Dynamic Magazine – issue 23

REGULARS

Events

2 Entries are open for the second Dynamic Business Awards

News

12 In The Right Direction: Good news stories from around the world

Wellbeing

36 Tanya Borowski discusses whether to boost our immunity or build resilience

40 Are women more mentally ill than men? Psychologist Dr Sanah Ahsan is not so sure

Further reading

44 Yetunde Hofmann engages in the power of sponsorship, mentorship and allyship of black women in business

Art scene

46 The artworks of Dana Cowie, as described by art critic and curator Kellie Miller

Travel

48 A relaxing spa session at Alexander House Hotel on the Sussex/Surrey border

Girl torque

52 Fiona Shafer on the electric VW ID5. For once, Fiona prefers its predecessor

What’s on

50 A brief snapshot of art and culture cross Sussex and Surrey

SPOTLIGHT

32 Highlighting four female CEOs operating at the top of their game within the charity sector

Return to work

Women wishing to return to work could be undermined with the imminent collapse of the underfunded UK childcare sector

BIG STORY

Time’s Up!

Remembering Baroness Boothroyd, the first female Speaker of the House of Commons

CONTACTS

PUBLISHER: Maarten Hoffmann maarten@platinummediagroup.co.uk

EDITOR: Tess de Klerk tess@platinummediagroup.co.uk

MOTORING EDITOR: Fiona Shafer fionas@platinummediagroup.co.uk

COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR: Lesley Alcock lesley@platinummediagroup.co.uk

EVENTS DIRECTOR: Fiona Graves fiona@platinummediagroup.co.uk

EVENTS MANAGER: Zaneta Bealing zaneta@platinummediagroup.co.uk

HEAD OF DESIGN: Michelle Shakesby design@platinummediagroup.co.uk

SUB EDITOR: Alan Wares alan@platinummediagroup.co.uk

WWW.PLATINUMMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

Go ahead. Tell me that I’m not good enough.

Tell me I can’t do it, because I will show you over and over again that I can Anonymous

It is difficult to believe we are in April already but the lighter evenings and warmer climate brings joy to my South African soul.

Likewise, I am uplifted by much of the content of Dynamic this month, such as the feature by Dr Sarah Ahsan where she explains why the belief that women are more mentally ill than men is a myth. In Spotlight, we focus on those strong women at the top of the region’s charities, and Tanya Borowski explains how to boost your immune system.

We have an exclusive interview with the new, and fi rst, female Managing Partner of Surrey law fi rm Morr & Co, Catherine Fisher, and the founder of YUnique Marketing, Jarmila Yu talks all things branding.

The Dynamic sponsorship of all female places on the University of Brighton’s Help to Grow programme continues and with the April and May courses now full, they are enrolling for the September course. Our sponsorship means that the cost of £750 is waived as long as one notes the code PLATINUM100. You can’t get better than free in our attempt to level the gender playing field.

Enjoy this month’s magazine – from all of us here at Dynamic.

EDITOR’S NOTE Tess de Klerk

Editor, Dynamic Magazine tess@platinummediagroup.co.uk

Dynamic has a very special offer for all women who run their own business or are in a senior management role within any SME as we are determined to level the playing field.

The Help to Grow: Management programme as detailed here is normally 90% subsidised by the government and the participant pays only £750. Dynamic Magazine is sponsoring a number of places on the course therefore it will be totally free of charge to Dynamic readers!

This is a unique offer 100% sponsored by Dynamic Magazine

Helping women to grow

PROGRAMME DETAILS

This mini MBA-style programme is designed for business owners and senior leaders of small and medium-sized businesses, Help to Grow: Management is a 12-week course that helps your business reach its full potential for growth, resilience and succession planning.

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This course, accredited by the Chartered Association of Business Schools, is being delivered by the University of Brighton. Working in collaboration with industry experts and experienced entrepreneurs, the course covers strategies for growth and innovation, digital adoption, leading high-performance teams, financial management and responsible business practices. With the support of an experienced mentor, you will also create a bespoke growth plan for your business.

MODULES AND

To facilitate busy work schedules, the course is a mix of both online and in person workshops.

YOUR GROWTH PLAN

n Develop your leadership and management skills, enhancing employee wellbeing and engagement

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n Identify key domestic and export markets for your business and develop strategies for segmentation, positioning and targeting

n Generate strategies to improve operational efficiency, allowing you

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HOW TO APPLY

ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible for Help to Grow, the following criteria must be met.

Your business must

n Be a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) based in the UK

n Employ between 5 and 249 people

n Have been operational for at least one year

n Not be a charity

You must

n Be a chief executive, owner/founder or senior manager

n Have at least one person reporting to you

n Commit to completing all sessions

THE HELP TO GROW: MANAGEMENT COURSE

You will be supported by an experienced business mentor who will support you in producing a growth plan, and taught by experienced academics and practitioners from the School of Business and Law.

❛❛ The content was fantastic and I found the session really engaging and well delivered ❜❜

ALICE MONK Music Industries Association

The Help to Grow: Management is delivered by leading business schools across the UK who have been awarded the Small Business Charter (SBC) by the Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS).

Help to Grow is a 12-week course designed to be undertaken alongside full-time work. The time commitment is 50 hours over 12 weeks. Learning alongside other business owners,

To apply, send an email to info@platinummediagroup.co.uk, quoting the code PLATINUM100 to secure your place. Don’t delay, apply today and power up your business

you have the opportunity to learn from your peers and network.

Using a combination of online and face-to-face sessions alongside case study workshops, you will have the opportunity to apply the concepts being taught to real-life situations faced by business leaders. By the end of the course, you will have a tailored Growth Action Plan to help you lead and grow your business.

WHY CHOOSE THE UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON?

The University of Brighton has a long history of working with small to medium-sized businesses, and a strong track record of delivering business growth programmes.

The school of Business and Law is home to the Centre for Change, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management (CENTRIM), which works with partners in industry, academia and government producing groundbreaking concepts to explain, harness and improve innovation, entrepreneurship and change management.

The 2021 Knowledge Exchange Framework results place the University of Brighton in the top 10% for universities for public and community engagement, and in the top 20% for skills, enterprise, and entrepreneurship.

Help to grow programme

The Rose Review on Female Entrepreneurship reported that for women to get the same opportunities as men, we need enhanced support, networking and education. This is where the University of Brighton’s Help to Grow Programme steps in. It is really not at all expensive, and with Platinum sponsoring all the female spaces, it is totally free. The response has been fantastic and here’s a comment from just one woman l know who has completed the course.

ROSEMARY FRENCH, OBE Rosemary’s OBE was presented for services to women in business

The course was really helpful, particularly the Marketing/Branding modules. We have now refined and segmented our market, enabling more effective communication with our prospective customers. The peer group was amazing! Every week we took an assignment back to our businesses. Then, at a group session later in the week, we discussed our bottlenecks, progress and how we were implementing what we had learned. I found it really valuable to hear others’ points of view, suggestions, and practical examples from fellow business owners ❜❜

Financial advice, built around you.

• Personal finance advice

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I’m proud to represent both male and female clients. And, while it goes without saying that both can experience the same stressors, there’s no avoiding the fact that women face several unique challenges.

My 20 years’ experience has shown that women can therefore greatly benefit from highly personalised financial advice, which takes these challenges into account. This is why I’m so passionate about empowering women with the confidence and tools to help them achieve their long-term financial goals.

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WOMEN IN BOARDROOM ROLES NOW ABOVE 40% IN THE UK

Just over a decade ago, 152 of FTSE 350 companies had no women at boardroom level. Now, for the first time, the proportion of women in boardroom roles at listed British firms has risen above 40%, a report sponsored by Lloyds Banking Group and KPMG published in February revealed.

A target of 40% was set to be achieved by 2025 but it was hit early. Still, women hold only 33.5% of leadership roles below board level, though progress is on track.

“Reaching the 40 per cent target for women on boards early is cause for celebration,” the report said. “It also shows that more progress is possible. The powerful combination of clear goals and effective policy has enabled companies to demonstrate their commitment to positive change and reap the rewards of a diverse workforce.”

IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

IRANIAN WOMEN PROTEST BY DANCING IN THE STREETS

Iranian people have been protesting against oppressive state laws for months, and dancing in the streets has become the latest symbol of defiance.

According to the latest World Happiness Report, global happiness levels have remained resilient, with altruism increasing. It is suggested that the hardships brought on by Covid inspired ongoing altruism.

“For a second year, we see that various forms of everyday kindness, such as helping a stranger, donating to charity, and volunteering are above pre-pandemic levels,” noted Prof Lara Aknin, director of the Happiness Lab at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada.

Researchers interviewed tens of thousands of people and tried to identify what contributes to their satisfaction. They found that social support, healthy life expectancy, the economy, freedom to make life choices and freedom from corruption were the main drivers of happiness.

This year’s edition once again ranked Finland the world’s happiest nation, followed by Denmark and Iceland. It is the fourth consecutive year in which the UK has dropped down the table. It now stands 19th.

On International Women’s Day this year, five young women posted a video of themselves dancing in the street without headscarves, an act deemed illegal in the country.

The video has since gone viral and is inspiring others to dance defiantly in the streets, in spite of the apology the women were forced to film.

“Nothing can stop the freedom of Iranian women,” wrote the IranianFrench actor Golshifteh Farahani, as she shared the video online.

THE PANDEMIC TRIGGERED AN ONGOING ‘SURGE IN BENEVOLENCE’

WOMEN IN SPAIN GET THE RIGHT TO MENSTRUAL LEAVE

Spain has passed a law allowing those with especially painful periods to take paid “menstrual leave” from work, in a European first.

The bill, approved by Parliament in February, is part of a broader package on sexual and reproductive rights that includes allowing anyone 16 and over to get an abortion or freely change the gender on their ID card.

The law gives the right to a three-day “menstrual” leave of absence - with the possibility of extending it to five days - for those with disabling periods, which can cause severe cramps, nausea, dizziness and even vomiting. The new law will help combat the stereotypes and myths that still surround periods and hinder women’s lives.

RECORD NUMBER OF WOMEN LAUNCHED A UK BUSINESS IN 2022

The Rose Review 2023, an independent analysis of female entrepreneurship, led by the CEO of NatWest Group, Dame Alison Rose, revealed that female entrepreneurs created some 150,000 businesses in 2022. That is more than double the number of 2018. Female-led companies now represent a fifth of all UK businesses, up from 16% in 2018. The absorbing review suggests that the UK economy could benefit from a £250bn boost if women set up businesses at the same rate as men.

“It’s a testament to the resilience and entrepreneurialism of female founders that they are creating more companies than ever before, and the Rose Review is expanding its support for their work,” said Rose.

“We will continue to provide fresh initiatives offering mentorship, guidance and inspiration for founders, alongside securing new commitments from financial services institutions to make it easier for female-led companies to access vital capital.”

TRULY NEVER TOO LATE

Karen Woods, a best-selling author with 27 novels to her name knows it’s never too late and hopes to inspire other women over 40 to chase their dreams. The ‘Manchester Queen of Crime’ astonishingly didn’t learn to read or write until she was 39 years old.

After leaving school at 15, she raised her children and worked as a cleaner, always hiding her lack of literacy until she was offered a promotion that required sending emails. She accepted and her employer sent her on an adult literacy course where she discovered her knack for writing.

Now, Karen has had book deals with publishers HarperNorth, who has published her last seven books, and has written and directed sell-out shows in Manchester while also appearing on TV shows including Loose Women and The One Show. The author credits learning to read and write with changing her life, and says she wants to ‘represent those with troubled pasts’. She is also an ambassador for Adult Learning, and for Read Easy.

Doubt is a killer. You just have to know who you are and what you stand for

Jennifer Lopez

Be strong enough to stand alone, smart enough to know when you need help, and brave enough to ask for it

Ziad K. Abdelnour

This lack of knowledge of the state of the childcare and early-years system meant “any government claims of sufficient places are utterly meaningless in practical terms”

Sector leaders have warned of an “entire collapse” of the early years market if reported plans to expand free childcare for under-twos go ahead without adequate funding for the sector.

The imminent collapse of the childcare sector

This is not an issue that only parents should be concerned about but one that affects us all. We need working age mothers to return to work to take an oar in the battle to row this country out of the doldrums. Many such mothers desperately want to return to work, and need to in many cases, but the vast majority pay every single penny they earn back to childcare and that’s the fi rst indicator that the system is broken, and will not be fi xed with the sticking plaster that the Chancellor announced in the recent budget.

The government’s claims that there are enough childcare places in England are “meaningless” as councils collect little to no information on whether provision meets local demand, experts have said. Local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006.

In February the Minister for Children, Claire Coutinho, said in a parliamentary written answer: “The department has regular contact with each local authority in England, and if a local authority raises concerns about sufficiency issues, we will support it with any specific requirements. At present, all local authorities report that they are fulfi lling their duty to ensure sufficient childcare.” But data obtained by the Early Years Alliance shows that only 15% of local councils in England collect data on the proportion of parents who are able to access the childcare they need. One might expect the minster to be hauled in front of a parliamentary committee for misleading parliament.

Last week, the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, announced a change to the way childcare would be funded, confi rming a £4bn expansion of support from 2025, and announced “an ambition” for all state primaries to provide childcare before and after lessons from 2026.

Pitched as part of a wider drive to help people into work and boost growth, the plan will provide an extra 30 hours a week during term time to parents of children from the age of nine months to two years, matching the existing offering for three- and four-year-olds.

Campaigners say more knowledge is needed about how many facilities are able to offer local services and where the gaps are, which leave parents unable to fi nd nurseries, childminders and other support when they need it.

The Early Years Alliance data, obtained via freedom of information, also shows 14% of local authorities gather information on whether parents can access childcare on the times and dates they want, and only one in 10 of the local councils collect the same information for children with special educational needs or disabilities. Th is lack of knowledge of the state of the childcare and early-years system meant “any government claims of sufficient places are utterly meaningless in practical terms”, Neil Leitch, the Alliance’s chief executive, said.

While the unemployment rate may be at its lowest in almost 50 years, as of April 2019, a large percentage of parents of dependent children were not working. In fact, ONS figures show that 24.9% of mothers and 7.4% of fathers with dependent children were unemployed. Th is suggests that there is a huge talent pool of people returning to work after parental leave that employers can aim to attract.

Joeli Brearley, the founder of the campaign group Pregnant Then Screwed, said: “We need to see a strong commitment from the government to rebuilding the sector sustainably if we are to increase the number of parents in work. Unfortunately, the amount of money pledged to fund the free hours entitlement is nowhere near enough and so there is a strong possibility that we may lose even more nurseries as a result.”

“If you’re a parent who, say, needs a nursery, preschool or childminding place for four days a week, but can only secure one day a week, and it’s at a setting 25 minutes away, then constant assurances from government that all is fi ne are understandably going to ring completely hollow – and this is exactly the sort of situation that families up and down the country are currently facing.” Continued

The country can’t grow if we can’t fi x childcare

BELGIUM

Parents pay according to their income; high earners pay full rates. School starts at age two and a half. There is a garderie in each school from 7am, which costs 88p an hour. The school day for all children runs until 3.30pm. There is a garderie again for the children of working parents until 6pm. Essentially, childcare costs for full-time working parents of children aged two and a half upwards, are about £35 to £53 a month.

AUSTRALIA

For 34 hours of care per fortnight parents pay £205 which is subsidised 50% by the government (subsidies of up to 85% are available under the Child Care Subsidy scheme, depending on the family’s income), so we are out of pocket £102 or about £4.86 per hour.

CANADA

Parents pay anything from £4.16 to £11.89 per day, which is income assessed. Most will pay less than £5.95 per child. Daycares must meet certain standards to be registered.

DENMARK

Parents pay around £159 for two full-time places and receive £256 in children’s allowance. It is subsidised by the tax they pay. They are provided with hot meals and healthy snacks throughout the day.

NORWAY

The monthly cost of childcare is capped for parents at around £250 a month. Low income parents receive childcare for free or at a low cost.

The issue in the UK seems to be the total lack of understanding of what returning mothers bring to the exchequer. For those parents wishing to return to work, it is screamingly obvious that they will add to the tax revenue for the government. In most cases, said tax revenue greatly exceeds the cost of childcare therefore, free childcare, or vastly subsidised childcare, is an income generator for the government and not a cost. Why oh why can the UK government not grasp this quite simple calculation?

The Truss administration made many missteps, but on childcare it was on the right track. Though details were lacking, the blink-and-you-miss-her prime minister was planning to rush through ‘big bang’ changes to childcare provision that would bring down costs both for parents and providers.

FINLAND

Every child in Finland under the age of seven has the right to childcare and pre-school by law, regardless of family income. People in Finland pay a lot in tax to fund childcare programmes so childcare is basically free. Parents can also claim paid childcare leave after the end of parental leave if they decide not to use official childcare.

SWEDEN

Sweden spends more money on its pre-school budget than it does on its defence budget. Each child is guaranteed a place at a public pre-school and no parent is charged more than three per cent of their salary, with fees capped at just over £100 a month.

Our pre-school and childcare sector is broken. It’s unaffordable both for parents and the taxpayer and increasingly inaccessible. Providers are also closing at record levels and staff retention is poor.

Childcare is a case study in what goes wrong when government is lobbied by single-interest groups to expand its role in a particular sector. Back in the 1990s, childcare was largely private or charitable. Parents could either care for children themselves or pay for external childcare provided by private nurseries or childminders in a domestic setting.

Successive interventions in the intervening period have cost the taxpayer billions and transformed childcare into a branch of education. Th is has increased costs, created anomalies, driven out providers and failed to satisfy anyone. A vast array of other issues have been plastered onto it – the gender pay gap, child poverty, one-parent families and more recently our declining fertility rate – making reform difficult politically.

For parents, the cost of childcare has soared in the past three decades. The annual fee for a full-time place for a child under the age of two has risen by 171% since 2000, from £5,148 to £13,939 in 2021. By contrast, the rate of increase in household earnings was significantly lower, at 66% over the same period.

While parents are paying through the nose, government spending has risen from close to nothing in the 1990s to nearly £6 billion per year today. Th is growth has been justified on the grounds of encouraging mothers into formal

So if the UK cannot solve this issue, how is it that so many countries can?

The annual fee for a full-time place for a child under the age of two has risen by 171% since 2000, from £5,148 to £13,939 in 2021

employment and improving the educational attainment of young children. In practice, however, it has displaced other paid childcare and informal care from friends or family and failed to significantly increase the participation of target groups such as mothers on benefits in the labour market. The evidence of longer-term benefit to children’s development is also lacking.

The UK has among the strictest ratios in western

Europe, with some countries, including Denmark and Sweden, having no requirements at all. A 2018 study for the Department for Education found that 78% of costs in childcare are for staff : the higher the ratio, the more staff required, raising costs for nurseries and depressing wages for workers.

But we should also ask what childcare is seeking to achieve. Tory MPs have insisted reform is needed to boost female labour market participation. Labour wants to provide comprehensive support from the end of parental leave. It may be in the government’s best interest to have mothers return to full-time work after 12 months of maternity leave and place their baby in a highly-regulated childcare setting, but how many politicians have stopped to ask whether this is what women want or is in the best interests of the child?

No mother should be forced or guilt tripped into returning to work but for those who wish to, the government has a duty to enable this without sucking every penny out of her purse for the pleasure of working, paying tax and contributing to the economy.

Childcare is a case study in what goes wrong when government is lobbied by single-interest groups to expand its role in a particular sector

From Tiller Girl, to the legislative in the USA, secretary to Barbara Castle to local councillor, and finally MP to the pinnacle of her working life, Speaker of the House of Commons, Betty Boothroyd, who passed way in February 2023, had a full and fulfilling public life.

ALAN WARES looks back on the life of the UK’s first female Speaker

TIME’S UP!

Betty Boothroyd, Baroness Boothroyd OM PC was born just Betty Boothroyd on October 8th 1929 in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. Her parents were both textile workers, and she was educated locally at state schools, where she failed the 11-plus and, after before studying at Dewsbury College of Commerce and Art, became a shop assistant and a shorthand-typist..

EARLY LIFE

Boothroyd was a political activist from an early age. Her parents, Archibald and Mary, were members of the Labour party and the Textile Workers’ Union. They relied on the union for the protection of their jobs in the heavy woollen industry. They did not always have work, although Mary, a weaver, was more often employed than her husband –because her wages, as a woman, were lower.

Her young life was hard, though Boothroyd never romanticised her past, even if it appears to read straight from an Alan Sillitoe play; taking it in turns with her mother to scrub the front steps, the zinc bath on Fridays in front of the fi re, sitting talking in the evening by fi relight in order to save on the electricity. It was, to all intents and purposes, a happy childhood, but Betty hated the narrow streets and Yorkshire’s dark satanic mills.

At the age of 17, Betty, nimble-footed in many ways, broke her parents’ heart by announcing she wanted to turn professional at dancing. Her parents had always harboured ambitions for their daughter to take up politics.

She had been a singer and dancer with a teenage jazz band, the Swing Stars, when she successfully auditioned for the Tiller Girls in London. She spent the freezing winter of 1946, cold and unhappy in her lodgings in Greek Street. In the end, she returned home with a foot infection and a bruised ego. “I wasn’t much good at it actually”, she wistfully remembered many years later.

POLITICAL INTERESTS

Her father, whom many said she was closer to, underhandedly taught her how to roll cigarettes and, when drinking, never to mix. But it was her mother who fostered what would become her political career. Mary took Betty to political meetings in Leeds or Huddersfield on a Saturday afternoon to listen to Clement Attlee or Nye Bevan. Betty joined the Labour League of Youth at 16 and was a member of its national consultative committee at the time the Attlee government fell in 1951.

In 1952, Denis Healey made his way into Parliament, having fought and won a byelection in Leeds South East, and he recorded he took the afternoon off to judge a speaking contest for young socialists, “and chose as winner a bonny lass from Dewsbury who danced as a Tiller girl in the chorus of the local pantomimes.” That same year, Boothroyd also stood, unsuccessfully, for Dewsbury council.

On her return to London in 1952, she worked at the Labour party’s headquarters as a secretary. She then worked as a secretary in the Commons for Barbara Castle and Geoff rey de Freitas, then as secretary to a US Congressman in Washington DC from 1960-62 and for one of the fi rst Labour life peers, Lord (Harry) Walston.

Betty Boothroyd on the hustings in West Bromwich, 1973

ELECTION TO MP

In 1973, at her fi fth attempt, she entered parliament as member for West Bromwich. Parliamentary tradition dictates that an MP’s maiden speech in the Commons is largely free of controversy. Ignoring all protocol, Boothroyd instead made a feisty maiden speech. She claimed to be able to speak for “ordinary working people” and attacked the then Heath-led Conservative government for its failure to alleviate the injustice of the two-tier society that existed in the UK.

She became the fi rst woman to be made a Labour government whip when appointed assistant whip after the October 1974 General Election. The then Labour chief whip, Bob Mellish, reportedly told her: “Keep your trap shut, girl, and you will get on.” Th is, of course, is in fl at contradiction to the role of a Government whip, but also in fl at contradiction to common decency, irrespective of how much Parliament is and was a nest of misogyny. She promptly resigned her post to serve as an appointed member of the European Assembly. Th is was in the era before direct European elections took place.

Boothroyd, a pro-European Labour MP whose politics sat on the right of the party served on many committeesboth in opposition and in government, and occupied many minor Government roles. She never made it as far as the Cabinet or shadow Cabinet.

ELECTION TO SPEAKER

She was serving as Th ird Deputy Speaker when the Speaker of the House, Bernard Weatherill, announced his intention to stand down at the 1992 General Election. Following John Major’s surprise victory at the polls, Betty Boothroyd came from being a back-marker to win the MPs’ nomination to take the role. She was the fi rst woman Speaker of the House of Commons in the 700-year history of Parliament.

Parliamentary protocol dictates that the seat of the Speaker of the House shall not be contested by other parties at the General Election. The main parties adhere to this, but in the 1997 General Election, an Independent Labour candidate stood, alongside a far-right National Democrats candidate. Boothroyd doubled her majority that night. All told, she won on eight Parliamentary election occasions.

Boothroyd’s style as Speaker was fairly conservative. She won many fans on both sides of the floor as, nominally, the role is supposed to be one of neutrality. It’s an overlooked consideration to many MPs and observers who forget that the Speaker no longer speaks for their ‘side’ in Parliament; they have to retain an air of neutrality. In that regard, she acquired many plaudits.

To Parliamentary observers, her style was that of a strict, but kindly and fair headmistress, with a fair amount of humour thrown in. Indeed, she broke with hundreds of years of tradition, by refusing to wear the wig while in the Speaker’s chair.

She believed that it was up to MPs to make changes in the way business was done, rather than the occupant of the chair. However, she wanted the strict protocol of Government within Parliament to be maintained, and would freely admonish, in public, any MP who fell foul of this edict. Her particular beef was with the growing practice of ministers choosing to bypass the House of Commons to make important political pronouncements to television or radio instead. Th is became a particular issue after the election of Tony Blair in 1997.

However, she ruled the Commons with good humour and considerable charm. When members spoke for too long she had a habit of clumsily stifl ing a yawn as a signal of her displeasure and at the end of prime minister’s questions she inadvertently introduced what would become her catchphrase by declaring after one of her fi rst sessions in the chair: “Time’s up!”

Much has been written about the possibility of having a woman Speaker for the first time. I say to you, elect me for what I am, and not for what I was born

Betty Boothroyd MP, addressing the House of Commons at the time of the election for the role of Commons Speaker, 1992

Boothroyd at home on the Speaker’s bench

THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS A BRIEF HISTORY

The speaker’s primary function is to preside over the House of Commons. According to parliamentary rules, the speaker is the highest authority of the House of Commons and has final say over how its business is conducted.

The earliest records of Parliament having a Speaker in the House go back nearly as far as Parliament itself – since at least 1258, when Peter de Montford presided over Parliament when it sat in Oxford.

Power struggles between the monarchy and the people (alright, the nobility) meant Parliament - and

certainly not a democratically-elected Parliament – would not always be able to sit.

Continuous records of a Speaker of the House date back to 1376, when Sir Peter de la Mare spoke for the commons in the “Good Parliament” as they joined leading magnates in purging the chief ministers of the Crown and the most unpopular members of the King’s household.

The King’s second son arrested De la Mare and disgraced other leading critics. In 1377, a cowed Commons put forward Gaunt’s steward, Thomas

Baroness Boothroyd in reflective mood in the Palace of Westminster

LIFE AFTER THE CHAIR

In 2000, Boothroyd took the surprising decision to stand down from her role as Speaker, as an MP. Her fi nal speech closed with her familiar refrain ‘Time’s Up!’ She took her seat as a crossbench peer (rather than a Labour peer) in 2001, and took up the title Baroness Boothroyd of Sandwell in the county of the West Midlands.

Tony Blair, then Prime Minister, paid tribute to her as “something of a national institution”. Blair’s predecessor, John Major, described her as an “outstanding Speaker”. She resigned as Speaker and as an MP by accepting an appointment to the position of Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Chiltern Hundreds. They do know how to create elaborate titles in the Establishment…

She also campaigned successfully and with great tenacity for a memorial to be erected in Whitehall to commemorate the role of the women of Britain in the second world war.

Honours and honorary degrees were bestowed upon her, by universities including Oxford, Cambridge, London and St Andrews. However, her personal interests centred on her role as chancellor of the Open University. It was a post she was invited to accept because of her support for the universal right to adult education.

In 2005, she was awarded the Order of Merit, an honour bestowed personally by the monarch. There are only ever 24 living recipients of the award, and rarely bestowed upon a politician. Indeed, at the time of her death, Boothroyd was the only member from a political background.

Hungerford, as their spokesman in retracting their predecessors’ misdeeds of the previous year. Gaunt evidently wanted a “mirror-image” as his form of counter-coup and this notion – born in crisis, of one ‘speaker’, who quickly also became ‘chairman’ and organiser of the Commons’ business – was seen as workable, and immediately took root.

Although each Speaker was elected by the MPs, it was usually the Crown’s own man. Successive King were not about to give up their authority that easily. This stand-off remained the case until the mid-17th Century, and the time of the English Civil War, when the roles for the Speaker became far more about the House than for the Crown.

The speakership evolved into its

END OF LIFE

Boothroyd never married nor had any children, something she was sad about, but she was brilliant with other people’s and had an instinct for treating them as if they were grownups. Her role as speaker probably had to work the other way.

Boothroyd passed away on February 26th 2023. The two Prime Ministers she had most dealings with led the tributes. Sir John Major said, “Betty Boothroyd was a superb Speaker, easy to like and easier still to admire. As Speaker, she was full of common sense and utterly fair in her rulings. She handled a fractious Commons with great skill. She set a standard for every future speaker.”

Meanwhile, Sir Tony Blair paid his own tribute to her as “a big-hearted and kind person”, adding: “She was a truly outstanding Speaker, presiding with great authority, warmth and wit, for which she had our deep respect and admiration.”

modern form—in which the holder is an impartial and apolitical officer who does not belong to any party—only during the middle of the 19th century.

The election of the Speaker takes place after various candidacies are

declared, and MPs vote for ‘one of their own’. It is all presided over by the Father/Mother of the House (current incumbent Sir Peter Bottomley).

Upon being chosen, the speakerelect is expected to show reluctance at being chosen; and the charade of being dragged unwillingly to the Speaker’s bench is customarily played out. This custom has its roots in the speaker’s original function of communicating the Commons’ opinions to the monarch. Historically, the speaker, representing the House to the monarch, potentially faced the monarch’s anger and therefore required some persuasion to accept the post.

The current Speaker is Sir Lindsay Hoyle (pictured left), who replaced John

I love Parliament.

I was its servant, not its master.

I wanted to do it right, and I wanted to do right for womankind

Baroness Boothroyd, 2020

LEFT: Sir Tony Blair

Above: Sir John Major

The law firm Morr & Co has appointed its first female Managing Partner, Catherine Fisher, following the retirement of Paul Harvey, who had been with the firm since 1988, and Managing Partner since 2008.

Founded in 1729, the firm has grown significantly and now boasts nine branches across Surrey and Hampshire. As the reins are passed to Catherine on April 2nd, MAARTEN HOFFMANN sat down with her to find out what the future holds for this highly successful law firm

INTRODUCING… CATHERINE FISHER

Managing Partner, Morr & Co

Can you tell us a little about your personal life before we get onto your time with the firm?

I spent many years in the Middle East from about five years old as my father was in the Navy. I think my mother had enough of all the moving and insisted he change roles. Not long after, my father called to say that he had a new role – but it was in Bahrain. It was decided that my brother and I should return to the UK and attend boarding school, whilst our parents remained in Bahrain.

I attended Upper Chine School for Girls and although it’s quite fashionable to deride boarding schools, that was not the case for me as I loved every minute of it. My mother was quite keen that I be the fi rst in the family to attend university. I wasn’t sure what to do as I really wanted to be a police officer, or to be more precise, a CID detective. Back then, there was height limit and I was too short and they wouldn’t accept me – I was devastated.

Lots of thought went into what to do next, and law seemed an obvious move. So I started a law degree at Kingston Poly, as it was back then; it’s a fully fledged University now.

My mother was appalled that I was not attending a ‘real’ university, but I had made my mind up. In the second year of our degree, all students were encouraged to begin applying for training contracts. I applied to Alsop Wilkinson (now DLA Piper) and after fi nishing my degree and law school, I started work there. Within a month, I knew I had found a career for life.

Th is was a fantastic training ground for me but it was cut short when my father sadly passed away at only 49, and I needed to return home to the Isle of Wight to support my mother. That then led into my fi rst son being born, and me taking a career break. My husband was working punishing hours in the City and it just felt right to take a few years out to be there for the boys.

It’s not easy returning to work after such a break, what did you do?

I wrote to every Surrey law fi rm, offering to work free for a month to get back into the groove – as it were – and the only person to even reply was David Foster at Barlow Robbins, now Moore Barlow. He offered me a job and I will always be grateful to him for that.

We have 23 partners, 64% of whom are women, and 50% of our department heads are women, and I am very proud of that

The world was diff erent back then. Did you suff er any sexism within the legal profession?

I am sure this will not make for a good story but no, not in the slightest. Even as a trainee, I don’t recall ever being asked to make the tea or faced any adverse comments. Th is is as much a testament to the fi rms and the people I worked with. To me, everyone seemed gender blind. It simply never occurred to me that anyone would treat me differently due to my gender.

So, onto your time at Morr & Co, why did you chose the firm?

I was with Coffi n Mew at the time and was not really looking to leave but, as with so much of my career, it seemed to be serendipity. I was in contact with a recruiter as I was looking for an assistant to work with me, and she mentioned that Morrisons, as it was then, was looking for a partner to join their dispute resolution team.

I agreed to the interview really just to keep the recruiter on side, so I met Paul Harvey for a coffee and came away thinking that this could be a great opportunity for me, as Paul made it clear he was looking for someone to head the team. As there was already a very capable head of department at Coffi n, there was little chance of advancement so I decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth and miss out on such a great opportunity to lead, what was then, a small team at Morrisons. It just felt like a shoe that fitted perfectly.

What made you go into dispute resolution/litigation?

It was my fi rst seat as a trainee and I just love the variety. Most of my clients are businesses, or Directors of, and I really enjoy getting under the hood of each business so as to be able to represent them well. It’s intellectually demanding, which I very much enjoy. Last year, I had my fi rst Bitcoin dispute which took a fair amount of study to really understand the sector. I have never been tempted by any other specialism.

Becoming Managing Partner will change things slightly as I assume you will represent fewer clients in your new role of running the business. How does that sit with you?

I sit as a Deputy District Judge, and that takes you away from representing clients into deciding the outcome of claims objectively – it’s a different way of using my legal skills.

I have always been a fan of public service when possible, and I sat as a local councillor for a while. Sitting as a judge does allow me to give something back to the community, using what I know in a very different way. I will still be doing a small amount of client work, so I will not be leaving it behind altogether, but I am ready for a new challenge. So when the opportunity came up to step into Paul’s shoes after his very successful 14 years at the helm, it was irresistible. Paul has overseen a huge number of changes and massive growth within the fi rm. His are large shoes to fi ll.

Are you planning to make any major changes within the firm?

The pandemic has been awful for many, of course, but it has also presented us with some opportunities to change. It has forced us all to be more agile and flexible with home working, remote working and trying to achieve a better work/life balance for everyone. As a fi rm, we are keen that we listen to our employees, and having asked them many questions relating to this subject, we have a mix of requests for home working, flexi-working and of course, those who prefer to actually be in the office full time. It’s a complex balance but one I am determined to meet head-on for the good of all. We must take care to retain our company culture, which can be a challenge when the team is not all in the office – but it is not impossible, and we must embrace change and all the new opportunities that come with it.

I must ask, why did the firm change its name from Morrisons to Morr & Co?

We felt we needed to reflect the changes that have taken place over the years. Our two most recent mergers with Harrops & Hepburn and Wheelers led us away from the Morrisons name that was created in 1729, as we wanted to better reflect who we are today, whilst keeping a connection to our rich heritage. The most important part of the new name is the ‘& Co’. It recognises the integration of the merged fi rms, and acknowledges and the collective contribution of the talented individuals we have across the fi rm.

I have always been a fan of public service when possible, and I sat as a local councillor for a while.

Sitting as a judge does allow me to give something back to the community

How many partners do you have now and what’s the gender split?

We have 23 partners, 64% of whom are female and 50% of our department heads are women, and I am not a fan of what the Americans call ‘affi rmative action’, the deliberate selection of women to balance the numbers. I am more of the mind of David Foster from Barlow Robbins which is to take the very best people, to promote the very best people and to be totally open minded and blind to gender.

Isn’t that a great testament to gender equality you are organically achieving that, without any form of positive discrimination, the firm has such a great balance? Absolutely, and as our clients are incredibly diverse, the fi rm should reflect that if possible, and we are very lucky that we have that balance.

What does the future hold for Morr & Co with you at the helm?

We have had some incredibly successful years and therefore I have little intention of changing anything that has contributed to that success. It is not ideal in any business when there is a change of leadership to then cause disruption. New brooms can be as harmful as they can be beneficial, so there are a multitude of things that work very well, and I have no intention of changing them.

There is a tremendous opportunity to explore hybrid working practices. I want to be open to new working methods and, hand-in-hand with that, I would like to increase smart working. IT is moving so fast, and there is so much we can do to use technology to make better use of our time. Clients essentially pay for our critical thinking and not for our internal processes. I want to use technology to decrease the time spent on process and increase the time spent on thought.

I love what I do, love this fi rm and I love the law and the opportunity to head the fi rm is very exciting.

Thank you Catherine and l wish you the very best of luck with the new role and l look forward to speaking to you next year.

Morr & Co LLP

E: info@morrlaw.com

T: 01737 854500

Offices in Redhill, Farnborough, Teddington, Camberley, Ash Vale, Wimbledon, Guildford, Oxted and Fleet

I love what I do, love this firm and I love the law and the opportunity to head the firm is very exciting

Dreams Come True is the only national wishgranting charity that solely supports children with a disability, serious illness or a life-limiting condition – and who live in the highest areas of social deprivation in our country today

Legal & General helps dreams come true for children

his brothers due to his walking being compromised, painful and he frequently falls. On his sixth birthday, we made Klayte’s Dream Come True by delivering a specially adapted trike. With a small change, we have made a BIG impact to Klayte’s life - now he can join in with his brothers, feel included and, most important of all, create memories with his siblings.

We know our dreams deliver impressive impact and bring great benefit. In our 2022 survey, 100% of our dream families said their child’s dream made a positive difference to their lives. Their mental health and well-being improved from 37.5% to 95% and their development (communication and physicality) improved by 60%, while socialisation and inclusion improving by a remarkable 80%.

There are many children in Sussex who need our attention – the county hosts eight special educational needs schools located in areas of social deprivation. We have only very recently launched a dreams programme in the county.

Our mission is to turn dreams into a reality for every child who needs our attention - the moments of magic we create deliver lasting impact for children and their families.

Right now, there are 3.9 million UK children living in poverty - that’s 27% of children in the UK. With the economic recession affecting us all, it is the children and families Dreams Come True serves who are feeling the impact the most. Our work supporting children who have it tough is needed now, more than ever.

In 2023, we are on track to support over 3,200 children – amazing children like Klayte who lives in one of the highest areas of deprivation in the UK. He has cerebral palsy and can miss out playing with

At the end of 2022, we awarded our fi rst Sussex dream to Hillpark Secondary School, Portslade – a school which supports children with moderate, severe and profound learning difficulties. It is their dream to have an unused playground relaunched with the installation of new equipment. Th is dream will benefit the 199 children who attend the school – and many hundreds more in the years to come. We are very grateful to Legal & General, Hove office, for its support of this dream and generous donation.

As a small charity, with an ever-increasing big job to do, we need new major partners to help us reach children who as yet have not benefited from our work. We are looking to enlist support from local businesses in the Sussex area to work with us to deliver dreams with purpose – and bring moments of magic with lasting impact.

lisa@dreamscometrue.uk.com

Right now, there are 3.9 million UK children living in poverty – that’s 27% of children in the UK

Image: The Boardroom at South East Dance.

Photo by Danny Fitzpatrick

BACK TO BRAND

Is your branding letting you down and needs replacing, or does it just need a little TLC to optimise it to deliver you the business results you deserve? Carefully building, developing and then nurturing your brand can bring you meaningful immediate and long-term value.

By JARMILA YU, Founder & Consulting CMO, YUnique Marketing

In today’s crowded marketplace, having a strong brand plays a crucial role in giving you a competitive advantage. How you establish, build and present your brand is important and needs to be approached with care, so you avoid wasting money or worse still damage your reputation.

In the current world of increased competition, disruption and trust erosion, we need to get “Back to Brand” thinking – your brand could hold the key to unlocking the potential in your business, not least in attracting clients, staff, partners, investment and buyers.

We may live in a technology empowered era, but ultimately, we sell Human to Human, whether we’re a B2B or a B2C business. In optimising your brand, consider humanising it too. Also take the extra step to build a personal brand that fits alongside the corporate brand. When they work in harmony, it’s extremely powerful.

YOUR BUSINESS CASE CHECKLIST FOR GOING BACK TO BRAND

A strong brand is the foundation stone of a successful business. A strong brand will deliver value. A well-developed brand can harness your culture, values and communications into a cohesive expression that invites all to engage in your mission.

THREE STEPS TO GETTING STARTED

So, where and how do you start building or re-tuning your brand? Take time to think about your brand around the three steps listed below, and then consider if you may benefit from seeking professional support to guide you through the stages of brand strategy, development and implementation. People talk about brand strategy but what exactly is it? Simply put, it’s a way of prioritising the key points of your organisation into a message hierarchy that captures the DNA of your business.

1 Defi ne your vision and mission

2 Consider your key audiences

3 Prioritise your key selling points

The basics expressed in the most relevant and compelling way can then be used to guide design development, communication campaigns, web messaging and product development etc.

You need to define what your brand stands for, what messages you need to convey, what character you want to present.

FIVE TIPS

1

YOUR BRAND NEEDS TO BE CLEAR, DIFFERENTIATING AND RELEVANT

You may already have a clear understanding of what your brand stands for, but do your employees and customers understand that as well as you do?

2

DON’T BE A “COPY-CAT” BRAND

Each reader will take something different away from this article; because we are all different, our companies are all different, and at different stages of organisational maturity. Just as we each have a unique set of DNA, so too should our businesses.

3

CONSISTENT BRAND MESSAGING NEEDS TO WORK ACROSS ALL YOUR TOUCHPOINTS

You need to defi ne what your brand stands for, what messages you need to convey, what character you want to present, and you have to ensure you demonstrate this across all your assets. You also need to consider how this can translate to an appropriate visual identity (logo and other design elements) to bring your brand to life on digital, print and other communications assets.

4 ALLOW FOR AUTHENTIC ON-BRAND VOICES TO BE HEARD

Everyone in your business has an important responsibility in communicating your brand to the outside world. Everyone has a role to play in representing your brand, and they need to understand it to be able to do that effectively. It’s vital you set the brand defi nition from the top and then equip and enable your employees to communicate about your brand in a way that is comfortable and natural for them.

5 BUILD YOUR BRAND WITH VISION

It’s vital you build your brand to your vision and WITH vision.

PITFALLS TO AVOID

n Don’t be the business that does all the hard work to build your brand and then discover your brand can’t operate in that new territory you want to expand into and you have to go through an exercise of re-branding. Consider your future and plan ahead, as much as possible.

n Don’t be the brand that doesn’t protect your brand IP. It’s an additional piece of work that should be considered an investment in your business. Protect your assets.

n Don’t build the brand and then leave it. Continue to monitor it and periodically review it, check it’s still fit for purpose. Even if your product or service has not fundamentally changed, something around your business will have, and you need to consider that change alongside your brand to stay relevant.

I trust reading this you’re inspired to develop and nurture your brand, and realise how taking a brand optimising approach can help you deliver a greater customer experience to ultimately help you attract, engage and win better business.

To start to discover how to unlock the potential of your brand, why not take our complimentary Marketing Performance Scorecard?

E: jarmila.yu@yuniquemarketing.com www.yuniquemarketing.com/scorecard

You may already have a clear understanding of what your brand stands for, but do your employees and customers understand that as well as you do?

In our exclusive Spotlight feature, we highlight women who are doing good things in their community. They’re not always seen but we think they should be.

SP OTLIGH T

Donna Holland

CEO, Rockinghorse

Donna tells us how her childhood dreams turned into her dream job

When I was little, I wanted to be a digger driver. At ten, I wanted to drive a digger around town offering my digging services to anyone who needed it. I liked the idea of being useful and helping people. Like many people I was funnelled into applying to university by my school as it helped their rankings, more than it necessarily helped their students. I chose marketing as I liked art, and I liked science, and marketing was a combination that had a career path at the end of it.

As part of my degree, I needed to do an industrial placement. So, I went to the careers fair at university. As I walked round the stands of multinational companies, I felt sad. I didn’t want to work for any of these companies. They all seemed so un-useful to the world. I needed to work doing something the world needed. I came home from the careers fair worried about what I was going to do. My mum suggested looking though the ads in the paper (because that’s how you found jobs in the 1990s) and something stuck out. A local charity was looking for a marketing officer. Reading the ad, I felt excited. Not only that I was pretty sure I could do everything they wanted, but also that I’d be doing something useful.

That first job was a huge learning curve. During the days of the first websites, I built one (hit counter and all). I learnt how to run marketing campaigns, put on massive events, and make money (fundraise) for things that mattered. But most of all I got inspired by working with incredible people who were changing the world; people fighting inequality, injustice, and unkindness; people creating services and support for those who need it, and people who were doing something about the things that felt wrong in world.

I never looked back. I’ve only ever worked for charities since then. They’ve always been for causes I care about - charities that deliver services, campaign for change, and help children and young people in one way or another. As my career progressed through different charities and roles, my goal has always been to take on things that challenge me, and society. Last year I was named a 2022 Woman of the Year – a huge

honour, but also a chance to reflect on everything I’ve worked on over the years.

Now working for Rockinghorse Children’s Charity, I support children and their families all over Sussex. I work with a tiny team of experts who are passionate about what they do for their local community. I get to work with brilliant doctors and nurses who support sick children and their families every day. I get to work with incredible supporters and collaborators who want the world to be a better place for children to grow up.

Whilst I don’t have a digger, my job is to go around my town, and the county, helping people. I support people to engage in brilliant projects in their communities. I help people raise money for services that will save lives. And I connect people together to change the landscape for children in Sussex. And that makes me as excited as it did when I was ten.

www.rockinghorse.org.uk

Now working for Rockinghorse Children’s Charity, I support children and their families all over Sussex

Claire Krost

CEO, Waking Up To Autism

Meet the woman widely awake to the needs of autistic children

In 2020, the world found itself in a very strange and unpredictable place - lockdown. For me, it resulted in having to quit a job I had been in for 16 years and finding myself for the first time, since the age of 16, being unemployed.

Although this was scary, overwhelming and a place I had not navigated before, it also brought with it a sense of opportunity and space to reconsider who I was and what I wanted from life.

In 2018, my eldest child Olivia (eight years old at the time) was diagnosed as autistic. This was after four years of assessments and a great deal of stress and worry. But we finally had a diagnosis and I was so grateful to be able to move forward and engage with help and support.

But there wasn’t any. My child was diagnosed and discharged in the same letter. It was brutal. I felt so out of my depth and not experienced enough to know what to do next. As a parent, that is a horrid place to be.

And so in 2020, when I discovered myself unemployed, armed at my dining table with a pad and paper, I sketched out the idea for ‘Waking Up To Autism’. My main aim at this point was to help support other parents of autistic children. Over the two years since Olivia’s diagnosis, I had been on a personal mission to educate myself and arm myself as best I possibly could, including completing an Autism Awareness Diploma. I wanted to give parents the space and help that I so badly needed but didn’t get.

That was just the start. When Waking Up To Autism launched, it opened up this huge world of other families going through exactly the same things and highlighted just how serious the problem is. Over the last three years, we have supported hundreds of families going through the diagnosis process, applying for an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP), parenting advice, and also parental mental health – but we knew that we needed to do more.

In 2021, we launched our CPD Accredited School Training Course to train and support education staff to be able to embrace neurodivergent children in the mainstream classroom - training that has been exceptionally well received. And we are now taking our training into the workplace.

Creating Waking Up To Autism has for sure been a labour of love. I have such a strong passion for the work that I do as I want to create a world where my children (my son Adam was diagnosed autistic in 2020) and all other neurodivergent people are understood, embraced and celebrated.

The last three years have shown and taught me so much - mainly that we are so much more capable of doing things then we give ourselves credit for. Sometimes we just need a lockdown and no job to give us the push we need!

www.wakinguptoautism.com

We have supported hundreds of families going through the diagnosis process , applying for EHCPs, parenting advice, and also parental mental health

Claire Irving

CEO, Martlets

Claire

Sitting down to write this article, I was struck that I’ve now had the privilege of working as Martlets’ CEO for one year. It’s been an amazing year full of learning, fun, challenge and connection. To experience the passion of the people who work and volunteer at Martlets, and the people in our community who support us is a wonderful thing and I love coming to work.

So, what brought me here? I’ve worked in the not-for-profit and voluntary sector for 25 years, mainly focussing on health care inequality, cancer and – for the last 16 years – hospice care. People often think that working at a charity like Martlets, where we deal closely with death, dying and bereavement must be terribly sad. Yes, there are sad times, but hospice care is about living as well as dying, and the humanity of hospice care is a joyful thing to be around.

My passion for the world of hospice was driven, perhaps unexpectedly, by my experience of having children. I had incredible support from the community and hospital midwifery teams in Brighton & Hove and while there were moments of uncertainty or worry through the stages of my pregnancies, I knew what the healthcare system around me would offer me and my babies. I knew when to expect scans, tests and the choices available to me about where I would give birth.

What struck me, like a lightning bolt, when I returned to work at the hospice when my maternity leave finished was why wasn’t this the case for people facing death, dying and bereavement? Th ree things are certain for each of us – we are born, we will pay taxes and we will die. We all want our death

to be long in the future, but when it comes, why shouldn’t we all feel certain of what would be offered to us by way of care, specialist advice and emotional support? And why shouldn’t we feel comforted to know that someone will support our family while this happens and after we are gone?

So, here I am at Martlets. Working with our clinical teams, our fundraisers and our support staff to try to bring that vision to life. I can see the ever increasing need that people in our community have for our hospice care, the Covid pandemic has made that need even more acute. We are using carefully saved money wisely, investing so that our hospice building is fit for the future. And we are providing care in people’s homes and in our wards all around the city and in the ‘Havens and ‘Deans, all the while dependent on our community - on you - to fund the work we do.

Thank you so much for walking alongside us and for your part in helping your community, your neighbours, your city during the most difficult of times. And if you share my thinking that our city and community deserves the very best at end-of-life, I would love to hear from you.

www.martlets.org.uk

explains that birth, taxes and death shouldn’t be the only certainties in life. There’s care, for example…

My passion for the world of hospice was driven, perhaps unexpectedly, by my experience of having children

Lisa King OBE

CEO, Dreams Come True

After a career in women’s refuge, Lisa now challenges social injustice, through the lens of poverty and social deprivation

My professional life started in the world of PR – I had no intention of working in the charity sector, but when my career path changed 20 years ago, I never looked back; it has been a life-changing, life-affirming experience that has been a rock of support – professionally and personally.

I worked at Refuge, national domestic abuse charity, for 18 years. I fell into the job following a pro bono media campaign I delivered when working at Good Relations, Chime Communications Group.

I quickly became very passionate about Refuge’s work. When I first learnt about the epidemic that is violence against women, I didn’t believe the numbers I was told. I was blinkered and naïve. However, I soon learnt the horrific figures were just the tip of the hidden iceberg. I spent the following near two decades raising awareness, raising funds and working to change policy. When I started at Refuge it was a small, less well-known charity – by time I left the charity had become a household name, supporting thousands of abused women and children.

In 2022, I changed my professional pathway. I reviewed my personal and professional values and found a way to blend them all. Working for Dreams Come True gives me an opportunity to combine my passion for challenging social injustice, this time through the lens of poverty and social deprivation, alongside my passion for improving the lives of children and young people who have it tough.

My second child Tom is autistic, and has global development delay. He attends a special educational needs school in Brighton. I have seen first-hand how much support children need, which is why when the opportunity to be chief executive for Dreams Come True arose, I went for it.

I’m nine months in post and am passionate about ensuring we reach yet more children who need our support – whether

that is a child who is non-verbal and has severe mobility issues to receive an eye gaze operated computer to enable them to communicate, or providing a bed in school for a child who is bed-bound so they can access education and leave the confines of their bedroom.

As the cost-of-living crisis deepens, more and more children and young people will need our charity, and I want to be ready for us to provide that support. To date, Dreams Come True hasn’t had a footprint in the Sussex region – even though there is much need for so many children. I hope that individuals and business leaders in Sussex reading this article, and the Dreams Come True profi le in this same edition, will reach out to lend their support, connect with me and together build opportunities.

We need more dream makers to join us and make dreams come true for some of the most in need and socially deprived children in our county – because it’s never been needed more than it is right now in our country today.

www.dreamscometrue.uk.com

In 2022, I changed my professional pathway. I reviewed my personal and professional values and found a way to blend them all

Spring has sprung, daffodils line our borders and hedgerows have awakened from their winter slumber, but our immune systems still seem to be highly vulnerable to every cough, cold and virus as if we were still in the depths of December.  Is it possible to ‘boost’ your immune system to prevent catching all these pesky viruses?

By TANYA BOROWSKI

Boosting our immunity or building resilience?

While the idea of taking a ‘superfood’, medication or touted ‘immune boosting supplement’ is enticing, the truth of the matter is it is not that straight forward, simple or indeed possible.

In fact, we do not want to boost a system that is in any way infl amed already (more on this in a moment). The immune system is precisely that — a system, not a single entity and, as such, is a highly complex web of specialist organs, cells, hormones and chemicals that ebb and flow in response to its surrounding environment. What we are actually striving for is an immune system that is resilient.

A resilient immune system has:

1. The flexibility and capacity to adapt to any challenges (microbial, dietary, environmental) that are presented

2. The fi nesse to respond appropriately (not attack self as in autoimmunity) and return to homeostasis – a healthy state of wellbeing with minimal collateral damage (tissue destruction or overwhelm).

Overall, our immune system does an outstanding job of defending us but sometimes it fails: a germ invades successfully and makes you sick, or there is a feed-forward cycle of unrelenting infl ammation that overwhelms the system

and disease states begin to occur. What tips the balance in both these situations is an already present state of chronic infl ammation.

As my diagram here illustrates, lifestyle factors alone cause a rise in unrelenting infl ammation that brings the baseline very close to threshold. If your infl ammatory burden is this close to this threshold and overtime, you experience a number or all these other triggers, or inputs indicated in purple that further raises your infl ammatory burden, then it only takes one more ‘event’ to reach threshold and immune resilience fails.

Immune system resilience is about more than simply avoiding sickness. It’s about maintaining an infl ammatory and immune response that is neither too passive nor too active, 24/7. A resilient response is the immune system responding in the right place at the right time, in the correct way. If we lose that resilience, then some sort of disease occurs.

Framed in this way, the holy grail of optimal health and wellbeing is to build and maintain a flexible and resilient immune system.

Continued over >

Science tells us that a lot of good things happen in our brains while we sleep

Contributory factors to inflammation over time

WHAT CONTRIBUTES TO IMMUNE RESILIENCE?

1OUR FOOD CHOICES

To mount an immune response is a highly energy demanding job, we need a good supply of vitamins and minerals and balanced macronutrients: carbohydrate, fat, and protein. Excess sugar in the form of refi ned ‘package and promise’ foods types (my worst is breakfast cereals) should be avoided. Sugar both disrupts the diversity of our gut microbiome which plays a vital role in the art of immune tolerance and also high blood sugar unleashes destructive molecules that interfere with the body’s natural infection-control defences.

What to eat? Opt for real whole foods, especially vegetables and some fruit that are nutrient dense in polyphenols, active chemical compounds and vitamins and minerals which help protect cells from toxins and reduce infl ammation in your body and improve diversity of the gut microbiome. Spices are a great source of polyphenols too so include more garlic, ginger, turmeric and cinnamon.

Th ink about protein as the side dish, rather than the main event and choose from fatty fish, eggs, cheese, yoghurt, turkey, lamb and preferably organic beef and chicken.

If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation: 2-3 glasses of wine a week or a couple of gin and tonics.

3 GET OUTSIDE AND MOVE

Regular exercise is one of the pillars of healthy living. Many conditions have infl ammation at their very core, and so pushing you further towards that infl ammatory threshold. 40 minutes of exercise to raise your heart rate four to five times a week is the goal.

4

LOOK AFTER YOUR GUT HEALTH

The different microorganisms, particularly the bacteria within the gut lumen, are producing chemicals that act on the host. Eating in the way described above is the best way to promote diversity and immune tolerance.

5

IMPROVE SLEEP QUALITY AND QUANTITY

Science tells us that a lot of good things happen in our brains while we sleep. Learning and memories are consolidated and waste is removed, among other things. New research shows for the fi rst time that important immune cells called microglia - which play an important role in reorganising the connections between nerve cells, fighting infections, and repairing damage - are also primarily active while we sleep. The fi ndings, which appear in the journal Nature Neuroscience, have implications for brain plasticity. Adults generally require seven to eight hours sleep a night and teens nine to ten hours a night.

OPTIMISE YOUR VITAMIN D

When to eat? Eat two to three meals a day rather than snack and graze all day. Without even realising many of us are eating up to 16 hours a day. Leaving four to five hour gaps between meals or practicing eating in an eight-hour window during the day reduces unnecessary infl ammation. 2

Th is vitamin is so important for our immune system and overall health it’s being reclassified as a hormone! Vitamin D plays a key role in facilitating a balanced immune response - and helps to fight an infection like a virus. Although we do synthesise vitamin D ourselves - it’s quite a process and the conditions need to be right. In the UK, and at similar latitudes, summer midday sunlight contains enough UVB for vitamin D synthesis while the weaker sunlight of winter provides a negligible amount of vitamin D synthesis. So getting out in the sunshine is helpful but it does need to be the correct UVB.

There are some supplemental nutrients and medications that of course bridge a nutrient gap or block an infl ammatory pathway respectively which may be needed in some situations, but the overriding message here is that we cannot live a lifestyle of taking our built-in mechanisms for granted. It’s akin to fi lling up your prize sports car with diesel rather than unleaded petrol, and expect optional health and wellbeing to be the result! Look after yourselves and your immune resilience will take care of you well into your old age!

Tanya Borowski is a holistic health practitioner. www.tanyaborowski.com

Are women really more mentally ill THAN MEN?

As a psychologist, I’m not so sure.

DR SANAH AHSAN

In the UK, being a woman means you are three times more likely than a man to have a mental health problem. Rates of self-harm among young women have more than tripled since the 1990s.

For those facing interlocking systems of oppression, it gets worse. Black British women are more likely to be diagnosed with a mental health problem than white women. South Asian women are 2.5 times more likely to attempt suicide than white women. Trans women and gender non-conforming folks face a “crisis of trans mental health”. But are women really becoming more ‘mentally ill,’ or are we simply having understandable responses to a traumatising and unjust world?

I’ve previously written about the lies of “mental health” –how we are failing people by locating their problems within them as some kind of mental disorder or psychological problem, and thereby depoliticising their distress. As a

psychologist, I’ve seen how mental health services are diagnosing women and girls who have experienced injustice, patriarchal violence and abuse with ‘mental disorders’.

One example is the highly stigmatised diagnosis of ‘borderline personality disorder’ (also known as “emotionally unstable personality disorder”), which is disproportionately given to women and young girls. In my experience, those receiving this diagnosis are often survivors of extreme sexual abuse, oppression and violence, which could surely explain the “emptiness, inappropriate and intense anger, mood swings and distrust” that are so-called ‘symptoms’ of the disorder.

The psychiatric label can deny the legitimacy of emotions, sending a disempowering message that there is something inherently flawed or disordered in a survivor’s personality. It risks obscuring the violent causes of suffering. The adaptive strategies women use in the face of multiple injustices are not

We are not living through a crisis of chemical imbalances, but of power imbalances

symptoms of ‘mental illness’ – they are courageous survival responses to unbearable conditions.

Women are more likely to experience poverty, sexual and domestic violence, along with the challenges of childcare and burnout. In a climate of social media hyper-visibility and body image obsession, where police are murdering women they’re supposed to protect, and two women a week are killed by their partners, doesn’t it make sense that women are suffering? At what point does a woman’s fear, rage and sadness at living on the threatening edges of a patriarchal world get labelled as madness or ‘mental illness’?

‘Difficult’ women have been labelled ‘psychiatrically impaired’ throughout history, often for refusing to conform to social roles imposed upon them. ‘Angry woman syndrome’ was a disorder classified by ‘marital maladjustment’. Women were locked in asylums for having sex outside marriage and chatting with other women. So-called symptoms of diagnoses such as hysteria (derived from the Greek hystera meaning ‘uterus’) or erotomania, were treated with freezing

cold baths, shackles, and electric shocks through the brain. Surely we’ve come a long way since then?

Well, not quite. History’s shadow looms over women in psychiatric systems today. Young girls are dying from violent restraint, coercion and neglect in psychiatric hospitals. Black women are more likely to be restrained or sectioned, and have their distress criminalised. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is still used across the UK (despite calls for it to be banned on human rights grounds), with women and older people disproportionately likely to experience its damaging effects. Muslim women’s cultural or religious experiences risk being labelled ‘symptoms’ of mental illness by white, eurocentric services. Psychiatric diagnoses such as ‘premenstrual dysphoric disorder’ pathologise women’s hormonal changes, and ‘postnatal depression’ risks medicalising what is, for some women, an understandable response to life-altering, sometimes traumatic changes, in a woman’s life and body. Continued over >

Shockingly, diagnoses are even being invented. Recently, a Panorama investigation revealed that at least seven pregnancy advice centres in the UK state that termination can cause ‘post-abortion syndrome,’ a so-called ‘mental disorder’ unrecognised by the NHS and an obvious attempt to frighten pregnant people.

Psychiatric diagnoses have been helpful for some women: they can validate pain, or help us access necessary support in the form of therapy, benefits or sometimes psychiatric drugs. Not getting a diagnosis prevents some women from receiving what they need. The emotions women are experiencing are very real and debilitating, requiring support.

But what if we had a bigger toolbox? One that also helps us dismantle systems of oppression that are hurting us? What if we could access all the things we deserve – validation that our pain is real, an explanation, a sense of belonging, compassion, justice, resources, relief and respite, therapy and community – without believing there is something wrong with us, or that we have a broken brain?

With these in our toolbox, a radical transformation in our approach to women’s emotional pain would be possible. We need a cultural shift – one that gives us compassionate room to feel how despair shows up in our bodies and express our rightfully messy emotions, without always rushing to fi x, medicalise or label them. Our disquieting and tangled emotional landscapes are far more complicated than a TikTok video or psychiatric label might suggest.

One thing is clear: healing cannot happen in isolation –we desperately need each other’s support. The dehumanising lies of gendered hierarchy weigh heavily upon us all. Social action can help us tend to the sometimes hidden roots of our pain – the oppressive systems that hurt us. We must prioritise secure housing and universal basic income for women and families and redirect resources to underfunded domestic violence shelters and rape crisis centres. We also need more community organisations like Imkaan and Sistah Space, working to prevent gender-based violence against black women, or Beyond Equality, which works with boys and men, dismantling the ways patriarchal violence is upheld in their behaviour.

We are not living through a crisis of chemical imbalances, but of power imbalances. Women deserve shelter, safety, community, therapy, resources, spaces to breathe and be fully human; wildly woman and deliciously rageful. When we dare to reveal ourselves, neither we nor our unruly emotions can be boxed or labelled. Our seemingly unsightly pain is longing to be witnessed, and met with love. It is only through collectively caring for our hurt, that we can move beyond survival – to cultivate the joy, pleasure and freedom we deserve.

www.sanahahsan.com

Dr Sanah Ahsan is an award-winning poet, a HCPC registered clinical psychologist, a presenter, speaker and educator.

The psychiatric label can deny the legitimacy of emotions, sending a disempowering message that there is something inherently fl awed or disordered in a survivor’s personality

Introducing Yetunde Hofmann, who is a board level executive leadership coach and mentor, global change, inclusion and diversity adviser, author of Beyond Engagement and founder of SOLARIS – a pioneering new leadership development programme for black women. Find out more at http://www.solarisleadership.com/

FURTHER READING…

The power of sponsorship, mentorship, and allyship in the career advancement of Black women

By Yetunde Hofmann

Finding individuals within an organisation, industry or wider network who provide mentorship and guidance is an important part of career progression for every employee. But the value of this support and advocacy for a black woman is doubly important. She can often be in environments where she is the only black woman at the table or has little in the way of representation higher up the career ladder. Ensuring there is someone in her corner to champion, support and listen to her can make a vast difference in her career trajectory. Here’s why…

For black women, having a mentor whom she can confide in and seek advice from regarding career opportunities, safely and without judgement, creates a sense of belonging and safety, which can go some way to addressing feelings of Imposter Syndrome. Evidence shows this hits women of colour the hardest.

Mentors offer a safe space in which to share experiences and ideas in the comfort that the response will be free of bias. Internal mentors can also provide insights into the culture, politics and unspoken ways in which decisions are made to help black women better navigate and progress within their workplaces.

TACTICS FOR RACIAL JUSTICE

BUILDING AN ANTIRACIST ORGANIZATION AND COMMUNITY

By Shannon Joyce Prince

Published by Routledge (2022)

This is not a book of antiracist theory but antiracist tactics – tactics that anyone, of any race, can use to strike a blow against injustice. Antiracism is not about what we feel but what we do, and there are specific techniques we can use to create a just world.

Being an ally to black women is hugely important for contributing to the development of black leaders in your organisations

Likewise, sponsorship, which is not the same as mentorship, is an especially powerful tool for the career development of black women, as research has found they are more likely to be overlooked for a promotion in comparison with their non-black female colleagues.

Having a sponsor who will promote your talents, even when you’re not present in the room, is like having an agent seek out your next big opportunity. They act in support of, and respect for, your progression in your chosen career path and will proactively advocate for and champion you in discussions with decision-makers around promotion and development opportunities, and that network is hugely valuable for anyone looking to move up the ladder.

Being an ally to black women is also hugely important for contributing to the development of black leaders in your organisations. It’s important to amplify the black voices in your organisations and go beyond just listening to their experiences to proactively asking for and implementing their recommendations. We all have our own experiences, talents and needs that should be recognised and valued. If you are in a position of power or influence, speak up against inequalities and biases, and work with other leaders to enact changes that will make a real difference for your black/black heritage female employees.

GIVING VOICE TO VALUES

AN INNOVATION AND IMPACT AGENDA

Edited by Jerry Goodstein

By Mary Gentile

Published by Routledge (2021)

Giving Voice to Values, under the leadership of Mary Gentile, has fundamentally changed the way business ethics and values-driven leadership is taught and discussed in academic and corporate settings worldwide.

DECODING SPONSORSHIP

THE SECRET STRATEGY TO ACCELERATE YOUR CAREER AND LAUNCH INTO LEADERSHIP

By Maggie Chan Jones

Published by Tenshey (2021)

As the first woman to become Global Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at SAP, Maggie Chan Jones knows what it takes to reach the pinnacle of your career aspirations. In Decoding Sponsorship, she pulls back the curtain on the stories and lessons she learned in the journey to her career North Star as a CMO.

For black women, having a mentor whom she can confide in and seek advice from... creates a sense of belonging and safety

The Artworks of Dana Cowie

By KELLIE MILLER

ART SCENE I see pictures everywhere I go

Canadian artist Dana Cowie has an English heritage which naturally influences her paintings. If you were to cut her, no doubt paint would flow. Art is her language and love, she says, “I need to paint. It’s an extension of who I am, how I see the world and how I declare my faith. Sometimes, I cannot fi nd the words, yet I can communicate well using pictures.”

Living in a stunning part of Canada, she doesn’t take her environment for granted. Taking walks to absorb the energy and imagery, she collects them in photographs and takes them back to her studio to document in paint.

Her faith is central to her; she takes time to pause, reflect and connect with spirit before each painting session. Her paintings are semi-abstract and pulsate with colour and texture. The palette varies according to the picture. She mixes the colours as she develops each piece, adjusting the values, tones and temperature as the images emerge.

The countryside, as a theme, is transformed into cubist shapes of colour and tone. Using classic impasto oils and her Grandmother’s 1940s palette knives, she works to create abstract landscapes that are fractured and highly textural. Dana’s loose and painterly approach distorts her picture plane and reduces the elements to a patchwork of geometric shapes. Expressionist marks are layered until the surface takes on it’s own relief pattern, and the image and atmosphere surface.

Dana fi nds strength in her motherhood and attributes her love of creating to her mother. As a child, her mother encouraged her to craft and make things. Her work ethic was instilled by witnessing her single mother raise her while working and studying. Dana balances her time between bringing up her daughters and painting. Both give her tremendous joy.

Dana Cowie’s paintings are internationally collected. New works can be seen at Kellie Miller Arts, 20 Market Street Brighton. www.kelliemillerarts.com

Kellie Miller is an artist, curator, critic and gallery owner.

I need to paint. It’s an extension of who I am, how I see the world and how I declare my faith

Alexander House Hotel & Spa

BY TESS DE KLERK

Nestled in the rolling hills of the Sussex countryside, Alexander House Hotel is a picturesque and luxurious retreat that exudes old-world charm and sophistication. Th is Jacobean country house hotel offers a blend of luxury and relaxation, making it the great choice for anyone looking for a memorable and indulgent stay.

The hotel’s spa is undoubtedly one of its standout features, offering a range of facilities and experiences that are sure to leave you feeling relaxed and rejuvenated. The indoor wet spa area is rather cosy with contemporary, yet calming design achieved with natural materials and muted tones to create a soothing atmosphere.

One of the highlights of the spa is its Sensory Spa Garden, an outdoor space that offers a range of different experiences designed to awaken the senses and promote relaxation. Surrounded by lush greenery and tranquil water features, the garden features a hot tub, sauna, and steam room, as well as an outdoor shower and plunge pool. Whether you’re looking to unwind

after a long day of sightseeing or simply want to escape from the stresses of everyday life, the Sensory Spa Garden is the perfect place to relax and unwind in nature.

Of course, the spa is just one part of what makes Alexander House Hotel such a special place to stay. The hotel itself is a stunning country house that exudes elegance and charm, with spacious and beautifully appointed rooms that offer all the modern amenities you could need. Each room is unique, with its own character and charm, making your stay feel truly special and memorable.

A more recent addition to your overnight options is the modern Cedar Lodge Suites, just a short walk from the main hotel. These suites offer plenty of space, air conditioning and balconies overlooking the lush countryside.

The hotel’s dining options are equally impressive, with a range of restaurants and bars that cater to all tastes and preferences. The fine dining restaurant, AG’s, is a must-visit for any foodie, with its creative menus and stunning presentation. The restaurant’s talented chefs use only the finest ingredients, and the dishes

This Jacobean country house hotel offers a blend of luxury and relaxation

ALEXANDER HOUSE FAQ s ACCESS FOR GUESTS WITH MOBILITY IMPAIRMENTS?

Yes, Alexander House Hotel has rooms specially adapted for disabled guests

FAMILY-FRIENDLY?

Babies and children are allowed but this hotel has an adult atmosphere. The spa area is for adults only.

DOG-FRIENDLY?

Well-behaved pooches are welcome in the pet friendly rooms and suites. They are also allowed to dine in the Reflections Lounge

PRICE PER NIGHT?

From £173.00 in April 2023.

are bursting with flavour and creativity. Whether you opt for the tasting menu or choose from the à la carte selection, you’re sure to have an unforgettable dining experience at AG’s.

For a more relaxed dining experience, the hotel’s brasserie, Reflections, offers a tempting selection of classic dishes and light bites, all served in a relaxed and informal setting. The hotel also has a range of elegant public spaces, including a cosy bar and lounge area, where you can enjoy a pre-dinner drink or a nightcap.

Overall, Alexander House Hotel is a gem, offering a perfect blend of luxury, relaxation, and indulgence. Whether you’re looking to unwind in the spa, indulge in fine dining, or simply escape to the beautiful Sussex countryside, this stunning country house hotel is the perfect choice. With its elegant rooms, impeccable service, and world-class facilities, it’s no wonder that Alexander House Hotel is one of Sussex’s most sought-after destinations.

Alexander House & Utopia Spa, Turners Hill, East Grinstead, RH10 4QD www.alexanderhotels.co.uk

+ BOOK THROUGH SPABREAKS.COM

The multi-award winning spa booking platform works with over 600 spas in the UK and Ireland, arranging spa days and breaks for up to 6,000 people a week. As Europe’s number 1 spa specialist, the talented team works closely with spas to create packages that showcase the best each destination has to offer. Customer service is central to everything they do, with their UK-based team of spa experts ready to help individuals find the right experience for them.

www.spabreaks.com/venues/fairmont-windsor-park

SHAUN THE SHEEP AT LEONARDSLEE

Nr. Horsham

Shaun the Sheep has travelled all the way from Mossy Bottom Farm. Are you ready for the most exciting adventure of ‘Hide and Sheep’? Bringing a fun new dimension to family days out filled with photo opportunities, crafts and exploration!

Grab your flock and take part in a baaa-rilliant game of ‘Hide & Sheep’ to find Shaun whilst enjoying spring in our beautiful woodland gardens.

Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens

Until April 23rd

https://www.leonardsleegardens.co.uk/ all-events/shaun-the-sheep

WHAT’S ON...

A brief snapshot of art and culture in Sussex and Surrey

EASTER EGG HUNT

Sheffield Park

Meet some of Sheffield Park and Garden’s more lively residents on our duck-themed Easter trail. Have a duck-load of fun as you make your way along the trail, finding mallard-inspired activities for the whole family.

Spending time in the gardens is sure to fit the bill this Easter. It’s the season when the garden comes alive with carpets of daffodils, woodlands glowing with bluebells and rhododendron blossom.

Sheffield Park & Gardens

April 1st-16th

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/sussex/ sheffield-park-and-garden

MAGNIFICENT MOTORS

Eastbourne

Motoring fanatics can expect to see over 600 vintage cars, bikes, and buses on display. From turn of the century runabouts to modern day star cars and a dedicated ‘cars of the future’ section, visitors can enjoy over a century of motoring heritage with some fascinating stories behind each bonnet.

Western Lawns, Eastbourne

April 29th-30th

www.visiteastbourne.com/ magnificent-motors

CORONATION HIGH TEA

Albourne

We invite you to join us to celebrate the crowning of our new King, His Majesty King Charles III with a Coronation High Tea at our Tasting Room. Mark this historic occasion in the beautiful surroundings of the South Downs while sipping on Sussex wine and indulging in a delicious afternoon tea platter fit for a King.

Albourne Wine Estate

May 6th-7th

https://albourneestate.co.uk/ visit-us/special-events

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

Brighton

Have you ever wondered what lies behind all the closed doors in the Royal Pavilion? Join our guide to explore and discover servants’ corridors, the King’s Bathroom, mysterious hidden staircases, kitchens, cupboards, The King’s Band Room and other secret spaces!

Brighton Pavilion

Wednesdays

https://brightonmuseums.org.uk/ visit/royal-pavilion-garden

DANIEL WAKEFORD

Brighton

The singer-songwriter from Brighton has a unique story. As someone with autism Daniel’s forging a new path through the UK music scene, portraying a much-needed positive image of learning-disabled people in media. His mainstream popularity came through several show-stealing appearances on Channel 4’s The Undateables. Having featured on the show more than any other person, there was an overwhelming love for him and his music.

Komedia Brighton

April 13th

www.komedia.co.uk

THE GREAT ESCAPE

Brighton

The Great Escape is THE festival to check out new music. This Brighton showcase extravaganza, founded in 2016, brings in over 500 new artists in 30+ venues across the city, and a festival site on Brighton Beach, for a weekend of musical discovery.

Discover your new favourite artist and see them before they become the next big thing.

Across Brighton

May 10th-13th

www.greatescapefestival.com

AT A GLANCE PLACES TO VISIT OVER EASTER AND BEYOND

DRUSILLA’S PARK

Alfriston

Make WILD memories and enjoy a great family day out at the award-winning Drusillas Park. Drusillas offers a loving home to over one hundred exotic animals, including sloths and penguins!

www.drusillas.co.uk

WEALD & DOWNLOAD

LIVING MUSEUM

Singleton, Nr. Chichester

Come and experience a thousand years of rural life in one remarkable open air site. The museum offers a range of exciting seasonal activities throughout the year, although even a non-activity day is a great adventure too.

www.wealddown.co.uk

HASTINGS COUNTRY

PARK NATURE RESERVE

Hastings

A fabulous nature reserve with stunning coastal scenery situated within the High Weald Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty. www.hastings.gov.uk/ countryside-nature

BORDE HILL GARDEN

Haywards Heath

Borde Hill is a beautiful Grade II* English Heritage listed garden. Renowned as a plantsman’s paradise, the Garden boasts rare shrubs and champion trees, stunning herbaceous borders, a large lily pool and subtropical dells with palms and banana trees.

www.bordehill.co.uk

CHURCH FARM TOURS

Coombes, Nr Lancing Church Farm itself is a fully working farm set in 420 hectares within the beautiful South Downs in West Sussex, where the Passmore family has been farming for five generations since 1901.

https://coombes.co.uk

LEWES CASTLE

Lewes

High above the medieval streets of Lewes, stands Lewes Castle, begun soon after 1066 by William de Warenne as his stronghold. Climb the steps to the top and be rewarded with spectacular views over the town

https://sussexpast.co.uk/ attraction/lewes-castle

A whiteonelephant Tesla’s tail?

By FIONA SHAFER, Managing Director MD HUB

It’s always interesting how times and perceptions move on; no more so than when it comes to electric cars. I reviewed the ID.5’s younger sibling, the ID.4 in January 2022 and declared that it ‘was the least range anxiety-inducing’ electric car that I had driven up to that point. I enjoyed it very much and gave it a happy and healthy eight of out 10.

12 months on, the matter of ‘range anxiety’ did not even enter my head when the ID.5 arrived, such is our growing understanding, confidence and knowledge of electric cars. As a result, there is now a natural reduction in fear and worry that we won’t run out of power any time soon.

The still woefully slow but emerging infrastructure of local charging stations and shared anecdotal knowledge amongst the growing number of electric vehicle owners all

adds to the curiosity of potential ownership – also fl amed by our current off-the-scale fuel costs and both climate and cost-of-living crises.

Th is latest chapter in the VW ID family story, the ID.5 is the fi rst electric SUV coupe with in-built sustainability (more on what that means later), a focus on equipment, quality and, as ever, the expected VW practicality and safety.

The ID.5 is VW’s fi rst vehicle with a bi–directional charging function. With this technology, the ID.5 can feed electricity it does not currently need back into the owner’s home network and in the future, will be able to feed back into the overall infrastructure.

According to VW, it also has, wait for this… sustainability, quality, and ‘charisma’. The Oxford English dictionary defi nes charisma as ‘a compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in another or a divinely conferred power or talent’.

Whilst I can understand the overall devotion to the iconic

TECH STUFF

MODEL TESTED: VW ID.5

POWER: 171/294 bhp

SPEED: 0-62 – 6.1/10.1 seconds

TOP SPEED: 112 mph

RANGE: 281 – 327 miles (actual 250)

PRICE FROM: £49,970

POSITIVES

• Fantastic turning circle.

• Good looking upholstery made from recycled materials.

• Keyless entry – just sit on the seat and drive away.

• LED Light across the dashboard that shows how much charging there is to go.

• Up to 313 miles of range available but in reality, expect around 288 miles.

NEGATIVES

• It’s a heavy car that is not terribly comfortable – I found it a fidget inducing car no matter how many seat adjustments I made.

• Rear passenger windows have to be both unlocked and operated from the front by the driver.

• Rear window visibility is limited by the coupe curve and the unnecessary spoiler.

• Storage space in doors is very deep and easy to never see sight of small but very important items like phones, keys and pens ever again.

• Rocker switch – to operate the driving modes, is positioned behind the steering wheel (as in ID.4 too), which still feels unintuitive and distracting.

• Very slim arm rests which you pull down (as in ID.4) – fine if you are a figure from a Lowry portrait but very uncomfortable, if you do not hail from that neck of the woods.

• The infotainment system was not back lit at night, so not easy to navigate at all.

• Rear camera is very low down so they get dirty very quickly –unlike the brilliant James Bond ID.3 camera which keeps clean by actually popping out of the VW badge when needed and back in again – why not on all VWs?

The ID.5 is expensive for what it is and I would be tempted to stick with the nippy and fun ID.4 if I were you.

6.5/10

part of the VW brand, the ID.5 is absolutely not charismatic. It remains really quite conservative and uncompelling to drive but it may well be for the electro geeks that the bi–directional charging will enhance its fan base and prove that beauty really does lie within.

I wish I was not so disappointed by this car but I am. As a big VW fan, maybe this is a departure too far away from their iconic design roots and ‘edge’. If you had taken the ID.5 badge off and asked me to identify it, I would not have said VW as my fi rst choice – and this pains me.

The ID.4 was a departure but not that far. I got in it and thought OK – this is pretty acceptable given new manufacturing techniques, especially the design considerations required for electric car batteries and storage. But I fear that the ID.5 will sadly be VW’s ‘white elephant’ that they might come to discreetly retire.

I fear that the ID.5 will sadly be VW’s white elephant that they might come to discreetly retire