Surrey Business Magazine tells the amazing story of a UK entrepreneur hunted by the US legal system, only for their prosecution to fall flat
SURREY CHAMBERS
7 Surrey Chamber News
A round up of Surrey Chambers of Commerce members’ news
10 Local Skills Improvement Plan
The dot-to-dot of skills is taking shape
16 Surrey Chamber Events
What’s on for Surrey Chambers members
19 Is an MBA worth it?
Adrian Shanks of Surrey Business School discusses the importance of qualifications
EVENTS
20 Platinum Club
Now in its 16th year, it remains the pre-eminent networking forum in Sussex
24 Central South Business Awards
The winners, highlights and entertainment from this highly prestigious event
54 Surrey Business Awards
Tickets are now on sale for the ‘business event of the year’ for Surrey
69 Speedee Boarding
A look back at the fun and frolics at the Speedee Boarding event, held at Hove Lagoon
70 Sussex Business Awards
The 36th annual Sussex Business Awards are open for entries
CONTENTS
NEWS
22 International news
A round up of the important business stories from around the world
LEGAL
28 Mayo Wynne Baxter
What impact will the General Election have on the private rental sector?
42 DMH Stallard
What do businesses need to be aware of in relation to ESG responsibilities?
66 Loch Associates
Recruitment – is tapping into a global workforce the answer?
BUSINESS
36 Gatwick Airport
How Gatwick has contributed an estimated £5.5bn to the local economy
40 MDHUB
How Cameron King, Founder of Liqui Group, has been helped with his work/life balance
46 Aspiring HR
Why on earth would you hire an HR person?
48 Company formations:
West Sussex
In the latest in our number-crunching series, Surrey Business Magazine looks at company formations across the region. This month, we highlight West Sussex
74 Creative Pod
The creative agency has joined companies together for an impressive sponsorship deal
79 Cleankill
Using hawks to help Oxford United fans
44 TALKING HEADS
Selling
Your Business
Five experts from across the region discuss the best and most profitable way to exit your business
FINANCE
50 Kreston Reeves
Employee fraud on the rise
52 Allica Bank
Poor interest rates on savings costing local SMEs £870m
INNOVATION
76 Sussex Innovation
Joseph Bradfield explores some of the benefits and challenges of hiring Gen Z employees
OPINION
80 Anger Management
The lack of coherent immigration policy has led to the far-right gaining confidence and, possibly, power
TRAVEL
84 Comparing safari destinations
Tess de Klerk offers a snapshot of three well-visited safari locations in Africa for tourists to enjoy
MOTORING
88 Aston Martin DBX707
Maarten reviews Aston Martin’s first SUV – ‘a total monster’. In a good way.
PLATINUM MEDIA GROUP
SURREY CHAMBERS – WORKING FOR YOU
The roadshow of business events organised by Surrey Chambers of Commerce has been a huge success, covering a wide area of Surrey, and at different times of the day! Around 130 businesses have heard all about the collaboration that has been taking place between Surrey County Council and many business support providers.
The website, Business Surrey, has been set up to allow many organisations to share information and events geared towards helping businesses to succeed. It is certainly worth taking a look at this gateway; it’s free and offers accessible support for all businesses in Surrey.
In addition to the information portal, a team of advisors, including specialists in certain areas, has been brought together so that specific advice needed by growing businesses can be provided. This valuable support can be requested via the website, and the team is eager to hear from Surrey businesses. For those who have been unable to attend the roadshow, it would be well worth a tour of the website to see what support is available.
❛❛ Surrey Chambers of Commerce attended the British
Chambers Conference
in London; it was a great opportunity to hear from both the Business Minister and Shadow Business Minister ❜❜
SECTOR FOCUS FOR SKILLS
Continuing with our work on identifying gaps and challenges in different sectors, last month we investigated the area of Logistics. Logistics is a broad, and extremely complex industry that relies heavily on skilled workers to keep the supply chain running efficiently and effectively. Following conversations with local employers involved in logistics, transportation and storage, it is clear that more needs to be done to:
n attract and retain skilled staff n upskill the existing workforce n support and develop new technologies and n drive initiatives to ensure diversity, equity and inclusion among staff.
Surrey Chambers of Commerce came together with other partners, including Hampshire Chamber of Commerce, East Surrey College and the Connected Places Catapult, to create a Skills Summit, where delegates benefited from:
n updates on national and local perspectives on the Logistics sector n interactive discussions with peers and training providers on skills challenges and solutions n networking opportunities to learn more about the sector and connecting to future talent.
As always, we will be creating a report out of this event, which will be on our website for information, but we are always happy to hear from anyone interested in discussing this subject further. We also encourage any business with ANY skills provision they are unable to find to contact us on lsip@surrey-chambers.co.uk
BRITISH CHAMBERS ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Surrey Chambers of Commerce attended the British Chambers Conference in London, joined by 15 of our members. Because of the timing of the election, it was a great opportunity to hear from both the Business Minister and Shadow Business Minister, regarding their policy proposals. The conference focused on the five-point plan, launched at the end of May, which came out of our manifesto.
n An Industrial Strategy with green innovation at its heart.
n Better skills planning, bringing businesses and training providers together.
n Business rates reform to encourage growth and investment.
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.
n Improved relations with the European Union to cut the costs for business.
n A Government appointed AI champion for SMEs to spearhead uptake of new technology.
The overriding message that we all came away with was the need to address how our businesses will be affected by AI. Not one speaker left the stage without commenting on this so we will be looking at how we can support businesses in this space going forward.
Surrey Chambers of Commerce can be reached on 01483 735540, info@surrey-chambers.co.uk, @surreychambers www. surrey-chambers.co.uk
Louise Punter CEO Surrey Chamber of Commerce
CHAMBERS NEWS
VISION ENGINEERING CELEBRATES 30 YEARS OF MANTIS STEREO MICROSCOPE
Vision Engineering, the world-leading provider of innovative inspection, metrology, and digital 3D visualisation solutions, is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its best-selling and award-winning Mantis range of ergonomic optical stereo microscopes.
In 1994, Vision Engineering revolutionised the field of microscopy by introducing the first-ever ‘eyepieceless’ stereo microscope, Mantis. This innovative instrument was meticulously crafted to bridge the gap between a bench magnifier and a traditional microscope, offering users an unparalleled ergonomic experience.
In 2005, Vision Engineering unveiled the second generation of Mantis. Soon after its introduction, Mantis manufacturing moved from Woking to a new manufacturing facility in Connecticut, USA. This iteration featured notable enhancements, such as a sleek and modern design, improved LED lighting,
an expanded field of view, increased magnification capabilities of up to 20x, and stand and accessory options. In 2009, Vision Engineering expanded the Mantis range by introducing the Mantis Elite HD Cam with a built-in camera for image capture.
The third generation Mantis was introduced in June 2023. The newest edition includes improved optics for both hand-to-eye coordination and excellent depth perception, a three-position turret to house up to three objectives
ranging from 3x to 15x, an 8x super long working distance lens, and five different illumination options providing flexibility to optimise the lighting to view the perfect image.
Mantis is designed for precision engineering, electronic engineering, medical device manufacture, and a wide range of other applications that require high-quality images and superior ergonomics and is used in tens of thousands of R&D, manufacturing, and analytical sites worldwide.
CHAMBERS’ ELECTION MANIFESTO
Surrey Chambers of Commerce has been part of the joint creation of a Chambers Election Manifesto which was launched on May 30th. Central to the manifesto is a five-point plan for immediate action from any new government from whichever party.
Our Chamber network wants to see:
n An industrial strategy with green innovation at its heart.
n Better skills planning, bringing businesses and training providers together.
n Business rates reform to encourage growth and investment.
n Improved relations with the European Union to cut the costs for business.
n A Government appointed AI champion for SMEs to spearhead uptake of new technology.
Discover how we can promote your business and give back to those who give so much.
For more information visit our website: https://crossroadscaresurrey.org.uk/ surrey-carers-card/
CONTACT US
To join the Surrey Carers Card programme, please get in touch at enquiries@ccsurrey.org.uk
Let’s work together to make a difference in the lives of Surrey’s unpaid carers.
SURREY
YOUNG PROFESSIONALS
Join us on 4th September at Topgolf in Addlestone.
WEDNESDAY 4TH SEPTEMBER
Whether you are new to the world of networking or simply wish to brush up on your networking skills, our Surrey Young Professionals Networking series is here to connect you with like-minded people in a more informal, laid back, less corporate setting.
Game of Top Golf - all abilities welcome!
Networking Opportunity - Make new connections
Refreshments provided
By Linda Bazant LLB (Hons)
Navigating Global AI regulation and the position in the UK
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force driving innovation across various industries, from healthcare and finance to manufacturing and transportation.
However, as AI technologies continue to advance, concerns surrounding ethics, bias, safety, accountability and transparency have prompted governments worldwide to adopt regulatory frameworks to govern their development and deployment.
GLOBAL REGULATORY LANDSCAPES
The global regulatory landscape for AI is diverse, with countries adopting a range of approaches to address the opportunities and challenges presented by AI technologies.
At the international level, organizations such as the European Union (EU) adopted the EU Artificial Intelligence Act on 13th March 2024, and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) have published guidelines and recommendations (OECD Principles on Artificial Intelligence updated in May 2024), to promote responsible AI development.
These frameworks emphasize principles such as transparency, accountability, fairness, and humancentred design, aiming to ensure that AI systems align with ethical standards and human rights.
UK REGULATORY APPROACH
In the UK, the regulatory landscape for AI is characterized by a combination of sector-specific regulations, guidelines, and government initiatives. The Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum (DRCF) brings together four UK regulators with responsibility for digital regulation:
n The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
n The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
n The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) n Ofcom
While there is currently no specific AI legislation in the UK, existing laws and regulations govern aspects of AI development and deployment, including data protection, consumer rights and competition law.
In addition to government-led initiatives, the UK has also seen industry-led efforts to promote ethical AI practices. For example, the Alan Turing Institute, the UK’s national institute for data science and AI, has established guidelines for ethical AI research and development, emphasizing principles such as transparency, accountability, and fairness.
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
When compared to the global regulatory landscape, the UK’s approach to AI regulation is characterized by its
emphasis on ethical principles and industry collaboration.
The UK seeks to develop regulatory frameworks that balance innovation with ethical considerations and societal values.
However, challenges remain, particularly in ensuring that AI regulation keeps pace with rapid technological advancements and evolving ethical norms while safeguarding against potential risks and harms.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the global regulatory landscape for AI is characterized by diversity, with countries adopting a range of approaches to govern AI development and deployment.
In the UK, the regulatory approach is guided by principles of ethics, transparency, and accountability, with a focus on interdisciplinary collaboration and industry self-regulation.
As AI technologies continue to evolve, the UK remains committed to fostering responsible AI innovation.
Therefore, as a business, it is important to conduct an AI Impact Assessment to identify any and all regulatory risks associated with AI by incorporating a best practice AI Governance Framework setting out policies and procedures that implement AI Principles.
For further help and advice on AI regulatory and compliance issues please contact Linda Bazant LLB (Hons) by email Linda@LindaBazant.com or on LinkedIn
THE DOT-TO-DOT OF SKILLS IS TAKING SHAPE
A key function of the Surrey Chambers of Commerce is to help make connections between different people, organisations and initiatives – connecting the dots. During the past ten months, the Chamber has applied this to the skills agenda, through its role in leading on delivering against the four priorities from the local skills improvement plans (LSIP) report it published in Autumn 2023.
And with a great tranche of activity happening across the area before the summer and beyond, it’s a good opportunity to take stock and look ahead to what’s still to come.
PRIORITY 1
IMPROVE INFORMATION, ADVICE AND GUIDANCE
The Surrey Chambers’ Future Skills Hub (FSH) has been central to this priority; offering a destination for all relevant skills information, including information on apprenticeships, EDI and other information designed towards skills collaboration.
The addition of the ‘Opportunities’ and ‘Commitment Forms’ functions have also facilitated meaningful interactions between providers and employers. Over the coming months, the FSH will continue to grow with more reports, resources and opportunities added to make it a compulsory local skills resource.
PRIORITY 2
FACILITATE RESPONSIVE AND INCLUSIVE CURRICULA
Employers want flexible, accessible training to help solve skills gaps. New courses on the Innovation South Virtual Campus alongside Skills Bootcamps have offered this and more. The LSIP has helped steer which skills areas to focus on and continue to promote to the business community. Looking ahead, employers will be invited to engage with providers in courses; design, develop and perhaps even deliver?
PRIORITY 3
COORDINATE NETWORKS AND COLLABORATION
The skills landscape will only offer a great harvest if the right people come together to collaborate on challenges and solutions. The LSIP has made great progress in helping to coordinate different networks and stimulate collaboration. For example, in working with colleges on different skills projects, the LSIP has helped ensure the activities focus on the priorities, key sectors and cross-cutting skills.
The LSIP has also started a Business Development network, specifically designed for professionals to come together. In the next few months, both Hampshire and Surrey County Councils will be sharing details of how they are supporting the local skills agenda, in conjunction with the LSIP.
PRIORITY 4 BUILD DYNAMIC RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN BUSINESSES AND PROVIDERS
Through LSIP events such as the Future Skills Forums and Skills Summits, the LSIP has started to develop a network of representatives from businesses and other organisations, actively playing a role in the skills system. These, and similar future events, have a strong focus on convening like-minded people together to identify skills challenges and create solutions. Looking ahead, there will be more opportunities (in-person and online) for key players to come together to find tangible solutions.
The LSIP will continue to deliver on these priorities – and more – and build on the series of relevant, sector-specific events for further collaboration between providers and employers. The future looks bright for LSIP activity.
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.
www.brandesign.co.uk TANDRIDGE DISTRICT COUNCIL www.tandridge.gov.uk
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!
SURREY CHAMBERS EVENT CALENDAR
JULY 2024 ONWARDS...
SALES LUNCH & LEARN SESSION
July 2nd – 12:00-13:30 | Online
Join Anita to learn about the best way to start planning and strategising, as well executing your sales activity. This session will enable you to focus and improve how you are growing your business through more sales and clients or customers. We will even cover areas from a sales leadership and management perspective. Time permitting, please bring any sales challenges and questions you have!
GET FLYING AND GROW YOUR INTERNATIONAL MARKET
July 11th – 08:00-10:00
Login Business Lounge, 34 Park Street, Camberley, GU15 3PL
International markets increase the complexity of your business, but you still face one fundamental challenge – where and how to grow. If you are feeling blocked, uncertain or just in need of a review, this session is a great way to start fast tracking your planning for the future.
BUSINESS BREAKFAST
WAVERLEY
July 9th – 08:00-10:00
The Hog’s Back Hotel & Spa Farnham, Hogs Back, Rowledge, Farnham, GU10 1EX
Starting at 8am, our Business Breakfasts are hosted by a member of the Chambers team at a different venue, so expect some gorgeous locations and simulating conversations at these events. Feel free to bring banners and literature to these events, and don’t forget your business cards!
MEMBERS NETWORKING EVENING
July 25th – 18:00-20:00
Morr & Co, Redhill
Our Members Networking Evenings are monthly events where we invite our current members to join us to catch up on the happenings of the previous month’s 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.
BWIS EXCLUSIVE SPA AND NETWORKING AFTERNOON
September 5th – 14:00-20:00
Pennyhill Park Spa, GU19 5EU
BUSINESS BREAKFAST GUILDFORD
September 10th – 08:00-10:00
BWiS invites you to an exclusive, members only, Spa Afternoon at Pennyhill Park on September 5th from 14:00 onwards. Please enjoy a cream tea, access to the award winning spa and the opportunity to network with like-minded business women in Surrey.
Join us to hear from industry leaders on the challenges and opportunities within the commercial and residential sectors. This lunch is for anyone with an interest in property - commercial and residential, town planners, architects, surveyors, interior designers, sustainable construction etc. It’s an opportunity for you to meet and connect with other businesses in the property industry.
De Vere, Horsley Estate, Horsley Park, Ockham Road South, East Horsley, KT24 6DU
Starting at 8am, our Business Breakfasts are hosted by a member of the Chambers team at a different venue, so expect some gorgeous locations and simulating conversations at these events. Feel free to bring banners and literature to these events, and don’t forget your business cards!
MEMBERS NETWORKING EVENING
September 26th – 18:00- 20:00
Lythe Hill Hotel, Petworth Road, Haslemere, GU27 3BQ
Our Members Networking Evenings are monthly events where we invite our current members to join us to catch up on the happenings of the previous month’s 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.
The power of an Executive MBA in catalysing career
progression.
By Adrian Shanks, Business Engagement, Surrey Business School
IS AN MBA WORTH IT?
In the ever-evolving landscape of business, professionals are constantly seeking avenues to propel their careers forward and stay ahead of the curve. One pathway that has emerged as a catalyst for career advancement is the Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA). Designed for seasoned professionals with significant work experience, an EMBA offers a blend of academic rigour, practical insight, and networking opportunities that significantly accelerate career progression.
Data consistently demonstrates the high employability and career mobility of individuals with an EMBA. According to various UK studies, EMBA graduates enjoy a robust employment rate and career mobility – on average 90% of EMBA graduates change role within three months of graduation, around 63% shift sectors or change job function and over 60% report a salary increase as a result of changing role.
Additionally, the average salary increase for EMBA holders’ post-graduation is substantial – with data suggesting career progression via an EMBA can result in salaries 30% higher than pregraduation. These statistics underscore the value and relevance of an EMBA in today’s competitive business landscape, positioning graduates for continued success and advancement in their careers.
One of the key advantages of pursuing an EMBA is the opportunity to enhance leadership skills and strategic thinking capabilities. Unlike traditional MBA programmes, which typically cater for recent graduates or those with limited work experience, EMBA programmes are tailored towards developing those already established in their careers.
As such, the curriculum for the EMBA at Surrey Business School, for example, focuses on advanced topics in leadership, management and the digital economy, providing participants with the tools needed to navigate their everyday practical business challenges and drive organisational success. The cohortbased learning model encourages collaboration, idea exchange, and peer-to-peer learning, allowing EMBA students to gain fresh perspectives, leverage collective expertise, and build relationships that prove invaluable in their career journey.
Feedback from employers suggests they see of Surrey Business School EMBA graduates as ‘highly capable and motivated individuals’, ‘committed to continuous learning and professional growth’. As a result, EMBA holders may find themselves in a stronger position to pursue senior leadership roles, take on challenging assignments, and drive strategic initiatives within their organisations. Whether through salary increases, promotions, or new career opportunities, the return on investment for an EMBA can be substantial, making it a sound financial decision for ambitious professionals looking to maximise their career potential.
“The Executive MBA curriculum at Surrey provides me with a broad range of business disciplines that I can immediately apply to my current career. Beyond the curriculum, there’s been a huge opportunity to strengthen my professional network through engaging with and learning from a high calibre of individuals.” Dervla Carty, Enterprise Account Manager – HashiCorp, and winner of the 2023 EMBA Scholarship Competition
Surrey EMBA Scholarship Competition 2024
In partnership with Surrey Chambers of Commerce and Surrey Research Park, Surrey Business School is running a competition to offer a number of scholarships for the 2024 Executive MBA programme. Entrants can win scholarships worth up to 80% and 60% of the programme fees.
To find out more about visit: https://bit.ly/SurreyEMBA2024 or e-mail: mba@surrey.ac.uk
SIMPLY THE MOST EFFICIENT AND FUN EVENT IN THE REGION. THE ONLY NETWORKING EVENT I EVER ATTEND
MERCEDES-BENZ
❛❛ THE PLATINUM CLUB IS A REALLY WELL ORGANISED NETWORKING GROUP, WITH THE HOSTS HELPING TO FACILITATE TO ENSURE WE ALWAYS MAKE USEFUL, NEW CONTACTS AT EACH EVENT ❜❜ LLOYDS BANK
Paige Collins, Managing Partner, Warren House Accountants; Iris Jackson, Director, OG Kicks; Dr Adam Jones, Programme Director, University of Brighton; Naomi Roberts, Co-CEO, Flare Audio
Nick Ades, HBSC
Geoff Davies, Founder Pivotal Edge AI; Kate Partridge, Founder, illume Legal; Maarten Hoffmann, CEO, Platinum; Barry Carden, Partner, Galloways Accountants
ALL BUSINESS IS BASED ON RELATIONSHIPS AND PLATINUM GIVES YOU THE PLATFORM TO CREATE THE MEANINGFUL HUMAN CONNECTIONS THAT MATTER ❜❜ BAILEY AND FRENCH
We meet once per month, excluding August. If you would like to attend an event, please get in touch info@platinummediagroup.co.uk
As annual membership is no longer required, we look forward to welcoming you to the most effective, enjoyable and lively networking group in the South
WE SEE THE PLATINUM CLUB AS AN IMPORTANT AND INTEGRAL PART OF OUR BRAND AWARENESS STRATEGY, THROUGH INTERACTIONS WITH WELL CONNECTED BUSINESS PEOPLE AND OTHER INFLUENCERS. IT IS WELCOMING AND GREAT FUN TOO!
Maarten receiving a birthday surprise and, in consideration of the Brighton Fire Brigade, the Grand decided not to use the correct number of candles!
Stewart Payne, Private Banker, Handelsbanken with Abigail Owen, Senior Corporate Counsel, DMH Stallard
Maribel Coles, Manager, Nettl; Gemma Wall, Partner, Galloways Accountants; Alexandra Nott, Associate, Dehns Law; Cathy Roberts, Events Director, ISON Events
Naomi Roberts, CEO, Flare Audio
Adrian Alexander, Partner, FRP Advisory
Dr Olivia Hum, Co-Founder, Myla Health; Maarten Hoffmann, CEO, Platinum; Alex Smith, Director, ForLoop; Gilva Tisshaw, Director, Tisshaws Family Law
DISNEY STAFF SUE THE COMPANY
Disney workers are suing the company for damages after they were told to move across the country for a project that was later cancelled.
In a proposed class action lawsuit, they accuse Disney of misrepresenting its plans when the company announced in 2021 it would open a new $1bn campus for theme park staff in Florida. The firm told around 2,000 people in California to relocate or resign. The company subsequently changed its mind, after Bob Iger returned to lead the company, quickly embarking on a major cost-cutting drive. The complaint says staff had relied on Disney’s claims when they uprooted their lives, incurring major moving expenses as they sold family homes and bought new ones.
NEWS BULLETIN
HEATHROW FACES INFLATED RATES BILL
London Heathrow Airport faces a near-£1 billion business rates time bomb that will be passed on to passengers by its prospective new foreign owners.
Executives at Europe’s busiest airport have been locked in secret talks with Whitehall officials after estimating that Heathrow’s annual business rates bill will rise to a total of £900 million. It is trying to keep the bill under wraps for fear of a backlash from airlines. It can pass higher business rates on to the carriers through increased airport charges, but doing so would inflame an already fraught relationship with carriers such as British Airways and Virgin, who have already complained of over-charging.
UK BUSINESS ACTIVITY EXPANDS AT SLOWEST PACE THIS YEAR
UK business activity expanded in June at its slowest pace since November, as a slowing of service sector growth offset a stronger performance in manufacturing, according to a closely watched survey that pours some cold water on better news from retail sales on Friday.
The S&P Global Flash UK PMI composite output index fell from 53 in May to 51.7 in June, signalling a slower and modest increase in business activity at the end of the second quarter and the lowest reading since November 2023. The figures came in below economists’ expectations. Chris Williamson of S&P Global said the data in part reflected “uncertainty around the business environment in the lead up to the general election”.
❛❛ I believe that if life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade… And try to find somebody whose life has given them vodka, and have a party ❜❜
Ron White
BUSINESSES STILL STRUGGLING TO FIND SKILLS AND LABOUR
Skills and/or labour shortages continue to play a significant challenge to businesses. A survey carried out by the Office for National Statistics between May 14th-29th 2024 came back with 418 responses from across the UK. 14% ran large businesses (250+ people), 19% medium (50-249), 26% small (10-49 people), 30% micro (2-9 people) and 10% sole trader and selfemployed business entities (0-1 people). Alex Chen-Hall, Principal Policy Advisor for Employment at the Institute of Directors, said: “Employers across the country welcome further signs that the labour market is cooling, but accessing skills remains a headache for many
WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING, IF ANY, ARE HAVING A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON YOUR ORGANISATION?
GOLDMAN SACHS SOUNDS WARNING
OVER FRENCH ELECTIONS
Goldman Sachs has announced an alarming warning to French voters as it believes a Marine Le Pen victory in the upcoming National Assembly elections would seriously push up national debt.
The leading investment and banking specialist predicts that, if in power, the far-right would deliver a sizeable fiscal expansion, sending France’s debt-to-GDP ratio up to 120% by 2027.
In contrast, it predicts that ‘under a status quo electoral outcome’, debt would stabilise at 113% of GDP in 2027. If France is left with a hung parliament that does not allow any political group to pass meaningful tax or spending measures, debt could rise to 116% of GDP.
delays obtaining payment from customers
❛❛
As you get older, three things happen. The first is your memory goes, and I can’t remember the other two ❜❜
Norman Wisdom
CHINESE CARS ILLEGALLY SOLD AS ITALIAN
The Italian government has fined DR Automobiles, an Italian car company, $6.4m (£5m) for allegedly branding vehicles that were made in China as being produced in Italy, according to the country’s competition regulator.
The firm said it would appeal against the fine as it had never claimed its vehicles were completely made in Italy. It assembles low-cost vehicles, using components produced by Chinese car makers Chery, BAIC and JAC. The regulator said cars under the company’s DR and EVO brands were sold as being Italian-made but were largely of Chinese origin. Only minor assembly and finishing work was carried out in Italy, it said. Last month, dozens of Morocco-made Fiat Topolinos were seized in the Italian port of Livorno because they had Italian flag insignia.
Marika Monaghan, Associate Solicitor, Mayo Wynne Baxter
WHAT IMPACT WILL THE ELECTION HAVE ON THE PRIVATE RENTAL SECTOR?
The Renters (Reform) Bill was first mooted in the Conservative Party’s Manifesto in 2019, and landlords and tenants have been waiting since then to see what form the legislation will take, and how this will affect them.
Key changes that were being proposed included:
n The abolition of ‘no fault’ evictions.
n The abolition of fixed term tenancies.
n The introduction of new grounds for eviction for landlords where they need to move back into the rented property as their principal home. This would also extend to their relatives, including a parent, grandparent, sibling, child, grandchild, or their child or grandchild.
❛❛ Any legislation that has not been passed before Parliament is dissolved, and cannot be made law or carried over to the next Parliament ❜❜
n Amendments and expansion to grounds for possession where the property needs to be sold.
n Amendments and expansion to grounds for possession for landlords to make it easier to obtain possession where the tenant is at fault– e.g repeated rent arrears or anti-social behaviour.
n Amendments to the procedures for proposing rent increases and challenging the amount or increase of rent.
n A new right for tenants to seek consent from their landlord to keep pets in the rented property.
n The creation of a national private rented sector database which will give tenants the information they need to make an informed choice before signing up to a tenancy agreement and to provide authorities with the information they need to take enforcement action against rogue landlords.
n A new private rented sector Ombudsman.
n The introduction of various penalties for breaches of landlords’ obligations.
The most significant of the proposed changes is the abolition of “no fault” evictions. Currently, a landlord who has let the property on an assured shorthold tenancy (most modern residential short-term tenancies are now automatically “assured shorthold tenancies”), may serve notice on a tenant giving them two months’ notice to vacate the property.
The landlord does not have to specify why they require possession and nor do they have to prove that there has been any default on the part of the tenant. If the tenant refuses to vacate at the expiry of the notice period the landlord can make an application to Court for an Order for Possession and, provided the landlord has complied with all the regulations governing assured shorthold tenancies, the Court is obliged to make the Order for Possession.
If section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions were to be abolished, it would mean that landlords would only be able to seek possession of the rented property in certain circumstances. This proposal arguably gives much greater security to tenants but could potentially cause great uncertainty for landlords. Attempts were made to redress the balance in the Renters (Reform) bill by making it easier for landlords to obtain possession in certain specified circumstances.
By the time the General Election was called, five years had passed since the Renters (Reform) Bill was first proposed. By this stage, the Bill had passed through the House of Commons, and it was in the committee stage in the House of Lords when Parliament was dissolved on May 30th 2024. Any legislation which has not been passed before Parliament is dissolved cannot be made law or carried over to the next Parliament.
This means that, if the proposals in the Renters (Reform) Bill are to be made law, the process of passing the Bill through the House of Commons and House of Lords would have to commence from scratch. It will therefore be quite some time before any changes come into effect.
❛❛ As reform of the private rental sector appears to be some way off, landlords should continue to comply with their current statutory obligations ❜❜
At the time of writing this article, the outcome of the election is unknown. However, as both main parties were committed to abolishing section 21 ‘no fault evictions’, it is likely that this key feature of the Renters (Reform) Bill will become enshrined in law at some point in the future.
It has been reported that the Labour Party wants to introduce more far-reaching reforms to the private rented sector than had been proposed in the Renters (Reform) Bill. It is difficult to predict what this would look like in practice should Labour win the election. If the Conservatives were to retain power, it would be reasonable to assume that they would put forward similar proposals as had been set out previously.
As reform of the private rental sector appears to be some way off, landlords should continue to comply with their current statutory obligations. However, given that the Renters (Reform) Bill sought to introduce various penalties for breaches of landlords’ obligations, it is likely that this will feature in any new legislation.
It is therefore vital that landlords keep abreast of future changes to the law. For would-be landlords thinking of investing in the residential rental market, it would be advisable to take legal advice and/or consult a reputable letting agent as it is becoming an increasingly regulated sector.
Tony Blair’s ludicrous UK/US Extradition Treaty of 2003, a legal document so one-sided it may as well be written in the white horizontal bar inside a red disc, proved itself a farce 20 years later when a British businessman, once again, was thrown under the bus.
Dr Mike Lynch, entrepreneur, engineer and founder of Autonomy – at one time, the UK’s second largest software company – was unceremoniously hauled off to the USA on a series of fraud charges, courtesy of a trumped up arrest and extradition warrant by US authorities and Corporate America.
Platinum looks at the career – and the extraordinary failed prosecution – of a complex tycoon.
❛❛ The odds were stacked against Lynch. His first insistence was always to plead his innocence, even if it meant thumbing his nose at the giant US law-enforcement machine ❜❜
Dr Michael Richard Lynch OBE DL FRS FREng was born in Ilford, (now Greater London, but then in Essex) on June 16th 1965, and grew up in Chelmsford. His parents were both Irish.
Lynch won a scholarship to Bancroft’s School, a fee-paying school in nearby Woodford. From there, he went to Christ’s College, Cambridge to study Natural Sciences. After graduating, he went on to study for a PhD in Neural Networks (a fore-runner of AI). He then undertook a research fellowship in Adaptive Pattern Recognition.
Following his degree, PhD and post-doctoral research at Cambridge University, he applied his research in Machine Learning (another branch of AI) to set up software companies and become a major figure in the so-called Silicon Fen.
He set up his first company in the late 1980s, while he was still studying for his PhD. Lynett Systems Ltd produced designs and audio products for the music industry, including electronic synthesisers and a sampler for the Atari ST.
In 1991, he started a fingerprint recognition company, Cambridge Neurodynamics. This, in turn, launched three more companies – Neurascript, which searched business documents based on character recognition; NCorp, which database search engine; and Autonomy, which searched unstructured sources including phone calls, emails and videos.
Autonomy was founded in 1996 by Lynch, David Tabizel and Richard Gaunt. With Lynch as CEO, it grew to become one of the UK’s top 100 public companies, and a leading company in Silicon Fen.
SILICON FEN
Ultra modern architecture at Cambridge Science Park ❛❛ He was awarded an OBE for services to enterprise in the 2006 New Year Honours; he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering two years later ❜❜
In 2011, Autonomy was sold to US giant Hewlett-Packard for over $11bn (£8.6bn at the time). The sale would eventually lead to civil and criminal cases against Lynch and Autonomy’s CFO Sushovan Hussain.
After the sale of Autonomy, Lynch founded a venture capital firm called Invoke Capital. One of the first companies backed by Invoke Capital was cybersecurity firm Darktrace. Many of the staff at Darktrace, including its CEO, had moved across from Autonomy, with Lynch being a board member until
‘Silicon Fen’ or the ‘Cambridge Cluster’ is the name given to the area in and around Cambridge, which is home to a large number of high tech businesses focused on software, electronics, and biotechnology.
The name Silicon Fen is a hat-tip to Silicon Valley in California because it lies at the southern tip of the English Fenland. The local growth in technology companies started with Sinclair Research and Acorn Computers, and now features Arm and AstraZeneca.
2018, and continuing as an advisor until 2021. He was also a member of the Darktrace science and technology council until February 2023.
As a leading technology entrepreneur, Lynch held a number of positions on boards and committees. After being charged with fraud in the United States, he resigned from his role as a government advisor on the Council for Science and Technology, and from Royal Society committees. He had also been on the board of Cambridge Enterprise, Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, the BBC, the British Library, Nesta, and the Francis Crick Institute.
Such is Lynch’s standing, he was awarded an OBE for services to enterprise in the 2006 New Year Honours; he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering two years later; in 2011, he was named as the most influential person in UK IT by Computer Weekly; he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2014, and in the same year was made a Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Suffolk.
SALE OF AUTONOMY AND TRIAL
In 2011, Lynch sold Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard for around $11bn; about £8.6bn. Lynch himself is estimated to have made around $800 million from the transaction.
By the end of the following year, HewlettPackard instigated an £8.8bn write down of assets following its purchase of Autonomy due to – according to the company – “serious accounting improprieties, disclosure failures and outright misrepresentations” which occurred before the acquisition and artificially inflated the value of Autonomy.
Lynch denied the allegations, which were investigated by the UK Serious Fraud Office who, in turn, announced in January 2015 that there was insufficient evidence in respect of certain aspects of the allegations. Other allegations were handed over to the US authorities.
Nearly four years later, Lynch was indicted for fraud in the US along with Stephen Chamberlain, former VP of Finance at Autonomy. Lynch’s case was not helped when, the previous year, Sushovan Hussain, Autonomy’s former CFO, had been found guilty of fraud in the US and sentenced to five years in prison.
CIVIL ACTION
In March 2019, Hewlett-Packard also brought a civil action for fraud in the High Court in London. The action alleged that Autonomy CFO Sushovan Hussain and founder Lynch “artificially inflated Autonomy’s reported revenues, revenue growth and gross margins.”
The burden of proof in a civil action is much lower than in a criminal court case, being mostly based on the balance of probabilities, rather than ‘beyond reasonable doubt.’
The case was heard by Justice Hildyard, at the Royal Courts of Justice, Rolls Building, in the City of London. He eventually delivered his conclusions in January 2022, ruling that HewlettPackard had largely succeeded in its claims. Damages were to be decided later, but the judge said they were likely to be considerably less than the $5 billion Hewlett Packard was claiming.
While the civil trial was taking place in London, the US authorities were seeking Lynch’s extradition to face criminal charges of conspiracy and fraud in the US. Again, Lynch denied the allegations. He submitted himself for arrest in February 2020, and was released on bail of £10 million by Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
❛❛ The court heard evidence and arguments over the course of 11 weeks. On June 6th 2024, he was found not guilty of all charges ❜❜
The case created a debate about the farcical, one-sided workings of UK–US Extradition Treaty of 2003, with five former Cabinet ministers signing a letter to The Times arguing against the extradition, while MP David Davis, himself a lawyer, commented in Parliament that it was an attempt to by the American authorities to “exercise extraterritorial jurisdiction”.
In July 2021, Westminster Magistrates’ Court ruled that Lynch could be extradited. Lynch appealed for a judicial review, which failed. Subsequent appeals, brought on a variety of legal standpoints, also failed. The then-home Secretary Priti Patel approved his extradition in 2022.
Lynch was unceremoniously arrested by US authorities, and frog-marched, in handcuffs in his home country, to be flown to the US in May 2023. There, he spent his time in anklets, under house arrest in San Francisco to await trial.
Lynch, together with Chamberlain, went on trial in San Francisco on March 18th 2024. He was charged with 16 counts of wire fraud, securities fraud and conspiracy, while Chamberlain faced 15 counts of wire fraud and conspiracy. Both defendants pleaded not guilty.
The court heard evidence and arguments over the course of 11 weeks. During the trial, one of the 16 charges was dropped. The jury retired for deliberation and, on June 6th 2024, he was found not guilty of all charges.
UK–US EXTRADITION TREATY OF 2003
The UK–US Extradition Treaty of 2003 was implemented by the UK in the Extradition Act 2003, and came into force in April 2007 following its ratification by the US Senate in 2006.
The treaty has been claimed to be one-sided because it allows the US to demand extradition of British citizens and other nationals for offences committed against US law, even though the alleged offence may have been committed in the UK by a person living and working in the UK. Astonishingly, there is no reciprocal right; and issues continue regarding the level of proof required to extradite from the UK to the US versus from the US to the UK.
Among other provisions Part 2 of the Act: Extradition to category 2 territories (non-European Arrest Warrant territories) removed the requirement on the US to provide prima facie evidence in extraditions from the UK, requiring instead only ‘reasonable suspicion’.
Dr Lynch was the latest in a long line of British business people hauled before the US courts - most of whom ended up behind bars - yet the UK was unable, for instance, to secure the extradition of the US diplomat’s wife Anne Sacoolas – whose status did not exempt her from prosecution – for causing the death of British teenager Harry Dunn by careless driving in 2019.
HOW COME?
Lynch’s main defence was that he was a tech expert and start-up specialist, not a finance expert and, as such, had little or no interest in the minutiae of reports and spreadsheets which, he claimed in court, not to have completely understood.
The US authorities’ case was not helped by the fact that, throughout the trial, the judge, who also presided over and sentenced Sushovan Hussain five years earlier, admonished the prosecution for presenting such poorly-researched and meandering evidence, and for procrastination during cross-examination. The jurors, he pointed out, were not able to follow proceedings.
❛❛ The US authorities’ case was not helped by the prosecution presenting such poorlyresearched evidence ❜❜
Without proving any direct evidence linking Lynch to the contracts and accounting records they claimed were fraudulent, prosecutors resorted to depicting him as a demanding and micro-managing chief who had kept a close hand on all aspects of his company’s business. Again, it was an approach they were poorly equipped to present effectively.
During the trial, Lynch also informed the jury that the witnesses the prosecution had brought in to testify against him were, for the most part, people he’d never met. This was compounded when several of these witnesses were found wanting when giving their evidence.
As a result of the trial, what we learned was, according to Andrew Orlowski in The Telegraph, that in 2011, HP was a desperate giant, trying to re-invent itself as a software and services company, when it approached Lynch’s Autonomy, then Britain’s most valuable software company.
“HP was so desperate that it paid a 68% premium in a deal worth $11bn. They were in such a hurry that HP’s CFO admitted she didn’t read a due diligence report on the acquisition prepared for her by KPMG.
“A few months later, HP had disposed of its CEO, torn up the strategy, and written down the value of the deal by almost $9bn.”
“HP’s management had no stomach for the transformational change that was the objective of the acquisition, and contrived this extraordinary series of proceedings to shift the blame away from themselves,” Autonomy argued in the High Court many years later.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise HQ, near Spring, Texas
IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH
In cases where the US federal authorities prosecute for fraud, only 0.4% end in acquittal. This, plus Sushovan Hussain’s 2018 conviction, meant the odds were stacked against Lynch. His first insistence was always to plead his innocence, even if it meant thumbing his nose at the giant US law-enforcement machine.
That said, it now seems extraordinary that the prosecutors – given HewlettPackard’s hubris, together with the US federal authorities’ willingness to throw their weight around overseas, hampered by the weakness of its own case – could have ever persuaded the High Court in London that there was a case to answer. The workings, as well as the public perception, of the US/UK Extradition Treaty don’t help.
As Ian King, writing for Sky News, opined, “The acquittal will not only be embarrassing to US prosecutors. It again serves to remind us how Hewlett Packard, which wrote down the value of Autonomy by $8.8bn a year after the takeover, overpaid for the business.
“Autonomy was always a company that divided opinions in the City and HP would, had it sought them out during the due diligence process, found no shortage of analysts who had questioned Autonomy’s accounting.
“Its subsequent pursuit of Dr Lynch was, at best, an attempt at face-covering and, at worst, a bad case of sour grapes.”
THE FUTURE
Now that Lynch has returned home a free man, the next consideration will be how will be received in Silicon Fen; the victim of a huge miscarriage of justice, or will they treat him as a maverick who oversaw a “consistent and clear” fraud, as HP insists? Lynch, for his part, won’t care. His team says it’s of little import to him.
His one cloud still on the horizon is that the final settlement of the civil action, brought by HP in London in 2019, still has not been announced. HP has wanted, since day one, around £5bn. The judge has already pre-warned them – then and now – that that figure will be considerably lower.
How much lower will almost certainly determine where Dr Mike Lynch goes from here.
❛❛ Its subsequent pursuit of Dr Lynch was, at best, an attempt at face-covering and, at worst, a bad case of sour grapes ❜❜
Dr Mike Lynch, immediately after his acquittal, San Francisco
London Gatwick is more than an airport. Landside, it is a business, education and community hub serving the region. Here is what has been happening…
London Gatwick contributed £5.5 billion to UK economy in 2023
Research conducted by economists Oxera reveals London Gatwick generated £5.5 billion for the UK economy, and supported more than 76,000 jobs in 2023. The majority of this vital economic activity took place in six local authority areas across the South East – West Sussex, East Sussex, Surrey, Kent, Brighton & Hove, and Croydon.
n West Sussex: 22,047 jobs, £1.6 billion GVA.
n Surrey: 11,908 jobs, £855 million GVA.
n Kent: 7,220 jobs, £515.2 million GVA.
n Croydon: 3,680 jobs, £265.2 million GVA.
n Brighton & Hove: 3,432 jobs, £246.1 million GVA.
n East Sussex: 3,415 jobs, £245.4 million GVA.
From May 21st-23rd, London Gatwick co-funded a delegation to UKREiiF, the UK’s leading investment event. This delegation, under Invest Gatwick Diamond, united county councils, local authorities, and private sector affiliates from Sussex, Surrey, Kent, and South London and had the opportunity to connect with over 10,000 investment decision makers from across the globe.
At UKREiiF, Alison Addy, London Gatwick’s Head of External Engagement
and Policy, participated in a panel discussion looking at how successful Airport Economic Zones (AEZs) across the world define, organise, and promote themselves. London Gatwick is exploring establishing an AEZ to attract inward investment and benefit the regional economy.
Tim Norwood, Chief Planning Officer and Director of Corporate Affairs, London Gatwick, says: “These figures show how well our recovery is going. It’s important, however, to remember they’re not just big numbers. They represent the livelihoods and incomes of tens of thousands of individuals, families and businesses across the region.
❛❛ Together, the South East has a lot to offer investors from around the globe, but we cannot take our future economic growth for granted ❜❜
“Together, the South East has a lot to offer investors from around the globe, but we cannot take our future economic growth for granted. Global competition for investment is fierce, and I’m delighted we’re working with our partners to attract new business opportunities, trade and jobs into the region.”
Brett North, Chairman of the Gatwick Diamond Initiative comments: “We are home to a vibrant economic region, with Gatwick Airport at its heart. Ideally located for London and the rest of the world, we were proud to represent our region for the first time at UKREiiF. We welcome the opportunity to showcase the best of the Gatwick Diamond, particularly for investors in locations where Gatwick has worked with the business community to establish strong routes.”
For further insights, the ‘Local economic impact of London Gatwick report’ can be accessed at www.gatwickairport.com/company/ community/economy.html
NEW LONDON GATWICK CAMPAIGN SHOWCASES SPEED AND CONNECTIVITY TO THE AIRPORT
London Gatwick has launched a new campaign to promote the airport as a seamless travel hub, and encourage potential passengers to choose to fly from Gatwick.
Named “Sorry for the Convenience”, the campaign emphasises the airport’s diverse and efficient transport options, speedy security procedures, and wide range of airlines and destinations.
Simon Brady, Head of Marketing, London Gatwick, says: “Our campaign plays with the idea of London Gatwick apologising for being effortlessly efficient – something that we are incredibly proud of – with a very British
twist. We know things may not always run completely smoothly for every passenger every time, but we want to celebrate and promote the ease and efficiency of travelling into London Gatwick.”
❛❛ Our campaign plays with the idea of London Gatwick apologising for being effortlessly efficient ❜❜
GATWICK CEO JOINS COLLEAGUES IN CHARITY BIKE RIDE TO PARIS
A team of 28 London Gatwick employees, including CEO Stewart Wingate, has raised more than £37,000 for charity in a three-day bike ride from the airport to Paris.
From May 10th-12th, the team pedalled more than 300km to support the airport’s three official charity partners: SASH Charity, Air Ambulance Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS) and Gatwick TravelCare. Participants included engineers, security officers, firefighters, and executives, many of whom had never ridden such a distance before.
Stewart Wingate commented afterwards: “I’m incredibly proud to have cycled alongside my colleagues for these wonderful charities. Together we endured the hot weather, challenging hills and even hailstorms and this bike ride has
shown what we can accomplish when we come together for causes we believe in. I want to thank every one of our supporters who donated.”
Raquel Williams, Fundraising Officer, SASH Charity: “The sponsored bike ride will directly help sick children and their families in Surrey and Sussex. The donations will transform essential rooms in our children’s ward, such as a treatment room at East Surrey Hospital where children receive urgent medical care, creating a new family room for their parents, enhancing other overnight rooms where the most seriously unwell children stay.”
For KSS, these funds could pay for fuel for all 19 incidents they were called to at London Gatwick in 2023, and 14 of the 112 incidents they responded to in Crawley in 2023.
Located ideally for travellers based in London and the south, London Gatwick is investing £600,000 this year to enhance surface access, including doubling the frequency of Great Western Railway’s Gatwick to Reading service. Passengers can travel from London Gatwick to central London in just half an hour, with trains leaving every four minutes – as frequent as the London Underground.
The campaign also highlights the multitude of official on-airport car parking options, offering convenience, flexibility and choice. Once at the airport, 95% of passengers on average fly through security in less than five minutes, allowing them to enjoy the airport’s retail and dining options.
The funds raised will also have a tangible impact for Gatwick TravelCare, who support passengers in distress, including those facing missed flights or human trafficking.
London Gatwick covered all event costs, ensuring that 100% of the funds raised directly benefit the charities. The total includes £7,000 in match-funding by London Gatwick.
NEW DESTINATIONS AND AIRLINES AS LONDON GATWICK GEARS UP FOR SUMMER SEASON
Passengers looking to jet off for a summer break will have a number of new destinations to choose from at London Gatwick, with several airlines launching new routes in recent weeks, including:
DESTINATION
Singapore
Beijing, China
Guangzhou, China
Jersey, Channel Islands
Skiathos, Greece
Rome, Italy
Vagar, Faroe Islands
Singapore Airlines 5 x per week
Air China 7 x per week
China Southern 3 x per week
British Airways 4 x per week
easyJet 2 x per week
ITA Airways 7 x per week
Atlantic Airways 2 x per week
Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal Azores Airlines 2 x per week
LONDON GATWICK’S STEM CENTRE INSPIRES STUDENTS AND VISITORS
More than a thousand students have visited London Gatwick’s STEM centre (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) since it opened in October 2023.
The STEM centre, a bespoke space to engage and teach school children across the region about STEM and aviation, has hosted 47 school visits and counting. Activities include water treatment, engineering rigs and creating solar power electric vehicles.
STEM is vital at London Gatwick, with hundreds of career options available at the airport itself and the many partners who work together to keep the airport running.
Alison Addy, Head of External Engagement and Policy, London Gatwick said: “It is fantastic to have reached this
milestone of 1,000 engagements at the STEM centre and counting! The STEM centre is truly a space where you can learn and be inspired with a mix of theory and practical sessions on offer; there is something for everyone.”
The STEM centre is at the heart of London Gatwick’s Employment, Skills, and Business Strategy, essential for developing local talent. The centre, situated landside at the airport, includes classrooms, tablets, quiet areas, and facilities for students with special educational needs, providing opportunities for both theory and practical learning.
Find out more via www.gatwickairport.com
Work-life balance: how do you get it right? For Cameron Fry, this involves juggling several businesses, as well as finding time for his family. Millie Green of MDHUB finds out what it takes for Cameron, founder of the Liqui group, and MDHUB’s Leader of the Year winner, to function
COMPROMISE IS KING: Cameron Fry on having a career and a happy family
Cameron Fry started his professional working life training to become a furniture designer. In 2007, he founded the Liqui Group, a collaboration of companies that, in combination, form a one-stop shop for creativity, marketing, interior concept and design, and construction.
In this time, Cameron has grown the practice into an award-winning, multi-disciplined design studio that has built its reputation on detail-focused creative thinking, and a belief that things can be different.
Cameron worked with a variety of materials throughout his degree, although mainly with plastics. His entry at the New Design exhibition in London in 2007, however, was a cardboard table.
His work was noticed well enough that he made the shortlist for New Designer of the Year at that show. For Cameron, it was a big step up because, as only three people are on the shortlist - one winner and two nominees – he found people paying a lot of attention to his work.
❛❛ Helen’s been great for ‘life versus business’ coaching. Her efforts keep me in check with doing what I originally set out to do ❜❜
He began to focus his thoughts on the environmental impact of plastics, brought home to him when he was told about a product designer who saw a toothbrush he designed washed up on a beach, in the middle of nowhere, to the designer’s chagrin. Cameron states he didn’t want to be haunted by his design work, so made the move away from plastic – and it paid off.
At this point, Cameron was working in what he termed his ‘loffice’ (loft-office) which he shared with his father. “We had fan heaters on our legs to keep us warm. While there, we worked on a project we came to call the Bag Light.”
This lamp, made from sandwich bags from the coffee shop Cameron worked at during the weekends, was a pivotal moment in his career, because it got noticed internationally.
“We didn’t know if anyone was paying attention to my work, and then one day, I got an email from Lane Crawford of Hong Kong - which is like Harrods of Hong Kong – saying they were very interested in me as a designer, and they would like to do a feature sale event.”
At first, he dismissed it as a scam email. It clearly wasn’t, as they chased him with a follow-up email. “The guy sounded genuinely irritated with me, which is why it made me click. It ended up being a golden opportunity for me.” Having arranged a deposit, he persuaded his father to help him produce 150 handcrafted items.
❛❛ Most recently, Cameron has been awarded Top 100 Architects status and Designers of the World 2023 ❜❜
This event marked a lift-off for Cameron. His career flourished, pushing him from small-time designer to consulting for a company specialising in cardboard furniture. He also began working in the coffee industry, winning a contract to fit out a coffee shop, a project which went on to win Best New Independent from the Coffee Association.
This generated more jobs, pushing Cameron further into the spotlight. He successfully pitched his branding skills to Hogarth Chambers, one of the oldest Intellectual Property firms in London, bringing with it other law firms looking for a rebrand. His work has also taken him abroad, working on a high-end contract in Saudi Arabia.
Most recently, Cameron has been awarded Top 100 Architects status and Designers of the World 2023.
Cameron’s success, however, has come at a certain cost – he found his personal life had begun to suffer. “If you’re remotely driven, it’s hard to become grounded back with the family.”
He began working with MDHUB to help him balance the scales between his three businesses and his family. MDHUB provided “a sanity check” for Cameron, allowing him to talk with other business leaders, dealing with the isolation that leadership brings.
He also started working with Helen Bailey (see last month’s Platinum), one of MDHUB’s core team of facilitators. “Helen’s been great for ‘life versus business’ coaching. Her efforts keep me in check with doing what I originally set out to do – which was not be a crap husband and father while being really good at business.”
Cameron finds Helen’s perspective is highly useful, meaning that his family life is pretty solid, while giving him a good foundation for doing the ‘stupid stuff’ – like flying to Saudi Arabia for a week. “My wife doesn’t feel resentful because she knows it’s coming from a good place, rather than the concern that I’m trying to get away from her and the kids.”
Cameron’s relationship with his father is the reason he’s so passionate about his work-life balance. “I wanted to be at least half as good as he was as a dad, because he used to sacrifice his career to be that ‘good dad’ He’d walk in, pick me up, give me a cuddle, take his jacket off, sit on the living room floor and play with the Lego with me.”
At MDHUB’s yearly awards in 2023, Cameron won Leader of the Year award for his incredible dedication to his business and employees. However, he wasn’t there to collect the award. He’d gone home early to read his son a bedtime story, and he had to be called back while driving home to collect his award.
“I went to the event, never expecting to win. I thought I would just leave before the end, go home, read my son The Hungry Caterpillar, and put him to bed. I get this warm feeling inside doing that. I just think it would be miserable to work this hard – to build, a stable environment, to have a family – and then for that to fall apart.
“In the end, compromise is the secret to having it all.”
www.liquidesign.co.uk www.mdhub.co.uk
Email MDHUB Directors: Fiona Shafer: fiona@mdhub.co.uk or Phil Green: phil.green@mdhub.co.uk
By Debbie Venn, Partner, Commercial, DMH Stallard
What do businesses need to be aware of in relation to ESG responsibilities?
Increases in compliance requirements for operating and reporting mean that environment, social and governance (ESG) issues should now be a high priority for businesses. If ESG fails to get on the agenda, a business is likely to suffer reputational damage; be on the end of legal action if laws and regulations are breached, bring about poor relations with stakeholders, and face potential issues relating to supply chain and potential loss of business. On the positive side, investment in ESG matters can bring opportunities, create savings and effi ciencies, and increase sustainability.
WHAT IS COVERED BY ESG?
ESG encompasses more than just corporate social aspects of how a business operates; terms such as ‘corporate social responsibility’ are increasingly being replaced with ESG.
Several bodies in the UK are tasked with checking ESG obligations. These include the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), which is responsible for monitoring compliance with reporting requirements under the Companies Act; the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the fi nancial services regulator, which oversees listed companies’ compliance with climate-related
financial disclosures; and the Environment Agency, which can impose civil and criminal sanctions for environmental offences, including against directors and officers, and impose fines. A business needs to understand the implications of non-compliance with applicable regulations.
A business will, if it has not already, come under increasing pressure to explain to investors, insurers, customers and the world at large how it is addressing climate change and other ESG issues. It is a key part of corporate governance.
WHAT SHOULD THE BOARD BE DOING?
A business will need to consider its exposure in ESG areas to determine the risks, and how any issues should be addressed (due to regulatory compliance or contractual requirements) in a transparent manner. Even if a business is not required to report on these issues, it is still something that can be done on a voluntary basis, to comply with voluntary frameworks or to showcase thought-leadership and elicit goodwill with stakeholders generally.
To assess risk, a business will need to consider how it operates, and what the ESG risks are – for example, environmental impact, health and safety of personnel, local community response, etc. Once risks have been identified, the impact in those areas should be considered, including fi nancial (for instance, cost and availability of resources) and the risk of non-compliance with any applicable laws or regulations.
In addition, a business should consider what controls are in place (if any) to reduce those risks or manage them effectively, as well as having insurance cover for certain risks, and whether such risks also need passing up or down a supply chain in order to minimise disruption or avoid breaches of applicable laws. It is worth drawing up an ESG strategy, including any relevant codes of conduct or values statements, which will need sign-off from the board.
Internally, a business may want to create (or add to existing) policies and processes to ensure key departments are aware of what the business needs its employees and stakeholders to do to support the ESG strategy. This will include working with HR, health and safety teams, supply chain co-ordinators, as well as legal and company secretarial. This will ensure that correct procedures are in place for escalating or reporting issues, relevant reports are filed with applicable bodies and
❛❛ Terms such as ‘corporate social responsibility’ are increasingly being replaced with ESG ❜❜
regulators, and will provide an organisational structure that supports the ESG strategy. Staff training and internal communications will also need to be covered.
External communications carry a greater risk in terms of potential litigation and reputation damage when relating, for example, to climate change and ‘greenwashing’ claims. Disclosures about ESG matters need to be carefully crafted to ensure a clear and transparent message without overdoing the claims. The Advertising Standards Authority has created the General Environmental Claims Code and a specific ‘Green Claims Code’, providing guidance on how a business should make environmental and social claims, whilst staying within the parameters of the Code and applicable laws and regulations. This is a suggested starting point for businesses seeking to create a position statement on ESG matters.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
n Board agenda item: ESG issues need to be considered at the highest level to make sure that they are being addressed sufficiently.
n Risk register: Make sure that any risks associated with ESG issues are highlighted to mitigate and reduce (or eradicate) them.
n Internal messaging and training: Create a culture that highlights the importance of the ESG strategy, and train staff to ensure everyone knows what the business is doing in relation to ESG matters and how employees can support this.
n Supply chain: Review contracts with suppliers (including any applicable codes of conduct or other regulatory compliance matters) to check that liability relating to such issues is addressed, including compliance with matters such as modern slavery. Supplier compliance with contracts and applicable laws, together with requirements to have appropriate insurance, are generally things that a travel business will have in place as part of its due diligence. ESG issues should be added to a supplier due diligence checklist so that a travel business can obtain information around the supplier’s operations and refl ect this in any communications with customers or operating statements.
❛❛ Investment in ESG matters can bring opportunities, create savings and efficiencies, and increase sustainability ❜❜
n Communication strategy: Work with legal and marketing to get the position statement accurate around what the business is doing on ESG matters. Check the ASA website and applicable codes before launching any communications.
n Monitor the ESG strategy, policies and communications, and changing laws: Depending on the size of the business, assessments and audit of ESG issues and strategy (including updates) may be completed internally or with external assistance. It is worth noting that there are specifi c ESG-related legal developments in the US and EU, as well as changes around codes of practice and other regulations for certain ESG matters in the UK. It is important to monitor these activities to ensure your business remains compliant and to align your ESG strategy and operations with any changes.
When it comes to human resources, skimping on expertise can be a recipe for disaster, writes Liz Beck, CEO and Founder of Aspiring
WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU HIRE AN HR PERSON?
Efficiency and strategic focus are paramount, yet many companies find their growth blocked by the often complex demands of human resources management. Enter Aspiring, the innovative force redefining the way businesses handle their HR.
Imagine having an entire HR department at your disposal, from the nuts and bolts of admin, like contracts and onboarding, to high-level strategic guidance for talent acquisition, employee engagement and leadership development – all without the exorbitant costs.
This is the reality with Aspiring. The company provides other
companies with access to a full range of HR expertise – administrative staff, business partners, advisers, technical specialists, HR directors, and leadership coaches – offering comprehensive coverage that ensures every HR aspect of your business is professionally managed.
Liz Beck, CEO and Founder of Aspiring, sums up this advantage, “Why settle for less when you can have a full HR powerhouse? We’re a team of passionate HR professionals who work hard to fully understand your business. We bring a spectrum of expertise right to your doorstep, making high-quality HR accessible and affordable for every business.”
SUPERCHARGE YOUR WORKFORCE
Aspiring offers a comprehensive, flexible, and strategic HR solution necessary for modern business needs. From handling daily administrative tasks to providing high-level strategic direction, it ensures your business stays ahead of the competition.
“We’re here to revolutionise HR, bringing it back from the policies and impersonal to a more empowering practice,” Liz Beck said. “We offer businesses the expertise, flexibility, and calculated direction they need to grow and succeed. With Aspiring, you’re not just outsourcing HR; you’re elevating your business.”
❛❛ Whether it’s day-to-day HR expertise or long-term planning, Aspiring blends flexibility and structured support ❜❜
Aspiring’s approach is both methodical and proactive. It doesn’t just offer adhoc support but delivers a firm roadmap with key initiatives and measurable deliverables. “We deliver more than HR services,” says Amanda Menahem, Client HR Director at Aspiring. “We provide a plan that businesses can rely on. Our clients know exactly what to expect and when, making execution seamless. This structured approach keeps things locked down, delivering consistent support and a laser-focused plan that guarantees long-term wins.”
❛❛ Outsourcing HR isn’t just about cutting costs; it’s about turbocharging your business strategy ❜❜
FLEXIBILITY WITH ROCK-SOLID SUPPORT
Whether it’s day-to-day HR expertise or long-term planning, Aspiring blends flexibility and structured support. Amanda elaborates: “We’re not simply about being there when you need us; we’re about providing a consistent, deliberate approach to HR that businesses can count on.”
Take managing staff absences as an example. This can disrupt operations significantly, whether due to annual leave or unforeseen sickness. By working with Aspiring, a business will receive seamless cover, ensuring it continues to operate smoothly, no matter the circumstances. This continuity is a game-changer for maintaining productivity and stability, as companies never have to stress about holiday or sick leave.
FUEL GROWTH WITH BOLD LEARNING AND LEADERSHIP
Aspiring goes beyond simply ticking HR boxes. It is passionate about helping businesses not only manage their workforce but thrive through it. Its ethos – Imagine: Learn: Grow – is woven into the fabric of its service.
“We believe in the power of imagination,” says Liz Beck. “We inspire our clients to think outside the box when it comes to HR, to see their people as the engine of growth, not an overhead. At Aspiring, the whole team believes in pushing boundaries, turning HR into a powerful tool for leadership and business success.”
This philosophy translates into a strong focus on learning and development. Aspiring helps businesses cultivate powerful leadership and equip
employees with the skills they need to excel. It’s a win-win situation: a more engaged workforce translates into a more successful company.
HR SOLUTIONS WITHOUT THE IN-HOUSE OVERHEAD
The costs associated with recruiting, training and retaining an in-house HR team can be unaffordable. Outsourcing to Aspiring significantly reduces these expenses while providing access to outstanding and highly experienced HR directors and coaches who bring invaluable insights and direction.
Amanda Menahem underscores this advantage, “Outsourcing HR isn’t just about cutting costs; it’s about turbocharging your business strategy. Our HR directors and coaches bring unparalleled expertise and a gamechanging perspective that can revolutionise your business.”
Find out more about Aspiring by visiting www.aspiringhr.com.
Aspiring can be contacted by calling 01903 477950 or emailing hello@ aspiringhr.com
COMPANY FORMATIONS WEST SUSSEX
NEW BUSINESSES IN WEST SUSSEX
Mapped
FORMED IN 2023
Platinum presents the latest in a series of company formation statistics covering the South East. We will be covering the whole region. One of the things to note is the rate of dissolved companies against the newly formed ones and, on each occasion, the ‘dissolved’ number is slightly less than the formed number – but not by much in most cases. This month, we look at company formations and dissolutions in West Sussex
6,678
YEARS
How the total number of companies in Surrey has changed over the last five years as new companies have been formed and some existing companies dissolved
TOTAL COMPANIES 2023 LEAGUE TABLE
The counties in England where most existing companies were based at the
how
The impact of financial fraud by employees has reached unprecedented levels. It is also increasingly hard to discover, and can often have a devastating impact on a business, says Jodie Jones, a Senior Manager in the forensic accounting team at Kreston Reeves
EMPLOYEE FRAUD ON THE RISE
The cost-of-living crisis with employees struggling to make ends meet, the rise of hybrid and remote working together with the pressures facing businesses following a prolonged period of economic uncertainty are behind the increasing levels of employee fraud.
Employee fraud can be notoriously difficult to spot and even more so when the individual with their ‘hand in the till’ is in a trusted position of authority, and with access to company banking facilities. They are often quite adept at covering their tracks. Fast-growing businesses with small teams where responsibilities may not be shared are particularly vulnerable.
Every year, KPMG publishes its annual Fraud Barometer. In 2023, the levels of fraud in the UK cost businesses almost £1bn, with 226 separate crown court cases involving fraud of £100,000 or more.
Whilst the KPMG report suggests fraud is most prevalent in the public sector, employees and managers stealing from their employers follows closely behind.
Yet this is likely to be the tip of the iceberg, with many more incidents of corporate fraud left undiscovered or unreported.
WARNING SIGNS OF EMPLOYEE FRAUD
Whilst employee fraud can be difficult to spot, there are some warning signs for employers and senior managers to look out for:
n Lifestyle
Business owners will have a good idea of salary levels within their company. But where an employee appears to enjoy a lifestyle beyond their means, that might raise questions.
❛❛ The impact of fraud can be long-lasting and there can often be wider implications, such as the impact on company tax liabilities ❜❜
n Lack of segregation of duties
If an employee has too much control or if there is a lack of authorisation from senior management, this can allow for fraudulent activity to go unnoticed.
n Change in bank details
A perpetrator may change bank details to their own so that funds are paid into their account. This could cover supplier payments, customer invoices, employee payroll.
n Abuse of corporate credit cards
Corporate credit cards are intended for corporate expenditure. Whilst mistakes might be made, repeated personal use of corporate credits might raise red flags.
n Accounts inconsistencies
Excessive or unexplained transactions, increased expenses, untypical supplier payments and unreconciled bank accounts can all be signs of fraudulent activity. Having good management reporting is essential.
n Workplace gossip
Whilst not always reliable, keeping an ear to the ground can be a helpful way to discover fraudulent activity.
❛❛ Employee fraud can be notoriously difficult to spot and even more so when the individual is in a trusted position of authority ❜❜
FIGHTING EMPLOYEE FRAUD
In an ideal world, business owners should segregate the duties of those with access to the finances of a business, leaving no one individual with access or control. But we recognise that for many businesses, that is simply not possible.
We also recognise that successful businesses are built on trust, and this is a key factor in all employee fraud cases we come across – founders and owners need to trust key team members to do the job they are appointed to do. When that position of trust is abused, it is both a financial and emotional blow.
So, what should business owners do when they suspect an employee of committing fraud? It is, unfortunately, not an easy question to answer. But here are a few things to consider:
n Do you raise suspicions straight away? If there is a risk that it involves more than one individual, it may be prudent to take time to ascertain the scale of the fraud and identify those involved. Asking your accountant to conduct an ‘interim audit’ is one way to discover the extent of fraudulent activity without raising suspicions.
n If the case is more clear-cut, revoke access to bank accounts and accounting software/documents to ensure individuals cannot continue or hide their activity.
n Understand the extent of the fraud. Here your accountant can help interrogate the financial records.
The impact of fraud can be long-lasting and there can often be wider implications, such as the impact on company tax liabilities.
In all instances of suspected and proven fraud, it is helpful to have your accountant working alongside.
A specialist forensic accountant can help discover the full extent of fraudulent activity and manage its impact, as well as providing recommendations for improvements in systems and control procedures to reduce the risk of fraud in the future.
To discuss your situation in more detail, please contact Jodie Jones:
Call: +44 (0)33 0124 1399
Email: enquiries@krestonreeves.com
Visit: www.krestonreeves.com
New research from Allica Bank reveals that SMEs across the South East are losing out on nearly £870 million annually as a result of not shopping around for better interest rates on their business savings
Poor interest rates on savings costing local SMEs £870m
The analysis reveals that the ‘big six’ high street banks offer an average interest rate of 1.45% on small business savings, down from 1.59% earlier in the year. Beyond the big six however, rates of up to 4.33% are available from challenger banks, a figure nearly three times higher than the big six.
For SMEs with an average £75,000 in savings, the discrepancy between big six interest rates, and what’s available elsewhere, is equivalent to £2,157 per year. With 403,225 SMEs across the South East, this equates to a whopping loss of £869,756,325 for the regional economy. For established SMEs with larger deposits of savings, the annual figure lost could be much higher.
The big banks are under-serving SME customers despite them being the backbone of the economy, and supporting high streets, job creation, investment and livelihoods across the South East. Nationally, SMEs account for around 61% of all UK employment, and around a quarter of GDP.
❛❛ The big banks are under-serving SME customers despite them being the backbone of the economy ❜❜
The latest figures come off the back of research produced last year by Allica which revealed that SMEs are losing more than £7.5 billion per annum in ‘missing’ savings interest per year.
Commenting, Sylvia Obadaki, South East Relationship Manager at Allica Bank said: “The South East’s SME economy is the region’s real economy, accounting for more than 400,000 businesses. These businesses are the life and soul of communities, and the difference between boarded up shops and vibrant high streets.
“Despite this, SMEs aren’t getting the returns they deserve from high street banks, with interest rates that are consistently lower than those offered to bigger businesses. This lost income could represent a significant boost to the South East’s economy and be put toward investment, employment and a better deal for employees.
“The high street banks are taking SME customers for granted, and those customers should shop around and get the return on their savings that they deserve.”
❛❛ SMEs aren’t getting the returns they deserve from high street banks, with interest rates that are consistently lower than those offered to bigger businesses ❜❜
ABOUT ALLICA BANK
Allica is a new kind of no-nonsense business bank, built especially for established businesses with between fi ve and 250 employees.
These businesses make up a third of UK employment and turnover, yet the service they get from the big banks is increasingly impersonal, inconvenient, and poor value. Allica Bank is on a mission to give established businesses the no-nonsense banking they deserve. That means a current account with no monthly fees, a relationship manager whose name and number they actually know, and technology that makes life easier, not harder. It’s how business banking used to be, just better.
Allica was recently named the UK’s fastest-growing company in Deloitte’s 2023 UK Technology Fast 50 – with annual revenue growth that makes it the fastest-growing fi ntech company ever. It also revealed in 2023 that it achieved its first full year of profi tability, and had lent over £2 billion to established UK businesses.
Allica’s ambition is to gain 10% market share in the next fi ve years in order to help change the SME market for the better.
WHICH REGION IS LOSING MOST IN LOST INTEREST?
REGION NO OF SMES LOST INTEREST (BASED ON AVERAGE SME SAVINGS OF £75,000)
North East 72,235
£155,810,895
North West 265,840 £573,416,880
Yorkshire & The Humber 191,520 £413,108,640
East Midlands 182,760 £394,213,320
West Midlands 216,940 £467,939,580
East of England 268,605 £579,380,985
London 523,555 £1,129,308,135
South East 403,225 £869,756,325
South West 235,820 £508,663,740
Scotland 170,650 £368,092,050
TALKING HEADS
Welcome to this Influencers Forum on the subject of Exiting Your Business
After a lifetime of hard work, you make the big decision to exit by selling or merging your business, and it’s not a decision that should be taken lightly. It is of paramount importance to get things in order before announcing the sale and to contract with the right lawyer, financial planner, and business advisor. This can make all the difference.
Discussing this subject, Jonathan Grant, Partner and Head of Corporate at DMH Stallard; Nicholas Lovelock, Associate Director, Corporate Finance at FRP Corporate Finance; Michael Pay, Director of EMC Corporate Finance; Gregor Watt, Managing Director at HJP Chartered Financial Planners; and Sarah Alexander, Managing Director of Lewis Brownlee Chartered Accountants.
There’s a variety of things to consider – is it a straight sale; an equity swap; or an employee trust arrangement? In every event, what’s the earn-out situation? So turning to Mike first, what are the things business owners need to bear in mind for planning their exit?
SARAH ALEXANDER
Managing Director
Lewis Brownlee
Sarah is Managing Director of Lewis Brownlee Chartered Accountants, which excels in guiding business owners through strategic growth and successful exits. With expertise in Audit, Tax, Business Advisory and Cloud Accounting, she prides herself on Lewis Brownlee’s ability to be active partners in its clients’ business success. salexander@lewisbrownlee.co.uk www.lewisbrownlee.co.uk
JONATHAN GRANT
Partner and Department Head
Corporate, DMH Stallard
Jonathan is Head of DMH Stallard’s corporate department and he maintains an active corporate practice across the south east. He is an award winning deal maker and has managed many deals where the intellectual property assets of a company has had a significant influence on the final deal value.
Nick joined FRP in 2010 moving into Corporate Finance in 2017. He has over 25 years’ experience in corporate finance and corporate advisory work including valuations, sales and alternative exits. His experience spans multiple sectors, recently leading transactions across manufacturing, waste and the food supply chain. nicholas.lovelock@frpadvistory.com www.frpadvisory.com
NICOLAS LOVELOCK
Michael Pay: When you’re going into a sales process, having good data will ensure a smooth process. You will need everything from accounting records, employee records, and customer records, plus you need the capability to go in and compare and contrast trends to ascertain how the business is performing.
Gregor Watt: We like to start with ‘the end’ in mind. The biggest challenge we have is to get owners to step away from their businesses for long enough to work out why they’re doing it, and what they want their life to look like when they do have that exit. For a lot of business owners, it’s the first time they’ve ever been asked those questions.
Let’s imagine money’s no object, and it’s the first day after you’ve sold your business, so you don’t have to go to work. What are you doing now? Have you decided how to fill your time? I often see stunned rabbits-in-headlights looks because all they’ve thought about for the last 20 years is their business.
MP: Also, in many cases, the pandemic changed the relationship between the owner and the business. Now, business owners are much more willing to let go of the business, because of the more considered ‘spending time with my family’ issue which Covid brought into focus.
Jonathan Grant: The entrepreneur mindset, though, is very tied to their business. Although life is more flexible now, it’s still built around it. I’ve got a client in his mid-70s. He’s selling, having founded and run the business for his entire career. This is now going to be a real challenge for him.
One of the key questions to start with is, ‘What do you want out of a sale?’ It’s a question that is asked on an emotional level, as well as a financial one. Do you need to walk away straightaway? Could you cope with working with a buyer for three years of an earn-out, for example?
❛❛ One of the key questions to start with is, ‘What do you want out of a sale?’ It’s a question that is asked on an emotional level, as well as a financial one ❜❜
MICHAEL PAY Director
EMC Corporate Finance
Michael is a co-founder of EMC. During a career spanning 30 years at EMC, he has worked with a number of women-led businesses, successfully raising funds, assisting with strategic planning, before going on to act as an adviser to the shareholders on exit. michaelp@emcltd.co.uk www.emcltd.co.uk
GREGOR WATT Managing Director and Chartered Financial Planner
HJP Chartered Financial Planners
As a fellow business owner, Greg knows how time-consuming and demanding running a business can be. With over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, he joined HJP in 2005 and became managing director in March 2017. Greg lives in Caterham with his wife and three boys greg.hjpcfp@sjpp.co.uk www.hjpcfp.com
TALKING HEADS
MH: Sarah, what are some of the highlights you need to focus on for someone who needs to sell their business?
Sarah Alexander: You can’t plan early enough. It’s a good, solid two-year process to get to that sale point. The buyer’s due diligence will look back two years. In terms of getting all that data together, you’ll need to be working with the right people around you.
It consumes so much time, especially when you’re still trying to run the business. Also, you have to be careful that the word might start getting out, and your staff gets unsettled.
Nicolas Lovelock: That’s one of the most dangerous things – trying to keep it quiet for the clients, the customers, and the staff because that creates uncertainty. The thing that retains the value in the company is making sure that your focus is on running the business, and it’s key that you keep that to yourself, and don’t let too many people in on what you’re doing.
In preparing the business for sale, a vendor’s due diligence is quite a lengthy process – and you do need to go through it – so you also need to look at whether exiting your business is going to generate sufficient value for you. What is the next step in the business, and what do you do between deciding to exit and actually exiting?
GW: As a separate but related issue, the first question I ask a vendor is ‘Have you got power of attorney?’ And if they haven’t, I send them straight to a solicitor. Several deals that have fallen at the last hurdle have been because something happened to the vendor, and he wasn’t able to sign the contract. It’s a small piece of documentation, costing £800, to ensure a multi-million-pound deal.
MP: If your business is run well, and all documentation and contracts are up to date, and you put in this good practice on an ongoing basis, then when someone does come knocking, you’ll always be in a good place.
SA: Your value will be a lot better as well because you’ve got all of that data; years of it, all ready to go. Often the decision to sell isn’t as obvious as ‘I’m going to sell the business.’ It’s often an email or phone call that says ‘Let’s have a conversation’. An offer can come in when you’re not expecting it, so if you’re in a position where someone wants to make you an offer, and your management accounts aren’t up to date, that buyer will wander off somewhere else.
GW: If we’ve been advising a business owner for a period of time, we’ll already have information that’s essential to our job because we can’t, for example, calculate pension funding if we don’t understand their profits, remuneration structures, or management. These aspects are non-negotiable.
JG: That’s what many business owners don’t get. They glaze over when you say you need to get everything in place when all they’re doing is waiting for a great offer. But if they receive a great offer, and they don’t have the data, the selling price merely gets chipped away.
MH: The point for a business owner is having the time to prepare documents, which will mean not being able to run the company.
MP: That’s where you have corporate finance advisors, who will take the data, run the process, and take the burden off the owner. They will work with the lawyers to push certain elements through, while the business owner can get on and run the business. You’re going to have to dedicate a certain amount of time to it, but at the end of two or three months, the paycheque will make it worthwhile.
NL: It’s important to plan, for the sake of the business, even if you’re not going to exit. You’ve almost got to run things in parallel. You’ve got to drive that profit which ultimately will drive the value. So even though, on one side, you’ll be putting steps in place to exit, you’re also driving it forward to grow the business on a day-to-day basis.
JG: One thing that’s started changing, is that a lot more businesses have more share options. The diversity of share option holders is quite wide, so you’re going to have to talk to these people ahead of the transaction because they need to exercise their share options. They should want to sell because they’ll make a lot of money but they must still be consulted. You can’t just keep them in the dark.
MH: When it comes to calculating a price, how do multiples work?
SA: It depends. There are industry norms, where if you can get that data, you can compare your business to a similar business, and work out the level of expectation.
You’ll get higher multiples when you’ve got regular, recurring, predictable income, or where you’ve got a robust business plan, and you can demonstrate that this is recurring.
We had a situation where, through the two-year sales process, we got more and more information on the selling company, and realised that there was this one part of the business that was generating the income stream, so that’s where the multiple is.
NL: Additionally, multiples are often sector driven. Some sectors have done very well over the last three or four years, while others haven’t done so well. But also, concentration is an issue. If you’ve got one large customer driving 60% of your gross profit, you will have to consider what happens if you lose that customer. You need customer dilution to drive value.
MP: But equally we’ve learned that some buyers like large customer concentrations, because they can swallow it up into their big organisations, and they don’t want a company with lots of small customers. Other buyers, however, may not want a company where a customer makes up more than 15% of the profit. It’s about understanding what the buyer’s rationale in the process is.
MH: So your job is to matchmake, effectively?
MP: I’d say our job is to provide choices. We’re going out to market and we’re giving our clients a choice of decisions that need to be made. And if you can get multiple buyers, then you create competition, which will increase the price.
NL: What also drives the price is whether this is a strategic buyer or an opportunistic buyer. It could be somebody who wants to take a competitor out, so they might pay a greater value than someone who feels it might be ‘a nice business to have.’
❛❛ The only time you can tell what your business is worth is the offers that are on the table ❜❜
MH: When I speak to a lot of businesses, most of them either greatly undervalue their business or hugely overvalue their business. Do you see it as your job as advisors to force a bit of reality onto them about what their business is actually worth?
NL: One of the important starting points is to advise owners what the value of their business is. Many business owners think their business is worth more than it is.
MP: That’s where a properly run sales process will drive out value. You may get to a point where you have acceptable offers or unacceptable offers, or you haven’t got any offers, for whatever reason. So having gone through that process, you find out what the buyers are interested in, which will then influence your next strategy, and you will end up with a true value of your business’s worth. That’s what we mean by choice.
The only time you can tell what your business is worth is the offers that are on the table. The seller presents the data and information, and it’s the buyer who comes back and says how much it’s worth.
We had a client come to us a couple of years ago, who was going to accept a certain offer. They asked us, ‘Is this a good offer?’ We said, ‘We don’t think it is.’ We went to tell the buyer that we would start talking to other potential buyers, and they came back, 24 hours later, with double the original offer. The business was always worth double; it had merely made the buyer honest.
NL: That’s the value of having advisors on board. They can negotiate with those buyers. A buyer is not going to pay more than they want to pay. But as you go through the process, and you have those discussions, provide them with certain information that says there is huge growth potential, and a better price can be had.
MH: My next step in the process is to issue NDA (non-disclosure agreements). Are NDAs worth it?
JG: it’s a good idea to have them, though they’re rarely enforced. It depends on who you’re dealing with. For instance, a professional buyer of businesses will need to maintain a reputation in the market. Ignoring an NDA will damage their reputation – and that’s more important than the actual document itself.
In terms of how much information you provide, even with an NDA, you shouldn’t release it all at the beginning of the process anyway. To start, you release high-level information, which summarises the business, and gradually add more detail as you go through. The more you agree, the more sensitive information you can release.
Plus you don’t want potential buyers to start sniffing around the staff for information. You’ve got to be really clear about what buyers are allowed to do.
MH: With all this in place, what’s my next step?
GW: While we don’t get involved in any valuations, we’ll go back to starting with the end in mind. If we can get to a place where the owner understands the lifestyle they want to lead, then we can put a number on it.
So we’re empowering them to go into that discussion. I’d then go to people like those of us around this table and insist they work with this individual to develop their business so they can get the price they need to get the lifestyle they want.
JG: Would you say some people come up with an intuitive idea of value, rather than doing the process you’ve described? They might have in their mind, say £10m, as the value of their business. But they then don’t do that exercise that you’ve described, which means they might have to settle for £5m.
GW: The biggest part of what we do is getting them to that place where they have decided what the lifestyle is they want to lead. They might want to spend three months a year in Val d’Isere or buy a home in South Africa. We can put numbers around that.
It’s about getting involved early. The accountant and solicitor will have been working together on the business for years with the owner, so the sale of the business becomes a natural end of that process. You’ve had conversations with the owner about the lifestyle they want to lead, and what their walkaway figure is. If it’s £5m, but you’re only offered £2m, that’s no good. But if you’re offered £10m, well - where do I sign?
TALKING HEADS
❛❛ The important thing is you’ve got to keep running your business during that time. And that’s where an advisor comes in, because we will do all the heavy lifting in the sale process ❜❜
MH: So I know the value of the business, then let’s say it equates to my choice of lifestyle. I’ve got my data in order, I’ve got my NDA, what’s my next step?
MP: It’s probably best to take a step back in this process. A typical process of selling a business, from beginning to end, will be around about six to 12 months. The first six to eight weeks is a two-way information-gathering process. We will ask a series of questions about the business to compile a confidential information memorandum. At the same time, we will be looking for a buyers’ pool.
At the end of that six to eight-week process, we will present this memorandum, which captures a snapshot of the marketplace. The memo will be about the company, and it should give limited but sufficient information for a buyer to determine whether they’re interested, and at what likely price levels. The buyers’ pool is designed to identify all those people. You then go to market, and that’s when you bring in the NDA.
In truth, if you’re talking about a buyer with a cheque for X million pounds, they’d probably have more knowledge about the industry than we do, which is why they’re interested in the first place.
Incidentally, when it comes to the NDA, most buyers will adhere to that as they don’t want to alert rival buyers to the process.
GW: The other thing about getting ready to sell, you need to understand what’s going to torpedo it; what the risks are.
MH: So with everything in order, I’m waiting for someone to pop out of the woodwork to enquire about my business…
MP: That’s something slightly different; you’re talking about being passive – we act in a pro-active manner. We approach buyers on a confidential basis, saying, ‘Here’s a one-page summary document – is this of interest?’ We’ll be discussing with those interested potential buyers, and then report back to the company.
We work out who the most appropriate buyers are, what their purpose is, and look for the best match, and we do it in a way that doesn’t offer up any names or companies, giving us deniability if a potential buyer tries to work out who the selling company is.
NL: After that, six, eight, 12-week period, we’re now having those discussions with potential buyers. The thing for management is that a buyer wants to have a conversation with the management team. Typically, a lot of these are done on Microsoft Teams. You spend these meetings finding out what’s what, but the important thing is you’ve got to keep running your business during that time. And that’s where an advisor comes in, because we will do all the heavy lifting in the sale process, while you focus on your business.
MH: I find it odd that as a business owner, I’m asked how much I want. Because how much I want is not relevant to how much the business is valued at. I might want 30 million, irrespective of the value.
GW: The most common answer you get is ‘… as much as I can get.’ Brilliant, thanks for that. It’s like, say, ‘tea or coffee?’ ‘Oh, whatever…’
It’s not helpful because it doesn’t achieve anything, which is why we go to the back end of the process and paint them an image of what retirement looks like. If we can get an idea of what it looks like, we can cost it.
And if your advisor says ‘It’s not worth that much, but this is what you need to do to get the value up to that point,’ you’re going to stay fully engaged in the process, because you’ve now had that dream future painted for you.
NL: As a side point, a lot of small businesses are reliant upon their owners, in terms of everything that happens in the business – the growth, the driver, the operation of the business, and so on. As part of that journey, business owners need to think about, ‘Who sits below me? If I wasn’t here, how would this business run?’
GW: That’s exactly one of my points when talking about risk. If you have an owner-manager who’s the key driver of most of the turnover, and the profits of the business, it’s all very well for him having everything in place, and then he gets hit by a bus…
After that, nobody wants that business anymore, not at that price. So are the right people protected in the organisation so that the deal doesn’t fall apart? It’s an extension of talking about the power of attorney.
SA: If you’ve got one person who is doing absolutely everything, and driving that business forward, that’s great for generating really good returns right now. But they are going to exit, so what they need to be doing is stepping away in that two-year run-up. In effect, you need an elongated management handover.
GW: There’s the potential for an even bigger risk if the key individual isn’t the owner. For example, you may have a Sales Director who’s responsible for driving all the turnover, and has all the relationships but isn’t a shareholder in the business for sale. And then something happens to that key individual, what does that do to a buyers’ valuation of the business then?
JG: You need to tie those key people in, but you could still have two or three key people in the management team decide they don’t want to be involved in the sale, and leave the job. As a business owner, you may have a great offer, but not if your key team members just fell off the path.
MP: Equally, if you tie them in too much, the buyer’s risk is then that they’ve just got a big cheque and they decide to leave. So you’ve got these issues that need to be taken step by step.
You may hear lots of advice about how a management team is key. However, not all businesses are of a size that is suitable for management teams, and not all business owners are good with them. Not every company structure will appeal to a given buyer. If a company has a dominant owner or MD, and everyone else is merely a foot-soldier, a management buyout isn’t going to happen. So we look back into the buyers’ pool.
It may be that a trade buyer, who already has a regional Managing Director who can step in and fulfil the role of the owner, can still maximise the value of the business. So it’s understanding the nuances.
JG: The owner or the majority shareholder can be a real asset and driver for sale. In many cases, buyers quite often will buy a business because it does something uniquely well, driven by the owner or the founder.
MH: Due diligence. Before we discuss it, Jonathan, please explain what it is.
JG: It is making sure that the paperwork and the processes that you have to run your business can demonstrate that you’re following all the rules and laws that you should be. And that, assuming due diligence is carried out, the buyer of your business isn’t going to have to repair a lot of things and spend money putting that business back into the condition it should have been in.
❛❛ In many cases, buyers quite often will buy a business because it does something uniquely well, driven by the owner or the founder ❜❜
MP: This is the first point of due diligence – which is why financials often come first in the process. It’s to verify that the information that they’ve made the bid on is accurate or reflective.
MH: Would this be down to projections? ‘These are my results from the past five years, and this is what will happen over the next three.’ And those projections will have been proven to be pretty accurate.
NL: That can then go into the deal structure, once you’ve identified a preferred bidder. Deal structures can vary, depending on businesses and sectors, and how much of it is on forward revenue.
JG: That said, it’s very difficult to be paid for future growth in revenue unless it’s guaranteed. So unless you’ve got fixed-term contracts, which are nailed down, and you can see how that revenue is going to be generated, it’s not going to happen. And that’s where earn-outs come in.
SA: But then, no one can ever say, ‘That’s the forecast, and this is exactly what is going to happen.’
MH: With regard to earn-outs, is everything done on an ‘earn-out’ basis? Is there ever a cash deal up front, and ‘walk away’?
MP: 90% of our deals will be cash. They’re not always a ‘walk away,’ but they’re getting the value, on day one of completion of the business, in cash.
NL: We’ve got something like that at the moment. That is, ‘all cash’ at completion for a very substantial amount. The only condition is that they want the owners to remain in the business for 12 months. And that’s to do with the transition of management and staff, and handover to the new buyer. And that, in turn, is because they’re an overseas buyer coming into the UK market, and a need to understand the business here.
MP: In that example, the money that they receive on day one will not be impacted if, on day two, they turn round and say, ‘You know what? I really don’t like working here. I’m going to go.’
MH: So the earn-out is primarily designed to bridge evaluation in terms of, ‘the owners have got a year to finalise the buyout or the earn-out’? And that gives them a year to check everything was kosher?
JG: And also to drive further growth. What the buyer wants is for the exiting seller to demonstrate that the business is going up in terms of revenue and profits, and will carry on doing that after he’s bought it. This will then give the buyer time to take the business on.
TALKING HEADS
MH: If the earn-out is based on hitting those targets, and the next year you only hit 70% of that target, presumably, that gives the buyer the right to reduce his price?
MP: We have an owner who wants to sell, but at the point of sale, knows it isn’t worth what he wants for it. Meanwhile, the buyer wanted to take advantage of the market opportunity. He says, ‘I can pay full value for the business today, and then offer a generous earn-out.’ Assuming they cleared all the hurdles, this will be £10m over three years. If they don’t hit that, there is a ratchet, but it’s not a cliff. It’s incremental.
GW: Sometimes it’s not about profit generation. We’ve bought several financial advisor businesses in the past. And we’ve never done it as an upfront deal. It’s been 50%, then two lots of 25% over the next two years, and not tied to profitability. It is providing a service to hand over the business while introducing your clients to their new advisors because that’s the relationship your clients have with you.
MP: Sometimes industry sector can affect it. If you look at professional services – it’s hugely aggressive. We work for an accounting firm in that sector, and they will be looking, typically, at something between 60-75% upfront, and then the rest will be as an earn-out because they’re trying to encourage you to retain the ownership of the people in the business.
JG: Also, if the buyers’ market is less confident, as it has been in the last two or three years, with a lot of uncertainty around international markets, more of them will try to put more of the price on earn-out. We’ve seen a few offers that have been 50% cash, 50% earn-out, which isn’t as attractive to the seller.
We’re now just getting to the point where the market is starting to turn, and there’s going to be more pressure on buyers to be attractive to sellers. Therefore, more of the price will be upfront, and less will be on the earn-out.
SA: This ought to encourage the seller to stay engaged, as they have to pay all the tax at the point of completion, not upon receipt of cash. It’s partly mitigated by the fact that Capital Gains Tax (CGT) rates are relatively low at present. For the first million, assuming you’ve not had any other gains, it’s 10%. After that, it’s 20%.
All of the tax burden falls during the tax year that the deal happens, even if you don’t get paid for several years. If, ultimately, you don’t get the full proceeds, then you can claim that tax back later. But from a cash flow perspective, it can be tough.
MP: Also, tax should not be the tail that wags the dog. It’s not the driver when you’re looking at exiting your business.
MH: What else do I need to put in place before I ask my advisor to go to the market? Do I need my Intellectual Property (IP) documents in place so that everything I am selling is protected?
JG: We normally recommend that people do an audit of their business, and work out what the key value drivers are. Go through the whole of your business, check all your employment contracts, your IP, property ownership, title, deeds, everything. For most businesses, there are two or three things that are going to drive the value. Those are the areas you should focus on.
MH: What’s the difference between a management buyout (MBO) and an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT)?
MP: There are three types. One is a vendor-backed buyout, but with them choosing the management team. One is passing ownership to a trust where all the employees benefit in the future. And the other is a financial institution buying into the business.
The first is where the vendor is supporting the management team, probably through a combination of the company going to get bank debt into the business, releasing some of the equity into the seller’s pocket, and then over a period of time, transitioning and being paid out on that.
Most EOTs are exactly that, but the difference is that all the employees are engaged. And although you pay no CGT, the employees will suffer the tax on their exit. Fine from a seller’s point of view, less so from the buyer’s.
In the middle of that, you have the MBO. This is where a professional investor will be coming in and taking a stake in the business, backing the management team to buy that business. It gets quite involved as to how capital is raised to buy the business, but there are many ways of doing so.
MH: So looking at the various types of sales, how do I decide which is the best route?
JG: It genuinely depends on the circumstances, for buyer and seller. A management buyout may be a good route for you. Similarly, the option of supporting the management team during a transition may be attractive.
NL: Over the last few years, we’ve done what we call a partial exit, which is a softer version of an MBO. This is where the owners give up some of their equity stake to take a bit of cash off the table, while effectively retaining an equity interest in the business during the transition period from owner to management team.
JG: If you compare it to an earn-out, where a buyer is deferring a lot of your money in a management team situation like that, you’re dealing with people that you happen to know, and you can have a little bit more control over the process.
❛❛ When the deal goes through, for us, isn’t the end of the relationship –it’s merely the midpoint ❜❜
MH: So I’ve got a buyer for my business. My advisor has worked it all out and it sounds good. The next thing, Gregor, is ‘What do I do with the money?’
GW: Good question. When the deal goes through, for us, isn’t the end of the relationship – it’s merely the midpoint. The first issue is, how does the figure you’ve received match up against the lifestyle you’ve wanted? And if you’ve received more – brilliant!
What do you want to do with those surplus funds? Are you leaving extra assets legacy for your kids? Are you interested in a bit of philanthropy? Do you intend to set up a charitable foundation? Or are you just going to spend it all yourself? It’s about structuring it the right way.
One thing most people don’t realise is you’ve turned a very valuable asset that’s exempt from Inheritance Tax (IHT) into a pile of cash that isn’t exempt. With your £10m windfall, if you get hit by a bus, your kids are only going to get six of that. So it’s about how we structure that retirement income strategy around achieving what you want to do.
MH: What will be my tax liability on that?
SA: CGT is currently 10% up to a million, and then 20% over a million. And when you die, there’s no IHT to pay on the value of any shares you’ve handed on. Cash in the bank, however, is subject to IHT.
MH: What if I sell part of my business? The assets that you’re selling, that money is coming back into the business, then the only thing that it’s subject to is Corporation Tax. Is that correct?
SA: It depends. What we’re seeing more and more of is where you have a holding company and an operating company. In this instance, the holding company owns the operating company. If you sold the operating company, then because of Substantial Shareholder Relief (SSR), there will be no Corporation Tax for the holding company to pay.
MP: So you’re now locked with a cash shell. And it’s often referred to as a FIC – a Family Investment Company, which can then use that money to invest. It’s only when that money comes out of the FIC that you are taxed, and you’ll be taxed at Income Tax rates.
SA: It’s also prudent, if we’re talking about that kind of business structure, for people to look at how their businesses are organised. Have you got the right structure in place in terms of holding company subsidiaries?
If the holding company sells a trading company, then you can claim this SSR, so there isn’t any Corporation Tax. They’re just selling off that trading company to somebody else. The gross proceeds then go into the holding company, and you decide on what you’re going to do with that.
If you’re simply just going to liquidate that, then you’re exposing yourself to tax. Likewise, if you’ve converted the shares into cash, then you’ve got the same IHT exposure. However, if those assets remain in the company, depending on what that company does, there may be some relief in terms of IHT.
JG: In the difference between an asset sale and a share sale, most entrepreneurs and sellers want to share sale, because they will then receive the money personally, and they get the benefit of Business Asset Disposal Relief (BADR) – ideally 10% on the first million.
If a buyer says they want to buy the business and assets from your company, effectively meaning ‘everything’, the money will then come back into the company. That’s when you’ve got to decide what you want to do, in terms of which taxation route you are best off going down.
TALKING HEADS
MH: Are the rules on inheritance still the same; more than seven years before I die, and there’s no taxation?
GW: That’s linked to gifting. There are several options and solutions out there, and each has its own features, benefits, risks, and rewards. It is about tailoring that package to what’s right for the individual business.
‘Seven years’ is one option; there’s also a zero-year option where you can simply reinvest in an alternative investment fund that itself qualifies for business relief. So it is possible to make that instant IHT liability go away immediately. But that comes with a pretty high-risk investment strategy, which may not be suitable. In this case, you may be looking at seven-year solutions; combinations of gifting to kids, different types of trust, and so on. It’s going to be dictated, to a degree, by what amount of income and access the vendor wants from that capital sum.
NL: It’s about how to structure IHT savings, and deliver the income they want to have for the lifestyle that they desire. You then need to adapt that plan when it turns out they’ve developed some more expensive habits than they thought they had.
MH: When it comes to the sale assets, your spouse is entitled to 50% of revenue in the business, one presumes?
JG: It’s slightly different from that. But if you suddenly receive a large amount of money, and you then get divorced, the divorce rules will broadly say ’50%’.
SA: There are some owner-managed businesses where the woman is the leader and head of the company. However, from a tax planning perspective, some of the shares are held by the husband.
Then the business is sold. And they’re looking to claim BADR, to get this 10% rate. There are rules around the ownership of the shares – there is a minimum percentage and a minimum amount of time that you’ve owned those shares. In 2019, the rules were changed a bit, so that now you have to be an officer or employee; just being a shareholder of a business means you are not eligible for BADR. So if you’re just below any of those shareholder thresholds, you won’t get BADR, which may add a further 10% tax on your rateable amounts.
JG: Back with gifting, along similar lines, as you decide you want to give a couple of million quid to your children, are you comfortable with that? If they’re married, or if they’re going to get married, what are their partners like?
The planning can save an awful lot of emotional problems within families. Imagine you’ve spent the last 40 years building and running a business, you’ve been working hard on it, everyone’s had a good life, but you’re not a millionaire. At that point, you’ve now suddenly got £10m, and the way your family looks at you changes. So you have to plan, and let everyone know what’s happening, otherwise they’re all suddenly holding their hands out.
NL: In some respects, that is the starting point of all of this; they need to have those conversations.
GW: We actively canvass for the next generation –as a minimum – to be in the room for these conversations; with the vendor’s permission.
❛❛ Just because it looks like a good offer, don’t necessarily believe it is a good offer ❜❜
MH: I’d be interested in your final thoughts, including anything we may have missed.
SA: It is all about good advice, as early as possible. But it’s also about good relationships. So your lawyer, financial advisor, or accountant – before you bring in the people who are going to sell your business – is going to need to be the right advisors who know you and your business well enough to know your aspirations.
As an accountant, the due diligence will be all about what’s this number; what’s the accounting policy for this; VAT; PAYE; Corporation Tax, share schemes, ATED* (Annual Tax on Enveloped Dwellings), and so on.
*A residential property owned by a company
JG: The mindset of the owner is really important. You often see this when an owner gets an unsolicited approach. They’ll get a fantastic offer for their business and they suddenly think about selling when they haven’t prepared for it. Often those deals don’t end up happening because the seller isn’t ready to let the business go. A good advisor will try and control that process and say ‘We need a bit more time to prepare the data and get everything ready for you.’
MP: Just because it looks like a good offer, don’t necessarily believe it is a good offer. Additionally, a good buyer will never go away. They will have a corporate finance advisor because it makes the process easier for them. Unless something particular has happened to them on a macro level, they’ll always be there.
NL: When buyers are trying to push owners into selling the business, do they just want to buy it cheap? So the first thing you do is to talk to an advisor.
GW: We would always be really cautious about somebody who potentially relies on a future business. We always actively encourage people to do their financial planning on the assumption that a sale never happens. That way, if it does happen, fantastic. Meanwhile, even if that sale never materialises, you’ll have at least sorted out your future financial planning,
JG: Additionally, being prepared means if you want to exit your business, you have more options, so that if the first one doesn’t work, you’re ready for the next one. It facilitates a better exit.
MH: Thank you for your time. I greatly appreciate it.
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By Pam Loch, Loch Associates Group
Recruitment – is tapping into a global workforce the answer?
It will come as no surprise to hear that recruitment remains one of the biggest challenges businesses face in the UK. With an ageing population and a growing shortage of skilled workers in certain sectors and industries, more employers are tapping into –or considering how to access – an international talent pool. But what are the legal complexities and steps that employers need to consider and take to be compliant with current UK immigration laws?
UNDERSTANDING IMMIGRATION LAW
The primary legislation that governs immigration law in the UK is the Immigration Act 1971 introduced by a Conservative government under the leadership of Edward Heath. This Act, alongside the Immigration Rules, controls the legal framework for recruiting and retaining foreign nationals, with the key principle being that entry to the UK should be controlled, and permission given to enter and stay.
The Act and Rules require foreign nationals to have a ‘right to work’ with the correct permissions, and sets out the employer obligations to ensure they meet the established requirements
and restrictions surrounding migrant employment. This approach has continued in different ways but principally remained the same.
BROADENING THE HORIZON
Considering hiring foreign nationals can be a somewhat daunting step, but with the right support to help navigate employers through the process, organisations can reap significant benefits from this potential workforce.
WHAT ARE THE STEPS THAT NEED TO BE TAKEN?
To hire a migrant worker who doesn’t currently hold immigration status which allows them to work freely in the UK, organisations have to ‘sponsor’ their employment by gaining a licence from the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). This licence gives employers the opportunity to recruit foreign nationals under a number of visa options, with skilled worker visa and the global business mobility visa being the most common.
To become a sponsor, an organisation must first meet certain criteria and then comply with various obligations, such as record-keeping, monitoring and recording immigrant worker status.
❛❛ To become a sponsor, an organisation must first meet certain criteria and then comply with various obligations ❜❜
These reporting duties then need to be fed back to the UKVI to ensure ongoing compliance and management of migrant workers.
The business, in essence, takes on the duties of an Immigration Officer. A significant level of trust is held in the organisations which hold a sponsorship licence, and the UKVI expects those organisations to act in accordance with immigration laws, sponsorship guidance and wider UK law such as employment law.
RECENT LEGAL UPDATES
In April 2024, the Government published its Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules, driven by its manifesto commitment to reduce net migration to the UK and to encourage businesses to recruit domestic talent.
These changes increased the minimum general salary thresholds, from £26,200 to £38,700, for skilled worker visas, a change that is likely to financially impact employers looking to recruit more junior roles or, in specific sectors, hospitality and retail, for example. In addition, it also increased the going rate salary thresholds for individual occupation codes too.
Whilst these salary increases do not apply to immigrants entering the health and care sector, the changes did stipulate that only employers registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) can sponsor care skilled workers, and dependents of these workers were not permitted access to the UK.
Could a change in Government lead to further reforms to immigration? At the moment, we don’t think there will be significant changes to the way the immigration laws operate in general. Our view is that if Labour comes into power, fees may come down for migrant
recruitment and the thresholds and procedures could become more stringent.
Labour could also re-enact the resident labour market test, a formal test, designed by the Home Office but abolished in January 2021, to prevent a migrant worker being recruited over a domestic UK resident.
IS THE SPONSORSHIP LICENCE THE ONLY ROUTE FOR BUSINESSES?
No, certainly not. In 2021, the Graduate Visa route was introduced which enabled international students to work in any role or industry for up to two years once they had completed their undergraduate or master’s courses. This route was intended to make the UK a more desirable location for international students and to retain migrant talent to positively impact the UK economy.
With a number of leading universities in London and the South East, this route
removes the need for employers to obtain the sponsorship licence whilst accessing an engaged and diverse workforce. In addition, the two-year timeframe provides businesses with the opportunity to trial employees and up-skill with training and experience before assessing their long-term value and fit within their business, ahead of then progressing to a sponsorship route.
WE’RE HERE TO HELP
International recruitment can enable organisations to fulfil their recruitment needs by accessing this global skills pool and provide them with a rich tapestry of talent and diversity. But balancing immigration compliance with employment law and HR policies and practices can be a challenging and complex act. Our specialist team of solicitors and HR professionals can help you navigate this, advise you on the preparation and submission of a sponsorship application and assist your business in the recruitment and retention of migrant workers.
Contact them on
info@lochassociates.co.uk
Tel: 020 3667 5400 www.lochassociates.co.uk
Speedee Boarding, the annual (amateur) corporate paddle boarding competition, took place on June 14th at Hove Lagoon, and a great fun day was had by all
A different kind of board meeting altogether
Twenty-four Sussex companies each entered a team of four, and each team nominated their own charity to raise money for. Over £10,000 was raised on the day which is a tremendous boost for many local charities – and all while having fun.
Never have l seen so many people laughing on a Friday afternoon as there were spills, thrills and dramatic falls throughout the day. There were three heats and then the final, followed by the best fun of the day – the Demolition Derby, where the last man/woman standing won the ultimate prize. Sadly the Platinum Team did not cover themselves in glory but having succeeded well in the two heats, Platinum came eighth overall (lots of the team now looking for a new job!!)
Huge appreciation has to go to Neil Laughton and his team, who devised and organised the event, along with so many others in the region, and gave their time and effort into ensuring that the charities receive every penny raised.
HERE ARE THE RESULTS
PLATE FINAL
1st Evolve
2nd Stop Paddle Time
3rd WOLO
TROPHY FINAL (CHAMPIONS)
1st CCI Gatwick
2nd STB Sailors
3rd Ops Superstars
DEMOLITION DERBY FINAL
1st Andy Russell
2nd Ross Speight-Burns
3rd Chris Williams
Many thanks go to the sponsors: Oakley Properties, Rubix VT Lagoon Watersports, Viewz, Nettl Media Partner: Platinum Media Group
To get involved in next years event on June 13th 2025, contact neil@laughton.co – a great team building day, laugh a minute and raising money for charity – what’s not to like so GET INVOLVED!
Organiser Neil Laughton
This is what awaited the losers!
Team Platinum
Champagne and trophies for the winners
How much do I need to save for retirement?
If you’re approaching retirement, one of your biggest questions is likely to be, “Have I saved enough?”
There’s no golden rule for how much money you’ll need in retirement, as this depends on various factors such as your retirement age, plans, and how long you live. However, having a rough idea of how much income the average retiree needs and how to generate it, is a good place to start.
What do I need for a ‘comfortable’ retirement?
Research by the Pensions ansd Lifetime Savings Association suggests that to fund a ‘comfortable’ retirement, the average single person would need £43,100 a year and the average couple would need £59,000 a year (after tax)1. This equates to an approximate gross income of £51,000 for a single person or £67,600 for a couple.
Our own research found that a 66-year-old retiree with a £1m pension using income drawdown could withdraw £51,000 a year (gross) until age 94. This assumes 5% annual investment growth after fees and income increasing with 2% inflation.
For a pension worth £500,000, the withdrawals would only last until age 77.
How much income would an annuity provide?
As an alternative, someone buying an annuity at 66 could expect up to £60,000 gross annual retirement income from a £1m pension fund or around £30,000 a year from a £500,000 fund2
Annuity income is guaranteed for life, providing the same annual income regardless of longevity. In contrast, income drawdown involves investment risk – your fund could fall in value, and you risk running out of money if you live longer than expected. However, drawdown enables you to vary your income.
You could take a ‘mix-and-match’ approach, for example buying an annuity to generate some secure income, while using income drawdown for discretionary spending.
Think beyond your pension
Retirement income can come from sources besides just your pension.
ISAs do not benefit from tax relief on contributions. However, withdrawals are completely free from tax. ISAs can allow you to leave your pension untouched for your first years of retirement.
Other income sources to consider include cash savings accounts, shares, bonds, and property income, as well as the state pension, which is £221.20 per week for those who qualify for the full rate (2024/25 tax year).
Next steps
Determining how much money you need for retirement is no easy feat. A financial adviser can explain how to make up a shortfall, and advise on the most suitable strategy for you, based on your individual circumstances.
Taking some financial advice will help you feel confident you’re on track for a more secure financial future.
1 https://www.retirementlivingstandards.org.uk/
2 Annuity assumptions: single life, monthly in advance, no guarantee period, 2% indexation, non-smoker, standard (healthy) rates, payable for life. Quotes obtained from Iress on 30 April 2024.
I live and work local to you. I would be delighted to help you and your family achieve financial clarity and stability.
Paul Cannons Senior Investment Manager
E: paul.cannons@brewin.co.uk T: 01293 661323
RBC Brewin Dolphin, First Point, Buckingham Gate, Gatwick Airport, RH6 0NT W: brewin.co.uk/gatwick
The value of investments, and any income from them, can fall and you may get back less than you invested. This does not constitute tax or legal advice. Tax treatment depends on the individual circumstances of each client and may be subject to change in the future. Neither simulated nor actual past performance are reliable indicators of future performance. Information is provided only as an example and is not a recommendation to pursue a particular strategy. Information contained in this document is believed to be reliable and accurate, but without further investigation cannot be warranted as to accuracy or completeness. Forecasts are not a reliable indicator of future performance.
Drum roll please as we welcome Fentimans, taking centre stage as The Pop-Up Hotel’s exclusive soft drinks and mixer partner in time for the festival season.
By Sarah Lyons, Director of Marketing, Creative Pod
FENTIMANS The perfect mixer partner at the Pop-Up Hotel
Fentimans is a British luxury soft drinks mixer company with a rich heritage dating back to 1905. Renowned for its distinctive range of botanically brewed beverages, it combines traditional craftsmanship with innovative flavours to create drinks that delight the senses. From its iconic rose lemonade to its award-winning ginger beer, Fentimans’ commitment to quality and flavour has made it a favourite among discerning consumers worldwide.
Creative Pod is delighted to unveil a delicious collaboration between Fentimans, home of British botanically brewed beverages, and The Pop-Up Hotel, a luxury, boutique glamping accommodation ready for summer 2024.
❛❛ Fentimans is a British luxury soft drinks mixer company with a rich heritage dating back to 1905 ❜❜
Our team is thrilled to announce the sponsorship of the summer, brokered by Creative Pod’s sister company, ECHO International, a company which specialises in meaningful, long-term partnerships with renowned brands worldwide.
More than just a broker, ECHO is a global specialist in corporate sponsorship, brand activation and corporate advertising. ECHO gives the brands it works with bespoke opportunities and maximum exposure by marrying up brands with leading figures, events and opportunities.
www.weareecho.co.uk
ABOUT THE POP-UP HOTEL
The Pop-Up Hotel is one of the leading transient hotel providers in the UK, and was established in 2010 by Mark and Vicky Sorrill. The Pop-Up Hotel was born of Mark’s years of experience in managing property developments in the Caribbean, along with the couple’s passion for design and the drive to develop an authentic and immersive stay for guests.
In 2011, they launched their first pop-up for Glastonbury guests and have provided world-class experiential accommodation to ticket holders at festivals and events all over the world ever since, as well as celebrity weddings, press launches and corporate retreats. The largest pop-up to-date accommodated 8,000 guests.
The Pop-Up Hotel concept blends the thrill of glamping with all the comfort, service and facilities you’d expect from a luxury boutique hotel for a Glastonbury festival experience to remember. The Pop-Up Hotel’s Glastonbury luxe glamping experience includes creature comforts such as real beds, private showers and power to charge all-important devices.
The Pop-Up Hotel promises the finest, premium weekend stay for festivalgoers around the country, pushing the boundaries of luxe glamping. These hotels make the perfect hideaway for those who crave the comfort of a home-away-from-home, whilst getting the full festival experience.
Lucky guests get to tuck into breakfast hampers, brunches, feast nights, and even room service, carefully prepared by on-site chefs. Aching from the endless singing and dancing? Unwind in the spa or take a dip in the Pop-Up Hotel pool to cool off from the summer heat. After a long day of festival fun, guests can peacefully lay their heads in king-size beds inside fully furnished rooms complete with luxury interiors. You’ll never want to leave.
With a wide range of options, including Classic Room tents, Gypsy Caravans and Tenthouse Suites, which has multiple bedrooms and an ensuite, The Pop-Up Hotel’s facilities also include a bar and lounge area, restaurant, full-size swimming pool, dedicated car park and a Pop-Up Spa to cater for every whim.
www.thepopuphotel.com
❛❛ The Pop-Up Hotel concept blends the thrill of glamping with all the comfort, service and facilities you’d expect from a luxury boutique hotel ❜❜
Creative Pod’s Head of Commercial, James Turner, says, “This iconic partnership brings the ultimate festival flavours, creating the perfect balance between the pleasures of luxury camping and luscious Britishbrewed drinks in time for the most anticipated music event of the country. We couldn’t have paired a better duo.”
Talk about a match made in heaven!
Picture yourself relaxing under the summer sun at The Pop-Up Hotel’s premium alfresco bar and terrace whilst sipping on a tall glass of crisp, iconic rose lemonade, fiery ginger beer or refreshingly dry and crisp pink grapefruit tonic water, served by none other than Fentimans. Glamping guests are in for a mouthwatering treat.
Did you get your hands on a festival ticket this summer?
If you are a brand looking to sponsor an event or if you’re hosting an event and want to find the best sponsor for your audience, ECHO can help.
Get in touch with James at james@creativepod.uk.com www.fentimans.com
As we approach the end of another academic year, a new cohort of recent graduates are primed to join the workforce. Sussex Innovation’s Joseph Bradfield explores some of the benefits and challenges of hiring Gen Z employees
NEW STARTERS: hiring for generational difference
Situated as we are on the University of Sussex campus, every year at Sussex Innovation, we witness the progression of a new group of young people as they take their first steps into the world of work.
Many of our tenants take advantage of this close proximity to hire directly from the student body via work placements, graduate schemes, and the University’s CareerHub service. We also have close ties with the Careers, Employability and Entrepreneurship Team, and help to train and mentor a wide range of fresh talent who are keen to develop their enterprise skills as part of their education.
Many column inches in recent years have been dedicated to the idea of a ‘generational divide’ between the priorities, expectations and values that Gen Z demonstrate by their actions in the workplace and their career decisions. Are these real, measurable generational differences? And if so, how might employers think differently about their recruitment and retention practices to attract emerging talent?
THE BENEFITS OF MULTIGENERATIONAL TEAMS
Any HR expert will tell you that companies with a more diverse workforce are more likely to be successful, and having a multigenerational team is no different. Bringing together people with different perspectives and life experiences encourages more creative problemsolving and innovation, since different age groups are likely to approach similar challenges in completely different ways. Research by Gartner shows that companies with age-inclusive policies
and a wider distribution of ages improve team performance by up to 30%.
It’s not just that younger generations are digital natives, intuitively comfortable with emerging technologies – they have also been raised and educated within the context of a society that is always online. This experience enables them to recognise different cultural and communication norms, and apply a different kind of critical thought to the information they receive.
Many successful businesses encourage non-traditional mentoring – a two-way process where younger employees gain industry experience and institutional knowledge whilst sharing the benefits of these insights with older colleagues.
WHAT ARE GEN Z EMPLOYEES SEEKING?
Despite the prevailing discourse, Gen Z’s core motivations probably won’t sound too unfamiliar to other generations.
“Graduates’ desires and needs are still quite consistent – they want interesting jobs that fulfil their personal interests and motivations as well as meeting their future cost of living needs,” says Andy Howard, Careers Employability and Skills Manager at the University of Sussex. “Talking about Gen Z can be a useful lens to discuss and review the landscape that current graduates are experiencing, and consider the impact of evolving societal changes.”
❛❛ Any HR expert will tell you that companies with a more diverse workforce are more likely to be successful, and having a multigenerational team is no different ❜❜
❛❛ Research by Gartner shows that companies with age-inclusive policies and a wider distribution of ages improve team performance by up to 30% ❜❜
We are all part of a wider context that includes an increasing cost of living, climate crisis, global conflicts, challenges to democracy and human rights, and rapidly accelerating technological developments that are reshaping every part of our lives and work.
This sense of uncertainty can only amplify the more personal doubts and anxieties that all of us will have felt when taking the first steps in our careers. It’s no surprise that many graduates identify with the idea of working in sustainability, healthcare, social justice and emerging tech – the sectors that are set to have the biggest influence over their lives.
However, “clustering the needs of individuals as one homogenous generational group can also be limiting,” counsels Andy Howard. “There is some discourse that challenges an oversimplification of graduates’ needs.”
He points towards dissenting voices such as Tristram Hooley, Director of
the National Institute for Career Education and Counselling (NICEC), and a previous specialist adviser to the House of Commons Education Committee inquiry into career guidance, who tries to avoid broad generalisations about generational behaviours in careers and wider choices.
HOW CAN WE EQUIP GRADUATES FOR THE WORKPLACE IN 2024?
One of the benefits of growing up against a backdrop of unprecedented change is that today’s graduates have had to develop a unique capacity for adaptability and flexibility. As with every generation before them, the thing Gen Z need most critically is the opportunity to gain practical experience in the workplace and exercise those skills.
“We have responded to students’ needs to explore and experience real-world work situations to help them test their career ideas and make well informed decisions based on their experiences,” says Andy Howard. “We invest in
inclusive and paid work experience opportunities, promoting around 3,000 placements and internships each year, and partnering with local organisations to run student consultancy projects that prioritise sustainability issues.”
A Prospects early careers survey in 2022 suggested that the pandemic has increased young people’s willingness to regularly change jobs, with 48% indicating that they would move on if they couldn’t see an opportunity to develop and grow with their current employer.
Although not all businesses can offer graduates the opportunity to work in desirable, fulfilling or purpose-led industries such as creative arts, healthcare, psychology and public services, this statistic shows how they may still build a desirable employer brand. Organisations that invest in early career training and mentoring programmes, and those which signpost a clear pathway for career progression continue to have the best chance of attracting and retaining talent.
www.sussexinnovation.co.uk
After the pigeon population exploded at Oxford United Football Club, the management knew it had to take action
By Paul Bates, Managing Director, Cleankill
Hawks help to keep seats clean for Oxford United fans
Fans were being affected with some having to move seats due to pigeon mess, despite the seats being cleaned a few hours earlier. The problem came to a head during ‘sell out’ matches when there were no spare seats to move supporters to.
The solution is fl ying Harris hawks to scare and unsettle the pigeons, and it’s proving a huge success.
The structure of the Oxford United stadium offers perfect roosting and nesting opportunities for the pigeons. The worst mess was in the corners of the stadium where the seats offer some of the best views.
Andrew Taylor, Senior Safeguarding and Matchday Operations Manager, explains, “The pigeon problem had never really been addressed as all the solutions we were presented with were unaffordable with the club’s budgets being so tight.
“Fortunately, I met Mark Pretty from Cleankill Pest Control and he came up with an affordable plan to help us get on top of the problem. It includes
a combination of using Harris hawks as a deterrent, bird proofi ng to make it harder for the birds to nest and a cleaning regime.”
The strategy is proving a success with good feedback from the club’s supporters’ group. After an initial burst of 10 sessions with the hawks, the visits were carried out three times a week, and are now once a week.
“Getting the pigeon situation under control gives us one less thing to worry about especially on match days as we’ve recently had the stadium at full capacity,” Andrew added.
Paul Bates, Managing Director of Cleankill Pest Control said: “We are delighted to be working with Oxford United FC especially at such an exciting time for the club. We have many staff who are passionate about football and
it’s great to be involved with the sport in this way.
“With Oxford United’s recent promotion to the EFL Championship for the first time in 25 years following their 2-0 victory over Bolton Wanderers at Wembley it will be especially important that the problem is kept under control.”
Cleankill has been solving pest problems for commercial customers since 2005. It is a long-standing member of The British Pest Control Association and has a range of accreditations including: SafeContractor; Achilles Health and Safety, ConstructionLine; ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and Altius Elite Vendor status and Gold Investors in People.
Key to Cleankill’s approach is focusing on solving problems rather than selling a service, offering the best possible service and exceeding customer expectations.
Cleankill prefers to focus on ‘green’ pest control methods and natural pest control. It is the only pest control company to be a corporate member of the Bat Conservation Trust and regularly works with Natural England, the RSPB and beekeepers to make sure bees are not harmed.
As registered waste carriers, Cleankill can carry out full-scale removal of bird fouling, as well as contaminated goods and furniture, from infested properties.
For a free survey or cost comparison go to www.cleankill.co.uk
LED BY DONKEYS
By Maarten Hoffmann
DISCLAIMER:
All views stated here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this publication
Immigration was a hot topic for this election, regardless – given the time of writing this – of the winner, and seems to be equally as hot across Europe and the US. The problem we currently face is the total lack of any workable policy is about to drag us all back 60 years - and all in the space of ten years.
We are in danger of being dragged back into the dark old days of fascism, xenophobia, and racial supremacism. I could go back centuries but if we go back to the end of WW1 (1918), this can seen as
the start of fascism across Europe as people yearned for national unity and strong leadership. In addition, following the 1929 Stock Market crash, mass unemployment and social turmoil opened the door to Marxist and Socialist parties. This is where Mussolini and Hitler rose from, playing on Europe’s fears, and glorified the state over the individual. And we all know how that ended.
But here we are again. Across Europe, the far right is on the rise, polling higher
❛❛ We are in danger of being dragged back into the dark old days of fascism, xenophobia, and racial supremacism ❜❜
and higher every year, and now set to get a foothold in the UK (Farage), in the Netherlands (Wilders) and across France (LePen). Right now, with Macron calling the snap election, LePen could be in power before this magazine even comes out.
We are in very dangerous territory.
The reason is as clear as day – a lack of any political statesmen, unworkable policies and astoundingly weak leadership when it comes to immigration. And let’s not fool ourselves, this IS about immigration. But at the core, it is about illegal immigration, and allowing anyone to turn up on the beaches of Europe, gain entrance, full rights, housing and free cash. Surely l am not the only one that saw this happening in slow motion.
ANGER MANAGEMENT
❛❛ l recognise that we desperately need immigration to keep this country going… but this unchecked illegal immigration is leading us down a path from which there is no return ❜❜
The vast majority of Brits are not racist but the mass influx of mainly poor, uneducated immigrants has turned a tide and we are heading into bedlam. In the south, we see little of the problem but travel north of Watford and it becomes clear with hundreds of immigrants roaming the streets with nothing to do, and in shock and awe at the way we live in the west. For the Muslim immigrants, this produces shock and disgust with girls walking around in skimpy outfits, porn available at the touch of a button, obscene wealth on conspicuous display and such a lack of strong, competent policing that this leads to uncontrolled anger and protest and the ultimate, the loud call for the establishing of sharia law.
I can see how this raises hackles that turn into anger. Just go onto Twitter and see the riots across the country, the ripping down of crosses on churches, the violence in the streets, the increase in sexual offences and the ridiculously overstretched public services. The Israeli war against Hamas has just thrown petrol onto the fi re and there are now groups of Muslim men actively roaming the streets of many cities looking for Jews to attack.
GP surgeries are hardest hit with over 700,000 immigrants registering with doctors in just 2020. A new home has to be built every fi ve minutes in the UK just to keep up with the housing requirements,andthecostofillegalimmigration is estimated to be £13 billion per year, rising by £8 million per day.
In 2023, 1.2 million people came to this country, and 532,000 left, making a net migration figure of 685,000. That's the population of Liverpool or Manchester. Of these, 52,530 were illegal
This only deepens concerns about the way in which immigration is leading rapid cultural and societal change. As the former integration Czar Baroness Louise Casey has said, some areas have changed ‘beyond recognition’ in a very short space of time. Indeed, this process is accelerating, with a number of communities fi nding that their local way oflifeisbeingveryrapidlychanged.
ANGER MANAGEMENT
Many also believe that the abysmal failure to effectively control immigration on the part of the government is having a harmful impact on public safety and on fundamental British values such as freedom of expression and religion, as well as equality of opportunity for women and for those in the LGBTQ+ community.
Like most right minded people, l recognise that we desperately need immigration to keep this country going and the racial mix is healthy for a solid, grounded society, but this unchecked illegal immigration, which is rapidly increasing the support of the far right, is leading us down a path from which there is no return.
Dumping hundreds of illegal migrants into a small British town was never going to end well, yet politicians have been unable to check it and then lecture the public on tolerance and understanding. The UK is already one of the most crowded countries in Europe by people per square mile.
The answer is obvious – stop all illegal migration and make legal migration far, far easier. Sadly, we do not have any UK politicians able or willing to do this, and therefore the far right have an open goal
– and they will not hesitate to capitalise on the void that remains. When this happens, we will all be victims of the far right, and you will not like what you see.
Remember these famous leaders who came to power out of just this void –Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Francisco Franco, Oswald Mosley, Ante Pavelic, Jair Bolsonaro, Viktor Orban, Donald Trump, Nigel Farage…
Note: If l were living dirt poor in a third world country, l would be on one of these boats quick smart, for a better life for me and my family. This is NOT the fault of the migrants, rather a void of political leadership in the West. If the West poured the billions of pounds spent trying to cope with them into redeveloping third world countries, this would not be happening.
❛❛ The answer is obvious – stop all illegal migration and make legal migration far, far easier ❜❜
When considering a safari in Africa, South Africa, Botswana, and Kenya stand out. These destinations offer a distinct tapestry of wildlife, landscapes, and cultural experiences – and it can be hard to choose. Here we see a snapshot of each. By
Tess de Klerk
COMPARING SAFARI DESTINATIONS
SOUTH AFRICA
WILDLIFE AND PARKS
South Africa boasts a rich diversity of safari experiences, anchored by the iconic Kruger National Park. Kruger is renowned for its ‘big five’ (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, rhino) and offers accessible game viewing through well-maintained roads and a variety of accommodations ranging from luxury lodges to self-catering camps. Beyond Kruger, private reserves like Sabi Sands and Timbavati provide exclusive safari opportunities with knowledgeable guides and trackers, enhancing the wildlife experience.
UNIQUE OFFERINGS
What sets South Africa apart is its many safari options. For families and those who don’t want to take anti-malarial tablets, parks like Kwandwe and Addo Elephant National Park offer excellent wildlife viewing in malaria-free zones. Addo is notable for its ‘big seven’, which includes southern right whales and great white sharks, adding a marine dimension to the safari experience.
LANDSCAPE AND INFRASTRUCTURE
South Africa’s landscapes vary from savannahs and mountains to coastal regions, with the Garden Route being a scenic blend of forests, beaches, and lagoons. Well-developed infrastructure makes it convenient to get around and you can easily move between different safari destinations. For example, a flight from Cape Town to Hoedspruit will get you from the south of the country to the north in two and a half hours.
BOTSWANA
PRISTINE WILDERNESS
Botswana is celebrated for its pristine wilderness areas, notably the Okavango Delta – a UNESCO World Heritage site. The delta’s seasonal flooding creates a unique ecosystem supporting an abundance of wildlife, and offering water-based safaris including mokoro excursions and boat safaris. Botswana’s commitment to low-impact tourism ensures exclusive and sustainable safari experiences, attracting luxury travellers wanting authentic experiences with minimal environmental impact.
NATIONAL PARKS AND CONSERVATION
Chobe National Park, known for its large elephant herds and river cruises along the Chobe River, and Moremi Game Reserve within the delta, offer a blend of land and water-based activities. These parks exemplify Botswana’s dedication to conservation and eco-tourism, limiting visitor numbers to preserve the pristine nature of the habitats.
ACCOMMODATION AND LUXURY Accommodation in Botswana ranges from luxurious lodges in remote locations to more budget-friendly options in gateway towns like Maun and Kasane. However, Botswana offers far fewer options than South Africa for those on a tight budget.
❛❛ Botswana’s commitment to conservation ensures sustainable tourism practices, preserving the natural environment for future generations ❜❜
KENYA
ICONIC SAFARI EXPERIENCES
Kenya is synonymous with classic African safaris, often in the Maasai Mara National Reserve. The Mara is famed for the annual wildebeest migration, a spectacle of millions of herbivores crossing from the Serengeti into the Mara, accompanied by dramatic river crossings and predator action. Other reserves, like Amboseli and Samburu, offer unique wildlife encounters against the
backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro and rugged northern landscapes.
CULTURAL HERITAGE
Kenya enriches the safari experience with its vibrant cultural heritage, particularly through interactions with the Maasai people. Lodges and camps often collaborate with local communities to offer cultural exchanges, adding a deeper layer of understanding to Kenya’s traditions and way of life.
ACCESSIBILITY AND ACCOMMODATION
Kenya’s infrastructure supports easy access to popular safari destinations like the Mara and Amboseli, with a range of accommodations from luxury lodges to more affordable options. This diversity ensures that Kenya caters to a wide spectrum of travellers, from luxury seekers to budget-conscious adventurers.
TRAVEL
LET’S COMPARE
WILDLIFE DIVERSITY
South Africa and Kenya both offer rich biodiversity, including the ‘big five’. Kenya stands out with the Great Migration, while South Africa’s diversity is a big plus. Botswana offers something unique with its Okavango Delta water way safaris.
CONSERVATION
Botswana leads in offering exclusive and low-impact safari experiences, particularly in the Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park. This commitment to conservation ensures sustainable tourism practices, preserving the natural environment for future generations.
CULTURAL IMMERSION
Kenya comes out top in cultural interactions, prominently with the Maasai people, enriching the safari experience with insights into local traditions. South Africa also offers cultural experiences, particularly along the Garden Route and in regions like KwaZulu-Natal but they may be less rooted in tradition. In Botswana, the San people guide interpretative walks.
❛❛ While each country has its own blend of beauty and experiences, a visit to any one of them will leave you with impressions to last a lifetime ❜❜
INFRASTRUCTURE AND ACCESSIBILITY
South Africa has the most developed infrastructure, facilitating easy travel between safari destinations. Kenya follows with well-maintained roads in popular areas, while Botswana, though less developed, compensates with luxury-focused tourism and exclusive safari experiences.
BUDGET AND ACCOMMODATION
South Africa offers the broadest range of accommodation, hosting both luxury and budget-conscious travellers. Botswana leans towards luxury options but provides some budget-friendly choices in gateway towns. Kenya balances both ends of the spectrum, ensuring there’s something for most budgets.
While each country has its own blend of beauty and experiences, a visit to any one of them will leave you with impressions to last a lifetime. Mother Africa’s splendour will leave you dreaming of returning again and again.
Botswana waterway safari
Timbavati kamp within Kruger National Park
PLATINUM
By Motoring Editor, Maarten Hoffmann
Aston Martin DBX
The DBX is Aston’s first SUV in its 100-plus years of history. And more importantly for its future, it’s an attempt to insert itself into global markets such as China, the Middle East and the USA –places deeply attached to the idea of Big Vehicle Status.
It is also a stab at making a genuinely useable, practical, everyday Aston. The DBX is built at a production facility in Wales. Having been originally launched in 2020, it was facelifted in mid-2024, and all engines are supplied by Mercedes.
It has been proven, despite massive reservations, that you can build a highriding SUV supercar, such as the Lamborghini Urus, Maserati Levante,
Porsche Cayenne and Ferrari Purosangue. Now it’s Aston’s time to have a crack at it - and they have made a bloody good fist of it.
Being the petrolhead I’m purported to be, l had to review the fast one (none are exactly slow). The DBX707 is a total monster with 697bhp and 663lb ft of torque. The 707 uses different turbos with additional cooling to create that power. ‘The world’s most powerful luxury SUV’ is the claim. Or rather, it was – until the 715bhp Ferrari Purosangue arrived on the scene.
The facelift didn’t actually result in many mechanical changes, so you still get the same engine and Merc-made nine-
❛❛ Get angry, and it is akin to a fighter jet on full take-off thrust, so stamp the ‘go’ pedal and hold on… ❜❜
speed auto gearbox combo. The triple-chamber air springs and active dampers have been tweaked so that there’s a little more body control, and the exhaust wakes up earlier to provide more noise at lower RPMs. When it was new, the 707 gained a bigger grille at the front, a larger diffuser at the rear and a load of other details over the standard DBX.
We’re told there’s also slightly more steering assistance in GT mode to make motorway driving that little bit more comfortable, and the 0-60mph time has actually dropped from 3.3 seconds to 3.1 seconds.
The Urus was the most powerful and aggressive SUV l had ever driven until the 707 arrived as, when pushed, it is a thunderous monster of a car. It’s noisy and fun, practical and interesting, imposing and challenging. As far as 4x4s go, perhaps only the Purosangue is more addictive.
P LATINUM
It has five drive modes – GT; Sport; Sport+; Individual and Terrain, and the air suspension has a fighting chance of dealing with whatever you throw at it. On the motorway, it’s calm and sure-footed, with surprisingly little wind noise, and 25mph is a decent average. Get angry, and it is akin to a
fighter jet on full take-off thrust, so stamp the ‘go’ pedal and hold on, and it is insanely fast with huge mid-range shove, with 0-60 in 3.1 – and 193mph at the top end. Caution: do not look at the fuel gauge when you do the above, unless you have a defibrillator onboard!
TECH STUFF
MODEL TESTED: Aston DBX707
POWER: 697 bhp
SPEED: 0-62 - 3.1 secs
TOP: 193 mph
ECONOMY: 19-25 mpg
PRICE FROM: £208,500
The key to such power is the chassis. In the 707, there’s a huge, seemingly neverending amount of grip that allows you to corner at speeds that really shouldn’t be possible in a 2.2-tonne SUV. On a B-road, this thing can scare you like a supercar. Stick it in Sport mode, and the air suspension hunkers down, the exhaust flaps open and you get a proper manual mode for gear changes with slender flappy paddles behind the new steering wheel.
If you really insist on taking this car off-road, drop it into Terrain mode, which raises the suspension 45mm and tweaks the differential, and it will handle it pretty well. But really, why?
Inside is a nice place to be with no obvious issues (now they have fixed the awful infotainment system), comfy seats, good headroom, and room for five with a superb palette of colours and materials. If money is no object, you can go full James Bond and special order through Aston’s ‘Q Department’ (get it?), and have, basically, anything your heart desires.
Having dumped the Mercedes infotainment system, Aston has produced its own 12.3” touchscreen – and it’s very good. The stock stereo is an 800-watt, 14-speaker system. However, a Bowers & Wilkins upgrade is available and that’s capable of blowing the windows out.
Aston has managed to make it look pretty good, unlike the Rolls Royce Cullinan, for example (the ugliest car on planet Earth which l have refused to review on numerous occasions), bulletproof Mercedes engine, great exhaust note and it goes like stink.
What’s not to like?
Power your business differently with the Mercedes-Benz electric range. If you’re looking to purchase more than one car, you may be eligible for our multi-car offers*. All our electric cars deliver distance and performance with ranges from 211 to 441
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR WOMEN
KRESTON REEVES
The economic clouds are lifting
TRAVEL
Mother Africa’s
Guardians
The female silver lining
WINE & DINE
Bancone
Borough Market The new President-Elect of Mexico
Claudia Sheinbaum
8
FEATURE
Keep smiling through Alison Jones of Kreston Reeves feels that we may well have experienced the worst, and that businesses will now have a better chance of prosperity going forward
10
BIG STORY
Claudia Sheinbaum
Dynamic looks at the career path of the first woman in a notoriously patriarchal country to be elected President of Mexico
28
WELLBEING
A silver lining?
New research has highlighted that contrary to previous beliefs, many women perform better during their period
Susan B. Anthony
PLATINUM
REGULARS
News
6 Upfront: The top international news stories involving women in business
18 In The Right Direction: Good news stories from around the world
Charities
16 Optimism on the horizon
Chris Martin notes that the majority of young professionals feel confident about AI
Spotlight
26 Mirela Sula
Dynamic focuses on Mirela Sula, best-selling author and CEO and Founder of Global Woman
27 Naomi Roberts
The Co-Founder of Flare Audio, tells the story of her journey to be the head an award-winning company
Further Reading
30 Reviews of books by Kate Griggs and others on the subject of neurodiversity
Art Scene
32 Kellie Miller discusses the works of Alexa Weill
Fine Dining
36 Bancone – an exquisite Italian restaurant in Borough Market, London
What’s On
38 A brief snapshot of art and culture cross Sussex and Surrey
INTERVIEW
20 Callie – My Journey to Womanhood
Maarten Hoffmann chats with Aspiring HR’s Liz Beck and her daughter Callie. Callie always felt she was born into the wrong body, and tells her story exclusively to Platinum
❛
❛ If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair Shirley Chisholm
TRAVEL
34 Meet the women who fight poachers and prejudice
HEAD OF DESIGN: Michelle Shakesby design@platinummediagroup.co.uk
SUB EDITOR: Alan Wares alan@platinummediagroup.co.uk
Financial advice, built around you.
• Personal finance advice
• Retirement planning
• Business support
• Generational planning
• Tax year-end advice
I’m proud to represent both male and female clients. And, while it goes without saying that both can experience the same stressors, there’s no avoiding the fact that women face several unique challenges.
My 20 years’ experience has shown that women can therefore greatly benefit from highly personalised financial advice, which takes these challenges into account. This is why I’m so passionate about empowering women with the confidence and tools to help them achieve their long-term financial goals.
So, whatever your financial journey so far, let me give you the guidance, support, and stability to help you plan a happy and financially secure life.
EDITOR’S NOTE
is month we’re delighted to feature the rst female president-elect of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, in our Big Story. It feels as if a country, traditionally steeped in misogyny, has taken a huge step forwards by electing Claudia. She openly identi es as a feminist, and aligns her beliefs and actions with the principles of gender equality and women’s rights.
MaartenHo mann carries out a heart-warming interview with Callie, the de nitive answer to the question ‘Can someone be born in the wrong body?’ ere can be little doubt after reading this feature.
In Spotlight, we hear from Mirela Sula, who works at giving women a voice through her company, Global Women. We also feature Naomi Roberts, who shares her story of developing her company, Flare Audio, from a passion project into the success it is today.
Our Wellbeing section brings you surprising research aimed at challenging societal assumptions about women’s capabilities during menstruation, while Travel highlights the incredible female rangers and anti-poaching units operating across Africa. Women lling these positions are still an oddity but that changes when women are given opportunities in this eld.
Of the 11 million people considered by the government to be ‘economically inactive’, a significant number state that they cannot afford the childcare costs if they return to work.
The availability of places at nurseries and childminders has worsened for pre-school children across all age groups in Great Britain, a report says. Fewer than one in three (29%) councils have enough spaces for children under two, down from 42% last year, Coram Family and Childcare found.
Parents say they are having to travel longer distances and even borrow money to meet childcare costs. The problem is exacerbated as the early-years sector has been struggling with underfunding and a severe shortage of qualified staff.
UPFRONT
THE LATEST BULLETINS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
EXETER NAMED CHAMPION FOR WOMEN IN ECONOMICS
The University of Exeter Business School is supporting a Royal Economic Society initiative to champion the careers of women in Economics. It is the first institution to be named a UK Women in Economics Network (WEN) Champion, a status that demonstrates commitment to the career development of UK-based women in Economics and to furthering diversity, equality and inclusion efforts within the discipline. The 12-month partnership will see the Business School at the University of Exeter support UK WEN activities as well as collaborate on events. “We are proud to be the first UK WEN Champion!” said Professor Loukas Balafoutas, Head of the Economics Department at the University of Exeter Business School.
❛ ❛Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement; nothing can be done without hope
Helen Keller, writer, 1903
WOMEN POORLY PORTRAYED IN MARKETING
The advertising and film industries are under-representing women over the age of 40, according to researchers at the University of Birmingham’s Business School. According to the work, which has been published in a book entitled ‘Responsible Marketing for Wellbeing’, the female experience is not accurately represented. Author Dr Julie Whiteman argues that portrayals of women can be broken down into younger desirable women, the ‘sexy oldie’ who rejects her ageing and the ‘asexual older woman’ who is not seen as desirable or attractive. She also highlights that women who do not fit into those categories are being symbolically annihilated by “patriarchal marketing”. “Marketers are among the people who create the media, and they have a responsibility to create definitions that challenge negative and damaging stereotypes, if not lead the way in creating positive visions that foster inclusivity,” she added.
FEWER WOMEN BEING HIRED INTO SENIOR ROLES
The number of women being hired into senior leadership positions is on the decline globally, according to new data from LinkedIn, published in the World Economic Forum’s 2024 Global Gender Gap Report.
In 2023, only 36.9% of leadership hires were women, down from 37.5% the previous year, and this worrying trend has continued into 2024, with just 36.4% as of April. This erosion of progress is particularly concerning as it coincides with economic uncertainty, highlighting the systemic imbalances that disproportionately impact women in the workforce.
The United Kingdom mirrors the global pattern. The share of women hired into leadership roles fell from 37.8% in 2022 to 37.1% in 2024.
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❛ I never dreamed about success. I worked for it
Estée Lauder
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Friends. Sisters. Mothers. Professors. When women affi rm women, it unlocks our power. It gives us permission to shine brighter
Elaine Welteroth, Author, Journalist, Editor & Television Host
FASTEST GROWING FEMALE-LED UK BUSINESSES
E2E, in association with The Independent, unveiled the ‘E2E Female 100 Track’, a definitive index recognising the exceptional achievements of the 100 fastest-growing femaleled or founded businesses in the UK, based on their growth rates over the past three years. Here is the top ten…
88% Darina Garland
Ooni Ltd, Chatham
83% Alison Doherty
81%
75%
67%
62%
61%
60%
58%
57%
Sarah Raven’s Kitchen & Garden Ltd, Marlborough
Fateha Begum
Dare International Ltd, London
Cheryl Williams
Yorkshire Wildlife, Doncaster
Caroline Fox
Twin Training International Ltd, London
Dr. Angie Ma
Faculty Science Ltd, London
Katy Wigdahl
Cantab Research Ltd, Cambridge
Esme Bianchi-Barry
Affinity Workforce Solutions Ltd, London
Dominique Kent
Bluecrest Wellness, Worthing
Lucy Hutchinson
Mous Products Ltd, Eastleigh
EXPECTED FIRST FEMALE CHANCELLOR RECEIVES BUSINESS SUPPORT
More than a dozen leading UK businesswomen have signed a joint letter welcoming the idea of Labour’s Rachel Reeves becoming the first female Chancellor of the Exchequer, saying it would help bring a new perspective to economic policymaking.
In another payoff from the long efforts made by Reeves and Keir Starmer to court corporations and the City, the assorted Chief Executives and Founders said they had all met the Shadow Chancellor and “appreciated her openness to business, and her commitment to a genuine plan for economic growth”.
It follows a letter signed by 121 business leaders published in the Times in May, shortly after the election was called, saying it was “time for a change” in central government.
By ALISON JONES, Partner at Kreston Reeves
KEEP SMILING THROUGH
The recent coverage of the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings was, for me, a poignant reminder that, no matter how bad the years building up to that date had been, people never gave up hope. It was a turning point in the war and from that day onwards, there was an end in sight.
In the words of an icon of that time Dame Vera Lynn: ‘keep smiling through, just like you always do, ‘til the blue skies chase those dark clouds far away.’ How poignant those words are when we look back and reflect on the adversity they faced.
Fast forward to the present day, and these words also relate to conversations I am having with business owners right now. I think many can be forgiven for hoping that their own turning point is finally approaching as, let’s face it, economically it has been four tough years.
There are already some positive, tangible economic signs to take encouragement from, and not all business sectors in the region are struggling. IT, engineering, marketing and PR are sectors which all seem to be doing well now, and more able to make headway, achieve growth and greater profitability.
Th is time last year, I was writing about how business owners should tackle inflation which had reached a high of 11.1% in October 2022. It has now dropped to 2.3%, and it is expected to fall to around 2.2% by the end of this year. Also predicted to fall are interest rates, with experts expecting them to be 4.75% by the end of the year.
These are the turning points which many businesses have needed for that cautious optimism to return, but there is still a long way to go for some individual business sectors, and I want to encourage business owners in these sectors to hang on in there, as I believe there will be a turning point for them soon.
Hospitality businesses still have many challenges ahead of them as they have been affected so much following Covid, the cost-of-living crisis, the effect of the war in Ukraine, train strikes and bad weather over the past couple of years.
That said we have a summer of festivals and events taking place across the county, including Brighton Pride from August 2nd-5th, which is still the largest Pride festival in the UK, and the national and international events which bring us all together, such as the European Championships football tournament and the Paris Olympics.
There are already some positive, tangible economic signs to take encouragement from…
It was also encouraging to see businesses in this sector working together recently and using the bodies that represent them to give them a stronger voice nationally, so that government continues to understand the challenges they face.
Charities is another sector where many are struggling due to the increase in demand for their services during the pandemic, and now the cost-of-living crisis, whilst many have had their funding cut.
I would encourage businesses in both these sectors to give some thought now to the next few months and what they can do to get to the end of the year without further issues arising unexpectedly.
We don’t yet know the outcomes of the various elections here in the UK, in Europe and in the US later this year. However, we can expect that there are going to be changes, so thinking about these outcomes and the risks they present to your business are important.
Charities already need to have a risk register but it is good practice for all businesses to have them and to plan how they will respond if the risk happens. Th is risk can present as a rise in the minimum wage, additional taxes or changes to the movement of goods / people in and out of the UK. Once you have identified the risk, you can put a plan in place to deal with it and understand if there is a cost implication for your business which could impact your pricing model. Controlling costs is still a key issue for many businesses.
Equally, are you ready to scale up to take advantage of new opportunities when they arise? We know in many sectors it is still difficult to recruit staff but is there anything you can change about your existing hiring practices now that mean you can draw on a bigger pool of people when you need them?
I want to encourage business owners in these sectors to hang on in there, as I believe there will be a turning point for them soon
Have you explored opportunities for diversifying your business? For example, if you are a restaurant owner, have you considered whether you could hire out your restaurant to a ‘pop up’ kitchen on your closed days? Or can you work in partnership with others to host something new and different which showcases your food to a new audience?
The point I am making is I believe we are now at the point where the clouds are lifting and there should be more certain and predictable times ahead. Make sure you and your business are ready to make the most of it. After a storm, the sun shines more brightly and I am sure I can see its fi rst rays on the horizon.
Alison Jones can be contacted at:
Call: +44 (0)33 0124 1399
Email: enquiries@krestonreeves.com
Visit: www.krestonreeves.com
A politician, scientist, and academic, she is now the president-elect of Mexico; the first woman to be elected to the position
Mexico’s first female president CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM
According to Spanish national daily newspaper, El País, in a survey about sexism in Mexico, 75% believe that the Latin American country is either ‘somewhat’ or ‘very’ sexist. Offering their opinions based on perceptions, rather than any previous experience, 71% of Mexicans also feel that a woman will make the economy better, while 64% feel that women would make a better fist of fighting against corruption. Conversely, as many as 35% of those asked said the country was ‘not ready’ for a female leader.
In a country that is well aware of its sexist attitudes, Mexico has just met its paradox. At the General Election, held June 2nd 2024, Mexicans strongly confirmed the ascension of Claudia Sheinbaum to President of the United Mexican States – to give the nation its official title – the first female to hold that title.
Dynamic looks at Claudia’s rise, and Mexico’s slow but sure social awakening.
Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo was born in Mexico’s eponymous capital on June 24th 1962. A politician, scientist, and academic, she is now the president-elect of Mexico; the first woman to be elevated to such a position. As a member of the left-wing National Regeneration Movement (Morena), the current ruling party, she takes office on October 1st.
PERSONAL LIFE
Born into a Mexican Jewish family, her paternal Ashkenazi grandparents emigrated from Lithuania to Mexico City in the 1920s. Her maternal Sephardic grandparents emigrated from Bulgaria in the early 1940s to escape the Holocaust. Religion was very much part of family life, growing up.
All of her immediate family are also academics. Her parents are scientists; her mother, Annie, is a biologist and professor emeritus at the Faculty of Sciences at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Her father, Carlos, was a chemical engineer. Claudia has two siblings – her older brother, Julio, is a physicist and physical oceanography researcher at the Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education at Ensenada, in Baja California, northern Mexico. Her younger sister, Adriana, is a teacher who lives in the US.
She married Carlos Imaz in 1987, with whom she has a daughter, born a year later. They separated in 2016 when she started dating Jesús María Tarriba, a financial risk analyst. They married in November 2023.
EDUCATION
Claudia studied physics at UNAM, where she earned an undergraduate degree in 1989. She earned a master’s degree in 1994, and a Ph.D. in 1995 in energy engineering from the same university.
She completed the work for her Ph.D. thesis between 1991 and 1994 at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California. While working for the laboratory, she analysed the use of energy in the Mexican transport system and published studies on the trends in Mexican energy use.
In 1995, she joined the faculty at the Institute of Engineering at UNAM. She was a researcher there, and is a member of both the Sistema Nacional de Investigadores (National System of Researchers) and the Mexican Academy of Sciences.
In 2006, Claudia returned to UNAM after a period in government and began publishing articles in scientific journals. In 2007, she was a major contributing author to various assessment reports for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). She has authored over 100 articles and two books on energy, the environment, and sustainable development.
Claudia with her second husband, Jesús María Tarriba
Mexico City skyline
EARLY POLITICAL CAREER
Claudia immersed herself in politics from an early age. During her time as a student at UNAM, she was a member of the Consejo Estudiantil Universitario (‘University Student Council’), a group of students that would become the founding youth movement of the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD).
Flitting her time between academia and politics, from 2000 to 2006, she served as Secretary of the Environment under future President Andrés Manuel López Obrador during his tenure as Head of Government of Mexico City. She was mayor of the Tlalpan (a borough within the capital) from 2015 to 2017. She was elected Head of Government of Mexico City in the 2018 election, where she ran a campaign that featured curbing crime and enforcing zoning laws.
Her open support for women and feminism is quite a belligerent statement in a country steeped in regressive misogynistic culture
LOCAL GOVERNMENT POLICIES
As part of her administration’s education policy, the Mi Beca para Empezar (‘My Scholarship to Start’) programme was created for 1.2 million students, from preschool to secondary education, and later elevated to constitutional law in Mexico City. In addition, community centres called pilares (‘pillars’) were established in marginalised neighbourhoods.
In June 2019, Claudia announced a new six-year environmental plan, including reducing air pollution by 30%, planting 15 million trees, banning single-use plastics and promoting recycling.
In September 2019, Claudia announced a 40 billion peso (US$2 billion) investment to upgrade the Mexico City Metro over the next five years, including modernisation, re-strengthening, new trains, improving stations and stairways. She also introduced 200km of bicycle paths, six bicycle stations, 2,500 new bicycles and subsidies for public transportation.
Also that year, Claudia implemented a gender-neutral uniform policy for students in state-run schools, allowing them to wear uniforms of their choice. In 2021, she removed a statue of Christopher Columbus from Mexico City’s Paseo de la Reforma as part of what she referred to as a ‘decolonisation’ exercise.
Such was her work both in Mexico City and for the IPCC, in 2018, she was named one of the BBC’s 100 Women.
Plenary hall of the Mexican Chamber of Deputies, Mexico City
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
In June 2023, Claudia resigned from her position as Head of Government in Mexico City to seek Morena’s (the main ruling left-wing political party) presidential nomination in the 2024 election. In September 2023, she secured the party’s nomination over her closest opponent, former foreign secretary Marcelo Ebrard.
As with many, if not most, democracies, Mexico is governed by a coalition of parties. The current ruling coalition is known as the Juntos Hacemos Historia (‘Together We Make History’), a coalition encompassing Morena, the main left-wing party; the Labor Party, also known as ‘The Workers’ Party’; and the Ecologist Green Party of Mexico. In June 2024, she won the Mexican general election in a landslide, thereby continuing Morena’s power within government.
NATIONAL SEXISM
Claudia has openly identified herself as a feminist; she aligns her beliefs and actions with the principles of gender equality and women’s rights. She advocates for the legalisation of abortion – an uphill legal and cultural battle she is finally winning – aligning her stance with promoting reproductive rights and autonomy for women. During her leadership in Mexico City, Claudia championed LGBT rights and, in 2022, she became the fi rst Head of Government of Mexico City to attend the city’s Pride march.
Her open support for women and feminism is quite a belligerent statement in a country steeped in a regressive misogynistic culture. Both she and her presidential candidate rival, Xóchitl Gálvez, were on the receiving end of online trolling, abuse and sexism.
Compared with election misinformation spread about male candidates, the attacks against Gálvez and Sheinbaum often took a particularly personal nature and focussed on their gender. “A lot of direct attacks were on their weight, their height, how they dressed, the way they behaved, the way they spoke,” commented Maria Calderon, a Mexican attorney and researcher who works with the Mexico Institute in Washington DC.
“Some of the sexism can be traced back to Mexico’s ‘machismo’ culture and strong Catholic roots, and the fact that women only received the right to vote in Mexico in 1953.”
Additionally, Claudia faced slurs about her Jewish background, as well as repeated claims she was born in Hungary – a state of affairs that would have precluded her as a presidential candidate if proven true. Donald Trump tried this stunt with Barack Obama, repeatedly claiming he was a Muslim, born in Kenya. The ‘Hungary’ story was ultimately debunked as a mere conspiracy theory.
‘Women against violence’ protest on International Women’s Day in Mexico City, March 2024
THE FUTURE
Claudia inherits a Mexico which the OECD feels its recent growth has proven resilient, while nearshoring (outsourcing of IT resources to neighbouring countries) is bringing new opportunities, with growth supported by domestic demand on the back of a strong labour market, increased inward investment and continued dynamism in exports.
However, to harness new growth opportunities, the OECD also stated Mexico needs to boost productivity, accelerate digitalisation and improve educational outcomes and housing supply.
As Claudia steps into her new role, her unique perspective as a climate scientist is poised to challenge the hitherto traditional political paradigm. That will not be without its challenges. The political landscape in Mexico is complex. The nation faces numerous pressing issues besides climate-related disasters. That includes Mexico’s well-known issues with cartel violence and its economic instability.
The nation faces numerous pressing issues besides climate-related disasters
Her delicate economic balancing act will not be easy to navigate; her campaign promised to increase investment in renewable energy, policies which will be at odds with the need to support – for now – the country’s state oil company. Mexico is the world’s 11th largest oil-producing country, and earnings from the industry accounted for around 20% of government revenue last year.
Solving the country’s vast sovereign debt problem while transitioning to renewables won’t come overnight. That said, given her background, Claudia will be in just the right position to make decisions on a scientific and strategic basis, primarily for Mexico’s, but also the environment’s, benefit.
Claudia Sheinbaum at the 2018 Presidential Election vote
The majority of young professionals feel confident about AI. By Chris Martin
OPTIMISM ON THE HORIZON
New global research finds 57% of young professionals feel comfortable or very confident about the increasing integration of artificial intelligence in various aspects of daily life, while only 15% reported feeling unsettled or scared about the prospect, according to new research from CEMS, a global alliance of leading business schools, multinational companies and NGOs.
Half also stated that social media impacts their life positively, while only just over a quarter (27%) feel that social media has a negative impact on their lives. Overall, 70% of graduates said that they feel optimistic about the future.
One key factor driving this positive sentiment may be the seamless incorporation of AI into routine tasks
not just accepting but embracing the increasing integration of artificial intelligence into various facets of their daily lives. They reveal a profound level of comfort and confidence, signalling a generational shift in attitudes toward AI.
“One key factor driving this positive sentiment may be the seamless incorporation of AI into routine tasks, making life more efficient and convenient. Moreover, there is potential for AI to address pressing global challenges. Young people are aware of AI’s role in fields such as healthcare, climate research, and social justice initiatives.”
A BALANCED NARRATIVE AROUND AI
The global survey was conducted among recent graduates from the CEMS Master in International Management (MIM), who are now in their fi rst year of work, or who have gone onto further study.
Nicole de Fontaines, Executive Director of CEMS, says, “These results reveal that the majority of young people are
CEMS Student Board President Leonard Bussee adds, “Since our childhood, our generation has been exposed to the rapid advancements in technology. Crude forms of AI-like technology have been trialled and utilised in the digital space young people move around in for a quite a while now.
“For example, this includes interactive characters in games, content suggestions on Instagram, editing software etc. Utilising it in other aspects of daily life does not entail a huge change or step into a new world.”
The use of AI might instead help cut the workload burden on teachers, as well as improving the quality of their teaching
SALARY IS TOP CRITERIA FOR JOBSEEKERS
81% of graduates named salary in their top three criteria that would most influence their decision to take on a new role, followed by work-life balance (61%) and opportunities for quick career progression (51%).
The gap between salary and work-life balance as a top criterion has widened in the past few years, possibly in response to the current global cost-of-living crisis, meaning salary is an increasingly important factor for jobseekers.
58% said that three to five years is an ideal amount of time to spend in a role before looking for a new one –either in the same or a new company.
UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
More than half of undergraduates say they consult artificial intelligence programmes to help with their essays, while schools are trialling its use in the classroom.
A survey of more than one thousand UK undergraduates, conducted by the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi), found 53% were using AI to generate material for work they would be marked on. One in four are using applications such as Google Bard or ChatGPT to suggest topics, and one in eight is using them to create content. Just 5% admitted to copying and pasting unedited AI-generated text into their assessments.
Dr Andres Guadamuz, a reader in intellectual property
law at the University of Sussex, said it was no surprise that more students were adopting AI and suggested institutions needed to be explicit in discussing how best to use it as a study tool.
“I’ve implemented a policy of having mature conversations with students about generative AI. They share with me how they utilise it,” Guadamuz comments.
“My primary concern is the significant number of students who are unaware of the potential for ‘hallucinations’ and inaccuracies in AI. I believe it is our responsibility as educators to address this issue directly.”
The Hepi survey found that one in three students using AI did not know how often it ‘hallucinates’ – i.e. invents statistics, academic citations or book titles to fi ll in what it perceives to be gaps.
The use of AI might instead help cut the workload burden on teachers, as well as improving the quality of their teaching. Gillian Keegan, while Secretary of State for Education, said AI could take on the “heavy lifting” of marking and planning for teachers.
Artificial Intelligence is here to stay and rather than being burdened by the concerns about it, Gen Z seem to be taking in their stride and using it to enhance their lives.
https://cems.org
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Whoever said, ‘It’s not whether you win or lose that counts’ probably lost
Martina Navratilova, tennis player, 1987
EU VOTES TO RATIFY LANDMARK INTERNATIONAL LAW TO PROTECT OCEANS
The European Union has voted in favour of ratifying the High Seas Treaty. This treaty aims to protect marine life in areas outside countries’ maritime borders, including the high seas and the seabed. The decision is a key step in the process of ratifying the High Seas Treaty.
Meanwhile, Greece will ban bottom trawling in all of its marine protected areas (MPAs) by 2030 (not soon enough!), Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced. The country also aims to create two large marine parks as part of a €780 million programme to protect biodiversity and marine ecosystems.
IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
ARTIFICIAL CORNEAS BRING HOPE
A pioneering procedure that could become standard practice has saved the sight of a 91-year-old patient in England. Cecil Farley from Surrey is the first person in England to benefit from an artificial cornea implant. Doctors at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust removed the abnormal inner lining of Farley’s cornea and replaced it with an artificial one. There is a worldwide shortage of donated human corneas and a two-year waiting list for human transplants in the UK. Artificial corneas give hope to patients who are currently on the waiting list.
A NEW BLOOD TEST COULD HELP WOMEN
A new blood test can predict the recurrence of breast cancer in high-risk patients, months or even years before they relapse. A team from the UK’s Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) used an ultra-sensitive liquid biopsy to detect the presence of tiny amounts of cancer DNA left in the body following treatment for early breast cancer.
Researchers were able to identify all patients in a study who went on to relapse by detecting very low levels of cancer found in the blood – known as molecular residual disease. “Breast cancer cells can remain in the body after surgery and other treatments. These cells can cause breast cancer patients to relapse many years after their initial treatment. Ultra-sensitive blood tests could offer a better approach for the long-term monitoring of patients,” said ICR’s Dr Isaac Garcia-Murillas.
❛If we empower women to work outside the house without expecting men to work inside the house, then we aren’t empowering women. We’re exploiting them
Farida D., author and poet
SLASHING METHANE EMISSIONS
EU countries have also adopted the firstever rules to measure, report, and verify methane emissions in the energy sector. This move aims to reduce the volume of these short-lived air pollutants, which are up to 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Following an almost unanimous vote, (opposed by Hungary, of course), energy operators must comply, starting in 2025, with new requirements to ensure mitigation measures. These include detecting and repairing methane leaks and measuring emissions at the source level.
A WIN FOR PRIVACY
Google has decided to permanently delete historical location data for users of its Maps app, marking a small win for privacy. Previously, Google stored this data on its servers, but starting December 1st, it will only be kept locally on users’ devices. This change is believed to be a response to geofence warrants, which enforcement agencies use to monitor individuals, including those not suspected of any wrongdoing. While proponents argue these warrants help solve criminal cases, critics contend they threaten personal liberty by turning innocent people into suspects. Maps users can still back up their location history, but it will no longer be automatic.
MELANOMA VACCINE LOOKING PROMISING
In a recent trial, the first vaccine for melanoma, a type of skin cancer typically caused by sun damage, has reduced the risk of death or recurrence by half.
The study combined an mRNA vaccine, similar to those used for COVID-19, with pembrolizumab, a well-known immunotherapy. Administered post-surgery to patients with stage 3 or stage 4 melanoma, the results showed that after three years, 75% of those receiving both treatments remained cancer-free, compared to 56% who only received pembrolizumab.
Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad initiative to expedite
The research, led by New York University, received praise from Prof. Charles Swanton of Cancer Research UK, though he emphasised the need for further studies. Concurrently, the UK’s NHS reported treating its first patient with a personalised vaccine for bowel cancer as part of the Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad initiative to expedite cancer vaccine development.
CALLIE MY JOURNEY TO WOMANHOOD
There have been acres of print written, TV hours committed, and fury and anger in the streets directed at the issue of gender – is it only male and female or more nuanced than that?
My personal view is that you can be whatever you want to be just don’t preach to others about what they have to think. But is it possible to be born in the wrong body?
To help clear the fog, it’s prudent to dig deeper into this complex question. I met with Liz Beck, an absolute powerhouse who founded AspiringHR, an external HR consultancy, working with clients such as Hugo Boss, Central England Co-op, Mid Sussex District Council and Miller Harris, along with an array of smaller local companies where her brand of no-nonsense advice is highly prized, highly effective, and highly sought after.
Liz gave birth to Callie 19 years ago and, by the age of fi ve, realised that this child was not like most other boys. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Liz and Callie to chat with two open, honest and intelligent women about this very challenging situation.
Interview by Maarten Hoff mann
Read Liz’s AspiringHR feature on Page 34
Maarten Hoffmann: Lovely to meet you, Callie. Please excuse me if l get the terminology wrong. I do have a certain fear of the incorrect phrase being taken the wrong way, and upsetting people.
Callie: Don’t worry at all. You should meet my grandfather if you want to hear someone always getting it wrong! But I’m not sensitive at all so let’s go.
MH: Tell me where your journey began.
Callie: I am often asked that. For me, it wasn’t a light bulb moment. I always knew something was off from about five or six years old but my Mum says she saw it from age two. The minute I could get into her wardrobe I would dive in there and clomp around in her shoes, her pearls and necklaces.
MH: How is that any different to many boys who play dress-up at such a young age?
Liz: It was the total lack of any interest in boys’ toys. She was always buried in my wardrobe and walking around in my dresses and high-heeled shoes. I once tried to get her to play with toy cars and she spent the entire time putting them in colour and shade order.
In shops she would gravitate to the kitchen utensils; in clothing shops, she would always head straight for the girls’ section with absolutely zero interest in anything to do with boys. It was clear to me that this was very different from boys who just have phases.
I always knew something was off from about five or six years old but my Mum saw it from age two
MH: At the age of five, what was it that you felt was so different?
Callie: It was just a gut feeling. I had no male friends, was always playing dress up with the girls, and never wanted dirty hands or to play boys’ games. I had no concept of what I was supposed to do, and that left me free to do whatever felt natural. It was only at secondary school that I realised that my behaviour and outlook were different.
Liz: It was at this time that we just assumed our child must be gay. It didn’t dawn on us at that time that it had little to do with that, and that Callie might have been born in the wrong body. We were on a beach walk when she was eleven, and the subject came up.
Callie: I had been thinking about it for the whole time and towards the end l built up the courage to say, “Mum, l have been dressing as a girl for years with my friends and I want to change my name now.”
MH: How did you react to this conversation, Liz?
Liz: I remember it very clearly. She said to me, “Mum, I’m not gay, I’m a girl.”
But it was a couple of years before that when she piped up from the back of the car and said, “Mum, I will never forgive you for this.” I was a bit taken aback and just thought, “Oh, here we go, what have I done now?” like any parent would. I asked what she meant. She replied, “You got it wrong, I’m not meant to be a boy.”
My husband and I looked at each other and I quickly realised that Callie thought I had ‘baked the child wrong,’ and was innocently blaming me for giving birth to the wrong-gendered child.
Therefore, during the beach walk it all came together in my head in an instant. l thought, “Shit, I know that’s true, but how do I make that not true?” That’s not because I had an issue with it, but the enormity of what lay ahead for my child.
Then she announced she was going to speak to the headmaster at school about it all– a private interdenominational mixed school!
MH: How did that meeting go?
Callie: I was really nervous but that was balanced out by knowing I might be paving the way for others to step forward, so I didn’t have any choice; l had to have the conversation.
I said I wanted to start wearing the girls’ uniform and change my name. He responded, “That’s fine. Go for it, no problem at all.” It was hugely liberating to know I had that support.
MH: I think most of us would be surprised at his reaction. I doubt many people would have expected a catholic school headmaster to offer that type of response.
Callie: Absolutely and I have never taken that for granted.
The next day, there I was in the girls’ uniform and skirt, walking along to school when a bunch of my friends crossed the road and surrounded me with hugs. At that point, I finally felt normal, like everything had fallen into place. It was a huge milestone for me – and for the school – and l didn’t have a single issue with any of the boys either.
MH: Were you fully aware of some of the ordeals and horrors that many people in your position have gone through during this transition?
Callie: Very. Now I’m at University, and others have a very different journey.
MH: I have heard horror stories from other trans individuals about the school saying, “Don’t be ridiculous, of course, you can’t wear the girls’ uniform…”
Children can be amazingly supportive, but others can be insanely cruel, bullying you and generally rejecting you from their society which, sadly, sometimes leads to more serious complications.
Do you feel like a trailblazer and someone that others can look up to?
Callie: I understand that but I refuse to be a show pony. I am studying law at University and I want to be known for my dedication and success in the legal field, not my personal life.
MH: I wonder if, in time, you might find great satisfaction in being a figurehead in some way for trans kids who are going through the horrors you dodged?
Callie thought I had ‘baked the child wrong,’ and was innocently blaming me for giving birth to the wronggendered child
Callie: Perhaps in time. But at the moment, I am just enjoying finally being comfortable in my own skin. Externally, I haven’t faced any push back but internally, of course, I’ve endured huge challenges – feeling isolated and confused, and very depressed.
Liz: I think it’s worth saying here that the external journey has not been quite so smooth for us as parents. Trying to get your child diagnosed is a real challenge, the Tavistock Clinic has now been closed down but we managed to get in just before the end. There is only one hospital in the entire country that will assess people under 18 and at that age your body is going in the opposite direction.
MH: I understand that, ideally, you need puberty blockers before puberty begins and therefore that is much earlier than 18.
Liz: Yes, and as puberty blockers stop it all going in the wrong direction, Callie didn’t have the benefits of those. But in a way, we are not sorry about that because you can be more confident about the child’s choice.
Callie was going on this journey regardless but it is extremely traumatic. Sadly, you do need endless amounts of cash and the ability to do in-depth research to find your way through the jungle of red tape – and that is just to get assessments to prove something you already know about yourself. It’s almost like you’re asking for a permission slip to be who you are.
After this traumatic journey for Callie, in three days’ time, she finally gets her confirmation surgery and will be complete as the woman she is. This is an integration process, otherwise this can be really damaging. Things like photos of childhood around the house make her uncomfortable and have to be changed. But you cannot act as if someone died because they didn’t. We have to work to integrate the whole experience. Her entire wardrobe had to be changed and so on – there are so many elements to this.
Rishi Sunak has recently threatened a proposal that says that you will only be treated or assessed in a hospital ward based on your biological sex, regardless of your Gender Recognition Certificate. I worry what that will mean for the social prejudices that Callie may face with future employers. These kinds of approaches merely add to the complexities for the trans individual.
MH: Callie, how do you feel about the politics surrounding the trans debate?
Callie: All that matters is my future as a woman. My focus has been pulled recently as the surgery is just around the corner* so I have not paid that much attention to politics nor any proposed changes to the law recently. We will have to see what the next government thinks about the trans debate.
* Callie’s nal completion surgery took place on June 17th.
MH: As you are studying law, do you think that at some point in your career, you might get involved in making changes to legislation on trans issues?
Callie: In time, who knows? That’s the dilemma I face at the moment as law is an amazing foundation. I plan to do my Masters after that, I will therefore be in a better position to consider it at the time.
However, in truth, I want to avoid any ‘victim’ narrative. I don’t want to be known for being trans but to be accepted on merit as a lawyer.
MH: Let’s return to the Tavistock Clinic. I understand why it was closed as so many of the kids being treated were shown to be autistic or have some other form of neurodivergence. The treatment is irreversible so many issues came out of it. But for you, the clinic was heaven on earth in accepting who you are and treating you. Do you recognise these issues?
Callie: Absolutely. The case of Keira Bell is a prime example, as she went through the system, changed her mind and then pursued the Tavistock for not getting it right.
I have sympathy, but cases like this have left others in a very difficult position. For those of us who are 100% sure, we desperately need the treatment and support.
MH: I can see that but I do think there will soon be a tsunami of lawsuits brought against the Tavistock by kids who feel they were taken too seriously when they turned up, confused about their identity, and the speed with which the Tavistock went about prescribing life-changing drugs. But l see so clearly having met you that the dichotomy is caused when genuine cases, such as yours, are deeply affected by one person who changed their mind. When did you first start taking such medication?
Callie: On April 5th last year, I turned 18. It’s a blocker, not the puberty blocker as that was banned last year for anyone under the age of 18, so mine’s an injection that blocks the secretion of testosterone. I take synthetic oestrogen tablets alongside that; it’s essentially HRT.
Liz and Callie
I refuse to be a show pony. I am studying law at University and I want to be known for my dedication and success in the legal field, not my personal life
MH: How did you feel after taking this medication for the first time?
Callie: The hit was entirely emotional as having just been through puberty l then had to adjust. It was very confusing at first. Physically, there were some other signs, such as decreased hair growth, and my skin has improved since the tablets.
MH: You have had breast implants. When was that and how did you feel afterwards?
Callie: It was in April last year and it felt incredible. It was one of the final stepping stones to completion and it means I can wear bras and swimsuits. It really helped me mentally.
MH: How do you feel about your completion surgery on Monday?
Callie: I’m very excited and over the moon but of course, it’s a huge deal and it is sinking in. This is the final physical stepping stone and after this, I know it wont be all it’s all puppies and rainbows. I know when I wake up there will be challenges and there will be considerable adjustments but this is what I have always wanted and I can’t wait.
MH: How do you think it will feel when you walk out of that hospital next week?
Callie: It’s a ball of confusion but l will be walking out as I have always felt, a woman. But there are things to deal with. Family pictures for example are littered with pictures of me as a very young child, and I have asked Mum if can we change them all to represent who I really am. I don’t identify with that person. It’s like looking at another child but I can quite understand the issues this caused for my parents.
This surgeon spends half his week doing lifesaving cancer surgery, and half his week doing life-changing gender confi rmation surgery
Liz: As a parent, I’m bloody terrified. But for any parent reading this who might be going through the same things, I can only say that my view of things changed fundamentally when l read a book called About a Girl, by Rebekah Robertson. It’s about an Australian family going through the trans issue and the girl involved was an actress on Neighbours.
I consumed this book one Christmas when Callie was about 15. This mother fought the authorities and went through what we are going through. This was over 20 years ago, and that fight would have been much tougher than ours. It taught me that I needed to be there for Callie, that she needed the Mother/ Daughter bond, and she needed my female energy.
Personal agency is everything, work hard to find out who you are and whatever goes on outside, you have to be able to come home, and I don’t mean home to family although that’s so important. I mean come home to yourself.
l needed to just scoop her up and there was something in that moment that made me realise that humans must know who they are at an identity level. It doesn’t get much clearer than this. You have to have courage, determination and dignity to live in this world the way you need to be.
Small things have huge resonance –when I was a kid, I dropped out and was pretty much a lost cause and on a path to disaster. I was lucky because a couple of people ‘saw’ me and backed me. I hope that’s what we have conveyed to Callie.
EDITOR’S THOUGHTS
For every woman out there, trans, straight, black, white, disabled, a CEO dealing with a male board whatever, regardless of how you see yourself you have to find some personal anchor, an internal compass so that you know who you are, as life can be tough and you have to know who you are to ensure you can come back to yourself to be ready to face the world tomorrow.
And this is not exclusive to women. Men are having a torrid time with depression and suicide being higher than they ever have been. You have to have that internal anchor to hold you firm to withstand the pressures of day-to-day life.
MH: Callie, what’s your message to any of our readers who might be going through this or parents whose child might be?
Callie: Just… listen. Parents, there is so much to learn, and the best thing you can do is listen to your child and love them through it.
I am totally in awe of Callie. How she has dealt with the past 19 years, the person she has become, the emotional intelligence she displays on the wider trans subject, and the total joy I saw in her eyes when we spoke of her surgery is just inspiring. The same goes for Liz. I am sure Callie would have got there in the end but the supportive and loving attitude she has displayed means she will get there in one piece, not scarred by prejudice, horror stories and rejection. The fact that Callie has such a blessed story is, in no small part, down to her.
Callie had her confirmation surgery on June 17th and l can confirm that it all went well, and she is recovering at home surrounded by her family. l would image she cannot take the smile off her face. When she is fully recovered, l will be chatting to her again.
I am in awe of them both and should you, dear reader, have any doubts about it being possible to be born in the wrong body, l trust this has dispelled them once and for all.
In our exclusive Spotlight feature, we highlight women who are doing good things in their community. They’re not always seen but we think they should be
SP OTLIGH T
Mirela Sula
Mirela Sula is the CEO and founder of Global Woman, as well as a best-selling author
What was the inspiration behind Global Woman?
I wanted to create a platform where women from diverse backgrounds could come together to support and empower each other. Having moved from Albania to London in 2012 with nothing, and then working with a domestic abuse charity, I know first-hand the challenges women face in their personal and professional lives.
I envisioned a community that would provide opportunities for networking, personal growth, and business development. My goal was to create a global movement that fosters collaboration, inspiration, and the sharing of resources among women, enabling them to achieve their full potential.
How important is it to you to give women a voice?
At Global Woman, our primary goal is to help women build their confidence so they can use their voice. Our mantra is: “If you want to empower a woman, give her a microphone!” When women have a platform to express their ideas, share their stories, and influence decisions, it not only empowers them individually but also leads to positive changes in society. For me, it’s about creating an environment where women feel confident, heard, and respected.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
The successful establishment and growth of the Global Woman Club. To date, we have over 30 clubs around the world and over 300,000 members. Seeing the tangible impact the club has had on women’s lives around the world is incredibly rewarding. Each success story of a woman achieving her goals through the club stands as a highlight in my career.
What advice would you give to women wanting to set up their own business?
My advice to women is to believe in themselves and their vision. I emphasise the importance of building a strong network, seeking mentorship, and continuously learning. It’s crucial to stay resilient in the face of challenges and to maintain a positive mindset. I also advise women to be bold, take risks, and not be afraid of failure, as each setback is an opportunity to learn and grow. Finally, I encourage women to support each other and to leverage the power of community in their entrepreneurial journeys.
https://globalwomanclub.com
At Global Woman, our primary goal is to help women build their confidence so they can use their voice
Naomi Roberts
Naomi tells the Flare story, and her part in an award-winning growth company which now sells worldwide
If you’d have told my younger self that I would be cofounder and co-CEO of an audio technology company, I’d have thought it was a serious case of mistaken identity!
I began as a secondary school art teacher, SEN teacher and then a youth officer for Mid Sussex District Council, where part of my role was to organise under-18 band nights. Meanwhile, my husband, Davies, was a retained firefighter for 13 years, and had been running his own company buying and selling broadcast equipment.
It was after Davies got involved with the sound at one of the under-18 band nights that both of us found ourselves fully immersed in the world of sound. In 2007, he decided to have a go at designing a range of loudspeakers – borne out of a frustration with inconsistencies in sound quality. Our main focus was - and is - to reduce as much distortion as possible in the sound that we hear.
Weeks were spent writing patents and pitching for jobs, and weekends were spent at gigs doing the sound – it was exhausting.
We were a niche brand, so we decided that if we really wanted to make a difference, we needed to take a sidestep into the consumer market. We miniaturised our tech into earphones for our first crowdfunded campaign nearly 10 years ago. It went well, raising over £177,000 – and gave us a new audience.
Since then, we’ve developed our pro audio range of earphones, used by a wide number of industry names such as Tony Visconti, Stephen Fry, Fran Healy from Travis, Isy Suttie, Julian Lennon and Liam Howlett from The Prodigy.
We want to improve everyone’s audio world and better connect people with the sound they hear
We experimented more with in-ear devices. Our first ear protectors, Isolate, raised over £2 million via a crowdfunded campaign. With a small team of six at the time, it was tricky, but an awful lot of learning and growth happened very quickly, and we grew our resilience muscles.
Our most popular product came during lockdown, when we launched Calmer, a non-electric device that changes the way everyday sounds enter our ears. Calmer reduces stressful frequencies without blocking sound, leaving the wearer more relaxed.
We’ve sold over two million pairs of Calmer since launch, and ship to over 186 countries. Calmer has given us a huge new customer demographic with over three million followers on social media.
We also work closely with the neurodivergent community, which has found Calmer particularly helpful.
My focus at Flare is mostly on the day-to-day operations and marketing. I see part of my role as gatekeeper of Davies’ big inventor brain, and I try to translate the science of what our products do into user-friendly language. We’re now fully focussed on developing innovative and impactful technologies based around the human ear, and want to improve everyone’s audio world and better connect people with the sound they hear.
www.flareaudio.com
I’m willing to bet that there aren’t many women out there who feel sharper and more confident during their period. But even though the duvet and hot water bottle might be what you’re yearning for during this time of the month, your brain may be functioning better on these days. By Tess de Klerk
A SILVER LINING? You may be sharper during your period
Menstruation has long been associated with a perceived dip in physical and mental performance, along with the belief that periods hinder overall performance, but groundbreaking research from University College London (UCL) is now challenging this narrative, revealing that menstruation may actually enhance certain cognitive functions.
UCL STUDY CHALLENGES THE STATUS QUO
In the recent study published in Neuropsychologia, scientists from UCL, in collaboration with the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health, investigated the effects of the menstrual cycle on women’s mental agility and reaction times. The study involved 241 people, including 105 menstruating women, who participated in cognitive tests designed to mimic mental processes typical in team sports.
The participants’ menstrual cycles were tracked using a period-tracking app, and they were tested twice, 14 days apart. The cognitive tests included tasks such as identifying smiling faces, rotating mirrored images, and predicting the collision of moving balls, which assessed inhibition, attention, reaction time, accuracy, and spatial cognition.
STAGES OF MENSTRUAL CYCLE
The results suggest that, despite feeling worse, women’s cognitive performance can actually improve during their periods
SURPRISING FINDINGS
Contrary to the common belief that menstruation impairs performance, the study found that women performed better on cognitive tasks during their periods. Specifically, menstruating women were more accurate in the moving balls task, and made 25% fewer mistakes in the smiley face task, compared to other phases of their cycle. They also had faster reaction times as well as displaying greater accuracy. The study also noted slower reaction times and an increase in incidents of muscle injuries during the luteal phase, which occurs after ovulation and before menstruation. Th is is the phase where progesterone increases and where we may have symptoms similar to PMS.
IMPLICATIONS FOR ATHLETES AND BEYOND
Although the study was small, Dr. Flaminia Ronca, the lead author, emphasised the importance of these findings in challenging societal assumptions about women’s capabilities during menstruation. The results suggest that, despite feeling worse, women’s cognitive performance doesn’t seem to decline and can actually improve during their periods.
Ashlee Brown, a 27-year-old defender for West Bromwich Albion and a PE teacher, exemplifies this resilience. Despite experiencing migraines, cramps and fatigue during her period, Brown pushes through and often finds that her performance exceeds her expectations.
“I don’t want my period to define me, it’s just part of natural life,” says Brown. “When I reflect back after the game, often I think I performed a lot better than I thought I would.” The study’s findings validate her experience.
Despite the study’s positive findings, some experts remain skeptical. Christine Harrison-Bloomfield, a former athlete and Team GB coach, points out that elite athletes often take measures to control their menstrual cycles during competitions. The unpredictability of periods and individual differences in menstrual experiences mean that not all women may benefit from the cognitive boost observed in the study.
The implications of this research extend beyond sports. Katarzyna Toma, a chess grandmaster, noticed improved memory and focus during her period, something her mother fi rst observed. Toma’s experience aligns with the study’s findings, suggesting that the cognitive benefits of menstruation might be relevant in fields requiring high cognitive function, such as chess.
Dr. Ronca stresses that the study’s intent aims to foster a more nuanced understanding of the menstrual cycle’s impact on performance
Of course, the last thing we need when feeling pain and fatigued is to be expected to outperform, and the study’s authors caution against overgeneralising the results. The sample size was small, and the study did not account for women with severe menstrual conditions like endometriosis.
The study may offer insights but further research is necessary to understand the full scope of menstruation’s impact on cognitive and physical performance. Dr. Ronca stresses that the study’s intent is not to downplay the discomfort many women experience during menstruation. Instead, it aims to foster a more nuanced understanding of the menstrual cycle’s impact on performance and challenge the stigma surrounding menstruation.
Th is research will hopefully encourage a more balanced and positive conversation about women’s capabilities during their cycles, assisting in challenging stereotypes and empowering women to embrace their natural rhythms without fear of compromised performance.
FURTHER READING…
Kate Griggs is the founder and CEO of the global charity Made By Dyslexia, host of the ‘Lessons in Dyslexic Thinking’ podcast and the author of ‘This is Dyslexia’ and ‘Empowering Dyslexic Thinking at Work’, a free access course on LinkedIn Learning
HOW TO EMPOWER DYSLEXIC THINKING IN THE WORKPLACE
Three in four dyslexics hide their dyslexia at work. Dyslexics have the exact skills that organisations need to move their business forward. These dyslexic thinking skills, such as creativity, innovation, communication and analytical thinking, are all highly valued in the workplace. Yet three out of four dyslexics still hide their dyslexia from their employers. So how can we empower dyslexic thinking in the workplace?
NEURODIVERSITY AT WORK:
DRIVE INNOVATION, PERFORMANCE AND PRODUCTIVITY WITH A NEURODIVERSE WORKFORCE by Amanda Kirby & Theo Smith Kogan Page (2021)
Neurodiversity at Work is a practical guide that explains what neurodiversity is, why it’s important and what the benefits are. It covers how to attract, recruit and engage neurodiverse talent and provides guidance on how to adapt HR policies, processes and workplaces to ensure that all employees, including the one in five employees in the UK who are neurodiverse, can reach their full potential.
HERE ARE FOUR SIMPLE STEPS:
1Define dyslexia as a valuable thinking skill
Dyslexic thinking is an asset to every organisation and must be defined as a valuable skill. Dyslexic thinkers can make connections across complex issues which others don’t see. They can see the big picture, rather than getting stuck in the details, and can explain complex subjects through storytelling and simplifying. Dyslexic brains solve problems in different ways, coming up with new ideas to tackle them. Changing the way we think about dyslexia and recognising the huge advantages dyslexics offer will create more inclusive and, ultimately, more successful organisations.
THE NEURODIVERSITY EDGE: THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO EMBRACING AUTISM, ADHD, DYSLEXIA, AND OTHER NEUROLOGICAL DIFFERENCES FOR ANY ORGANIZATION HARDCOVER by Maureen Dunne Wiley (2024)
Renowned Oxford-trained cognitive scientist, neurodiversity expert, and business leader, Dr. Maureen Dunne presents a pioneering framework to harnessing the power of neurodiversity to navigate the most important human resources revolution in the modern era. This book is based on more than two decades of immersive cognitive science research, case studies, stories from neurodivergent voices, in-the-trenches work with hundreds of organisations from start-ups to global Fortune 500 titans, and Dr. Dunne’s own lived experiences.
2 Offer adjustments that enable dyslexic thinking to thrive
Often, even simple adjustments can make a BIG difference to empowering dyslexic thinkers. Things like getting notes/ documents ahead of meetings, bullet points/summaries of long documents rather than lengthy reports, sharing information in calls/meetings rather than long emails and using a multi-sensory approach to presentations (rather than text-heavy slides). Plus, you should make technological tools widely available, such as text-to-speech software (which is often free) and project management tools to make it easier for everyone to organise their time.
THE DYSLEXIC EDGE: UNLEASH THE POWER OF THINKING DIFFERENTLY
by Jamie Waller, with Dr Helen Taylor Whitefox Publishing Ltd (2024)
By delving into the lives and experiences of some of the best-known dyslexic minds worldwide, Jamie Waller and Dr Helen Taylor highlight the distinct advantage that dyslexic thinking brings. From billionaires to budding visionaries, they provide an illuminating deep-dive into the mind and creativity of the dyslexic thinker and offer actionable insights to help the reader apply these frameworks to their own success.
3
Tailor recruitment processes for dyslexic thinking
Dyslexic thinking skills are the ‘power skills’ that the World Economic Forum says are vital for the workplace of the future. But often, recruitment processes filter out the very innovative, creative dyslexic thinkers that we need. Your organisation should publicise that you understand and empower dyslexic thinking in your organisation and include this information in your job ads and specs. Ensure that HR and hiring managers are trained to recognise it too. Don’t use lengthy text-based application forms or rely on psychometric tests as a filter. Look beyond spelling and writing errors because, as Jenny Lay-Flurrie, Chief Accessibility Officer at Microsoft says: ‘we don’t care if you can’t spell, that’s what spell check is for’.
Changing the way we think about dyslexia and recognising the huge advantages dyslexics offer will create more successful organisations
4
Support with ERG groups and communities
Employee resource groups (ERGs) are one of the most effective ways to empower dyslexic thinking in your organisation as they provide a safe, like-minded space to voice concerns, share resources, and provide a strong advocacy voice to drive change. They also help the organisation understand and ensure their processes and practices are serving the needs of their staff. It’s clear that every organisation benefits from an ERG, both for its members and for the organisation. So, if there isn’t one in yours, start one.
Minds that can think differently will be crucial in the AI-based workplaces of tomorrow, so it’s crucial that dyslexic thinkers are empowered to thrive in every organisation.
A HIDDEN FORCE: UNLOCKING THE POTENTIAL OF NEURODIVERSITY AT WORK
By Ed Thompson Fast Company Press (2023)
Through his research, personal experiences, and extensive interviews with global neurodiversity experts and neurodivergent people in the workforce, Ed Thompson convincingly shows:
• Why neurodiversity has historically been overlooked by society and in business and why it’s so relevant
• Why embracing neurodiversity will help us be part of and build more innovative and effective teams
• How we can take our new understanding of the topic and neuroinclusive principles into our everyday work and interactions
By KELLIE MILLER
CIRCLE OF LIFE THE WORKS OF ALEXIA WEILL
The representation of the circle has a profound symbolic meaning in religious, mathematical and spiritual realms. It signifies wholeness, infi nity, growth, rebirth, death, potential, perfection, godliness, unity and divinity. The circle is depicted in all areas of life, with the sun, earth, moon, dancing, and the number zero all reminding us daily of its importance. They appear in architecture and religious belief systems, such as the Christian halo or the Hindu and Buddhist mandala—a Sanskrit word for circle—used as a tool for spiritual journeying.
French-Swiss sculptor Alexia Weill has adopted this powerful form in her work. She is drawn to the fluid shape and its deep spiritual meaning. At the same time, she engages in an inner dialogue about the circle. She takes inspiration from nature and her materials, including stone, wood, resin, clay and bronze, to create flowing lines and tactile surfaces. Her process is intuitive, starting from an idea or a feeling combined with the inherent qualities of the materials she chooses to employ. Her hands-on approach culminates with a deep connection with the mediums, leading to dynamic and evocative sculptures.
Alexia faces unique challenges as a woman sculptor in a traditionally male-dominated field. These include the physical demands of sculpting coupled with societal biases. However, Alexia embraces these challenges, using them as fuel for her creative expression.
She says, “Being a woman adds a unique dimension to my work, bringing a balance of strength and sensitivity.”
Alexia has become a role model for aspiring female artists, demonstrating that perseverance and passion can overcome obstacles. She speaks about the importance of resilience and self-belief in achieving one’s artistic goals. Her work continues to inspire and captivate, reminding us of the beauty and strength found in both nature and the human experience. Th rough her art, she carved out her place in the world of sculpture and paved the way for future generations of female artists. Her commitment to championing female entrepreneurship has led to her being the Vice-President of the Centre de Liaison des Associations Féminines Vaudoises (CLFAV) in Switzerland.
Kellie Miller is an artist, curator, critic and gallery owner. www.kelliemillerarts.com
Alexia has become a role model for aspiring female artists, demonstrating that perseverance and passion can overcome obstacles
Energies complémentaires
Alexia faces unique challenges as a woman sculptor in a traditionally male-dominated field
WaterTotem
Oeil mystique
Ancestral
Azores
Meet the women who fight poachers and prejudice
Traditionally the domain of men, recent years have seen female rangers thrive in an area where stereotypical beliefs run high. There is a growing movement in Africa to empower its women, while protecting the environment and her wildlife
THE AKASHINGA
The Akashinga – aka ‘The Brave Ones’ in the Shona language – is a military style unit of over 200 very tough women who are sworn to protect Zimbabwe’s elephants with their lives. And they are sorely needed. Elephant poaching and illegal hunting ran rampant in Zimbabwe for years but according to the International Anti-Poaching Foundation. Akashinga rangers have made more than 300 arrests since 2017, without firing a shot, and helped drive an 80% downturn in elephant poaching in the Zambezi Valley, while wildlife sightings are up by almost 400%.
Benefits reach into the community too with rangers mostly coming from very difficult circumstances, including domestic abuse and forced marriages. Surviving the gruelling selection process and training brings liberty and financial
freedom. Esther Goboza, 22, applied to join the rangers to escape an abusive marriage. Her husband, in a bid to stop her from becoming a ranger, burnt her national identity card, a requirement for the job application. “They gave me the opportunity. My husband even came to the training camp to take me home but I stood my ground,” said Goboza, who is now divorced.
Rangers earn the equivalent of between $300 and $1,500 per month, a good salary in a country with a failed economy, where teachers earn an average of $120 per month. Akashinga’s rangers come from within 20km of the area they protect, with their salaries spent locally to the benefit of a wider area.
For many of the rangers, battling age-old prejudices within the Maasai community is no less difficult than tackling poaching
THE BLACK MAMBAS
Africa’s first all-women team has been operating in South Africa since 2013. Remarkably, these courageous women carry no firearms while poachers there are more often than not armed to the teeth. Instead, they focus on communitybuilding and educating local communities about the benefits wildlife brings to the area.
This doesn’t mean that they don’t have their boots on the ground – quite the opposite, the Black Mambas are highly active in the field. They patrol a vast area of 20,000 hectares, walking up to 20km daily to dismantle snares and detect breaches in the Olifants West Nature Reserve’s perimeter. Their work is supported by real-time tracking technology, which allows them to call for armed back-up if necessary.
Cutie Mhlongo, a Black Mamba since 2014, prefers it this way, “Our advantage is that they won’t shoot us, because they know that we don’t carry guns,” she says. The rangers rarely suffer serious injuries from animals or poachers.
All the brave women in these ranger units play a crucial role in safeguarding Mother Africa’s precious ecosystems
TEAM LIONESS
Team Lioness is an all-female ranger unit based in Kenya, established in 2017 by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), the team is part of the broader tenBoma initiative. These Maasai women undergo rigorous training in wildlife monitoring, anti-poaching operations, first aid, and community outreach. Their work not only involves protecting wildlife but also fostering human-wildlife coexistence.
For many of the rangers, battling age-old prejudices within the Maasai community, semi-nomadic herders living in southwest Kenya and northern Tanzania, is no less difficult than tackling poaching. While Maasai men no longer need to kill a lion to prove their virility in a coming-of-age ceremony, many other patriarchal traditions, such as child marriage and female genital mutilation, are still practised, despite being illegal.
“My community believes that a woman cannot do a physically demanding job,” said Lakara, 27, listing the duties commonly assigned to Maasai women. “A woman is only supposed to be staying at home, giving birth, milking the cows and goats, going for firewood and water. I wanted to become a ranger to change the perception of my community,” she said.
Most members of Team Lioness faced a tough time convincing their families to support their ambitions. Sharon Nankinyi, 23, said her parents told her it was impossible, urging her to find contentment in household chores and motherhood. But Nankinyi persevered, along with the other women. “We came back to the community and we proved it to them because they saw us with the uniforms, they saw us as we walked long distances,” she said, describing herself as, “a brave lady, a Maasai, who has become a ranger.”
All the brave women in these ranger units play a crucial role in safeguarding Mother Africa’s precious ecosystems. Their blood, sweat and tears have significantly contributed to reducing poaching and illegal wildlife trade across the continent. Moreover, they serve as role models and agents of change within their communities, promoting the importance of conservation and women’s empowerment, proving that women bring their unique strengths, whenever given the opportunity. Their work exemplifies the vital intersection of conservation and social progress.
If you’re interested in donating to this important work please go to:
When I get to a restaurant just to find there are only eight main courses, and they are all variations on one dish, I get upset over the laziness of the chef.
Not so at Bancone in Borough Market, London. They only offer eight main courses, and all are pasta. However, it is some of the best pasta I have tasted outside of Italy. The lack
of a huge choice means the chefs only have to focus on eight dishes, and this means they can really focus on the quality and taste.
We selected the spicy pork and ’nduja ragu with mafalde; silk handkerchiefs, walnut butter and confit egg yolk; and Gorgonzola, Swiss chard, pappardelle and guanciale. We all shared everything and, although l’m not keen on Gorgonzola, it was sensational. The silk handkerchiefs was one large piece of flat parcel pasta with an egg yolk in the centre, with each corner packed with flavour. I cannot state enough how good each dish was.
Bancone is a very hip restaurant where it can take weeks to secure a table, and they take a hefty deposit to ensure you turn up, but the prices are fair. The above dishes ranged from £11 to £17.
In
my day, Borough
Market was where you went to flog dodgy gear but boy, has it changed!
Bancone is a very hip restaurant where it can take weeks to secure a table, and they take a hefty deposit to ensure you turn up, but the prices are fair
There are also eight starters ranging from lardo on toast with truffled honey; fried artichoke and romesco; and crisp native oyster with tartare sauce. I ordered burrata, confit tomato with basil croutons and I can say, without doubt, that it was the best burrata I have ever tasted (and half my family live in Italy!). The flavour of the confit tomato nearly took my head off with the burst of complex flavours. Sensational.
The final bill will not be shocking unless you drink, and then gird your loins – and your wallet.
In my days as a kid in London, Borough Market was a tip, and not somewhere that anyone went unless you were buying or selling dodgy gear but boy, has it changed! It is now the funky, hip part of town with a vast array of restaurants, bars and shops, and it was absolutely rammed on the Saturday we were there.
If you like pasta, go and treat yourself to some of the best in town.
Bancone
Arch 213, Stoney Road, London SE1 9AD
T: 020 3034 1229
E: host@bancone.co.uk
BRIGHTON BRIGHTON & HOVE PRIDE
Fabuloso is the UK’s biggest LGBTQ Pride festival and the Brighton & Hove Pride official fundraiser for the Brighton Rainbow Fund “Historic, inspired and unparalleled. Brighton Pride is one of the best international pride festivals, we love it” Attitude Magazine. Described by The Guardian as “the country’s most popular LGBT event,” the Brighton & Hove Pride Festival is a vibrant celebration of all that is wonderful about our city’s diverse community, with visitors from across the globe enjoying its spectacular celebrations. Fabuloso has proved itself to be the UK’s biggest, boldest and best Pride event with community fundraising at its heart.
Preston Park, Brighton August 2nd 5th
www.wearefabuloso.org
WHAT’S ON...
A
brief
snapshot of art and culture in Sussex and Surrey
BATTLE BATTLE FESTIVAL
BATTLE FESTIVAL is a firm fixture on South East England’s cultural calendar, winning public and critical acclaim. The festival stages performances in iconic settings such as Battle Abbey, the site of the Battle of Hastings, and attracts world-class performances and audiences to 1066 Country. Take a look at the full programme on the website for full, and don’t miss the Battle Scarecrow Competition when you’re there!
Across Battle
July 15th-30th
www.battlefestival.co.uk
The Urban Van Fest is a three-day and night camper van / van life festival. It is an event for van life enthusiasts and novices, those who are interested in self builds, conversions or just have an interest in camper vans, this weekend is a chance to come together and make new friends and memories, to be inspired by others, whether a full time van lifer or a seasonal camper the Urban Van Festival is welcoming to all.
Plumpton Racecourse
July 19th-21st
www.urbanvanfest.com
PLUMPTON URBAN VAN FEST
HAILSHAM SUSSEX GUILD CONTEMPORARY CRAFT SHOW
This summer the Sussex Guild will be returning to Michelham Priory. Guild members will be showing a wide range of contemporary crafts in marquees as well as in the Elizabethan barn and a working forge. You’ll find ceramics, textiles, jewellery, leatherwork, wood, glass, metalwork & furniture on display and for sale. Some designers will be actively demonstrating their creative skills including several ceramic techniques, blacksmithing, lampworked glass, jewellery making, embroidery and quilting.
Michelham Priory, Hailsham July 26th-28th https://thesussexguild.co.uk/sussex-guild-events/ michelham-priory-gardens-contemporary-craft-show
SKY
A unique opportunity to experience a one-of-a-kind Yoga class from 138 metres in the sky in the Brighton i360 Pod. Find your mindfulness in the clouds and switch up your usual savasana for an hour-long yoga class, 450ft high in the sky above Brighton in the Brighton i360 Pod. Unwind your body and rest your mind, as you glide up peacefully to enjoy a fun yet relaxing hour-long yoga class, surrounded by views of the South Downs and beautiful Sussex coastline.
i360, Brighton
July 20th
www.brightoni360.co.uk/tickets/yoga-in-the-sky
ROBERTSBRIDGE OUTDOOR THEATRE: BEAUTY & THE BEAST
The Chapterhouse Theatre Company hosts a magical new production of Beauty and the Beast, in the atmospheric castle courtyard. Bring a picnic to enjoy with your family and friends. Take a step into an enchanted fairy-tale kingdom full of song, mirth and joy. Follow Belle as she is trapped in an enchanted castle by a fearsome beast. Presented with lively original music and sparkling humour, Chapterhouse Theatre Company’s rollicking new adaptation of Beauty and the Beast is perfect for all the family!
Booking is advisable. Bodiam Castle, Nr Robertsbridge From August 2nd www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/sussex/bodiam-castle
PATCHING ELLIEFEST 2024
ELLIEFEST is The Ellie Thornton Foundation’s FREE one-day festival and is back for a second year in 2024. ELLIEFEST 2024 will see a mix of live music, fabulous food and a host of games and activities. Fill your day with fun or take it easy and listen to live music from Shoreham All Stars, Sussex Rock Choir and BIMM Music Institute rising stars whilst refreshing yourself at the bar or treat yourself to some tea and cake. Raising funds for the Elle Thornton Foundation.
