your business, the market you operate in and identifying your business goals and objectives.

We then handle each vacancy on an individual basis, knowing that one size definitely doesn’t fit all, ensuring that we consistently deliver the “right fit” candidate every time.

Heading up the Professional division at Westray is David Harries, a senior level executive recruiter, with over 15 years’ multi-sector experience. David says “it’s the expertise, integrity and commitment of our people that makes Westray so distinctive. Everyone within the business lives and works by our values and we all work tirelessly to make sure we deliver a positive outcome every time.”

To speak to us about professional, senior-level and executive recruitment, call David Harries on 0191 4926622 or email dharries@westray.co.uk

DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 53

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APPOINTMENTS

in association with

Martin Hobson, Kevin Shotton and Ian Jarvis

IT ALL ADDS UP

Two senior accounting figures have relocated to the North to join independent accountants and business advisory firm, Clive Owen LLP. Martin Hobson joins the firm’s audit and accountancy department, having relocated from Derbyshire to Bedale.

Ian Jarvis has been appointed associate director in the firm’s business planning department, relocating from Cambridge to Darlington.

TO SUM UP…

CREATIVE THINKING

Rural property manager Land Factor has welcomed accounts assistants Judith Kindleyside and Stephen McArdle.

McArdle joins the company from Benfield Motor Group, where he was dealership accountant and Kindleyside comes to Land Factor from Stocksfield-based Pathways Care Group.

Digital creative agency The Roundhouse has strengthened its team.

Rachel Vaclik and Tom Lamb, both from Gosforth, join the Newcastle business as account managers. Vaclik will manage one of the agency’s biggest clients, the University of Liverpool, and Newcastlebased global shipping insurance company, North. Lamb will manage Edinburgh’s HeriotWatt University account.

NEW CFO

ON THE BUSES

A talented 23-year-old has become the youngest-ever depot manager at bus operator, Go North East.

Sophie Moorby, from Ponteland, has been appointed as manager of the firm’s Washington depot and is responsible for 160 employees and 60 buses. She joined Go North East 12 months ago as a graduate trainee.

Onyx Group has appointed Andrew Goldwater, former MD of the Daisy Group, to the position of chief financial officer.

He will be tasked with helping Onyx build on foundations which have resulted in revenues leaping from £4m in 2005 to £30m in 2015. The firm is one of the UK’s leading providers of data centres, managed services and cloud computing.

THE APPRENTICE

A former apprentice at a Co Durham training provider has returned as chief executive.

After leaving school, Lee Childs joined Black & Decker in Spennymoor as an engineering apprentice and learned basic skills at South West Durham Training in Newton Aycliffe.

Now, 16 years later, he takes over as chief executive from Trevor Alley, who has retired.

The centre employs 27 staff and has over 100 trainees from a number of companies.

 Jonathan Grant, John Dickson, Andrew Jackson and Robin Armstrong

ENGINEERING GROWTH THE HUMAN TOUCH

County Durham Housing Group has appointed Louise Shillinglaw as head of people and organisational development.

She is now working to widen the services offered to around 450 employees and embarking upon a cultural development programme at the group.

The Owen Pugh Group has added two civil engineering experts to its board of directors, 10 years after a management buyout that saw turnover increase by 240% in a decade.

Jonathan Grant, group commercial director, and Andrew Jackson, non-executive director join Robin Armstrong, group logistics director and John Dickson, MD.

NEW STORY

An MD has been appointed to lead Story Homes’ North East operations. In a new role for the company, Ian Worgan will oversee the Story Homes’ growth in the North East from its Newcastle regional head office. He joins from Taylor Wimpey North Yorkshire.

NEXT STOP, THE WORLD Sunderland College has welcomed a new director of international development to grow its brand in the global marketplace.

Janette Donjon has been appointed to the new role within the commercial development team in order to increase the college’s international student body and cultivate provision overseas.

The college already delivers courses with its partner organisations in Malaysia and Inner Mongolia, and is looking to other key regions in South America and Asia for potential growth.

THE RIGHT SKILLS LEAD TO BUSINESS GROWTH According to many finance leaders, one of the biggest barriers to business growth over the next couple of years is a lack of the right skills to propel their company forward.

Visit our site skills.hays. co.uk/accountancy to read the Hays Accountancy and Finance Capability Gap, detailing how proficient employers deem their workforce to be in terms of skills and how employees rate their own skill set.

You can also assess your own skills too and see where your abilities are strongest, and where you can improve your employability.

Contact: Rachael Richards tel 0191 2613982 rachael.richards@hays.com

DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 55

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FAB 5

Fab 5 Dear Santa...

Our Fab 5 pick their dream Christmas presents

2

1

3

4

5

Gwen Jones

Stephen Patterson

Veronica Swindale

Mark Stephenson

Sam Wass

The first thing I wish for is time with my family and friends - enjoying the magic that comes with celebrating Christmas with a young child. Secondly, time away from the family chaos - maybe a solitary holiday on the Amalfi coast catching up on the numerous books that remain piled up ‘to be read when I get a minute’, of course accompanied by good wine, excellent food and George Clooney, if he’s available!

My dream Christmas present has to be a Jones Hovercraft off-piste snowboard.

I’ve been a big snowboarder for about 15 years now, and really love getting away around the festive season and onto the slopes.

I try to get away to the French Alps every winter with the family. I love the feeling of standing at the top of a mountain then heading down it at speed – particularly when you’re off-piste.

I would like a pair of magic scissors for Christmas so I can cut through any kind of red tape. Bureaucracy so often gets in the way of individuals having positive service experiences.

My scissors would cut through all of that and get everyone asking each of their customers: ‘How can I help you? Even at times when resources are scarce, this still needs to be the first question from every service provider.

I’m a big old softie when it comes to the festive season, so my idea of the perfect Christmas present is an indulgent, all-expenses paid (by someone else, of course) winter holiday with my family and friends.

I could think of nothing better than being holed-up in the Alps in a log chalet - spending all day skiing, and the evenings by roaring fires, drinking good wine, eating the best cheese and having lots of laughs.

Christmas is a time to eat, drink and be merry.

However, it’s also the busiest time of year for butchers. With that in mind, I’d wish for anything that offers some respite and relaxation in late December!

My bucket list of restaurants is getting too long, so I’d spend some time travelling to those with my partner.

Top of the list is Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark, which is consistently voted the world’s best restaurant.

Solicitor, Gordon Brown Law Firm

Director of Comms NE1 Ltd

Director NESMA

Head of Public Affairs England, Invicta

Director, Great British Meat Company

DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 57

OUT TO LUNCH

Plastic fantastic

Icon Plastics boss Gareth Thomas shares his experience of taking on a failing company, and making it work

I

con Plastics boss Gareth Thomas describes himself as being “average” at school. “Don’t get me wrong,” he adds. “I left with qualifications, but I was never going to stay on beyond 16.”

Before he left school, however, Thomas’ work ethic was clear. He made £50 a week doing four jobs, working for a gun club, gardening, washing taxis, and doing a milk round.

In fact, when he took his first steps on his current career ladder, he had to take a pay cut, starting as a YTS trainee at Elta Plastics, now Nifco, on £27.50 a week.

Since then, he’s made something of a habit of going into loss-making businesses and pulling them back into the black. Eaglescliffe-based precision engineering firm Icon Plastics was living on borrowed time when he took it over in 2008, just weeks before the financial crisis hit. He did a deal for the business, which was making huge losses, paying part of the money up front with a proviso that he would come up with the rest if he succeeded in turning the firm around. If he didn’t work his magic, he would break the business up.

Needless to say, that wasn’t

necessary. Icon Plastics is the firm’s UK division at just thriving, employing 42 staff 29. There he forged a reputation and making sales of over £3m. as a company turnaround Not surprising, then, that specialist, weeding out Prime Minister David Cameron inefficiencies, plugging skills dropped in on Icon during his gaps and transforming the general election campaign. After businesses into a £12m all, Thomas has exactly the sort operation before performing of go get ‘em attitude the PM similar turnaround operations wants to see. “We’d just ripped at a plastics injection moulding out the factory and it was a firm and an animal husbandry mess when we heard about the kit maker. visit, so it was all hands on Twice, Thomas took a risk by deck,” he says. “He [Cameron] leaving positions before finding came across as very normal. He future employment. “I decided chatted to the team about I had to do something on what they did, how my own - working for long they’d been someone else “WE NEED here and wasn’t for me. I THE SKILLS TO where they always thought I MEET THE NEW worked before.” had a better, DEMAND IN Thomas’ own quicker way to get INDUSTRY” previous career to the end result. history includes I started buying and spearheading the selling machinery from opening of a new site for Mitre businesses going into Plastics in Stockton, which he liquidation. Then I gave says gave him an all-round everything I had to buy a business grounding. He became struggling business, Icon manufacturing manager at Plastics. I sold my car, Avent Baby Products in Suffolk liquidated assets and put in after becoming a dad for the place a plan to re-focus the first time with wife Louise. business on its core He returned to the North competencies. I shook hands East to run a factory for on it in September 2008 and a Stadium Plastics before joining month later we were in a global US-owned plastic fastener ITW recession. I’d promised staff I’d Fastex, where he became MD of try to make it succeed. I could

58 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016

have backed out if I’d used my head, but I used my heart and luckily it paid off. In 2008, the company was turning over £450,000, and by 2009 it was £1m and back in the black.”

This year, the firm, which has annual sales of £3m and 42 staff, has invested £1m in new machinery. Work includes making animal ear tags for agriculture and casings for medical use.

Thomas knows how necessary it can be to take calculated risks in business, and he’s also something of an adrenaline junkie, having just sold the Ford Cosworth he was

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

in the habit of taking to track days in favour of a vintage Porsche 911.

By the time our starters onion and tarragon soup and crab dumplings - are polished off, talk has turned from business to cars, to just about everything else.

A few days before we meet, 130 people have been killed in the Paris terrorist attacks. We agree we wouldn’t want to be walking in David Cameron’s shoes; trying to strike the balance of giving those genuinely fleeing terror a safe haven while protecting the country from terrorism.

We also discuss flooding, given the torrential rain which hit the region with the tail end of Storm Abigail, how Thomas removed the roof from his family home to add an extra storey during similar heavy rains, and why, when you’re choosing a dog, you should think carefully about whether you can cope with a beagle.

Apparently, his has been leading his other two dogs, both weimaraners, astray, even once roaming onto the runway at Durham Tees Valley Airport.

At Icon, Thomas is more in control, moulding his own staff who, just like him, start on the

shop floor. He employs two apprentices and has plans to take on another two. “Our industry was decimated from 2000 onwards when a lot of work went to the Far East. Now, we’re seeing manufacturing re-shored. China isn’t as competitive as it once was as its population become consumers and salaries increase. Now, we need the skills to meet the new demand.”

And Icon Plastics continues to grow with contracts from at home and abroad, proving that making decisions with your heart rather than your head really can pay.

It’s easy to miss Houndgate Townhouse if you don’t know Darlington well, but it’s definitely worth finding the Grade-II listed building near Barker and Stonehouse and the Dolphin Centre, where lunch is not only excellent, but incredible value for money.

As our interviewee Gareth Thomas says, it has the feel of a private members’ club.

The service is impeccable and the staff are entirely un-fazed by his gluten intolerance, diagnosed when he was 18 months old, pointing out options already on the menu and discussing multiple alternatives.

Thomas has an excellent onion and tarragon soup with gluten-free bread, while my steamed crab buns and Kimchi are a perfectly executed version of Chinese dim sum.

We progress to beef cheek with roasted potato mash, and sea bream served on a squid ragu with chorizo featuring a stripe of squid ink to add drama to the plate.

Pudding is a huge chocolate brownie, served with a sublime lemongrass and mango ripple ice cream, and a banana and date parfait which comes with caramelised banana.

This is a quality lunch menu at a bargain price, the starters coming in at £5 and up and the mains just £7 and £7.50. I’ll definitely be making a return visit and I already have my eye on a few dishes on the dinner menu. Apricot parfait with black sesame sponge and clove ice cream anyone? I think so...

Houndgate Townhouse Houndgate, Darlington DL1 5RF, tel, 01325 486 011 www.houndgatetownhouse. co.uk

DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 59

EVENTS

NECC200 Durham & Wearside Anniversary Lunch Sunderland Marriott Sponsored by Sunderland College

 James Ramsbotham, NECC

 James Ramsbotham, NECC; Andy Bradley, The Bridges Anne Isherwood, Sunderland College

Andy Bradley, The Bridges

 NECC members at the event

 Susan Wear, Port Of Tyne

 David Scordino, UBS

North East Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Awards Crowne Plaza Hotel

 Susan Dobson Award for Entrepreneurship, Jayne Dolder, The Bazaar Group

 Best Apprenticeship Award, Victoria English, Caterpillar Peterlee presented by Accenture

 Best Service Award, Fran Mulhall, GFW Letting, presented

by Maccine Hall Designs Unique

60 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016

 Heart of the Community Award, Paula Gascoigne, Smile for Life Children’s Charity

 Leadership Award, Holly Armstrong, GFW, presented by Nickie Gott, She’s Gott It

NECC Exchange with Durham Business Group

Coffee & Connections

Ramside Hall

Sponsored by Oldfields

Oldfields, Durham

Sponsored by Ramside Hall

 Alison Gittins, DBG; Ashley Thirlwell, Ramside Hall

 Anne Cuthbertson, Your Growth Consulting Danielle Dunn, DDCA

 Martin Wilson, Durham Constabulary; Stuart Miller, NECC

 Karen Carpenter-Nichols, Vanilla Bay Interior Design Maccine Hall, Designs Unique; Victoria Lee, Opus Essence

 John Atkinson, NBSL; Jane Reynolds, North East Finance

 Susanne Brown, I3 Profiling; Tara Allen, Direct Recruitment

DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016

/ CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 61

EVENTS CELEBRATING

EARS SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND INFORMATIONYNETWORK 1815-2015

DEC

DEC

09

DEC

11

£37.50*

£37.50*

CELEBRATING

CELEBRATING

YEARS

YEARS

1815-2015

14

£37.50*

1815-2015

NECC200 Looking to the Future

NECC Special Economic Briefing in association with Brewin Dolphin

Inspiring Females Seminar

MAR 08 NECC Tyne & Wear Annual Review & AGM

FEB 09 Export Processes, Compliance and Documents

DEC 02 NECC Local (Team Valley Monthly)

FREE

£300*

FREE

MAR 15 NECC Northumberland Annual Review & AGM 11:30-14:00, TBC

FEB 25 Import Processes, Compliance and Documents

FREE

£300*

08:00-10:30, Sage Newcastle

08:00-10:00, Brewin Dolphin, Newcastle

Networking

11:30-14:00, Assembly Rooms, Newcastle

08:30-10:30, Area North The Lounge Coffee Shop, Team Valley

DEC 03 NECC Christmas Exchange

08:00-10:00, Brewin Dolphin, Newcastle

09:15-15:30, Durham County Cricket Club

09:15-15:30, Durham County Cricket Club

11:00-14:00, Copthorne Newcastle

FREE

AREA MEETINGS/ COMMITTEES

DEC 10 Stand Up and Be Counted

08:15-10:00, Jury’s Inn Middlesbrough

Foundation Award in International Trade

DEC 08 Stockton Business Forum

NECC Global Member: £640+VAT (3 courses), £800+Vat (4 courses)

DEC 01 Middlesbrough Area Meeting

10:00-12:00, Jurys Inn Middlesbrough

FREE

FREE

JAN 06 NECC Local (Team Valley Monthly)

08:30-10:30, Area North The Lounge Coffee Shop, Team Valley

FREE

16:00-18:00, Fusion Hive, North Shore, Stockton

FREE

DEC 09 International Trade Committee

JAN 14 NECC Local

07:45-09:30, TBC

15:00-17:00, True Potential, Newburn Riverside

FREE

FREE

JAN 15 Durham Area Meeting

JAN 21 NECC Local: Visits Made in Tyne & Wear

08:30-10.00, TBC

FREE

15:00-17:00, Made in Tyne & Wear, Sunderland

JAN 20 Redcar & Cleveland Area Meeting

FREE

JAN 28 Coffee & Connections

08:15-10.00, TBC

10:30-12:30, Seven Stories, Ouseburn

FREE

FREE

FEB 11 NECC Exchange

JAN 27 Northumberland Area Meeting

FREE

FREE

16:00-18:00, TBC

11:00-14:00, Village Hotel, North Tyneside

One-day courses: £240+VAT (Global Member), £300+VAT (Standard) Courses in: International Payment Methods/ Letters of Credit Jan 27, Mar 17, Jun 9, Oct 6 Export Processes, Compliance and Documents Feb 9, Apr 12, Jun 28, Oct 20 Import Processes, Compliance and Documents Feb 25, Apr 26, Sept 8, Nov 3

FEB 04 South Tyneside Area Meeting

08:00-09:30, TBC

FREE

LOCAL AGM’s 2016 FEB 24 NECC Tees Valley Annual Review & AGM 11:30-14:00, TBC

FREE

INTERNATIONAL

MAR 01 NECC Durham Annual Review & AGM

JAN 27 Letters of Credit and Methods of Payment

FREE

£300*

11:30-14:00, Seaham Hall Hotel

To book

Standard Cost: £800+VAT (3 courses), £960+Vat (4 courses)

0300 303 6322

09:15-15:30, Durham County Cricket Club

Customs Compliance, Processes and Document Mar 8, May 17, Sept 20, Nov 22 Contact Jacqui Tulip, tel 0191 3746474 or email Jacqui.tulip@necc.co.uk for more information

*Global member price £240+VAT Foundation Award in International Trade - NECC member price £800 (Global member price £640+VAT) contact us for information

events@necc.co.uk www.necc.co.uk/events

62 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016

*NECC Member Price. (+VAT)

New members

THANK YOU

For your recent membership renewals. Particular thanks to members supporting NECC for over 15 years 15-19 YEARS

100+ YEARS John Lewis

115

40-99 YEARS HNL Engineering Ltd

40

30-39 YEARS NSK Bearings Europe Ltd 39 Community Foundation serving Tyne & Wear and Northumberland 35 25-29 YEARS City & Suburban Window Cleaning 26 H C Controls Ltd 26 Osborne Motor Transport Ltd 26 Pro-Ad Limited 26 Readman Associates 26 Theatre Royal 26 Apex Radio Systems Ltd 25 Chemson Limited 25 Increase Computers Ltd 25 Millfield Enterprises (Manufacturing) Limited 25 Newarc (Export) Ltd 25 Sunderland City Council 25 W Mearns & Co Ltd 25 20-24 YEARS Nexus 24 Guthrie & Craig 23 Lumsdon Wood Partnership Ltd 23 Thyssenkrupp Access Ltd 23 D L I Seals Ltd 22 Brewin Dolphin 21 Eclipse Translations Limited 21 Lingfield Warehousing Ltd 21 MMC Europe Limited 21 Mowden Controls Ltd 21 Parnaby Cyclones Limited 21 Seaward 21 statexcolourprint 21 Thermacore Europe Limited 21 YECC Ltd 21 Eemits Communications Ltd 20 HPF Energy Services 20 Joy Global (UK) Ltd 20 Maughan Reynolds Partnership Ltd 20 Naylors Chartered Surveyors 20 North Tyneside Council 20 Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College 20

Mike Lynch Advertising The Roundhouse Design Consultants Ltd AWS Contracts Ltd Laminform Ltd Liddles Detective Agency MEH Company Olivers Tree Services Ltd Stenhouse Flooring Limited Topside Group Ltd Burns Accounting Services Ltd Corepeople Recruitment Ltd Crimewatch Safeguard Security Systems Ltd Darlington Borough Council ESP Plastics Ltd Falcon Computers Ltd IQMS and SAI Global Isocom Ltd Knowles Limited Marine Engineering Pipeworks Ltd On-Line Managed Offices Osborne Engineering Ltd R & J Bearings SMA Vehicle Remarketing Ltd Transped Ltd Westray Recruitment Consultants Ltd AES Digital Solutions Ltd Armstrong Watson Billinghurst George & Partners Elring Parts Ltd GL Industrial Services UK Ltd t/a GL Noble Denton Interserve Construction Ltd Lanchester Wine Cellars Ltd MSC Computer Training Ltd Nicholsons Transport Ltd Park Electrical Distributors Limited Perry Process Equipment Ltd Qualitysolicitors John Donkin S W Durham Training Ltd The Endeavour Partnership LLP Ernest Bennett & Co (Darlington) Ltd Finance First Michael Poole Newshield Designs Ltd t/a Graphic International Sarens UK Ltd Tindle’s LLP TYK Limited

The above businesses have been members for 15 years or more and renewed their membership in September and October 2015

19 19 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 16 16 16 16

Visit our website for information about the companies which have recently joined NECC - the region’s largest business membership organisation.

Along with contact details, there are opportunities for announcements from new members keen to publicise their products, services and activities to other NECC members. While listings are free to all new members, editorial announcements are part of a broader package designed to promote a new member’s business to reach the readership of Contact magazine.

For further details contact the Contact advertising team, tel 01661 844 115, email sales@offstonepublishing.co.uk

16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 15 15 15 15 15 15 15

The contact details of all the companies which joined NECC recently are now available at www.necc.co.uk under the ‘New Members’ link

MEMBER 2 MEMBER

MEMBER TO MEMBER OFFERS ED AT UR FE

ED AT UR FE

FE

AT UR

ED

Make more of your NECC membership with these great member offers and many more on the NECC website

MARY POPPINS THEATRE BREAK

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Deadlines are looming for the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme, and Utilitywise is offering to take the paperwork off your hands. They can manage the entire ESOS process for you or offer technical support to your in-house teams - from an initial ESOS Recommended Route report through to the compliance and energysaving projects that ESOS identifies.

Black and white standard letters containing a single A4 sheet printed both sides in a C5 envelope printed by Xerox, posted by Royal Mail for only 36p - saving you 2p per item on standard prices - extra pages available from 4p per side and colour available from 40p. Offer includes free software, setup, training and support.

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The Vermont Hotel & Apartments supercalafragalisticexpialadoshus package includes pre-theatre dinner, front grand circle tickets, overnight stay in a family room and full English breakfast the following morning, served with a spoon full of sugar, of course!

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For many more exclusive NECC member offers visit www.necc.co.uk/offers 64 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016

PAUL COLMAN

Become a member NECC is the North East’s largest business membership organisation. We represent around 4,000 businesses – a third of the region’s workforce.

NECC welcomes businesses into membership regardless of their size, age or sector.

As a chamber member you can access a whole host of business support services. Our members join and engage with us for many different reasons; • Expand your network of business contacts • Tap into the knowledge of your own Dedicated Relationship Manager – meet new customers and suppliers • Raise your company profile • Peace of mind with Legal Expenses Insurance up to £50,000 • Access 24/7 Legal Advice Line: Employment law, contracts, taxation, environment and health & Safety • Apprenticeship and Staff Training • Assistance with International trade

“NECC is a valuable resource to us providing the opportunity to network and gain access to expert knowledge. It is important that the NECC continue to bang the drum for North East Businesse”

• Representation: a strong voice for change We have a number of packages designed to suit your business needs.

To join NECC or to find out more about the benefits of being an NECC member and to be part of it visit www.necc.co.uk

0300 303 6322 enquiries@necc.co.uk www.necc.co.uk @NEChamber /NorthEastChamber

GUEST COLUMNIST

Last Word

Les Walton CBE considers the challenges and opportunities in improving education

I

n order to secure further and continuous improvement in our education system there are a number of key issues we must tackle.

Firstly, we must improve the supply chain and retention of the best teachers, head teachers and governors in the North.

We must also tackle the number of schools identified as coasting, as well as those which are struggling, while allowing the schools which are striving to improve and succeed to continue to do so.

I chair the Northern Education Trust, founded in 2012 to sponsor academies across the North of England. We now oversee 10 secondary academies and 10 primary academies across the North East, West Yorkshire and Lancashire. Prior to joining us, 68% of our schools were recorded as ‘Inadequate’ by Ofsted. We now have no school in this category.

We were involved in sponsoring our first school in 2009. George Tomlinson High School, now Kearsley Academy, in Bolton was in difficulty with student numbers, standards and reputation, and it was one of the worst buildings I’ve ever visited. We had an opportunity to make the lives of children better, while remaining responsive to the community and the local authority. The school is now rated ‘Good’

by Ofsted and is going from strength to strength.

We strive for sustainable improvement in our schools, on top of rapid improvements such as taking a school out of special measures. We also bring together expertise from education and business and, as well as building strong leadership, we work to build autonomous schools. Rather than automatically

replacing management, we develop organisations from the inside with external support.

Everyone wants to do a good job, and the system can block them from doing that. We have to remove those blockages to allow pupils and staff to develop.

School improvement is not a neat process. In my time as headteacher at Norham Community College in North Tyneside, we went from 5% A-C grades at GCSE to eventually being named in the list of outstanding schools in the Chief Inspector’s report to Parliament, and the Observer newspaper ranked Norham as the eighth best state school in the country.

I have seen the quality of teaching improve immeasurably since I entered the profession. The technical skill of teachers and the leadership of schools has improved hugely, but to achieve continuous improvement we need to attract and retain talent in the North, preventing the best teachers being attracted towards the south and London.

We also need young teachers coming through so that we don’t face the same problem as the engineering sector and have schools competing to recruit from one another. That means universities and training providers have to work collaboratively to increase the talent pool, and to keep talent in the North.

Leadership from the very top has to be involved in every level of the organisation. I regularly visit schools and see teachers in the classroom. You can do that in trusts with a small number of schools, and I think we can do that with the right organisation of local authority schools by

66 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016

creating networks of schools and selfmanaging schools. We must also continue to improve school governance and work with more of our communities, particularly business. If we want all our education establishments to excel, we need to bring together the expertise of the private sector, the FE sector, the schools sector and the public sector, and that starts with the chairs of those organisations.

It’s not the sole responsibility of business to engage with schools or vice-versa - we need to collaborate on an equal footing. I urge every headteacher to join the chamber of commerce and urge all business leaders to promote involvement in school governance.

We also need an honest understanding of what we mean by a broad and balanced education and what we mean by vocational education. We ask whether schools are preparing young people for work, but I believe we still have not fully answered the question of what employers want from schools.

I look forward to receiving the results of the Secretary of State’s review of education, including testing children from the age of seven to track improvement. I agree with her that there are schools which are coasting. We also have to tackle struggling schools, and allow the schools which are striving to continue to do so.

I’d also like the review to look at the relationship between schools and the numerous agencies who work with them, and to improve the supply chain of teachers, head teachers and governors. I hope then we will see further and sustained improvement.

SPECIAL 2016 MEMBERS OFFER REDUCED DAY DELEGATE RATE £20.16 PER PERSON*

Conference and Events at the Stadium of Light The Stadium of Light is one of the largest conference, banqueting and event venues in the region.

Whether it’s business meetings, conferences, exhibitions, gatherings, the stadium’s versatility makes it the perfect venue for any event.

NECC special conference package includes: Main Meeting Room Hire for a full day 3 x servings of Tea and Coffee Working Lunch 1 x Flipchart 1 x LCD Projector 1 x Screen Conference Stationary and Mints Dedicated Duty Manager Welcome Signage Free Parking WiFi Access *Minimum numbers of 40, Supplement of £1.50 per person for deli lunch menu, conditions apply.

For more information contact our Conference and Events Team T 0871 911 1555 E conf&banq@safc.com @stadiumoflight

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