Surrey Business Magazine - issue 56

SURREY

BUSINESS THE OFFICIAL SURREY CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE MAGAZINE

ISSUE 56 NOVEMBER 2022

THE M&A MARKET IN 2022

INFLUENCER FORUM

EVOLVING LEADERSHIP

SURREY BUSINESS AWARDS

DMH Stallard

Exclusive interview with Tim Manly Principal of Hurst College

The Future of Work

All the 2022 winners revealed

MOTORING

Alfa Romeo Quadrifoglio

Sir Richard Branson ADHD AND ME

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@WWW.SURREY-CHAMBERS.CO.UK @WWW.SURREY-CHAMBERS.CO.UK

@SURREYCHAMBERS @SURREYCHAMBERS

01483 735540 01483 735540

@SURREYCHAMBERSOFCOMMERCE @SURREYCHAMBERSOFCOMMERCE

@SURREYCHAMBERSOFCOMMERCE @SURREYCHAMBERSOFCOMMERCE

CONT ENTS 32

N O V E M B E R 2022 • ISSUE 56

BUSINESS

BIG STORY 32 Sir Richard Branson As a person diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia, the founder of the Virgin empire also believes neurodiversity can be a superpower.

NEWS 4 Welcome Surrey Chambers of Commerce CEO Louise Punter’s newsletter to members 7 Surrey Chambers News A roundup of Surrey Chambers of Commerce members’ news 14 Surrey Chambers event calendar What’s On for chamber members over the next couple of months

FORUM 48 Influencers Forum Seven leading industry figures discuss what the future of work may look like

EVENTS 18 Surrey Business Awards 2022 All the winners revealed next here!

40 Sussex Business Awards 2022 Deadline for entries has closed.

Are you coming to the Awards evening in December?

PLATINUM MEDIA GROUP

13 Invotra The power of apprenticeships 26 Mattioli Woods Be wary of unexpected tax bills on your pension 28 Brewin Dolphin Three ways to secure your family’s finances 30 Surrey Research Park Introducing pioneering VR driverless training technology 37 British Business Bank Start Up Loans’ 10th anniversary, plus new SE England ambassador 42 NatWest Business NatWest’s PMI Business Activity Index: the indicator of regional economic health 62 MDHUB An interview with Tim Green, founder of gpsurgery.net 66 NatWest client profile Celebrating three decades of Hogs Back Brewery 71 Cleankill Don’t be afraid to take some time away to recharge the batteries

CHARITY

46 Martlets Hospice Martlets invites businesses to be part of the #BrightonFlock 65 Chestnut Tree House Support your local charity – abseil down Arundel Castle!

LEGAL

24 DMH Stallard A snapshot of the current state of the Mergers & Acquisitions sector 44 Loch Associates The challenges of the four Rs – remote working, recruitment, retention and redundancies 60 Mayo Wynne Baxter Counteracting the top five excuses for not making a Will

EDUCATION

68 Hurstpierpoint College Exclusive interview with principal, Tim Manly

FINANCE

38 Kreston Reeves Global Britain – businesses look for growth from domestic markets 57 Haines Watts How best to define your values as a leader

INNOVATION

58 Sussex Innovation How can small businesses respond during times of crisis?

72 MOTORING

72 Motoring Review Motoring editor Maarten Hoffmann thunders around in the all-new Alfa Romeo Quadrifoglio

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

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NEW MONTH, NEW GOVERNMENT Following weeks of chaos and uncertainty, the resignation of Prime Minister Liz Truss means the UK now faces even greater uncertainty, just as it stands on the cusp of a recession.

The new leader needs to return us to both political and economic stability.

Rishi Sunak’s new administration must immediately set out how it plans to deal with soaring energy bills, labour shortages, spiralling inflation and interest rates. Flip-flopping on policies has led to low consumer and business confidence, with four in 10 firms expecting falling profits, as companies have seen little sign of a coherent strategy nor stability in Government decision making.

The challenges that lay ahead of us are building by the day. Findings from our national survey say two-thirds of firms expect to raise their prices,

and inflation is the top concern.

Interest rates are set to climb further in November, and energy bills will rocket again for many in April. This is unsustainable. Government must work with businesses to address three main issues, to show it recognises the challenges firms face. Our plea to them is very clear: n Firstly, they must look again at the energy support package for businesses and communicate quickly how the system will work beyond April. n Secondly, they must fix the labour market. Without the skilled people to do the jobs businesses need, the economy cannot thrive. n Thirdly, to grow the economy they must set out a strategy to boost our exports.

The new administration must grasp that the cost of living and cost of doing business crises are two sides of the same coin

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People run businesses, and businesses rely on people. The new administration must grasp that the cost of living and cost of doing business crises are two sides of the same coin. We still need a clear long-term vision on how they will support firms, and the communities that rely on them, to thrive.

WELCOME SUPPORTING BUSINESSES WITH GREAT INITIATIVES

We are offering four different International trade training courses to help improve the productivity of companies working overseas.

These courses are sponsored by the Department for Education via its Strategic Development Fund and are already proving popular.

Look out for our new offering called Multiply, designed for employers to send members of their team who would benefit from some numeracy coaching, to a friendly set of workshops.

We are focusing on running several NetZero focussed events to help businesses cut through the plethora of information that we are all bombarded with.

Our Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) project team is coming together and soon we will be out giving businesses the chance to influence the skills agenda. We hope to gather a great deal of relevant intel by talking to employers about your skills needs.

Look out for further communications!

GREAT NEW PRESIDENT FOR THE BRITISH CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE

We are delighted that entrepreneur and business leader Baroness Martha Lane-Fox CBE has been elected the new President of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). As President, Baroness Lane-Fox will work alongside BCC Chair Sarah Howard MBE and Director General Shevaun Haviland to represent the interests of Chamber business communities and trade in a crucial period for the UK. Martha brings with her all the qualities that will make her an excellent President. She is creative, insightful, and has a wealth of knowledge that will be invaluable to our Chamber Network.

Surrey Chambers of Commerce can be reached on 01483 735540, E: info@surrey-chambers.co.uk www.surrey-chambers.co.uk

Louise Punter CEO Surrey Chamber of Commerce

AND WHILE YOU’RE HERE...

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

@platbusmag Platinum Media Group www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

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#CHAMBERBUSINESS At the heart of our local business communities, we’ve got the understanding, data, insights, services and expertise to support you and your business

SURREY CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE

DON’T JUST JOIN – JOIN IN! Why being a member of Surrey Chambers of Commerce is good for business, locally, nationally, and globally We are Surrey’s largest not-for-profit business support and networking, organisation

We act as a catalyst by connecting you to opportunities, skills, knowledge and valuable contacts

All of our services and products are directed by the business community for the business community

As a member, there are many marketing opportunities available to you, designed to help you maximise your membership

Visit www.surrey-chambers.co.uk or call: 01483 735540 Please email our Head of Membership for further details sarah.butcher@surrey-chambers.co.uk

CHAMBERS NE WS HELPING YOUR BUSINESS BECOME CARBON NEUTRAL AND REACH NET ZERO With the UK government targets to reach net zero by 2050, it has never been more important for businesses to take action to mitigate climate change. 5D Net Zero - a newly launched carbon management consultancy - helps local businesses to reduce carbon emissions, become carbon neutral today, and ultimately achieve net zero by 2050, in line with the UK Government’s commitment under the Climate Change Act.

using the most widely used and internationally recognised standards.

5D Net Zero supports businesses on every step of their journey to net zero by delivering tailored carbon footprint measurements to identify the biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), offers carbon reduction plans and certified carbon credit offsets

5D Net Zero works closely with independent carbon reduction project developers across the globe – because wherever in the world carbon is offset, the effect on climate is the same. It offers a portfolio of certified carbon offset projects that are best suited

Additionally, 5D Net Zero helps businesses navigate the voluntary carbon-market to become carbon neutral. From as little as £5 per tonne of CO2eq*, through the purchase of certified carbon credits that can be claimed towards balancing their own GHG emissions, businesses can achieve carbon neutrality or net zero.

to a business’s unique requirements and ethical goals, all the projects have gained the Verified Carbon Standard administered by Verra and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

To find out more about our carbon management services, visit www.5DNetZero.co.uk or contact us on info@5DNetZero.co.uk. *At today’s prices

AIR AMBULANCE CHARITY UNVEILS FIVE YEAR STRATEGY Air Ambulance charity, Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS), has unveiled its ambitious Five Year Strategy (2022-2027). ‘Working Together to Save More Lives’, has been created take important steps towards an end to preventable loss of life from medical emergency.

With demand for its world-leading, prehospital Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) at an all-time high, KSS has set out ambitious plans to develop its core life-saving service, to build on its Research and Innovation Programme, and to introduce new Patient and Family Aftercare and community-based initiatives.

Through even closer collaboration with key partners including South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb),

the wider NHS, other charities and the communities they serve, KSS is committed to reaching more patients, improving more outcomes and working together to save more lives.

Amongst the innovations KSS is looking into, the charity is exploring opportunities inspire even more support from our for drone deployment of defibrillators communities. Together we can achieve and is investigating introducing new great things.” techniques to deliver advanced medical interventions in its helicopter cabins.

KSS’s next major fundraiser is Host a Roast in which people invite friends, David Welch, CEO, KSS explained, family or colleagues in November to “Collaboration and partnership are key enjoy a roast and, through donations, to our success. It currently costs over raise vital funds. £15.2m a year to operate our service 24/7, with 86% of our total income raised To find out more about through the incredible generosity of our Host a Roast please visit supporters. To realise our future vision, www.aakss.org.uk/hostaroast and save even more lives, we hope to

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Surrey Chambers Golf Society SCGS 2023 Golf Fixtures

17th January: Hankley Common Golf Club Member rate £103.00 + VAT Golf day sponsor TBC 21st March: North Hants Golf Club Member rate £112.00 + VAT Golf day sponsor TBC

23rd May: Coombe Hill Golf Club Member rate £155.00 + VAT Sponsored by Vooba

4th July: Stoneham Golf Club Member rate £125.00 + VAT Golf day sponsor TBC

23rd February: West Hill Golf Club Member rate 100.00 + VAT Golf day sponsor TBC 27th April Tandridge Golf Club SCGF Golf Major Member rate £125.00 + VAT Golf day sponsor TBC 15th June: Hindhead Golf Club Member rate £147.00 + VAT Golf day sponsor TBC

5th July: Hayling Island Golf Club Member rate £110.00 + VAT Golf day sponsor TBC

23rd August: The Addington Golf Club

5th September: New Zealand Golf Club

Member rate £105.00 + VAT Golf day sponsor TBC

Member rate £145.00 + VAT Golf day sponsor TBC

October: TBC Member rate: TBC + VAT Golf day sponsor TBC

December: Woking Member rate £116.00 + VAT Golf day sponsor TBC Surrey Chambers Of Commerce

Surrey Chambers Of Commerce

November: Swinley Forrest Golf Club

Member rate £150.00 + VAT Golf day sponsor TBC

Order of Merit sponsored by:

Nearest the Pin Sponsored by:

@surreychambersofcommerce

@surreychambers

01483 735540

NEWS

WINE&SOMETHING – YOUR LOCAL WINE MERCHANT!

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For every bottle of wine you buy from Wine&Something from now until February 28th 2023, you’ll receive one entry into the prize draw. There are two chances to win, the grand prize of the ‘Trip to Tuscany’ and a monthly prize of a case of Italian wines.

Ambitious, innovative, and gratifyingly different, Wine&Something is a wine merchant based in Guildford, specialising in high quality wines from small production, family-owned wineries across the world.

“WHAT’S THE ‘SOMETHING’ ABOUT?”

Wine&Something believes that good wine goes with anything – big nights, posh meals, new loves, old friends.

The better the wine, the better those ‘somethings’. So Wine&Something is here to help make those something’s special, bringing excitement to your doorstep and ‘wow’ to your wine life.

its Master of Wine, Robin Kick. She is recognised as having one of the world’s best palates, being one of only 419 MWs globally. Wines are handpicked

by Robin, chosen by you, and delivered straight to your door.

There’s no limit to the number of entries you can have – so now’s a great time to sample everything Wine&Something has to offer. From France to Chile to New Zealand and back to Italy, every bottle purchased is an entry in the draws.

Visit us online: www.wineandsomething.com

SAVE 10% ON ORDERS

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WHY CHOOSE WINE&SOMETHING?

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All the wines have been handpicked by

A BOLD MOVE? Inevitably, there will be lots of people that question the wisdom of opening any new business right now but the driving force behind Guildford Fringe is in no doubt that the time is right for Fallen Angel, as owner Nick Wyschna explains.

“Whether it’s Joe Lycett at G Live or a first time production above a pub, we know what it takes to host an event, to treat artists and audiences with respect, and put on great shows.

“So, when the opportunity presented itself to take over an unused space at the iconic Angel Hotel on Guildford High Street, we jumped at the chance.

It’s somewhere to showcase the best local and national talent, and put into practice what we have been preaching for all these years.

“Guildford Fringe celebrates its 10th anniversary next year, and we have been fortunate enough to work with some of the top venues in the area, staging everything from comedy nights featuring household names, live theatre “We’ve already had dozens of sellout cabaret nights, and one or two and burlesque shows, to independent productions and outdoor performances. of our regular guest performers are developing a real cult following.

Resident drag diva Zelda Stone will Of course it’s different, be unleashing her alter ego ‘Tinsel why would we open a venue that was Tina’ to curate our Christmas line-up, the same as everywhere else? and we have a packed programme booked well into the New Year.

Nick Wyschna, owner, Fallen Angel

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“It’s all rather tongue-in-cheek, and we certainly don’t take ourselves too seriously, at least not when it comes to having a great time, but what we do take very seriously is the business side of our operation.

“Fallen Angel was an opportunity that was too good to turn down, and we are determined to make the most of our luck and have a great deal of fun at the same time.”

To find out more check out FallenAngelBar.com or email info@FallenAngelBar.com

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Global Britain? A report on the global ambitions of UK businesses.

We surveyed 615 business leaders across the UK to explore their perception, challenges and needs as they look to grow through international markets.

Access the findings at: www.krestonreeves.com/shapingyourfuture

For more than accountancy, business and wealth advice.

Call: +44 (0)330 124 1399 Email: enquiries@krestonreeves.com

NEWS

UKRAINIAN REFUGEE CHILDREN VISIT NOVA CINEMA Ukrainian refugee children living locally to Woking experienced “fun and joy” as Nova Cinema in the town welcomed them to a special screening of the new Minions film.

In collaboration with Woking Borough Council, Nova Cinema was able to welcome children from the local charity The Lighthouse which suppor ts Ukrainian refugees in any way they can.

A group of over 50 children visited the seven-screen cinema in the centre of Woking to enjoy a screening of Minions: The Rise of Gru. Cllr Ellen Nicolson, whose portfolio includes leisure and culture, said she is very pleased that the council is able to facilitate a visit to the cinema for the new residents, and is glad that they enjoyed the opportunity to view the film in Woking’s newly refurbished Nova cinema.

The children gathered in the cinema foyer after the film to treat staff members to a singsong complete with the waving of Ukrainian flags.

Erik Jespersen, Co-founder and Director of The Lighthouse, said: “The Lighthouse charity is absolutely delighted that Nova Cinema has made this treat possible for Ukrainian refugee children.

“Bringing a little fun and joy into their lives is a wonderful thing to do, considering the hardship and trauma they’ve endured.

Bringing a little fun and joy into their ❛❛ lives is a wonderful thing to do, considering the hardship and trauma they’ve endured ❜❜ “The Lighthouse charity runs a weekly refugee hub that is supporting hundreds of Ukrainian refugees, working alongside local partners to provide them with essential clothing, food, school equipment, art therapy, employment advice, haircuts, community meals, and much more.”

JJ Almond, Venue Director of Nova Cinema, said: “We were overjoyed to be able to collaborate with Woking Borough Council and The Lighthouse to welcome these children to Nova Cinema.

“The Lighthouse is a brilliant local charity that supports, encourages, and empowers those who find themselves

on the margins including these young Ukrainian refugees.

“We hoped they enjoyed their visit and screening of Minions 2: The Rise of the Gru and we cannot wait to welcome them back again soon!”

To find out about the Ukrainian hub visit www.lighthousewoking.org and to discover Nova head to www.novacinema.co.uk

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Probate, trust & wills specialists Call us on 0800 84 94 101 Offices across Sussex

www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk

The Power Of Apprenticeships 45% of Invotra’s workforce are current or qualified apprentices ”The apprenticeship scheme at Invotra offers an incredible journey, one I am extremely thankful for. Not only are you supported to reach your potential, you are also put into meaningful work situations to gain vital experience. To now be managing the board and the direction of the business is a true reflection of how much the apprenticeship scheme has had an impact on my success.”

Billy Clackers (30), Managing Director, Invotra Invotra Limited, a leading provider of enterprise intranets based in Surrey, has been championing the UK Government’s apprenticeship scheme and nurturing homegrown talent for over 10 years.

The apprenticeship scheme is available to school leavers and young people as an alternative to going to university or sixth form, or anyone of any age wanting to upskill or change careers. It follows a learn as you earn approach, giving apprentices real work experience whilst gaining a qualification.

Back in 2011, Invotra made a decision - in order to get the best talent, they would not recruit but instead develop their own. At that early stage in the growth of Invotra, the notion of hiring apprentices was one of economic necessity, with the high cost of recruiting software engineers or Drupal experts.

Driving a culture of learning and development Invotra is incredibly proud of the results of its apprenticeship scheme and has seen it drive an enthusiastic, energetic culture that has learning and development at its core. This team culture and work ethic has allowed Invotra to achieve incredible loyalty and retention in staff, reflected in its 77% retention rate for apprentices over the last 5 years.

The scheme has also allowed Invotra to overcome national skills shortages across roles, but in particular in Software Development, which ranks in the top 3 of the UK’s worst skill shortages.

Today, 40% of Invotra’s Board members are qualified apprentices.

The BCS, Chartered Institute for IT Award for’ National SME Employer of the Year’ at the National Apprenticeship Awards

‘South East SME Employer of the Year’ at the National Apprenticeship Awards Listed by the UK Government’s apprenticeship scheme as a ‘Top 100 Apprenticeship Employer of the Year’ for two years running.

Fast forward 11 years, Clackers and Dube now sit on the Invotra Board of Directors, as Managing Director and Technology Director respectively.

Monica Rowlinson (18), Digital Marketing Apprentice at Invotra

Alison has been a driving force behind Invotra’s successful apprenticeship programme that has seen the business recognised through several awards:

“Lifetime Achievement” Award at National Business Women’s Awards for Alison Galvin

Utilising the apprenticeship scheme, Invotra took on its first 2 apprentices, Billy Clackers and Nqobile Dube, both aged 18 at the time.

”I instantly felt like I was part of the team, being pushed and given real tasks to do within the first few days. It’s clear to see that every single team member is treated with equal importance and value, and this has really stood out to me.”

In September 2022, Inv Group’s Chief People Officer, Alison Galvin was awarded an Honorary MBE for services to education.

The trusted provider for 47% of UK Civil Servants, Invotra provides services for organisations such as the Home Office, Department for Work and Pensions and Department for Transport, as well as local authorities, ALBs and private sector organisations ranging from 35 employees through to 100,000+.

Get in touch today at marketing@invotra.com to see how we can help you to transform your digital communications.

SURRE Y CHAMBERS E VENT CALENDAR NOVEMBER ONWARDS….

WAVERLEY MEMBERS NETWORKING

SOUTH EAST CHAMBER NETWORKING

ANNUAL CHRISTMAS LUNCH

GUILDFORD BUSINESS BREAKFAST

Thursday November 24th | 18:00 – 20:00 Lythe Hill Hotel, Haslemere Our Members Networking Evenings are a monthly event where we invite our current members to join us to catch up on the happenings of the previous months business calendar. Running from 18:00 – 20:00, Members Networking Evenings are the perfect opportunity for an informal, relaxed gathering with members you already have relationships with and those you don’t.

Thursday December 8th | 12:00 – 15:00 Oatlands Park Hotel, Weybridge Surrey Chambers of Commerce invite you to join us for an afternoon of festive networking at our Annual Christmas Lunch. Sit down and enjoy a delicious three course meal, make meaningful connections with local businesses, hear from a guest speaker, and support a local charity through a fabulous charity raffle. We are delighted to be supporting Cross Roads Care Surrey for this event, and proudly sponsored by Surrey Research Park.

Wednesday November 30th | 10:30 – 12:00 Online Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Dorset, Isle of Wight and Kent Invicta Chambers of Commerce are delighted to present our fourth South East Chamber Networking session.

Our South East Chamber Networking series launched in May 2021 and we have been delighted not only by the large attendance at both these events, but also by the value this virtual event gives businesses. This series of events is created to connect the businesses of the south eastern counties.

Tuesday January 17th, 2023 | 08:00 – 10:00 De Vere Horsley Estate Running from 08:00 – 10:00, our bi-monthly Business Breakfasts are a wonderful opportunity to meet a range of Surrey businesses over a delicious breakfast. With a calendar bursting with interesting and stimulating events, we are sure you will find topics that are current and relevant to you and your business. We acknowledge that making new contacts is rather high on your priority list, so start your day with networking, hearing from a possible guest speaker, whilst most importantly, all over a breakfast!

NAVIGATING THE ICEBERG: BUILDING YOUR BUSINESS RESILIENCE STRATEGY

Tuesday January 24th, 2023 | 10:00 - 12:00 Location: Virtual The signs are there that we are entering uncharted waters economically. The effects of Covid, leaving the EU, war and an energy crisis means businesses need to prepare for the impact of all these things converging on them at the same time. Over the course of 90 minutes, we are going to be creating a top level strategy to get you and your business through the next 12-18 months.

PRACTICAL TIPS TO HELP YOUR BUSINESS GROW SUSTAINABLY

Wednesday January 11th, 2023 | 08:00 - 10:00 Woodhaven Space, Woking We’re delighted to announce that on Wednesday January 11th, Surrey Chambers of Commerce will partner with Matt Letley from Impact for Good, a Social & Environmental sustainability consultant to bring you a practical session to help you start on your green journey. Impact for good is a Surrey based consultancy that specialises in delivering sustainable business growth and creating long-term

MAXIMISING SALES SUCCESS

Thursday February 9th, 2023 | 12:00 - 14:00 Space, Woking Designed for business leaders, this interactive and collaborative session will review a systematic approach to selling, and demonstrate how applying it in your world could be the key to achieving more sales, increased revenues, and higher margins. Attendees will benefit from learning how to use an efficient and effective sales methodology to impact the performance of your business, shorten sales cycles and help to differentiate you from your competition.

GUILDFORD MEMBERS NETWORKING

Thursday February 23rd, 2023 | 18:00 – 20:00 Guildford Harbour Hotel Our Members Networking Evenings are a monthly event where we invite our current members to join us to catch up on the happenings of the previous months business calendar.

Running from 18:00 – 20:00, Members Networking Evenings are the perfect opportunity for an informal, relaxed gathering with members you already have relationships with and those you don’t.

SURREY CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE Surrey Chambers of commerce

EXECUTIVE PARTNERS & PATRONS EXECUTIVE PARTNERS Learn more about executive partner membership & PATRONS L e a r or n mpatronage o r e a b o u t e x eat c u twww.surrey-chambers.co.uk ive partner membership or patronage at www.surrey-chambers.co.uk

www.surrey-chambers.co.uk

www.surrey-chambers.com

NEW MEMBERS

Surrey Chambers of Commerce welcomes its latest member companies When you join Surrey Chambers of Commerce, your company details automatically get listed on this page alongside fellow new members.

What a fantastic way to let the Surrey Business community know you are out there and ready to get those all-important connections.

VIVID www.vividpr.co.uk 01932 320067

CARVER COACHING LTD www.carvercoaching.co.uk 07979 990916

FALLEN ANGEL BARS LTD www.fallenangelbar.com 01483 361101

WORLDPAY FROM FIS www.fisglobal.com 07469 916682

ITALTASTE LTD www.italtaste1.com 02033 725195

INFORECAST www.inforecast.io 074638 89007

DELTA 365 LIMITED www.delta365.co.uk 019325 04900

NORDIC ROOM LTD www.nordicroom.co.uk 019323 432289

All new Chamber members are entitled to a one-off 50% discount for a company profile within this magazine. Contact lesley@platinummediagroup.co.uk for more details

If you are looking to join Surrey Chambers, then please do get in touch: sarah.butcher@surrey-chambers.co.uk or call 01483 735540. We look forward to hearing from you!

FOLLOW THE SURREY CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE ON SOCIAL MEDIA...

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SURREY BUSINESS AWARDS 2022

WINNERS ANNOUNCED The winners of this year’s Surrey Awards have been revealed at a spectacular ceremony at the G Live Theatre in Guildford, in the presence of the cream of the Surrey business community.

The prestigious black-tie event took place on November 3rd and recognised the achievements and resilience of the county’s business community.

British actress, writer and comedian Jo Caulfield hosted the ceremony, which brought together some of the most successful companies in the region.

The 16 winners included individuals and companies from across a wide range of sectors including technology, pharmaceutical, retail, law and marketing.

Maarten Hoffmann, Managing Director of Platinum Media Group and organiser of the awards said: “The Surrey Business Awards celebrate all the remarkable businesses in the region – and the people that work for them! This was a spectacular event and with a theatre venue, we were able to produce a full theatrical production to really wow the audience. Even so, using the largest venue, we still had to disappoint 143 request for tickets”.

I am incredibly grateful and overwhelmed to be sharing this and I am so thankful to have been put forward in the first place.

Congratulations to all of the finalists, it was a totally brilliant evening…

Ellie McFadden, howell jones solicitors

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“Everyone should be rightly proud of their achievements, and it is these businesses that are putting Surrey on the map, adding weight to the county’s burgeoning reputation for innovation, creativity and excellence.

Congratulations to all the very worthy finalists and winners”.

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WWW.PLATINUMMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY

MAGA ZINE

We are very honoured to have won this fantastic award.

Thank you to Platinum for an absolutely fabulous evening…

Emma Patel, Rosewood Solicitors

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Professional Services Award Sponsored by projectfive ROSEWOOD SOLICITORS

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THE 2022 WINNERS

Most Sustainable Business Sponsored by Heathrow Airport MESH ENERGY

Business Innovation of the Year Sponsored by Surrey Research Park AURA VETERINARY

Thank you to Platinum Media Group for organising a fantastic Surrey Business Awards.

Every year it just gets better and better.

A great evening…

Surrey Chambers of Commerce

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Chamber Member of the Year Sponsored by Surrey Chambers of Commerce PERFECT PITCH

PLATINUM MEDIA GROUP LTD #SUBA22

THE 2022 WINNERS

SURREY BUSINESS AWARDS 2022

Business Growth Award

Sponsored by People Puzzles OPUS TECHNOLOGY

What a totally spectacular evening at the Surrey Business Awards.

Well done to the entire Platinum team for creating such a seamless and entertaining event! Looking forward to next year already...

Partridge Muir & Warren

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Employer of the Year

Sponsored by Surrey Business School GOLD-I

Start-up of the Year

Sponsored by Sandown Mercedes-Benz SIGNAPSE

Best Customer Service

Sponsored by Dynamic Magazine IGENOMIX

Young Professional of the Year Sponsored by inspohub ELLIE MCFADDEN, HOWELL JONES SOLICITORS

International Business of the Year

Sponsored by DMH Stallard NATUREMETRICS

Community Hero Award

Sponsored by Platinum Media Group OAKLEAF ENTERPRISE

Medium Business of the Year

Sponsored by Partridge Muir & Warren BLACK LABEL CREATIONS

Large Business of the Year Sponsored by RSM ANTLER HOMES

The Surrey Business ❛❛ Awards were one

of the most professional events l have ever attended Heathrow Airport

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Small Business of the Year

Sponsored by Surrey Business Magazine BAYS CONSULTING

WWW.PLATINUMMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

SURREY BUSINESS AWARDS 2022

Businessperson of the Year

Sponsored by Mayo Wynne Baxter MANDIRA MOITRA SARK AR, MANDIRA’S KITCHEN

Company of the Year

Sponsored by Haines Watts OPUS TECHNOLOGY

THE 2022 WINNERS

An incredible ❛❛ achievement for

Team Bays! Thanks to Platinum Media Group for a spectacular event and huge congratulations to all the winners Bays Consulting

❜❜

The 2022 Winners

Visualise your future with a 360° review delivering trusted, expert advice.

Pensions Investments Estate Planning Financial Management Now in the South East, Mattioli Woods will work hard to deliver the best financial outcomes for you.

Get in touch 020 8936 3970 julie.sebastianelli@mattioliwoods.com

Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

www.mattioliwoods.com

LEGAL

Much has been written about the economy and the state of the Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) market. I have set out below my thoughts on how businesses should navigate the market over the next year, and some insights into changes we have observed.

By Jonathan Grant, Partner, DMH Stallard

How can the M&A market be active, while economic headwinds increase?

Most lawyers and corporate finance professionals say the same thing when asked …”never seen a busier market”!

The truth is that the current market is more complicated.

2020/21 WAS ASTONISHING

The 12 months to summer 2021 really was the most buoyant market I can remember. We saw a huge number of private equity and large corporate buyers (with finance). They were actively looking to buy businesses for growth, to deliver synergies and increase speed to market, for key areas they did not already have. Deal values also rose with many more deals in the £20m+ bracket and far fewer below that.

THIS YEAR, THE HEADWINDS ARE GREATER

This Autumn, we are holding the biggest pipeline we have had for many years.

Expected values remain high; the CF advisors we know say the same thing.

I have had two significant deals confirmed in the second week of September, where the businesses have gone to market over the summer; this indicates a positive climate.

The important difference this year, is how buyer/investor confidence will last? Some doubt over this, makes successful completion of those deals less certain. This is not a huge surprise given the economic headwinds, and perhaps explains the apparent disconnect between the

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economic indicators, and the deal community’s confidence.

My recommendation, for clients looking to navigate in these choppy waters, is to qualify all approaches. Ensure you are very clear on buyer/investor’s pricing assumptions/key deal drivers. It is particularly important to be clear before you enter into exclusivity or agree the letter of intent/heads of terms. An LOI is a document which is non-binding, but lays out clearly all key deal issues; whilst this can never guarantee success, it greatly reduces the risk of a deal falling down part way through.

THE CHALLENGE

We normally complete a very high proportion of the deals we start to run for clients. Over the last 12 months, we have seen some high value deals ‘pulled’ by investors. In most cases the investors cite limited growth opportunities,

or financial diligence not matching their investment metrics. This really comes down to lack of confidence in the market.

Despite these challenges, there remain many well-funded investors/buyers in sectors which see positive growth opportunities. This is combined with many owners looking for an exit and feeling weary of dealing with constant challenge.

THE OPPORTUNITY

As well as demand from buyers, there are positive signs from the economic landscape. The pound is at a record low, making acquisition of UK businesses by US and other international buyers very good value. Culturally, the UK has always been attractive to international buyers; London/home counties are a big draw for executives, there is good access to finance, a strong advisory community, and the UK is still seen as stable. While Russian oligarchs may be withdrawing, we see Middle Eastern investment, and other international investment likely to increase.

Active trade and PE buyers are still completing high value deals, but the business sector is likely to be a better indicator of deal activity. As the economy evolves and changes, with issues like supply shortages, inflation, and the war in Ukraine resolving themselves, these sectors are likely to change.

LEGAL

CONCLUSION

Active trade and PE buyers are still completing ❛❛ high value deals, but the business sector is likely to be a better indicator of deal activity ❜❜ WHICH SECTORS?

Building products, engineering and architecture continued to perform strongly in 2020/21, but may be slowing.

This could transition into more stable public sector/secured living providers, who give a more reliable return, as the housing market slows.

Professional services remains busy, particularly insurance brokers, where we act for two consolidators, but also wealth management, accountancy and, to a lesser extent, legal.

Travel and leisure are seeing a gradual return of deals, although it may need a little longer until clear trends can be found and real confidence returns; the pattern is simply not there yet. Hotels and food suppliers have been taking the opportunity to renew banking lines in the last 12 months.

Technology and software businesses remain popular with trade and PE, particularly SAAS, where returns, and earnings multiples are high. We also see demand for e-learning, PR and marketing businesses, to feed the demand for on-line BD, staff retention and development in a competitive market. The ‘big resignation’ is having an impact.

Higher margin/HNW consumer products are continuing to attract investment, but retail (B to C) is continuing to see pressure. This is likely to be worsened by the cost of living pressures. Some very profitable/high growth online businesses have failed to secure deals. In part, this seems to be down to the disruption faced by large businesses in that market, who would be obvious buyers.

Defence suppliers and AI businesses: defence spending is set to increase, and unmanned/tech support is increasingly necessary. Across a wider field of business, AI provides an opportunity for greater efficiencies.

MBOs/investment/shareholders agreements are increasingly in demand, as those businesses who cannot identify a trade or PE deal, look to plan for the future. A more active and receptive banking market has helped this process, so deals below £20m are increasing.

The market remains good, but not universally. Strong sectors, with good short/ medium term growth potential will attract good offers. Strong businesses in weaker sectors could find it harder; the key for these businesses will be to demonstrate savings/efficiency/higher profit to buyers seeking to consolidate, or to extend their territory. For some, it may just be a question of biding your time.

Buyers are putting greater importance on commercial and technical diligence, but may not want to reveal their true requirements early in the negotiation.

Sellers must be willing to ask direct questions of buyers, and not get swept along with the excitement of an attractive offer. This can be hard for a business seeking to build a relationship with the buyer. Good advisors, whether corporate finance or legal, can take this responsibility.

Having ensured the offer is properly tested and qualified, a good advisory team can ensure diligence is well managed, to avoid any loss of buyer confidence.

DMH Stallard is known for providing a service that is always partner led, tailored and highly responsive to the needs of our clients.

For further information enquiries@ DMHStallard.com www.DMHStallard.com

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PENSIONS

If only Victor Meldrew had planned his retirement income before he became a grumpy old man, with one foot in the grave! By Julie Sebastianelli, Wealth Management Director at Mattioli Woods

I DON’T BELIEVE IT! When you have spent a lifetime dreaming of enjoying your retirement, safe in the knowledge you have enough put aside in your pension, the last thing you want is to be hit with an unexpected tax charge as you turn age 75. Never rest on your laurels; changes happen and sleepwalking through them might cost you dear.

Never rest on your laurels; ❛❛ changes happen and sleepwalking

through them might cost you dear ❜❜ 26

In 2015, new pension ‘freedom rules’ provided greater flexibility in terms of payment and accessibility. At the same time, there was a widening of the scope of beneficiaries to whom the passing of undrawn funds could be made free of inheritance tax (IHT).

The favourable IHT position pensions enjoy has seen an increase in clients using their personal wealth to fund their lifestyle, and to reduce their taxable estate on death. In this scenario, clients prefer to view their personal pension pots as ‘next generation’ monies.

PENSIONS

You need to be ❛❛ mindful you are not

caught by a lifetime allowance (LTA) tax charge ❜❜ However, you need to be mindful you are not caught by a lifetime allowance (LTA) tax charge. The LTA is the total amount you can build up in all your pension savings without incurring a tax charge. Any excess could be taxed at 25% and potentially up to 55%. The standard allowance for the current tax year (and until April 2026) is £1,073,100.

You will not use any of your LTA until you start taking benefits from your pension arrangements. When this happens, it is known as a benefit crystallisation event (BCE) and at each event your pension is tested against the LTA to see whether an LTA tax charge is due. All final salary and money purchase pensions are included.

At age 75, money purchase pensions are tested again against their LTA, whether they have been crystallised or not, creating a nasty surprise for some.

It is possible to maintain the LTA at a higher level through one of the protections that have been available. This is still an essential planning tool for individuals who have, or may have, pension savings in excess of the LTA. There are two LTA protections currently still available: fixed protection 2016 (FP16) and individual protection 2016 (IP16). Each type protects the LTA at or up to £1.25 million but with different considerations and conditions. This is where expert advice can be most valuable.

Protecting the LTA does not mean you can avoid the LTA charge, as any BCE at a time when the fund is over the appropriate LTA limit will trigger a tax charge.

THE CASE OF MR AFFLECK On April 5th 2016, Mr Affleck’s pension was valued at £1.2 million and he was aged 68. He did not protect the pension benefits he had accumulated as the LTA at the time was £1.25m. He took tax free cash of £300,000 leaving a fund of £900,000 and decided to draw no income. As time has gone on the Government reduced the LTA to £1 million on April 6th 2016, later increasing it by RPI annually until it was frozen in 2021 at £1,073,100.

Accessing his pension triggered an LTA test against the £1.2 million. This used up 96% of his allowance.

Any further growth that causes the fund to exceed the remaining 4% at the next crystallisation event will then be subject to the LTA tax charge.

By May 2022, Mr Affleck has taken no pension income.

He is 75 in May 2022, which means his pension will be tested against the LTA for the last time.

The £900,000 he had left in his pension has now grown to £1,050,000. The increase of £150,000 has to be tested against the current LTA of £1,073,100.

With only 4% of the LTA remaining, there is now an excess of £106,773. This excess will now attract an immediate 25% tax charge of £26,693. The liability becomes immediately payable by the pension fund.

If Mr Affleck draws some of these excess funds from his pension in the future, he will be subject to income tax at his marginal rate. The same applies after his death when his beneficiaries draw from their inherited ‘designated fund’.

The above example shows how important advice is, as pensions now have greater flexibility and with that comes greater choices for individuals.

It is not a straightforward decision to leave the pension untouched in the knowledge that an LTA charge

may be lurking. At Mattioli Woods, we can help you with your retirement plans. Even though retirement may be some years away it is never too early to plan. Then you may not have to utter those words ‘I don’t bel… !’

Julie Sebastianelli, Wealth Management Director, Mattioli Woods E: Julie.sebastianelli@mattioliwoods.com T: 020 8936 3970 Mattioli Woods plc is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority

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Three ways to secure your family’s finances The uncertainty of the past couple of years has shown how important it is to have a robust plan in place for securing your family’s finances. While no-one knows what is around the corner, reviewing your protection, updating your will, and creating an estate plan will help you rest assured that the financial side of things is taken care of.

A financial adviser can help you determine what is right for your individual circumstances but, in the meantime, these are some of the main considerations.

Protect against illness and death Protecting your finances against illness and death is a fundamental part of any financial plan. Death and illness are tough topics to think about, but they could have a devastating impact on your family’s financial security.

Without your income, your loved ones could struggle to pay the bills and may need to make large sacrifices at what is already an upsetting and stressful time.

There are several protection products that could help your family’s finances hold up should the worst happen to you. Life insurance pays out a lump sum on death, and is typically used to pay off the mortgage and / or provide a cash buffer. Critical illness cover provides you with a lump sum if you’re diagnosed with a specified critical illness, perhaps helping you to pay off debts or adapt living arrangements to your new circumstances. Income protection pays out a regular income if you’re unable to work because of an accident or illness, with some policies paying out until retirement.

There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ protection solution, so it’s important to seek advice on the right products and level of cover for you and your family.

Write or review your will If you still feel relatively young and healthy, it might seem odd to start thinking about how to pass on your assets on death. However, you are never too young to write a will.

Having a will ensures your money and other assets go to the people and causes that matter to you. It also enables you to appoint guardians for your children, so you can rest assured they’ll be looked after by people you know and trust. If you die without a will, your assets and possessions will be distributed according to the rules of intestacy, which might not reflect your wishes.

It’s important to bear in mind that your family’s circumstances are likely to change over time, and you may wish to update your will to reflect this. Marriage, birth, death and divorce are just some of the triggers to review your will and ensure it still reflects your wishes.

Create an estate plan A comprehensive estate plan could make a substantial difference to your children and grandchildren’s financial future. Many people assume estate planning is only for the very wealthy; however, the steep rise in house prices over the past decade and the freezing of the inheritance tax (IHT) nil-rate band until April 2026 mean the so-called ‘death tax’ could hit more families. There are several ways to mitigate IHT – from making lifetime gifts to using pensions and trusts – yet people often fail to take advantage of what is on offer.

A financial adviser can help you build a tax-efficient estate plan that ensures you are laying the firmest foundations for your family’s future.

Next steps In uncertain times, taking some smart advice can help you feel confident you’re doing everything you can to secure your family’s finances. A financial adviser will look at your personal, family and financial circumstances to recommend the right products and solutions for your individual needs.

You can focus on enjoying life today, safe in the knowledge that you’re prepared for whatever the future may bring.

Paul Cannons, Senior Investment Manager paul.cannons@brewin.co.uk 01293 661323 brewin.co.uk/gatwick

The value of investments, and any income from them, can fall and you may get back less than you invested.

Tax treatment depends on the individual circumstances of each client and may be subject to change in the future.

Information is provided only as an example and is not a recommendation to pursue a particular strategy.

RBC Brewin Dolphin is a trading name of Brewin Dolphin Limited. Brewin Dolphin Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Financial Services Register reference number 124444) and regulated in Jersey by the Financial Services Commission. Registered Office; 12 Smithfield Street, London, EC1A 9BD. Registered in England and Wales company number: 2135876. VAT number: GB 690 8994 69 BDM4095_2210_0.1

BUSINESS The virtual reality (VR) sector has grown exponentially in recent years. Applications of the technology are impacting a range of industries – from healthcare to education, tourism to logistics – and transforming the way we live and do business

Introducing pioneering VR driverless training technology For Surrey Research Park tenant, Diverse Interactive and Linde Group, VR has proved to be a real game changer, with their pioneering driverless training project recently celebrating a big win at the Motor Transport Awards and taking home the ‘Best Use of Technology Award’.

As a multinational chemical company, much of Linde Group’s international operations are underpinned by a broad network of haulier and road freight services. Back in 2020, BOC, part of the Linde Group, approached Diverse Interactive, an independent immersive content agency, to explore how the firm’s VR capabilities could be applied to its driver training and safety programme.

Both businesses are based at Surrey Research Park in Guildford, and their interaction whilst on site essentially inspired the DIViRT (Driver Immersive Virtual Reality Training) project. The system utilises Linde’s world-leading gas cylinder delivery vehicles and integrates cutting-edge virtual reality technology to provide a highly realistic and immersive driver training experience.

It looks like Linde ❛❛ Group’s blueprint for

success could push the use of VR forward as a training tool for the future! ❜❜ 30

BUSINESS

DIViRT has been two years in the making – from a proof of concept prototype to a fully operational production unit, which has been successfully rolled out across the country and delivered to over 100 drivers so far.

So, how did Diverse Interactive go about developing the virtual reality driver training solution? As part of the initial discovery process, the team visited different sites to collate feedback from the drivers. “We held workshops to fully understand Linde Group’s needs, objectives, priorities and how their current training is working,” explains Diverse Interactive’s Hannah Speck. “The key aims were to increase competency and improve safety performance, with the new interactive solution needing to be cost-effective and scalable.”

Utilising the HTC Vive headset and a b esp o ke m otio n seat , Dive rse Interactive created a solution that emulates an authentic driving experience for training purposes, with high levels of precision and accuracy.

Video footage of vehicle journeys was captured in great detail using state-ofthe-art cameras. Meanwhile, telemetry was used to collate an outstanding amount of data from various fixed points within the cab, with motion stimulation, including accelerometer data from the seat, creating the sense of driving a real lorry. Perhaps most interestingly, eye tracking technology was used to measure eye positions and eye movement, allowing the trainee and the trainer to review the session and assess where the driver has been looking throughout the test.

DIViRT has been two years in the making – ❛❛ from a proof of concept prototype to a fully operational production unit ❜❜ Combined, all of these data elements within the software created a vastly more accurate picture of the driver’s abilities to spot hazards and when necessary, react to them – thus enhancing the overall training experience and providing a unique insight into driver behaviour and safety.

As well as providing a positive learning experience for trainees, the technology cut costs, downtime and travel for Linde Group’s drivers. The positive feedback gained from the internal teams, coupled with the recent Motor Transport Awards win, has spurred Linde Group and Diverse Interactive to build out the development roadmap for the tool.

“At the moment, there is one mobile training unit which travels to sites up and down the country, but we are

looking to deliver more units in other regions globally,” explains Hannah. “We will enhance the technology by creating more driving scenarios – specifically looking at different weather conditions and locations, such as night-time, city and countryside driving. Enhancing the interaction between the trainer and driver will also be a key focus moving forward – and we will take the ideas and feedback we’ve received from trainees on board.”

The DIViRT project is offering an exciting, revisionary approach to training, proving that, when it comes to immersive VR technology, the possibilities are infinite. It looks like Linde Group’s blueprint for success could push the use of VR forward as a training tool for the future!

For further information please contact Hannah Speck at Diverse Interactive, 01483 399 699. www.diverseinteractive.com www.linde.com

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BIG STORY Sir Richard Branson is one of those selfmade entrepreneurs from a very well-to-do background whose omnipresence is such that there’s a good chance you cannot recall seeing him on the television for the first time.

SIR RICHARD BRANSON ADHD, dyslexia and more

However, underneath all of the evident, external, charismatic charm, academia and mental health wellbeing haven’t always been his best life journey companions. By Alan Wares

If you didn’t know better, one might be convinced he’d enrolled at drama school; he has undertaken so many TV and film roles, almost exclusively playing himself, such is his omnipresence.

Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson was born in Blackheath, London on July 18th 1950. His father was an eminent barrister, his mother a former ballet dancer, air steward and entrepreneur.

He comes from a long line – on his father’s side – of well-regarded, senior people who have operated within the UK judiciary system.

EARLY DAYS

His first entrepreneurial venture was at the age of 16, founding the magazine ‘Student’ in 1966 with his friend Nik Powell. During the magazine’s lifetime, he interviewed the likes of Mick Jagger and eminent psychiatrist RD Laing.

Branson opened his first record shop in Oxford Street, London in 1971. In 1972, using money earned from his record store, Branson launched the record

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label Virgin Records with Powell. The name ‘Virgin’ was suggested by one of Branson’s early employees because they were all new at business.

One of the first shops opened after the Oxford Street store was in Queens Road, Brighton, and it stayed open in that location until the early 1980s before moving to Western Road.

Meanwhile, Branson had bought a country estate near Oxford – always nice to get that family leg-up – in which he installed a recording studio. He leased studio time to hitherto unknown artists, where his first, and still one of his greatest, success was the multiPlatinum selling Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield (1973).

By 1979, Branson, still not a major player in the music industry, and very much considered an ‘independent’, was considered to be worth £5 million (about £28 million today). It was around this time he made his first foray into travel and holidays.

BIG STORY

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CHAMPIONING NEURODIVERSITY

Branson is a champion of neurodiversity, coping with dyslexia, and openly talking of his ADHD diagnosis. He performed poorly academically, and on his last day at school, his headmaster told him he would either “end up in prison or become a millionaire.”

He eventually formed Virgin Atlantic – an airline – in 1984, and Virgin holidays a year later. In 1992, he sold Virgin Records, his first successful company, to EMI for an estimated £500 million (about £1.15bn today).

VIRGIN EMPIRE AND BEYOND

Like most billionaires who make no secret of their billionaire status, Branson is a heady concoction of juxtaposed ideals. On one hand, he will stand on a platform of saving the planet, while at the same time being an exponent of some of its ills.

In the intervening 30 years, Branson has rarely looked back as a successful ‘captain of industry’, as his fortune has grown to an estimated personal wealth of £3 billion. His acts of self-promotion are legendary, and his world record attempts as barking as they are varied.

The media could often rely on Branson for good copy.

His support for global humanitarian, environmental and technological improvements are well recorded, although this is somewhat counter-pointed by his involvement for nearly 40 years in airline ownership both in the UK and abroad. Similarly, he champions the UK economy while he himself living as a tax exile.

He was knighted in 2000 for ‘services to entrepreneurship’.

However, in the field of academia and mental wellbeing, Branson offers up a strong level of consistency. And as one of those noted billionaires who make a point of letting people know they are billionaires, they are not alone in this regard.

That said, there have been a few instances of Branson not getting it quite right. Virgin Cola, Virgin Cars, Virgin Publishing, Virgin Clothing and Virgin Brides have been launched and summarily closed without pricking the public conscience too hard.

“I suppose the secret to bouncing back is not only to be unafraid of failures but to use them as motivational and learning tools... There’s nothing wrong with making mistakes as long as you don’t make the same ones over and over again,” he was quoted as saying when it comes to his attitude to business failure.

Writing about it in April 2021, he said, “Many businesses have caught on to the benefits of inclusion, but there are still lots of opportunities for thinking bigger and embracing different ways of thinking. I’ve always believed a great business is one that values new perspectives, different ideas and broader ways of thinking.

“The world needs a neurodiverse workforce to help try and solve some of the big problems of our time. Many people on the autism spectrum excel in areas such as logic, technology skills, problem-solving, pattern recognition, precision, sustained concentration, analysis and other unique cognitive functions.

“Yet people on the autism spectrum are often overlooked for jobs that they might be brilliant at. It’s a staggering statistic that 85% of autistic adults are unemployed or under-employed.”

WHY ARE THERE SO MANY SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE WITH ADHD? It is known that people with ADHD have specific strengths, as a result of their brain functioning difference. They are more spontaneous, creative, energetic, intuitive, imaginative, and inventive. They also have the ability to hyperfocus on subjects that interest them to a far greater extent than their non-ADHD counterparts.

They can be outside-of-the-box thinkers and often produce the most original and creative ideas, and their superior energy means that they can achieve more and work harder and faster than others. Impulsiveness and spontaneity are closely related and many people with ADHD succeed in redirecting impulsivity and turning it into spontaneity, which can be utilised positively in every area of life.

People with ADHD need to work in professions that allow them to direct their need for physical activity, creativity, imagination, or sense of innovation into a profession in which they can utilise it positively and in which it will stand as an asset.

Virgin Records’ second shop, central Brighton, 1974

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Given the explanation above, even by the most conservative of yardsticks, Branson’s sense of entrepreneurialism and subsequent can easily fall under the auspices of ADHD behaviour.

BIG STORY I suppose the secret ❛❛ to bouncing back is not

ADHD

ADHD is an acronym for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, a cognitive difference, resulting in hyperactivity, impulsivity, inattentiveness, and poor executive functioning.

It is not a medical condition or a disorder, but a dysregulation of the biological functioning of the brain. The human brain is a complex communication network, whereby messages are relayed between neurons. In order for messages to be relayed, the brain requires two key neurotransmitters – also known as chemical messengers – they are called dopamine and noradrenaline.

In an ‘ADHD brain’, there is an irregulation of these neurotransmit ters resulting in a variety of symptoms, both positive and negative, that can impact on education, work, and relationships.

only to be unafraid of failures but to use them as motivational and learning tools ❜❜

DYSLEXIA

On the subject of dyslexia, and how he has managed to cope, survive and thrive with this social and academic albatross, in 2018, Sir Richard wrote a letter to his younger self, encouraging him through his tough times.

To that end, Branson’s Virgin empire supports ‘auticon’, an IT and technology services firm that employs autistic people as technology consultants for businesses all around the world. It also provides support for Made By Dyslexia, and charity dedicated to changing the stigma around dyslexia.

Given the range of superpowers neurodiversity can offer, it may be time for the rest of the business world to wake up and take notice, rather than have it prejudicially rubbished by an uncaring society.

The symptoms of ADHD usually fit into three general categories: hyperactivity, impulsivity, and executive functioning.

SYMPTOMS OF HYPERACTIVITY INCLUDE

n Difficulty sitting in a chair n Poor sense of danger n Fidgeting n E xcessive talking n E xcessive physical movement

SYMPTOMS OF IMPULSIVITY

n Interrupting conversations n Problems with self-control n Aggression n Overreacting to criticism and disappointments

SYMPTOMS OF DIFFICULTY WITH EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING

n Disorganisation n Forgetfulness n Chaotic work/home environment n Poor planning n Poor prioritising.

Branson is a champion ❛❛ of neurodiversity,

coping with dyslexia, and openly talking of his ADHD diagnosis ❜❜

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It’s finally time to bring that idea to life.

Join NatWest’s free online Business Builder course today to start turning your idea into a business tomorrow.

Search NatWest Business Builder to sign up

BUSINESS

Start Up Loans celebrates 10th anniversary and reveals its South East Ambassador START UP LOANS AMBASSADORS 2022/2023

Former Hollywood stunt double, Chloe Bruce, is among 12 small businesses to be selected as champions of UK start-ups by Start Up Loans, part of the British Business Bank

Two Dragon’s Den winners, a former Hollywood stunt double and a PhD graduate turned toymaker are among 12 business owners announced this month as Ambassadors for the Start Up Loans programme. The announcement comes as the programme celebrates its 10-year anniversary, having provided more than £900 million in loans since 2012.

The announcement comes as the programme celebrates its 10-year anniversary, having delivered more than 9,600 loans worth over £97m to new business owners in the South East since 2012.

One such recipient of these loans is Chloe Bruce, founder of the Chloe Bruce Academy, a business offering virtual martial arts classes and tutorials. Chloe took out her loan of £2,500 in 2020 to start the business.

Chloe said “As a mum of two juggling work and childcare, having an online business has been essential in ensuring I maintain a work-life balance. My dream was always to launch a virtual platform, and when Covid meant that people were forced to stay at home, it felt like the right time to formally launch to the public after years of planning.”

The annual Start Up Loans Ambassadors programme, now in its seventh year, celebrates exceptional business owners who have followed their ambition of becoming their own boss after receiving support from the government-backed Start Up Loans programme.

Chloe Bruce

Drawn from each of the UK’s 12 Nations and regions, the 2022 Start Up Loans Ambassadors reflect the broad diversity and ambition of the nation’s smaller business sector at a grass roots level.

Susan Elliott, Senior Manager, UK Network South East susan.elliott@british-business-bank.co.uk Steve Conibear, Director, UK Network South & East of England steve.conibear@british-business-bank.co.uk

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FINANCE

UK owner-managed businesses have an increasingly global outlook but will look for greatest growth from domestic markets over the next year, finds our ‘Global Britain?’ survey.

GLOBAL BRITAIN? Businesses look for growth from domestic markets The survey of 615 directors and owners of businesses with a turnover of between £1 million and £50 million finds: n 81% of businesses currently export or trade overseas. n O f the 19% that do not trade internationally, 38% are actively planning to do so and 43% are likely to consider expanding into overseas markets in the next three years. n 8 4% of businesses surveyed will, however, focus growth plans on domestic markets over international markets in the next 12 months. n 61% of businesses report international trade levels returning to pre-pandemic levels. n 63% of businesses have cancelled or delayed international expansion because of the COVID pandemic, Brexit or supply chain issues. n E urope is the most important overseas market for 71% of businesses that trade internationally. n 36% of businesses turn to their trade body and 33% to their accountant as their preferred sources of advice on international trade.

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Andrew Griggs, Senior Partner and Head of International at Kreston Reeves, said, “UK businesses continue to face significant challenges to international trade. The impact of the new trading arrangements with the European Union, the Covid pandemic and conflict in the Ukraine will continue to hamper international trade for many months to come.

“Yet there are refreshing views from UK businesses despite all the challenges.

Businesses are increasingly international and global in their outlook and expect to see significant revenues from global markets over the next three years. But for the next 12 months, businesses are focusing on domestic markets which was surprising considering the UK is heading towards a recession.”

Kreston Reeves first conducted an international trade survey in 2019 where businesses faced greater uncertainty over the shape of the UK’s trading relationship with the EU. Back then, 58% saw the EU as a priority market for growth; today 71% of business leaders see it as a priority market. Brexit has not dimmed the appetite of UK businesses for a close trading relationship with our closest neighbours.

Our survey also reports increased barriers to international trade over the past three years. Tax, primarily VAT and duties, tariffs and trade barriers and the increased cost of trading internationally are considered greater barriers today than three years ago and are, arguably, a result of government policy.

❛❛ For the next 12 months, businesses

are focusing on domestic markets which was surprising considering the UK is heading towards a recession ❜❜

FINANCE

CHANGING BARRIERS TO INTERNATIONAL TRADE

❛❛ Professional bodies

Andrew, adds, “Our survey asked business leaders what would best help them increase levels of international trade. The single greatest measure for over a third (35%) of businesses would be free trade agreements, closely followed by tax breaks (34%), the removal of red tape (32%) and then financial incentives (31%).

are the primary source of advice for 38% of businesses, closely followed by their accountant (33%) ❜❜

“The complexities of international trade see businesses seek advice from many quarters. Professional bodies are the

primary source of advice for 38% of businesses, closely followed by their accountant (33%).

“It is, of course, a combination of support and advice that would truly help businesses grow overseas.”

“Although UK businesses are increasingly global in their outlook, they are still focusing growth plans on domestic markets. The continuous economic challenges cannot be ignored. The Government should actively look for ways to support businesses with their overseas ambitions. That could easily be achieved by removing the red tape and barriers to international that have arisen following Brexit.”

You can access a full copy of the report at www.krestonreeves.com/shapingyourfuture Andrew can be reached at andrew.griggs@krestonreeves.com or call 0330 124 1399.

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£95 per ticket / £900 table PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE WWW.PLATINUMMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK 2022 WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN NEXT MONTHS ISSUE Presented by BBC news presenter and star of Strictly Come Dancing, NATASHA KAPLINSKY

ECONOMY

› COM M E N T CATHERINE VAN WEENEN

NatWest London and the South East Regional Board:

“The close of the third quarter revealed some concerning results for the South East’s private sector, as well as for the UK as a whole, with activity stagnating while demand faltered for the first time in 19 months. The impact of the cost of living crisis could not be clearer, with clients thinking twice when placing orders for goods or services. The months ahead are dubbed to be tougher given market turmoil and currency weakness which has hit the UK particularly hard. This also showed through in sentiment which was among the lowest since the pandemic amid growing concerns over a recession.

“On a more positive note, the South East ranked third in regional rankings, suggesting other regions were more adversely affected. Moreover, there are tentative signs that inflationary pressures - although high - are starting to ease. Businesses also welcome government support on energy prices, though firms will hope this extends beyond the planned six months.”

NATWEST'S MARKET ANALYSIS DEMAND AND OUTLOOK NEW BUSINESS DECLINES, ENDING 18 SUCCESSIVE MONTHS OF GROWTH

Private sector firms in the South East reported a renewed reduction in new business during September. The rate of decline was marginal, but the first monthly contraction since February 2021. According to respondents, clients kept a closer eye on their budgets in the wake of the cost of living crisis. The weak economic environment was also blamed.

NEW BUSINESS INDE X

sa, >50=growth since previous month

49.3 Sept 2022

70 60 50 40 30 20 10 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Sources: Natwest, IHS Markit

FUTURE ACTIVIT Y INDE X

>50=growth expected over next 12 months

66.6 Sept 2022

90 80 70 60 50 40 12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

Sources: Natwest, IHS Markit

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SENTIMENT MODERATES AMID RECESSIONARY CONCERNS

Firms remained optimistic that output levels would improve in the coming 12 months with sentiment again in positive territory, a trend observed since the question was first asked in July 2012. That said, the degree of positivity was weaker than the series average amid concerns of a recession.

Firms also mentioned the cost of living crisis had weighed on confidence.

That said, only Yorkshire & Humber registered a stronger degree of optimism than the South East.

ECONOMY TOP E XPORT M A RK E TS

South East

Rank Market Weight

1 USA 16.4% 2 Germany 12.0% 3 Netherlands 6.3% 4 France 6.1% 5 Ireland 6.0%

Output Index, Sept 2022 49.3* 45.7 46.4 51.2 52.2

Sources: *US flash composite figure

E X P O R T C L I M AT E I N D E X

>50=growth since previous month

49.1 Sept 2022

70 60 50 40 30

EXPORTS BACK-TO-BACK DECLINES IN EXPORT CONDITIONS

20 10

The South East Export Climate Index is calculated by weighting together national PMI output data according to their importance to the manufacturing exports of the South East. This produces an indicator for the economic health of the region’s export markets.

The Export Climate Index registered at 49.1 in September, up slightly from 48.7 in August, to signal two consecutive contractions in export market conditions for firms in the region.

Among the region’s key export destinations, only two registered an expansion, namely Ireland and France.

Meanwhile, the US saw output fall marginally while back-toback contractions were recorded in the Netherlands.

Germany registered a sharp and accelerated reduction in activity during September.

07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Sources: Natwest, IHS Markit

Prices charged for goods and services ❛❛ by private sector companies in the South East rose at a sharp and accelerated pace at the end of the third quarter

❜❜

EMPLOY MENT INDE X

sa, >50= growth since previous month 65 60 55

BUSINESS CAPACITY HEAD-COUNTS RISE AT A MARKED AND ACCELERATED PACE

50 45

Staffing levels in the South East’s private sector increased for the 19th month in a row during September. Moreover, the rate of growth quickened from August and was sharp compared to the long-run series average. Firms sought to build their workforces ahead of expectations of greater demand.

40 35 30 25 20 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

Service providers registered a stronger rate of employment growth compared to their manufacturing counterparts.

INPUT PRICES INDE X

sa, >50=inflation since previous month

56.0 Sept 2022

79.7 Sept 2022

90 80 70 60

Sources: Natwest, IHS Markit

PRICES INPUT PRICE INFLATION MODERATES TO NINE-MONTH LOW

Average cost burdens faced by private sector firms in the South East increased for the 28th month in succession in September amid rising energy, wage, transportation and material costs. That said, the overall rate of inflation slowed to a nine-month low. The region recorded a quicker increase compared to the UK as a whole.

SELLING PRICES RISE SHARPLY IN SEPTEMBER

50 40 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Sources: Natwest, IHS Markit

Prices charged for goods and services by private sector companies in the South East rose at a sharp and accelerated pace at the end of the third quarter. Moreover, the rate of inflation was among the sharpest in the series’ history. Panel comments indicated that firms passed on higher costs to customers. Manufacturing firms reported a steeper rate of inflation than service providers.

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LEGAL

The 4Rs are what many employers are talking about – Remote Working, Recruitment, Retention and, more recently, Redundancies. They are to some extent intertwined though. Pam Loch explains why

THE CHALLENGES OF THE 4Rs The growth in remote working has been accelerated by the pandemic. In 2019, around 5% of the workforce worked mainly from home, with around 30% reporting they occasionally worked from home. By April 2020, this had risen to 46.6% of people working from home in some capacity, and the numbers have continued to rise with the increase in hybrid working.

The launch in December 2021 of new guidance on hybrid working from the Flexible Working Taskforce however has reinforced that the way we work now is likely to permanently change.

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WORK FROM HOME

The pandemic, coupled with the ongoing financial crisis, has resulted in more employees than ever embracing the new work-from-home model, as it provides them with more free time, and less travel stress and expense. A recent poll found that 45% of workers are pushing for more remote working amidst the cost-of-living crisis.

This preference to work from home has, in some instances, led to tensions with employers who want staff back to the office. Some employers are less willing to adopt this new way of working, and increasing numbers are now questioning productivity and trust around remote workers.

LEGAL OBLIGATIONS

There is no right to work from home unless a person’s contract of employment says otherwise, or an employer is legally obliged to. At present, employees have a right to make a request to work flexibly after 26 weeks of service, and the employer has to consider that request ‘in a reasonable manner’ within three months of receipt of the request.

The Flexible Working Regulations 2014 permits one written request every 12 months. If these criteria are met, employers are obliged to give serious consideration to any flexible working requests, such as to work from home, or to change working hours.

If an employee asks for flexible working as a reasonable adjustment because they have a disability under the Equality Act 2010, the employer has a duty to agree if it is a reasonable request. What is reasonable takes into account the employer’s circumstances and on a case by case basis, will therefore vary.

LEGAL IS HYBRID WORKING APPROPRIATE IN YOUR BUSINESS?

Employers should also consider the remote working psychometric tests we carry out to assess employees’ suitability for remote working; and highlight areas that could be challenging so that managers can be prepared and address them.

With increasing costs and concerns around recession, more employers are carrying out business reviews which has led some businesses revisiting the way they work. In some instances, allowing remote/hybrid work has led to reduced costs for employers due to lower overheads. This has meant that businesses which may have had to consider redundancies in the past due to cost considerations are now able to avoid that for the time-being.

❛❛ Employers should also consider the remote

working psychometric tests we carry out to assess employees’ suitability for remote working ❜❜ EMPLOYER FLEXIBILITY

Many employers are being forced to rethink their approach and be more accommodating to allow remote/hybrid working as they find it increasingly difficult to retain or to recruit staff if they are not prepared to agree to these arrangements.

There is evidence that remote/hybrid working can increase productivity and improve job satisfaction with staff more engaged and enjoying a better work/life balance. Employees are more motivated to work hard and enjoy their jobs, making it easier to retain staff and avoid the current recruitment challenges.

Similarly, cultivating a reputation as a flexible employer can also help to attract fresh new talent. A recent survey found that 69% of employers advertising vacancies were “open to flexible working”. 68% of those offering remote/ hybrid working found it enabled them to attract and retain more talent.

However, remote working may lead some employers to completely reassess how they work, potentially deciding to make redundancies, and engage individuals who work outside the UK to lower their costs, because they can find lower paid individuals who can work effectively, for example, from Barcelona as they can from Brighton.

THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE

While being flexible and agreeing to remote/hybrid working can help with recruitment, it can also present challenges to retaining staff. The lack of engagement with managers when working remotely can result in employees feeling isolated, and poor management can lead to complaints of bullying or harassment. With the high demand for staff, it is often easier for staff to leave and find a new role, potentially at a higher salary too.

There is no doubt that the remote/hybrid model is set to continue to impact the workplace in the UK, with employees able to stay in work for longer as they fit it around their personal commitments.

This, together with the current economic climate, could lead to the economically inactive who left the workplace post-pandemic to return to the workforce, which could ultimately change the current recruitment dynamics.

Managers therefore play an important role in making sure the remote/hybrid model works and need to be skilled in dealing with issues to nip them in the bud, to ensure they retain the best staff.

Our Nip it in the Bud training helps managers acquire those skills.

Whilst there may be challenges in the short term, the impact of remote/hybrid working could ultimately lead to an evolution in the workplace which could reduce the recruitment challenges and help improve retention for employers in the longer term.

Pam Loch, Solicitor and Managing Director of Loch Associates Group E: info@lochassociates.co.uk www.lochassociates.co.uk

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EVENT There’s a baa-rilliant new art trail coming in Autumn 2023 – all thanks to Martlets, the much-loved local charity that provides life-changing hospice care

Martlets invites businesses to be part of the #BrightonFlock ‘Shaun by the Sea’ will see a colourful cavalcade of one-off painted Shauns decorate Brighton streets from September next year for eight weeks.

The big reveal was held at the iconic Royal Pavilion where Mar tlets ambassador and superstar DJ Norman Cook – aka Fatboy Slim – showcased a fabulous Regency inspired Shaun the Sheep, created by local artist Sarah Arnett. Norman’s own Big Beach Café has committed to sponsoring a sculpture.

He said, “If you’re thinking about joining us in being a sponsor for the next trail, my advice would be to go for it! To be a part of such a creative and inspiring community project, in support of a local charity we couldn’t do without, is absolutely priceless.”

In a truly ewe-nique opportunity, local businesses are being invited to sponsor a Shaun. Alongside this there are of a host of additional exciting sponsorship options, including the chance to lead our learning programme and sponsor the trail app.

Brandwatch, the world’s premier social suite, has already confirmed its role as headline sponsor of what promises to be one of the biggest and brightest charity events of 2023. So join our ever-growing flock of sponsors – you won’t want to miss out and you’ll be in great company – including Rockwater, Trident, Enter Gallery and Green Insurance.

Martlets CEO, Claire Irving, said, “At

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Norman Cook with Shaun the Sheep Martlets, we’re passionate about connecting people in need with people who care. Shaun by the Sea will bring together individuals, families, fundraisers, volunteers, schools, artists, community groups and businesses in support of those affected by terminal illness in our community. We very much hope local businesses will seize this opportunity to be part of the #BrightonFlock with Martlets.”

Rachel Peacock from Aardman, the studio behind Shaun the Sheep, said, “We are delighted to be working with the brilliant charity Martlets on their next trail. We look forward to working with sponsors and artists to bring Shaun to the streets of Brighton & Hove. He is

sure to add such fun and colour, and we are in no doubt many will flock to be part of the fun!”

The trail is brought to the city in association with Wild in Art, the organisation who partnered with Martlets on the previous art adventures. These last two trails, Snowdogs and Snailspace, generated millions of social media impressions as well as local and national press and TV interest.

To find out more about the trail and how your business can be part of it visit www.shaunbythesea.co.uk, or email Susi or Amber at Sponsors@shaunbythesea.co.uk

r f u l o o c n k i o J Be part of the biggest brightest charity event to hit Brighton Don’t be sheepish - download our SPONSORSHEEP Pack today!

shaunbythesea.co.uk/sponsors/

Big #BrightonFlock shaunbythesea.co.uk

A Wild in Art event in support of Martlets

™ Aardman Animations LTD 2022

Headline Sponsor

Registered charity number: 802145

FINANCE

INFLUENCERS FORUM The future of work is now. Digitalisation and globalisation have sparked radical shifts in how we live and how we work.

The pandemic crisis has accelerated these beyond anything we could have imagined. One thing is beyond doubt, the future of work has arrived.

Organisations must truly understand the uncertainty of change in order to make appropriate strategic decisions.

To understand the impact of the changes to the nature of work, both momentary and lasting, organisations must first align and invest in a clear set of strategic priorities. Defining these priorities and seeing them through will enable them to derive bespoke value from their financial human and technological capital.

48

FINANCE

SHARN MANKU

HARRY SHERRARD

SAM DICKINSON

HR Director, Kreston Reeves

Principal, Sherrards Employment Law

Partner, Mayo Wynne Baxter

Sharn has over 15 years’ experience of HR best practice. She is a self-motivated innovator with a successful record in troubleshooting and problem-solving whilst achieving business goals.

Harry Sherrard has been a specialist employment lawyer for over 20 years. He writes and lectures widely on employment law issues and conducts training programmes throughout the UK.

Sam is an employment law specialist and Head of the Litigation department at Mayo Wynne Baxter, expertly advising both employers and employees on all aspects of employment law.

Sharn.Manku@krestonreeves.com www.krestonreeves.com

harry@sherrardslaw.com www.sherrardslaw.com

sdickinson@mayowynnebaxter.co.uk www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk

DESIREE ANDERSON

SIMON BELLM

Desiree is an executive coach and work expert. She has a wealth of experience working for leading companies in consultancy, empowering ambitious and creative leaders, business owners and teams.

Partner, DMH Stallard

Director of the Future of Work Research Centre, University of Surrey

Simon leads DMH Stallard’s Gatwick-based employment group.

He works with organisations in both the public and private sectors on human resourcing issues.

Ying’s research is focused on job quality, occupation and employee well-being.

Ying received her MPhil and DPhil in Economic Sociology from Nuffield College, Oxford University.

info@crestcoachingandhr.com https://crestcoachingandhr.com

Simon.Bellm@dmhstallard.com www.dmhstallard.com

ying.zhou@surrey.ac.uk www.surrey.ac.uk/future-work

PAM LOCH

MAARTEN HOFFMANN

LESLEY ALCOCK

Pam Loch is an award-winning solicitor and founder of Loch Associates Group.

The Group provides clients with pragmatic and commercial solutions from a single, trusted partner.

Maarten Hoffmann is the facilitator for the Platinum Influencer Forums The Platinum Media Group is the largest circulation business publishing group in the UK, reaching up to 720,000 readers each month across three titles.

Lesley is a marketing professional, having spent many years with Capital Radio in London and the Observer Newspaper, and was instrumental in the launch of the Observer Magazine.

MD, Crest Coaching and HR

Managing Director, Loch Associates

pam.loch@lochassociates.co.uk www.lochassociates.co.uk

Publisher Platinum Media Group

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

PROFESSOR YING ZHOU

Commercial Director Platinum Media Group

T: 07767 613707 lesley@platinummediagroup.co.uk

49

INFLUENCERS FORUM

MH: If I might come to Professor Ying first. Has the future of work arrived? What does it look like?

YZ: I think the process is an evolving one. First, we have fast evolving digital technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning. All these technologies are taking away jobs from humans. And there is a widely cited study suggesting nearly half of all employment is at high risk of automation in the next few decades.

That sounds quite alarming. But later research by the OECD and ONS suggest technologies are unlikely to replace home occupations, because many occupations involve activities that are quite difficult to automate, like public speaking, negotiating, persuading, caring, counselling.

Apart from technologies, we’ve also got a pandemic, which has really changed the way we work. There are so many people working from home, and it’s likely to stay that way in the future. And we’ve also got Brexit. So the future of work implies a lot of uncertainties, which we are still trying to understand.

MH: So in the oncoming tsunami, will there be a retraining exercise rather than people sitting at home having no jobs?

YZ: I think there’s growing consensus that skills will be the key problem. For the majority of the labour force today, you probably need to learn new skills, especially digital skills to cope with what is coming.

PL: The key word here is ‘change’, because some people aren’t coping particularly well with change. That’s caused a lot of anxiety, and we see it coming through in different ways. For example, HR consultants are dealing with a lot more grievances at work. And a lot of that is through this anxiety around the changes that have occurred.

Sometimes it’s also a lack of communication about those changes. People are getting paranoid about what’s happening, because they feel they’re not in control.

❛❛ I’m seeing there’s a real conflict

in leadership to embrace the changes while reaching out to your hybrid remote teams ❜❜ DA: I find with my clients who are within business, that they’re feeling very insecure about the amount of changes that are coming up. Some are from a generation that is embracing technology, others are of older generations that fear that technology and worry about their own skills in leadership.

I’m seeing there’s a real conflict in leadership to embrace the changes while reaching out to your hybrid remote teams, and engaging them along with the culture of the organisation. And it’s a culture which has to inevitably change to rapidly globalise and beat the competitors’ demands.

SB: The whole issue of engagement has been pushed right to the fore. I think all organisations including lawyers have recognised the change. And they understand that they now have to take a different approach to how you manage staff remotely; how you engage with them.

At the moment, we’ve got a mismatch between resources and need. You can see that in the unemployment figures.

There are opportunities which aren’t getting filled. It’s very difficult to recruit, and that’s the major challenge for all sectors, including the legal sector.

I’m not sure if we train our managers to help people to make changes. The pandemic has hampered progress, and made people feel even more anxious about their well being and their job.

HS: Regarding AI, I have a colleague who works in the dairy industry. What they’ve developed in AI – it’s quite scary in some respects – is the cameras focused on the people working in the milking parlour to assess their movements. It effectively marks them; the AI produces a readout to say how well their employees are performing.

SM: The training is there already, and focuses on ‘where do we need to go with our universities, apprentices, colleges?’ The new generation coming up is already involved in technology. AI is not really going to replace everybody.

From an employer’s point of view, that’s probably music to our ears. It becomes very easy to have a very cogent basis of saying whether somebody’s performing or not performing for the company.

We really need to think about workforce planning. How are we changing as an organisation? How are we changing as a business? What does our business of the future look like?

SD: When it comes to training, there’s a place for the government, as well. The majority of people would be happy to retrain, so I think the government can step up here.

50

FINANCE

MH: The government is also looking to larger companies to deal with their own training.

SD: They are. There’s no one size fits all. What works for one individual or business won’t necessarily work for another.

Some individuals want flexibility - maybe, for example, working nine days out of 10. Because then they can use that extra day that they don’t work to do something that gives them purpose and meaning. Work is not the be-all and end-all. And that’s where employers and businesses need to change.

HS: There is talk of the unemployment figures. For me, the better guide is the employment figure. If you actually look at the number of people that are employed, it’s not that impressive. And that’s the real problem – the number of people that are actually in work hasn’t grown sufficiently.

PL: Do you think that may change though? Could it have been a blip, as a result of the pandemic, people reflected back on their lives?

SM: I’ve been reading about the great ‘unretirement’.

The cost of living process is pushing people back into work.

And the more it’s in the media and in conversations like this, about the focus on well being and retraining, the more people will want to come back to work but in a different way.

The pandemic has changed the way we work.

MH: Knowing that the pandemic is the thing that kicked off this huge change, there’s the ‘work from home’ consideration. Is it here to stay?

SD: For some individuals, yes. Some people will want to work from home. Some people hate it and want to be back in the office.

There isn’t one answer for everybody. Employers know that they are being interviewed more, and they need to look at their rewards and recognition packages. Working from home is only one type of flexible working.

There’s a movement around the four-day week, or maybe nine days every two weeks. There can be volunteering policies; allowing your staff to go off and volunteer somewhere once or twice a month; giving them flexible start and finish hours, so they have more autonomy over their day-to-day work.

MH: How does that help the economics of the country?

To get as much done in four days as I do with five sounds good. In my experience, that’s not the case.

SD: I’d have to disagree with you there. I should declare that I only work four days a week, but I absolutely do at least five days’ work in those four days. And I will always be grateful and loyal to my firm for letting me do that.

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FINANCE

MH: But if you if you do five days in four, can you do six in five?

SD: I probably could. But I choose not to because in my day off, I do volunteer for a charity. And that makes me feel fulfilled as a person. And then it means I’m more happy at work, and more effective at work. And a great salary is not compensation for an unpleasant working environment.

MH: Ying, is there any research done in this work from home phenomenon?

YZ: Plenty. Remote working has been around for a long time.

In 1981, 1% of UK workers worked mainly from home. In 2019, just before the pandemic, that figure was 5%. Then the pandemic hit. And we saw an explosion of remote working.

In the early months of the pandemic, nearly half of all UK workers were working from home.

Hybrid working is going to be the future. The problem is how to manage that and how to make it work.

The electronic surveillance by AI has been on the rise.

During the pandemic, a lot of companies bought electronic surveillance software. But that’s pretty counterproductive because that sends a clear message to our employees that they cannot be trusted.

SD: In our wider group, nobody cares if you’re not going to be at your desk whether your desk is at home or at work between this hour and that hour. As long as you are doing what you need to get done, then we trust our colleagues to do it.

❛❛ I’m not sure if we train our

managers to help people to make changes. The pandemic has hampered progress, and made people feel even more anxious about their well being and their job ❜❜ MH: Sometimes for bosses of SMEs, the change is coming faster than they’re able to cope. There’s also a case, with working from home, of ‘how do you see eye to eye if you don’t meet face to face’?

SD: Learning by osmosis? There has to be a hybrid element to it; so you need to make sure that, if you are normally remote, you have your team meetings at least one day a week where you’re all together.

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INFLUENCERS FORUM

MH: With large companies with several hundred employees, is it viable for the HR department to be able to do that with each individual employee?

SB: It’s not HR’s job. It’s the managers that need to have the education; working out how you deal with the individual employees means that you need high quality managers.

PL: Communication is always critical, and there has to be an open and honest discussion, and giving managers that skill set. Another thing going on is sometimes oversharing information – sometimes personal information. Again, managers don’t know how to deal with it.

LA: We talk to a whole load of different types of businesses.

And there’s a different effect that hybrid working is causing.

It’s getting increasingly difficult to get decisions because they don’t meet every day in the office. Has anybody else found that as an issue?

YZ: Sometimes it can take a lot of emails to solve a simple problem, where a chat in the corridors probably resolves it in a couple of minutes.

When people meet in office building, you’re also in touch with informal learning. A lot of learning occurs informally between colleagues who learn from each other. So it’s quite important that people do hybrid working. Remote working should not happen five days a week.

SD: It also engenders a sense of belonging. The environment we work in and the friendships that we make are important for our mental well being.

MH: The phenomenon of ‘quiet quitting’.

Do you recognise that?

SD: Essentially it’s working to rule. People doing their nine-to-five or their nine-to-five-thirty.

HS: Has anyone seen it for real?

SD: Work to rule is something that’s been knocking around for ages with some people. Again, it goes back to them not being happy with their job. I think it’s just a nice little social media sound bite.

SM: Within quiet quitting are the issues around retraining.

What are the government’s obligations here? We all have mortgages, financial commitments, and so forth.

You’re in a miserable job. And you have to be in this job, because you’ve got no choice. So is it viable to retrain?

Possibly not. What do we do for those people that haven’t got those skill sets?

SD: I’ve heard of many people who would like to retrain and go into healthcare, or be nurses, but they can’t. They feel trapped because of their financial commitments.

SM: It goes back to mental health. And that’s a big cohort of people that we need to be putting our arms around.

It’s not just the next generation; what are we doing in terms of re-skilling current working people?

YZ: We have been focusing too much on the quantity of work, not enough on the quality of work.

YZ: Social relationships are one of the most important determinants of mental health and well being. There was an interesting study by Harvard researchers, they followed people for nearly 100 years. The question was, ‘Who lives happier long lives?’

People can adapt to a lot of events, but not unemployment.

Work provides a lot of mental vitamins for people who like social interactions, and your sense of purpose. However, if you are employed in a tedious job, where you are only using one skill all the time, that is pretty boring.

And the results shows social relationships – that’s the number one factor; far more important than income, education, social status etc. Happiness is found in the quality of your social relationships.

Quality is the key to our overall wellbeing, pay is actually quite low on that list.

Research has suggested some people said they became more productive when they did remote working, whereas some people became less productive.

SB: One of the problems with the pandemic was the ‘good work’ agenda, which was designed to improve the quality of jobs; it’s just been virtually abandoned. That was supposed to produce an Employment Bill, which Boris Johnson didn’t take forward at all.

SD: But it probably shouldn’t need legislation for that.

The research is out there. Having a voice, feeling like you can influence your organisation and the decisions it makes, we don’t need legislation to tell us.

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INFLUENCERS FORUM

MH: One of the biggest issues most companies have at the moment is finding employees. We put out an ad pre pandemic for an event assistant. We had 175 replies.

Post pandemic; same ad. We had three. That’s just one snapshot. Is everybody having the same issue?

YZ: There are several factors. One is, during the pandemic, some people who were furloughed didn’t return to the labour force. At the beginning of the pandemic young people were hardest hit. However, later on, it was people aged 50+ who were least likely to come back. They chose to retire or move into economic inactivity.

And some people left the UK after Brexit. The NHS has had a huge recruitment difficulty, and you probably still remember the shortage of lorry drivers last winter. So Brexit makes things worse.

And also, after the pandemic, a lot of jobs which still require people to come to our physical workplace became less attractive – hospitality, retail, tourism, and so on.

MH: I get that. But I wonder, apart from those who’ve retired from the workforce, where have they gone? These things go in a circular fashion. But every sector I speak to seems to be having this issue…

PL: Apart from health and well being apparently. There has been an uptake. And people want to move into those sectors as a result of the pandemic.

LA: I wonder if some of those people that you’re talking about have gone back into education to study.

SM: People have taken a different stance on what they want.

I’ve seen lots of people that are yoga instructors, painters and decorators. They just want less stressful roles or responsibilities.

❛❛ There isn’t one answer for everybody.

Employers know that they are being interviewed more, and they need to look at their rewards and recognition packages. Working from home is only one type of flexible working ❜❜

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DA: Some of the people have gone into starting up their own businesses. With the rate of SMEs failing, are we not seeing some of those people going back into employment in the long run?

YZ: The hardest of fields are education, transport, and voluntary sector. These sectors are facing the greatest difficulties to fill.

HS: Agriculture must be high as well as it was heavily reliant on Eastern Europeans who aren’t coming any more.

YZ: That’s the Brexit impact. Also, people who have their own businesses are classified as self employed. These last two employment figures, what we are seeing is very low unemployment rates, something like 3.8%. That’s very low. But also we have very low overall employment.

SD: Also, with a lot of these high salaries that we’re all seeing being bandied about, people will jump for a higher salary. And then they realise that’s coming in with a lot of other issues.

MH: And that’s where we come back to the amount you’re paid being quite low on the list of your satisfactions in life. There are lots of reports that women have suffered more in the workplace during the pandemic than men. Do we recognise that?

DA: Definitely so. Especially women working from home during the pandemic. I think we all know women with younger children were really badly affected mentally.

I spoke with many female clients who felt that that their partner being at home was an extra burden on the relationships.

YZ: Depression in general has increased more among young women during the pandemic. We don’t fully understand the reasons why young people are much more likely to get depression than older people, and in my experience, young women are much more likely to be depressed than the young men.

MH: Men have been slightly knocked for leaving the childcare to the woman, and the pandemic shone a light on that. When and how do we retrain men?

SD: Employers can start looking at their parental leave policies, and making sure fathers are not disadvantaged, and are in fact encouraged to take more paternity leave.

FINANCE

❛❛ In the early months of pandemic, nearly half of all UK workers were working from home ❜❜ MH: Fewer than 9% of men took the parental route in the UK… SD: We don’t see senior men taking time off, it’s expected that women will take maternity leave.

So employers absolutely have a part to play here. They need to improve their parental leave policies because if we have better paid policies, more men will take time off work, and then therefore they’ll start shouldering more of the burden at home.

SM: 35 to 45 is the worst mental health death rate for all males, And are they able to openly express how they’re feeling? There’s a little bit of isolation there.

At Kreston Reeves – I’ve only been there a short period of time – we have males on parental leave, and I’m really impressed by that. They want an evolution and they are listening, having that open form of dialogue and normalising it.

PL: Unfortunately, I feel the pandemic has resulted in reinforcing stereotypes. I know of situations with females who were pregnant, who had clearly been exited out of the business because they were pregnant. I’ve been working in Employment Law since the 1990s, and I’ve seen the progress that’s been made.

We’ve evolved so much, it’s fantastic. But I think we went backwards by 10 or 15 years with some businesses.

MH: Sadly, that is all we have time for. Thank you very much indeed. I think we have a really interesting discussion.

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FINANCE

By Daniel Morgan, Managing Partner, Haines Watts Esher

DEFINING YOUR VALUES AS A LEADER Talent retention has always been a key challenge facing business owners but no more so than in the last couple of years. Motivation and purpose are now key parts of people strategies and your business’s values can be central to this.

The aim of values is to align your teams with a shared purpose and sense of community within their teams. When executed well, values achieve exactly that, and can be crucial to the continued engagement amongst your colleagues.

However, if they are not, they can cause more problems than you perhaps began with.

❛❛ The aim of values

is to align your teams with a shared purpose and sense of community within their teams ❜❜ THE IMPORTANCE OF A CLEAR SET OF VALUES

In the early stages when there are very few people in the business, it is likely that the founding individuals are well aligned and similar values or ambitions were shared.

As the business grows and more personalities are added to the mix, you risk diluting this shared vision you once held. Communicating your core values and implementing them in all areas from recruitment to business processes means you can keep your team well aligned to your goals.

When considering your values you need to ask: n What are you trying to achieve?

What are your ambitions for the business, is it innovation? Fast growth? Providing jobs? n How do you want to do business?

Whether that’s making an impact in the local community, protecting the environment, to the basics around how you want people to be treated within your teams n What drives you and your key team members? Some will be profit driven, others want their workplace to feel like a community, others will want to know that what they are doing matters.

Once you’ve considered the answers to all of these questions you have the foundations for your values.

DO YOUR VALUES REPRESENT YOUR PEOPLE?

It is important to open up the discussion with your teams. If you implement a set of values that don’t relate to them, trying to apply them through the business will be an uphill battle.

Workshops with people at all levels can offer valuable insights into what they think the key strengths and weaknesses of the business are at present and what behaviours they want to see more of.

The way that values are implemented within the business is pivotal to their success. You could have a great set of values but if they are contradicted or not well communicated, the messaging can fall fl at. In this situation, at best, no one will pay attention and all your hard work will have been for nothing.

At worst, people will feel alienated and frustrated by the empty statements.

LIVING YOUR VALUES

While your core values should represent the heart of your business, this does not necessarily mean that everyone will be displaying them from day one.

Leadership buy-in needs to be concrete and this can mean that conflicts surface. This can be hard and requires you to step up and speak when someone is deviating from your core values.

It is crucial that messaging from the top is consistent and that these values are displayed by leadership day in, day out.

Implementing values can be a hugely rewarding process, the increase in personal investment and motivation from your teams can be significant.

If you want to discuss defining your business values, get in touch.

T: 020 8549 5137 E: esher@hwca.com www.hwca.com/accountants-esher

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INNOVATION

How can small businesses respond during times of crisis? Fiona Bennett, Head of Finance and Systems at Sussex Innovation, shares a few key takeaways from an unexpected success story

SEXTECH AND TOILET ROLL During the Covid-19 pandemic, a period that brought huge financial challenges for many businesses, the sex toy industry experienced 200% sales growth worldwide. What are the key lessons that aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners can take away from this unprecedented success?

❛❛ During the

Covid-19 pandemic, the sex toy industry experienced 200% sales growth worldwide ❜❜

Most companies will instinctively consolidate and try to weather the storm during times of crisis, but in fact, this is exactly the time when small businesses most need to be brave, take risks and seize opportunities. Sometimes these opportunities are obvious – as anyone selling toilet roll or hand sanitiser in the spring of 2020 can attest – but in many cases there will also be secondary markets that emerge because of the upheaval.

Earlier this year, I was part of the team behind Sussex Innovation’s TV series, Sussex Pioneers. During the filming we went around the county speaking to growing businesses with inspiring stories of innovation. I heard first-hand

Calandra Balfour (Lust!) and Emma Brown (Knude Society) in the Sussex Pioneers TV show

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from two local entrepreneurs about how a combination of different trends in the SexTech industry came together, leading to the rapid growth we saw during the pandemic.

Calandra Balfour, founder of the independent high street retailer Lust!, and Emma Brown, of online women’s sexual wellness community Knude Society, pointed out how lockdown was the catalyst, accelerating a societal shift that had been gradually growing for more than a decade.

In the 1990s and 2000s the conversation around sex changed, with once taboo subjects becoming more visible in popular culture. As internet access grew, those barriers were broken down even further, and the mass market was primed and ready to embrace SexTech more widely. At the same time, this conversation led to increasing awareness of the emotional and mental benefits of a more open and healthy sex life.

INNOVATION

Most innovation doesn’t happen at the forefront of technology and research.

It’s about solving very common challenges that every small business goes through – like cashflow, recruitment, productivity and efficiency.

So how can small business owners learn from the example of the sex toy industry? Well, here are three strategies that can help you to embrace innovation in times of uncertainty:

Fiona Bennett at the recent Global Speakers Summit 2022 in Dublin, where she delivered her award-winning speech on SexTech and innovation in times of crisis

❛❛ We want to leave every business in our region

feeling more confident about how they can address their challenges and capitalise on opportunities ❜❜ Lockdown acted as an inflection point for late adopters of SexTech products; consumers who had already had their interest piqued, but hadn’t yet taken the final step to make their first purchase.

Finding themselves alone at home for a sustained period, and with mental health, wellbeing and self-care in the zeitgeist, customers finally took the plunge. In turn, manufacturers and retailers rapidly innovated their products and distribution networks to meet the increased demand.

A lot of small businesses think of innovation as something that is only for big businesses with huge R&D budgets, but in fact they hold a distinct advantage.

Small companies are capable of rapid innovation because they are agile, not weighed down by bureaucracy or entrenched processes.

That’s why our plan for Sussex Pioneers was to show that innovation is for everybody. We want to leave every business in our region feeling more confident about how they can address their challenges and capitalise on opportunities.

With so much uncertainty and change happening, we think it’s important that we demystify innovation and make it accessible, not just to digital and technology businesses, but retail, food and drink, manufacturing and construction companies.

Pillow talk – one message that we heard repeatedly is that doing your research is crucial. However, it needn’t cost the earth to uncover useful market insights. Get intimate with your customers and try to understand what they really want – whether that’s using feedback surveys, a suggestion box, or good old-fashioned conversation. From these personal insights, you can start to unpack the bigger trends behind their concerns to inform the development of your products and services.

Get on top – you’re either working on your business or in it, and many small business owners find it hard to separate themselves from the day-to-day jobs that need doing. Make time to continuously review for potential efficiencies across people, process, and technology that can free up your time to plan your next move.

Find your bed fellows – dedicate time to managing your business affairs; from the casual and ad-hoc (e.g. delivery drivers and couriers) to your long-term, stable partners (e.g. accountants and lawyers). Most importantly of all, pursue the relationships that will enhance your own qualities – the co-creators and collaborators you meet along your journey.

If you’re a registered business with an address in East Sussex, you can register to watch all episodes of Sussex Pioneers completely free of charge at http://sinc.mylearnworlds.com This project is funded by the UK Government through the UK Community Renewal Fund.

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LEGAL

Fiona Dodd, Partner at Mayo Wynne Baxter on the top five excuses people have for not making a Will. And her answers to counter those excuses…

“WHY I DO NOT NEED A WILL” 1“IT COSTS TOO MUCH”

It’s hard to spend money when you are not buying something delicious, gorgeous, or immediately useful.

However, spending a relatively small amount now will pay huge dividends later for your family.

Think of your Will as an insurance policy. Most people pay a few hundred pounds for household insurance every year. The cost of a Will is like a single insurance premium which may not need to be renewed for many years depending on whether you decide to change your will or need to update it.

WILL DO IT, 2 “IJUST NOT YET…”

Fortunately – or unfortunately – most of us do not know when we will die. It is therefore only right to plan for the worst and hope for the best. Writing your Will can be quite daunting at first but updating it as time goes by is simpler.

At Mayo Wynne Baxter, we try to make the process of writing your Will as easy as possible, and you may be surprised at just how enjoyable it is!

Writing your Will ❛❛ can be quite daunting

at first but updating it as time goes by is simpler

❜❜

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LEGAL

Think of your ❛❛ Will as an insurance policy ❜❜ HAVEN’T GOT 3 “IANYTHING TO LEAVE”

Some people genuinely have very little, but for many others, pension policies, and more particularly life insurance can have a significant impact on the value of your estate.

Add up roughly the value of what you have. Maybe it’s more than you think.

Even with very modest estates there is a certain amount of paperwork which must be sorted out in order get hold of the money or to claim under a forgotten life policy. Having a professionally drawn Will makes it easier for those left behind to sort everything out.

Similarly, you may not have much right now, but if you are due to inherit some money, or your circumstances may change, then you should consider making your Will.

WILL ALL GO TO 4 “IT MY FAMILY ANYWAY”

If you do not make a Will, the law will dictate how your estate is distributed.

This may coincide with your wishes, but even if it does, the law often imposes unwanted limitations that can be removed or avoided with a well drafted Will.

Do you have any children? If so, don’t you want to make sure there is someone to take care of them and put this in your Will? Do you have a business? Do you have business partners? Do you have an agreement about what will happen on your death? We can review if you have the correct arrangements in place so that the business can continue to provide for your family.

“I’M SUPERSTITIOUS. 5I MAY IF I MAKE A WILL NOW, DIE SOON AFTER”

If I had a pound for every time I heard this, I’d be very wealthy. Seeing it written down makes it look daft, doesn’t it?

Making a Will does not mean you will die sooner, it just means that when you do die, your wishes are clear, and your loved ones can deal with your estate more easily.

Considering your own death is not one of life’s pleasures, but your family and friends will at least have the comfort that you had the foresight to write a Will and make your passing easier for them to bear.

Fiona Dodd, Partner fdodd@mayowynnebaxter.co.uk

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MDHUB Member Kate Bendix spoke with Tim Green of GPsurgery.net about his life, business and plenty more besides

YOUR ONE-STOP DOC I’m chatting with Tim Green about his cutting-edge digital business GPsurgery.net and how he’s got to where he is when suddenly, he pipes up, “Do you remember cassettes? Y’know, C60s, C90s, Maxell?” and I squeal, “Mix tapes!”

I am transported back to the 1980s; Sunday night, Top 40, in my bedroom trying to record ‘Don’t You Want Me’ by The Human League to the end without tipping into Eye of the Tiger. The atmosphere was tense and skills were put to the test. Now? Spotify! No drama, just Software as a Service (SaaS).

And that is Tim Green’s business in a nutshell.

Tim is your typical engineer. As a child, he loved taking stuff apart to see how it

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worked. “I always wanted to do something useful.” Judging by his career, it’s mission accomplished.

EARLY DAYS

cassettes became CDs, and I became interested in digital recording and how people could learn through tech, using CD-ROMs.”

After studying engineering, he headed to Kenya for a year as a volunteer on a water drilling project. Back home in ‘sunny’ Britain, Tim trained as a primary school Special Educational Needs (SEN) teacher. Sadly, for Tim’s pupils, like many, he loved teaching but found working in education frustrating and, at times, toxic. So, it was back to engineering he went.

I feel another pang of nostalgia, but at the same time, relief as there’s no mention of floppy disks.

This time, it was to shift work maintaining machinery at a company producing those nostalgia-inducing cassette tapes. “It was hard work, but you learn something new from every job. Things were starting to go digital;

Belonging to the ❛❛ MDHub helps me stop

“After a while, I needed something more and went back to do an MA in Interactive Media. I loved it for its creativity and technical skills,” comments Tim.

doing what’s in front of me and focus

❜❜

BUSINESS

LEGO

After that, Tim landed his dream job with LEGO working on a project combining robotics and coding. “The ad said ‘based in London and Denmark’.

What I thought would be the odd trip to the Denmark office turned into eight months in Denmark, flying home every other weekend. I wasn’t too popular.”

Tim worked on a system that combined a LEGO brick with a microprocessor.

“Kids could attach, say, wheels to it, or a motor, then drag and drop the right code they needed into place on the screen to start the motor and get it running. I loved it. That kit is sold worldwide now used by industry and schools.”

Tim then slides in with a casual, “I worked on the first ever Star Wars game too.”

The point of GP ❛❛ surgery.net is to simplify the patient journey ❜❜

GPsurgery.net operates a SaaS business model with three membership tiers on a compliant and accessible template website. Select the tier that works for you and crack on, creating content any patient can access.

Of course, nothing is born fully formed.

WWW. – THE WILD WILD WEST

In 2001, Tim became a dad. Burned out and needing a reset in 2003, Tim and his wife, Rosalind, a healthcare communications specialist and their baby daughter, moved to Italy for two years.

“Two years gives you a lot of time to think as I had no idea what to do next.”

Think back to 2005. Technically, the Internet and websites were all over the place. “One barrier was that there were no widely adopted web standards, little to address accessibility, we had to make eight versions of the same website so that anyone could access it. We had a head start because we were ahead of our time, but we still needed to build something everyone could use.” Tim applied the same logic as he did to the water drilling project in Kenya. “A website is just the tool, so how were we going to build what we needed with what we had to hand? We developed our own standards.

So, after a lot of down time and red wine under the Italian sun, Tim and Rosalind came up with the idea that would revolutionise how GPs manage their digital presence.

“Everything was on paper in those days, so at first, it was a brochure site. As time passed, we could link up with other sites offering booking services, for example.”

That does sound like the best job ever.

HIATUS

THE DIGITAL FRONT DOOR

The point of GPsurgery.net is to simplify the patient journey. “It’s the starting point for the patient and GP to access information and each other. But it must be simple. If a patient is in distress or a child is unwell, they need information quickly and it’s our job to make it easy for them to find and utilise it.”

We all think GPs do a fantastic job; Tim puts it into perspective “The NHS is messy, huge and multi-faceted. GP surgeries offer an amazing range of services; test results, repeat prescriptions, mental health provision…the list goes on. We join up all the things they need. We simplify the path for patients to find text messaging, video call and online booking options, referrals and self-help information.”

BUILDING THE BUSINESS

Running a small, agile business means using what you have to the best effect, which appeals to Tim’s engineering/ useful mindset no end. “In meetings, we ask, ‘how can we use what we have to greater effect?’ I use my corkscrew metaphor; you could buy something fancy pants, huge, sitting on the tablelike theatre. Or get one with a piece of wood for a handle and a metal screw.

Don’t waste time reinventing the wheel, don’t spend money when you already have what you want right in front of you.”

GPsurgery.net is a website platform that simplifies that patient journey allowing patients to help themselves and find the information they need without visiting a practice or their GP. The GP practice can broadcast messages to their patients, communicate with their network of practices, and admin times are slashed. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

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THE FUTURE

LEARNING TO LET GO

In 2019, Tim had a tough decision to make, where to take his business next.

He had other projects on the go on top of GPsurgery.net, so he sought the help of Rob Day from MDHub to help him work through the issues and reframe his thinking.

“Rob’s run his own business. He’s been where I am; our conversations were based on real experience. He gave me confidence and was fundamental in helping me make the decision to let my clients go and focus entirely on GPsurgery.net. It was hard, I’d built real relationships, but it was the right thing to do.”

COVID

Four months later, Covid hit, and suddenly, every GP surgery needed online services. So what’s a small, agile business in the medical sector during a pandemic to do? Innovate! Tim and his team created an express template.

“Again, we used what we had instead of inventing something new. At one point

❛❛ Running a small, agile business means using what you have to the best effect

❜❜

we were launching eight new sites a week, including training the surgery staff to use the system. We learned so much and the pandemic forced the pace of change.”

MDHUB

Running a business can be a never ending to-do list. “When I joined MDHub, I questioned what I did every day. Being a member gives me the courage to change, test new stuff and let some things go. My peer group allows me to ask the big questions in total confidence. I now run my business in a more structured and analytical way.

Belonging to the MDHub helps me stop doing what’s in front of me and focus. I can sit back and decide on the most important thing to do.

GPsurgery.net covers the UK and Northern Ireland, with over 6,000 GP surgeries in England alone. “There’s a lot of opportunity out there for steady growth. Where there were only single practices, now there are groups with unique requirements. We now supply a service of one central site covering an entire group of surgeries. Everyone’s on the same message, and admin time is drastically reduced.

“Our customer retention is high; we’re ‘sticky’. We visit practices and chat; what are the pain points, and how can we improve the site for our users? Our job is to ease the burden for everyone with one simple piece of software.”

Only a few years ago, everyone’s medical records were a thick wadge of notes, referrals, and test results wrapped in a dog-eared brown cardboard cover held together with more elastic bands the older you got. Not so today.

Out of curiosity, I visited my GP’s website, which turns out to be an Aladdin’s cave of self-help. I now know everything there is to know about nasal polyps, I’m not as depressed as I thought, and I managed an overachieving 49 on my hip score! I didn’t even have to pick up the phone.

Thank you, Tim.

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

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CHARITY FOCUS Are you looking for your next team-building challenge?

Want to do something adventurous while fundraising for a worthwhile cause?

Abseil down Arundel Castle and support your local children’s hospice!

In March 2023, you and your colleagues could be conquering a castle for local children’s hospice care, as Chestnut Tree House is thrilled to be offering an exclusive opportunity to abseil 180ft down the iconic Bake House Tower at Arundel Castle.

Climb 200 steps up the Bake House Tower’s winding stone staircase. Soak in breath-taking panoramic views of Arundel and the South Downs. Then descend the side of the epic 180ft tower to be knighted with your bespoke medal.

Fiona James at Chestnut Tree House said, “People taking on this challenge

MAISY-LEIGH’S STORY It’s impossible for anyone to feel sad around Maisy-Leigh because she’s got a smile that is so contagious you can’t help but smile back. She’s also got a life-shortening and extremely rare genetic condition called Coffin-Siris syndrome, with just 200 people diagnosed worldwide.

For Maisy-Leigh, who turns seven this year, the condition has affected the development of her brain and means she isn’t able to talk, and is mostly fed through a tube as she finds it hard to swallow. She’s also prone to respiratory problems and life-threatening allergies, so her parents, Luke and Hayleigh, can spend a lot of time in hospital with her.

will not only be abseiling at an amazing location, but they will be doing so knowing that the money raised will make a difference to local children who need hospice care. Arundel Castle is one of the most iconic landmarks in West Sussex, but it is also only a few miles from the hospice, so is the ideal venue for a special charity fundraiser.”

Abseilers will be raising vital funds for Chestnut Tree House, so that the hospice can continue caring for local children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions and their families.

Families like Maisy-Leigh’s.

When Maisy-Leigh was one year old, they visited Chestnut Tree House for the first time. “We were a bit anxious about being referred to a children’s hospice,” said Hayleigh. “But as soon as we walked through the door it felt so homely. We were treated like family and given so much care and attention. As parents you can’t wish for anything more than your child to be loved and

Arundel Castle Abseil takes place on Saturday March 25th and Sunday March 26th 2023, and places are limited.

Participants can choose from three different registration options, starting from just £20 (minimum sponsorship applies), and the money raised will be helping local children and their families.

To find out more about the Arundel Castle Abseil and sign up, visit arundelabseil.org.

everyone there just adored her. We can relax knowing that she is happy and cared for.”

For Maisy-Leigh, Chestnut Tree House is somewhere where she can have fun, laugh, and do things that any other child can do. But it’s also a place where the family can do things together, like going swimming together for the first time.

“We’d always been too scared to take her to a public pool,” explains Hayleigh.

“So, seeing her little face light up, and her legs kick around in the water at Chestnut was incredible.

“Thanks to Chestnut, we can be a normal family. They give us the time and strength we need to carry on and we’d be lost without them.”

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BUSINESS

In August, Hogs Back Brewery celebrated 30 years of brewing from its home in the village of Tongham, in the heart of the old hop growing region of Surrey

CELEBRATING THREE DECADES OF HOGS BACK BREWERY To kick start the anniversary celebration, its flagship cask ale, TEA (which stands for ‘traditional English ale’) was given a fresh new look. TEA was the first brew by Hogs Back when the brewery opened in 1992 and was affectionately known as Tongham TEA.

The design is deliberately different from other beers, particularly those with abstract names and designs that currently characterise the craft brewing sector and reflects the Brewery’s values of being genuinely local and sustainable.

Brewed to an almost unchanged recipe, the name “Tongham TEA” has been reintroduced to the new, simplified and more modern design. The book cover style of illustration shows Hogs Back’s journey to brewer and hop grower. As a ‘Farm Brewery’, Hogs Back is leading the way for brewers in the UK who have been founded on a farming heritage that gives them a deep understanding of their brewing ingredients.

The hop garden continues to flourish as the hop plants mature in their eight-acre home just yards from the brewhouse. Following a bumper 2021 harvest, this year has been challenging due to the long, hot summer, but the quality of the 2022 hop harvest is reassuring high. The three -week harvest culminated in the annual Hop Harvest Festival & TEA Party with 3,000 visitors.

Embracing the consumer trend towards “no and lo” alcohol beer has seen the launch of Little Swine 2.8% and its even ‘smaller’ brother, Little Swine Alcohol Free (0.5%). The reward of being able to offer consumers a range of naturally brewed pale ales, packed with hop flavour and mouth feel, far outweighs the technical challenges of brewing this type of beer, where it is critical to manage the fermentable sugars that produce the alcohol.

With more consumers wanting an authentic beer but with a lower alcohol content, Little Swine is well placed to capitalise on this growing trend.

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BUSINESS

The developments ❛❛ in the Brewery Shop

and Tap were recognised with nominations in two categories in the prestigious 2022 Drinks Retailing Awards

❜❜

The recovery of the hospitality sector post-Covid is long in the making, and Hogs Back continues to focus on its direct-to-consumer retail activities, alongside servicing local pubs and restaurants. The Brewer y Shop’s commitment to reducing single-use plastic has seen the introduction of more sustainable draught beer containers, with reusable glass flagons – 3.5 pint Snorters and 1.75 pint Snifters.

This is in addition to refillable stainless steel Brewery Gate kegs, complete with their own CO 2 dispenser, to give the perfect pub pour every time. As well as being more environmentally friendly, these containers also keep the beer fresher for longer.

Housed in a restored hop kiln, the Brewery Tap boasts a bar crafted from aged whiskey barrels, beer fresh from the cellar, comfy sofas, a wood burner, up - cycled tables made from old

brewery casks and historic images of Surrey’s hop growing heritage. Post Covid, the Hop Hall has come into its own. With high ceilings and huge barn doors, it provided a perfect well-ventilated indoor area to complement the beer garden, with views over the hop garden and beautiful Surrey countryside.

Complete with hop picker and drying kiln, the Hall is used for harvesting each September. The rest of the year, it doubles as a unique bar and event space. There is a new marquee, woodfired pizza oven, and kitchen block, and the menu is continually evolving using locally sourced produce.

The developments in the Brewery Shop and Tap were recognised with nominations in two categories in the prestigious 2022 Drinks Retailing Awards.

The completion of the new event space in the Sunken Garden in spring will

allow more private bookings, wedding receptions and corporate events. This is just one part of the overall site redevelopment, which will also see more complementary business tenants take up residence in the newly refurbished Old Cow Byre.

Looking forward, the brewery will continue to invest to make its whole operation more sustainable.

Hogs Back brewery, Manor Farm, The Street, Tongham, Farnham, Surrey https://hogsback.co.uk

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EDUCATION

Hurst College is now one of the leading schools in the south east and that is down in no small part to the Principal, Tim Manly.

Interview by Maarten Hoffmann

EVOLVING LEADERSHIP Tim is vibrant, full of passion and experience, and demonstrates genuine care for every single pupil. This shines through in the exam results, the general wellbeing of the children and the steadily increasing reputation of the college. In short, he is the educational leader every progressive school would want.

But change is inevitable as there is the desire to move with the times and, perhaps, get ahead of the curve. For the past few years, Tim and the governors have been planning changes within the leadership of the school and the basic structure of the college.

Tim has now moved on to become the Principal of Hurst, with the former Head of the Senior School, Dominic

Mott stepping in as Head of College and assuming many of Tim’s previous roles. This has allowed Tim to assume responsibility for the strategic direction, culture, operations, staff and the finances of the college – no small feat.

is growing rapidly with the aim of raising standards across all schools, and follows the government’s white paper which mandates that from 2030; all state schools should be part of such a Trust.

This change in roles also allows Tim to focus on the Hurst Multi-Academy Trust. Tim is only too aware that schools such as Hurst can tend to drift into becoming inward looking and rather detached from the wider world.

Therefore, the Hurst Education Trust

Never known for letting the grass grow under his feet, Tim grasped the baton, and the Trust already includes a number of local primary schools. This brings considerable benefits to all concerned and raises standards across the board whilst keeping Hurst in touch with the issues and problems faced outside the hallowed walls of the college. Tim has now become the CEO of the Trust, leading this initiative with a small team from the college.

❛❛ It left me with one

overriding thought – why on earth didn’t l send my children to Hurst?

❜❜

The college also introduced a system of flexi-boarding some time ago, whereby parents can elect to have their children board several days a week, thus allowing busy parents to work unhindered whilst their children enjoy all the benefits of boarding but without the pain of leaving home. With the catchment area of the school generally being within an hour’s drive, it feels more like the fun of staying away for a few days rather than full boarding, and then the family is all together on a Friday evening to enjoy their time away from school and work.

Full weekly boarding is available, of course, but the deliberate decision not to have any international students leads to there being no full boarders in the school. The lack of any international students might seem foolhardy as the income that this generates is often irresistible for such schools.

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EDUCATION

However, that ignores the tremendous benefits that arise from having a local school for local children, thus generating a true sense of community, engagement and, certainly from what I have witnessed, a true spirit within the school that l have rarely seen elsewhere. There is an excellent range of foreign trips to ensure that pupils do not miss out on this international influence.

Further changes are reflected in the reshaping of the college structure.

Instead of the Pre-Prep, Prep and Senior School structure, the college has introduced a Junior Prep (Reception-Year 6), and a separate Senior Prep (Years 7 and 8) in recognition that 11-year-olds are too young to enter secondary school and much can be gained by having those years at the top of their prep school. This leaves them totally prepared for the senior school setting.

Hurst currently has almost 1,350 pupils with roughly an even split of boys and girls, aged 4-18 years.

As with all good schools, the mental health of their students is taken very seriously, especially in light of the current mental health crisis the country

is witnessing. Hurst goes one step further with the use of their Mind Clinic.

Not for the use of the students, who are amply cared for, but for the staff.

As Tim said, “We often overlook the faculty when discussing this subject with such a strong focus on the children but as all adults know, we can also suffer from such issues.

The Hurst Mind Clinic came about after a conversation between Tim and one of the parents, who ran the clinic for corporate organisations.

Tim immediately saw the benefits, and the clinic was introduced at Hurst.

It allows any member of staff to attend and chat, totally anonymously, about any issues they face, be it at school

As with all good schools, the mental health of their students is taken very seriously

❛❛

❜❜

or in their private lives. As Tim says, “a healthy staff ensures a healthy student body”.

Having spent a couple of hours in Tim’s company, l was inspired by the care, attention to detail and genuine passion he has for the college and these recent changes can only be hugely beneficial for the school as long as Tim is in charge. It left me with one overriding thought – why on earth didn’t l send my children to Hurst?

Hurstpierpoint College, College Lane, Hurstpierpoint www.hppc.co.uk

69

HumaniTea Case Study HumaniTea is a social enterprise founded by Tina Chen, that focuses on creating the UK’s first chilled, ready-to-drink, plant-based tea lattes, which are currently available in two flavours, Matcha and Earl Grey. The company has a mission statement of being sustainable and promoting wellbeing. This can be seen through using recyclable aluminum cans, using ecofriendly oat milk, as well as ethically sourcing ingredients from Rwanda. The products are low-calorie and avoid the use of artificial flavours and emulsifiers.

The brand promotes the message of taking mental health breaks, which is best represented in their slogan, ‘Spreading me time, tea time, any time.’

As a Taiwanese American with a background in economics and business, Tina moved to the UK for her masters degree; she decided to leave her job as a consultant and pursue her passion of food, infusing this with her Taiwanese background. From her beginnings in the farmers market, Tina has successfully grown the business to now being offered in over 60 independent stores, supermarkets and offices, as well as being listed on Ocado.

In the early stages of the business, Tina was working in the kitchen throughout the night, as the premises were cheaper at this time, followed by her selling the products in the morning. This was not only taxing on her wellbeing, leaving her in a state of tiredness but, also lead to an incident where she burnt herself in the kitchen whilst working overnight; this served as a pivotal moment in her journey, where she realised that she had to put her wellbeing first, which resonates with her company’s philosophy of looking after your wellbeing

LinkedIn: Tina Chen - Founder and Chief Tea Officer HumaniTea - Vegan Tea Lattes | LinkedIn Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/humaniteadrinks/ Ocado: HumaniTea | Ocado

Tina had heard about the NatWest Accelerator programme through word of mouth when networking with other entrepreneurs. The NatWest Accelerator is a fully funded programme, supporting businesses to grow and scale through coaching, community, network and thought leadership. In the short time Tina has been on the programme, Tina has found the sessions to be a fantastic learning and networking opportunity, with a notable interaction being when she networked with a founder of a supermarket, who after sampling HumaniTea, placed an order. Over the next six months, she hopes to expand her business overseas, using the various sessions, enterprise managers, partners and mentors to expand her knowledge in order to achieve her goals.

Coinciding with Tina’s focus on networking and brand awareness, she asks that readers connect on LinkedIn and Instagram, alongside trying her product, where the easiest purchase point would be Ocado.

PEST CONTROL

Cleankill MD Paul Bates suggests ways to relax way from work. If it’s good for you, it will be good for everyone around you

TAKE SOME TIME TO RECHARGE a variety of people – young and old – from outside my work and still manage to squeeze in some allimportant family time.

Life in the 21st century is not always easy, and the last three years have been very difficult for many people in many different ways such as financial concerns, mental and physical health worries, family issues, work-related problems etc, and on occasion it is difficult to know who we can talk to or where we can turn to.

To help staff, Cleankill Pest Control has set up an Employee Assistance Programme with Health Assured. This is a confidential employee benefit that provides a complete support network of trained counsellors offering expert advice and compassionate guidance 24/7 on a wide range of issues for employees, their partners and any children (aged 16 -24 in full-time education) living in the same house.

There is also as a mobile health app that allows people to keep track of your own health.

I am the Managing Director of an SME which has become successful due to the incredibly hard work of every member of the Cleankill team but I stand firmly by the saying – ‘work to live, not live to work’. By this I mean no one should let their work become all consuming however much they love their job. We all need down time to rest and refuel our brains and bodies. We weren’t designed to sit at a desk and look at a screen all day.

And, let’s face it, most of us have the best ideas for work when we are away from the office doing something completely different and not thinking about work.

My fellow Cleankill directors have a wide range of outside work interests too. Ian Miller is an avid guitarist and also plays hockey in the England veterans team which involves lots of practise and travelling to matches. Clive Bury is the drummer in a band and enjoys beekeeping. Jon Whitehead takes part in walking rugby, the local Round Table and 41 Club and is interested in model railways.

❛❛ I stand firmly by the saying – ‘work to live, not live to work’ ❜❜

I’m not saying people should fill every spare hour they have, but everyone should try and have at least one outside interest. Personally, my regular interests include tennis, being a scout leader and singing in the local church choir. I also try to support my football team (Crystal Palace) as often as I can. All of this means my schedule is pretty packed but these activities give me huge satisfaction. I get to mix with

Interests outside work are not only good for mental health but they give you something interesting to talk about at work and to your customers. You might even find you have a common interest or know the same people which strengthens your relationship when you want to do business with them.

Pest control is a people business. We are not selling widgets to faceless customers, we are providing trained people who have to physically visit a premises to carry out a service. Without my staff, I can’t operate my business.

That’s why taking care of them and helping them to stay fit and healthy is a priority.

Paul Bates is the MD of Cleankill Press Control. Based in Kenley, South Croydon, the company is a leader in the field of pest control, and deals with everything from rodents to pest birds. For more information, go to www.cleankill.co.uk

71

AN ALL-TIME GREAT The Giulia has been around almost 60 years but now they have fitted a proper power-plant designed by a former Ferrari chief engineer, we have an all-time great that rivals all comers.

By Maarten Hoffmann The first Alfa Romeo Giulia was first produced in 1962 and was known for lively handling and impressive acceleration – and for rusting to pieces overnight if you left it out in the rain.

Although impressive at the time, it soon gained a reputation for unreliability and rusting bodywork but despite this, it still carried a mystic and passion that refused to die.

It is often said by diehard petrolheads that you cannot call yourself such if you have never owned an Alfa. Tosh, of course, but l did own a very funky GTA back in the 70s that was a hoot to drive especially with the very first CB radio on board and a ten-foot whip aerial and, as expected, it rusted to buggery within six months and broke down every week.

But that was a long time ago and now

72

Alfa is producing some cracking models and none better that the Giulia Quadrifoglio – or ‘four leafed clover’ in Italian.

❛❛ The drive is superb

with power galore, a grip that defies a two-wheel drive and the noise coming out of the pipes makes grown men cry and children run for cover ❜❜

Originally aimed at the BMW M3, it not only beats it but blows it away. It has rear-wheel drive, a 510bhp twin-turbo V6 engine, a superbly designed chassis and is a true lightweight at 1,524kg. All working together, it produces a barnstorming family saloon that will rival everything in its class.

This is mightily impressive when you consider that Alfa has not been in this sector for over 15 years. It also still carries some of that Italian passion seen in 1962.

The drive is superb with power galore, a grip that defies a two-wheel drive and the noise coming out of the pipes makes grown men cry and children run for cover. The eight-speed auto box is smooth and rapid, and if you want to use the paddle shift, you can run the rev gauge to seriously silly numbers.

There are some extras you will need carbon ceramic brakes are required at £6,000, the Sparco bucket seats are £3,250 but really are some of the very best in any car today. Or just buy it fully

MOTORING

TECH STUFF MODEL TESTED: Quadrifoglio V6 Bi-Turbo ENGINE: 2.9-litre V6 POWER: 510bhp SPEED: 0-62-3.9 seconds TOP: 191mph ECONOMY: 28.2mpg combined PRICE FROM: £68,995 ATTESTED: £76,445

loaded for £84,000 and, although not a small amount of change, it is very competitive within its class and much more of a rarity in the car park or down the pub.

The interior has received a far amount of criticism but l don’t mind it all at. I drove nearly 2,000 miles in it to Scotland and at all times it was comfy and all was at hand. The infotainment system has been redesigned and now has all the gizmos you need and plenty of driver aids.

The only thing missing really is fourwheel drive. The company has shown they are very good at this if you look at the Stelvio (one of those currently sits in my drive for a future issue), and although the grip is fab in two-wheel mode, we all know what extra traction and roadholding can be garnered with a 4x4 system, although perhaps the weight penalty put them off.

You don’t have to drive it like me – a demented bat out of hell – as switch off all the sport features and it is a sedate

❛❛ It has been tuned

by Roberto Fedeli, who worked on the Ferrari 699, F12 and the 458 Speciale ❜❜

calm drive. l don’t see the point myself but its good to know if you want to lend it to your granny.

Obviously, it you want to do 60mph in 3.9 seconds or test the top end at 190mph, you will be pleased that those pesky bods at Alfa have given it a bespoke suspension, much quicker and more accurate steering and, if you can’t afford the carbon ceramics, they have added much larger brakes.

It has been tuned by Roberto Fedeli, who worked on the Ferrari 699, F12 and the 458 Speciale and as Ferrari’s former chief engineer, he should certainly know

a thing or two about tuning a high performance car. I can certainly attest to the fact that he really does know his onions and just to prove it, there is now a faster version – the GTA at £153,000 and, of course, that too is coming soon to my driveway.

This is a fun, fast and furious family saloon that can be driven like a full-on race car. It will take the kids to school, do the shopping and pop granny to her Zumba class but when desired. It will also try to rip your face off, blow away almost anything else on the road, and the only serious issue is – how to get the grin off your face.

73

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR WOMEN

WHY YOU NEED A MENTOR PREMIER WOMEN

Female political leaders across the globe SPOTLIGHT

Women in business making a difference

NOV/DEC 2022 #19

THE TRUTH ABOUT THE MENOPAUSE

Medically and personally GIRL TORQUE

The all-new electric Fiat 500 TRAVEL

The Highlights of the Highlands

?

NEURODIVERGENCE

Is it a superpower

CONTENTS

FEATURE

11

12

Europe has never had as many female leaders as now. Dynamic features a snapshot of the women across the continent at the heads of their respective governments

Neurodivergence has hitherto been prejudicially dismissed. However, businesses are slowly waking up to a greater understanding of its potential

Women in charge

Neurodivergence in the work place

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It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent Madeleine Albright

PLATINUM MEDIA GROUP

2

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 • ISSUE 19

16

Tax and divorce Samantha Kaye of Wellesley discusses why it’s important to consider tax implications when dividing your assets after divorce

41.2%

more women on the board of directors of FTSE100 companies in 2021 compared to 2017. The direction of travel is going the right way Source: FTSE Women Leaders

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

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk | NOVEMBER 2022

REGULARS

18

News

6 Business news from around the world 8 A few stories to make your mind boggle

Spotlight

Art

Shining the light on three women making their mark in business

Books

BUSINESS

38 The Sussex Contemporary Art exhibition

40 Further reading on subjects covered in this issue of Dynamic

28

Obituary

All change

42 Dame Hilary Mantel

Health

Alison Jones of Kreston Reeves looks back at past crises to point out that there is always a rainbow after a storm

44 Suggestions for a better diet in dealing with the menopause 46 Demystifying alternative therapies for the menopause

Spa

48 Dynamic Editor Tess de Klerk took her daughter for a relaxing spa session in Hove

FEATURE

Travel

22

Girl Torque

With many symptoms, the menopause is a personal odyssey experienced by almost all. Five women talk of dealing with their own circumstances

50 An all-too-brief excursion around central Scotland, and the delights of a stay in Baden Baden in Germany

54 Fiona Shafer reveals her experiences of the electric Fiat 500e

The Menopause

❛❛

Once you figure out what respect tastes like, it tastes better than attention Pink

What’s On

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

Wining & Dining

58 Far Eastern cuisine in Brighton, and a selection of wines for Christmas

30

CONTACTS PUBLISHER: Maarten Hoffmann maarten@platinummediagroup.co.uk

Mentoring

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

Three experienced businesspeople offer their opinions on mentoring – from what your mentor can do for you, via a cautionary tale about finding the right mentor, to even challenging whether you need one

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

COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR: Lesley Alcock lesley@platinummediagroup.co.uk HEAD OF DESIGN: Michelle Shakesby design@platinummediagroup.co.uk SUB EDITOR: Alan Wares alan@platinummediagroup.co.uk

WWW.PLATINUMMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK NOVEMBER 2022 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

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W

EDITOR’S NOTE

elcome to the brand-new design for Dynamic Magazine the business magazine for women.

As the new Editor of Dynamic, I am excited to bring a fresh new look to the magazine and to present some new features – subjects that I think resonate with women, or subjects that are very well covered but possibly leave one confused with so much, often contrary, information.

It should be pointed out that the largest growing market sector is women; women leading on the boards of many companies, women rising to the top in SMEs and women starting their own businesses. It is a huge demographic that is getting bigger by the day and we can all be very excited and motivated by this fact.

We are gaining equality – inch by inch.

Having said that, there are still far too many areas where there is a marked absence of equality – pay, hours worked and the huge mountain of responsibility that often sits on our shoulders. For example, during lockdown, figures show that over 75% of the burden fell on us – childcare, cleaning, cooking, home-schooling, care of aged parents etc.

Dynamic will cover these subjects and many more. If we don’t cover something you would like to see, get in touch and let me know on the email address below.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the new Dynamic, and I look forward to hearing from you. Our future is bright.

Tess de Klerk Editor, Dynamic Magazine tess@platinummediagroup.co.uk

NOVEMBER 2022 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

5

FEMALE SOLICITORS SURGE The legal profession, often dismissed as ‘fat cats in pinstripes’, is seeing a rapid change in gender as women are joining the profession at three times the rate of men. The latest figures from the Law Society show that in July 2022, there were 153,282 solicitors practising in England and Wales, a 2% rise over the previous year. The figures highlight the increasing feminisation of the profession. The research shows that women account for 53% of the practising solicitors. Stephanie Boyce, president of the society, welcomed the increase saying, “For a long time the solicitor profession was male dominated, but in just 100 years, women have shown how much they have to offer the sector.”

UPFRONT ALL THE LATEST BULLETINS FROM THE WORLD OF BUSINESS

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Men are simpler than you imagine, my sweet child.

But what goes on in the twisted, tortuous minds of women would baffle anyone Daphne du Maurier

NEW DICTIONARY A leading Italian dictionary is to publish the feminine forms of nouns and adjectives for the first time as it tackles the sexual bias embedded in the Italian language. In a first for Italian dictionaries, the 2022 edition of the Treccani dictionary will not only add the feminine forms of words but will list them before the masculine form if they come first alphabetically. “We are giving back words a truth and reality denied, cancelled for centuries,” said Professor Patota, an expert in linguistics at the University of Siena.

THE SLOW ABORTION CREEP In a slow creep of abortion law changes that started in the US, with the total ban and criminalisation of all abortions in many states, Hungary has passed a law requiring women to listen to the heartbeat of their foetus before requesting an abortion. Women must also complete a counselling session before they can have an abortion.

However, many women are complaining that these counselling sessions have become more confrontational and much harder to arrange.

SURPRISE RESULT Women who start their own businesses aren’t doing it for just more flexibility. This might sound obvious, considering that launching a company means longs hours, tons of pressure, and financial risk—but now there’s proof. A new survey by the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) found that the top motivator for female entrepreneurs is doing something they’re passionate about—and markedly not work-life balance.

In fact, when more than 300 female business owners were asked to rank different factors in their decision to start their own companies, ‘having flexibility to care for your family’ came in next to last. Passion, being your own boss, and the potential for higher pay were all bigger motivators.

Darla Beggs, national board chair of NAWBO, said many respondents felt that, “the time has never been better” for women to go out on their own. While the number of women who said they started a business because they had always seen themselves as an entrepreneur dropped 12% from last year. Slightly more women said that it was a smart business idea that prompted them to branch out. And the shift seems to be paying off – 30% of female entrepreneurs have children.

❛❛ THE WORLD’S GONE MAD The sponsor of a charity raffle at a girls’ softball league in Texas (of course) is generously offering prizes to the winners. Several parents complained after discovering that the first and second prizes were an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle and a Glock pistol, four months after a mass shooting at a school in Texas. Words fail me.

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world Anne Frank

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LIKE MEN, Every Friday, ONLY CHEAPER I like to high five Are you sitting down right now?

Maybe sit down. Is there something myself for getting on your desk you can squeeze to through another release the wave of total anger and frustration that’s about to hit you? week on little more than caffeine, Bloomberg BusinessWeek reports that, at a tech start-up conference willpower, and in Sydney, Evan Thornley, the coinappropriate founder of an online advertising company in Australia, gave a humour presentation about the benefits of Nanea Hoffman

DIVORCE CONCIERGE For £250 per hour, Lottie Leefe will help female clients who are divorcing with anything from disposing of jewellery to reorganising financial trusts. Whilst laying in her hospital bed suffering from a torn dura in the base of her skull, Lottie came up with the idea of a ‘divorce concierge’ to help with the trauma of a divorce.

Having a background in financial services at wealth management companies such as St James’s Place and Cazenove, she then set up a family division, which managed the finances of women who found themselves on their own due to divorce or bereavement. After a lightbulb moment, the Dura Society was born (‘dura’ meaning tough in Latin) aimed purely at women to aid in their financial planning.

hiring women, saying women are “often relatively cheap compared to what we would’ve had to pay someone less good of a different gender.”

He then reportedly pulled up a slide that read, “Women: Like men, only cheaper.”

If comments like Thornley’s make you feel like this, you’re not alone.

Thornley’s talk didn’t start off so badly; he mentioned how his company, LookSmart, has had women in senior management since the start-up went public in 1999 and the gender gap in tech was the size of the Grand Canyon. But then, Thornley served two years in Parliament and allegedly has an estimated net worth of $54 million.

NOVEMBER 2022 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

7

JUST PLAIN NUTS Recently, an airline asked two Indianorigin siblings with severe nut allergies, to “sit in the loo” while the cashews were being served on the flight, writes the India Times. Shannen Sahota, 24, and Sundeep Sahota, 33, said they informed Emirates Airlines three times when booking, checking-in and upon boarding about their allergies.

But 40 minutes into the flight from Birmingham Airport to Dubai, the cabin crew started serving fried nuts, leaving them “panic-stricken”.

However, when they scanned the flight menu they found that it contained cashew nuts. Just before the meal service began they were asked to shift to a toilet with cushions and pillows to avoid discomfort owing to their allergy. Furious over the suggestion, the two spent the next seven hours of the flight sitting at the back of the plane with blankets covering their faces.

bizarre NE WS TRUTH CAN BE STRANGER THAN FICTION

NIGE-FEST Nigel’s from across the world have gathered at a Worcestershire pub to celebrate their shared ‘Nigel-ness’.

Pub landlord Nigel Smith, who runs the Fleece Inn, has made it his life goal to boost the popularity of his name. In doing so, he’s created the dedicated ‘Nige-fest’ which attracts hundreds to toast to all things Nigel.

Mr Smith came up with the idea after realising his name had become officially extinct according to new birth records in 2016 and 2020.

Janice day coming up l guess!

PLASTERED CAT A woman was in for a shock when she returned home to find her builder had plastered her cat into the bathroom wall.

Ashlin Hadden, who had been away on a business trip, was left wondering where the muffled meows were coming from, only to discover that they were coming from behind the wall. It turns out Stripes had been stuck in there for three days.

Ashlin managed to track down the sound but ended up punching a hole in the wall before being reunited with her beloved pet who, she assured her followers, is doing fine.

WOMEN CAVE A British mum-of-two is on a mission to build the “most luxurious cave imaginable”, complete with chandeliers, a sauna and a gym - by digging a hole for a home all by herself in the sweltering Australian desert.

Jennifer Ayres, 50, a water engineer from Darlington, Durham, is building the 2,400 square metre recess in the town of Coober Pedy - which is a ninehour drive from her family!

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You can tell the strength of a nation by the women behind its men Benjamin Disraeli

TROUSER SNAKE A New York City man was charged with smuggling three Burmese pythons in his trousers at a U.S-Canadian border crossing.

COTTON CALORIES A vet was stunned after a poorly dog’s X-ray reveals what was making him sick.

When 13-year-old border collie, Jip mysteriously started to choke late at night, his owner feared the worst and rushed him to the vets – where medics were stunned to find out he had actually swallowed a pair of socks.

❛❛

The connections between and among women are the most feared, the most problematic, and the most potentially transforming force on the planet Adrienne Rich

HEART ATTACK PENDING A Dad ordered the UK’s ‘biggest’ bacon roll from Greggs – with 51 rashers. The man ordered the 2,920 calorie butty from Greggs after hankering for a big breakfast, and the 51 bacon rashers did not disappoint – as he urged staff to pile on more meat.

He didn’t manage to finish is and said, “It’s finished me – l think l might take a break from bacon”.

Calvin Bautista, 36, is accused of bringing the hidden snakes on a bus that crossed into northern New York state on July 15th, 2018. Importation of Burmese pythons is regulated by an international treaty and by federal regulations listing them as “injurious to human beings.”

The charge carries the potential for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine as high as $250,000, according to federal prosecutors.

Given that a Burmese python’s main line of attack is constriction, Calvin is… well, it doesn’t bear thinking about.

EX-BOYFRIEND? A woman has been left outraged after her boyfriend decided to treat himself to a business class seat on an upcoming plane journey – and he left her sitting in economy. The woman said she and her partner were going on their first holiday together since they started dating seven months ago, and they had planned to split hotel costs 50/50, but had agreed to pay for their own flights. But when she asked her boyfriend about his plane seat, he said he had given himself an upgrade – and told her they could meet up once the plane landed.

Now an ex-boyfriend methinks!

NOVEMBER 2022 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

9

ANA BRNABIC 47, Serbia In a country known for its machonationalism, Brnabic is the first openly gay person to be Prime Minister.

She continues to be hawkish over Kosovo and Bosnia.

INGRIDA SIMONYTE 47, Lithuania Also on the front line against Russia, Simonyte began her career as an economist and civil servant.

KAJA KALLAS 45, Estonia Kallas is on the front line of Nato’s eastern shelf against Putin. Estonia has delivered proportionally more military equipment to Ukraine than any other country.

LIZ TRUSS 47, UK She was elected in September 2022 and is the UK’s third female Prime Minister.

Critics say she is trying to emulate Thatcher, cribbing from her playbook of hardline Conservatism. She ruled for 44 days, the shortest in UK history.

WOMEN IN CHARGE

METTE FREDERIKSEN 44, Denmark Frederiksen was praised for her leadership during the Covid pandemic, when Denmark had the lowest death rate in the EU.

Women are stepping up and taking charge across Europe, a political club that wields real power following the trail blazed

by Margaret Thatcher and Angela Merkel. Who’s in the club?

MAGDALENA ANDERSSON 55, Sweden Andersson led Sweden’s move to counter Russia by dropping its neutrality to join Nato this year. Her days in the top job are numbered as she leads a caretaker government after losing an election to a rightwing bloc recently.

KATRIN JAKOBSDOTTIR 46, Iceland Despite her personal opposition to Nato, the Left-Green leader has kept her country in the alliance. She is the country’s second female PM.

SANNA MARIN 36, Finland Marin is taking her previously neutral country into Nato after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. She is the world’s youngest sitting Prime Minister.

NATALIA GAVRILITA 45, Moldova Moldova is the only country in the world to have both a female Prime Minister and president. Gavrilita is the third woman to head her country’s government.

NOVEMBER 2022 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

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HE ALTH 12

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Neurodiversity refers to variations in the human brain and cognition, for instance in sociability, learning, attention and other mental functions.

It was coined in 1998 by sociologist Judy Singer, who helped popularise the concept along with journalist Harvey Blume, and situates human cognitive variation in the context of biodiversity and the politics of minority groups.

Many businesses are not making use of neurodivergent employees, concentrating on the problems involved rather that the power that can be harnessed. Adjustments can be minor whereby the benefits can be huge. By GEMMA NORTH

Neurodivergent women and work – unleash the power

A

wareness about neurodivergence in women is growing with increasing numbers receiving diagnoses in adulthood. The notion of ‘Neurodiversity’ celebrates the strengths of neurologically different people instead of focusing on their perceived weaknesses. Creativity, bigger picture thinking and a greater appreciation of difference are some of the ways in which neurodivergent employees can bring value to the workplace. As Richard Branson said, ”People on the autistic spectrum are often overlooked for jobs that they might be brilliant at. It’s a staggering statistic that 85% of autistic adults are unemployed or underemployed. This has to change.”

However, ‘disordered’, ‘dysfunctional’ and ‘deficient’ are all words commonly associated with neurodivergent people despite more public figures than ever before showing up, sharing and embracing their neurodivergent selves.

The term ‘neurodiversity was first coined by Judy Singer as including people with traits including autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia and Tourette’s syndrome.

She said it best when saying, “Neurodiversity is really just a new word for a very old idea – a fancy 21st century way of repeating the old adage, ‘From each according to their ability; and to each according to their need.’”

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NEURODIVERSIT Y

Unfortunately, at the point of knowing why they function differently to non-neurodivergent people, the ways in which neurodivergent women can be supported, particularly at work, are still inadequately understood. For example, workplaces often focus on attending to individual differences rather than making their spaces accessible to all.

Women already experience inequalities in career development opportunities and pay. The disability employment gap is largest for disabled women aged 45-49 years and 55-59 years*.

While the employment gap is smallest between disabled and non-disabled people aged 16-19 years, both groups are least likely to be employed at this age.

Research by the UK’s National Autistic Society (NAS) shows that the figures for the employment of autistic people in the UK are still very low. In a survey of 2,000 autistic adults, just 16% were in full-time work, despite 77% of people who were unemployed saying they wanted to work*. Autistic women could be described as experiencing ‘double-glazed’ barriers at work.

MAKING PROGRESS

Support that is both targeted and wide-reaching for neurodivergent women at work must be a priority. On an individual basis, they may be supported through coaching or mentoring in the workplace that enables them to understand their needs and communicate them effectively to employers.

Employers and managers have a responsibility to attend training sessions and share information about neurodiversity in the workplace that increases awareness and promotes meaningful inclusivity. It is important to remember that not all neurodivergent people may disclose their differences at work. They may choose to ‘mask’ or ‘camouflage’. They may not even be aware of why they are struggling to carry out their tasks; why it feels uncomfortable and tiring for example.

On a wider level, employers can promote healthy workplace cultures by improving access for disabled people to hybrid workspaces. Research following the pandemic indicates that workplace flexibility can be particularly beneficial in enabling people to control their working environment more effectively.

70% of disabled workers said that if UNDERSTANDING their employer did not allow them to Employers are required under the work remotely, it would negatively imEquality Act 2010 to provide ‘reasonpact their physical or mental health**. able adjustments’ so that neurodiverAn appreciation of the skills and gent people have as fair a chance as expertise employees bring rather than non-neurodivergent people to access over preoccupation with preferred and sustain employment. However, Sir Richard Branson communication styles is one small barriers are often less easy to see as they may be embedded in cultural assumptions about how change. Employers who take a strengths-based approach people should behave. Employers are often unaware of some to employment practices may reap the benefits. Career outthe social rules that prevent neurodivergent women from comes and employment opportunities for neurodivergent women can be improved through increasing awareness of getting on in their chosen careers.

Extra tasks that involve adapting to social norms like their strengths, promotion of inclusive workplaces cultures making prolonged eye contact can often feel unnatural and and provision of accessible working environments. exhausting. The nature of this additional ‘emotional labour’ autistic women take on in order to fit in at work is not often * Office for National Statistics (ONS) 2021) ** The Work Foundation, 2022 acknowledged or recognised.

An autistic woman, Farah, who was interviewed for a recent research project said she was regarded as “obviously untrustworthy” by her managers for not making eye contact.

Farrah was sent on a training programme to improve her interpersonal skills whilst men performing the same work Gemma North is a researcher with similar communication styles in her workplace were and consultant from North not. Farah was pressured to adopt more gender-appropriate Consultancy with expertise in behaviour, rather than simply having her difference in comneurodiversity, mental health munication style recognised and accepted. and wellbeing.

People on the autistic spectrum are often overlooked for jobs that they might be brilliant at. It’s a staggering statistic that 85% of autistic adults are unemployed or under-employed.

This has to change.

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Making adjustments and supporting disabled people at work makes the whole workforce feel welcome and engaged Dr Nancy Doyle Founder and chief research officer of Genius Within CIC

NOVEMBER 2022 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

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FE ATURE PROMOTIONAL

SAMANTHA KAYE from Wellesley discusses why it’s important to consider the tax implications when dividing your assets upon divorce

Time to split: Talking about tax around a divorce

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plitting up with your spouse or civil partner is one of the most difficult events you can face, and is certainly not a time when you’d welcome interference from other parties – least of all, the taxman.

Unfortunately, though, there are significant tax implications to splitting your assets, as everything must be divided in the right way.

But this is no bad thing. Divorce can be a particularly bumpy road for women – with divorced women’s median pension wealth at retirement just 25% of that of their male counterparts1 – so being tax savvy is essential in making sure you get what’s due to you.

Here are four things to think about:

PENSIONS

Currently, spouses splitting chargeable assets have up to 12 months to complete the transfer from the point at which they ceased living together – not from the point that the divorce is granted – to avoid Capital Gains Tax. However, from April 6th 2023, these rules are changing – the ‘no gain, no loss’ window is set to be extended, giving separating spouses and civil partners up to three years to make the disposals they need to from the point at which they separate.

Getting the best advice you can – both legal and financial – will help you ensure that all aspects of the divorce settlement are covered

Pensions are often overlooked, but they can be one of your most valuable assets. There are three ways pensions can be split: earmarking, offsetting against other assets, or sharing. The latter means the pension is split between the spouses or civil partners into two pots – so each person runs their pension the way they want to and aren’t relying on their ex-partner to do things the right way.

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CAPITAL GAINS TAX (CGT)

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PRIVATE RESIDENCE RELIEF

There’s an additional change that allows any spouse or civil partner who retains an interest in the couple’s former matrimonial home to have the option to claim Private Residence Relief when it’s sold. The spouse or civil partner who transferred their interest in the marital home to their ex will also be able to apply the same tax treatment to any proceeds they’re entitled to receive from the eventual sale.

Nearly three quarters of divorcing couples fail to consider their legal right to share pensions

SPOUSAL MAINTENANCE AND CHILD BENEFIT

If you’re paying maintenance to your former spouse or civil partner, it’s possible to claim tax relief against this, which will help to reduce your tax bill. What’s more, if you split from a higher-earning spouse or civil partner, you may be able to claim child benefit. Your financial adviser can talk you through all the options available to you.

Getting the best advice you can – both legal and financial – will help you ensure that all aspects of the divorce settlement are covered, for that all-important peace of mind as you plan for a secure future.

If you have any questions about divorce or pensions planning, please contact me today.

Sources: 1 NOW: Pensions, 2020 2 Chartered Insurance Institute, 2019 Samantha Kaye Chartered Adviser, Wellesley E: samantha.kaye@sjpp.co.uk www.wellesleywa.co.uk

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

St. James’s Place guarantees the suitability of advice offered 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. The 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. The ‘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 Office: 44 The Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, TN2 5TN. Registered in England & Wales, Company No. 06530147.

NOVEMBER 2022 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

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In our brand new Spotlight feature, we highlight women who are doing good things in their community.

They’re not always seen but we think they should be.

SPOTLIGH T Louise Poffley

Dynamic chats with Louise Poffley, founder and CEO of the charity Project Eileen, to hear what it does and what motivated her to start this fantastic organisation. Here she is in her own words…

“At school in the 1970s, when my close friend was orphaned, I realised I hadn’t got a clue what to say or do to support her. Around the same time, a girl in the year below me died suddenly from a brain haemorrhage. The next morning, we received just a brief announcement in assembly. Years later, when my father died, it was apparent many people still didn’t know what to say or do, and I felt compelled to do something to change the status quo.

“The charity, Project Eileen, is the result of my drive and determination to achieve a vision of developing a way to proactively help young people cope with bereavement,

death and grief by giving them the tools and life skills to help themselves and others. Its multimedia programme of lessons took shape.

“With a multifarious career background, including a spell as a funeral arranger, I believed my writing would be the best starting point upon which the programme could be built. I spent 2017 writing and rewriting Eileen, a fictional but true-to-life story about a bunch of teenagers who have to cope with the death of their friend.

The story almost has a story of its own. Sir Tony Robinson narrated it, Nina Pfeifenberger animated it, the programme’s lessons reference it, it’s the springboard for class discussion, and students can even develop their own improvisations from it.

“I believe collaboration is key to success. Never shy of approaching someone I’d like to involve, and needing music, I leapt onto the stage at the end of a concert to find out who’d written the ska songs. That led to a great working partnership with the composer, Alex D Hay, who wrote the music to accompany my lyrics.

“Yet, none of this would have happened without former teacher, Annabelle Shaw. Following her experience of bereavement, she felt as strongly as I did that something had to be done, and leapt at the opportunity to establish the charity and devise the lessons.

“Commended for my enormous enthusiasm, I sometimes worry I talk nonstop about Project Eileen.

Fortunately for me, I have very patient friends and family.”

Project Eileen is the result of my drive and determination to achieve a vision of developing a way to proactively help young people cope with bereavement

Left to right: Louise Poffley, Patron, Andrew Barton and Annabelle Shaw, Programme Director

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Project Eileen CIO, Community Base, 113 Queens Road, Brighton BN1 3XG E: info@projecteileen.co.uk T: 01273 894757 www.projecteileen.co.uk

Hannah Blackwell Dynamic caught up with the lauded, up-andcoming chef, Hannah Blackwell. She used to be in the kitchen at Etch in Brighton and is now doing a work placement at The Fat Duck in Bray Congratulations on securing a work placement at Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck. That’s no easy feat! Who has helped you on your way and perhaps inspired you as well?

“I wouldn’t be where I am right now if it wasn’t for a lot of people. One of them is Matt Tilt who was the head chef and owner of the first restaurant I ever worked in. He taught me a lot of skills and pushed me to try new things. George Boarer and Steven Edwards at Etch also mentored me and made me more confident in myself. Another inspiration is Clare Smyth. She is a very good role model for young female chefs like me.”

Female chefs do seem far and few between.

Do you feel that there is bias in the industry?

“It has always been heavily populated by men and you notice that massively when you step into a kitchen and you are the only woman to about seven men. Sadly, I don’t think this will ever change. Saying this, every work environment I have been in personally has been incredible and I have been welcomed with open arms, which is why I love the job and have continued to do it.”

Do you think that women are perhaps less interested in the job? Why?

“I think the main reason is the long hours because either women have children or want a job that is more flexible. You see women more in café/ bakeries because it allows them to have evenings off and socialise more. Another reason could be because of the pay. After hours of stress, hard work and dedication you put in, the pay packet doesn’t necessarily represent that for most people.”

What are your three favourite dishes that you cook at home?

“My favourite dish savoury-wise is fish pie, just because this is something I would always make with my dad when I was younger. For sweet I would choose a meringue roulade as this was something Mum and I would make for dinner parties or celebrations. My other choice would be a double chocolate brownie. Who doesn’t love a bit of chocolate as a treat every now and again?”

Any advice for aspiring female chefs?

“My advice is enjoy it! Just go for it and aim as high as possible. You won’t regret it. My recipe for being around a lot of male chefs is to add an extra bit of sass. It shows that you mean business and that you won’t be walked over - but in a polite and jokey way.”

NOVEMBER 2022 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

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SPOTLIGHT

In 2017, community-owned Lewes FC caught the headlines by becoming the world’s first football club to pay the men’s and women’s playing staff equal salaries.

Maggie Murphy, CEO of Lewes FC tells Dynamic about her journey to the top of the club she has come to admire.

HEAD OF THE PACK I never meant to be the CEO of a football club.

To this day, I don’t think I would be here if, as a girl, and later as a young woman, it was as easy for me to play the most popular game in the world as it was for my brothers.

I’m only here because I got angry.

No matter how hard I try, when I look back on the brilliant memories I have from playing, I can’t help but feel a sense of loss or frustration.

At first there were no girls’ teams.

Then when there was a team, it had terrible coaches, hand-me-down kit and muddy bogs for pitches. We had to travel so much further. Our parents had to pay so much more.

Boys would line the pitch laughing or catcalling. Our games were cancelled so the guys could use our pitch and let theirs rest. Our referees didn’t know the rules. Our universities didn’t pay for a coach so we had to train the team between us.

Mexico to Canada to Tanzania to France to Saudi Arabia to Nepal. From elite players who had played in World Cups to grassroots players in Nepal or Mexico. All were asking the same questions.

We decided to do something that would demand respect that we could use as a rallying call and that nobody could take away from us.

And so together, over six days, we climbed to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, in the ice, and rock and ash. There were some days and nights where it was difficult to breathe, and we all had that fear that we wouldn’t make it. Because we weren’t there just to climb a mountain.

At the end of the final night of climbing, we laid a full-size pitch, put up our FIFA regulation goalposts, and set about a 90-minute match, barely able to breathe, barely able to run.

When the final whistle went, we were Guinness World Record holders.

I don’t think we will stop climate change or end people trafficking unless there are angry people trying to make it happen

“WOMEN ARE SUCH AN AFTERTHOUGHT”

My career in global advocacy, tackling corruption and promoting human rights took me overseas. I worked for organisations lobbying the UN and G20 to adopt better laws.

When the latest in a series of FIFA corruption scandals hit – almost ten years ago – I was tired, angry, frustrated, but now knew a lot more about good governance. Budget lines were being stolen for votes to hold prestigious tournaments and yet there was nothing for women’s football.

Wherever I looked, the people in decision-making roles seemed to care very little about growing the game, encouraging participation, debate and discussion or creating inclusive environments. Women were an afterthought – and they were never in these roles. I was getting angry.

I found I wasn’t alone. In all my travels I had picked up quite an international group of friends and colleagues.

Through a chance meeting I found myself involved with a crew of like-minded women from more than 20 countries; 20

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HEADING DOWN THE PAN

About a month after climbing down the mountain I saw an announcement on Twitter from a small community club that I couldn’t place on a map.

This small club was a tiny part of the problem but seeking to be a big part of the solution. They announced that they were bringing in pay parity for the men’s and women’s teams and had become the first club in the world to do so.

I immediately clicked three times and became an owner – it was 100% fan-owned and only costs £50. Aside from getting to own a football club, I finally felt like there was a football club out there that cared for and valued me, and if I showed up one day, might even greet me with a smile and make me feel welcome.

My path started to cross with those of Lewes FC, and in 2019 I was asked to consider coming on board as the

I’m only here because I got angry

General Manager. Football had always been just a side story for me but I was now being asked to put this front and centre.

This club was special.

Lewes FC is trying to take all the bad things that people hate about football and turn them around. I don’t blame you if you don’t like football. A lot of the time there’s lots to dislike about it.

But now I was being asked to put my money where my mouth was.

Is it possible to create a transparent, accountable, equitable football club that listens to and serves its local community and global community of supporters? Is it possible to reconnect football with purpose and social impact? Is it possible to create a football club dedicated to results on and off the pitch?

LEWES FC – CHANGING THE WORLD

It was a challenge too great to turn down. We’re Lewes FC, an exceptional club trying to change the world.

Football is more than a game. It’s about our social fabric.

And how we relate to each other. And if women are not part of that conversation, then we are being sidelined from society as a whole.

And I don’t want to be on the sidelines.

So yes, I’m a CEO because I got angry. And I’ve learned it’s OK to get angry. In fact, I don’t think we will stop climate change or end people trafficking unless there are angry people trying to make it happen. You just need to use that anger in a really smart way – and find some allies and teammates to work with you.

I’ve now found these allies and teammates, and we are dedicated to the best possible type of football club, on and off the pitch. We hope you join us.

Lewes FC is a community-owned football club.

To purchase your shares, go to www.lewesfc.com/owners For match tickets, go to www.tickettailor.com/events/lewesfootballclub2/ Lewes FC, The Dripping Pan, Mountfield Road, Lewes. BN7 2XA NOVEMBER 2022 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

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The menopause One thing we know for certain about the phases of menopause is that the experience varies widely from individual to individual

I

find it odd that so many female references are a derivation of men - feMALE, woMAN, MENopause, whereby none of these subjects have any relation to men. I see from the news section this month that the Italians are changing their entire dictionary to finally publish the feminine forms of nouns and adjectives due to the bias embedded in their language - and ours! Anyway, l digress.

The menopause is a subject that we will all have to deal with at some point whether we like it or not. The menopause is a perfectly natural part of a woman’s life and occurs when your periods stop due to the decreasing hormone levels in your body and this is usually between 45 and 50 years but that is a vast generalisation. The perimenopause is where you might have symptoms before your period have actually stopped.

Menopause and perimenopause symptoms can have a big impact on your daily life, including relationships, social life, family life and work. It can feel different for everyone. You may have a number of symptoms or none. Symptoms usually start months or years before your periods stop. This is called the perimenopause.

The first sign of the perimenopause is usually, but not always, a change in the normal pattern

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of your periods, for example they become irregular and eventually you’ll stop having periods altogether.

Common mental health symptoms of menopause and perimenopause include changes to your mood, anxiety, mood swings and low self-esteem, problems with memory or concentration (brain fog). Physical symptoms can be hot flushes, difficulty sleeping, palpitations, headaches and migraines that are worse than usual, muscle aches and joint pains, changed body shape and weight gain, skin changes including dry and itchy skin, reduced sex drive, vaginal dryness and pain, itching or discomfort during sex and recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs).

The point to make here is that we are all different. Some women suffer and some don’t even know it has happened. Some suffer all the symptoms and some just a few. The menopause is as different as we are as individuals.

To gain some perspective on this, we asked several leading business women about their experience and, as you will see, the response are as different as women can be.

Continued over >

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MENOPAUSE

Tess de Klerk “I’m 40 years old and in all honesty, simply don’t want to hear about the menopause! I’m not there yet and feel that I would prefer to not have to think about it until the time comes when I absolutely have to. Yes, I see the irony having decided on, and edited, this article.

“Obviously I recognise that any inkling of a taboo around the subject must dissipate, that workplaces must accommodate and support women through it and that sharing experiences and knowledge empowers us all… but still, I just don’t want to have to think about it – not yet.”

So many women I’ve talked to see menopause as an ending.

But I’ve discovered this is your moment to reinvent yourself after years of focusing on the needs of everyone else.

It’s your opportunity to get clear about what matters to you and then to pursue that with all of your energy, time and talent OPRAH WINFREY, CHAT SHOW HOST

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Fiona Shafer In 2018, the MDHUB ran a peer group to explore ‘The Menopause and The Andropause’.

The latter being the less publicly acknowledged diagnosis for men of a collection of symptoms, including hot flushes, loss of libido and depression, experienced by some middle-aged to older men and attributed to a decline in testosterone levels.

Sadly, often joked about as a ‘midlife crisis and a time to buy a Harley Davison’, it is a subject that we hope will one day have an equal acceptance and acknowledgement.

My menopause quite literally arrived like a massive tidal wave in the midst of the global pandemic. This made it even harder to pinpoint what was happening in and amongst the ridiculously long hours that we were all working to support businesses through the crisis. The combination of adrenaline and exhaustion masked many symptoms.

After what I can only describe as clockwork history of menstruation with no spear throwing side effects at all, the good karma fairy passed the baton to the bad karma fairy in July 2019, and changed direction, heading into the depths of my body and brain.

14 months later, my body full of the alternative route of Ginseng, Red Clover and Black Cohosh, there was no let up from the night sweats, sleep deprivation (a deep sleep

Rosemary French OBE

formerly being my super power), sweat running down my back in meetings, glasses steaming up during ZOOM calls, irritability and feeling at times like I did when I was 15 with hormones running amok.

The defining moment came when the classic ‘brain fog‘ started to appear. As someone who has been blessed with an excellent memory and has to keep a huge amount of info stored in my brain, this was a terrifying moment at a very deep level and became the key moment that changed my approach to the menopause.

Thanks to the incredible support of four amazing women with whom I share a peer group as part of my own support and development , they all recommended HRT ( and gently suggested why had I taken so long to do so…).

It was a massive turning point.

If you deal with it in a healthy fashion then I think you come out the other side a better person.

I’ve got so much more energy now than I ever had in my early 50s before the menopause JULIE WALTERS, ACTRESS

“I think I am having a heart attack,” I spluttered to my male Business Development Director, while descending in our work lift. It was late and we had been working hard on a key contract renewal.

I collapsed on our reception sofa panting for breath. Within minutes I was in our nearest A&E, but I was discharged later with no medical view on what had just happened. I was so spooked that I even paid a private heart consultant to check over my heart.

There then followed a ten-year period of repeated panic attacks in the oddest of places; no rhyme or reason, although the scariest were those when driving, or when I would jump up in the middle of night insisting that I was dying!

My husband was brilliant at calming me down, but we put it all down to my stressful job.

I also had the most awful headaches which I did mention to my doctor. Extraordinarily, I was given an expensive brain scan and yet no mention was made of hormonal changes! I never had hot flushes, the only menopausal symptom that I had ever heard of.

It was hard pretending to my business colleagues, friends and family that all was well, while trying to suppress an approaching panic attack. I would make a quick exit to suffer alone in some private corner until it passed.

During all those years, I concluded that it was just one of those work stress related things I had to put up with. Frankly, I am embarrassed to say that it just never crossed my mind until the recent menopausal awareness campaign started by Davina McCall. The Daily Telegraph featured celebrities’ stories and I realised that I was just like them!

I do feel bitter that I was not offered HRT. However, with my new learning, I was able to advise my younger sister-in-law that her panic attacks were menopausal, and she needed to get on HRT right away. She tells me that it has made a huge difference. I just wish I’d had that opportunity.

Continued over >

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MENOPAUSE

I see menopause as the start of the next fabulous phase of life as a woman. Now is a time to ‘tune in’ to our bodies and embrace this new chapter.

If anything, I feel more myself and love my body more now, at 58 years old, than ever before KIM CATTRALL, ACTRESS

Alison Jones

Joanna Williams I don’t want to upset anyone but l have to say l hardly noticed that the menopause was upon me.

The first signs occurred when l was 52. Of course, my periods stopped which was a delight to be honest and l did notice that l was generally hotter at night than usual but once that stopped, l had no further symptoms then or since, and l am now 61.

I feel pretty awful saying this as l know some women suffer dreadfully but l understand that HRT generally works very well and l would certainly have taken it had it of been needed. I read that women who have not had children tend to get the menopause earlier and might be prone to more dramatic symptoms but l am delighted Dynamic is tackling this subject as there seems to be ten contradictory answers to every question you ask and it can be very confusing.

The internet has certainly benefitted society in many ways but the downside is there are thousands of sites for every subject and with so many contradicting the last one, it can lead to mass confusion. Your doctor and anecdotal views from your friends is surely the best way to gain the information needed.

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It is so brilliant to see that the menopause is no longer a taboo word and there is now a better understanding of the issues facing almost half of the population.

That said, I think there is a still a long way to go before there is a more balanced conversation.

Before you throw up your arms in dismay let me explain more.

At the moment, the majority of the conversation is about the wonders of HRT, and there is very little discussion or research into alternatives.

Unfortunately, not everyone is fortunate enough t o be able to take HRT. Those of us unlucky enough to have high blood pressure, heart problems, breast cancer or are at a higher risk of breast cancer, for example, are unable to take HRT. Our options are very limited, and NHS guidelines suggest a change in lifestyle including eating well, exercising and staying cool at night! They also suggest stopping smoking and cutting out alcohol and caffeine.

All of which is of course sensible advice but I am not convinced that any of this really helps deal with the significant impact of the change in your hormone levels that the menopause creates. They also suggest taking anti-depressants but is the menopause depression?

There are a variety of herbal supplements available, all of which suggest that they will cure all symptoms, none of which in my experience made any difference.

They are not supported by medical evidence and you do have to be extra careful as some of the ingredients can cause side effects if taken with other medicines.

So, just like our mothers and their mothers before them, sadly, we just have to grin and bear it. My advice would be to enlist the support of your family. For me, air conditioning was the only way to deal with the night sweats which I have had for more than 10 years now.

FINANCE

I’ve just come back from a holiday in Canada and what a time to have been away, writes ALISON JONES of Kreston Reeves

ALL CHANGE

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ot only did we have a new Prime Minister, (we now need another new one) but sadly we lost our Queen. Although the news was all over Canadian TV, being eight hours behind it did feel like we were spectators to all that was changing back at home with little opportunity to join in. Life at home seemed to have radically changed in a blink of an eye as Charles became our King.

And then, just over a week later, and as I write this piece, the markets have gone crazy in terms of the value of the pound against the dollar following the recent emergency budget and interest rates look to rise again. Maybe it wasn’t as bad as Black Wednesday on September 16th 1992.

You might not remember it but interest rates jumped from 10% at 10.30am then to 12% and 15% before returning to 10% the following day as the UK left the ERM (Exchange Rate Mechanism). Turbulent times indeed as the UK fell into a deep recession, many businesses failed and the housing market crashed. It is difficult to imagine now having spent so many years with interest rates at under 1%. Hopefully, by the time you read this, the markets will have steadied, but we might need to wait until the next announcement on interest rates in November for that.

And in this complicated picture is the current situation in Ukraine, following the Russian invasion. This has had a significant impact on the price of energy and basic food supplies resulting in the current cost of living crisis which is impacting all households and businesses.

However, history shows us that even after the bleakest of times, an economy does recover, businesses become profitable again and many new opportunities do arise.

Just think about the changes we’ve seen since 1992 and how they’ve shaped how we do business; the emergence of the internet and mobile phones having the greatest impact.

And since the pandemic, Zoom and Teams have, in just two years, become everyday means of communication for us all. Real time data continues to provide better business insight thanks to online banking and accounting systems such as Xero, allowing for more confident and timely decision making.

There is always a rainbow after a storm and there will be better times ahead for us all. It’s not easy, it might not be the same type of business as it was before but it’s important that you stay calm.

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So, what can you do? Firstly evaluate both your business and your personal budget and what you need to continue.

■ Talk to your accountant as not only can they provide you with a good sounding board to discuss issues, but they can also help you monitor your business and start raising flags when things appear to be going wrong, or indeed give you the good news when things improve ■ Increase your prices. One of my clients recently phoned all their clients and explained in detail why they needed to increase their prices by being transparent about the increase in the costs they were facing. As a result, they were able to increase their prices and only lost one customer ■ Don’t hide away. In a recession you shouldn’t stop marketing as you don’t want to be forgotten ■ Talk to your team. They will be worrying about how the cost of living rises and potential increase in mortgage rates are going to impact them, they may also be worrying about their jobs. In some instances redundancies may end up being your only option, but keeping in touch with your staff is key and they might have some good ideas on how you can improve your business ■ Keep talking to your suppliers, banks and HMRC. From my experience they are far more likely to be supportive and to help you if you are open and honest with them and less likely if you bury your head in the sand. Don’t be afraid of making new arrangements with them My final piece of advice is remember that you are not alone in this, and you don’t need to manage everything by yourself. It’s better to talk to your friends, family or business partners, as a problem shared always becomes a smaller problem once it has been voiced. There is a huge network of support available to you both from a business and personal point of view and don’t be afraid to use it.

So, in the same way that the UK recovered from the crash back in 1992, try to remain positive, we will recover again soon.

Alison Jones is a Partner at Kreston Reeves and can be contacted by email at alison.jones@krestonreeves.com or call 0330 124 1399. www.krestonreeves.com

The markets have gone crazy in terms of the value of the pound against the dollar following the recent emergency budget

NOVEMBER 2022 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

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MENTORING

Finding this great person is a bit like finding a Yoda in a haystack!

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There’s no doubt about it – leadership can be lonely!

Being in business has many highs, and often just as many lows, especially if we feel that there is no one to turn to.

By DESIREE ANDERSON, Crest Coaching & HR

COACHING COULD BE A LIGHTSABER

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tatistics show that remote leadership has accentuated feelings of isolation, akin to being adrift in the business galaxy. Additionally, you might also often expect yourself to know all the answers. These expectations of oneself may accentuate feelings of rising panic about what to do next, either strategically or operationally. You may have concerns about how to motivate your teams to be productive, committed, loyal etc.

There’s also a lot of emphasis right now on mental health – but there usually aren’t quick fi xes. We may struggle with balancing our own worries with the needs of others and the inevitable pressures that running a successful business in this global universe brings.

In truth, all sorts of issues can prevent us from being the great leader we aspire to be. Fear of success or failure, comparison with others, procrastination, perfectionism and people-pleasing can cruelly prevent us from shining our lightsaber.

It’s no wonder that, with all these issues to overcome, we are frequently perplexed.

In our attempt to solve our problems, we either tend to hide our feelings and pretend to know it all or reach out desperately to a coach or mentor for help. If any of the adverts are true, will they wave a magic wand and increase turnover? Will the incessant people issues cease? Will I finally be recognised as the leader I dream of being?

STOP! You are already good enough; you have amazing unique skills and abilities that are already a success.

Appointing someone as a coach/ mentor doesn’t make you a failure – nobody knows everything, including the coach. If we reach out to someone through a feeling of ‘lack’, things are bound to come unstuck. But if we recognise that a coach/mentor is someone who either has specific expertise that we need and can give us specific guidance (usually a mentor), or someone who can help with our development by challenging us and encouraging us to come up with the answers (usually a coach) - then we may be off to a good start.

Let’s pause for a minute to remember that many great leaders throughout business history have had coaches or mentors. We have Richard Branson, Oprah Winfrey and Elon Musk to name but a few (dare I sneak in that Luke Skywalker had Yoda). Great leaders and entrepreneurs have

shown us that they can elevate and develop faster by having a trusted person to guide them. And if we see what these leaders have achieved, then the whole aspect of coaching sounds like a no-brainer.

There are some vital prerequisites before embarking on this mission.

• A good coach/mentor should be in partnership with you but allow you to take centre stage. You may be hiring them to be your trusted confidante, to help you via a mastermind, a batch of coaching sessions or for a longer-term journey through stages of your business or career.

• There should always be a relationship of mutual respect and boundaries agreed upon between both parties from the offset. A contract setting out mutual roles, behaviour and responsibilities should be drawn up. Having this looked over by a solicitor is always a good idea.

• Your coach should be someone with values congruent to yours - a role model of sorts who leaves you feeling educated, inspired or sometimes a bit uncomfortable, but in a way that constructively develops and elevates you to do better next time.

Finding this great person is a bit like finding a Yoda in a haystack! To make it easier, you should be clear on what your end goals for coaching are, what your budget is, and what the going rate is for this service (tip: conduct a comparison analysis). You may find an appropriate person from within your network, from previous clients or a coaching association.

Whether you are aspiring Jedi or you’re in charge of a fleet of star ships, Mentoring and Coaching is a great way to help guide you in reaching for the stars in the realm of your career! But before you go ahead with it I recommend that you take a look at yourself in the mirror and acknowledge the infinite potential that already exists within you.

Let’s pause for a minute to remember that many great leaders throughout business history have had coaches or mentors

Desiree is a Level 7 Advanced Coach & Mentor, an International Bestselling Author, Mental Health First Aider and owner of Crest Coaching & HR. Contact her at info@crestcoachingandhr.com NOVEMBER 2022 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

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MENTORING

Even if you have a technical skill or vision that could form the basis of a successful business, the whole ’how to run a business’ side of things can seem quite daunting.

Not surprisingly, therefore, numerous mentors offer their business experience to new entrepreneurs.

By JAMES O’CONNELL

WHEN MENTORS TURN NASTY

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t their best, mentors can be a phenomenally useful resource. Regrettably, I often get to see those who have gone over to the dark side and used their superior knowledge of business processes to grab a slice of a promising business before their clients outgrow them. Too often, I see 20-40% of a business given away in return for vague mentoring ‘promises’ with few tangible outcomes and invariably no measurable ones.

At worst, dark-side mentors demand a shareholders’ agreement containing technical or arcane legal points that slyly elevate them to equal control of somebody else’s business (but leaving the original founders to do all the work 32

and take all the risks). Clients are always shocked to find themselves in an unwanted but unbreakable partnership with a mentor because of clever legal wording.

Mentors are often in a unique position of trust. Clients assume that their mentors act, if not in their best interests, at least fair and reasonably. Learning otherwise is a huge business lesson, but it comes at one hell of a price.

So, what do you do if you have a mentor demanding not only payment but a stake in your business?: • Buyer beware! It may be a fantastic offer, or it may be the start of your business imploding.

• If you are already paying the mentor, then ask yourself what extra value will you get?

Too often, I see 20%40% of a business given away in return for vague mentoring ‘promises’ with few tangible outcomes

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk | NOVEMBER 2022

Clients are always shocked to find themselves in an unwanted but unbreakable partnership with a mentor because of clever legal wording • Put a cash value on the shares demanded. If you would reject a cash offer from an investor at that price, then the mentor’s offer had better be something truly amazing.

• Make any shares conditional upon targets met.

• Don’t automatically throw in a directorship with the shareholding; they are separate things.

• Understand the total reward. Monthly payments and capital value of shares and dividends and director status and a say in your business?

• Watch out for a ‘land-grab’. Under the guise of ‘I just want to protect my shares,’ the greedy mentor may demand to be treated as an equal ‘partner’ with the same right of veto as the owners. Again, if someone offered to buy, say, 13% of your company, would you give them all the rights of influence, disclosure and veto over crucial aspects of your business as if they had 51%?

If (hopefully!) not, why would you give it to a mentor?

• Make sure you can sack them if a director, and that you can buy back their shares (at fair value) if they are a shareholder.

There are many great mentors, and this article is not trying to dissuade you from using them. But equally, you may encounter a mentor who sees you as an exploitable opportunity. So make sure any deal makes hard commercial sense.

James O’Connell, Partner E: joconnell@mayowynnebaxter.co.uk T: 01273 223209 Mayo Wynne Baxter www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk NOVEMBER 2022 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

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MENTORING

By ELLIOTT WISE, founder of Limitless Mentoring

BUSINESS MENTORS Are they worth it and how to find the right one for you?

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will come straight out and confirm my bias on this topic. I run a business skills mentoring programme called Limitless Mentoring, so if you couldn’t guess, I am pretty “pro mentoring”. However, I will say that while mentoring is worth it, not all mentors are.

And this is a crucial distinction to make, but let’s start with why I believe mentoring is worth it.

While ‘mentoring’ seems to be undergoing a resurgence in recent years, the principle has been in practice forever.

The passing of knowledge gathered through experience has been an incredible driving force for human progression.

Take ancient Greek philosophy as the perfect example. Socrates mentored Plato, who mentored Aristotle, who mentored Alexander the Great. Each refined, developed and furthered the work of the predecessors to create some of the most timeless, insightful knowledge that has remained relevant for over 2,000 years.

This example works so well because it perfectly explains the premise of mentoring (as opposed to teaching). Mentors guide an individual’s growth instead of lecturing them from a theoretical point of view. Each of the philosophers mentioned above had lifelong relationships with their mentors. They didn’t just attend a couple of talks at the local amphitheatre. They spent their lives learning from and growing alongside their mentors.

To bring it back to a business mentoring perspective, unless you are willing to commit a sizeable length of time to a mentor, don’t bother. A mentor should be there to help and guide you through your business life or a particular time in your business journey. So, if you think you’ll get all the wisdom and answers you need in four weeks – think again.

With the right mentor, you will get much further ahead, faster than if you muddled through by yourself. Sure, there are plenty of examples of ‘self-made’ business owners – but if you asked any of them if they wished they could have done it in half the time – they’d all say yes. It’s a no-brainer.

For this reason, mentors should have been there and done it, and can now use their business and life experience to help you navigate your own journey. As such, mentoring should be a deeply personal relationship between the mentor and

the mentee. A mentor should be able to understand and relate with their mentees life on a holistic level.

This is why the ‘group session’ model that many business ‘mentors’ apply frustrates me. How well can you truly understand your mentee’s needs, problems, hopes and aspirations to connect with them and help them grow if your only contact with them is in a group setting?

That is teaching, not mentoring – which, don’t get me wrong, has its place. But, when you’re trying to find the right mentor, it should be something you think long and hard about. If you want business coaching or business lessons, group sessions will likely do you just fine. But if you want someone to take the time to understand you and your business completely, this can only be achieved at a one-onone level. If it’s not one-on-one, it’s not mentoring as far as I’m concerned.

When you’re looking for a mentor, I would recommend finding one that has the battle scars, and lived to tell the tale.

I would always choose a mentor who had it all, lost it and got it all back rather than someone who has never experienced this sort of hardship.

No business journey is going to be without difficulty and having a mentor who has stood precisely where you are in that moment can be invaluable. A good mentor will even be able to give you an early warning signal and help you avoid making the same mistakes as them altogether.

So, in summary, I do believe that business mentors are worth it. They can help guide you through your business journey and avoid the pitfalls and mistakes that they made themselves. If you want to grow a business, it will become your life. So, when finding a mentor of your own, remember that real mentoring will be a deeply personal service that will guide you in life, not just business – because ultimately, both will go hand in hand.

Unless you are willing to commit a sizeable length of time to a mentor, don’t bother

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Elliot Wise is a self-made serial entrepreneur, business growth expert and mentor. He is the founder of Limitless Mentoring – an entrepreneurial skills programme for aspiring business leaders.

When you’re looking for a mentor, I would recommend finding one that has the battle scars, and lived to tell the tale

WEALTH MANAGEMENT EXECUTED BEAUTIFULLY

www.pmw.co.uk

We pride ourselves on our ability to provide independent, sophisticated and bespoke financial advice.

Aissela, 46 High Street, Esher, Surrey, KT10 9QY 01372 471550

ART Platinum was delighted to sponsor the Sussex Contemporary art exhibition and attend the private view on October 7th at the British Airways i360 in support of many of the highly talented artists we have the in the region

Sussex Contemporary Art Exhibition

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he Sussex Contemporary Open Call, or ‘The Sussex’ for short, is the first major art exhibition to celebrate the rich creativity in the county which has a strong heritage of art. Over 400 artists registered their interest. Joanna Myles, artist and co-founder of The Sussex, who appeared on Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year 2021, says “It can be difficult for new and emerging artists to find ways to show their work.

Sussex has such a vibrant art community, and we want to showcase this amazing talent.”

The exhibition of the selected work ran from October 8th to 22nd. The exhibition drew visitors from London and across the South East and was free to the public to visit. All the work will be available for sale.

A percentage of each sale will be donated to Table Talk Foundation, a charity that supports food education and the hospitality sector in Sussex.

Over the two weeks there were also several additional fundraising events that combine art and culinary arts. www.thesussexcontemporary.co.uk

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RE VIE W

On the back of so many topics covered in this issue of Dynamic, here is some suggested reading if you wish to delve deeper into each subject

FURTHER READING… ‘INSTINCTIVE’ VS ‘LEARNED’ BIASES

How to spot the different forms of discrimination that might be happening in your workplace…

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uman beings face a fundamental paradox. We are inherently social and wired to connect. Co-operating with each other is crucial for our survival. Yet we are also hardwired to spot and react to differences, and we do so without really being aware of it or how it informs our initial perceptions of each other. These are our unconscious biases at work.

Cognitive scientists have named several biases that frequently occur in all of us. For example, apparently the first two things we generally notice when we meet someone new is their skin colour and gender.

The way decisions are made, selective invitations to meetings, in-groups and out-groups, the same faces on high profi le projects are a sign that bias is at play in a system 40

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DISCRIMINATION AT WORK

This edited book brings together in one volume a review of the scholarly work on discrimination based on race, age, sexual orientation, gender, physical appearance, disability, and personality. The focus is on prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination in the workplace.

Discrimination at Work: The Psychological and Organizational Bases edited

by Robert L. Dipboye and Adrienne Colella (Psychology Press, 2013)

This instinctive evolutionary bias is linked to our survival and whether or not we are in any danger. The brain is designed to keep us safe. However, we also have learned bias which we absorb throughout our lives from society, media, education, family, friends and so on. We have a tendency to discount or disregard information that disagrees with our assumptions, even if there are well-proven facts to the contrary and in spite of any risks associated with doing so. This is confirmation bias, and one of the most challenging ones as it takes time and commitment to overturn.

In the workplace we need to be aware and mindful of both our instinctive and learned biases. Most people aren’t aware of their own biases. However, there are many clues which point to the existence of bias in the workplace. Bias can be experienced at an individual level; it can also be rooted in the wider systems in an organisation. Behaviours, processes and ways of working that lead to excluding others, stereotyping and discrimination.

The way decisions are made, selective invitations to meetings, in-groups and out-groups, the same faces on high profi le projects are a sign that bias is at play in a system. Other examples are where people are insistent on sticking to a plan regardless of the right outcome. Or where there is strong loyalty and conversation stuck in the past instead of moving to the future. Where ideas matter less than the person who is sharing and there is a resistance to changing rules and implementing new ways of doing things.

Intense hurry up cultures, overloaded and overwhelmed teams can lead to subtle destructive behaviour and triggering biased behaviour, especially if challenging this way of working would be construed as weak, underperformance and lacking in resilience.

Salma Shah is an Accredited Coach, the founder of coach training and leadership development platform Mastering Your Power.

Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging in Coaching: A Practical Guide by Salma Shah (Kogan Page, 2022)

TECHNIQUES FOR TACKLING RACISM

It is not a book of anti-racist theory but anti-racist tactics – tactics that anyone, of any race, can use to strike a blow against injustice. Anti-racism is not about what we feel but what we do, and there are specific techniques we can use to create a just world.

Tactics for Racial Justice: Building an Antiracist Organization and Community

by Shannon Joyce Prince (Routledge, 2021)

THE EFFECTS OF RACISM

The Trauma of Racism: Lessons from the Therapeutic Encounter is a pioneering reflection on the psychology of racism and its impact on us all. With the intimacy of personal experience and depth of analytic exposition, the authors expose racism’s searing effects on personal, clinical, and community interactions while providing pathways for change.

The Trauma of Racism: Lessons from the Therapeutic Encounter edited By Beverly J. Stoute, Michael Slevin (Routledge, 2022)

NOVEMBER 2022 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

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OBITUARY

DAME HILARY MANTEL Booker Prize-winning novelist passed away ‘suddenly yet peacefully’

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he acclaimed author, celebrated for her Wolf Hall trilogy, has died at the age of 70. Hilary Mantel broke records as the first woman to win the Booker Prize twice and the first author to win with a sequel – ‘Bring Up the Bodies’.

In a statement Mantel’s publisher, 4th Estate Books, said: “We are heartbroken at the death of our beloved author, Dame Hilary Mantel, and our thoughts are with her friends and family, especially her husband, Gerald. This is a devastating loss and we can only be grateful she left us with such a magnificent body of work.”

Charlie Redmayne, the CEO of her publisher HarperCollins said: “This is terrible, tragic news and we are fi lled with sorrow for Hilary’s family and friends, especially her devoted husband Gerald.

“We are so proud that 4th Estate and HarperCollins were Hilary’s publisher, and for such a peerless body of work.

“A writer to the core, Hilary was one of the greatest of her generation – a serious, fearless novelist with huge empathy for her subjects. Who else could have brought Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII and the huge cast of The Wolf Hall Trilogy to life with such insight, frailty and humanity but her?

“We will all miss Hilary’s company, her wisdom, her humour, and treasure her incredible literary legacy – she will be read as long as people are still reading.”

RIP

This is a devastating loss and we can only be grateful she left us with such a magnificent body of work

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HE ALTH

TANYA BOROWSKI is a highly experienced nutritional therapist and functional medicine practitioner, specialising in hormones and women’s health. This includes PMS, heavy or painful menstrual bleeding, endometriosis, PCOS, menopause/ perimenopause and thyroid conditions. She is passionate about improving knowledge and awareness of the benefits of a whole-body integrated approach to perimenopause and menopause.

Can better gut health improve your menopause symptoms?

In this article, Tanya introduces us to looking after our gut health in aid of reducing symptoms associated with perimenopause and menopause

O

ur overall health is hugely influenced by our gut microbiome, a collection of bacteria and their genetic material housed in the large bowel. The function of this microbiome relates to everything from energy production to immune system education and modulation.

Within the microbiome exists the estrobolome, consisting of approximately 60 types of bacteria and fungi, whose sole function is the regulation of our oestrogen levels. The estrobolome bacteria are somewhat superheroes with superpowers; they transform used oestrogens, taken from the large bowel, back into an active, usable form. This now active oestrogen can re-enter the bloodstream and subsequently act on oestrogen receptors.

Your estrobolome can only function properly if your overall microbiome is healthy, containing the right type and diversity of microorganisms. It is an ecosystem, and as

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such needs an abundance of microorganisms. A comparison might be another ecosystem - the Great Barrier Reef - which is lush and full of different species working together to create a vibrant and energetic ecosystem. Similarly to the Great Barrier Reef, the microbiome ecosystem can also be disrupted. Unfortunately, numerous dietary and lifestyle factors can disrupt the gut microbiome, knocking microbes out of balance. This is termed dysbiosis.

As it pertains to our estrobolome, dysbiosis can result in an overabundance of this community, and beta-glucuronidase activity elevating circulating oestrogen levels excessively, which could contribute to heavier periods, painful cramps, PCOS, endometriosis or uterine fibroids.

On the fl ip side, a low microbial diversity, estrobolome and beta-glucuronidase activity mean your estrobolome isn’t able to adequately convert our own oestrogen to its active form and also can’t convert and use those protective plantbased oestrogens.

Your microbiome is an ecosystem, and as such needs an abundance of microorganisms

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk | NOVEMBER 2022

Numerous dietary and lifestyle factors can disrupt the gut microbiome, knocking microbes out of balance

TOP SIX WAYS TO KEEP YOUR MICROBIOME DIVERSE

1

Eat as many types of vegetables and fruit as possible, and try to eat seasonally: Variety is key, as the chemicals and types of fibre in food will vary, and each supports the growth of different microbial species.

2 3

Increase your fibre intake: Aim for 50g+ a day, this is literally fuel for the microbiome Choose food and teas with plenty of colour: This will ensure the ingestion of high levels of polyphenols that also act as fuel for microbes. Examples are nuts, seeds, berries, olive oil, brassicas, coffee and tea – especially green tea.

4

Eat plenty of fermented foods containing live microbes: Unsweetened yoghurt; kefir; raw milk cheeses; sauerkraut; kimchi, tempeh and natto.

5

Avoid artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose and saccharin: These reduce gut microbe diversity – and in animal studies, have led to greater development in obesity and diabetes.

6

Embrace nature: Studies have shown that those with pets have more microbial diversity and those living in rural areas have more diverse microbiomes than city-dwellers.

OESTROGEN FROM PLANTS FOR MENOPAUSE

There are three major sex hormones that change during menopause: oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone.

Progesterone and testosterone steadily decline from our early 40s. Oestrogen levels, however, are more erratic, peaking and troughing, causing symptoms of anxiety, irritability, anger, and hot flushes before they eventually decline.

Certain plant-based foods contain compounds called phytoestrogens, naturally-occuring plant compounds that are structurally very similar to our own hormones.

These compounds are found in a wide variety of foods and herbs that fall into three main categories of phytoestrogens: • Isoflavones: Legumes (soya beans, kidney beans, lima beans, chickpeas, lentils) and soy products (such as milk, tofu, tempeh, miso) • Lignans: Fruit, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds, especially linseeds • Coumestans: Sprouting seeds like alfalfa and soybean sprouts These ‘dietary oestrogens’, similar in structure to oestrogen, can impact the body by attaching to oestrogen receptors. The beauty of these compounds is they can either enhance the oestrogenic effect or slow it down. This is especially helpful for premenopausal and postmenopausal women compensating for the peaks and troughs of perimenopause. It is important to note that different people will react differently to phytoestrogens. Work with your healthcare practitioner to determine the best approach for you.

Tanya Borowski is a holistic health practitioner.

E: admin@tanyaborowski.com NOVEMBER 2022 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

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HE ALTH

The vast array of alternative therapies can be confusing.

TESS DE KLERK demystifies some of the lesser-known methods currently being put into practice

Demystifying complementary and alternative therapies BIOFEEDBACK THERAPY

The aim of biofeedback techniques is to allow people to control bodily processes that normally happen involuntarily. such as heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, and skin temperature. This is in order to improve conditions exacerbated by stress including high blood pressure, headaches and chronic pain.

Patients work with a biofeedback therapist to learn relaxation techniques and mental exercises. In initial sessions, electrodes are attached to the skin to measure bodily states. Eventually the techniques can be practiced without a therapist or equipment.

Researchers still aren’t sure how or why biofeedback works, but a lot of research suggests it does.

BODYTALK

BodyTalk is essentially a practice of energy healing grounded in the belief that living organisms have the innate capability to heal themselves.

It is based on the premise that the body communicates via energetic circuitry, and that the chronic breakdown of communication and interaction within the ‘bodymind’ complex creates disease and disorder. Practitioners of BodyTalk strive to connect these broken lines and facilitate open communication between all of the elements of the body in order to promote healing from within.

During a session, patients lie fully-clothed and relaxed while the practitioner uses light pressing, tapping or lifting of the arm to diagnose and address areas of the body in need of balancing. The therapy is safe and non-invasive.

BodyTalk is a relatively new treatment and there is a scarcity of reliable published evidence regarding its efficiency.

It is, however, a popular practice in Australia, New Zealand and Germany.

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TRE

TENSION AND TRAUMA RELEASING EXERCISES

It is widely understood that humans store stress in their muscles. It is a natural reaction, and part of our ‘fight, fl ight or freeze’ instinct. The TRE programme works by focusing on deep muscle memory to release deep muscular patterns of stress, tension and trauma. This therapy consists of learning a series of seven simple exercises that activates the body’s natural reflex mechanism of shaking and vibrating.

The shaking releases muscular tension and calms the nervous system.

The technique was formulated by Dr David Berceli, who is highly respected in the international field of trauma intervention and confl ict resolution. Dr Berceli based this programme on his experience of working with people with PTSD during a career that involved delivering trauma relief workshops and recovery support in countries such as Israel/ Palestine, Uganda, Sudan, Kenya, Yemen and Lebanon.

TRE is an effective tool in managing stress, tension and trauma, both psychological and physical. Anecdotal evidence suggests that it is also helpful in managing other conditions, especially those connected to muscle health such as arthritis and fibromyalgia.

This practice can be learnt in a day, and is designed to be a self-help tool that, once learned, can be used independently as needed throughout one’s life, thereby continuously supporting and promoting personal health and wellness.

TRE is an effective tool in managing stress, tension and trauma, both psychological and physical

REIKI

Proponents say that Reiki works with the energy fields around the body and involves the transfer of universal energy from the practitioner’s palms to the client. It aims to help the flow of energy to remove blockages which are believed to cause dysfunction in mind and body.

In its simplest form, it is similar to what a parent might do to their child when they’re in pain; place a hand over the area to make it feel better. Reiki practitioners explain that an energy transfer has taken place.

Similarly, one might place a hand on your own aching stomach.

The treatment can take place anywhere. Patients remain fully clothed while the practitioner places their hands lightly on or over specific areas of the body.

Some limited studies have drawn links between Reiki and a reduction in feelings of pain and anxiety but for the most part clinical research has not proven is effectiveness. Nonetheless, many people who receive Reiki claim to experience positive outcomes, particularly for pain relief, anxiety, depression and wound healing. Interestingly, over 800 hospitals in the United States currently offer Reiki services for patients.

GERSON THERAPY

Gerson Therapy is based on the belief that disease is caused by the accumulation of toxins as well as nutritional deficiency. Therefore, one attempts to treat disease by prescribing a restricted, predominantly vegetarian diet including hourly glasses of organic juice and various dietary supplements. In addition, patients receive enemas of coffee, castor oil and sometimes hydrogen peroxide or ozone.

It purports to be an effective treatment for various cancers, but there is no valid nor independent evidence in support of these claims. All major cancer support organisations advise against the use of Gerson as a treatment. It can be especially dangerous as the majority of Gerson practitioners strongly discourage patients from undergoing conventional cancer treatments.

NOVEMBER 2022 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

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HE ALTH

Hove’s Float Spa is more health & wellbeing centre than spa. TESS DE KLERK & JASMIN JETCHEV decided to try them out

T

THE FLOAT SPA

he spa offers a wide variety of options to aid us in feeling good – yoga, infrared sauna and osteopathy to name but a few. Of course, the floatation pods are the main attraction.

The first thing that struck me was the quiet calm. There were plenty of shoes on the shoe racks but the atmosphere was so zen that we could have mistaken ourselves for the only clients. Camille, the lovely owner, explained that the rooms are soundproofed as the floatation pods are all about sensory deprivation.

Sensory deprivation – the deliberate reduction or removal of stimuli – has been proven to aid in muscle recovery, reduce anxiety, pain and help with various stress-related conditions such as insomnia and hypertension.

The pods are fi lled with water and massive amounts of magnesium-based Epsom salts to create the same floating conditions as in the Dead Sea. Each pod is in its own room, and clients are asked to use the shower before entering the pod. The water is maintained at skin temperature which we found to be the ideal temperature and found the pods easy to use.

Once inside and lid closed there really was sensory deprivation - complete silence, absolutely no light (there is a light

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switch as well as call button inside the pod if needed) and the sensation of floating. It took both of us some time to get used to this environment. We are all so used to constantly being ‘on’ and stimulated but we both got to a point of total relaxation within our hour session.

Camille suggests three sessions in order to really get used to the unusual environment; I can see the wisdom in that. I, for one, can see how during a second session I would fully relax faster.

We left the pods feeling very calm as well as rejuvenated. My back muscles most definitely felt happier than they had in some time and we know that magnesium is magic nectar for achy muscles.

Jasmin said it best, I think, “I feel as if I have woken from a nap but not the type that leaves you groggy; the kind that you wake up from feeling rested and rejuvenated.”

Once inside and lid closed there really was sensory deprivation – complete silence, absolutely no light and the sensation of floating

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk | NOVEMBER 2022

The Float Spa, 8 Third Avenue, Hove www.thefloatspa.co.uk T: 01273 933680

TR AVEL

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE HIGHLANDS I was looking forward to our summer escape in Scotland. I had heard that the rain gets warmer in August, so off we set on our million-mile road trip staycation (yes, my publisher said Scotland is, at least for now, still considered a staycation)

BY TESS DE KLERK

A

fter our long trek across country we found ourselves on a sinewy single-track road through the Scottish wilds, which eventually gave way to an oasis that felt like the end of the world. Loch Awe stretched into

the distance.

We had arrived in brooding weather; it was drizzly – exactly as one might expect of the Scottish lochs. Ordinarily I would add ‘dreary’ to my drizzle but not this time. No, the weather was just so fittingly beautiful that I might have been disappointed had it been anything but soulfully doleful. Brooding hills and eagles soaring overhead - Scotland writ large.

The 16 rooms at Ardanaiseig are all unique. We stayed in the Master Bedroom Loch View which was a bit dated but still lovely, with its antique four-poster bed and beautiful view across the gardens and loch. Rose Cottage, a self-catering cottage on the hotel’s grounds, is ideal for families or groups of friends as it accommodates up to four guests.

Alternatively, you can choose complete privacy with the modern Boatshed, Ardanaiseig’s luxury honeymoon suite, situated on the banks of the Loch.

One can lounge in front of the roaring fire, enjoy a whisky-tasting session or try a tinkle on the piano but do pull on a pair of the hotel supplied wellies too and explore the stunning woodlands and meadows. Trout fishing, horse riding, clay pigeon shooting and archery can also be arranged, or simply take your crumpets and croquet on Ardanaiseig’s sprawling lawns.

From £185 prpn inc breakfast www.ardanaiseig.com

ARDANAISEIG HOTEL

The windy path opened up for us weary travellers and there stood the gothic looking country pile that is Ardanaiseig, our accommodation for the night. It has been standing on the shores of Loch Awe since 1834, which is when the then-owner commissioned the leading architect of the time, William Burn, to build the house. It has changed ownership a few times since but it is now Grade II listed and has thankfully retained much character.

The current owner, London antique owner Bennie Gray, has fi lled it with an eclectic array of quirky antiques including a Victorian painting in the dining room... at first it looks old-fashioned but look again! The mafia boss who procured it became bored with the dining scene therefore had it altered to suit his modern tastes, turning the previous dinner guests into Mick Jagger and other famous faces.

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Rannoch Train Station

The ruins of Kilchurn castle on Loch Awe, the longest fresh water loch in Scotland

Our departure from Ardanaiseig wasn’t without a touch of wistfulness but it soon dissipated as we weaved our way along the breathtaking roads of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park on our way to Ben Nevis.

It’s the highest mountain in the UK, and was stunning, even though we didn’t manage to see the mountain peak as it was shrouded in a heavy cloud.

Why didn’t we hike up, you ask? I fully intended to until I read that the hike takes 6-8 hours. In hindsight, that makes sense, so do schedule a full day trip if you are planning to reach the mountain top. You cannot drive up there and the mountain won’t come to you or Mohammed.

LOCH RANNOCH HOTEL AND SPA

This hotel estate reminded me slightly of American holiday lake resorts in movies like Dirty Dancing. Its refurbishment in 2021 focussed on enhancing many of the traditional features and included reinstating the original fireplaces and pairing Victorian-inspired fittings with a modern twist throughout the hotel.

It worked well and we particularly enjoyed the Wild Brownie Bar with its outside terrace overlooking the loch.

The only road around the loch is nearly part of the hotel complex, which felt a bit odd but hardly a car passed and it soon didn’t matter. Unfortunately, the swimming pool area was a letdown but I believe that modernising is in the plans.

What makes Loch Rannoch Hotel special is its location at the heart of the Central Highlands, a fantastic base to experience the Scottish Highlands with an abundance of scenery, wildlife, activities and sports. The hotel has its own marina and School of Adventure, offering kayaking, sailing, paddle boarding, wild swimming, bicycle hire, squash court, indoor climbing wall, guided hill walking and fly fishing as well as a fitness studio.

From £110 prpn inc breakfast www.lochrannochhotel.com

“The famous Harry Potter train station is just around the corner from the hotel” said the wee boy, so off we went in search of a photo that would impress the kids. We drove and we drove and we drove some more. The scenery was magnificent but there was not another human nor vehicle in sight for miles, and the road had long since turned into something more akin to a path.

We were definitely in the middle of nowhere, about to turn round when all of a sudden a sign read Rannoch Station! We got out. It wasn’t the Harry Potter station, and yet this tiny train station was abuzz with people!

I cannot stress enough how remote this little place was, so naturally we expected that all these people must be waiting on a train. I asked the very busy proprietor of the tea shop operating on the platform about the train schedule; three trains a week pass through she said, and one is due. That made sense, all these people must be waiting for the train. But the train arrived and not a single person boarded! Two girls got off the train and walked out of the station without meeting anyone.

The next train was due in two days, there were hardly any vehicles parked outside the station. The majority of people there were most definitely not in hiking gear, and no coaches pass here, I was informed. I half expected the soundtrack from X Files to start playing! I still ponder the tanned man with his LA drawl, the elderly lady with her cut glass English accent and high heels, the leather-clad lovebirds – all there for reasons unfathomable.

Why didn’t we hike up Ben Nevis, you ask? I fully intended to until I read that the hike takes 6-8 hours…

Next stop... Edinburgh. >> NOVEMBER 2022 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

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TR AVEL

View from Calton Hill

THE BONHAM HOTEL

The Bonham Hotel is swoon-worthy! My oh my, how lovely! It’s a true 5-star experience, set in a quiet leafy crescent in the exclusive West End of Edinburgh, only minutes from the main attractions of the Scottish capital.

It is gorgeous with its original Victorian architectural features having been painstakingly restored, and an impressive art collection on display across the hotel.

It’s pure luxury here, with heavenly Hypnos mattresses and beautiful fabrics in airy rooms and suites. Many rooms offer stunning views either over Drumsheugh Gardens, or towards the Firth of Forth and the Kingdom of Fife.

Save time for a drink (or afternoon tea) in the sumptuously styled bar before heading to the elegant No 35 restaurant for dinner. Head Chef, Marco Drummond Nobrega offers a creative menu of European cuisine with Scottish twists. Breakfast is a fancy affair with a full Scottish breakfast as well as a continental spread.

I can only praise The Bonham for its service and staff whose passion for their hotel was unmistakable and knowledge of its fascinating history and splendid art collection was vast. I asked copious questions and was answered with delight. And no, they did not realise that I was reviewing!

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and can fully recommend The Bonham for your next stay in the striking Scottish capital.

From £165 prpn inc breakfast https://thebonham.com/ 52

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And with that, my shamefully short whistle-stop tour of central Scotland - the wilds and the cities - came to an end, and it was time to head back. Everything I had heard about Scotland, from its romantic lochs, breathtaking scenery, amazing architecture and more besides were dazzlingly true. I will be back - and soon.

Baden-Baden is a spa town so good, they named it twice – and so exceptional it was recently listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site alongside 10 other standout European spa towns

BATHING IN BADEN-BADEN’S DELIGHTS

T

ucked away in Germany’s Black Forest, this ancient town was built atop nearly thirty natural springs known for their healing qualities. The main tree-lined promenade hugs the River Oos while Neoclassical and Belle Époque masterpieces rise up beyond the foliage.

Michelin-starred dining and high-rolling at the stately and storied Casino Baden-Baden can be followed by days of peacefully luxuriating in gorgeous famed spas and scenic walks through a historic town that has always been about unplugging and recharging.

WHERE TO STAY

Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa This upmarket grande dame hotel is set in a leafy central spot - with a large to-die-for spa and Michellin-starred dining. From £351 prpn Hotel Belle Epoque This 19th-century villa is a belle époque beauty in its own right, set in gardens near Baden-Lichtentaler Baden’s Allee, a world-class festival hall, casino, and curative thermal baths. From £165 prpn Villa Stephanie at Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa The historic and luxurious Villa Stéphanie boasts expertise in health and wellbeing dating as far back as 1872. They are known for their comprehensive treatments and dedication to rejuvenation. From £351 prpn Roomers Baden-Baden Stylish, upmarket, professionally run and boasting friendly staff, this is arguably the German spa town’s top hotel.

From £151 prpn

The region’s cuisine is considered some of the best in Germany, with fertile soils providing fresh ingredients

WINING & DINING

The region’s cuisine is considered some of the best in Germany, with fertile soils providing fresh ingredients.

The Michelin Guide recommends 36 restaurants in BadenBaden. Here are some of our picks.

Le Jardin de France Im Sthalbad Set in a beautiful building offering classic, gourmet French cuisine, a fantastic wine list and family-run hospitality.

Weinstube Baldreit This lovely little wine bar may be a little out of the way but it is well worth seeking out, especially in the summer when the interior courtyard really comes into its own. The food is traditional, ranging from steak tartar to flammekueche and braised pig’s cheeks.

Wintergarten In the tasteful winter garden of the grand Brenners hotel, you get a wonderful view of the spa gardens while you dine. Quality ingredients are used in their great choice of contemporary dishes.

Maltes Hidden Kitchen This interesting kitchen is a coffee shop during the day, serving hot drinks and cake, while the evening sees a change to creative cuisine for dinner. The team skilfully pare things down to the essentials, making the ingredients the focus of the set menu. A pleasant, cosy little restaurant with a charm all of its own – dining here makes for a really fun experience!

HOW TO GET THERE

Return fl ights from Gatwick to Strasbourg from £222 Baden-Baden is a 1h journey by car or train from Strasbourg.

NOVEMBER 2022 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

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TORQUE GIRL

Having nagged Maarten to organise a very small car for me to review, mainly so I could check out the tall person in small city car scenario, this experience got off to an inauspicious start for both of us. Be careful what you wish for in life.

By Fiona Shafer – CEO of MD HUB

A FOB STORY

P

ouring myself into the Fiat, never in my wildest dreams did I think I would spend the best part of an hour trying to start the bloody thing. Having turned it on, I could not release the parking brake to drive away. And then I couldn’t turn the car off.

A key symbol warning sign appeared and being quite determined to fathom out what on earth was going on, I read the very small and frankly sparse manual. I had to Google ‘how to start a new electric Fiat 500’, before finally watching some You Tube video reviews. After all that, I was still none the wiser.

I reluctantly called Maarten, who arrived jokingly saying he was coming to rescue me (and oh, what copy that would have made), only to find that he couldn’t work out what on earth was going on either (to my slight satisfaction).

So, picture this, two 6ft plus motoring journalists in a tiny car going nowhere any time soon.

The irony was not lost on either of us. Several calls later to various people who should know what is going on and a recommendation to press the SOS call button in the Fiat, resulting in an immediate response from Fire or Ambulance, neither of which we needed, to which we gave our profound apologies.

Maarten unhelpfully suggested we order a pizza.

A local Fiat dealership pretty quickly asked us where exactly we had placed the key fob? Transpires that you must not place “The Fob” under any circumstances in the depths of the central console as it deactivates the key resulting in a call out from an engineer to reset it.

So, let’s start again… literally.

If looks are important to you as you pootle around town, then this cool, stylish Italian car should be high up on your shopping list. I drove the very lovely Rose Gold Icon edition which, whilst the paint job will set you back an additional £600, is really rather gorgeous. And if you ever wish to match your car with your outfits, then I would suggest that this one will go with most of one’s wardrobe.

It has lots of lovely design and eco-friendly touches including a motif of the original iconic Fiat design and ‘Made in Torino’ inside the door handle, little triangle signal indicators, Vegan-friendly fake leather on the steering wheel and seats are made from 20% recycled materials.

But, like most thing’s characteristically Italian, it does not go through life quietly.

The car produces a very strange, tinkling sound rather like an ice cream van siren when you turn it off, it bings and bongs when you open the door and then the horn beeps loudly and irritatingly every time you lock the car.

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That said, if you are hurtling around narrow Sicilian streets imagining you are in an episode of Montalbano, it will make itself known. But be mindful that very same sound might just get a British neighbour’s teeth gnashing.

It has three driving modes – Normal, Range and Sherpa mode (read Eco mode) – which reduces output from the electric motor and gives you a top speed of 50 mph, turns off climate control and will make sure that you get to your destination.

It is great for zipping around town but I found the ride on country roads frankly unnerving as the steering is so light that the car vacillated over every bump and camber A good friend who is a die-hard convertible fan, has a Prima Fiat Convertible version which cost £30,000 and says that whilst fun to drive, it is like a ‘souped-up golf cart’ when in one pedal mode. And that she has never got 200 miles on a charge – the best she has got is 167miles.

I think that sums it all up rather well.

The offending item

POSITIVES • It looks super stylish and very Italian – likely the prettiest small electric car on the market.

• Easy to park with light steering.

• Good visibility.

• Adjustable and comfortable front seats that accommodate long legs.

• Brilliant turning circle.

• Infotainment system is intuitive but phone pairing an issue still.

• Economical.

• It’s suitably nippy 0-62 mph in 9 secs.

• Heats up instantly in winter.

TECH STUFF MODEL TESTED: Fiat 500e Icon ENGINE: Electric 42kwh POWER: 118bhp SPEED: 0-62mph 9 seconds TOP: 93mph PRICE: £27,995 AS TESTED: £30,132

NEGATIVES • Key Fob position – be careful where you put the key.

• Persistent brake squeal.

• Lack of space in drivers footwell for your feet which can be a tad disconcerting.

• Rear windows don’t open.

• Hard to fit a baby seat in the back of the car.

• Very little leg room in the back although sufficient for this size of car.

• Tiny boot but good internal storage.

• Seat belt does not retract very well and was found dangling on the ground a couple of times.

A Sherpa will always get you to your destination but I am not entirely confident at this stage that if you let this little beauty out beyond the city walls, you will get the best out of it.

If you just want a City car, then at around £27,995 new, this is fantastic value and you will be the talk of the town.

8/10

It has lots of lovely design and eco-friendly touches

DYNAMIC

GLOW WILD Wakehurst, West Sussex The enchanting winter lantern trail is back at Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden, for its ninth year. It’s packed full of surprises, including a brand-new route. As darkness falls, the gardens are brought to life with beautifully hand-crafted lanterns and captivating light installations created by leading artists. This year, Glow Wild celebrates the spectrum of colours in nature, inviting you to explore how we see colour and the role it plays in our daily lives.

Looking for a heart-warming date night or a fun evening out with friends? Adultsonly sessions are available.

November 24th 2022 2022 January 1st 2023 www.kew.org/wakehurst/whats-on

WHAT’S ON...

A brief snapshot of art and culture in Sussex and Surrey

TREE WALKS LEONARDSLEE GARDENS Near Horsham Join the knowledgeable and enthusiastic wildlife expert, Elliot Chandler, and discover the history, uniqueness and beauty of some of our oldest and most interesting trees.

November 16th 2022 www.leonardsleegardens.co.uk

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CRAWLEY COMEDY NIGHTS

BRIGHTON GIN TASTING FLIGHT

Crawley Support stand-up comedy in Crawley.

Comedy Beats hosts standup evenings each first Friday of the month at The Grasshopper pub. November sees a fantastic line-up of 4 top-class UK circuit comedians: Russell Hicks (Compere); Stephen K Amos; Chris McCausland; Boothby Graffoe November 11th 2022 https://comedybeats.com/upcoming-shows

British Airways i360, Brighton Join members of the Brighton Gin team at the South Coast’s Highest Bar to learn about the history of craft gin and the process and botanicals behind Brighton’s favourite tipple, before getting the chance to taste four of Brighton Gin’s delicious products.

November 17th 2022 https://britishairwaysi360.com/tickets/ brighton-gin-tasting-flight

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk | NOVEMBER 2022

BUBBLES & BOTANICALS

WINTER COMETS & CURRY

FORBIDDEN NIGHTS

The Observatory Science Centre, Herstmonceux November brings the prolific Leonids meteor shower. Spot Leonids shooting stars and possibly Taurids meteors too as Earth passes through the tail end of the Taurids meteor shower. Learn from the knowledgeable staff on hand at The Observatory Science Centre who will endeavour to invite you to look at some other interesting celestial objects through the large telescopes. An interesting evening – with a curry thrown in for good measure!

November 12th 2022 https://www.the-observatory.org

Brighton Think Cirque du Soleil meets Magic Mike. Abandon your inhibitions at the door as the cast of acrobats, live male vocalists, fire acts, aerial artists and world-renowned circus performers flip and spin across the stage in this high-octane show.

South Lodge , Horsham Bubbles & Botanicals is the brand-new Sussex sparkling wine event, being held at stunning South Lodge. Meet local producers and taste superb local sparkling wine and gins while learning more about the vineyards, distillers, sparkling wines and craft gins of Sussex. A fantastic line-up of industry professionals will be giving insightful talks and demonstrations throughout the day.

There will also be the opportunity to sample the award-winning Cuvee 58, Cuvee Rosé and the very popular, Joie de Vivre, from the Streeter family’s Benguela Cove Lagoon Wine Estate in South Africa.

November 19th 2022 www.bubblesandbotanicals.net

November 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th 2022 The Arch Brighton www.forbidden-nights.co.uk/ brighton-show

WATTS GALLERY, GUILDFORD Watts Gallery - Artists’ Village is a unique Arts & Crafts gem nestled in the Surrey Hills. Discover their permanent exhibition of Victorian paintings and sculptures before treating yourself to lunch or a cream tea. Wander to the nearby Grade I listed Watts Chapel, taking in the beautiful woodlands and grounds, or find out more about the lives of G.F. and Mary Watts at Watts Studios before taking a tour of the artists’ home, Limnerslease. Plenty of makers’ classes on offer too plus lots to keep the little ones entertained.

Current exhibitions include: • Faces of Fame (Contemporary) Photos from Simon Frederick’s portrait series Black is the New Black alongside paintings from G.F. Watts’s Hall of Fame. The display re-examines the representation of celebrity, race, gender, class, power, and empire, allowing a critical re-evaluation of Watts and exploring what a Hall of Fame might look like today.

Until March 26th 2023 • De Morgan Exhibition Husband and wife artists, William and Evelyn De Morgan were anything but ordinary. They defied the stereotypes of their time to create beautiful art which supported their liberal, socialist political viewpoint, their feminism, and their pacifist outlook on war.

Until December 31st 2022 www.wattsgallery.org.uk NOVEMBER 2022 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

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DINING WINING

&

I love O’shio - absolutely love it. So much so that I’ve been back twice since I was asked to review this restaurant for Dynamic.

By CLAIRE REEVES

O’SHIO

Authentic Japanese and Korean cuisine tucked away in Brighton The restaurant is small, intimate and friendly

O’shio offers an authentic dining experience. Owner and chef, Min, is Korean-trained and Japanese-qualified, and was creating dishes in the open kitchen each time we visited. He spent years honing his skills in the restaurants of Korea, Japan, London and Brighton before opening O’Shio in 2016.

The restaurant is small, intimate and friendly and I believe the hostess to be Min’s wife, whose name I regrettably didn’t ask for.

The kimchi is homemade by her too and definitely not to be missed. The menu is quite extensive, ranging from wellknown Japanese and Korean dishes, such as sushi, udon and bibimbap to the little more unusual where chef Min has fused the purity of Japanese ingredients with the heat of Korean cuisine. There is definitely something for everyone!

Each time I dined at O’shio I took along a different friend and each time we had nothing but praise. This review is allocated too few words for me to wax lyrically about each dish but I must suggest the Sweet Soy Sauce Fried Chicken, the White Prawn Tempura Roll and any of the Korean Stews for those looking for something with a kick all washed down with smooth Sayuri Nigori sake.

Prices are reasonable and bookings are essential.

O’Shio, 87-88 Trafalgar Street, Brighton BN1 4ER T: 01273 694814, www.oshio.co.uk

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Wining DINING

The Christmas party season is nearly upon us as we look for tipples that punch above their pricing weight - great wines at prices that won’t break the bank

CERADELLO PROSECCO ORGANIC BRUT NV

Italy, 2022 £12.95 An organic Prosecco that has soft and delicate fruit and floral aromas that give way to peach notes on the palate, with an appealing texture and fresh finish. A perfect aperitif wine, to serve with starters or even to make great cocktails.

Vegetarian, vegan, organic and sparkling. https://tilleys-wines.com

CASTILLO PERELADA CAVA

Spain, 2018 £11.49 As so often with Cava, you get good bang for your buck here.

Made by the Champagne method, this is Brut in style, with 8g/L residual sugar. Its delicate, fresh, citrus fruitiness is complemented by a subtle bready character and a lingering, complex finish. A perfect celebratory Cava for serving with fish dishes or canapés. www.waitrose.com

DOMAINE FOIVOS, NAUTILUS

Greece, 2020 £12.99 This is a blend of muscat, muscatel, tsaousi and vostilidi from 80-year-old pre-phylloxera vines on the Greek island of Cephalonia. Unusually the bottles are aged in fresh water tanks in the winery, providing constant temperatures, darkness and lack of oxygen. Ripe citrus aromas with hints of peach and nuts. A textured floral and herbal palate; bone dry with fresh, focused acidity that ends in a crisp lingering finish with notes of honeyed lemon and grapefruit pith. Lovely! www.allaboutwine.co.uk

CATENA MALBEC

Argentina, 2015 £10.49 Malbec is a favourite for red wine enthusiasts, and this tasty treat is a Decanter award winner. It offers a rich, soft plum and blackcurrant flavour infusions paired with a satisfying finish and smooth tannins. www.waitrose.com

NOVEMBER 2022 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

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