Your Business Spring 2022

spring 2022 £3

the magazine of Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry

INSIDE: Chamber News Annual Dinner Roundup

page 5 pages 16-17

PLATINUM PARTNERS CONTACTS Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce & Industry, The Mezzanine, Glasgow Prestwick Airport, Prestwick, KA9 2PL Mail Call Visit

enquiries@ayrshire-chamber.org 01292 678666 www.ayrshire-chamber.org

President.................................... Frank Gormanley Chief Executive.............................. Valerie Russell Development Manager...................Helen McBride

MAGAZINE

Ayrshire Chamber wishes to acknowledge the support of the following companies as sponsors of our Platinum Partners programme.

The Chamber in Ayrshire represents businesses of all sizes and all sectors and is particularly effective in representing the voice of businesses at local, national and international level.

The Partnership aims to cement the relationship that companies have with Ayrshire Chamber, making sure they get the most out of membership and in turn contributing to the work of the Chamber, so supporting other business in Ayrshire.

Partnership members have access to a comprehensive package of benefits, while at the same time assist with the development of the Chamber movement.

If you would like to discuss the mutual benefits of becoming a Platinum Partner please contact Helen McBride our Business Development Manager.

Please join us in welcoming our newest Platinum Partners Neogen Europe Ltd and Booth Welsh with iTech. We look forward to working with you.

Editorial........... aclayton@ayrshire-chamber.org Ad Sales............lstewart@ayrshire-chamber.org Design/Typesetting........advertisingworks.co.uk Print/Distribution.......................brown-bros.com An Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce & Industry publication. No part of this magazine may be copied, scanned or reproduced without the express permission of the Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce. The views expressed in editorial and/or advertising in "Your Business" are not necessarily those of the Editorial Committee of Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Articles submitted for publication will be considered at the Committee's discretion and may be subject to editing. Publication is not guaranteed.

LAUNCH DIGITAL TURN TEN…

YOUR BUSINESS | SPRING 2022

Launch Digital celebrated ten years in business on February 10th this year!

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The agency began trading in 2012 with a small team and after a name change, re-brand, re-location and second office in Glasgow they remain a small, client focused, family business.

With a focus on quality customer service, Launch is proud of their many long-standing clients in the local area and further afield who they continue to work closely with. The size of the team at Launch allows them to provide a personal, approachable service to all clients which they believe works best in the creative industry.

The team at Launch have worked with over 700 clients in a range of different sectors over the years. They have launched over 500 websites and are proud of their creative portfolio in the many services they provide: including branding, web design, graphic design, social media, and search marketing.

Launch Digital’s success in Ayrshire encouraged them to expand their services in Glasgow, where they acquired a new office on Bothwell Street in 2017 to meet and work closely

with their growing list of Glasgow clients.

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Launch would like to thank all their clients, partners, sponsorship connections and everyone who has supported the agency over the past 10 years, and the team look forward to many more years of providing rocket fuel for businesses.

Launch Digital: www.launchscotland.com

DEVELOPING MINDS FOR DEVELOPING BUSINESS 18 years and counting - neither enterprise into education or lack of skilled workers is new. The Chamber have been involved in many versions over many years. YTS, Young Chamber, YES, Princes Trust, Determined to Succeed, Future Chamber to name but a few. Now Developing the Young Workforce, Kickstart and Young Persons Guarantee.

For too long employers have been unable to find staff with the right skills for their businesses. In a rapidly changing global economy this issue is becoming ever more crucial. We need a highly-skilled and flexible workforce if the UK economy is to continue to be competitive. 1

Despite the generous support of businesses of all shapes, sizes and sectors we are still struggling to give our young people a real sense of the opportunities available to them when they leave school, college or even 1

The Scottish Executive’s vision for children and young people is ‘A Scotland in which every child matters, where every child, regardless of his or her family background, has the best possible start in life’. 2 university and aid them to make informed choices.

The last two years have exacerbated the situation for both employers and future employees, but we need to work more closely with education, Further Education and Higher Education establishments to ensure they know what skills are needed in Ayrshire and together grow our own talent, create new jobs and raise the aspirations of our young people.

In this issue of Your Business, we are celebrating some of the amazing projects and initiatives that our business community support BUT we need to do more, not just for the sake of our young people but for the sake of the Ayrshire economy. We also celebrate those young people who make the brave choice to start their own business and we thank all the mentors who offer their knowledge and experience to support them on their journey.

VAL RUSSELL Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce CEO

If you would like more information on how to become involved in any of our education initiatives or Connect Me mentoring programme please get in touch.

Our aspiration is to enable all children to develop their capabilities as successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors to society. 2

British Chambers of Commerce March 2006. 2The Curriculum Review Group, Scottish Executive 2004.

CHAMBER EVENTS

If you wish to host an event email Yvonne Munro at yvonne@ayrshire-chamber.org The events diary continues to offer a mix of virtual and live events. Monthly Chamber Chats chaired by a Chamber director and the quarterly Cross Chamber Networking series will continue to be offered virtually. Our popular Connect Networking has returned in person and will be hosted monthly at various venues throughout Ayrshire. First Aid Training is delivered monthly within our Office at Prestwick Airport however our Business Boosts sessions have proved to be popular online and will continue to be delivered virtually.

To keep up to date with what we have coming up, make sure to regularly check the events page on our website for forthcoming training courses, business support and events. www.ayrshire-chamber.org/events If you have any topic suggestions or there is something you have a specific interest in, please email events@ayrshire-chamber.org

3 YOUR BUSINESS | SPRING 2022

CEO'S WELCOME

MEMBERS NEWS

URQUHART OPTICIANS BECOMES AN ACCREDITED LIVING WAGE EMPLOYER Urquhart Opticians, an independent optician with 8 practices across Ayrshire and Dumfries & Galloway, have become an accredited Living Wage Employer.

Peter Telfer and Alistair Duff have owned the business since 2014 and this has always been an aspiration of theirs. One of their core business values is ‘Care & Community’, not only does this apply to their patients and community, but also to their team. Peter said, ‘We value our people and best practice, so we’re proud to move forward as a Living Wage Employer. It means a lot to us that our patients know that when they use Urquharts, they are using a business that puts their team at the heart of everything they do.’

Urquharts are now also a Young Person’s Guarantee Employer, continuing to support the young people in the community and bring them into the world of optics. Last year Urquharts took on their first Pre-Reg Optometrist Holly Leitch, and plan to provide this opportunity to Optometry students every year.

Holly has been working with the business since she was 17 on a part time basis throughout her studies and will soon have completed her Pre-Reg year and be working as a fully qualified Optometrist. This progression is an example of the commitment Urquhart Opticians is making to young people.

URQUHART OPTICIANS Alistair Duff and Peter Telfer

Your local Independent Optician We’re looking forward to seeing you soon.

YOUR BUSINESS | SPRING 2022

Book your appointment online.

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Carol Semple

Amy Strang

Optometrist

Optometrist

BSc (Hons) MCOptom

BSc (Hons) MCOptom

Ayr 16 Miller Rd, Ayr KA7 2AY 01292 290092

www.urquhartopticians.co.uk

75 YEARS OF AYRSHIRE CHAMBER SUPPORTING THE AYRSHIRE BUSINESS COMMUNITY We are delighted to bring you this edition of ‘Your Business’ as the Chamber enters its 75th year of supporting the Ayrshire business community.

To support our journey towards net-zero, we have changed from the traditional plastic wrapping of the magazine to a more eco-friendly paper wrap. Please help us support our green initiatives by recycling the envelope and if you would like to advertise on this new cover, please contact Lisa at lstewart@ayrshire-chamber.org for details.

Although there are still many challenges facing us from the pandemic, we are delighted to be getting back to some sort of normal.

Face-to-face meetings, events and training are available for those who feel comfortable to attend however we still offer virtual options for those who are not.

The government Kickstart Scheme ended in March and we were delighted to help over 100 business access the scheme. With over 220 young people having started work experience placements so far, there have been some great success stories from the scheme. Many young people have been kept on longer than the 6 months or even offered full time positions at the end of their placement. With the national scheme now closed, your local authority may be able to help support your business to employ young people.

Our office in Prestwick Airport is open full time with hybrid working in place to keep us all as safe as possible. All our contact details are on our website in the about us pages so please don’t hesitate to call 01292 678666 or email us directly www.ayrshire-chamber.org Like so many of you, we have signed up to the Scottish Government Young Persons Guarantee initiative. If you’ve not heard about it yet, check out the details in the Developing the Young Workplace pages 30-33. Stephen McNab would be delighted to tell you more about it and explain how you can get involved so please get in touch smcnab@ayrshire-chamber.org

COVER IMAGE Our Front cover is from Chamber members, Na Braithrean. Previous Future Chamber members, these young entrepreneurs are growing their business with help from the Chamber network and have been shortlisted to represent a national campaign with the British Chambers of Commerce.

Andy Paxton said “From networking and mentoring to international trade missions - the opportunities we’ve had from joining the Chamber have been invaluable in growing our business.”

We hope to see Na Braithrean in their starring role with BCC in April #MyChamber

KIERAN

We are pleased to have played our own small part by offering 3 Kickstart placements.

Laura and Martin have now gone on to other employment and we welcomed Kieran to the team in January.

Kieran will be primarily involved in updating content on the Ayrshire Connect website so if you’ve not listed your business yet, please get in touch via connect@ayrshire-chamber.org We are planning for our 75th Anniversary Celebration and Annual Dinner in May 2022.

Sponsorship opportunities will be available so keep an eye on our website and social media channels for details coming soon.

5 YOUR BUSINESS | SPRING 2022

CHAMBER NEWS

What we can offer your workplace information & support

Workplace Webinars available on Youtube with local information and advice on active travel, funding streams, awards, schemes and much more.

Search for Active Travel Hubs Ayr & Kilmarnock on Youtube Assistance and support in achieving Cycle Friendly Employer Status Local business support to encourage and facilitate employees to travel actively

training activities & events

Workplace Walk Leader and Ride Leader training Step challenges, cycle skills and confidence sessions, bike security marking, cycling and walking buddies

athkilmarnock

active_travel_hub_kilmarnock

Travelhubkk

info@activetravelhubkilmarnock.org

Active Travel Hubs Ayr & Kilmarnock

EBIKES – READY, STEADY, GO! Cycling is one of the most efficient and sustainable modes of transport, sitting just under walking and wheeling in the sustainable travel hierarchy. However starting out cycling for the first time or returning after a period away can be daunting. Or maybe you’re a regular cyclist and realise you could do with an extra boost sometimes. This is where ebikes come in.

An ebike is quite simply a bike with an electric motor and a battery. The battery supplies power to the motor, in turn assisting the rider by making cycling 22% less demanding (you can use ebikes with or without the motor). They’re cheap to run, an average full charge costs around 9p. Replacing a daily five mile car commute with an ebike can bring an annual saving of around £236 - and ebikes produce 742 times less CO2 per mile than the average car.

Home Energy Scotland offer free ebike trials to individuals, businesses and community groups; there’s no obligation and they won’t try to sell you anything.

What they will do is deliver an ebike to your door, give you support during your trial, and provide information on the interest-free eBike Loan funded by Transport Scotland. All for free.

We all know the benefits of getting outdoors and improving our fitness. Being

Image : Getty Images

active can reduce your chances of getting diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. It’s also great for your mental health.

Why not get in touch with Home Energy Scotland now to arrange your free trial: –

Call free on 0808 808 2282 Send an email to advice@sw.homeenergyscotland.org Fill in the contact form at homeenergyscotland.org/contact and they’ll get in touch with you that way.

Home Energy Scotland is funded by the Scottish Government to provide free and impartial advice on energy efficiency, greener travel, water waste and renewable energy for the home.

TRAVEL MADE EASY You may be missing travelling to sunnier climates within the last 2 years, however getting away has been made so much easier recently.

For many people, their plans had to be cancelled or postponed, their dream holidays didn’t go ahead and they were left disappointed.

During lockdown, people have had a chance to take a closer look at their lives at what is important. Life can be short, and many want to make the most of it, by travelling further. You may have had a week to Spain booked to have that cancelled and now decide you have always wanted to take that safari in Africa, take a cruise around Alaska or visit relatives in Australia. Weddings and honeymoons were postponed, and for some, they decided to move their wedding abroad or go for a smaller wedding and a more luxurious honeymoon.

The Maldives is still a very popular choice as is the Caribbean.

However, travel is now a lot easier. If Doublevaccinated, you can return to the UK without the

need for any testing. Many countries are allowing UK visitors to enter without additional testing if vaccinated and if not, only a test prior to travel is required. For those who have not been vaccinated, there are still quite a few countries to choose from.

Safe travel is at the forefront, with airports, airlines and hotels ensuring everyone’s safety is their main concern. Most insurance companies are including COVID cover within their policies, so they

have peace of mind. Many tour operators have flexible booking conditions, meaning it is easier to amend your holiday if need be.

So, don’t delay, book that holiday you have been dreaming of, you deserve it!

Julie Batchelor Brilliant Travel Tel – 07944542640 Email – Julie.Batchelor@Brillianttravel.co.uk

7 YOUR BUSINESS | SPRING 2022

MEMBERS NEWS

MEMBERS NEWS

William Duncan + Co announces promotion William Duncan + Co are delighted to announce they have further strengthened its senior team with the appointment of Neil Reid to Neil Reid the board. Neil trained and qualified with the firm, and for many years has been a very important part of the firm’s progression and development, with a strong focus on audits and the charity sector. He has recently obtained both his practicing certificate and Audit Responsible Individual status and is ready and eager to push ahead in his new role. Neil has said “It has been a pleasure to be part of the firm’s transformation to a modern, digitally-focused business that works in partnership with its clients. I am very much looking forward to the future as we continue to evolve as a modern data hub and grow our offering to clients.”

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2021 has been a busy one for the firm. The appointment of Neil to the position of Director comes hot on the heels of the recent acquisition of IDS & Co, Chartered Accountants, marking a major step forward in the growth of William Duncan + Co in Ayrshire and beyond. The firm continues to break new ground when it comes to using the very latest in technology coupled with their in-house expertise to help businesses of any size efficiently produce quality data and maximise growth. With this recipe together they can achieve great things for clients’ businesses.

Managing Director Robert Fergusson said “It is great to be able to get long term commitment from people of Neil’s calibre and he certainly deserves this promotion.

Supporting and developing the next generation of professional is central in driving the firm forward alongside our robust approach when it comes to working in partnership with our clients. Welcome to the board Neil.”

YOUR BUSINESS | SPRING 2022

Nurturing Young Talent.

McEvoy Engineering.

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Ayrshire based fabricator, McEvoy Engineering knows that the long-term success and growth of its business is reliant on its team. As supply of skilled labour increasingly outstrips demand in the UK, one key way to secure its future workforce is to recognise the role that its apprenticeship programme can play in securing a strong workforce for the years to come.

McEvoy currently has 3 apprentices and has seen many others graduate as skilled tradesmen following completion of their apprenticeship within the company.

During apprenticeship week in February, they took time out to recognise one of their current apprentices whose story is slightly different from most. Alex Main is 26 years old and for several years worked within the business in a labouring role. Having proven his dedication to hard graft and demonstrated a willingness to learn, he was offered a route into a skilled role via a Modern Apprenticeship in fabrication and welding.

opportunity to expand his skills. We look forward to Alex becoming a fully qualified welder within the company and continuing his career with us.

Alison McEvoy, a director at McEvoy Engineering comments “Apprenticeships are an investment in your people and therefore your business. As Alex was already a valued employee, it has been rewarding for the company to see him progress and have the

McEvoy Engineering is a leading UK provider of fabricated steelwork, pipework and engineering solutions, to major site operators in nuclear, pharmaceutical, defence and drinks industries.

Nurturing young talent is an effective and rewarding way to develop our workforce. As we are a growing company, we need to take steps to creating a sustainable workforce into the future. Apprenticeships are a key component of our growth plan.”

www.mcevoyengineering.co.uk

A unified team providing hands on support.

Leading the way with key expansion deal.

Scottish accountancy and business advisory firm William Duncan + Co have acquired Kilmarnock based IDS & Co, Chartered Accountants, expanding its Ayrshire presence.

The 19 strong team lead by Iain Sim have joined William Duncan + Co’s 75 based in Ayr, Kilmarnock and Glasgow, further enhancing the firm as a key player in the West of Scotland market and beyond.

Both firms are aligned in their way of thinking and are driven by a passion for using the very latest in digital accountancy technology to help clients and team members alike achieve their goals. Iain commented, “The time is right to make this move as I admire the way William Duncan + Co. operate and believe this is a great home for the team and our clients and personally I am looking forward to joining the William Duncan + Co board”.

An appetite and readiness for change is what has driven William Duncan + Co’s strategy in recent years.

Being digitally focused and forward thinking the firm work in close partnership with clients, using quality data to help drive their businesses forward profitably and tax efficiently.

They think about all the same things their clients do - so that in turn they can give relevant, valuable and trustworthy advice by embracing digital, investing in their team and being ready for change.

Managing Director Robert Fergusson said “We are hugely excited that IDS & Co are joining us and are delighted that we have been able to attract this quality business. Together we will be able to do more for our clients whilst providing great opportunities for all our team in what is a modern and ever evolving digital business environment. We look forward to the future and welcome Iain to the William Duncan + Co board.”

williamduncan.co.uk

CHAMBER NEWS

THE 5 BENEFITS OF WORKING WITH A MENTOR IF YOU DON’T HAVE A MENTOR, NOW IS THE PERFECT TIME TO FIND ONE. Almost every well-known name who has achieved business success credits a mentor- think Richard Branson mentored by Sir Freddie Laker, Mark Zuckerberg mentored

by Steve Jobs and Bill Gates mentored by Warren Buffet.

A mentor is someone who has experienced success in an area or areas related to whatever challenges you are facing. They will have reflected upon their experience – their successes and failures – in such a way that they will have developed the wisdom that comes from perspective.

• Ask the pertinent questions :- A mentor’s questions should make you think more deeply about what you are doing and what you really want from your business or career. When you are working hard on the day to day activities of your career it is very easy to get submersed in this and to lose sight of the bigger picture.

• Maintain a healthy perspective :- A mentor will help you zoom out to see the big-picture view of your business dreams, goals and strategic plans; and they will assist with the close-up view of the problems and roadblocks that need specific attention as well. The power of the mentor is that they are not working in the business, so they are able to see both views to enable perspective and wisdom. All too often we become too engaged with the operational details to maintain that clear view all the time.

YOUR BUSINESS | SPRING 2022

• Provide a safe place for you to be real :- It is often difficult to be fully open with someone within your organisation. A mentor who has no authority or aspirations within your company can provide a safe place for you to be open about your fears and struggles. They will help you think about you.

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• Help you grow your capacity :- A mentor who can see your potential can help you to become a better version of yourself. They will help you see your potential and believe in yourself. They are less emotionally involved in the business, and therefore less affected by the ups and downs. They will encourage you and help you to be better and release your potential.

• Keep you accountable :- The best mentors are people who will challenge you to think deeply, make tough decisions, and have difficult conversations. They will help you be more confident that you are on the right track or have thought through the implications in difficult times. They will tell you when you are being unrealistic.

The more invested you are in the mentoring relationship the more likely you are to benefit from it.

Visit our website to see how we can help you find the right mentor for you https://www.ayrshire-chamber.org/supporting-business/business-mentoring

ONE IN SIX WORKERS DON’T FEEL ADEQUATELY TRAINED

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New research suggests that as many as one in six employees are unsure they’ve received enough training and one in ten are of the opinion that they haven’t been adequately trained (Digits survey 2022).

Redundancies in the UK are at their lowest level since the mid-1990s while the level of open vacancies is the highest on record. The ‘Great Resignation’ and a tight labour market presents significant challenges as companies seek to rebuild and recover. More and more emphasis must be placed on retention, upskilling and reskilling.

FLEXIBLE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT FUND SMES Building loyalty and retaining skilled employees takes effort. If you are a SME (employing up to 250 employees), you can take advantage of ‘free’ funding support:

• Access up to £5k for reskilling and upskilling.

• No match funding required.

• Simple application.

Find out more: https://www1.ayrshire.ac.uk/businessand-training/sme-support/

WHY UPSKILLING AND RESKILLING MATTERS According to the latest Gallup survey, the cost of replacing an individual can range from 1.5 to two times the employee’s annual salary. Upskilling and reskilling is a much smaller investment than recruiting and training a new employee.

Reskilling and upskilling not only impacts on the bottom line but also boosts engagement and loyalty; improves retention; boosts morale and makes employees feel valued. Happy employees have a positive impact on customers and can act as a catalyst to attract new recruits.

NUALA BOYLE Head of Business Growth

Business support where and when you need it.

• 1:1 advice

Running a business or looking to start one?

Business Gateway can help you plan, adapt and grow.

• Online resources

Connect withwith us at us at Connect

bgateway.com bgateway.com/ayrshire or call 03300573934

• Local support • Webinars

• Digital upskilling

AYRSHIRE’S BUSINESS LEADERS LAUNCH NEW BOARD DEDICATED TO SAVING LIVES Lorna Dempsey, a production manager with weavers of luxury accessories Alex Begg, Ayr, kicked off the New Year at Prestwick Beach for the windswept photocall with fellow members of the newly formed Business Beats Cancer Ayrshire Board. Lorna, who is chairwoman of the new fundraising board, was first inspired to fundraise for Cancer Research UK 16 years ago after a friend died from breast cancer aged 32.

Tickets are on sale now for the Business Beats Cancer Ayrshire Board’s first fundraising event, a dinner to be held on Friday June 17 at Turnberry Resort.

Real Housewives of Jersey TV star Tessa Hartmann, who has overcome breast cancer will be guest speaker at the event which will also include a charity auction.

Lorna said: “I am proud to launch Business Beats Cancer Ayrshire, the first non-city event surrounded by a top team. We aim to inspire local businesses to support Cancer Research UK and do everything we can to help people who are going through cancer.”

“Our first Business Beats Cancer dinner in Ayrshire will be a creative, impactful and inspirational event, the perfect chance to build strong business relationships within Ayrshire and beyond. We are thrilled to be supported by Dr Tessa Hartmann, CBE for our first ever event. She’s a top businesswoman with her own cancer journey. It’s an honour to have the chance

to bring business people together to network and fundraise, helping create better treatments for cancer and to create more tomorrows for individuals and their families.”

Glasgow-born mum of four Tessa, who now lives in Jersey, is fit and well after being treated for breast cancer in 2017. She believes being open about her own cancer experience will encourage others to get any unusual changes checked out by a doctor.

Tessa said: “I’m delighted to support the inaugural Business Beats Cancer dinner in June. As a supporter of Cancer Research UK and having experienced my own breast cancer journey, I am on a mission to change the conversation about ‘cancer’ and indeed the language. Though certainly not taboo, for me the word ‘cancer’ had too many negative connotations. And so, I called my new boob Barbra - after the great Barbra Streisand - hence #LoveYourBarbra was conceived and born. By naming my boob Barbra and singing ‘Don’t rain on my parade’, I gave myself, my husband and four

young children something to smile about and it added some welcome levity to the topic of cancer by making it less traumatic and emotional. Even my friends felt less intimidated to ask about ‘Barbra’ and how I was doing. #LoveYourBarbra is therefore a label, which is dedicated to support incredible charities like Cancer Research UK and the invaluable research and work that they do.”

Last year, Cancer Research UK spent nearly £30 million in Scotland on scientific and clinical research.

All money raised from the dinner will be used to fund research in Scotland, enabling scientists to find new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer.

For further information about the Business Beats Cancer dinner and to book a table contact Amanda Harris on amanda.harris@cancer.org.uk or 07778 520372.

For more details on Cancer Research UK’s work or to find out how to support the charity, please call 0300 123 1022 or visit cruk.org.

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13 YOUR BUSINESS | SPRING 2022

MEMBERS NEWS

Great careers start with great choices.

Switch to The McKinstry Company today.

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MONARCH FINANCIAL SERVICES #makeithappen

BY BECOMING A FOUNDER FOR NEW CANCER CENTRE

GREEN HOME SYSTEMS APPOINTED TO £800M FRAMEWORK CONTRACT Irvine-based Green Home Systems has been appointed to Scotland Excel’s £800M national energy efficiency contractors’ framework. The appointment will see them work alongside local authorities to upgrade their housing stocks and facilitate the installation of energy efficiency measures in homes throughout Scotland to cut carbon emissions, tackle fuel poverty and create warmer homes.

So soon after planning permission was approved for the first of its kind, cancer support centre in Ayrshire, Monarch Financial Services Ltd, have snapped up the opportunity of becoming a Founder, by pledging to raise £10,000 to support the Cancer Nurse’s room.

The charity has just released several exciting and meaningful opportunities for both individuals and local businesses to become Founders to help raise funds to undertake the extensive building and renovation work required. Founders pledge to raise or donate funds for a specific space within the new centre, with the knowledge that their chosen space will support thousands of people for years to come. Pledges in the region of £2,000 to £25,000 are being sought to build therapy rooms, children’s quiet rooms, counselling rooms, support group rooms, library spaces and even car parking spaces. The Founder chooses a space which is important to them, then over the course of a year, pledges to raise the relevant funds. Once the funds are raised, the founders’ names can, if they chose, be inscribed on a plaque within the centre to stay forever.

Monarch Financial Services will undertake a range of fundraising activities to hit their target within a year.

Iain Greer, Managing Director of Monarch Financial Services said, ‘We are delighted to help support the work of Ayrshire Cancer Support. It is something that is close to our hearts and it’s amazing how quickly life can turn upside down following a cancer diagnosis. It affects so many families in our community so it feels good to be able to support such a worthwhile cause and give something back.’

For further information visit: www.home4cancer.org or call Laura Brown, Head of Income and Communications, or Nicola George, Corporate Lead, on 01563 538008.

Green Home Systems has been appointed to Lots 2 and 3 within the framework that includes fabric insulation measures, renewable heating and ventilation. Founded in 2014, Green Home Systems specialise in domestic energy efficiency projects such as thermal insulation, smart heating systems, renewables and electric vehicle charging points. The company has completed more than 10,000 energy efficiency projects to date that have prevented more than 500,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide being emitted into the atmosphere.

Scotland Excel is a non-profit organisation providing procurement expertise to 32 local authorities and over 100 associate members from across the public and third sector. Their second-generation energy efficiency contractors’ framework will provide an effective and efficient way to upgrade housing and offers the capability to source whole-house retrofitting. The framework is in place for four years from 1st February 2022 and is valued at £200M per year.

The Scottish Government has set a target of achieving net zero emissions of all greenhouse gases by 2045. With buildings accounting for about one fifth of emissions, and fuel poverty affecting an increasing number of households, addressing domestic energy efficiency is a top government priority. The Scottish Government has already imposed strict energy efficiency targets on social and private landlords and is expected to extend these to owner-occupiers soon.

Steven Porch, Operations Director at Green Home Systems, said: “Being appointed to this framework is a terrific opportunity for Green Home Systems and highlights our commitment to a more sustainable and greener Scotland. It allows us to increase our investment in our staff and help them to further develop their skills in our industry.

This contract will underpin our company’s growth strategy, and we are extremely excited to take the next step forward in our business plan. We cannot wait to help more customers create energy efficient homes through Scotland Excel.”

15 YOUR BUSINESS | SPRING 2022

MEMBERS NEWS

On Friday 19th November at Lochgreen House Hotel ove

On 19th November we were pleased to host our first in-person event for 2021 at Lochgreen House Hotel.

Over 270 guests attended the stunning Gala evening, where once again, the McCulloch Group were delighted to be our principal sponsor.

"The McCulloch Rail Group, were very pleased to sponsor the Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner, it was great to see so many people face to face following the difficult times that all businesses have faced during the pandemic" Anne McCulloch

YOUR BUSINESS | SPRING 2022

Hosted by the always entertaining Robbie Duncan, guests were welcomed to the beautiful venue by Piper, Alister J Brown and were entertained throughout the evening by guest speakers Phil Prentice – Scotland’s Town Partnership, Meredith McCrindle – Tamfest and Abba Dreams Tribute Band.

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Alister G Firth Photography captured the evening perfectly as you can see, and our very generous guests raised an amazing £10,750 for nominated charity Ayrshire Independent Living Network.

CEO Val Russell said: “Our Annual Dinner, albeit it later than usual, turn into the perfect occasion to re-connect with members and forge new alliances. A great night of networking and celebration was had by all. Our thanks go to McCulloch Group and all our wonderful sponsors who help make a good night great! Also, thanks to the Chamber team for all their hard work behind the scenes and to the staff at Lochgreen Hose Hotel for all their efforts on the night.”

YOUR BUSINESS | SPRING 2022

2021

er 270 guests attended our first in-person event of 2021

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Did you know that you can purchase commercial property through a pension fund?

Buying property through your pension can lower tax bills and is particularly attractive to business owners who prefer their properties to be owned by their pension scheme.

Make sure your tax planning includes your business property by booking a one to one consultation with our managing director, Stuart Lang.

Call us today on

01292 282116

1 Wellington Square,Ayr KA7 1EN

01292 282116 enquiries@langfinancial.co.uk

www.langfinancial.co.uk

Lang Financial is a trading style of Lang Financial Scotland Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Company No. SC208335.

NETHERMILLS HYDRO SCHEME OPENS ON RIVER AYR A new hydroelectric power scheme officially 'opened’ on the River Ayr on Monday 28th February 2022. The scheme was built by Energy Agency Renewables Ltd, who fully own and operate the scheme. The company is a not-for-profit subsidiary of local charity, the Energy Agency who are based at Auchincruive, Ayr. After several years of development, construction started on the site in the river in April 2021.

The scheme will generate 83kW of green electricity to neighbouring Ayrshire College, with excess sent to the electricity grid. It will produce around 320,000kWh of electricity per year, the equivalent of supplying 110 houses.

The proceeds from the sale of electricity and associated feed-in-tariffs will be used to fund projects which reduce fuel poverty in the local area.

The hydro turbine is an Archimedes screw 4-metres in diameter. It is a run-of-river scheme designed to be low impact, environmentally-friendly and fish-friendly. It features new smolt chutes and eel passes, which will assist the passage of migratory salmon and eels. A fish counter is being installed in one of the fish passes by Marine Scotland Science which will benefit the management of the River Ayr catchment fishery. The scheme will also act as an attraction and education source for local schools and colleges. It will prevent the emission of an estimated 147 tonnes of CO2-equivalent greenhouse gas

TURNING WASTE INTO ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES

Our appetite to create and buy new products is infinite, the planet's resources aren't. But we can have both: new products and a better environment. How?

annually and continue to generate green energy for many decades.

Liz Marquis, Director of Energy Agency Renewables said: “It gives me great pleasure to announce the opening of this important new hydro scheme which will generate green electricity now and well into the future. It will also generate essential funding to the local area to assist our ongoing work in tackling fuel poverty. The success in building this scheme has only been possible due to the efforts of our contractors and many partners and I extend my thanks to them for their hard work and dedication.”

As well as being a solution to waste, ECONYL® nylon is also better when it comes to climate change. It reduces the global warming impact of nylon by up to 90% compared with the material from oil.

Aquafil strives to come full circle through empathy and collaboration, inside and outside. This is why the Group collaborates with various companies and organisations for the collection and recovery of waste - one of them is the

Italian company Aquafil, who have their UK base in Kilbirnie, has the answer.

Aquafil is a global leader in the synthetic fibres industry and a pioneer in quality, innovation and sustainability. A landmark in terms of quality and innovation, the Group operates through different product areas: carpet yarn, textile yarn, polymers and engineering.

With a strong commitment to circularity, after years of investments and research Aquafil has launched its project which has now become its flagship product, ECONYL® regenerated nylon.

ECONYL® regenerated nylon is an ingredient that can help Brands aim at producing in a responsible way and close the loop. 100% made from waste, it is exactly the same as brand new nylon, it is infinitely recyclable and can unleash endless possibilities for makers, creators and consumers, meaning that we can create and buy new products without having to use new resources.

Healthy Seas Foundation - and with Brands committed to sustainability to reach final consumers. In July 2021 Aquafil launched the ECONYL® e-shop allowing conscious shoppers access to products made from ECONYL® nylon in one place for the first time. The e-shop champions a range of global brands and each product is categorised according to values such as Vegan, Zero Waste, Craftsmanship, Eco Design, Ethical Labour, Size Inclusive and Local Production, amongst others.

The platform also hosts a variety of content to educate and strengthen knowledge about sustainability and circularity for both brands and consumers. https://www.aquafil.com

https://www.econyl.com/

19 YOUR BUSINESS | SPRING 2022

MEMBERS NEWS

MEMBERS NEWS

The future looks bright for commercial property in Ayrshire As the great return to work gathers pace, the Commercial Property Market in Ayrshire continues to enjoy record levels of activity.

With strong demand and a lack of supply, rental levels for small industrial units are at an all-time high. Demand for flexible office space is also evident, as businesses adapt to hybrid working and move away from traditional office space. Despite the well-documented challenges facing retail, independent local shops have also enjoyed a resurgence as we continue to ‘support local’.

So, what do we expect for 2022?

North Property Advisors think demand for industrial property is likely to continue across Ayrshire, buoyed by a lack of new development and a shift towards e-tailing.

High quality, flexible office space will also be in demand. Research indicates that hybrid working is here to stay in the UK with employers expecting more than 50% of their staff to work from home on a regular basis.

This means businesses will need access to office space but on a flexible basis, without being tied into long-term contracts.

Finally, North Property Advisors think retail will continue to become more localised, supported by an increasing number of high-quality independent shops / restaurants and a trend to shop local.

There are of course other issues to contend with – climate change, rising inflation, interest rates and possible unwanted political interference – but the property market has demonstrated great resilience and adaptability in the last two years, and this is expected to continue through 2022.

For help with any commercial property matters in Ayrshire

JAMIE CUMMING

Director North Property Advisors

including sales and lettings, valuations, development advice and property management, contact North Property Advisors on 01292 436027 or visit northprop.co.uk

INTERNATIONAL TRADE SERVICES Ayrshire Chamber have for many years provided support to businesses looking to export and grow their business internationally. Our documentation team are fully trained by the British Chambers of Commerce in Certification and International Trade Procedures.

YOUR BUSINESS | SPRING 2022

Pre-Brexit we provided Certificates of Origin and EUR1 Certificates, document verification and legalisation services and a Letter of Credit service. All of these services have been amended where necessary to facilitate post-Brexit requirements. In addition, we now offer full Customs and T1 Transit services.

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ChamberCustoms is a customs broker that provides import and export declarations and pay-as-you-go T1 transit documents delivered through Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce.

This service offers traders a high level of compliance with HMRC procedures and offers a direct link for customs clearance through all sea, air and road ports and terminals in the UK. With our extensive knowledge, reputation and first-class service in facilitating international trade, we can take the hassle out of your hands when it comes to exporting and importing goods.

The service is offered direct to businesses ensuring that customs clearance is accurate, timely and avoids additional costs through delays or errors.

With direct links to the HMRC Customs handling system and all inventory linked ports, we can ensure that your goods, no matter where they enter or leave the UK, will be cleared for onward transportation smoothly.

We can help you keep your time-sensitive supply chains, moving efficiently and economically.

International Trade Training Courses A range of training courses, delivered remotely by Exporter Services, these are available throughout the year for those trading internationally who wish to learn more about the processes involved.

For more information or to book, email: jcoulter@ayrshire-chamber. org or visit www.ayrshire-chamber.org/events/international-trade

Experienced commercial property experts.

Serving clients throughout Ayrshire.

Property can be a complex business.

We provide a Director-led, responsive service to our clients.

Our Key Services • Sales & Lettings

• Schedules & Surveys

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Irvine

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North Property Advisors Eldo House, Monkton Rd, Prestwick, KA9 2PB 01292 436027

| info@northprop.co.uk

Find us on

northprop.co.uk

MEMBERS NEWS

EAST AYRSHIRE TRUSTED TRADER SCHEME Trusted Trader is a Trading Standards scheme that operates across many areas of Scotland. Its primary focus is to reduce doorstep crime and offer residents a directory of local traders who have been vetted by Trading Standards and agreed to conform to a strict code of conduct.

East Ayrshire Trusted Trader was originally launched in 2017 and is free for consumers to use.

For traders, it is an annual paid membership scheme, which is fully refundable for those unable to meet the schemes vetting requirements.

YOUR BUSINESS | SPRING 2022

Originally targeting home improvement trades, the East Ayrshire Trusted Trader scheme is now open to a wide range of businesses, covering most industries apart from food related or taxi companies.

This means many more small business owners can take advantage of membership and demonstrate their Trading Standards vetted status. It is also a great opportunity to have business documentation

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reviewed by Trading Standards officers and receive advice.

Consumers have the reassurance of a Trading Standards complaints process that all members have to comply with in the unlikely event things don’t go to plan. The scheme is also backed by an Alternative Dispute Resolution Service who are completely impartial and provide legally binding decisions, saving the time and expense of going to court.

One of the key aspects of being a Trusted Trader is displaying feedback, which is professionally moderated, including checking with the reviewer themselves. This gives the reassurance that any feedback given is 100% genuine, and allows potential customers to read about previous jobs, including images of work done.

If you are looking for a local Trusted Trader, then you can telephone 0333 444 7016, or you can visit and search for members on the Trusted Trader website: https://www.trustedtrader.scot/ EastAyrshire

MEMBERS NEWS 23

Easton Group has announced the launch of its new corporate brand identity, redesigned logo, and website. This new combined group brings together the various business activities of the Easton family under a single banner to help drive growth as it approaches its fiftieth anniversary.

Tracing its roots back to 1974 when Chairman, Kenny Easton, first started in business, the Easton Group’s vision is to create thriving communities through the successful implementation of its portfolio, which includes over 350 residential and commercial properties, and a collection of private equity investments in successful trading businesses.

The Dundonald based group has now been structured into three core areas of residential housing, commercial property, and private equity investments, which are represented by the group’s three operating divisions: Easton Housing, Easton Property, and Easton Capital.

Easton Housing is the group’s residential property division and provides affordable homes to families throughout Ayrshire. As a private housing provider, Easton Housing prioritises the welfare of its tenants by ensuring its homes are family ready and offers long-term tenancies that creates security of tenure and HR environment for their family allows tenants to CHAMBER create a safe and comfortable home.

CHAMBER HR

YOUR BUSINESS | SPRING 2022

EASTON GROUP UNVEILS NEW CORPORATE BRAND IDENTITY

Easton Property is the group’s commercial property and development arm, which has commercial properties located throughout Scotland. The commercial portfolio supports a mixture of tenants including bespoke local traders, large businesses, and national retailers. Easton Property has adopted a unique entrepreneurial approach to property and has a proven track record of adding value and enhancing portfolio performance by completing challenging investment and development projects, and by actively managing its assets in partnership with its tenants.

The Easton family has been investing in businesses across Scotland since the 1980s, and Easton Capital is its newly formed private equity division that has been created to consolidate these investments and help accelerate their growth.

Easton Capital’s portfolio includes investments in the green economy, healthcare, whisky production, and baby essentials.

The Easton Group has plans to grow further by expanding across all three divisions. It continues to seek opportunities in the residential and commercial property markets and develop its private equity portfolio by providing long term capital to support high growth businesses. https://www.eastongroup.co.uk

ANY QUESTIONS…ANY DOUBTS? CHAMBER HR

Do you know the answers to all these topical questions?

Facing a complex issue, or a situation affected by changes in legislation can be stressful and doing the wrong thing can be very expensive. When you need to act you need to ensure you get it right first time!

The good news is that members need not worry. If you have any questions about any of these topics you can call the Chamber HR Service – access is included in your membership fee, it’s available 365 days a year and members have unlimited access.

Sick Pay for Unvaccinated Workers

Flexible Working Requests

Can and employer stop contractual sick pay for an unvaccinated worker who is self-isolating?

Do you need to get employees to agree to any change?

Understand the risks and know your rights as an employer

Have you received requests for flexible working arrangements from staff?

Did you know you have time limits to respond to such requests?

Understand how to deal with requests for changes in working patterns

Cancelling Annual Leave Can an employer cancel pre-approved annual leave due to staff shortages?

Failure to follow correct process could lead to claims of constructive dismissal Find out what you can and can’t do and understand the risks involved

Recognising LGBTQ+ Modern employers are expected to recognise and celebrate diversity in the workplace Discrimination claims are uncapped Make sure you know what to do as even unintentional discrimination can be costly

Statutory Payment Rates DWP has proposed changes to pension & statutory payments These will be operative from 3rd April 2022 Do you know what they are?

ANY QUESTIONS…ANY DOUBTS? CALL THE CHAMBER HR ADVICE LINE ON 01455 852037

MEMBERS NEWS

ARRAN BOTANICAL DRINKS SET FOR EXCITING 2022 Arran Botanical Drinks is starting 2022 with some exciting new developments. First up, a collaboration with neighbouring island gins Bute and Cumbrae to produce a 3-pack of 20cl bottles celebrating all three Clyde Island Gins.

Stuart: "We got to know the lovely folks at Bute and Cumbrae last year - who, like ourselves, are fortunate to have tasty gins and beautiful coastal locations. I thought it would make sense for Arran, Bute and Cumbrae to work together to celebrate the A,B,C of Clyde Island gins, and encourage visitors to engage with all of us.

Calmac are going to be selling the 3-packs on their Clyde Island routes (as well as lots of local shops), and we will be hoping to drive business to each others’ locations as more people stay-cation and indulge in Island-

hopping. This is something fun, new and collaborative for the brands and their gin fans."

Aside from the Clyde Islands project, the Arran Botanical Team has secured Change-of-Use Planning Permissions from the council to expand their activities at the much-loved Cladach Beach location. This will encompass both drinks production and the bar/ hospitality side.

Stuart explains: “As we saw last year - even with the restrictions, there was a surge of ‘staycation' traffic coming to Cladach Beach to enjoy a tour / tasting or cocktail. We think this year will be even busier, and we want to ensure we maximise the space and the experience. We will be running an exciting range of food and entertainment pop-ups and curating private parties and celebrations both inside and at the beach bar (roll-on the summer)!

We now have the ability to add some space to grow our botanical drinks production; and can develop new ‘experiences’ such as cocktail classes; foodie partnerships; and developing the rustic beach-bar space."

"The view and outdoor area is

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paramount to our operation, and Covid has taught everyone how to 'lean-in' to the variable Scottish weather. For many, this fun little beach space rivals anything in the Med - perhaps not as warm - but definitely as nice!"

“Essentially, we’re offering an escape and adventure - something I think we all need and deserve these days".

Call 01770 302513 or email info@arranbotanicaldrinks.com

MEMBERS NEWS

BIG POND DIGITAL - EXPANDING IN 2022 2021 was a busy year for Ayrshirebased marketing agency - Big Pond Digital. Towards the end of 2020, Big Pond put out a positive message highlighting their ‘Rebranding and Expanding’ of the company. Having done both successfully in the past year or so, Ari Pournaras (the Founder and Managing Director) is scaling the agency further in the coming months.

Big Pond focuses on using SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), PPC (Google Ads), and Paid Socials to help businesses appear on the right users’ screens, at the right time, and from this targeted exposure, win over clicks and sales from competitors.

They have a clear track record of doing exactly this, which has attracted numerous new clients, welcomed recently into their family of local and global brands.

The team are exceedingly grateful for the opportunities coming their way, and to meet the demands of the growing number of projects, Big Pond has almost doubled their team of digital marketing specialists involved in the process. In an ever-evolving field like SEO, bringing in a range of perspectives and backgrounds is key. That is why the team are excited to work with even more fresh

faces in the near future.

With the pandemic forcing many businesses into an existential crisis, refocusing efforts and investment in digital has been essential to survive.

It has been heartening to see an increasing number of Ayrshire companies recognise the power that lies in digital marketing and make the move to capitalize on it, trusting Big Pond with the task.

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01292 844 899

www.bigponddigital.co.uk

YOUR BUSINESS | SPRING 2022

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MEMBERS NEWS

AYRSHIRE BUSINESS WOMEN AWARDS Ayrshire Chamber CEO, Val Russell was delighted to be invited to attend the Ayrshire Business Women Awards Dinner at The Park Hotel on 22nd February.

The three finalists for Ayrshire Business Woman of The Year were: • Linda McCurrach – No One Dies Alone • Julie Batchelor – Brilliant Travel • Lindsay Jeffrey – K9 Play Park The overall winner was Lindsay Jeffrey from K9 Play Park and Margarette Bryant

was awarded the Spirit of ABW Award.

Ayrshire Chamber sends congratulations to all nominees and winners.

We wish outgoing president Tamara Campbell well and look forward to working with the new committee, led by new president Shellie Brennan of Rule 42 Boutique.

Thank you to Ann Cromack, Ikat Photography for supplying the images.

FINALISTS FOR AYRSHIRE BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE YEAR Linda McCurrach, Lindsay Jeffrey, Julie Batchelor

OVERALL WINNER LINDSAY JEFFREY K9 Play Park

SPIRIT OF ABW AWARD WINNER Margarette Bryant

GREENER, CHEAPER ENERGY IN SCOTLAND

YOUR BUSINESS | SPRING 2022

Scotland’s first wind farm to be owned by the people it supplies, is being built just south of Maybole, 14 miles from Ayr.

Ripple enables people to part own a wind farm to supply green, low-cost energy to their homes and businesses via the grid to reduce their carbon footprint and help stabilise their electricity bill for the long term. By joining the ownership co-op, Ripple enables members to save money on their monthly energy bills through the energy their piece of the wind farm produces.

The company has launched their second wind farm, Kirk Hill near the village of Maybole.

So how does this work?

You can sign up to Ripple, switch electricity

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suppliers if required and buy your shares in the wind farm in 5 minutes. You decide how much you want to own. The more you own the more you save. You’ll also join the cooperative society that owns the wind farm.

When the wind farm has been fully funded, Ripple will manage the construction. Once the wind farm becomes operational, you will then start seeing the savings on your electricity bill for the part of the wind farm you own, at a time when electricity bills are set to soar.

Help lower and stabilise your electricity bill for the 25 years lifetime of the wind farm and help towards a lower carbon lifestyle.

To find out more about Ripple and the Kirk Hill wind farm head to https://rippleenergy.com or contact them at info@rippleenergy.com

CREATIVE PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN AYRSHIRE AND NEW ZEALAND

Ayrshire based composer and bagpiper, Alistair Brown, has been invited to collaborate again with New Zealand film company Klean Slate Films in the production of their latest film, Hope, which goes into production later this year.

TRAINING FIRST SAFETY CELEBRATES IT'S SECOND BIRTHDAY Training First Safety celebrates its second birthday as the team reflect on what they’ve achieved so far. MD Jenny McIntyre launched TFS with two visions in mind; to create an unbeatable service that takes away the burden of booking training and, to create a work environment that helps to nurture and develop the team to the best they can be. Talking about their journey, Jenny tells us about what they have achieved so far;

Excited at being invited back to work on the latest project, Alistair said, “Collaborating with [Writer and Director] Sukhvir Parmar and his team last year was a lot of fun, and I am really looking forward to working with them again. The stories that Sukhvir portrays in film are a real rollercoaster emotionally, and of course creatively that is one of the exciting challenges of working with him. I get to draw on these emotional threads running through the film and write music that not only helps develop the story but also hopefully draws the audience closer to the characters.”

“We’ve been very fortunate in the sense that we’ve hit quite a number of milestones over the past couple of years, and really quite quickly - we moved into our own premises, the team has continued to grow and we won H&S Training Provider of the Year at the Prestige Awards. For me, it’s very much a case of celebrating the small successes and stepping stones along the way rather than focussing on the big achievements. Don’t get me wrong it’s not come without it's stresses but to look at where we are just now every single bit of stress has been worth it. Looking onto the year ahead I would say the immediate focus for us this year is getting settled into our new training centre which we are all really excited about because it’s going to allow us more of an opportunity to provide more training locally”

As well as writing music for media, Alistair has also been busy as a local bagpiper playing at weddings, birthdays and other special occasions. He was honoured to be asked to pipe for guests as they arrived at the Ayrshire Chamber’s 2021 Annual Dinner held at Lochgreen House Hotel in November.

Based in Ayr, Alistair covers engagements across the West of Scotland and is looking forward to a busy 2022 and 2023; “The Ayrshire Bagpiper diary is really filling up”, he said.

Staff development is also a huge part of the ethos of TFS, Jenny tells us; “The continuous development of our team is something we take very seriously. Always looking to take action to improve the performance of our team to not only help them but also our customers. We focus on the individual needs of each team member so training is very much tailored towards them”

https://alistairjbrown.com https://ayrshirebagpiper.com

www.trainingfirstsafety.co.uk

The creative partnership between Alistair and Klean Slate started at the end of 2020, when Alistair was brought on to write the musical score for the film The Outsider. Work on The Outsider completed in early summer last year, and in the autumn the film gained an Official Selection in the Toronto Independent Film Festival.

27 YOUR BUSINESS | SPRING 2022

MEMBERS NEWS

MEMBERS NEWS

DRIVER HIRE ON DUTY AT COP 26 A team of seven drivers supplied

by Driver Hire Ayrshire played an important role in the running of the COP26 climate change conference held in Glasgow in November.

"We were approached by Electric Zoo, a leasing company that specialises in supplying electric vehicles to fleet operators," says Liz Logan, Manager at Drive Hire Ayrshire. "In keeping with the environmental focus of COP26, Electric Zoo are helping companies across the UK make a smooth transition from combustion to electric."

One of the team of drivers was Matthew McClymont, who is also a Driver Hire Ayrshire director. He absolutely loved the experience - even if it meant working some longer hours than usual.

"We were based at the Blair Estate, Dalry where a number of the delegates were staying," says Matthew. "Our main task was taking them to

Matthew was driving a VWID3 his first experience in an electric vehicle. "It was smooth and comfortable," says Matthew. "I'd have no hesitation buying one. Although it did need recharging more often when the weather got a wee bit colder." and from the Scottish Exhibition & Conference Centre and Glasgow Science Park, COP26's main venues. We also did some trips to collect delegates from Glasgow Airport. We were working twelve hour shifts but the time just flew by.

Electric Zoo's Jean Hay described the Driver Hire team as: "Fabulous. Everything ran smoothly and they received plenty of positive comments on how professional they were." www.driverhire.co.uk/office/ayrshire

RIVERSIDE SCOTLAND DUNDONALD MODULAR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT

YOUR BUSINESS | SPRING 2022

Riverside Scotland handed over the second phase of its modular housing development at Dundonald, South Ayrshire with a further nine of the 63 homes allocated to waiting list applicants on Thursday 27 January 2022.

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The ground-breaking £9.8million project, with support from the Scottish Government, is being delivered by Riverside Scotland and Connect Modular Ltd, part of The Wee House Group and will provide highly sought-after affordable housing in the South Ayrshire village. The new development incorporates a blend of house types, including one bedroom flats, three bedroom houses and two bedroom amenity bungalows.

Heather Anderson, Head of Service delivery at

Riverside Scotland is delighted with the progress and pace at which these homes are being delivered, “We visited the Cumnock factory last year as we were really keen to track the progress and environmental benefits of the build with it being our first modular development. It is such an efficient process, with up to 67% less energy required to produce a modular building and construction waste is up to 85% less that on traditional sites. The spec of the completed properties is just fantastic.”

Remarkably, the modular houses in this development are already 90% complete when they depart the factory with kitchens, bathrooms, plumbing and electrics pre-installed, facilitating a significantly shorter build programme and

earlier occupancy. In comparison to a traditional build project, fabrication under factory conditions diminishes waste, improves quality, negates the impacts of adverse weather and allows for overlap of site preparation and build phases leading to a more efficient process all round.

Jennifer Higgins, Managing Director at Connect Modular, commented, “We are pleased to reach completion on this next phase of the development. Hand over day, for me is a satisfying milestone in the process as I get to see the outcome of our team’s hard work alongside the happy faces of residents moving into their new home. We look forward to completing the remainder of the development in the coming weeks and months and are delighted with the progress to-date.”

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01292 678666 info@dywayrshire.com The Young Person’s Guarantee is a Scottish Government initiative to see what needs to be done and what is being done to support the nations young people after the pandemic. By making a ‘work inspired video’, taking on work experience, offering apprenticeships, being a mentor, you could be doing your part in helping young people get back on track after a tough year for recruitment, employability and training.

Hear from Isle of Cumbrae Distillers and why they signed up to the #YPGuarantee:

DYW Ayrshire are delighted to announce the Young Person’s Guarantee sign-ups for October, November, December and January are: • GE Aviation Services – Caledonian • Medicforce 1 Ltd. • Dundonald Gymnastics Club • Western House Hotel • Isle of Cumbrae Distillers • Healing Hair • The Cause Light and Sound • Leanne Cairns Millinery • MobiTyres • KA Leisure • BC Motorhomes & Leisure • Del’s Rolls • The Way Forward 2045 • Buzzworks Holdings Ltd. • Monktonhill Farm • Burnett Motor Services (Troon) • Oven Stewarton • Euro Driveshaft & Hydraulics Ltd. • Prestwick Golf Club • Circa 78 Creative Ltd • Ellis Music Studios Ltd • Burnhouse Engineering Ltd. • Mecoco • Robert Potter & Partners • KZ Hair

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Foundation Solutions HV RAD Hotel Group Cadence – BPO Daniel Paul Leather Become Unstoppable Utopia Computers Ayr Gaiety Partnership Centrestage The Ark Booth Welsh Allenwest Ashleigh Construction (Scotland) BAM Construction (Ayrshire) The Park Hotel Kilmarnock Football Club Associated British Ports (Ayrshire) McCulloch Group Inter-Tec Services Bonnymans Taste of Arran / Arran Dairies Ikonic Print Urquhart Opticians Wellington House on the Square OTP Online Limited GC’s Hair Boutique

One of the challenges of living on a small Scottish island is providing good jobs for young people.

Cumbrae is on the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation. A key indicator of our success as an island company, is to be able to create meaningful jobs for young islanders and give them an opportunity to remain on the island with a good job. We are very proud to be a recognised YPG employer. Having financial and other resources has allowed us to create a year-round position for a young islander and give them the skills necessary to start to build a successful career.

We look forward to working with all of you. To find out more about the Young Person’s Guarantee or get involved, contact Stephen McNab at smcnab@ayrshire-chamber.org

YOUR BUSINESS | SPRING 2022 2021

APPRENTICESHIP ACADEMY AWARDS 2021

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Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce Apprenticeship Academy has helped over 30 apprentices and trainees with personal development training over a 10 week period and in November 2021, we attended the award ceremony to celebrate these achievements.

This programme was supported by 3 local training providers; Arena HR, Indigo Black and Willie Nicol Coaching. Thanks to the providers, apprentices gained certificates in: Communication Skills, Resilience & Assertiveness, Presenting with Confidence, Dealing with Change & Conflict, Managing Stress & Anxiety, Focusing on the Job, Scheduling & Prioritising, Goal & Objective Setting, Effective Meetings and Time Management.

In attendance, we had Ayrshire Chamber, Chevron, Spirit Aerospace, South Ayrshire Council, QTS, Egger Barony, DSM and Training Safety First.

Thank you to all of the businesses who took part and to everyone for coming along to celebrate. A special thank you to Brian Cameron at Skills Development Scotland for funding.

Congratulations to each apprentice on their hard work and awards!

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Doon Academy’s nail bar, Divine Beauty, has recently had help from Nail Technician Kellyann Godfrey. Practical experience on the Innovative School Projects is key to the success so to be able to provide an expert is a great support to the pupils.

'Having Kellyann work with our learners has really enhanced their skills. They now have a sound understanding of the techniques needed to carry out treatments such as manicure, massage, and gel nails. This has been enhanced by learning about customer service and working with clients.

It has given depth to the course by allowing learners to work practically. The learners are really looking forward to developing their knowledge and skills further every week.'

Kirsten Fletcher, Principal Teacher of Expressive Arts Jade, Kearsin, Ellie and Charley are really enjoying the project that they’ve been on since August 2021. Charley said: “I really like this project, its so much more practical than other lessons. I get to feel like I’m at work and having Kellyann here helping us is so much better. She’s showing us how to look after our hands and nails properly, how to do a manicure on our own nails before we start using gel and acrylic.

I don’t necessarily want to go into nails and beauty when I leave school, but this project has definitely taught me how to manage my own business and take care of all the aspects of being my own boss.”

Kellyann has been supporting the Divine Nail Bar since January. She said: “I’m really enjoying working with the pupils on this project. It's nice to be able to give back to the community especially as I live locally. With the support of DYW we’ve got new and reliable kit to work with, such as Barbicide for cleaning the equipment and disposable nail files.

Its important the young people understand the world we’re living in just now and how important keeping things clean is to our industry. I’ve really enjoyed supporting this nail bar project and can see how important the practical elements are, I can definitely see an improvement since starting in January.”

DYW Ayrshire love receiving feedback from our Innovative School Projects! If you want to find out more about these or get involved, contact us at info@dywayrshire.com

we deal with, we have some fantastic success stories from our apprenticeships with many young people joining us straight from school and progressing through the company in a variety of roles. Despite all these successes it is still important for DYW to keep promoting the benefits that apprenticeships offer, both to the young people and to the

companies offering them. It is essential for companies to have succession planning in place and for employers to keep bringing young people into their workforce. These young people bring a fresh outlook, enthusiasm and ideas that are required to keep our companies current, growing and be equipped for the future.

To encourage other companies to think about offering apprenticeships it is important for employers to share these successes and Scottish Apprenticeship week will see a lot of positive messages around this. If you have an apprenticeship success story to share please get in touch with the

DYW Ayrshire team and we will help you spread the word!

Despite all these successes there are still many challenges being faced by employers. Recruitment is one we are hearing a lot about. Many sectors are currently finding recruitment of young people very difficult, particularly hospitality, a key sector in Ayrshire. If any employer or organisation is able to offer help, support or success stories with regards to the recruitment of young people please let us know and we will share across our channels.

We look forward to seeing and sharing all your social posts with your young people and apprentices in March!

LORNA GIBSON - VIEW FROM THE CHAIR With Scottish Apprenticeship week running from 7th to 11th March this is a very busy and exciting time for DYW Ayrshire.

Apprenticeships are a key focus for DYW with so many companies offering these and young people seeing that this is an excellent pathway to a career for them, allowing them to study and gain valuable work experience simultaneously.

At QTS Group, and many of the other companies that

YOUR BUSINESS | SPRING 2022

DOON ACADEMY INNOVATIVE SCHOOL PROJECT

01292 678666 info@dywayrshire.com

SCOTTISH APPRENTICESHIP WEEK – 7TH-11TH MARCH Scottish Apprenticeships are playing an essential part in the nation's economic revival.

There are thousands of apprenticeship opportunities available across Scotland that allow individuals to work, learn and earn to gain the skills employers need.

Employers recognise the benefits apprenticeships bring to their business. Learning providers ensure people get the right skills to do well at work. Apprentices of all ages are accessing workbased learning to kick start their career.

YOUR BUSINESS | SPRING 2022 2021

RYANAIR RECRUITMENT OPEN DAY

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Thursday 10th of February saw the first Recruitment Open Day of the year for DYW Ayrshire! We are delighted that two of our Young Person's Guarantee employers, Ryanair, and RAD Hotel Group, came together to put on this fantastic event for young people.

The open day ran from 9.30am - 4.30pm allowing young people to hear about the current and future vacancies in the aircraft industry. We received presentations, had in-depth conversations with current and graduate apprentices, learned the different ways you can get started in this career and even got to see some of the real equipment in use.

Joining us in attendance was Ayrshire College and Air Service Training.

Thank you for having us at this event, we can't wait for next years already!

Get involved in this year's Scottish Apprenticeship Week! Take the opportunity to show that apprenticeships work for individuals, industries and Scotland.

CAN YOU SUPPORT OUR WORK EXPERIENCE PROGRAMME? Work Experience is one of the many ways DYW Ayrshire and businesses support our local young people.

As part of the school work experience programme, you would have the option to host a young person on a week-long placement or a flexible extended work experience placement, for example a couple of hours, on 1 or 2 days per week over an extended period of weeks or months.

Sectors we are receiving the highest numbers of requests for are in Trades (Joinery, Electrician, Plumbers) as well as Mechanics and Hair and Beauty based placements. There is no specific location we are targeting as these requests are arriving from South, North, and East Ayrshire based schools.

By getting involved, you would be giving something back to your community whilst promoting a positive awareness of your business in the community since work experience is a key employment tool that helps prepare young people for the world of work.

To get involved email: engage@ayrshire-chamber.org

SOUTH WEST EDUCATIONAL IMPROVEMENT COLLABORATIVE (SWEIC) The South West Educational Improvement Collaborative (SWEIC) is the name given to the association between North, East and South Ayrshire along with our neighbours in Dumfries & Galloway to improve schools, early years centres and other services for children and young people.

Geographically, the South West is a large and diverse area covering around 3,603 square miles. The South West has a population of around 520,000 which is approximately 10% of Scotland’s population. In addition to the main towns in each authority, there is a considerable rural area comprising smaller towns and villages which are served by a large number of smaller schools. The pupil population is just under 67,000 across 280 schools (229 primary, 41 secondary and 10 ASN schools) with a further 9,000 children in early learning centres.

The SWEIC including local authorities, schools and DYW have been making the most of the partnership to work collectively (and virtually) with DYW School Coordinators in integrating opportunities and pathways to each curriculum while sharing best practice on successful delivery. With so much great work being done in schools it gives an opportunity to highlight with a wider audience and colleagues.

At our February meeting both Doon Academy and

DYW AYRSHIRE SECTOR

Kilmarnock Academy shared some brilliant insight to the engagement achieved with diverse cohorts throughout their schools. In sharing their stories on what worked well for them and importantly their pupils, this opened discussions with other DYW School Coordinators who took away ideas on new innovative approaches as well as tried and tested practices. Promoting these experiences and ideas is one example of what the SWEIC sets to achieve in supporting those at the forefront of school delivery – always open to new ideas, reflecting on aims and encouraging conversations that leads to positive impact.

Sector Spotlight is our social media campaign that focuses on a different sector each month, dedicated to promoting job roles, pathways, videos, and links to resources for the chosen sector to give young people an insight into the different industries and how they can get into that line of work.

Would you like to promote your business by getting involved and supporting Ayrshire's young people?

Contact our Marketing and Communications Officer, Brooke, at bmctaggart@ayrshire-chamber.org

YOUR BUSINESS | SPRING 2022

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MEMBERS NEWS

AYR PREMIER TAXIS ROUND UP 2021, SHARING THEIR KNOWLEDGE In August Ayr Premier Taxis were contacted by Morag Douglas, Head of Licensing at South Ayrshire Council, to ask if they would be willing to supply a taxi and deliver the accessibility section of the upcoming taxi drivers training courses that was being delivered by Ayr College. It is a requirement of licence that all new applicants must complete this training course within 6 months of being issued a taxi or private hire drivers' licence. Due to Covid, these were the first courses ran since November 2019 and 80 applicants would be asked to attend a one-day course.

The course was led by Ann Hathaway from Ayr College who covered various subjects including licence requirements, health and safety, lone working practises, customer care etc. John Kelly from Ayr Premier Taxis covered wheelchair handling and other disability awareness topics before finishing with a quick Q&A from the drivers about day-to-day topics not covered in the course, generally

passing on his knowledge of things that are often learnt the hard way after 30 years in the trade.

The recent addition of an advert for Whiteleys Retreat, applied by Owen Kerr, to one of the operators’ cars aims to help promote the great service Whiteleys provides.

Ayr Premier Taxis supply Whiteleys, at no charge, with taxis to collect and return guests from home or the station if they don't have

their own transport.

Finally, Ayr Premier Taxis have once again been nominated in the category of Small Taxi Company at the Scottish Taxi and Private Hire awards which are due to be held in Glasgow in March. This is the third consecutive year since the awards started in 2019 that they have been nominated. Twice so far making the finals only to miss out on the award, its fingers crossed for 2022.

YOUR BUSINESS | SPRING 2022

STEP ASIDE AND RISE!

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In December, Jane Mack united with 21 other female entrepreneurs in a bid to inspire others to find their voice, as part of a charity book created to help more of us identify with the things that are holding us back and hit realisations of what we need to do to change things, for a life that looks different in 2022.

Launching globally, Step Aside and Rise went straight in at number 1 in 7 categories.

Above the Challenges and Reap the Rewards. Having set her business up as a result of growing a successful business over 10 years, this book is a part of Jane’s mission to show women in business that it is possible to have a successful business and a family and all challenges can be overcome.

Jane shares how it is possible to overcome the many challenges that we face in running a business, and work towards a better work life balance in her chapter - Rise

Jane said: “The focus of Step Aside and Rise is on showcasing what’s possible through sharing our incredible stories, enabling as many other women as possible to step into their brilliance. I am passionate about sharing my story and experience around women creating the business of

their dreams that fits in with their family life, because I believe that anything is possible if you have the right mindset and courage to take it forward. If women who may be struggling in their business right now can see what I’ve overcome, and how, I hope it will help them see a way forward too” Proceeds of all the Amazon sales will be donated to WONDER Foundation (The Women’s Network for Development and Educational Resources). www.workforgood.co.uk Jane can be contacted at jane@janemackcoaching.com

NEW MEMBERS

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AMD STUDIOS LTD Ayr Anthony M D'Arcy info@amd-studios.com

D WELSH ZLX R&D TAX CONSULTANT Ayr Damian Welsh damian@whitelabelresources.co.uk

H&V COMMISSIONING SERVICES LTD Galston Grant Foster Grant@handv.co.uk

NO73 MEDIA Ayr Danny Bray info@no73.co.uk

AROHA ESCAPES Stevenston Kris McLaughlin kris@arohaescapes.co.uk

DUNDONALD LINKS GOLF CLUB Irvine Ian Ferguson ian.ferguson@dundonaldlinks.com

HESHAM EL-SHAFEI LTD. Kilmarnock Hesham El-Shafei HeshamElShafei1@hotmail.com

PELLEGRINI & BARLOW ASSOCIATES LTD Kilmarnock Melissa Pellegrini melissa.pellegrini@sjpp.co.uk

AYRSHIRE RIVIERA CIDER LTD Troon Murray Mathieson ayrshirerivieracider@gmail.com

DYLAN HARPER CONSULTANCY LTD Ayr Dylan Harper dylan@be-creative.uk

HI SOCIAL LTD Ayr Hiba Wilkinson Hi@hisocial.co.uk

EASTON GROUP Dundonald Steven Easton hello@eastongroup.co.uk

HYDRO-C LTD Glasgow John Taylor director@hydro-c.co.uk

BACKUP MEDICAL LTD Kilmarnock Robert McKenzie Info@backupmedical.co.uk BARRHEAD TRAVEL Glasgow Wilma Taylor groups@barrheadtravel.co.uk

EIREDALE LTD Kilmarnock Allan Moffat jmoffat@eiredale.co.uk

INDEPENDENCE FROM DRUGS & ALCOHOL SCOTLAND Ayr Steven Donnachie finance@ifdas.net

CALDER ACCOUNTING LIMITED Kilmarnock Emma Calder emma@calderaccounting.co.uk

EL DIABLO CATERING Ayr Gavin Speirs rockpoolayr@gmail.com

INVINCIBLE SECURITY LTD Ardrossan Roger Woods roger@invincible.scot

CONCEPT HR SOLUTIONS New Cumnock Steven Allan support@concepthrsolutions.com

FIRST AID BUREAU Prestwick Stephen Harkness firstaidbureau@gmail.com

LAH TRAVEL LTD West Kilbride Linda Hill info@lahtravel.com

CREATIVE EMBROIDERY (SCOTLAND) LIMITED Irvine May Mayberry may@creativeembroidery.co.uk

FOUNDATION SOLUTIONS HV LTD Cumnock Carol McPhee carol@foundationsolutionshv.com

LYNN ERASMUS Perth Lynn Erasmus connect@lynnerasmus.com

CULLIS'S AMUSEMENTS Saltcoats Joseph Cullis enquiries@cullissamusements.com

GREENAN MANOR CARE HOME Ayr Elaine Hughes greenanmanor@meallmore.co.uk

MCCLUSKEY BROWNE, SOLICITORS Kilmarnock Alan Murray enquiries@mccluskeybrowne.co.uk

PPS - PRIME PARCEL SERVICES LTD Kilmarnock Andrew Muir andrew.muir@pps-pps.co.uk PRECISION Mauchline Kevan Maitland info@precision-autoparts.co.uk RIPPLE ENERGY Ayr Will Dodd info@rippleenergy.com TAMJAM HOLDINGS LTD Ayr Tracy Anne McGregor Info@tamjamholdings.co.uk THISTLE CREDIT UNION Glasgow Aaron Kerr staff@thistlecu.co.uk THREE SIXTY Ayr Tracy Gilmour tracygilmour@thethreesixty.org.uk WELLINGTON HOUSE Ayr Sharon Wilson wellingtonhouseonthesquare@gmail.com YOUR OPTIONS UNDERSTOOD Irvine Danielle Farrel youroptionsunderstood@gmail.com

We want to recruit more members to strengthen your business network and create more business opportunities for you. We are asking you to help by referring companies you know to us. When they join, we’ll reward you with a choice of special offers to help your business. Call the membership team on 01292 678666 or visit the referral page on our website.

YOUR BUSINESS | SPRING 2022

The Board of Directors is delighted to welcome the following companies as recently joined members of Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry: