HOW TECH IS REVOLUTIONISING THE SPORTS AND WELLBEING INDUSTRIES
KEEPING THE FAITH LODESTONE RECRUITMENT’S MD ON ESTABLISHING HIS BUSINESS AND BELIEFS
EMPLOYMENT OWNERSHIP TRUSTS COULD IT WORK FOR YOUR BUSINESS?
PLUS… SOUTH YORKSHIRE NEWS, BUSINESS SHOWCASES, WORKPLACES AS SOCIAL SPACES, #SAVEDSA & MORE
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For this month’s cover feature, unLTD’s Ashley Birch sits down with Danny Tomalin, founder of Sheffieldbased software consultancy REYT, to discuss his journey in setting up a business which is now thriving as a driver for technological advancement in the sports, outdoor and wellbeing industries.
12: THE WORKPLACE: A SOCIAL SPACE?
Business owners debate whether office space and culture should be designed around social interaction...
16: LIGHTBULB MOMENT
We hear from Joanne Wharam, Managing Director of SMART Support for Business, about striking out on her own ten years ago.
38: SALVATION AND SUCCESS
Touching on the power of faith, family and plenty of sleeve-rolling with Nicholas Brennan, managing director of Lodestone Recruitment, who explains to Joseph Food how all three have been integral in his business journey so far.
45: PUTTING STAFF FIRST
The concept of employee ownership trusts has been gaining popularity in the UK in the last couple of years – but could they work for your business? unLTD did some digging into the advantages and potential drawbacks of making this move.
74: THE BIG SICK
Louisa Harrison-Walker from Sheffield Chamber delves into the statistics showing the rise in sickness absences and how businesses can tackle this issue moving forward.
It’s all about uncovering entrepreneurs who are doing things differently in this month’s unLTD.
We’ve got cover star Danny Tomalin who’s journey to run his own business was anything other normal, as well as Nicholas Brennan, a sole trader who owns his own recruitment business and is also a devout Christian. Then there’s Holly Garforth, former Events and Promotions Manager at Virgin Lounge in Sheffield, who upped sticks and moved to Dubai last year in a bid to further her career.
We’re always keen to speak to folk who don’t stick to the well-trodden path, and these three stories are well worth a read. Elsewhere we hear how Airmaster and PJ Taste both recently changed ownership structure, becoming Employee Ownership Trusts - food for thought for those of you looking to restructure - while we also hear from Joanne Wharam, who celebrates her tenth year running SMART Support for Business by telling us about her ‘lightbulb moment’ when she decided to start her own business.
Throw in a debate on our office spaces and how sociable we should make them, an update on what should happen next to the Doncaster Airport site and news on the rise in sickness in the workplace, and you have yourself an action-packed May issue of unLTD.
Phil Turner
EDITORIAL EDITOR
Joe Food
Joe@unltdbusiness.com
ONLINE EDITOR
Ash Birch Ash@unltdbusiness.com
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CONTRIBUTORS
Chloe Angus
Kate Ash
Jen Beal
Timm Cleasby
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Although they are often associated with each other, it’s possible for something to smell clean but not actually be clean. For example, using an air freshener can make a room smell clean, but it won’t actually remove dirt and germs from surfaces. While it’s nice to have things smell clean, it’s more important to focus on actually cleaning and disinfecting surfaces to ensure that they are free from harmful germs and bacteria.
New clients will often come to us because their current cleaners “aren’t very good”; but more often than not, it is the extremely poor products and equipment that they have been provided with along with a lack of support and management that is actually the problem. Cleaning is much more than just a mop and bucket: it requires science, knowledge, skills and hard work. At Crystal Clean, our people are the most important part of what we do, so we work hard to manage and support them because ultimately they are the ones who look after our clients day to day.
cleaners know which products work best for different types of surfaces and stains. And for those of you that don’t know, bleach is not a cleaning product!
4 5
The importance of cleaning in a specific order
Experienced cleaners know that cleaning in a specific order can make the job faster and more efficient. For example, starting with dusting and moving on to vacuuming can prevent dirt and dust from being pushed around and making the job harder.
Finally, cleaners know the satisfaction of a job well done. There’s something deeply satisfying about taking a dirty space and transforming it into a clean and safe place to work. Cleaners take pride in their work and know that their efforts can make a big difference in the lives of the people they clean for.
1 2 3 unLTDBUSINESS.COM 7
Sarize Hill works for Crystal Clean – a multi-award winning commercial cleaning company based in Sheffield, serving the areas of South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. Celebrating 15 years in business this year, the company provide flexible and reliable cleaning contracts and have a broad client base of offices, showrooms and industrial properties.
Get in touch at info@crystalcleanservice.co.uk or 0114 4010 550
It is essentially just bricks and mortar office space in a convenient location, albeit with a nice aesthetic of industrial-looking upcycled furniture and artwork on the walls, but it is much more - a community for its co-workers and a model for business co-operatives.
Matt Hill, co-founder and managing director at the co-working hub in Sheffield’s city centre was discussing the decade long journey of taking on a former 1970’s office into a space that is full of action, even after a global pandemic.
The upper floors are run by a co-operative, a community interest company whose profits are reinvested into developing the facilities and activities for the city. Architects, coders, freelancers of all kinds, work alongside each other, paying membership for desk space and, crucially, getting a discount if they “get involved.”
The community side of it includes things like talks and discussions and scheduled “doss breaks.” Many include food. The ground floor includes independent coffee and a rotating schedule of Sheffield’s best street foodthe charity provides traders with the chance to develop a new brand and test trade to an established customer base.
Having discussed issues such as loneliness, isolation and links to mental health,
The Flavours Food Festival returns to Barnsley town centre on 18-21 May and promises to be bigger and better than ever, with a packed lineup of over 40 mouth-watering food stalls.
Following its successful town centre debut last year, attracting over 83,000 visitors over 4 days, the popular festival will once again be taking place in The Glass Works Square.
Matt O’Neill, Executive Director of Growth and Sustainability at Barnsley Council, said: “We’re delighted to be bringing the Flavours Food Festival back to the town centre in May and kicking off spring in style. Last year was a huge success and due to popular demand, the event is going to be even bigger this time around.
The festivities run 10am-5pm on Thursday 18 May, 10am-7pm on Friday 19 May, 10am-8pm Saturday 20 May and 11am-5pm on Sunday 21 May.
Matt explained the proven benefits of the co-working space. He said: “We measured the social impact of what we do and there was a 40% increase in members’ wellbeing and work life balance since joining Union St. And for the bottom line, 68% said that they had generated new opportunities, with 93% of co-workers increasing productivity.”
The event was one in a series delivered by Sheffield
Social Enterprise Network, in partnership with Social Enterprise Exchange. The ‘Lunch With…’ events offer a great way to help attendees learn from others in and out of the social enterprise sector.
The next ‘Lunch With…’ networking event is taking place on Monday, May 22 with Claire Rimmer, Head of Operations at CADS. It will be held at the new Theatre Deli space on Arley Street.
Runway Idol, which sees 20 amateur local people take to the runway at Hillsborough Stadium, has been entertaining hundreds of local people & raised over £20,000 for various charities since 2018. After huge success, the annual fashion show will be coming to a spectacular end this summer, on Friday, 14th July 2023.
The popular fashion show, which sees local people model clothes from some of the biggest brands in fashion including The Couture Club, In The Style, Odd Balls & more, whilst also supporting local independents including Reece Ford Suit Hire & House Of Rose Bespoke, will be raising money for national sight loss charity, Retina UK, at its final show this summer.
The exclusive event will see the 20 inspirational models take to the catwalk in front of 300 local people & celebrity guests, raising thousands of pounds for Retina UK in the process. Since 2018, the show has raised £20,000 for Cancer Research
UK, Dementia UK, Imogen’s Dream, The UK Sepsis Trust, Sheffield MIND & The Children’s Hospital Charity.
Event organiser, James Clarke, who has raised over £125,000 for charity says: “After 5 incredible years, it’s time to say goodbye to Runway Idol & what a show we’ve got lined up. If you’re looking for inspirational models, incredible performers, unmissable surprises & a free arrival drink, all for just £10, whilst supporting Retina UK, then you’re in for a treat! Buy your tickets now!”
Follow @RunwayIdol on social media for all of the latest show updates. To buy your tickets (£10), visit ticketsource.co.uk/ runwayidol.
Small and mediumsized businesses report significantly lower capabilities in areas linked to high productivity, according to worrying new research by Be the Business, a charity that champions small business productivity.
Sheffield firm Tomson Consulting Ltd’s advice has cut co2 emissions in Sheffield by 169 tonnes. The consultancy, owned by Faye Tomson, were brought in by Sheffield City Council as part of a low carbon business support programme targeting SMEs across South Yorkshire to reduce environmental impact.
A Doncaster-based technology company, which became an unsung hero of the Covid-19 pandemic, has been honoured with the first ever King’s Award for Innovation.
Whyy? Change has been shortlisted for four awards at the South Yorkshire Apprenticeship Awards, including the prestigious title of Training Provider of the Year.
The Rotherham based apprenticeship training provider has also seen two of their employees nominated for three separate apprenticeship awards.
With Emma Harrison, Managing Director of Whyy? Change, shortlisted for Higher Apprentice of the Year, which celebrates the
success of apprentices on a Level 4 (Foundation degree equivalent) apprenticeship in South Yorkshire.
Emma’s recent success of becoming the World’s First Ever Quality Practitioner Apprentice to achieve a Distinction and achieving Practitioner status with the Chartered Quality Institute (CQI) has been recognised by her colleagues and now the judges at the South Yorkshire Apprenticeship Awards.
Matthew Trueman, Head of Communications at Whyy? Change has been
shortlisted for not just one, but two apprenticeship awards.
Ray Byrne, CEO of Whyy? Change shared his thoughts: “We enter the South Yorkshire Apprenticeship Awards every year because year-onyear it turns out we have a success story to tell. In 2021 and again in 2022 we were short-listed in one category. Today we are short-listed in four categories. This is progress, and only goes to show that the ‘WHY & HOW’ do lead to positive outcomes.”
Sheffield’s Park Hill development, a joint venture between Urban Splash and Places for People, has announced that property consultants, Inform Surveying, and creative studio, Field, will soon open within phase two at the site.
A mission to search for signs of life on Jupiter and its three icy moons launched on 13 April 2023, with help from researchers at the University of Sheffield.
With the Government’s net zero ambition for 2050 fast approaching and the public watching more closely than ever before, Charlotte Cassells, commercial and IP solicitor at Shakespeare Martineau, discusses what businesses can do to promote their green credentials, without falling foul of scrutiny by consumers or regulators.
Greenwashing has become a popular buzzword to describe how businesses potentially mislead consumers through advertising by making environmental claims about products or services that do not stand up to scrutiny.
The backlash against a business found to be greenwashing can be enormous – damaging its reputation, reducing consumer confidence and negatively impacting its bottom line. As a result, many businesses are choosing not to promote their “green” activities or results altogether to avoid public scrutiny, in a developing trend known as ‘greenhushing’.
Greenhushing is bad for consumers and business as a whole – if businesses keep quiet or under-promise on their environmental pledges, this sets a trend in the marketplace for others to follow suit, taking the green agenda out of the public sphere.
The most important step when trying to promote environmental claims is to be as accurate and transparent as possible and hold evidence that objectively substantiates any claims to ensure they stand up to scrutiny should the business be accused of greenwashing.
Advertising, marketing and branding are often where businesses fall down in terms of misleading consumers on their claims regarding environmental
products, so they should ensure all marketing strategies are reviewed and any claims being made are substantiated prior to going live in order to ensure they are compliant with UK advertising regulations.
Additionally, businesses should endeavour to keep up to date with relevant regulatory bodies, such as Competition and
Greenwashing is a relatively new concept, and guidance and resources are continually being released by these regulators to help businesses maintain transparency and accuracy around environmental claims.
Businesses should always be careful about claims
made around products and services to ensure they are accurate, truthful and not misleading. However, fear of greenwashing should not lead to greenhushing. Neither the regulators – nor, in all likelihood, the majority of the public – would want to see businesses being discouraged from taking positive measures to combat climate change.
If you’d like to upskill your finance knowhow, but training budgets are tight, then a course being held at Aston Hall Hotel in Sheffield on the 7th & 8th June could be the solution.
The Finance for NonFinance Managers course, run by the Total Excellence Centre, will help participants understand in greater detail how finance works, with South Yorkshire Skills Bank on hand to reimburse 50% of the cost.
Michelle Mercer, Managing Director of Total Excellence Centre said: “The success or failure of a business depends on the decisions made by individuals at all levels, which can significantly impact the financial health
of the organisation. Your choices and actions can have implications for the financial well-being of your company, and understanding how finance works can help you contribute more effectively and make informed decisions.
“Moreover, knowledge of finance is not only crucial for organisational success but can also be valuable in personal life. It can empower
you to make sound financial decisions and feel more confident in managing your own finances, such as investments, savings, and budgeting. Therefore, acquiring an understanding of finance can provide numerous benefits, both professionally and personally.”
The usual cost per person is £599 plus VAT, however on completion of this course,
South Yorkshire Skills Bank will reimburse 50% of the above cost (£299.50 per person) with a maximum of two people per company.
So if you’d like to register or find out more information about this or any other co-founded course, email training@tec-uk.com, call 0161 274 9292 or visit www. totalexcellencecentre.com.
Last summer Sheffield DM took thier evening marketing meetups to the next level with an all-day Sheffield DM Goes Large event. Attracting marketers from all over the UK, it went down a treat - so this year they’re going even larger, with multiple stages, a huge venue upgrade with a big-conference feel, and some of the biggest names in digital marketing on the schedule.
A Sheffield DM spokesperson said: “Since the annual SearchLeeds conference ended in 2019, the North has lacked a high-profile digital marketing event to rival BrightonSEO. We want to fill that void and put Sheffield firmly on the map as a digital powerhouse - this event will be our first step towards that.
“Join us on Thursday 31st August for our biggest-ever event - speakers, venue and more details TBA soon! Tickets will go on sale shortly so keep an eye out.”
In the meantime, their next free-to-attend evening event is on Thursday 27th April at the Showroom Workstation, with talks from Sophie Logan (Head of Paid Media, Victress Digital) and Liam Taft (SEO Team Leader, The SEO Works). Search for “Sheffield DM” on Eventbrite or follow on Twitter (@sheffielddm) to grab your ticket.
The workplace has evolved significantly in recent years, with employers increasingly placing a greater emphasis on creating a positive and engaging environment for their employees. While traditional workspaces were typically more formal and structured, modern workplaces are becoming more social and relaxed, designed to create a more welcoming, enjoyable atmosphere. However, the question of whether workplaces
should be social spaces or focus primarily on productivity and professionalism remains a matter of debate. On the one hand, creating a fun and social environment can improve employee morale, boost productivity and reduce stress levels. On the other hand, some argue that a more professional environment is necessary to maintain focus and ensure that work gets done, particularly in industries where strict deadlines have to be met.
You know what they say - work hard, play hard! At Chapter II, I’ve taken that to heart by creating a vibrant office environment that the team loves being in. We spend so much time at work, so why not make it a place where we can have some fun too?
Being in a creative industry, collaboration is essential. That’s why we have an open-plan space, perfect for brainstorming, plus separate meeting rooms providing a quiet place to focus when we need it. The bar and ping pong table are a clear giveaway about the type of workplace we have, but the office is also a fantastic spot for hosting events, celebrating staff birthdays and socialising with clients. I appreciate that this sort of environment isn’t possible – or appropriate – for some businesses, but for us, it’s just part of our culture.
And with more and more people working remotely or in hybrid roles, having a social office space is more important than ever. It’s a place where we can come together, feel like a team, and get the job done. Plus, let’s be honest, having a great office space just makes ‘going to work’ that much more appealing.
For me, creating a vibrant and social office environment isn’t just about having fun - it’s about building a positive workplace culture that improves morale, promotes teamwork, and boosts creativity. I can’t imagine it any other way.
Chapter II are a collective of creatives with decades of industry experience who can raise the profile and reputation of your brand through expert, strategic storytelling
The issue here isn’t one of right or wrong, but one of how far you need to go to make the office sociable. And what, as a small business, you can realistically achieve with targets and deadlines to hit. We all agree that there’s bound to be some socialising in the workplace. We as humans need it to thrive. And with the post COVID lockdown culture of home-working being more common, it’s clear if we want our staff to spend time in the office, we need to create the right kind of environment to encourage that.
But we are very much the kind of team that like to work in the office and socialise outside of it – whether that’s a nice lunch out or drinks after work – and we’re fortunate that our work is instinctively quite sociable. But we don’t have a pool table or a brainstorming bean bag. And I don’t worry if we miss someone’s birthday because we’re simply too busy. I am big on work/life balance – and while I think for most that is seen as a term for ensuring people have enough time away from work – it should work both ways.
So the trade off is that when they are in the office I expect them to be super focused on doing their job. We’re a small team, with lots to do, and there aren’t many opportunities to take your foot off the pedal. We probably have less casual conversation than a lot of other offices but that doesn’t mean we're unfriendly or unsupportive. We try to make sure that the environment is one that when someone needs to talk, they can.
I would also argue, handled correctly, ensuring your team don’t ‘over-socialise’ at work should ensure they enjoy their social time away from the office more. We try our best to respect the end of the day. So once you’re out of work time, you don’t need to have your head in work. Yes, our What’s App groups occasionally ping into the evening but usually it’s just general chat rather than anything super work-related.
So I am one for fostering a positive working environment – but it’s one where the work certainly comes first!
This month we’ll start with hope and inspiration from the next generation of Makers and Entrepreneurs.
The annual GUTS event at Magna once again provided a platform to showcase manufacturing and careers across the region.
The Workwise team continue to wow us with their talent and dedication, welcoming more than 4000 students from across the region’s schools to make, create, climb, assemble, drive, operate and build! A real hands on experience to inspire our future workforce. The sustainability focussed breakfast event gave all the existing businesses and entrepreneurs lots of food for thought too.
Speaking of entrepreneurs.. our budding ones had their own celebration and awards night at OEC, Sheffield. And oh what a night! Not a dry eye in the room as the successful young businesses received their awards with pride in front of mums, dads, carers, teachers, mentors and advisors. Not to mention city and business leaders. Such a fabulous night and ‘Bravo’ to Sheffield City Council and the ‘See it, Be it,’ team that mastermind the whole thing.
Next, a Night at the Dogs! An absolute delight to share the 15th Anniversary Milestone of Crystal Clean with business founder Hayley Gilbard and her team. A winning night all round but also a great result for Bluebell Wood Childrens Hospice who benefitted from Hayley’s fundraising on the night. Great job Hayley and all at Crystal Clean.
Lunch the next day at Fox Valley with Nicola Smith and Little Hummingbird Events at the very fabulous Pontis restaurant where Lynn Urpeth from the Archer Project updated us all on happenings at the charity. This was followed the next day by Glu Recruit’s uNetwork at Rotherham United Football Club where we were enlightened about 4 day working weeks. Great to hear from Richard Pitchfork from Maxons and the inimitable Toby Pochron from Freeths.
Speaking of Freeths, it was good to pop into their open evening and check out their very lovely newly refurbished offices… super cool and a super view! Super company too, for that matter. I bumped into Marie Cooper from CBE+ and the very next day headed over to her own newly refurbished factory in Chesterfield. I was delighted to meet her newest team member, Bumble Bee, a most impressive bright yellow robot! A game changer and a first for the region. But not just the region, I’m told it’s a first for Europe too! Bravo Marie.
Finally, it was breakfast at The Mowbray! And not just any breakfast. This was a Breakfast Feast. Sally and the team there really know how to impress! And with a ‘Wellbeing Theme’ there was yoga too! I left feeling very chilled! Omm!
Follow Jill at uk.linkedin.com/in/jilltywhite or find Andy Hanselman Consulting at andyhanselman.com.
The DL Company have been helping businesses with their office fit outs for almost 50 years. With the appointment of new interior designer Louise Thompson, they are seeing how Covid and a younger workforce have affected our expectations of what makes an enjoyable working environment. We spoke to Louise to discuss her new role and how her appointment had changed the services DL now offer.
You joined DL Company in March. What were you doing before that?
I’ve come from an architectural practice background, which I’ve done all my career really, working across a range of sectors –sports stadia, shops, hotels, hospices, schools, hospitality and banqueting spaces. It was pretty broad really.
So why the jump into an interiors specialist?
Well the problem working at an architects is that the interior design work comes on the back of the architectural work, it was always secondary. I’ve always wanted to try and do something a bit more creative and workplace design is a huge thing now, isn’t it, so this is a great chance to bring a fresh approach to the projects that DL bring on.
What do you think is driving that change in terms of
office spaces?
Covid had an impact in terms of companies needing to encourage people to get back into the office especially when they are travelling a long way to come in, so they want to be in a space that suits their needs. That said, I think it started well before then. There was just a recognition that to make people effective and happy at work, the spaces needed to be up to date and welcoming.
So what are the kinds of things that people are now demanding in their offices?
Social spaces, for definite. We’ve seen an impact from hotels and the hospitality industry in terms of the kind of finishes and spec people now expect. It’s a design-led approach. And of course with the hybrid working we need spaces that suit that – so whilst a lot of offices are more open plan, they
need private spaces so you can jump on a Teams call, or take a private call. High desks are popular too, as well as spaces that suit creative brainstorms – it helps create that connection to get ideas flowing.
So I guess a lot of this is brought on by trying to make the workplace an attractive place not just for current staff but in terms of recruiting people?
Yes. The office environment has to cater for the younger
generation and what’s likely to attract them when it comes to working for you. It’s a statement, isn’t it really to say, “We’re here and we’re a great place to work.”
Louise Thompson is Senior Interior Designer at The DL Company who provide office interiors, fit outs, refurbs across a variety of sectors. For more information, head to www. thedlcompany.com or call 0114 244 0202.
unLTD recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Joanne Wharam, Managing Director of SMART Support for Business, a Sheffield-based company that specialises in coaching accountants and helping to build effective teams for SMEs. Now celebrating a decade since starting SMART, Joanne sheds light on what inspired her to start her own business, the rewards of entrepreneurship, and what it takes to thrive in today’s competitive business landscape.
Hi Joanne, can you tell us about the ‘lightbulb moment’ which led to you setting up SMART?
After nine years of working as an employee offering coaching support, I began to feel that I wanted more. I had a passion and drive to help more accountants to get the results that they deserved by working more closely with them.
This time coincided with an accountant I knew through my paid role starting his own coaching and mentoring business at this time. This connection was invaluable, and he both coached me to identify my aspirations and supported me to work out what I wanted to do for my career. He then gave me confidence to start my own business by agreeing to be my first customer, meaning some guaranteed income.
At the end of my first 18 months in business, and for extenuating reasons beyond my control, a big contract ended, so I lost over 45% of my turnover almost overnight. I regrouped and refocused on building up my client base and fee income. Whilst challenging at the time, ultimately, I believe this helped me develop resilience.
As part of my ongoing professional development, I undertook a masters in psychology to continue to expand my knowledge and expertise. This negatively impacted on my available time for marketing and sales activities to bring in new clients. Having
graduated in November 2019, I had big plans for growth in the following year, but then COVID came along, so I had to regroup and refocus again.
I stabilised the business during this time by managing to secure a contract to do some work with my former employers as our working practices were more aligned and the work was all done online. At the start of 2022, I identified that the business was again overly dependent on one big contract.
To address this, I set a target to increase new client numbers, but having had a difficult two years previously due to family bereavements I only had a small pipeline at that point. But I engaged some help from a marketing coach and as a result increased my sales by over 30% in the year.
Can you describe your typical client and the types of businesses that benefit most from your services?
SMART was born from the realisation that too many accountants are working really hard, feeling overwhelmed and/or aren’t achieving the success they deserve. Our bespoke support packages combine our extensive knowledge and experience in DiSC with coaching and training in leadership and team development.
The result is a positive difference for clients: having the right balance for them, boosted business profits and enhanced connection and cooperation in their teams.
My primary target market is SME accountancy practices, but I also work with other business types from the solopreneur business to those with teams of no more than 10 employees
predominantly based in England. Ultimately, my passion is to work with those that find running their business overwhelming and spend all or most of their time serving clients and so don’t have time to focus on their own business and team. For many they are not earning as much as they would like to, and they have little time to spend with friends and family or doing the things they love. All of my clients understand that their people are their biggest asset but when it comes to people management and leadership they find this a challenge.
My coaching programmes are bespoke and delivered one-to-one with the practice, working alongside partners and their teams where it is needed and/or wanted. I share my extensive knowledge and experience alongside coaching and training in leadership and team development. I also support with building effective teams through my team training programmes, DiSC profile analysis and training and recruitment support.
How do you ensure that your team stays up to date with the latest trends and developments in the industry to provide the best support to your clients? Looking ahead, what are your plans for the future of Smart Support for Business?
I am pleased to say that I seem to be ahead of the curve in terms of technology within my coaching work. For example, I personally was using zoom for online meetings from the outset of my business, which was a real asset when the pandemic hit as I was already familiar and comfortable with the software. Even post-pandemic over 50% of my work is done using online meetings technology such as zoom and MS Teams.
Through my ethos of building connections with people, this means that I will also speak with other coaches, even if they are operating in similar markets to myself, and this means I keep abreast of things that others may be doing. The technology is ever changing within the accountancy market and I stay current with these by keeping an eye on the ‘press’ and through talking with trusted colleagues in the industry and attending events specific to accountants.
For more information on SMART, head to www.smartsupportforbusiness. co.uk.
All of my clients understand that their people are their biggest asset but when it comes to people management and leadership they find this a challenge.
Would removing non-compete clauses improve worker’s rights? Theoretically, they’re supposed to be in place for C-suite level employees to prevent them taking business secrets to competitors. So, is it necessary to make low-level workers sign non-competes too? Is it too harsh?
In the UK, all non-compete clauses in contracts of employment are void until a court says that they are necessary to protect a legitimate business interest. This means that where an employee disagrees that they are bound by a non-compete or other restriction in their contract of employment, the employer will have to take legal action to enforce the benefit of the clause that they seek to rely upon.
All too often, employers will have the same blanket non-compete clause from the cleaner to the Chief Executive and won’t necessarily have applied their mind to what they actually need. But is that fair, and does it offer the employer the protection that they need?
Arguably, it creates the wrong culture in a business, and it won’t offer the protection that the employer actually needs in the event of a valuable employee leaving. This is because the employer won’t necessarily be able to show that they have applied their mind to what they need in the form of protection from unfair competition by a particular member of staff or role.
It might be necessary for someone at a lower level to have a non-compete, but
is it necessary for them to have a non-compete that is as restrictive as the Chief Executive’s? Unlikely, in all honesty, and having the same level of restriction for the lower-level employee and the Chief Executive is definitely going to be unenforceable against the lower-level worker and might even make the Chief Executive restriction unenforceable too.
The enforcement of restrictive covenants is
judged narrowly, and a restriction needs to go no further than absolutely necessary to protect an employer’s business. Asking for something more will make the restriction unenforceable.
So, if you need noncompete or other restrictions in your contracts of employment, think about who you need them for, and why, before drafting them accordingly. Differentiate between those
employees, then make sure that the restrictions are put in writing, shared with the employee, and of course signed by them! Don’t forget to update restrictions as an employee climbs the corporate ladder, making sure you think about what you need and why at each stage, and updating the contract accordingly – and of course, getting it signed after each update!
Mental Health Awareness Week falls during May so we’ve spoken to Chloe Angus, Corporate Wellbeing Manager at Cavendish Cancer Care, about how mental health can impact the workplace.
Every May, The Mental Health Foundation bring together millions of people to focus on good mental health for all via their Mental Health Awareness week. This year it starts on May 15th with a focus on anxiety. Anxiety is a common emotion that we may all feel but for some it can become out of control, leading to a mental health problem. In a recent survey by the Mental Health Foundation, 25% of adults stated that anxiety was preventing them from doing the things they enjoy. Anxiety and mental health problems also impact the workplace in terms of performance, presenteeism, and colleague and customer relationships. Mental Health Awareness Week is a great opportunity for everyone to talk about mental health and reduce stigma. But mental health doesn’t just exist for one week a year and it’s increasingly important for organisations to take a proactive approach to mental health and wellbeing support.
5 costs of not taking a proactive approach to mental health:
• Mental health problems cost the UK economy at least £117.9 billion annually: that’s 5% of UK GDP (Mental Health Foundation and London School of Economics and Political Science).
• Missing out on an
improved ‘return on investment’ – employers who invest in the mental health of their team can expect to get an average return of £5 for every £1 spent (Deloitte, 2022).
• Talented staff leaving or not choosing to work for your company.
• A negative effect on employee engagement, morale and reputation.
• Unhealthy working practices, leading to ineffective work performances and customer complaints.
At Cavendish Wellbeing, we help organisations to improve their culture around mental health. We offer
workplace sessions on a variety of topics as well as Mental Health First Aid training. Here are my five top tips for a better mental health aware culture:
• Create a cross-functional wellbeing team to understand and help respond to the real needs of your staff.
• Train Mental Health First Aiders and Champions throughout the organisation, not just in HR.
• Model wellbeing habits, open conversations and vulnerability at all levels of the business, including senior management.
• Make signposting to services and resources clear and accessible.
There are so many great resources available online including apps and podcasts that can encourage conversation within the team.
• Consider KPIs and company policies (such as flexible working) that focus on supporting ourselves and others, not just for commercial goals.
Please get in touch if you’d like to discuss how we can work together for the good of your team. We deliver a wide range of wellbeing services to businesses and every penny you spend with us helps Cavendish Cancer Care to support more people in the local community.
Seven have reached the finals in eight categories, while The Source is up for Training Provider of the Year. In addition, three employers the academy supports are shortlisted for their exemplary work with apprentices.
Jessica Lindores, who helped transform business practice for her property developer employer Blenheim Park Developments, has two reasons to celebrate: she’s a finalist in both Professional Services Apprentice of the Year and the Advanced Apprentice award. During the pandemic, Jessica rolled out MS Teams, which is now used to run all house-building projects start-to-finish, saving the business time and money.
Two more Source apprentices, Laura Fieber and Scott Micklethwaite, are also vying for the Advanced award. Laura went from homelessness to a highly valued employee at Nomad Open Doors, the charity which got her life on track eight years ago. Now 29, she helps transform the lives of others struggling with homelessness. Skills honed in her Level 3 Apprenticeship are proving invaluable as she covers two important roles. Outokumpu worker Scott became an apprentice at 38 to climb the management ladder. He is now a section leader and believes that his
Level 2 and 3 apprenticeship qualifications have not only benefited his career, but have also boosted his team’s performance. Meanwhile, Health & Public Service finalist Katie Fearn rocketed from receptionist to a highly valued member of the nursing team at Porter Brook Medical Centre, whose apprenticeship final project made a procedure less painful for patients.
Aneeka Zarar, who went from angry former pupil with no self-belief to star employee at the Yorkshire Accommodation Bureau (YAB) in Rotherham, is an Intermediate Award finalist alongside fellow Sourcetrained apprentices Trinity Dalton and Joseph Elliss. Severe anxiety had blighted Trinity’s life from childhood. She was terrified of speaking
to strangers, but a retail apprenticeship at Rotherham fashion emporium Yella Brick Road helped her overcome her condition and find her future. Joe, 26, had to forgo his dream of success as a musician, but found another route via a Supply Chain apprenticeship with global stationery specialist Fellowes Ltd in Doncaster. Joe devised new work methods and is now a Junior European Buyer with major responsibilities.
Gemma Levitt, Joe’s mentor at Fellowes, has been shortlisted for her outstanding mentoring skills. She’s now UK Operations Manager and ‘pays forward’ the mentoring she received to help others flourish. In addition, Aneeka’s multi-cultural team at YAB is up for the Diversity and Inclusion Award, while world-leading Rotherham
manufacturer AESSEAL is gunning for Large Business Employer of the Year at the May 18 Magna event.
“All our talented finalists are proof of the huge benefits apprentices bring to businesses,” said Natalie Doherty, The Source’s Interim Deputy CEO. “Helping people reach their full potential is what we are all about, and in our 20th year we’re delighted to be nominated for an award ourselves. It’s a great time to get involved with apprenticeships. More young people are opting for them over university and higherlevel apprenticeships can upskill existing employees keen to climb the career ladder.”
For apprenticeships go to www.thesourceacademy. co.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.
What is your current role?
I am a Trainee Technical Coordinator in a foundry – we produce highly complex castings for many industries including aerospace, defence and oil and gas.
What does that involve on a day-to-day basis?
I’m involved in CAD work, designing methods for castings and 3D printing using stereolithography, working as part of the manufacturing team at the start of the process.
How did you get started in STEM?
At 16, I went to an open evening at the AMRC Training Centre in Rotherham and then came for an interview at Castings Technology International. I was offered an apprenticeship as a methods engineer. I really enjoy hands-on learning, making and designing things, so this was an ideal place to start in
OUR MISSION: TO ATTRACT, DEVELOP AND RETAIN A DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE MIX OF PEOPLE IN STEM CAREERS
engineering with longterm career opportunities. The apprenticeship gives me the opportunity to both learn and earn.
What qualifications did you take or gain along the way?
I left school at 16 with GSCEs and have built on those to achieve a Level 2 – EAL Level 2 Diploma in Advanced Manufacturing and Level 3 – Engineering Technician (Technical Support Technician). I am currently working on my Level 4 HNC in Manufacturing Operations which I am studying for one day a week while gaining practical experience on the shopfloor.
Why do you love working in STEM?
There are always new things to learn every day at work and the diversity of projects here mean that I am gaining new skills and experience
which contributes to my academic learning for my HNC.
What challenges have you faced in your career and how have you overcome them?
When I was 16, it was quite intimidating coming from school into a large company without any experience and being very unsure as to what each day would bring. The people I work with have helped build my confidence by pushing my boundaries, and working with different people in different departments has built up my communication skills and understanding of my responsibilities in being an effective part of the team.
What advice would you offer to someone joining STEM sectors?
Firstly, I would say that if you are open to opportunities it broadens the scope of your career, such as working in
different departments and understanding how they fit into the business. Take time to get to know your colleagues and learn from them as they will support your career journey.
What do you think we need to do as an industry to attract and keep more women in STEM?
Speaking as a 20-yearold female, it is important to have a clear career pathway that is reviewed and discussed regularly so that progress and concerns can be talked through and new options added, both in terms of personal and technical training. At Castings Technology we actually have more female role models than in some manufacturing companies and to see their career progression is inspiring.
To read about more about our work and female role models please visit our website at www. equalityinstem.org.uk/blog
The founder of Sassy Lash chats to unLTD about her passion for helping others thrive in the beauty industry and the inspiration behind her successful South Yorkshire based brand.
Tell us about your company.
Sassy Lash is a luxury lash brand and accredited eyelash training company. Our product range is designed to cater for all lash technicians, from the newly qualified to the most experienced. Sassy Lash is a community that brings people from many different backgrounds together. We have a real passion for what we do, driven by our extensive knowledge of the industry, and our fully accredited training courses provide the foundations for new and aspiring lash artists to thrive in the industry.
When did you decide to start up on your own and what inspired you?
I had dreamed for years about starting my own lash company and it was during the summer of 2020 that Sassy Lash was born, inspired by my beautiful eightyear-old daughter Saskia (Sass). My vision for the brand was to design and create the highest quality products at affordable prices, encapsulating a girly vibrancy whilst maintaining a stylish and luxury finish.
How has Launchpad helped you?
Launchpad have been a great help with providing business support and workshops when needed. Sassy Lash are currently in collaboration with Learning Curve who have recently acquired Whiterose beauty colleges, which means that Sassy Lash training courses are now accessible to students in colleges across the UK.
What are your hopes and aims for your business?
My aims for the business in 2023 are to expand Sassy Lash products through the wholesale market. We are currently stocked
I was delighted to work with Hollie; she is keen to make her business a success. Through Launchpad, I helped and supported her with business planning, marketing and access to funding. Her business is continuing to grow and I look forward to seeing where Hollie takes Sassy Lash in future.
in three wholesalers in Doncaster, Chesterfield and Rotherham and are in discussions with others. I also want to continue ensuring that lash technicians within the industry are supported by our training courses and guidance so they can stay up to date with the latest skills. Teaching students is without a doubt my favourite aspect of the job; I love watching them grow and become successful businesswomen.
Find out more by contacting Hollie on sales@ sassylashonline.co.uk or 07935 934606.
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.
So tell us about what you do on a day to day basis?
I manage our team of service engineers and four office staff. I started in 2013 as a service co-ordinator and was promoted to assistant branch manager and then this role, so I’ve worked my way up the ranks.
Describe your typical day at work…
My main job is to plan and organise the engineers’ jobs each day, which can change from literally the minute that we walk into work. So I oversee all that as well as manage the rest of the office-based team and help put together all the quotes for the work that comes in.
And what's your typical customer like?
It’s quite varied but currently we work with a number of supermarkets, prisons and schools. But we also work with smaller businesses and the domestic market as well, so we are very flexible.
The team management is obviously a core part of your role. What do you do to keep team morale going?
We actually have a pretty close-knit group herethis branch is a smaller team - so it's a bit easier in that respect. We catch up every Monday morning and have a team meeting to address any issues and discuss anything the engineers particularly need help with. It’s the one
day of the week when we all really get together. But we are a really close group and the engineers and the office staff all get along well. It's like a little family, really. I also try to organise social activities together every few months in order to foster that team spirit.
Have there been any great changes in your industry since you've been involved that have had a major impact on the business?
The gas legislation
changes all the time so certain refrigerants get banned due to their carbon emissions and we’ll have to make sure they are phased out. Ensuring the products are sustainable is something that has noticeably changed in the last few years, for sure.
Any exciting plans in the pipeline?
We have some big contracts about to come on board soon, so we’re expecting to need to expand the engineers
by two or three to meet demand, which is something we’re looking forward to.
If you are interested in investing in refrigeration, ventilation or air conditioning systems for your business, head to www.aircongroup.com or call 01709 367001.
The Peel Group announced that it would begin winding down operations at the airport back in October 2022, citing a lack of commercial viability as well as a struggle to attract major airlines and diverse flight routes.
Opponents of the closure, however, have repeatedly pointed to the potential economic impact on the region. Doncaster Sheffield Airport served as an important source of employment, generating jobs not only within the airport itself but also in associated industries such as hospitality, tourism and transportation.
Some argued that, rather than closing the airport, investments should be made to improve infrastructure, attract new airlines and expand the range of flight routes. It is believed that with proper strategic planning and marketing efforts, Doncaster Sheffield Airport could become a more competitive player in the UK aviation industry.
Mark Chadwick, who set up the SAVE Doncaster Sheffield Airport Facebook page, which to date has over 25,000 members, gave unLTD an overview of the group’s stance.
“Peel announced closure of this strategic asset in July 2022 - with no consultation or engagement with local authorities, business leaders, government or the local community.
DSA employed 800 plus people these jobs have gone there are 1900 other jobs lost at risk.
“If ran with a different operating model, DSA could be the driver it should have been for our local economy, equalling if not bettering other airports in the UK for cargo/freight. With the infrastructure on-site at DSA, long-haul travel has taken place with regular trips to the USA and this could be expanded to other destinations if operators were encouraged to come to DSA. There’s no other long-haul airport in the north of England this side of the Pennines.
“With the local road infrastructure that is in place, it is one of the best-connected airports in the UK and could make a big difference to the economy - not just of Doncaster and South Yorkshire, but the whole of the North of England.
“It’s a travesty that this facility has closed; the only people that wanted it closed was Peel. Our local authorities, mayors, MPs, business leaders, the companies based at DSA, and the community all wanted it open. Our Facebook group has over 25,000 supporters online and we are here to support our authorities to get DSA reopened.”
You can join the campaign the Save Doncaster Airport at facebook.com/groups/save.our.dsa/
The fight to save DSA Airport is well and truly underway, as this month the City of Doncaster Council has announced it will be entering crunch talks with owners Peel Group to negotiate a lease to run the airport.
The project to reopen the airport has been called South Yorkshire Airport City. In a statement released earlier this month, City of Doncaster Council confirmed the following details regarding the upcoming lease negotiations with Peel:
“Firstly within our last update we identified the current negotiations with Peel on the content of a lease which would see the council take over the site for a significant number of years; to note on the 26 April 2023; City of Doncaster Council received further notification from Peel on the content of this lease; our property and aviation advisers are currently working on a further response to Peel, City of Doncaster Council have requested a meeting between all parties on the 15 May 2023 to progress this matter.
Secondly, City of Doncaster Council are proposing to put in place planning restrictions (Article 4 direction) to ensure the airport site does not lose its essential buildings and infrastructure without first obtaining planning permission. The public consultation closed on 26 April 2023, and the council are now preparing a detailed report in order for the relevant cabinet member to make a decision on 19 May 2023.
Our third and final update is in relation to airspace, we have discussed previously
the importance of retaining our airspace; it is therefore crucial given the current lease negotiations are at a critical stage, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) are the organisation who have responsibility for managing the airspace; thus we will be writing to the CAA and the Aviation Minister over the coming days to stress the importance of our position and how we see our airport returning as a critical piece of infrastructure and economic stimulus for Doncaster, South Yorkshire and the North.”
This is probably not a question you ask yourself too often, and it’s clearly a very difficult one to answer. For instance, it’s hard to imagine that just ten years ago wearable tech was more likely to be found in a Marvel movie than strapped to your wrist, tracking your every step, but after sitting through an Avengers movie would you have predicted that’s where things were headed? And was your business ready to capitalise?
For Danny Tomalin, founder
of Sheffield-based software consultancy REYT, these sorts of questions are an ongoing concern as he strives to map the future of tech and its implications for performance in the action sports, outdoor and wellbeing industries he loves.
Hanging around on a skatepark in his hometown of Ossett, near Wakefield, his upbringing was far from a world of performancerecording tech, but he believes those formative years laid the groundwork for his successes today.
“I grew up in, let’s just say, an environment where opportunities weren’t always rife,” says Danny. “I always found myself on the edges of society, and that’s where I found the skate park. Just chilling, hanging around, skating. Not skateboarding, but inline skating is what we did.
“What it reinforced, for me, was that this is where the oddballs thrive. This is where we can be a bit different. We’re not necessarily academic, but we know how to get s**t done. It also taught me about
resilience. If you fall down, you get back up. That’s the vibe of it.
“I never went to university because that was never my path. I’m dyslexic, so when we’re talking about school, I was always in the bottom sets. I never let it hold me back. Dyslexia is my secret sauce. It makes me see the world differently. I’ve got a different skill set, which I use to my advantage. I’ll never have it be a hindrance.
“One thing that I always wanted was to do more and get involved with everything that was going on. I hung around with vagabonds for years, but I always thought, I can do more than this. At school, I used to bang on the head of year’s door and ask, ‘how do I move up?’, ‘how do I do product design and art?’ - stuff the academic kids got to do. I wasn’t allowed to do those things, yet I became a product design consultant, a strategist, and a designer.”
Instead of uni, at 16 Danny landed himself a job working for a film company that worked with inmates in prisons, helping them tell their story by thinking about what they’d done, while also teaching them filming skills, storytelling structures and editing.
“That was awesome,” says Danny. “I was working with people who I would actually see outside of a prison setting. I’m not saying I hung around with prisoners, but I was working with people who were like the people in my area, working in these environments, you see how fragile life can be and how easy it is to lose everything. It was familiar ground, whereas other people might have been scared in that situation.
“From doing that, I obviously saw changes in people, and that’s where, as a young adult, I thought, we can change our situation, we just have to decide to change.”
The change came when, because Danny was considered ‘a bit techie’, the company asked him to build them a website. For Danny, this was the path he had always wanted to go down. Absorbing everything he could and gaining qualifications along the way, at 27 he earned the chance to work for Sheffield-based tech company, Razor, as a designer with a broad skill set.
After four years excelling at Razor, such was their belief in Danny, its founders Jamie Hinton
and Steve Trotter offered Danny the opportunity to set up his own business, and this was how 18 short months ago, REYT was born.
“Jamie and Steve are incredible,” says Danny. “They care about you. They took me from someone who needed a bit of sharpening and they sharpened me way up. I saw Razor grow from a team of 8 to 50.
“At that time, I was maybe looking for a new challenge, but never was I thinking about leaving. They just took a punt.”
It’s one thing being offered the opportunity to start a business, it’s another thing knowing what you want that company to do! For inspiration, he looked back to his days on the skatepark and his love of action and adventure sports.
Danny explains, “I already loved the profession, but I didn’t necessarily love the industry, so I had to think, where can we position ourselves? I thought back to my days on the skatepark and remembered the vibe and the camaraderie that went along with it. It’s people I can relate to. There’s no terminology barrier and I truly love it.
“We were very lucky in the fact that our first job was in rock climbing. It was a mobile application with the world’s leading rock-climbing coaching company. It’s used by the best rock climbers in the world and that really cemented that this is where we wanted to be.
“We realised the technology doesn’t always have to be big to start a conversation. People talk about AR and VR but forget that there’s a transition. Recently, we got together
some of the world’s best climbers and invested our own time and resources into a free grading conversion platform, to say we’re not here just to take money out of the community. We want to give back and engage with you.”
The eGrader that Danny mentions here converts the traditional French grading of a climbing route, considering the danger involved, and converts it to the British E Grade system. Amongst the rock-climbing community, this technology has already caused a stir.
“We put it live a few weeks ago and the first day we had 10,000 users in 25 countries,” says Danny. “It got people talking. Some people liked it, some people didn’t. It got the conversation going, and we now have a platform to improve on. It wasn’t done from a commercial perspective, because there’s no revenue driver behind it, it’s about impact.
We want to inspire. I’ve got a daughter, who’s four, and I want to inspire her generation. I want her to think she can be an Olympian, no matter where she’s from.”
As well as being a driver for change, at its core, REYT is a software consultancy company, specialising in design-led product strategy, developing UX driven mobile and web applications. They leverage the power of connected devices to improve the outdoor sports they’re involved in, and Danny is at pains to point out that they don’t make websites!
Starting off in action and adventure sports, REYT has now diversified into the wellbeing sector, partnering with businesses on staff wellbeing and corporate wellbeing products.
“Wellbeing was never a sector that we saw ourselves in. But it’s something that’s always been truly important to me,” says Danny, “and it makes sense to us, because it’s looking at how we can get more out of the things you wear on your wrists. How can we take that data and give you something that helps with your overall mental health?
“We’re also working with researchers at Sheffield Hallam University to help women in midlife do more strength and conditioning exercises to help with the menopause, which is a completely different angle, but
it all falls under the inclusivity of REYT.”
They have also had the opportunity to move into mainstream sports, working alongside coaches and nutritionists to enhance what they already do. Danny explains: “They already have a proven process, so we’re not trying to change everything. We’re digitising that process for them or ironing out the flaws.
“We went to St. George’s Park last week and spent some time with the England under 21 coaches, to look at their processes. They’re going to be using our system soon. The response we got was really good.”
Danny has worked in Sheffield for five years now and sees it as the ideal place for his business.
“Sheffield is the heart of sports in this country. It’s the epicentre. We’ve got the Advanced Wellness Research centre, we’ve got the Olympic Legacy Park, where else has got that? Antony Joshua and Nicola Adams train here. We’ve got the Peaks on our doorstep. If you talk about sports in this region, Sheffield’s the place to be.
“Even though I’m from Wakefield, I love Sheffield and we’re all Yorkshire, aren’t we? Yorkshire is the beating heart of the business. We’ll always come back to it. We’re trying to support everything that’s already happening here. Thinking about how we can elevate things by creating digital products that have got potential.”
Sheffield and Yorkshire, along with Danny’s ambition run through the business, even down to the name. “I racked my brain for a name,” says Danny. “I was looking through a Thesaurus, trying to find the essence of the business. Nothing was coming, and I remember chatting to one of the investors, Rob, and saying, ‘this name, it just has to be reyt’, and he said, ‘what about reyt?’
“That was it. You only ever get Danny when you meet me, and to me REYT felt like authenticity, and the little anarchist in me is going, ‘let’s get people from London saying it!’
“It wasn’t like we came up with a name for a localised Sheffield business, we said, here’s a name that can actually be a brand and it can take us outside of our region.”
Already a team of five, soon to become six, REYT are constantly growing, innovating and looking towards the future. But was does the future hold for REYT? Danny filled us in: “We’re moving into more of an athlete’s performance space. We want to work with governing bodies in sports and we want to work with elite sports and management teams to modernise them and move them into the future of what sport looks like.
“We can’t do it ourselves. We don’t necessarily know the full future, so it’s about partnering with the right people and asking, ‘where do you see it going, because you live and breathe this stuff every single day?’ Let’s take badminton, for instance. What’s that going to look like in 10 years’ time? Do you have data tracking now? Yes, great. So what’s the next version?
“We don’t have a suite of off the shelf products. It’s not about that. We’d rather start small, do great work, go even bigger and do even better work.
“It’s a rollercoaster as a business. We have low days, and we have high days, but I’ll tell you what, we’d never do anything else.”
Through those ups and downs, Danny tells us the biggest thing he’s learned is the importance of unlocking the potential in people. He said: “We’re all good at something and we employ for the talent rather than the label of the role. The challenge is unlocking people’s potential.
“It’s also about understanding that if the person guiding the ship isn’t clear, then you’re going to hit an iceberg. I’m a mountain biker. That’s my thing. There’s a saying in mountain biking, ‘see the obstacle, acknowledge it, avoid it.’ If I stare at the rock all day, I’m going to hit it.
“We’ve got to be hot on our feet. We started out wanting to do action sports, but we had to look at where the opportunities were. We’re judged by our output and our outputs are incredible; the designs look great, the clients are happy to come back to us, so it’s already been a massive success.”
To get in touch and see how REYT can help you, visit www. reyt.co.uk
It’s been some road for Nicholas Brennan, one with plenty of twists and turns; but in his mind at least, it’s all useful experience keeping him in good stead for the daily challenges of running a business solo.
We meet at Lodestone HQ, situated in Crucible Works, Darnall, at a point when Nick is looking to make his first hire, with a couple more appointments planned for later in the year if all goes well. It’s a positive signifier in what has been a trying year or so, involving a not particularly amicable professional split with his friend and co-director of the business in 2022, something that naturally put a lot of strain on Nick.
“Having that conversation was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done,” he says. “When you go into business with a friend, you think it’ll be fine, even if things don’t quite work out. There might be some concerns, but you kind of get on with it. It got to a point where I felt that I wasn’t getting out what I was putting into the business, so I do ultimately think it was the right decision. Maybe I should have voiced my feelings earlier, but it’s just a shame that we don’t have a friendship now.”
While going through this process and facing up to the prospect of single-handedly taking the business forward, Nick found reassurance in his deep Christian faith. “I’ve got on with it and trusted in God’s plan. I always felt like I had God’s presence in my life; everything that’s happened
to me so far feels like He has been there with me.”
Growing up in a singleparent family in Liverpool where some types of support were at times scarce, getting the grades required to study philosophy at the University of Sheffield could be seen as an impressive accomplishment in itself. Talking about how much he enjoyed the move to South Yorkshire as a fresh-faced 18-year-old, there’s an admission of losing his way slightly while at university, the well-worn tale of too much partying, which in part led to a number of less-than-fulfilling jobs upon graduation - including a move to Rochdale to sell CCTV equipment, his first real foray into sales.
“It was pretty oldschool,” he says of the role. “Hammering the phones, making a quota of 60 calls a day. It probably wasn’t for me, but I did learn that sales is often about really believing in the product that you sell, and it was also a learning curve when it comes to the culture of companies, management styles and what works for and motivates me personally.”
From then on, Nick took up a position at Santander, working with the bank’s university networks and building up relationships with clients ranging from professors to international students, before being offered a secondment to manage a branch in Leeds. He explains how this was another important business lesson: “I quickly realised that I couldn’t
just focus on my strengths in sales, and I needed to start developing a more holistic approach to how I worked. I was really disappointed when that post wasn’t made permanent, but it was a valuable experience and my senior manager at the time advised me to do something in sales. That stuck with me when later applying for jobs.”
Over the next couple of years, some big changes began to take place in Nick’s personal life. A long-term relationship ended and a university friend who’d converted to Christianity invited him on a sports week run by Christian Vision for Men, an organisation focused on helping men find Jesus, who organised these active holidays at a leisure complex in Lanzarote. After enjoying himself the first time around, Nick returned the following year and something clicked.
“I’ll never forget it. I was having a conversation with this guy and I just felt different, like I’ve never felt before. I knew this was something that could change my life. I’d been living a certain way for a while - not necessarily badly, but just doing stupid things and feeling a bit directionless. So, I came back and did a Christianity Explored course, which is essentially where you study the Bible's claims, Jesus’ teachings and its relevance to yourself. I started to relearn a lot of stuff and began regularly attending church.”
Not only did the church offer spiritual guidance, but
With nods to the power of faith, family and plenty of sleeve-rolling, Lodestone Recruitment’s founder Nicholas Brennan talks to unLTD about his business journey so far.
I’m a big believer in what you put in is what you get out in the end. Now, that doesn’t always apply to recruitment because it can be very volatile; there are definitely a lot of ‘you win some, you lose some’ moments in the industry
it was also the place Nick met his future wife. Not long after their marriage, Nick put in a sabbatical at the bank he was working for and the couple spent an eye-opening period travelling south-east Asia together. “It felt to me like God was directing my life, changing my life for the better and putting me on the path he wants me to be on.”
A step into recruitment came next, taking up a sales position with Barnsley-based firm Kinetic, who specialise in filling roles in manufacturing, engineering and technical markets. Again, it provided ample vital experience, particularly when it came to the recruitment sector, and it was here that Nick first began thinking about becoming the architect of his own destiny.
“I’m a big believer in what you put in is what you get out in the end. Now, that doesn’t always apply to recruitment because it can be very volatile; there are definitely a lot of ‘you win some, you lose some’ moments in that industry. So, I found out quickly that I had to be quite thick-skinned, but
I also kicked on with building a lot of relationships with new clients. Kinetic were a nice company to work for, and I still speak to a lot of people there as friends, but I had two kids at the time and the idea of starting my own company started to grow stronger.”
When COVID hit, Nick volunteered for furlough, using the spare time to be with his family, mentally recharging and going out for runs as a means to clear his head. Feeling fully refreshed, it wasn’t long before he was in discussions with a friend about starting up their own recruitment company. In October 2020, Lodestone Recruitment LTD was officially incorporated.
Despite a good first year, and even though his business partner had contributed to where they were, Nick came to the conclusion that something had to change and opened discussions to buy out his business partner.
“It was a hugely difficult process and a real wakeup call for me,” he reflects. “Once that was all sorted, I had to formulate a strategy
of picking the business up, but I was confident that I could do it. I had a system in place and that summer I really got into the trenches and worked incredibly hard. It went well; I filled loads of jobs and kept clients happy - so much so that I was able to finish early in December, which was great as I was exhausted, and this gave me time again to recharge with my family.”
Even though plenty of positive progress has been made, Nick says Lodestone hasn’t been impervious to the challenges posed by Brexit and the cost-of-living crisis. He concedes that the start of the year was a slow one, and recruitment as an industry needs to see concessions made by both employers and recruiters to adapt to the challenges facing the marketplace.
He explains: “The cost-ofliving crisis has made better salaries high on people’s
priority list, while rising fuel costs have meant more people want jobs closer to home – or working from home – if possible. Good pensions are even more important for security these days. I think COVID lockdowns have given a lot of people time to re-evaluate exactly what people want from a job. So, companies today are thinking more about what candidates want; and as a recruiter, I need to be working hard to offer advice and getting the company value for their money - it’s not about taking a fee and running off into the sunset. My job satisfaction comes a few months down the line when you find out that the candidate is a good fit and you’ve potentially helped them into a life-changing move. That’s why we do it. When I am looking to build my own team, that's something I want to instil in new recruits to the business.”
For more information on how Lodestone Recruitment can help you, head to lodestonerecruitment.co.uk or contact@lodestonerecruitment.co.uk
Many of us dream of starting a new life and career overseas but few take the plunge. But when Holly Garforth took stock of her life during the COVID lockdowns, she realised it was now or never. In the autumn of 2022 she took the plunge and became a brand manager for AASA Group Dubai.
unLTD’s Phil Turner caught up with her to find out how she came to that decision and if it was a move she’d recommend…
Hi Holly. We at unLTD knew you from working in Sheffield’s Virgin Lounge prior to its merger with Yorkshire Bank. Tell us what happened to you after that which prompted you to up sticks…
After being the Events and Promotions Manager in Sheffield, I moved back to a different role in Hull as Cluster Manager, which involved looking after five branches throughout the merger between CYBG Group and Virgin Money, with a team of about 70 people. That was just as COVID hit, and so, like it did for everybody, it stripped away the luxuries of life. Holidays, nice restaurants, gyms and all those things that we're used to having
were gone and we were stuck with a very basic lifestyle. It gave me a lot of time to reflect on my career path and what I actually wanted from life. It's always been a dream of mine to live and work abroad and I'd never made it happen and that kept playing on my mind.
During that period, lots of things changed within my life in general, which led me to start researching and looking into different places in the world that I would like to work. Having visited Dubai before, it had always been a place I wanted to come back to and I moved out here in September last year.
What have you found to
be some of the benefits of moving to Dubai?
For me, what Dubai offers is it's a place where pretty much everybody speaks English, which makes living and working here easier for someone who, unfortunately, can't speak any other languages. There's also lots of direct flights here, so although you are a quarter of the way around the world, you're only ever an eighthour flight away from getting home, should you need to. That teamed with the weather, because I love being in the sunshine, the fact that income here is completely tax free, and the fact that this part of the world has some major corporations and
companies that have got a huge footprint, means the opportunities for people that want to work hard and grow their career is massive.
Lifestyle at the weekends is also important. If you're off, you can spend that time down at a local beach club, or just take your picnic down to the beach and have a day where you feel like you're well away from the working week. It really does feel like you're on holiday. It’s also super safe, which is really important to me. You can leave your laptop or phone in the open, while you get a coffee or go to the loo, and no one bats and eyelid.
So those are some of the
upsides, what were some of the difficulties and challenges of leaving home and moving to Dubai?
I would say the biggest challenges are, of course, missing your closest family and friends. I do things here that I would have never been able to do at home. For example, me and my friends will celebrate by renting a yacht for the day, which sounds so lavish, but it's normal here and it's not actually that expensive to do. I'm doing these things and I would love my really closest family and friends to be able to come here and do that with me. Missing people can be difficult, especially if you're having a bit of a bad day or a bad week. You can't just drive
around to your mum's for a cup of tea.
Were you anxious about starting again and having to make new circles of friends and connections?
Yeah, of course! I felt extremely anxious about that. I gave up everything to make this move. I sold my car and house. All my ties basically were gone. It was just me and five suitcases. You think, what if I don't meet nice people there? What if I don’t find people that are like me?
Dubai also has a bit of a stigma attached to it, unfortunately. There's this idea that it's a real blingy lifestyle that’s all about fast cars and diamonds and all that stuff. There is
that part of it, but there's so many expats here and so many normal, likeminded people who are here because they want to better themselves. They want to build a successful future for themselves. So like I've always done in my jobs back in Sheffield, I’ve thrown myself into it. You’ve just got to meet people. Now, eight or nine months in, I've got a really good circle of friends who I can call upon anytime and I'm never, ever bored. The anxiety is a valid feeling, but I think for anyone willing to give up everything to make that jump, you don't need to worry because you'll find your tribe here as well.
If you’re thinking about taking the leap and moving to Dubai here are some things you might want to know
You’ll be surprised at the welcome
There are so many expats in Dubai that you’ll find plenty of like-minded souls who have been in your situation themselves and want to be friends.
It’s super clean
And 99% of the time the service is amazing!
The work culture is different
People are generally very direct so it may take some getting used to – but stick at it.
There’s hardly any crime
People leave their laptops, handbags outside on benches and think nothing of it
Driving is a nightmare
Some of the roads have eight lanes and everyone constantly gets deliveries so there are always so many vehicles on the roads
It must have been a bit of a culture shock?
This country is a melting pot of about 200 different nationalities, and they all live together in harmony, which is an amazing thing. It makes you learn so much about different cultures and religions and how people work and live their lives. I love that about this place, but that also brings its challenges because how you need to communicate to adapt to people here and how you need to get things done is very different to how we do stuff in the UK sometimes. It can be challenging at times, especially because my Yorkshire accent can be a bit difficult to understand!
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The concept of employee ownership trusts (EOTs) is gaining popularity in the UK, with more and more companies adopting this model of ownership. Last month, unLTD did some digging into the advantages and potential drawbacks of making this move, speaking to a couple of local business owners who’ve undergone the transition in the process.
In a nutshell, EOTs are a form of employee ownership where a trust holds a controlling stake in a company on behalf of the employees. Possibly the most significant benefit of EOTs to a workforce is that they create a culture of shared ownership, which can lead to increased employee engagement and commitment. In turn,
these factors can result in improved productivity, higher job satisfaction and reduced turnover.
One of the most recent converts in South Yorkshire is sustainable catering company PJ Taste, which went live with the scheme earlier this month. After 17 years in business, co-founder Peter Moulam told us that it seemed the perfect way to
show staff how much they were valued.
“It’s about working together and not having a hierarchical structure to that ‘one team’ mentality. We’ve got members of staff who’ve been with us for fourteen years, and the majority have been with us between four and six years, so it feels like it’s the ultimate way to get staff involved, as
beneficiaries of the trust.”
Another advantage of EOTs is that they can help to preserve a company’s legacy and culture. When a company is sold to a third party, there is often a risk that the new owner will make significant changes that are not in line with the original vision and values of the business. By contrast, EOTs ensure that the company’s
ownership remains in the hands of the employees, who are more likely to be committed to preserving the company’s core values.
For some businesses, like Sheffield air conditioning experts Airmaster, the culture at the company already reflected the essence of what EOT models try to promote, and this was something they didn’t want to lose in a buyout scenario. After they transitioned in July 2021, managing director Lisa Pogson explained why the move seemed like a good fit for them.
“Airmaster is a family-feel business with a close-knit team; the ethos of employee ownership was already there. People in our team are passionate and keen to take it forward as a business.
We had the option of being bought out, but it felt like the ethos wouldn’t have stayed the same.”
On a financial note, a big plus of switching to this model is the tax benefits offered to both businesses and employees. For example, companies that are majorityowned by an EOT can benefit from capital gains tax relief when the shares are sold. In addition, employees can receive tax-free bonuses when the company performs well.
Peter explained that this was another motivating factor behind their decision: “Original directors sell their shares to the staff, so the business will be run for the benefit of the staff, and then there’s the opportunity to share profit in the form of
bonuses. I think the current legislation states the first £3,600 is tax-free per employee. Overall, it feels like a logical conclusion to the way we want to go as a business.”
The main disadvantage touted around EOTs is that they can be complex to set up. Establishing one requires legal expertise, and there may be ongoing costs associated with managing the trust. In addition, it’s said that the process of transferring ownership to an EOT can take time and require significant effort.
However, despite these considerations, Lisa claimed that the process of setting up the EOT wasn’t anything that couldn’t be overcome by a bit of determination, with the transition for Airmaster taking
It’s about working together and not having a hierarchical structure to that ‘one team’ mentality
just a few months in total.
“We had been advised it would take a long time,” she said. “But the solicitor we got involved explained that wasn’t the case and if you’ve already got that mindset, just go for it – and we have a can-do attitude at Airmaster! On the whole, we’ve had a positive reaction and the trustee board meetings we have now take an overview of what the business is doing. It provides that extra layer of making sure the decisions in the business are in the best interest of everyone.”
If you’re interested in learning more about setting up an Employee Ownership Trust, visit www.ownershiphub.uk or contact Colette.Harvey@ southyorkshire-ca.gov.uk
We asked Andy Froggatt from Royston Parkin, our unLTD finance expert, to give us the lowdown on Trust Law in under 500 words…
Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs) are a relatively new form of employee ownership in the UK. They were introduced in the Finance Act 2014 and were created to promote employee ownership by allowing business owners to sell their companies to their employees. The aim of EOTs is to help preserve jobs, promote long-term sustainable growth, and encourage a more inclusive and democratic approach to business management.
Under an EOT structure, the shares of a company are sold to a trust on behalf of the employees, who then become the beneficial owners of the business. The trust is managed by independent trustees and its purpose is to hold and manage the shares in the interests of the employees.
The benefits of EOTs include:
• Tax incentives: Business owners who sell their companies to an EOT can benefit from capital gains tax relief, provided certain conditions are met. Employees who receive a bonus payment from the EOT can also benefit from income tax relief.
• Improved employee engagement and productivity: Studies have shown that companies with employee ownership structures tend to have higher levels of employee engagement, job satisfaction, and productivity.
• Succession planning: EOTs provide a way for business owners to exit their businesses in a way that preserves jobs and provides a platform for continued growth and success.
• Enhanced reputation: Employee ownership can enhance a company’s reputation as a socially responsible business, which can be attractive to customers, investors, and potential employees.
There are some challenges to implementing an EOT structure. One of the main challenges is the cost of setting up and managing the trust, which can be a significant barrier for smaller businesses. Additionally, employee ownership may not be suitable for all types of businesses, particularly those that require significant levels of external investment or have a highly competitive marketplace.
The UK government has also shown support for employee ownership, with the establishment of the Employee Ownership Association (EOA), which promotes and provides support and advice to businesses considering this model.
From a tax perspective, there are also several advantages to setting up an EOT. For example, when a controlling stake in a company is sold to an EOT, the transaction is exempt from capital gains tax, which can result in significant savings for the sellers. In addition, companies that are owned by EOTs can also qualify for certain tax reliefs, such as the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS).
If you are selling your business now or thinking of it in the next couple of years, please contact me on andyfroggatt@roystonparkin.co.uk
WITH ANDY FROGGATT – ROYSTON PARKIN
Bringing in over £1 million for local causes since launching in 2008, each new Master Cutler of Hallamshire chooses a charity to support, with fundraisers given a £50 fund which they are tasked with growing into as large a sum as possible.
Dame Julie Kenny DBE DL is only the second woman in 398 years to lead the Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire. Her Master Cutler’s Challenge aims to raise £200,000 by September 30 for communityenriching projects at Wentworth Woodhouse, the Rotherham stately home she helped to save for the nation in 2017.
The Grade I listed Georgian masterpiece was crumbling into ruin when her fiveyear campaign with SAVE led to the purchase of the house for £7 million in 2017. Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust, of which Dame Julie is chair, is regenerating the house and changing the economic fortunes, and people’s perceptions, of Rotherham.
In six years, it has become a catalyst for change in South Yorkshire, supporting regeneration, providing jobs and workplace opportunities, and increasing diversity and inclusion.
Dame Julie Kenny, founder of award-winning Rotherham electronic security manufacturer Pyronix, commented: “I want Wentworth Woodhouse to be a catalyst for change - supporting regeneration, providing jobs and workplace opportunities but more importantly to be a place for the people. This house and what it can do belongs to everyone.
“At first, in the early days I thought of our task at Wentworth Woodhouse as saving a house – an important house for the nation but it is more than that. In the first four years we have developed into an organisation that changes lives and supports communities and, by the way, we are saving a house as well.
“I think we can change more lives and that is why I have chosen this charity to support in my year and I
The Master Cutler Challenge 2023 is back for another year and is currently looking for companies to take part in this year’s efforts to raise vital funds to support community projects at Wentworth Woodhouse
I WANT WENTWORTH WOODHOUSE TO BE A CATALYST FOR CHANGE - SUPPORTING REGENERATION, PROVIDING JOBS AND WORKPLACE OPPORTUNITIES BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY TO BE A PLACE FOR THE PEOPLE. THIS HOUSE AND WHAT IT CAN DO BELONGS TO EVERYONE
am grateful to you for supporting me in this quest.
“Each year the Master Cutler launches a challenge where each company or organisation involved is presented with a cheque for £50. Once you cash the cheque you can use that money as seed funding to see how much more you can grow that initial £50 into or keep the cheque and we will raise even more money.
“Over the next six months each of the participants use that time to raise as much money as they can. Some organisations do several small challenges, like a cake bake and a sponsored walk and some organisations do a large challenge like walking the three peaks for sponsorship.
“Some do a large event like organise a golf day and tournament or organise a garden party.
“It does not matter what you choose to do, and you can decide what suits you best. Whatever you do choose to fundraise, the team here are happy to support your efforts, and I would like to thank all the businesses signing up to the Master Cutler’s Challenge 2023, which will help Wentworth Woodhouse to change more lives.”
Rob Shaw, Managing Director at Glu Recruit, who have already
signed up to this year’s challenge, added: “We’re thrilled to be taking part in this year’s Master Cutler’s Challenge.
“Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust do so much for the local community, and we are excited to be able to give something back.
“We will be donating one per cent of all our permanent recruitment fees to Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust, for the duration of the challenge.
“The whole team have already started brainstorming fundraising ideas and I’m excited to share them with our network – hopefully inspiring other businesses along the way.”
Money raised will go towards
the Trust’s activities supporting low-income families, ethnic and minority groups and people with disabilities, including the creation of a Community Growing Garden.
Situated on the Drying Green, where for centuries laundry maids pegged bedlinen out to dry, a fully accessible space will feature raised growing beds, polytunnels and greenhouses.
Up to 20 local community groups will be able to grow their own food, develop gardening skills and friendships.
There’s still time to join the Master Cutler’s Challenge. Contact mastercutler@ wentworthwoodhouse.org.uk
In recent years, Hillsborough has gained a deserved reputation as an ‘up and coming’ area of Sheffield, thanks largely to a host of new businesses opening in the S6 suburb. UnLTD gauged the feelgood factor by speaking to some of the people behind a few of them…
Tell us about your business.
We’re a low-waste refill store. We provide a service for people to bring their own reusable containers and fill up on food, cupboard essentials and cleaning products. We also offer some reusable household alternatives to plastic-based products.
Why did you choose Hillsborough to open the shop?
Firstly, we live in Hillsborough and we selfishly wanted a refill store on our own doorstep. What we’re trying to do is provide accessible and affordable low-waste living to people and, of course, one of the first things that is required to do that is to make it close to people. Hillsborough was missing a shop like this.
Give us the lowdown on your business?
We’re a shop in the heart of Hillsborough that sell a wide range of products to cover everybody’s gifting needs. All the stock is either handmade or small business, with loads of it actually being made locally, which is absolutely amazing.
What excites you about the new crop of businesses in S6?
They’re all very passionate, which is really important, and they all love Hillsborough. Everybody really wants it to be a success.
You both have vast experience working in venues around the city. Why did you pick Hillsborough to open your own place?
AH: We both live in Hillsborough and we thought then, what we know now, that there was potential for more here than there was.
MDJ: I’ve always loved the buzz of Hillsborough. It’s always busy. A lot of people were saying we should open in Walkley or Broomhill, but it’s not quite the same.
How do you feel about being part of this new community?
AH: Great. I don’t know how much specifically it helps our business, but I think it’s just elevated Hillsborough in people’s minds. The same people who would say to us, ‘Why are you opening in Hillsborough?’ now say to us, ‘Oh yeah, Hillsborough is up and coming, isn’t it?’
Molly’s had quite an eventful start to life. Tell us where it all began? We opened the day before the very first lockdown was announced! We were originally a coffee shop, so we quickly took all the seating out and became grab and go. We were constantly having to adapt and change the business, virtually overnight, just to survive. My idea of having a quiet little café, where I could read a book in a comfy chair, never really came to fruition!
How has Hillsborough changed in recent years?
When I was little, I remember the wet fish shop, the greengrocers and little independents. It was always really, really busy. Over the last decade it seemed to recede a little. Then, with people working from home more, they saw that there are things in their local area. I don’t think you should be scared of competition; you should embrace it and work together.
How has the restaurant been received since opening last year?
Tell us about Pangolin.
We’re a craft beer bottle shop and bar. We serve draught and packaged beer alongside a selection of natural wines, a few little cocktails and some mega quality cider as well.
How does it feel to be part of Hillsborough’s recent resurgence as a destination?
It’s brilliant to be a part of Hillsborough’s business community. It boosts everybody, because you have customers that will use all the different businesses. You’re not so much in competition as the bigger the customer base is, the more custom there is for all of us. It’s a really great area to be in at the moment.
We serve honest food that truly comes from our hearts, and we feel that people really appreciate that. We don’t fake anything, and we are very proud to preserve the original flavours of Iran. It brings us a lot of joy to see that customers are genuinely curious about the original Persian ingredients we use and the traditions we try to showcase.
Why did you choose to open in Hillsborough?
As locals ourselves, we chose to open here because we felt that this area had huge potential, and we saw a few other great places opening here around the same time. We felt that we could be a good addition to S6 by offering something different. We are happy to see other amazing businesses opening here, bringing more and more colour to Hillsborough. We can’t wait to see more.
For this month’s local business showcase, we hear from Charlotte Scott, the founder of Sheffield-based sustainable sign company Sparrow & Thistle.
Tell us about your business – sell yourselves!
Sparrow and Thistle create bespoke hand-painted fabric signs for a range of events including corporate gatherings, networking events, weddings and celebrations. Launched with a desire and drive to keep traditional textile methods alive with a modern twist, we create unique designs to dress event spaces time and time again.
In my Kelham Island studio, I draw and hand paint slogans onto fabrics measuring up to three metres, taking pride in utilising skills and experience honed while studying fashion and textiles at Huddersfield University. The signs created by Sparrow and Thistle give event organisers the chance to put their stamp on the decor/styling of venues while also being sustainable.
Where did the inspiration to set up Sparrow & Thistle come from?
Previously working as a textiles teacher for six years, I was inspired to establish the business after finding it difficult to order bespoke signage for her own wedding. I
was in search of a unique way to style the venue and realised it was something I could do myself. After that, I got the ‘buzz’ to do more and made the decision to establish the business.
I love the texture of painted fabric signs, imperfections included, because they make a statement.
I’m very passionate about keeping traditional textile skills alive, and I’m a huge advocate for investing in such techniques in order for the industry to survive and thrive.
I currently have my sights set on using embroidery skills to expand the Sparrow and Thistle range in the future.
How does the process usually work when a client gets in touch?
I work closely with each customer to bring their vision to life, from concept to typography styles and display options. I’ll spend time understanding the brief before
getting the creative process underway. Depending on the size of the order, it usually takes around 10-12 weeks to get the finished product.
I recently created signs for In Good Company, a supportive network of female professionals in Sheffield, which will be used in The Mowbray. I regularly create signs for weddings, which can be kept as mementos, and Sparrow and Thistle has supplier slots with several wedding and events distribution businesses. We’ve also displayed signage at several showcases across South Yorkshire.
How can people get involved?
I’m very happy to discuss projects of all sizes and requirements, and I love to get involved from the early stages of planning. For anybody wishing to enquire about a hand-crafted sign, contact me on charlotte@sparrowandthistle.
I work closely with each customer to bring their vision to life, from concept to typography styles and display options
Sector: Pharmaceutical/Health
Sector: Property
Contract:
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The success or failure of a business depends on the decisions made by individuals at all levels, which can significantly impact the financial health of the organisation. Your choices and actions can have implications for the financial well-being of your company, and understanding how finance works can help you contribute more effectively and make informed decisions.
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Highlander are huge advocates of businesses taking every step they can to keep their data safe. After all, it’s one of your most valuable assets, and is crucial to preserving the longevity of your business. But while many organisations are already switched on to the risks that emerge outside of their business, another source of cyber risk is often overlooked – the threats posed by those inside your organisation.
The idea of an insider threat might seem like a sabotage story founded in fiction, but the risks are very real and can impact your business just as negatively as any of the well-known external attacks you might already be aware of.
Insider threats are often overlooked by businesses despite being a real source of cyber risk that can be just as detrimental as external attacks. Insider threats refer to security threats that originate from within an organization, which could be employees, former employees, contractors, or trusted third-party associates who have access to the organisation's data,
personnel, and systems.
The instigators of insider threats can be categorised into two groups: malicious and accidental. Malicious are those who intentionally seek to damage their organisation, while accidental are the result of employee negligence and inadvertent errors. Accidental insider threats include mistakenly sending an email to the wrong person, downloading corporate files on personal devices, or clicking on a malicious link from a spoof email.
Insider threats can have significant financial and reputational implications. There are additional costs for remediation, such as paying a ransom from a ransomware attack, compensation resulting from a data breach, and the loss of critical data or confidential information. Data breaches and cyber
attacks that result from insider threats can also cause reputational damage, eroding trust with partners, customers, and suppliers.
Organisations can take steps to reduce the likelihood of insider threats emerging. For instance, a strict employee offboarding policy where corporate devices are recovered and access to systems immediately revoked reduces the risks from former employees. Deploying appropriate access management can also help to prevent both malicious and inadvertent data exposure.
There are also tools, such as Microsoft Purview, that can help manage and reduce insider risk. Purview enables businesses to conduct an evaluation of potential risks and use machine learning templates to identify new risks earlier and respond faster.
Effective user awareness training is also a valuable tool in tackling inadvertent insider threats. Using a product like KnowBe4 teaches employees how to detect a potential security breach and empowers users with the confidence to act as a first line of defence.
In conclusion, businesses need to be vigilant about insider threats to safeguard their data and intellectual property. Taking proactive steps to prevent insider threats can go a long way in reducing financial and reputational damage resulting from data breaches and cyber-attacks.
If you’re looking to reduce the risk of insider threats in your business, or want to learn more about the tactics or tools above, please get in touch with one of the Highlander team.
Visit www.highlanderuk. com or call 0114 292 3800
Now is a good time for small businesses across South Yorkshire to prepare for renewing their business insurance, according to Alister Smith a director at IFM Insurance Brokers in Sheffield.
Over recent years many firms have changed and adapted their business model to cope with new ways of working and dealing with customers. Many firms have moved to online delivery, working from home and in some cases, are using existing equipment to manufacture new products.
Rising inflation has also increased the cost of goods and materials which could mean a business is underinsured when making a claim. For example, construction and building material costs remain high, although annual house building cost inflation slowed slightly at the end of last year to 12.8%, as the latest quarter-
on-quarter rise fell to 1.7%. The annual rate of increase, as measured by the BCIS Private Housing Construction Cost Index, now looks to have peaked at 15.3% in the second quarter of 2022.
It is therefore important that insurance policies provide the right protection, especially if a business has made changes to the way it operates and to combat rising inflation.
Preparing for renewal in advance is particularly important when the insurance market enters a ‘hard’ cycle, as it is now. This is when insurance premium rates begin to increase, underwriting standards tighten and some insurers reduce their coverage capacity.
There are three simple steps for local SMEs to take when renewing their business insurance.
1. Make sure you allow plenty of time before renewing your
insurance and don’t leave it to the last minute.
2. Provide as much information as you can to help the insurer understand your business and it’s exposure. Your broker can help you present this information in the most comprehensive manner.
3 Allow your broker to navigate the insurance market to provide the best possible coverage based on your risk profile and circumstances.
In these challenging economic times, a broker’s duty and value is to
remind business owners of the consequences of underinsurance and more importantly how they can take the right actions in a cost effective and efficient manner. What’s more, if a business does need to reduce its insurance cover to save money, its vital to engage with a broker well before the next insurance renewal to discuss which elements of cover can be reduced, and which elements must remain for their ongoing protection.
Many local firms are looking to better understand the risks their business faces, and to ensure they are getting the right bespoke cover rather than a package of unsatisfactory covers, which may not be effective in managing the risk or saving money. Therefore, it is vitally important to prepare for insurance renewals early, as it could deliver significant benefits, both in terms of cost and level of coverage.
Sheffield College staff are finalists in the catering and hospitality sector’s equivalent of the Oscars.
The Craft Guild of Chefs Awards recognise exceptional industry talent from apprentice and young chefs just starting out to seasoned experts established in their careers in hospitality, pubs and restaurants.
This year, there are 17 awards categories and the College is a finalist in two.
The Silver Plate Restaurant, which provides high quality cuisine to the public, has been shortlisted
in the inaugural Accredited College Restaurant of the Year Award.
Based at City Campus, the College-run restaurant offers fine dining lunches as well as gourmet tasting and guest chef evenings. The events often involve award-winning chefs who originally trained at the College.
Students learn the high professional standards expected by the industry under the supervision of experienced staff.
College lecturer Len Unwin, Curriculum Team Leader, Catering and Hospitality, has also been
shortlisted in the Chef Lecturer Award category.
Len said: “It’s an honour to be shortlisted in these prestigious national industry awards. It’s also fantastic
to see our highly popular Silver Plate Restaurant being recognised in the first Accredited College Restaurant of the Year Award.”
Len has also received the Silver Award for service to the Craft Guild of Chefs, which was announced at the organisation’s annual general meeting held at the Waldorf Hilton in London on April 23rd, 2023.
The winners of the Craft Guild of Chefs Awards will be announced at an awards dinner on June 1st, 2023, at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge in London.
A new Deputy Chief Executive has been appointed at The Sheffield College. Andrew Hartley started the role on April 1st, 2023, after holding several senior posts since joining the College seven years-ago.
Andrew said: “I am delighted to take up this role and have the opportunity to further contribute to the transformational work of The Sheffield College.
“Supporting young people and adults to acquire the skills and knowledge to help them achieve their aspirations and make a positive contribution to society is at the heart of everything we do.
“We are also committed to ensuring that the College is well positioned to provide high quality education and technical training to our students, employers and the communities we serve.”
Richard Wright, Director at UK property consultancy Commercial Property Partners Ltd (CPP) has become a Shareholder at the firm.
Wright joined CPP in 2018, bringing with him a wealth of in-depth knowledge of the national capital markets, to head up the London based team. With particular expertise in brokerage across the industrial and logistics sectors in the UK, Wright specialises in the acquisition, development and disposal of commercial property on behalf of a variety of private high-networth individuals, major blue-chip plc corporates, funds, property companies and developers.
Since joining CPP, Wright has concluded over £1billion investment transactions alongside fellow directors, including the £98m acquisition of a Sainsburys distribution unit in Tamworth last year.
Wright will continue to lead and expand the national capitals market remit in his new position, focusing on the Logistics and MLI markets. Wright recently concluded
deals with a number of key clients including Cabot, ARA Dunedin, Columbia Threadneedle, Clearbell, Industrials REIT, Vengrove and Railpen.
Commenting on the announcement, Wright said: “CPP offers a highly entrepreneurial and industrial focused firm, which I am proud to be part of.
“I am excited about the ongoing development and ambitious growth aspirations of CPP over the coming years in my new role as Equity Director, spearheading our capitals market offering.”
The UK arm of global M&A advisory firm Translink Corporate Finance has announced the appointments of Aaron Lowery as Assistant Director and Ellie Jacobs as Corporate Finance Executive to the firm’s Leeds and Sheffield offices respectively.
The double appointment comes just two months after Yorkshire-based BHP Corporate Finance and Midlands-based IMA Corporate Finance rebranded as Translink Corporate Finance.
Aaron said: “I am delighted to join the Translink team at such an exciting time
for the firm. The rebrand recognises the importance of our global network and the close working relationships we have with our international colleagues, and there is a very healthy pipeline of deals that will give me the opportunity to work with some exciting local businesses.
Ellie added: “I am so excited to work for a firm that really puts its clients and employees first. My new role will be varied, and I’m looking forward to not only sharing my financial expertise but also learning and developing my skills alongside the rest of the Translink team.
Sheffield care home charity Sheffcare has appointed a new Head of Quality Improvement.
Louise Beaumont has extensive experience within the charity and care sector, working with people with learning disabilities within a range of national organisations.
Her position with Sheffcare - a new new role within the charity - will see her developing new quality systems and ensuring that all nine homes within the Sheffcare family meet CQC standards at all times.
“I strongly believe that quality is the beating heart of any organisation,” Louise explained. “High quality informed care and support must always be delivered safely and with compassion in a culture of continuous improvement.”
Sheffield-based technology specialists Simoda continue to expand with 3 new appointments and two promotions in the last four weeks.
Bryn Hawkins has also as Cyber Security Solutions Specialist along with two IT apprentices on their IT support team.
Elsewhere, customer success manager Claire Hamer has been promoted to Commercial Manager and is responsible for the management of the Commercial Sales Team, and Helpdesk Manager Dale Lancaster has been promoted to Service Manager and is now responsible for us meeting customer defined SLA’s.
Mums In Need are seeking General Trustees and a Treasurer to join their board. The Sheffield-based charity are looking for enthusiastic and committed people to join their existing Board of Trustees on a volunteer basis.
Mums In Need offers a unique support service for mums suffering ongoing coercive control after separation from an abusive partner. They are a small charity with a skilled and dedicated team of staff and volunteers who offer an effective needs-led service.
To enable them to continue to make a positive impact in the community, they need a Board of Trustees who can provide expertise and guidance to support the delivery of services by their dedicated team.
Ideal candidates will have experience of one or more of the following – leadership, or the desire to develop leadership skills, financial accounting, fundraising, service delivery, strategy and planning, governance, human resources or IT systems.
The deadline for applications for both roles is Friday 19th May at 5pm and you can apply by emailing enquiries@mumsinneed. com, stating which of the above roles you are interested in. For more info head to mumsinneed.com.
With just £1K in the bank, Craig Burgess and James Sheriff established Genius Division from James’ bedroom in 2010. They told themselves that when the money ran out, they’d stop!
Since then, the company has grown from strength to strength. They supply branding, logos, graphic design, web design, and apps. Whilst there’s no set niche for their customers, many are local Barnsley businesses. Some are bigger brands such as Barnsley College, Barnsley Council, The Business Village, and Cannon Hall Farm. Others are smaller owner-managed businesses, but they also work with national and international organisations.
In the early days of their business, James and Craig were members of the Genesis programme. Run by the then BBIC (now The Business Village), it offered business advice and support. This connection meant that, as the company grew, it was a natural choice for them to move into The Business Village.
“We stayed at The Business Village for around five years before moving into the centre of Barnsley, says Craig, the company’s Creative Director. “At the time, we were the only tenant offering digital and web design services, so many of the other tenants became our clients. We also received support and client introductions from Kevin Steel, Business Development Manager. It really enabled us
to grow at a crucial period in our business.”
Genius Division continued working with clients at The Business Village from their new base. They also worked on a rebranding and website update for The Business Village. Over time, they noticed the positive changes taking place onsite, and decided to move back.
Whilst the free parking and 24/7 access are a bonus, Craig says they weren’t the main reason for their return.
“Kevin Steel is still here, offering business support and connections. And we can have conversations on a similar level with other tenants as they tend to be small, owner-managed businesses. There’s a friendly community here and the office space is competitively priced. Plus, when we opened the windows, it was
so calm we could hear the birds.”
Since returning, Craig has noticed there are now more digital businesses located at The Business Village, often coming across people he knows when walking around the building, and says it’s important to knock on doors for a chat while passing. He also says that net zero has helped change things.
“Net zero shows that The Business Village is trying to improve. It used to be a tired, 80s business centre. But now it’s the home of net zero. And there’s a new eco-friendly building, along with environmental upgrades to the older buildings. The centre is now a very different prospect.”
This year, Genius Division has seen more people struggling with the aftereffects of the pandemic
and cost of living crisis. They’ve seen huge layoffs in tech globally and some clients devastated by high energy costs. So their current strategy is to steady the ship and stabilise.
“The opportunity for collaboration and meeting new businesses is higher now we’re back at The Business Village. I think this will only get better over time as inperson meetings increase. The Business Village gives us the basics of a warm, well lit, secure office. The reception team do a great job and management run the centre well. It means we can get on with the job of running the business.”
Website: www. geniusdivision.com
Phone: 01226 664 664
Email: studio@ geniusdivision.com
We provide small businesses with a supportive environment that nurtures business growth with our wide range of meeting and office space in Barnsley.
It’s a stroke of Genius as the Yorkshire branding and digital agency comes home to The Business Village.
Last year, a unique crosssector partnership between Sheffield Business Together (Sheffield Chamber of commerce and Business in the community), Sheffield City Council, educators and employers delivered the Levelling up Futures in Sheffield project. The project was born out of a shared belief that your background shouldn’t determine your future and employers have a key role to play in raising the attainment, aspiration and work readiness of young people.
Businesses in the city truly embraced the project following a call to action to get involved in activities such as Careers Talks, Mock Interviews, Workplace Visits and Speed Networking. To date 619 volunteers from 152 employers, delivered 124 employer engagements to 7,220 students in 16 schools.
Highlights included a site visit to The Heart of the City Development with Henry Boot and HLM Architects for students at Longley Park College, Mock Interviews for over 150 students at Astrea Academy, a whole programme of events for National Careers Week at Bents Green Special School and a Speed Networking session at Sheffield College with unLTD. We also held a large event careers and employability fair with The Source called Source your Future, with over 119 employees taking part to promote their opportunities and talk about the skills needed for their sector.
The feedback from students, employers and educators has been amazing.
Our research partner KADA conducted a comprehensive evaluation
and reported that 82% of students who took part said the interventions helped to make them aware of the skills they require for the future and 94% said that talking to employers helped them to develop the skills they need to achieve their career goals. 100% of teachers involved believed that the project helped their students improve their employability skills.
Employers and volunteers also enjoyed the experience and cited benefits to them and the business, such as creating a talent pipeline for their business, strengthening the link between education and employment, upskilling their people and providing an understanding of the challenges facing young people. 100% of volunteers who completed the evaluation said they would be involved again.
Carolynn McConnell (Sheffield Business Together and BITC) who led the project said.
“The challenges faced by our young people since the pandemic are unprecedented. If we are going to move the dial
on social mobility in the city then we must work collaboratively and to our strengths to support particularly young people from less advantaged areas of the city. This truly unique and cross sector collaboration did just that. We can’t thank our delivery partners, the businesses, volunteers, schools/colleges, and young people enough for making this such a success.
To continue this great work, Sheffield Business Together will continue to partner with Sheffield City Council’s See it Be it team to do more of the same in 2023. Both organisations have worked closely together since 2019, developing a trailblazer pilot at Sheffield Springs Academy and Longley Park College to provide employer encounters
and experiences of the workplace to students.”
Steve Gibson from Sheffield City Trust notes the positives that mock interviews had on their employees.
“Our HR apprentice Maisie, who is only 18 herself, spoke about how her recent experience of the [same] mock interviews helped her. She was full of praise for the students she met and was particularly taken back when discovering that English was not always a first language with the students she met. It has given her a greater idea of the barriers faced for some of the students, barriers she had not previously considered.”
Join us to make a difference to a young person
We know from our feedback that employers want to get involved and we make it super easy for you to do so. We will provide a single point of contact, clear ask and process and onboarding support.
To avoid duplication each partner plays to their strengths with the See it Be it team’s Enterprise Coordinators engaging Careers Leaders in schools and colleges to determine needs, and then through our respective business networks we broker opportunities with employers to ensure students are receiving quality employer encounters, helping to raise their aspirations, and making them aware of the opportunities available to them in this city.
If you are looking to develop your talent pipeline, improve diversity in your recruitment, promote entry-level roles at your business, or simply give back to the local community, we can help contact
Weston Park Cancer Charity is once again turning Doncaster Racecourse purple when their Charity Race Evening, sponsored by Ant Marketing, returns this year on Friday 2nd June.
The Charity Race Evening, which has in previous years raised almost £200,000 towards cancer care, treatment and research, is back for another year of live horse racing, hospitality and entertainment.
The evening of entertainment and fundraising wouldn’t be possible without this year’s dedicated main sponsor, Sheffield-based telemarketing company, Ant Marketing.
Anthony Hinchliffe, CEO of Ant Marketing, holds the cause very close to his
heart having been a patient at Weston Park in 2017. Fortunately, Anthony was given the all-clear and is now a generous supporter and patron of the charity.
Staff from Sheffield-based business, The Soft Drink Company have taken on the challenge to combat Bog Commander, a mud run and obstacle course and raise vital funds for Sheffield’s leading older people’s charity Sheffield Churches Council for Community Care (SCCCC) whose mission is to combat loneliness.
The team, which consists of 6 staff members from The Soft Drink Company plus two spouses, will be braving the Derbyshire-based 6km mud run and obstacle challenge, that’s no walk in the park. Located near
Buxton, the course will have them climbing over natural and hand-built obstacles including the longest zip wire in the Peak District, a death slide and plenty of mud.
The busy team is headed by Lee Wilks, Warehouse Manager and husband of SCCCC’s very own Hospital to Home Operational Lead, Karen Redfern.
Lee said: “Having been closely associated with SCCCC for the last three years I know the impact they make on supporting vulnerable older people across the city with their free services. Our older
Anthony said: “Weston park saved my life. I was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2017 and was treated at Weston Park Hospital. The treatment and
support I received was just incredible and to be able to give something back to the charity which will go on to provide support to others means so much to me.”
communities are often forgotten about so by taking part in this event we can highlight the fantastic work the charity and its volunteers do.”
The company are
sponsoring their staff to take part in the challenge and to support the work of SCCCC. If you would like to sponsor the team or donate to the charity head to scccc. co.uk.
A Sheffield law firm has launched a new service to help support the charity sector recovery from several years of challenging operating conditions.
The pandemic and the cost of living crisis has led to some charities struggling with staff retention and so Bhayani HR & Employment Law has appointed Charlotte Swinhoe as its charity engagement partner to work closely with charity leaders.
Charlotte said: “It has been a difficult few years for charities, particularly with regards to employment issues. Recent figures suggest around 46 per cent of staff are due to leave their current roles with a charity.
“This makes operating a charity for its leaders extremely challenging and diverts attention away from their primary objective of raising money for their specific cause. My role will be to help guide leaders through areas we’re experts in and allow them to concentrate on the equally difficult task of fundraising.”
One of Charlotte’s first initiatives is to host a Charity Leaders Forum which will provide an opportunity for leaders to gain advice and information from employment, HR and Recruitment professionals, as well as a chance to share experiences with peers in the charity sector.
The first forum, on Tuesday May 9 at Wentworth Woodhouse in Rotherham, will focus on Equality, Diversity and Unconscious Bias – with an overview of the Equality Act 2010 legislation and best practice tips to prevent discrimination and how to ensure that Equality and Diversity is embedded within a charity.
To book the Charity Forum at Wentworth Woodhouse on May 9 visit https://bhayanilaw.co.uk/events/
Bank Holidays nearly every week this month – does anyone else feel like a complete part-timer? It’s lovely to take advantage of extra time with friends and families, growing relationships, creating memories and de-stressing from work life.
UnLtd Magazine has spoken to Zoe Croot from the Fun Hub CIC this month. Zoe is a fireball of energy based in Maltby, Rotherham, who works in the community to make life better for hard working families and residents. We started working together at the end of 2022 when Zoe had the idea to extend her holiday club provision and work with Maltby Town Council to deliver more services for the community of Maltby.
Zoe is already an accomplished business owner, so it wasn’t necessary to undertake basic business planning and compliance checking with her, but what we needed to know was which projects
Give
she wanted to fund, then we decided how to fund them and determined a funding strategy.
We were able to propose funding from the National Lottery for the food van she wanted on the road distributing food to people who don’t necessarily qualify for foodbank tokens. Zoe was also keen to secure funding for a Warm Space where all Maltby residents can come to combat loneliness. Voluntary Action Rotherham were awarding funding for this very thing at the time, and we were able to secure funding to achieve this.
Zoe is now keen to fund a provision for SEND children in the community and is working closely with other non-profits to secure the knowledge and skills to deliver this. The grant funding will be secured to ensure that this is achieved.
For any help and guidance on determining a funding strategy for your non-profit, please contact me.
Children who need emergency medical care will benefit from a new £6m helipad on the roof of Sheffield Children’s Hospital thanks to the generosity of the public, charities and local businesses supporting The Children’s Hospital Charity.
The new helipad will reduce delays for patients who need urgent critical care from across South Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire, and offer privacy and dignity. Sheffield Children’s is one of only five dedicated Major Trauma Centres in England, and is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Air
ambulances currently have to land in Weston Park, where trauma patients are then stretchered across a
busy road under a police escort before entering the Emergency Department. The £6million barrier
was broken by The BNA Charitable Trust with a donation of £50,000, and Westfield Health who donated a total of £95,000 towards the helipad, with their final donation of £50,000 in March 2023.
National charity HELP Appeal donated an incredible £2,818,500 in total - the largest contribution to the Helipad Appeal. Working with The Children’s Hospital Charity since 2014, the HELP Appeal is the only charity in the country dedicated to funding hospital helipads, relying solely on support from public donations.
This June, Rotherham town centre will host a festival of colour, conversation and culture as WOW Women of the World Festival Rotherham returns for a second year.
After the success of last year’s inaugural event, WOW Rotherham, which celebrates women, girls, and non-binary people, is back with a new location on Saturday 10th June.
The town centre will become a festival hub, with a variety of free creative workshops, performances, and talks taking place in All Saints Square and various venues on High Street and Imperial Buildings.
At the heart of the festival will be the WOW Marketplace in the Minster Gardens, with a mix of stalls from female-led businesses selling everything from spices to slogan t-shirts.
For more information, follow @WOWRotherham on Facebook or visit wow. fluxrotherham.org.uk
Hi Zoe. Can you start by telling us a little bit about The Fun Hub?
Fun Hub is a CIC set up to provide much needed support and services for our communities; That could be financial support through access to our community pantry, affordable activities for children, or help with directing people to financial support. We work with families to meet their needs, so they can access things even though there’s a cost of cost-of-living crisis.
Why did you decide to set up the charity?
I came out of teaching to run a chain of children’s nurseries. Particularly since the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis, we’ve seen more and more families that are in desperate need of support; Be that financial or be that mental health. We got involved with local authorities through the HAF programme, which provides holiday activities with the aim to make free places available to children eligible for benefits-related free school meals. We then set up a community pantry and we’ve just managed to secure quite a large amount from the Big Lottery to purchase a refrigerated van, so we’re going out into the community. Where we’re different is that we’re not means tested like food banks are.
What’s been the biggest change since the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis?
I’ve now got doctors, nurses, professionals whose childcare bills are near £1000 a month, and they need help. I’ve got parents that are working 50 to 60 hours a week and still can’t make ends meet. This is why the Fun Hub was launched.
As well as the community pantry, what events do you run?
We offer holiday clubs delivering fun and educational activities to young people during the school holidays. We also managed to obtain some funding from the Open Up project, so we’re currently bringing the old and new together with afternoon teas, which has proven very successful – We had 90 families last week. We’re
trying to get the elderly out as well, trying to get all the generations to come together. It’s also to try and make life a bit more fun and enjoyable.
What’s next for the Fun Club?
The next steps are going to be a SEND unit for children with medical needs. We will be opening and launching a family hub where families with children with special educational needs can attend on a daily basis to get that support. We’ve also just put in for some funding to put youth workers back on the streets to help teenagers in our areas and tackle antisocial behaviour. Get
/ funhubactivities.co.uk
We will be opening and launching a family hub where families with children with special educational needs can attend on a daily basis to get that support.
Last month, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) released figures on sickness absence in the UK labour market. The headlines made grim reading, but, as ever, it’s wise to delve into the statistics for the real story.
The main points revealed that the percentage of working hours lost because of sickness or injury had risen by 2.6 per cent in 2022, a 0.4 per cent increase on the year before, and the highest since 2004 when it was 2.7 per cent.
Not exactly good news, especially when set against the estimated 185.6 million working days that were lost due to sickness and injury in 2022. This was a record high, and the most common reason was minor illnesses, accounting for 29.3 per cent.
But is this any surprise given we’re only just getting back on track after COVID-19?
It’s easy to look at these figures and see problems but let’s break it down.
In 2022, we were still experiencing the effects of the pandemic, and on the back of furlough ending, shielding and
social distancing ending and the great return to offices, it is not a surprise that the sickness absence figures have risen; likewise, with COVID-19 more people have taken sick leave for cold-like symptoms and other minor illnesses to limit transmission around colleagues.
It’s also important to note that the definition of sickness is no longer black and white and more people, with access to flexible working policies, are less likely to take sick leave for illnesses when they can work from home.
While this allows people with minor illnesses to remain productive at home, we suggest that employers have clear flexible working and sickness policies to ensure that employees do not feel pressured to work when they should be taking sick leave instead.
Ultimately, it’s important for businesses to allow their employees restful sick leave so that sickness absences decrease in the long-term.
The ONS also noted that the highest rates of sickness absence were reported
in women, older workers, those with long-term health conditions, part-time workers and those working in care, leisure, or other service occupations.
It’s therefore important that workers with other responsibilities, like parents who take sick leave for their children’s illnesses, and those with long-term health issues have strong support in place. These people may account for higher sickness rates but there’s good reason for it.
The same can be said for those working in care and other public-facing service occupations, as perhaps they are more susceptible to catching illnesses from other people, but they need to be able to recover fully from illnesses before going back into work to ensure they don’t need to take additional sick leave.
A lot of this is common sense, but I think it can be easy for businesses in the region who are shortstaffed and struggling with recruitment to forget that the long-term impacts outweigh the short-term ones.
It’s for these reasons that all businesses should have clear hybrid working policies as well as sickness policies so employees are supported. Clear boundaries between work and rest need to be made, too, so that people aren’t working from home when they should be taking sick leave.
Chamber members can access HR advice and support on these topics and more through their membership.
Not only is this vital for staff wellbeing and retention, but it is also important for potential new employees to know and understand when it comes to recruitment and growth.
