Surrey Business Magazine - Issue 31 by Platinum Media Group

SURREY

BUSINESS THE OFFICIAL SURREY CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE MAGAZINE

INTERNATIONAL TRADE ARE YOU READY?

ISSUE 31 OCTOBER 2020

HARRODS COMPETITION Win a £600 hamper for Christmas

TRAVEL Let’s go skiing

The man who changed the country – One duvet at a time

ARE YOU FINANCIALLY FIT?

INTERVIEW WITH

PRINCIPAL PROFESSOR

SEAN MCNAMARA GUILDFORD SCHOOL OF ACTING

SURREY CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE CONNECTING PROMOTING SUPPORTING & REPRESENTING YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS

CALL US TODAY AND JOIN SURREY'S MOST INFLUENTIAL BUSINESS NETWORK @SURREYCHAMBERSOFCOMMERCE

@WWW.SURREY-CHAMBERS.CO.UK

@SURREYCHAMBERS

01483 735540

@SURREYCHAMBERSOFCOMMERCE

08 09 10

ANAGING M REMOTE TEAMS

P OLICING SURREY FEARLESS

11 12

URREY CHAMBERS ARE S INTERMEDIARIES FOR THE KICKSTART SCHEME HS COVID-19 N APP LAUNCH I S IT LONELY RUNNING YOUR BUSINESS? ARE THERE SOME AREAS YOU NEED HELP WITH?

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LWAYS HERE A TO HELP RE YOU PREPARED A FOR JANUARY 1ST 2021? IG STORY B ACTING THE PART AND SO TO BUSINESS RECOVERY... THE WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY BIG STORY SIR TERENCE CONRAN

CONT ENT S 42 44

RESET YOUR BUSINESS OMMITTING C TO OUR PURPOSE GUIDING YOU TO A BRIGHTER FUTURE

UPPORT YOUR LOCAL S CHILDREN’S HOSPICE HAVE SOME REINDEER FUN THIS DECEMBER!

48 51 52 54 56 58

NATWEST SOUTH EAST PMI® TAX RELIEF GATWICK STATION REDEVELOPED BIZARRE NEWS YOU COULDN’T MAKE IT UP TAX INCENTIVES CAN MAXIMISE CASH FLOW ARE YOU FINANCIALLY FIT?

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

60 62 65 66 71 72 75 77

HAMPER HEAVEN COMPETITION H APPY HARRODS CHRISTMAS ATWEST SUPPORTS N WEST KENT HOUSING ASSOCIATION VIEW FROM THE TOP ON’T MANAGE YOUR D BIRD PROBLEMS ON A WING AND A PRAYER GIVING GREEN ROADS THE GREEN LIGHT VERCOMING THE O TOUGHEST LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE BUSINESS GROWTH 6 IDEAS TO TRY EVEN DURING TIMES OF ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY

78 80 86

HOW TO BUILD PRODUCTS THAT CUSTOMERS CRAVE TRAVEL LES TROIS VALLEES MOTORING THE 8 BALL

INNOVATION AT OUR HEART I feel slightly disappointed that I am not opening this introduction with more positive news of life returning to normal and face to face networking once more becoming commonplace! As a result of an increase in levels of Covid-19 infections we seem to be taking some backward steps. Having said that many businesses continue to adapt and flex to accommodate the new ways of working. Never has it been more important to listen to our employees and ensure that they are also able to adapt with the business.

team, competitions and challenges, including fitness activities and the use of apps to encourage interaction outside of outlook and other familiar communication channels.

I have heard many examples of how businesses are keeping the morale of their teams at a high level including; regular feedback sessions which sometimes must exclude work conversations, beer and pizza sessions with deliveries organised to a scattered

I am delighted that we have Professor Sean McNamara providing our lead story this month. As the Head of Guildford School of Acting and Chair of The Federation of Drama Schools he knows only too well the affect the pandemic has had on the arts sector. I make no apology for being particularly interested in this sector as the mother of a Musical Theatre actress but even more so because of the massive knock on effect it has to the rest of the economy. For every theatre, there are not only the production staff and the performers, there will also be accountants, marketeers, solicitors, caterers, designers, IT providers, consultants and so on. The sector closely connected to theatres is obviously hospitality, which thrives when audiences are at their largest. Those looking at different sectors in isolation have missed the interrelated eco-system that we are all part of.

❛❛ Whilst our Surrey businesses

are no less affected than the rest of the country, I believe we have a bigger dose of innovation, which is helping us to at least prepare for a more successful future ❜❜

Whilst our Surrey businesses are no less affected than the rest of the country, I believe we have a bigger dose of innovation, which is helping us to at least prepare for a more successful future.

WHICH SECTOR IS WORST HIT?

WIN-WIN KICKSTART SCHEME

We have just launched Surrey Chambers of Commerce as a Gateway organisation to support businesses in applying to take on a Kickstart Placement. This scheme has been set up by the government to support young people, who have been badly hit by the events of the last 6 months but also to help employers to take on a fresh recruit for 6 months to help get the business back up to speed. The young person also gains crucial work experience preparing them in the best way possible for future employment. If a business wants less than 30 placements (most businesses!!) they have to sign up with a Gateway organisation, who applies for their placement (s) on their behalf. We are really excited at the Chamber as we have received nearly 200 requests for roles in just about every sector and every function. We will be sharing

success stories over the course of the next 12 months and look forward to seeing the development of both the young people and the businesses.

JANUARY THE 1ST IS LOOMING

Although some people seem to have forgotten about the changes coming up in January our network of chambers is very much on the case. We have published a critical update of the Brexit guidance dashboard containing 26 key questions that remain unanswered with just 92 days to go until the end of the Brexit transition period (depending on when you read this). Following research across the country we have found that business preparation for the coming changes is low due to the unprecedented challenges facing them but we are preparing ourselves and will be offering webinars, training and a helpline to support our businesses.

Louise Punter CEO Surrey Chamber of Commerce

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JOIN THE CHAMBER “Surrey Chamb is the co ers of Commer indepen unty’s largest ce busines dent, not-for-p roﬁt s sup that help port organisati connec s businesses on t t and glo locally, nation o bally in ally ord custom ers, sup er to gain knowle pliers and dge.”

CAN YOUR BUSINESS AFFORD NOT TO BE A MEMBER OF SURREY CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE? Sitting at the heart of the business community, Surrey Chambers of Commerce connects you to opportunities, skills, knowledge and valuable contacts. We can help you grow and develop, by promoting your business, introducing you to new customers, keeping you informed and representing you locally, regionally and nationally

ith a membership representing businesses of all sizes across every sector of the economy, the Chamber works hard to ensure that the continued prosperity of Surrey takes into account the needs of business, as well as providing a range of high quality services to help businesses to grow and meet new potential customers, including making introductions into over 40 countries. Surrey Chambers of Commerce is an integral part of the Surrey business support network and alongside its partners offers specialist advice, knowledge and information on a wide range of issues facing local businesses.

We can: Help you to ﬁnd new customers – raise your proﬁle, increase your brand awareness and generate new business by using our website, publications and database to communicate with thousands of business people. Connect you to other businesses – we run over 100 events a year that give you the chance to enhance your busi-

ness network, ﬁnd new customers and meet like-minded and other successful business people.

Chambers of Commerce who talk directly to government, inﬂuencing policy and strategic decisions.

Expand your network overseas – we provide friendly, professional advice and assistance and help you obtain necessary export documentation. Our relationship with 28 accredited overseas British Chambers means we can introduce you to our global network of experts to make your journey much easier.

Support your local community - we are passionate about contributing to the wider community and encourage you to work with us. We support a variety of local initiatives, providing you with the chance to give something back, whilst raising your company proﬁle.

Develop you and your workforce’s knowledge and skills – we run a range of training events throughout the year and can introduce you to a variety of training providers. Represent you – we believe it is important that you and your business are fairly represented locally, regionally, nationally and, where appropriate, internationally on issues affecting business. We work closely with Surrey County Council, the eleven local borough councils, district and two Local Enterprise Partnerships and we feedback and provide input to the British

Save you money - we can provide you with a variety of discounts designed to save your company money. As well as national deals you will beneﬁt from exclusive discounts offered by other Chamber members. You too can offer a special member to member deal. Email: sarah.butcher@ surrey-chambers.co.uk Visit: www.surrey-chambers.co.uk Call: 01483 735540

NOVEMBER ONWARDS...

SURREY CHAMBERS EVENT CALENDAR

Step Into 2021 - An Evening of What 2021 Holds for the Tourism Sector

Networking 10th Dec | Brooklands Hotel & Spa

5th Nov | Zoom webinar Join Surrey's Tourist Board and key speakers from the sector to discuss the issues affecting the tourism and

It is never too early to plan your Christmas! So far, we have had many trials and tribulations, and I am

leisure businesses post COVID. Learn what plans are

sure most of us can agree the year so far has been a

in place to adapt and what opportunities are available

rollercoaster. But we like to celebrate the year the

in 2021 for your business.

best way we know how to. With a glass of bubbly, a tacky Christmas hat and an evening of networking.

Surrey Chambers Golf Society 5th Nov | Swinley Forest

Join us as a team of 4 players, a great opportunity to

Virtual Coffee Morning

entertain your clients, or as an individual and we will

21st October | 17th November

18 Hole Stableford competition open to all businesses.

team you up with one of our friendly members. Tee off 9:10am, 18 holes, followed by lunch, finish at 5:30pm.

-Save the date Business Bites at G-Live - Nov 20th Members Networking Evening at Foxhills - Nov 26th Open 18 Hole Golf Competition at Woking - Dec 1st

Once a month we have our Surrey Chambers Coffee Morning - an hour of informal networking with a handful of businesses over our get-out-of-bed drink! This networking event is free to members with no proposed topic, open to members and non-members who fancy having their tea or coffee in the company of others.

MANAGING REMOTE TEAMS The way we work is changing. Increasingly we have to work remotely, and at the very least manage a hybrid team set-up Knowing how to lead remote teams has become a key management skill, helping you harness and develop your best talent to ensure ongoing business survival and success. Based on client feedback we have created a 3 week, 6 module online programme to help leaders n Each module has a 15 minute video and a coaching workbook with exercises and tools for you to explore and use with your teams n Each module includes a one hour coaching session on Zoom. You get to choose the time of your Zoom session to work around your busy life

n Additionally you will have a one to one bespoke leadership session with Desiree Anderson, Cultural Engagement and Executive coach. 6 Workbooks + 6 Online mentoring Sessions + Free tools & checklists + 6 videos + 1 bespoke one to one leadership coaching session with a highly experienced executive coach

WHAT YOU WILL ACHIEVE:

n Effectively adapt your communication style to harness engagement n Cultivate a culture of trust and accountability n Manage and enhance staff performance on a remote basis n Implement HR essentials to keep legally compliant n Build essential wellbeing elements into the team’s daily routine n Harness a communication framework that moves beyond pure technology The course will be led by Desiree Anderson, a Master Level qualified

Executive Coach and HR consultant who specialises in team culture and engagement. Desiree has worked for numerous leading companies in the UK and abroad. She is the owner of Crest Coaching & HR. The investment for the programme is £350. You can reserve your place here for the next programme from November 3rd – 21st 2020.

https://crestcoachingandhr.com/ services/managing-remote-teamscourse

POLICING SURREY

FEARLESS By Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner David Munro

The Covid-19 pandemic continues to present us all with some very difficult challenges and the situation remains very uncertain with cases rising both nationwide and here in Surrey. During the last month, the return to school was welcomed across the county with children going back to the classroom, some of them for the first time in nearly six months. For our young people in particular, this has been an extremely testing period with disruption to their schooling and exams at such an important stage in their lives. Sadly there will be criminals trying to exploit the situation and target our young people during these uncertain times. Violent crime and the threats posed by ‘county lines’ gangs recruiting teenagers to become part of their drug supply operation are very real issues that police in Surrey and elsewhere are tackling right now. As well as overseeing the police budget, my office also allocates grants from two funding streams to a number of services

Fearless offers non-judgemental advice about making informed decisions on reporting crime. The service also engages with and educates young people about the consequences of their choices and allows them to give information 100% anonymously using a secure online form.

❛❛ As well as overseeing the police budget,

my office also allocates grants from two funding streams to a number of services and projects that help support victims and aid community safety in Surrey ❜❜ and projects that help support victims and aid community safety in Surrey. One such project I wanted to highlight is Fearless which is the youth service of Crimestoppers and has been running in Surrey since late 2018. I have just agreed to help fund the dedicated Fearless outreach worker for Surrey, Emily Drew, for a further three years to continue the important work she is doing across the county.

This message is reinforced through campaigns that encourage safe and anonymous reporting of issues such as knife and drug crime and those involved with county lines - including speaking up about those who regularly carry weapons. Despite the difficulties the Covid-19 pandemic has presented, Emily has been working really hard carrying out online training sessions which have been

attended by more than 350 professionals from across Surrey including GPs, social workers and teachers. There has also been a big focus on reaching young people through social media with a recent campaign focused on spotting the warning signs of exploitation from drug gangs. Now that pupils have returned to schools, I know Emily is looking to bring her message back to the classroom with both personal and virtual inputs. During these difficult times, the role that charities and services such as Fearless are doing is invaluable to help empower our young people to make their communities safer and resist being drawn into criminal activity by those who may seek to exploit them.

If your business or organisation works with young children or you want to learn more about the work that Emily and Fearless is doing in Surrey – please visit their website at www.fearless.org/ campaigns/fearless-surrey

KICKSTART

SURREY CHAMBERS ARE GATEWAY ORGANISATION FOR THE KICKSTART SCHEME The Kickstart Scheme is a £2 billion fund to create hundreds of thousands of high quality sixmonth work placements for young people aged 1624, who are claiming Universal Credit. The Surrey Chambers of Commerce is working alongside the British Chambers of Commerce and is a recognised intermediary in coordinating business responses. Businesses of all sizes looking to create quality jobs can apply to create new sixmonth job placements for young people who are currently on Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment. The job placements should support the participants to develop the skills and experience they need to find work after completing the scheme. The Government will fund 100% of the relevant National Minimum Wage for 25 hours a week, plus associated employer National Insurance contributions and employer minimum automatic enrolment

contributions. In addition, businesses taking on a Kickstart candidate can apply for £1,500 per job placement, available for setup costs, support and training. To help smaller businesses, employers offering fewer than 30 placements

The pandemic has caused disruption to many businesses and individuals, who, through no fault of their own, find themselves without meaningful employment. Could your organisation benefit from hiring new talent, with

❛❛ The Government will fund 100%

of the relevant National Minimum Wage for 25 hours a week ❜❜ will be asked to make a bid through an intermediary, such as a Chamber of Commerce, who will then bid for 30 or more placements as a combined bid from several businesses. This will make the process easier and less labour intensive for smaller companies who only want to hire one or two Kickstarters. Find out more here: http://bit.ly/kickstartjobs

financial support from the Government? If so, in the first instance please contact us at kickstart@surrey-chambers.co.uk Upon receipt a member of the team will contact you with further details.

COVID APP

NHS COVID-19 APP LAUNCH

The new NHS COVID-19 app has launched on September 24th 2020. It will shortly be a legal requirement for certain businesses in England and Wales to download and display an NHS COVID19 App QR code poster visible on entry to their premises. This is so customers who have downloaded the app can use their smartphones to easily checkin. Businesses can visit the following website to create a downloadable display poster for their premises https:// www.gov.uk/create-coronavirus-qrposter. This will allow NHS Test and Trace to contact customers with public health advice should there be a COVID-19 outbreak. For further business information and resources head to https://covid19.nhs.uk/informationand-resources.html. In England, using QR codes will help businesses meet the new legal requirement to record the contact details of customers, visitors and staff on their premises. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve also

attached a communications toolkit so you can show your customers and workforce that you are supporting the new NHS COVID-19 App.

COVID-SECURE WORKPLACES

The Government has also published updated and simplified Covid-19 Secure guidance available at: www.gov. uk/guidance/working-safely-duringcoronavirus-covid-19. Core Covid-19 Secure requirements will now be mandated for hospitality businesses. We would encourage all businesses to review the relevant guidance and continue to take measures to ensure that workplaces are Covid-Secure. In particular, in areas where the risk of transmission is higher such as: n Indoor areas and enclosed spaces so special attention should be given to ensuring such spaces are CovidSecure.

n In noisy areas due to the need to speak louder or shout which increases the likelihood of infectious droplets spreading e.g. noisy areas in pubs and restaurants or factory floors or construction sites where workers are exposed to industrial noise.

THANK YOU AND KEEP GOING

We have seen that most businesses have put Covid-Secure measures in place, and this has made a real difference in supressing the virus. As cases continue to increase in the UK, we all need to work together to keep suppressing the virus and keep our businesses open. We would really like to thank you for all your cooperation and support in achieving this. As ever, please do not hesitate to contact us if there is anything we can do to support you further during this time.

START UP ACADEMY

IS IT LONELY RUNNING YOUR BUSINESS? ARE THERE SOME AREAS YOU NEED HELP WITH? The Surrey Chambers of Commerce, supported by Surrey Heath Borough Council, Greatest Hits Radio and projectfive, are delighted to bring you our Start-Up Academy. By becoming a member of the Academy you can work alongside your peer group and grow your business. By utilising the expertise of our members, we can ensure that you will get the best advice and resources needed to develop your business and increase your network. The Academy will take place once a month from October 26th 2020-May 17th 2021, when a graduation ceremony will take place. Key areas of business will be covered in depth, with an informative talk for the first half of the day, followed by an interactive session in the afternoon. Running from 10am-1.30pm, you will be offered the chance to work remotely in projectfive’s office space – a great opportunity to continue getting to know your fellow cohort members and expand your network.

MONTHLY TIMINGS

10:00 Arrival with networking/tea and coffee 10:30 Headline speaker opens 11:30-12:30 Networking and Lunch 12:30-13:30 Interactive session 13:30 Event close/networking Delegates are welcome to stay on and work from projectfive’s offices

TOPICS COVERED

October 26th Business Planning/Strategy and setting objectives Richard Butcher, Stratagems November 23rd How to make a business successful Mike Turner, youbecome December 7th Digital Media & Marketing Strategy David Evans & Carrie Crosland, Akiko January 18th Sales & Negotiation Paul Glynn, Sandler

February 22nd IT & Cyber Crime Steve Coburn, projectfive March 15th HR & Compliance Martine Robins, The HR Dept April 19th Budgets & Raising Money Daniel Morgan, Haines Watts Chartered Accountants May 17th Graduation Recap of learning, future support options, measure initial objectives.

WHERE WILL THE ACADEMY BE HELD

The academy will be held at projectfive’s offices. St George’s House, Knoll Road, Camberley GU15 3SY

PARKING

The nearest car park is Knoll Road Multistory Car Park, located next to Camberley Theatre

WHAT NEXT?

Complete our application form to see if you will be accepted as one of our inaugural Start-Up Academy cohorts.

REQUIREMENTS

n Less than 3 years in business n Commitment to attend all sessions n £40 plus VAT commitment fee

HOW TO SIGN-UP

If you are interested in finding out more about the academy and how to sign up, please contact hannah.joslyn@surrey-chambers.co.uk or call 01483 735547 We look forward to having you on board.

At the time of writing, we are a little over six months into the Covid lockdown. The teams at Charles Russell Speechlys have managed to continue working at full capacity supporting all clients with their legal queries, whether that is about a personal issue or one facing their business. Here are some of the ways we are offering support, from navigating Government funding, to those considering how they should now structure their business.

ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

REAL ESTATE

The Covid-19 pandemic has produced many challenging issues for property owners and occupiers. Our Real Estate Team have actively supported many businesses through this period including hosting 6 free webinars led by a panel of legal experts focussing on the key property issues arising from the pandemic including guidance on the government suspension of forfeiture and its impact on landlords and tenants, how landlords and tenants should document rent concessions, how changes to insolvency law have impacted on property owners and occupiers, and the legal health and safety issues which apply and how to adapt office premises to comply with government guidelines on the phased return to work. We have also provided rapid response flyers to a variety of different businesses summarising the key property issues and changes which have arisen as a result of the pandemic including a free 30 minutes advisory service which has been very well received. Claire Timmings, Legal Director Claire.Timmings@crsblaw.com

CORPORATE RECOVERY AND INSOLVENCY

In the highly uncertain and challenging climate of lockdown and ever-evolving government policy, businesses have had to adapt and react in order to survive. It is not surprising then, that we have seen a significant increase in requests for restructuring advice during the Covid-19 pandemic. These have not only come from businesses needing to restructure their own affairs but also from businesses and individuals requiring assistance in their dealings with third parties experiencing financial difficulty. We have acted as a sounding board to a wide range of clients and potential clients, as well as providing legal content through webinars, articles and legal updates, including the wide ranging reforms introduced to UK insolvency law in June by the Corporate Insolvency & Governance Act 2020. We have worked hand in hand with those working in the retail, leisure and hospitality sectors, negotiating standstills and other informal arrangements on their debts, as well as acting in relation to more formal processes where required, including administration and company voluntary arrangements. Roger Elford, Partner Roger.Elford@crsblaw.com

CORPORATE AND COMMERCIAL

The Covid-19 pandemic has seen a raft of new funding schemes and support packages available for businesses that have been affected. We have produced a number of guidance notes on these schemes, including the Governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bounceback Loan Scheme, the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme and the Future Fund. We have assisted a number of clients with applications to the Future Fund, which is the first of its kind in the UK, being a scheme under which the Government (via the British Business Bank) will take direct equity stakes in businesses on conversion of a convertible loan agreement and matches the level of funding provided by 3rd party investors. We have also offered free 30 minute rapid response units to advise businesses on key issues affecting them following the pandemic, as well as offering free 30 minute â&#x20AC;&#x153;return to workâ&#x20AC;? surgeries as businesses started to re-open, which our clients have found invaluable and have been appreciative of this support during a very difficult time. Rebecca Burford, Partner Rebecca.Burford@crsblaw.com

You can find guidelines, information on events and more about Charles Russell Speechlys here: www.charlesrussellspeechlys.com

CHAMBERS NE WS YOUR INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS NEEDS MULTILINGUAL PLATFORMS NOW MORE THAN EVER client retention or providing essential support during this crisis. If you have a COVID-19-related message, Surrey Translation Bureau (STB) are currently offering a 10% discount.

best place for allowing your customers to stay informed and removing any element of uncertainty that the recent crisis might have brought up.

Here’s a look at some of your business platforms/documents that you should consider translating:

According to online payment portal Stripe, out of the top 450 European e-commerce websites, 74% of customer checkouts lacked local language translations and didn’t have the relevant payment methods for international buyers.

MARKETING CAMPAIGNS

As businesses start getting back on their feet, they need to adapt to the new norms. Face-to-face networking, physical interactions with stakeholders and store visits from potential and existing customers have reduced considerably and the digital marketplace has gained new importance.

Instead of exhibitions, physical mailouts and print adverts, try investing in multilingual online ads and SEOs to increase traﬃc to your website in your target markets; run personalised email campaigns to your clients in their own languages; and get your creatives ready to download or send in several languages.

Offering online content to your international audience in their preferred language(s) can help in sustaining and growing your business, whether it’s through increased sales,

From existing information about your company, products and services, to more recent updates related to the pandemic, a corporate website is the

WEBSITE

E-COMMERCE PLATFORM

With most shops still struggling to open to full capacity, it’s natural that we’re witnessing a steep rise in e-commerce activities. Localise your e-commerce platforms to meet the growing demands. Get in touch with the STB team today to discuss the translation of your website and other digital content. Call +44 (0)1252 730 014 or email hello@surreytranslation.co.uk

GSA AND STUDENTS MOVING FORWARD Sean McNamara, Head of GSA; ‘The impact of the global pandemic will have a profound effect from a societal and cultural perspective. We need to move away from crisis and focus upon opportunity, in pursuit of accelerating innovation and achieving meaningful and lasting change.’ GSA Summer 2020 productions, due to COVID19, were steered online. You can still catch the radio version of The Changeling by the Actor Musicians – thechangelinggsa.com. There has been amazing industry support for the class of 2020. Agents, casting departments and GSA alumni have all reached out, mentored and

provided platforms to showcase graduates, resulting in most now having representation and being impatient to get going. As we welcome back students for the new academic year, simultaneously getting to grips with rigorous safety measures, our focus is back on doing what we do best, creativity in all its forms. GSA has adapted its teaching across the entire school from the Saturday School and Junior Conservatoire to the undergraduate and postgraduate training programmes in Acting, Actor Musician, Musical Theatre and Technical Theatre. GSA is the

leading conservatoire provider of undergraduate and postgraduate online learning programmes in theatre and for 2021 we are introducing the BA Applied & Contemporary Theatre programme for aspiring theatre makers who seek to inﬂuence social and cultural change. GSA is leading a Covid compliant theatre project with the Donmar Warehouse, National Theatre of Wales and Guildford’s Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in seeking to explore practices and techniques required to safely reopen the nations theatres and live entertainment venues. At GSA we believe now is the time to unleash the creativity and potential of the engineers and the imagineers.

NEWS TOOLS TO THRIVE POST LOCKDOWN

SMITH & WILLIAMSON RAISES FUNDS FOR SHOOTING STAR HOSPICE

Nick Parsk, Director at advisory ﬁrm Quantuma

Smith & Williamson’s Guildford Oﬃce raises over £10,000 for Shooting Star Children’s Hospices in two-year partnership

SMEs have been in crisis mode for several months now, with unprecedented numbers accessing the Government’s support packages to survive during lockdown. However, these support packages will shortly end as the Government encourages businesses to trade with socially distant measures in place.

The Guildford office of Smith & Williamson, the financial and professional services firm, has announced it has raised over £10,000 for Shooting Star Children’s Hospices since partnering with the local charity in September 2018.

To support businesses at this time I’ve identified a few key areas business owners need to focus on in the months ahead. ■ Management information – ensure you have accurate and timely information regarding your business, so you can make informed decisions. This includes information on your sales, work in progress, purchases and key financials. ■ Cashflow forecasts – business owners are probably bored of professionals advising them to prepare cashflow forecasts. But again, it is critical that businesses can identify pinch points ahead of time and take appropriate action, if required. A large number of businesses will have deferred payments to suppliers, HMRC and potentially employees. A robust cashflow forecast allows a business to engage with these key stakeholders and advise them when the business will be able to meet these arrears or alternatively, request further time to pay or a payment plan. ■ Keep communication channels open with your employees, your customers, your lenders and suppliers. If you keep them all informed of the company’s position and any changes to your normal trading activity, credit terms, supply of goods/ services, they are far more likely to be reassured and support you along the way. For further information, please contact Licensed Insolvency Practitioner, Nick Parsk at nick.parsk@quantuma.com or 01483 549549 or visit www.quantuma.com for more information on how they can help support businesses at this time.

Shooting Star Children’s Hospices supports families with children who have life-limiting conditions across Surrey and London, from diagnosis to end of life, with a range of nursing, practical, emotional and medical care. Smith & Williamson’s Guildford office organised numerous fundraising activities and even gloved-up to garden at Christopher’s Hospice, Artington. The firm’s final fundraiser, a US Tennis Open sweep stake, concludes their two-year partnership. Anne Carey, Head of Corporate Engagement at the charity commented: “On behalf of everyone at the ospices, and the families we support, we want to say a huge thank you to everyone at the Guildford office.” Maggie Lowe, Head of the Guildford office commented: “We like to donate to smaller organisations where our help will make a meaningful difference. The good work we do ensures we support our people in contributing to charities and their communities.” The Guildford office has elected Guildford Action as its next charity partner. Guildford Action provides a safe refuge for people who have fallen out of society. By providing basic essentials and healthcare, it helps reconnect them with society and recover their identity and sense of belonging. Jo Tester, CEO at Guildford Action says “In a time of economic uncertainty for the voluntary sector, we cannot fundraise as normal and the demand for our service will undoubtedly increase, it’s important we remain a safety net for those who have fallen through. It’s heartening to know a local business is committed to helping better the lives of those in the town who are struggling. We’re grateful and look forward to building this friendship over the next two years.” Find out more about Guildford Action at its website: www.guildfordaction.org.uk

Anne Carey from Shooting Star Children’s Hospices on the left, with Emma Delaney in the middle and Janice Clay on the right, who are two members of the Guildford oﬃce charity volunteer group

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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.

AWB Consulting A2

Tel: 07711 442229 www.awbconsulting.co.uk Contact: Andy Boothroyd

TheFoodShareUk ltd

calm+curious

Tel: 07853 406668 www.calmcurious.com Contact: Margarita Madrid

Precision Golf

Tel: 07904 497192 www.1tca.com Contact: Raj Kumari Byford

Tel: 01932 977777 www.precisiongolf.co.uk Contact: James Davey

Accelerator-HR Ltd

Hannah Keartland Ltd

Tel: 07387 116435 www.accelerator-hr.co.uk Contact: Christopher Taylor

Tel: 07976 102865 www.hannahkeartland.com Contact: Hannah Keartland

Tech Environment UK Ltd Tel: 07717 855490 www.techuniversal.com Contact: Roger Dobell

LGM Products Ltd

Tel: 01252 725257 www.lgmproducts.com Contact: Christopher Phillips

Fairoak Foods

Tel: 01276 485749 www.fairoakfoods.com Contact: Steve Elkins

All new Chamber members are entitled to a one-off 50% discount for a company proďŹ le within this magazine. Contact Lesley@platinumpublishing.co.uk for more details If you are looking to join Surrey Chambers, then please do get in touch with either: sarah.butcher@surrey-chambers.co.uk or tom.woods@surrey-chambers.co.uk or call 01483 735540. We look forward to hearing from you!

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NE V ER MIS S A N I S S U E O F THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR WOMEN

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR WOMEN

GS SES S

Q&A BARONESS MICHELLE MONE COAST TO CAPITAL LEP JULIE KAPSALIS TAKES THE CHAIR DIVORCE & PENSIONS

STATION

NEXT ISSUE OUT November 2020

SEPT | OCT 2020 #6

TOP TEN BUSINESS MANTRA’S YOGA THE NEW SERIES

COAST TO CAPITAL CHAIR

A NEW DIRECTION Newly appointed Chair at Coast sets out her goal to achieve to Capital, Julie Kapsalis, sustainable and growth for the local economy. diverse

DY NA M IC

BUSI N E SS

THE BOARD

Left to right: Kirsten Trussell (Head of Strategy and Policy), Katie Nurcombe

(Head of Corporate Affairs), Amanda Jones (Board Member), Frances Rutter (Board Member), Julie Kapsalis (Chair)

our economy appears The Coast to Capital Board to be among the is a unique worst affected in the country. partnership of Local Given the Authority, Uniconsiderable impact of versity, Further Education the pandemic, and high we commissioned research profile business leaders to further who come understand the impact together with diverse ideas on the wider and passion Coast to Capital economy. for the region. Together, the Board The headline finding helps to promote is that we local econ-omic estimate a GVA growth by influencing net loss of policy-dec£9.8 billion (17%) between isions, supporting local 2019 and businesses and 2020, which is higher investing in key infrastructur than the national e projects average (13%) and based from a number of funding on only ‘one programmes lockdown’ scenario. including a £300 million Our high GVA Local Growth loss is likely due to Fund portfolio. our dominant sectors being adversely affected by lockdown restrictions. ECONOMY WATCH: The education sector is hardest hit HELPING TO REBUILD experiencing a THE 38% loss. Unsurprising COAST TO CAPITAL ECONOMY ly, the arts and entertainment sector is The impact of COVID next hardest hit has proven to experiencing a 37% loss, be particularly targeted followed by a on our areas 36% loss for the accommodat of economic strength, ion and meaning that food sector.

CASE STUDY: Supporting SMEs Lorama Foods is a quality bakery with its own label products, and white label manufacturing facility, the leading brands. Specialising producing products for some of in sports nutrition bars and protein balls. Starting a business from scratch is tough, but siblings and fellow directors Rachel Lavelle and Martin King were up for the when they launched the West Sussex based company. challenge With the usual worries about cash flow, staffing and a myriad of stressful problems faced by small business owners, they set to designing and building their own facility. Rachel was introduced to the Coast to Capital Growth Hub support programmes regularly with other business and met owners.

THE BIG STORY

E XCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH MP

MIMS DAVIES

The confidence, ideas and positive energy had a huge impact at Lorama Foods. Although eligible for a grant from Coast to Capital’s Growth Grant Programme, the business found funding through investors. Three years after its launch, the company has an anticipated turnover for 2020 of £1m. This is expected to rise to £3.5m by 2021, an increase of 350%.

IC DY NA M

LEADER

C S POLI T I

IN A CRISIS...N

A GET A WOM TO LEA D

27/01/2020 16:56

tries With What Do Coun navirus The Best Coro In Responses Have Common?

Germany

Norway

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Iceland

heat rises.

are small say these other Many will islands, or and countries, or Germany is large exceptions. But island with the UK is an leading, and leaders outcomes. These very different alternative an attractive are gifting us are they What g power. way of wieldin teaching us?

Finland

Denmark

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Taiwan

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fastest COUNTRY first and the 427 en Among the from Tsai Ing-w Mette Frederiksen responses was the first in January, at Denmark 10 in Taiwan. Back ced 124 illness, she introdu Katrin Jakobsdottir sign of a new without Iceland block the spread 193 measures to wns that to the lockdo Sanna Marin She having to resort ere. Finland common elsewh 6,128 have become masks Merkel 10 million face g Angela sendin is now managed Germany Europe. Tsai 19 the to the U.S. and has called “among the Jacinda Ardern g what CNN responses, keepin ng NewZealand 205 world’s best” control, still reporti Erna Solberg epidemic under Norway . 6 only six deaths Tsai Ing-wen d Zealan New n in Taiwan 21,092 Jacinda Arder crystal lockdown and Boris Johnson was early to of alert UK maximum level 56,634 clear on the y under – countr Trump the Donald lation she was putting USA 28th April 2020 imposed self-iso on available on and why. She Zealand collated from informati entering New deaths. Numbers on people there were * Hospital early, when astonishingly country, in the whole the press, they from just six cases everyone reads foreigners entirely and fact-based ising that not and banned age to spread crisis. Recogn after. Clarity cers of any storm. As of the soon influen g g from d ic. enterin Zealan are invitin ing the pandem , and where are saving New ation on manag decisiveness only four deaths the is adding inform have suffered Solberg, had mid-April they restrictions, Ardern talk of lifting Minister, Erna ders quarantine directly to her Prime Zealan y’s talk other countries to New on Norwa all returning 3-minute of using televisi on the short, to them, making innovative idea ns for 14 days. was building She locatio n. ated Minister Mette in design country’s childre Danish Prime er Katrín Solberg conference that Prime Minist days earlier. of of press hip couple all a the leaders testing to had held adults were Iceland, under Frederiksen free coronavirus nce where no the in the true r, is offering ed press confere ns from across Jakobsdótti a key case study held a dedicat kids’ questio will become scared. responded to 19. its citizens, and it was OK to feel allowed. She rates of Covidto explain why with active y, taking time spread and fatality limited testing to people tion to its countr have idea takes one’s way. In propor Most countries sness of the is going all the times as tions lity and obviou screened five humane innova symptoms. Iceland gh The origina y has already other simple, thorou countr a many ed the How h? population has, and institut breath away. leadership unleas lock down as South Korea haven’t had to many people would more female that means they of these female tracking system care which all . empathy and an alternate or shut schools to come from Generally, the nicated seems st head of It’s like their world’s younge leaders have commu we have gotten used to. in became the in Finland. It se than the one to hold you close Sanna Marin last December their videos media univer could was elected using social coming out of ead knew leaders are state when she Who arms spearh e. ial leader to loving embrac the coronavirus took a millenn in battling a heart-felt and we do. key agents ting that as Now this? cers sugges influen h timidly sound like years of researc beneficial. different and There have been be might hip styles and companies women’s leaders l organisations like men if many politica Instead, too to behave more g to get women l leaders are are still workin . Yet these nationa men may lead or succeed leadership traits they want to gs of the seven case study sightin from women. want to learn of more it. ised it – and elected It’s time we recogn

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soon.

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At the time of writing this, UK businesses have less than 100 days to prepare for the changes to trading between the UK and EU that come into effect from January 1st 2021.

ARE YOU PREPARED FOR JANUARY 1ST 2021? Whilst some businesses have been adapting and preparing for the past few years, others have failed to understand the potential impact of the changes to their business and have done very little to nothing or ‘placed their head in the sand’ and ignored the issue. Others have been waiting to see what the outcome of the negotiations before implementing any actions but are they leaving it too late? It is very easy to understand why these businesses have made these decisions – the British Chambers of Commerce recently presented the UK government with 26 unanswered questions that businesses urgently need the answers to help them prepare for the future trading relationship with the EU. Some of these questions and their answers potentially will have a massive impact on businesses and how they trade, manufacturer and sell. (www.britishchambers.org.uk/news/

2 0 2 0 / 0 9/ b r e x i t - 2 6 - u n a n s w e r e d questions-for-business-with-fewer-than100-days-to-go) But the one of the biggest areas for concern that I have come across, is a misconception that most businesses have in that they believe that they will not be impacted by the changes at all – they do not import or export, they do not trade with the EU and everything their businesses uses on a day to day basis is sourced/bought in the UK. But for many businesses, they are part of a massive supply chain which can be widespread, expanding across multiple countries and be very complex, which can involve multiple businesses in the production and selling of a finished product. It is therefore important that all businesses, regardless if they import or

export directly themselves, or buy from a UK supplier, should be reviewing their supply chain. Where does your product/ component come from? What is the origin of manufacture? Will the supplier/ manufacturer be able to supply going forward and if so, what will the impact to costs/timescales be? This will make identifying potential delays and supply issues easier but it will also help with other key areas that need to be known such as rules of origin, (which may or may not change depending on the negotiations), commodity codes and import/export tariffs and duties. Recently, we have received an increasing number of calls and e-mails from businesses looking to understand the future customs requirements between the UK and EU and the implementation of customs declarations. This is nothing new – businesses already must make

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

So how do you overcome this? Well firstly, look at the Incoterm® Rules 2020 and find the rule that works best for your business. For those that use ex-works, look to use FCA (Free Carrier) as you will still be able to name your premises as point of collection however, you will be responsible for making the export customs declaration in the UK, allowing the buyer’s transport to collect and take the goods to the port of departure. This leaves the buyer responsible for the shipment, import customs declaration and the import duties and taxes. Secondly, all businesses that export their goods must be able to prove export, which unless you have a robust process in place, is usually missing or not sufficient under ex-works, meaning that the business is at risk of possible HMRC penalties or action. Under the FCA incoterm® Rule, you make the customs declaration, therefore creating your own ‘proof of export’. Thirdly, there is a £50million government grant scheme for businesses to take advantage of to be able to train their staff and to upgrade their IT to be able to make their own customs declarations. The International Trade team at Surrey Chambers of Commerce can help businesses by directing them to the correct sources of advice and guidance and to help with the understanding. We can provide the training courses to train your staff on customs declarations plus other international trade areas such as Incoterm® Rules, Methods of Payments, Import and Export customs procedures. import and export declarations for shipments to and from the rest of the world. Where the problem lies is the volume and capacity. It is projected that the UK customs declarations will increase from 55 million per year (ROW trade only) to 225 million per year (EU + ROW) which is going to put a massive burden on the system. It has been reported that freight forwarders and logistic businesses are turning away new clients and withdrawing customs declarations services from their ‘smaller’ clients to control the capacity that they have. Therefore, it is important to contact your freight forwarder or fastparcel logistics partner to understand

their situation and what they will be able to help you with. “But it’s fine”, I hear you say, “all my shipments from my business are exworks so I do not have to worry about import and export declarations”. WRONG – I am sorry to say. Yes, you can still use ex-works, but unless your customer has a representative/agent in the UK who can make customs declarations on their behalf, the shipment will not be allowed to proceed to port and will not be allowed to leave the UK. Similar on the EU side, for goods destined for the UK under exworks, goods will not be allowed to move with the required declarations.

With less than 100 days, there is very little time to waste to make sure that your people have the right knowledge, that your business has minimised the impact and can continue to trade, and that whatever trading arrangement we face, your business is ready to go on January 1st 2021.

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ACTING THE PART The Guildford School of Acting, based at the University of Surrey campus, is a major part of Surrey life. With the current pandemic having hit the performing arts especially hard, we sat down with school Principal, Professor Sean McNamara to learn about the school, how they are faring and how the local business community can get involved.

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Please tell us something about you and your journey to your current role? I grew up in Cardiff and was fortunate to be exposed to music at a young age, my grandfather and uncle were professional musicians and of course, being Welsh I sang in the National Youth Choir of Wales and played rugby. Following my undergraduate degree in economics at university, I made the decision to audition for drama school. GSA was my first choice and I was fortunate to be

offered a place in 1995 to train on the three year BA Musical Theatre programme. I graduated in 1998 and appeared on stage and screen, however, I realised after a few years that I was unlikely to sustain a viable career as a performer so decided to upskill and enrolled on the MA in Actor Training programme at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Following graduation I worked as a teacher and director at a number of drama schools, one of which being GSA. During this time

❛❛ I trained in musical theatre at GSA

in the late 1990s and it remains one of the most rewarding and valuable experiences of my life ❜❜ 22

GSA was in a state of transition as it was moving from its facilities in central Guildford that it had occupied since the 1950s to its new purpose built building and theatre on the University of Surrey campus. In 2016 I was appointed Head of Guildford School of Acting and in 2019 I was appointed Chair of the Federation of Drama Schools, the professional body for representing the UK’s leading drama schools. It must be very rewarding to return as the head of the organisation at which you trained? Was this planned? I trained in musical theatre at GSA in the late 1990s and it remains one of the m os t rewardin g an d valu abl e experiences of my life. I returned to GSA as a member of the faculty in 2010 and was appointed Principal in 2016. As the

BIG STORY

first GSA graduate to be appointed head of the school, I feel an enormous sense of privilege, and responsibilit y, particularly to our students, colleagues and alumni. How has the school been affected by the current pandemic and what are your plans to keep open? GSA adapted extremely quickly in the Spring to the imposition of distancing measures by implementing a series of measures to ensure the continuation of the training, in particular delivery and learning via online platforms. For the new academic year we have planned for a number of scenarios and eventualities in meeting the challenges of the present circumstances. The inability of the creative sectors to reopen, in particular theatres, has influenced our thinking and planning for the new academic year. GSA is most probably the largest producer of live theatre in the region. To minimise the potential for disruption we decided to phase the return of students, with first and second years beginning in late September, our final year students

return in early November and our postgraduate students will arrive in January 2021. Public productions in acting, actor musicianship and musical theatre have been delayed until early 2021 when we hope that live performances with audiences in attendance will be possible. We appreciate that we are all living in uncertain times where feelings of isolation and detachment are currently amplified. The health and wellbeing of our students and our colleagues is of vital importance and it is essential that we remain connected and united as a community of artists, practitioners and creatives. Looking ahead, I believe we have to move the narrative away from one of crisis and focus upon the opportunities that the current situation presents us with as we navigate our way through this age defining era. Covid-19 will most likely leave a profound legacy upon our society and our culture and it is an opportunity for us to be pioneers for a new creative era and a more equal society as we embark upon helping to shape that future rather than be shaped by it. The school seems to cover everything from dance and music, to drama and technical theatre training â&#x20AC;&#x201C; are there any expansion plans? GSA offers academic training programmes at foundation, under-graduate and postgraduate level in Acting, Actor Musicianship, Musical Theatre, and Theatre Production. For the 2021 academic year we have introduced a new three year BA programme in Applied and Contemporar y Theatre, this programme focuses upon training the theatre makers, creative entrepreneurs

BIG STORY

and advocates for theatre as an instrument of achieving social and cultural change. Over the last few years we have invested in our online delivery and now have over 130 students studying entirely online for our BA and MA Theatre (Online Learning) programmes. GSA has also expanded its Saturday School which operates weekly for children and adults from five years and up with the launch in 2019 of the GSA Junior Conservatoire and the GSA Summer Conservatoire for children and young adults who are seeking specialist intensive training in Acting and Musical Theatre. In the 2020 National Student Survey, GSA scored 91% for overall student satisfaction which ranks the school as one of the leading conservatoires in the UK, with the BA Actor Musician and BA Musical Theatre programmes scoring 100% and 97.5% respectively. How difficult is it to maintain this level of excellence? GSA pursues a student centred ethos where the experience and quality of the training is our primary objective. Within a

competitive sector the school auditions approximately 4,500 potential students each year for places on our performance and te chnical theatre training programmes. We are constantly aware that GSA cannot stand still and must continue to innovate to meet the demands of our students, and the needs of the ever evolving creative sector. We have invested in upgrading the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s facilities and resources and providing training in Mental Health First Aid for our faculty to ensure that our students receive high quality teaching and pastoral care. The University of Surrey is continuously supportive and invested in GSA being an international centre of excellence for professional vocational training and our high student satisfaction scores are a measure of the success of our approaches to supporting and training our students. The GSA is a member of the Surrey Chambers of Commerce â&#x20AC;&#x201C; how important is it for you to engage with the local community? As a graduate of GSA, I am acutely aware of the importance of the relationship and fondness between the school and the local community. For many years we have presented productions at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre and at other venues within the county, and it is

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❛❛ Surrey is extremely fortunate to have a world leading performing arts conservatoire ❜❜ something we feel is extremely important for us as a school, as an ambassador for the University of Surrey and for our students to gain valuable performance experience in front of local audiences. The new Applied & Contemporary Theatre programme is specifically designed to produce opportunities and performances for community theatre and theatre in education and for young audiences. Guildford and Surrey is extremely fortunate to have a world leading performing arts conservatoire. 2020 marked the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the school in 1935 and

prior to the pandemic had planned a series of celebratory events culminating in a gala at the National Theatre. How can companies get involved with the school?

access to on campus halls of residence and conferencing and catering facilities. In terms of companies getting involved with the school during term time we are always seeking collaborative and philanthropic opportunities to provide sponsorship support for the growth of the school and financial assistance for students, something which is ever more vital at the present time. Through GSA Enterprises we of fer corporate leadership and communication workshops.

GSA is located at the entrance of the Stag Hill campus at the University of Surrey. We have world class facilities with 21 studios, three theatres, a 200 seat, 120 seat and 80 seat. During the Easter and Summer these facilities are available for hire for conferences, residential courses and events. As part of the University of Surrey we have

FIRST TRADE DEAL The UK has struck its first major post-Brexit trade pact after signing a deal with Japan that aims to boost trade between the countries by about £15bn. International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said it was a ‘historic moment’. She said it would bring new wins for British businesses in manufacturing, food and drink, and tech industries. Critics said while the deal may be of symbolic importance it would boost UK GDP by only 0.07%, a fraction of the trade that could be lost with the EU. Friday’s deal still needs approval by Japan’s parliament, which the country’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi forecast would be passed by January.

NEWS BULLETIN HOSPITALITY WOES Over 350 business owners in the hospitality sector participated in the survey released by Armstrong Watson LLP, Accountants, Business and Financial Advisers, with worrying results. The mainly bar, restaurant, café, hotel and accommodation owners and providers, shared their views on the current issues facing the sector and the impact of government support. Results suggest operators are concerned over the future of their businesses, with 70% indicating that their ‘exit plans have significantly changed,’ and whilst 80% of those questioned had taken advantage of the JRS scheme, over half stated that ‘the phasing out of the scheme will put their business under significant financial threat’ and 35% are expecting to make redundancies before the end of October. Other findings showed support for the recent Eat Out to Help Out scheme with 74% of eligible businesses having registered and 85% agreeing that it improved trade. However, cash flow is still likely to be a very major issue, with 80% agreeing with the statement “cash flow will be a major issue for my business over the coming winter months.” A significant investment has been made by all businesses to make their premises and working environments safe,

with the average amount spent on COVID measures ranging from £1,000 to £5,000. n 35% of businesses expect to make redundancies before the end of October and 32% are still deciding. n Most Hospitality Businesses have spent between £1,000 to £5,000 making their premises COVID safe n 80% used JRS scheme and 56% think the phasing out will ‘put their business under significant financial threat’ n Nearly half (46%) of participants are ‘undecided’ as to the success and job safe guarding of the CBILS/Bounce Back Loan Schemes n 70% believe their exit plans have ‘significantly changed’ n 37% are ‘undecided’ about whether to exit or close down their businesses due to COVID n Most businesses (68%) have not passed on VAT cuts to customers n 74% of eligible businesses registered for Eat Out to Help Out, with 44% having to change their opening hours to do so n For those that didn’t participate they stated staffing issues, worry of impact on other days and/or were not convinced it would bring extra business as their reasons n 85% of those that did participate said it improved their trade n 80% believe that “Cash flow will be a major issue for my business over the coming winter months.”

A NEW NAME FOR A NEW NORMAL One of the south’s leading independent financial advisers is changing its name to reflect the growing depth of expertise being offered to local people. From July, MHA Carpenter Box, based in Worthing, Gatwick and Brighton, has swapped ‘Wealth Management’ for ‘Financial Advisers’ to reflect the expansion of the services offered by the business in the 12 years since it was launched. Complete with its new name, MHA Carpenter Box Financial Advisers will be guiding its clients through an uncertain personal finance landscape brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, and providing expert advice in areas such as taxation, later life and estate planning, pensions and investments. “We live in uncertain times, but people still have plans for the future and getting expert advice on planning ahead has never been so important,” said Roy Thompson, Partner and Head of MHA Carpenter Box Financial Advisers. “Over the last 12 years, we have expanded our team of professional advisers to cover investments, pensions, later life and estate planning, and personal taxation. This enables us to provide the personalised and holistic approach to financial planning that is called for in the current climate.” To ﬁnd out more visit www.carpenterboxfa.com

FACT OR FICTION Carbon dioxide emissions from plug-in hybrid cars are as much as two-and-a-half times higher than official tests suggest, according to new research. Plug-in hybrid vehicles are powered by an electric motor using a battery that is recharged by being plugged in or via an on-board petrol or diesel engine. They account for 3% of new car sales. But analysis from pressure groups Transport and Environment and Greenpeace suggest they emit an average of 120g of CO2 per km. That compares with the 44g per km in official “lab” tests. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are sold as a low-carbon alternative to traditional vehicles and conventional hybrids – which cannot be recharged from an external source – and are proving increasingly popular. The government is trying to ban them from 2030.

❛❛ The secret to success is to know something nobody else knows ❜❜

Aristotle Onassis

BoE ANNOUNCEMENT The Bank of England gave notice this month that it would stop buying commercial paper from companies which had trouble raising finance due to COVID-19 as of March 2021, saying the programme did not need to be extended. “Although the magnitude of the economic impact of COVID-19 remains uncertain, activity has been suppaorted by the fiscal and monetary policy actions introduced,” the BoE said. “The CCFF (Covid Corporate Financing Facility) has helped eligible businesses bridge COVID-19 related temporary disruption to their cash flows,” it added.

CASH BACK B&Q owner Kingfisher is to hand back £23m in UK furlough cash after a do-it-yourself boom due to coronavirus. Second-quarter home improvement sales rose as more people worked from home and looked at fresh ways to use space during the pandemic, Kingfisher said. UK firms have voluntarily returned more than £215m to the government in furlough scheme payments. The coronavirus crisis has badly hit many parts of the economy, but some firms are seeing benefits. Pre-tax profits for the company as a whole jumped more than 62% to £98m in the half year, after a strong second quarter.

❛❛ Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful ❜❜ Albert Schweitzer, German Theologian

SURREY FOOD BANK RECEIVES £17,000 DONATION Amey, which collects waste from homes across four Surrey District Councils including Mole Valley, has donated £17,000 to Dorking Area Foodbank, one of 1,200 UK foodbanks supported by UK charity Trussell Trust. As subsidiaries of Ferrovial, the construction arm in the UK, Ferrovial Construction, and leading public service provider Amey, identified the Trussell Trust as a charity on the front-line of the fight against COVID-19 and helped secure a £270,000 donation for the Trussell Trust and 12 of its foodbanks across the UK. The money was made available from Amey’s parent company, Ferrovial, as part of its ‘Ferrovial Together COVID-19 fund’, which has so far donated more than £6.5m to charities and organisations around the world. A total of £900,000 has been allocated to UK charities. Rosemary Elias, Dorking Area Foodbank Trustee, comments: “The foodbank has always been a very real example of a community project with local people, including individuals, groups, churches and companies, pulling together to help other local people in need. Over the coronavirus crisis we’ve seen just how strong this community spirit is – despite the challenges and uncertainties, people have selflessly continued to think of others first, supporting the foodbank in giving donations and their time.” Trussell Trust aims to provide emergency food and support to people locked in poverty. To support Dorking Area Foodbank visit www.dorkingarea.foodbank.org.uk.

BOEING CONCEALMENT Two fatal crashes of Boeing 737 Max aircraft were partly due to the plane-maker’s unwillingness to share technical details, a congressional investigation has found. It blames a “culture of concealment” at Boeing, but says the regulatory system was also “fundamentally flawed”. Boeing said it had “learned many hard lessons” from the accidents. But families of the victims accused the company and the regulator of continuing to hide information. The US report is highly critical of both Boeing and the regulator, the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA). “Boeing failed in its design and development of the Max, and the FAA failed in its oversight of Boeing and its certification of the aircraft,” the 18-month

NEWS

❛❛ The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return ❜❜ Eden Ahbez, American Songwriter. 1948 HOME LOANS UP Mortgage approvals rose to their highest level for nearly 13 years last month in the latest sign of a post-lockdown recovery in the housing market. The number of home loans signed off rose to 84,715, up from 66,288 the month before, according to latest Bank of England figures. That took mortgage approvals back above pre-pandemic February levels for the first time and was the highest number since October 2007. The Bank of England said it showed “more signs of recovery” for the mortgage market but that it only “partially offsets” weakness between March and June - a period which saw approvals sink to record lows. In total, there have been 418,000 approvals in 2020, compared with 524,000 in the same period in 2019. Thomas Pugh, UK economist at Capital Economics, said the “mini-boom” in the housing market was due to pent-up demand and the government’s stamp duty holiday.

EATING OUT HELPED OUT Cheaper restaurant meals due to the Eat Out to Help Out scheme saw prices rise at their slowest rate in five years. The UK’s inflation rate, which tracks the prices of goods and services, fell to 0.2% in August, from 1% in July. Low inflation - the rate at which prices of everyday goods and services rise - is good for consumers and borrowers, but can be bad for savers. That is because while it makes things cheaper, it also affects the interest rates set by banks and other firms. The eating out scheme, which ran from Monday to Wednesday in August, offered 50% off food up to the value of £10. Discounts for more than 100 million meals were claimed through the scheme.

❛❛ Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions❜❜ Albert Einstein

OCTOPUS ENERGY CREATES 80 NEW JOBS Octopus Energy, the leading renewable energy company, recently announced the creation of 80 new jobs in Brighton to support its green power revolution.The supplier is expanding its South East business operations to a new Brighton location at Queens Road Quadrant from its previous premises in the North Laines. This will be the second move and recruitment drive in two years. The move will create 80 new job opportunities in the coming year to join the 100 Octopus employees already in Brighton. The company wants to invest in the city’s talent and is looking to hire regional graduates. Octopus’s ‘Brighton Business Power’ tariff is already powering more than 225 local businesses, including Brighton Palace Pier, with 100% renewable energy, locally sourced from Octopus Group’s Natewood Solar Farm near Hailsham.

AND SO TO £ BUSINESS RECOVERY... As we write this, Boris has just decreed that we have new lockdown restrictions in place for up to 6 months If we are very honest, this is not a real surprise We knew that a second wave was highly likely and we believe the majority of business owners, having invested much time and money in additional technology and safety measures for their teams since March, are prepared for the next phase - on the whole. But that is what Entrepreneurs do so well... They find solutions in the most extraordinary situations. They thrive and develop new products and services. Let us not be shy about this reality as in

many ways it is what contributes to motivating us towards hope, growth and sustainable busi-nesses for the future We are not particularly fond of ‘cool management speak’, but we understand and recognise that during such a monumental societal and business change, positive metaphors for hope – such as pivot, are hung onto for dear life with most of us having felt that we have been unceremoniously thrown around on the high seas, then

BUSINESS RECOVERY spectacularly dumped on our backsides on a desert island since CV19 arrived. Like many businesses, we had to do our own ‘pivot’, as we took our entire business online a week before lockdown to protect our members. This allowed us to speed up the emotional, strategic and technical support they needed to cope with the immediate challenges of business survival. From March 23rd our members attended 100 peer workgroups in 100 days, and a further 40 since then (typically we run 120 in a year) and we responded to the chaos around our members by providing speedy, plain English analysis of government support and regular updates on the changing rules on CBILS, BBLs, Furlough and grant opportunities, whilst increasing our support through the emotional challenges and decisions facing them. We did not charge for this additional work and our fantastic advisory team have given their time voluntarily to support our members.

We have all spent valuable hours debating the pros and cons of the pandemic with colleagues, family and friends, wishing it will all ‘go back to normal’ but now realising and accepting that this will not happen for most . 96% of MDHUB Members have told us that they would love to return to a mixture of online and face to face peer groups, where they can do so safely. Whilst incredibly thankful for the brilliance of technology during this time to keep us connected (and to be brutal – where on earth would we all have been without it), we also know that the novelty of Zoom is wearing thin for many. We have all experienced the very human element of stray pets, children and half naked relatives unexpectedly appearing on our screens, although that may relieve the mind-numbing hours of staring at a screen!

With our advice and direct help, members have accessed well over £5m worth of grants and loans.

We miss the powerful nuances of body language, positive human energy and structure and it may be that successfully managing the psychological impact of the pandemic on their teams will be one of the biggest challenges for business leaders in the months ahead.

In addition to taking our peer workgroups online, we also provided 52 emergency clinics and 32 one-to-one support session for MD’s.

We will support them in whatever way we can, we are proud of our team’s ability to deliver, whatever the circumstances.

AND FINALLY – GOOD NEWS

We are delighted to announce that we have been awarded the Coast to Capital Peer Networks Programme (funded by BEIS – Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) which is an intensive, 6 month Covid recovery business programme for 110 businesses devastated by the pandemic in the Coast to Capital area, but particularly around Gatwick, Crawley, East Surrey and in coastal West Sussex. The programme is open to companies who have: n Operated for 1 year n Have at least 5 Employees n A turnover of at least £100,000 n An aspiration to improve Applications are also welcome from exporters and scale up companies who fit the above criteria. The programme will run between October 2020 – March 31st 2021 and will provide online peer learning and 1-2-1 support. If you are interested in applying for this programme please email Lou Williams Growth Manager at Coast To Capital Growth HUB: lou.williams@c2cbusiness.org.uk

If you are interested in finding out more about the MDHUB, please visit www.mdhub.co.uk Email MDHUB Directors: Fiona Shafer fiona@mdhub.co.uk or Phil Green phil.green@mdhub.co.uk

THE WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY Anna Valley is an impressive company that specialises in the supply of audio-visual technology to the corporate and broadcast sectors. We sat down with Director, Shaun Wilson to find out how business is going. Please explain what Anna Valley does and the sectors it is involved it? Anna Valley provide audio-visual technology and expertise to corporate and broadcast markets and their agencies for every kind of show. Whether youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re showing off your new products, creating show-stopping entertainment or showing the way to the car park, Anna Valley enables every show, in whatever form it takes, to realise the ambitions of its demanding creators and earn the delight of its deserving audiences. When did you start the business, how long has it been operating and how has it, or will it in the future, expand? The Anna Valley brand has been around for more than 30 years. The company

was acquired by the Shooting Partners Group in the early 2000s and quickly rose to become the lead brand for the group. We operate at the high end of several markets, such as Live events, Television Broadcast, Film and Drama along with Integration projects in event venue, retail and Stadia.

Considering your market, how has the pandemic affected your business? Live Events has taken the biggest impact and that will continue for as long as there are major restrictions on gatherings. We have adapted and evolved quickly during the pandemic to find innovative ways to help our clients put on their show, whatever that may be. We adapted our 42,000 square foot premises into several studio, stage and breakout areas, all socially distanced and capable of producing high end online events, seminars, summits and award shows. We have remained busy throughout the lockdown and managed to keep working on top rated shows, such as Gogglebox throughout the lockdown. What is your split between corporate and broadcast work and where do you see the brightest future for the balance sheet? All of our key markets have massive future growth potential. The world of traditional broadcast now includes streaming services from some of the biggest companies in the world. We have a fantastic pedigree and are working with big names on a daily basis to develop and grow our offering.

COMPANY PROFILE

Although corporate activity may seem paused due to the pandemic, the reality is that the need for effective and engaging communication is greater than ever. We work closely with creative agencies, who have really stepped up to the challenge the pandemic poses and that activity shows no sign of slowing. What areas should the corporate world be looking at when it comes to the use of visual technology as the pandemic has pushed distanced relationships to the fore? For example, is the professional TV studio an appealing prospect for the Chairman/ MD/Board to communicate with their teams across the world? The Manoto studio is particularly impressive. We believe that if necessity is the mother of invention, then this pandemic has been the mother of adoption. Many of the technologies we are using have been in play for some time, but recognising them and making them fit for purpose is the key. We’ve tried to help our client to raise production value for their corporate communications by bringing our knowledge from broadcast into the

❛❛We have remained busy throughout the

lockdown and managed to keep working on top rated shows, such as Gogglebox throughout the lockdown. ❜❜ event space. The view offered by an online video call gets tedious very quickly, so by adding a set and moving cameras, we can instantly engage audiences for longer. Adding in our capability with virtual, augmented and extended reality means we can transport anyone, anywhere into any environment, so the possibilities literally become endless. Have you had to pivot your marketing to appeal to less unaffected sectors? Our marketing messaging has always attempted to take the complicated technology involved and make it simple to understand. We’ve focused more on inspiration rather than innovation. It’s certainly true that some sectors have been affected more than others, but the appeal of the technology is universal.

The world, economically, was hit hard with recent events - how has your bank supported your company? Fantastically well!! Andrew and the team at NatWest have been absolutely first rate at a time when there was massive uncertainty. Every day the government would make fresh announcements that effected our business and to get clarity, reassurance and support from our bank was key to our ongoing success. It would be true to say that if our relationship wasn’t as strong, we may not have had the confidence to keep going and keep striving for success.

Telephone: +44 20 8941 1000 Mobile:+44 7919 488740 Email shaun.wilton@annavalley.co.uk

BIG STORY

The

man who saved

the country ONE DUVET at a tıme SIR TERENCE CONRAN Sir Terence Conran, the British designer who founded Habitat and later helped found London’s Design Museum, died on September 12th at the age of 88. By Maarten Hoffmann

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BIG STORY

Conran really did change our lives back in the seventies. Whereby your Mum would look down her nose at your ‘bare’ flat that, in her opinion, was missing the three -piece suite, the sideboard, patterned carpet and the array of naff lampshades that her generation saw as a sign of style and prosperity. Conran saw that as dreadful and spent his entire life making the country more cosmopolitain and contemporary - before we even knew what that word meant. Born in 1931, Sir Terence studied textile design at London’s Central School of Art before he set up a workshop with his tutor, the artist and print-maker Eduardo Paolozzi. Here, he concentrated on furniture design, ceramics and fabrics. Then, in the early 1950s, he worked on the Festival of Britain alongside architect Dennis Lennon. However, Sir Terence really became a household name in the 1960s, as one of the key designers of that decade. In

1964, he founded Habitat, the furniture company that he grew from a single, high-profile outlet in London to become an international chain. Habitat was the springboard for Conran’s expansion into the retail mainstream. As the founder of the Storehouse Group, he acquired the Heal’s furniture business, set up Next and ran British Home Stores and Mothercare. He opened the first Conran Shop in 1972, with eight stores located in London, Paris, New York and across Japan. Sir Terence was also at the forefront of professionalising design in Britain throughout his life. Founded over 60 years ago, The Conran Design Group

demonstrated the best of design in Britain, specialising in interiors, hotel and restaurant design, graphics, products and homeware. He would also go on to establish an architectural practice with Fred Lloyd Roche called Conran Roche that eventually became Conran and Partners. Alongside design, food was also one of Terence’s great passions and he became a renowned restaurateur. His first restaurant, with Ivan Storey, The Soup Kitchen, opened in London in 1953 and he went on to open many more including Pont de la Tour, Bibendum, Orrery, Quaglino’s and Mezzo.

BIG STORY seven decades, ever since he was a student at what was then called the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London, or even at the design-aware Bryanston School in Dorset. He was, to be more precise, a product of that version of modernism that developed around the Festival of Britain of 1951, on which he had worked. As also expressed in the Victoria and Albert Museum’s influential Britain Can Make It exhibition of 1946, it was the idea that postwar Britain could, with the help of enlightened modern design, both enhance the quality of everyday life and rediscover its ability to make things. His shops and restaurants really did change the visual and gastronomic culture of the country. It has often and accurately been pointed out that, along with the cookery writer Elizabeth David and the fashion designer Mary Quant, he helped to bring some continentally inspired joie de vivre to what was a drab place. “It is hard to overstate how unin-

❛❛ Terence Conran was instrumental in the re-

designing of post-war Britain and his legacy is huge. He is revered by generations of designers, from Mary Quant and David Mellor to Thomas Heatherwick and Jonny Ive. He changed the way we lived and shopped and ate ❜❜ Tim Marlow, Director of the Design Museum

In a statement, Sir Terence’s family wrote: “He was a visionary who enjoyed an extraordinary life and career that revolutionised the way we live in Britain. It gives us great comfort to know that many of you will mourn with us, but we ask that you celebrate Terence’s extraordinary legacy and contribution to the country he loved so dearly.” “I’m a Bauhaus-educated chap,” he told Vanity Fair last year, before spelling out his philosophy of design, that objects should be “economic, plain, simple and useful”. On these points he was remarkably consistent: he would have said something very similar at any time in the past

BIG STORY teresting London was then,” he said of his early years in the city, “it really was the era of Spam fritters.” Conran’s most cited achievements include the introduction or popularisation of such things as flat-pack furniture, paper lanterns, duvets, espresso machines and woks. Also the chicken brick, a once-popular terracotta device for cooking poultry. His many restaurants played a leading role in transforming Britain’s reputation as a gastronomic wasteland. If none of these innovations were essential to existence, they could certainly add to the enjoyment of it – Conran’s claim that his promotion of duvets “undoubtedly changed the sex life of Europe” was only partly hyperbolic. Ultimately Conran’s work was about pleasure, about making a sort of tasteful hedonism widespread.

His personal life, with four marriages and many affairs, might also be said to have been about pleasure, although with sometimes spectacular divorces and widely reported family tensions that belied the calm of his design aesthetic. If Conran’s core clientele was a certain kind of metropolitan buyer and diner, his influence can be seen in the products of Ikea, in restaurant menus all over the country, in the popularity of what now gets called “contemporary design”. Conran the businessman did well in the era of Margaret Thatcher, including through canny property development, but he never accepted her politics. “She was one of the most odious people who’ve ever walked the earth,” he called her. She, for her part, was outraged that the Design Museum’s displays included objects made by foreigners. Conran

BIG STORY

found Tony Blair much more congenial, and the feeling was mutual, at least until Conran opposed the invasion of Iraq. He was a prominent representative of Cool Britannia, of the young-at-heart and stylish country that New Labour wished to promote. The Blairs entertained the Clintons at Conran’s Pont de la Tour restaurant. When the French president Jacques Chirac visited for a summit, Conran designed the setting “I’ve seen the fuchsia and it works”, wrote the Daily Telegraph columnist Boris Johnson. “Oh, I have a lifetime of anecdotes after a very long career in design, furniture and retail,’ Conran once said. ‘An early one that sticks in my mind was in the mid-50s as a member of the Royal

❛❛ Terence Conran has filled our lives for

generations with ideas, innovation and brilliant design. He leaves a treasure trove of household and industrial design that will stay with us forever ❜❜ Lord Mandelson, Chairman of the board of trustees at the Design Museum

Society of Industrial Artists, which had strict rules that members should not compete with one another. ‘I desperately needed more work, so produced a simple newsletter to send to potential clients telling them what work we had done and suggesting how our services might benefit them. I received an irate phone call from the secretary of the society, as there had been complaints about our newsletter

from other members. He suggested a club in Pall Mall if I wanted more work. I was appalled by this and continued to produce my letters, and I was thrown out of the society. Can you imagine a company today not being allowed to promote themselves commercially in the marketplace? They would be out of business before they even began.’ Looking back on his career in an interview with Furniture News, Sir Terence

XXXXXXXXXX

remarked that ‘creating Habitat, and the thrill of seeing all our hard work and enterprise a decade earlier coming to fruition, was very special’.

❛❛ She was

one of the most odious people who’ve ever walked the earth ❜❜

‘We’d overcome so much frustration at the established order who didn’t believe in any of the ideals and beliefs that we were so passionate about,’ he said. ‘By the early 60s we’d designed first-rate furniture for a modern generation, but the retailers just wouldn’t accept it or display it properly - so we opened our own shop instead.’ His career high point? ‘I suppose the high point would have been when we floated the business and we really knew we’d made it. Our little baby had grown up and there were stores not only all round Britain, but all over the world, too. We’d created a highly profitable, popular and successful global brand.’ Sir Terence began making furniture at the age of only 10. He recalled having a

small room in Warwick Gardens in around 1947 which he ‘absolutely detested’ - so set up a small workshop. ‘That allowed me to do smaller pieces of work for other people, and it built from there. Establishing bigger premises, eventually employing staff, taking on machinery … before you know it, you’re running your own furniture business,’ he said. ‘Looking back, I’m rather

XXXXXXXXXX

proud of my early furniture and it seems relatively fresh today.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; He was married four times, including to Shirley Conran, who helped launch Conran Design before becoming the author of self-help books like Superwoman and the racy bestseller Lace. Their sons Jasper and Sebastian Conran both became designers, while his other three children - Tom, Sophie and Ned - by his third wife, food writer Caroline, have forged successful careers in the creative sector, notably in food writing and as restaurateurs. He was knighted in 1983 for services to design.

RESET YOUR BUSINESS Times of Change are upon us – reset your business for survival, resilience and growth. Practical tips from one director to another

Practice Directions 51Z and 55.29 and 55C operate together to stop most proceedings for commercial repossessions until 28.03.2021. But county court claims for non-payment of rent from guarantors can still happen. Nothing prevents a landlord from issuing a Claim for rent in the County Courts. Judgment debts attract interest under County Courts Act s69/ Senior Courts Act section 35A at 8%. The lease itself may provide for a default interest rate. So talk to the landlord and see if something can be agreed.

So there we are, one director to another, discussing the woes of the world as at 18.09.2020 with a ‘second wave’ of COVID-19 gathering someway offshore. Jackie, an accountant and a good one at that and I are discussing what we, at board level, are advising our clients on how to keep the ship afloat, steering towards short-term survival and longerterm resilience and growth.

look at current spend and budgets and look where to cut, but look at a blank sheet and figure out what you need.

SO HERE ARE A FEW HINTS AND TIPS

so legend says, a curse used in ancient Imperial China, dating to the Q’in dynasty. Well, the times do not get much more interesting than those in which we find ourselves ❜❜

CASH IS KING. Don’t let anyone tell you different. If the cash, or access to it, ‘stops’, then so does the clock. Look at where your cash is going. Look at the situation bottom up. In other words, don’t

RENT We know there is a moratorium under the Coronavirus Act 2020 s82 on any forfeiture between March 26th and December 31st. Further we know that

❛❛ May you live in interesting times’, was,

LEGAL STAFF With the Furlough Scheme set to either come to an end or be modified, identify which staff are essential and seek to agree temporary pay reductions with them. If you cannot agree terms, then seek legal advice before you make redundancies. Getting a redundancy procedure wrong can be time consuming and expensive. SUPPLIERS/ STOCK The Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act prevents suppliers from ceasing to supply companies entering into an insolvency process. The Act also suspends the wrongful trading provisions of the Insolvency Act (section 214 of which makes director’s potentially personally liable for wrongful trading). Most importantly perhaps is that from 27th April to 30th September this year, petitions for corporate insolvency are stayed. Even so, you need to work out what suppliers you actually need to ensure the running of the business and deal with them or pay them first. Whatever the law may say about interrupting supply contracts, the courts take time to deal with breaches. Identify your key suppliers, pay them or agree terms with them. BANKING FACILITIES Access to cash and lending facilities is crucial. The old ‘bank manager’ is a thing of the past, at

the moment banks are doing most things virtually. Currently, banks are enjoying stronger capitalisation than at almost anytime in the past. They have done what they can to encourage trends towards electronic banking. Take advantage of these facilities. Have cash flow projections and management plans to hand to deal with reduced income and outgoings. Be able to demonstrate that when you seek finance, and the bank comes to look under the corporate ‘bonnet’ and ‘kick the tyres’, they can see that this is a business worth supporting and investing in.

CONCLUSION

‘May you live in interesting times’, was, so legend says, a curse used in ancient Imperial China, dating to the Q’in dynasty. Well, the times do not get much more interesting than those in which we find ourselves.

For those of us in the position of company directors, it was ‘react and adapt’ or go the way of the dinosaurs. Jonathan Compton, Partner LLB LLM MCIArb Solicitor Barrister

Committing to our purpose Guiding you to a brighter future Kreston Reeves to consider their personal purpose, what they stand for as individuals and what they are passionate about. Although each and every one of us has our own unique purpose, it was clear there is a common theme that bonds us.

Andrew Griggs, Senior Partner, and Tim Levey, Chairman, introduce the driving purpose behind Kreston Reeves and how it shapes the way the firm works with their clients, colleagues and communities. There is no doubt that 2020 has been a challenging year for everyone, both personally and professionally. However, with challenge also comes opportunity. We’ve taken this period of change as a chance to reflect on what we really stand for, as people and as a business: our purpose. As part of this process we’ve reviewed client surveys, run a staff survey, spoken with our teams and asked everyone at

Collectively, our purpose, our reason for being as a firm is to guide you to a brighter future. ‘You’ being our clients, our colleagues and our communities. Despite all the change surrounding us, we realised that this purpose is not new to us, we’ve aimed to guide our clients and colleagues throughout our almost 200-year history. Client care and service has always been at the heart of what we do, why we do it and our values. We also have an active Corporate Social Responsibility team, a Wellbeing team, our own charitable foundation, and an award-winning training programme that aims to guide our colleagues and our communities. We already live by our purpose. But now we have clearly defined and articulated it, it makes our focus on it even sharper, more powerful. We also have clearly defined and embedded values that were collectively created amongst everyone in our firm a few years ago. Our purpose is about why we do what we do, and our values are about how we deliver this.

FINANCE

❛❛ We want our purpose to mean something to our colleagues, so they have a genuine connection with it ❜❜ So, we are committed to guiding our clients, our colleagues and our communities to a brighter future by understanding, looking ahead, being human, making it personal and by being crystal clear.

enable our people to live their individual purposes as well as our collective purpose as a firm.

This is a significant development for all our colleagues which will clearly guide the future of our firm.

We want our purpose to mean something to our colleagues, so they have a genuine connection with it. We want it to be real, simple, clear and representative and remind us all why we do what we do.

We understand that being a purposeled organisation and having a clear, unequivocal, positive purpose is increasingly important to us all and for society in general. We aim to empower and

Throughout recent months, we’ve been particularly impressed with how our people have come together to support each other and their clients through uneasy times.

We want all of our people to be proud of our purpose and work collectively towards it. Always striving to guide each other, our clients and our communities to a brighter future. We’ve created a new section dedicated to our purpose and values on our website where you will find the latest news and developments about our purpose.

Visit www.krestonreeves.com to find out more.

Our focus is you Outstanding legal advice for individuals, families and businesses.

For business We make it our business to know your business, working with you to add value and to deliver tailored legal services with energy and creativity whether youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re an established market leader or an ambitious start-up.

For you Your familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s security and wellbeing are your priority. And we have the legal skills and knowledge to support your plans and the challenges life brings.

Brighton

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Our success depends on understanding your needs Please call or email to discuss how we can help you: 03333 231580 enquiries@dmhstallard.com

dmhstallard.com

CHARITY

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL CHILDREN’S HOSPICE HAVE SOME REINDEER FUN THIS DECEMBER! Throughout these challenging times, you have been an amazing support to your local children’s hospice, Chestnut Tree House. We know how difficult it has been for everyone, particularly for businesses. So, let us look forward and celebrate Christmas together! This December, why don’t you grab your antlers and have some Reindeer Fun? Whether you want to run, cycle, row, ramble, or come up with your own challenge, Chestnut Tree House will provide everything you need for your Reindeer Fun event, including free reindeer antlers and red noses for everyone taking part, online materials and helpful hints and tips. Taking part in Reindeer Fun is a fantastic way to boost staff morale, attract positive PR, fulfil your corporate and social responsibility and much more! Whilst spreading the festive cheer at your workplace, your fantastic fundraising will be making the world of difference to local children with life-shortening conditions and their families. Helping them live life to the full and, when the time comes, say goodbye in the way they want. Are you ready to get your colleagues together and spread some festive cheer? What Reindeer-themed activity will you take on this year? To sign up, visit www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk/ reindeer-fun

If you and your colleagues don’t want to take part in Reindeer Fun, why not take part in Make a Will Month and support your local children’s hospice?

Appointments can be booked directly with the solicitors and they will advise on any social distancing measures they have in place.

Having an up-to-date Will has never been more important. It can provide peace of mind, not only for yourself, but also for your loved ones. It’s also the best way to ensure your wishes are carried out.

Find your solicitor today by visiting www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk/ makeawillmonth or by calling the Chestnut Tree House Gifts in Wills team on 01903 706351.

To help you with this process, Chestnut Tree House has teamed up with local solicitors who will write simple single Wills for £110 or simple joint Wills for £160, with all proceeds going to the children’s hospice.

There is no obligation to include a gift in your Will when taking part in Make a Will month, but if you do, your support will help local children with life-shortening conditions and their families create precious memories together that last a lifetime.

To find out more about upcoming events, and how you or your business can support local children who are unlikely to reach adulthood, visit www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk, or get in touch on corporate@chestnut-tree-house.org.uk or 01903 871846 / 01323 725095. Registered charity no 256789

NATWEST SOUTH EAST ® PMI

› KE Y FINDINGS n H eadline Business Activity Index registers all-time high of 64.9 n Fastest increase in new business since March 2015 n S taff numbers continue to fall markedly

Business activity rises at quickest rate on record in August

Latest UK regional PMI ® data from NatWest highlighted the most marked increase in private sector activity in the South East since data collection began in January 1997 during August, amid the quickest rise in new business since early-2015. The headline NatWest South East Business Activity Index – a seasonally adjusted index that measures the month - on - month change in the combined output of the region’s manufacturing and service sectors – rose from 56.7 in July to an all-time high of 64.9 in August and signalled a rapid expansion in private sector activity. A back-to-back increase in the level of new business at private sector firms in the South East was recorded in August. Moreover, the latest expansion in order books was the quickest for nearly fiveand-a-half-years and marked overall. The relaxation of lockdown restrictions had released pent-up client demand, according to panellists.

❛❛ Service providers

recorded a noticeably quicker increase in new business than goods producers, however ❜❜ At the sector level, the uptick was broadbased. Service providers recorded a noticeably quicker increase in new business than goods producers, however. The 12-month outlook for activity among the South East’s private sector firms remained positive during August, with anecdotal evidence linking confi-

dence to looser lockdown restrictions, improved demand conditions and hopes of a swift recovery from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The level of positive sentiment moderated slightly from July, but remained strong in the context of the series history. As has been the case in 12 of the past 13 months, private sector companies in the South East signalled a reduction in staffing levels during August. Moreover, the rate of job shedding was the quickest for three months and marked. Anecdotal evidence highlighted further reports of redundancies and lay-offs amid the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside the non-replacement of leavers.

Private sector employment also declined at the UK level during August, with the rate of reduction quickening from July and outpacing that seen in the South East. Adjusted for seasonal factors, the Outstanding Business Index registered below the 50.0 neutral mark in August to signal a twenty-third consecutive monthly reduction in backlogs at private sector firms in the South East. According to respondents, the unprecedented drops in activity during April and May meant there was ample capacity to deal with incoming new work. That said, the latest reduction in backlogs was the slowest recorded since February.

BUSINESS At the sector level, manufacturing firms registered a much sharper fall than their service sector counterparts. A third consecutive increase in input prices faced by private sector firms in the South East was recorded in August. Greater fuel and wage costs, higher prices at suppliers and expenditure on personal protective equipment (PPE) were all linked by respondents to the latest uptick. The rate of price inflation was little changed from July and solid. Cost burdens also rose at the UK level during August. The rate of increase

softened from July and was slower than that in the South East. August data highlighted a back-to-back increase in average charges levied by private sector firms in the South East, following four successive monthly declines. Panellists linked the latest rise with the partial pass-through of higher input costs to clients. The rate of increase softened slightly from July and was marginal. By comparison, average selling prices rose only fractionally at the UK level during August.

SOUTH E AST BUSINES S ACTIVIT Y INDE X

sa, >50=growth since previous month

+ COMMENT

STUART JOHNSTONE Managing Director, London and South East, Corporate and Commercial Banking

70 60 50 40 30 20 10 2001

2003

2005

2007

2009

2011

2013

2015

2017

2019

Sources: Natwest, IHS Markit

“August survey data highlighted a substantial improvement in the performance of the South East’s private sector. Business activity increased at the quickest rate in over 23 years of data collection, whilst the latest uptick in new work was the sharpest since March 2015. “Capacity pressures remain weak following the unprecedented drops in demand at the height of the pandemic in April and May, however, and as a result, firms cut their staffing levels markedly again. “The latest data clearly show that a recovery in the private sector is well underway but there is a huge amount of lost ground for the region’s economy to make up.”

Looking ahead… retaining agility – rain or shine 28 October 2020 | 10:00am – Register your place on the final webinar in the series Topics include: • Funding reserves, resilience and contingency planning • Crisis planning and management • Importance of looking for opportunities in crisis

All previous webinars in the ‘Looking ahead’ series are now available on demand Our webinar recordings can be found at www.krestonreeves.com/on-demand. Looking ahead... to the next few months (recorded May 2020)

Looking ahead... to the next 3-5 years (recorded August 2020)

Looking ahead... for the rest of this year (recorded June 2020)

Looking ahead... to the future with purpose (recorded September 2020)

Looking ahead... to 2021 (recorded July 2020)

For more information on our Looking ahead webinar series and to register to join: Visit: www.krestonreeves.com/webinars | Email: events@krestonreeves.com

FINANCE

The UK is a leading player in global video games production, but tax relief is complicated and slow.

TAX RELIEF For those who thought playing computer games in their childhood years was a ‘misspent youth’, the industry is now worth over £3.86bn. Video games producers have a number of ways to maximise tax relief but it’s complicated and lengthy. Ahead of Brexit there is opportunity to increase, simplify and strengthen our top position. The VGTR (video games tax relief) is a tax relief for producing video games and has been crucial in enabling the UK games industry to compete on a more level playing field against the international competitors. There are still more opportunities for video game producers to help maximise claims, but also pit falls to be wary of and it can be a slow and costly process.

❛❛ The tax benefit

at stake can be significant – either reducing taxable profits or generating a cash credit ❜❜ As the UK leaves the European Union on January 31st 2021, with or without a deal, the terms and conditions of VGTR could be reconsidered. TIGA suggested that VGTR could be made even more impactful in the future. The most effective and simplest reform would be to

increase the rate of the relief, reform outsource provisions and also simplify claims. When considering any claim, companies should also consider the use of a SPV (special purpose vehicle). Of course, many do not consider this, and are therefore not maximising their claims. Where a SPV is set up for commercial purposes and any crosscharges are at a commercial rate, this can increase the benefit of the company’s claims, as the commercial rate may be higher than cost). However, care must be taken to ensure that any such structure and any rates are genuinely commercial and that any cross-charges are settled within four months of the year end. Consideration also needs to be given to whether any payments are subcontract, as there is a cap per game for tax relief purposes. The tax benefit at stake can be signifi cant – either reducing taxable profits or generating a cash credit (even where no corporation tax has been paid). The benefit can be as much as 20 pence in the pound, in relation to the costs of producing the game.

In addition to the creative sector tax reliefs, there may also be scope for R&D and patent box tax reliefs. The interaction between R&D and creative sector tax relief claims can be complex. With coronavirus and the Brexit transition, now is the ideal time to review the current VGTR. The gaming industry will only continue to grow, and we can make sure the UK is well up the leader board in the global market.

RSM, a leading audit, tax and consulting firm have collaborated with TIGA, the network for games development and digital publishing sector to produce a Video Games Tax Relief Guide. For a copy of the guide or for further advice contact Matt Appleton matt.appleton@rsmuk.com

GATWICK STATION REDEVELOPED As an industry, few have been hit harder by the COVID-19 crisis than the aviation industry. That includes Gatwick - the UK’s second-largest airport, which plays a hugely important role in the local and regional economy. Prior to the pandemic, the airport supported one in 12 jobs across the region and contributed £2.7bn to regional gross domestic product. But COVID-19 continues to have a significant impact. Gatwick has recently announced plans for a company-wide restructure, due to a dramatic 66% decline in passenger numbers in the first six months of this year, which could see around 600 job roles being removed across the business – nearly a quarter of the current number of employees. In what is an incredibly tough time for all involved and connected to aviation, Gatwick is starting to plan for the future, as it works to continue acting as the single biggest driver for the local economy.

This recovery plan includes a multi-million-pound upgrade of Gatwick Airport railway station. Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) and Network Rail have been working throughout the Covid-19 pandemic – taking advantage of the significant downturn in rail and air passenger footfall – to get the two-year project ahead of schedule. Following the closure of platform 7 on May 18th, Stage 1 demolition works continued at pace through June. Platform 7 and track 6 have been removed and work is currently on schedule to allow for platform 7 to re-open on November 1st 2020.

DEVELOPING A RAIL NETWORK FIT FOR A MAJOR INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

In 2019, Gatwick experienced a record year of public transport access to the airport, with 47.4% of passengers travelling by rail, bus or coach. To meet increasing demand and to develop a rail network fit for 21st century use, a partnership including the Department of Transport, Network Rail, Gatwick and

the regions development agency, Coast to Capital, is now investing £150 million into upgrading Gatwick Airport railway station. The vital upgrades will relieve crowding, improve accessibility and reduce delays f o r i n te r n a t i o n a l p a s s e n g e r s , commuters and leisure travellers across the south east, not only improving speed and connectivity, but also making Gatwick a more accessible and attractive airport to welcome visitors from across the globe. As part of the upgrade, the station concourse will double in size, increasing capacity and, importantly, creating more space for passengers to enjoy a more pleasant experience. Customer access will also be improved through five new lifts, eight new escalators, new stairways and improved wayfinding throughout, assisting wheelchair users and passengers with bulky luggage. Alongside improved access, by widening platforms 5 and 6, passengers will be able to board and alight trains faster and more safely, reducing delays on the network. And these station upgrades come after the rail network in the south east has

TRANSPORT already undergone a huge overhaul and a doubling of capacity in recent years, culminating in the T hameslink Programme. Alongside new fleets of spacious rolling stock on Gatwick Express and Thameslink services, the Brighton Main Line Improvement Programme made a series of line upgrades to improve resilience and reliability. Thameslink also launched cross-London services, linking Brighton, Gatwick and London to Peterborough and Cambridge direct for the first time.

THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 AND LOOKING AHEAD

Much of the work has been able to progress well due to the significant decrease in passenger volumes throughout the COVID-19 crisis, which has had a major impact on the airport, its staff, par tners and the local community. After an initial closure in April, the North Terminal reopened on June 15th and operating hours were increased as easyJet and other airlines restarted flights, albeit in small numbers.

than a third of the typical number of flights in and out of the airport that it would expect at this time of year, with the popularity of and flight frequency to destinations continuing to be influenced heavily by the infection rate and Government quarantine rules.

Since the mid-June restart, Gatwick has seen multiple airlines resume operations, including Norwegian, Ryanair, TUI and Turkish Airlines. However, at present, Gatwick is experiencing less

British Airways and Air Transat have also resumed long-haul routes to the Caribbean and Canada respectively, while Qatar Airways and Westjet also restarted in August.

❛❛ As part of the upgrade, the station concourse

will double in size, increasing capacity and, importantly, creating more space for passengers to enjoy a more pleasant experience ❜❜

At the airport itself, a wide range of new health measures have been introduced and Gatwick was the first airport in England to help establish a COVID-19 testing centre in its long-term car park. While the COVID-19 impacts have been significant, Gatwick remains positive that it is in a strong position to ramp up operations quickly to meet future demand. Encouraging conversations are ongoing regarding new opportunities with both existing and new airlines to Gatwick to help ensure that the airport has a strong, positive future. In time, Gatwick also hopes to resume many of its key infrastructure projects, including sustainable plans to bring the existing Northern Runway into routine use.

MARRIED TO A TREE

Mum-of-two who married a tree celebrates their first wedding anniversary. Kate Cunningham, from Sefton, Merseyside, changed her surname to Elder when she and the elder tree tied the knot at Rimrose Valley Country Park, and admits her 15-year-old son is “a little” embarrassed. The tree was not available for comment.

BIZARRE NEWS YOU COULDN’T MAKE IT UP (anything to make us smile)

SOCIALLY DISTANCED FOOTBALL An amateur German football team lost a match 37-0 after they socially distanced from their opponents due to concerns about the coronavirus. The losing side, SG Ripdorf/ Molzen II, only fielded seven players as that was the minimum team size required to complete the fixture. It came after their opponents for the game - SV Holdenstedt II - previously faced off against a team with a player who tested positive for coronavirus.

FREAK WEATHER A hurricane that ripped through Louisiana last month was so powerful that is caused a river to reverse its course for several hours. The Mississippi usually runs at 2,000 cubic feet per second, enough to fill an Olympic size swimming pool in about 30 seconds, stopped and then reversed the flow at 7,600 cubic feet per second in the opposite direction.

BIRDBRAIN A ‘tropical’ bird with vibrant blue and black feathers fooled people into thinking they had discovered something truly extraordinary. The bird was found wandering a car park in Carlisle by shocked onlookers who alerted the RSPCA. But welfare officers soon confirmed the bird was not tropical and was just a regular seagull that had been dyed electric blue. After trying to clean the blue dye from its feathers, mystery still surrounds what happened to the seagull.

ONLY IN LA Pilots report seeing ‘guy in a jet pack’ at 3,000ft above Los Angeles. The FBI is investigating following the sighting from two pilots on separate flights near Los Angeles International Airport. The controller urges the pilot of a JetBlue flight to “use caution”, adding: “Person in a jet pack reported 300 yards south of the LA final at about 3,000ft.” An unidentified person then says: “Only in LA.”

ROUNDABOUT APPRECIATION SOCIETY ‘Britain’s dullest man’ has unveiled the international roundabout of the year after a “heated” discussion in a pub. Kevin Beresford is famous for travelling the length and breadth of the country in search of the best roundabouts the UK has to offer, BirminghamLive reports. Redditch’s resident roundabout spotter has spent 17 years in pursuit of junction perfection and even founded the Roundabout Appreciation Society. The 68-year-old, who has described himself as the ‘dullest man in Britain’, regularly creates calendars with pictures of his favourites. He has also branched out into other avenues over the years - his latest project is a calendar dedicated entirely to car parks.

DUMB AND DUMBER

Scots mum gets Greggs logo tattooed on her bum after missing it so much during lockdown. Caitlin Jones couldn’t contain her excitement when the baked goods chain re-opened seven weeks ago. The mumof-three booked herself in to get inked on the first available appointment on September 14th.

MOST BIZARRE OF ALL... Donald Trump is still President of the United States

TAX INCENTIVES CAN MAXIMISE CASH FLOW Stuart Noakes, Partner at MHA Carpenter Box, discusses the range of incentives and reliefs available to UK business

Given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdown, it is more vital than ever for businesses to ensure that they maximise their reliefs and take full advantage of the government’s offerings. These incentives and reliefs can reduce tax payments owed to HMRC, retain cash or potentially generate repayments from HMRC.

WHAT HELP IS AVAILABLE?

There are a range of valuable options available to help provide generous tax deductions and reduce profits or increase taxable losses (some of which can be converted into cash payments).

ACCELERATING TAX CLAIMS TO REDUCE PAYMENTS DUE TO HMRC

Accelerating work needed to claim the tax relief means less tax will be payable to HMRC when this becomes due. Future payments may also be reduced because of this.

If a company shortens their accounting period, they are able to crystallise the relief at an earlier point and could significantly improve their cash flow. For example, a company with a September 30th 2020 year end might choose to shorten an accounting period to March 31st 2020 so that a claim for R&D tax relief was possible for activities prior to the lockdown. A key action with such a step is that the accounts need to be prepared to support a claim. Companies House has put forward the option of extending filing deadlines for accounts, but companies wishing to accelerate tax claims may find it more beneficial to prepare accounts so that they are able to support tax claims. There are also rules regarding how often accounting periods can be changed and in which circumstances.

❛❛ If a company shortens their accounting

period, they are able to crystallise the relief at an earlier point and could significantly improve their cash flow. ❜❜

FINANCE CAPITAL ALLOWANCES

Capital Allowances are available to both companies and unincorporated businesses for capital expenditure. By carrying out a retrospective review of expenditure by a capital allowance specialist, they will identify significant additional spend that is eligible for tax relief.

ENHANCED CAPITAL ALLOWANCES

Enhanced Capital Allowances are a sub group of Capital Allowances and are entitled to a full 100% first year allowance on items which feature on the Energy Technology List, Water Technology List or satisfy the criteria for those categories of expenditure which do not directly feature. This relief ended on March 31st 2020. However, it is still possible to amend returns for any recently filed earlier in the year or if expenditure was incurred in the current accounting period (but before March 31st 2020).

+ MH A CONST RUCTION S ECTOR REP ORT The latest MHA Construction Sector Report shows a stark divide in today’s Construction sector, between those who were able to capitalise on the opportunities presented by COVID-19, and those who struggled to finance their way through lockdown. To compile the report, the national Construction team at UK accountancy association MHA, benchmarked construction businesses across the UK to paint a national picture of the sector entering lockdown in March. It also revealed the results of the survey taken this summer to gauge the response of businesses currently responding to COVID-19.

› KE Y FINDINGS

n The industry entered 2020 with strong balance sheets, increased turnover (8.3%) and low debt risk. The largest businesses saw the greatest increase in revenue from the previous year. n Employment across the sector grew by 3.6%. n The industry is evenly split between businesses with a substantial or critical impact due to COVID-19 (54%), and those with little to no impact (46%). n More than half of those surveyed said infrastructure spending should be the Government’s top priority for the sector. n Nearly 4 out of 5 respondents said the single biggest factor holding back growth was economic uncertainty. Visit www.carpenterbox.com/construction-report to read the full report.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (R&D) RELIEF AND TAX CREDITS

R&D relief is a particularly generous tax relief for companies who incur expenditure in carrying out R&D. Many SME companies are able to claim a deduction totalling 230%, or if loss making for tax purposes can be surrendered for a cash repayment from HMRC, which can be worth up to approximately 33.5% of losses surrendered. For larger companies, or grant funded R&D projects, an alternative mechanism called the R&D Expenditure Credit can provide a taxable credit worth up to 13% of the qualifying expenditure.

GET IN TOUCH

For more information maximising cash flow for your business, get in touch with our friendly team of tax and business advisers by contacting Stuart on 01293 227670 or visit our website: www.carpenterbox.com

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ARE YOU FINANCIALLY FIT?

Ceris Hymas is writing on behalf of Partridge Muir & Warren Ltd (PMW), Chartered Financial Planners, based in Esher.

There is nothing like a global pandemic to make us take stock of the things that are important to us and, for many of us, the most important thing in our lives is our family. We all want to do what we can to support our family and ensure they have what they need to live a fulfilled and happy life. The ability to be there for our loved ones is largely dependent on our own health and wealth and that is why maintaining both of these is intrinsic to achieving that goal. In recent decades, the increasing focus on maintaining good health has led to more people than ever joining a gym or signing up to personal training. During lockdown, we found new ways to ensure we could maintain our fitness and sales of at home fitness equipment went through the roof. It is clear that many people are taking their health seriously. If health and wealth are both important factors to supporting our families, then why don’t we take the same approach to our finances as we do our bodies? If a personal trainer’s job is to get your body into shape, a financial planner’s

job is to do the same for your wallet. It is interesting to see that as a nation it seems perfectly normal to pay hundreds or even thousands of pounds to somebody to help us increase our physical fitness, but the thought of doing the same to optimise our wealth seems absurd to many. We all grow old eventually and in most cases this has a significant impact on our health, but with the right financial advice, it does not have to have a catastrophic impact on our wealth. A healthy financial plan can help us to cope with the financial burden that often accompanies ill-health.

FINANCE

KEEP YOUR WEALTH IN GOOD HEALTH

So how can you keep your finances in shape? Perhaps you have been saving for years to accrue wealth that you would like to pass on to your family and want to achieve this tax efficiently, or perhaps you already have an investment portfolio that isn’t performing as you would have hoped. Either way, if you have significant savings or investments, an important step to ensuring you keep your wealth in good health is to instruct a chartered financial planner. A chartered financial planner can look at your financial situation and provide an educated, comprehensive and personalised strategy to ensure that you are able to achieve your goals Founded over 50 years ago, PMW has a long-established reputation for creating positive outcomes for its clients. Over that period much has changed, but one thing that has always remained consistent is our approach to our customers. We understand that our clients have placed their trust in us to help them achieve their financial objectives and we feel personally responsible for delivering what we have indicated they should expect. We also understand that financial success can mean different things to different people, but what makes our clients similar is that they all trust us to manage their finances so that they can get on with living their lives. What we offer is a bespoke and person-

alised service that allows our clients to be confident that they are doing all they can to manage their wealth to both meet their own needs and provide welcome assistance to future generations. Of course, most wealth management companies claim to offer a service that is bespoke and personalised but the truth is that in such a highly regulated sector, growth

Our understanding of our customers explains why some of them have been with us for more than 40 years, and we have been serving our current clients for an average of 20 years. We believe in building long-lasting relationships and we understand that focusing on retaining customers, rather than just acquiring new ones, is ultimately the key to commercial success.

❛❛ If health and wealth are both important

factors to supporting our families, then why don’t we take the same approach to our finances as we do our bodies? ❜❜ As well as offering comprehensive financial advice and investment management, we also offer will writing and Probate and estate management services; which means you can rest assured that your financial and estate planning decisions are managed with consistency and synergy. in the size of a business can only be achieved profitably by streamlining processes and restricting choice, to the extent that personalisation is stifled. That is why we limit the number of portfolios we have under management, so that we can be sure that all of our clients receive the personal and professional advice they are promised upon instructing us.

So whether you are looking for a longterm work-out for your finances or a quick health check, we have the expertise and knowledge to help you get your finances in shape, so that they can keep working hard, even when you no longer wish to. Please get in touch and arrange to talk to one of our chartered financial planners about how we can help you.

The Company has specialised in providing wealth management solutions to private clients for over 50 years and was voted Wealth Manager of the Year: Southern England at the City of London Wealth Management Awards 2019. Ceris Hymas is Head of Marketing at PMW. The opinions outlined in this article are those of the writer and should not be construed as individual advice. To find out more about financial advice and investment options please contact PMW by calling 01372 471550 or emailing mail@pmw.co.uk. Partridge Muir & Warren Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

HAMPER HEAVEN As an exceptional year draws to a close, finding an impactful way to say “thank-you” is more important to companies than ever. With the festive season more likely to be celebrated at home, what better way to recognise the contribution of colleagues and show appreciation to loyal clients than with a Harrods Christmas Hamper. The 2020 selection has something for everyone from delicious confectionery, tins of loose-leaf tea, jarred condiments, and exquisite wine and Champagne. Hampers are beautifully presented in elegant baskets or gift boxes and guaranteed to elevate everyone’s Christmas. Harrods Corporate Service will select the perfect hamper from the iconic Food Halls, arrange a personal message and organise delivery to multiple addresses both within the U.K. and internationally.

THE KNIGHTSBRIDGE HAMPER, £250

Brimming with essential treats for the festival season including the famous Christmas pudding, mince pies, red and white wine alongside Blanc de Blanc Champagne to celebrate the season.

THE FOOD HALL COLLECTION, £150

A curated homage to our vast selection, this hamper comprises of a crowd-pleasing line-up of epicurean delights including wines, teas, sweet and savoury biscuits and marmalades.

THE SHARING HAMPER, £150

Encased in the signature wicker basket, this hamper showcases a selection of drinks and snacks to suit every taste from a variety of teas and coffees to sweet and savoury indulgent treats.

THE VEGAN HAMPER, £125

An array of delectable treats is included in this hamper with a selection of coffee, hot chocolate, black and herbal teas, Turkish delight, creamy fondants and fruity preserves.

HARRODS CHRISTMAS

DISTINGUISHED DOZEN WINE HAMPER, £350

12 bottles of wine specially selected by the in-house wine buyer to showcase the very best that the Harrods Wine Rooms have to offer. Enjoy the beautiful contrast between bottles of rich Rioja and celebratory Champagne.

SUPREME CHRISTMAS HAMPER, £1250

Superior provenance is at the heart of the Supreme Christmas hamper, presented in a pair of traditional wicker baskets. The generous selection of charcuterie, cheese, chutney and more is complemented by Champagne, gin and fine wines – along with festive mince pies and a Christmas pudding – all carefully sourced from around the world.

CHRISTMAS EVE HAMPER, £600

Encasing a vast array of sweet and savoury delights, the Christmas Eve hamper curates a mouth-watering selection of food and drink from our famous Food Halls. Find cured meats, cheese, biscuits, tea and coffee, fine wines and cognac are all tucked away into two traditional wicker baskets.

THE BOXING DAY HAMPER, £500

A truly festive collection, the Boxing Day hamper is filled to the brim with Christmas pudding, luxury Christmas crackers, mince pies and fine wines among many more sweet treats and preserves. This bountiful selection makes for the perfect afterdinner spread to be enjoyed with your nearest and dearest, raising a glass – or even a cup of fine tea – to precious family time.

For more information on the complete 2020 Harrods Hamper collection, please call Harrods Corporate Service on +44 (0)20 7225 5994, email corporate.service@harrods.com or visit www.harrods.com/christmashampers

RT H

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60 ! 0

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RULES: All entries must be received by e-mail by October 31st 2020. Entry is restricted to one entry per person. Competition is open to UK residents only. No employees of Harrods or Platinum are eligible to enter. There is no cash prize alternative. There is one hamper available and there will be one winner. The winner will be selected at random and notified by email. The winner must be over 18 years of age. All decisions are final.

COMPETITION

HAPPY HARRODS CHRISTMAS Harrods Corporate Services and Platinum Publishing are delighted to offer you the opportunity to make Christmas just a little more special with this sumptuous hamper. We all really need something a little special at the moment and here it is. The special Christmas Eve Hamper from Harrods comes packed with delicious mouth-watering goodies, hand-picked from the Harrods Food Hall. Not only delicious cured meats, fine cheeses, biscuits, specialist tea and coffee but also fine wines and cognac and then of course, you also get the famous Harrods wicker basket.

THE VALUE OF THIS HAMPER IS ÂŁ600 AND YOURS TOTALLY FREE IF YOU CAN ANSWER A FEW VERY SIMPLE QUESTIONS Question 1: Who founded Harrods? Question 2: How many floors are there in the Harrods store? Question 3: What year was the Knightsbridge store opened?

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s it. Simply email your three answers to info@platinumpublishing.co.uk before November 1st 2020. All correct answers will be placed into a digital folder and one will be selected at random. The winner will then have this fantastic hamper delivered direct to their door in time for Christmas.

Businesses local to Gatwick are 50% more likely to export than the national average

Gatwick brings global trade opportunities closer

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re more than just an airport

COMPANY PROFILE

NATWEST SUPPORTS WEST KENT HOUSING ASSOCIATION WITH £60M NEW FUNDING AS PART OF RECENT £3BN COMMITMENT TO SECTOR West Kent Housing Association has secured £110m of funding from NatWest to support the development of new homes. The agreement to refinance an existing £50m loan facility alongside an additional new facility will provide net new funding of £60m offered on a 5-year revolving credit facility basis. The funding will support West Kent Housing Association to increase its number of new homes through plans to develop over 1,500 units from now until 2024. The funding will also provide West Kent with much-needed flexibility from a financial perspective. The additional funding forms part of a recent commitment by NatWest of £3bn new funding to the housing association

sector over the next three years to increase the provision of social housing, as well as to improve existing properties. Dharmesh Patel, Associate Director of Housing Finance at NatWest, said: “Building on our recent commitment to the social housing sector to ensure that more people and families can have a sanctuary they call home, we are proud to support West Kent Housing Association in its vision of developing new homes through this additional funding. We want to help our customers and communities succeed, and this deal builds on our relationship with West Kent, providing much-needed flexibility as it looks to increase growth into the future.”

Kent, said: “At West Kent we are passionate about the role a housing association can play in society and believe the values of an organisation are what makes it special. The additional funding from NatWest allows West Kent to continue to build 300 homes each year, which are 100% affordable housing, and the improved loan terms support our ambition to work in partnership with others to deliver much needed affordable homes across Kent.”

Craig Reynolds, Finance Director at West

VIEW FROM THE TOP Finally, schools are open and our children are back to some semblance of normality (for now!), so we thought it was a good time to sit down with the Headmaster of Hurst College, Tim Manly to find out what this new normal is like for schools and how the college fared during the pandemic and the debacle over recent exam results With the current pandemic causing havoc around the world, with education especially hard hit, can you tell us how the school is coping and what measures are in place to keep the students safe and the school open? Back in March, we switched to a full live online academic timetable thanks to the technology which was already in place at Hurst, the staff and their training. This proved to be successful. If we find ourselves heading back in that direction again, either with parts or indeed the whole school shutdown once more, then we can go back online. However, currently our primary aim is to ensure that as many, if not all, pupils remain at the school and that there is continuity of education for everyone. We have introduced small bubbles as well as regular hand sanitising, facemasks for Year 7 and above when indoors in the company of other nonbubble pupils along with social distancing. Our aim is to minimise the risk of infection and then transmission of the virus. I suspect that it is inevitable that members of our community will contract Covid, whether asymptomatic or not, and that this will result in some pupils having to spend time at home. We are ready for this but hope to minimise any impact.

There is much debate around the subject of co-ed vs single sex education â&#x20AC;&#x201C; can you let us have your opinion on this subject? I have never held strong views on the issue of co-ed versus single sex. At a previous school, I remember gently querying why the then Headmaster, who had been a great advocate of

co-education, was off to the most famous all boys school in the country. His wise response was that excellence in education comes in many shapes and forms whether single sex, co-ed, state or private, Grammar school or Academy. What was more important was that a school would enable the children within its community to thrive. As a parent of two boys and two

EDUCATION

There is no doubt that one of the greatest and best changes in the last 30 years of secondary education has been the rise of girls studying STEM subjects ❜❜

❛❛

girls, there was never any doubt in my mind that I wanted them to be at the same school, if at all possible, in a co-educational setting and that this would be a very good preparation for life. And, my own children did seem to find the move from school to university to be pretty straightforward and much of that, I suspect, was down to their Sixth Form experience in a co-educational house which turned out to be remarkably similar to the colleges which they subsequently joined. In short, I am

wary of any lobby promoting either single sex or co-ed being “better” and appropriating the data to suit. Your recent A-Level results of 91% A*-B are very impressive – with the exception of the effort from the students themselves, what do you feel is the driving force behind these excellent results?

and A-level. During that time, we have become mildly more selective but not hugely so. We are certainly not aggressive in our approach and nor do we cull out after GCSE results. Instead, I think it is about three key factors. First, the quality of the staff and their teaching. Through the Teach Hurst programme, we recruit annually over a dozen bright, enthusiastic and committed undergraduates whom we then sponsor through a PGCE at Sussex University. They become very attuned to this place and our way of doing things. We also have a superb professional development team in place which ensures that we get the best from our staff. Second, culture.

We have been very fortunate in the last few years to have had year-on-year increases in our results both at GCSE

EDUCATION We have at Hurst a very strong sense of who we are and what we stand for. This is not a place where outcomes are the most valued aspects of school life. Rather, we believe strongly that it is the way in which pupils approach and engage with every aspect of Hurst life which is key, almost irrespective of how brilliant (or not) a pupil might be. This is epitomised by our approach not just to the academic aspect but also the cocurricular activities. It doesn’t matter which team you’re in or whether you are the lead in a play etc. but what matters most is that you give it your best shot and you achieve your personal best. Third, and finally, there are our structures and systems. Whether that is the

encouragement, support and inspiration (perhaps a slightly excessive word) to fully engage to the best of their ability. How badly do you feel students were affected by the chaos over the recent predicted grades and if so, do you feel there is any long-term harm caused to their mental well-being or their future prospects ? At the time of their release, there was undoubted turbulence. Some pupils missed offers at their chosen universities but also others felt hugely let down by a set of grades which reflected not their own ability, hard work and attitude but an anonymous algorithm. We were badly hit.

❛❛ A key part of a Hurst education is the

recognition that school is not an end in itself but rather the beginning and a springboard to the next stage of our children’s lives ❜❜ tutorial programmes, the Challenge Grade system (pioneered at Hurst many, many years ago and now interestingly adopted by a large number of other local schools) or our use of academic clinics and university/career coaching, the pupils do get considerable guidance,

Our cohort size at Hurst is large and, as a result, there were departments here which were experiencing C and D grades for the first time in many, many years. The school was able to support the pupils and over the weekend we filed our appeals for the subjects which we felt had been

particularly affected. By the following week, of course, the Government had backtracked and the result was that the pupils achieved as we felt they should have done and the vast majority, nearly 90%, were given places at their first choice of university and the remainder were able to then defer or look towards their future career and university plans with confidence. So, it was a tough experience for them but it ended in the right place and justice was seen, and felt, to have been done. Your Sixth Form ethos of ‘work hard, do good and engage’ is admirable – how do you achieve this and instil it into your students? This again comes down to a combination of culture, structure and people. There is a strong culture of engagement at the college. As mentioned, we do not mind whether someone is brilliant at something or not, but we care deeply that they should have a great experience and have a go to the best of their ability with the best of coaching, academic or otherwise. After all, it is through that experience that they develop in all sorts of good ways including their own self-knowledge. We also have a strong sense that life is not only about oneself but about other people and enabling them also to be successful

and happy in their lives. As for “work hard”, by the time pupils reach the Sixth Form, we hope they have not only developed very good habits but also developed a sense that working hard is key to one’s own sense of self respect as well as achievement. If you are going to do something, then you should really give it your best shot. Sixth Form is such an important step – not only from an academic point of view but a major step in ‘growing up’ for young adults, and your phrase ‘trainee undergraduates’ is notable as that is exactly what they are. How do you drive this ethos right the way through the two years? A key part of a Hurst education is the recognition that school is not an end in itself but rather the beginning and a springboard to the next stage of our children’s lives. As many of us as adults will remember, Sixth Form is a great period of self-definition. Whilst the younger years are about trying to develop good habits, the Sixth Form is a pupil’s chance to really grow their own

self-knowledge, a sense of what is right for each of them as well as an awareness of the world around and beyond them. It is a gradual process. Nobody steps into the Sixth Form as a fully formed Sixth Former but rather there is a gradual development. They are treated as adults and join our Upper Sixth co-educational house where, as a year group together, they get a flavour of that life which they will experience at university and beyond. Most importantly, during this time, we see our pupils becoming much more accepting of others and, indeed, of themselves and this sense of self, along with greater independence, intrinsic motivation (their “why?”) and real interest in what might be possible means that they move towards a position of readiness for undergraduate life where these things will become critical and when they will not have the bicycle stabilisers, as it were, of school. We hear about girls continuing to excel in STEM subjects – is this your experience? There is no doubt that one of the greatest and best changes in the last 30 years of

secondary education has been the rise of girls studying STEM subjects. At Hurst, at least half of the female Sixth Formers go on to study a STEM subject at university, examples in the last three years include: Computer Science at Durham, Physics at Imperial, Medicine at Nottingham, Biology at Oxford, Mechanical Engineering at Sheffield, Mathematics at Cambridge, Veterinary Medicine at Edinburgh and Chemistry at UCL. If I may speak as a parent, all four of my children did Maths and Further Maths and one daughter studied Physics at university. I do not, for a moment, say that there is complete equality in all subjects between the genders. But there is certainly an equality of opportunity and a perception whatever their gender, they can pick any subject and think “why not?”

www.hppc.co.uk

er charges may be payable. 2. Payable if you exercise the option to purchase the car. 3. Includes optional purchase payment, purchase activation fee and retailer deposit contribution (where applicable). *Orders/ credit approvals on selected E-Class Saloon models between 1 July and 30 September 2019, registered by 31 December excluding Mercedes-AMG models. Guarantees may be required. Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Some combinations of features/options may not be available. Subject to availability. Over 18s only. Finance is subject to status and provided by Mercedes-Benz Finance, MK15 8BA. Sandown Group is a credit broker and not a lender. Sandown Group is authorised and regulated by he Financial Conduct Authority in respect of regulated consumer credit activity. All New and Approved Used cars sold by any Sandown Mercedes-Benz Retailer is subject to a purchase fee of £129 inc VAT. Prices correct at time of going to press 07/19. Images for illustrative purposes.ww

The Sandown Group Here at Sandown, our customers are our main priority. We have over 35 years experience in the Mercedes-Benz brand, so we’re proud to call ourselves experts in the field. Our dedicated team are here to assist with your every need. Whether you’re looking for your next new model, or need a little help maintaining your current pride and joy, we are committed to providing you with the best service possible. We are just as passionate about your vehicle as you are, so when you choose to visit a Sandown retailer, you can rest assured that your experience will be nothing short of first-class. We have seven retailers throughout Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset and Wiltshire located in Basingstoke, Dorchester, Farnborough, Guildford, Hindhead, Salisbury and Poole, each equipped with a friendly and knowledgeable team. So if you’re in need of a service, are searching for your latest vehicle upgrade, or are on the hunt for a fleet of business cars, we’re the people to visit. We look forward to welcoming you with a smile at your local Sandown Mercedes-Benz retailer soon!

0330 1780038 Mercedes-Benz of Basingstoke Mercedes-Benz of Dorchester Mercedes-Benz of Farnborough Mercedes-Benz of Guildford

www.sandown-group.co.uk Mercedes-Benz of Hindhead Mercedes-Benz of Poole Mercedes-Benz of Salisbury

PEST CONTROL

DON’T MANAGE YOUR BIRD PROBLEMS ON A WING AND A PRAYER Pest birds can be a cause of havoc around, on and inside all types of buildings and if left to nest and breed they are a serious health hazard Pigeons often gain access to lofts and empty buildings. Once they start to breed, the build-up of guano is considerable. Pigeon guano carries all sorts of diseases including E.coli, Salmonella, Psittacosis, Ornithosis etc. There may also be Bird mites and fleas present in nesting material. Lofts should be cleaned out and infested areas fully treated with biocide. All dead carcasses and mess should be removed from site under Waste Disposal Regulations 1994. The use of natural pest control using predator birds is becoming increasingly popular at both industrial and residential sites. Before any action is taken a survey by a professional specialist should take place to identify the species of bird, the problems they are causing and recommend the best methods to deal with them.

HERE ARE SOME OF THE OTHER METHODS NETTING

All types of buildings can be proofed, from private homes, to churches, industrial premises, offices and blocks of flats. Other areas include water treatment plants, farms, marinas and vineyards. Different sized mesh is used, depending on the type of bird. Nets are UV treated, can be flameproof and are guaranteed for 10 years. All straining wires and fixings are stainless steel. Nets can be installed almost anywhere, providing a safe means of access can be worked out. It is vital that netting is properly and professionally maintained as part of a pest prevention contract.

BIRD FREE GEL

This innovative product reflects ultraviolet light. It appears to birds as flames and keeps pest birds off structures without harming them. Rather than acting as a barrier like netting or spikes, the gel alters birds’ behaviour. Birds will completely desert a habitat, even one they have been using for years, once Bird Free has been applied.

BIRD SPIKES

Only stainless-steel wire anti perch spikes should be used and fixed to an ultra-violet treated base. Over time less expensive plastic spikes deteriorate with UV rays, become brittle and break. Spikes are fixed down with suitable adhesive. Problem areas include, window ledges, fire escapes, waste pipes, gutters, roof ridges, chimney stacks and pots.

POST AND WIRE SYSTEMS

This system is mainly used on ornate buildings where it is less obtrusive. It can be difficult to install and take some time. Depending on the base strata, stainless steel rods are either drilled into position or stuck down at suitable intervals. Sprung wires are run between the rods. It causes no harm to birds and has even been suggested for use on some sites by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

BIOACOUSTICS

A system of speakers, set up to play at random the natural species distress calls, creates an environment appearing ‘hostile’ to the birds. Bioacoustics are used anywhere where birds present a hazard to health and safety, or just a plain nuisance.

Go to www.cleankill.co.uk for more information and email info@cleankill.co.uk for a free pest control survey or cost comparison.

GIVING GREEN ROADS

THE GREEN LIGHT As the UK government works towards achieving net zero, Samantha Schofield, Environmental Business Partner for Transport Infrastructure at Amey, explains how large service providers are raising the bar in order to tackle climate change.

Climate science tells us, in no uncertain terms, that the world’s climate has changed – and continues to change – at an unprecedented rate. Now, as we stand at a crossroads, we’re faced with a choice: ignore repeated warnings to reduce our carbon emissions or take action before it’s too late. The good news is that many organisations, large and small, have recognised their responsibility to contribute towards creating sustainable communities and ensure that they leave a sustainable legacy for generations to come. In Surrey, several companies are committing to this path. Amey, a highways and infrastructure specialist that collects the waste of four district councils in the county, is one of them.

To meet the 1.5 degree Celsius global warming target reduction, as set out in the Paris Agreement, many developed nations including the UK are aiming to meet net zero by 2050. To support this, Amey is working closely with its clients to help them achieve their sustainabilityled ambitions, all of which require bespoke solutions. Given the sectors in which Amey operates this is no small feat. Yet, through collaborating with our supply chain network and local councils UKwide, we’re on course to achieve this target and improve the lives of those living within the communities in which we operate.

So how, exactly, is Amey spearheading change, not just in Surrey but nationwide, and how is it laying the foundations to ensure that sustainability, in the widest possible sense, remains at its core? To answer this, we need to explore the wider picture.

WORKING TOWARDS NET ZERO

The UK has committed to move towards a net zero emissions economy, whereby any emissions generated are balanced by the equivalent amount being absorbed from the atmosphere, in order to halt the negative impact of climate change.

A rewilded roadside – before and after

And this isn’t purely long-term thinking; much of the work is happening in and around communities now. Take Surrey, for example, where Amey collects the waste of Mole Valley, Woking, Elmbridge and Surrey Heath residents. This year alone the waste collection team has reduced carbon emissions attributable to vehicle idling by 42% across its entire fleet. Using telemetry data, we can establish idling levels by each individual lorry and driver from the moment the vehicles leave the Elmbridge depot on Mill Road, Esher. From this information we can then seek to change behaviour. Yet, reducing vehicle idling is only a

ENVIRONMENT small part of a wider series of initiatives that Amey is currently rolling out as part of its green transport commitment; a commitment which, through working with the Carbon Trust, decarbonising our entire fleet and transitioning to electric and alternatively fuelled vehicles, may soon see vehicle idling become a thing of the past.

GREENER, LEANER FLEETS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL COUNCILS

The efficacy of governments around the world, which are often voted in for four and five-year terms, is often a source of debate. After all, how can a government realise its true vision, particularly one set to span three decades, as is the case with the journey to net zero, if it only has a relatively short timeframe in which to implement it? This is where Amey differs. Many of our contracts with local councils run for over two decades, a period of time in which we can implement real change and where long-term visions can be realised. Our 25-year Streets Ahead partnership with Sheffield City Council and our approach to adopting a low carbon fleet in the city illustrates this. Using a PAS 2050 carbon forecast model - the British standard widely used by businesses to calculate the carbon footprint of their goods and services – we established that a key source of carbon emissions was linked to the project’s supply chain, which

included Amey’s vehicle fleet. Working in collaboration with the council, we began trialling hydrogen and electric vehicles across our light commercial fleet, the result of which has already saved 1,791 litres of diesel and reduced CO2 emissions by over three tonnes. Over the vehicles’ lease period, we expect this figure to increase to 5,625 litres and 14.6 tonnes of CO2 emissions. Carbon reduction of this scale does not end at Amey’s electric and low carbon vehicles; our impact is also being felt across many areas of the business. Amey’s commitment to biodiversity has seen us work closely with Highways England and we’ve also established a number of UK-wide tree planting initiatives. As part of The Living Highways Project, and through our work with Sheffield City Council, we’re looking to establish if biodiversity and ecosystem services can be enhanced on road verge sites, all whilst reducing maintenance costs.

A LIGHT BULB MOMENT

Another example where our positive impact is being felt is the more nuanced area of highways maintenance: street lighting. To date we have installed over 200,000 LEDs in streetlights within 14 local authorities, which is not only cutting councils’ carbon, but also their cost. In August alone, Amey won the contract to upgrade City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council’s 56,500 street lighting assets, which will see 48,300 existing

streetlights replaced with LEDs – a move that is expected to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions by 65%. As with any major shift, particularly one that requires the adoption of new technology, there is a cost. Therefore, making sustainability as accessible as possible on the journey towards net zero is essential – particularly for local councils who are already expected to achieve more with less.

THE ROAD TOWARDS A GREENER ECONOMY

Earlier this year, Amey, in collaboration with the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport (ADEPT), launched a Green Finance Toolkit to help local authorities with green finance. The move supports the government’s Green Finance Strategy, which seeks to ensure that government and the public sector work together to fund green projects and align private sector investment with clean, sustainable and resilient growth. Through our own series of initiatives, Amey is very much on the road to net zero. In fact, every solution designed by Amey will include a low carbon option by 2023. However, in order to make it viable for all of our stakeholders, from local councils through to our suppliers, we have to make low carbon solutions accessible and practical. Given our success to date, both at a Surrey level and nationwide, and through our on-going commitment to addressing the growing climate emergency and a range of measures designed to improve bio-diversity, we are confident that we will not only achieve net zero in advance of the government’s target, but also play a significant role in shaping sustainable communities as part of our journey.

For more information on Amey’s journey towards net zero visit www.amey.co.uk

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OVERCOMING THE TOUGHEST LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE isn’t sustainable for you or your business.

By Dan Morgan, Managing Partner, Haines Watts Esher Business owners have arguably been going through one of the toughest times of their leadership career. With the pandemic creating challenges many wouldn’t have imagined facing, leaders have had to shift their way of working in the face of immense pressures from both their personal and professional lives. However, the dramatic change in working practices has also revealed key areas for growth in leadership styles which should be incorporated into your long term plans for the business’s recovery and beyond. No experience or training in the world could have prepared business leaders for this crisis and yet you are the one that needs to provide direction, to be the clear voice of reason and have the answers that no one else is able to provide. Business owners have needed to be available and ‘on’ at virtually all times, this can lead to a silo effect with you making all decisions alone, which

Remember that you may not have all the answers all the time. I have found, and I’m sure most business owners would agree, that our people have been the biggest asset throughout this time. Feedback from my team on the ground has provided a detailed and in-depth view of the state of the business which in turn has allowed me to make quick and informed decisions. We have worked hard to ensure we have a team who have a vast array of experience and

tent updates to our people has allowed the team to feel they full understand the direction we’re taking but this also allows them to provide feedback on it. Don’t be afraid to receive feedback from your teams, it is a great way of gaining objective and quality information on not only how they are feeling but also clients and anyone that you may not interact with on a daily basis. I have found having more regular and open conversations with my team has allowed them to feel able to challenge me and gain their perspectives. Without doubt, the way you lead will

❛❛ No experience or training in the world

could have prepared business leaders for this crisis and yet you are the one that needs to provide direction ❜❜ so my team members will always look at things at a different angle to me. This collaboration within my team helps ease the pressure and ensures we are always coming up with creative ways to tackle problems. The way I communicate with my wider team has changed hugely over the last few months. Transparent and consis-

constantly evolve with countless learning opportunities along the way. Surround yourself with the right team and advisors that offer you perspectives you may not have considered. This will allow you to provide yourself opportunities to look at the bigger picture and pull yourself out of the everyday running ensuring you are always moving yourself and your business forwards.

For more information: https://www.hwca.com/ accountants-esher/ T: 020 8549 5137 E: esher@hwca.com

PLAN AND PRIORITISE

The first thing you should think about is planning your strategy, and prioritising resources so they go where they’re most effective. This cuts down on any time and resources you’re wasting, helping to also cut costs which will help you through any downturn.

LOOK FOR FREE AND CHEAP BUSINESS GROWTH IDEAS

6 BUSINESS

GROWTH IDEAS TO TRY EVEN DURING TIMES OF ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY

If you come across any free or cheap ideas to promote yourself, don’t ignore them – it’s free advertising and worth a go, even if it doesn’t work out the first time. Even if you take on the paid services of a consultant, they’ll be able to recommend free business growth strategies to keep costs down.

Times are totally unprecedented. Everyone is going through it together, so don’t be afraid to reach out and support each other. Knowing that you’re not alone can do wonders for morale. Plus, by keeping your network strong you may be introduced to connections that can help you!

DON’T IGNORE SOCIAL MEDIA

Graham Garman has over 25 years of business management experience, which he brings to his role at Chrysalis Partners South, the business growth experts serving Surrey and beyond. He knows that a combination of factors mean that times are tough for business owners. How can you encourage growth, even during periods of economic uncertainty? Graham has put together 6 top business growth ideas that may just help!

ENLIST PROFESSIONAL HELP

It may seem counterintuitive when funds are tight, but enlisting the help of professionals can really help to turn your business around. They’ll have years of experience in helping businesses grow. The initial investment you make in hiring them should soon pay off with the new revenue they can help you to generate.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO REACH OUT

Speaking of free business growth ideas, NEVER ignore social media. It’s probably the number one way to reach customers in this day and age. No matter what sort of operation you have, there are people on social media who would be interested in it. You just have to find them. Research is key here to find what works best.

THINK ABOUT PIVOTING

Chrysalis Partners South have over 50 methods to help businesses grow! Investing in business growth is a proven way to reap many rewards, so get in touch with them today to discuss how economic uncertainty doesn’t have to mean the end of business growth.

If your business is really struggling, have you thought about pivoting? Pause and think about if there are any new directions you could take that are more suited to consumers and their current spending habits. If you don’t want to pivot completely, could you open up a new arm of your business that offers something different?

HOW TO BUILD PRODUCTS THAT CUSTOMERS CRAVE The business consultancy team at Sussex Innovation have developed a new programme of research, consultancy and support designed to help business owners commercialise new ideas.

Now more than ever, ambitious organisations need to build products that customers can’t live without.

themselves are all completely unrecognisable from this time last year,” says Claire Pasquill, Head of Programmes.

Sussex Innovation’s Hot House programme for autumn 2020 will tap into emerging insight, knowledge and trends to help businesses respond to a rapidly changing world.

“With this new set of research and consultancy packages, we’re planning to help the businesses in our community rise to the challenge and identify where the opportunities for growth lie. The programme is all about product innovation – developing new ideas that meet customer demand and working out how to monetise them.”

“The global pandemic has shifted all the old commercial rules – how people work, travel, socialise, create, find purpose, educate, exercise and entertain

❛❛ David provided

clear, insightful advice that helped us dramatically improve our presentation to potential investors ❜❜ Tom Kane, Centre Racing

INNOVATION

❛❛ My initial impression was ‘this is

just going to be a research piece’… Then I realised this was the most in-depth understanding I had of our market, way more than anything we’d ever done before ❜❜ Mark Hla, ThriveMap

According to data from NESTA, product innovation is one of the biggest drivers of growth, but only 16% of UK companies prioritise it – making it a huge competitive advantage for those that do. Over six modules of strategic support, Sussex Innovation’s advisors offer all the tools necessary to bring a new idea to market: n If you’re at the ‘idea’ stage and need to build a compelling story about your new product or service – take the Pitch Canvas module to brainstorm and visualise your concept, outlining the problems that you solve for customers, what makes your idea unique, and how it will work in practice.

n If you have ambitious growth plans and want to build on a founding insight – take the What’s Your Insight module to uncover greater understanding of your market and its needs. Companies with a compelling founding insight find it easier to attract investment, build great marketing campaigns and find their first customers. n If you need to understand the choices already available to your customers – take the Competitor Analysis module to learn where the biggest opportunities in your market lie. Every product and service has competition – but it may not be immediately obvious how your customers are already solving the problem for themselves, or how the competition package, price, position and target their offer.

❛❛ The team were

approachable, friendly and helpful. They provided us with thorough and verified insights that have helped us consolidate our product offering ❜❜ Lucy Hughes, MarinaTex

This project has received funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (and in London the intermediary body Greater London Authority) is the managing authority for the ERDF. Established by the European Union, the ERDF helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation and businesses, create jobs and regenerate local communities.

n If you need to take a deep dive into what your customer really wants from your product – take the Consumer Survey module to conduct and analyse unbiased research. Learn how much your customers really want what you have to sell, and whether they need it enough that they’ll pay you to do it for them. n If you need to review your strategy, take the So What SWOT module to assess your internal and external risks and opportunities and build a comprehensive forward plan. More than just your standard SWOT analysis, this approach teaches you how to leverage your insights and make informed decisions. n If you need to start making things happen, take the Launch Roadmap module to identify the most crucial steps toward launching your product, and a plan of action to get there. Every new idea is different, and has its own route to market depending on the resources you have available. With funding from the European Regional Development Fund, Sussex Innovation can deliver any one of the six modules free of charge to eligible SMEs, instead of their usual market value of £600-£1500.

Visit info.sinc.co.uk/ building-products-customers-crave for more information and to book your course.

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S E E L L A V S I O R T S LE oing t, then really, get g o n if d an d te ic d ad then you are likely â&#x20AC;&#x201C;surrounded by s rt o sp g in d ar If you have skied, w d re e most exciting an th f o e n o d within a 2-hour e b an n s ca in ta n as it u o m g in ber tening snow, tower ith the all the clob w at glorious views, glis th t u o t in o p k. I should also s. flight from Gatwic safe from the viru g in ep ke r fo rt o e ideal sp you have on, it is th

TRAVEL

TRAVEL The Three Valleys in the French Alps is the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest ski area with 600km of pistes, 166 lifts, 2,100 snow canons, 35,000 hectares of nature and 10,500 hectares of skiable area. The valleys are interconnected to ensure that you could ski the entire week without ever skiing the same piste twice. The pistes are immaculately groomed and, in those years that are short on snow, the huge snow canons will work all night to ensure that most pistes are well covered by morning. In short, it is a skiers paradise made all the better by the great French cuisine available at every turn, baguettes and fresh croissants every morning. Having skied this area for over 25 years, l can also state that it contains many of the best kept resorts in the world Courchevel, Meribel, Les Manures and Val Thorens. Chef Yannick Alleno opened his three star Michelin restaurant at the Courchevel Palace in 2011, and the Savoyard cuisine is exceptional.

Unlike Italy, you can also trust the piste signs - if it says the run is blue you can trust it is. In Italy, it all depends what mood the guy was in when he set out the signs that morning! Close by but not officially in the Trois Vallees is Les Arcs, Val d’sere and Tignes - all world-class skiing resorts. Meribel is a great location to learn to ski as they have a system called Ski Evolutif - the most simple way to learn the basics and to get skiing, originating in Les Arcs. All my kids learnt this way and they were generally skiing with us by day 3. Founded by British skier Peter Lindsay in 1938, Méribel’s developments now extend high up a west-facing slope, including the villages of Mussillon and Altitude 1600 to the east and Rond Point and Belvedere to the west. A vast number of chalets, and an increasing amount of self-catering apartments and hotels too, provide plenty of choice for accommodation and enough beds to sleep the resort’s growing fan base, who return year after year.

❛❛ For the kids and novices, there is an abundance of easy pistes on which to practise and play, all level of ski lessons going on in English all the time and baby clubs to set you free for half a day ❜❜ For novices, there is a very straight forward guide to each piste with the percentage of each in the valley: Green is novice (14%) Blue is easy (40%) Red is intermediate (36%) Black is difficult (10%) The longest run is Cime de Caron which is 12.5km or 7.5 miles long and is glorious.

The Black runs are fantastic with varying levels of difficulty and should only be tackled by very competent skiers. If that is too easy for you, then there is the ultimate - heliskiing. A helicopter whisks you up 10,600ft to the top of the highest peak - and then departs. The total silence and sense of wonder are astonishing – until you look down and realise that you now have to carve your way through deep powder, watching out for crevices and drop offs, all the way down to where you started and, if you loved it and can afford it, the chopper will collect you and take you back up again. This is the ultimate skiing adventure and is to be tackled by experts only.

Val Thorens is the highest resort here and the highest in Europe at 2,300 mts. At that height, you have a pretty good guarantee of snow all winter and it is so contained, that just about every hotel is next to a lift.

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There is a great new black run developed for the 2023 Alpine World Cup. With a length of 3.3k and a 970m drop, it offers one of the longest runs in the area and gives you a birds eye view of the original Courchevel Le Praz, the Olympic ski jumps and L’Aplinium - at speed. One of the most exciting black runs is the legendary Saulire - with an average gradient of 33 degrees and the steepest section being 38.6 degrees, it is a white knuckle challenge that is irresistible. For the kids and novices, there is an abundance of easy pistes on which to practise and play, all level of ski lessons going on in English all the time and baby clubs to set you free for half a day. A skiing vacation is not all about skiing. There are so many other things to do if you don’t ski or want to take a day off. The Igloo Village at Val Thorens is a blast - literally an igloo ice bar with mouth-watering fondue in the evenings. And if you have not had fondue in the Savoie area, where it was invented, it’s worth going just for that. For the kids, there’s an Animal Trail through the lower forest where they can follow paw tracks to find the sculptured

❛❛ And if you have not

had fondue in the Savoie area, where it was invented, it’s worth going just for that ❜❜

animals hiding in the trees. Then there are walking trails, spectacular mountain bars and cafes, paragliding, swimming pools, spa’s, ice skating, snowmobiling, nightclubs, beauty treatments and some of the best restaurants you will find in any ski resort - and the wines none too shabby.

Another season not to be ignored is the summer. Many of the lifts still run for hikers and the flower filled meadows, mirror like lakes and mountain peaks are supremely beautiful in the summer sunshine.

TRAVEL Accommodation prices are so varied dependant on type, location, season. Here are three sites with a good selection and if in a group of 6 or more, l would always take a chalet. Often in beautiful locations, huge roaring fires, ski in/ski out and a chalet maid or two to take care of the boring stuff. www.skifrance.co.uk www.antares-meribel.com www.j2ski.com Closest airport is Chambery, 2 hrs from Gatwick and then 1.5 hr transfer up the mountain. Now to the prickly subject of skis or snowboards! For those uninitiated, skis are the standard two planks strapped to your feet, whilst a snowboard is a single carbon-fibre board to which you are strapped sideways. An easy answer is the youngsters will be on boards and us old farts are on skis. But try both - any new way to get down a ski slope is welcome and all will cause you to smile endlessly.

❛❛ The Igloo Village at

Val Thorens is a blast – literally an igloo ice bar with mouth-watering fondue in the evenings ❜❜

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THE 8 BALL

The VW Golf seems to be have been with us for as long as time but there is no getting away from the fact that the first Golf GTl changed the way the entire world looked at hatchbacks and spawned a new phrase – the Hot Hatchback. And here we are again with the eighth incarnation of the famous marque.

The first Golf hit the streets in 1974 as the Golf in Europe, the Rabbit in the US and the Caribe in Mexico, and was designed to replace the Beetle. No pressure there then! The Beetle is famous way beyond the car itself and you have to give it to those pesky

Germans, they did it again and with quite some flair. The Golf rapidly became their best selling car, won more awards than you can shake a stick at and has sold 35 million models – that’s one every 41 seconds. So enough of the history, have they finally dropped the ball with the eighth model? One could see this as a bit of a dinosaur, being that it is powered by fossil fuel, and the dreaded diesel at that! It is built on the same MQB platform as the Mark 7 so no changes to the size of the body but they have hit it with the ‘tech stick’, meaning no more dials as the entire thing is digital and a host of new whiz gadgets onboard to delight/ annoy you, in equal measure.

❛❛ The overhead gantry signs on the new

Smart motorways will converse with the car, as will that broken down car round the corner that has its hazards on and all this info is displayed on the central screen. Clever stuff ❜❜ 86

The digital dash certainly looks impressive, and indeed it is, but why plonk it in where the old dash used to be and keep the arch over the dials that was there before? It is also not the easiest to use with some very small buttons to seek out but once you get used to it, it all works very well. Then you get Car2X, the system that talks to other cars and interactive road signs. The overhead gantry signs on the new Smart motorways will converse with the car, as will that broken down car round the corner that has its hazards on and all this info is displayed on the central screen. Clever stuff. By Senior Motoring Editor, Maarten Hoffmann

MOTORING

PLATIN UM

MOTORING

TECH STUFF MODEL TESTED: Golf Life TSI PS ENGINE: 1.5-litre turbocharged POWER: 130 bhp SPEED: 0-62 9.2 seconds TOP: 133 mph ECONOMY: 52.6 mpg combined PRICE FROM: £23,900 AS TESTED: £26,775 The rest of the interior is classic Golf firm seats, a great driving position and everything at your finger tips and likely to be there, still working, in a hundred years time. Five doors, enough space for what you need and easy as pie to drive. The engines are mainly upgraded versions of what went before. Threecylinder 1.0-litre option, a plug-in hybrid GTE with 245bhp, and a handy 13kWh battery for at least 40 miles e-range and a 130 bhp and a 150bhp TSI. By the end of 2020, we will have the models that petrol heads will be waiting for - the GTI and an R. I spent the week with the 1.5-litre TSI. It comes in 130 or 150bhp setups, and mine was the 130 in six-speed manual, which is likely to be the best seller and has the standard braking regeneration system that feeds

❛❛ The Golf does not really excel in any one

area in particular but rather scores really high in all areas ❜❜ power recovered from braking into the light hybrid system. The engine does take the opportunity to shut down when it can – when you’re descending a hill, for example, the navigation system instructs the ECU to expect no throttle demand for 15 seconds or so, and it shuts down. All Golfs sold in the UK will get a digital

instrument pack and 10-inch infotainment screen with web connection. Most include navigation, but with the base car you can activate nav, like some other features, via the in-car app store. All this tech does come with a price - a modicum of annoyance. For example the lane assist that gives you a steering wobble each time you cross a white line on the motorway can be turned off - but then defaults back on every time you turn the car off. As with most new cars these days, it will tell you when you are about to crash even though you are not. So many of these new systems treat the driver as an idiot and, whilst many drivers are indeed blithering idiots, most are not and you really should be able to switch these things off, for good if you so choose. The Golf does not really excel in any one area in particular but scores really high in all areas, making it the top of the tree in the cheaper end of the mid-range sector and there are few cars in the sector that can hold a candle to it.

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The overall view of the car is that it is excellent. It’s solid as a rock, drives supremely well, has more get up and go than you would expect, will hold it’s value well and is easy on the eye. If you are looking for a family hatchback with a dose of panache, there is little out there at £23K that will touch the new Golf 8.

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