Surrey Chambers news

chamBers NEWS

vISION ENGINEERING dEvELOP YOGA PROGRAMME For ITS GloBAl HQ & r&D SITe IN GUIlDForD

Surrey Chambers member, Vision Engineering, a privately owned 62 yearold manufacturer of optical and digital instrumentation, has 125 staff working at its global HQ & R&D site in Send, near Guildford.

Vision has developed a well-resourced and well-managed staff development programme, which alongside training and development, includes an in-house gym and table tennis, a woodland walk path in the grounds, and celebrations with snacks and music of the different nationalities and cultures that work in the company.

The company has also developed a yoga programme, which has been run for the past three years by Lisa Parkin, a 200-hour qualifi ed yoga instructor, who is currently training to be a yoga therapist. The yoga programme, which is free to staff, takes place towards the end of the working day, averaging about 10-14 participants. Lisa’s classes are mixed ability and able to integrate beginners very easily.

Lisa commented: “My Vision Engineering classes contain a mixture of all abilities and genders, who can present with a range of conditions, including aches and pains from sports and work, as well as stress from their day to day lives. The classes start at 4.30pm, and most come bustling in straight from the factory or offi ces. My main focus is to help them to relax and de-stress, settling them into the class before utilising easilyadaptable yoga poses accessible for all that can help to build strength, fl exibility, and body awareness”

Lisa Parkin can offer a range of corporate yoga services, which are related to the composition of the people attending, what the Company hopes to achieve, and the location (face to face, virtually, or a combination of the two). Lisa can be contacted by email: lisaparkin80@gmail.com

SURREY RESEARCH PARK APPOINTS NEW CHIEF EXECUTIvE

Surrey Research Park, home to over 4,000 jobs and contributing over £620m in value to the UK economy, has announced the appointment of Grant Bourhill as its Chief Executive.

Grant Bourhill joins Surrey Research Park from the University of Leicester, where he was Chief Executive of Leicester Science Park. He is highly esteemed across the Science Park sector and widely recognised as the driving force behind Space Park Leicester.

Dr Malcolm Parry, founder and incumbent CEO, retires after 40 years of service, leaving a legacy of a Science Park built to be twice as large as the average Russell Group Science Park, generating phenomenal jobs and economic prosperity. Grant Bourhill commented: “I am delighted to have the opportunity to join Surrey Research Park. It is an honour to take charge of a vibrant community of 170 high-tech companies, supporting thousands of jobs in the park and the wider area. It is testament to Malcolm Parry’s work and leadership over 40 years that the team have created such a superb asset that contributes so signifi cantly locally and nationally. I am proud and humbled that this is now moving under my care. I look forward to working with our tenants, the University, the Surrey business community and partners as we strive to add even more value to the economy and foster business and academic collaboration to drive economic prosperity and innovation even further.”

The University of Surrey has a proud history of using its diverse strengths across space, cyber-security, artifi cial intelligence, telecommunications technologies, and health, all of which are strongly represented by its businesses on the Park. With a background in academia and business, Grant will be tasked with increasing the collaborative opportunities between the University and businesses on the Park.

GUiLdfoRd diGiTaL HeaLTH HUb LaUncHes To cReaTe a cenTRe of eXceLLence

Guildford Digital Health Hub (“GDH”), a new initiative backed by Guildford borough council, has been launched to put Guildford and south west Surrey on the map as a centre of excellence for organisations of all sizes across multiple sectors which are driving innovation in and around digital health and wellbeing.

The aim of GDH is to support new and established enterprises in their ambitions to collaborate, to innovate, to grow and to bring their digital health solutions to market at a local and national level. It will also provide a collective voice to help infl uence the national agenda and to challenge the status quo.

The founding members of GdH are alloy business innovation, bravand, business south, charles Russell speechlys, consentricare, enterprise m3, Guildford borough council, Play Well for Life and the University of Surrey.

bill Palmer, chair of GdH and a founder and co-ceo of Consentricare, commented: “Our launch event was a great success, attended by a wide range of industry professionals and business leaders operating in this rapidly evolving sector. We are now looking forward to growing our membership and delivering true value for all involved, through sharing experiences and networking opportunities, providing support to those just starting out, signposting sources of funding and investment and cross-pollinating ideas and concepts across market sectors.”

director of strategic services at Guildford borough council, Dawn Hudd says: “Digital Health and telemedicine, which provide care for patients through online services and digital technology, have great potential in the borough and we fully support the initiative. We have a growing number of healthcare start-ups with digital products as a key part of their offering in our borough, and we are keen to support these companies to understand how we can best connect them with the NHS and other healthcare providers. The Digital Health Hub is a huge opportunity to put Guildford on the map and bring major economic and social benefi ts for the future.”

for further details, please visit www.guildfordigitalhealthhub.co.uk or contact info@consentri.care

HOW SURREY EMPLOYERS CAN BEST dEAL WITH MASS JOB APPLICATIONS

n Largest drop in employment since 2009 Financial

Crisis sees 730,000 employees fall off payroll in three months of Q2. n Some new vacancies are attracting hundreds of applicants in just a few hours. n A robust process will help you get to the best candidate whilst protecting against discrimination claims.

As the many apply for the few job vacancies, employers may well feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of applicants. Martine Robins from The HR Dept Woking & Guildford shared some advice for managing mass job applications.

Martine began: “How we manage the recruitment process is incredibly important both for the individual applicant who’s desperately seeking work and for the good name of the company. Recruitment done properly is time consuming and you want the best possible person to fi ll the role.

“One way to limit the number of responses is to ensure that your job advert clearly sets out the qualifi cations and experience that are essential to the role. The more specifi c you can be the better, whilst of course avoiding any discriminatory requirements such as age or gender. This is a strong fi rst line of defence for discouraging unsuitable applicants and protection against claims of discrimination. Ultimately, you should have a manageable shortlist for face-to-face interviews and it is helpful to have more than one person as part of the process to give a balanced view and help avoid unconscious bias.

“Don’t forget that each application, no matter how poor, represents someone who needs a job and has spent time applying to you. Inject some empathy into your process by replying to everyone - it is good manners - even if it is just with a well-crafted prewritten email.

For bespoke advice on recruitment as well as redundancy, get in touch.”

for enquiries, please contact martine Robins from The HR dept woking & Guildford, at martine.robins@hrdept. co.uk or on 01483 603001.