Platinum Business Magazine Issue 73

THE LARGEST CIRCULATION REGIONAL BUSINESS PUBLICATION IN THE UK

ISSUE 73. MAY/JUNE 2020

At this time of terrible woe, we really do feel that laughter is the best medicine and where better to look than the Toddler in Chief, Donald Trump (and we extend our apologies for insulting toddlers)...

“I’m intelligent.

Some people would say I’m very, very, very intelligent.”

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CONTENTS 6

BUSINESS NEWS The latest national and local news

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MD HUB What we have learnt during the lockdown

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ECONOMIST GLOBAL SURVEY The respected publication reveals the results of its global executive survey

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ANGER MANAGEMENT Should the press be more supportive of the government during the Covid-19 crisis?

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ALLIED IRISH BANK Investing in Covid-19 vaccine research

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SKY The media giant is offering free advertising for SMEs

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NATTERBOX Are you afraid to make phone calls? Many people are...

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DONALD TRUMP The wit and wisdom of President Trump - in his own words

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NATWEST The latest PMI survey has been released - and its not encouraging!

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HEALYS LLP Everything you need to know about The Future Fund

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HART BROWN The implications for commercial leases in the Coronavirus Act 2020

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RSM Zoë Rudling is promoted to the RSM UK board

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WELLBEING A YouGov poll suggests we need to prioritise health and wellbeing during the lockdown

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PRG Is it time to pivot your marketing?

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MOTORING Maarten Hoffmann reviews the VW T-Cross

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D&A Focus on the disabled-led organisation which offers remote support for neurodiverse and disabled people

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MARTLETS The hospice charity needs your help now

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CHICHESTER COLLEGE The College Group earns an outstanding assessment

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GOLF Focus on Hurtmore Golf Club

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GATWICK DIAMOND BUSINESS Join in one of GDB’s virtual events

All rights reserved. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. The publisher cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions relating to advertising or editorial. The publisher reserves the right to change or amend any competitions or prizes offered. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written consent from the publisher. No responsibility is taken for unsolicited materials or the return of these materials whilst in transit. Platinum Business Magazine is owned and published by The Platinum Publishing Group.

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Welcome As we reach the middle of May, having been locked down for getting on for six weeks, please raise your hand if you are still sane?

Personally, l am not sure. Having been locked up with three teenage daughters for nearly seven weeks, l have had my makeup done over 20 times, my hair dyed twice, my nails done countless times (Blush Rose as l type and quite fetching) and l have been challenged to do three zoom calls in full drag - l refused and no, you cannot see ANY of the pictures.

We will all come out of this with similar stories, but it is sanity and mental health that counts if we are to have any chance of recovery. The worry over our businesses is so mentally challenging as, like me, many of you are used to getting up and fixing

problems. Yet here we are, with little ability to fix the problems, few staff to help and little, if any, business actually taking place.

I also sit here wondering why l didn’t buy shares in Zoom, big Pharma, Netflix or Amazon, whilst wondering what to do with those BA shares. My suggestion is that when you run out of loo roll, hey presto!

The unlock is cautiously happening and we will either get back to business, get locked down again due to a spike in the reinfection rate or we will finally decide that we have to live with the C word and crack on.

In the meantime, l hope you enjoy the midmonth edition of the largest circulation business magazine in the UK. Stay safe.

Maarten Hoffmann Publisher And while you’re here...

Platinum Publishing enjoys the largest circulation of any business magazines in the UK, reaching over 720,000 readers across the South East and this includes 468,000 online readers. If you can’t wait for the next issue then jump onto our social media platforms and join the conversation.

@platbusmag Platinum Publishing Group www.platinumpublishing.co.uk

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national Hotel Slump

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news

emand for hotel bookings has stabilised somewhat after falling off a cliff in April, the boss of Marriott said recently, as the group reported worse than expected first quarter results. Arne Sorenson said that occupancy at Marriott hotels was rising in China, the region hit earliest by the pandemic, and had stabilised elsewhere recently.

Marriott is one of the world’s largest hotels groups, with 7,400 properties in 134 countries, and is a bellwether for the travel industry. To shore up its crumbling finances, the company raised $1.6 billion from a bond sale last month and $920 million by renegotiating branded credit card deals with JP Margan and American Express. The company has $12.2 billion debt and $1.8 billion cash at the end of March.

Success is not final; failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.

BUSINESS WISDOM

SME Debt Pile

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MEs will be left with as much as £105 billion of unsustainable debt within ten months due to the pandemic, according to a first estimate of the scale of the problem from a City group set up at the request of the Bank of England.

The Recapitalisation Group, a panel of 45 bankers, fund managers, accountants and other business leaders under the auspices of the City UK, said there would need to be massive equity investment and forbearance on the debt to ease the strain on the companies.

No Stopping Gatwick

Sir Adrian Montague, chairman of the group, said the impact of the excessive debt would be serious, profound and far-reaching, in a letter to Andrew Bailey, governor of the BOE. He said: ‘Faced with falling revenues and additional debt, business will require full-scale recapitalisation to alleviate the hit to employment and to sustain the investment required to put the economy back on its feet’.

atwick Airport is going ahead with the plans to convert an emergency runway/taxiway to a functioning second runway, despite the collapse in air travel. It is anticipated to open in 2023 and will likely only handle short haul takeoffs. CEO Stewart Wingate said: ‘We’ve set ourselves a challenge of a public consultation in 2021 and then going into the planning process with a view to getting planning permission during the course of 2023’.

Sir Adrian, the chairman of insurance group, Aviva, said SME’s employed around 16 million people, which is about half the working population and turned over £2 trillion.

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national TESLA into Gear

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news

esla reported its first ever first quarter profit - and its third straight quarter profit - of $16 million this month. The electric car maker said that its revenue in the first three months had risen to $5.99 billion from $4.54 billion in the same period last year, despite the lockdown. Its shares were up 9% at $872.53 in after-hours trading, valuing the group at about $148 billion.

Dragonfly Imitator

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Barclays Exposed

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arclays has revealed its exposure to business borrowers in sectors of the economy hit hardest by the virus, saying that it has loaned more than double the banks entire market value. The details were published alongside first-quarter results, which showed the bank setting aside £2.12 billion for loans it expects to go sour and reporting a 38% slide in pre-tax profits to £913 million. The banks loans to industries poleaxed by the crisis include £10 billion of exposure to the hospitality sector, £2 billion to aviation and £16 billion to the oil and gas sector hit by the plunge is crude oil prices. It has a further £10 billion of loans to high street retailers. The banks market value is £19 billion against a loan book value of £663 billion.

I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of doing so they can see that it's not the answer.

BUSINESS WISDOM

hen Storm Ciara swept across the UK in February, Alex Caccia was strolling on Oxford's Port Meadow watching birds take to the air. He marvelled at their indifference to high winds: "While airliners were grounded by the weather the birds couldn't care less!”

It was more than just a passing thought for Mr Caccia, who is the chief executive of Animal Dynamics, a technology start-up applying lessons from wildlife to drone design.

Formed in 2015 to pursue the science known as biomechanics, his company already has two drones to show for an intimate study of bird and insect life.

One takes inspiration from a dragonfly, and has attracted funding from the military. Its four wings make it steady in high winds that would defeat existing miniature spy drones. Known as Skeeter, the secretive project has cracked the challenge of using flapping wings to power a drone. While wings are more efficient than a propeller and allow a dragonfly to hover in the face of strong gusts, they are almost impossible for human engineers to emulate.

"Making devices with flapping wings is very, very hard" says Mr Caccia. Helicopters manoeuvre by changing the pitch of rotor blades to go forward and backward or to hover. For smaller objects hovering is a major challenge.

"A dragonfly is an awesome flyer" says Alex Caccia, "It's just insane how beautiful they are, nothing is left to chance in that design. It has very sophisticated flight control."

The dragonfly does have 300 million years of evolution on its side. Animal Dynamics has spent four years writing software that operates the hand-launched drone like an insect and allows it to hover in gusts of more than 20 knots (23mph or 37km/h). From 22 to 27 knots is classed as a "strong breeze".

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What we have learnt

in Lockdown

• We need the Government to stop telling us “we are in this together” – we know!

• None of us have ever experienced anything like this before.

• We are starting to come to terms with the shockwave that has landed.

• We are starting to demystify the government support but still a way to go.

By Fiona Shafer MD of MD HUB

• As MDs you suddenly find that you are responsible for not just salaries but far more emotional wellbeing for others then you could have ever imagined whilst trying to maintain productivity for the business, with your employees suddenly thrown into home working, home schooling or caring for elders and family relatives.

• No pressure then on you as MDs to maintain that daily motivation.

• There is no rule book or perfect Google guide to all of this – it is where we all find ourselves at and we are all working through it hour by unknown hour.

• We are overwhelmed by social media messaging from everyone (much of it brilliantly funny to keep us sane) but we can’t always get on with the everyday without looking like we don’t care.

• But we do care – more than ever before.

• We have all jumped on ZOOM or MS Teams to continue business as some sort of normal – whilst trying to figure out if our new environments are good enough.

• Should we be seen as we really are, or do we give ourselves an automated background of beach, field, star filled constellation to soften the blow of chaos or share our real world with a random background pet, partner or child behaviour?

• Our elders are also now online (and now inadvertently eating into our bandwidth) and enjoying this whole new world of communication which reduces some of our angst - though we might have to remind them that they don’t have to look right into the camera to see us – it’s akin to that very embarrassing British habit of talking loudly at somebody who does not speak the same language as you – in the hope that the louder we talk they will then understand. Nose hair can also be a problem, so gentle camera adjustment advice may be required for our dads in particular.

• Random MDHUB notice: It transpires we have lots of contact lens wearers in our midst (we can’t possibly have known as we can’t see them) because we are all just beyond knackered at the moment and some spectacularly cool glasses have made an appearance .

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LOCKDOWN • You wear those glasses well, guys - don’t be shy!

• Some of us need to invest in some decent window blinds (or check out what we look like to others before you join an online meeting) to stop the much needed sunlight making us look like they are NOT in a VERY dark episode of Game of Thrones when they are on line.

• We are all trying to rapidly adjust to online meetings as we do in a normal one – trying not to look at our phones, tripping over gym equipment which is now on the office floor, getting up to take a call, wandering around the garden with the lap top (fun but distracting to others and the facilitator), making toast, adjusting an oil painting and answering the door for yet another Amazon delivery.

• Top MDHUB Member tip – try scheduling your meetings for either 15 or 45 minutes past the hour, to assist our increasingly congested networks.

• Top Tip - PASSWORD protect ALL your ZOOM meetings as Trolling is sadly having a field day at the moment but look out for that wholly intangible and deep seated thing called Karma - we all “know” at a very deep, unspoken level when a really bad thing is readdressed and the balm it provides and Karma will no doubt work its magic back post CV19 on those who take pleasure in disrupting.

• Top marks to one MDHUB Member who ended up buying a Gaming Headset (as that was all that was left to buy on Amazon ) to connect to “very remote working in an area of woeful connectivity” but who now looks like a grown up Air Traffic Controller. We were seriously impressed at the workgroup - in fact we were pretty awestruck as they had two very little ones running around at home, a very large workforce, some of whom are key workers for NHS construction work – so we say RESPECT to you (you know who you are and we send a lot of love for being such a great leader).

• No surprise to any of us that some of the following businesses are booming: bicycle repairs shops, coffee retailers, seed manufacturers, exercise machines, outdoor games • Plus wine, vodka and beer sales, as we all skip into temporary (and not so temporary) self-medication to save the local Doctors and NHS from all of our additional levels of anxiety - just shows how responsible we all actually are in what is rapidly turning into the biggest ever, social experiment (maybe revolution?) of our generation.

• To come to terms with the fact that if our current Government had not been so entitled (your political persuasions to one side, we hope you will not disagree) and so hell bent on getting Brexit over the line on January 31st, they may well (but suspect not) have paid a whole lot more attention to the COVID 19 Freight train coming behind them faster than ever. It is absolutely inexcusable for business and far, far more importantly for us as human beings.

• As entrepreneurs, we are seeing you all absolutely and truly coming into your own at this time - so to work and recovery.

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Business activity falls at RECORD RATE P

rivate sector output in the South East declined for the second month in a row during April, with the contraction the most marked since the survey began in early-1997, according to the latest NatWest PMI® data.

combined output of the region’s manufacturing and service sectors - fell from 37.2 in March to an all-time low of 16.4 in April, to signal the most substantial reduction in the South East’s private sector output in over 23 years of data collection.

Driving the downturn was a further reduction in inflows of new business during April, with order book volumes falling at an unprecedented rate. Survey respondents linked drops in both activity and new business to adverse impacts stemming from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Subsequently, firms reduced workforce numbers at the quickest pace on record.

The contraction in the South East was among the softest of the 12 monitored UK regions, however, with only the North West seeing a slower fall.

The headline NatWest South East Business Activity Index – a seasonally adjusted index that measures the

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At the sector level, service providers recorded a quicker reduction than manufacturers, although both saw record rates of decline.

Incoming new business across the South East’s private sector dropped for the second month running during April. Moreover, the rate of decline was the most marked since the sur-

Key Findings • Headline Business Activity Index falls to all-time low • Unprecedented rate of decline in new business • Firms cut jobs at most marked rate on record vey began in January 1997. As was the case for activity, anecdotal evidence linked the reduction to the coronavirus outbreak.

Meanwhile, private sector firms in the South East reduced staff numbers in April, as has been the case in eight of the past nine months. Firms linked latest fall to lower output requirements.

Consequently, companies reported a sharp rise in spare capacity during April. The rate of backlog depletion

BUSINESS SURVEY

South East Business Activity Index sa, >50 = growth since previous month

was the most marked on record.

Input prices declined for the first time since May 2012 during April, with panellists linking the decline to lower fuel and staff costs. Moreover, the fall was the quickest for almost a decade.

Concurrently, average selling prices dropped for the second month in a row, with panellists linking the reduction to a combination of lower cost burdens and discounting in order to attract sales. The rate of decline was the most marked on record.

Firms expectations with regards to activity over the coming 12 months picked up from March’s recent low in April. However, sentiment remained historically subdued.

METHODOLOGY The NatWest South East PMI® is compiled by IHS Markit from responses to questionnaires sent to South East companies that participate in IHS Markit’s UK manufacturing and services PMI surveys.

COMMENT Stuart Johnstone, Managing Director, London & South East, Corporate & Commercial Banking “Private sector output in the South East declined for the second month running in April, with both activity and new business falling at the most marked rates in the survey’s 23-year history, as the economy continued to get hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Subsequently, firms reduced staffing levels further, with the rate of job shedding the fastest on record.

“That said, the downturn was not as steep as that recorded for the UK as a whole, and the South East’s headline index was below only the North West when compared to the 11 other monitored regions, indicating that the breadth of the impact of the lockdown was worse in other parts of the UK. “On a positive note, the year ahead outlook for output picked up slightly from March’s recent

low, indicating some tentative signs of confidence returning to the region’s firms, with panellists linking optimism to hopes of a timely recovery from the pandemic and the prospect that lockdown measures will be eased in the near future.”

Stuart Johnstone

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The Future Fund: Support for Innovative Fast Growing Businesses On April 20th the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced the UK government’s plan to support high-growth innovative businesses in the UK. We set out below some of the key details of the scheme and some thoughts on whether the Future Fund could be right for your business.

By Karen Lord, Corporate Partner at Healys LLP

What is the Future Fund?

Is your Business Eligible?

The purpose of the fund is to provide support to those businesses, primarily in the technology and life sciences sectors, which until now have not been eligible for support under either the CBIL or CLBIL schemes because they are either pre-revenue or pre-profit and typically rely on equity investment.

The government has partnered with the British Business bank and committed £250 million to these businesses who are facing serious difficulties as a result of the current pandemic.

This new co-investment scheme, which will be available from May 1st, will see the Future Fund provide unsecured convertible loans ranging from £125,000 to £5 million.

The scheme will be open to applications until the end of September but this may be extended.

In order to qualify for access to the Future Fund the applicant business must: 1. Be an unlisted UK registered company with a substantive economic presence in the UK. In the case of group companies this will apply to the parent company only, so companies with a non- UK parent company will not be eligible; 2. Have previously raised at least £250,000 in equity investment from third party investors in the last 5 years.

There is no restriction on sums raised on previous rounds which means that the scheme will be available to those pre-Series A businesses who have previously raised investment from angel or family and friends rounds as well as more established, later stage businesses; and 3. Be able to attract at least matching

This scheme is fundamentally intended to provide support to certain existing businesses with a proven track record of initial investment and growth.

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funding from third party private investors or institutions. Importantly at this stage, there are no restrictions blocking access to funding if the business is in distress or has a limited runway or a requirement to provide a revised business plan.

NB: full eligibility criteria have not yet been published and it is possible that future applications may include more formal requirements and/or limitations.

Key Terms Eligible businesses will be provided with convertible loans which will be subject to the following headline terms: Purpose: the loan must be used for working capital purposes only. It may not be used to pay dividends, repay external debt, make any bonus payments to staff/management/shareholders/ consultants or used to pay fees or bonuses to external advisers assisting with the government funding.

Interest rate: interest will accrue at a minimum rate of 8% per annum on a non-compounding basis unless a higher rate is agreed with the matching investors.

Term: the term of the loan will be a maximum of 3 years from the date of borrowing.

Conversion: the loan will automatically convert into the most senior class of

FUNDING

shares in issue, or issued in any more senior financing round in the following six months on a qualifying funding round (investment equal to the loan) at a 20% discount rate. There will also be optional conversion rights on a non-qualifying funding round.

Repayment: The expectation is that the loan will convert into shares prior to maturity. However, on expiry of the term the Future Fund and matching investors may elect for the loan to be repaid, in which case the amount repaid will be double the original loan.

Governance and other rights: The Future Fund will have limited corporate governance rights, information rights and investor protections during the term of the loan and as a shareholder following conversion will be entitled to standard minority shareholder protections. Businesses need to be aware that the Future Fund will be able to transfer a portfolio of its loans/shares to other government departments/

wholly owned entities or institutional investors.

Final Thoughts As with any new initiative, there are a few issues. For instance, the requirement that the matching investment must also be made by convertible loan means that the investor(s) will not qualify for SEIS/EIS relief on their investment. This will clearly have a significant impact on some investors’ willingness to participate.

There has also been criticism that many new businesses with great potential will still be not be in a position to take advantage of this initiative either because they have not met the previous investment requirement or are unable to obtain the required matching investment.

This scheme is fundamentally intended to provide support to certain existing businesses with a proven track re-

cord of initial investment and growth.

It is not intended to fund the majority of new start-ups and it is important for the UK government to find the balance between nurturing growth for promising early stage businesses and speculating on high-risk investments with tax payers’ money.

Finally, it is important that any business thinking of applying gives serious consideration to the long term implications of a successful application and the level of control of their business they will be handing over.

For more information or for any legal related business enquiries, please contact Corporate Partner, Karen Lord directly on 01273 669 124 or email her at: karen.lord@healys.com

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LEGAL

Commercial Leases

By Simon Wood, Barrister in the Dispute Resolution Department at Hart Brown only recourse is to apply to the court for relief from forfeiture.

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s well as various financial measures the Government has also sought to alleviate the problems of businesses during the current lockdown with specific legislation relating to commercial leases as set out in the Coronavirus Act 2020 (“the Act”).

Under section 82 of the Act a landlord may not enforce a right of re-entry or forfeiture under a relevant business tenancy for non-payment of rent by action or otherwise between now and 30 June 2020. This period may be extended.

In particular, this precludes the landlord from peaceably re-entering the property during this period; re-entry is a draconian remedy which can cause considerable problems for tenants who are unable to pay their rent within a reasonable period as they are immediately shut out of the property. Their

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The Act applies to all tenancies to which part 2 of the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 applies. This will include contracted out tenancies as, of course, the 1954 Act does still apply to them.

Where forfeiture proceedings have commenced before the Act came into force, any order for possession must ensure that the tenant does not have to give up possession until after the end of the relevant period.

It is very important to note that the Act does not provide a rent holiday. The tenant’s obligation to pay the rent on the due date still continues; it is just that any breach cannot be enforced.

Accordingly at the end of the relevant period, the whole of the rent which has fallen due during that time will still be payable, and any failure to pay will then be subject to re-entry or forfeiture.

Moreover, the Act only applies to non-payment of rent. Forfeiture for other breaches of the lease remains unaffected. However, there will clearly be issues with court hearings during the current lockdown period.

It is also worth noting that the Act pro-

vides that no conduct by or on behalf of a landlord, other than an express waiver in writing, will be regarded as waiving a right of re-entry. This obviates the difficulties landlords often face in inadvertently waiving the right to forfeit once the right has arisen.

Accordingly, if a tenant foresees continuing difficulties over a longer period because of damage to their business, they would be advised to seek agreement with the landlord to either reduce the rent or obtain a rent holiday while the current restrictions remain in force.

By the same token landlords may consider it sensible to alleviate the problems of their tenants if they are not to be left with a significant void period if the tenant becomes insolvent.

If you require any further assistance with the new provisions under the Act and/or with negotiations for new temporary arrangements, please contact us on 01483 887766 or email us.

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BUSINESS NEWS

New Look Board for RSM Local partner Zoë Rudling promoted to the RSM UK board

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SM UK announces the appointment of a new board, following its earlier announcement of the firm’s CEO, Rob Donaldson.

Seven members of a new look board take up their roles alongside the CEO with immediate effect, including local partner Zoë Rudling.

The RSM Gatwick-based partner has been selected to represent a critical part of the firm’s shareholder interests.

As a key part of the firm’s future direction and governance, Zoe will represent the interests of the most recently promoted and recruited partners at the firm.

As a homegrown talent with more than 15 years at RSM, and having been made partner four years ago, Donaldson commented that ‘Zoë has the insight and connections to help us shape our future leaders.’

Other new board members include Victoria Kirkhope in her capacity as HR and Zoë Rudling

development director, with responsibility for people; David Punt as head of ethics and group compliance; Howard Freedman representing the interests of all past and present partners within the firm’s shareholding group; Simon Hart representing RSM’s international interests and Andrew Westbrook continues in his position as acting CFO. These im-

‘Looking to the future, as the first-

“Zoë´e has the insight and connections to help us shape our future leaders.” portant new appointments complete the overall selection of RSM’s board.

Rob Donaldson, CEO of RSM UK, said: ‘I’m delighted to announce my new board of directors. These important roles, and the talented individuals I have chosen to come with me on this exciting new journey, represent the basis upon which RSM will continue to grow and flourish as a successful business. I believe this combined group offer the wealth of experience and diversity of thought to take advantage of the many opportunities that lie ahead.

‘Navigating the business through the current market conditions remains our absolute priority, supporting the wellbeing of our people, providing insight and advice for our clients and protecting the business to realise our future opportunities. For this reason, we are moving quickly to appoint these key roles that will be important to ensure swift and effective progress for our peo-

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ple, our clients and the communities in which we operate. We will now turn our attention to the wider senior leadership team, the regional teams, and the service lines and sectors that they serve.

We look forward to making further announcements in the coming days.

choice adviser to middle market leaders globally, our breadth of service and sector line capabilities, coupled with our unrivalled regional presence, make the prospect of leading this firm alongside my board colleagues a hugely exciting prospect.’

Zoë provides assurance and business advisory services to a wide range of owner-managed businesses, private equity backed businesses, large private groups and International groups.

She has a broad range of experience in a number of sectors including recruitment, technology and transport and logistics; she has significant experience in the engineering and manufacturing sector and is involved in the firm’s national manufacturing focus group. www.rsmuk.com

Businesses local to Gatwick are 50% more likely to export than the national average

Gatwick brings global trade opportunities closer

We’re more than just an airport 17

ECONOMICS

Global Survey A survey of global executives undertaken by The Economist’s Intelligence Unit, reveals widespead pessimism

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s society-wide lockdowns ensue, The Economist Intelligence Unit reveals private-sector sentiment through its Global Business Barometer.

• Sentiment about the global economy over the next three months registered at -39.2 on a scale of -50 (much worse) to +50 (much better).

• Executives tend to be less pessimistic about prospects for their own industry (-22.0) and company (-17.8) over the same period.

• No industry will be spared from the impact of covid-19 but nearly all respondents do not see revenue or profitability cratering.

As the covid-19 pandemic sweeps the globe, companies are decidedly more pessimistic about the global economy than their own prospects, according to a new study released by the Economist Intelligence Unit today. The Global Business Barometer, supported

by SAS, is based on a survey of over 2,700 executives worldwide and provides a compelling snapshot of corporate sentiment in the midst of the worst public health crisis in a century.

Optimism in short supply: Very few executives reported optimistic outlooks

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for the global economy over the next three months, resulting in a barometer reading of -39.2 (-50.0 being the most dire possible). Some regions were more pessimistic than others, with Europe (-40.4) and Asia-Pacific (-40.4) at the far end, although executives in Asia-Pacific were least pessimistic (-31.8) about their own country’s economy than the four other regions.

Cognitive dissonance: Executives are more optimistic about the state of their own organisations than the global economy. The global reading for the three-month outlook for “your industry” was -22.0 and -17.8 for “your company”, suggesting that executives either feel they have more control at these levels—as opposed to the macro-economy—or that they believe their organisations may still see some success despite the global economic impact of covid-19.

Meaner and leaner: Global executives have shown greater positivity than expected around revenue and profitability. However, except for retail and e-commerce, the 13 other industries covered by the barometer do expect declines, led by travel and tourism (-11.3 on revenue growth) and entertainment and media (-10.9 on profita-

bility). The two key business continuity strategies that global executives seem to be adopting are taking market share (+2.1) and improving operational agility (+7.0).

The road ahead: Most executives surveyed (46%) believe that it will take between 1-2 years from the outbreak for their businesses to recover, while others (40%) believe that they will be able to bounce back in “less than a year”.

Only 10% believe it will take 3-5 years.

The executive summary, highlights video, and podcasts are available at https://globalbusinessbarometer. economist.com

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We all need

a good laugh!

At this time of terrible woe, we really do feel that laughter is the best medicine and where better to look than the Toddler in Chief, Donald Trump (and we extend our apologies for insulting toddlers).

It is staggering that a man with so little compassion, so little education, so little empathy and little understanding of the world was voted in as President of the United States - much to the acute embarrassment of all Americans that l know. If it wasn’t so terrifyingly serious, it would be funny.

We though we would make you smile with a short list of some of the most outlandish statements from any world leader in the history of mankind.

“THE BEAUTY OF ME IS THAT I AM VERY RICH” “IT’S FREEZING AND SNOWING IN NEW YORK WE NEED GLOBAL WARMING” “The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.”

“YOU KNOW, IT REALLY DOESN’T MATTER WHAT THE MEDIA WRITES, AS LONG AS YOU’VE GOT A YOUNG AND BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF ASS.”

“IF IVANKA WAS NOT MY DAUGHTER, PERHAPS I’D BE DATING HER.” 20

TRUMP “ARIANA HUFFINGTON IS UNATTRACTIVE BOTH INSIDE AND OUT. I FULLY UNDERSTAND WHY HER FORMER HUSBAND LEFT HER FOR A MAN - HE MADE A GOOD DECISION.”

“I DID TRY TO F*** HER… I MOVED ON HER LIKE A BITCH BUT I COULDN’T GET THERE. AND SHE WAS MARRIED.”

“NOT PAYING TAXES JUST MAKES ME SMART” “I’M NOT A SCHMUCK. EVEN IF THE WORLD GOES TO HELL IN A HAND-BASKET, I WON’T LOSE A PENNY.”

“To be blunt, people would vote for me. They just would. Why? Maybe because I’m so good looking.”

“I’m intelligent. Some people would say I’m very, very, very intelligent.”

“I’m the most successful person ever to run for the presidency, by far. Nobody’s ever been more successful than me. I’m the most successful person ever to run. Ross Perot isn’t successful like me. Romney - I have a Gucci store that’s worth more than Romney.”

“THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ME AND THE OTHER CANDIDATES IS THAT I’M MORE HONEST AND MY WOMEN ARE MORE BEAUTIFUL.”

“I was down there, and I watched our police and our firemen, down on 7-Eleven, down at the World Trade Center, right after it came down”

“I think Viagra is wonderful if you need it, if you have medical issues, if you’ve had surgery. I’ve just never needed it. Frankly, I wouldn’t mind if there were an anti-Viagra, something with the opposite effect. I’m not bragging. I’m just lucky. I don’t need it.”

“Why are we having all these people from shithole countries coming here?”

“They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us.

They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”

“I’m the least racist person you have ever interviewed.”

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Vaccine Funding Allied Irish Bank (GB) has provided investment to Trinity College Dublin to support the development of a vaccine for COVID-19.

A

llied Irish Bank (GB) has announced details about how the bank is supporting business customers affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and the news that Allied Irish Bank (GB) has now been approved for accreditation by the British Business Bank as a new lender for the government backed Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) to provide term loans.

Trinity College Dublin

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Over the last six weeks, the bank’s team have experienced a significant surge in customer calls and queries, having responded to over 16,000 calls in the last four weeks alone.

Over 600 business customers have requested extra support with 99.5% of all applications to date receiving approval. This support has included payment holidays on loans, overdraft

extensions, working capital facilities, relaxed covenant terms, loans and overdrafts. This activity has been carried out before the bank’s accreditation to CBILS by the British Business Bank.

The bank has also provided investment to Trinity College Dublin to support the development of a vaccine for COVID-19. AIB Group has provided over £2

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

“Our amazing staff have been keen to help and are also developing various creative fundraising methods to support the ‘AIB Together’ initiative.”

Mark Medd, Regional Director London, South and West

million funding to establish a research hub at the University to urgently accelerate its immunology project designed to develop a vaccine which can tackle the pandemic. Alongside this, the AIB Group has also launched the ‘AIB To-

gether’ initiative to help support local communities by raising much needed funds for charities who are central to the management of the pandemic.

Staff have set a target of raising €1m with the Group agreeing to match all funds raised to support local charities, such as Age UK, who are working hard to support the most vulnerable at this difficult time.

Speaking about the banks response to COVID-19 Adrian Moynihan, Head of AIB NI & Interim Head of GB, said: “These are extraordinary times that require extraordinary measures. In the face of this unprecedented medical, social, and economic crisis, we are keen to mobilise all the resources at our disposal in a strategic way. We are also delighted to support the efforts of scientists to develop the much needed vaccine for COVID-19.

“We are very conscious of the pressures that our business customers are under and have been proactively reaching out to them to offer the best tailored support possible to alleviate their financial concerns.

“Not surprisingly for many of our business customers the solution does not involve further capital borrowing or loans. Instead, we are working hard to offer them immediate cash flow support through, for instance, repayment holidays and relaxation around lending covenants.

“While it differs from sector to sector, those requiring loans have been ac-

cessing the Bank’s own competitive products to date and now we are in a position to offer them access to the Government backed CBILS scheme where this is the most appropriate solution.”

Mark Medd, Regional Director London, South and West at Allied Irish Bank (GB) added: “We are constantly looking at ways to support our customers during these difficult times and it is great news that we are now in a position to deliver CBILS support. As the situation evolves, we can assure customers that we will remain flexible in our response and continually review our services as necessary, always putting their needs and safety at the forefront of our thinking.

“Our amazing staff have been keen to help and are also developing various creative fundraising methods to support the ‘AIB Together’ initiative. What’s more, the bank has given £1000 to every one of our business centres and branches to donate to a charity of their choice. Business banking services are available through the normal channels including branch and business centre support, telephone and online banking as well internet business banking.

“The safeguarding of customers, staff and communities continues to be Allied Irish Bank (GB)’s main priority as the situation with COVID-19 evolves and customers are asked to only visit a business centre if it is absolutely essential.”

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national

news Home Forever

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witter has told staff that they can work from home "forever" if they wish as the company looks towards the future after the coronavirus pandemic.

Air Failures With the decision to impose a mandatory 14-day quarantine for almost everyone arriving in the UK by air, travel industry insiders say the government has consigned hundreds of holiday firms to failure.

Two months after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared that coronavirus had become a global pandemic, the prime minister has announced mandatory quarantine for new arrivals by air.

The WHO advises that quarantine is a useful measure only in the earlier stages of virus transmission. But Boris Johnson said the policy was necessary to prevent a second spike in coronavirus cases.

Airline passengers arriving from anywhere abroad apart from the Republic of Ireland – and possibly France – will be treated as though they are carrying coronavirus. They will be required to self-isolate in a private dwelling for two weeks.

Under a separate agreement between Mr Johnson and the French president, Emmanuel Macron, the UK and France will consult each other before imposing any quarantine measures between the two countries.

Return to Sender Royal Mail chief executive Rico Back announced he was quitting the company with immediate effect on Friday, leaving the postal giant without a permanent CEO. Back, who has been in place for two years and succeeded Moya Greene, agreed the departure with the board.

Chairman, Keith Williams said: "Rico Back has made a significant contribution to the evolution of our business over his 20 years with us, particularly in building our international parcels business and developing our Group strategy, which recognised the urgent need for change to create a sustainable business for the future. On behalf of the Board, I would like to extend my thanks to Rico and wish him well in the future."He will be replaced on an interim basis by the company's chairman Keith Williams, the former chief executive of British Airways.

The decision came as the social media giant said its work-from-home measures during the lockdown had been a success.

But it also said it would allow workers to return to the office if they choose when it reopens.

Earlier this month Google and Facebook said their staff can work from home until the end of the year.

Twitter said: "The past few months have proven we can make that work.

So if our employees are in a role and situation that enables them to work from home and they want to continue to do so forever, we will make that happen."

The announcement has been described as "an era-defining moment" by one digital innovation expert.

Success is not final; failure is not fatal.

It is the courage to continue that counts.

BUSINESS WISDOM

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Sky support for SMEs Sky announces SME100, a £1 million AdSmart SME Support Scheme, a fund open to eligible UK businesses to help SMEs survive and thrive in difficult times whole of the UK. “Businesses up and down the country are facing some of the hardest trading conditions in recent memory,” said David Sanderson, Director of AdSmart Local & Development at Sky Media.

“We want to help our nation’s SMEs where possible by giving access to highly relevant audiences via AdSmart totally for free. SMEs are the lifeblood of our economy, making up 99.9% of all business in the UK.

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he £1 million fund will provide 100 businesses with TV advertising campaigns via AdSmart to support them during these difficult times.

SME100 is open to SMEs that have been running for at least one year in the UK with up to 50 full-time employees. A business can nominate itself or be put forward by its own customers.

Sky Media is encouraging people to highlight the businesses in their local area that need support during this time and which would benefit from accessing the power of TV advertising at a moment when TV consumption has significantly increased.

Sky Media wants to reward the businesses that are demonstrating true resolve and ingenuity. Businesses of all types are adapting to the current climate but can further thrive with the extra exposure TV can deliver. From local garden centres delivering flowers and materials for the first time, to yoga and dance studios keeping people fit with new online classes, the businesses that are selected to be part of the SME100 will be representative of the

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“We know that although there are economic slowdowns, people are still spending money and we want to help brands connect to these audiences. This initiative is about giving businesses confidence in advertising and their ability to succeed, no matter what the situation.”

Creative execution of the ads will be supported by local creative agencies and through an exclusive partnership with Shutterstock.

Shutterstock will assist the 100 businesses by providing complimentary access to high-quality images, video and music to aid the creative process and effectively tell their story with engaging content. In doing so, the SME100 and Shutterstock will enable local creative agencies to produce broadcast-ready, 30 second ads remotely and cost-effectively and will bring further investment into local and smaller creative industries.

The campaigns will be delivered via AdSmart from Sky, the market leading addressable TV platform, that easily enables brands to advertise on TV by focusing on the audiences that matter

to them. This revolutionary technology means a brand can reach households by postcode area, within a designated distance of their store, or by household make-up or lifestyle attributes that best suit their service.

In only targeting audiences that matter to the business, brands can be assured that their advertising will be relevant, accessible and drive business results.

Small Business Minister, Paul Scully said “This Government is fully committed to supporting SMEs through this challenging time, with £12.3 billion in grants and 100% government guaranteed loans of up to £50,000 through our Bounce Back Loans scheme. How-

SME SUPPORT

“Sky Media wants to reward the businesses that are demonstrating true resolve and ingenuity.” ever, we all have a role to play in the national response to COVID-19, so I welcome Sky’s announcement today, releasing a £1 million AdSmart fund to provide SMEs with free TV advertising campaigns.”

AdSmart has transformed advertising for smaller and niche businesses. Previously TV was perceived to be too broad and expensive, but the award-winning targeting capabilities of AdSmart changes this.

Since launching in 2014, it has been used by 2,380 brands for more than 28,000 campaigns to provide engaging, brand safe and relevant TV campaigns.

With 75% of the brands using the tech-

nology totally new to TV, it’s allowing businesses to utilise the brand-safe and trusted power of TV for the first.

In Sky Media’s recent research report, ‘AdSmart: Five Years & Forward’ it was revealed that addressable TV campaigns increase purchase intent by 7% overall, and as much as 20% for new to TV advertisers who benefit from the exposure and credibility TV delivers.

Qualifying conditions: • Businesses must have between 2 and 50 full time employees • Businesses cannot replace money already booked/contracted with Sky Media • Businesses need to be new to TV or haven’t been on air in 12 months

• Businesses must be prepared to produce a TV ad with assistance from Sky, locally approved agencies and Shutterstock content.

The offer: • Sky Media will gift a campaign value of £10k comprised of TV advertising using Adsmart that uses geo-demographic targeting across the 100+ AdSmart enabled channels • The maximum length of the TV advert is 30 seconds • The campaigns must be completed

by July 31st • Sky Media will assist where required to provide the TVC. However, it may encourage businesses to use third party tools and service to complete its advert.

• Shutterstock will offer 100 businesses with complimentary access to content for use in the 30 second AdSmart TV ad only. Businesses can choose from Shutterstock’s collection of more than 330 million images, 18 million video clips and thousands of music tracks.

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The Fear of Phones A

lmost two thirds (63%) of UK adults have experienced phone fear – feeling reluctant or nervous about making or receiving a routine phone call – with almost one in five (19%) stating they feel it “all of the time”, according to research from cloud telephony specialist, Natterbox.

phone call as a last resort, while over a quarter (26%) say they would only ever make a call in the case of an emergency. The research also indicates that phone fear is increasing in the UK, with one third (33%) of respondents agreeing they feel it more than they used to.

Generation Mute

With many people now working from home or self-isolating and relying on the phone for communication, occupational psychologist Maria Paviour, Director at Wellbeing with CARI, has identified several key strategies for coping with phone fear, which are outlined at the end of this article.

Natterbox’s research shows that young people (16-24) are most likely to encounter phone fear, with 35% experiencing it all the time and 47% some of the time.

40% of Britons surveyed in January 2020 agree that, in normal circumstances, they would only make a

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According to Professor Graham Davey, Professor of Psychology at the University of Sussex: “This is a vital age for learning how to interact, yet many young people will avoid certain interactions as they are frightened of

learning new skills or making themselves look stupid, inferior or unintelligent. We see a number of social phobias start to develop in early teens and adolescence.” The research also found that respondents above the age of 65 were least likely to suffer from phone fear.

Causes of Phone Fear According to survey respondents who experience phone fear, the most common reason is the worry of forgetting what to say or “freezing” (32%), closely followed by concern around understanding the person on the line, or not being understood (30%).

Prof. Davey comments: “For some people, the inability to see someone’s face when speaking on the phone can

PHOBIAS make for a difficult interaction. You can’t judge your interlocutors’ intentions because you can’t see their facial expressions or body language. On the phone, you also deal with an interaction in real-time, which comes with the risk of making a faux pas – another common worry for many people.”

According to occupational psychologist, Maria Paviour, Director at Wellbeing with CARI: “Many individuals who have had phone fear at some point in their lives also report that they can’t express themselves over the phone as well as they can when in a face-to-face situation or writing things down. With hypo-arousal, cognitive functions slow – because the brain is shutting down. This can be observed in the effect of the neural connection to the larynx ceasing to function properly, resulting in the voice box not working and words being unable to ‘come out’.”

Neil Hammerton, CEO at Natterbox says: “Despite having heard of ‘phone fear’, we didn’t know much about it, or the extent to which people experience

“Young people (16-24) are most likely to encounter phone fear, with 35% experiencing it all the time” it. That’s why we have commissioned our own research into the issue.

“As a business built on phone conversations, we’ve always closely monitored what does and doesn’t make a successful call. Our aim being to build technology that makes phone calls easier for everyone. We were shocked to find that so many people across the country experience phone fear and as a result, we’re even more committed to ensuring that the organisations we work with have the tools in place to make speaking on the phone easy, convenient and more comfortable for both their employees and customers.”

Maria Paviour’s five top tips for overcoming phone fear • Take a moment to do a small risk assessment. Clarify the true risk and

impact of the phone call going wrong, and how much you could afford to take the impact. In reality, the rational impacts of making a phone call are not nearly as damning as we overthink them to be.

• If you are experiencing butterflies in your stomach, tingling fingers, or feel a bit shaky, this is your body preparing to deal with a challenge. It’s a competency which you can actively harness to feel ‘positively energised’. The best way to do this is, if possible, to have a face-to-face chat with someone with whom you feel comfortable, for example a friend or colleague. This increases your oxytocin and will help to change your experience of stress to one of courage!

• Remember that all the resources you need to make or receive a phone call are already in your possession. You know that you can speak and listen.

Taking a little longer to allow your brain to respond without angst will make the experience better for both yourself and the person on the other end of the phone.

• Be kind to yourself. Giving yourself a hard-time or adding self-criticism will not help to solve the problem.

• For businesses/managers: Avoid the temptation to present targets and deadlines, especially to new employees who are anxious about using the phone, as this creates unnecessary pressure, increasing the risk of hypo-arousal and the brain shutting down. It’s better to empower people to learn and build confidence at their own pace to start with, and gradually start to introduce targets for their phone use as they grow into the role.

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Wellbeing vs The Economy Has there been enough attention to health and wellbeing during the pandemic?

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easures of the UK’s quality of life should replace the publication of purely economic indicators, campaigners and politicians have urged, as polling has found a substantial majority of the public want ministers to focus on improving health and wellbeing over economic growth.

The UK’s latest GDP figures will be published shortly, covering the period from January to the end of March, and they are expected to show a dramatic fall, as the first quarterly estimate to reflect the initial impact of the coronavirus and lockdown measures.

A YouGov poll has found eight out of 10 people would prefer the government to prioritise health and wellbeing over economic growth during the coronavirus

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WELLBEING

crisis, and six in 10 would still want the government to pursue health and wellbeing ahead of growth after the pandemic has subsided, though nearly a third would prioritise the economy instead at that point.

The finding comes as millions of people face economic hardship because of coronavirus and the lockdown, while some measures of the quality of life – such as air pollution and the natural environment – are showing signs of improvement.

Positive Money, the campaigning group that commissioned the research, said the poll showed that the government should publish statistics on social indicators, health, the environment and quality of life to give a truer picture of the UK’s status and help policymakers better target what the public wants “It’s clear the vast

majority of the public think we should worry more about people’s health and wellbeing than economic growth,” said Fran Boait, the executive director of Positive Money. “The government must not be tempted to pursue policies that would boost GDP at the expense of lives, wellbeing and the environment.”

In a report entitled The Tragedy of Growth, backed by politicians from several parties, including Clive Lewis of Labour, the Green party MP Caroline Lucas, and the former Conservative environment minister Lord Deben, who chairs the committee on climate change, campaigners call for a shift away from GDP as the government’s core measure of success.

The focus on GDP means economic growth can take place at the expense of the environment, and people’s qual-

ity of life, without any of the resulting damages ever being taken into account, the report argues. That in turn encourages ministers and officials to seek ways of raising the GDP figures, even if rising nominal growth is accompanied by environmental degradation, worsening health, poor educational attainment and increasing poverty.

Leading economists have called for governments to look beyond GDP, and some countries have begun to publish a broader suite of wellbeing indicators as a result.

The report calls for the Office of National Statistics, which collates the UK’s quarterly GDP statistics, to publish instead a “dashboard” of wellbeing indicators, which the Treasury would then be required to target for improvement.

“Eight out of 10 people would prefer the government to prioritise health and wellbeing over economic growth.”

Publisher’s comment:

This report makes for interesting reading but health and wellbeing is tightly woven in with financial wellbeing and that cannot be achieved unless the country has a strong economic performance. Highlighting wellbeing over the economy is a falsehood as if you lose your job, your business goes bust or you cannot afford to pay your bills or do the weekly shop for your family, bang goes your personal health and wellbeing.

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MARKETING

Is it time to

Pivot your Marketing?

By Simon Groves, MD of PRG Marketing

UK

businesses have been forced to adapt during the Covid-19 pandemic. Whether reducing operations or asking staff to work from home; now is a time of change. But what happens once the crisis calms and a sense of normality resumes?

No one knows for sure, but we will undoubtedly see longer term changes in the way businesses operate including a surge of companies going online.

A new way of operating calls for a new way of marketing. While many SMEs already do some form of digital marketing, can ‘pivoting’ your strategy help achieve tangible results? With the way we communicate and the way we work being challenged in lockdown, it seems natural that marketing strategies will shift to react to a new way of working.

For businesses new to digital marketing, there is a period of adjustment. Channels that work for some businesses will not work for others.

Finding the right platforms is half the battle. So, what is pivoting your marketing? For businesses that previously

operated offline only, investing money in marketing may have meant leaflets, events and more traditional methods of promotion.

Websites are becoming increasingly important, keeping businesses in front of their customers during a time when there is less visibility via other means. Therefore, directing customers to websites via email marketing, social media and Google Ads for example could be a smarter investment in your future.

Some of the sectors that have been working at an increased capacity such as pharmaceuticals, food and logistics are continuing to keep in touch with customers. The supermarkets are a great example of how marketing needs to adapt to the circumstances.

Consumers are no longer only interested in offers and recipes as safety procedures and retailer responsibility rightly take precedence.

While different industries face different challenges over the coming months giving customers the right messages at the right time will play a part in determining which companies

will build loyalty among their customer base.

Other businesses may find that their current business model is no longer in demand and as such have changed their focus to new products and markets. This requires a shift in strategic focus and digital marketing allows the flexibility to try new routes to customers without having to fully commit to a platform. Things to consider include what your business goals are now, what budget you have and algorithm updates on some of the main platforms. These variables will affect decisions around how you can successfully pivot your actions.

At a time when staying connected virtually is the new norm, entire industries built upon face to face networking are pivoting the way they communicate. Messaging has never been so important; listening to customers is crucial. What are their problems and how can you help solve them? How can you make their lives easier? Where are they spending their time?

Now is the time to pivot from looking at what you think you know about your customer base and working out what has changed and what you actually know. The businesses who want to help their customers, who demonstrate loyalty to their customer base and communities beyond simply driving sales will reap the rewards of customer loyalty long term.

For a no-obligation chat or advice about helping keep your business connected, please contact Simon@ prgltd.co.uk

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DIVERSITY AT WORK

A Q&A with D&A D&A is a disabled-led organisation that has been offering remote support for neurodiverse and disabled people for over a decade. Its mentors are highly qualified mental health professionals and have a deep understanding of the challenges your staff face as they may have faced these themselves. D&A supports people with everything from managing stress to building confidence and self-esteem.

Emma Turner, Partnerships & Outreach Lead at D & A answers our questions...

Emma Turner

When do you know that you or your team would benefit from some one-to-one coaching?

We’re all individuals and respond to situations uniquely, so you won’t necessarily be able to see the signs that someone is struggling. It’s likely that there will be a lot of masking, as col-

leagues can hide or downplay their difficulties, even from themselves.

What are the benefits of getting outside help at this time?

Rather than inviting specific people that you feel may be in need of help, it’s important to anticipate a need.

Simply offer it upfront and to everyone, we can all gain the benefits.

In these difficult, isolating times access to 1-2-1 support allows staff to de-stress, to have someone to listen to them without judgement, to create healthy habits, to put aside unhelpful thoughts and develop skills and strategies for dealing with challenges.

Proactivity is key - shout about the offer of support and then staff will be able to identify if they need it. Their needs will no doubt change from day to day, or even by the hour. So, supporting people across the board will not only be more helpful, it also means that no-one’s mental health will deteriorate through lack of support.

What happens when we don’t get this right?

• Stress, fatigue, burnout • Mental and physical illness • Low morale and loyalty • Low productivity and inefficiency

What are the barriers that stop business owners from getting this help?

While there’s a clear business case for making sure your employees are well supported in their work and in their wellbeing, there can be barriers such as mindset and attitude that get in the way of reaching out for support.

Sometimes employers and employees feel we must each deal with challenges on our own, or that our personal reactions to situations are separate from our work. But this mindset can be harmful. Instead, successful businesses know that helping their staff thrive translates into a thriving business. And staff that are well looked after are more resilient to challenges and changing circumstances, and more engaged in their work.

To find out more contact Emma at workplace@diversityandability.com

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CHARITY NEWS

Keeping Caring for our Community Throughout the lockdown Martlets continues to provide essential services to local people affected by terminal illness. But the charity needs your help more than ever

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ur hard-working doctors, nurses, health and social care teams deliver essential care to our community day and night helping those with life-limiting illnesses, and their families, cope with the impact of their disease. This doesn’t stop because of COVID-19.

hour advice line – continues to run, providing the constant support that our patients are used to.

do as much of the assessment as they can over the phone before they go in; to limit the amount of time in homes.

Niks Kent who leads our family and patient support team has created a ‘virtual welfare centre’ to look after people who may be particularly isolated.

To protect patients and staff, we’ve closed the public areas at our hospice although the inpatient unit remains open with necessary restrictions on visitors. Our clinical teams are doing an incredible job caring for our patients here with compassion and understanding. The staff are also helping patients use technology for video calls to stay in touch with family and friends..

For some, our day services and social groups might be their only social contact, so we’re maintaining telephone interaction with that group of people; we’re still providing support, just in a different way. Conversations are hard, while some patients are coping well with the changes in their world, others are understandably distressed with the changes to their care or treatment or trying to manage unexpected loneliness.

Although there’s a lot we can do on the phone, particular tasks do require you to be there with a patient. Administering medication is a big one and examining patients can be crucial, so we assess on a case by case basis.

In our community, to reduce the risk of infection, we’ve greatly increased our telephone contact making sure we keep in touch with everyone, helping them feel supported. The biggest thing for us is that ‘The Hub’ - our 24-

We’re making sure we’ve got the right kit (PPE) to keep our staff and patients safe. Our nurses are still seeing people in their homes across Brighton, Hove and the Havens, but they’re trying to

Helping us to Keep Caring A huge thank you to everyone who’s donated to our Martlets Crisis Appeal https://www.martlets.org.uk/ crisis-appeal/.

All our charity shops are closed and our fundraising events have been cancelled so these vital funds are helping us keep caring. Please continue to support us as a charity. We want patients and families to be able to make the most of the precious time they have, now more than ever.

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EDUCATION

OUTSTANDING! A good news story from Julie Kapsalis, Group Managing Director of Chichester College Group

D

uring these unprecedented times, where so much has changed and with so many challenges ahead, I wanted to share some good news with you.

In March of this year the Chichester College Group had its first full Ofsted inspection since it formed as West Sussex’s largest Further Education provider in 2017. Our report has now published on the Ofsted website which you can access from www. c h i g r o u p . a c . u k /a b o u t /o f s t e d outstanding.

I am immensely proud that we have achieved grade 1 ‘Outstanding’, making us currently not only the

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largest college group by revenue to be outstanding, but also only the second college group in the country to be outstanding in all areas under the new Education Inspection Framework. This is testament to the hard work and commitment of all our staff, learners, apprentices, partners and employers and our collective belief in our mission of ‘changing lives through learning’.

What Ofsted said about our learners • Learners, including adult learners, and apprentices are rightly very proud of their college. They value the active role they take in working with leaders and staff to create an inclusive and vibrant community.

• Learners and apprentices enjoy greatly their time at college. They are ambitious to achieve.

• The learners and apprentices, and particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, rightly feel highly supported by college staff.

What Ofsted said about our work with employers

• Employers value greatly the positive impact apprentices’ new skills and knowledge have on their workplace.

• Leaders and managers work closely with employers and other external stakeholders to research and design appropriate courses for learners.

• Leaders and managers work closely with employers to include additional qualifications to apprentices’ programmes which better prepare them for their jobs.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your ongoing support and hope you, your families and colleagues are safe and well during this challenging time.

We recognise that colleges will have a critical role to play in the economic and social recovery and that we will continue to work together to address the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Great relationships Great conversations Great futures

We are an award-winning firm of Chartered Accountants, Chartered Tax Advisers, Business Consultants and Independent Financial Advisers with a reputation for innovation and excellence.

With our relationship led service, we look to understand the opportunities and challenges faced by you and your business. Our focus is always on client service, with open and honest relationships.

www.carpenterbox.com

Now, for tomorrow

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E

veryone is at it - that being the production of large, medium and small SUV’s - a horrible American acronym meaning Sport Utility Vehicle. SUV’s account for a whopping 21.2% of all UK cars sales last year, up 6.6% from 2009 and 13.5% from 2015 - that’s 1.8 million of them.

The delicious irony of this is the main reason given is the high driving position, allowing a far better view out of the car. But - if we all buy them, as it seems, we will again all be at the same height!

The Volkswagen T-Cross is a cute and chunky car and l quite like it. There are three variants - the S, SE and SEL, all with the normal varying amount of kit, with prices starting at £19,245 up to £23,070.

a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed twinclutch auto. The major effort here is to prevent the T-Cross from straying into the T-Roc territory and damaging sales. They are right, of course, and I really liked the T-Roc when I reviewed it for Platinum (www.platinumpublishing.co.uk/platinum-business-magazine/issues/46/).

and the extras such as roof rails, adaptive cruise control, variable-heigh boot floor and App-Connect infotainment system just about justifies the £1,810 lift over the base model.

The T-Cross is very well put together, drives well, is solid and pretty much fixed to the road and, as it is regarded as a cross-over, that being almost a car, it does not suffer from too much body roll in the corners thanks to its low(ish) centre of gravity, efficient chassis and excellent Germanic engineering.

Inside, it is well put together with plenty of room for 4 adults without too much need to fiddle with every knob you can find. The variable boot floor really maximises the boot space and uses every centimetre of the available space. The interior design layouts have never been startling in VW’s but there are Design Packs you can chose that liven it all up and for the price, you get a lot for your money. The seats are well plumped where they should be and everything is well put together.

The SE will likely be the most popular

On the road, the ride is reasonably

They have delivered me the 1-litre SE model and although as a dedicated petrol head, a 1-litre engine always fills me with horror, it does the job very well. It’s a turbocharged three-pot engine with two states of tune popping out either 113bhp or 95bhp - l have the 95bhp with a 5-speed manual, while the more powerful variant comes with

VW T-CROSS

By Maarten Hoffmann To read all motoring reviews go to www.platinumpublishing.co.uk/features/motoring/

MOTORING “Many call it a beefed up Polo but that’s unfair - it's much more than that.” quiet and there is enough oomph to get along at a good lick, although it is a tag sluggish when pulling away under 2000rpm but that just means a tad more use of those five gears. For overtaking, it will spin up to 6000rpm with ease and at no point did l feel that it was lacking in power - considering it’s only a 1-litre power plant.

Many call it a beefed up Polo but that’s unfair - it's much more than that. It feels bigger than it is, feels grown up and, personally, l would think this a perfect first car for a new driver. So many of us buy our kids a cheap, small runaround car for that exciting present after

passing their test but this is not the safest thing to do. They are far more likely to have an accident in their first year yet we put them into older cheap small cars that fold on impact and when new, probably came with a substandard safety rating. I digress...

This is not an off-road car as it is 2x2 only but that’s ok, and that slight roll in corners is acceptable too as a sacrifice for the increased height. I would certainly go for the 113bhp as the 95 feels just a little too slow (1.3 seconds slower to be precise). The 1.6-litre version is on its way.

In all, a good car with great looks, a three year/60,000 mile warranty from a company known for making sturdy well-put together cars. The competition comes in the shape of the Seat Arona, Renault Captur, Mazda CX-3 and the Audi Q2 - with the exception of the Audi, it knocks all the others into a cocked hat.

TECH STUFF Model tested: T-Cross SE 1.0 TSI Engine: 1-litre turbocharged Power: 95 bhp Speed: 0-62 11.5 seconds Top: 112 mph Economy: 47.4 mpg Price from: £19,245 As tested: £21,210

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VIRTUAL EVENTS

Virtual Expos NetXP launches Sussex’s first ever virtual tradeshow and conference

I

n a topsy-turvy world, like our current economic environment, having a clear niche is more important than ever. Network Xpress’ niche is tradeshows and so we are excited to announce we are launching Sussex’s first ever virtual tradeshow and conference!

Tech Expo. Setting up initially was a different story. Whilst we loved to jump straight into a challenge, having not used any cloud-based video marketing services before, other than VR at our tradeshows and Zoom for The Director’s Hub, it was a big step to transform our events business in such

On the 18th June, the West Sussex Tech Expo was set to roll into Chichester for its second expo of the year.

COVID-19 had other ideas. Net XP has gone back to the drawing board and completely re-thought its marketing and sales strategies for its 2020 events as Net XP had two very clear, stark choices! Adapt to changes and work through it, or go bust! Net XP has always been a business disrupter and as such is at the forefront of B2B expos and conferences; to make these radical changes to better serve our clients was a challenge we were excited to get our teeth into to stay in the game.

Face-to-face meetings and mass gatherings are not an option, so we are turning our heads to the virtual technology on offer – fitting for our

a short space of time. Our clients were using Zoom for video conferencing, so we started to look at this platform to see if it could be utilised into our events.

At first, we didn’t think that this software would be the platform to use, until we found an additional feature which enabled us as hosts to have breakout rooms (up to 50 in total) which meant we could run many different elements of the show: the Early Bird Virtual Speakers Conference, Virtual Networking Rooms, The Tiger’s Pen and the Virtual Speed Networking. Suddenly the pieces came together and in under a week, we had an actionable plan to execute a cutting-edge tradeshow and conference virtually.

We hear you – how can a virtual trade-

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show be any good?

There are multiple benefits to hosting online: • Anyone with an Internet connection can participate in a virtual tradeshow.

No travel required.

• The virtual platform lends itself to a broad range of applications beyond tradeshows such as workshops and training sessions.

• A major benefit of virtual tradeshows is cost. There is no travel, hotel and meal expenses are eliminated.

Our conclusion is that as technology advances, virtual tradeshows may be able to provide the same “experience” as traditional shows. Some traditional tradeshows offer a virtual component like streaming presentations online, but in today’s climate, we must think outside the box. Virtual shows offer a cost-effective alternative and potential to reach people that cannot for whatever reason attend a traditional tradeshow, be it distance geographically, the weather or office meetings preventing entire days off.

We’re now virtually networking on the internet 24/7, so why should tradeshows be any different?

Sonny Cutting Events Director, Net XP www.netxp.co.uk

Back on Course According to government advice, we can start to play golf again with one person from another household

G

olf clubs have welcomed the news that people can start playing golf again, albeit with social distancing rules in place.

There was also some very good news for Hurtmore Golf Club in Surrey, which has been confirmed as one of the most popularly reviewed golf courses in 2019.

The rating has been determined by Golfshake, which considers thousands of independent course reviews from its members each year. Members rate the venues they have visited on a variety of categories, including the quality

of the layout, condition, welcome, hospitality, and the facilities available.

Hurtmore, which is part of the Hoburne Group, boasts an 18-hole golf course and a state-of-the-art golf simulator.

The club has recently refurbished and modernised its clubhouse, with a restaurant open daily and a large outdoor patio area. With its free wi-fi and car parking, Hurtmore is also an ideal venue for business meetings and functions.

Commenting on the rating, Hoburne’s head of golf, James Slade said: “We are delighted to have been recognised

by Golfshake and its members. Online reviews have become increasingly relevant in all industries - and golf is no exception. We have invested heavily in the club to improve the golf course and clubhouse and the feedback has been incredibly positive from our members and visitors.

“Like every golf club in the country, we are currently closed but the greenkeeping team is working tirelessly while sticking to strict social distancing and other safe working guidelines to ensure our course is in the best possible condition for everyone to enjoy as and when we can fully re-open.”

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QUIT THE SNIPING

By Maarten Hoffmann

I

don’t know about you, but l am sick to the back teeth with all the sniping at the government when it comes to their response to the coronavirus.

I am not referring to party politics but rather this, once in a lifetime (we hope), global pandemic for which no one has a template or a guide from which to work from. All global leaders are making it up on the fly but when it comes to the UK, they are making a fair fist of it.

The popular press have a lot to answer for on this subject. Good newspapers lead with sound editorial and expect their readers to follow. The rubbish ones, that are good only for lining the budgie cage or wrapping your chips in, follow the lead from their readers, leaving them in a race to the bottom.

The fury that radiates from their pages every time a decision is made does not highlight the faults of government,

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rather it highlights their total inability to give a damn as they chase readership.

You’ve seen it shrieking from their pages: Day 1. WE HAVE TO LOCK DOWN AS FAST AS POSSIBLE Day 2. WE CANNOT TAKE THIS LOCKDOWN ANY MORE AND SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE Day 3. IT IS TOO EARLY TO UNLOCK AS WE WILL ALL DIE Day 4. THE GOVERNMENT HAS TO HELP BUSINESS Day 5. THE CHANCELLOR ANNOUNCES A RESCUE PACKAGE BUT IT DOESN’T GO FAR ENOUGH Day 6. £330 BILLION BUT THERE IS A CHAP IN BRADFORD CALLED JOHN WHO CAN’T ACCESS THE SCHEME Day 7. THERE IS NOT ENOUGH PPE Day 8. DOCTORS TO SUE OVER THE LACK OF PPE Day 9. EVERY PERSON IN THE COUNTRY SHOULD BE GIVEN PPE

And so it goes on. I am well aware that the media’s role is to hold ministers feet to the fire over an array of matters, but there comes a time when we should realise that the government has an horrific ‘once in a lifetime’ job to do. They should be allowed to get on with it, without all the sniping from the sidelines by uneducated and unprincipled journalists who couldn’t run a bloody whelk stall.

Of course, they are going to make mistakes and, sadly, on this subject that could lead to some death, but name me a single soul in politics who would be doing a better job?

Corbyn? Now there is a man who couldn’t run a whelk stall.

Starmer? By the time he had finished consultation with every union leader and special interest group from Noddytown to Loonytown, we would all be dead.

The Greens? Yes, that one policy party

ANGER MANAGEMENT who don’t even really understand what that one policy is.

Sturgeon? This women who hates the Brits so much and is so power hungry, that she would sell her soul down the river for a shot at ruling - anyone, anywhere.

Farage? I cannot think of anything to say here except: ‘Don’t be ridiculous.

This is the government we voted for in huge numbers,so why not shut up and let them get on with it the best they can. Never have we witnessed a Chancellor who so understands the woes of business that he has launched quite a few revolutionary schemes that are underpinning business. The job retention scheme is literally holding companies together whilst we get though this nightmare. The CBI loan

“The time wasted doing press interviews which take hours to prepare for, could be better spent doing their jobs.” scheme looked good until the banks got involved and slowed it to a crawl (reasonable l would say as they were on the hook for 20% of it and they are a business like the rest of us).

The Bounceback Loan Scheme worked like clockwork for most and put billions into our business accounts within 48 hours in most cases, interest

free for the first year and then at 2.5%.

The pandemic is not the fault of any government (let’s leave the Chinese out of this for now) - it came out of the blue and they all had to play catchup, without a roadmap. Then there is the thorny issue of personal protection equipment

43 43

“Where exactly do you source billions of pieces of such equipment within five days when every other country in the world is trying to do the same.”

for the NHS and other care workers. Of course, they should have it but where exactly do you source billions of pieces of such equipment within five days when every other country in the world is trying to do the same - and the country they all come from was the epicentre of the virus? If you don’t know the answer, how the hell can you expect the government to have the answer?

Within eight days, they had sourced over 17 billion pieces of kit. Of course, it’s not enough but for heaven's sake, stop the sniping and help with the answer.

The other issue is the lockdown. First the papers were screaming that we should lockdown immediately even before the science was there to back it up. Understanding that the economic shock could be more deadly than the virus, government tried to take a gen-

tle approach to the subject, and watch the science and the countries we were a few weeks behind. Then they decided the lockdown was the only option.

Within hours, we see the headlines screaming that we should refuse to live in a dictatorship and how the hell does government have the right to tell us what to do and the economy will be wrecked. Then they consider lifting a few areas of the lockdown to be greeted with headlines saying that it’s too early and that we will all die.

As l have said many times before, who the hell would want to be a politician just to have your private life taken apart piece by piece by the press, with every slight transgression from 30 years ago being blasted across the nation's breakfast tables. And for what?

The pleasure of working 12 hours a day, having people scream at you dur-

ing your local surgeries, eggs thrown in the street and £81,000 a year. If you want the best in parliament, this ain’t the way to do it. They run for the hills, earn a fortune in private enterprise and leave politics, in some cases, to the ‘best of the rest’.

If this nation is to try to come together, we need to stop the sniping by idiots and uneducated twits who couldn’t get a job saying ‘do you want fries with that’, and back the government.

Are there any of you who genuinely feel they are not doing their very best?

Are there any of you out there that feel that they actually want people to die?

Are there any of you who feel that they actually want the economy to collapse?

For the vast majority, the answer is no therefore why not actually support them and give them a better chance to get on and fix it? The time wasted doing press interviews which take hours to prepare for, could be better spent doing their jobs.

Take that colossal twat, Piers Morgan. Day after day insulting ministers for not going on his show to explain themselves - he called Matt Hancock ‘spineless and shameful’ as he did a BBC interview but not with Morgan.

ANGER MANAGEMENT

Possibly, just possibly they are a tad too busy to go on his show to be insulted, interrupted, belittled and made a laughing stock, just to fuel Morgan's ego and up his ratings. His sense of entitlement is staggering.

Newspapers are in a fight for their lives as ad revenue drops away. The digital age has given them a swipe as so many get their news online and they run stories that infuriate and deeply depress their readers. Why the bloody hell would any of us be reading newspapers?

I, for one, avidly read newspapers three a day if you must know, as l like to be informed on world events from various perspectives and adore pithy editorial but they are even pushing my tolerance to new levels.

I guess we all accept that local papers are dead in the water. As they run headlines like 'Cat Up Tree' or 'Mrs Jenkins Makes Tea For The Brownies', they thoroughly deserve to expire. But national broadsheets are desperately needed - not just for general information but to hold ministers to account during normal times. Without them, there are some politicians who are no better than petty criminals and will steal, lie and cheat if they think they can get away with it.

News from the internet - l think not, as

“If this nation is to try to come together, we need to stop the sniping by idiots and uneducated twits who couldn’t get a job saying ‘do you want fries with that’, and back the government.” it can be so biased and full of lies that it could kill society in the long term.

Amazing that there are algorithms now that will feed you only what it looks like you are interested in. Therefore if you look at racist pages, it will decide that is your appetite and it only feeds you racist stories!

Television - sure but they chase ratings and news simply is not a rating puller during normal times. So, we are left with newspapers and magazines.

The upside here is that we are all responsible for what we print and that forces editors to focus on the truth and sensible argument - or be hauled into court.

Newspapers barons or moguls have been the main problem as they set their own agenda and then employ editors who either agree with the bosses

views, or are so bereft of all principles that they toe the line and spew forth any venom the owner wishes to dish out, to anyone who ever slighted them.

Trust me, we can all write an article that is full of lies and slander, written in such a way that no court in the land could get us for it but the negative message gets out far and wide. And of course, any ordered retraction to a three page story will be two lines on page 54.

We need a free press but at any cost?

ANGER

MANAGEMENT

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VIRTUAL EVENTS

The gdb Virtual Event Programme Below is a selection of gdb Virtual Events to help keep you connected with your fellow members. Follow the links to book your places and please check the Events Page on the gdb website for regular updates https://www.gatwickdiamondbusiness.com/11-events.html Tuesday 19th May gdb Virtual Elevenses & Networking 10:30-11:30 Stay connected with the gdb Team and your fellow Members Free of Charge – gdb Members only

Wednesday 20th May Survive & Thrive: Positive Mental Health and Wellbeing 13:00-14:00 Sussex Innovation Free of Charge

Thursday 21st May Advanced Communication: Working with your communication style 10:00-11:15 Nicky McCrudden, McCrudden Training Free of Charge

Tuesday 26th May gdb Virtual Elevenses & Networking 10:30-11:30 Stay connected with the gdb Team and your fellow Members Free of Charge – gdb Members only

Wednesday 27th May Survive & Thrive: Building your social media presence 13:00-14:00 Sussex Innovation Free of Charge Friday 29th May Virtual Members Meeting 11:30-12:45 Stay connected with the gdb Team and your fellow Members Free of Charge – gdb Members only

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Tuesday 2nd June Should I consider selling my business now and what is it worth?

10:00-11:15 Ken Gorman, Director at Transworld Business Advisors - London South West Free of Charge Tuesday 2nd June gdb Virtual Elevenses & Networking 10:30-11:30 Stay connected with the gdb Team and your fellow Members Free of Charge – gdb Members only

Thursday 4th June Crisis Leadership 10:00-11:30 Joe Cheal, Imaginarium Learning & Development Free of Charge

Tuesday 9th June gdb Virtual Elevenses & Networking 10:30-11:30 Stay connected with the gdb Team and your fellow Members Free of Charge – gdb Members only

Friday 12th June Digital Apprenticeships Employer's Briefing Webinar 11:30-12:15 Creative Process Free of Charge

The gdb Team would like to extend their sincere thanks to all those who have offered to support the gdb Virtual Event Programme.

PLATINUM

EVENT MANAGEMENT Platinum Event Management is one of the leading event management agencies in the South East specialising in corporate events and award ceremonies. Our company was built on the principles of excellence, passion and dedication.

As expert award ceremony organisers, we understand how important these events can be, and more importantly, how to deliver them.

Whether it’s in business, consumer, private or B u CO sin N es FIR sa M s u ED su a

Due to the recent global outbreak of COVID-19, we have decided to postpone some of our events until later in the year.

Please continue to visit www.platinumpublishing. co.uk/awards for further updates.

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B u CO sin N es FIR sa M s u ED su a

NOVEMBER 19th, 2020

DECEMBER 3rd, 2020

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EVENTS

Aw P O ai t ST in PO g N ne E w D da te

public sector, our team has over 15 years of experience to create a winning formula for any type of business.

www.platinumpublishing.co.uk

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