unLTD. Connecting business across Sheffield City Region #60

THIS IS A MAN’S WORLD?

We mark International Women’s Day with Best Solicitors CEO Donna Tilbrook

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Contents

35: LAYING DOWN THE LAW

In celebration of International Women’s Day, unLTD spoke to Donna Tilbrook, CEO of Best Solicitors, about the challenges in establishing a successful business in a traditionally male-dominated sector.

28: A BETTER WAY TO WORK?

For this month’s ‘For or Against’ feature, we hear from both sides of the fence on the effectiveness of a four-day working week.

42: OPPORTUNITY THROUGH ADVERSITY

Marija Rubtsova tells us her inspirational story of how she rebuilt her digital marketing agency, Rubarb, after being forced to flee her hometown due to the war in Ukraine.

48: READY, SET, ACTION!

Based at BizSpace Rotherham, Vice Press produce unique limited edition and officially licensed alternative movie posters. We met the company’s founders, James Henshaw and Matt Ferguson, to discuss their journey from home garage to working with some of the world’s biggest studios.

50: SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITY

We speak to the team at Opportunity Sheffield about how their Advancing Digital programme offers vital upskilling courses to employees and employers – for free!

56: HAVE LUNCH WITH

Ash Birch goes for an insightful bite with Chris Hanson - founder, creative director and chef at social enterprise Blend Kitchen.

AIR OF POSITIVITY NEEDS TO BE GRASPED

There is an air of positivity in the waters at present and it's something that needs to be grasped, bottled and nurtured. Despite the cost of living crisis that is affecting all industries and home budgets, hot on the heels of Brexit and Covid-19, there's a real 'can do' attitude around the region and that can only be a good thing.

Maybe it's the whole New Year bump, maybe it's the change in government, or maybe we're all so fed up of reading bad news that we're just getting on with making our lives as enjoyable as possible and our businesses prosper.

It was in clear evidence at the Doncaster Business Showcase last month, which demonstrated just how getting like-minded businesses in a room together can generate a certain electricty that we all feed off. A great event, and it showed us at our best. It was also there at the recent Independent Publishing Guild Spring Conference which I chaired. It's a regular event for business in our industry, and while there aren't many representatives from our region involved, like the Doncaster Show, it demonstrated that even in difficult times, there are always opportunities to grasp. Our backs may be against the wall, but that often brings the best out in us.

Phil Turner

EDITORIAL EDITOR

Joe Food Joe@unltdbusiness.com

ONLINE EDITOR

Ash Birch Ash@unltdbusiness.com

FEATURE WRITER

Katie Fisher

VIDEO CONTENT CREATOR

Lizzy Capps lizzy@unltdbusiness.com

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Phil Turner phil@unltdbusiness.com

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CONTRIBUTORS

Timm Cleasby

Jackie Cook

Jo Davison

Andy Froggat

Paul Gosney

Brendan Hall

Jeremy Hughes

Daniel Lowe

Katie Nash

Ian Proctor

Alex Ross

Zoe Wadsworth

Amy Ward

Wendy Ward

Jill White

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The views contained herein are not necessarily those of Blind Mice Media Ltd and while every effort is made to ensure information throughout unLTD is correct, changes prior to distribution may take place which can affect the accuracy of copy, therefore Blind Mice Media Ltd cannot take responsibility for contributors’ views or specific listings.

Accountancy Academy leads next generation

First Intuition’s hugely popular Accountancy Academies were launched in Leeds back in 2017. Since then, they have given many 16-18-year-olds from schools, academies and colleges across Yorkshire the opportunity to find out what a career in accountancy is really about.

Their latest event in Leeds provided ambitious teenagers the full breadth, range and variety of roles accountancy offers and the

different ways they can turn their interest into a fulfilling and rewarding career.

A packed two days began with a series of activities to calm the attendee’s nerves. They then ran informative sessions hosted by a diverse range of accountants from national heavyweights including the NHS and Leeds Building Society and leading local firms BHP and Kirk Newsholme before moving into more practical territory with a CV clinic and mock interviews.

The programme culminated with a team activity; attendees were split into groups and tasked with creating their own festival from scratch, putting together a presentation that would introduce the

theme of their festival and explaining how they planned to tackle budget, security, advertising and marketing, accessibility and pricing to a judging panel of ‘dragons’.

With day two drawing to a close, First Intuition Yorkshire Managing Director Lucy Parr, reflected on another highly successful Academy: “We were extremely impressed with the quality of the presentations as were all our ‘dragons’.

“We really put the learners through their paces, with

some tough questions. This is difficult enough for experienced businesspeople but even more so for our attendees, especially as they’d been well and truly put on the spot and handled it so well.”

The next event is heading to Sheffield, and you can look out for details of their Easter Academy across their social channels. If you would like to take part either as an attendee or an employer please get in touch with lucybrennan@ fi.co.uk

WORLD’S FIRST QUALITY PRACTITIONER APPRENTICE ACHIEVES DISTINCTION

Whyy? Change, a South Yorkshire-based Training Provider, were ‘thrilled’ to announce that Emma Harrison, the company's managing director, has become the world’s first Quality Practitioner Apprentice, achieving a distinction from her End Point Assessment for the Level 4 Quality Practitioner Apprenticeship.

In January 2021, Emma, 48, was one of the first apprentices to enrol onto the Quality Practitioner Level 4 apprenticeship in the world, with Whyy?

Change being one of only a select few providers at the time delivering the standard.

Emma told unLTD: “There were limited training courses that offered the breadth

of knowledge that I was looking to gain, so when the Quality Practitioner apprenticeship was approved, I jumped at the chance to start.”

At the time, Emma was a Governance Officer and has

since been promoted twice in two years, appointed to Governance Director and then Managing Director in September 2022.

CEO of Whyy?

Change, Ray Byrne, congratulates Emma: “This

result just demonstrates to everyone, what I have known about Emma for some time, that she is an outstanding individual with an eye for quality, professional development, and an asset to our organization.”

Whyy? Change offers accredited qualifications as a part of their level 3-7 apprenticeship standards, designed by some of the world’s leading accreditation bodies including Lean & Six Sigma, Leadership (CMI), HR (CIPD), Marketing (CIM), QHSE (Bureau Veritas) and Functional Skills (Pearson Edexcel).

To learn more, visit their website www.whyychange. com or call them on 0114 400 0077.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance Paints the Region Yellow

The month-long fundraising initiative, Yellow Yorkshire, is back for its ninth year and this time the Yorkshire Air Ambulance team are setting their sights higher than ever before.

Ahead of the much-anticipated Yellow Yorkshire launch in April, Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) is on the hunt for corporate supporters to take part in fundraising activities and challenges with the aim of bringing the people of Yorkshire together and raising vital funds to keep Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s two helicopters in the skies and saving lives.

There are lots of different ways businesses can get involved from hosting in-office events such as bake sales and yellow-themed dress down days, to visiting the Yorkshire Air Ambulance fundraising team on their Yellow Yorkshire roadshow where the promotional YAA vehicles and friendly team will be popping up across the region.

With spring cleaning right around the

corner, businesses are also encouraged to organise recycling collections made up of unwanted clothes and shoes. Once complete, the textile collection will be picked up free of charge and delivered to Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s recycling partner, Recycling Solutions.

Each recycling donation will then be weighed and resold to second-hand clothing traders, with a percentage of each sale being donated to Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

In addition, during 17th-21st of April, buildings across Yorkshire will be lighting up Yellow in solidarity with the campaign. With many businesses already signed up including Leeds Town Hall, the charity welcomes any other businesses with the function to do so, to join in and light up in yellow for the day.

Regional Fundraising Manager at Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Vickie Bowden, said, ‘We are so excited to be launching our Yellow Yorkshire 2023 campaign, with every passing year we are thrilled to have so many local businesses support us and take part in individual fundraising events.

“We hope that once again, Yellow Yorkshire, brings our local communities together in celebration for our crew. It is on behalf of the whole YAA team that I thank everyone for their upcoming participation, from bake sales to largerthan-life fundraising events, without this kindness and generosity we wouldn’t be able to do the lifesaving work that we do.”

FOX VALLEY FLARE

Marsh & Co. interior design have opened their stylish new studio at Fox Valley, providing complete home renovation solutions, specialising in space planning and conceptual 3D design to complete project management solutions. Find out more at marshandco.com.

HELPING HIGH STREETS

The £2m Economic Recovery Fund is back and now accepting more applications from local businesses and community leaders to help improve local high streets and encourage residents to spend their time there.

HEIST GETAWAY

Heist Brewery have announced they will take part in Sheffield’s Bangers and Cash car art rally this year and are looking for car sponsors.

YORKSHIRE ADMIN

Yorkshire and The Humber businesses accounted for 10% of administrations in 2022 – the fifth highest region in the UK – according to analysis by full-service law firm Shakespeare Martineau.

SHORTS PICK UP 3X YORKSHIRE ACCOUNTANCY AWARDS

Shorts Chartered Accountants, based in Sheffield and Chesterfield, picked up three wins at the 2023 Yorkshire Accountancy Awards.

The firm, which specialises in accountancy services, including audit, tax planning, private client, R&D tax reliefs and Corporate Finance, won in the Team of the Year (for their Payroll service), Best Employer of the Year, and the Consultancy/Advisory Service award categories.

The Yorkshire Accountancy Awards, hosted in Leeds, is one of the industry’s most prestigious awards ceremonies, celebrating the success and achievements of the best accounting firms in the Yorkshire region.

On announcing the winner in the Best Employer category, the judges said: “Shorts is a business that puts the development and welfare of its employees at the forefront of its work.

From expanding their skill sets through tailored training plans to focusing on mental health following the pandemic, Shorts continues to shine as a leading employer within the profession.”

On their entry for the Consultancy/Advisory Service award, the award judges praised Shorts for having “a strong focus on empowering clients”, with an approach that “fills in

the gaps in client financial knowledge to ensure they make better business decisions.”

The Shorts Payroll team was recognised for “continually taking the initiative and producing excellent results.”

The Shorts team are no strangers to the Yorkshire Accountancy Awards. In 2022, the team was delighted to pick up the win in the competitive Corporate

Finance Service award category.

Following this year’s wins, Michelle Frost, Finance and Operations Director at Shorts, said:

“What a night! It was so wonderful to come together to celebrate the fantastic talent in Yorkshire and, of course, the fact that it was an opportunity for our team to shine made it all the more special.

“Being nominated for five award categories was outstanding, picking up three of them is a testament to the hard work, grit and teamwork of our entire team.”

For more information on the services provided by Shorts Chartered Accountants, you can visit www.shorts.uk.com or call the team on 0114 2671617.

AGENDA A MESSAGE FROM SHEFFIELD CITY COUNCIL

CLEARING THE AIR

As of Monday 27 February, Sheffield’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ) is now being enforced in the designated city centre area.

What is it?

The CAZ is a Class C charging zone, which means that some vehicles driving within, or entering, Sheffield’s inner ring road and city centre that do not meet vehicle emission limits set by the Government will be charged.

Who will be charged?

Only the most heavily polluting vehicles will be charged for entering Sheffield’s CAZ. Private vehicles, motorcycles and lower-polluting vehicles will not have to pay.

Vehicles that will be charged include heavy goods vehicles (HGV), light goods vehicles (LGV), vans, buses, coaches and taxis.

How do I check if my vehicle will be charged?

You can check whether your vehicle will be charged, using the Government checker at www.gov.uk/clean-air-zones (or scan the QR code on this page). If the vehicle you own is compliant, then you do not need to do anything. If your vehicle is not compliant, and you drive into, out of, or within the zone, then you need to pay each day you travel.

How much will I need to pay?

Charges are:

• £50 per day for larger vehicles – such as buses, coaches and HGVs

• £10 per day for smaller vehicles – such as taxis and LGVs

• Larger campervans / motorhomes can apply for a discounted rate, reducing the charge amount to £10 If you’re entering the zone you can pay up to 6 days in advance, on the day, or up to 6 days after your journey. For information and a simple and secure way to pay, head to www.gov.uk/cleanair-zones

Financial support

Financial support to upgrade or replace a vehicle to meet CAZ standards is still available for vehicle owners based in

Sheffield and Rotherham.

Local exemptions and discounts are also still available, please visit the website (sheffield.gov.uk) for further information on how to apply.

An automatic, temporary exemption will be applied for Hackney Carriage vehicles licensed by the Council, up to 00:00 on Monday 5 June 2023.

You do not need to apply for an exemption if your vehicle is one of the following:

• Nationally exempt

• Meets required emission standards

• A private car or motorbike

Why does Sheffield need a CAZ?

Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs’ (DEFRA) latest assessments show that Sheffield is not compliant with the annual limit for nitrogen dioxide (NO2). That’s why we urgently need to reduce NO2 levels around the city.

The CAZ will take us a step closer to cleaner air and higher standard of health for local people, especially those most vulnerable to pollution related health issues, such as the elderly, un-born babies and young children. Air pollution contributes to around 1 in 20 of deaths in Sheffield each year.

The city’s Clean Air Zone is part of a national Clean Air Strategy funded by DEFRA, to tackle air pollution, including roadside nitrogen dioxide concentrations.

To learn more about the CAZ please visit the website: www.sheffield.gov. uk/cleanair SCAN

HERE TO CHECK IF YOUR VEHICLE IS COMPLIANT

The CAZ will take us a step closer to cleaner air and higher standard of health for local people, especially those most vulnerable to pollution related health issues, such as the elderly, un-born babies and young children. Air pollution contributes to around 1 in 20 of deaths in Sheffield each year

SMH GROUP: CLEAN AIR ZONE

As Sheffield City Centre becomes a clear air zone, it is important for vehicle owners to consider the impact their cars and vans may have on the environment. The good news is that the local government is offering financial support to upgrade or replace polluting vehicles.

At SMH Group, a leading firm of Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers in Sheffield, we are committed to helping individuals and businesses navigate the process of applying for this financial support.

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

Who does this affect?

Sheffield’s Clean Air Zone affects certain types of commercial vehicles that do not meet the minimum emissions standards set by the UK government.

Specifically:

• Buses and coaches: Euro 6 standard or better

• Heavy goods vehicles (HGVs): Euro 6 standard or better

• Taxis and private hire vehicles: Euro 6 standard or better

• Light goods vehicles

(LGVs): Euro 6 standard or better

• Cars and vans: Euro 6 standard for diesel vehicles, Euro 4 standard for petrol vehicles or better

Vehicles that meet these emissions standards can travel in and out of the Sheffield Clean Air Zone without incurring any charges or penalties. However, vehicles that do not meet these standards may need to pay a daily charge to enter the zone, or take steps to upgrade or replace their vehicles to meet the minimum emissions standards.

Private cars and motorbikes will not be affected.

What is the financial support?

Sheffield City Council is providing financial support for individuals and businesses who need to upgrade or replace a polluting vehicle. This financial support is available in the form of grants or interest-free loans.

Who is eligible for financial support?

To be eligible for financial support, you must meet the following criteria:

• Your vehicle must be registered within the Sheffield City Council boundary

• Your vehicle must be non-compliant with the Sheffield City Council’s Clean Air Zone emission standards

• You must have owned your vehicle for at least 6 months prior to the application

• You must not have received financial support from another source for the same vehicle

How much financial support can I receive?

The amount of financial support you can receive depends on the type of vehicle you are upgrading or replacing, as well as the type of financial support you are applying for. In general, grants are available for smaller vehicles such as cars, while interest-free loans are available for larger vehicles such as vans.

How do I apply for financial support?

To apply for financial support, you will need to fill out an application form on the Sheffield City Council website. The application process will require you to provide information about your vehicle, your

Vehicles that meet these emissions standards can travel in and out of the Sheffield Clean Air Zone without incurring any charges or penalties

ownership of the vehicle, and your intended upgrade or replacement.

It is important to note that the application process can be complex, and it may be helpful to seek the advice of a financial professional like SMH Group.

Let SMH Group advise you on the process

At SMH Group, we are committed to helping individuals and businesses navigate the process of applying for financial support to upgrade or replace a polluting vehicle in relation to the Sheffield City Council’s Clean Air Zone.

We can provide guidance on the application process, as well as other financial considerations related to this important issue.

To learn more, please contact us on 0114 266 4432, info@smh.group or visit our website www. smh.group for further information about our complete range of financial services to businesses and individuals.

In a new monthly column, unLTD chats to a local charity’s founder to delve into why they set up the organisation. This month, Ash Birch caught up with Clynton Johnson, cofounder of Eve Merton Dreams Trust, a Doncaster-based charity who help to make dreams come true for cancer patients in the region…

Can you start by telling us how charity began?

It's named after Eve Merton, who passed away in 2011, of ovarian cancer. When Eve was given three months to live, her family, including her son, Martin, who is co-founder of the charity, set about getting Eve a chair that could help lift her up and an electric bed.

They applied to one of the bigger national charities for funding, which was unfortunately a 16-page form that families don’t really need and shouldn’t be going through when they’re dealing with a traumatic experience. In the end, they only received £360 of a possible £500–£600 as they didn’t see Eve as priority enough to get the full amount.

Because of this, some staff who worked with Martin at BT held a fundraiser to raise the money to buy these things for Eve and that’s what triggered mine and Martin’s conversations. I was at a stage of life where I really wanted to do something for charities. I’ve always been interested in running marathons and I had just stopped playing football, so I needed to fill my time.

My wife went to school with

Martin, so we were friends, and I became intrigued by the charity work he was doing and decided I would really like to do something more than just run a marathon. We sat down after Eve had passed and came up with the idea of starting a cancer charity that was available to all Doncaster residents battling cancer. Where it didn’t matter what age you were, or what kind of cancer it was, you just needed to be a Doncaster resident with a cancer diagnosis and the service would be available to you.

So, how does it work?

Firstly, we discuss how we can provide a wish for families who apply to the service, which takes around five minutes to complete – we wanted to make that as simple as possible!

Once we’ve received all the information, it’s passed to our dream makers who look at what the person would like to do, dates, who wants to go etc. and discuss what’s feasible within the budget.

We usually budget around £600-£650 per dream, which, as you can imagine, is quite tough sometimes, so it’s often dependent on how

local businesses can help us, or if anyone else is willing to fund the dream, which has happened sometimes.

The dreams can be anything from a trip away for the weekend to a hot tub, renewing wedding vows, actual weddings, trips to London, parties... you name it, we’ve probably had a request for it! It’s then our job to make that happen for the families. So far, we’ve done six weddings, we’ve got a charity caravan in Skegness that families can use for respite, and we’re currently working on a memorial garden in Doncaster, because of how many people we lost during Covid.

How did Covid affect the charity?

The terminal application rate of cancer pre-Covid was about 20-25%; post Covid, the rate is at 85% and we’ve lost 39 people who used our service over the last two and a half years alone, which is more than double the nine years prior to that combined. As a small charity, things shifted dramatically after Covid. We were obviously restricted as to what fundraising we could do, so it was a very difficult time. But we’ve got through it.

How can businesses help?

What we’ve started doing more recently with local businesses is getting them to help with volunteering down at the memorial garden, doing fundraising or donating materials, as, at the end of the day, that’s serving the local community. Again, it’s about awareness. It’s highly likely that members of staff, or someone within the organisation, are going to need us, or know somebody that needs us. Getting that information out there is still is one of the biggest tasks.

Eve Merton Dream Trust has been a registered charity for around 11 years and has raised close to £1 million in funds in that time. All of their fundraising efforts go into paying for the dreams, with none of the donations going towards paying for staffing. As well as the Memorial Garden, they are currently organising their next fundraising walk from Weston Park Hospital to Doncaster Royal Infirmary in July, and to get involved with any of their efforts, or to appy for a wish, head to their website at www. evestrust. co.uk

EVE MERTON DREAM TRUST

HEART WARMING MOMENT FOR PETE MCKEE

Much-loved Sheffield Artist, Pete McKee, returned to the Northern General Hospital to give thanks to the staff who cared for him after heart surgery and to officially cut the ribbon on a refurbished theatre admission day room, thanks to funding from Sheffield Hospitals Charity.

The refurbishment of the room has created an environment for patients to be relaxed and calm before undertaking specialist cardiac surgery and post-surgery it offers

them a chance to take a breather away from the ward environment. The project was the idea of Ward Matron Jane Paggett who was passionate about offering a stressfree environment to her patients. Designed to be a home from home by specialist architects Grosvernor Interiors, in collaboration with the hospital estates team. It marks the start of various ambitious enhancement fundraising projects for Sheffield Hospitals Charity.

During the visit McKee

met Chief Nurse, Chris Morley, a range of staff from the ward and those who cared for him during his treatment at the hospital. He was gifted with a surprise birthday cake and the legendary artist presented the team with a copy of his recent painting ‘The Handover.’

The painting inspired by a stay on the ward in 2021, following a heart valve replacement, shows a group of nurses in the process of doing a handover from the night shift to the oncoming

morning staff.

Pete McKee said: “Every time I meet any nurses it is always humbling experience; they do amazing work and I will always be eternally grateful to them. It is an honour to be asked to repopen this room, I had first-hand experience of using it as a patient.

The work done by Sheffield Hospitals Charity is truly amazing and it will enhance the lives of patients for years to come and it is great to see how they support the hospital.”

UNITED IN LOVE FOR NHS

Sheffield-based recruitment consultancy, Benchmark have chosen older peoples charity SCCCC as their charity partner.

Rebecca (Becca) Morris, Director of Benchmark first heard of SCCCC after hearing a speech by the charity CEO Mark Storey, she was moved by the cause.

“I immediately wanted to find out more about the charity. Mark had me in tears when highlighting the number of isolated

older people living in our community. The statistic is horrifying!”

Since this first encounter, Becca has continued to support SCCCC in several ways, including becoming a volunteer on the Good Neighbours Scheme befriending service.

“I couldn’t wait to get signed up as a volunteer and start visiting an older person. The older generation gets forgotten sometimes. We have an ageing population and services do not always

provide the support they need. Isolation is a growing problem; people can become stuck within four walls with few people to talk to.

“I chose SCCCC as Benchmark’s charity partner to get involved with their day-to-day service provision and fundraising activities and to help shout about the good they do and get more people involved.

I have supported SCCCC with their recruitment campaigns to find great

employees for their organisation as well as support the Hospital to Home scheme during the ambulance strikes to allow people to be discharged from hospital.’

SCCCC CEO Mark Storey said; “We are proud to be charity partners with Becca, she has already given so much to support isolated and vulnerable older people as well as to us as an organisation. We are looking forward to working together in the future.”

CRICKETING TRIO BRAVE SLEEP OUT FOR ROUNDABOUT

Cricketing friends Adam White, Jamie Fellows and Ed Kinsey will need more than just their sporting whites as they brave the chill of a March night for a sleep-out in support of South Yorkshire youth homelessness charity Roundabout.

The sporting trio are all members of Clowne Town Cricket Club and they have chosen the club as the location for their March 24 night under the stars, which they hope could raise as much as £1,000.

“We have been looking at things like the cost of living crisis and how much everybody is struggling at the moment,” explained Adam. “We know that this can affect anybody but we thought about the young people who might not necessarily have as many choices as other people and how the strain on families and finances really could leave them very vulnerable to becoming homeless.

“We heard about the work that Roundabout is doing with young people in South Yorkshire and

HOW TO KEEP THE PASSION IN ALL YOU DO!

across the region so we decided we would try to do something to help.”

The friends will begin their sleep out between seven and eight in the evening and will go through to the following morning with just a sleeping bag and pillow each, a piece of cardboard to rest on and three flasks of soup to share as the cold begins to bite.

“We’ve set ourselves a target of £200 each but we’ve already reached £467 so we’re now hoping that we might be able to raise as much as £1,000, which would be a great result for Roundabout,” said Adam.

“We know that what we are doing is nothing like as dangerous or as frightening as being on the streets must be for a young person but we do want to make our night as realistic as we possibly can so we can get across to people how important it is that they should support charities like Roundabout.”

To support Adam, Ed and Jamie visit justgiving. com/fundraising/ clownesleepout

In February we had Valentine’s Day – a time to express love and adoration for the special person in our lives. How much do you love what you do though? How much do you love your beneficiaries? How much do you love how you deliver the services that you do? We can’t always love every minute of every day of our working lives, but working in the charitable/non-profit sector usually does involve people with more passion for what they do.

How do you keep that passion going? It is like any good relationship, it needs work and it needs your attention every day so that you don’t get bored, you don’t get frustrated and you are able to sustain that level of energy and need to be involved.

Fall in love with your organisation again. Why did you start it? What do you get out of what you do? How do your volunteers, staff and beneficiaries inspire you to do more?

Who can help you with the bits that you don’t like doing so you don’t get bored, frustrated or fall out of love with your organisation?

Perhaps you could consider therapy? Having someone look from an external point of view to give you some pointers?

Perhaps you might want to go on a date night with your organisation? Shut yourself away for a full working day and work on your business, not in it. You could revisit your business plan, your funding strategy and your operations to review what can be done to breathe new life into what you are doing.

Keep the home fires burning for your organisation, just like you do for your life partner and you won’t go far wrong. Enjoy what you do, love what you do and it will love you back and more!

For any help and guidance, contact me soon.

Wendy Ward, Let’s Save Consultancy Services, 0772 9481010. wendy@letssave. biz.

GETTING A GOOD TEAM AROUND YOU IS VITAL

1

As a director, a large amount of my work is done before I get in the rehearsal room. Obviously, that relates to the actors I cast, but it also includes the team around me: the set and costume designer, sound designer, lighting designer, production manager – it can be a big group of people! So, it’s important to assemble the right team that you can get on with, work well with and have a shared creative language with. If I assemble the right team, my job becomes pretty easy!

IT’S A GREAT WAY TO TRAVEL

than the amount being offered. I learned that people go in low and negotiate up. When you’re working on a show it can be an all-consuming life – we often do 12 or 14-hour days – so it’s important to properly value your time and break down what that’s worth. It might be your passion and you might love it, but you still have to pay rent and buy food.

IT’S IMPORTANT TO VALUE DOWNTIME

2 3

But not necessarily in the way you might think. I’ve certainly been lucky and recently returned from a tour in America where I visited LA, Chicago and New York. But that said, I also get to visit places in the UK that I probably would never go to otherwise – whether that’s Watford or the UK’s smallest theatre in Richmond, North Yorkshire. In theatre, we have what’s called a ‘digs list’, which is basically a list of houses where you can stay, and rather than doing AirBnB or hotels, people – often strangers – will let out a bedroom in their house. It’s a very interesting way to meet people outside of the theatre world!

DON’T BE SCARED TO TALK ABOUT MONEY

I’ve been a freelancer all of my career and still haven’t worked this out! But a big part of it is learning to know your worth, haggling and not being afraid to ask for more. I think coming from the north and not having much money myself made me feel awkward discussing it at first, but it took me about ten years to realise that I could usually ask for more

4 5

As mentioned, people can work really long hours in the theatre industry, often working evenings and weekends. Therefore, it’s important to make the most of downtime. The pandemic taught me that: all my work had gone but it made me value time away from work more, and I had to redefine what I did when I’m not at work. It’s made me more conscious of respecting other people’s private lives, family time and general downtime too, which means I do my best not to waste their time when scheduling work.

ALWAYS HAVE A GOOD GAME

I actually start every day with the team playing a game. I think it helps a company to get into the mood for teamwork; it encourages the idea of play, thinking creatively and fun. Anything from four square to duck, duck, goose can work nicely!

Laura Keefe is a Sheffield-born, London-based theatre director who is currently back in the Steel City with Wildfire Road, a new play showing at Sheffielld Theatres’ Playhouse (formerly Studio) from 4th-18th March. Head to sheffieldtheatres.co.uk for tickets and more info.

ADDING CONTENT

Sheffield-based digital marketing agency Fenti has welcomed Amber Whitham and Eleanor Keally to its Content Writer team

Speaking of the appointment, they told unLTD they are, ‘super excited to have Amber and Eleanor join us as Content Writers and watch the Fenti family grow’.

Amber started her professional creative journey back in 2015 when she studied for a bachelor’s degree in English Literature, followed by a Master’s degree in Creative Writing.

Whilst completing her degrees, Amber is proud to have formed a writing collective with her fellow writers where they offered free events to inspire other creatives.

Amber said: “I wanted to be part of Fenti for the opportunity to develop fantastic relationships with our clients”.

Before joining Fenti, she lived and worked in Manchester as a Digital Marketing Executive at a marketing agency.

Joining Fenti just a week after Amber, Eleanor recently moved back to Sheffield from Indonesia where she was living and working for three years.

Her experience there was within the luxury travel and lifestyle industry as a copywriter and online content executive. Before moving to Bali, Eleanor completed her degrees in BA Film & Media and MA International Journalism; originally wanting to be a TV Journalist, she decided the written word is her true love.

Eleanor said: “I was eager to be part of the Fenti team after seeing the company culture online and for the chance to support our global clients”.

Three‘s not a crowd at Wentworth Woodhouse

Restoring the historic Camellia House at Rotherham stately home Wentworth Woodhouse is a lengthy challenge - but it has already led to the creation of three new jobs.

The decaying Grade II*-listed building on Historic England’s Buildings at Risk Register houses some of the oldest camellias in the Western world.

It is being transformed into a stunning tea house and events venue by Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust, which took ownership of the Grade I listed mansion and gardens in 2017.

The £5m renovation is due to finish later this year with support from a number of grants, including £4m from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

As a result, several new hospitality jobs will be created, but already the Heritage Fund grant, made possible by the UK’s National Lottery players, has enabled the Trust to employ specialists in outreach, community engagement and education.

They are delivering a two-yearfunded Camellia House Activity Plan which will reach out to people across South Yorkshire, particularly those from lowincome households, disability and ethnic groups.

Community Engagement and

Inclusion Officer Becky Downton, Skills Development and Learning Officer Jen Wall and Assistant Gardener Helen Kelly are onboard and the project will be managed by longstanding Trust employee Keeley Stephenson.

Keeley, of Thorpe Hesley said: “The Camellia House Activity Plan is so important to our aim of making Wentworth Woodhouse a place where all are welcome.”

“Since we opened the gardens in 2020, we have seen the role we can play in supporting people’s health and wellbeing and we want to do more of this, especially by making the gardens more accessible for people with disabilities.”

“The Activity Plan is packed with exciting events and experiences - from artwork people can help to create, a new natural play area in our Forest of Bewilderment, sculpture and activity trails to sensory garden experiences designed for people with sight and hearing issues, autism and dementia and activities which boost mental and physical health.

“Our woodland trails and activity stations will be wheelchair-accessible and we are creating a Changing Places room and toilets next to the Camellia House.”

Amber Whitham

Eleanor Keally

Solicitors bolster Sheffield real estate team

Growth continues at regional law firm BRM Solicitors with a new appointment to its Sheffield Real Estate team.

The arrival of solicitor Adele Walker, who advises clients in a variety of sectors with particular experience advising healthcare professionals on the acquisition, disposal, funding, and letting of commercial properties, brings the BRM Real Estate team to 17, split

between transactional and dispute resolution departments.

Adele will be working closely with Senior Associate Chris Hey who undertakes a wide variety of commercial real estate work with significant experience and expertise acting on urban regeneration projects for developers and portfolio management work for investors. She will also support the corporate team with property elements of business

acquisitions and disposals.

Chris said: “Adele’s experience and personal touch will give her a strong rapport with our clients and a real understanding of the challenges they are dealing with. She is a great addition to our growing team.”

Adele added: “I am delighted to join the BRM team. The calibre of lawyers and standard of work at BRM is very high, I am very excited about what the future holds for myself and the firm.”

ED CLANCY OBE NAMED SOUTH YORKSHIRE’S NEW ACTIVE TRAVEL COMMISSIONER

Triple Olympic Champion Ed Clancy OBE has been named South Yorkshire’s new active travel commissioner.

Clancy has been appointed by South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard to work with him to make South Yorkshire a safer and easier place to walk and cycle.

Plans are underway to build more than 620 miles of accessible walking and cycling routes linking South Yorkshire’s towns and cities. The South Yorkshire

Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) is investing £85 million in building the active travel network.

Clancy said: “I’m honoured to be South Yorkshire’s new active travel commissioner and I can’t wait to get stuck into the new role. I want to use my platform to break down those barriers that stop people walking or biking to get where they need to go. Too many of us are driving cars, that’s clogging up our roads and making them

more dangerous.

“South Yorkshire has some of the deadliest roads in the country and this stops people choosing to walk or ride the short distances they currently drive, which just adds to the pollution and the danger. If you’re scared to cross the road, you’ll use the car instead.

“I’m committed to using my platform to get more people of all ages to walk, cycle, scoot or skate around South Yorkshire and this means giving people a real,

safe choice when it comes to their journeys.”

Currently, one in four journeys under 500m are taken by car. According to Public Health England, 700 people a year die prematurely in South Yorkshire because of poor air quality.

Coppard said: “I’m determined to build a better-connected, more sustainable and healthier South Yorkshire and making sure everyone can walk or cycle where they want to is key to that.

MBA STUDENTS CALLED ON FOR FRESH NEW IDEAS AS THE SOURCE ACADEMY CELEBRATES 20 YEARS

As it celebrates two decades of getting people into work, leading Sheffield training academy

Shivani Mudey, Simran Malik, Nilanjan B and Alankrith Shankar, who all hail from India, and Felix Timoty from Indonesia, have spent three months working on the marketing appraisal as part of their year-long Master of Business Administration (MBA) course.

The MBA programme, which has been running since 1995 and attracts students from all over the world, places experiential learning at its core. Over 100 live challenges set by local companies are worked on each year by MBA and other Masters students at the university.

The challenges allow students to test their skills and newly-acquired learning in the corporate world, while South Yorkshire businesses benefit from young minds being taught the latest business thinking.

Postgraduates Shivani, Simran, Nilanjan, Alankrith and Felix analysed all aspects of The Source’s marketing activities. Their evaluations and recommendations have now been presented to the management team at The Source.

CEO Tricia Smith said: “Our organisation has transformed the lives of over 10,000 people since launching in 2003, but keeping abreast of new ways to reach more learners and businesses is

paramount to our future success.

“Our academy is all about harnessing and developing the skills of young people and we know first-hand what huge benefits businesses gain when they welcome in keen young minds and embrace their ideas.

“The Sheffield MBA’s Marketing Challenge was an unmissable opportunity for us to benefit in the same way, while also helping its students put what they have learned into practice. We are now looking closely at the new ideas and directions the students proposed.”

Project team leader Alankrith Shankar, an educational games designer from Mumbai, hopes an MBA

qualification will boost his managerial prospects in the e-learning and game-based learning industry.

He commented: “The Source’s marketing strategy has to engage with two customer groups: learners and local businesses. We identified the challenges in engaging and attracting young audiences and hope our proposals help communicate the fantastic platform an apprenticeship programme via The Source offers to young people in South Yorkshire.”

Dr Sabrina Thornton, MBA Programme Director leading on the Marketing Consultancy Challenge, said: “The Sheffield MBA and the Sheffield University

Management School are in the global elite, thanks to our Triple Crown accreditation from AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS.

“Through our ‘Challenge’ modules, students work with companies in and around Sheffield on a particular issue and find possible solutions. Our MBA students have produced excellent work that helps organisations in their problem-solving and decision-making.”

Companies interested in working with Management School students should contact Rhoda Watson, Business Partnerships Manager, at rhoda.watson@ sheffield.ac.uk

The Source Skills Academy in Sheffield is passionate about bringing out the best in people. It has been helping businesses to increase the talents of their teams since 2003 and is proud to sponsor Skills Focus, a monthly spotlight on training and apprenticeship news and funding to help you develop your staff.

The Source has challenged five international students at the elite Sheffield University Management School to reshape its marketing strategy and strengthen its brand.

The five MBA students deliver their recommendations to The Source’s CEO Tricia Smith and Deputy Chief Exec Natalie Doherty

EMPLOYERS WARNED OVER IMPENDING HARASSMENT LEGISLATION

Employers are being urged to act in readiness, with the proposed legislation set for its third reading in February and expected to become law during the next year.

Harassment in the workplace is prohibited under the Equality Act 2010 and once passed, the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Bill 202223 will extend the range of safeguards for employees. One is protection against third party harassment during the course of their employment, such as by customers or clients, and an employer may be held liable if they fail “to take all reasonable steps to prevent the third party from doing so”.

The Bill also tackles sexual harassment suffered by

employees in the course of their employment, by placing a new duty on employers to take all reasonable steps to prevent such harassment. The current proposal suggests that the penalty where the employer is found to have breached their duty for any sexual harassment claim will be 25% higher under the new legislation, as an uplift to the compensation awarded has been proposed.

“While the Bill is still going through parliament, employers should be gearing up in readiness, and ensuring the right processes are in place,” explained Katie

Ash, Head of Employment Law at Banner Jones Solicitors in Sheffield.

Katie added: “It all adds up to a tough new round of legislation for employers. The provisions relating to harassment by third parties is particularly difficult as it can relate to someone over whom the employer has no direct control, with liability set to apply whether or not the employer is aware of the actions of the third party.”

“The benchmark is likely to be high, to encourage employers to be proactive in tackling discrimination in the workplace. Any tribunal

will be looking for robust policies and evidence of ‘all reasonable steps’ taken to actively prevent harassment. One example of steps that an employer could take is to show evidence of training that has been given to all line managers. Regular training can help to give line managers the tools to spot and deal with the signs of harassment. If you don’t have a robust training plan in place, then we can help. We run employment law-based training for employers of all sizes to help give them the protection they need.”

KATIE ASH - BANNER JONES

Training can be a useful way to prevent harassment in the workplace

TIME FOR YOUR FINANCIAL STOCK TAKE – PRE-YEAR-END PLANNING TIPS

Having just finished off all our 2022 personal Tax Returns, we now need to plan for 2023! The 2022/23 personal tax year ends on 5th April 2023 but many of our company clients have a 31st March year-end, causing us a bit of a headache to get all the planning done in time.

With that said, here are some considerations for individuals:

• Have I claimed a deduction for all available expenses?

• Have I claimed all the tax reliefs to which I am entitled?

• Have I made best use of all the available tax allowances?

• Do I have losses and how best should I utilise them?

• Should I consider changing my accounting date?

• Should I bring family members into the business?

• Should I make a pension contribution?

• Should I dispose of that asset to make a Capital Gain in this tax year or next?

• The Capital Gains Tax allowance reduces after 5th April 2023, from £12300 to £6000 (and then to £3000 from April 2024)

• Am I looking to borrow money, and do I need to maximise profits or minimise them to reduce tax?

Note that pension contributions must be made, with the cash having left your bank account, to get the tax relief in 2022/23. Any assets must have been bought, or at least in a contract you cannot get out of, before 31st March

2023 or 5th April 2023.

For company clients, many of the above apply, plus the following:

• The tax rates change to 25% from 1st April – what is the impact for us?

• If we have associated companies, do we need them?

• Do we buy an asset before the year-end or after? Have we considered whether we need that bit of kit, and do we sell it before the year-end or after? Super deductions

finish on 31st March – does this affect us?

• Who looks at our accounts? Do we need to show profit and a healthy balance sheet, or have we got too much profit and need to mitigate the tax bill?

For a company client, do you know whether profits are going to be below £50,000 and therefore taxed at 19%? Can you achieve that by making a pension contribution or buying an asset? Do you know that

profits in a company of over £250,000 are taxed at 25%, and that this means there is a marginal rate of tax of 26.5% on profits between £50,000 and £250,000? Do you know what the hell a marginal rate of tax is?

Whatever the motivations, if your accountant hasn’t contacted you yet, call them to check what needs to be done before the year-end… and possibly after 15th March too when the new budget is brought out and we may have to plan all over again!

AGENDA FOR OR AGAINST

THE FOUR-DAY WEEK

Following the world’s largest trial of a four-day working week, the vast majority of companies involved (56 out of 61) have chosen to continue with the new pattern. The idea is relatively straightforward: employees work four days a week and receive the same pay and benefits.

Proponents of the theory claim that a transformed economy no longer needs a five-day working week as it once did, allowing employers the opportunity to focus more on a culture of wellbeing and encouraging a healthy work-life balance. However, those against the shift are sceptical of whether it could improve or even maintain current productivity levels in the workplace.

To explore this further, we spoke to two members of the Sheffield business community who provided us with differing views on the subject.

I love the idea of a four-day working week, and I absolutely believe in the benefits to productivity and recruitment that can come from offering a good work-life balance.

I’m fortunate enough to have hosted a couple of four-day week trials and have observed other organisations do them. The feedback I received from the people who took on the trial were that they really appreciated and enjoyed it. I appreciate, of course, that they might have had a vested interest in making those short-term trials work and whether it is sustainable on a long-term basis still remains to be seen.

But to be honest, I think it’s quite sad that we, as a society, still view a four-day working week as such a big deal. We’ve come a long way in the last five years or so in our approach to finding a work-life balance, and I think the next generation will certainly continue this trend. I also believe the studies that show how we’re not productive all of the time; I’d say that we’re really productive for about five hours a day. There’s an issue in the fact that it doesn’t suit everyone’s working role or sector. For example, if you work in customer-facing services, then you have to be available at certain days and times. So I can see how for some organisations it could lead to potentially offering less of a service. As such, there are challenges here. The longitudinal aspect of this is that we don’t really know, but in my opinion, it seems to make absolute sense to explore further based on what we’ve seen so far.

The obsession with a five-day working week is essentially a social construct. Before that it was a six-day working week. There’s a school of thought out there that people working less than five days a week are part-time or somehow less committed to their work, but it’s clearly not the case. Hopefully the recent successful trials in the UK will begin to unpack these ingrained attitudes and examine them.

Gradconsult is an independent people and talent consultancy, with a particular specialism in the connection between employers and educators. Find out about what they do at www.gradconsult.co.uk.

I understand the potential of this in principle, and I can see benefits for employees with regards to feeling more refreshed and perhaps being more productive in a shorter timescale, but it just won’t work for some businesses.

We’re a small business, only thirteen of us work here, and being a manufacturing company means we’ve got saws running, deliveries that need to be made and customers sending enquiries all days of the current working week. To cut out a day would have a detrimental effect on customer service and some important jobs simply won’t get done in time. In this industry we’re heavily reliant on our suppliers – machine shops, heat treaters, test labs – and if I was to ask people to stop working on Fridays, I’m cutting 20% of my week where we might be dealing with those suppliers and keeping things ticking over business-wise. It is pretty much a given that most manufacturing companies are closed on weekends; we’re driven by our customers’ needs and as such we have plenty to get through Monday to Friday. Speaking from personal experience, when you first start a company, you’re trying to build up the brand, get the business in and attract fresh customers. If a customer asked if they could come and grab something on a Sunday, I would go in and open up. Thankfully, we’re in the position now where we’ve grown and can afford to be a bit more selective; but when you’re growing a business in this type of industry, you’ve got to do what you can, when you can. You can’t just say that you’re not going to touch anything for three days a week.

If we spread the shift patterns out, I suppose we could just about make it work on paper. But, ultimately, I think paying an employee the same amount of money to work fewer hours would mean that I’d have to employ more people to cover it. Perhaps a bigger company with 50 or 60 members of staff could make that work, but it’s not really a viable option for us.

Corrosion Resistant Materials are specialist technical materials suppliers based in South Yorkshire. Find out more at www.corrosion-resistant-materials.co.uk.

TIM ELGAR SENIOR CONSULTANT AT GRADCONSULT.

ADAM BRADLEY DIRECTOR AT CORROSION RESISTANT MATERIALS

February, the month of love, started out with me attending one of the events I love, the ‘See It Be It’ Ambassadors meeting. This fabulous initiative run by Sheffield City Council is all about inspiring and encouraging young people into the world of work. It was really good to see so much passion around the table from businesses and individuals keen to invest their time and energy into truly making a difference: a big recommend from me.

From one super initiative to another, it was onto Support Dogs and their ‘Meet and Greet’ event. What a lovely way to spend a Friday afternoon, surrounded by dogs and meeting lots of new people. But these weren’t ordinary dogs, these were specially trained dogs that transform the lives of their owners. Once again, it was great to see so many businesses supporting this worthwhile initiative and sponsoring their own ‘company’ dog.

Still on a charity theme, I was delighted to be invited to the launch of The Cavendish Club at The Furnace. And what a turnout, standing room only – quite literally. More chairs required next time! A brand new ‘Women Only Network’ created by Erica Thompson, Natalie Wilson, Sarah Riley and Sinead McCall supporting Kirsty White and the team at Cavendish Cancer Care. Fun, fizz, food, and new friends – what’s not to love?

Next day, it was on to the first ‘opening night’ service at the Hideaway – a fairly new, local foodie destination – and what better way to tempt us in than free fondue? These guys really know the way to our hearts! It certainly seemed to work – a truly lovely atmosphere.

From two Fs (Fondue Friday) to three Ds – yes, our very own monthly 3D Connect session when we were wonderfully hosted by The Sheffield College. It was another packed house who were amazed to hear about The Sheffield College’s ‘Higher Skills, Higher Growth’ initiative that adds real value to students and businesses alike. A win-win for all involved! We heard from Force Contracts, St Luke’s Hospice and John Robinson, a college student himself, all sharing their own personal experiences of the project, as well as the College team outlining how it all works in practice.

Finally, another launch event… although for those of us who go back a ‘little while’ it may have been more of a relaunch. Yes, some of us can remember the days of The Business Network and the lovely Helen Bennett from almost 25 years ago! Just where does time go? Many thanks to David Heugh for the invite to the ‘new’ Business Network North at The Crowne Plaza. A great way to end the week and, of course, this wonderful month of love!

Follow Jill at uk.linkedin.com/in/jilltywhite or find Andy Hanselman Consulting at andyhanselman.com.

With Jill White of Andy Hanselman Consulting

What is your current role?

I am the Engineering Operations Manager at UK Atomic Energy Authority’s Fusion Technology Facility in Rotherham.

What does that involve on a day-to-day basis?

I create and manage operations and maintenance regimes for testing rigs to ensure that we can remain safe and operational. I am also involved in the design of new rigs with various companies to ensure that they can be adequately operated and maintained while keeping safety as the number one priority.

How did you get started working in STEM?

I completed an apprenticeship in fabrication and welding within the steel industry. I then worked as a fabricator at the wire rod mill. Over time I moved into planning and then a mechanical engineer role.

What qualifications did you take or gain along the way?

I gained an Advanced Apprenticeship, alongside industry specific training and a HNC in Mechanical Engineering. I am currently studying my BEng Hons degree in Mechanical Engineering and plan to begin a Masters degree next year following graduation.

Why do you love working in STEM?

I love that no two days of my job are the same. I have the fantastic opportunity to be involved in the future of energy production and be at the forefront of technology development. I love working within a brilliant diverse team with people that teach me new skills every day.

What challenges have you faced in your career? And how have you overcome them?

I have raised two children during my career, and balancing parenting and a career can be challenging at times. I have overcome this by having a fantastic support network and being able to work in a flexible

EQUALITY IN STEM

FEMALE ROLE MODELS

OUR MISSION: TO ATTRACT, DEVELOP AND RETAIN A DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE MIX OF PEOPLE IN STEM CAREERS

KIRSTEN PORTER

ENGINEERING OPERATIONS MANAGER YORKSHIRE AT UK ATOMIC ENERGY AUTHORITY

way so that I can adjust my plans as required.

What advice would you offer for someone joining the STEM sectors?

I would encourage anyone to take every opportunity given to you. Continue to challenge yourself and never be afraid to ask questions. I thoroughly believe that there is never a stupid question, and in my experience people are happy to help anyone that is interested.

What do we need to do as an industry to attract and keep more women in STEM?

We need to invest our time and efforts to show women that STEM is an available career path, whether this is children in school or women hoping to change their careers. We need to highlight strong female role models and continue to empower women and girls into STEM careers.

To read about more about our work and female role models please visit our website at www. equalityinstem.org.uk/blog

I would encourage anyone to take every opportunity given to you. Continue to challenge yourself and never be afraid to ask questions. I thoroughly believe that there is never a stupid question

We’re a bunch of Yorkshire lads and lasses that love IT. Our expert team takes away the headaches and eases the burden of technology on your business, leaving you free to focus on what really matters. Put simply, we make things uncomplicated.

DEVARAJ RAJ

Tell us about your company. V Care U was established in October 2022 by myself and my three business partners. We’re based in Barnsley and offer free training to people looking for work in care homes, with the dual aim of helping to lower local unemployment levels and fill staff shortages in care homes. The training, which is run by qualified trainers and experienced nurses, is completely free of charge and we also provide uniforms so that our candidates are ready to be placed in care homes straight away.

When did you decide to start up on your own and what inspired you?

The idea for this company had been in our minds since the Covid pandemic, because we could see first hand the impact that staff shortages in care homes were having. The huge shortfall of carers and nurses, combined with the lockdowns which meant we were all sitting at home unable to work, made myself and my business partners want to make a difference. We also knew there were very high unemployment levels in Barnsley, so by not charging our candidates for training with us, we hoped to help resolve two problems with one solution.

How has Launchpad helped you?

We were really struggling to find clients at first and had almost

reached a dead end when I came across Launchpad advertising help for smaller businesses. I rang them up and arranged a meeting, during which my advisor Kiran was able to put me in touch with BICP Sheffield. They introduced me to Kompass, which is a directory of the decision makers you need to reach when working with care homes. We now use that to help

ADVISOR STATEMENT FROM KIRAN ANTCLIFFE

“Upon first meeting Devaraj and his business partners it was clear that V Care U was something they were very passionate about and had already made significant progress in just a few short months. Building a client base is always difficult at this stage of a business’ journey so being able to signpost them towards the Kompass database, as well as giving them options for support with marketing, will hopefully help V Care U establish itself as one of the leading care recruitment agencies in the area.”

us find and research new clients, which has built my confidence knowing that I’m doing my ‘homework’ before reaching out to potential clients.

What are your hopes and aims for your business?

As we are still in the early stages, I hope to establish V Care U in the market and then slowly grow from our current 20 mile radius to cover South Yorkshire. We want to contribute towards lowering unemployment levels and improving things in the care home sector, so we are charging care homes significantly less than our competitors which means that if they need to depend on us for staff, it will be affordable with all the right boxes ticked.

Find out more on the website at www.vcareu.co.uk or by contacting Devaraj Raj on 07493392191 / 03301792191 or info@vcareu.co.uk

Starting and growing a business is not easy and that’s why the Launchpad programme was created. Part funded by the European Regional Development Fund and our partners means there is no cost to the entrepreneur, so we can get straight to work on turning those dreams into reality. Stop dreaming and do it. Contact us for information now on 03330 00 00 39 or email growthhub@southyorkshire-ca.gov.uk.

One of four partners who founded V Care U, a company providing free training to create more employment opportunities and fill care home staff shortages in Barnsley, Devaraj Raj talks to unLTD about the challenges and inspirations involved in his start up.

AGENDA NETWORKING & EVENTS

ARMED FORCES BUSINESS CHALLENGE DAY

March 9, 09:30-15:30

Manor Top Army Reserve Centre, Sheffield

This event is a unique opportunity for individuals to enhance their personal development: leadership, teamwork, problem solving, decision making, communication skills, etc., and experience a military-led day of challenge scenarios and tasks:

• Gain valuable insights into the transferable skills that the military develop during similar training exercises

• Network with other forcesfriendly employers from across the region

• Nominate yourself, a colleague or a small team of colleagues to participate

One-day event, free of charge

GLU RECRUIT X WHYY?

CHANGE PRESENT

UNETWORK

Supercharge your marketing in 2023

Masterclass

March 15, 8.30-11:00

AESSEAL New York

Stadium, New York Way, Rotherham, S60 1FJ

The presentation will cover:

1. How investing in your marketing department can help your business grow

2. The most current marketing techniques and trends

3. How marketing can lead to a return on the bottom line

Reserve your space on the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce website.

INNOVATION NETWORK

SOUTH YORKSHIRE

LAUNCH EVENT

March 15, 16:00–19:00

Millennium Gallery 48

Arundel Gate Sheffield City Centre S1 2PP

Join them to celebrate the launch at this interactive exhibition showcasing how the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University and its academics have worked with local businesses and organisations from across South Yorkshire in a range of innovative and inspiring ways, including: research partnerships, student placements, access to funding, state-of the-artfacilities and more!

Tickets are free. Reserve your spot on Eventbrite.

LAUNCHPAD BUSINESS

START UP WORKSHOP

(Day 1 of 3) presented via Zoom

March 20, 1:00-16:30

Online Via Zoom

Free for members and non-members, however please note this workshop is for businesses who have been trading in or people looking to start a business, social enterprise or charity in the Sheffield City Region and is delivered under the Launchpad contract. www.doncaster-chamber. co.uk/launchpad.

The Island Networking

March 21, 8:00-10:00

South Yorkshire Transport Museum, 9 Waddington Way, Aldwarke, Rotherham S65 3SH

‘Island Networking’ is professional, you meet great people and learn from each other. They understand that your time is valuable, so enjoy your breakfast and share your successes!

www.islandnetworking.co.uk. £10

unLTD rounds up some of the networking, training and skills events taking place in the region…

MASTERCLASS

Is low productivity holding your business back from its true potential?

March 23, 09:30-12:00

Church View, Doncaster, DN1

The masterclass has been developed to further enhance awareness and understanding of workplace productivity and how productivity can be improved.

Tickets are free. Reserve your spot on Eventbrite.

ASSURED NETWORKING

An evening of Business Networking and socialising

March 23, 18:30-20:30

Blend Kitchen, Sheffield

First time comers will be free and you will be offered a membership of £20 a month for future access to events. This way we can connect on a deeper level with members to maximise their membership and connect then with the right people in the group. Please book tickets individually to avoid duplicates.

Reoccurring business networking event, other venues TBC closer to the event date.

DROP-IN NETWORKING WITH SHEFFIELD CHAMBER

March 30, 4:30-18:00

China Red, 3 Rockingham Gate, Sheffield City Centre, Sheffield S1 4JD Drop In Networking on Tour! No need to book, simply visit us on the last Thursday of every month for informal networking. Free of charge, no booking required.

4:30pm - 6pm

SHEFFIELD CAREERS FAIR

March 30, 10:00-14:00

Sheffield Town Hall, S1 2HH

You can meet local and national employers face-to-face, and apply directly for hundreds of vacancies. The Sheffield Careers Fair is open to anyone and everyone - there is always such a wide variety of employers exhibiting, meaning that there are opportunities for individuals of all ages and all levels of experience. Free. No need to book.

KNIGHTS NETWORKING MEETING

April 4, 12:00-14:00

Castle Park, Armthorpe Road, Armthorpe, Doncaster, DN2 5QB

Join them on the first Tuesday of every month for the Knights Network at Castle Park in association with Heads for Business. The meeting fee includes informal networking, a healthy buffet lunch and refreshments throughout. £12 when booked in advance or £15 on the day from knightsnetwork. merlintickets.co.uk

WOMEN MEANS BUSINESS

Netwalking

April 6, 10:00

Dronfield Hall Barn High Street

Dronfield S18 1PX

Mindful walk around Longshaw Estate for this event, with the theme being 'mindfulness'. A nice, relaxed event, where you can chat with like-minded women in business, giving you an opportunity to expand your network and make meaningful connections with other professional women, entrepreneurs and business owners. £7.50 tickets on Eventbrite.

Ahead of International Women’s Day on the 8th of March, unLTD spoke to Donna Tilbrook, CEO of Best Solicitors, about what it takes to establish a successful business in a traditionally male-dominated sector, and how legal needs and expectations have changed over her 20+ years in law.

Founded in 2001 by three partners who shared a passion for helping people through legally aided work, Best Solicitors now comprises a team of over 30 legal professionals across its Sheffield, Barnsley, Stocksbridge and Filey offices, who are all committed to fair, accessible and compassionate support across a wide range of services. From wills, probate and family matters to residential and commercial property, civil claims and criminal cases, the firm prides itself on transparency and efficiency to provide the best possible outcomes for clients in South Yorkshire and beyond. As of January 2023, Best Solicitors became a limited company and in her new role as CEO, Donna Tilbrook is driving its development based on her longstanding ethos of offering not only professional, but personable legal solutions.

What did the legal landscape look like back when you and your business partners founded Best Solicitors over 20 years ago?

Vanessa Saxton, John Booth, and I particularly enjoyed working on child care, crime, and family matters, supporting vulnerable individuals. These sectors tend to be legally aided, which means that law firms need a Specialist Quality Mark (SQM) alongside management standards and IT systems that ensure they can be properly monitored and audited by the Legal Aid Agency. We wanted to maintain our commitment to doing legally aided work to make justice accessible to all, so we set up a new practice whose values aligned with social justice, human rights, and representing all communities’ interests.

Have you had to overcome challenges as a woman working in the male dominated legal sector?

I don’t think being a woman was a hindrance or an advantage in the areas of law we chose to focus on. The challenges were related to developing and expanding in areas of law that may be seen as >

> less attractive by some firms. It was what we loved doing, and it was aligned with our passion for helping the most vulnerable sections of society.

As a thriving firm with four regional offices and an extensive range of services, what are the secrets to your success?

We embraced technology within the business very early on and have continued to invest in our IT to enhance our service to clients. This has allowed the firm to be a forerunner of technological change, ultimately benefiting our clients. We knew that to be top of our game in providing an efficient service, our IT systems had to be an ongoing investment and that is still the case today. Many law firms are catching up with this now. What we also maintained along the way was a personal touch: empathy for our clients, face-to-face interaction, and clear, transparent communication. To do this really well, with consistency, has been our greatest achievement and the cornerstone of Best Solicitors from day one.

How has the recent restructure, becoming a limited company with yourself as CEO, benefitted Best Solicitors’ core aims?

It has allowed us to become more efficient as a business; we did as much as we could as a partnership but ideally you want a management team where everyone feels invested and accountable. This new way of operating has allowed us to merge our focus on what is best for the client with a very well-oiled machine. A limited company structure facilitates more flexibility and has opened so many different choices, whereby our committed and talented cohort of practitioners can be rewarded and invested in too.

Nurturing our people has always been important to Best Solicitors and we encourage everyone to feel that the sky’s the limit. Our Head of Finance, for example, joined the business at the age of 16 and is now in a management role and becoming a part owner. We lift barriers so our people can move forwards with confidence and develop their knowledge to deliver the best outcomes for both staff and clients.

Have you seen significant changes in your clients’ legal needs since founding the business in 2001?

Nowadays people have so many choices and their lives are so full with things they want or need to do, from buying a home to starting a business. As individuals and families embrace those choices, they need the expertise of a legal firm that can manage the whole range of decisions that might be made throughout their life. Clients want a trusted law firm who can help with everything from conveyancing to motoring offences, and above all, somebody they can trust. So, we need to have a holistic approach that offers more flexibility to support people throughout many potentially difficult and stressful situations in their lives.

This became particularly apparent during the pandemic, >

I don’t think being a woman was a hindrance or an advantage in the areas of law we chose to focus on. The challenges were related to developing and expanding in areas of law that may be seen as less attractive by some firms

> when instructions for delivering wills and probate increased astronomically and everything had to be done virtually. We were able to adapt very quickly thanks to the IT capabilities we already had in place, and remote communication became a really useful addition to what we already did for clients. Going forward, I think the way we work is going to be more sophisticated, with more choice for the client and speedier returns, while always maintaining the option of face-toface communication.

What would you say sets Best Solicitors apart from its competitors?

The law is such a multifaceted industry. I think the key ingredients for success are empathy with the client and being approachable. Our services are delivered with humility and compassion because we acknowledge that everybody can be prone to making poor decisions which can sometimes come from dark places. We are there to support the client through those difficult situations and believe that empathy is an essential part of our role as solicitors. Nobody knows when they might need the support of lawyers and the legal system, so being able to deliver that support with as much expertise as possible, and maintain that over time, is very important. Each client is trying to achieve a positive outcome, and we want to help them achieve that with care, thoughtfulness, and sensitivity.

What achievements are you personally most proud of during your time in the legal sector?

I am most proud of the consistency maintained at Best Solicitors, as it’s hard to do – when you are always trying to improve on something, looking at strengths and weaknesses, reflecting and modifying to move forward, consistency is essential. We have been able to achieve that because we are committed to our staff and in return, many of them have stayed with the business for several years. Change is good, but often it has to come at the same time as consistency. Our clients like that they are instructing somebody who is part of a steady ship, and I think we have been able to not just survive but thrive for over 20 years in this industry by delivering a consistent approach. In turn, that has allowed us to embrace the changes.

What would you say to someone who felt nervous about needing to use legal services like those offered by Best Solicitors?

The perception that solicitors are distant and difficult only prevents the most vulnerable people from seeking help and that injustice troubles me deeply. Making legal services more accessible has always been one of my goals. The language you use is important because, historically at least, lawyers have tended to overcomplicate things with a ‘smoke and mirrors’ approach. We don’t do that, preferring to make our communication with clients as straightforward as possible so they can own the information. Trust is also a huge factor. Imagine you want to make a will, so you form a relationship with the solicitor, then you want to buy a house and you have got to do that all over again. It is exhausting, and you are sharing a lot of personal information each time. We always talk about it as being invited into someone’s life, which is a real privilege, and you are often aiming to unravel and resolve their problems. If you can have everything under one roof, you only need to have one relationship in a way: with the firm. That’s why Best Solicitors aims to provide bespoke solutions to various legal problems that we may all face at different points throughout our lives.

ABOUT DONNA TILBROOK

Donna Tilbrook is a highly experienced and practicing child care and international child abduction solicitor and CEO of Best Solicitors, running the business for over 20 years. She is also a triathlete and has recently trained as a yoga teacher! It’s probably fair to say that the general view of solicitors is that they are quite stuffy, but this is certainly not always the case. Donna is a mum of three and specialises in child care law –a very sensitive area which often means working with families in very stressful situations – and her busy personal and professional life is balanced with exercise.

“I like to get up early, I like a plan, and I try to make things fun. I have been part of the Sheffield Triathlon Club for more than 10 years. It is mostly about mental health for me – there are a lot of balls to keep in the air between work and home life, so to manage that you have got to be in tip top condition. Plus, I like to eat cake, buns and sweet things

– I love a pick ‘n’ mix – and you can’t have one without the other!”

Carly Beanes, pictured right, is the Director of Finance at Best Solicitors. She joined the business aged 16 and has since progressed to a senior role within the firm.

Working with adversity to create opportunity

This is the situation Marija

Rubtsova found herself in when the war began in Ukraine, driving her to leave the country with her young daughter and travel for months to find a place to settle down and rebuild Rubarb, the digital marketing agency she co-owns and had worked in for over seven years back home. With mostly Ukrainian clients, their work ground to a complete halt following the first strikes in Kyiv on 24th February 2022. After an emergency meeting with the team in their offices – which are based in Cherkasy, a city in central Ukraine about three hours’ drive from the capital – Marija and her colleagues called all their clients to put Rubarb’s many projects on hold, knowing that everything would be determined by what happened in the coming days and weeks.

“We had known that something might happen about two weeks before the war started, so we had planned for me to go somewhere else with my daughter, as my

husband couldn’t go,” explains Marija. “My parents-in-law lived in Israel so we wanted to head there, but the borders were still closed because of Covid at that time.” Via Moldova, Romania and Greece, Marija and her daughter Eva eventually arrived safely in Israel but were only given 30-day visas. Realising they couldn’t stay, Marija began to make plans that would work for both her family and her business.

While Eva waited with the family in Israel, Marija explored options in Poland and Germany: navigating taxes, visiting businesses and trying to establish whether a similar target market to what they had back in Ukraine could make Rubarb viable there. She was surprised to discover that many businesses didn’t use much digital technology, particularly the small and medium companies that Rubarb usually worked with. During this time, the team in Ukraine were gradually returning to work and looking further

afield for clients amidst the huge disruption across their country. They found the opposite problem in the US and Canada, which had great opportunities for digital marketing but highly competitive rates, plus the significant time difference which made it hard to work collaboratively. Marija was keen to stay closer to home and hadn’t previously considered the UK because of the strict visa regulations and high living costs, but when she came across the Homes for Ukraine scheme, things started to fall into place.

“When we started talks with the UK, we understood that we were culturally more similar to them than the USA and Canada – people were more open, and we could speak the same language – so I thought it would be great for my daughter and my business.” Now living with a family in Oughtibridge, Marija and Eva have gradually adjusted to life in the UK, though not without the inevitable complications. From the little things – “when you grow up

Imagine not only setting up a new arm of your business, with all the usual challenges that might entail, but one where your colleagues are based in another country and the target market doesn’t speak your first language, while your established business back home is contending with the danger and disruption of a full-scale war.

in a country, you understand every little thing, like how the medicines work or, for me, that you had to pay for parking!” – to understanding Sheffield’s economy in order to give Rubarb the best chance of success, Marija has forged ahead with vision and determination.

Rubarb covers all the bases you would expect from an established digital marketing agency: web design, branding, strategies and more, but for now their UK focus is video animation. The visual element of this format overcomes the initial language barrier but it’s also first and foremost a great marketing tool, no matter where you work in the world. “All social media now is about video, and everyone needs them,” says Marija. “We draw everything as we have our own illustrator and animation team, so we can create videos for any businesses without needing to visit the premises in person. We have three main styles of video animation: 3D for luxury brands, 3D animation – which is

ideal for showing clients how your equipment works and why they might need it, in manufacturing for example – and the classic animation in 2D. You can use the whole video or shorter clips for different forms of advertising, as well as individual elements of the animation in other marketing materials such as banners, so it becomes a multipurpose resource. It’s a great investment for businesses and here in the UK there aren’t many competitors.

“The way we approached the UK was to target existing marketing agencies and offer them our services so they could outsource to us, rather than trying to work directly with clients who weren’t necessarily interested in a company from elsewhere that they didn’t know and trust. We’re also priced very competitively so agencies can use those services for a lot less than paying an in-house team to do the same types of digital marketing.

“From our point of view, how you market your business is not

When we started talks with the UK, we understood that we were culturally more similar to them than the USA and Canada – people were more open, and we could speak the same language – so I thought it would be great for my daughter and my business

about your services, it’s about your company and how the brand looks to other people, who might go on your website and want clear communication rather than a lot of technical detail. It’s also important to understand your business’ specific goals and routes to market – for example, do you want to grow your client numbers, or for existing customers to come back again –which is essential to create effective marketing.”

Rubarb are also looking at offering research services to complement their existing offering in the future, driven by their experience of businesses struggling to fully understand their competitors and target markets. Alongside these ambitions and taking the huge step into a brand-new market, Marija and her team have of course faced many obstacles in the last year, not least translating all their own social media and marketing assets into English. The 16 people who have remained with the business throughout the war are still in Ukraine, effectively making

Marija a sole trader here in the UK. She describes it as being “like a start up” and does lots of networking to find new clients, having recently joined the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce to expand her reach.

“I just want to enable Rubarb to continue doing what we do best by looking at different opportunities here,” explains Marija. “It’s not just about having a few marketing videos, it’s about how we can help businesses grow and move in the right direction, using the opportunities that digital services offer. In Sheffield, there are many businesses who are still following old ways of doing things and I want to help them change this by encouraging them to expand across different markets. I love that element of my job; it’s what I’m passionate about.”

Actively working in the UK since September 2022, Rubarb is now functioning as normally as possible in Ukraine too, although they have had the electricity cut off multiple times and moved to a different office with a generator to avoid further disruption. “In Ukraine people aren’t afraid of the sirens now,” says Marija. “When I call my colleagues to have a meeting, they just carry on if the sirens go off. We understand that we need to continue, even under our difficult circumstances.”

You can contact Rubarb through LinkedIn via Marija Rubtsova or on Instagram @rubarb.digital Their UK office is based on the Sheffield Digital Campus and the contact number is 07716 133 949.

I just want to enable Rubarb to continue doing what we do best by looking at different opportunities here

APPRENTICE APPRECIATION

As part of National Apprenticeship Week (6–12 February), unLTD headed down to Sheffield Springs Academy to find out how they are joining forces with local businesses and Sheffield City Council initiatives like See it Be It to remove the stigma surrounding apprenticeships and give kids from their community improved careers education through employer encounters, career insights and experiences of the workplace…

As we arrive at Sheffield Springs Academy, the school day is well underway, with students already in their classrooms or making their way to activities, taking in National Apprenticeship Week’s The Big Assembly: a 30-minute, interactive live digital broadcast that enables students and teachers to engage in conversation about exciting career opportunities and national events.

The assembly is a small part of a wider programme of events being held at the school throughout the week, including talks, workshops and drop-in sessions encouraging students to chat openly with young people who are either currently on or have just completed their apprenticeship journey.

Alongside apprentices from the likes of the NHS and construction company Henry Boot, the school has been supported by the attendance

of representatives from the See it Be it campaign, a Sheffield City Council initiative that brings to life the world of work by linking up local businesses and employers with schools and colleges.

In a short break between sessions, we caught up with two of the apprentices who work alongside the See it Be it campaign: Eva Cadet, a Level 3 professional marketing apprentice at Sheffield City Council and Tariq Ali, a Level 3 business admin at Sheffield City Council, to find out more.

Tariq Ali told unLTD: “See it Be it is a campaign that gets role models to showcase their career path to students and young people. That’s how we got involved. Me and Eva are both in the apprenticeship team and we both had a similar journey.

“We thought that it would be useful to have a conversation with the students so they can

see someone who is like them making those decisions and going into an apprenticeship.”

Eva added: “We’re here to champion apprenticeships. Having recently come out of one myself, I know how important and invaluable they are, and I want to showcase the resource to these young people.

“Having recently been their age, I know what it’s like trying to make big life decisions about the future and I want to make apprenticeships far more accessible for them, by helping them understand how they can get involved.

“The best way of doing that is by listening to them, by seeing what it is they want to do in life, where they want to get to, and trying to find them a clear route to get to that place. We want them to understand the benefits, because there is still quite a lot of common misconceptions; that they’re

typically for people that want to go down a more practical route, that might not be as academic, but there’s so many different routes you can take. I want to make that more widely known.

“I think the kids have gradually opened up. Quite a few already know what apprenticeships are but might not understand why they should look into it or what kind of opportunities are available. The more we describe it and talk about the benefits, the more they’re starting to come around to the idea and thinking that they could actually see themselves in that situation, which is really promising.”

After attending one of the drop-in sessions where she spoke with Eva, a Year 9 student at Springs Academy, told us: “I found it useful. It was really interesting that, even though we are students, we have the opportunity to prove ourselves to employers and the opportunity to learn more. I think that I might do an apprenticeship in the future.”

Research shows that a young person who has four or more meaningful encounters with an employer is 86% less likely to be out of education, employment or training when they leave school. For somewhere like Springs Academy, which serves a community with higher than average levels of unemployment, this sort of interaction from businesses with their students can be vital to providing them with a positive view of the workplace.

Sheffield Spring Academy principal Ms Claire Cartledge said: “Offering children an apprenticeship gives them a path into employment, so for us, it’s really important as an alternative that’s still giving them fantastic training and qualifications but is still very engaging.

“This week is all about giving the kids a wider understanding of apprenticeships. It’s also about busting myths because

there’s a lot of stigma around traditional apprenticeships. Occasionally, the older generation see apprentices as someone who makes the teas and coffees, so it’s about showing the value, because for some of our children, an apprenticeship is absolutely the best thing for them.

“One of the best things about this week is that we have ex-students, who are now apprentices, coming into the school, which means our children are more likely to listen to them, because it’s not just a teacher telling them something. I think it’s brilliant, and I am delighted our pupils are getting this opportunity,”.

Edward Cramphorn, Sheffield Springs Academy Careers Advisor, added: “This week gives employers the chance to prepare the workforce. By engaging with the students, they effectively get to start cherry picking and training possible new school leavers.

“Employers are always saying, ‘we want this skill, we want that skill’ or ‘we don’t have enough people with this kind of knowledge’, so these sessions mean they can come in and tell kids to their face what they need from them. That then reinforces our message, but with the real-world context.

“Employers in Sheffield have to be the voice to encourage our kids. Sometimes they don’t get that message at home, so hearing it from the city itself can actually make these kids feel more self-worth. It’s about unlocking that skill potential.

“I think it’s also important having a magazine like yourselves come in and talk about what is happening in schools locally. Hopefully, businesses will read this and want to get involved, whether it be letting us know about apprenticeships within their organisations, trips, visits or whatever.”

Academy Principal Claire Cartledge

Careers Advisor Edward Cramphorn

Eva Cadet and Tariq Ali

POSTER BOYS

unLTD pay a visit to the team at Vice Press, a South Yorkshire-based company who are licensed by some of the world’s biggest studios to create bespoke alternative movie posters.

Situated on the edge of Rotherham city centre, a 15-minute drive from the unLTD offices in Kelham Island, you’ll find Vice Press HQ nestled amongst a community of modern offices and industrial spaces at Bizspace, Bradmarsh Business Park.

Step inside what may seem at first glance a fairly innocuous unit and you’ll enter a film-lovers paradise. Decorating the walls are striking alternative movie posters depicting some of the world’s most famous titles, ranging from

cult classics and big blockbusters to indie favourites and brand-new releases.

That’s what Vice Press do: produce unique, officially licensed art prints of your favourite films, TV shows and comic books. Founders James Henshaw and Matt Ferguson founded the business in 2015 after James approached artist Matt while the latter was selling artworks at a convention in Leeds.

“We just got talking,” Matt tells us. “There were a few meetings in

the pub and I was like, ‘I’m fed up of not being able to do the posters that I want to do.’ James wrote for a few online blogs featuring artists and some movie websites, so when he told me that he had this plan to start this up as a business, I was completely on board with it.”

Beginning in humble fashion out of James’ home garage in Retford, they shored up a business plan and started approaching studios with their pitch. The first major licence was granted by Rebellion A/S, the studio behind the famous 2000 AD comics, and there’s a wonderfully menacing Judge Dredd poster observing proceedings in the kitchen area to confirm this.

Once the foundations were laid, the duo found that their selfdescribed yin and yang personalities served their fortunes well: James provides the organisation, structure and perhaps a more natural inclination towards being commercially minded; whereas Matt’s more chaotic approach unleashes bursts of creativity and wacky ideas while also providing a

valuable artist perspective on proceedings.

“Our interests when it came to pop culture and films were already quite aligned, which is obviously helpful,” says James. “We do have very different skill sets, but I think they blend together quite well too. Getting on together helps; being diplomatic and reaching compromises is another reason it has worked well so far. We can rein each other in that way.

“But then again, if one of us is really passionate about doing something, we don’t really inhibit each other. Of course, about 90% of what we do has to be commercially justifiable, but that’s not to say we can’t lean into a personal passion every now and again.”

In its eight-year history, Vice Press has been licensed by some of the most illustrious studios in the industry including the likes of

Studio Canal, Warner, Marvel, Paramount Studios and 20th Century Fox. James puts down a lot of the success down to a holy trinity of Matt’s artistic prowess, a robust business plan and tenacity when it comes to getting their pitches out there.

A rise in the popularity of alternative movie posters over this side of the pond has seen their market shift from being mostly US-based back to the UK - which was the original goal - and they now work with a wide pool of like-minded artists and printers to create their products, each one a bespoke design. Almost a decade of steady growth has seen them move from garage to a disused steel factory office in Attercliffe (which Matt claims was definitely haunted), later moving across to Bizspace Rotherham and, after a bit of moving around, eventually

settling on a ground floor unit for their office and poster packing space.

A key aspect of their popularity was finding a niche. Rather than looking to appeal to art collectors who purchase original artworks for often eye-boggling amounts, Vice Press create high-end but accessible products for movie fans that would look just as good in someone’s living room as they would a cinema hallway.

Matt explains: “I’ve always said that I’m not making posters for people who collect posters; I’m making posters for people who like the thing the posters are about. So, if I make a Jaws poster, it’s for the people who like that film, and not really for the hardcore collectors out there. It’s allowed us to open what we do up to more people.”

www.vice-press.com

WANT TO JOIN VICE PRESS IN A VIBRANT BUSINESS COMMUNITY?

Here are ten reasons to take office space at BizSpace Rotherham

Flexibility

It’s straightforward with easy in, easy out agreements.

Affordability

Great spaces with out of town prices you’ll struggle to find elsewhere.

Location

Easy access to both Rotherham and Sheffield. Only two miles from M1 junction 34/

Community

You’ll be able to benefit from regular on-site networking and events.

Weekly treat day

Helps to keep those Monday blues at bay!

Communal facilities

Enjoy your lunch away from your desk in a dedicated breakout room or central courtyard.

Meeting rooms

These can be hired hourly, half day or full day.

Free parking

There’s ample unallocated spaces for staff and visitors.

Onsite management team

Their friendly, supportive and honest team are here for you and your colleagues.

It’s dog-friendly

No need for expensive dog walkers or sad, lonely doggos!

Bizspace Rotherham has office space to let (2101500 sq ft), light industrial units ((1000-1500 sq ft), as well as meeting rooms and mailboxes for businesses just looking for a registered address.

Enquire on their website (www.bizspace.co.uk/ spaces/rotherham) or call 0800 975 0875.

Part-funded by the European Social Fund and Sheffield City Council, Advancing Digital is a free programme from Opportunity Sheffield which provides fully funded training in a range of digital skills, supporting businesses and employees on their learning journeys.

Last month, unLTD caught up with two of the faces behind the project, Bill Hilton and Chelsea Moffatt, to discover how businesses and individuals can make the most of this free training resource.

Tell us a bit about Opportunity Sheffield and your work with Advancing Digital?

BH: Opportunity Sheffield is the employment and skills service in Sheffield City Council. We have five main programmes aimed to break down barriers to employment, create job opportunities and help local businesses grow. One of those programmes, Advancing Digital, is part-funded by the European Social Fund and the idea is two-fold: to provide a free service for businesses in upskilling their employees, and to provide individuals with free upskilling opportunities so they can move into the type of career they want.

CM: Advancing Digital is very much focused on improving IT skills; a lot of it is about digital inclusion and closing the digital gap. A lot of people might associate the digital gap specifically with being unable to do advanced technical things such as coding, but there are also people in jobs where for whatever reason they haven’t been trained in basic IT skills. Programmes like Advancing Digital help to fill those gaps.

BH: There are a lot of essential skills training that people are missing out on, and we want to change that. The only remits are that you have to live or work in South Yorkshire and in some form of employment.

As well as benefiting individuals, it can help businesses to keep their

employees fulfilled and motivated?

BH: Yes, there’s a mutual benefit for employers and employees. One of the most significant costs for businesses is recruitment, and one of the best ways for businesses to keep their staff happy and motivated is by offering them upskilling opportunities. Everything we offer is free and incredibly easy to get involved with.

How can people get involved?

BH: It’s just a quick form, which doesn’t take long at all to fill in. People can get involved by emailing us at advancingdigital@sheffield. gov.uk, calling 0114 229 6188 or taking a look at the website www. careeradvancetraining.org.uk. Searching ‘opportunityshef’ on Facebook and Instagram will take you to our social media pages, which have plenty more information on how we can help local businesses and workers.

CM: The form takes a couple of minutes to fill in, and I’ll follow that up with a phone call to discuss their current role and whether they’re looking to upskill in that role or change careers. From there I’ll identify which accredited courses might be suitable for them.

What about people who like the idea of upskilling but are worried about finding the time to look into it?

CM: We are looking at making courses even more accessible.

For example, we’ll be running a completely virtual cohort for our Accounting/Bookkeeping course starting March 13th. We can sign people up very quickly online and I’m always on hand for advice. So people and businesses can come to you with a rough idea of what they’re after and you do the rest?

CM: Of course. You don’t need to come to us with a specific plan –that’s where we come in! We have a Career Advance Training Platform with over 200 courses available. Sometimes people will get in touch with a general direction of where they want to go, or sometimes they just want to learn and we can talk them through what’s on offer. What key career areas are covered by the platform?

BH: The Career Advance Training Platform is split into eight key areas: Financial Management, Resource Efficiency, Customer Relationship Management, User Experience/User Interface, People Management, Project Management, Data/Information Management and Cyber Security. It’s a constantly updating platform.

CM: The accredited courses we offer include Digital Marketing, Accounting/Bookkeeping, Leadership & Management, AutoCAD, Cyber Security & Digital Skills for Work. There are six live at the moment, between levels one and two, and are being run by The Sheffield College, Momentum Recruitment & Training and The Source Skills Academy.

Could you give an example of businesses who’ve contacted the Advancing Digital team and how they’ve benefited?

BH: Sheffield City Trust is one. They’re working with Advancing Digital on upskilling their staff on Leadership & Management, Excel skills, Bookkeeping and AutoCAD, the latter of which they use in all of their venues. That just shows you the sort of scope that there is for businesses, CM: CC33 are a contact centre based on Ecclesall Road. They’ve got their own leadership programme so we’re now offering them our Leadership & Management course, which complements their existing scheme perfectly.

BH: Most of the businesses we work with are SMEs or Micro SMEs, but it just shows that what we offer works for bigger companies too. It’s a brilliant programme and a real nobrainer for businesses and individuals looking for easy, accessible routes in upskilling.

www.careeradvancetraining.org.uk

HOW ADVANCING DIGITAL HELPED ME

Anwar runs Anwar Suliman Photography Services. He completed Digital Marketing Level 2 through the Advancing Digital programme in February 2023. The threeday course was taught by Momentum in Shalesmoor, Sheffield.

“I’m Anwar Suliman. I’m a photographer specialising in events and studio photography. I heard about the course through Business Sheffield who signposted me to Advancing Digital.

“It appealed to me because I knew how to do traditional marketing, but digital marketing was a bit new and scary.

“The tutor, Max was really good and explained everything well. It was a mixed-age group of people in the class, who could interact with each other and learn together.

“The course taught me all the different processes, all the way through, and how to utilize all the apps and tools in the marketing process.

“I think the course will help me progress my career further. Once I’ve learnt a bit more about social media, I’ll put it all together to make a comprehensive marketing strategy.

“I’d definitely recommend it to other small business owners, because I think it will really help them get on and promote themselves better.”

To join the next Digital Marketing cohort starting on Monday 3 April, email: advancingdigital@sheffield. gov.uk

The recent rise in litigation, including employment tribunal, unfair dismissal, and discrimination claims, is something that Bhayani Law is seeing across all sectors, as companies are struggling financially due to increased costs and individuals are more likely to seek opportunities to claim against their employers. This can lead to a reduction in staff numbers, sometimes unnecessarily and with great risk due to poor decision making that looks at cutting corners rather than planning ahead.

Bhayani Law represents both employees and employers, offering insight from both sides. Their aim is to help businesses use the proper procedures to prevent these challenges from escalating towards litigation. One the one hand, there has been a rise in opportunist employment tribunal claims, and on the other hand, employers are also being hit with rising costs and making rash decisions in terms of redundancies, leading to disputes where full consultation processes have not been followed and employees feel they have been treated unfairly.

When companies don’t take the time to plan and evaluate the need for redundancies properly, they are either leaving themselves short and having to hire again – which could potentially make any recent redundancies unlawful – or are having to make further redundancies within a short period, causing more

Cost of living crisis leads to rise in litigation

Bhayani Law, a Sheffield-based employment and HR law firm, highlights the importance of planning ahead to avoid litigation brought about by the challenges both businesses and their employees are facing during the current cost of living crisis.

staff unrest and damaging morale. Thinking ahead and obtaining advice early means Bhayani Law can help them explore other options, such as temporary contract changes to ride out a difficult period without losing staff or making risky dismissal decisions.

The team are also seeing a rise in discrimination claims, often due to employers seeing equality and diversity training as a luxury rather than a necessity. The similar rise in unfair dismissal claims for misconduct, absences and performance management stems from a lack of HR support. “Having in-house or external HR support, unless you are really confident in your own knowledge, is key,” explains Director and Head of Employment Law Lindsey Gaimster. “Employment law

is not something you can opt in and out of, and the cost of getting it wrong usually far outweighs any investment in advice or support.”

Bhayani Law advises employers of the risks associated with individual dismissals and supports them during the process. They also help employers explore alternatives such as upskilling, training, or a settlement agreement. Lindsey adds: “Workforce planning can be hard for employers, particularly when they’re in the midst of a crisis, but if you’re letting your workforce go unnecessarily it’s only going to cause more problems in the long term, especially with the current difficulties in recruiting good candidates, so it’s essential to look ahead in order to protect your business.”

If you’re letting your workforce go unnecessarily it’s only going to cause more problems in the long term, especially with the current difficulties in recruiting good candidates

Healthy & Tasty

On a cold day, there’s no beating an authentic hot pot. This dish consists of a shimmering pot of broth filled with various tasty ingredients like egg noodles, eggs, meats, veggies, tofu and even dumplings.

Always Fresh! Always Home Cooked

We get our produce fresh daily so our specials change often! From seafood to some incredible meats we work with the best suppliers from Sheffield to ensure we keep amazing standards of food.

Address: 3 Rockingham Gate, Sheffield, S1 4JD 73 – 101 Neepsend Ln, Neepsend, Sheffield S3 8AT

Phone: 0114 272 1332

Email: chinaredbookings@gmail.com

Website: www.chinaredsheffield.com

The Moor or Kelham Island?

T: 01903 660091

M: 07398 206795

E: mike@growfunding.co.uk

www.growfunding.co.uk

The Team That Knows!

As you know, having the right people in your business makes the impossible, possible! That is why at Grow Funding you will receive the best service from the right people.

Our promise is to keep you informed every step of the way and to comply with our FCA standards of supplying you with the best financial product at the best rates and terms.

We have 2 places for you to try our Szechuan food, join us at our Restaurant on the Moor or at our new street food stand at Cutlery Works. Offering

Grow

For this month’s local business pitch, BuBul’s managing director Nigel Greenwood tells us their state-of-the arts software package which provides costeffective business advice for SMEs and their advisers.

Tell us about your business – sell yourselves!

I’m Nigel Greenwood, the founder of BuBul. After years of mapping and improving customer journeys for large corporates, I got fed up with how slow they were to change despite the great results we saw when they changed, so I set up Simply Customer in 2013 to help SMEs improve their customer journeys. When I worked with SMEs, I used journey mapping to increase leads, conversion, retention and profits for every customer I had.

Where did the inspiration to set up Bubul come from?

In 2015, I realised that many SMEs were too small to be able to afford my services, so I looked at how I could help them. When I saw that three out of four micro businesses don’t get any advice and fail as a result, I wanted to know why.

Once I knew that it was because they don’t qualify for governmentfunded schemes and can’t afford a business adviser, I decided to build something that they could afford that would act like a business adviser for them.

It took six years to develop with may setbacks on the way, but we launched BuBul in March 2021 – the world’s first software that can work out what advice a micro business owner needs and provide advice.

A key part of what your offer is ease and accessibility. How do you ensure that the software is userfriendly?

We believe strongly in getting and using customer feedback, so we’re constantly asking what we can do better and what else we can do. Before we launched we had over 40 prototypes and for each one I asked micro business owners to test it and give me their feedback. It was painful at times to see what

we were getting wrong, but it’s become a way of life for us and the feedback has been pure gold in helping us continually improve.

How can people get involved?

Someone starting or running their own micro business can get BuBul at www.bubulexpert.com. We also have a free version for not for profit organisations who help people setting up their own business and they can get it at www.bubulexpert. com/social-enterprise-charity. We also offer white labelled versions for accountants as BuBul is a great tool to help them act as a business adviser to their micro clients and they can get a free trial at www. bubulexpert.com/accountants

We believe strongly in getting and using customer feedback, so we’re constantly asking what we can do better and what else we can do

AOB: HAVE LUNCH WITH... BLEND KITCHEN

THE PERFECT BLEND

Hi Chris. As the founder of Blend Kitchen, can you start by telling us a bit about your role?

My role is really varied. It ranges from fundraising and getting sponsorship for the business, to helping develop the menus, training the staff and our volunteers, and generally making sure that everything runs properly day-to-day.

What things do you particularly enjoy about the role?

I really liked the variety in it –there’s never two days the same. I can come to work one day and I could literally be in the kitchen washing pots, and then other days I might be meeting a royal [last year Blend hosted a Royal visit from The Countess of Wessex]! We also won a Sheffield Business Award. Next week, we've got the Chamber of Commerce coming in for a meeting with other the business leaders. It's so varied.

Sounds like a lot of fun. What lead you to set up Blend Kitchen?

I trained as a chef from school

unLTD’s Ash Birch grabs a bite with Chris Hanson, founder of Sheffield-based CIC Blend Kitchen.

Last year we helped a guy who was in drug rehab, who’s now making pizzas at Picture House Social. There are so many people who care so much about the business.

and began working in small hotels. I went on to work for charities and voluntary organisations providing life skills training for people that were in drug rehabs or supported housing projects. Off the back of that, I decided to use my catering skills to set up Blend kitchen as a way to use food, and selling food, to create opportunities for people and deliver positive social change.

I set Blend up in 2016 and, initially, we ran hospitality training courses and did pop-up street food events out of community centres and local pubs. It's grown and developed to where we now have our own place on Ecclesall Road.

Now that you have the space on Ecclesall Road, what sort of challenges are you facing?

The biggest challenge that we're currently facing is that we opened the restaurant straight out of COVID lockdowns, and when we originally signed the lease on the building, before the pandemic, there was meant to be 600 office staff above us. There's currently around 50, so that really impacted on our takings initially, and we've had to change our business model. We've moved to getting grant income in and increasing other sides of the business, like ticketed events and outside catering, so that we can keep delivering our social aims. There’s a lot of positives still, and the team here are amazing. There are so many talented people with incredible stories. For example, last year we helped a guy who was in drug rehab, who’s now making pizzas at Picture House Social. There are so many people who care so much about the business. That feels like the thing that we've really been able to build over this last couple of years.

Blend Kitchen is a social enterprise restaurant that provides training, support and jobs for people who are looking to work in hospitality but might face barriers to employment.

@blendkitchensheffield // blendkitchen.co.uk

A WORD WITH A SERVICE USER

Sandra Macleod is one of the talented group of chefs at Blend Kitchen. She previously worked in the kitchen at homelessness charity, The Archer Project, but moved to Blend nearly a year ago. Since making the move, Sandra tells us that she has learned so much about cooking, as well as about different styles of menus and dietary requirements.

She said: “It’s really boosted my confidence as both a chef and a person. The chefs in here are just amazing. They’ll take time out to show you how to do something form the beginning, and they’ll check to make sure you’re getting on ok.

“Places like this are so important because they’re here to help, and if they can’t, they’ll point you in the right direction of someone who can. They’re really good at what they do.”

‘GOOD FOOD, DOES GOOD’

Blend Kitchen is a place where there’s always something happening. As I arrive at the Ecclesall Road site on a chilly Tuesday lunchtime, the place is buzzing with activity in the events space, despite the kitchen not being open to the public on Tuesdays.

Before we sit down for a chat, I ask Blend Kitchen founder Chris Hanson what’s going on and he casually tells me, ‘oh that’s an over-65’s ukulele group. They use the space sometimes

when we’re not open.’ Of course they do, Chris, of course they do. Anyway, following an interesting chat with founder Chris, it’s almost time to get to the serious business of eating. But, before we get to all that, it’s first worth noting that, yes Blend Kitchen is a CIC (Community Interest Company), but that absolutely doesn’t mean they compromise on the quality of their food or the environment.

The interior has been stunningly put together by local design studio, 93 Feet, and is an achingly cool yet functional space, full of plants, clean lines and off-shot, private areas. All this, of course, is just a prelude to the food itself; I opt for the squash, spinach and chickpea curry (£7) from their private hire, buffet and outside catering menu, which comes with poppadom and naan. The warming, wintery spicing is perfect for a crisp March day and I waste no time loading up the naan with the perfectly cooked butternut squash and chickpeas.

You can tell a lot about a place by how much effort they put into their vegan and vegetarian options, and given that this plate is entirely vegan, Blend is, as you would expect, going that extra mile to be inclusive.

After mopping up my plate with the last of the naan, I follow it up with a silky-smooth oat milk flat white, before heading out onto Ecclesall Road feeling slightly in awe of the good work they’re doing, as well as feeling more than ever that this social enterprise has got just the right blend.

NEW HOME, SAME CODA

CODA Studios have made the move to Sheffield city centre.

After more than a decade based in Kelham Island, we have now relocated our head office to the heart of Sheffield.

You can find us at:

“As our business has continued to grow, we became increasingly aware of the fact that we needed a new head office space in which we could take CODA to the next level.”

Matt Bowker, Managing Director

HIGHLANDER TAKEVOVER MEANS MORE SERVICES ON OFFER...

Highlander's MD Steve Brown lifts the lid on their recent takeover and what it means for the business moving forward...

"As the pen dried on last month’s unLTD spread on our near 30 years in business, I knew that some fantastic developments for team Highlander, our clients and the region were on their way.

The purchase of Highlander by FluidOne completed on the 1st of February, and things have been busy since. Mainly sorting structural and back-office tasks, but also looking at the technologies that we have strengthened in and are now able to roll out to our clients in the area.

I became a shareholder in this business decades ago, and I remain so now. My task is still to ensure that we remain a well-run and respected company

delivering the highest standards of service and focussing on continual improvement.

As we moved along our journey, through the noughties to the current day, the common question from clients was ‘what else can you do for us?’ We listened, and we started to

offer telecoms, software and ERP systems, cloud computing services, 24/7 support and much more. The acquisition now gives us even greater strength in even more areas, namely connectivity, mobile technologies, and the whole package that is cyber security. In

a world that has seen accelerated technological changes since the pandemic, we have worked tirelessly to make things uncomplicated, and give greater end user experience and reassurances that the IT ‘works’ and is in safe hands. Having such highquality capabilities now available within our own group gives me a feeling of great confidence in our expanded offerings.

That, coupled with investment into our strong base in Sheffield from a business that has parallel values, made it a perfect fit. I’m excited for what we can deliver, and we look forward to sharing these with you over the coming months."

For more head to www. highlanderuk.com.

THORNB CORPOR

INSPIRE, NETWORK, SOCIALISE, CELEBRATE & REWARD

Creating memorable experiences for your team and clients. Thornbridge Hall is a Grade II* listed stately home nestled amongst the rolling hills of the Peak District. We have a variety of stunning, unique spaces to hold your business event. Our events team have decades of experience delivering high-quality, small, and large-scale corporate events that inspire innovation and creativity, motivate your team, and wow your clients.

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Wedding packages start from £61 per person for 2023 full day guests

For more details contact us on 0114 252 6517 or email weddings@cpsheffield.co.uk

Free Welcome Drink on Arrival

The one constant in telecoms is change. And every now and then a product emerges to replace a gap in the market that genuinely changes lives.

In the UK it’s become tradition to moan about Openreach and how hopeless they are. And in the case of many rural communities up and down the country that moaning is more than justified. It’s a by-product of privatisation that if provision to a specific area is not economical then it just doesn’t happen.

Given the distances involved with providing fibre to remote locations, and the provision of the required cabling, there are some communities in the UK that might never see a high speed fibre broadband connection – whatever the promises of a succession of governments. And that’s where our new product comes in.

It’s not even really that new. Essentially it’s an external dish that connects to a mobile phone mast and provides high speed 4G or 5G mobile data to a premises, where no high speed internet capability has been possible. And this is the life-changing bit: in a modern world (particularly post-Covid) where people are spending more and more time working from home, and communicating with friends, family, colleagues and clients – a reliable (and above all fast) internet connection has never been more important.

Rural pressure groups have been formed to pressure the UKs larger telecoms networks to deliver connectivity to those areas. MPs have been lobbied. A government

The Rural Internet Revolution

Nigel Short, owner of Voot Telecom, explains why living out in the sticks no longer means a useless broadband connection, thanks to their fast rural internet service…

initiative to provide connection vouchers has been and gone (and a new one introduced) promising 98% fibre connectivity. All admirable – and have made a change to some. But for that 2% of properties who weren’t eligible the frustration continued.

And then, the UK’s mobile networks introduced ‘Unlimited Data tariffs’ - and overnight the dishes introduced some years before became a truly viable option. With high speed data it was easy to burn through a 100GB tariff in a weekend – with gaming, streaming and access to remote servers all drawing down huge data parcels. No longer was this such a big issue.

Here at VOOT we have become accustomed to seeing people roll out the

red carpet for us when we arrive to install their dish. And it's then we realised just how much this product really does change lives. We have launched a new dedicated website to promote it – and we will now offer FREE site surveys in a range of postcode areas so we can demonstrate just how brilliant this product is. When we’ve demonstrated just how fast your internet could be in just a few weeks, we’ll leave you to imagine just how much that will change your life!

The website is at www. fastruralinternet.co.uk.

Given the distances involved in providing fibre to remote locations… there are some communities in the UK that might never see a high speed fibre broadband connection… that’s where our new product comes in.

JADE MARCH

In this issue’s Side Hustle feature, we caught up with Jade March, 33, owner of freelance PR and Copywriting business, Jade Liana Communications, about her passion for spreading magic not just in content but in the form of hosting princess parties and delivering children’s street dance classes.

Dancing and performing since the age of four, Jade has always loved being centre stage. So, when the opportunity came up in 2017 to become a princess party entertainer with national company My Little Princess Parties UK it was an opportunity that she couldn’t miss!

Jade delivers princess parties not just in South Yorkshire but in Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham and everywhere in between.

The parties are between half an hour meet and greets to two-hour full party packages. Jade’s main characters are Disney’s Belle, Ariel, Anna, Snow White, Elsa and occasionally fairies and superheroes!

The parties are aimed at both girls and boys and Jade leads the whole party – from party games to a magic fairy dust wish at the end!

Jade also dances with Sheffield-based commercial and urban dance company Ink Dance, which was founded by Suzy Dyson. For the past four years, Jade has also taught street dance classes at Ink for children under 11.

Jade said: “My side hustle jobs never feel like work. I just love creating magic for the children and helping to build memories that really will last a lifetime.

“It’s an exciting time for me as I’ve just launched my own freelancing business, so all my jobs will complement each other in terms of a more flexible schedule.

“I really do have the best jobs in the world!”

IF YOU HAVE A SIDE HUSTLE YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE, LET US KNOW! GET IN TOUCH AT: EDITORIAL@ UNLTDBUSINESS.COM

THE LAST WORD...

There have been a few changes here at unLTD in recent weeks but what remains constant is our desire to do the best job possible in keeping the people of South Yorkshire up to speed with the most interesting and relevant business news and features; the stuff that you actually care about.

So you’ll notice some new features and ideas appearing in the magazine over the next few months (some have already popped up, in fact) to complement the redesign we instigated at the end of last year.

Meanwhile, we’ve a new social media team on board, so we’ll be trying lots of new stuff out on that front in order to create engaging content to helps you all learn from each other and keep up to date with the key business stories of the day.

With all this in mind, we’ve launched a reader survey to understand a bit about our audience and how they engage with unLTD – whether it’s through the print copy of the magazine, via the website and social media or mixing with us at events.

Anyway, we’d appreciate your feedback and your ideas, so please scan this QR code and give us 5 minutes of your time to help us shape the unLTD of the future.

Thanks.

PT