Platinum Business Magazine - issue 107

BIG STORY

30 Baroness Martha Lane-Fox

Platinum sits down with Baroness Lane-Fox of Soho, the newlyinstalled President of the British Chambers of Commerce

NEWS

10 Local and international news

A round-up of the important business stories in Sussex and around the world

EVENTS

2 Surrey Business Awards

Entries are now being invited for Surrey’s premier business awards, taking place in October in Guildford

8 Platinum Club

Now in its 15th year, the South East’s premier networking social event is in full swing

24 Central South Business Awards

Returning in its second year, the CSBA is open for entries. Hurry! You have until mid-April to enter

28 Gatwick Diamond Business Awards

The finalists are announced!

42 Winter Ball

Focus Foundation hosted its inaugural Winter Ball at the Hilton Brighton Metropole in February

INNOVATION

40 Sussex Innovation

How to recruit in a tight labour market

CONTENTS

FINANCE

18 Kreston Reeves

The value of growth shares for employee motivation and retention

39 Haines Watts

Dan Morgan on the importance of tracking non-financial KPIs

44 Odgers Berndtson

The need to improve the ratio of women leaders in technology

LEGAL

20 DMH Stallard

The legal paths to be followed when withdrawing a formal job offer

26 Loch Associates

Pam Loch on your company’s legal obligations when taking on freelancers and outside contractors

34 Mayo Wynne Baxter

What is takes to become, and remain, a B Corp business

EDUCATION

14 Help To Grow:Management

BUSINESS

22 Let’s Do Business

Understanding financial terminology for your business

36 Surrey Research Park

A ‘breakthrough’ in the diagnosis of inaccessible brain tumours

46 MDHUB

Kate Bendix speaks to MDHUB member Clare Wilkinson of Hot Horse Ltd

49 Cleankill

Double nomination at this year’s Gatwick Diamond Business Awards

OPINION

50 Anger Management

Refugee children are disappearing from hotels across the country but who, cries Maarten Hoffmann, is summoning up the energy to care?

Platinum Business Magazine has an exclusive offer for anyone who wishes to take part in the University of Brighton’s 12-week workshop course to help you grow your business PLATINUM

TRAVEL

52 48 Hours in York

Tess de Klerk had a look around the amazing city; a majestic stop that was far from a shambles

MOTORING

54 Porsche Taycan Turbo S

As daft as the idea of an electric Porsche might sound Maarten Hoffmann is rather taken with the Taycan

WELCOME

Welcome to the March issue of Platinum and Dynamic.

Within Dynamic, we celebrate International Women’s Day – March 8th – and this year’s theme is #EmbraceEquity. We asked an array of high achieving women (and men) what the day means to them.

Dynamic and Platinum have teamed up with the University of Brighton to support and promote the Help to Grow: Management programme, offering a 50% discount for all men who apply – and a highly unique 100% discount for all women. The playing field needs to be levelled and this is one very sound way of achieving that goal. Apply inside.

We also bring you the Big Story featuring Baroness Martha Lane-Fox, the newly appointed President of the British Chambers of Commerce; within Travel, Tess implores you to travel solo at least once in your life, and Maarten got all fast and silent in the Porsche Taycan.

The PlatinumTeam

CONTACTS

PUBLISHER/EDITOR: Maarten Hoffmann maarten@platinummediagroup.co.uk

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

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

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

PLATINUM MOTORING EDITOR: Maarten Hoffmann maarten@platinummediagroup.co.uk

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

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

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

In addition, we have an enviable selection of leading business figures writing for the magazine, ensuring it is stuffed full of great advice. WWW.PLATINUMMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

The Platinum Business Club for Leaders and

Innovators in Business

The Platinum Club has been the region’s leading peerto-peer business networking event for CEOs, Managing Directors and Partners of many of the leading companies across the South East for over 15 years.

Limited memberships are available and to apply, please contact info@platinummediagroup.com

1 Gemma Goldsmith and Sam Kaye of Wellesley with Lesley Alcock from Platinum Media Group

2 Paul Cannons of Brewin Dolphin chatting to Julie Sebastianelli from Mattioli Woods

3 Maarten Hoffmann, CEO, Platinum Media Group; Paula Seabourne, MD, Minds Matter Now, Clive Gordon, CEO, Gordon House Promotions

4 Lesley Alcock, Platinum Media Group with Dr Adam Jones from the University of Brighton

5 Rob Clare from Innovation Capital chatting with Nigel Lambe from Sussex Innovation

6 Karen Lord, Partner, Healys chatting with Stefan Buss from Storm 12 and Barry Carden from Galloways

7 Amy White, Loch Associates; Colin Laidlaw, Kreston Reeves; Chris Thomas, Lets do Business; Stefan Buss, Storm 12

8 Barry Carden, Director, Galloways; Nigel Lambe, CEO, Sussex Innovation; Neil Laughton, CEO, Laughton & Co; Rob Clare, CEO, Innovation Capital

9 Maarten Hoffmann, CEO, Platinum Media Group; Ekaterina & Ben Blake, Founders of InspoHub

10 Zaneta Bealing, the newly appointed Events Manager at Platinum Media Group

❛❛ I make sure I never miss an event and thoroughly enjoy it ❜❜

MERCEDES-BENZ

THE PLATINUM CLUB

❛❛ We see the Platinum Club as an important and integral part of our brand awareness strategy, through interactions with well-connected businesspeople and other influencers ❜❜ MATTIOLI

WOODS WEALTH MANAGEMENT

❛❛ The networking highlight of my month and never to be missed ❜❜ NATWEST BANK

❛❛ The Platinum Club is a really well organised networking group, with the hosts helping facilitate to ensure we always make useful, new contacts at each event ❜❜ LLOYDS BANK

THE IMPORTANCE OF ESG

A new report just out finds that companies’ Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) commitments now have a huge influence in their recruitment/retainment prospects. ESG credentials are now a deciding factor in applying to a job for half of the UK workforce, with one in five willing to turn down work if it doesn’t align with their values. The report also found a growing trend of millennial and younger workers participating in ‘climate quitting’, and are actively seeking out new employment that is more environmentally conscious.

As employees take more of an active stance in the companies that they choose to work for, organisations that truly care about their environmental impact and make strides to ensure their staff are educated on the effects of their everyday decisions, are becoming more and more attractive to employees today when looking for work.

NEWS BULLETIN

TAXPAYER STAKE SALE

NatWest is on track to report profits of more than £5 billion - the biggest since the financial crisis. It clears the way for the government to sell more of the taxpayers’ stake in the bailed-out bank. In April, Dame Alison Rose, the chief executive, is expected to announce that the bank will buy back shares from the government, repeating as exercise from 2022, when the bank repurchased just over £1.1bn worth of shares. The taxpayer stake in what was the Royal Bank of Scotland stands at 45% – down from 83% at its peak.

PURPLE LOSSES

Online estate agent Purplebricks is up for sale after revealing it expects to lose between £15-£20m this year. It said the potential of the group may be better realised under an “alternative ownership structure”. The company said it believed that Purplebricks’ business and brand has significant value. It had previously indicated that losses this year would be up to £10m, but will now be bigger, because a strategy to focus on the most profitable regions of the country proved more expensive than expected. It also cut revenue expectations for the year by £7.5m to £60-£65m.

❛❛ My mother always used to say: The older you get, the better you get, unless you’re a banana ❜❜

Betty White, The Golden Girls

BANKING PROFIT

Banking giant HSBC says its quarterly profit has almost doubled, boosted by rising interest rates around the world. The London-based firm reported profit before tax of $5.2bn (£4.3bn) for the last three months of 2022, up more than 90% from the same time a year earlier. However, pre-tax profit for the year as a whole fell by $1.4bn to $17.5bn, as it absorbs the cost of selling its French retail banking operations.

HSBC is also in the process of selling its business in Canada. The bank said it planned to use the money raised from that sale to make payouts to shareholders once the deal is completed.

GOVERNMENT SURPLUS

The UK government saw a surprise surplus in its finances in January despite ‘substantial spending’ to help with energy bills and EU payments. The highest self-assessed income tax receipts since records began in 1999 boosted the UK’s coffers. It meant it spent less than it received in tax, leaving a £5.4bn surplus.

Economists said the figures showed a “mixed picture” with public finances still weaker than this time last year ahead of next month’s Budget. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will set out his plans for tax and spending on March 15th.

Martin Beck, chief economic advisor to the EY ITEM Club which is a UK economic forecasting group, said the figures gave Mr Hunt ‘some positives to work on’ in his Budget.

Mr Beck said the fall in cost of wholesale energy meant the government’s spending on support for bills ‘will be a fraction’ of what was officially forecast last year. However, because the government’s self-imposed fiscal rules around debt relate to five years in the future, he said short-term movements in UK’s finances don’t have much bearing on policies.

A survey jointly conducted by two leading UK debt collection agencies has revealed the true extent of the effects of late payment on the nation’s local small business owners. There has been a spike in late payments to small businesses across the UK as the economy continues to remain unstable in the post pandemic era.

The survey, collaboratively undertaken by leading debt collection agencies Federal Management and Frontline Collections, has revealed that 79% of the small business owners surveyed said their mental health suffered as a result of business late payments. The majority of smallest businesses (those with fewer than five employees) said they are constantly worrying about not being paid at all.

Small local business owners are being exposed to stress, financial worries, insomnia, depression and have even seen personal relationships affected by the problems late payment is causing them. 41% of SME owners said that late payment had caused them issues outside of work.

More worryingly, the survey showed that a shocking 48% of small business owners are not sure whether their businesses will still be trading this time next year.

The survey also found that 66% of SME owners have already had to supplement their Small Businesses cash flow with the use of personal funds. This includes many that have had to re-mortgage their homes and cash in pension policies.

Public borrowing in the financial year to date is £30.6bn less than predicted by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), the government’s official forecaster.

❛❛ Sometimes, l feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can anyone deny themselves the pleasure of my company? It is beyond me ❜❜

Zora Neale Hurston, writer, 1928

❛❛ Here’s all you have to know about men and women: Women are crazy, men are stupid. And the main reason women are crazy is that men are stupid ❜❜ George Carlin

A GRAND SALE

Fattal Group, owner of Leonardo Hotels, announced on February 20th that it has bought The Grand Hotel on Brighton seafront from Wittington Investments. Wittington bought The Grand from De Vere for £50 million in 2014. and also own Richmond Hill Hotel in Richmond, Surrey.

With two other hotels in the city, the deal makes Leonardo the largest hotel operator in Brighton. The group said it plans to invest significantly in the transformation of rooms and facilities and is committed to retaining the hotel’s “iconic status”. First opened in 1864, The Grand occupies a prime location on Brighton seafront with unobstructed views over the sea.

“We are delighted to add another historic and iconic hotel to our growing portfolio of luxury

hotels,” said Jason Carruthers, managing director of Leonardo Hotels.

“It is a consistently high performing hotel, situated in a key strategic location with highly dedicated employees, meaning it is an ideal fit to our broader portfolio. We look forward to working with The Grand team to build on their successes to date and continue enhancing the great experiences and service they consistently deliver to their guests.”

This will be Leonardo’s second hotel on the seafront. The Grand will join its four-star Leonardo Royal Hotel Brighton Waterfront. Leonardo also has a hotel in Stroudley Road, near Brighton Station.The group said it does not plan to change the name of The Grand.

GATWICK APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMME

LOCAL NEWS

GREAT PLACE TO WORK

An insurance company has one of the best workplace cultures in the UK, a study has revealed.

First Central, which has offices in Haywards Heath, has been named in the top ten places to work in the UK for wellbeing by workplace culture experts Great Place To Work. It was ranked seventh in the Super Large Organisations category, which includes any business with more than 1,000 employees.

First Central’s chief people officer Jo McGowan said “I am really proud to work for a company that champions wellbeing. Over the past 18 months we’ve really invested in our wellbeing programme of activity and have been exploring how we can provide colleagues with both reactive and proactive wellbeing support.”

Gatwick Airport has launched an expanded apprenticeship programme for 2023, with applications for six vacancies across four different engineering and IT roles open, to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week.

Now in its 46th year, Gatwick’s apprenticeship programme has seen more than 300 people graduate since 1977. Applications are now open until March 12th.

The programme gives young engineers and IT professionals the opportunity to earn while they learn. Apprenticeships range from two to four-year programmes and, depending on the apprenticeship, will include studying at either East Surrey College in Redhill, Nescot College in Epsom or Langley College in Slough, alongside hands-on experience at the airport.

❛❛ Common sense is like deodorant. The people who need it most never use it ❜❜ Anonymous

EXPANSION WITH MERGER

Leading Sussex law firm Mayo Wynne Baxter is expanding its presence on the South East coast, following an announced a merger with Eastbourne firm Lawson Lewis Blakers.

The union will see Lawson Lewis Blakers become part of the Mayo Wynne Baxter brand, taking the Mayo Wynne Baxter team to more than 220 people and adding £2 million to its turnover.

Acting for businesses, people and their families in Eastbourne, Peacehaven and Lewes, Lawson Lewis Blakers has significant experience in private client and family law, residential property, employment, commercial transactions and litigation.

No money will exchange hands as part of the merger and there are no planned redundancies. Mayo Wynne Baxter will provide career progression and development opportunities for those joining from Lawson Lewis Blakers and continues to proactively recruit talented teams and individuals across the region.

BUSINESSWOMEN IN SURREY CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

The Business Women in Surrey Group is delighted to announce details of its annual flagship event in celebration of International Women’s Day 2023. The event, sponsored by Natwest and the Surrey Business School Surrey University, is a luncheon which offers the opportunity for the incredible business community from across Surrey to come together for discussion, networking, and a delicious lunch in fabulous surroundings.

The keynote speaker is the diversity and inclusion thought leader, author and CEO Teresa Boughey. Teresa will guide

us on the fundamentals we should consider, and share some practical guidance on action we can take in our businesses regardless of size and specialism. Inspired by this year’s International Women’s Day theme

#EmbraceEquity, the Business Women in Surrey #IWD2023 event is focusing in on raising awareness of the differences between equality and equity, why both matter and what actions we can take to create an equal and inclusive world.

The event will be held on March 8th 2023, from 11am to 3pm, at the stunning De Vere Horsley Estate. Event tickets are available from the Surrey Chambers of Commerce website:

www.surrey-chambers.co.uk/eventlisting/event-detail/?eidQS=2EB48F450515-435A-B122-E52F6F19A983

❛❛ Before you criticise someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticise them, you are a mile away from them and you have their shoes ❜❜

Jack Handey

❛❛

I’m not superstitious, but l am a little stitious ❜❜

Steve Carell, The Office

The University of Brighton is offering all businesses a series of workshops to help you power your business forward into the future, and beyond

INTRODUCING… THE HELP TO GROW PROGRAMME

PROGRAMME DETAILS

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

Benefits:

n In-depth training

n Invaluable 1:1 business mentoring

n Bespoke Growth Action Plan

n Low cost, high impact

n Peer-to-peer networking

n Time away from your business to work on your business

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.

Next course dates:

Brighton April 25th or June 12th

Crawley/Gatwick April 21st

MODULES AND DELIVERY STYLE

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

1 Strategy and Innovation

2 Digital Adoption

3 Internationalisation and winning new markets

4 Vision, mission, and values

5 Developing a marketing strategy

6 Building a brand

7 Organisational

YOUR GROWTH PLAN

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

n Identify what drives productivity and growth in your market, and understand what this means for you

n Learn how to advance responsible business practices, including more inclusive and greener practices

n Understand how to innovate your business model, including adopting and investing in new and digital technologies

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

12

n Generate strategies to improve operational efficiency, allowing you to save time and money

PLATINUM SPECIAL OFFER

Here is even better news. 90% of the programme cost is covered by the government therefore a total of £750 but using the code PLATINUM100 will reduce the cost still further to only £375.

APPLY NOW

www.brighton.ac.uk/help-to-grow

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.

❛❛ If you are feeling that you are in a bit of a grind and that your business is just stagnating, then definitely apply for this course ❜❜

GUY BULMER

Total Support Services (Security) Ltd

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,

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.

A previous participant who has completed the Help to Grow: Management course at the University of Brighton gives his view

CASE STUDY

I found the best aspect of the course was being guided into taking an overall view of what our business looked like and understanding the various ways of reviewing the areas that would benefit most from some attention.

I came away from the course with a renewed sense of enthusiasm, an understanding of the way forward and how to go about achieving growth.

Since completion of the course, l have promoted people and delegated responsibilities to others which has freed up time for me to work on the business rather than in it and given those people new challenges.

If you are feeling that you are in a bit of a grind and that your business is just stagnating, then definitely apply for this course.

The mentorship aspect of the course was an invaluable help. It allowed me to discuss challenges that I was facing

week on week in a non-judgemental environment and between us we worked out ways for me to approach the issues and move on to other challenges. The peer group discussions were also very useful allowing us to discuss issues and their relevance to the course while gaining input from others who could share their experiences. ❜❜

GUY BULMER Total Support Services (Security) Ltd 2022

Our focus is you

For business

We make it our business to know your business, working with you to add value and to deliver tailored legal services with energy and creativity whether you’re an established market leader or an ambitious start-up. For

By Tom Wacher, Partner, Forensic Accounting and Business Valuations, Kreston Reeves

The value of growth shares for employee motivation and retention

Key employees often drive the growth in value of a company. Increasingly, one of the best ways to help recruit the right team and motivate them to do this is to give them a share in this increase in value in the business. ‘Growth’ shares are a great way of achieving this.

At their most basic, growth shares are a separate class of incentive share that entitles the holder to benefit in the future growth in value of a business, but typically only on a company exit (sale) event.

The key difference between growth shares and ‘ordinary’ shares is that the recipient only usually benefits in the value of a business, above a set ‘hurdle’ level rather than in the whole business value. Growth shares are flexible, tailored, and can ensure the existing value in the business is preserved for the original shareholders.

Growth shares are typically used by unlisted companies that don’t meet the conditions required to issue tax-advantage share options or for those companies that also want

to offer incentives to non-employees –for example non-executive directors or consultants to the business. However, they can also be included as part of a tax-efficient Enterprise Management Incentive (EMI) scheme.

However, there are potential tax consequences of issuing growth shares, and either the receiving employee/ beneficiary will need to pay market value or HMRC will require tax on the receipt of any growth shares at undervalue.

GROWTH SHARES - AN EXAMPLE

Growth shares are perhaps best illustrated in the (fictitious) example of TopTech Ltd. TopTech was established by Janet and Chris ten years ago and now has a turnover of £10m. The business is projected to continue to grow further with Janet and Chris looking to hire several senior people and exit the business in five to eight years’ time via a sale to one of the global tech giants.

However, at present, TopTech is not able to pay top salaries for these new appointments, so they need to look at other ways to make the role attractive to the best talent. Janet and Chris also wish to ring fence the value they have already created in the business today.

Janet and Chris believe growth shares will give them the flexibility to incentivise new and existing members of staff to stay with the business, to help grow, and ultimately sell, TopTech by offering a share of future value growth, without devaluing their own hard work over the previous decade.

An added benefit of growth shares compared to ordinary shares is that any tax due by the employee on the receipt of growth shares would likely be significantly lower than for an equivalent percentage of ordinary shares, as the hurdle (the value beyond which the company must grow before holders are entitled to receive any value for their shares) devalues the shares.  However, the hurdle does not entirely devalue the growth shares as these have an upside only (i.e. there is no loss to the holder if there is a fall in company value).

Valuations on issuing growth shares are therefore very different from, for example, valuing a business for sale, which will look to maximise overall company value.

For tax purposes, the growth share valuation is based around a hypothetical transaction between a willing seller and buyer using an appropriate amount of information. It will consider first the whole company value then the element attributable to the growth shares. This can involve complex calculations and modelling around the growth prospects of the business and the allocation of sale proceeds arising. It can be particularly challenging where forecasts are overly aspirational or not available.

VALUATION

Before a business issues growth shares, it needs to establish the hurdle value – or in some structures even multiple hurdle values. The current value of the business is often key in determining this value.  Once the company value is known and the hurdle value has been set, it is necessary to value the growth shares recognising the differential in class rights as compared against ordinary shares.

It is important that when a company with growth shares is sold, there is a shareholders’ agreement setting out the process for the sale of, and the allocation of consideration to, the growth shares. It is also important to ensure that contemporaneous valuations are in place as these may be required by HMRC on the individual’s disposal of the growth shares or as part of purchaser due diligence.

❛❛ Growth shares are a separate class of incentive share that entitles the holder to benefit in the future growth in value of a business ❜❜

Rebecca Thornley-Gibson is a Partner in the Employment Team at DMH Stallard. Here she gives an insight into an employer’s obligations when withdrawing a job offer

WITHDRAWING A JOB OFFER

You’ve spent time and money recruiting for a role but, shortly before the successful candidate is due to start work, you decide to withdraw the offer. Whilst a withdrawal prior to the start date may seem to be straightforward there are a number of matters that need to be considered to minimise the risks of claims from the individual.

CAN A JOB OFFER BE WITHDRAWN?

Yes, but there are protections for prospective employees that need to be taken into account. If the offer has not been accepted by the individual there are unlikely to be any contractual terms between the parties that need to be considered. If the job offer has been accepted and/or an employment contract provided, then withdrawing the offer will need to take into account the contractual terms in the offer/ employment contract.

If an offer is withdrawn for an unlawful discriminatory reason, even where the individual hasn’t accepted the offer or entered in an employment contract, the individual has the protection of the Equality Act and could issue a discrimination claim.

DOES NOTICE NEED TO BE GIVEN AND PAID?

If the offer has been accepted by the individual and contains a notice period, the employer will usually need to give the employee the period of notice stated in the offer.

On the basis the employee would only have started to earn salary from day one of the employment, the fi nancial losses will usually be limited to any period of notice which falls after the actual start date.

For example, if the contract stated a start date of September 5th 2022 and the contract had a four-week notice period, and the employer gave notice on August 22nd 2022, the employee would be entitled to two weeks’ pay.

Where the notice period during probation is shorter than the notice period after successful completion of probation the position is more complex, and advice should be sought.

❛❛ Whilst a withdrawal prior to the start date may seem to be straightforward there are a number of matters that need to be considered ❜❜

CONDITIONAL OFFERS AND NOTICE

An employer may have made the employment subject to certain conditions and, if these are set out in the offer letter, the employer won’t need to provide notice if the conditions are not met by the individual.

Common conditions include:

n Evidence of a legal right to work in the UK.

n Evidencing the necessary qualifi cations and/or approvals for the role.

n Receipt of satisfactory references.

n Being able to perform the new role without breaching any existing restrictions they may have with a previous employer e.g. a non-compete restrictive covenant with a previous employer who is a competitor could mean the individual isn’t able to work for the new employer for several months.

n Undergoing a medical examination to ensure they are able to carry out the role.

DO YOU NEED TO PROVIDE A REASON FOR THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE OFFER?

There is no legal requirement to provide a reason for the withdrawal and this follows the position that, until an employee has two years’ continuous employment, in most circumstances, they have no right to be told the reason for the termination of their employment. However, it is sometimes better for the prospective employer to provide information to avoid an inference that the termination is due to something else.

For example, an individual may think there is a discriminatory reason for the action taken if they aren’t given any details. If there is a genuine and fair reason why the offer is being withdrawn, perhaps there is no longer a requirement for the role, it is preferable to be transparent about the reasons for withdrawal.

Rebecca Thornley-Gibson is a Partner in the Employment Team at DMH Stallard, her work covers all areas of employment law including support on contract and policy frameworks, Employment Tribunal representation, developing and delivering in-house training modules, employee relations issues and senior executive termination arrangements.

For further advice on how to withdraw an offer effectively and any other issues relating to the flexibility of your offers and employment contracts please contact a member of the DMH Stallard Employment team by e-mailing enquiries@dmhstallard.com www.DMHStallard.com

❛❛ If there is a genuine and fair reason why the offer is being withdrawn… it is preferable to be transparent about the reasons for withdrawal ❜❜

When starting or growing your business, you’re bound to be on a constant learning curve – and for someone without a background in finance, some of the jargon used can make things confusing

UNDERSTANDING FINANCIAL TERMINOLOGY FOR YOUR BUSINESS

Finance affects every business decision – from the number of employees hired, to your annual budget and long-term goals. Understanding finance is a skill that can help you personally, and have a big impact on the future of your business. Learning how to make sense of the most commonly used finance terminology can make the whole process easier when applying for finance, as well as help business owners feel more confident when discussing their needs.

We’ve put together a handy list of some of the most frequently used terms that you might come across in your search for business finance, to help you feel confident when deciding what type of finance is right for you and preparing your application.

BRIDGING LOANS

A business bridging loan is a type of commercial loan that allows you to borrow money over a shorter period of time than a typical bank loan, though often at a higher rate of interest. You might use this to purchase an asset before you have all the funds available. e.g. you are waiting for the sale proceeds of another asset to be realised.

BUSINESS LOAN

Business loans are very common and one of the first options for businesses looking to raise finance. The lender provides money that you, as the borrower, pay back, with interest, over an agreed period.

CAPITAL

The capital of a business is the money it has available to pay for its day-to-day operations and to fund its future growth. The four major types of capital include working capital, debt, equity, and trading capital.

CASH FLOW

Cash flow describes the relationship between cash entering and leaving a business. Positive cash flow means more cash entering a business than leaving it. Cash flow problems arise when you spend more than you make or when you don’t have sufficient cash available to pay your short-term debts. Poor cash flow management can kill even profitable businesses.

CASH FLOW FORECAST

Cash flow forecasting estimates the amount and timing of cash that will be coming in and going out of the business to predict future cash balances. Typically, this is broken down into monthly, quarterly, and annually periods although some businesses may do this more frequently. e.g. weekly for some businesses.

❛❛ Learning how to make sense of the most commonly used finance terminology can make the whole process easier when applying for finance ❜❜

CREDITOR

An accounting term used to describe a person or business to whom your business owes money. Common examples of trade creditors would be your suppliers, rent, or a finance provider. Creditors can be classed as current or long term. Current creditors generally refer to items payable within the next 12 months, e.g. stock, wages; whilst long term creditors refer to amounts due to be paid after a year e.g., bank loan or mortgage.

CREDIT BROKING AGREEMENTS

This can also be called ‘broker’, ‘affiliate’ or ‘commission’ agreements’, and is an agreement that sets out the terms between a credit broker, who links a company or an individual looking for finance with a company or individual willing to provide it, for a fee, normally known as a a commission payment.

GOVERNMENT BACKED LOANS

Also called a Government backed guarantee. Government-backed business loans work very much like commercial business loans offered by banks and other lenders, with the exception that they are funded or guaranteed by the UK Government. This type of finance makes essential funding available to new and existing businesses owners where a commercial loan might not otherwise be available.

LIABILITIES

The opposite of assets, liabilities are what you owe other parties, such as bank debt, wages, and money due to suppliers, also known as accounts payable.

OPEN BANKING

Open Banking refers to the process of banks and other financial institutions opening up data for regulated providers to access, use and share.

PROFIT & LOSS STATEMENT

Profit and loss (P&L) statement refers to a financial statement that summarises the revenues, costs, and expenses incurred to show the profit or loss made or forecast during a specified period.

RECOVERY LOAN

The Recovery Loan Scheme (RLS) is a government scheme that supports access to finance for small and medium sized UK businesses, so they can grow and invest. It provides a government backed guarantee to a finance provider so they might be able to provide finance to customers who may not meet ordinary lending conditions.

START UP LOANS

Start Up Loans are personal loans that are used to start a new business.  A Start Up Loan is a government-backed personal loan available to individuals looking to start or grow an existing business that has been trading for less than 36 months in the UK. All owners or partners in a business can individually apply for up to £25,000 each, with a maximum of £100,000 available per business.

The terms above are just a short list of the terms you might come across in your search for business finance. If you need support with a new or ongoing application, or want to chat to an expert to look at your options, get in touch with the team at Let’s Do Business Finance today.

❛❛ Finance affects every business decision –from the number of employees hired, to your annual budget and long-term goals ❜❜

Many businesses are now engaging freelancers and self-employed consultants to fill the roles they can’t recruit for. It can be a cost effective way to help you move your business forward but it does have its pros and cons.

By Pam Loch

TAKING ON FREELANCERS/ CONSULTANTS

THE BENEFITS

For a business, engaging someone on a freelance or consultancy basis can provide a lower risk option when compared with recruiting employees.

As they are self-employed, the usual raft of employment laws will not apply to them – in effect offering business protection from claims in the Employment Tribunal. There will also be lower costs as there is no liability for holiday or sick pay or a requirement to pay employers’ National Insurance as this obligation rests with the individual or their service company supplying their services rather than the business.

From the consultant/freelancer’s perspective, working on a self-employed basis usually gives greater freedom, truly flexible working and the potential for higher earning opportunities. A business may not only see this as a cost effective solution to help plug gaps in skills and experience but also a way to facilitate growth in a tight recruitment market.

THE CHALLENGES

Taking on freelancers or self-employed consultants does present some challenges, but with careful planning and advice before starting, risks can be reduced.

Firstly, it is important to consider whether they could be regarded as an employee or worker and are there any ‘hidden’ employment or worker rights. Whilst a written agreement may state

that someone is working as a freelancer or consultant, how things operate on a day-to-day basis in practice may be different. If there is a disparity here, there is the possibility that the individual could be considered an employee or a worker from a legal or tax perspective, despite the contractual wording.

Employees have statutory rights, for example there is holiday and sick pay, maternity and parental pay and leave, redundancy entitlements, the right not to be unfairly dismissed and protection from being subjected to a detriment as a result of whistleblowing.

Developments over recent years with the ‘gig economy’ have led to significant growth in case law on the status of employees, with a third category of ‘worker’ status being established. This worker category sits somewhere between an employee and the self-employed, giving some but not all the statutory rights that employees have.

It is therefore important that as well as having the appropriate agreement in place, the freelancer or consultant is truly working on a self-employed basis.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO LOOK OUT FOR?

It’s very important to have a written agreement in place. When considering the terms in the agreement, businesses have to tread a fine line between wishing to maintain control, in order to protect the business, yet not being so controlling that the obligations being placed on the freelancer or consultant are more like those of an employee.

In particular, the parties should ensure the agreement is carefully drafted to cover off the following key areas:

n INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

In an employment relationship, it will generally be the case that any intellectual property rights created during working hours whilst using work materials/premises will automatically belong to the employer. However, with a consultant or freelancer arrangement, the default position will be that they, as the creator, will own the intellectual property in the works unless the contract clearly states otherwise.

It is not uncommon that, in addition to their expertise, a consultant will bring their own pre-existing intellectual property rights to use in a business. It is important to set out clearly which rights the consultant will retain and which will transfer to the Company, including the right to be credited if that creation is to be exploited in the future.

n NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENTS (NDA)/CONFIDENTIALITY

Whilst a consultant or freelancer may have valuable expertise to add to a particular project, which can help lead to growth in new areas of the business, it also raises risks for the business where highly secret information which could be useful for competitors, is placed in the hands of a relatively unknown individual.

In an employment context, an employee would have fiduciary duties where they would be required to act in the interests of the employer. However, there are no such duties for the genuinely self-employed and therefore it’s necessary to include terms to protect the business, either in the consultancy contract or in a separate NDA.

n SUBSTITUTION

The right of a consultant or freelancer to appoint a substitute (to carry out the role in their absence) is an important factor in establishing that an individual is genuinely self-employed. This ability to substitute will negate any obligation for the individual to carry out the work personally, and in turn this will mean they are less likely to be considered an employee or worker.

Whilst it will be in both parties’ interests to ensure that this right to substitute exists, from the business perspective they will want to ensure that any substitute that is appointed will provide the required level of service satisfactory and that the risks involved in working with them are minimal. However a truly self-employed relationship would not allow an employer to decline a substitute.

n RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS

Restrictive Covenants are terms that will apply to the individual for a set period of time after the contract ends, such as non-compete and nonsolicitation clauses. Generally, these are not commonplace in freelance or consultancy contracts due to their very presence being a factor that could suggest an employer/employee relationship. However, in certain circumstances in may be possible to include these, but legal advice should be sought before doing so.

n WORKPLACE CULTURE

From a practical perspective, when you engage a freelancer or consultant, you will usually want to have them fully integrated into the business so they feel a part of the team.

If a freelancer/consultant feels that they are included as part of the team, rather than separate from it, they are more likely to align with your brand/values and develop deeper loyalty to the aims and aspirations of the organisation.

However, this is where the danger lies because it leaves the business open to being challenged if HMRC investigates as they will use the level of integration as evidence that the person is an employee or worker. The business could then face penalties, interest charges and fines. Additionally the freelancer or consultant may challenge their status later and bring Tribunal claims as an alleged employee or worker if the relationship sours.

It’s important therefore to carefully consider if freelancers or consultants are what you need and ensure you know how to work with them to avoid tax or legal obstacles later. The starting place is making sure you have the right documentation in place and if you need help with that, please get in touch with us.

Pam Loch, Solicitor and Managing Director of Loch Associates Group www.lochassociates.co.uk

❛❛ From the consultant/ freelancer’s perspective, working on a selfemployed basis usually gives greater freedom ❜❜

THE 14th GATWICK DIAMOND BUSINESS AWARDS THE 2023 FINALISTS ARE ANNOUNCED!

So, who are the best businesses in the Gatwick Diamond Region?

You’ll need to wait until March 23rd to find out, but the finalists in each of the categories for the prestigious Gatwick Diamond Business Awards have now been announced

The Gatwick Diamond is home to a vast range of businesses, spanning all sectors of the economy, from household names to niche companies, and from multinationals to sole traders. So, the winner of a Gatwick Diamond Business Award must stand out in this impressive business community.

All Award winners will have shown innovation and inspiration in their work, and demonstrated a real commitment to this world-class economic area.

Winners will be announced on March 23rd, in the Empress Suite of

The Grand Brighton, where our celebrity host, Kerry Godliman, will present the Awards and entertain us through the evening. A special thank you goes to our Headline Sponsors – Elekta Ltd and Gatwick Airport Ltd.

The evening will get off to a flying start with a pre-dinner reception, sponsored by Castle Corporate Finance, and will be rounded off in style with live music and an opportunity to network and celebrate at our After-Show Party.

During the evening a prize draw will take place. Prizes include return flights to New York, JFK, kindly donated by

Delta Air Lines, and Dinner Bed and Breakfast in a Seaview Room, courtesy of The Grand Brighton. All monies raised from the draw will go to our eligible and very worthy gdb charities.

Sally Brown, General Manager of Gatwick Diamond Business said, “I would like to thank all the people who took time out of their busy schedules to prepare and submit awards entries this year, and congratulate those who have made it to the final three. The entries get stronger year on year, so that in itself is a huge achievement and worthy of celebration.”

THE FINALISTS IN EACH CATEGORY ARE: APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR

sponsored by Chichester College Group

• Greta Thornton – Reigate Manor

• Sophie Rodrigues – Scaramanga Agency

• Amy Elston – Home Smart Energy

EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR

sponsored by Arora Group

• Daniel Richards – Acumen Law

• Sarah Lyons – Creative Pod

• Mark Range – Elekta Ltd

EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR

sponsored by Reigate & Banstead Borough Council

• EMW Law LLP

• Ridgeview Wine Estate

• Storm12 Ltd

ENVIRONMENTAL CULTURE AWARD sponsored by Control Energy Costs Limited

• Elekta Ltd

• Eshcon Ltd

• Ridgeview Wine Estate

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by Sussex Chamber of Commerce

• Avtura Ltd

• EBISS UK Ltd

• Elekta Ltd

MANUFACTURING BUSINESS OF THE YEAR sponsored by Elekta Ltd

• Bakers Garden Buildings

• PVL UK Ltd

• Thermco Systems Ltd

NEW BUSINESS OF THE YEAR sponsored by University of Sussex Business School

• AVPlacements

• MOCHARA

• PRSNT Ltd

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FIRM OF THE YEAR

sponsored by Crawley Borough Council

• Acumen Law

• Family Law Partners

• Mayo Wynne Baxter LLP

THE AWARD FOR BEST FLEXIBLE WORKING PRACTICE sponsored by Flexibility Matters

• Cloud Insight

• Creative Pod

• EMW Law LLP

THE AWARD FOR COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTION sponsored by Loch Associates Group

• Best of British Events

• Community Transport Sussex

• Elekta Ltd

THE AWARD FOR CUSTOMER DELIGHT supported by Rosemary French, OBE

• Bakers Garden Buildings

• Cleankill Pest Control

• Extech Cloud

THE AWARD FOR THE PLACE TO MEET sponsored by Sub-Cool FM

• EMW Law LLP

• Holiday Inn London Gatwick Worth

• Sofitel London Gatwick

BUSINESSPERSON OF THE YEAR

sponsored by Richard Place Dobson

• Tim Rylatt – UK Growth Coach

• Simon Pringle - Red River

• Toni Chalk – Strive AV

BUSINESS OF THE YEAR (UP TO £1M TURNOVER) sponsored by University of Sussex

• ITDS Managed Services Ltd

• Kingsway Care

• Scaramanga Agency

BUSINESS OF THE YEAR (OVER £1M TURNOVER) sponsored by EMW Law LLP

• Cleankill Pest Control

• Denbies Wine Estate Ltd

• Kelgray Products Ltd

THE AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO THE GATWICK DIAMOND

This prestigious award recognises outstanding personal contribution to making the Gatwick Diamond a great place to do business. It celebrates personal commitment to the Gatwick Diamond and extended leadership rising way above the individual’s direct business or professional responsibilities.

Find out more by visiting www.gatwickdiamondbusinessawards.com or follow @gdbizawards on Twitter for real-time updates on the night.

Maarten Hoffmann meets one of the UK’s most prolific and successful entrepreneurs

A SIT-DOWN WITH… BARONESS MARTHA LANE-FOX President of the British Chambers of Commerce

Back at the dawn of the dot-com era, Martha Lane-Fox founded lastminute. com with her business partner Brent Hoberman. After growing the business to become one of the leading e-commerce brands in Europe with a valuation of $1 billion, they took the business public in 2000. This experience set the tone for the rest of Martha’s working life, which has ‘always encompassed something digital or something entrepreneurial’.

A catastrophic car accident in 2004 resulted in the complete reorganisation of Martha’s working life, leading her to work across the public, private and governmental sectors in the years since. Martha has sat on boards for a range of organisations, including Channel 4, Marks & Spencer, Twitter and Chanel.

She has worked in Government for Gordon Brown and David Cameron, helping to set up the Government Digital Service and Gov.uk, and sits in the House of Lords as a crossbench peer. She has also set up a karaoke business called Lucky Voice, founded the Doteveryone think-tank and currently chairs WeTransfer.

Her varied experience highlights the fact that Martha doesn’t fit into just one box. She enjoys pulling the threads between her work across sectors and looks forward to bringing this wealth of knowledge to the British Chambers of Commerce in her new role as President.

Given your vast and varied experience, what advice can you offer to entrepreneurs? Firstly, being an entrepreneur isn’t for everyone. We’ve created an incredible respect and understanding of entrepreneurship, way more in this country even than when we were starting lastminute. com. Businesses are being started way more frequently and if you look at the numbers, we have many, many more entrepreneurs or people that call themselves entrepreneurs in the country. But I don’t think everybody needs to be one. It’s hard starting your own business. It’s not for everybody.

That doesn’t mean you can’t think like one, it doesn’t mean you can’t use the skills of an entrepreneur in whatever you’re doing. That, to me, means being able to ask good questions constantly, not feel as though anything’s off limits in terms of understanding, being persistent. Often work is boring. And no more boring work happens than when you’re starting a business. You have to do every job, some of which are boring. You have to go to people hundreds of times to get them to say yes to one thing.

The second thing is, if you are starting your own business and you can find somebody to work with, it’s immensely rewarding. These are tough times, but if you can share that burden, you can see around more corners. I think that’s the thing that I come back to again and again – if you find that right partner, it can be immensely rewarding.

As the new president of the BCC, what excites you about the future of British businesses, and also the BCC and the Chamber Network across the UK?

One of the reasons that I was thrilled to join the BCC is because it does seem to represent the best of British. It’s got an amazing voice and punches way above its weight. I respect how Chambers, on an individual level but also at a national level, have built a real force to be reckoned with, that the Government takes seriously – which is no mean feat.

I think on a more personal level, I was very excited to become President because I hope to be able not only to learn, which I’m sure I will from all of the Chambers, but also, because I’ve got this slightly strange and eclectic mix of experience. I hope I can add something into the mix as well and bring some of that to bear.

It would be insane of me to sit here and say that we weren’t in a tough spot. This is not an ideal moment. We’re facing some very strong headwinds; at the individual business level whether it’s rising costs and supply chains, or at the national level. We have massive skills problems. We have rising inflation. We have challenges. But I’m sure that this country has incredible innovation and immense potential to keep reinventing itself and keep building business.

We need different voices to be raised. We need to make sure that different voices are embedded in the heart of policymaking. And that is what the BCC is doing, what I know the businesses that work in the Chamber Network are doing, and what I want to help do as well.

What area do you think holds significant potential to grow the British economy and businesses over the coming years?

Firstly, we haven’t even begun to digitise yet. Everything that can be digitised is going to be. The software revolution is only just starting. I’m sure some of the businesses in the Network think, ‘oh my God, I can’t cope with any more technology’ but I’m sorry, I have to tell you that we haven’t even seen the beginning of it. And there are massive opportunities not only to reinvent your own business, but also to reinvent us as a country and the skills we have and services we offer.

❛❛ Her varied experience highlights the fact that Martha doesn’t fit into just one box ❜❜

Martha advising PM David Cameron

Martha with her Lastminute.com business partner, Brent Hoberman

The second area just has to be climate-related innovation. Whether it’s energy-related innovation or whether it’s climate tech-related innovation, or food reinvention, there are so many opportunities. I think we, as a country, have a huge heritage in manufacturing, in agriculture, in all the things that need to be reinvented. So those are areas that I think are very exciting, and those are going to be the trillion-pound businesses of the future. So we want to be able to gobble up as much of them as possible, improving the planet and our profits in the process.

What will the digital revolution of the coming years look like for businesses?

We need to encourage all businesses to constantly think of themselves as digital businesses in order to be able to survive by 2030. And that means investing in infrastructure, reimagining processes, upskilling, reimagining their products and services. The challenge with this is it doesn’t stop, it’s not like a checkbox.

Digital transformation is a never-ending process, which again, probably will fill many of our members with horror

because they think, ‘oh I’ve just completed that IT project’. But the truth is, we don’t take enough advantage of the digital world in this country.

When I started my business in the 90s, I imagined that by the mid 2020s we’d have digital entrepreneurs everywhere, in all shapes, sizes, colours, backgrounds. Sadly, we haven’t, so there’s a massive opportunity in upskilling more of our general population.

More women, more people of colour, more people from different socio-economic backgrounds, if they’ve got different technical skills, I believe they will be able to start better businesses and grow the whole pie for everyone. So, from every angle, there’s still work to do, but I’m hugely optimistic. We’re a small country. We’ve got so many of the factors. We just need to keep pushing.

You started the Lucky Voice chain of karaoke bars – where did the inspiration for this business stem from?

It came from a love of Japan. I love travelling to Japan. I went a couple of times when I was younger. And then two friends said, ‘why has nobody ever done

karaoke like the Japanese?’ So, we did. We started it, and now we’ve got about 12 venues, some in franchises around the country, and it’s going gangbusters. I think people more than ever after Covid want to spend money on things that feel more meaningful than just going to the pub or eating food that’s way overpriced.

I’m not running it, but I’m close to it. I have a hand in small business. I do understand the challenges of a cash flow. We’re thinking constantly about what does this mean looking into the next year; not knowing whether people are going to have cash in their pockets to want to go and enjoy our services. I feel that very keenly and I look forward to sharing those experiences with members.

I really am looking forward to going around the country and meeting businesses. I feel I’m so lucky to have a small voice in this country, and I want to deploy it by understanding what’s going on. One of the absolute joys of doing the work I did in Government in the past was getting the opportunity to go around and get a fast track into different parts of the country. And I’m really looking forward to doing that again. I’m going to Manchester soon, to Poole, to Birmingham and I plan to be in other places too. I’m really looking forward to meeting Chambers and their members.

What are your interests outside of your very busy working life?

I love reading. I read all the time. I was absolutely thrilled last year to chair the Women’s Prize for Fiction judges. The winner was a novel called Hamlet by Maggie O’Farrell which is completely astonishing. I love that. But for non-fiction, I’ve just finished reading a book called The Changing World Order, by a private equity expert called Ray Dalio. He’s American. He’s very famous, he founded Bridgewater. But he’s written about how empires rise and fall and what the economics behind that is and how it can predict the future and what it means for business.

Basically, my time is taken up by reading, in the karaoke bars or with my two six-year-olds – and that’s enough!

❛❛ If you are starting your own business and you can find somebody to work with, it’s immensely rewarding ❜❜

Being in business today is more than just about turning a profit. Businesses have a responsibility to all stakeholders, and not just shareholders, in the way they operate and the impact they have on the environment.

By Jason Edge, Marketing Director, Mayo Wynne Baxter

BEING A B CORP BUSINESS

Customers and employees are more demanding on businesses and expect them to not just be good at delivering their goods and services but also to be good corporate citizens. By that I mean that businesses are expected to be greener, charitable, and supportive beyond just delivering their core activity.

Look at most corporate websites and I am sure that they will declare that their organisations go beyond the expected in this regard. At Mayo Wynne Baxter, we have always had a strong commitment to our clients, our people and the communities we serve, but by what criteria could we and like-minded businesses measure ourselves?

Back in 2006 in the United States, three friends, who shared a vision to make business a force for good, formed B Lab which became known for certifying B Corporations. These are companies that meet high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency.

By the end of 2007, there were 82 B Corps and the movement gained momentum as more businesses wanted to publicly demonstrate that they took responsibility for their impact on the broader world around them. By February 2023, there were 6,017 certified B Corps across the globe including 1,161 in the UK.

Organisations with certified B-Corporation status are legally required to consider the impact of business decisions on their people, customers, suppliers, communities and the environment, ensuring a balance between purpose, people and profit.

The benchmarks needed to achieve accreditation are incredibly high and the auditing process is rigorous, with non-profit B-Lab independently scoring companies across governance, workers, community, environment and customers to determine the business’ social and environmental performance.

B Corp Certification is a designation that a business is meeting high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials. In order to achieve certification, a company must:

n Demonstrate high social and environmental performance by achieving a B Impact Assessment score of 80 or above and passing the risk review. Multinational corporations must also meet baseline requirement standards.

n Make a legal commitment by changing their corporate governance structure to be accountable to all stakeholders, not just shareholders, and achieve benefit corporation status if available in their jurisdiction.

n Exhibit transparency by allowing information about their performance measured against B Lab’s standards to be publicly available on their B Corp profile on B Lab’s website.

❛❛ For other businesses wanting to join us as B Corp certified I should warn you, it’s not an easy accolade to achieve or to hold on to ❜❜

In May last year, Mayo Wynne Baxter (MWB) became a part of the UK’s largest legal and professional services group Ampa – and the group has now been awarded B-Corporation certification.

Dean Orgill, MWB’s chief executive partner, said, “This is a key milestone in our ambition to change the world of business for good. We believe we can be both purposeful and profi table, and our B-Corporation values are embedded in our business strategy and fully supported from the top-down. We also take great pride in helping our clients achieve their sustainability goals.

“As we continue to grow our group, we are looking for likeminded professional services brands to join Mayo Wynne Baxter and the wider Ampa group, whether they have B-Corporation status or not, and we can support them in their growth strategy as well as better business practices to people and the planet.”

Ampa also includes the brands CSS Assure, Shakespeare Martineau, Lime Solicitors, Marrons, and Corclaim, employing more than 1,300 people over 18 hubs across the UK and is the largest legal and professional services group to have achieved B-Corporation accreditation.

Helen Hay, group head of culture and sustainability at Ampa, said, “This is a huge achievement for us and demonstrates our commitment as a group to use business as a force for good for our people, planet, communities, and clients.

“We’re really proud to have achieved our highest score for how we treat our people, including our approach to pay and reward, our wellbeing initiatives and benefits and embedding professional

development support and opportunities across the group of brands.

“We keep ourselves accountable through our responsible business ambitions that are constantly tracked and analysed, pushing us to do better and achieve more. So far, we have achieved a number of our ambitions across diversity and inclusion, reducing landfill waste and carbon emissions, as well as supporting young people in our local communities.”

For other businesses wanting to join us as B Corp certified I should warn you, it’s not an easy accolade to achieve or to hold on to. In December last year it was widely reported that the controversial beer brand BrewDog had lost its status as a B Corp less than two years after joining the scheme.

Jason Edge, Marketing Director jedge@mayowynnebaxter.co.uk

www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk

❛❛ Businesses are expected to be greener, charitable, and supportive beyond just delivering their core activity ❜❜

Another research company based at Surrey Research Park has made a major breakthrough in the field of medical treatment

A leap forward in the diagnosis of inaccessible brain tumours

Brain cancer is the 12th most lethal cancer in the world, taking the lives of more than 250,000 adults each year. According to Brain Tumour Research, in England alone, every two hours, someone is diagnosed with a brain

tumour, and in the wider UK, there are an estimated 16,000 yearly diagnoses. At present, no blood test is available for diagnosing brain cancers, and doctors have to rely on complex surgical procedures to obtain tumour tissue for evaluation. This, however, is now changing thanks to Datar Cancer Genetics, a world-leading oncology research and applications company specialising in non-invasive cancer detection, diagnosis and management.

❛❛ Brain cancer is the 12th most lethal cancer in the world, taking the lives of more than 250,000 adults each year ❜❜

Early this year, Datar, which has advanced testing facilities at Surrey Research Park in Guildford, received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ‘Breakthrough Device Designation’ for its revolutionary blood test to help in the diagnosis of brain tumours.

The goal of this formal identification is to expedite patient access to certain medical devices and device-led combination products that provide for more effective treatment or diagnosis of life-threatening or irreversibly debilitating diseases or conditions. With ‘Breakthrough Device Designation’, the development, assessment and review of a device can be accelerated while preserving the statutory standards for premarket approval.

Datar Cancer Genetics’ risk-free and patient-friendly liquid biopsy, dubbed TriNetra-Glio, has been developed to detect the cells released in the blood from the brain tumour, which are extremely rare and notoriously difficult to detect. It is indicated for patients where a brain biopsy, although necessary, cannot be performed or has been unsuccessful due to the location of the tumour or other constraints.

A research team at Imperial College, London, conducted a blinded, prospective study on TriNetra-Glio to evaluate the test, and the results showed that the liquid biopsy detects brain tumours with high accuracy.

shorten the diagnostic pathway that would inform surgeons, I find this technology of significant interest.”

Dr O’Neill continues, “In particular, the intended indication to provide a liquid biopsy diagnosis from a simple blood test where tumours are deemed inoperable or inaccessible will truly address an unmet clinical need. I have found this test to be highly sensitive and specific. This breakthrough technology has true diagnostic utility by detecting cells rather than picking up molecular indicators of disease, which, until now, liquid biopsies have been based upon.”

TriNetra-Glio is the third test from Datar Cancer Genetics to have been granted ‘Breakthrough Device Designation’.

It previously secured approval for its tests for early-stage detection of breast and prostate cancers.

The team at Datar believes that relentless research, bold initiatives, sustained commitment and an unapologetic determination to succeed against cancer will help us defeat the disease.

The company’s blood-based cancer management tests are based on unique technologies and hold the promise of major breakthroughs. TriNetra-Glio is expected to have a huge impact on the diagnosis of brain tumours, and Datar’s portfolio of next-generation sequencing-based tests will continue to grow, leading to new, advanced clinical capabilities.

The study was led by Dr Kevin O’Neill, Consultant Neurosurgeon, Chairman of the Brain Tumour Research Campaign and Principal Investigator for the Brain Tumour Research Charity’s Centre of Excellence, who explains, “In my opinion, a non-invasive blood test that detects circulating tumour cells (CTCs) would help to address many of the problems associated with complex brain tumour diagnosis. As a surgeon working on other technologies to define the tumour and functional boundary during surgery to a molecular level of accuracy and to www.surrey-research-park.com https://datarpgx.com

DOWNLOAD THE ANNUAL REVIEW

❛❛ The results showed that the liquid biopsy detects brain tumours with high accuracy ❜❜

By Daniel Morgan, Managing Partner, Haines Watts Esher

THE IMPORTANCE OF TRACKING NON-FINANCIAL KPI s

ness as a numbers game, but the health of your business goes beyond your headline financials. While revenue, profi t and loss are all key measures of a business’s success, non-financial KPIs can be equally important in seeing the full picture of the business.

FINANCIAL VS NON-FINANCIAL KPI s

Financial and non-financial KPIs look at different sides of your business’s overall performance. Financial KPIs focus on tangible elements such as monetary values and are a backward-looking metric focussed on historic data. On the fl ipside, non-fi nancial KPIs tend to be forward looking, providing context to your financial information.

As an example, if your revenue dropped significantly, your non-financial KPIs can provide the why. Did your reputation take a hit? Have you lost key relationships with your customer base? Non-fi nancial KPIs fill in the gaps and help to predict outcomes from your business activity.

Your non-fi nancial KPIs are also more likely to be aligned with your wider business strategy. Your values and purpose are unlikely to be solely finance based. If your goal is to run a sustainable business, revenue won’t be a good indicator of this. Instead, you’ll need to track metrics such as carbon footprint, energy consumption or supply chain miles.

WHAT NON-FINANCIAL KPI s SHOULD YOU BE TRACKING?

The KPIs that you track will depend hugely on your business and its overall strategy. Essentially, anything that provides valuable information to help your business reach its goal is something that you should be tracking.

Common areas that provide valuable insights include:

1Teams

Your people are your most valuable asset so ensuring that they are happy and engaged is vital. Staff turnover and satisfaction can inform your people strategy moving forwards. If your turnover is high and information gathered through satisfaction surveys shows that morale is low then you know the area you need to work on to keep your teams engaged.

2 Customers

How you measure the success of your relationships with your customers will depend on the context of your business. If you aim for long-lasting relationships, then keeping track of customer retention will be key.

If your business works primarily on word of mouth, then keeping track of how new customers find you (particularly whether this has been a referral) may be where you want to focus your time.

3 Effi ciency

How well your processes are running can have a big impact on your bottom line. If your revenue is dropping this can often be the missing piece of the puzzle.

How many overdue projects do you have? How many deadlines have been missed? What is the lead time for your existing customers, and can this be improved?

The main reason that non-financial KPIs are neglected by business owners is that they can feel hard to measure but this has become much easier in the digital age.

If you want to discuss the main KPIs you should be tracking, get in touch.

www.hwca.com/accountants-esher

T: 020 8549 5137

E: esher@hwca.com

❛❛ While revenue, profit and loss are all key measures of a business’s success, non-financial KPIs can be equally important ❜❜

With a shrinking recruitment pool and certain skills in high demand, SMEs face significant challenges recruiting and retaining staff in 2023 and beyond. Sussex Innovation’s HR consultant Monica Beckles outlines some of the challenges ahead, and a range of strategies that business leaders might adopt

How to recruit in a tight labour market

Throughout the second half of 2022, my colleagues at Sussex Innovation spoke to the region’s established SMEs about their biggest emerging challenges in the wake of several years of political and social upheaval. Without fail, every business owner we interviewed mentioned some form of obstacle to recruitment.

There are several larger trends behind this. The drop-off in skilled workers migrating from EU nations following Brexit has impacted the pool of available talent, particularly in the manufacturing, healthcare and hospitality sectors. We have also experienced the far-reaching effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, with huge numbers of people furloughed, made redundant or taking leave with long-term ill health.

The lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 forced many of us to re-evaluate what we want out of our relationship with work, and it was predicted at the time that the workplace might never be the same again. As ‘normal’ life has gradually resumed, the aftereffects of the great resignation are still being felt.

There has been plenty of Government research released in recent months about ‘economically inactive’ groups –those who are not currently part of the labour market. The Institute for Employment Studies suggests that around 800,000 people left the UK workforce during Covid and are yet to return.

At Sussex Innovation, we offer insight and consultancy to help businesses broaden and diversify their recruitment strategies. Every sector and every organisation is different, but there are a few common issues we have identified and recommendations that we can make.

DON’T DISCOUNT OLDER GENERATIONS

Many employers - particularly in sectors dependent on technology – have an unconscious bias towards hiring from younger age groups. However, ONS data suggests that by far the largest group to leave the workforce over the past few years have been people in their 50s and 60s. While there are some emerging fields that naturally skew towards a younger, ‘digital native’ demographic, many of the older generation possess skills and experience that are still in high demand.

There is a perception that none of this group are actively seeking to rejoin the workforce, but qualitative studies suggest that this might not be entirely true. While many older workers took early retirement during the move towards remote work, a segment of them remain open to new opportunities. The problem is that recruitment strategies are not always targeted towards them.

WRITE MORE INCLUSIVE JOB ADS

It’s not only older recruits who can feel excluded by the marketing of roles. Many job ads cut out a significant portion of their potential audience by not offering a clear diversity and inclusion statement, or even something as simple as using gendered language.

There is a whole host of reasons why a perfectly suitable candidate may choose not to apply for a role based on first impressions – whether it’s a lack of obvious accessibility for someone with a disability, or provision for minority religious holidays and

practices. Take the time to review your ads through different eyes before you publish.

People living with a disability are an especially underemployed demographic. Research suggests that not only are many roles performed to an equally high standard by disabled employees, but loyalty and motivation tend to be higher among this group than others. A commitment to recruiting people living with a disability and other diverse individuals promotes inclusiveness and empathy among employees, improving workplace culture and customer experience.

WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE ROLE?

Another reason that job ads pull from a narrow band of potential employees is that they try too hard to describe the ‘perfect’ candidate. Think hard about which skills, experience and aptitudes are essential to the role, which can be learned over time, and which would simply be a bonus.

For example, many adverts proclaim that the candidate must have “three years’ experience in [industry]”, immediately narrowing down their audience to a very small group. What is it about this experience that is most relevant to the candidate being able to do their job? What industry-specific knowledge could be learnt over time? Could your requirements instead be positioned as “three years’ experience developing [skill]”?

DO YOUR RESEARCH

Review how your competition are recruiting – it’s often easier to spot flaws in someone else’s strategy than it is to notice your own! What are they communicating about themselves, and how can you position yourself differently?

It’s also an extremely valuable exercise to benchmark what salaries others in your industry are offering for different roles and levels of experience. Are you paying the market rate – and if not, why not? If you can’t afford a senior professional right now, can you present your opening as a junior or graduate level role, and promise to develop their skills with associated pay increases over time.

Is your business reconsidering its recruitment and retention strategy to face challenging labour market conditions? Sussex Innovation can help you to defi ne a stronger workplace culture and emerge as a high-performing and inclusive organisation. Talk to us about alternative recruitment strategies, competitor salary benchmarking, role scoping, job ad review and copywriting, and access to graduates from the University of Sussex.

www.sussexinnovation.co.uk

❛❛ The drop-off in skilled workers migrating from EU nations following Brexit has impacted the pool of available talent ❜❜

Focus Foundation celebrates the success of its inaugural Winter Ball

The black-tie event, hosted on Saturday February 4th at the Hilton Brighton Metropole, attracted over 350 people from various local businesses and charities in support of its mission to connect communities to make a positive and lasting difference to people’s lives. In so doing, the event raised nearly £80,000 for Sussex-based charities.

The glamorous event was packed with entertainment, including performances from The Brighton Party Band, renowned violinist Andrew Bernadi and the E3 Events dance troop to name a few.

Focus Foundation’s funding is directed at charities that support one of its three core pillars: underprivileged children and young people; mental health initiatives; and community projects.

50% of the proceeds from the Winter Ball have been ring-fenced for local charities, WOLO Foundation, Off the Fence, Rockinghorse, Table Talk and Starr Trust, with the other 50% being distributed to other qualifying charities and projects in the county.

Additional entertainment on the night included the live grand finale of the Sussex Superstars with performances from five talented finalists, hosted by BBC Radio Sussex’s Allison Ferns and judged by a panel of celebrity guests including Anita Dobson, Jacquie Brunjes and Jack Pallister.

The winner of the Sussex Superstars competition, Emily Milton, was awarded a £1,500 cash prize and the opportunity to perform on the main stage of the UK’s biggest gin festival.

The event was deemed a success by its organisers, Focus Foundation, after raising almost £80,000 for local causes.

Chris Goodman, Founder and Trustee at Focus Foundation said: “On behalf of the Focus Foundation team, I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who played a part in making this event a success. These funds will have a huge impact on our charity partners and make a positive and lasting difference to the people and communities they support.”

www.focusfoundation.org.uk

Across all industries and roles, women are promoted at a slower rate than men with every 86 women promoted to manager for every 100 men. Sadly, it’s much worse in tech. Only 52 women are promoted to manager for every 100 men. Caroline Sands of Odgers Berndtson suggests ways to improve this

The importance of mentorship and sponsorship for women in technology

These are stunning statistics given the volumes of data showing the most gender-diverse companies outperform the least gender-diverse companies. In fact, data from McKinsey shows they are 48% more likely to outperform those lacking gender diversity.

For the most part, technology companies know this and want to do something about it. So how do we square this circle? A serially underutilised approach is mentorship and sponsorship. Done right, this can be the key to unlocking critical career transitions and overcoming the glass ceiling.

As an executive headhunter with a network of women leaders, and a dedicated women’s mentoring programme, this is something we know is crucially important. Mentoring helps women broach discussions about salary and progression, challenge biases and expectations with confidence, improve self-promotion and capitalise on their strengths.

Sponsorship is arguably even more important as a woman’s career progresses. While a mentor offers advice, a sponsor is an advocate – a role that essentially boils down to ‘putting in a good word’ to the right people. It is invaluable in providing opportunities to grow and develop. Research shows sponsorship accelerates career advancement considerably.

With men holding the majority of leadership roles in technology, both mentors and sponsors are likely to be male. While the gender doesn’t matter, their understanding of women’s behaviour does. Women are far more likely to undervalue their own skills and be self-depreciating over self-promoting. Across all levels, women tend to rely on recognition for their delivery rather than having to advertise it. A good mentor will know this and help draw out a person’s strengths, giving them the confidence to establish their abilities and achievements.

Mentoring also works in the context of significant discussion points or transitions. For those settling into a new role or organisation, a mentor can help navigate the culture, the politics, and develop relationships. The benefits extend beyond just those for the mentee. New hires from diverse backgrounds will quit within one month if they don’t feel like they belong in their new company. A mentor can therefore go a long way in retaining

❛❛ Simply knowing someone ‘is in your corner’, that a senior leader has your back, is a huge confidence boost for women ❜❜

top talent. They can also be pivotal simply as a ‘voice in the room’ helping provide a different perspective about career progression and salary increases in conversations between a mentee and their line manager.

Sponsorship also has multiple benefits. Simply knowing someone ‘is in your corner’, that a senior leader has your back, is a huge confidence boost for women who can feel underrepresented. Women are also more likely to suffer from imposter syndrome than their male counterparts.

A good sponsor will help identify ways of stepping up, letting them know of opportunities as they become available. They will connect them with the right people, outline the skills and training they might need, and coach them on

building their profile. This all serves to unlock an employee’s true potential, and in return the business reaps the benefits of greater diversity in senior positions.

Finding a mentor or a sponsor is quite simple, and we’ve found most leaders and organisations are open to the idea, even where no formal scheme exists. We advise people to approach someone they admire. They can be someone in the same company, or external. Ideally this is someone who has been successful at what a mentee wants to learn. Unless that person is already mentoring several people or they feel like they’re the wrong person for that mentee, there’s unlikely to be resistance. The prospect of being considered good enough to be a mentor is flattering for most leaders and they’ll jump at the opportunity.

A mentee can have more than one mentor but more than three is unnecessary. The most successful mentormentee relationships are ones where

the mentee has driven the agenda and knows what they want from the mentoring. While the mentee should be clear about what they want, the mentor should be responsible for the arrangement itself, which includes structuring the sessions on things like performance reviews, delegating tasks or building skills in negotiating or public speaking.

Finally, the act of asking a senior staff member in an organisation to be a mentor can be an excellent way to develop a sponsor. Most leaders want to help others succeed, especially if they know there’s a combination of talent and a desire to progress. There’s no better way of showcasing this than in a relationship with a mentor.

Caroline Sands is a partner and head of the CIO & technology officers practice at global executive search firm Odgers Berndtson. She has over 15 years’ experience in executive level technology appointments and connecting high-performing women leaders with businesses of all shapes and sizes.

E: caroline.sands@odgersberndtson.com www.odgersberndtson.com

❛❛ Women are far more likely to undervalue their own skills and be self-depreciating over self-promoting ❜❜

Kate Bendix interviews fellow MDHUB Member – Clare Wilkinson of Hot Horse Ltd

THIS GEEK SPEAKS YOUR LANGUAGE

Picture the scene. After years of loyal service, your laptop is no longer fit for purpose. You’ve achieved extraordinary things together, but the time has come, and you need a newer, faster model. You’re about to have a tech midlife crisis. Giddy as a schoolgirl, you skip on down to Shiny Things R Us to gawp at retina displays while discussing RAM and hard drives (like you know what you’re talking about) with the young salesperson until you stumble across The One. And it’s two grand.

Here’s your dilemma: You need a laptop; you love this one; it’s shiny, but you have no idea how it works, why it’s so expensive, or even if a five hundred quid model will do. But the young salesperson swears blind it’s perfect. What do you do? Have a word with yourself? Take a punt? Phone a friend?

Imagine that scenario if you’re running a large organisation whose digital ecosystem needs a significant overhaul, and you don’t know your JavaScript from your API. You need professional help, a freelance Chief Technical Officer (CTO) or Digital Transformation Officer (DTO) to come in and guide the strategy. Clare Wilkinson is your woman. She is your digital phone-a-friend.

Clare and her husband Will have run Hot Horse for over 20 years, developing and designing bespoke online software focused specifically on efficiency.

As a freelance CTO, Clare can view a project from either standpoint, having been both a service provider and a client. She says, “I am a geek who translates. It’s reversing my skillset from designing the solution to spotting the gaps in someone else’s digital strategy and rollout.”

What does a freelance CTO or DTO do? It’s a bit like being a wedding planner. A digital transformation is a delicate and expensive process, fraught with opinions and too many choices. It’s Clare’s job to ensure you get the Vera Wang gown you paid for and down the aisle without a hitch.

❛❛ Clare Wilkinson is your woman. She is your digital phone-a-friend ❜❜

“It’s the same as anything else; you don’t know what you don’t know. A company without the competence of a full-time CTO or DTO may lack the knowledge and confidence to design and commission a big digital project themselves, especially one with such high stakes. That company hires someone like me to oversee the project and help with strategy, planning, specification, tendering and contracts, and reporting to the board.”

Hiring a freelance CTO comes with all the benefits of buying in a service: value for money, flexibility and being an unbiased sounding board are a few. But when it comes to digital, most of us don’t have a clue what we’re looking at beyond the device we hold in our hands or the software we use every day. The CTO does. And when it comes to value perception, a reasonably priced project to a developer can feel like a mugging to a client.

“I am unbiased because I don’t have any skin in the game besides ensuring a positive outcome for everyone. It’s my job to knit the client and supplier teams together by acting as chief interpreter and hogwash detector. I handle the technical conversations with the supplier and translate them to the client. It’s my job to reassure them and explain why something costs as much as it does, but also protect them from unreasonable additional charges.

“Equally, when a job costs £10,000 more than the client expected it to, I speak up on behalf of the supplier because I know it’s a reasonable cost for that piece of work. The supplier knows I’m an expert who also does what they do for a living, which makes for better communication and an easier life. I’d question the intentions of any supplier that didn’t appreciate a client having a skilled CTO on their project team.”

“It’s a bit like being a relationship counsellor.

“I have tremendous enthusiasm for the work and the value I can add to a client’s business and future growth. I only struggle to tell a potential supplier they didn’t get the gig because I know how much hard work goes into a pitch. I wouldn’t say I like making that phone call.

“I don’t get to connect face to face that much with a lot of my work, so I class my MDHUB peers as my colleagues. It’s a real privilege to belong to such an exciting group of people of the calibre MDHUB has built over the years. I’ve grown in confidence and come to understand my value.

“I learn something new whenever I meet with my peer groups. I’m swimming every day for a year to raise money for the Trussell Trust, and I realise that being an MDHUB member is just like exercise. You know you should go, a thousand other things are vying for your attention right now, but you fit it in and always feel better afterwards.”

So, if your laptop is dead, do your research and hit the shops. If your company is growing and your digital strategy is no longer fit for purpose, Clare is your shiny thing in waiting.

www.hothorse.com

If you are interested in finding out more about the MDHUB, please visit www.mdhub.co.uk

Email MDHUB Directors: Fiona Shafer: fiona@mdhub.co.uk or Phil Green: phil.green@mdhub.co.uk

❛❛ I don’t get to connect face to face that much with a lot of my work, so I class my MDHUB peers as my colleagues ❜❜

Cleankill Pest Control has been named as a finalist in two categories –Business of the Year Over £1m and The Award for Customer Delight –of this year’s Gatwick Diamond Business Awards

Cleankill shortlisted for two Gatwick Diamond Business Awards

The Business of the Year Over £1m category recognises high-performing companies with an exceptional track-record of achievement that do the right thing for their clients, people and the Gatwick Diamond Community. The Award for Customer Delight recognises companies that consistently go above and beyond expectations in the delivery of first-class customer service.

Cleankill Managing Director Paul Bates said: “It’s a real privilege to once again be shortlisted in the Gatwick Diamond Business Awards. Over the years we’ve been lucky enough to be finalists several times and to have won the Responsible Business of the Year and Green Business of the Year (twice).

“As a company we always strive to go that little bit further, giving our customers that little bit more in terms of service and results. It is very encouraging to be shortlisted in both the Business of the Year Over £1m and Customer Delight categories. These categories go to the heart of what we are trying to achieve in terms of running a business.”

Paul believes entering awards should be a key part of every company’s marketing strategy.

“It’s invaluable to have someone looking at your business from the outside in, and being shortlisted or winning ratifies what you are doing. If we don’t win, then we look at the winners and what they are doing that we aren’t. To be honest it doesn’t matter whether you run a pest control business or an accountancy firm, the KPIs are all the same.

“There are many different types of

awards. With some you simply submit an entry and then the organisers choose the winners. The Gatwick Diamond Awards are different as they carry out interviews to test and verify your entry. If you win you get the kudos; if you lose you get useful feedback from the judges. Admittedly entering awards takes a lot of effort and time especially if word counts are limited and you’ve only got a few hundred words to tell your story, but it’s worth it. If you don’t have the expertise to write your entries, consider asking for help from previous winners at networking events.”

Paul also says that companies shouldn’t forget the ongoing marketing opportunities that winning offers.

“A win is good publicity for the next 18 months (no longer as it becomes irrelevant). Put it on websites, trade

journals and your email signatures – an award should give you year-round promotion and differentiate you from your competition. Winning is a badge of quality that is recognised by other independent business owners and often offers excellent networking opportunities.”

Five reasons for entering awards:

n Brand awareness, PR and marketing.

n Staff morale.

n Sets you apart from competition.

n Helps you improve.

n Networking opportunities.

www.cleankill.co.uk

❛❛ Entering awards should be a key part of every company’s marketing strategy ❜❜ Paul Bates, Cleankill MD

Fifteen years ago, we all faced the horror of Madeleine McCann’s disappearance and the years and years of searching, questioning and wall-to-wall media coverage without a single idea of what happened to her.

There is also the case of Ben Needham, who disappeared whilst on holiday with his parents in 1991 in Greece and the years of coverage and searching.

This phrase is often used, but l can say with total confidence that Anger Management is back due to public demand

By Maarten Hoffmann

DISCLAIMER:

All views stated here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this publication

BEYOND COMPREHENSION

And only last month, there was the wall-to-wall coverage of the disappearance of Nicola Bulley whilst walking her dog.

Why, then, is there so little coverage of the 222 refugee children that have disappeared from their hotel accommodation since October 2022?

Of these, 130 vanished from a hotel in

Brighton! Gone, vanished, disappeared into the ether and no-one seems to give a damn. If these were British children, the world would stop, the newspapers would clear the first 20 pages, and thousands of police and concerned citizens would be hunting, and the television news would be awash with stories.

THIS IS FIVE FULL CLASSROOMS OF CHILDREN!

❛❛ 130 vanished from a hotel in Brighton… If these were British children, the world would stop ❜❜

So, is this because they are refugees and we don’t care about them as they are poor foreigners who shouldn’t be here in the first place? If so, shame on us.

The ruling Green Party in Brighton have looked the other way claiming ‘they are not our responsibility’. The Home Office speaks with a forked tongue because the Chief Inspector of Borders & Immigration reported in October that the Home Office does not accept corporate responsibility for these children.

There is little doubt that these children have been forced into county lines drug gangs and child prostitution, and other things we dare not think about and it appears no-one cares.

This shocking situation has occurred for two reasons. First, the actions of Conservative Home Secretaries Priti Patel and Suella Braverman who have, without precedent and completely outside of the law, moved lone children into the city, abandoning them in hotels, with no meaningful safeguarding. The indefensible cruelty and neglect of the Conservatives at Westminster knows no bounds.

Peter Kyle, Labour MP for Hove said: “It’s hard to explain in words what I saw’. Kyle is among those who, from day one, have been seeking answers from the government after visiting the hotel which, in an unrelated twist, is owned by a company whose directors include children of notorious property magnate and ex-convict Nicholas Van Hoogstraten.

One Iranian boy he met had lost both his parents back home. “On arrival in Brighton he had been separated from his friend, who had tested positive for Covid, with whom he had journeyed with from Iran. He was in a state of such anxiety his face was pinched and his legs were buckling. He didn’t know where his friend had gone,” he said. This fits the wider picture of uncertainty painted by non-governmental organisation workers monitoring the children.

Ellen Tansey, safeguarding manager at the Refugee Council, said the children in the Brighton hotel, as in others she visited, appeared to have no designated social worker and none of the usual access to services.

“They were mentally affected by the haphazard way in which some among them were moved swiftly into care while others were stuck in the hotel for more than a month,” she said.

“This state of uncertainty made them more open to exploitation. You can appreciate if someone turns up and says to a child without any knowledge of how the UK asylum and child protection systems work, ‘you could be deported, or I could drive you to London and give you a job in a car wash’, even though it’s a risk, they might take it,” she said.

In one case last year, when a bystander had reported two boys being driven off from outside the Brighton hotel, Sussex Police intercepted the vehicle on the motorway. Two men were arrested and are under investigation for human trafficking.

The government carries 100% of the responsibility for this shameful nightmare. It has failed miserably to get to grips with the migrant crisis despite the hot air spouted on a daily basis. Once these kids arrive on the small boats, they stick them in coaches and dump them in hotels around the country.

There is no safeguarding, no social workers, no guidance, and often with no information passed to the relevant council who are supposed to care for them. And this appalling practice started in 2021, so how many thousands of children have been trafficked within the UK?

You will not know and nor will l as the government will not tell us.

❛❛ The indefensible cruelty and neglect of the Conservatives at Westminster knows no bounds ❜❜

By Travel Editor Tess de Klerk

48 HOURS IN YORK

York, the picturesque riverside city encircled by ancient walls, was a very pleasant surprise indeed. Its fascinating Roman and Viking history reaches back 2000 years and every street and ginnel (Yorkshire dialect for alleyway) seems to reveal yet another historic site or pretty view. This city is not stuck in the past nor sitting on its laurels, though. York is buzzing with a thriving cultural scene, innovative independent eateries and shops plus super cool hipster hangouts and welcoming neighbourhoods. It’s the ideal size to explore on foot too and perfect for a weekend break – or longer.

NOT TO BE MISSED CIRCUMNAVIGATE THE OLD CITY ON TOP OF THE MEDIEVAL WALLS

Don’t miss the walk along York’s City Walls - this was the highlight of our trip! It is the longest medieval wall in England, and a fascinating way to get your bearings, and see the city from unique angles. The whole route takes around two hours but with the various entrances and exit points, it’s possible to pop in and out where ever you please. One section to pick is the part overlooking Grays Court Hotel and its beautiful gardens and York Minster’s gothic glory.

A VISIT TO THE MIGHTY YORK MINSTER

The honey-hued Gothic cathedral is majestic - inside and out. Marvel at the architectural masterpiece with the largest concentration of medieval stained glass in Britain. Book a Hidden Minster Tour, where expert guides take visitors to hidden spaces, normally closed to the public. Once above the terracotta rooftops, take in the wonderful 360° views of the city and beyond as far as the chalk White Horse of Kilburn — the trek up is so worth it.

MEANDER THE SHAMBLES

The Shambles wins the title of York’s most visited street. It would be remiss not to mention this perfectly imperfect, medieval, cobblestone street, which once housed York’s butchers and is now a popular tourist attraction. Try out The Shop That Must Not Be Named, Monk Bar Chocolatiers, and Shambles Kitchen.

n Who you gonna call?

York’s been called the “Most haunted city in Europe”, with an untold number of sightings and haunted buildings; be spooked on a guided ghost walk or bus tour. Popular choices include The Bloody Tour of York, The York Ghost Bus Tour, The Original Ghost Walk of York or The Deathly Dark Tour. Or down a few at The Golden Fleece pub which reportedly is the most haunted pub in York with 15 resident ghosts. The Shambles

York Minster

EAT & BE MERRY

We loved Ambiente Tapas in Goodramgate with its Tabanco bar and unpretentious atmosphere. Go there for mouthwatering tapas and a fine selection of Spanish sherries. www.ambiente-tapas.co.uk/ goodramgate

Although Melton’s Restaurant’s chef, Michael Hjort trained with the Roux brothers at Le Gavroche, his own establishment has a wonderful lack of pretension, a relaxed atmosphere and reasonable prices for what is one of York’s best restaurants. Melton’s has been a fine dining institution, serving

WHERE TO STAY

GRAYS COURT HOTEL

Grays must certainly have York’s smartest address; tucked between the historic, largely 17th-century Treasurer’s House, the Minster and the medieval city walls. With only 12 rooms this hidden gem has generous, elegant areas in which to take in its illustrious history. The Grays’ garden soothes the soul and it’s most definitely worth stopping by for lunch, even if you can’t stay overnight. Grays is certainly my first choice for a stay in York.

From £220 per room

www.grayscourtyork.com

THE GRAND YORK

York’s only five-star hotel is appropriately named: it provides excellent service, a wide range of dining options, a spa, and a pool. The original Edwardian features of the building have been admirably preserved, and the bedrooms are neat and spacious while the location is hard to beat for convenience; a five-minute walk from the central train station and less than 10 minutes from York Minster.

From £145 per room

www.thegrandyork.co.uk

THE PARISI TOWNHOUSE

A vibrant, colourful, self-catered holiday let for up to eight people in one of York’s hipper neighbourhoods, with stylish rooms, a mix of retro and modern furniture, and a welcoming atmosphere. The townhouse is immaculate with a lovely courtyard garden and free parking to boot.

From £300 per night www.theparisi.com

British cuisine in York, since opening its doors in 1990.

www.meltonsrestaurant.co.uk

Have your fill with Michelin-starred dining at Roots. Chef Tommy Banks takes his inspiration from his Yorkshire

farming heritage to create tasting menus showcasing some of the best, seasonal produce. The restaurant is modern and bright and the dining an absolute pleasure.

www.rootsyork.com

❛❛ It would be remiss not to mention this perfectly imperfect, medieval, cobblestone street, which once housed York’s butchers ❜❜

Porsche Taycan Turbo S

Never had l heard anything so ridiculous as a Lamborghini SUV or an electric Porsche, but both have become reality.

By Maarten Hoffmann

The Lamborghini Urus is a brilliant piece of automotive engineering (albeit, just a flash and very expensive Audi Q7). Here, however, we come to the anomaly of an electric Porsche – the Taycan.

As with all very fast EVs, this one comes with its limitations, such as the range. It’s around 280 miles for the standard car if you drive like a vicar. However, put your foot down to enjoy what this car is meant to do, and you might struggle to make it between charging stations.

Charging to 80% in around 20 minutes is good but that depends on finding on the DC chargers capable of delivering 270kW – and they are as rare as hen’s teeth.

Dull as it is, l have to make some comparisons to the Tesla (yawn). It is not as fast to 62 mph as the Tesla, won’t go as far on a charge, and costs more. That said, it’s a Porsche and that badge carries weight so, is it worth a £75k starting price?

As with so many cars these days, it’s based on another platform, that of the Audi e-tron GT, and has quite a few flavours. The bog standard is rear-wheel drive with 79kWh; the 4S adds another e-motor with a bit more power but the

same battery. Then the Turbo and Turbo S get more power from a 93kWh battery and go like the clappers.

Now, you might ask what on earth is a Turbo badge doing on an EV? Stuttgart considers the word ‘Turbo’ to be a brand name now rather than an indication of what’s under the bonnet – and that devalues the word, of course.

Outside it is not too bad and has achieved their aim of making it look like a 911, unlike the Panamera, which must be one of the ugliest cars on God’s green earth. This is sleek and smooth, and actually looks like a Porsche.

It is highly entertaining to drive; it’s massively fast, grippy in the corners and effortless to drive. The Turbo S delivers 616bhp and, with a flip of the overboost switch, will deliver 750bhp to rocket you to 62mph in 2.8 seconds. Range is about 250 miles (so call that 210 as they all lie), and at speed you can see how

❛❛ Inside, they have actually managed to make it feel like a proper 911 ❜❜

you will need patience and an up-to-date ZapMap of all the charging stations and the distance between.

They have had a crack at giving it a noise with the ‘Porsche Electric Sport Sound’ but why oh why can we not have an EV that sounds like a proper throbbing V8? The law dictates that soon we will only be able to buy EVs – not that they have to be as silent as a graveyard or whistle like a drunken sailor?

The steering is fantastic and you feel as if you are holding the front wheels in your hands. With such a low centre of gravity, there is almost zero body roll unless you really throw it into a corner. Even then, it is very impressive and, as you are hauling 2.3 tonnes around, even more so.

The carbon ceramic brakes are worth their weight in gold and the factory says that as much as 90% of the time you are braking, you are feeding a massive

TECH STUFF

MODEL TESTED: Taycan Turbo S

BATTERIES: 93.4 kWh

SPEED: 0-62-2.8 secs

POWER: 616 - 750bhp

ECONOMY: 5.6p/mile

PRICE FROM: £75,500

AS TESTED: £142,400

265kW back into the battery via regenerative braking or KERS- Kinetic Energy Recovery system, as developed for F1 cars.

Inside, they have managed to make it feel like a proper 911. As usual with EVs, there are screens everywhere. The dash is digital, there is a screen by your left hand and another in front of the passenger – for some very odd reason. It’s only a stretch of six inches for the passenger to reach the centre screen so it seems to be a screen for the sake of a screen. Driving modes are Range, Normal, Sport and Sport+ and all are controlled by a dial on the steering wheel. It’s all new but if you are used to driving porkies, you will feel at home quite quickly.

The rear seats are a decent size but

passengers over 5’8” will be uncomfortable on a long journey. However, go for the panoramic roof and you get a tad more headroom.

The perennial issue with fast EVs is that you can’t drive them fast unless you want to spend 80% of your day charging it, which kinda takes the fun out of it. Solid state batteries are coming, but not for now.

As someone who had a slight Porsche addiction back in the day, with a cracking red 1982 911 Turbo with a tail fin the size of Texas and rear tyres that lasted 500 miles from the constant insane acceleration, l have to say that a 911 with four doors is just wrong, wrong, wrong.

That said, it’s probably one of the very best electric cars on the market.

PLATINUM

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With over 40 years of experience in selling and servicing Mercedes-Benz vehicles, we pride ourselves on being experts in this iconic brand. Our simple goal is to continue to deliver award-winning service from each of our retailers throughout Surrey.

With over 40 years of experience in selling and servicing Mercedes-Benz vehicles, we pride ourselves on being experts in this iconic brand. Our simple goal is to continue to deliver award-winning service from each of our retailers throughout Surrey.

Our customers are our main priority, which is why we aim to deliver the most pleasant purchase experience possible. This promise extends right through to our aftersales and My Service™ scheme, making your service as flexible and convenient as possible. We also have a number of schemes designed to benefit our range of customers, including our ‘Sandown Platinum Programmes’, which offers significant service and MOT discounts for owners of ‘mature’ Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

Whatever your Mercedes-Benz needs, Sandown is a friend of the family.

Our customers are our main priority, which is why we aim to deliver the most pleasant purchase experience possible. This promise extends right through to our aftersales and My Service™ scheme, making your service as flexible and convenient as possible. We also have a number of schemes designed to benefit our range of customers, including our ‘Sandown Platinum Programmes’, which offers significant service and MOT discounts for owners of ‘mature’ Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Whatever your

For more information please contact the team at Sandown Mercedes-Benz on 0330

For more information please contact the team at Sandown Mercedes-Benz on 0330 178 1801.

Sandown, a friend of the family.

REGULARS

Events

2 Entries are open for the second Dynamic Business Awards

News

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

11 Bizarre News: A few stories to make your mind boggle

Wellbeing

30 Tanya Borowski looks at perimenopause - a very different beast to menopause

Further reading

34 Introducing Anna Eliatamby , who has just published the new series of pocketbooks to help people flourish in their careers and workplaces

Art scene

36 The artworks of Jemma Gowland, as described by art critic and curator Kellie Miller

Girl torque

40 Fiona Shafer gets all rock n roll in the VW T-Roc

What’s on

42 A brief snapshot of art and culture across Sussex and Surrey

SPOTLIGHT

26 Joanna Hunter, founder of Piglet’s Pantry, multi award-winning pie maker, talks to Dynamic about her journey

28 Karen Davis, award-winning beauty subscription box enterpreneur, flying the flag for middle-aged women

29 Emma Inch, award-winning beer writer among a host of highly respected UK female beer writers

38 TRAVEL

Going solo

Why Tess de Klerk believes everyone – women especially - should travel solo at least once

CONTACTS

FEATURES

The value of change

12 Alison Jones from Kreston Reeves underlines the importance change, and how we should embrace it not fear it

24

Circle of support

Your close-knit network is quite rightly made up of people you trust. But does your power team include a financial adviser?

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

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

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

WWW.PLATINUMMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

The seeds of success in every nation on Earth are best planted in women and children

Joyce Band

EDITOR’S NOTE

An extra special welcome to the March issue of Dynamic Magazine. Here at Dynamic, we tend to go all out on March 8th which is, of course, International Women’s Day. is year, the focus is on Embracing Equitysomething we like to believe that we strive for at all times.

In honour of this all-important day, we are delighted to announce that Dynamic is sponsoring a 12-week mini MBA course for all women who run their own business or are in a senior management role within any SME and are determined to level the playing eld. Read more about this on page eight.

On top of our regular features this month we’ve also approached many wise women and men and asked them what International Women’s Day means to them.

As always, we feature remarkable women in Spotlight, and among our regular features, Anna Eliatamby shares her knowledge of how to create psychologically safe environments in the workplace in Further Reading, while Tanya Borowski brings perimenopause to our attention in Wellbeing.

Our pages are jam-packed for your reading pleasure. I hope that you enjoy this month’s Dynamic.

Tess de Klerk

Editor, Dynamic Magazine tess@platinummediagroup.co.uk

To celebrate International Women’s Day, 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 secession planning.

Benefits:

n In-depth training

n Invaluable 1:1 business mentoring

n Bespoke Growth Action Plan

n Low cost, high impact

n Peer-to-peer networking

n Time away from your business to work on your business

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.

Next course dates:

Brighton April 25th or June 12th

Crawley/Gatwick April 21st

MODULES AND

DELIVERY STYLE

To facilitate busy work schedules, the course is a mix of both online and in person workshops. 1

6

YOUR GROWTH PLAN

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

n Identify what drives productivity and growth in your market, and understand what this means for you

n Learn how to advance responsible business practices, including more inclusive and greener practices

n Understand how to innovate your business model, including adopting and investing in new and digital technologies

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 to save time and money

100% FREE FOR DYNAMIC READERS

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.

BOXING FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS IN GAZA

At Gaza’s first female boxing club, women and girls are fighting prejudice. In a region where boxing has traditionally been considered a man’s sport, the club is challenging gender stereotypes. It also provides a path for girls who want to pursue a career as a boxer, as well as a respite from life in the territory, which is surrounded by Israel and Egypt.

“I benefit a lot from boxing,” Farah Abu Al-Qomsan, a 15-year-old boxer at the club, told Reuters. “My ambition is to represent my Palestinian people and take part in world championships.”

IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

SPEAKING OF FORESTS...

A WELCOME CHANGE IN THE AMAZON

An operation to drive out illicit miners from the Brazilian Amazon has begun. This is an encouraging sign that President Lula is keeping his promise to defend the rainforest and its Indigenous residents.

The area along the Uraricoera river, which is home to Yanonmami tribal lands, has been used by mining mafias to traffic tin and gold from illegal excavations since the 1970s. The presidency of right-wing Jair Bolsonaro saw an influx of 25,000 miners, along with bloodshed and disease among the Yanonmami people but government troops have now set up camp to protect the area.

Brazil’s environmental protection agency, Ibama, with support from the national guard, has destroyed aircraft, weapons, boats and heavy plant machinery used by illegal mining crews. Some miners were reported to be quitting the region ahead of the offensive.

Readers may be surprised to learn that Britain has temperate rainforests, but fragments of these habitats still exist along the Atlantic coast, and a project has been launched to expand them. The Wildlife Trusts, a conservation charity, has launched a 100-year project to protect and expand Britain’s temperate rainforests, thanks to a £38 million donation from the insurance company Aviva.

Rainforests grew all along Britain’s Atlantic coast hundreds of years ago, but now cover less than 1% of the land. They are vital carbon sinks, biodiversity hotspots, and natural wonders. “These woods are magical and much loved by those who visit and live near them,” said Craig Bennett, chief executive of The Wildlife Trust. “We’re looking forward to working with communities to bring back rainforests along the Atlantic coast.”

COLOMBIA SAYS NO TO FOSSIL FUELS

The Colombian government has announced that it will no longer approve new oil and gas projects.

Irene Vélez, Colombia’s minister for mines said, “We have decided not to award new oil and gas exploration contracts, and while that has been very controversial, it’s a clear sign of our commitment in the fight against climate change. This decision is absolutely urgent and needs immediate action.”

THE UK’S NET ZERO ECONOMY IS BOOMING

A report by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) suggests that net zero efforts are worth £70bn to the UK economy, and that green jobs pay more, with salaries averaging £42,600 compared to a national average of £33,400.

The report said that firms involved in the energy transition have brought jobs and investment to parts of the UK that were experiencing industrial decline. It calculated that 840,000 jobs are now linked to the net zero industry.

“Businesses in the net zero economy are adding £70bn to the UK economy,” said Peter Chalkley, director of ECIU. “The net zero economy is addressing levelling-up and the UK’s productivity problem, but with the EU and US investing heavily in clean technologies, the question now is – can the UK keep up?”

It spawned Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and The Specials, and now the Midlands has given birth to a new music scene comprised entirely of all-female, middleaged punk bands. What started with one performance in a sticky-floored venue in Leicester has morphed into the Unglamorous Music project, which so far has helped to launch seven bands. Albums out soon.

FREE AT-HOME RAPID HIV TESTS ARE

The UK government said in December that the end of HIV transmission in England was ‘within reach’, but warned that a drop-off in testing during the pandemic has hampered progress. As part of a national effort, free home HIV tests giving results in just 15 minutes, are now available.

Dr Thomas Waite, deputy chief medical officer for England, said: “If you have HIV, finding out early means you can start free treatment, live a long, healthy life and avoid passing the virus on to others.”

Tremendous amounts of talent are being lost to our society just because that talent wears a skirt

Shirley Chisholm, first African-American woman elected to U.S. Congress

NOW AVAILABLE

I am thankful for my struggle because, without it, I wouldn’t have stumbled across my strength

Alex Elle

❛ ❛

Be messy and complicated and afraid and show up anyways

Glennon Doyle Melton

AN IMPROBABLE PUNK SCENE TOOK ROOT IN ENGLAND

BARBIE DOLL WITH SCOLIOSIS UNVEILED

A barbie doll maker has made history by introducing its first doll with scoliosis. The toy company’s line for Barbie’s little sister, Chelsea, will see a new addition that features curvature of the spine and a removable back brace, aimed at normalising the equipment and encouraging children to celebrate inclusion.

The team at Mattel worked closely with Dr Luke Macyszyn, a board-certified neurosurgeon and specialist in children’s complex spinal disorders, who advised the designers throughout the doll’s development.

The 15cm doll wears a pink dress and has a removable green back brace, white shoes, and her brown hair is styled in waves.

In 2022, the company also released its first Barbie with hearing aids – supported by Strictly Come Dancing winner, Rose Ayling-Ellis.

INDIA ASKS CITIZENS TO ‘HUG A COW’

Valentine’s Day may have come and gone, but India’s government-run animal welfare department appealed to citizens to mark the day not as a celebration of romance but as “Cow Hug Day” to better promote Hindu values. The government-run Animal Welfare Board of India said that, “hugging cows will bring emotional richness and increase individual and collective happiness.”

Devout Hindus, who worship cows as holy, say Valentine’s Day goes against traditional Indian values. In recent years, Hindu hardliners have raided shops in Indian cities, burned cards and gifts, and chased hand-holding couples out of restaurants and parks, saying it promotes promiscuity.

However, the day after the appeal, the Animal Welfare Board withdrew its request, because… politics.

bizarre NEWS

THE WEIRD AND SOMETIMES NOT SO WONDERFUL...

BURNT CHEESE TOASTIE

A group of students in London recently turned a toaster on its side in an attempt to make a cheese toastie, which sparked a blaze that soon gutted the entire room. There were, fortunately, no reports of any injuries.

Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters from Sidcup, Bexley, East Greenwich and Lee Green fire stations attended the scene. Part of the ground floor of the three-storey block was damaged by fire.

Firefighters are now warning people ‘not to use toasters on their side to make cheese on toast’. A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: ”The fire started after a resident placed a toaster on its side and inserted bread and cheese. They then left it cooking unattended. Only use electrical products for their designated use.”

‘DEAD’ WOMAN FOUND BREATHING IN FUNERAL HOME

An investigation has been launched after an 82-year-old woman was pronounced dead at a New York nursing home –only to be found breathing three hours later at a funeral home.

The woman was declared deceased at Water’s Edge Rehab and Nursing Centre at Port Jefferson on Long Island at 11.15am on Saturday February 4th. Suffolk County police in New York State said the woman was taken to the funeral home at 1.30 pm, where she was discovered breathing at 2.09pm.

She was later taken to a hospital, where no update on her condition was made available.

MAN RECEIVES BAN FOR DUI ON A SCOOTER

A man who wanted an early-morning snack after a night of drinking has been banned from driving.

Liam Smith, 20, was spotted on his step-mum’s three-wheel e-scooter with a woman on the back at 4am on January 14th. He was then seen staggering into a branch of McDonald’s in Malvern, Worcestershire, by police officers called out to another incident.

They breathalysed him and he was found to be three times over the drink-driving limit. Smith’s pursuit for a McMuffin has left him with a two-year driving ban and fines totalling £412.

MCDONALD’S TOLD TO REMOVE ‘TASTELESS’ SIGN

Fast food giant McDonald’s has removed a sign advertising one of its burgers after it was branded ‘tasteless’ due to its position opposite a crematorium.

The advertisement is for a chicken breast fillet in a crispy, crunchy coating. So when you advertise anything ‘crispy’ near an establishment responsible for putting deceased people into a huge furness, it’s hard not to make the connection.

Unfortunately, this connection wasn’t considered when the advert for the McCrispy appeared on a bus stop directly opposite Penmount Crematorium in Cornwall, as the sign is literally positioned behind another pointing to the crematorium, resulting in it being described as ‘tasteless’.

By ALISON JONES, Partner, Kreston Reeves

THE VALUE OF CHANGE

For reasons beyond all our control, 2023 is likely to be a year of change for many businesses and individuals. Change can be unsettling, it disrupts, and it is often feared. But not all change is bad or has negative consequences. Change can be an opportunity to revaluate business activities and operations and this in turn can add signi cant value to your business.

Times of great change historically have been when some of the most successful organisations and brands have been born including Disney in 1929, Revlon in 1932 and Microsoft in 1975.

Have you given thought to what changes could be on the horizon for your business and if there is an opportunity to add value or bene t from it? I’m sure the answer is yes given economic events of the last six months, but let’s just take a step back rst.

Few predicted (or be honest, took seriously) the risk of the global pandemic in the run up to March 2020, yet this seismic, global event and its legacy has ultimately

brought signi cant change for all of us. Personally, it has also brought bene ts to my working life and that of the wider team around me.

Bene ts my colleagues and I now have include a better work/life balance and change to workplace policies, such as the freedom to dress for the day ahead depending upon who you are meeting. We have more face-to-face meetings on platforms such as Teams or in person. All this means we’re more relaxed and open as a team, know each other better and this makes us more supportive, re ecting in our work for clients. is bene ts us personally, but also has a wider business value.

I think most people agree agile working arrangements suit most people, and they are here to stay. We’ve all proved the bene t to our businesses and the value to ourselves and it is now a key part of the recruitment package on o er by many rms.

Agile working has a value that, for many people, money simply can’t buy, as it buys time and choice within personal lives. It creates a signi cant amount of goodwill and trust within an organisation. It’s an intangible asset for many businesses, but one which also adds nancial value through happier and more motivated sta , better performing teams and reduced turnover of sta .

Dressing for the day might not be that new in many workplaces, although it used to be just ‘dress down Fridays’ for many rms. However, allowing us more personal choice about what we wear makes us feel more comfortable and con dent as well as giving us a certain amount of personal freedom. I think this makes us all feel more of an individual, and improves our business relationships.

Change can be unsettling, it disrupts, and it is often feared.

But not all change is bad or has negative consequences

Teams meetings have taken the formality out of many workplaces. We are used to interrupting delivery people, partners, children and pets. We know all their names and it’s refreshing to see that our colleagues have the same daily distractions that we do – it’s just life now. Teams also means we chat more to people face to face – rarely just over the phone now. at helps to build stronger, more personal relationships which are so important in many business sectors. Just three examples there but all changes which have been for the better.

If you have identi ed change on the horizon for your business, that’s good news, as in reality it can be very hard to predict. How your business prepares for and adapts to change is important.

Pre-Christmas, we noticed that clients seemed ‘stressed’. ey were busy, had a lot on their plate, were dealing with a lot of sudden change and many were a bit on the back foot. ere was the unexpected economic turmoil and uncertainty in the early autumn from the Liz Truss Premiership; this was di cult to have planned for.

At the same time, the nation also grieved for the loss of the Queen. Despite her grand age, I don’t think many of us had given a thought as to how her passing would a ect us and our businesses, and many people I spoke to feel a little part of our Britishness and cultural identity has been lost with her passing. All this a ected many people in many di erent ways, and it was di cult to predict or plan for.

e good news is that ever since Christmas, I think we’re seeing much more resilience in the wider business

community, and clients are feeling more in control and better equipped for riding out whatever ongoing economic storm – and the inevitable change it brings lies ahead. It is certainly going to be challenging for some business sectors with the squeeze on household budgets, but don’t forget the good news that the UK economy deed predictions and grew in November by 0.01%. is means it’s not technically in recession, and this will I think help many businesses at least maintain the status quo this coming year.

I encourage you to use this year to revaluate business goals, objectives and the plans needed to deliver them. Look at all the factors which in uence your decision making, talk to your stakeholders and especially your employees. ere are many more tools and real time data available to the business leaders of today to help make better informed and timely decisions than there has been during previous periods of economic uncertainty.

And remember having a good team around you, who you trust and can bounce ideas o is invaluable. So, let’s not fear change, let’s embrace it, meet it head on and make it work for us this year.

Agile working has a value that, for many people, money simply can’t buy, as it buys time and choice within personal lives

With March 8th being International Women’s Day, this is a great day of celebration for all that women have achieved, often within a system designed by men and, in the main, run by men. This is changing fast but not fast enough. Dynamic Magazine thought we would celebrate this all-important day by asking an array of high achieving women (and men) what the day means to them

#EMBRACE EQUITY

To Dynamic publisher, Maarten Hoffmann, IWD is around achieving is around achieving gender equality globally. The day is a chance for all genders to reflect on how far we’ve come to reaching this – and how much more we still need to do. We can use the other 364 days working hard to achieve it!

KAREN DOBRES

Former Director, Lewes FC

Speaking as a woman in a male bastion who trained myself not to make tea at board meetings, here’s how to celebrate March 8th. First, and you need to be a man to do this, make (don’t buy) female co-workers a hot drink. Ask them exactly how they like it beforehand, so you’ve the right milk, coffee, teabags ready. Then offer them a cuppa on March 8th.

TESS DE KLERK

Editor, Dynamic Magazine

To me, IWD invites celebration and reflection on how far women’s rights have come in a relatively short period of history. At the same time, I’m reminded of the lack of liberty faced by so many women in different parts of the world. There is still much work to be done.

JULIET

Founder & CEO, 2to3days

IWD is a stark reminder that men still earn the majority of the world’s wealth and women do the majority of the world’s work. According to the WEF it will take 132 years to reach gender parity! We all need to help accelerate the pace of change; actions speak louder than words.

ABI WRIGHT CEO, Spabreaks.com

Both within our team and within the wider spa industry we have always been privileged to work with incredible women. Within our own ranks we aim to bring supposedly female characteristics to our company culture, creating an environment that offers compassion, equality and strength for every member of the team. Jacinda Ardern recently said: ‘I refuse to believe that you cannot be both compassionate and strong.’ I think that on International Women’s Day it’s that embodiment of female strength that we should celebrate and remember.

NICK HAMPTON

CEO, Tate & Lyle PLC

Gender balance is crucial for economies and communities to thrive. As a company, we will continue to keep this at the forefront of our commitments, and we are making good progress.

CLAIRE

Founder, Waking up to Autism

To me IWD is an opportunity to stop, reflect and be inspired by the incredible women who are doing incredible things in the world right now. Women supporting women is one of the most magical and empowering things and I am never not moved by how much strength and resolve we have - as individuals and as a group.

IWD is simultaneously an embodiment and celebration of the work done by the women on whose shoulders we stand, and a representation of the work that is still to be done before we can say that we live in a truly equitable – and, consequently, thriving – world.

KROST

ALEXANDRA NOTT

Trade Mark

Attorney, DEHNS

TURNBULL

Senior Corporate Counsel, DMH Stallard

Whatever we do in life there are certain times or dates that cause us to reflect and think. International Women’s Day is one of those for me. IWD is a time to focus on women’s rights and roles. For 2023, for me that is raising awareness of creating a work environment where all people feel accepted and valued.

In 1942, Mary Golda Ross was our trailblazer, she was the first female engineer at Lockheed Martin. Today, many, many thousands of women at Lockheed Martin continue Mary’s legacy as engineers, scientists, mathematicians and other key roles that are pivotal to the success of our company.

An opportunity to meet like minded women and younger women on their way up and share advice; But most importantly to keep the agenda for women as high as possible as key participants in society throughout the world, at a time when we seem to be going backwards.

Area Director, Lloyds Bank

IWD to me is around achieving gender equality globally. The day is a chance for all genders to reflect on how far we’ve come to reaching this, and how much more we still need to do. We can use the other 364 days working hard to achieve it!

Founder, the Float Spa

IWD is a day to celebrate the progression of women, to highlight the incredible achievements of the women around me and raise awareness. IWD is a positive global movement with a very strong global message, easy to relate to and something that is inclusive.

DEBBIE CENAJ

ABIGAIL OWEN

ROSEMARY FRENCH OBE

EMLYN TAYLOR

Group Managing Director, Lockheed Martin UK

CAMILLE PIERSON

DONNA HOLLAND CEO, Rockinghorse Children’s Charity

For me it’s a celebration of the achievements of all women and a call-toaction for the work that still needs to be done. It’s a moment to come together, share progress and unite in action. It’s a reminder that barriers still exist, perceptions still need challenging and that the fight for equality isn’t over.

TRACIE DAVEY CEO, Worthing and Adur Chamber

International Women’s Day is a time to celebrate and reflect on how far we have come! There is still so much more to be done but we are on the right track. Together women are definitely stronger. Let’s keep being brilliant, keep supporting each other and keep making a difference.

Partner, Kreston Reeves

I told some of my team that we were co-sponsoring an event for International Women’s Day and I was surprised by the response of “why isn’t there a day for men?” In some ways this is a valid comment - why should women be treated differently with their own special day? But that is exactly the point. They are not treated equally and this day reminds us all.

YAMINI RANGAN CEO, Hubspot

As an industry we are making progress, but we can’t lose momentum. Women in tech are still grossly underrepresented in leadership, even though femaleled organisations are proven to perform better than those lacking diversity. At HubSpot, we’re investing in leadership development programmes for women and mentorship opportunities, as well as ‘Returners’ programmes for women to get back into the workforce.

ADAMCZYK Chairman, Honeywell

Women are integral to our success. They are innovators, mentors, visionaries, philanthropists, and most of all – they are leaders. Name a future-shaping innovation Honeywell has pioneered over the last several decades, and I’ll show you women who helped make it possible. With strong support for and leadership from women, there is no limit to the success we can achieve.

DARIUS

ALISON JONES

Vice-Chancellor,

Men have to be involved in conversations around equality. They need to take responsibility for their own actions as individuals and consider how their teams, their organisations and their own approach could be more inclusive. Not to do so is to be part of the problem.

Chief Executive, Eastbourne unLtd Chamber of Commerce

International Men’s Day in November raises important social issues like men’s mental health and is celebrated in 80 countries. Women are coming from behind somewhat in that we are still striving for gender equality and pay parity, as well as working to improve our mental health and that of our sons, fathers and partners. To celebrate International Women’s Day, as a businesswoman, I like to bring partners together to overcome barriers to business and benefit the local economy and community as a whole. Networking and supporting other women in business is vital for the benefit of the whole community; working together makes all the difference.

JOHN MAY

CEO, John Deere Tractors

While it’s vital to recognise the achievements of women, these celebrations cannot serve as proof that we’ve reached our goal. Instead, they should serve as an inspiring reminder of how much further we must go to reach gender equality and how much more we will accomplish when we do.

JULIE KAPSALIS

Chair, Coast to Capital LEP

IWD is an opportunity to celebrate the success of women but also to recognise ongoing inequality. It is a reminder of the women who have inspired and helped me on my journey as well as a reminder to call out behaviours that still challenge and discriminate. Lastly it’s a chance to empower the next generation.

PROFESSOR EDWARD PECK

Nottingham Trent University

CHRISTINA EWBANK

RACHEL WATKYN CEO, Tiny Box Company

It’s 2023. We shouldn’t need women’s day. Surely we have equality? The sad truth is that only 35% of parliament are women. In 2022 the gender pay gap stood at 14.9% and 40% of women have experienced unwanted sexual behaviour in the workplace. IWD is an opportunity to instigate positive change.

EMMA LANE Head of Client Relations, Allica Bank

For me IWD is about women’s equality in all its forms. On a business front, whilst women account for 51% of the population but only 10% of the seats at the top table, we have to continue to focus on how we can make a difference and ensure lasting change.

LOUISE PARKES CEO, Great Ormond Street Hospital

As there is no place for bias in the treatment and care of the children and families who access support through Great Ormond Street Hospital, there is no place for it within GOSH Charity. We are committed to doing more than just adhering to our legislative obligations when it comes to addressing gender inequality. We believe that everyone, regardless of gender, has the right to live and flourish without fear or prejudice, and to feel respected and valued.

KIRSTY SADLER Deputy Head of Agriculture, Lloyds Bank

Women play a hugely important role in our rural communities and in UK agriculture, making up nearly 20% of farm owners. International women’s day provides a platform to celebrate their influence and success and inspire future generations of women to join this vital and thriving industry.

ALEX BAILEY CEO & Co-Founder, Bailey & French

IWD shines a light on all the amazing work happening across the world so people can embrace equity. It supports our mission to humanise the world of work now, and for future generations. When there is true equity, we will all feel valued, respected and celebrated for our unique contributions.

In-house law departments have a tremendous opportunity to #EmbraceEquity in the legal profession by exercising their “power of the purse” to promote diversity at the law firms they hire. To help in-house and law firm leaders #BreakTheBias, Burford Capital has expanded its award-winning Equity Project, a programme to improve diversity in Big Law through a $100 million capital pool earmarked to finance commercial litigation and arbitration led by female and racially diverse lawyers.

AVIVIA WILL

Chief Operating Officer, Burford Capital

Is marketing all just digital these days, or could there be a better way to attract, engage and win favour?

Better understanding of your customer, developing the right go-to market strategy, and embedding physical communications in a digital world could become your superpower.

By JARMILA YU, Founder & Consulting CMO, YUnique Marketing

THE DIGITAL DILEMMA

In today’s volatile, uncertain and challenging business world, we need our sales and marketing investments to work hard for us. But how do we know what we should be doing to get the right results? “It’s all just digital marketing now, isn’t it?” is a phrase I hear a lot. My answer to that is “No, not if you want to stand out.”

e pendulum may seem to have swung right over to 100% digital marketing, but I suggest the way to make yourself stand out, in order to get the all-important cut through and engagement to ultimately win favour with your target audience, is to take a strategic integrated marketing approach – and use digital only as part of the mix.

Physical communications have the ability to make a direct connection with our audience on a human and emotional level. Digital can give you reach and measurement. When the right direct and digital strategies are combined in the correct way, starting with, at its core, deep customer insight and built on a strong go-to-market strategy foundation, you’ll be set up for success.

Did you know that “90% of human decisions are made based on emotions?”* Humans may use logic to justify their actions to themselves and others, but feelings have a huge importance in driving decision making and behaviour.

Whilst digital marketing can be a relatively a ordable option to allow you to access audiences far and wide, don’t underestimate the value of touch and physical interaction –between the customer and the business. Depending on your business, the options for ‘touch’ and ‘physicality’ will vary; what’s important is that you don’t overlook the opportunity to build these options into your brand to develop meaningful emotional connections between you and your audience.

In considering what you should be doing, we need to remember also that our customers:

• Are su ering from information overload and have a short attention span.

• Are craving human interaction and like to buy from people and businesses who are ‘real’ and ‘tangible’.

• Have preferences for what, when, where, how and why they consume content.

Did

Arthur Lefford

Adding direct mail or door drops to your marketing mix can increase your ROI by as much as 12%

you know that 90% of human decisions are made based on emotions?

All these facts indicate a need to take a step back, re ect and set the marketing strategy right – one where taking an integrated marketing approach can inform the right messaging development, content creation and individual direct and digital “connected” strategies and tactics.

Let’s talk about direct mail; for most of us a thing of the past, replaced by email. But today, who has time to sift through their unsolicited email inbox? And it’s potentially costly if you’re not getting results or, worse still, you’re making people unsubscribe from your database if they feel spammed.

But won’t integrated cost more because it involves more e ort? Not necessarily. In fact the business case for integrated marketing campaigns is extremely convincing. Who would not want a higher return on investment and improved customer experience and satisfaction?

For instance, adding direct mail or door drops to your marketing mix can increase your ROI by as much as 12%.**

In a B2B environment it can take ve to seven touches before your brand is remembered, let alone someone taking a positive step to interact with you. You can’t have all of those being email.

When text and video are presented on the same page, 72% of people prefer to learn about a product or service from a video.†

We all know that video is a top performing creative medium, but do we all know the multitude of assets where it can be shared from?

THREE TIPS

1Take a piece of content and reuse it in a different creative, innovative, ingenious way; repurpose it for different channels print and online; and recycle it for different audiences.

2 Add direct mail to your digital efforts for an uplift in awareness and engagement; follow up a digital download with print.

3 Use video to bring your team, products or services to life and deliver it in original ways, not just via email links.

YOUR BUSINESS CASE CHECKLIST FOR INTEGRATED MARKETING

n Best practice marketing aligns campaigns to customers and the buyer journey.

n Persona based campaigns/content drives customer focus and greater results.

n Drive the dialogue, own the customer.

n Increase quality and quantity of leads.

n Deliver a better customer experience.

I trust reading this you’re inspired to consider your marketing with a fresh perspective, and how taking an integrated marketing approach in the digital age can help you deliver a greater customer experience to ultimately help you attract, engage and win better business.

* Arthur Le ord

** Royal Mail MarketReach

† Survey the State of Video Marketing

To assess how well integrated your current marketing is, why not take our complimentary Marketing Performance Scorecard?

www.yuniquemarketing.com/scorecard

E: jarmila.yu@yuniquemarketing.com

With increased awareness about the importance of financial well-being, SAMANTHA KAYE from Her Wealth at Wellesley discusses the benefits of adding a financial adviser to your support network

CIRCLE OF SUPPORT

Your close-knit network is made up of the trusted people who support and empower you, and make your life more ful lling. Perhaps it includes family members and close friends as well as a business partner, tness coach or therapist. But how about a nancial adviser? Here are three attributes that make an adviser a great addition to your inner circle.

COMPOSURE

While we women are pros at juggling di erent responsibilities, if you can outsource some of the worry about money matters to a trusted expert, that’s one less thing to think about.

An experienced nancial adviser provides the support and stability required to ensure your nancial plans are acted on. We can also help to remove some of the mental load that comes with things such as planning for retirement, meeting tax deadlines or optimising your investment performance. In the last issue, I talked about why tax planning is more important than ever this year. An adviser can help you check you’ve made the most of your allowances before April 5th 2023.

REASSURANCE

ere are many advantages to having a seasoned professional helping to keep an eye on your nancial a airs. We o er practical, clear advice, as well as calming any nerves that arise from global events – from Covid to the cost-of-living crisis.

We can also give you back the luxury of time, as well as peace of mind, and security that an expert is keeping a watchful eye on your nances – even when it’s the furthest thing from your mind!

Financial advisers come from all walks of life, too – they might be a parent or have elderly relatives to care for and will understand the challenges you face.

Financial advice is collaborative –as advisers, we’re here to support you in making your own choices

Does your power team include a fi nancial adviser?

EMPOWERMENT

Financial advice is collaborative – as advisers, we’re here to support you in making your own choices. By becoming your con dante and having a close bond, we develop a deep understanding of your future goals. We can anticipate your wants and needs, have a like-minded view, and set goals that are tailored to you as an individual.

e adviser–client relationship is designed to be a longterm one, and people often nd that their adviser comes to feel like a member of the family, sitting around the kitchen table as a trusted source of personalised information who knows their situation well, guides them on key decisions and gives them the momentum to keep on top of everything.

POWER TO YOU

A good nancial adviser will get to know you as well as your friends do, bringing a level of tailored specialist support you simply can’t get from anyone else in your network. If you don’t yet have a nancial adviser in your power team, now’s the time to seek one out. Contact me today to arrange a no-obligation chat.

Samantha Kaye Chartered Adviser, Wellesley

E: samantha.kaye@sjpp.co.uk

www.wellesleywa.co.uk

e value of an investment with St. James’s Place will be directly linked to the performance of the funds you select and the value can therefore go down as well as up. You may get back less than you invested.

e levels and bases of taxation and reliefs from taxation can change at any time. e value of any tax relief depends on individual circumstances.

St. James’s Place guarantees the suitability of advice o ered by Wellesley when recommending any of the services and products available from companies in the Group. More details of the Guarantee are set out on the Group’s website www.sjp.co.uk/products.

Wellesley is a trading name of Wellesley Investment Management Ltd. e Partner Practice is an Appointed Representative of and represents only St. James’s Place Wealth Management plc (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority) for the purpose of advising solely on the Group’s wealth management products and services, more details of which are set out on the Group’s website www.sjp.co.uk/about-st-james-place/our-business/ our-products-andservices. e ‘St. James’s Place partnership’ and the titles ‘Partner’ and ‘Partner Practice’ are marketing terms used to describe St. James’s Place representatives. Wellesley Investment Management Ltd: Registered O ce: 44 e Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, TN2 5TN. Registered in England & Wales, Company No. 06530147.

A good fi nancial adviser will get to know you as well as your friends 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

Joanna Hunter

Piglet’s Pantry was formed in 2010 as a small retail bakery outlet in Shoreham-by-Sea. It wasn’t started with a particular vision or goal; just to give founder Joanna Hunter a business and a salary to live on.

13 years and four premises later, the company is now a multi award-winning catering company selling mostly to over 370 sporting venues across the UK. Joanna spoke to Dynamic’s ALAN WARES about her journey so far

e rst thing you notice when you pull up outside Piglet’s Pantry’s factory in Worthing is the aroma. Don’t ever go there while hungry – the smell of freshly baked pastry, along with whatever lling is being prepared at the time, will send you dizzy.

is is Piglet’s fourth premises, and each one considerably larger than the previous one. Jo greets me in the reception area which has doubled for something it looks exactly like –a television kitchen set. It’s daubed in pink; all as a nod to the cartoon colour of piglets.

Jo tells her story. “It was in February 2011; Piglet’s had been launched six months earlier, and I had taken my sons to the new stadium at Falmer to buy their season tickets.

e Operations Director at Brighton & Hove Albion was walking around, and I asked just one question – ‘does “Community Stadium” mean you’ll be using people in the community to supply goods?’ I wasn’t actually thinking to pitch anything to them. I was actually genuinely interested.

“ ey had had a very large pie competitor in the day before but he had put them in the bin and he said they were awful.” Jo o ers a huge grin at that point. She was invited to pitch for the pie concession, having been told that she would need to make 2,500 pies per game. Upon mentioning that gure, she o ers another knowing grin, probably on the back of what we all know now.

Long story, short – she beat all-comers, won the concession, and her pies were an immediate hit. On the day of the stadium’s rst match, all pies were sold out in 15 minutes; 2,500 pies across 27 kiosks - all gone. Ultimately, after six weeks – or four matches – the pie order had gone up to 10,000. is was a major problem. Piglet’s had been using space

at the stadium to make the pies, and now they were being ejected because they were taking up too much room. New premises had to be found - and fast.

“I was given a tip by someone at the University of Brighton about some premises in Worthing,” says Jo. “From e ectively being made homeless, I had to set up a new kitchen, acquire equipment, make 10,000 pies and ful l that order all in one week. I literally didn’t sleep for three days. Others brought in sleeping bags just to get the order out.”

Standard business practice would probably dictate that going from nothing to 10,000 pies in no time at all isn’t the best business model. “It was so poor from my point of view. We had no infrastructure, no investment, no cash. I took out a personal loan with Lloyds. My bank manager back then was very helpful; though it’s the only time the banks have helped me.” Jo remembers.

“I can’t stress enough how having local networks has helped me. I have a nancial advisor, who has found me pockets of investment here and there over the years. ese days, I am a lot more experienced. Back then, I had to learn very quickly about the idea of knowing what I didn’t know. Without that network, I’d have failed.”

e order was ful lled, and - give or take the usual potholes along any business’ way – Piglet’s has since grown into a company employing over 100 full-time sta , and six permanent delivery drivers. e pies, sausage rolls and other

Where it all started. Piglet’s has sold in the region of two million pies since the Amex stadium opened in 2011

pastries have won multiple awards across the catering and sports industries.

When it comes to talking about a woman owning her own company in two heavily male-dominated industries - catering and football – Jo is fairly ambivalent, almost to the point of shrugging her shoulders.

“Luckily, females have more presece now. It’s good to see that there has been a change, but it’s taken years. I’ve always been in a male-dominated world. I was one female chef in a kitchen of 20 men. When I did my catering management apprenticeship, you were shouted out, things got thrown across the kitchen, you ducked…

“Within football, I learned that you surround yourself with good people. Always employ people who are smarter than you are. So if you don’t know enough about the nance, or sales, or whatever, go and nd somebody smarter than you, and you make sure that they can deliver for you.”

e ambivalence is an attitude she takes forward for International Women’s Day. “People send me good messages and say, ‘you’re an amazing woman in business’, etc, which is lovely. And I’m very grateful to all those people.

“But I do wish we didn’t have to do it,” she opines. “Yes, I am a businesswoman; a very proud business owner. But I just happen to be in business, and a woman – and it shouldn’t matter that I am a woman.”

When pushed, Jo sees herself as a disruptor, and her explanation for this self-appraisal makes sense. “We weren’t taken seriously at rst, which has allowed us to get on with what we do best. We’re now in 14 Premier League clubs (out of 20), and to have done that, in the manner that we have, is a rst. We changed the model within football.”

www.pigletspantry.co.uk

Piglet’s has since grown into a company employing over 100 full-time staff, and six permanent delivery drivers

Piget’s best-selling product –the Steak & Ale pie

Piglet’s has teamed up with Ridgeview to present its luxury picnic hamper

Piglet’s Pantry founder Joanna Hunter presents her award-winning sausage rolls

Karen Davis

Flying the flag for midlife women

Karen Davis is an Amazon No.1 best-selling author and founder of an award-winning beauty subscription box for women over 40. She’s touring major cities in the UK on her 1970s Raleigh Chopper bike (now painted bright pink) to help raise awareness of ageism towards middle-aged women.

At the age of 60, Karen understands that the bike might be a little ridiculous but says, “I think anyone who grew up in the 1970s like me will nd it both nostalgic and amusing – we can’t always take ourselves seriously!” Karen’s background is that of a beauty PR before moving into creating reader offers for the national press. In 2019, she launched her beauty subscription box TOYL (Time of Your Life) speci cally for midlife women.

e subject of midlife is one close to Karen’s heart. When she was in her 40s, the menopause was rarely discussed and many midlife women were made to feel they were ‘over the hill’. Karen went on to say, “In fact, midlife is a time when many women make major changes to their lives and, while there’s a lot of talk about the menopause, it’s not necessarily the de ning issue for us which is why TOYL Isn’t just about beauty, it’s about a community of midlife women supporting each other.”

Midlife women are the fastest growing demographic in the world, soon to be the largest demographic in the world yet Karen tells us that when you dive deeper into the statistics around older women, ageism does seem alive and well. She quotes as just one example that, although 36% of women in the UK are aged over 50, only 23% on TV are above this age.*

“Midlife women have an enormous amount to o er both in terms of wisdom, experience and common sense, we just need more opportunities to do this,” she said.

e TOYL Tour hits Brighton on March 25th and Southampton on April 1st, and while in town Karen is hosting an event at the Leonardo Royal Hotel for women to meet and chat about their lives during these years.

To nd out more about the TOYL Tour and dates visit www.toyl.co.uk/pages/ welcome-to-the-toyl-tour-2023 www.toyl.co.uk

www.theguardian.com/media/2016/jan/19/ men-tv-women-channel-4-study

The subject of midlife is one close to Karen’s heart. When she was in her 40s, the menopause was rarely discussed…”

Emma Inch

Emma Inch is an award-winning beer writer based in Brighton. She has been writing about beer and brewing for 10 years, and is part of the current crop of highly-respected female brewing writers.

She talks to Dynamic Magazine about her passion for the hop…

Can you start by letting us know how you got into beer writing?

I’ve always loved beer and writing so it was only logical that I found a way to bring the two together. When the modern ‘craft’ beer scene was just beginning to explode, I saw an opening for what became the UK’s rst beer show, on Brighton’s Radio Reverb. It was very successful and everything else went from there!

You’ve won several beer writing awards. Tell us about them.

I’ve won a few awards in both the UK and the USA but what I’m most proud of is being named the 2018 British Beer Writer of the Year by the British Guild of Beer Writers. It was one of the proudest moments of my life.

Brewing and beer has, for a long time, been seen as a mostly male pastime. But that hasn’t historically always been the case, has it?

Exactly. Women were the original brewers and, since the very rst civilisations, brewing was considered a domestic chore that women carried out alongside the cooking. It was only with the industrialisation of brewing that men took over production. Even the ancient goddesses of beer such as Ninkasi, Dea Latis and Hathor, are all portrayed as female entities.

How do you see the role of women within brewing – and beer writing – progressing?

ere is a growing number of female beer writers in the UK, and many are producing wonderfully creative, challenging and interesting work. It’s good to see the world of beer writing slowly evolving.

Like many industries, beer had its own ‘me too’ style reckoning, during which a number of women have spoken out to challenge the sexism (and worse) that exist in parts of the industry. More progress is still needed but I hope things are moving in the right direction. One great initiative is the International Women’s Collaboration Brew Day which takes place on March 8th every year and brings together women from all parts of the beer industry to network and brew alongside each other.

https://fermentationonline.com

EMMA’S TOP FIVE BEERS

These obviously change on an almost daily basis but I’ll give it a go…!

ANSPACH & HOBDAY

The Porter (6.7%) A true beer of London, all roasty and bitter (try their London Black – a nitro porter –it’s also an absolute cracker!

DARK STAR

Hophead (3.8%) The perfect pint for a sunny afternoon in a beer garden.

ELUSIVE

Oregon Trail (5.8%) An old-school style West Coast IPA with a finish as bitter as my heart.

HARVEY’S

Sussex Best (4%) A beer with so many layers of flavour you can lose yourself in it. I’m very lucky to live only a few miles from the brewery!

LITTLE EARTH PROJECT

Hedgerow Blend (4-6%) A barrel-aged sour beer produced once a year using foraged wild hops and fruits. As good as a trip to the countryside!

Women were the original brewers and, since the very fi rst civilisations, brewing was considered a domestic chore that women carried out alongside the cooking

There is no doubt that the topic of menopause is firmly out in the open; TV programmes, magazine articles and social media posts flood our screens and inboxes on a daily basis with tips and tricks for ‘managing’ the menopause.

By TANYA BOROWSKI

Perimenopause a very different ‘beast’ than menopause

ere is however, a vast di erence between the two life phases of menopause and perimenopause, and ‘treatment’ approaches need to honour these di erences, rather than apply a one-size- ts-all approach.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PERIMENOPAUSE AND MENOPAUSE?

Perimenopause can be described as the time of a woman’s second puberty. Hormones are beginning to change from the regular rhythms of our 20s 30s and early 40s, mirroring our rst puberty where hormones are just starting out. By our late teens, they settle into a pattern that we recognise as a menstrual cycle.

e life phase of perimenopause is the two to ten years before the nal period. By contrast, the graduation into the menopause life phase begins one year after a woman’s nal period.

e normal (yes, normal) age for the nal period is anywhere from 45 to 55, so the normal age for perimenopause is up to ten years before that; as young as 35. at’s why this popular narrative of ‘women are living longer’ and thereby experiencing more menopausal symptoms, is awed. Perimenopause is not about ageing but is instead about an important (and unavoidable) recalibration of the female hormonal system.

WHAT ARE THE HORMONAL CHANGES OF PERIMENOPAUSE?

As we can see in the image, in the early phases of perimenopause, the biggest change is lower progesterone. It takes a nosedive, where oestrogen (oestradiol) remains high. is plummeting progesterone is what contributes to feelings of anxiety, breast pain, heart palpitations, frequent migraines, more heavy periods (progesterone helps to lighten the period ow) and being overwhelmed.

At the same time that progesterone drops away, oestrogen spikes up to three times above normal levels which contributes to irritable mood, breast pain and the heavier periods (as there isn’t su cient progesterone around to counterbalance these oestrogen spikes).

Hot ushes are mostly associated with the withdrawal of these oestrogen spikes. Progesterone and oestrogen levels out during perimenopause. e fact that perimenopausal symptoms stem largely from losing progesterone, rather than oestrogen, is why the former is a more sensible therapy. is is especially helpful in the early phases of perimenopause, together with some highly e ective food supplements that can target these mechanisms and help alleviate symptoms.

In 2023 we surely have to move away from a blanket approach to women’s health that has plagued the medical system for too long

THE TIMING OF MENOPAUSE

All women are genetically programmed to graduate into menopause at approximately the age your mother did. If that happened to be on the younger chronological end of normal (mid-40s), it does not mean you’re ageing more rapidly than your friends, it’s a natural – normal recalibration.

If you enter menopause before 40, this is a medical condition of premature menopause or primary ovarian insu ciency.

CAN I GET A DIAGNOSIS OF PERIMENOPAUSE?

Menopause (including early menopause) can be diagnosed by two separate high follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) readings (more than 40 IU/L) at least a month apart.

Perimenopause cannot be diagnosed by FSH or any other lab test. Instead, it’s best assessed based on age and symptoms. A midlife woman with regular cycles is likely to be in perimenopause if she notices any three of the following nine changes:

• new-onset of heavy and/or longer ow

• menstrual cycles become shorter (<26 days)

• new sore, swollen or lumpy breasts

• new mid-sleep waking

• increased menstrual cramps

• premenstrual night sweats

• new or markedly increased migraine headaches

• new or increased premenstrual mood swings

• weight gain without changes in exercise or eating.

In other words, if you’re older than 37 and have at least three symptoms on this list, you’re likely to be entering second puberty - perimenopause.

e recent decision by the government to reject the proposal made by the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee for mandatory menopause education for GPs is disappointing at best.

Having access to a women’s health literate GP / health care provider who understands and is interested in these important hormonal nuances is every woman’s right.

In 2023 we surely have to move away from a blanket approach to women’s health that has plagued the medical system for too long. Simply turning o hormones with a prescription of the oral contraceptive pill or replacing them with HRT is not good enough. e time for a more sophisticated and bespoke approach to the dance of these beautiful hormones and life phases is well and truly here!

In health Tanya x

All women are genetically programmed to graduate into menopause at approximately the age your mother did

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

● Oestradiol n Progesterone

Introducing Anna Eliatamby – clinical psychologist and workplace well-being expert who has helped the United Nations and global organisations develop mental health and well-being strategies and tackle toxic behaviours in the workplace. Anna has just published the new Decency Journey Series of pocketbooks to help people flourish in their careers and workplaces.

FURTHER READING…

Anna shares how to spot toxic behaviours, and how to create psychologically safe environments in the workplace

We know toxicity and we recognise it damages those who are targeted, the organisational culture and productivity. Most of us, as women, have experienced toxicity. Unfortunately, a few of us have used these behaviour, and the long-standing evidence tells us that none of this is new and has been going on for years. What can we do?

NOTICE, ACKNOWLEDGE AND NAME TOXICITY WHEN WE ENCOUNTER IT

It is di cult to identify people who use these behaviours as they are often adept at not using them in public settings. ey utilise actions that are low intensity, e.g., negative comments or withholding resources, but at high levels of frequency and so the impact is massive. If they are going to discriminate against someone’s di erence, they are more likely to use negative behaviours indirectly. Spotting these actions will be easier if we make e orts to ensure sta feel they can come to managers to talk about any concerns they may have.

An indirect e ect of toxicity is high sta turnover and sickness rates, especially if the medical certi cate shows that stress is the reason. Huge numbers of sta resigned during Covid and afterwards. e main reason they cited was toxicity.

It is worth looking at patterns of sickness and turnover, bearing in mind the need for con dentiality and respect for privacy. Other HR data sources, such as appraisal systems, are rarely used to address negative behaviours. erefore, they may not provide much helpful information.

Other signs will be cliques, especially if there is mobbing. You are unlikely to see relaxed communication and friendliness. You may notice a lack of compassion, respect or decency. Some people will keep quiet and just go about their work. Limited creativity will exist.

ere could be an atmosphere of intimidation with subservience to certain individuals. Especially if they have used threats to assert their power. “Well, you know your appraisal is next month and your contract renewal depends on it.”

You can notice these subtler signs by paying extra attention to the culture and the non-verbal and verbal behaviours. Stepping outside your o ce and talking to sta can help you understand the di erent aspects of the culture.

Another very important sign of toxicity is the leader’s reluctance to even acknowledge it if you bring it to their attention. ey may delegate, knowing that others will not address it. Or say that the latest ndings on toxicity are awful, even arrange meetings to discuss the research but then not take any further action.

We all have positive and negative behaviours. Most times, we work from our golden side and not the shadow

CREATING A PSYCHOLOGICALLY SAFE ENVIRONMENT

Change is always easier if leaders show their willingness to adjust. Promoting psychological safety begins with you. We all have positive and negative behaviours. Most times, we work from our golden side and not the shadow. Carrying out a self-exploration of your leadership style will help you see if it promotes safety or not. ink about what you need to keep and what you need to let go of. Ask other leaders to do the same in a safe and challenging manner. is will facilitate others’ desire for change. Sustain all the exploration and planned change post re ection.

ink of how you will introduce collective accountability where ethics and values guide, where praise is normal. And where you handle negativity, collectively both publicly and sensitively. Do this through building trust. en people will name and work together to tackle any toxicity.

Help people to understand that those who use these behaviours will also need help even if they are reluctant.

ey are unlikely to have been given support to adjust and change. e targeted individuals will also need assistance to recover. All of this takes time.

True respect for di erence and how people want to live their di erence is important. Now people are more willing to be open and discuss diversity, but we should not see them as token experts. True inclusion enhances psychological well-being and safety.

An internal justice system helps mediation, reporting, investigation, access to legal services, counselling and welfare. Review all HR policies and take steps to ensure that there is fair use of them.

Leadership needs to be courageous enough to address all the suggestions above. Only then will toxicity diminish, and psychological safety embedded. If not, we will continue to let sta su er the pain of negativity. No-one will bene t from this.

Anna Eliatamby is Director of Healthy Leadership, CIC and co-author, with Blueprintforall of the Decency Journey pocketbook series.

Published by Healthy Leadership, 2022.

Change is always easier if leaders show their willingness to adjust

The artworks of Jemma Gowland.

By KELLIE MILLER

ART SCENE

Things I must not say or do

When we rst encounter Jemma Gowland’s artworks, we are drawn to their delicate and beautiful appearance. ese small to medium-scaled sculptures echo the gurines adorning the shelves of your grandmother’s house –inviting and collectable gures that cheer any home. On closer inspection, though, these sculptures speak of loss, introspection and fragility.

Jemma uses porcelain to produce her works. It naturally depicts purity and vulnerability and a preciousness worth protecting and holding.

Her pieces carry symbolic messages on the theme of the loss of childhood and social pressure. Jemma is interested in how the internet, technology and social media shape society and our children. Some of her pieces show children interacting with tech gadgets such iPads, mobile phones, and USB sticks.

Why do many of her characters wear a mask with a missing eye? Here she is saying that to play the part of a good girl, you must hide your intrinsic nature. One eye open and the other closed represents the contradiction of outward comparisons of appearances while simultaneously looking inwards to be self-critical.

British artist Jemma Gowland originally studied for a BSc in Engineering Product Design and worked in industrial design and architectural model-making before becoming a teacher of Design and Technology. With experience using an extensive range of materials for various purposes, ceramics became her abiding interest.

Jemma’s sculptures are highly collectable and can be viewed at Kellie Miller Arts, 20 Market Street, Brighton. BN1 1HH. www.kelliemillerarts.com

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

Her pieces carry symbolic messages on the theme of the loss of childhood and social pressure

Birdsong

Party Dress

From the moment we are born, gender can dictate our future. Individual figures show the young child dressed for display, as a plaything for adults, an entertainment and ornament. Looks and behaviours are already prescribed. Stand up straight, smile nicely, say please Jemma Gowland

Why shouldeveryone travel solo AT LEAST ONCE

BY TESS DE KLERK

Istill recall my rst extended solo adventure; it was a very youthful me, myself and my ridiculously oversized backpack travelling by public transport from cosmopolitan Istanbul to southern Turkey and back. And by public transport, I mean various ancient, wrecked busses and occasional lifts from willing locals on, mostly, mopeds. is epic journey took just under two months and left me forever a devotee of the mind-expanding practice of solo travel.

Travelling with others, be it friends, family or colleagues all have their advantages, of course. at said, travelling by myself has o ered me some of the best experiences and opportunities for personal growth, and I want to encourage everyone to try it, at least once. So, the next time you’re inspired by some fantastic destination but can’t nd a travel companion, do yourself a favour – consider the following and book that trip!

THE ULTIMATE FREEDOM

is is probably one of the biggest reasons people like to travel solo; not to have any restrictions on one’s route, destination or timescale. Who has never had an argument with their travelling partner because you have di erent opinions on how to ll in your travel itinerary? Travelling solo means doing whatever you want, whenever you want and on a budget that you feel comfortable with.

MEETING PEOPLE YOU OTHERWISE WOULDN’T HAVE ink about it. ere’s a small group of friends or a couple at the next table. ey look like they’re close and having fun. How likely are you to join them? Or there’s a solo traveller propped up at the bar lea ng through a guide, occasionally looking up and chatting to the barman. More approachable? I also nd that local people are more likely to invite me to join them or visit their homes when I’m travelling sans partner. And I don’t think it’s out of pity or some nefarious intentions. No, one person is simply less daunting than a group.

Solo trips are a fantastic way to encourage resourcefulness and build self-confidence

YOU’RE MORE LIKELY TO DO RANDOM, ENRICHING THINGS

Going back to my Turkey trip, for example, had I been travelling with some friends, particularly male friends, the o er of doing belly dancing would have been summarily rejected. However, as I was able to do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, I belly danced (badly) the night away with people I would never normally meet – and had the best time doing it.

LOTS OF ME-TIME

Travelling independently makes it easy to cancel that activity if you’d rather sleep in. Or catch up on that Net ix series that no-one else seems to like; feast on books, meditate, or whatever ‘me-time’ means to you.

A GREAT WAY TO REMIND YOURSELF HOW CAPABLE YOU ARE

Even if you’re feeling apprehensive at rst, solo trips are a fantastic way to encourage resourcefulness and build self-con dence to take on the world. You’re near-guaranteed to return from your trip feeling more self-assured and empowered.

+ Super safe countries for newbie solo female travellers

FINLAND ICELAND JAPAN

NEW ZEALAND SINGAPORE BALI

AND A FEW DOWNSIDES TO SOLO TRAVEL…

Surely the main downside is that there is no-one special to share and remember those moments with, at least not someone you’ll be going back home with (well, who knows…?). You’ll have far fewer photos of yourself in amazing places; it’s unlikely that there will be someone to take care of you if you fall ill and, particularly as a female, you may get more unwanted attention than you would as part of a couple.

Regarding the unwanted attention from weirdos, keep these tips in mind to keep yourself safe:

• Don’t be afraid to say no, ASSERTIVELY. We can be so concerned with being polite that we may come across as timid. Remember that you’re travelling solo and don’t owe anyone anything.

• If you feel uncomfortable, just don’t be there any longer. Make your excuses and leave, you don’t have to explain why.

• Some destinations are safer than others, but as a general rule, avoid making yourself an easy target. When walking down the street, especially late at night, look like you know where you’re going and what you’re doing.

• Depending on your destination, it may be a good idea to leave the bling at home to avoid making yourself a shiny target.

• If you’re travelling to a conservative country, bring clothing that will allow you to blend in. Be mindful of the culture and traditions of the country so that you don’t attract unwanted attention.

As ever, the expectation in the name of a car conjures up an unconscious vision in advance as to what it might be like.

By FIONA SHAFER, Managing Director MD HUB

VW T–ROC The quiet ROC Star?

The T from T-Roc is shared with the rst letter of the other VW SUVs and the Roc, derives from the English word Rock. e model now sits between the Taigo and the Tiguan in the nine-strong line SUV family, with more models in the pipeline.

It apparently ‘combines dominance of an SUV with the agility of a compact hatchback model and the dynamism of the compact class.’ Let’s just say it as it is. is car feels as solid as a rock most of the time.

Hopping into the VW T-Roc immediately after a few days’ power experience in the Audi TTRS was like going back in time. Well, it was like going back in VW time to be exact, to another age when the shutting of their car doors were imperceptible (one of my top car tests of build quality), and you immediately knew what you were doing. How quaint in this day and age…

It’s a manual car with an original lift-for-reverse gear stick (not ‘Manuel knob’ as my late Grandmother accidentally called it). It also has a real key that you put in a key hole, and runs on petrol.

My immediate thought was that this would make a great car for grandparents who want a no-fuss, easy-to-drive car that is easy to get in and out of (sorry but it comes to us all and I am just trying to help), will host a row of small people very securely with ISOFIX ttings in the back, and is not going to burn rubber any time soon.

With its one-litre engine, it is a good car for calmly pootling about in. e six-speed gear box is a little like a bag of spanners, and not as smooth a change over as I would have expected. However, once I got used to it, it was good enough. You need to press the clutch down hard for a decent change (I did say it was like going back in time).

You can also see what you are doing in more ways than one before you even get into it in the dark. A slightly bizarre illuminated prison-like grill, the size of a man hole cover appears by the side of the front doors to light your way. How polite and courteous – and very German…

Just don’t say, ‘I’m a grandparent, get me out of here…’

I showed a colleague (40-ish) around it without sharing any of my initial thoughts and they said, “ is would be great for mum and dad…” Enough said.

If you just want to get from A to B as safely and as economically as possible without any aggravation (or excitement), but with a plethora of easy to access technology for all the family, this is well worth the investment.

My immediate thought was that this would make a great car for grandparents who want a no-fuss, easy-to-drive car

POSITIVES

• It is deliciously uncomplicated for a new car

• Super easy phone pairing - combining the functionality of Apple Car Play, Google Android Auto and Mirror link, allowing ‘mirroring’ of the smartphone display on the infotainment touch screen.

• The Ready 2 Discover Media Infotainment is one of the easiest ever to operate and understand; DAB Radio, SMS functionality when stationary, six speakers front and rear and streaming internet-based service to name just a few of the services available. It does not have the greatest sound quality (for a massive music fan like me) but it is good enough for the Archers, Saturday afternoon football scores and the cricket

• 2x USB charging points in both front and back.

• Lots of car seat attachments to hang things on.

• A huge boot with a handy lip on either side to pop it up on and wait for it…. a full-size spare tyre.

TECH STUFF

MODEL TESTED: T-Roc 1-litre TSI

ENGINE: 1-lite turbocharged

POWER: 110 bhp SPEED: 0-62 in 10.8 seconds

TOP: 115 mph ECONOMY: 47.1 mpg

PRICE FROM: £26,210 AS TESTED: £28,165

NEGATIVES

• Ridiculously hot heated seats (you might need to re-position your HRT patch otherwise you might have a permanent tattoo during this period in your life).

• Very little leg room in the back.

• Rear windscreen wiper has limited movement and rubs the window slightly.

• Some of the design ergonomics are quite narrow in the door

• Central console not ideal for water bottles and the plethora of stuff we now appear to carry with us these days.

A good solid

8/10

Just don’t say, I’m a grandparent, get me out of here

DYNAMIC

DYNAMIC

CHEESE AND WINE PAIRING EXPERIENCE AT DENBIE’S

Dorking

During the visit to locally-made Norbury Blue, you will learn about the cheese making process and experience firsthand, the opportunity to make cheese in the traditional way. Return to Denbies for a two course lunch. Denbies WSET wine expert will host your afternoon which will include instruction on wine styles, wine, and cheese pairing. The afternoon will conclude with a fun blind wine and cheese tasting. Your ticket includes all refreshments.

Denbies Wine Estate, Dorking

March 23rd / May 18th

www.denbies.co.uk

WHAT’S ON...

A brief snapshot of art and culture in Sussex and Surrey

EXHIBITION: BRICK BY BRICK

Hastings

The Brick by Brick exhibition gathers the work of 14 artists, designers and photographers from around the world who use LEGO® bricks as their medium or inspiration. Using this simple plastic construction block as their starting point, they have created stunning, thought provoking and often humorous artworks which will appeal to art enthusiasts and LEGO® fans alike.

Hastings Museum & Art Gallery

April 1st - June 18th

www.hmag.org.uk/half-term-fun

EXHIBITION: THE BEACHY HEAD STORY

Eastbourne

The coastline around Beachy Head has forever presented challenges to mariners, and thwarted man’s urge to conquer the land in building on the edges of the chalk white cliffs. The clamorous waves repeatedly steal back the land, sometimes violently, sometimes with a calm stealth.

Ceramicist Julie Snowball, with ceramicist and glass artist Dr Anthony McIntosh, explore this monumental landscape in response to the physicality, temporality, archaeology, and social history of the site.

The Beachy Head pub, Nr Eastbourne

Until March 26th

www.visitsoutheastengland.com /events/tidelines-rock-pools-anamnesisexhibition-at-the-beachy-head-story-p2135441

THE GO! TEAM

Brighton

The Go! Team are a combined indie rock and garage rock with a mixture of blaxploitation and Bollywood soundtracks, double Dutch chants, old school hip hop and distorted guitars. Their songs are a mix of live instrumentation and samples. The band’s vocals vary between performances: while live vocals are handled mostly by Ninja (with Tsuchida and Fukami-Taylor also singing some solos), vocals on record also feature sampled and guest voices.

Chalk, Pool Valley, Brighton

April 1st

www.thegoteam.co.uk

FOREST BATHING

Ardingly

Reconnect with nature and unwind from the stresses of everyday life at one of our forest bathing workshop. Based on the Japanese art of Shinrin-yoku, forest bathing allows you to slow down as you immerse yourself in the environment. Swedish workshop leader Helena Skoog will show you how to use all your senses to connect with your surroundings, drawing on the power of nature to relieve tension, relax and nourish your sense of wellbeing.

Wakehurst Place, Nr Ardingly April 8th

www.kew.org/wakehurst

SPRING BIRDWATCH

Selsey

Whilst many of the wintering birds are still present throughout the spring and autumn period, the movement of many other birds at this time of year increases the diversity of the birdlife around the Reserve. As the spring progresses, the main interest is the plants that are starting to flower. You will notice the woodland flowers found around the hedgerows, the main species being primroses and snowdrops.

RSPB Pagham Harbour

Local Nature Reserve, Nr Selsey

All through March

www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events

SELECTED SUSSEX AND SURREY COMEDY CLUBS

Barnstormers Comedy Capitol Theatre, North Street, Horsham

www.thecapitolhorsham.com

Comedy Cottage

The Harlequin Theatre, Redhill www.harlequintheatre.co.uk

Cool-Aid Comedy

New Material Comedy Night

Caroline Of Brunswick, 39 Ditchling Road, Brighton www.carolineofbrunswick.co.uk

Crawley Comedy Night:

The Grasshopper

The Hoppers, Ashdown Drive, Crawley www.thegrasshoppertilgate.co.uk/ news-offers-events

Electric Comedy Club

The Electric Arcade, Beneath Brighton Zip, Lower Promenade, Brighton www.electric-arcade.co.uk

Gag House Comedy Clubs

• Camberley Heath Golf Club, Camberley

• Godalming Borough Hall, Godalming

• The Compton Club, Spiceall, Compton

• The Star Inn, Guildford

www.gaghousecomedy.com

Komedia

Gardner Street, Brighton

www.komedia.co.uk

Outside The Box

56 Old London Road, Kingston-upon-Thames

www.outsidetheboxcomedy.co.uk

Screaming Blue Murder

Dorking Halls, Reigate Road, Dorking

www.screamingbluemurdercomedy.com

Secret Comedy Club

Artista Cafe & Gallery, 42 Waterloo Street, Hove

www.thesecretcomedyclub.com