It is absolutely incredible to think that we are now into the second quarter of 2023!
The publication of the last Yorkshire Business magazine from the Chamber now seems to have occurred many centuries ago, with weeks flying by like seconds.
With good reason. The pace of post pandemic life was always going to be noticeably faster as the world tries to readjust to the new normal. 2022 will certainly be recorded by the historians as a year in which events made life very challenging indeed for businesses and individuals. The soaring costs and steep rises in inflation and interest rates made for something of a perfect storm for so many.
However, with 2023 showing no sign of a decrease in the rate of knots we are travelling, there do seem to be some glimmers of hope on the horizon. The recession we were predicted to endure has not materialised and inflation is forecast to significantly decline by the end of the year. Similarly, our latest Quarterly Economic Survey showed that firms in our region are increasingly optimistic about their future prospects.
This is all an incredible testimony to the resilience and ingenuity of our region’s business community. We have been through the ringer this past few years, with seemingly a never-ending cycle of calamities dominating our lives. None of us will be so naïve as to begin celebrating just yet. This optimism is yet to filter down into actual improved trading. But there does seem an increasing likelihood that a muchdeserved period of stability may finally be within our grasp. We await it with cautious optimism.
February saw us celebrate our Leeds Chamber Annual Dinner. In a departure from convention, we moved towards a more informal approach which incorporated street food and contemporary dance. The real highlight however was the ‘Leeds Voices’ sections which brought leading figures from our city’s cultural, sporting, business and political institutions to the stage to talk up the region. With Leeds 2023 in full swing, it could not have been more perfect. Now, all eyes are on the York & North Yorkshire Chamber for its Annual Dinner in a few weeks.
It is moments like this that allow us to take rare opportunities to sit back and reflect on where we are. Life is so hectic in business that we so seldom do, and it is so important that the Chamber demonstrate how important out network can be to you, the business community. No matter what happens to the economy we are here for you. Whether it is HR advice, debt recovery, legal counsel, marketing opportunities or simply to join in a community of dedicated fellow entrepreneurs, the Chamber’s door is always open.
We will continue to lobby for your interests at every level and share in your challenges and successes at every stage.
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West & North Yorkshire Business is a quarterly business magazine produced by the West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce. The audience for this publication is comprised of a targeted audience of the major decision makers and senior executives across both the Yorkshire region and the wider UK business community.
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Last year, UK house prices increased by 9.8%. The average price for a house purchase was £294,000 - £26,000 higher than in December 2021. Private rental prices are also growing at record highs. January 2023 saw the ninth consecutive month of record rental rises – 4.4%.
This is simply not sustainable and shows that something needs to be done to counter-act the situation. In Bradford, the average house price sale was £187,000, with prices rising at 6% on the previous year. While developers need to be able to build and make profits, there also needs to be measures in place that assist young people looking for their first home.
This is a long-standing issue that cannot be solved within these pages, but I know that bodies like the National Housing Federation are putting time and effort into it (which I am sure that our local Property Forums will be closely watching). Whether its reform of the rental market, an overhaul of property taxes and mortgages, or creating more affordable housing and changes to section 106 agreements and the Community Infrastructure Levy – or all three – change is needed.
I hope that you enjoy reading this issue of the Chamber magazine, and the many good news stories that are in it.
Victoria Wainwright President Bradford ChamberManningham Housing Association (MHA) has been officially reaccredited for its commitment to diversity and inclusion with BS 76005 certification, awarded to organisations that promote a culture which recognises and celebrates people’s differences.
The Centre for Assessment assessor wrote: “Diversity and inclusion is deeply embedded in the DNA of the organisation, the association was founded 35 years ago and it is clear that those principles have not only endured over the decades, the sense of inclusion has increased as the organisation reaches out to wider communities.”
He praised MHA staff for taking proactive roles in supporting residents and tenants, efforts he described as: “Visible on a daily basis whether through the benefits advice provided or advocating on behalf of those on universal credit or applying for council tax and pensions.”
Accountancy firm Watson Buckle helped children at Sandal Primary School learn about accountancy at the school’s Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM) fair.
Gillian Craven and William Scrimshaw visited the school to share their experiences of being accountants at one of Bradford’s independent firms and explained to kids from nursery to year six what their roles involved.
Gillian, a Director at Watson Buckle, said: “It was great meeting so many young people with a strong interest in STEM. We spoke to a lot of students of all ages about what we do, and our importance within the world of work.
“It was interesting to hear what they did and didn’t know about accountants, and we hope we can spark the interest of some of the children who attended.”
Food industry training experts Verner Wheelock are introducing two new courses for 2023.
Managing Vegan Requirements has been developed to help managers understand what constitutes a vegan product, how to comply with vegan requirements and how to implement production controls to maintain product integrity. It follows the success of two wellestablished courses Managing Food Allergens in Manufacturing and Legal Labelling.
Managing Director, Alison Wheelock, said: “The market for vegan products has grown considerably in recent years. This course will help manufacturers to ensure that the food they produce is 100 percent vegan.”
New course Enabling a Positive Food Safety Culture incorporates the food safety culture requirements of the BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety and is designed for anyone with a leadership, managerial or supervisory role within the food industry. It communicates the benefits of a positive food safety culture and assists delegates with its implementation.
Alison added: “The emphasis on a positive food safety culture has confirmed our belief that this is essential training for food businesses, whatever their size.”
Both one-day courses are certificated by Food and Drink Qualifications (FDQ) and are available on-site or remotely. In-house training is also available.
Bradford College joined National Apprenticeship Week, celebrating and showcasing the incredible benefits apprenticeships bring, with this year’s theme, ‘Skills for Life’.
Bradford College has experience delivering apprenticeships including healthcare, construction, engineering, dental, motor vehicle, early years, hairdressing, and teaching. Professional Services apprenticeships include business administration, team leader & management and customer service.
Last year, Bradford College was awarded the title of West Yorkshire Apprenticeship Training Provider of the Year at the first-ever West Yorkshire Apprenticeship Awards. The College supports up to 1,600 apprentices across approximately 900 employers at any one time in Bradford and the wider Leeds City Region and beyond.
Across the years, Rance Booth Smith Architects has been responsible for the design and restoration of key regional buildings and units, including the Maternity Unit at Bradford Royal Infirmary in 1991, the Saltaire United Reformed Church Restoration, the new Atrium at University of Bradford, and the first new building in Saltaire in 129 years, The Jonathan Silver Building.
“Our journey has been one full of innovation and adaptation. Our success in navigating this journey can be accredited to our excellent team, partners, contractors, and associates; many are long standing relationships.”
The firm also prides itself on its commitment to development and learning amongst its team and aspiring architects and in 1998 was the first Architects in Yorkshire and Humber to achieve the Investors in People Award.
Bradford City AFC recently strengthened ties with main club partner University of Bradford, as part of the two organisations’ long-term strategy of unlocking community opportunities across the district. City’s director of brand, marketing and media, Luke Flacks, delivered a guest speech and presentation at the university, to international business, marketing and strategy students. The session offered help on upcoming projects, by providing an insight into real-world industry experience in the sports marketing sector.
Post-assignment, the top-graded students will be invited to The Jack Tordoff Boardroom at the University of Bradford Stadium next year, to present their findings to club staff and the university’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Shirley Congdon.
When it comes to Leeds and its success, it can take on many forms. Whether it be the announcement of new jobs, victories on the sports field or revelling in our cultural excellence, we do it all in this city.
At this year’s Leeds Chamber of Commerce annual dinner, we decided to bring together all of glories at a fantastic night at Headingley Stadium.
Gone were the tuxedos and formal speeches and in were the voices of those that make Leeds so special.
We had the pleasure of hearing from Sharon Watson, principal of the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, as well as Sanchez Payne and Sophie Lundgren from Leeds 2023, who were able to talk authoritatively about the city’s cultural excellence.
Later in the evening we listened to the views of Yorkshire County Cricket Club’s Stephen Vaughan and Yaseen Mohammed, as well as Leeds Rhino’s Rob Oates, who related their experiences of running global sporting icons from the city.
What united all of these disparate voices, other than their obvious love of the city, was their understanding of how business underpins everything they do and the role it plays in ensuring their success.
Myself and my Chamber colleagues were bowled over by the warm and enthusiastic reaction to our new format. If anything the evening showed how the Chamber is the stitching that brings all of our institutions together.
Like all cities, Leeds has its share of challenges but with so many positive developments on the horizon, and Leeds 2023 now in full swing, it feels like we are starting a new and exciting chapter for the city – one that will hopefully enhance our presence on the international stage while at the same time bring everyone along for the ride.
Mike Briffett President Leeds Chamber
Staff at Leeds College of Building are elated after an unprecedented flurry of student award successes - with female students leading the way.
Medallists at the SkillBuild UK National Finals 2022 were announced after nearly 80 construction trainees went head-to-head over three days. The finalists underwent a seven-month process of regional heats and intensive training before competing in the national finals at Edinburgh College.
At a special award ceremony presented by Steph McGovern in her Packed Lunch studio, a Leeds College of Building student took gold medal position at the largest UK multi-trade competition for construction trainees and apprentices.
Zara Dupont, a Leeds College of Building Interior Systems/ Dry Lining apprentice at Sparta Systems Ltd, received gold in the Plastering and Drywall Systems category. Zara has already enjoyed an exceptional year after winning the overall Governor’s Award at the College annual BIG award ceremony.
Often dubbed the ‘Skills Olympics’, the competition is delivered by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) in partnership with WorldSkills UK and offers a chance for trainees to compete in a bid to be crowned winner of their chosen trade.
Zara said:“I wasn’t expecting it, but I was hoping I would do well this year as I thought I did so much better than after entering SkillBuild last year. Seeing my name for gold left me a little speechless and shocked. Having this under my belt will hopefully give me a step ahead in life.”
The SkillBuild UK success came soon after Leeds College of Building student Rebekah Woodend was pronounced BTEC Construction Learner of the Year in Pearson’s 2022 BTEC awards. Rebekah is studying a BTEC Higher National Diploma (HND) in Construction & the Built Environment (Surveying). She is a mother of two young children, in fulltime employment, and a carer for her partner.
The week prior, a Leeds College of Building Level 6 Civil Engineering Site Management Degree Apprentice employed at BAM Nuttall Ltd was named the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT) Apprentice of the Year. Alisa Ahmad completed her Level 5 Apprenticeship in Civil Engineering in June before achieved an EngTECH MICE professional qualification shortly after.
Vertically Urban launch Horti-Blade™ HE, an opexbusting version of their popular led grow light, a new member to the fold, designed to reduce the operating costs of vertical farm lighting. The new model represents a leap forward in output and energy efficiency. This innovation consumes up to 26% less energy to achieve a given PPFD when compared to a standard installation.
Andrew Littler, Vertically Urban’s CEO, said: “Whilst all our Horti-Blade™ models have been developed with energy efficiency in mind, the new ‘HE’ model takes
this focus to a new level. As a result, we can now slash lighting OPEX for our growers by up to 26% through changing the luminaire alone.”
Like the rest of the family, Horti-Blade™ HE is an ultraslim, advanced LED grow light, designed for vertical and indoor farming applications. Manufactured in the UK by Vertically Urban’s dedicated team, each member of the Horti-Blade™ family is just 8mm thin and combines the latest in LED technology with custom optics to ensure the maximum number of useable photons reach the crop.
Clarion’s rapid upward trajectory is continuing with the firm once again achieving double digit growth, seeing turnover rising by 16% from £23.2m in 2021 to £26.9m last year. As the firm strengthens its client base both nationally and internationally, it has also seen team numbers increase, welcoming its 300th colleague.
Roger Hutton, Joint Managing Partner said: “We’ve always had big ambitions and having proved our ability to rival the large national firms with offices in Leeds, we are increasingly winning work not only from London and across the UK, but also internationally as, postcovid, businesses look for the best value advice, regardless of location.
“With Leeds successfully establishing itself as the main UK legal hub outside London, we’re seeing an interesting dynamic with many talented lawyers looking beyond the capital and seeking challenging career opportunities which can also deliver a better quality of life.”
At First Intuition, we pride ourselves on our ability to create a warm and inviting environment in which aspiring accountants can flourish. First Intuition’s Accountancy Academy plays a pivotal role in ensuring we consistently achieve this aim.
Our hugely popular First Intuition Accountancy Academies were launched in Leeds back in 2017. Since then, they have given many 16-18-yearolds from schools, academies, and colleges across Yorkshire the opportunity to find out what a career in accountancy is really about.
Our ability to shatter the usual myths (Isn’t accountancy boring? Isn’t it just grey suits and briefcases?) is, we believe, how we will attract the next generation of accountants. It shows ambitious teenagers the full breadth, range and variety of the roles accountancy offers and the different ways they can turn their interest into a fulfilling and rewarding career.
Airedale by ModineTM, the critical cooling specialists cemented its position as a world class company following a year of domestic and international success, taking home the award for “International Business of the Year” at the Yorkshire Post Business in Excellence Awards.
Darren Farrar, Global Head of Marketing for Airedale, said: “This award is credit to the expertise and dedication of our skilled teams, in Leeds and at our plants in Co Durham, Spain, Mississippi and Virginia, US.
“In 2019 we won Manufacturer of the Year and announced our intention to ‘go global’, with investment into both the research and development of our products, and staff training. Since then, we have also launched production facilities in Spain, and a new plant and sales team in the US. In a relatively short space of time we have taken hold of a massive marketplace and look forward to an exciting global future.”
Many business people that I speak to remain upbeat and confident, despite the ongoing challenges that we continue to face. One might say that we simply have to remain confident –what other option is there?
But we’ve seen through recent experiences –Brexit, Covid, energy prices and conflicts – that many in business are able to adapt, innovate and re-set because this is what our businesses are great at.
Of course, some sectors are being hit harder than others. Hospitality, in particular, is suffering at present; it needs help and support so the Chamber recently set up Hospitality Forum, pulling together regional best practises, supporting the industry and lobbying for support at the highest levels. How long or deep this situation will continue is open to comment but we are here as your Chamber to help.
We are working well with stakeholders in York & North Yorkshire to ensure the best support is available, and that the strongest possible business environment and economy is in place. York itself and the sub-region of North Yorkshire have such strong brands and images, and these will help to bring in more investment, create jobs and boost entrepreneurship.
Combine all this with high-quality guidance from within the Chamber, plus the strength and resilience that I know many of our business leaders have, and I’m sure that we will all keep driving our region to even greater heights.
Laurence Beardmore President York & North Yorkshire Chamber
Co-Create is a one-day festival produced by York St John University that celebrates the making of music, dance and theatre with, and for and by members of the youth community. Collaborating with schools in York and North Yorkshire, the festival brought together creative professionals, university students and around 100 pupils in the region to offer inspirational insights into the possibilities for higher education and a career in the performing arts. For several weeks prior to the festival, staff and students from York St John toured schools, working with pupils to devise a piece of music, drama or dance to be performed at the festival. This year all schools performed a short piece based on the theme ‘transitions’, with interpretations ranging from what constitutes a ‘hero’ in World War Two, to Shakespeare’s Seven Ages of Man re-imagined as Seven Ages of Woman, to exploring the various transitions children go through at school. The schools from across the region who took part in Co-Create were Millthorpe School (York), Norton College, New College Pontefract, Northallerton School and Graham School (Scarborough).
On the day of the festival each school participated in workshops in musical theatre, acting, dance and music, delivered by both staff and students from the University’s School of the Arts. The pupils also watched York St John student performances and were given a tour of the campus to further their experience of university life. The festival drew to a close with evening performances by each school in the York St John Creative Centre.
Dr Sarah O’Brien, Associate Head of School of the Arts at York St John University is lead organiser of the annual festival said: “The Co-Create festival offers York St John students the opportunity to showcase their own work, to facilitate the creative composition of music and drama work with school-age children, and to run workshops for 1117 year olds. No matter what area of the creative arts industry our students may find themselves in the future, the skills gained in these areas will be highly valuable and much sought after by organisations offering educational or outreach opportunities.”
City Cruises, the leading provider of sightseeing, dining experiences and private events in York, is excited to announce a new addition to their line-up: the Fish & Chips Cruise.
Departing from the City Centre, guests will be able to enjoy a 90-minute cruise through York and the surrounding countryside while savouring the delicious and award-winning Fish & Chips from Mr Chippy, one of York’s most established Fish & Chip shops.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Mr Chippy to offer visitors to the city an unrivalled Fish & Chips experience in York,” said Chris Pegg, the Commercial & Marketing Manager at City Cruises. “Their commitment to quality
and freshness is unmatched, and we know our guests will love the taste and the convenience of enjoying it while seeing the sights of our beautiful city.”
In addition to providing a unique and enjoyable experience for our guests, the Fish & Chips Cruise initiative provides increased custom to a local York business – one of the key pillars of the Good Business Charter that the business signed up to in 2022.
“I am excited to work with City Cruises to bring the best Fish & Chips in York to the River Ouse”, said Andy Pericleous, Owner of Mr Chippy. “Fish & Chips is a great British tradition and what better way to enjoy it than on a cruise while taking in the beautiful riverside of the city.”
Highly experienced solicitor Lynsey
Bashforth has joined multi-award winning Yorkshire based Roche Legal.
Lynsey will be working with the firm’s new and existing clients alongside launching a new series of clinics and presentations for police officers and has been helping federation members arrange their Wills for a decade. Lynsey believes it is vital to address the estimated 30 million people in the UK who do not have a Will.
Lynsey said: “I’m excited about utilising the company’s cutting edge technology to help clients. Organising your affairs is not morbid, it is about protecting your family. The whole process when you lose someone is going to be difficult, but if you are following their Will, you can have confidence that you are putting in place their wishes.”
The Coastliner 840 route linking Leeds and York with the historic port of Whitby – named Britain’s Most Scenic Bus Route in a national poll – has been saved after the Government confirmed further funding to support buses.
The funding extension means more people can now take advantage of the £2 fare cap, which was originally due to end on Friday, 31 March, but has now been extended to the end of June.
Coastliner’s parent company Transdev says 13,000 customers in the February half term week took advantage of the £2 maximum one-way fare, saving an average of £5.50 per trip.
Transdev Commercial Director Paul Turner said: “We are delighted to confirm that our Coastliner 840 route will continue this summer, following impressive increases in customer numbers using the service.
Yorcation is a holiday lettings specialist designed to help owners of holiday lets with a tailored service to increase profitability through proactive marketing and social media coverage, customer service, professional photography/videography and advice.
As part of its service, the company works with a number of reliable cleaning companies, tradesmen and contractors, enabling it to look after every element of the holiday let management process, as well as providing a brilliant experience for holidaymakers.
Michelle Bailey, head of residential lettings at Yorcation said: “The Helmsley Group of Companies has a fantastic reputation within York, so I’m thrilled to be able to work with the group to further diversify its services.
The recent good news that income tax receipts in January were higher than expected will have made the Chancellor’s ears prick up as he prepared for the recent Budget on 15 March. The £5.4bn surplus that resulted was the highest self-assessed income tax receipts since records began in 1999. While this column was written before Budget details were revealed, it is hoped that Jeremy Hunt found wriggle-room to be able to support hard-pressed business during these tough times.
However, government debt remains at its highest level since the 1960s, and (again, at the time of writing) there’s no sign of cabinet ministers calling for public sector pay increases to bring an end to the ongoing strikes.
The predicted recession will now not be as severe or as long as was earlier feared; but, nevertheless, it is still a tough climate for many. The continuing tight labour market is also causing problems for organisations trying to recruit suitable staff. As we now look to deliver the Government’s Local Skills Improvement Plans in our area, we are putting more time and resource into this, but change cannot come overnight.
We are therefore seeking views from businesses on their issues and you can help us by completing a survey on our websitewnychamber.co.uk/local-skills-improvement-plan
It’s not a magic bullet, and we have said that, where things are working well on skills delivery, we will not change them; but something has to be done, and this will be a step in the right direction.
Amanda Beresford Chair of the Board West & North Yorkshire Chamber
International project AgriLoop is launched to accelerate the future of circular agriculture by converting residues into high-value, eco-friendly products
Thirty-five academic and private partners from across Europe and China are now working together on the AgriLoop project, which will develop sustainable processes to convert agri-food residues into high-value, eco-friendly products for use in food, feed and bio-based materials.
This new collaboration will find new uses for agri-food residues: currently an underexploited resource for both the European Union and China, accounting for around 50% of harvested crops. Over the next four years, this project will develop sustainable integrated processes in a cascading biorefinery approach to convert agri-food residues (from tomato, soy, straw, potato, brewery, oil, winery and livestock sectors etc) into high-value, eco-friendly products such as plant and microbial proteins, polyesters and other biobased chemicals for use in food, feed, health and material applications, especially by the agricultural sector. The increase in use will bring significant economic, environmental and societal benefits to the regions involved.
The BioVale team within the Biorenewables Development Centre are responsible for the communication and dissemination of the project, it is their role to increase awareness of the project to its key stakeholders. As the UK is no longer part of the EU they have been successful in securing a Horizon Europe funding guarantee from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
Professor Nathalie Gontard, Director of Research at the National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment and Coordinator of the project commented:
“Here we have a fantastic opportunity for the countries in the European Union and our associated partners in the project to collaborate and strengthen our partnership with China on such an important global issue.”
Professor Aimin Shi, Research Fellow from the Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences added: “Here in China we are thrilled to be part of such an important and interesting international project which will have real impact across the world.”
Iconic Yorkshire stately home Castle Howard has partnered with popular vegan baker, writer, and Great British Bake-Off star Freya Cox, to create three seasonal cakes celebrating plant-based produce.
Freya is collaborating with Castle Howard’s Head Chef, Nathan Richardson-Kelly, on three tasty treats across the year. The first cake is a delicious miniature Black Forest Gateau, made from chocolate cake,
a kirsch buttercream, and cherry jam with a quintessential cherry on top.
Luke Butler, Head of Food and Beverage at Castle Howard, said: ‘Here at Castle Howard we love to celebrate delicious, sustainable, local produce, and we’re absolutely delighted to be working with Freya to expand our vegan offering. The mini–Black Forest Gateau is a lovely indulgent treat for January, and we’re working behind the scenes on our
Spring and Autumn cakes which we’ll announce later in the year.’
Freya said: ‘It’s been absolutely brilliant to collaborate with the team at Castle Howard. I’m so excited for people to try a beautiful cake in a beautiful place that means a lot to me and my family. The cake is delicious, and best of all, it’s vegan!’
The vegan cakes are available to purchase in Castle Howard’s Coffee Shop and Courtyard Café.
S.L. Procurement Solutions Limited has been granted Study Centre approval, delivering Procurement and Supply chain training for professionals who want to gain their CIPS qualifications. The training provider decided to apply for approval with Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply – and now have the accredited stamp of approval for the delivery of qualifications and hosting exams for their learners.
Stephen Lovatt, Director of S.L. Procurement Solutions Limited said, ‘We do so much work with professionals and businesses in this region. Not only the modular courses for learners, but moreover there’s a huge demand for procurement and supply chain consultancy work, with much focus on sustainability.”
York St John University’s Chancellor, Reeta Chakrabarti, introduced a lecture entitled ‘From the frontline to the studio: A life in BBC News’. Reeta was joined by fellow BBC News presenter Ben Brown, who shared his insights as one a BBC’s journalist.
As a frontline journalist and war correspondent, Ben has reported from over 40 countries and helped to bring several significant historical events to our screen including the fall of the Berlin Wall, 9/11, the Boxing Day Tsunami and the Rwandan genocide.
Professor Karen Bryan OBE, Vice Chancellor of York St John University said: “Understanding the world around us has never been more important, so we were delighted to hear about Ben Brown’s incredible BBC career and contribution to journalism.”
Leading full-service property firm, Bradley Hall, has collaborated with Teesside International Airport by investing in advertising across the airport site.
Lesley Parry, branch manager at Bradley Hall said: “Tees Valley is investing in major projects such as the Freeport, Teesworks, and the airport itself. It made perfect sense for Bradley Hall to partner with the airport through digital advertising and a wall mural.”
Lesley added: “Since opening our Tees Valley office 12 months ago, we’ve been blown away by how buoyant the property market is here,” “It is really bucking national trends and that’s due to the significant sums being invested into the area.”
It is now more important than ever that close attention is paid to the replacement values declared to insurers. With no immediate end to the inflationary pressures continued price rises mean that you may be underinsured or in danger of becoming underinsured during your policy period.
With most insurance policies being subject to Average (the underinsurance clause), the financial consequences of underinsurance for a business can be devastating.
Underinsurance occurs when the Sums Insured on a policy (whether building or contents) are not adequate to cover the cost of repairing, replacing, or rebuilding in the event of a claim. If your business is underinsured following a claim, insurers could reduce the value of the settlement proportionately in line with the amount of underinsurance or in a worst-case scenario consider the underinsurance to be materially misleading and refuse to pay any of the claim.
As an example, if the cost to rebuild a property is £1,000,000 but the building sum insured is only £500,000, then the property would effectively be underinsured by £500,000 or 50% and an insurer would only cover 50% of any claim, no matter the size of the claim leaving the remaining rebuilding costs uninsured which could have a serious financial impact on a business.
It is therefore essential that Sums Insured are reviewed regularly to ensure to you are purchasing insurance that is adequate to protect your business.
In addition to the impact of inflation, common causes of underinsurance also include:
• Building sum insured mistakenly based on the market value of your property, or a mortgage valuation. For insurance purposes your building sum insured should always be based on the rebuilding cost.
• Where a property has never been professionally valued for insurance purposes or the valuation has not been reviewed in the past three years.
• You have altered or extended the property but not subsequently reviewed your buildings sum insured.
• You are not VAT registered but your building sum insured excludes VAT.
PIB Insurance Brokers provide specialist insurance support across a range of sectors helping to support the businesses in the region.
To find our more please get in touch on 01904 784141 or visit Pib-insurance.com
As inflation continues to rise the cost of products, materials and labour has significantly increased as a result. Geo-political conflict, the impact of Brexit and Covid-19 are all contributory factors to supply chain issues adding pressure on the costs at all stages of production, from raw materials, energy, labour, packaging and transport.
The York & North Yorkshire Hospitality Forum has been officially launched to great fanfare.
Established to represent, champion and support the sector, the Hospitality Forum has a core purpose of giving the industry a voice and make sure it is recognised regionally, nationally and internationally.
Hospitality accounts for some 50,000 roles across North Yorkshire and is a cornerstone of the region’s economy whose impact runs far and wide in terms of its supply chain benefits, employment impact and supporting services.
The region also remains one of the UK’s leading tourism hotspots with millions of visitors pouring in every year from all over the world. The overwhelming majority of the firms operating in this sector are SMEs and micro-businesses with only a handful of employees.
However, the pandemic and its aftermath have taken a heady toll on the commercial strength of the sector. The cumulative impact of rising costs, recruitment and retention issues, access to finance, the drive towards net zero, inconsistent demand and how it is perceived as a career option have left many enterprises facing an uncertain future.
The York & North Yorkshire Hospitality Forum will endeavour to ensure that the hospitality sector is on the agendas of both central government and the region’s councils, work to encourage funding for the firms operating in the industry and to both find and share best practice within the sector. In addition, it will work alongside the Chamber’s Local Skills Improvement Plan to address any shortfalls in skills that the sector may be dealing with, as well as to encourage positive media activity.
Philip Bolson, owner of consultancy firm Mr B Hospitality and chair of the Hospitality Forum, said: “Never before has hospitality been under so much pressure.
“Whilst many hospitality businesses across the region are working hard on what is in their control, they do need more support and direct action from both local authorities and national government.”
Laurence Beardmore, president of York & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “York & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce is determined to do everything it can to support those industries to survive and subsequently recover and the newly formed Hospitality forum will be central to our strategy.”
A successful launch event was staged at North Yorkshire’s Sandburn Hall, attended by more than 70 people.
From accommodation providers to pubs, tearooms, cafes, restaurants and food and drink suppliers we would love to hear your opinions, get you involved and find out more.
We are gathering information to give hospitality the voice it deserves at a regional and national level and help inform and shape policy decision making.
We are keen to speak to service providers and suppliers working within the hospitality sector.
Bradford businesses heard recently how to help showcase the city’s opportunities at the local Property Forum event. Questions were also put to the local authority’s strategic director, with responsibility for such activities.
Chaired by Matt Rudman of Vectos, the breakfast event at Great Victoria Hotel heard about a range of developments currently in the pipeline around the city, and the investment, jobs and wealth creation that they will bring in. These projects – including Bradford Live, Darley Street Market, One City Park and City of Culture 2025 –are being highlighted at a three-day international property convention in Leeds in May.
David Shepherd, Director of Place at Bradford Council, addressed a quizzical audience with an enthusiastic zeal about the potential future that the District has. Supported by his colleague, Bev Foster, the then new-in-post officer fielded questions from the 50-plus gathering of property-focused business representatives from Bradford and Leeds.
Matt, the Chair of Bradford Chamber’s Property Forum, said: “Our Property Forum events continue to be popular, and it’s easy to figure out why: they are informative, interesting and provide an opportunity to both quiz key movers and shakers, and to convey to policy-makers what matters to our members. Not forgetting the chance to make new contacts locally and sub-regionally.”
Want to find out how planning, infrastructure and development is progressing in the Bradford district, attend a Property Forum event or contact the representation team.
Mike.Cartwright@wnychamber.co.ukMark.Casci@wnychamber.co.uk
While the principles of the ‘net zero agenda’ are to be welcomed, applying them in practice needs careful consideration. This was the view of attendees at a recent Leeds Property Forum gathering.
The audience, made up mainly of Leeds and Bradford-based property representatives, heard how environmental sustainability needs to be accompanied by social and economic sustainability for it to be successful. One speaker, Robert Hopkins of AHR, challenged the perception that social sustainability is less measurable than environmental sustainability in a thought-provoking and stimulating presentation.
BDP’s David Rudlin noted how the race is on to become the UK’s first carbon neutral city. While Nick Kealey of Arcadis had earlier asked the audience to think about redefining prosperity, and produced an ‘index’ –or league table, if you like – of the world’s top 20 most sustainable cities. Would you like to know which city is ‘top of the pops’, and where in the index Leeds is? Well, you should have come to the event!
Current Leeds Property Forum Chair, Gerald Jennings, said: “While the net zero objectives are understandable and need serious and careful consideration, they need to be balanced with the social and economic factors that are also important. This event was able to look in the round at the various effects on the property sector, and I’m sure that we’ll revisit this topic again in the future.”
Keep up to date with progress on Leeds City Centre development, transport and infrastructure issues. The Property Forum meetings are informative but informal.
West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce’s Policy & Representation team is delighted to announce the appointment of Will Evans-Jones.
Will joins the Chamber from Aspire Property Group in Leeds where he had a varied portfolio of duties.
He will work alongside the Chamber’s Policy team to deliver the Chamber membership’s priorities.
Mark Casci, head of policy and representation at the Chamber, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Will to the team. He joins us at a very busy period and a time of great change nationally and regionally. He will be a real asset to the team.”
Will is a graduate of Liverpool Hope University and outside of work enjoys watching sport and keeping fit, having taken up marathon running last year.
A crowd of more than 100 business and civic leaders gathered together when the Governor of the Bank of England Andrew Bailey visited Leeds in February.
Ahead of Mr Bailey’s visit to the region the Bank asked West & North Yorkshire Chamber to help facilitate a live appearance for the Governor.
Working with our colleagues at KPMG in Leeds we staged a successful session in which Mr Bailey spoke for 20 minutes or so about he and his team’s forecast for the economy.
Mr Bailey then took questions for a further 25 minutes or so on wide
ranging topics such as healthcare, the economic recovery and supply chains.
Mark Casci, head of policy and representation at West & North Yorkshire Chamber, said: “It was a great pleasure to welcome the Governor to Leeds.
“The turnout was exceptional for an early Friday morning session and testimony to the dedication of those in attendance. Some had travelled from as far afield as Malton for an 8am start.
“As ever Mr Bailey’s views and analysis were fascinating to hear. We look forward to welcoming him back at a later date.”
The scope of the ambition for Bradford 2025 was laid out before members of the Bradford Chamber Leadership Group.
Having famously been awarded the City of Culture status for 2025 last summer, the official organisation charged with delivering the programme is now up-and-running.
Its leadership team has been established with Dan Bates and Shanaz Gulzar overseeing the programme delivery.
Dan came to Devere House, home to Bradford Chamber of Commerce, to lay out the overarching plan for the year of cultural celebration in the city.
With a background in theatre, Dan said that Bradford 2025 would look at tackling skill shortages, health inequalities and promoting Bradford’s brand.
Bradford 2025 will be the biggest City of Culture owing to it being delivered district wide, encompassing Ilkley, Keighley and surrounding areas. The current plan is to have events in every district for 2025.
Dan said he wanted there to be a real focus on community-based culture, not just on the big institutions.
Bradford 2025 is working towards a sevenperson board. It is currently recruiting and looking for partner and funder relationships.
The overall aim of Bradford 2025, as submitted in the bid document, is for 6,946 jobs to be created, for 15.5m people to visit the city and for an added GVA of £389m into the city.
A target of 44,000 volunteers has been set but Dan indicated he wanted to go beyond this.
Dan’s delivery was warmly received by the group, and it was stated by several people that business could play a crucial role in making Bradford 2025 the fantastic success it can be.
“We want there to be a real focus on community-based culture, not just on the big institutions.”
Kris Keighley
Scott Sellars
A new team of specialists to support your business innovation ambitionsAdelina Paduraru Micaela Boarotto
Exploiting innovation can help a business to grow and scale by attracting investment and giving the edge in the market, with benefits such as:
• Accelerated growth
• Improved efficiency and productivity
• Competitive advantage in the market
• Greater market share
• Greater opportunities for small businesses
• New opportunities for global market expansion
Our team of specialists, work closely with businesses and are at the centre of the service to identify the most effective strategy to accelerate business growth and maximise potential.
Each client engagement results in a bespoke strategy which may include:
Developing a commercial strategy and building a team to deliver it; protecting & harnessing IP; improving innovation management & accessing the innovation ecosystem globally
Applying the right strategy to secure grants and capital including investor appeal and getting investment ready to propel growth
Break into new international markets and adjacent sectors to grow and scale with help from our international connections, expertise and targeted global programmes.
So if you are a start-up or more established innovative SME with great potential, take the next step on your growth journey with us and make contact by letting us know a little more about your business and what help you think you may need, by emailing innovation@wnychamber.co.uk
Innovate UK EDGE is part of Innovate UK, a key part of the UK Innovation agency’s investment in the innovative businesses that drive economic growth. A publicly-funded service available to high growth small to medium sized innovative companies.
It can take many forms:
Finding ways to become more efficient and productive in your business. This could include automating services or restructuring the team.
Making changes to an existing service, or creating a new one entirely. For example, this could include moving a service online or pivoting an existing service for a new customer demographic.
Improvements to an existing product adding a feature or reducing manufacturing costs. This could include adopting new processes or pivoting an existing product for a new industry.
Finding new and creative ways to market and sell to your customers. This could include new branding, packaging or prices.
Improving and innovating the way the business is managed. For example, re-evaluating the leadership team or business strategy.
Any innovation in which the main goal is to increase profits or revenue. For example, rethinking the pricing strategy.
Any innovation to improve the core business strategy and business growth process. This could include entering into new partnerships or investing in new technologies.
Any innovation in which the goal is to adapt the industry or market for your product or to create a new market entirely.
For the first time, the Chamber’s IUK EDGE team are supporting one of 50 leading entrepreneurs on Innovate UK’s Women in Innovation Awards
The support empowers pioneering women to scale their innovative businesses, by benefiting from a £50,000 grant in addition to one-toone business coaching and a suite of networking, role modelling, and training opportunities.
From Aberdeen to Portsmouth and Belfast to Cambridge, this year’s winners of Innovate UK’s Women in Innovation Awards are developing novel solutions to major social, environmental and economic challenges.
• using plants to recover metal from contaminated land
• deploying satellite data to detect long-lost archaeological sites
• an artificial intelligence (AI) that curbs your unhealthy cravings
• 3D-printed bionic prosthetics
Emily Nott, Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Programmes at Innovate UK said:
“Each year I am blown away by the brilliant ideas and talent we uncover through our Women in Innovation programme. Despite these challenging economic times, this year’s winners have shown great leadership, passion and resilience in driving their innovations forward.
Innovate UK will work alongside them now to ensure they have the resources and support required to grow and scale their businesses, while encouraging a new generation of women to get involved in innovation, pursue their ambitions and transform our economy and society.”
Indro Mukerjee, CEO of Innovate UK, said: “The Innovate UK Women in Innovation programme is an important part of our many activities to make a real difference to the talent and skills pipeline for UK business innovation by inspiring, involving and investing in greater diversity.
I warmly congratulate all the Women in Innovation Award winners and look forward to keeping in touch as they progress.”
Innovate UK launched Women in Innovation in 2016, after research revealed that just one in seven applications for Innovate UK support came from women. £250 billion of new value could be added to the UK economy if women started and scaled new businesses at the same rate as men.
Since then, it has invested £7.6 million in over 160 trailblazing women and convened a vibrant community of over 9,500 business leaders, ambassadors, and allies. The award programme empowers women business leaders to develop commercially successful solutions to major social, environmental, and economic challenges. Women in Innovation is part of Innovate UK’s commitment to promote greater diversity and inclusion in business innovation.
Each year, the programme identifies women with innovative, high-potential ideas and ambitious plans that will inspire others. The programme is open to women founders, cofounders or senior decision makers working in businesses that have been operating for at least one year. The award winners each receive a £50,000 grant and a bespoke package of mentoring, coaching and business support. Since launching Women in Innovation, the number of women leading applications for Innovate UK support has increased by 70%. The Women in Innovation Awards 2022 and 2023 will build on this success.
Read more about the Women in Innovation programme.
Chamber International’s flagship Excellence Academy is a nationally-accredited international trade qualification with an intense curriculum, that can be achieved in 6 weeks. The Award is providing Yorkshire businesses with a unique opportunity to develop their export staff to the very highest level and reap the benefits, both financial and operational, that the programme is designed to uncover.
Recent Academy graduate, warehousing and logistics manager Darren Sinfield, has worked at Aerovac Europe for about 35 years. Why would someone already so experienced choose to enrol?
“Britain left the European Union, and so much has changed around imports and exports. I needed to understand the new regulations”, he tells us, standing in his warehouse alongside towering racks full of the materials which Aerovac exports from Keighley to overseas composites manufacturers in the aerospace and wind energy sectors. He had other, more personal, reasons for signing up too:
“It’s allowed me to grow in confidence, to understand the terminology when talking with freight forwarders”, said Darren.
Delivered by a team of industry experts and comprising six half-day online workshops and 1:1 coaching, each cohort is limited to ten participants in keeping with the handson, bespoke nature of the training. Darren says that the Academy’s dedicated WhatsApp group was a useful touch, as participants shared ideas and questions outside of training hours. “Online training – this is key for me. It allowed me to do the training in
my own office without any travelling, and then to sit back, digest it, and put into practice what I’d learnt the same day. There was the additional benefit of a nationally-recognised qualification at the end of it.”
It's not just about his own personal professional development: since graduating, Darren has used what he learned to develop standard operating procedures for his team, and new resources to train future Aerovac employees. “It’s allowed us to save time, money and improve the way we ship imports and exports”, he smiles.
“The Excellence Academy has been developed in partnership with Fidelitas Training in Germany and aims to create an elite community of export professionals, passionate about creating value for their employers” says Tim Bailey, trade director at Chamber International.
Enrolment is now open for the autumn Academy beginning on 6 September 2023.
up in Keighley, Town Head Farm will now use the original site in Grassington to support the development of new products, including juices, dairy-free alternatives such as oat milk, and own-brand cheeses.
Town Head Farm is a family-owned milk producer and distributor, led by David Oversby, grandson of founder William Oversby. It sells milk and juices to wholesalers, caterers and supermarkets, as well as to regional doorstop sellers across Yorkshire and the North West from its production site at the foot of the Yorkshire Dales. The dairy’s 80-strong team also supplies milk to local schools and NHS hospital trusts.
The £14million turnover business saw demand soar during the UK’s three lockdowns, as appetite for doorstop milk deliveries grew exponentially, and the team recognised the need to boost production capacity to meet demand and drive growth.
Now, the finance package from Lloyds Bank – an £800,000 loan – is being used to support the purchase of new equipment, including a glass bottling line and bottle washing machine. As production ramps
Paul Mason, Commercial Director at Town Head Farm, said: “Dales Dairies is a third-generation family business, and we are always looking for new ways to supply the highest quality products and create local jobs in Yorkshire. The pandemic generated huge demand for doorstop deliveries, which looks set to continue, and our expanded site with more efficient equipment gives us the room to grow to meet that demand.
“This marks the second time that the team at Lloyds Bank have supported our growth ambitions, after helping us with the initial purchase of our Keighley site. We are now in a position to unlock a new phase of growth at Town Head, serving even more customers across the North of England and helping to support the regional dairy farmers who supply our milk.”
Alexandra Butterworth, Relationship Director at Lloyds Bank, said: “We’ve worked with David and the team at Town Head Farm for many years now, and it has been so rewarding to watch the business go from strength to strength. They have emerged from a challenging 18 months stronger than ever, seeking out new ways to grow and adapting to changing consumer behaviour.”
A dairy farm in Grassington is set to double capacity with the opening of a new warehouse in Keighley, following a six-figure investment from Lloyds Bank.
Launched at a packed event addressed by West Yorkshire Mayor Tracey Brabin and manufacturing employers’ organisation MAKE UK, Leeds Manufacturing Festival has announced the three headline sponsors for 2023.
Leeds City College, engineering and manufacturing recruiter E3 Recruitment and Next Gen Makers, which runs a benchmarking and accreditation scheme for manufacturing and engineering apprenticeships, are all backing this year’s programme of events.
The festival aims to highlight the range and depth of well-paid careers offered by Leeds’ 1,800 manufacturing businesses.
Recruiting new talent into the industry is a growing challenge for UK manufacturers and the festival, organised by the Leeds Manufacturing Alliance, aims to make connections between young people and manufacturing and engineering firms to bring the next generation of employees into the industry.
Mitch Scott, head of engineering at Leeds City College, said: “We’re really pleased to be supporting the festival. Our engineering and manufacturing courses are cornerstones of what we offer and, particularly with the new T levels, which combine classroom learning with hands-on experience in the workplace, our students are
gaining skills that ideally equip them really well for the vast range of opportunities in the sector.
Leeds Manufacturing Festival runs until July and 2023. Highlights include manufacturing ‘treks’, which will see school and college students visiting factories across the city, live careers panels and the Leeds Manufacturing Festival awards ceremony, recognising some of the rising stars and highest-achieving young people currently working in Leeds’ manufacturing sector.
Matthew Booth, associate director at festival sponsor E3 Recruitment, said: “The industry is in dire need of new talent, and in need of fresh perspectives and skills that younger generations can bring. There’s been a 34% drop in manufacturing and engineering apprenticeship starts in the last couple of years, and we also face the growing skills gap which is affecting over 85% of businesses across the UK.
“Manufacturing is such a diverse and innovative space. The opportunities are endless and we find that most young people just aren’t aware of the
different roles available that would suit their skillset. It’s an absolute pleasure to be working with Leeds Manufacturing Festival again, and working together to bridge the skills gap.”
Next Gen Makers’ managing director Adam Tipper added: “We are proud to support the Leeds Manufacturing Festival and its efforts to inspire the next generation towards careers in engineering and manufacturing in Leeds. These industries are vital to the UK economy, society and creating the technologies that we all rely upon, so it is essential that we raise awareness of the fantastic careers available within the sector whilst creating a platform for employers to showcase their opportunities.”
Ben Wilson, Chair of Leeds Manufacturing Alliance and director of glass reinforced plastic moulds manufacturer MPM, said: “The backing of our sponsors is vital to ensure we reach as many young people as possible and show them just what excellent job opportunities and diverse career paths the manufacturing industry can offer them.
“Technical and practical skills are essential to the future of the sector, and of the UK economy. They are currently in short supply so students, as well as their teachers and parents, will see that being equipped with these vital skills at an early stage will make them highly employable when they come to start a career.”
The festival is also sponsored by Leeds City Council and manufacturing employers MPM Ltd, Leeds Welding Company, Greyhound Box and Sound Leisure, who are members of the Leeds Manufacturing Alliance.
Trade procedures manager, Sam Paley, has been appointed to a national committee of British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) to monitor the quality of certification work within the 53-Chamber network.
Sam Paley joined Chamber International as an administrative assistant in 2016 and after extensive training, which included mentoring from the former origin lead at the World Customs Organisation in Brussels, was promoted to manager in 2017. He holds a British Chambers of Commerce qualification in certification work for trade documents used for customs clearance in international trade. He now leads for Chamber International on origin consultancy and trains others in his areas of expertise.
As part of the national committee, which will run alongside his role at Chamber International, Sam Paley will attend regular policy meetings,
assist Chambers with technical enquiries and also inspect trade certification procedures at Chambers of Commerce throughout the UK to ensure strict quality standards are being met.
He says: “The Chamber network issues over half a million certified documents every year and has a global reputation for its high standard of certification work. Overseas customs administrations rely on us to provide correctly validated trade documents, and I was flattered to be invited to play a part in helping to maintain the integrity of this service.”
Sam Paley’s appointment comes after he was interviewed by a BCC inspector when Chamber International passed its last trade certification audit.
Chamber International Director, Tim Bailey, said: ”Bringing young talents into international trade and developing them to the highest possible standard has always been part of our mission, so we’re delighted that Sam’s expertise has gained national recognition in this way.”
You can help shape the region’s skills by completing a short survey regarding your current staff skills and training needs.
This information will contribute to the development of the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) for the region and updates on the results will be available here once published.
This is an incredibly important part of our engagement process on LSIPs and gives you the chance to have your voice heard.
There are two options when it comes to the survey, a short form one that will take just a couple of minutes to complete and a more in depth option which will take circa 10 minutes.
Both can be found at our website at www.wnychamber.co.uk
West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce is delivering two separate plans, one for North Yorkshire and one for West Yorkshire, with the latter being run in conjunction with Mid Yorkshire Chamber.
A series of consultation events have been staged all around the region to bring both learning providers and business leaders together to help begin the process of making sure training provision post-16 matches the requirements of the local economy.
In March the LSIPs team had to move its feet quickly when heavy snow threatened to derail two planned engagement sessions. The meetings were swiftly moved to Zoom and proved highly successful.
LSIP business engagement executives Alan Thompson and Tim Gillies have been to numerous conferences and events, canvasing views as well as raising awareness of the LSIPs project.
In addition to the questionnaire, engagement from new team member Holly Foster has been yielding invaluable information.
Headlines of our key topic areas have also been shared with our respective boards and have been approved.
In addition, the Chamber is using real time data to guide its two LSIP programmes.
Working with colleagues at Open Innovations, we now have a live dashboard of vacancies and job seekers which will assist us in facilitating for training and educational curricula to be tailored to the specific needs of the local business community.
Using live data will give us an ever-evolving snapshot of local need and provision, allowing us to act dynamically and effectively.
All of this will feed into the wider drafting of a report for the Department for Education which will needs to be completed by May and will be published in June.
New West & North Yorkshire Chamber member Harper Talent are an experienced and versatile recruitment firm, with a wellgrounded approach to servicing their clients.
Managing director Charly Melia formed Harper Talent in 2020, following 17 years’ success working internally within businesses as their head of recruitment, across sectors including professional services, manufacturing and logistics.
Charly’s industrious, practical style came from being brought up at her family’s business Harper Farm, to the south west of Leeds. Those hard-working values are deeply rooted in Harper Talent.
Harper Talent act as internal recruiters for their clients, with a clear focus on developing lasting partnerships. Charly says: “Not surprisingly, many business owners perceive recruitment as a brief transactional process, but at Harper Talent we’re dedicated to acting as our clients’ internal recruiters, which means we have a clear and deep understanding of their business, their plans for the future, and their DNA.”
Charly and her team of specialists have wide cross sector experience and are equipped to manage recruitment at all levels.
The role of Harper Talent is to help their ambitious clients grow their business with the right talent, across all roles. They work closely with each of their clients to create a bespoke recruitment strategy to source, attract and retain the right people to help their clients’ businesses grow.
Harper Talent has built off solid foundations and firm values to become a vibrant and successful player in the Yorkshire recruitment market – and nationally.
They create a recruitment strategy specifically suited to each of their clients, from a one-off partnership for a low number of hires, to a deeper relationship which includes client support with their internal recruitment processes, selection policies and candidate onboarding.
Charly says: “We recognise that our clients are unique and require differing levels of support. We’re here to provide the service our clients need. Our tiered approach means that we can tailor our support to meet our clients’ readiness and budget.
“Recruitment is much more than marshalling a stream of CVs, it requires thorough and professional attention to making sure that our clients’ brands are represented in the best possible light to attract, recruit and retain the best talent. We work on all aspects of the recruitment process to help our ambitious clients achieve their growth.”
Visit www.harpertalent.com, call on 01924 973700 or contact them on hello@harpertalent.com
Humans are creatures of habit, we tend to not like change – we enjoy the status quo. However, insights from this year’s Deloitte Leeds Crane Survey* indicate that the built environment is dealing with a lot of change.
2022 was a year of change – political instability globally and at home; supply chain risks; and the continued legacy of the pandemic. The changing role of our city centres has been accelerated by the pandemic and by the need to respond to the growing threat and increasing impact of climate change on our lives after experiencing the hottest temperatures on record last year.
The Regional Crane Surveys look at development activity in regional cities, considering the trends influencing activity and the impact on the future. This year we’ve considered the impact of this instability and change, but also how the built environment sector is responding, evolving and demonstrating resilience.
Our cities are still grappling with the legacy of the pandemic which accelerated some trends we were already seeing. The way we use our cities has changed forever and challenges remain in navigating how we’re working, shopping and socialising differently, but let’s look at how cities are responding.
Experience is king in all sectors – to bring people back to city centres we need to give them a reason to come, to make the trip or choose to live in the thick of all the action.
Connectivity to and within Leeds City Centre needs to build on recent investment to be fit for purpose, to support pedestrians and bicycles as the priority, and to meet sustainability objectives there needs to be enough space to flexibly accommodate future transport trends.
City centre living is growing in Leeds, supported by investment into creating a place for living with the delivery of new parks and the emerging neighbourhoods which have amenities to support everyday living, such as grocery stores and local cafés, as well as being close to everything else the city centre offers.
In the retail core, Leeds is using leisure and culture to set it apart. Interventions such as Leeds2023 differentiate the city centre and attract people to experience more than just the high-quality retail offer.
The Leeds Crane Survey recorded record breaking figures in office floorspace under construction. The forthcoming developments are delivering collaborative, flexible offices that support wellbeing and have high sustainability credentials – this is the start of the office of the future, and the end of banks of desks and computer screens.
Footfall data for Leeds city centre found that it was at approximately 84% in 2022 compared to 2019 (Manchester is approximately 65%), and footfall in the railway station is similar and indeed climbed above 2019 levels in the last two months of 2022, so it’s clearly doing something right.
Underpinning all of this, we’re starting to see positive steps in responding to the climate change challenge with some zero-carbon development and investments in low carbon transport options.
Despite several years of challenge, uncertainty and shifts in attitudes, our cities are showing resilience. The most successful interventions are not just dealing with the change, they are innovating new approaches to get ahead of the trends – so they aren’t taken by surprise when change comes.
Ellen Sanderson-Clark Assistant Director in Real Assets Advisory at Deloitte in Leeds
• Learning by doing. Test your processes
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When: 6 September – 19 October 2023
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Naylor Wintersgill Chartered Accountants based in Bradford city centre have won ‘Independent Firm of the Year’ alongside Victoria Wainwright who was also named ‘Managing Partner of the Year’ at the Yorkshire Accountancy Awards 2023.
The Yorkshire Accountancy Awards celebrates Yorkshire’s outstanding accountants and firms. An independent panel of local and national experts from the profession, which this year included the President of the ICAEW for West and North Yorkshire Michael Lewis, judge the awards. Firms entering the independent firm of the year category were assessed on their recent achievements, current product and service capabilities, and how they differentiate their offering for their clients. They were also judged on their overall engagement within the Yorkshire region over the last twelve months.
The judges’ spoke of Naylor Wintersgill stating, “Naylor Wintersgill stands out in a highly competitive category. It’s an integral provider in the Yorkshire region that consistently and successfully provides an expert service to clients, a trend that’s set to continue as it brings more specialties in-house. This firm is also big on local engagement, including with charities.”
The individual finalists in the managing partner of the year category were assessed on their contribution to their firm’s growth, dedication to clients, and their contribution to employee development and welfare. There was also a strong focus placed on the managing partner’s broader contribution to the profession and local business community.
At the awards ceremony, the judges’ declared, “Victoria Wainwright from Naylor Wintersgill is an active leader who is still very much involved in maintaining a portfolio. As well as leading the team, Victoria also heads up employee engagement plans to ensure she offers her staff opportunities to enhance their development.”
Victoria, who started her accountancy career as the very first apprentice at Naylor Wintersgill reacted to the double award win by commenting, “I’m so proud to lead such a dedicated team who I believe are the key to the overall success of Naylor Wintersgill. Their hard work, dedication and commitment to our clients through our core values deserves to be recognised, and it’s what really makes Naylor Wintersgill a great place for our clients and our colleagues to grow and succeed, together.”
Bradford’s concrete admixture manufacturer Oscrete UK has reported a successful 12-month milestone as it marks its first year of independence.
Oscrete UK Ltd is one of the UK’s leading specialist construction chemical suppliers and had operated as a division within Christeyns since 1983, having originally been part of the historic, former Bradford Oils and Soaps company which was founded in 1874.
In a move designed to boost the company’s construction supply, customer service and new product development, Oscrete announced its independence from sister company Christeyns in January 2022 to facilitate a period of intense investment and a renewed focus on core markets.
Today it manufactures and supplies a range of high performance superplasticising admixtures, waterproofing agents and efflorescence controllers for the precast and ready-mix concrete and the ready-to-use mortar industries. With figures showing significant sales growth within its Performance Additives Division, forecast to exceed the
2023 plan by 32%, the company has reported strong results in its Concrete Admixtures Division alongside an industrywide slow down in the contract manufacturing sector.
Director Scott Wilson said: “Our first year of independence has seen us invest in our lab space and capabilities, launch new products and recruit – expanding our customer service team with three new additions and bringing in new industry specialists to our national sales network.
“It’s been a year of immense change and dynamic markets for all businesses in the construction sector which has moved a lot faster than at the height of the pandemic. Challenges such as the cost of living squeeze and the energy crisis means that areas where the sector expected continued growth, such as home improvements, have declined rapidly. However, our strong supply chain relationships have given us security over supply, meaning our performance additive division has grown beyond our predicted budgets.”
He added: “We’re now looking forward to a year of continued business growth and strengthening the capabilities within our technical and customer services division in 2023.”
“Our first year of independence has seen us invest in our lab space and capabilities, launch new products and recruit new staff.”
West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce are delighted to welcome Teesside International Airport as a patron.
The Chamber is a long-standing champion of the work Teesside International does and is hugely supportive of its future plans for expansion. Due to its proximity to both planned freeports and future-facing green energy projects, the airport is ideally situated to massively grow its operations.
James Mason, Chief Executive of West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “We are delighted to welcome Teesside International Airport as patron members. We will work hard to make sure we do all we can to make the airport succeed in what it does.”
Phil Forster, Managing Director of Teesside International Airport, said: “We are very proud to become patrons of the West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce.
“We’re a rapidly growing airport flying to an increasing range of summer destinations and cities.
“With our Freeport status offering us huge trade opportunities, our upcoming £200million business park in the pipeline, and our new cargo facility up and running at the heart of the North of England, the sky is the limit for what we can achieve in the years ahead.”
Phil Forster Teesside International Airport
Whilst there are no imminent major changes in employment legislation for the start of 2023, there have been plenty of talking points for employers and employees alike.
2022 saw a significant increase in industrial action by employees and there are no signs yet that 2023 will be any different. Joining railway workers and Royal Mail staff in striking are nurses, ambulance workers, teachers, Border Force staff, driving test centre staff and possibly junior doctors and firefighters. Against the backdrop of the cost of living crisis, all are seeking improved terms and conditions – and in some cases assurances – on working practices and possible redundancies.
Whilst there are ongoing negotiations between various Trade Unions and the respective employers, the Government has announced plans to introduce new legislation which, it says, will allow them to set minimum levels of service to be met during strike action in order to ensure the safety of the public and access to public services.
The proposed legislation, currently entitled the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill, is stated as ensuring crucial public services including ambulance, fire and rail services maintain a minimum service level during the course of any industrial action, thus reducing risk to life and disruption for people travelling to work.
Employers wishing to change contractual terms and conditions of employment often meet with resistance from employees affected by such changes. Without the employee’s agreement, the employer cannot implement the changes that it wants to. Employers often say that such changes are necessary to cut costs, improve efficiency or save jobs.
Faced with the prospect of not obtaining agreements to the proposed changes, the employer may consider the possibility of terminating the contract of employment with notice and offering to re-engage those staff on the proposed new terms.
This practice of ‘firing and rehiring’, known as ‘the nuclear option’, is very much a last resort for employers who cannot implement changes they say are necessary for their business. It is also not risk free: the termination of the contract of employment is a dismissal in law and allows employees the opportunity to pursue an unfair dismissal claim.
The practice has come under fire recently from the Government who have announced plans which, they say, will crack down on unscrupulous employers that use controversial dismissal tactics. On 24 January 2023 the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) published its draft Code of Practice on Dismissal and Re-engagement (the Code).
The Code may be seen as a response to situations such as P&O Ferries’ wholesale dismissal of hundreds of workers last year with little or no formal procedure when effecting those dismissals.
In its current draft form, the Code provides details of an employer’s responsibilities when looking to vary terms and conditions of employment. In addition, when the Code comes into force, an Employment Tribunal can take it into account when dealing with any claims where the Code applies, the most obvious being unfair dismissal claims.
There has been a renewed focus on how experiencing the menopause can seriously impact upon an employee’s working life. Whilst many employers already operate some form of menopause policy, menopause is not a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010.
This gap in the legislation has been the subject of a number of recent reports, notably from the Women and Equalities Committee of the House of Commons. However, the Government has now rejected the Committee’s recommendation to open up the consultation on amending the Equality Act 2010 to make menopause a protected characteristic. Instead, the Government states that it will look to encourage employers to implement policies for staff affected by menopause.
Employers should be looking to put their own policies in place now, if they have not already done so. Key points to consider are:
• Who may be affected by the menopause? For example, trans people can also experience menopause
• How can the employer support staff who are experiencing symptoms of menopause? Consider changing hours of work, allowing more breaks or working more flexibly
• Are managers sufficiently trained to identify how menopause can give rise to legal issues and are they able to provide the appropriate level of support to workers?
• Do any health and safety issues arise?
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The rich and diverse cultural and economic heritage of the city of Leeds was showcased in front of a bumper audience at the 2023 Leeds Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner.
More than 260 people flocked to Headingley Stadium in the city for a notably different annual dinner event. Gone were the tuxedos and in was the business casual attire as the event aimed for a more inclusive and diverse event. Similarly, the formal sit-down meal
was replaced by street food and the music came from the Caribbean Breeze steel band.
Perhaps the biggest change was the replacement of the guest speaker format with a Leeds Voices theme that enthusiastically highlighted the city’s world-class cultural and sporting offering.
As part of a relaxed and informal panel discussion, Sharon Watson from the Northern School of Contemporary Dance was joined by Sanchez Payne from Leeds 2023
and Radio Leeds, alongside Sophie Lundgren, also from Leeds 2023. Also speaking on the night was Stephen Vaughan CEO of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, Yaseen Mohammed, Director at YCCC, and Rob Oates, Commercial Director at Leeds Rhinos.
The response to the new format was incredibly well received, both by guests on the night and from social media afterwards.
Thanks to our new patrons and food sponsor Adams Foodservice.
The Chamber has seen great activity across all social media platforms in the past several months. The selected posts below are examples of some of the valuable information and discussions shared by the Chamber and our members on a daily basis.
We would love to know your thoughts on this quarter’s magazine and your local Chamber. What would you like to know more about or see more of in the future? Did any articles stand out to you?
Get involved with the regional business discussion on Twitter by tagging us @WNYChamber and mentioning #YorkshireBusiness
@WNYChamber
West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce
West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce
@WNYChamber
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