Sylvester Keal joins forces with Masterchef
8 Angus Young explores church makeover
Chamber AGM promotes British Army Reserves
Ideal Heating joins project to improve homes
Work begins on new health centre
HullBID boss praises resilience at Awards
Rural homes to get connected
Wykeland champions local arts sector
Awards applaud business excellence
best voice will raise your business
about conflict resolution?
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Ihave to start by thanking everybody who made my Presidential inauguration at this year’s Chamber AGM such a moving and welcoming experience. I realise the role of President is a privileged position and I will do my best to represent the Chamber in a manner which befits that status during my year in office.
It was good to see some familiar faces and to meet some new people and it was a good AGM which demonstrated the diversity of the business membership with companies of all sizes and from all sectors, some of them with proud histories dating back nearly 200 years – not unlike the Chamber itself – and others start-ups or in their early stages of development.
The event served as reminder of the Chamber’s many activities which deliver significant opportunities and lasting benefits for the regional business community.
We talked about the Acorn Fund which can be credited with playing a vital part in the launch of so many start-ups, and Hull Business Improvement District (HullBID) which works tirelessly to support businesses in the city centre from national chains to local independents and to generate the vibrancy and variety which attracts so many people to live, work and be entertained in our bars, restaurants, cultural venues and wonderful open spaces.
We also noted the work of the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP), which is harnessing the dedication and experience of businesses, education and training providers, and local authorities to inspire the workforce of the future.
But at this time of year the spotlight falls on Chamber Expo. As Humber Business Week approaches its 20th anniversary we are reminded that our Expo was an essential part of the very first event in 2004 and retains that prominence now.
At AaGlobal we recognised the importance when we expanded to Hull in 2011. We supported Chamber Expo then and we haven’t missed a year since, increasing our involvement as major sponsors of the event and of the Chamber’s International Trade Centre.
The Chamber’s international expertise and activities will again take centre stage this year and Expo will also feature many other sectors as exhibitors and delegates come together to celebrate business and share ideas. It all happens on Tuesday 4 June from 10am until 4pm. We’ll be there with our AaGlobal stand and we look forward to meeting you!
As a not-for-profit organisation, the Chamber is very grateful to our Patrons, who support us in our aim to help our Members develop their businesses.
• AA Global Language Services Ltd – Gold
Andrew Jackson Solicitors LLP
ARUP
ASM Global
Clugston Distribution Services Ltd
Drax
East Riding of Yorkshire Council
ELLGIA Ltd
Equinor New Energy Ltd – Gold
Hatfields Jaguar Land Rover
KCOM
Kevin Greene Photography
My… Group
OLG • Orsted
Pattesons Glass • SPS Group of Companies • Streets Chartered Accountants
University of Hull
Wilkin Chapman LLP Solicitors
Business Intelligence brings you the latest news from the Chamber and its Members.
ALincolnshire commercial kitchen firm has found the ingredients for an exciting new partnership with the appointment of its first brand ambassador.
Sylvester Keal is joining forces with Eddie Scott, the acclaimed winner of BBC’s Masterchef 2022, as its esteemed brand ambassador, a pairing which both hope will rise to mouth-watering new heights.
This partnership marks a significant milestone for Sylvester Keal, a leading name in the commercial kitchen industry, as they venture into an exciting new chapter with one of the culinary world's brightest talents.
‘I am thrilled to join forces with Sylvester Keal, a brand synonymous with excellence in the hospitality industry’
Eddie Scott’s remarkable journey to culinary stardom, culminating in his victory on the prestigious Masterchef platform, exemplifies excellence and innovation in the culinary arts. His passion for classic cuisines of France and India featuring no nonsense, rustic, regional dishes
coupled with a relentless pursuit of perfection, resonates deeply with Sylvester Keal’s commitment to delivering unparalleled quality and service to the food service industry.
As a brand ambassador, Eddie will lend his expertise and creativity to Sylvester Keal’s endeavours. His role encompasses building brand reputation and the evaluation of kitchen hygiene solutions. The projects team at SK have assisted with the design and installation of his new kitchen at his new business venture L’Opaline Bistro based in Beverley, in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Through this collaboration, Sylvester Keal aims to elevate their positio n within the food service industry while supporting Eddie with his future dreams and aspirations as two local businesses across the pan-Humber region.
Eddie expressed his enthusiasm about the partnership. He said: “I am thrilled to join forces with Sylvester Keal, a brand synonymous with excellence in the hospitality industry. Together, we will embark on an exciting journey to inspire culinary creativity and elevate dining experiences to new heights.”
Sylvester Keal looks forward to a fruitful partnership with Eddie as they continue to evolve and set new standards in the hospitality landscape.
ABOVE: Someofthe funfromlastyear’s event–booknowto bepartofthisyear’s extravaganza!
The countdown is on for one of the Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce’s flagship events that will be taking centre stage in the heart of Humber Business Week 2024 – and this year we are joining forces with the Ministry of Defence and their Military Expo.
We are teaming up with the Ministry of Defence, 150 Regiment of the Royal Logistic Corp and the Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association for Yorkshire and The Humber and will have a selection of military vehicles outside Chamber Expo, which will be sure to mobilise lots of attention.
We will also be hosting our second International Trade Conference as part of Chamber Expo 2024 on Tuesday, 4 June, and this year’s venue will be the Mercure Hull Grange Park Hotel, Willerby, Hull, HU10 6EB.
The Chamber Motor Show is also shaping up and will provide a display of largely electric cars and vans in the outside space, alongside a display of military vehicles, which is sure to attract lots of attention. Among the motor dealers confirmed so far are Evans Halshaw Citroen and Vauxhall Hull, who will be
bringing along some of their latest models, including the Vauxhall Corsa Electric and a Vivaro Van, while Citroen will be represented by an e-C4 and a e-Berlingo van. Other dealers confirmed so far include Stratstone BMW and Mini, Riverside Motor Group and Mercedes Truck and Van.
Bookings are going well and can be made through the Chamber’s website or by contacting David Hooper or Kay Hudson who will be happy to help – so don’t miss out, get yourself booked in today.
As usual, Chamber Expo 2024 will host all kinds of businesses from both banks of the Humber and the spacious venue can accommodate outside stand space for larger exhibitors, including the region’s motor dealers taking part in the Chamber Expo Motor Show, plus military suppliers. The Chamber would like to thank its sponsors for their support with this year’s event, so special mentions go to AaGlobal which has supported the Expo since it expanded to Hull, Solutech, which is another longstanding backer, and Hull What’s On who are again partnering with us on this event.
This year’s standholders can look forward to a hot buffet lunch and electricity included in the price of the stand, while parking and entry to Chamber Expo 2024 will be complimentary. The Chamber’s famous Speed Networking will also return this year, providing a great opportunity to meet some potential new customers from around the region.
Members and non-members alike are welcome to book a stand and everyone is welcome to visit – you don’t have to be a Chamber member to exhibit, or to attend on the day. The Chamber’s ever-popular Expo provides a great opportunity for networking and making introductions to potential suppliers of everything from cakes to cranes.
So don’t miss out, book your stand now online: Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce (hull-humber-chamber.co.uk) or call (01482) 324976 to speak with Kay or David, or email k.hudson@hullhumber-chamber.co.uk with your requirements.
It was a place for worship for just over 140 years...
...now a landmark former church in Hull is almost ready to become a place of work after an impressive £1m makeover.
The transformation of St Matthew’s Church in Anlaby Road has been spearheaded by Hull-based housing charity Giroscope who bought the derelict building from the Church of England in 2017 with the help of a European Regional Development Fund grant.
When I visited recently, the interior was still very much a building site but six small offices and a large meeting room on a newlyconstructed mezzanine floor will be ready to rent by the summer.
‘St Matthew’s has deep roots in the community as reflected by the memorials in here’
Restoring the church’s distinctive First World War Memorial Window shortly after securing possession of the Grade II listed building was an “early statement of intent,” according to Giroscope co-ordinator Martin Newman.
“When we got the keys, the window had already been removed and put into storage to make sure it didn’t get vandalised when the church closed. Taking on a building like this was always going to be a challenge but when wetoldthecouncil’sconservationofficer about our plans to restore the window, he immediately got what we were trying to do.”
The beautiful window was made by respected stained glass manufacturers John Hardman & Co. and installed in 1922 in
These are the author’s views and not necessarily those of the Chamber.
memory of men from the local community who fought and died in the First World War.
The window’s restoration was carried out by the York-based Barley Studio with grant funding from the War Memorials Trust and the Worshipful Company of Glaziers before being reinstalled in 2019.
Since then, work of the rest of the church has continued in what Martin describes as “steady rather than spectacular fashion”.
“The original idea of creating somewhere for people to work hasn’t really changed. As well as our housing, we have a few sites with workshop space which is great for people starting out with a new business.
“Typically, they are perfect for people with an idea who might need somewhere to start putting it into practice whereas with the office units here we are hoping to attract more established businesses. It’s going to be very
much a place of work during office hours but on a night or at weekends it will take on a new life as a venue.”
Built in 1870, the church was originally designed to cater for the city’s growing population. Today the surrounding neighbourhood has changed but is one which Martin knows intimately, as the charity he cofounded initially as a workers’ co-operative nearly 40 years ago largely operates between Anlaby Road and Hessle Road.
“The community around here is a bit disconnected because of the flyover,” he says.
“Just getting around is not really straight forward, whether you are driving or walking.”
The reopening of St Matthew’s should bring a welcome focus back to the area, not least because of an eye-catching array of solar panels on the main south-facing roof.
A new kitchen and toilets also form part of the facelift along with a new balcony area where visitors will be able to get a close-up view of the War Memorial Window.
Once re-open, the building will retain its name - another very deliberate decision by its new owners.
Martin adds: “St Matthew’s has deep roots in the community so we thought keeping the name was the right thing to do. We’ve had so many people popping in and telling us their parents or grandparents got married here and it’s still a very special place for them. Hopefully, it will stay that way for a long time.”
Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce is the collective ‘voice’ of business across the Humber region representing the views and interests of our Members at local, regional and national levels.
It’s not every year you see a big Army truck parked outside, but that was the scene that greeted attendees at this year’s Chamber AGM and networking lunch event at the MKM Stadium, in Hull.
The Chamber joined forces with the British Army to highlight the benefits to businesses of supporting their staff to become Reservistssomething that can benefit your business as well as your employees.
The Commanding Office of 150 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps, Lt Col Hugo McCullough was our guest speaker, who explained how he wanted to recruit businesses to become advocates for the Army Reserves which was mutually beneficial to business partners.
He explained how it was really important for the British Army to backfill and support
As
the regulars. He said: “The Army Reserves develop your workforce for you and we do it in their spare time. The skills they learn in return makes them better employees and it’s the Army’s job to ensure a business is compensated and not disadvantaged by allowing its staff to volunteer.”
‘The Reserves can fulfil many vital roles in peace time’
The peace dividend in Europe since the end of the Second World War has the seen the British Army gradually reduce in size and eventually withdraw from Germany. The Reserves have also shrunk in number, but still make up around a quarter of the Army.
The Reserves can fulfil many vital roles in peace time and have been called in at short
President, who he described as a role model who had been a diplomatic, tactful and capable leader who he hoped would continue to be so for the next year, too.
Guests at the AGM Lunch included the Lord Mayor of Hull, Kalvin Neal, who heard Kirk explain how he felt grateful and humbled to become President of the Chamber of Commerce, which, he said, comes with a great deal of responsibility.
‘The
Chamber is the
indisputable voice of the business community and is influential in everything that is happening in the region’
In his speech, he told guests he was born in Turkey and only came to the UK for six months as he wanted to learn the Queen’s English before going to the US to study at university there – but his plans changed when he met a blue-eyed blonde and he never made it to America.
He started working as an interpreter, and in 1992 AaGlobal was born. It quickly grew to cover 500 languages and dialects all over the world and in 2011 he decided to open a branch
“up north” to serve his northern clients, and he chose to come to Hull.
Kirk told his audience: “I joined the Hull & Humber Chamber in 2011 and started supporting the Chamber’s International Trade Department, quickly becoming a Patron, which has been excellent for us, running foreign trade missions overseas.
“I now describe myself as a Turkish British Hullensian, who believes that Chamber membership brings invaluable benefits to businesses big and small and plays a vital role in shaping the area.
“The Chamber is the indisputable voice of the business community and is influential in everything that is happening in the region and it needs to be stronger than ever before.
“There are many business representatives here today, but it is easy to miss the big picture. Hull and Humber is the gateway to Europe and beyond and in my year as Chamber President I aspire to boost international trade and encourage Chamber members to consider the potential of broadening their horizons.”
The Lord Mayor gave a vote of thanks to Kirk and the Chamber, and proposed a toast to the Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce, before closing the proceedings.
notice to help with the foot and mouth crisis, flooding, Brexit, marshalling the backlog of trucks at the ports and also during the recent pandemic, which saw 34,000 Reservists deployed.
Known as 150 Wagonners Reserves, the Londesborough Street, Hull based unit traces its history back to the days of horses and wagons, but today drives any kind of truck you can think of to support the nation in times of crisis. 150 Regiment is made up of six squadrons and has specialists in command, communications, catering, HR, physical training and a Regimental band which is also growing in number. The Regiment has 505 personnel and is the third largest in the UK with a wage budget of £2.4m – an interesting comparison for many small to medium sized businesses.
On 19 May this year, the Regiment will be holding its Wagonners Challenge at Sledmere House, where the Wagoners Reserve was originally established, and the Regiment is hoping local businesses will support the event and attend on the day.
The Lord Mayor of Hull, Cllr Kalvin Neal, himself a Reservist, thanked Lt Col McCullough for his talk, and proposed the toast.
The Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce met with Rail Minister Huw Merriman in the House of Commons to appeal for direct train services to London.
The Chamber’s External Affairs Director, David Hooper, presented a letter to the Minister on behalf of the business community asking him to approve plans and funding to reinstate direct rail services between Cleethorpes and Grimsby to London, which would give Northern Lincolnshire businesses direct services to the Capital for the first time in more than 30 years.
‘The Chamber has lobbied for the reintroduction of the service for several years’
The route, which would see a first and last service introduced by LNER, linking into the existing routes running from Lincoln to London, would be at minimal cost in rail terms, yet the economic benefits to the Northern Lincolnshire region could be massive.
Receiving the letter, the Minister promised to consider the Chamber’s plea and said he was aware of the ambitions for Northern Lincolnshire, adding that questions had again been asked in the Commons recently by local MPs, led by Cleethorpes MP Martin Vickers.
This latest development comes after LNER ran test trains along the route in July to ensure the trains could travel on the railway lines without hitting platforms or trackside furniture. Engineers were also checking issues such as disabled access and platform lengths.
During the train’s visit to Cleethorpes, LNER’s Managing Director David Horne
told the Chamber that while everything was looking promising from a practical point of view, the Government still had to approve the funding, which at around £1m per year, is negligible.
Hopes were raised that this funding might now be granted following the cancellation of the northern legs of HS2 recently, freeing up around £36bn to be allocated to other rail services and as business travel recovers following the pandemic, the need for this service is still a priority for the south Humber region.
The Minister promised to read the letter carefully and see what he could do to finally bring these long-standing ambitions to fruition.
When the test train rolled in to Cleethorpes in the summer, the among those there to welcome it were the Chamber’s Northern Lincolnshire Manager Anne Tate, Adam Fowler, from the City of Hull & Humber Environment Forum and Cleethorpes MP Martin Vickers.
The Chamber has lobbied for the reintroduction of the service for several years after LNER introduced direct services from Lincoln with its new Hitachi 800 trains, suggesting it wouldn’t take much for them to travel the extra few miles up to Grimsby and Cleethorpes.
David Hooper said: “It was great to see this LNER train finally pulling into Cleethorpes – it’s been a long journey to get to this point and it would be fantastic for the area if we can see this service included in the May timetable for the first time since 1992. It would also give the area the opportunity to market itself in London and attract visitors to the area from the south and boost our tourism, which all helps the local economy and creates jobs.”
With a continuing lack of clarity on possible interest rate cuts, businesses are still hoping for positive news, but since this report was compiled, both house prices and energy prices have dropped, raising hopes that we will soon see a cut.
Our latest survey, conducted between 12 February - 12 March, revealed that home sales dropped further this quarter, dropping another 10 points to –36, while home orders fared slightly better, dropping five points to –42.
Exports continued their steady recovery this quarter with the balance figure for export sales increasing by 12 points, but remaining in negative territory at –38. Export orders did slightly better still, increasing by 15 points to –31.
However, employment took a tumble, with the number of firms saying they had tried to recruit staff in the last three months dropping by 18 points to –22.
Expected employment for the next three months increased slightly, up by two points to nine.
More firms reported that they had tried to recruit staff in the last three months, up by 10 points from 49 to 59 per cent. Most of those who had tried to recruit were hoping to fill full-time positions, with more of those positions being for permanent roles this quarter.
There was a slight decrease in the number of firms looking to recruit parttime staff, down two points to 27.
Cashflow in the last three months was a on the up, but still in negative territory with the balance figure improving to –19.
The biggest external concerns were competition and inflation this quarter, although interest rates were still a worry.
Profit expectations for the next 12 months were also down by three points to a balance figure of –14, but in better news, turnover expectations saw a healthy increase, clinging by eight points to a balance figure of 14.
More firms expected to see their prices rise in the coming months too, with the balance figure rising by two points to +2.
Only 23 per cent of firms said they were working at full capacity this quarter, indicating that the business is still in the doldrums, to some degree.
The Chamber’s External Affairs Director David Hooper said: “Looking ahead, most firms expect to see their prices rise in the coming months and more firms are worried about competition and inflation, so any help the Bank of England might be able to offer by way of an interest rate cut will be welcomed.”
The German Ambassador to the UK, His Excellency Miguel Berger, told business leaders in Hull recently how international trade between Germany and the UK, including the Humber, was now more important than ever as Europe moves towards a greener, more sustainable future.
His comments came at an event led by Corinne Barry, the Director for Net Zero – East Coast UK for German renewables giant RWE, which brought together panellists including the Leader of Hull City Council, Cllr Mike Ross, the Leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, Cllr Anne Handley, Melanie Onn, the Strategic Adviser for Humber Marine and Renewables and Grimsby’s Labour Parliamentary Candidate, Ruth Carver from the Lincolnshire LEP, James McIntosh, Chief Commercial Officer at CATCH UK, and Du ncan Hammond, Manager Humber Decarbonisation Project for Phillips 66.
‘Germany is very keen to develop links with the UK and the ports here are very important’
The local discussions in the Humber ranged from existing energy provision, the future of British steel production, collaboration between industry and academia and the transition to a greener economy. Before hosting Chatham House roundtable discussions over dinner Corinne and Ambassador Berger told local business leaders in the audience that there were now 2,500 German companies in Britain, slightly fewer than before Brexit.
The Ambassador said: “Key areas of cooperation include automotive, life sciences and aerospace were all driving investment, but energy transformation should be a key topic for the future, noting Germany had recently signed a climate partnership with the British Government, and following the Russian war in Ukraine, where there was a new focus on energy transformation.
“There are a lot of opportunities for Hull and Humber with the rest of the European Union. Germany needs to build connections with hydrogen producers in the UK to import hydrogen into Germany at scale by means of a pipeline which would be built to take hydrogen directly into Cuxhaven, which provides energy predictability and stability for the future. Germany wants to create jobs for the future post Brexit and develop a positive relationship again. I am pleased to see the UK back in Horizon Europe for research and development, but we still need to increase the numbers of people with the relevant skills in renewables.
“Germany is very keen to develop links with the UK and the ports here are very important. We have Siemens Games which has been a great success and provides a great opportunity to work more closely in the future.”
Introduced by Corinne Barry, Hull MP, Emma Hardy said: “It’s a real delight to talk to the Ambassador and hear of his shared ambition for the area. To have the Ambassador here fills me with hope and I would like to have him back to help shape a new identity for the area. I will look forward to his next visit and we will make the Great British Energy partnership a great success for the future.”
More than 200 of Ideal Heating’s Logic Air heat pumps are being installed in properties across the North East as part of a major social housing upgrade programme.
Hull-based Ideal Heating’s heat pumps form part of a £7m retrofit upgrade investment by Bernicia Group and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
The investment will mean hundreds of tenants will benefit from improvements to their homes to meet Government targets, including the installation of the heat pumps and solar panels, as well as better insulation.
It is part of a wider £80m project to upgrade more than 5,000 homes across the North East and Yorkshire under a Government programme to make homes more energy efficient. The two-year contract is underway, with more than 20 heat pumps already installed. The project spans homes in areas including Durham, Sunderland, Gateshead and across Northumberland.
A total of 206 Logic Air heat pumps will be installed over the next 18 months, in Bernicia properties which do not currently achieve at least an energy SAP rating of C.
Installation of the heat pumps will not cost tenants anything, or affect their rent.
Mark Derbyshire, Managing Director (Domestic Products) at Groupe Atlantic UK,
Republic of Ireland and North America, parent company of Ideal Heating, said: “We’re delighted our Logic Air heat pumps have been chosen to form part of this important programme of social housing works.
‘We’re committed to investing £70m into wider major improvement works in our homes and communities by 2026’
“Logic Air is perfect for social housing developments and upgrades, where infrastructure can be tailored to the requirements of heat pump installation.
Emma Searle, Bernicia’s Retrofit Manager, said: “This is great news for our tenants.
“Ideal were chosen as the preferred manufacturer for our project due to a combination of factors: the combined cylinder, the ergonomic programmer, length of warranty and value for money of the product.
“We’re committed to investing £70m into wider major improvement works in our homes and communities by 2026.”
The contract has been made possible thanks to the Government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 2.1 – designed to help landlords and social housing providers decarbonise their housing stock.
Ideal Heating is opening a low carbon training hub in the South of England as it continues to expand its industry-leading UK operations.
The Training and Technology Centre will be used by Hull-based Ideal Heating’s Expert Academy to equip installers with the skills to fit, maintain and service domestic and commercial heat pumps. It will also deliver product training for Ideal Heating’s wide range of domestic and commercial boilers.
The 16,000 sq ft centre represents an investment of £1m by Ideal Heating and is due to open in April.
The new Training and Technology Centre is located at Insignia Park in Dunstable, Bedfordshire. It will have four spacious training areas featuring the latest equipment and technology, a large conference facility and comfortable café area.
The new hub follows the opening in January 2023 of the award-winning Expert Academy’s pioneering National Training and Technology Centre in Hessle, East Yorkshire.
The purpose-built £2.2m National Training and Technology Centre was the first dedicated centre of its kind in the UK. The training it offers is also focused primarily on green technologies, as the industry transitions from
traditional gas boilers to environment-friendly alternatives.
Ideal Heating is part of Groupe Atlantic, a global leader in thermal comfort. Andrew Johnson, Training Director for Groupe Atlantic UK, Republic of Ireland and North America, said: “We believe in providing the highest quality training experiences possible with carefully designed programmes and first-class facilities across the UK.
“We’re delighted to be opening this impressive new facility, which is ideally positioned, with excellent road and rail links, for us to serve large areas of the South East, London and the central corridor.”
Three document libraries – HR, H&S and legal – almost 800 template documents plus lots more information.
The Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce has invested in its membership offer and has recently launched four important new services to support Humber businesses which are now included as part of the Chamber package.
Chamber HR, Chamber H&S, Chamber Legal and Chamber Tax are all now available to members and are free to use as often as they like.
Chamber members also have access to a huge library of around 800 downloadable documents and templates covering employment, health and safety, tax and legal matters.
All the new services can be accessed by one phone number which gives members immediate advice and support via five advice lines – HR, H&S, Legal, Tax and VAT
These new services represent a major investment by the Chamber in its membership offer. The services are pa rt of a national scheme provided by Quest with 45,000 UK Chamber of Commerce users.
David Hooper, The Chamber’s External Affairs Director, said: “Businesses are facing challenging times at the moment and these new services offer excellent support to all businesses, whatever size they may be. I believe these new services will protect our members, help them stay compliant, particularly with issues around Covi d-19 like HR and H&S requirements, and give them peace of mind.
“Our new services are employer focused, so the HR line for example, can help businesses deal with redundancy procedures, appraisals or disciplinary procedures and comes with access to experienced advisors for hand-holding support when they need it, or provide access to documents which are regularly updated to reflect the latest rules and regu lations.
“The Health and Safety package offers unlimited advice and access to documents like H&S policies, risk assessment templates and the offer of free One2One reviews. Chamber Legal provides unlimited access to experienced
legal advisors and a library of documents, while Chamber Tax provides access to tax and VAT advisors who can be a great help at tax return time!”
Chamber Chief Executive Dr Ian Kelly said: “We are delighted to be able to include these excellent new benefits as part of our membership package. They provide expert advice and support on many key aspects of running a business and I would encourage our members to make good use of these new, premium services.”
Members only can call 01455 852037 for immediate support and assistance.
For more information, contact the Hull and East Yorkshire office: 01482 324976 or email j.harrison@hull-humberchamber.co.uk, or the Northern Lincolnshire Office: 01472 342981 or email a.tate@hull-humber-chamber.co.uk
Work has started on converting five units in Freshney Place Shopping Centre into a bespoke Community Diagnostic Centre that will help to transform healthcare in North East Lincolnshire.
Once complete, the centre will offer around 150,000 additional diagnostic appointments a year at a convenient, central location.
Due to open to patients in autumn this year, it will be able to offer a range of services, including ophthalmology, nonobstetric ultrasounds and a mix of pathological and physiological tests, such as ECGs and x-rays.
GPs will be able to refer patients to a centre, which are not only more convenient for patients but are also more efficient for staff and free up clinicians’ time to help further cut NHS waiting lists.
Now the demolition phase is underway and details of the plans are on display within the
shopping centre, Leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, Cllr
Philip Jackson and Deputy Leader Cllr Stan Shreeve, who is also the Portfolio Holder with responsibilities for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care, joined NHS project leads for a tour of the facility. They were guided around the site by Ivan McConnell, Group Director
Strategy and Partnership at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Founda tion Trust; Mark Edgar, Associate Director of Estates Projects; and Helen Kenyon, North East Lincolnshire Place Director for Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB).
Ivan said: “It’s been a pleasure to take Cllr Jackson and Cllr
Shreeve around the site today and explain more about our exciting plans for the site.
“Having this new facility and the capacity to conduct so many additional tests will be incredibly beneficial to the health of people across the area, as it will help us to detect and treat serious conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and respiratory conditions.”
Cllr Shreeve said: “As a council, we are delighted to see this development start.
“As the owners of Freshney Place, the council is extremely supportive of this.
“It will bring health care closer to the people, with thousands of residents within our communities having easier access to vital care. This is extremely important when we look at our priorities of working with partners to improve people’s health and wellbeing in the long-term.”
The head of HullBID delivered an upbeat message about progress based on partnerships as member businesses gathered for the organisation’s annual awards.
Kathryn Shillito, HullBID Executive Director who this year marks 15 years at the helm of the body, highlighted projects which have already brought improvements to the city centre with the regeneration of key sites including Whitefriargate and King William House.
‘Local independent developers are backing Hull city centre and its future’
Kathryn also fuelled excitement about forthcoming additions to the cityscape with the £27.4m Hull Maritime project on course for completion next year, and work under way with the development of Albion Square and the transformation of the iconic Europa House into the Monocle office complex.
She also noted that new challenges will always emerge but added the resilience shown in recent years provides plenty of cause for optimism.
She said: “The skills shortage hampering businesses is being addressed with the Local Skills Improvement Plan, enabling employers to build a stronger, more dynamic partnership between themselves and further education and training providers.
“Local independent developers are backing Hull city centre and its future and Hull City Council should be recognised for their vision and ambition too.
Adam Barnes, Managing Director of awards sponsor Prestige Recruitment Ltd, told how his business became hooked by the occasion after winning the contribution to the community category in 2022.
He said: “Our win raised the profile of the business in general. It also built morale among our team because it helped to show them what we are trying to achieve and what the potential rewards are.
“We asked HullBID if we could be the main sponsor on this 10th anniversary of the awards because we want other businesses to share the benefits. It’s part of our commitment to specialist, local, homegrown businesses.
“You have got to support your local community and we want to help local people get into local industry and upskill it.”
Innovation Award sponsored by Bridge McFarland
Winner: Rubicon Bridge Limited
Shortlisted: Kicks Bar & Grill and Princes Quay Events Space
Stylish or Welcoming Premises Award sponsored by Hull City Council
Winner: Artisan Flowers
Shortlisted: Lili + Mila’s Empawrium and 19Point4
Outstanding Employee or Team Award sponsored by AaGlobal
Winner: SuperbowlUK
Shortlisted: Hannah Hartley of Smart
Temporary Solutions and Mike Glover of St Stephen’s
Longevity Award sponsored by Allenby Commercial
Winner: B Cooke & Son Ltd
Shortlisted: Bob Carvers and Rollits LLP
Customer Service Excellence Award sponsored by Clearanswer
Winner: Hull Museums and Gallery
Shortlisted: Pepperells Solicitors and Blacks
Contribution to the Community Award sponsored by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Humberside
Winner: Hull Freedom Quarter
Shortlisted: Good Things Market and Central Library Big Malarkey Festival
Commitment to Health and Wellbeing Award sponsored by Bryce Mennell
Winner: 360 Chartered Accountants
Shortlisted: Sadofskys Chartered Accountants and Rollits LLP
The Best in Food and Drink Award sponsored by Hull Trains Winner: Milchig
Shortlisted: Stretch Pizza and Koffee Lab
The Best Place to Work Award sponsored by St Stephen’s Winner: Spencer Group
Shortlisted: DoubleTree by Hilton and Hinks Insurance
Outstanding Contribution Award sponsored by Prestige Recruitment
Winner: Hull College
Shortlisted: Ferens Art Gallery and The Deep Judges Special Recognition Award sponsored by East Yorkshire Buses
Winner: Mikey Martins, Freedom Festival Arts Trust
HullBID reassured city centre businesses that police are prioritising issues around antisocial behaviour (ASB) after taking part in a top level summit on the subject.
Executive Director Kathryn Shillito said the event, which featured a keynote speech by Minister for Policing Chris Philp, demonstrated that HullBID is on the right track with its partnership approach involving police, Hull City Council, other agencies and local businesses.
The summit was hosted by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Humberside.
The Minister highlighted the multifaceted nature of ASB which encompasses neighbourhood crime, alcohol and licensing regulations, county lines drug issues, and the intricacies of organised crime.
Kathryn drew particular encouragement from the comments of Paul Anderson, the Chief Constable for Humberside, who led the discussion on policing.
Kathryn said: “In our own city
centre we have seen a firmer approach by the police and council and we work closely with Chief Superintendent Matt Peach, Divisional Commander for Hull and the East Riding, who has visited city centre businesses and offered assurance that he will accept no excuses from offenders.
“This stance was reinforced at the conference by the Chief Constable. His message was very strong, he understood the effects on business, and he was adamant that these problems will be dealt with.”
Although the nostalgia for outdated technology is charming, it’s not practical for modern businesses.
The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) has been the backbone of the UK’s telecommunications system since 1876, but the system has been outdated for years, and maintaining it has grown increasingly expensive.
The PSTN is a traditional copper wire system designed for analog voice communication, but in the late 1980s, the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) was introduced as a digital version of the analog phone line to transmit voice and data over PSTN copper lines.
However, all that is changing as the UK’s entire telephone network is upgraded to a digital system. The full switch off and change to digital occurs in 2025 - not far away, is it?
But what about your phone lines?
As Tony Smith (pictured), Director of Genius Technology Solutions, explained: “To continue to make and receive phone calls, your business will need to adopt a digital/cloud phone system, often referred to as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems. This is a phone system where calls are routed directly over the internet to devices connected to your router – which can include digital capable phone handsets or web apps on a laptop or mobile phone.
“It’s not just your phones that will be affected. If you have any alarm systems, lifts, access systems or CCTV that runs on your copper phone line, you will need to upgrade this technology to operate on the same Internet Protocol (IP) system, or devices that can work with the inclusion of a SIM card.”
From 3G to 5G… and beyond
All of this change comes as mobile network operators continue to decommission the 2G and 3G networks.
As the 20th anniversary of its introduction into the UK approaches, 3G’s usefulness has come to an end. Maintaining the 3G network has become increasingly expensive, and retiring it will enable mobile networks to focus on newer networks, providing better services.
For the estimated 5.5 million mobile customers who rely on 2G or 3G (according to Ofcom), change is imminent. Some mobile networks will allow customers to continue using 2G for some time, provided it is kept online as a backup. However, speeds on the network will be much slower.
It’s worth noting that a variety of devices, such as e-readers, GPS systems, and alarms, use the 3G network to transfer data. It’s therefore vital for businesses to examine their inventory and determine whether they have any devices that may soon be disconnected.
So how do you prepare?
Consider the points on the checklist below. Assess how your business compares and call a broker such as Genius Technology Solutions to establish the best service for your needs.
Do you understand the changes that Openreach is making to the UK landline network? If you’re not sure, now’s the time to ask an expert.
Do you have plans for addressing the Openreach network Switch Off? Keeping your businesses connected is too important to wing it. Make sure you get some help making a plan if you need it.
The following questions will help that plan.
• Do you have analogue telephone lines that are connected to a system on site or are your phone lines already connected via the internet?
• How many sites do you have?
• How many people currently use the telephone system?
• Do you know if they use the system via a handset or headset?
• What features do you have on your telephone systems currently, e.g. voicemail or music on hold?
• Do you actually like your current phone system? For example, do you wish there was something it could do that it doesn't currently?
• Do you have any services that are no longer in use?
• Are you aware of any other systems reliant on your phone lines, such as alarms, door access, lifts or security cameras?
• Are you aware of your contract end dates?
Now you've got an idea of what your business needs, you can start looking at the right systems for an upgrade. However, you don't have to do that alone. Get in touch and we can take care of the rest.
Beyond the sim and on to huge potential
But what about MOBILE DATA?
To avoid being left without mobile data, it unfortunately may not be a simple case of switching out a SIM card.
Devices need to be 4G and 5G compatible to use these networks, so anyone with a device compatible with only 3G and earlier generations will need to upgrade if they still want access to mobile data.
Who’s benefitting already?
In manufacturing, 5G can improve efficiency and make factories and plants much safer. 5Gsupported video monitoring can detect faults in machinery, flagging any need for maintenance. It can also support IoT sensors and agritech systems measuring the conditions of the environment like temperature or humidity.
5G is also driving huge advancements to the healthcare industry. Smart ambulances could allow doctors and specialists to guide paramedics through a live video link, helping to assess, treat and prepare patients before they arrive at the hospital. 5G can also support virtual reality technology to help train medical students.
In logistics, supply chain transparency is invaluable. 5G will prop up the technology that keeps track of goods in real-time, allowing for better inventory management. It’s also expected to be able to track vehicles more accurately.
When 3G launched, smartphones seemed like the stuff of science fiction. As we come to the end of its lifetime, technology has grown capable of even more seemingly impossible things.
What will come next does seem easier to predict – however, as 5G promises to bring even more innovation and take IoT to new levels, who knows where the limits lie... For more information you can contact Genius Technology Solutions:
T: 0333 0110 512
E: sales@geniustechnologysolutions.com W: geniustechnologysolutions.com
Quickline Communications, the East Yorkshire-based specialist rural broadband provider, has been awarded a contract under the government’s £5bn Project Gigabit programme.
The deal will subsidise the rollout of a full fibre network to more than 28,000 hard-to-reach rural homes and businesses across the West Yorkshire and York area, including communities in North and East Yorkshire, which have been left behind by commercial rollouts.
Communities to be connected include those surrounding Selby, York, Bradford, Kirklees, Leeds, Wakefield, Harrogate, Skipton, Ripon, Keighley, Calder Valley, Stamford Bridge and Pocklington.
Built using XGS-PON technology, capable of supporting speeds of up to 10Gbps, Quickline’s full fibre network will enable its current and future ISP
partners to serve customers with far faster and more reliable broadband services than legacy copper-based networks.
As part of the contract, Quickline has also committed to an extensive social values programme to educate, enrich and enhance the region by generating jobs and providing training, including creating apprenticeships and accredited training courses.
‘We are extremely proud to be chosen as a delivery partner to the government for rural connectivity’
Through new partnerships with organisations such as STEM Learning, Tech She Can and the Institution of Engineering and Technology, Quickline will invest in a series of learning and engagement initiatives for
thousands of students, of all ages, to develop a sustainable and skilled workforce and enable growth in the region.
The contract has been secured by Quickline following a competitive public procurement process and totals £60m of government subsidy.
Quickline will make further private investment alongside Project Gigabit to roll out its full fibre network to an additional 58,000 premises.
Project Gigabit is the government-backed programme to connect hard-to-reach areas which, without government intervention, would miss out on fast and reliable, gigabit capable broadband.
Sean Royce, CEO at Quickline, said: “We are extremely proud to be chosen as a delivery partner to the government for rural connectivity.
“Our mission at Quickline is to connect the unconnected to a world of possibilities by building a fast and reliable broadband network for rural communities.
“Project Gigabit is transformational and we are thrilled to play our part in changing the lives of people living in rural West Yorkshire, alongside parts of North and East Yorkshire. But this is about more than just broadband; we’re passionate about supporting rural communities, driving economic growth, creating jobs and helping to build the future digital workforce.”
Organisers of a new event that was created to promote women’s achievements and raise money for charities have already confirmed plans for a follow-up.
The Sailors’ Children’s Society and HEY Smile Foundation raised £30,000 from their inaugural Ladies’ Lunch.
Natasha Barley, CEO of the society, said: “We have already received requests from people who took tables to repeat their reservations for next year. We can’t wait for Ladies’ Lunch 2025. We’re planning already!”
Jamie Lewis, CEO of HEY Smile Foundation, said: “Our first Ladies’ Lunch was
a huge success and a lot of fun. Smile
Foundation is a trusted local partner, we really believe in collaboration and we are proud to be equal partners alongside Sailors’ Children's Society to create this new event.
“Its success is down to the efforts of both charities working tirelessly together, mixed with an incredible guest list of some of the most inspirational and influential women across the region. I'm excited to see this event grow so we can offer even more support to local charities.”
A 300-strong audience mainly comprising businesswomen from across East Yorkshire joined broadcaster and author Louise Minchin at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Hull as she told of her ongoing passion for endurance sport and highlighted some of the subjects in her latest book – Fearless: Adventures with extraordinary women
Natasha added: “Our charities are working work together to establish the Ladies’ Lunch alongside our hugely successful Sportsman’s Lunch, which will mark its 30th anniversary next year.”
Regeneration specialist Wykeland Group is working with leading arts organisations to bring unforgettable performances to Hull’s distinctive Stage @TheDock outdoor venue.
The waterfront amphitheatre provides a striking setting for open-air theatre, arts, music, cinema and comedy performances.
Stage @TheDock opened in summer 2016, in time for Hull’s year as UK City of Culture 2017. A £650,000 investment by Wykeland transformed the derelict, listed former Central Dry Dock into a spectacular performance space.
Hull-based property development and investment business Wykeland continues to own and operate the 350-capacity venue in the Fruit Market creative quarter and it is integral to the company’s commitment to championing culture and the arts.
In its latest key cultural partnership, Wykeland helped to create the new Fresh Ink playwriting festival. Delivered by Hull-based theatre company Middle Child, Fresh Ink will provide a stage for writers to create and develop new plays, with performances at Stage @TheDock over a weekend in July.
Wykeland Managing Director Dominic Gibbons said: “Stage @TheDock is now very well established as a venue. It offers arts organisations and touring companies the opportunity to perform in a unique setting and
reach new audiences. We’re proud to play our part in bringing innovative, inspiring and powerful productions and performances to our home city and to support the development of creative skills.”
Natalia Blogg, Wykeland’s Culture and Events Manager, said: “As the arts sector continues to face challenges in the funding
and delivery of events, it’s vitally important that businesses support creativity and culture in whatever way they can.
“We’ve developed excellent relationships with arts and theatre companies, and we’re now looking to further extend our network to bring more high-quality performances to Stage @TheDock this year and in coming years.”
The Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce is proud to have once again hosted the 2024 Northern Lincolnshire Business Awards.
This year the Black Tie Gala Dinner & Presentation Evening was held at Grimsby Auditorium on Thursday 16 May. Headline sponsors and partners of the Awards were Phillips 66 and our Dinner Sponsor was Andrew Jackson Solicitors, while Ellgia once again acted as our Patron Sponsor.
Entries for this year have been judged and the three nominees in each category chosen. All the outright winners received their awards and out ultimate accolade was the Forrester Boyd Business of the Year, which was awarded by the judges to the most outstanding entry.
The Chamber President Kirk Akdemir made a keynote speech on the evening. Kirk commented before the event: “We are all looking forward to this highlight of the south bank business calendar and getting ready to applaud business excellence across the board of our local businesses and organisations. We look forward to celebrating with businesses that show aptitude and success in their respective sectors.”
As well as a glittering awards ceremony, courtesy drinks reception and ‘Jungle’ themed canapes, a three-course dinner was prepared by Steve Bennett of The Lincolnshire Chef. Guests also enjoyed an after dinner show, based on the musical The Lion King, performed by both professional West End performers and local students from both Grimsby Institute and North Lindsey College. The evening was hosted by Richard Askam.
A full report and picture special will appear in the next edition of Business Intelligence, and in the meantime, more information can be found on our dedicated website: www.nlincsba.co.uk
The Universities of Hull & Lincoln Small Business Award
• Xceco Ltd
• Cars of Grimsby Ltd
• Riverhead Coffee
The Pattesons Glass Business Growth Award
• Bacon Engineering
• Xceco Ltd
• Cartwright Vehicle Conversions
The Wilkin Chapman Business Person of the Year Award
• Ashley Budworth AB Security Solutions Ltd
• Angie Graham Cudox Wellbeing CIC
• Michelle Harness Scunthorpe United Football Club
The Bridge McFarland LLP Excellence in the Community Award
• The Attis Arena
• Ongo
• Projekt Renewable
The North East Lincolnshire Business Development Award
• Anything Goes CIC
• Pal Bar + Kitchen
• Xceco Ltd
The North Lincolnshire Business Investment Award
• Godiva Hair Loss & Wig Specialists
• Cartwright Vehicle Conversions
• Hunt Leisure Ltd
The Grimsby Institute Training Excellence Award
• CorrBoard UK
• Bacon Engineering
• S. Smith & Co Accountants
The Pepperells Innovation Award
• CorrBoard UK/Omni-Pac Group
• SC4(UK)Ltd
• Southern Trident Ltd
The HETA Green Sustainability Award
• PAL Bar + Kitchen
• Southern Trident Ltd
• Grimsby Community Energy
The Sylvester Keal Young Business Person of the Year Award
• Natalie Lynskey S. Smith & Co Accountants
• Jack Lobaczewski RSUK Group
• Charlotte Rycroft Elsham Activity Centre
The DN Colleges New Business Award
• Projekt Renewable
• AB Security Solutions Ltd
• North Lincs Consultancy
DEZARO Limited was established in 2015 to service your business needs in freight forwarding areas such as air, road and sea freight, cross trade, custom brokerage, warehousing and project cargo handling areas. Our project management team allows you to enjoy a seamless supply chain end-to-end that covers all your needs for freight forwarding, warehousing, or just for project cargo handling in many sectors such as factory movements, construction machinery, mining and oil industry and export packaging.
Freight forwarding is a vital service in the global logistics industry, acting as an intermediary between shippers and carriers. It facilitates the smooth movement of goods by sea, road, or air from the supplier to the customers. With around 80 per cent of goods moved by sea, it plays a vital role in connecting businesses and customers around the world. Sea freight is reliable, environmentally friendly, and capable of handling a wide range of cargo types, from raw materials to finished products. Dezaro Limited’s dedicated sea freight team offers a very personal service. Throughout the years, we have established a global network of agencies capable of servicing individual customer requirements across all industries.
We have relationships with every shipping partner in the world, which gives us the global reach and speed to meet your business goals. It also means end-to-end control of your shipment, with visibility at every step and domestic solutions at every port. As for price, we offer the most competitive rates in FCL, thanks to our streamlined operations and relationships with carriers, both ocean and inland.
We deliver tailored sea freight services to suit your shipping requirements. Whether FCL, LCL,
Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo), Breakbulk or Intermodal Transport, our dedicated ocean freight team works with you to create flexible, cost-effective solutions you can rely on.
We want to be your growth partner. To that end, we go beyond just cargo delivery – we deliver peace of mind to our clients. You can fully count on our support, be it in terms of offering access to a winning supply chain network or devising compliant and reliable ocean freight solutions. Our endeavour is to also make the world a better place via reliable and sustainable ocean transport.
We recently moved to Iridium Court and we are ready to serve our customers at our new premises.
“We at Dezaro Limited understand that our customers’ cargo is more than just goods. Our in-house freight forwarding experts will work alongside our global network to ensure your goods reach their destination safely, efficiently, and on time. We also have a dedicated projects team who are specialists in moving oversized, out-of-gauge and challenging cargo. Whatever your cargo, our experienced team can move it.”
Owner/Managing Director, Baran Ozdikicioglu
Get in touch via email: info@dezaro.uk or visit: dezaro.uk
In this issue we take a look at the Professional Services and Hotels, Conferences & Events sectors.
If you’ve never worked with a voiceover artist before, finding the right one and knowing what to ask them might feel a bit daunting. Don’t worry! Here are my top tips to help you find the perfect voice.
First ask yourself these questions:
• Do you want a male or female voice? It might not matter –but think about your audience and decide if they might have a preference to hearing your message delivered by a man or a woman.
• How old do you want the voice to sound? Are you looking for a
millennial voice, or a more mature voice? Again it depends on your audience and who you want to appeal to.
• Are you looking for a particular accent, or do you need a neutral voice that will appeal to a wide audience?
Now you’ve answered those basic questions you can head to Google. Search terms include ‘voiceover artist’, ‘voice over artist’, ‘voice actor’, and ‘voice talent’, plus male, female, accent etc.
Once you’ve found some likely looking websites, can you hear some samples of your voiceover artist’s voice? They should have some professional demo reels on
their website, and links to previous work too. If there is a clip that you particularly like, be sure to let t hem know that’s the style you are after.
Can you read some testimonials from previous happy clients?
Can you contact them directly or do you need to go through their agent? The numbers/email addresses should be provided.
The next stage is to actually get
in touch with your chosen voiceover artist. Here are some questions you might want to ask them:
Are they willing to record a free custom demo for your project? If they are (and most will), send them a line or two from your script – you don’t need to hear the whole thing, unless it’s a very short advert. Your voiceover artist may ‘watermark’
‘The more information you can give your voiceover artist about where their voice will be used, the easier it is for them to work out a fair price for you’
this recording with an un-wanted sound, to protect their work.
Where is your project going to be heard? Is it a TV or radio commercial? A video that’s going to be on a website or social media? An internal training course? Each genre of voiceover is charged for in a different way. The more information you can give your voiceover artist about where their voice will be used, the easier it is for them to work out a fair price for you. On top of the recording fee there may also be a charge for usage, which will vary depending on where the recording will be used, and for how long.
Ask what their policies are on amendments to the script or
direction after the recording. Any decent voiceover artist should correct mistakes they have made free of charge, but be prepared to pay something for corrections if you’ve made a mistake in the script, or you change your mind about something.
Give them some direction. How do you want the voiceover to sound? Upbeat and friendly? Serious? Soothing?
Knowledgeable? Think of a couple of adjectives to give them a clue – but not a couple of paragraphs because that just gets confusing!
Do you want to listen in to the recording session and give live direction, or are you happy to let the voiceover artist self-direct? If you do want to listen in, check whether their studio has the facility to allow you to do this, and whether there is an extra fee.
Do you need the voiceover artist to edit the audio or is someone else doing that? Let them know.
If it’s a long project that needs to be split up into separate files after recording do you need them to do that for you?
Is your project going to have music? If it is, make sure that you have the correct permissions for sharing it. Do you need the voiceover artist to mix the music with their voice? Even if someone else is doing this part, it’s helpful to share the music with the voiceover artist because it helps them to get their tone and pace right.
If the voiceover is going to be added to a video it is always best to record the voiceover before you finish editing the pictures. It is much easier to fit pictures to the voice, rather than trying to match the voice to the pictures.
If you can share the finished project with your voiceover artist they will be really pleased – if it can’t be shared any further, let them know, but if they can use it as an example of their work on their website or social media it will get you some extra exposure!
It can be difficult to avoid conflict in the workplace. From fridge raiders wreaking havoc every lunchtime, to disagreements over ideas and opinions, even the smallest conflict can have a big impact on productivity, morale and motivation – which makes conflict resolution an essential skill to have in the workplace. Conflict resolution training will not only teach your staff how to communicate effectively, compromise and collaborate with each other, but it could also boost your bottom line too. Business Intelligence explores some of the benefits of investing in conflict resolution training for your staff.
Conflict resolution training can improve communication skills right across your workforce. It will give your staff the tools to adequately articulate their issues calmly, and teach them how implement outcomes that work for everybody. Improved communication will, in turn, build respect and trust in the workplace, as your staff will know how to make difficult conversations easier for all involved in them. Senior employees and team leaders will be able to lead by example, serving as peacekeepers within their teams, while junior employees will gain the confidence to speak up and advocate for their work and their ideas. If you have a customer care department, conflict resolution training will also help your staff better communicate with difficult customers.
Improved communication leads to better working relationships. Staff who are constantly locked in arguments will not want to collaborate together or listen to each other’s ideas, no matter how good they may be. Conflict resolution training can overcome this by helping your staff build solid working relationships; they will be taught to recognise each other’s strengths and the art of constructive feedback – how to give it and, most importantly, how to take it.
With conflict resolution training, you can also improve your staff’s team-building skills. Through the training, they will learn how to discuss, rather than debate (or argue!) the issues at hand. They will also learn how to understand people will different points of view and how to work together without bias getting in the way.
‘Disputes take vital time away from projects, which can mean deadlines are missed, money is wasted and opportunities are lost’
Additionally, working on their techniques to manage conflicts will also have a positive effect on your staff’s problem solving skills, as they will learn how to work together to reach a common goal.
Ask yourself how much time and energy is wasted on workplace conflicts. Disputes take vital time away from projects, which can mean deadlines are missed, money is wasted and opportunities are lost.
The emotional toll of a workplace dispute alone can hinder creativity and innovation, which then restricts the company’s growth. Firms that offer conflict-solving training are essentially offering a favourable and productive workplace, which leads to reduced employee turnover and increased employee satisfaction.
No one wants to work in a powder keg! Decreased absenteeism (workplace stress is a major cause of sick leave) due to a less toxic workplace will also have a positive impact on productivity and growth.
A positive work environment and opportunities for staff development are both a huge draw for potential candidates, so if you’re looking to grow your workforce then offering conflict resolution training ticks both of those boxes.
Young people especially are more mindful of working for companies that take a stance on discrimination, bullying and biases. They are also attracted to companies that offer opportunities to boost their skills sets and care about helping them become more well rounded individuals. Offering training shows that you are committed to the development of your staff.
Hotels and conference centres both offer dedicated venues for meetings and conferences, but they have distinct advantages and disadvantages. So, which one is right for your next event? Business Intelligence is here to help you decide.
Convenience: Firstly, a hotel is usually the most convenient choice. Larger hotels will have meeting rooms and event spaces just a few floors away from guest accommodations, meaning delegates can stay at the same location. This is especially beneficial if you’re hosting a multi-day conference or expecting out-of-town participants.
Amenities: Restaurant, spa, gym, bar – hotels typically offer a range of amenities that will enhance the overall experience for your guests. Delegates will appreciate being able to relax and unwind in between events, and catering services will mean they’re well fed, too!
Technology: Hotel event spaces are equipped with all of the audio-visual and presentation equipment you will need. They will also typically offer the services of an event team who will be on hand every step of the way to make sure you don’t run into any technical difficulties.
Networking spaces: Hotels offer many communal spaces, such as bars and comfortable lobby areas, which provide the perfect setting for informal networking opportunities.
The case for conference centres
Specialisation: Conference centres are purposebuilt for meetings and events, offering more customisable meeting spaces. The technology available will be top-notch, including enhanced audio-visual systems, high-speed internet and specialised support teams.
Flexibility and choice: Conference centres offer a higher degree of flexibility. You will have a choice of rooms that meet your budget and needs, and you will be able to configure the room to meet your exact specifications.
Exclusivity and privacy: A conference centre offers more privacy than the hotel. For one, you won’t have to share communal spaces, and your dedicated events spaces will only be able to be used by your delegates. This can create a more focused environment with fewer distractions.
Accessibility and parking: Conference centres are usually located near major transport hubs, such as railway stations and airports, to provide easy accessibility for those travelling by public transports. They also offer ample parking.
Event size and purpose: Consider the size and nature of your event. Hotels are suitable for smaller to medium sized events, while conference centres can accommodate more people. You don’t want to cram too many people into one room – but at the same time, you don’t want to hire a lavish banquet hall for just a handful of guests!
Budget: While conference centres usually cost more to rent than hotel meeting spaces, they do offer more value in terms of specialised services and equipment.
The needs of your guests: Consider the experience you wish to offer to your guests. Is overall comfort more important than accessibility, for example? Look to past events to guide the kind of experience you wish to build –do your guests enjoy having extra amenities on site or do they prefer the convenience a conference centre offers?
Atmosphere: Consider the atmosphere you want to create. Is your event going to be more informal and relaxed, or more professional and focused? A hotel will offer a more comfortable atmosphere, while a conference centre will look and feel more impressive and professional.
Corporate events are key to business. They are an excellent way to communicate and reinforce your brand’s values, from business objectives to market positioning. But get them wrong? Your delegates will not be impressed and may leave with a negative impression of your brand. Business Intelligence offers its top tips for planning a business event.
The right location
The venue for your event should be easily accessible with parking, disabled access and be close to the motorway. Not only will this be more convenient for your delegates to travel to a central location, they will arrive on time, un-flustered and focused and ready for the day ahead. Additionally, easy access can attract a wider audience and help reduce no shows.
Make a connection
A venue should have a strong mobile signal, complimentary Wi-Fi access and the latest audio-visual equipment. A business event will be greatly enhanced with visuals such as PowerPoint presentations and short films/video clips. Visuals will keep your delegates stimulated, ensuring they don’t get bored, or worsenod off! Mobile connectivity means delegates won’t feel cut off from comforts such as their inbox, social media platforms and the ability to keep an eye on the office whatever the time of day.
Acres of space
Your event should be tailored to the amount of delegates expected. For example, a small business meeting will benefit from an intimate room that provides focus and a peaceful environment, while a bigger team away day should have access to a larger function room, one which provides enough seating as well as table space. The best corporate events are the ones that get your delegates moving! Choose a venue with rolling parkland. The greenery, fresh air and space will really help to spark creativity whether you use the land for team building games or simply lunch outside.
Inspiring surroundings
Hold your corporate event in an awe-inspiring venue. Traditional and centuries old décor is certain to charm your delegates while providing luxury and history. Grand décor is a sure-fire way to create the vibrancy and dynamism a corporate event requires.
Whether it’s breakfast, lunch or just refreshments, your delegates should be kept fed and watered to keep energy levels up! Choose a professional caterer that can adapt a menu to dietary requirements, timings and themes.
Running like clockwork
Take the stress out of planning and running your corporate event by hiring an events co-ordinator. They will work closely with you to create a day or evening, tailored to your exact needs and ensure business goals are fulfilled. A co-ordinator will also ensure that timings are met by working behind the scenes so you can focus on the business in hand.
The winners of the Chamber’s 2024 Goole and Howdenshire Business Excellence Awards were announced at a black tie awards evening at Goole Academy on 5 April.
The big winner of the night was Fisher Security Limited, which won the Large Business of the Year category and was chosen by the independent judging panel from all of the shortlisted finalists as the recipient of the Overall Business of the Year award, which was sponsored by Siemens.
Meanwhile, the organising committee chose Paul Taylor, of Filstorage, to receive the Tim Richardson Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his significant contribution to the local community, both through his own successful business and support for business networking activities and his passion for rugby, over many years. Paul was given a standing ovation as he made his way to the stage to be presented with his award.
‘Securing a place on the final shortlist was no mean feat!’
Garrey Haase, Chair of the organising committee, said: “We received almost 80 entries this year, which is one of the highest numbers ever, so securing a place on the final shortlist was no mean feat!
“Well done to all of our fantastic finalists. You gave our judges a very tough task and, without you, it wouldn’t be possible for us to put on our annual celebration of everything that’s so great about doing business in the Goole and Howdenshire area.
“On behalf of myself and the awards committee, I’d like to extend our congratulations to our very deserving winners. It’s wonderful to be able to celebrate your successes and achievements with you!
“I’d also like to thank everyone who took the time to enter, our independent judging panel and all of our sponsors.
“Last but by no means least, I’d like to thank my fellow committee members, who all give up their time voluntarilyto organise the awards each year.”
Environmentally Friendly Business
The winnerof each category was as follows:
Charity of the Year Award (sponsored by Jos Richardson & Son)
• Goole Amateur Boxing Club
Environmentally Friendly Business of the Year Award (sponsored by PA Media Group)
• William’s Den
Small Business of the Year Award (sponsored by Grotech)
• Circular Renewables Limited
Large Business of the Year Award (sponsored by Goole Times/Chronicle Publications Ltd)
• Fisher Securit y Limited
Contribution to the Community Award - Charity (sponsored by Link Agency)
• Eastrington Sports Club
New Business of the Year Award (sponsored by Danbrit)
• Badger & Bean Limited
Training and Development Award (sponsored by Drax)
• First Avenue Training Limited
Self Employed/Micro Business of the Year Award (sponsored by Sowerby Chartered Accountants)
• Sign With Sarah-jade
Marketing Excellence Award (sponsored by Filstorage)
• Footballerz Limited
Team of the Year Award (sponsored by Fisher Security Ltd)
• Phoenix Community Radio, Goole
Hugh Walton Contribution to the Community Award - Business (sponsored by H Walton Ltd)
• Our Goole
The latest news from the International Trade, Legal & Finance, Skills & Training, Manufacturing and Motoring industries.
Aleading translation and interpreting business has developed its digital know-how to help clients improve the accessibility of their online presence.
AaGlobal is creating packages which open up digital services including websites, social media and remote and hybrid meetings to people who are hearing or visually impaired.
Kirk Akdemir, CEO of the company, said the move began as a project and has evolved onto a dedicated department as demand increased from clients who recognise the opportunities presented by taking a more inclusive approach to communications.
Kirk said: “We started by recruiting a digital specialist who then progressed to focus on digital accessibility. They introduced sub titles and audio descriptions to online content and they have now developed a range of additional features which amount to a one-stop-shop for improving online accessibility.
“The service has become a new product in itself. We are experiencing significant demand mainly from the public sector but there is also growing interest from the private sector.
“All organisations, whether they are businesses or other agencies, are looking for ways to build their customer base and network of contacts and a key part of that is ensuring that what you do is accessible.
“With a building that can mean addressing such features as steps, ramps and hearing loops. With websites and virtual meetings it’s vital to offer accessible communication techniques and we have developed these alongside our more traditional
offer of international language services.”
‘We can add a BSL interpreter onto a website to add sign language to video and webinars’
AaGlobal was founded by Kirk more than 30 years ago and expanded to Hull in 2011. Its head office in King Edward Street houses a team of around 35 people and is the hub for an international network of around 15,000 linguists who between them have mastered 500 languages and dialects.
Andrei Sparling, AaGlobal’s Operations Director, has led the pioneering project to enhance the company’s existing services around improving accessibility and to build an in-house capability.
He said: “Requests for such services as Braille, BSL, Makaton
and Easy Read have become more common in tenders and we took the decision to bring them all inhouse rather than use suppliers because it means we can guarantee the highest standards and save time and money for our clients. There are suppliers who can provide some of these services but I’m not aware of anyone else who is offering all of them.
“We can add a BSL interpreter onto a website to add sign language to video and webinars. We can also create sub titles in the same language as the speaker or in a different language depending on which territories we want to serve. We have also improved our optical character recognition to include text which is part of an image and to describe what a picture is showing.
“The benefits are not just limited to websites. Teams and Zoom continue to be used widely and our services ensure those meetings can be inclusive. We
can add a BSL interpreter who appears on the screen. If BSL is needed for any meeting that requires video, we can provide it in the corner of the screen.
“The service also helps BSL interpreters to build capacity in their businesses. There is a shortage of people with BSL skills and by using technology we can help them service several meetings in the time it would take them to cover one meeting manually.”
Kirk added: “We launched the service towards the end of 2023 and it has really picked up in recent months largely as a result of customer recommendations.
“The Digital Specialist Service covers a number of skills and it wasn’t easy to find the right person. But the business is now at the right size and has the right experience to take these bold decisions and pioneer new ideas in our industry. It is a real success story and we expect it to grow significantly.”
The Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce is delighted to announce that it has received funding to deliver a further three Skills Bootcamps during 2024/2025. This training has proved to be very popular with both employers and employees in the Export/Import business.
This is a DfE funded training programme with all learners gaining indepth knowledge and practical skills in importing and exporting, as well as achieving the nationally recognised BCC Foundation Award in International Trade. If you, a colleague or somebody you know would like to participate in this programme, please get in touch.
Andrew Finch Trade Partnerships Manager, Department for Business & Trade, said: “It is great to see Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce continuing to run this successful Skills Bootcamp programme in Import and Export.”
Learners’ comments from previous Skills Bootcamps:
“I’d definitively recommend the bootcamp to anyone looking to get a greater understanding of the imports/exports process.” November 2023
“The training was extremely well organised, well planned and well executed.” January 2024
Employers’ comments from previous Skills Bootcamps:
“The guidance and instructions received over the last 3 months have been very beneficial, I look forward to seeing him utilise the skills what he gained through Bootcamp.” January 2024
“The tools gained are invaluable to the business.” April 2023
Places are strictly limited and fill up quickly please contact Karina Taylor for further information and details of each of our three bootcamps. For an application form email k.taylor@hull-humber-chamber.co.uk
Regional leaders in the automotive detailing industry delivered a polished performance as colleagues from around the world came to Hull for the first in a series of sector summits.
Richard and Carolynne Hutchins, co-directors of the Leather Repair Company, came up with the idea of hosting their own programme of events while touring trade expos in the USA.
The couple, who launched the Leather Repair Company in a garden shed at their home in Withernsea in 2007, brought together 26 industry contacts including participants from the USA, the Netherlands and Portugal. UK delegates travelled from as far afield as
Scotland and Devon. They also secured sponsorship from major brands and they gained the endorsement of the International Detailing Association (IDA).
Richard said: “We organised it on an invitation-only basis to make sure all the delegates have different skill sets, different ideas and businesses at different levels of development.
“We held the summit here in our workshop. They all spent the week in the area, staying in hotels in the city and supporting the local economy. It’s small scale compared to some of the other business conferences and seminars which come to Hull but it’s a first for our industry and it gives us something to build on.”
Forrester Boyd, one of Lincolnshire’s leading providers of accountancy, audit, bookkeeping, payroll, and business advisory services, is thrilled to announce the promotions of numerous team members.
Laura Bingham and James Sykes have been promoted to the role of Manager, based at the firm’s Louth and Scunthorpe offices respectively. Both Laura’s and James’ promotions reflects their exceptional leadership skills, extensive industry knowledge, and their significant contribution to the firm's growth and success in the region.
Additionally, nine accountancy team members have been promoted to Assistant Manager: Georgina Capes, James Dierking, Rebecca Abel Smith, Zoe Willson, Gill Garbutt, Chloe Lynaugh, Lydia Marsh, Harriet Cutts and David Tomblin.
‘Each individual has demonstrated a high level of professional excellence and leadership’
Jamie Parker’s efforts in the marketing department has seen him promoted to Assistant Manager, while Phoebe Hall has stepped into a new position as Head of Outsourcing.
Each individual has demonstrated a high level of professional excellence and leadership, significantly contributing to the firm’s success and ability to deliver outstanding service to clients.
Carrie Jensen, Partner at Forrester Boyd, said: “We are immensely proud to recognise these talented professionals with their well-deserved promotions.
“Their dedication, expertise, and leadership are pivotal to our firm's success and our mission to provide excellent services to our clients.
“We are excited to see Laura’s and James’ take on their new role as Managers, and we are confident that all our newly promoted team members will excel in their new positions.”
Leading law firm Rollits LLP has issued an alert to employers to keep up to date with the latest round of changes to legislation.
In addition to increases in the National Minimum Wage and in the maximum statutory redundancy entitlement, updates came into effect during April which affect family leave redundancy protection, statutory flexible working, carers leave and paternity leave.
Ed Heppel, Partner and Head of Employment at Rollits, said employers need to become familiar with the changes to ensure they don’t leave their business open to legal action with potentially costly consequences.
The National Minimum Wage for workers aged 21 and over increased by £1.02 pence an hour to £11.44 from 1 April, with other increases in the 16-17 and 18-20 age groups. The rate for apprentices went up to £6.40 per hour.
From 6 April the statutory cap on a week’s gross pay increased to £700. The cap is used for various employment law calculations including statutory redundancy pay which rises to £21,000 as a result of the change.
‘Employers should review their redundancy and family leave policies and make any necessary amendments to reflect the changes’
Other changes took effect to enhance the protection from redundancy given to workers taking maternity, adoption or shared parental leave.
Ed said: “The increased protection will allow individuals to fully get back into the swing of the workplace following periods of family leave before facing the uncertainty of a redundancy process. Employers should review their redundancy and family
leave policies and make any necessary amendments to reflect the changes.
“April is always a month of change in employment law and this year was busier than normal, with significant evolution in family friendly rights. In particular the implementation of the Carers Leave Act 2023 is likely to have a huge impact on employers up and down the country.”
Pepperells Solicitors, a leading legal firm in Lincoln, has announced the establishment of its newest department specialising in criminal defence law from their West Parade office. This department will cater to the increasing demand for expert legal representation in criminal matters.
Led by Sonia Bhalla, a seasoned Criminal Defence Solicitor, the department brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the table. With a proven track record of successfully defending clients across a spectrum of criminal cases, Sonia Bhalla is dedicated to upholding the rights of individuals and ensuring fair legal proceedings.
Joining her is Jan Povada, an esteemed Police Station Representative. With his profound knowledge of the criminal justice system, Jan offers invaluable support to clients during police interviews and investigations, ensuring their rights are protected at every step of the process.
Nigel Sloane, Head of Department at Pepperells, said: “Our expansion into criminal defence law in Lincoln reflects our firm's unwavering commitment to providing comprehensive legal services to our clients.
“With Sonia and Jan at the helm in Lincoln, we are poised to deliver unparalleled representation to individuals facing criminal charges in Lincolnshire, ensuring that their rights are safeguarded and their voices are heard. Sonia and Jan join a wellestablished team of professionals supporting clients with their criminal proceedings across East Yorkshire, Humberside and Lincolnshire.”
Skills supporting a different employment future through digital transformation are being developed
Thanks to £2.5m investment from the Department for Education (DfE) cutting edge training solutions to support future skills needs are being developed and implemented across the Hull and East Yorkshire region. These exciting initiatives were showcased at an interactive continued professional development event for teaching practitioners and industry professionals.
These projects have been created in response to the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP), which was developed by employers to ensure the region’s skills and training provision is relevant, robust and future-
proofed to meet current and future employment needs.
To implement the key priorities and recommendations for post-16 technical education and training, identified in the LSIP, a Local Skills Improvement Fund (LSIF) has been created with investment from the DfE. To deliver this work a Skills Partnership led by Bishop Burton College has been established with fellow post-16 education providers TEC Partnership (East Riding College), Hull College, Wyke 6th Form College, Wilberforce Sixth Form College and HETA. This is endorsed by the Humber Chamber of Commerce, who are the designated Employer Representative Body for the Hull
and East Yorkshire LSIP.
A diverse range of activity is taking place with two agendas responding directly to the priorities outlined in the LSIP.
‘This showcase event demonstrates the exciting progress being made in realising the ambitions of the LSIP’
Firstly, a focus on technical transformation skills across Agritech, Health and Social Care, Construction, Engineering Construction and Manufacturing, with an emphasis on low carbon initiatives; and secondly, the development of skills required to support the training of workforces who will encounter a very different employment future through digital transformation.
This includes Virtual Reality (VR) and ICT infrastructure, the creation of VR content and innovation in teaching and learning leveraging AI application.
The Showcase event was the first opportunity for the Skills Partnership to share the exciting and innovative projects with a wider audience in an engaging and interactive continued professional development session.
The Skills Partnership shared progress on a diverse range of
Diverse and exciting skills training for the region was showcased
exciting initiatives, from reducing carbon footprint with automation and digital skills within fabrication and welding to the use of robotics and AI within Health care to support with diagnosis and treatments and the application of new technologies within quantity surveying to sophisticated agri-tech implementation for more sustainable farming.
Bill Meredith, Principal and Chief Executive of lead partner Bishop Burton College, said: “This showcase event demonstrates the exciting progress being made in realising the ambitions of the LSIP. There is some amazing work taking place which will ensure our current and future students are not just qualified, but truly prepared for what lies ahead in the ever-changing digital world.
The work of the Hull and East Yorkshire Skills Partnership is set to be transformative, empowering teachers and students alike.”
Hannah Crookes, Hull and East Yorkshire LSIP Lead, said: “This is such an exciting time for the region, the Skills Partnership enabled by the LSIF is re-shaping education to meet the demands of the modern workplace, investing in future generations to ensure they are fully prepared for the rigours and demands of the everchanging world of work.”
Engineering specialist
Spencer Group has completed work to create a new permanent home for an iconic vessel, with some of its emerging young talent playing a key role in the project.
Spencer Group has created a wet berth for the Spurn Lightship on Hull Marina, as part of a £30m cultural regeneration project in the company’s home city.
The Hull City Council-led Hull Maritime project has been launched to celebrate and preserve Hull’s rich maritime heritage. The lightship was built in 1927 and served for 48 years as a navigation aid in the approaches of the Humber Estuary.
It has been closed since 2018 but is now set to reopen in its new home in the north-west corner of the marina, close to the Murdoch’s Connection footbridge, later in the summer.
The works by Spencer Group included dredging of the berthing area and the installation of five mooring piles and a steel walkway
to allow access onto the lightship. The majority of the works were carried out from floating pontoons.
‘I’m so grateful to Spencer Group for putting its trust in me to take on such responsibility when I’m obviously still quite young’
Spencer Group is committed to supporting young people launch and develop careers in the engineering sector and has taken on 50 apprentices from Hull’s Ron Dearing University Technical College (UTC) in just five years. A number of former students played important roles in the Spurn Lightship wet berth works, both on and off site.
Trainee Engineer Alex Burr, who completed her apprenticeship last August, was appointed Project Manager –despite being only 20-years-old.
Supported by experienced Spencer Group project managers, she was based on site overseeing the six-week programme of works.
Alex said: “It was a fantastic experience and I’m so grateful to Spencer Group for putting its trust in me to take on such responsibility when I’m obviously still quite young. I had a lot of support around me, with experienced project managers available to offer help and advice as I needed it. It’s certainly helped build my confidence.”
Alex was joined on the project by Apprentice Engineer George Hodgson, also 20. He said: “I’ve loved working for Spencer Group
and its taught me so much. This was a brilliant project to be involved in because it’s such an important one for Hull.”
Richard Green-Morgan, OffSite Construction Director for Spencer Group, said: “The faith we’ve shown in our young colleagues like Alex and George is further evidence of Spencer Group’s commitment to supporting the pipeline of future engineering talent.
“We’re pleased to have completed the works that have enabled the movement of the historic Spurn Lightship. We hope the new berth will enhance the city’s maritime status.”
One of the UK’s key decarbonisation projects, H2H Saltend, has been granted planning permission by the East Riding of Yorkshire Council, strengthening its case in forthcoming Government competitions.
Equinor’s H2H Saltend is a 600megawatt low carbon hydrogen production plant with carbon capture, one of the first of its kind and scale to be granted planning permission in the UK, helping to establish the Humber as an international hub for low carbon hydrogen while significantly reducing carbon emissions.
The decision comes at a vital time, as the project prepares for a potential application into the Government’s forthcoming ‘Cluster Sequencing Track-1 Expansion’ process, which is expected to launch this year and will select decarbonisation projects in both the Humber and Teesside that can connect to the East Coast Cluster’s carbon capture transport and storage infrastructure by around 2030. Due to be operational around the end of the decade and sited at the energy intensive Saltend Chemicals Park, to the east of Hull, H2H Saltend will help to reduce the park’s emissions by up to one third. To achieve this, low carbon hydrogen will be used in
chemical process es by both Saltend-based and other nearby companies, as well as directly replacing natural gas in several industrial facilities reducing the carbon intensity of their products. Hydrogen from H2H Saltend will also be blended with natural gas at Equinor and SSE Thermal’s onsite Triton power station. The amount of CO2 captured and safely stored in sub-sea aquifers as a result will be around nearly 900,000 tonne s per year, equivalent to taking about 500,000 cars off the road annually.
‘It is an important first step in creating a low carbon hydrogen economy and achieving net zero in the Humber’
H2H Saltend is a catalyst project for the wider decarbonisation of the Humber, including helping to link regional CO2 pipelines from Easington in East Yorkshire across northern Lincolnshire and to Drax in North Yorkshire. The infrastructure, which NEP confirmed ownership of in January 2024, will capture and transport carbon dioxide for safe sub-sea storage as part of the East Coast Cluster development. Three projects along this pipeline route - H2H Saltend, Drax BECCS and
Keadby Carbon Capture Power Station – now have planning consent, making the Humber unique in its offering of mature decarbonisation projects.
These proposals aim to make the Humber, the UK’s most carbon intensive industrial region, net-zero by 2040.
Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance Lord Callanan said: “I am pleased that H2H Saltend has been granted planning permission.
“CCUS clusters will be the starting point for a new industry in the UK, which is why we’ve committed up to £20m in early support and expect to bring forward 4GW of low carbon hydrogen production by 2030.”
Derek Ho, H2H Saltend Project Director, said: “We are delighted to receive planning permission for this key project, which could help to kick-start multiple
decarbonisation initiatives in the Humber, a vital region with a long-standing history for Equinor. It is an important first step in creating a low carbon hydrogen economy and achieving net zero in the Humber, safeguarding local industries and creating greater opportunities including new jobs and skills, while helping the UK to tackle climate change.”
Anne Handley, Leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, added: “We welcome major energy projects from global companies like Equinor, which help to demonstrate the ability of our area to attract investment, leading to more jobs, supply chain contracts and opportunities for local people.
“We should be proud that East Yorkshire can be a leading light in the transition to a net zero economy.”
Life can’t be all about work! Chamber Motoring reviews some of the latest offerings on the market.
The Mazda CX-30 is an attractively styled car, but what is it like to drive? DAVID HOOPER puts this Soul Red example from the 18-model range model through its paces.
Many drivers today prefer a more commanding driving position, sitting higher up than in a standard family hatchback, so cue the Mazda CX-30, described as a compact Sports Utility Vehicle, or SUV, which is, well, not quite as big as a full size SUV!
Easy on the eye, and well designed for the cut and thrust of city driving with its plastic wheel arch protection and deep side skirts, the updated range for 2024 now includes the option of Ceramic White, but I still personally prefer the gorgeous Soul Red of this week’s test car.
There’s a new grade structure this year too, but it’s not that logical, featuring Prime-Line, Centre-Line, then Homura, then back to Exclusive-Line, and then finally, Takumi. Mazda says this is the latest grade naming
strategy across the 18 model range of cars, although within those, there is plenty of choice, with the CX-30 alone having 21 model choices, and two engine choices, the 122PS e-Skyactiv-G and 186PS e-Skyactive-X engines.
Inside, the main update is a larger central screen which has grown by a couple of inches to 10.25, providing clearer mapping on the satnav and now incorporating wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the former of which presented beautifully on my preferred navigation app. You can also charge your phone wirelessly, or choose the latest USB Type-C charging ports.
Both drivetrains feature mild hybrid technology to improve efficiency, and both engines can be paired with six speed manual or automatic gearboxes, depending on choice of model. Mazda’s engines feature unusual and
‘Mazda is good at a lot of things, but is particularly good at gearboxes, and the one in the CX-30 is no exception, it is light, precise and a delight to use’
ABOVE:
OPPOSITE: The front end is classic Mazda, but the wheel-arch protection can be a real bonus in tightly packed car parks!
uniquely shaped pistons and SPCCI, or Spark Controlled Compression Ignition technology which optimises the use of fuel and improves economy while also providing plenty of torque, providing smooth and consistent acceleration with the M Hybrid contributing to its overall efficiency.
It works well too, the engine feels lively and quick to respond as you work through the gears, delivering a 062mph time of 8.8 seconds, which doesn’t set the world on fire by today’s standards, but is ample to make good progress on your favourite roads.
Mazda is good at a lot of things, but is particularly good at gearboxes, and the one in the CX-30 is no exception, it is light, precise and a delight to use, with a short throw between gears and clearly defined gates.
As you would expect of any Mazda, the ride and handling is excellent, with the car always feeling poised and composed, even when I took the occasional liberty to explore its limits, it reacted predictably and competently, although there was a bit of road noise on some surfaces.
During my test of around 350 miles of mixed driving, the car returned an overall average of 38.1mpg.
The interior feels reasonably upmarket, and is very well equipped and comes with all the bells and whistles –there are actually too many of them. There are that many safety systems, and Mazda is far from unique in this regard, that they interfere with the driving of the car, and cause more distractions trying to neutralise most of them than if they weren’t there at all. One was
MODEL: Mazda CX-30 186PS AWD
ENGINE: 1998cc, 186PS four-cylinder petrol engine, driving four wheels through six speed manual gearbox.
PERFORMANCE: Top speed 127 mph. 0-62mph in 8.8 secs.
ECONOMY: City: 38.7mpg. Country: 53.3mpg. Combined: 46.3mpg.
Wheel World test average: 38.1mpg
CO2 EMISSIONS: 137g/km
FUEL TANK: 48 litres
PRICE: £35,750
WEBSITE: www.mazda.co.uk
• All data correct at time of publication.
particularly annoying and I never did manage to turn it off, other than by a button on the dash each time you start the car, to stop it from binging at you every time you reach a speed limit. If you’ve got nine points on your licence, then fine, but otherwise, give me a break!
The seating position is comfortable, and rear parking cameras make squeezing into a tight spot relatively straight forward, aided by more beeping from the parking sensors fore and aft, but I don’t mind that, as paint repairs don’t come cheap these days.
The CX-30 is an attractively styled car, is good to drive, very well equipped and competitively priced, so well worth putting on your shopping list when it’s time for some new wheels.
TOP: The styling is modern and practical, providing plenty of boot space The interior is classy and well equipped with all the latest toys
The automatic version of this GR Supra is brilliant, but the manual version... it’s a driver’s dream. DAVID HOOPER has been testing the latest addition to the range.
Some say the days of powerful big capacity internal combustion engines are numbered… personally I remain to be convinced, and when you get behind the wheel of something like this GR Supra with its 3.0-litre straight six engine, you are reminded of why you morphed into a petrol head in the first place.
The sound, the power, the acceleration and the pure thrill of driving a powerful rear wheel drive car is difficult to describe, but one thing is for certain, soulless transportation devices powered by electrickery don’t come close to the visceral experience you get from piloting something like this, which howls under hard acceleration, and pops and bangs on the overrun.
The GR Supra has been with us for a while now, and I loved the original version I tested which came with an automatic gearbox. A later addition to the range is this model with its manual six-speed box, arguably the preferred choice of proper drivers who appreciate the precision and control of a manual shift over the sometimes unpredictable gear changes of an auto.
The Supra is based on a joint project with BMW, and fans of that marque will recognise much of the interior. The aforementioned 3.0-litre straight six motor is sourced from the Ger man giant, but the gearbox, is the result of a partnership between ZF and BMW – and it’s a real peach.
The gates between the gears are close, the throw is short, and it slots smoothly and almost seamlessly between the ratios – it’s a delight to use and for those who’ve never quite mastered the art of heal and toeing (braking and blipping the throttle at the same time to
MODEL: Toyota GR Supra 3.0 Pro Manual
ENGINE: 2998cc, 335bhp six-cylinder petrol engine, driving rear wheels through six-speed manual gearbox.
PERFORMANCE: Top speed 155 mph. 0-62mph in 4.6 secs.
ECONOMY:
Fuel Consumption (mpg, combined WLTP): 32.1
Wheel World test average: 27.9mpg
CO2 EMISSIONS: 198g/km
FUEL TANK: 52 litres
PRICE: £57,130
WARRANTY: 10 years/100,000 miles
WEBSITE: www.toyota.co.uk
• All data correct at time of publication.
smooth out downshifts) the Supra does it for you and the bigger the disparity in speed between the gear you’re in and the one you’re changing to, the more pronounced the blip becomes, and a six-cylinder engine blip sounds simply divine!
ABOVE RIGHT: The cockpit, for that is what it is, is high quality, comfortable and cosseting
THIS IMAGE: The design detail on the Supra is something to behold
With its long bonnet and relatively wide stance, the Supra feels like quite a big car on the road, but is a sheer delight to pilot along your favourite back roads. The suspension set up is compliant and comfortable, yet Toyota has achieved an impressive amount of control and feedback, even on damp and greasy roads, thanks in no small part to the huge tyres fore and aft.
With 335bhp on tap, and a huge 400Nm of torque, the Supra’s acceleration is addictive, but work it through the gears and you quickly reach the speed limits. I’d love to be able to take this round a circuit to fully explore its potential – Cadwell Park would be good, Silverstone would be better still! Adopting a more leisurely pace, the huge amount of torque means the engine is very flexible, and will pull smoothly from low speeds in a high gear, making cruising around effortless, and a lighter right foot than mine tends to be can see a return of around 33mpg if you drive it like a saint. However, “enjoy” the
car, and the return per gallon isn’t as favourable, dropping below 20mpg on a cross-country sprint.
The steering rack is quite quick – the car responds instantly to the slightest of inputs from the driver, and has an impressive turning circle at low speeds for what is actually quite a big car. The large disc brakes are equally powerful, reigning in the Supra with precision and control – and if you brake really firmly, it will flash the indicators to warn following vehicles, even before ABS activation, but unlike some, it doesn’t come in too early.
‘I’m not a fan of these “primer” colours which look as though they bypassed the final stage of the paintshop at the factory’
The GR Supra has all the mod cons you need inside, air conditioning, electric everything, cruise control, etc, etc.
So what didn’t I like? Sometime after writing the last five words, the only things I can come up with are a little too much road noise as there is no divider between the passenger compartment and the boot, which means you get some background noise, alth ough the JBL stereo system can drown that out easily – and the fact that I can’t afford one. Oh and the colour of this particular example. I’m not a fan of these “primer” colours which look as though they bypassed the final stage of the paintshop at the factory – I prefer my cars to be painted a nice colour, the yellow looks great, or the red or the even the blue option, but that’s personal preference!
And that’s about it. The GR Supra is a fabulous car. A proper car. A petrolhead’s delight. Oh and the styling, did I mention the styling? Suffice to say, it looks stunning!
A warm welcome and introduction to the latest businesses to join Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce.
Absolute Warehouse Services
Adam Wagstaff Leeds 07849 844618
Warehousing
AD Reffold (Electrical) Ltd
Shaun Edwards Hull 07843 605630
Electrical Engineers & Contractors
Barton HR Services Ltd
Sharon Goodman Nottinghamshire 07917 850230
HR Consultancy
CBM Business Consultancy Ltd
Christopher Blenkin Hull 07508 058783
Accountancy & Business Consultancy
CIE Services Ltd
Rachel Stockton Langwith 07990 844605
Customs and International Trade Consultancy
Forbes Burton
Chris Leadley Grimsby 01472 254910
Business Advisors & Consultants
Hunt Leisure Limited
Declan Hunt
Scunthorpe 01652 288051 Hospitality
Kune Consulting Ltd
Michael Blamires East Yorkshire 07760 178880
Technology Consultancy & Software Development
Light Steering Technologies Ltd
Roger Waldock Lincolnshire 0116 3183580
Laser Communications
Ligneolus UK Ltd
Emma Brown East Yorkshire 07980 257359
Manufacturing
Orange Koala Limited
Duncan Hider Hull 01482 533040
Management Consultancy
The Hull Community Pub Society Ltd
Catherine Murray Hull 07958 204626
Hull’s First Community Pub
Tysers Insurance Brokers Ltd
Paul Salisbury North Lincolnshire 0791 8859493
Insurance Broker
If you like to have the Last Word, here's your chance - email David Hooper at d.hooper@hull-humber-chamber.co.uk
Name: Geoffrey Bye
Job title: Founder & CEO
Name of the business: AI Futures
Describe your business in a nutshell
AI Futures specialises in accelerating AI adoption in organisations by providing bespoke designed in-house masterclasses, workshops, away-day idea storms, and oneon-one executive and board member sessions. We create the bespoke, tailored strategies required by each company to begin their journey to seamlessly incorporating AI into their operations, workflows, and business corporate culture.
Where is it based?
WFH Office Brigg, North Lincs; Hot Desk @ The Edge Digital Hub, Hull; and the boardrooms and training rooms for the clients I am currently working with, most of whom are headquartered in London.
What has been your biggest challenge in the last year?
“Navigating the Generative AI Maze, Solopreneur's Solitude, and Scaling with Finesse”.
Determining which AI apps and technologies will last, and that will best serve my clients’ needs and ambitions. Dealing with the “loneliness of the long-distance solopreneur” and cultivating the resilience and adaptability to wear numerous hats, often at the same time. Working on formulas to raise awareness of AI Futures and scale up operations while maintaining the high level of service that my existing clients have grown to expect.
What are you most looking forward to in the next three months?
To completing my AI Futures business plan and investment memorandum.
What news story has had the biggest impact recently?
I am still waiting for an AGI to announce that it is now sentient.
ABOVE: Geoffrey Bye INSET: His AI-generated avatar
If you could choose, what job would you do?
Leading an in-country team for an International Aid organisation.
What is your biggest ambition?
To establish AI Futures as the UK’s “AI Unicorn of the North” by leveraging a team silver surfer business consultants with at least 30 years of unparalleled insights and new grads, each harnessing Generative AI as an augmentative productivity assistant, creative partner and ideation strategist to outperform traditional big five consultancies, and setting new benchmarks for providing enterpriselevel digital solutions to businesses of all sizes.
Where will your next holiday be?
What are your hobbies and which is your favourite pastime?
I have lived and worked in London, Hong Kong, New York, Dubai, and Kuala Lumpur, and I enjoy immersing myself in diverse cultures through reading, travel, and food. My favourite pastime is spending as much time as possible with my partner, exploring and rediscovering the beauty of the North of England.
What are your plans for the weekend? I am looking into exploring Lincoln or Harrogate, although I will most likely end up doing admin work.
Samahita Resort, Koh Samui, Thailand.
