B4 Issue 59 by B4 Magazine

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Unipart WorkWell

MAGAZINE ISSUE 59 SEPTEMBER 2019

The importance of employee wellbeing Page 66

TIME TO SELL?

Autumn Review Carter Jonas’ Commercial Property Review

Wellers advise on getting the right price for your business

Page 86

Page 16

OXFORDSHIRE

VOICE

The Partners of Oxfordshire Voice celebrate a successful year of collaboration as we review progress so far, profile the Partners and spotlight new initiatives

B U I L D I N G

B R I D G E S

B E T W E E N

O X F O R D S H I R E

B U S I N E S S E S

BIO

2020

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

CLIENT SUPPORT AUDIT ACCOUNTANCY CHARITIES COMPANY SECRETARIAL CONSULTANCY FINANCIAL PLANNING FORENSIC ACCOUNTING MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTS PAYROLL TAXATION TRUSTS OXFORD 30 St. Giles, Oxford OX1 3LE Tel . 01865 559900 email. information@wenntownsend.co.uk CIRENCESTER 5 Gosditch Street, Cirencester GL7 2AG Tel . 01285 659778 email. partners@wenntownsend.net ABINGDON 10 Broad Street, Abingdon OX14 3LH Tel . 01235 548700 email. abingdon@wenntownsend.co.uk

www.wenntownsend.co.uk

THE RIGHT SUPPORT FOR YOUR BUSINESS

B4 JOIN THE B4 COMMUNITY B4 is a membership organisation which provides you with a wide range of tools to help you to…

Increase your Profile Make great Connections Learn new Skills …and much More! B4 is for business people who understand that success is achieved by nurturing long-lasting and trusted relationships. The B4 community encourages authentic ethos, collaboration, reciprocation and a focus on the importance of integrity and honesty.

Read our “Join The Community” info brochure online at bit.ly/2mfSg1A

ASHMOLEAN FORUM 21ST NOV ‘19 For more information please see www.oxvoice.co.uk/events/

THE TEAM

WELCOME TO ISSUE 59 Richard Rosser Chief Executive & Editor

As a business community, B4 has become a collective of individuals and businesses who operate in a very similar way. The values of B4 have been established by the very fabric of our network…our members. At a time when there is so much uncertainty in the world, it’s increasingly important for collaboration and shared values to come to the fore. A great example of the selfless spirit of collaboration is evident with the growing partnership of Oxfordshire Voice and we catch up on progress in the first nine months of this brand new public / private sector partnership. Some of the key individuals driving Oxfordshire Voice can be found in the pages of this issue of B4 and it’s their spirit of wanting to help others which shines through and is so appealing to those who are discovering how powerful doing better business can be for everyone. So what is better business? Making more money? Producing more? It can be, but the key is businesses are discovering that doing things better can only be good for everyone. Sourcing local suppliers, being more inclusive in the workplace, understanding the effect of business practices on the environment, being diverse….just being decent people. So many people in the B4 community give their time, their energy and their enthusiasm to others unconditionally and do you know what, they get that support back in buckets. So well done to Salim at Storm Internet for his excellent work in the community, to Unipart for understanding the need to look after their employees, to Cathy Dunbabin of Opendoorz for risking life and limb for charity, to Cath Convery of ELS for her sterling efforts at Glastonbury, to Oxford Innovation for their fantastic new ecofriendly hub, to Helen Money for raising the profile of wellbeing in the workplace, to Brendon Cross for his amazing Twin Towns fundraising, to Aston & James for promoting how you can reduce your carbon footprint and to the team at B4 for developing NXT for the next generation and highlighting the incredible young people who are an inspiration for many. But, it would be remiss of us not to highlight two goliaths of this movement to encourage all of us to just do things right. Grant Hayward has been a massive influence on us here at B4 and has shown us why it is so important for B4 to do much more to champion those that are showing the rest of us the way. I know Grant would agree that a pillar of Oxfordshire’s business community which is setting the standard on many fronts is Blenheim Palace. CEO Dominic Hare has, with his superb team, transformed the way that Blenheim does business and is blazing a trail for the rest of us to follow. B4 will be doing more, much, much more to inject even more of this better business energy into your business and if you’re doing something great, let us know…we’d love to hear from you.

Colin Rosser Chairman

Keith Simpson Senior Designer

Lorna Waterfield Production Manager

Rob Scotcher Design & Photography

Emma Davis Marketing Executive

Enjoy Issue 59

Richard Rosser Editor

Ed Rosser NXT

MORE ABOUT B4 p6. p10. p12.

B4 More Than Networking B4 Platinum, Gold, New & Renewing Members B4 Classics & Dinners

p13. B4 Events Calendar p14. B4 Community News p37. OV Supplement

O X F O R D S H I R E

Sue Rosser Credit Control

T C E N N O C

B4 is More Than Networking

What does B4 mean to you? We’ve often wondered what makes B4 stand out from the crowd, and after many years we feel we might finally have the answer: B4 is more than networking.

Through our wide variety of events, from casual mingling in beautiful venues, to Masterclass sessions where you can gain new skills from other B4 members, to sit-down dinners in prestigious establishments where you can forge excellent relationships with some great characters in the B4 community, B4 has it all.

But that’s just the thing. We do have it all. We’re not just about events…

B4 is not just a networking group. We don’t ask you to stand up in front of 50 people and pitch yourself for 20 seconds, instead we work to develop business relationships that will last and bring you success and peace of mind for

many years to come.

We’re a high quality magazine, where your business is promoted and your knowledge and news is shared with other local businesses and the wider public. We’re a wide-reaching social media platform, where we celebrate our members, their successes, and the human side of business.

We’re digital, we know that technology is the future and we are putting all of our efforts into improving our current website to bring you real-time interaction with the wider B4 community. The B4 website enables you to promote your business to the B4 community and beyond with fantastic additional functionality coming soon.

We’re video producers and photographers, interviewing members from our growing community, creating inspiring and informative

promotional videos, and shining a light on the personalities in our community through high quality photos.

B4 is for business people who understand that success is achieved by nurturing long-lasting and trusted relationships. The B4 community encourages collaboration, reciprocation and a focus on the importance of integrity and honesty. We are proud of our B4 members, and they should be proud to be known as such.

And so, once again, B4 is more than networking: B4 is a thriving and connected business community where like-minded companies and individuals collaborate, learn, share and grow together.

But most importantly, underlying all that we do, are our values.

We hope you agree that B4 is definitely about #morethannetworking 6

#morethannetworking

Contents news 14 B4 Member News: The latest news from the B4 Community

33 Chromebooks for Schools: Storm Internet talk about how they recently kickstarted this North Kidlington school’s project 34 Ahead of the Game: CIS Ltd provide seven critical tips to keep your business secure

finance

16 Sale Time: Wellers offer great advice on getting the best possible price when selling your business 19 The Next Level: Tony Hobbs talks about how goal congruence behind a solid plan is essential when growing your business

73 How to have a Balanced Divorce: Freeths LLP explain how mediation, collaborative law, arbitration and more can ease the divorce process

20 Business Growth: The M Group explain how you can use their experience to your advantage 23 Protect your Greatest Asset: FOCUS ORM talk about why and how you should be protecting your greatest asset - Your people 24 Evolving Business: Barclays take a look at the journey of Righton Property, a business which began almost by accident 27 Falling Equities: Cazenove Capital Management take a look at yield curve inversion and what it means for bonds 29 Diversity is Key: Charles Stanley Wealth Managers explain why empowering women is essential for the financial sector

75 Family Law: Ruth Hawkins of Boardman, Hawkins & Osborne LLP talks about family law and the options available

37 Oxfordshire Voice: Catch up with Oxfordshire Voice as we recap our successes so far and areas which need improvement

77 Workplace Wellbeing: Garder Leader LLP look at what steps you can take to promote wellbeing amongst your staff

spotlight

81 Growing The Team: Meet the new faces of Hedges Law’s Business Services Team

59 Big Win for Storm Internet: Storm Internet is proud to announce their 7th win at the 2019 UK Internet Industry Awards 61 Start-Up Jewellers at Blenheim Palace: Blenheim Palace are pleased to welcome Wild & Fine to their entrepreneurs startup scheme 62 Diego Masciaga, Living Legend: Introducing Cavaliere Diego Masciaga, a living legend in the hospitality and catering industry worldwide

legal

79 Landlords & Agents Beware: Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP discuss a new law surrounding tenants fees

121 No Glass Ceilings: Brethertons LLP are shaking up the legal establishment with their diversity and gender equality

venues 92 Bombay Sapphire’s New Café: Bombay Sapphire Distillery celebrates five years of operation with a sustainable new café

66 Unipart WorkWell: Unipart Group talk about how the total wellbeing of your employees is the key to business success

technology

68 Opendoorz Go Loopy: 14 brave individuals strapped themselves to the top of an aerobatic plane… Read on to find out why

30 Go Electric: TechLec explain how it couldn’t be simpler to make the change to an electric vehicle today

70 3G: Germany, Glastonbury & Greta: ELS is making a stand for climate change

B4 property 82 VSL & Partners: The latest commercial properties from VSL & Partners 85 All Aboard the Arc: Lambert Smith Hampton look at the OxfordCambridge Arc and known plans for future developments 86 Autumn Commercial Property Review: Carter Jonas recap this Summer’s property market and look at what the future may hold 88 Oxford’s New Eco Friendly Hub: Located in the heart of the city, we take a look at Wood Centre for Innovation

events

services

12 B4 Events Calendar: See what B4 events are coming up soon

110 Get Your Bright Idea to Market: Rod Macrae looks at an OxLEP Business programme that’s helping small businesses with innovative ideas

health 99 Good for Them, Good for Business: Helen Money explains why inspiring employees to make positive changes is good for the bottom line

hr & recruitment 95 Graduate Schemes for SMEs: Thompson & Terry recruitment discuss how all small businesses can offer great graduate schemes

112 Reduce Your Carbon Footprint: Aston & James provide some handy and simple tips to help you reduce your impact on the environment 115 Digital Document Workflow: CRS Document Solutions explain how to become a more productive business

corp. lifestyle 117 EcoFriendly Breaks: Not Just Travel outline some fantastic green and sustainable, yet still luxurious, holiday options 119 Fantastic Short Break: Putting the Villa in Vilamourna!

97 10 Years Strong: You HR Consultancy recently celebrated 10 wonderful years in business, read on to find out how

119

csr & charities

advice 91 Why Great Leadership is Important: Lola Chapman looks at what makes a great leader and why it is so important in today’s business economy

101 Sobell House’s 40 Club: B4 talks to Scottfraser about their recent partnership with this highly respected local charity 102 The Significance of Social Enterprise: Grant Hayward of Collaborent looks at the “hot bed” of social enterprise and entrepreneurs we have locally 105 On Track for £1 Million: Read about the last ever Twin Town Challenge and how you can get involved to help reach the goal 107 New Look for Headway Oxfordshire: Headway Oxfordshire are thrilled to announce the upcoming launch of their exciting new website

109 Freeths’ Annual Football Tournament: This year’s event saw 20 teams with over 170 people attend to raise money for charity

meet the community 60 Jessica HickmanWoolcott & Hannah Rogan: Wild & Fine 80 Chris Ozimic: Hedges Law 94 Greg Inge: CQR Consulting 98 Nick Breakspear: Royal Cars 100 Tim Wraith: Sobell House Hospice 104 Mark Dean: MRD Digital Print 106 Chris Whaley: Macdonald Hotels 116 Sian Pages: Not Just Travel

Member Directory 126

Platinum & Gold Members PLATINUM

Everything for the Workplace

2020 P O W E R E D

B Y

Become a part of the B4 Community today. Call 01865 742211, or visit www.b4-business.com

WOOD CENTRE FOR INNOVATION 19TH DEC â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;19 For more information please see www.oxvoice.co.uk/events/

B4 New & Renewing Members

GOLD

Bodleian Libraries U N I V E R S I T Y O F OX F O R D

O X F O R D S H I R E

B4 Classics & Dinners

Upcoming B4 Classic Events NEXUS Launch Event Date: 10th October 2019 @ 6:00pm - 8:00pm Venue: Jurys Inn Oxford, Godstow Road, Oxford, OX2 8AL Join B4 as we celebrate the launch of NEXUS, our new programme designed to grow a spirit of collaboration, sharing and support. NEXUS will give a wide range of organisations the opportunity to benefit from all of our platforms by partnering with a sponsor.

B4 Classic Event at Divinity School Date: 28th October 2019 @ 6:00pm - 8:00pm Venue: Divinity School, Bodleian Library, Broad Street, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX1 3BG

B4 Classic Event at Ashmolean Museum Date: 21st November 2019 @ 6:00pm - 8:00pm Venue: Ashmolean Museum, Beaumont Street, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX1 2PH

B4 Pizza Taster Masterclasses with Pizza Pilgrims Date: 14th January 2020 @ 6:00pm - 8:00pm Venue: Pizza Pilgrims, Roof Terrace RU12, Westgate Centre, Oxford, OX1 1PG

Please note • Classic Events are free of charge but please note there is a £30+VAT fee for non-attendance if you do not let us know at least 72 hours in advance. • It is not appropriate to leave flyers, business cards on tables, or banners at the venue. Any found will be disposed of. • Flash photography and/or video will be taken at these events.

More events being confirmed soon! Register for all of the above at www.b4-business.com

Upcoming B4 Dinner Events B4 Dinner at Blenheim Palace Guest speaker: Diego Masciaga Date: 30th October 2019 @ 6:30pm - 10:00pm Venue: Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire OX20 1PP Join B4 Members and Guests for a wonderful evening of fine dining in the impressive Blenheim Palace in Woodstock. Blenheim Palace is a world-class visitor attraction with a variety of cultural and sporting events, a wedding and banqueting venue, a unique filming location and producer of natural mineral water. This diverse business is focused on conserving and restoring their World Heritage Site. Blenheim aspire to be the lifeblood of the local economy through charitable giving, community projects, careers, sustainable practices and more. Timetable 18:30 Drinks reception & networking in the Great Hall 19:00 Dinner in the Saloon 21:30 Speech by Guest Speaker - Diego Masciaga 22:00 Carriages

Please note • The dress code for this event is “Black Tie”. • Platinum members are entitled to a number of free tickets – Please get in touch with us to check your allocation. • Non-Platinum member and guest tickets are £150+VAT per head. • Places are limited to 40 guests so please book early to avoid disappointment.

More dinners being confirmed soon! Register for the above at www.b4-business.com

ASHMOLEAN FORUM 21ST NOV ‘19 For more information please see www.oxvoice.co.uk/events/

B4 Events Calendar MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

October 2019 11:00-14:00 B4 Masterclass with Kate StinchcombeGillies B4 HQ

12:00-13:30 B4 Masterclass with Alison Haill B4 HQ

18:00-20:00 NEXUS Launch Event Invitation only Jurys Inn Oxford

11:00 – 12:30 Explore B4 Non Members Only B4 HQ

18:00 – 20:00 B4 Annual Event Divinity School

18:30 – 22:00 B4 Dinner Ticketed event Blenheim Palace

November 2019 11

11:00 – 12:30 B4 Welcome Brunch New B4 Members Only B4 HQ

16:00 – 18:30 OV Forum OV Partners Only Ashmolean Museum 18:30 – 20:00 B4 Classic Event Ashmolean Museum

December 2019 2

11:00 – 12:30 Explore B4 Non Members Only B4 HQ

16:00 – 19:00 OV Forum OV Partners Only Wood Centre For Innovation

Oxfordshire Voice Events

NXT Events

B4 Masterclasses

B4 Classic Events

B4 Welcome / Explore Events

B4 Dinners

O X F O R D S H I R E

B4 Workshop

NEXUS Events

B4 COMMUNITY NEWS 10 Oxfordshire Attractions Named Among UK’s Top Sights by Lonely Planet

and we are confident this will be a much needed platform for Oxfordshire businesses and the next generation. With a paucity of skills in key sectors and the ever escalating cost of living in Oxfordshire, it is vital that we do what we can to inspire the next generation to choose Oxfordshire to live and work in. NXT Magazine will be circulated to Oxfordshire schools to inspire those that might not have even considered what they will do after education to aim high and emulate what so many fantastic individuals have done before them. There are so many exciting features in NXT Magazine that it’s been hard not to keep peering over Emma’s shoulder to see the latest articles…and on that note Emma has done a fine job bringing Ed’s vision for NXT Magazine to life.

Ten sights and experiences across Oxfordshire have been named among the UK’s best. Leading travel media company Lonely Planet recently revealed its top 500 unmissable experiences across Great Britain for the first time in its Ultimate UK Travelist.

Better Broadband Oxfordshire Oxfordshire County Council’s “Better Broadband Oxfordshire” programme has been finding fantastic results from its efforts to roll out better digital infrastructure across the county. In one example, fibre broadband has proved a major boost for one Oxfordshire countryside farm’s operations since it was installed in January 2016. Owner Anne Gow battled for years with slow internet signal, but thanks to the efforts of Better Broadband Oxfordshire, now has this to say: “The difference between the old and new broadband service is huge. We used to get download speeds of around 2Mbps and now we see speeds of above 20Mbps. We’ve had an unexpected benefit from our firewood sales through the website, which continues to expand and showed an 88% increase last year, with a further 50% increase during our quiet season. In fact, our online sales for firewood in October 2016 were almost more than for the whole of 2014! I would not have been able to do this work on the old broadband connection as the speed was simply too slow to allow me do these sorts of improvements. We are also working hard to review equipment, staffing levels and servicing demand if this sort of trend continues!” To read more case studies on how Oxfordshire County Council’s work on digital infrastructure is helping local businesses visit:www. betterbroadbandoxfordshire.org.uk

Christ Church College ranked the highest among Oxfordshire’s offering, at number 50 on the list. Also featured are the Pitt Rivers Museum, Bodleian Library, Blenheim Palace, May Day at Oxford’s Magdalen Bridge, the literary pubs of Oxford, Henley Royal Regatta, the Ashmolean Museum, Hook Norton Brewery, and Uffington’s White Horse. Experience Oxfordshire partner Bletchley Park, near Milton Keynes, also featured.

Hayley Beer-Gamage, Chief Executive of Experience Oxfordshire, commented: “Featuring in Lonely Planet’s Ultimate UK Travelist is a fantastic achievement, and highlights the unmissable product range across our destination. It is no wonder nearly 30 million visitors a year choose to come and visit.” Read more here: www.experience oxfordshire.org/lonely-planet

NXT: Engaging The Next Generation We are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the first edition of NXT Magazine

Huge credit to Ed and Emma for the launch of NXT Magazine at Blenheim Palace which was a fabulous, stimulating evening ending up on the Union Jack in the main courtyard for a group photo. Special thanks to Dominic Hare, CEO of Blenheim Palace, for kindly supporting the launch and all he does for NXT and B4. His team looked after everyone superbly and we are so lucky to have their support. See more on pages 46 to 47. https://b4-nxt.com

Lawbox on the upcoming changes to the SRA regulations and how they’re helping consultancies like them, to help you! It’s not often the word ‘regulations’ and the abbreviation ‘SRA’ warrant the attention of anyone outside of the legal profession but before your eyes glaze WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

over and you flick to the next page I implore you to read on, as changes are afoot that could save you money, time, and effort.

His full fascinating story can be read in ‘The Diego Masciaga Way – lessons from the master of customer service’ written by Chris Parker. However, Diego is now looking to help both businesses and also organisations outside of the hospitality and catering fields to serve up the same levels of excellence in customer service and customer experience.

Only last month Lawbox was faced with a conundrum, to be regulated or not to be regulated. Having spent a considerable amount of time and effort applying to become a fully regulated law firm by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), our application was finally accepted, professional indemnity insurance was in place, suits on, shoes polished. This was it!...Or was it?

You will learn all about how this can be achieved when he delivers his talk entitled “It’s not a job – it’s a way of life” at Blenheim Palace. See www.b4-business.com for tickets.

Somehow, through this process we’d lost sight of our purpose. Too focussed on the kudos associated with becoming a fully regulated law firm and how this might attract other consultants to come and work with us, we’d failed to ask ourselves a fundamental question, ‘how does being a fully regulated law firm actually benefit our clients?!’. Well, the changes anticipated in the new regulations coming into force on 25th November suggest that clients might actually benefit more from consultancies that aren’t tied down in red tape. In the words of the SRA’s very own Chair of Board, Anna Bradley “By stripping away outdated and unnecessary rules and giving solicitors more flexibility to design and deliver their services around their clients, our new regulations are designed to help people access a wide range of high quality services with the confidence that proper protections are in place. That can only be good for both the public and the profession.” We won’t bore you with the details but after careful consideration we believe

Bongo IT take on their 150th customer, ClimateCare Oxford Bongo IT was incorporated on 27 June 2013 and started out as a website design and IT Support business. Now primarily an IT Support company, with particular focus on Office365, Bongo IT retains it’s full complement of services for those under contract. This is a unique service for it’s SME customers who want to save time and money by having one place to go for all their technological requirements; from web hosting to email, hardware to broadband, and much more. Bongo IT has grown organically, focussing on customer service, and building long term relationships with clients. Now in their 6th year, they are proud to announce ClimateCare, a leading profit with purpose company that turns climate responsibilities into positive outcomes, as their 150th client. At Bongo IT we take our customers IT to the next level and provide the necessary training and support to keep you working at 110%. For more information, or to contact us, please visit www.bongoit.co.uk, or call 01865 988 217.

Blue Paper in the hands of local government The culmination of ideas and outcomes from the first four OV forums is in the hands of local authorities – Your voice is being heard! The Blue Paper collects survey results, forum discussions and their outcomes, and presents them in a simple “suggestions” format. OV hopes that the Blue Paper will prove useful for local government when looking at the issues Oxfordshire businesses are facing. Further editions of the Blue Paper will be published and handed over, so if you want your voice to be heard… Join OV today! See page 44 for more.

the SRA have made a calculated and wise decision in overhauling their regulatory handbook, paving the way for consultancies like Lawbox to transform the way clients experience legal services. Lawbox is a legal consultancy that provides businesses with flexible in-house legal services. For more information on how we’re doing law differently and why, please visit our website: www.lawboxgroup.com

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It’s not a job – it’s a way of life! Diego Masciaga, our speaker at the Blenheim Palace Dinner on Wednesday 30th October, is the acknowledged and celebrated master of customer service and customer experience excellence. Nothing less than a living legend in the hospitality and catering fields worldwide, Diego masterminded, directed and carefully orchestrated the entire customer experience at The Waterside Inn, Bray’s world famous 3 Michelin Star restaurant with rooms for over 30 years. 15

Sale Time Wellers has helped countless entrepreneurs build and sell their businesses from its offices in Oxford, Banbury, Thame and London. Here, they share some top advice on how to ensure the best price when it comes to sale time. Written by: Debbie Austin

What to consider Entrepreneurs understandably get very excited about their business idea, products or services. However, there are many other important things that will determine whether a company secures a good valuation. For instance, when it comes to the sale, a buyer wants to know the figures are trustworthy, so a good back office finance function that generates dependable numbers is critical. It’s also essential that intangible assets that are unique and integral to a business – the brand, trademarks, copyright, patents, website addresses, research and development – are protected and owned by the company. Your business must be scalable. For instance, a buyer will be looking for potential to sell what you offer to customers/markets they already know, to sell new products and services to your customers, or to move into a new location or geography. A business with a recurring revenue model is more attractive than one with lots of one-off sales. So, look at your business – is there scope to build in recurring revenues? Further to this, business owners must design themselves out of the enterprise. If the company’s success relies heavily on them, buyers will be deterred. Instead, owners should develop a strong management team and systems, so the business runs smoothly when they are not there. Implementing all of these things may seem daunting, but it needn’t be, especially with the right support. To demonstrate, let’s consider a local example.

In practice Even when they first set-up Zenos in 2001, running it from their bedroom, George and

Sandra Anderson had big plans for the company. They knew their IT training business had real potential, but if they were to fully develop the firm and eventually sell it for a good price, they’d need a vision, business plan, systems and financial rigour. So, they committed to put these in place from day one. A crucial part of their game plan was their close working relationship with Simon Smith, Partner at Wellers, who’s based at the firm’s Banbury office. Wellers was the start-up’s accountancy firm, but Simon agreed to take the additional and unusual step of acting as FD for the business. “One of the real perks of my job is working with start-ups and not just seeing them grow, but knowing we are playing an important part in that process,” explains Simon; “When George Anderson showed me the business plan I could see it was phenomenal.” Zenos provided IT systems management training to highly skilled IT professionals but a government education initiative offered further opportunities for accelerated growth. The Andersons extended the business, providing training to 16-18-year olds. Zenos then set up academies, creating its first in 2006. They enjoyed considerable success with 90% of students going on to get jobs, and so seven more academies quickly followed. During this time Wellers provided Zenos’ critical day-to-day accountancy support, adapting the services as the company grew rapidly. These included bookkeeping, cashflow forecasting, management accounts and, when the firm took on staff, payroll. Within 7 years Zenos went from an ambitious start-up to a company with a several millionpound turnover and 100 employees, a headquarters at Aynhoe Park, near Banbury and eight academies around the UK. Simon sat on the Zenos board during this time, working closely with the senior team to help

with strategic planning and implementation in what was a period of fast growth. With their commercial backgrounds at Rank Xerox, both George and Sandra were adept at setting up robust systems for the fledgling business. They knew that if they were eventually going to sell, it was important to have a firm which could operate without them. That meant a strong management team, good processes and accurate forecasting and reporting. Simon ensured the company’s financial management was just as strong, and that Zenos’ balance sheet didn’t hold any nasty surprises for wouldbe buyers. This was helped by the Andersons who left the profits in the business to fund its expansion, keeping the firm debt free. In 2008, all the hard work and preparation paid off when Melorio PLC bought Zenos for approximately £33m and when Melorio itself was sold to Pearson, for £110m in 2010. The Andersons gained once again thanks to their eight percent share in Melorio which had formed part of the original deal. “It was great to have such a close working relationship with Simon and the Wellers team throughout the Zenos journey from start-up to sale,” said George Anderson; “They were a real extension of our team and undoubtedly helped ensure our vision translated into a very valuable, saleable business.” Businesses looking to maximise their return when selling will also be interested in the Wellers guide on business growth and expansion download: https://bit.ly/2LiBkQS

 simon.smith@wellersaccountants.co.uk  0333 241 6000  www.wellersaccountants.co.uk

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of the real perks of my â&#x20AC;&#x153;jobOne is working with start-ups

and not just seeing them grow, but knowing we are playing an important part in that process. When George Anderson showed me the business plan I could see it was phenomenal. Simon Smith, Partner at Wellers

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

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Without a clear strategic “plan for the management team to follow and enforce you will not be making the leap from good to great. Goal congruence behind a solid plan is essential. Tony Hobbs, Chapman Robinson & Moore

”

TAKING YOUR BUSINESS TO THE NEXT LEVEL There are many good businesses out there, but far fewer great ones, why? Written by: Tony Hobbs, Managing Director, Chapman Robinson & Moore

This question first started me looking at business development. It fascinated me how so many businesses would get to certain critical level and not move beyond that. There is of course no one simple answer, it is a combination of factors. In this short article I am looking to highlight some of those factors that are essential for success. The first is leadership, which may seem obvious but is often lacking in structure to allow the business to develop. When I talk about leadership, I do not mean that one iconic high-profile individual that sits at the top and everyone recognises. I am referring to a level of hierarchy that individuals can move through to achieve the ambitions of the company, rather than just their own. There is a right level for individuals that will work for them and the company, but there must be a system in place to recognise and develop the talent and put the right person in the right place. Those that rise to the top will have a mix of personal humility and professional will. They will certainly be ambitious, but first and foremost for the company not themselves. I do not believe that the appointment of a high profile, or ‘celebrity’ figure as leader is a good tactic, especially as this often leads to those that do have the right qualities being overlooked. Where you do see that type of person at the top, they are often not the MD or CEO, but occupy more of a PR role then strategic. WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

When you then have the right people in the right places in your management team, you have to be clear where as a company you are going. It will be no surprise to those that know me that I am talking about planning! Without a clear strategic plan for the management team to follow and enforce you will not be making the leap from good to great. Goal congruence behind a solid plan is essential. The

part “ofAnthisimportant process is to confront the reality of where the company is now, compared to where you want to be Tony Hobbs, Chapman Robinson & Moore

”

the problem, and also when you can move from good to great. The next factor is systemisation. If your business does not run on efficient well mapped systems then you will not move from good to great, simple as that. Great companies will also use technology to support their systems wherever possible. They will not however be obsessed with having the latest trendy technology, but will look at the best fit solution for their needs. They will use technology to accelerate momentum, not create it. The proper use of systems reduces the dependency on individuals within the company, and so reduces the risk of performance if they are not available for any reason. Systems also help to free up time so that the management team can focus on strategy and growth, not day to day operations. So, do you want to go from good to great? If you do, then the three areas above are where to start.

business plan should cover the next twelve months in detail, as part of a rolling five-year plan. What I mean by rolling is that the actual results are used to continually update the five-year plan, and keep taking it forward. An important part of this process is to confront the reality of where the company is now, compared to where you want to be. This needs to be done honestly and critically. If you hide issues here rather than deal with them you are merely postponing

 crm@crmoxford.co.uk  01865 379 272  www.crmoxford.co.uk

BUSINESS GROWTH USE OUR EXPERIENCE TO YOUR ADVANTAGE

MGroup Partners at Oxford United

Beginnings The MGroup Partnership has been helping Oxfordshire businesses for over 90 years. The firm was founded in 1928 and formerly called Miell and Company – that’s where the ‘M’ in MGroup comes from! Over the years, it has helped thousands of businesses to succeed and thrive, supported hundreds of accountants through to qualification and listened and adapted to the needs of the market. The rebranding to the MGroup reflected the expansion of the firm from solely an accountancy practice to an organisation offering a collection of services satisfying the majority of needs of their clients. The firm provides support across four specialist service areas: • Business Accounting & Tax • Personal Finance & Tax (through independent financial advisers) • Accounts systems Implementation, support & integration (Sage, Xero etc) and • Business Purchase & Exit The firm’s focus has always been client care and having a friendly, knowledgeable and approachable team and, as it grew, there was a move from

premises in central Oxford to offices at 287 Banbury Road in Summertown. The location in Oxford has led to a prevalence of international clients as many overseas businesses choose Oxford as a location for a UK presence, stemming partly from the academic strengths of the city.

Looking to Expand The Partners have always had a strong affinity for West Oxfordshire, particularly as all four now live in the area. It has its own unique vibe and community.

“

The MGroup has been instrumental in helping us expand and develop our business in West Oxfordshire

”

MGroup Witney Office

with Ramidus Consulting. They noted that West Oxfordshire was very strong in manufacturing, engineering and agricultural firms and that in 2013, 35% of jobs were based in Witney. Distribution and retail accounted for 23% of jobs in Witney, with growth projected in sectors such as hospitality, entertainment and computer-related activity. All sectors where The MGroup has clients and expertise. “Witney is a thriving area, boasting world-leading high-tech manufacturing companies and globally recognised brands, right through to the vibrant independent shops which form the lifeblood of our high streets. We are blessed to have a closeknit and supportive business community with well-established networking and outreach events which help guide and inspire our businesses to success. ” Robert Courts, MP for Witney & West Oxfordshire.

Vision Realised

Strategically, they decided they would like to play a larger role in the area and turned their attention to Witney as well as Oxford.

It was in 2012, a year before the examined data in the economic snapshot, that the vision to have more presence in West Oxfordshire started to take shape. The practice was approached by a wellestablished Witney-based firm of accountants whose Partners were considering retirement, called Petersons.

An economic snapshot was taken of the area in January 2015 by CAG Consultants in association

At the time, Peterson’s partner Peter Hellawell commented “We have been looking for a local

Nicholas Blakemore - Wychwood Homes

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Soho Farmhouse

Robert Courts

“ Looking after

clients and employees is fundamental to our values and the way we operate

”

Peter Smith, Partner - MGroup

Soho Farmhouse

practice that is able to continue to bring a highquality service to our clients.” At that point the MGroup Witney office was opened so the presence in West Oxfordshire commenced. In 2016 the firm was approached by agents for Mark O’Brien, who practiced in Chipping Norton, and then in 2019 for Bowman and Co, in Burford. In each case, the Partners were looking to retire and wanted to find a firm who shared their values, was committed to the area and would look after their clients. One such client, Nicholas Blakemore of Wychwood Homes and a resident of West Oxfordshire for 30 years, says: “The MGroup has been instrumental in helping us expand and develop our business in West Oxfordshire. The area offers great infrastructure, a vibrant business community and is bringing a growing young dynamic population, who are looking for an attractive new home designed for individuals.”

In West Oxfordshire, The MGroup has a key role in the WOBAs (West Oxfordshire Business Awards) and has sponsored the Employer of the Year Award for three years now. “Looking after clients and employees is fundamental to our values and the way we operate” Peter Smith, Partner who oversees the Witney office “that is why we sponsor the award and invest our time to recognise other local companies that share the same values.” As well as supporting various local community and charity events, the firm has also been a strong supporter of Charlbury-based charity Special Effect. In Oxford, the long-standing support of Oxford United continues.

The Future

Supporting the Area

Recently OxLep and Abingdon & Witney College secured significant investment (£4m Local Growth Fund) to build an Advanced Engineering and Technology Skills Centre and The Agritech Innovation Skills Centre. Soho Farmhouse and Daylesford near Chipping Norton and the RAF development at Brize Norton and Carterton have attracted more tourism, glamour and a younger age profile to the area. The plans for the Bugati Museum at Enstone Airfield look set to continue the trend.

It has always been important to The MGroup to play an active role in the community.

Robert Courts MP stated: “West Oxfordshire is not

As the firm expanded, there was a need for larger premises and The MGroup is now based in Witan Way in what is known locally as the old Sage building.

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

a large district in economic terms but its economy is very resilient.” There is a lot of positive expansion happening across the whole of Oxfordshire, and from both Summertown and Witney the Partners will continue to support and adapt to changing client needs.

The MGroup is a leading firm of Chartered Certified Accountants known for its approachable, considerate and friendly team. The firm is led by four Partners; Richard, Peter, Penny and Darren and has 60 employees across its offices in Summertown and Witney, Oxfordshire . The MGroup recently celebrated its 90th anniversary (on 19th October 2018).

 team@themgroup.co.uk  01865 552 925  www.themgroup.co.uk

2020

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Is your company’s greatest asset protected?

You probably have insurance in place to protect your business – your offices, vehicles, products and liabilities – but what about the people that make your company successful? Written by: Madelaine Swift, Protection Adviser - FOCUS Oxford Risk Management Ltd

Within every organisation - even our own there are key members of staff that are vital to the continued function and progression of the company. We are all able to name at least one person the business could not function without. This is so often the case - no matter what the industry, size or the nature of your business. The loss of an essential colleague can wreak havoc on a business, from redistribution of duties, loss of contacts, payments becoming due or simply the breakdown of the company continuing to function as a well-oiled machine. This can have lasting effects not only for the company, but also for the employees. There is a solution to this risk, however: Key Person Insurance.

What is Key Person Insurance? Key Person or Key Man insurance is a life insurance policy arranged for a ‘Key Person’ within a company. This can be any individual who is vital to the continued running of the business, such as directors, sales managers, senior management or HR. The key person is the life assured, whilst the beneficiary is the company. This means that should the insured person pass away, become critically ill or become permanently disabled, the company would receive a financial sum (depending upon the cover options selected).

Why does my business need Key Person Insurance? Key person cover can be arranged by any company – regardless of size or turnover - but many business owners are unaware of the protection solutions available.

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Cancer Research estimates 1 in 2 people in the UK born after 1960 will be diagnosed with some form of cancer during their lifetime. The average age of critical illness claimants (published by insurance providers every year) is 45-50 years old. Therefore, it is becoming ever more important to consider this aspect of protection for your business.

What can a Key Person policy be used for? There are several reasons a key person policy can become vital to the survival of a business. The loss or disablement of a key person can lead to any number of situations that may threaten the survival of a company, such as: • Recruitment and handover costs: if diagnosed with a critical illness, many of us would prefer to take time for treatment, recovery or to spend time with our families. The cost of paying sick pay, or cost of recruiting a replacement employee and conducting handover can take several months. A policy pay-out could provide the funds to pay both the outgoing and incoming employee along with any recruitment costs so that the business does not take a financial hit. These fees can be increased due to the death of a colleague making the need for a speedy recruitment a necessity. • Replace any loss of profit: The sudden loss of a colleague can have a severe emotional impact on employees and colleagues, time off may be required and productivity may drop. This can be worsened if the person concerned is directly responsible for research/design, production, delivery of services or sales. Sales targets and order timescales may be missed; loss of commission or bonuses to employees in addition to the loss of a colleague can greatly reduce morale of a workforce.

• Offset of Debts: The loss of a key person may cause debts or orders to become immediately due. With the absence of the person responsible for generating these funds, this can leave a business in financial hardship in which a payout can immediately solve. • Loss of Contacts: It is common in certain areas of business for key individuals to hold very personal and long-standing customer relationships. The loss of this person can lead to the loss of these customers and contacts, ultimately reducing the income of the business. The payout from a key person insurance policy can limit financial loss and also offset the time it may take to regain those contacts and income. FOCUS works with a panel of hand-picked insurance providers that not only provide peace of mind for your business, but added-value benefits, such as provisional cover for your key person should they need to make a claim during the policy underwriting; support lines for your employee and their family to help them through a difficult time, and access to in-home help and specialist care nurses. As the dedicated Protection Adviser at FOCUS, I can guide you through the business protection solutions available and how these can meet your company’s needs and requirements.

 madelaine.swift@focusorm.co.uk  01865 953 123  www.focusorm.co.uk

Barclays Righton Group While some business ventures are only launched after years of deliberation and the hammering out of a complex business plan, others simply evolve.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it is often the companies that seem almost to launch themselves that turn out to be amongst the most successful. Oxford-based Righton – formerly OxfordShortlets – is now a thriving lettings agency that has found a particular niche providing corporate clients with fully furnished, serviced accommodation in the heart of the city – but it began almost by accident. Back in 1997, business owner Emma Righton was letting out a number of holiday cottages converted from farm buildings at Otmoor, just north of Oxford. When the seven farm cottages proved so popular that the business reached 96 per cent occupancy, Emma looked around for back-up accommodation in nearby Oxford, just to cope with peak demand. “The problem was,” she recalled, “that I then found people were choosing to stay in central Oxford rather than in the farm cottages, and that meant I needed to find more accommodation in the city.” The portfolio grew steadily, with the result that the Righton Group now operates between 80 and 100 serviced lets within the ring road, while the client base has shifted from holidaymakers to businesses, including a number of blue chip clients. Although Emma continued to run the farm cottages for a number of years – even after the farm itself

was sold – she now focuses purely on the serviced studio and one and two-bedroomed apartments that are so popular with corporate clients and a number of academic institutions including Oxford University. With Righton continuing to grow after 18 years in business, Emma is now planning a new venture – and once again the idea has evolved from her own real-world experience, rather than through a more academic business planning process.

That close link with “ someone who has taken

the time to understand the way we work is incredibly helpful for us Emma Righton - Righton Group

”

“I recently travelled to India for my daughter Olivia’s wedding and was shocked by the levels of pollution in Mumbai,” she recalled. “There was so much air pollution that for much of the time we couldn’t see the sky, and the trees seemed to be trying desperately to breathe.” Emma, motivated amongst other things by the fact that she has four children aged from 17 to 27, came back inspired to take responsibility for the carbon

footprint of her own business and determined to help others make similar changes. As a result she is not only making changes to the way Righton operates but is also planning a carbon neutral cleaning business that will allow other local businesses to play their part in reducing their impact on the environment. The initial response to her proposals has been positive, with a number of Oxford companies interested in taking advantage of a ‘greener’ way of working. “Righton operates a team of housekeepers that is heading towards being carbon neutral. The plan would be to offer that team to other companies throughout Oxford, giving them the opportunity to enhance their environmental credentials,” Emma explained. The Righton housekeepers will shortly be travelling around the city using a fleet of electric bicycles, and the company is careful to use the most environmentally friendly, carbon neutral products available. The business is already an accredited Oxford Living Wage Employer. With some 76 per cent of Righton’s clients flying in from overseas, Emma is also working on ways of helping corporate clients offset their own carbon emissions through tree planting, and is considering

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Emma Righton - Righton Group

“ it’s quite

impressive for a business that began almost by accident

”

Emma Righton - Righton Group

proposing a ‘living wall’ in Oxford to help improve the air quality.

but Emma knows that Barclays will be on hand with any support and advice she needs.

“We are at the beginning of this journey but I am determined to ensure Righton is a responsible business and to encourage our clients to play their part in protecting and improving the environment,” she said.

The bank provides everyday banking services for the Righton Group, with relationship director John Thorne on hand to provide feedback and support when needed.

“I am convinced that there is scope to broaden that initiative by offering other business in Oxford a chance to take advantage of our carbon-neutral approach, and I was overwhelmed by the positive feedback to the idea when I raised it at a conference recently. Companies want to move in this direction and Righton can help them.”

When you run a small “business the bank is a crucial part of the team and I’ve been really impressed with the help from Barclays

”

Emma Righton - Righton Group

Because the new venture will be developed from Righton’s existing housekeeping service, it is not expected to need significant external investment,

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“We have developed a large client base in the US and we are also used by government agencies, sometimes to house patients from overseas who are flown in to this country for treatment. “It’s quite impressive for a business that began almost by accident,” she concluded.

“It’s reassuring to know that I can ring up and speak to John whenever I need to,” Emma explained. “That close link with someone who has taken the time to understand the way we work is incredibly helpful for us. “When you run a small business the bank is a crucial part of the team and I’ve been really impressed with the help from Barclays.” Righton now employs 14 people and operates serviced lets in five prime areas within the ring road. “We tend to have a number of apartments in a similar area so that if a company is housing a number of different people, perhaps for a conference, they can stay relatively close to one another,” Emma explained. The company prides itself on offering a bespoke service, with lets of between a few nights and several years. The properties are all fully furnished, well equipped and popular with business professionals and with medical and academic research visitors.

 emma@rightongroup.co.uk  01865 311 696  rightonproperty.co.uk

 john.thorne@barclays.com  07775 548 770  www.barclays.co.uk/business-banking The views expressed in this article are the views of the author alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Barclays Bank PLC Group nor should they be taken as statements of policy or intent of the Barclays Bank PLC Group. The Barclays Bank PLC Group takes no responsibility for the veracity of information contained in the third party guides or articles and no warranties or undertakings of any kind, whether express or implied, regarding the accuracy or completeness of the information given. The Barclays Bank PLC Group takes no liability for the impact of any decisions made based on information contained and views expressed. Barclays Bank PLC is registered in England (Company No. 1026167) with its registered office at 1 Churchill Place, London E14 5HP. Barclays Bank PLC is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority, and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Financial Services Register No. 122702) and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Barclays is a trading name and trade mark of Barclays PLC and its subsidiaries.

The most important Oxfordshire business you’ve probably never heard of... How we help organisations to deliver services, increase revenue & grow brand awareness online. This year, Indulge Media is celebrating 10 years in business, and three years of having a base in Oxfordshire. In that time we’ve worked on digital projects for some of the most important organisations in the public sector and professional services arena. From launching the new OxLEP website in 2018 to delivering growth and efficiency for the government’s pension scheme provider, Nest by using SEO strategy and digital consultancy. In 2016 we launched a vast new website for the GFSC, the financial services regulator in Guernsey, one of the world’s most significant financial centres. This year, we’re on the cusp of doing the same thing for the JFSC, the Jersey regulator and companies register. How do we do it? Through careful and deliberate planning with user experience (UX) research techniques. We interview real customers and users of your service. We deliver exceptionally useable interface designs, whether it’s intended for use on a mobile, desktop or other device. We craft truly scalable systems using bespoke development and we make sure it works reliably, every time using our quality assurance process that’s been honed over many years and projects. Think you could do with some help with digital? You could do a lot worse than speak to us. Visit www.indulgemedia.com

UX Research | Interface Design | Digital Marketing

“ Today’s situation is

very different – inversion is being driven by falling long-term rates. There is little precedent for what happens in this scenario

”

Equities fall as bond market signals danger Stock markets around the world have tumbled in response to a warning signal from the bond market. The signal in question is known as “yield curve inversion.” It describes the relatively unusual situation where long-term interest rates are lower than short-term interest rates. Written by: Tom Allen Photography by: Rob Scotcher

For the first time since 2008, 10-year US treasury bonds are yielding less than 2-year US treasury bonds. Known as “yield curve inversion”, this phenomenon has alarmed investors. The backdrop of ongoing trade tensions between the US and China and an escalating crisis in Hong Kong has not helped.

What is “yield curve inversion” ? Intuitively, it should cost more to borrow for a longer period of time than a shorter one. When this normal state of affairs is reversed, it suggests investors may be expecting lower levels of growth and lower interest rates far into the future. Historically, yield curve inversion has proven to be a pretty good harbinger of a weak economic environment and even recession. Is this important? Yes – but there are a number of caveats to bear in mind. WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

• Firstly, recession does not immediately follow inversion. Our data indicates that there is typically a lag of 12 to 20 months before a recession. In the past, equity markets have continued to do well for a period of time after the yield curve first inverts. • Secondly – irrespective of the yield curve – recessions normally occur when real (after inflation) interest rates are above 2%. Today, they are around zero and have fallen in recent weeks.

and gold, both of which have performed strongly as economic concerns build. We have a neutral exposure to equities and have been taking profits in higher-risk areas of the equity market. We are not making significant changes to portfolios for now, though we constantly re-assess our positioning in light of the evolving economic outlook.

• Finally, the previous seven yield curve inversions have occurred when short-term rates have been rising in response to strong growth and inflation. Today’s situation is very different – inversion is being driven by falling long-term rates. There is little precedent for what happens in this scenario.

Our positioning We have been positioning portfolios for a weaker economic environment for some time. We have benefited from our exposure to government bonds

 tom.allen@cazenovecapital.com  +44 (0)1865 811 360  www.cazenovecapital.com

Conference@OxfordSaïd

Your future is our business The combination of stunning spaces, impressive technology, award winning food and unbeatable locations makes Saïd Business School, the centre for Oxford’s conferencing

• • • • •

Professional and friendly customer service and dedicated AV support Accessible central England location with world-class attractions of Oxford Excellent transport links Variety of meeting and seminar rooms Ideal for teambuilding and summer events

Park End Street

Egrove Park

•

State-of-the-art facilities

•

Rural, parkland setting

•

City centre location

•

All year round residential availability

To find out more about our facilities across these two sites: www.sbs.oxford.edu/conference Email conference@sbs.ox.ac.uk Telephone 01865 288846

“

Under the Women in Wealth initiative we had a target of 40% female new hires and last year we exceeded this with 48% of hires being women

”

Ria Shepheard (Office Manager) - Charles Stanley

EMPOWERING WOMEN – DIVERSITY IS KEY More frequently than ever, women are returning to work after having children and juggling a work life balance. However, despite a lot of companies offering flexible working arrangements, there still remains a lack of women working in the financial sector. Written by: RIa Shepheard

Phoptography by: Simon Scott-White

According to the FCA, within the wealth management industry only 16% of regulated staff within investment management firms were women last year and only 17.3% of FTSE 100 directors are female, reducing to only 13.2% for FTSE 250 companies. Despite these figures, according to ‘McKenzie’, companies with all female Boards of Directors outperform their peers. However, times are changing and according to Citywire’s Diversity publication, the industry saw a 5% rise in female wealth managers over the past year. That said, the number of women still only make up 14.5% of the total across the country. Despite this, the number of women in higher paid, more senior roles is increasing and the balance is certainly shifting towards a more diverse industry. We are extremely proud of where we are placed in the market with regard to the ratio of men and women in the workplace. A recent Citywire study showed that we are ranked in the top tier out of 19 companies within our sector. We committed to increase our female representation at senior management level from 28% to 30%, and we met our target two and a half years early. Under the Women in Wealth initiative we had a target of WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

40% female new hires and last year we exceeded this with 48% of hires being women. In the Oxford office, we are proud to have a diverse workforce with a ratio of 1:1 of men and women and with an age range of 21-60. We have evolved over the past 10 years and have seen an increase in female professionals wishing to join not only the industry, but our company. With our current ratio we are able to match the right client with the right investment manager. Sometimes it’s easier for women to discuss personal circumstances with other women, and we are fortunate that we have a female investment manager. We also have two female trainee investment managers and we want to continue to encourage women to pursue a career in wealth management. As a forward thinking office we have piloted a series of women only seminars. The sessions were inspired by a client who, having recently lost her husband, suddenly found herself involved in managing her family’s finances for the first time. The aim is to promote informative discussions held in a roundtable style which we found made for a very relaxed atmosphere where a range of topics could be explored. We also host informal events such as our ladies shopping events in Westgate where we can network and enjoy a glass of fizz

while browsing the shops! For us diversity is important, not only in the people who work for us but also in being able to empower and meet the needs of a wide range of clients. To ensure that we are meeting our clients needs as effectively as possible we have recently integrated a financial planning team into the Oxford office. Should you wish to get in touch to discuss any of the services that we can offer then please do contact our office manager Ria Shepheard. The value of investments can fall as well as rise. Investors may get back less than invested. Past performance is not a reliable guide to the future. Charles Stanley Wealth Managers is a trading name of Charles Stanley & Co. Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

 ria.shepheard@charles-stanley.co.uk  01865 987 485  www.charles-stanley.co.uk/oxford-office

Go Electric with Tech-Lec Oxford Services Limited In September, the Government announced a £400 million fund to help develop a network of fast charging infrastructure points for electric vehicles. It is estimated that the first £70 million investment will create 3,000 new rapid charge points by 2024, resulting in a network of over 5,000 charging points across the UK. Written by: John Hill, Managing Director - Tech Lec

John Hill, Managing Director of Oxford based Tech-Lec (Oxford) Services Ltd, spoke to B4 about the fantastic opportunity for Oxfordshire businesses and residents to join the ‘Electric Revolution’ and benefit from the OLEV WSC grants now available. “As an electrical installation company based in the heart of the UK, and being fully OLEV approved for workplace and at-home grant funded installations, we are exceptionally well placed to install charging points all across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and beyond and invite all businesses to contact us for a free survey to assess whether or not we can install a charging point.” At the Government’s recent announcement, Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, said: “It’s fantastic there is already a rapid charge point at almost every motorway service station, and now more charging stations than petrol stations. But I want to see thousands more charge points installed across the UK. This fund will help drum up further investment in charging infrastructure from the private sector, so charging an electric car becomes as easy as plugging in a smartphone.” The Government says rapid charge points – which can recharge a family car in as little as 20 minutes, compared to existing technology which can take 40 minutes – make the reality of owning and driving electric vehicles ‘easier and more accessible’. John explains how Tech-Lec can provide a complete service: “Not only do we carry out an initial survey, which, I hasten to add, can even be completed by sending photos from your phone to limit travel times and unnecessary fuel burning, we also carry out all associated works in relation to the site specific installation of your EV chargers including all forms of civil works all civils. As an NIC EIC approved contractor and ECA registered member we are 30

Photography by: Tech Lec

more than qualified to install charging points and infrastructure required.” “A home install customer can claim up to £1000 in grants whilst the workplace schemes allow up to £10,000 based on £500 per unit, but there can only be one application - the incentive being to have more installed at one time to maximise your grant. The cost to install one 7.2Kw single phase OLEV approved unit can vary but can be achieved in the region of £800-£1000, so a net £500 after deducting the grant.”

“ I will be paying £300 per

month for my BMW i3. I put £300 to £400 petrol into my current car and £300 to lease it. For the i3, it will cost me £35 maximum a month for the same mileage, so £335 versus £700!

”

John Hill, Managing Director - Tech-Lec

“We currently carry out various electrical installation projects for YASA motors manufacturers of electric motors based in Oxford. This forward thinking company and what it is achieving in the market place really opened my eyes to the electric vehicle explosion that is taking place. The potential of this new industry and moving my business forward has convinced me this is the right direction for our company to take.” “The next stage in our business will be the growth

in battery storage and the installations required. This is something for the future and the inevitable next step for our business. Think batteries that will provide the power to charge your car and potentially other requirements in your building… the future possibilities are incredible and very exciting.” “With regard to timescales for installations, a domestic installation can take between 2 and 8 hours depending on the customer’s required location of the charger. Surveys prior to any install take around 15 minutes to an hour. We do however stress the existing electrical installation must be safe to add to or extend from and in some circumstances remedial works to the existing electrical installation are required prior to any further works being carried out. Commercial installations can take longer depending on the proximity of the proposed charger position, for example in car parks away from the main building and its electricity supply. Anything is possible but as we all know at cost. For commercial installations, we work with our civil engineering partner to ensure the terrain is lifted and put back as it was found and above all clean, tidy and well presented.” John is backing the Government’s view that we are seeing the dawn of a new age in the way we power our vehicles: “Once a car has a range of anything between 300 and 400 miles on a single charge (which VW, Audi and Tesla are accomplishing with the new releases) that will be a game changer and more people will look at electric vehicles. As a company we are joining the electric revolution and are taking delivery of an electric car and the range is only 160 miles, but I can see where I can charge in the country on the Zap App. This app locates where I can charge locally based on where I’m situated, and I can also plan my routes so I’m closer to a Fast Charge DC EV device where you can charge up in 30 minutes, although I might only need to half charge to get me home and complete the charge at home.” WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

“ Once a car has a range of anything

between and 3 and 400 miles, that will be a game changer and more people will look at electric vehicles

”

John Hill, Managing Director - Tech-Lec

“We will be paying £320 per month leasing a new BMW i3 from North Oxford BMW. We currently put £300 to £400 petrol into our current car and £300 to lease it. For the i3, it will cost me £35 maximum a month for the same mileage, so £350/£360 versus £700 - it’s a no brainer!” “Audi, BMW, Tesla, Nissan, Jaguar and all of the major car companies are bringing out new electric cars and as each new wave comes through the batteries will be more efficient and last longer. Andy from BMW who sold me my car said to start with it’s a bit of a nuisance, but you get used to it quickly and the cost savings and environmental benefits soon justify any element of inconvenience. It becomes a way of life, just like charging your phone.”

ADVANTAGES • • • • • • • •

•

Environmental benefits Government grant available Zero % company car tax incentives Fuel cost savings Tax exemption Congestion charge free in London which will roll out around the country including Oxford DC Fast Charge in 20-40min - a lunch break Chargers are not just located in garages, they are springing up in hotels, shopping centres, everywhere… Get the ZAP app to find your nearest one Less time and money spent at the garage filling your car up (and buying chocolate and sandwiches) Less servicing costs!

For businesses providing company cars to employees, electric vehicles are an attractive option. Not only do they help demonstrate your environmental credentials to clients and shareholders, they are also cheaper to run and allow employees to make substantial savings on tax. Currently the benefit in kind (BIK) rate for electric vehicles is 9%, compared with 20% plus for some vehicles. For companies, the charge units themselves are inexpensive to run and require very little servicing. TechLec can provide full consultancy, design, installation and maintenance services for any size of commercial or office premises, as well as install charge units at employees’ homes. They can also provide smart meters tracking the amount of electricity your team use to charge their vehicles at home and at work, plus monthly, quarterly or yearly reports to allow you to reimburse employees for their travel costs. For more information on products please visit www.rolecserv.com - Tech-Lec (Oxford ) Services are an approved installer.

 info@tech-lec.co.uk  01993 776 362 / 01865 689 168  www.tech-lec.co.uk

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Specialists in de-risking your business growth

www.freeths.co.uk 01865 781000

STORM INTERNET KICK START NORTH KIDLINGTON SCHOOL’S CHROMEBOOK PROJECT Back to school is cool. But it’s even cooler this year for the kids at North Kidlington School as the school launches its Chromebook project Written by: Charlotte Scadeng

The £2,000 donation by Storm Internet delivered a healthy start to the fundraising campaign, which, at the time of writing, already passed the halfway mark towards its goal of £24,000. According to Storm Internet CEO Salim Benadel, Chromebooks will offer a varied and engaging platform for development. “Our children’s lives are filled with technology. Their ability to embrace rapidly changing developments is now an integral part of their education. This is why the Chromebook Project is so significant for North Kidlington School,” said Benadel. Chromebooks are lightweight laptops which run Google’s Chrome Operating System. They are mostly internet-dependent and make use of Google’s cloud platform for collaboration, storage, and subject-related apps. Due to the low overhead processing requirements, these notebooks require less hardware resources than conventional laptops and desktop computers,

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which makes them more affordable. According to Head Teacher Ms. Emilie Fidler, becoming a Chromebook school means more than just having extra computing equipment. “This move will better prepare our children for the future by integrating computing across the curriculum rather than teaching it as a specific lesson. We have been looking into a lot of options and we truly believe that Chromebooks are our best option.”

The school aims to purchase 90 Chromebook laptops once its target has been reached.

North Kidlington School serves Kidlington and teaches primary school students from ages four to eleven. You too can help the school reach its goal of £24,000 with a donation of your choice. Contact Ms Emilie Fidler for more information at office.2357@north-kidlington.oxon. sch.uk

For Benadel the bigger picture is just as important, with Chromebooks playing a role that extends beyond a learning tool. “It is important children leave education with the mindset required to work in a digital environment, and it is vital that these opportunities are available to children from all backgrounds. Storm Internet’s philosophy has always been to make people’s lives better, whether in the corporate arena or even at school.”

   

info@storminternet.co.uk 0800 817 4727 www.storminternet.co.uk @storminternet

Staying Ahead of the Game with CIS Seven Critical Tips to Keep Your Business Secure “ 32% of businesses & 22% of charities identified cyber security breaches or attacks in the last 12 months ” Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2019

How clued up on cyber security is your business? On average, cybercrime already costs UK organisations £3000 per year, making cyber knowledge a must-have for your team. Luckily, updating your files and folders to avoid potential cyber-attacks does not have to be a chore. Read on for our tips and tricks to keep your business under lock and key from the hackers.

Stay wary of Email Attachments

Did you know the most significant cyber threat to your business is email phishing? When an unexpected email attachment drops into your inbox, it’s important to take a minute to question why you have received it, even from people you know. Within these attachments are malicious programs or links to compromise your security. Scanning all incoming and outgoing emails for known viruses and taking extra precautions when you receive attachments will help you avoid the enormous financial repercussions of a data breach.

Making use of complex passwords and free multifactor technology

It’s one of the simplest steps in the cyber security book, but how often do you update passwords across your personal and work devices? The strongest passwords are upwards of 12 characters and contain a combination of letters and numbers. Most online systems now offer or require multi-factor authentication where you put in a regularly changing

generated number from your smartphone along with a password. If your bank or other sensitive systems (and email these days) does not offer this - often it is free - you need to ask why and look to have that function activated. The extra effort exponentially improves your chances of avoiding fraud. Regularly updating your passwords and making sure you don’t use the same password for any of your apps or programs will help to close the door on potential hackers for good.

Oversharing your social media

One threat to your business’s security comes from your team knowingly or unknowingly, giving useful information to Hackers. Social media platforms are now commonly used as a way of picking up nuggets of information about key staff and their activities. This information is then used in emails to impersonate senior staff by giving instructions for payments and secure access to data. This is very convincing and hard to spot because it is using credible information that would look tight.

Checking in with your employees to make sure they know the risks of putting this information online will make sure your business’s data is protected from all angles.

Staying one step ahead with IT Automated Cyber Checks

Technology can now be used to counter cyber criminals intelligently. Cyber hackers peak their activities from early evening and over weekends when their work could go mostly undetected. Fully Automated 24x7 security sweeps by IT appliances like CIS: Cybot makes sure that even the latest digital threats can’t slip past your defences un-noticed and actioned. See our blog about CIS: Cybot on our website to find out more.

Backing up your files and testing

Storing your data files in a secure remote location is the single most effective way you can get your business back up and running in the event the worst should happen.

If your original information is lost, a thorough backup

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“ It’s one of the simplest steps in the cyber security book, but how often do you update passwords across your personal and work devices? ” strategy will make sure your systems can be quickly restored, with as little fuss as possible.

If you need a hand keeping your team in the know, speak to CIS for a free assessment to make sure no cyber-attacks slip through the cracks.

You must have a regular planned test that proves that the system can restore your critical information in an acceptable time frame.

Raising awareness of potential threats

One of the most critical elements of keeping your workplace secure is training your team to recognise the signs of cyber-attack. Especially if your workplace is beginning to embrace flexible working trends like working from home, making sure your team know what to look out for when it comes to cybercrime will save you the cost and hassle of a hacker working its way into your business.

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Preparing for Microsoft Windows 7/Server 2008 end of life

Are you prepared for Microsoft Windows 7 End of Life in Jan 2020 - a little over four months away? If your systems still operate using Windows 7 or Windows 2008 Server software, it’s time to action updating your devices to make sure you can always keep your systems secure and working. Once the deadline arrives, Microsoft and other software systems will no longer issue security updates to protect your computers, leaving you and your business’s devices more open to cyber attackers lying in wait.

Keeping your files and folders secure is vital to your business’s longevity. Here at CIS, we’re continually working towards the most advanced cyber security measures to keep your business safe and sound. To find out some more about how we can help your business stay secure and operational, please visit our website.

 solutions@cisltd.com  01367 700 555  www.cisltd.com

HELP TO BUILD OUR NETWORK OF MEETING SPACES Do you want to be part of an exciting new network of meeting spaces? Would you like to connect with businesses wanting to grow their networks? Can you help facilitate private meetings, keeping travel miles to a minimum?

Join MEET SPACES and help us grow a new network of meeting spaces. For more information about joining MEET SPACES call 01865 742211. Investment opportunities available.

LAUNCHING MARCH 2020

O X F O R D S H I R E

OV Cover

OV Half Year Review Oxfordshire Voice is a unique collaboration between the public and private sectors to provide solutions to the key challenges facing Oxfordshire businesses. We review progress to date. www.oxvoice.co.uk

Thank you to the following for their support:

OXFORDSHIRE VOICE BOARD Richard Rosser

Wendy Ball

Edward Rosser

B4 CEO

Ashmolean Museum Head of Events

NXT Magazine Founder

“OV and B4 have a responsibility to focus the minds of Oxfordshire businesses to create solutions for future generations. We will do this by profiling the great work that is already being undertaken by Oxfordshire Voice and B4 members in the county to demonstrate what can be done now to effect change in so many positive ways.”

“OV is a force for good. It strives to facilitate and influence informed decision making through meaningful multi-stakeholder collaboration.”

“The OV partners are taking the time to find solutions for the benefit of the next generation. OV can play a vital role for our generation which we fully support.”

Dominic Hare Blenheim Chief Executive

Chapman, Robinson & Moore MD

“Oxfordshire Voice can strategically integrate all the excellent thinking and projects within our business communities to enable a mutually beneficial future for all.”

“OV must lead the conversation between business and the public sector as we enter a period of unparalleled challenge and opportunity.”

“Oxfordshire business needs a voice to raise awareness in our area of what is required for businesses and their communities to grow in harmony. I believe that Oxfordshire Voice provides this platform.”

Neill LawsonSmith

Sarah Foster

Phil Southall

CIS Founder / MD

Freeths Solicitors Managing Partner

Oxford Bus Company Managing Director

“OV offers the most fantastic opportunity to support, integrate and collaborate across the whole county via the business and public communities that live and work here.”

“If we don’t come together as one voice then there is a real risk that we will not thrive together as a business community. OV gives businesses of all sizes an opportunity to come together to work at changing the current challenges businesses in Oxfordshire face on a day to day basis.”

“OV is a great opportunity to bring the Oxfordshire Business Community together to identify consensus to articulate a clearer voice. This will assist our decision makers in making the right decisions to achieve the outcomes that are needed in the important areas, especially our transport connectivity and infrastructure.”

Dan Hodge

Rachel Wileman

Nigel Tipple

Oxford City Council Principal Economic Development Officer

Oxfordshire County Council Assistant Director

Oxfordshire LEP CEO

“OV is an exciting business network engaging great minds and collective action across Oxfordshire, I am delighted to be part of it.”

“‘In a county with world-class potential, Oxfordshire Voice offers the opportunity to bring our thriving businesses and communities together, facilitating valuable conversation and further shaping our vision for the future.”

“We view the Oxfordshire Voice as a critical opportunity to generate substantive, thoughtful perspectives from the business community to influence strategic policy and infrastructure issues affecting Oxford.”

Tony Haines

Jonna Mundy

Darren Stevens

Wenn Townsend Partner

You HR Owner

COEL Director

“With collaboration and speaking as one voice, we can move forward together building a better City for all.”

“OV is a force for good, a vital platform of collaboration for all across Oxfordshire. As partners from the local economy, we work purposefully together to highlight the responsibility for fundamental change to build a sustainable future for our community.”

“OV has both the mandate and determination to ensure that Oxfordshire is the leading County in the UK for businesses to grow and thrive. Our public/private sector collaboration is unique and a force for good, essential to making this happen and to ensure that we build a future to inspire the next generation.”

Giles Orr

Sharon Parker-Lines

Tony Hart

Brookes University Head of CPD, Consultancy & Training

Oxford Innovation Centre Manager

Smart Oxford Head of/Programme Manager

“OV is an essential forum for addressing the big issues that affect organisations, employers and people in Oxfordshire.”

Frank Webster

Tony Hobbs

John F Kennedy BSc FIDM B4 Marketing & Brand Strategist

“Oxfordshire Voice is the essential forum to facilitate communication, collaboration, and to drive the fundamental change needed to ensure that our county remains at the forefront of innovation, creativity, sustainability and the business of the future.”

“OV is key to engaging the wider Oxfordshire business community into the initiatives and projects driven and supported by Smart Oxford.”

F C Webster Consulting Ltd Owner/Director

Grant Hayward

Jayne Woodley

Collaborent Ltd Founder/Director

Oxfordshire Community Foundation CEO

“OV’s mission is to succeed in joining Business with Local Government to work collaboratively for the greater good of the general Oxfordshire Business Community. To make a positive difference through joined-up thinking to bring about change avoiding bureaucracy and misunderstanding.”

“OV is essential for businesses to shine a light on and explore the challenges we face and cocreate innovative solutions.”

“By working together, Oxfordshire Voice will amplify our shared commitment and responsibility towards our common good and the wider community.”

O X F O R D S H I R E

Introduction Oxfordshire Voice is working. Progress was never going to be lightning quick but there are signs that this unique public / private sector partnership is gathering pace. Just getting Oxfordshire Voice off the ground is an achievement in itself, but we must do more and this is what we are tasking ourselves with: 1. To help Oxfordshire’s business community understand the challenges the public sector faces in key areas such as skills, housing, transport and communication 2. To provide Oxfordshire’s business community with a means of registering their views on these issues 3. To suggest solutions to these challenges so that public policy can take into consideration the views of Oxfordshire businesses 4. To showcase how Oxfordshire businesses are implementing solutions of their own to overcome these challenges – see examples in this review from Collaborent, Activate Learning and STL 5. To broaden representation of Oxfordshire Voice through initiatives like NEXUS, NXT and BIO – see inside this review for more details There are so many examples of businesses implementing new policies and ways of doing business, but if you get a chance, grab a copy of Blenheim’s 2018 – 2019 Economic Impact study and you’ll no doubt be inspired to learn what you could be doing in your business to effect change for good. Enjoy our Half Year Review but don’t forget that if you want to help, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Richard Rosser Oxfordshire Voice

xLEP

driving economic growth

connecting

excellence

TEAM FACILITATION & EXECUTIVE COACHING

FCWEBSTER CONSULTANCY

OXVOICE.CO.UK

PARTNERS

BOB PRICE Honorary Alderman of the City of Oxford

CHARTER ED ACCOUNTANTS AND BUSINESS ADVISOR S

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Since its conception one year ago, OV has been buzzing with activity. Take a look at everything that’s happened so far…

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 1st Feb:

OV Documentary on the Housing Crisis:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKO5FcdUUrc

 5th Feb:

OV & OxLEP joint survey on

post-Brexit economy

 5th Feb:

Analysis and thoughts on

post-Brexit economy survey

 6th Feb:

Meeting: OV Executive Board meeting

 14th Feb: Pre-forum survey

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Connectivity Conference at Unipart House

 20th Feb: OV Think Tank

 24th Aug: Inaugural OV Executive Board meeting

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 24th Aug: Meeting recap video:

15th Feb: 21st Feb:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8GXHOmX07M

OV Forum at St Catherine’s College on transport

 24th Aug: Meeting report published

 4th Oct:

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Pre-forum survey

22nd Oct: Inaugural OV Forum at Unipart House on connectivity

 22nd Oct: Forum recap video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKtlygUe4Hs  22nd Oct: Forum recap press release

 8th Nov: OV Executive Board meeting

 5th Nov: Pre-forum survey

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15th Nov: OV Forum at Pembroke College on

workplace wellbeing and recruitment

 15th Nov: Forum recap video:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNBD0HhcrPs

 15th Nov: Forum recap press release

 5th Dec: Meeting: OV Think Tank

 10th Jan: First promotional OV brochure printed

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17th Jan: Official OV launch event at the

Blavatnik School of Government

 17th Jan: Event recap video:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKYVjckbIcM

 17th Jan: Event recap press release

 18th Jan: Pre-forum survey

 31st Jan:

OV Forum at Blenheim Palace on housing

August

October

November

December

January

February

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 4th Mar:

Thoughts on affordable housing from OV Partner Jayne Woodley

 8th Mar:

Interview with Renee Watson: www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWdiawdCAkE

 13th Mar:

Interview with Danielle Trevail: www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBJIgOAkJzQ

O X F O R D S H I R E

 14th Mar: Pre-forum survey

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21st Mar:

OV Forum at Weston Library on communication between business & government

 21st Mar:

Forum recap press release

 21st Mar:

Forum recap video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbbVXC-dvRA

 22nd Mar: Interview with Alex Sayers: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jrv1KEyI6sk  29th Mar: Interview with Bev Hindle: www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDuKTLp46ZY

 5th Apr:

Interview with Jayne Woodley: www.youtube.com/watch?v=uobXtaQxO90

 11th Apr:

OV Blue Paper #1 published

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25th Apr: OV Forum at Oxford Brookes University on skills and education

 25th Apr: Forum recap press release  25th Apr: Interview with Grant Hayward: www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4-vUTxafVk

 3rd May:

Interview with Matthew Peachey: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jy93s3FynhI

 10th May: Interview with Ben Procter: www.youtube.com/watch?v=74L2DVIvPtU

 14th May: Pre-forum survey

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23rd May: OV Forum at Pembroke College on transport

 23rd May: Forum recap press release  4th May:

Interview with James Rowland: www.youtube.com/watch?v=87qMYhyWn6Y

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6th Jun:

Businesses and local authorities come together at BIO2019

 10th Jun: Interview with Richard Kennell:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_wqDTGHmBA

 10th Jun: Your Voice, Their Future:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2azeJ7SAg2c

 12th Jun:

A Better Future for Us All:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVpxUVs8_C8

 21st Jun: Pre-forum survey

 26th Jun:

OV Forum at Freeths on workplace wellbeing

 2nd Jul: Interview with Salim Benadel:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3R5Eg1_qVI

 2nd Jul: Interview with Laura Turner:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yR9dSbwT1E

 2nd Jul: Interview with William Richmond-Coggan:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfWXSGP66yU

 17th Jul: Pre-forum survey



25th Jul: OV Forum at Said Business School

on skills and education

 25th Jul: Meeting: OV Think Tank  25th Jul: PR: Forum recap press release

March

April

May

June

July

2019

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OV UPDATE

OV Blue Paper Handover

Oxfordshire Voice and some of the key founding members of the organisation have been meeting recently to mark an important and symbolic event. Richard Rosser and members of the OV team have been handing over copies of the inaugural OV Blue Paper to the head of Oxford City Council, Susan Brown, (see pic), County Council leader, Ian Hudspeth, the head of OxLep, Nigel Tipple and Bev Hindle from the Growth Board. All four have supported the intentions and philosophy behind Oxfordshire Voice from the outset. “Oxfordshire Voice fills in the missing part of the jigsaw,“ according to Nigel Tipple. “The key to ensuring business and local authorities can work together efficiently and affectively is communication. That’s communication between these groups and communication with the outside world to make sure our colllective vision for the future is known and progress is clear for all to see.” Oxfordshire and particularly the city of Oxford is in an almost unique position in the country in as much as it does have many ingredients needed to run a successful business already on hand. But, according to Susan Brown. there is so much more to be done and this is where Oxfordshire Voice comes in.

According to Bev Hindle, who leads the Growth Board for the county, there is often a disconnect between the short, medium and long term plans local authorities instigate and the way they are perceived by the business community. “This is one of our biggest challenges,“ added Bev. “Messaging that many initiatives take many years to come to fruition puts us in a difficult position at times. Getting the business community and local authorities together through Oxforshire Voice allows us an even more effective forum to tell our story and help our mission to explain and not be misunderstood.” According to Bev, OV’s ability to allow business and policy makers to collaborate is so important. The OV Blue Paper is a litmus test on progress and documents how local authorities and businesses are progressing and working together for the good of our county. The message is key...if you want to have your say, get involved with Oxfordshire Voice because the only way we are going to make things better for everyone is for more of us to come together to solve the problems.

“The lack of space to build work and living accommodation is an issue in Oxfordshire and particularly in the city of Oxford,“ explains Susan. “For example, the city is surrounded by protected greenbelt areas which were designated as such back in the 1960s. We really have to look at reassigning much of this land. This is one of the solutions to the problem of space we have in Oxford. Working with Oxfordshire Voice allows the council to communicate effectively and efficiently with the business community and explain so much of what we are doing to improve working lives in the area.”

Ensuring we have an effective technology and transport infrastructure is also vital to the future. Making sure an available workforce not only in the United Kingdom but across the globe understands and appreciates the attraction of living and working in Oxfordshire is also key to its business future. This is also where the voice of Oxfordshire through Oxfordshire Voice comes in.

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Providing adequate workspace, living space and affordable housing is a key goal of the county and city councils and one of the areas which Oxfordshire Voice has earmarked as key to the future business success of the region.

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OV SPOTLIGHT

Engaging The Next Generation Oxfordshire Voice has been set up to find solutions for the key challenges facing Oxfordshire businesses. Whilst many solutions have and are being implemented by businesses on a daily basis (flexible working, car pooling etc….) to overcome these challenges, larger policy related changes may well take years to implement. Not only is it vital to have the next generation’s input and view with regards to policies which will affect their futures, it’s crucial to let them know their input is valued and required. NXT has been established to engage the next generation through a series of events for those aged 18 to 30 years old, which will help them grow in their business careers. NXT events have provided advice on networking, financial planning and social media and will continue to be held in the future for young professionals, creatives and entrpreneurs. However, a new and exciting magazine for the generation is being published for the next generation in schools and colleges to be inspired to follow a career in Oxfordshire and beyond with excellent examples of how young businessmen and women are carving out excellent careers for themselves at an early age. Features in the first edition include Ellie Yendle, an HR apprentice from from Blenheim Palace; Hussain Manawer, a London based singer, poet and writer; New York based fashion designer, David Ben David; You HR’s Emma Crossley; award winning Sarah Jaycock of HS Composites; three times national champion boxer, Jordan Flynn; Radio 1 Xtra presenter, Silecta and many more. NXT’s founder, Ed Rosser, said, “I am delighted to be working with Oxfordshire Voice and I look forward to helping contribute to a better future for all. We are really excited about the new magazine and strongly believe it will be instrumental in inspiring the next generation to begin a career, wherever that may be.” Schools and colleges can subscribe for copies of NXT Magazine and local businesses can sponsor copies of the magazine to be circulated amongst students. More information can be obtained at www.b4-nxt.com If you would like to find out more about engaging with NXT, please contact Ed via the website. If you would like to support Oxfordshire Voice and you are aged between 18 and 30 years old, please contact Oxfordshire Voice about helping to contribute to finding solutions for the key issues facing all of us. . b4-nxt.com

OXVOICE.CO.UK

NXTMAG launch Blenheim Palace Tuesday 24th September 2019

OV Outcomes & Statuses Each OV forum ends with a recap of the proposed “outcomes” for that topic. Through further discussion and planning, OV hopes to achieve what outcomes we are able to. This will of course take time – years – and will require the support of all OV Partners and local government. Below you will find the outcomes which have been proposed so far and what their current “status” is. Can you help with any of them? Do you have some information on progress which has been made, which OV may be unaware of? Let us know.

OV related outcomes

NEEDS WORK

SUCCESS!

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PROGRESS MADE

OV talk at BIO2019 to outline a clear vision for the future.

More transparency from local councils about what their plans are and why, and the opportunity for local businesses to respond and share their views and their feelings on priorities. A two-way dialogue is needed.

One news release a week from OV to promote a clear message and act as a catalyst for further discussion, which is then shared, commented on and endorsed by OV Partners.

OV Partners to encourage other businesses to join OV.

Cohesive message from local businesses and authorities on certain topics. I.e. shared comms. If we want to achieve a goal, a group voice is more effective than a lone one.

Seek to influence change EARLY in the process. Conduct a survey to identify priorities for “Oxford 2050” - e.g. does connectivity come first, or transport? Open this up to non-OV Partners during BIO2019.

There’s a level of assumed knowledge on these topics - terms which not everyone might understand. Each forum could be on just ONE topic with a “research” / “homework” requirement beforehand.

Central archive app which OV can use as an outreach tool and to record these ideas. Upcoming events, petitions, surveys, a directory of tools, all combined with the OV website to maintain inclusivity for people who don’t use smartphones.

Workforce / Skills related outcomes Job vacancies and Oxfordshire as a whole needs far more marketing and connectivity, e.g. with a shared brand for Oxfordshire or a central job board.

The existing Apprenticeship Levy Policy needs longer to be embedded, adopted and understood by the market.

Careers services at school should teach more transferable skills, as the “career for life” no longer exists.

Encourage schools to promote apprenticeships to the same degree as higher education.

Better induction / training for new starters – Their performance is in part the employer’s responsibility. 48

OXVOICE.CO.UK

Get involved in shaping the curriculum for your business sector.

Teach children from an early age adaptability, healthy / appropriate behaviours and relationships.

Separate and more flexible funding for shorter course apprenticeships, or those that don’t quite fit the existing outlines. I.e. More flexibility on what funding can be used for (e.g. life/social skills). Is it absolutely necessary to have an English & Maths requirement at the current level?

What support is the University giving for skills, internships, communicating with local businesses? Perhaps a directory of University contacts and tools.

Workplace Wellbeing Employers should be more flexible and progressive, and create a workplace culture that is desirable to applicants and employees.

A way for smaller businesses to provide their employees with benefits on a similar level as larger businesses. This includes offers of training and development for employees.

A more focused forum on how to deliver more flexible working environments.

Housing related outcomes We need to make it easier for workers in Oxfordshire to understand what opportunities there are open to them to afford living in Oxfordshire.

An ‘Oxford Wellbeing Charter’ for development to mimic Cambridge’s Quality Charter but with a focus on citizen social, economic and environmental wellbeing.

Transport related outcomes Look at the Copenhagen Model – investing heavily in cycle routes, dedicated safe lanes for bicycles. This helps congestion, health, and even house prices as people are willing to commute from further away. A physical change in the infrastructure of a city will encourage a change in culture.

Other Smart Cities are often commuter cities and share a lot of issues with Oxford – Look to them for answers or ideas on all issues.

Connectivity related outcomes Hold expert seminars from digital providers and existing Smart Cities to educate Oxfordshire businesses about what connectivity really entails.

Explore which national agencies are available to assist us with key issues. Establish an expert group to identify a chronological checklist to improve connectivity. We need to be educated first lest we propose poor ideas.

What are the key issues we need to pool together and move forward with? We must gather data. Identify the gaps in Oxfordshire’s connectivity, perhaps with an interactive digital map.

We need to look at other areas such as smart traffic lights, driverless cars and more. Easier wins that are just as important as connectivity.

Topics which will be discussed in upcoming forums: Social Issues / Environmental Issues OXVOICE.CO.UK

OV PARTNER UPDATE

New business and education partnership will help to close the Oxfordshire technical skills gap Gr o

cto echnology r for T

IoT hubs will be created at Activate

Last year we created over 300,000 hours of work experience and provided our partners with priority access to new

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Activate Learning, which runs colleges in Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Surrey, is working with Milton Keynes College and prestigious partners including Microsoft, KPMG, McAfee, Evidence Talks, VWFS and Cranfield University on the £28million project.

Our award-winning Learning Philosophy has driven new models of applied learning, which develop motivated and emotionally strong learners. Every year our philosophy helps thousands of people to unlock their potential and switch on to the power of learning. We do this by developing independent learning skills, teaching active listening, building life skills, and through identifying technical and soft skills required for the workplace.

Jon Ada

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A major new technology centre is being established to develop the skills Oxfordshire businesses need to grow. Based at the world-famous Bletchley Park and with hubs in Oxford and Reading, the South Central Institute of Technology (IoT) will deliver higher technical educational programmes with a focus on digital and computing to a thousand students a year.

Learning’s City of Oxford and Reading campuses to offer technical qualifications, higher apprenticeships and training to plug the growing gap between demand and supply for key technical and digital roles, including cyber security. The new facilities will enhance our business-focussed learning programmes that already provide employers with a skilled workforce and students with a clear route to technical employment.

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Over 3,000 creative and digital sector businesses are based in Oxfordshire, generating a total of £1.4billion to the UK economy each year. With such an important and rapidly evolving sector, it is vital for business and education to work together to drive progress and innovation.

talent that they helped to shape through joint curriculum design and delivery. These partnerships are important because they drive up student performance, motivate young people to pursue careers in which they will thrive, and tackle the skills gap so that we can contribute to the continued success of our local economy. The new IoT hubs will add to our commitment to providing the most upto-date teaching methods, facilities and real-life work experience opportunities for all our students. Jon Adams is Activate Learning’s Group Executive Director for Technology and explains why the South Central Institute of Technology will be good for Oxfordshire business. He said: “At Activate Learning we’ve been working hard with tech employers and fostering good industry relationships for years to try and ensure that the talent is there for their businesses to thrive in the future.

OXVOICE.CO.UK

“The creation of the new South-Central Institute of Technology will allow for an even higher calibre of training, with industry partners lending their expertise – both in terms of curriculum content and hands-on classroom time – to teach and train the next generation of digital pioneers. “We know from all the work we do engaging with companies across the technology sector that their main worry is a lack of people in the market with the right skills to help their businesses grow. “The new IoT based within the grounds of the historic Bletchley Park and the respective hubs in Oxford and Reading, will provide businesses across the region access to exactly the talent they need. “Over the coming months we will be reaching out to businesses across the sector that we feel would benefit from a relationship with the IoT and we want to form long-lasting, meaningful collaborations.

be positive about and fortune will favour those who are bold enough to help drive engagement and support innovation. The future starts here.

About Activate Learning With colleges across Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Surrey, Activate Learning delivers education at both further and higher levels, as well as apprenticeships and a growing international offer. We recognise that in order for our learners to be successful, we need to teach them the things that industry really needs. This is why we work with more than 2,000 companies across all sectors nationwide in order to address the challenges they face. And because of the scale with which we operate and our different provisions, we can offer support to businesses at every level and help their staff transform their lives through learning

0800 612 6008 www.activatelearning.ac.uk

“Because it’s not just about the talent that isn’t there yet, it’s also about the talent within businesses already. People who, with the right training, could contribute enormously to their business. There’s so much potential.” So, as work progresses there is a lot for the technology sector across the region to OXVOICE.CO.UK

O X F O R D S H I R E

Oxfordshire Voice is supporting the opinions of the Oxfordshire business community. Oxfordshire Voice is a unique collaboration between public and private sector organisations in Oxfordshire who will work together to not only promote the positive aspects of Oxfordshire but also discuss solutions to help Oxfordshire continue its impressive history of growth. Oxfordshire is one of the most vibrant regions in the country, but growth comes at a cost with growing housing, transport, social and skills problems presenting very real challenges to continued economic prosperity.

PROBLEMS

B4 COMMUNITY

OXFORDSHIRE VOICE PARTNERSHIP

MONTHLY FORUMS

48 TARGETS

SOLUTIONS

Find out how to get involved at www.oxvoice.co.uk

If one or more Targets become Local Government policy that would constitute success

OV PARTNER UPDATE

Workplace productivity tools STL Communications provide IT and Communications to businesses in Oxfordshire, and have over 20 years’ experience in the industry. Paul Ballinger, gives his thoughts on how technology can help organisations embrace the modern workplace. In recent years we have found that technology is changing everything – the way we work, live and do business. The modern workplace is evolving at pace with most organisations now having a flexible workforce, new intelligent business models and digital tools that allows teams to connect and collaborate. As a result at STL, our traditional ways of doing things are being replaced by new smarter ways of working. With just over 40 employees, our business was traditionally office based. However, we have recently introduced a combination of workplace productivity tools, an efficient operating system and smart applications to seamlessly support employees and encourage collaboration.

them with office collaboration tools which provides access to all files and emails from anywhere. We also utilise video conferencing allowing our mobile workforce to discuss and meet virtually with screen sharing and video chat. This has led to a number of benefits such as an improved work/life balance for our employees with less travel time and flexible working options, as well as increasing efficiencies and streamlining processes within the business. Environmentally, in addition to our flexible working strategy, we have been focused on decreasing our carbon footprint by reducing travel and encouraging car sharing wherever possible, removing paperwork with electronic sharing of data and storage and encouraging our employees and customers to better use IT and communications so that they can reap the benefits of flexible working. STL Communications Ltd 01993 777148 www.stlcomms.com

Employees, such as our field based engineers or sales team, need to be able to connect back to head office and immediately have access and transparency to data and systems – all done with the complete confidence that everything is resilient, secure and compliant. We enable OXVOICE.CO.UK

OV PARTNER UPDATE

Building a more resilient, purposeful and attractive business Em pl o e ye

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More businesses are recognising that embedding purpose into their businesses and having more positive social and environmental impact is essential for a successful and financially sustainable business. But why should you and how can you?

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Why this is important – it’s not just a “nice to have” I tend not to refer to CSR or Corporate Social Responsibility these days as it’s so often misunderstood and underestimated. It has also been regarded as something that can be added once a business is well-established, but we are truly witnessing a sea change in the ways businesses are operating. Companies leading the way are recognising not only the shared responsibility they have to help make the world a better place, but also the opportunities opened up by embracing this and embedding it into the heart of their businesses – whether start-ups or well-established, and here is why……

An employer of choice - attracting and retaining quality people: The increasingly competitive market for quality staff is demanding that potential employers become far more attractive. Equally, those already employed are seeking far more satisfaction and fulfilment from their work, as well as having more flexibility and feeling valued and engaged. This is particularly important to younger employees.

Winning more customers and satisfying the ones you have: All of us as customers are becoming far more discerning in terms of who we buy from. There is also a shift in thinking from the public, especially around the ways those we buy from treat the environment and generally operate their companies. Social Media means that bad news can go viral in an instant, as can great stories!

Investment: As well as seeking the best return on funds, investors are increasingly looking for ways their money can make more 54

positive social and environmental impact. Therefore, there is an opportunity for positive attraction, but also the danger of deterring potential investors if you aren’t operating in many of the ways you can.

What can you do? Develop a strategy: Clearly this all should start at the top, but it’s equally essential for genuine engagement from all levels within the business. Understanding how all areas of a business are or can be affected is vital, as well as the ways these areas can engage and benefit. There are a number of models that can help with the overall approach. One, which is completely free, is offered by B Lab, supporting and promoting B Corporations and can be accessed here: https://bimpactassessment.net. The B Impact Assessment is an online tool that helps you analyse and assess your current position, but also highlights ways in which you can improve your business. It is broken down into 5 main areas: Workers: the ways in which you manage and care for your people. Community: The way the company engages in and supports the local community. Environment: The impact it has on the environment Customers: The way the company trades up and down its supply chain, treats customers and suppliers and the products and services it provides. Governance: The type of legal entity and the way the business is run, including involvement of employees in the decision-making process.

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As a “B Leader”, having trained with B Lab to help companies consider becoming B Corporations, I work with this tool and find it extremely useful and enlightening as to what can be achieved. I therefore wholeheartedly recommend accessing it to benchmarking the way your company operates, but to also shine a light on the ideas and opportunities you have to build an even stronger and more positively impactful company. Other models and resources are also out there, including Blueprint For Better Business (https://www.blueprintforbusiness.org) and Purposely. (https://getpurpose.ly).

Practical, local, activities and engagement: There are so many things you can do to develop a more purposeful business and have more positive social and environmental impact, so it’s not possible to provide a comprehensive listing here. However, below are just some practical ideas and initiatives that can help you on your way.

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Employees/workplace Inclusive Employment: This is an increasingly topical subject and one which, as a former employer, I had no real understanding of back then. Since I moved from the corporate world to this area of operation I have learned so much about the opportunities this brings to employers. And it’s not simply about gender and ethnicity. Check out Aspire Oxford’s offering on Inclusive Recruitment: https://www.aspireoxfordshire.org/what-we-offer Workplace Wellbeing: More employers are keen to improve the ways in which they can support their staff, although sometimes aren’t aware of precisely how they can go about doing so. The Oxfordshire Workplace Wellbeing Network was set up by employers, for employers and is a peer network that is free to join. You can join the LinkedIn Group here: https://www.linkedin.com/ groups/8515963 Employee volunteering: Boosting morale and providing the opportunity for your people to get more involved in the local community is not only good for your business, but great for them and the local community too. There are some exciting initiatives developing, so watch this space, but in the meantime, you can download this handy guide: http://reciprocateox.org/wp-content/ uploads/2018/04/Reciprocate-Volunteering-Handbook-2018ONLINE.pdf

Community Community engagement is a huge topic in itself and there are so many ways businesses can develop strong, mutually beneficial relationships with the local community. Companies often immediately think about supporting local charities, which is absolutely something I would endorse and encourage. However, there are many more opportunities including local schools and colleges as well as supporting local community initiatives, business networks, parish councils and other local committees. Check out these resources for more information: OxLEP Skills team for connections with local schools https://www.oxfordshirelep.com/skills The ROBIN Network – sharing skills and resources across sectors: www.robinoxford.org.uk

Environment A particularly topical subject currently and another area that has a myriad of elements you can follow to improve your business. Check out: OxFutures - http://oxfutures.org The UN Sustainable Development Goals https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org Bioregional’s One Planet Living model https://www.bioregional.com/one-planet-living Better Business (https://www.betterbusinesspack.com), developed by Seacourt Print.

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products and services as well as being more transparent and responsive to customers can multiply your impact. Do you pay your suppliers promptly and treat them fairly? Buying from sources closer to you and from local, independent businesses can make a difference to the environment and local economy. Do you “Buy Social”? https://www.socialenterprise.org.uk/campaigns/buysocial-for-a-better-world

Governance It’s appreciated that most readers will be with private limited companies including micro businesses and perhaps even sole traders. But this sub-topic is still relevant to you whatever type or size. The word Governance is being used here in the widest sense, It could be the legal entity, the way a company is structured, managed and run. More private companies, like B Corps are embedding commitments to positive social and environmental impact in their Articles of Association to demonstrate transparency and accountability for the ways in which they operate. Some companies are even choosing to share the wealth of the business with employees and a great local example of this is The Rooflight Company: https://www.therooflightcompany.co.uk. But even mainstream, private limited companies can engage and involve staff more in strategic development, the decision-making processes and operational aspects of the company to evolve it to become a Business as a Force ror Good

In summary Hopefully this has helped opened your mind to some new ideas about embedding this as “business as usual” and shown how they might also help solve or alleviate some of your day to day challenges and open up business development opportunities for you. It’s my belief that companies that don’t adopt these ways of working will soon fall behind. Customers won’t want to buy from them, people won’t want to work for them, and investors will be directing their funds elsewhere. I am even seeing suppliers becoming fussier. But this needs to be undertaken authentically, engaging your people, listening to your clients and other stakeholders and peers.

If you’d like to explore this further, send feedback or just connect, then please do get in touch: grant@collaborent.co.uk

Marketplace – Customers and suppliers Asking more questions of your suppliers, the provenance of your

OXVOICE.CO.UK

OV NEWS

OV Introduces 3 day BIO2020 BIO is now in its 7th year and we’ve decided to make some pretty big changes The past six years have been great, but each year, after months of hard work, BIO is over and done with in just one day. Let’s face it, there is loads going on in Oxfordshire and there are some huge developments taking place in Oxfordshire…one day to showcase business in Oxfordshire just isn’t enough! So we’ve decided to extend BIO by not just one day but two and with three days we are going to bring you as much as we possibly can a brand new venue. Another reason for staging BIO2020 over three days is so that we can give ALL organisations a fantastic opportunity to showcase what they do at Oxfordshire’s leading B2B event through our collaborative new NEXUS programme (see opposite page). So if you want to learn, share and grow with other Oxfordshire businesses, why not get involved in BIO2020? It will be Oxfordshire’s biggest business event of 2020 and we’d like to work with you

Highlights

BIO

2020

• 60 brand new exhibitors EVERY day • 80 speakers EVERY day • 2 Key note speakers per day • Over 500 delegates per day

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For more information, visit www.businessinoxford.com OXVOICE.CO.UK

OV NEWS

OV Introduces NEXUS The B4 community has established itself over the past 14 years by bringing together organisations from the public, private and third sectors, providing the platforms for all of our members to gain profile, learn and grow together. Oxfordshire Voice was launched to give organisations in Oxfordshire the opportunity to have their say and help local government shape policy. However, despite the fact that we have some great partners in Oxfordshire Voice, to be a true voice we needed wider representation from all sectors at all levels. NEXUS was launched to provide charities, social enterprises, small businesses, new businesses, entrepreneurs and more with the opportunity to have their voice heard through Oxfordshire Voice but also make invaluable connections through B4 and gain profile at BIO2020 (see opposite)….all at no cost. Partnerships are formed between sponsors (existing B4 and OV members and partners) and partners (charities, social enterprises etc…..). Sponsors pay a fixed fee for a series of benefits that are mirrored for the partner. Sponsors and partners will also be able to submit any good news stories coming out of their partnership during the year and we will promote these stories in B4 Magazine, our e-Newsletters, social media and on our B4 website. NEXUS is designed to grow a spirit of collaboration, sharing and support for the partners and will culminate with the NEXUS Awards at our 7th annual BIO event in June 2020, a black tie dinner where partnerships which have worked particularly well over the course of the year will be recognised with a NEXUS Award. OV Partner, Grant Hayward of Collaborent, came up with the name NEXUS and feels the programme is perfect for many organisations in Oxfordshire who will benefit hugely. ‘I work with so many charities, social enterprises, not for profit organisations and small businesses who would never be able to consider investing in networking and conferences. As we know, particularly in the third sector, every penny counts. I am sure I speak for all of the organisations that could benefit from NEXUS, to have the ability to connect with the incredible companies in B4 and Oxfordshire Voice, not to mention the profile on offer at BIO2020, this really is an invaluable and welcomed opportunity.”

For more information, visit www.nexus.b4-business.com

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O X F O R D S H I R E

www.oxvoice.co.uk

To be part of the conversation why not get involved

For more information, please contact 01865 742211 or email info@oxvoice.co.uk

7TH WIN AT ISPAS FOR STORM INTERNET Storm Internet is proud to announce their 7th win at the 2019 UK Internet Industry Awards. At the forefront of promoting innovation, competition and best practice within the UK internet industry, the Internet Service Providers’ Association (ISPA) awards celebrate the UK’s foremost hosting companies. Written by: Charlotte Scadeng

Storm Internet made the shortlist for Best Cyber Security and Best Customer Solution, and came home with a win for Best Hosted Service. The judges were particularly impressed by Storm’s identification of customer risk and vulnerability where online hosting is concerned, and the subsequent infrastructure expansion required to mitigate these risks. “Over the past few years we’ve gone the extra mile to provide our customers with a hosting experience that ultimately seeks to deliver peace of mind. We’ve come to realise that this peace of mind really rests on three key features of any online hosting experience, which is continuity, security, and disaster recovery. And that’s what we’ve built into every Storm service.” says Storm Internet CEO Salim Benadel. The 2019 ISPA Awards ceremony was held at the Intercontinental Park Lane Hotel in London where

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the shortlist included entries from 64 finalists across 12 categories. According to Storm Internet Marketing Manager Charlotte Scadeng this year’s competition was even more fierce given a fast-growing internet industry. “This is our seventh win at the ISPAs and we’re absolutely delighted to have been awarded Best Hosted Service. The competition this year was some of the toughest we’ve seen and truly reflected the breadth, quality, and innovation of the ISP industry. So a win in this category is a real honour and privilege, and testament to the daily efforts of our teams to create and maintain a world-class managed hosting service.” Beyond the ISPA Awards Storm Internet remains committed to the security, service availability, and disaster recovery of each individual customer, with high-level 24/7/365 support remaining a hallmark of the Storm Internet experience.

Storm Internet’s previous ISPA award wins include: 2017: Best Cloud Service and Best Host 2016: Best Cloud Product 2015: Best Business Use of Cloud 2014: Best Dedicated Hosting 2013: Best SME Business Hosting

   

charlotte@storminternet.com 0800 817 4727 www.storminternet.co.uk @storminternet

JESSICA HICKMAN

-WOOLCOTT Owner & Designer

HANNAH ROGAN Marketing Wild & Fine www.wildandfine.com

What is your role in the business? Jessica – Owner & designer Hannah – I was brought on board to do all the writing for the Wild & Fine website, but my role has grown since!

What are your areas of expertise? J - silversmithing and jewellery design H – marketing and copywriting.

What do you enjoy about your work? J - As the owner of a very small business I am involved in all areas of the operation, so no day is ever the same. One day I will be creating new designs in the studio, with only my dogs (Nino & Spoon) for company. The next day I will be talking to hundreds of people at a trade show or travelling to a photo shoot in Spain. H- Being able to give a voice to such a fantastic jewellery brand and working with Jessica and Hayley (photographer and social media manager).

What are your hobbies / interests? J - I love exploring the ocean – from paddling on the shore, to snorkelling in the shallows or diving to the seabed. I am also a keen runner and have travelled throughout Europe to a variety of different running races (favourite run was a half marathon around a Chemical Factory in Czech Republic). H- I love walking my border collies (Nellie and Sasha) and running. My favourite race was the Venice marathon in 2016, when I got my PB of 3hrs16mins.

Something we don’t know about you? J - I am hyper flexible and can get both my feet behind my head (a useful skill to have when flying long distances in economy). H- I once won a marathon in Dorset having had Baileys with my porridge!

What do you like about Oxfordshire? J - It has a rich history and is a vibrant cultural centre. Whether you are looking up at the spires in central Oxford or day dreaming in country lanes, it is a very inspiring place to live and work. H – It’s a thriving business community and a wonderful place to live…who needs London?

Wild & Fine Launch Jewellery Range at Blenheim Palace

Nature Inspired Jewellers Wild & Fine, winners of Blenheim’s start-up scheme aimed at encouraging entrepreneurs have launched their product range within the East Courtyard Shop at Blenheim Palace. Wild & Fine Jewellery is handmade in rural Warwickshire by Jessica Hickman-Woolcott, a silversmith, jeweller and creator of the Wild & Fine world. The range is inspired by her adventures, both locally and further afield. The team consisting of Jess, Hannah and Hayley are fascinated by the stories that jewellery can tell and every Wild & Fine design has a unique tale to WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

be told. Jess is a keen diver and has seen first-hand the impact that plastic is having in our oceans, so she has worked hard to ensure that Wild & Fine is a plastic-free brand. She is also careful to use recycled materials wherever possible and to source only ethical gemstones. Whether you pick a tiny shell to commemorate a seaside engagement or a miniature lotus seedpod to remind you of a lifechanging trip to Asia, you can build your own individual narrative with Wild and Fine’s unique, handcrafted designs Wild & Fine will also work with the teams at Blenheim to create a new bespoke range for the East Courtyard Shop, aimed to launch early 2020.

You can build your “ own individual narrative with Wild and Fine’s unique, handcrafted designs.

”

Jess Hickman-Woolcot - Wild and Fine

To find out more about Wild & Fine, please see below.

 info@wildandfine.co.uk  @wildandfine  www.wildandfine.com

INTRODUCING

Serving up customer experience excellence for any business or organisation looking to build sustainable competitive advantage Strangebrew’s Phil Strachan introduces Diego Masciaga to us, yet another of his very far from bland connections and friends with whom he has recently had the very great privilege and pleasure of working closely alongside

Nothing less than a true living legend in the hospitality and catering industry worldwide, Diego Masciaga is the acknowledged and much celebrated master of customer service excellence. Having firstly become a Master of Culinary Arts in 2000, he joined the Academy of Food and Wine UK Restaurant Manager Hall of Fame in 2009 and in 2010 he became only the third recipient of the Grand Prix de l’Art de la Salle, presented by the International Academy of Gastronomy. In 2018, Diego received the very prestigious Cateys Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grosvenor House in London for his services to the catering industry. In 2012, and perhaps his most outstanding accolade, Diego was honoured with being awarded the coveted title of Cavaliere Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana by the Italian government, the equivalent of a knighthood, for both his support of young people and his services to the hospitality industry. His full title is Cavaliere Diego Masciaga. For the last 30 years, Diego was the front of house at The Waterside Inn, Michel Roux Sr and Alain Roux’s world famous 3 Michelin 62

Star restaurant with rooms in Bray, having previously worked with the Roux brothers, Michel and Albert, at Le Gavroche and at Le Mazarin in London. As General Manager and also Director, Diego masterminded, directed and very carefully orchestrated not only the very important customer service element but indeed the

“ Diego stands alone, worthy of not a mere three stars, but a constellation Sir Terry Wogan

”

entire customer experience at this globally famous riverside gastronomic Berkshire gem once described as a temple of gastronomy by near neighbour, Heston Blumenthal. Respected and revered by his peers worldwide, it is no exaggeration to say that in his industry, Diego

Masciaga is truly regarded as a ‘first among equals’, the definitive blueprint for customer service and customer experience excellence. On the surface, quiet, modest and unassuming with the most genuine humility, Diego is a fiercely passionate professional who is driven with steely determination and dedication when it comes to the delivery of customer service and customer experience excellence - something this charismatic Italian born master of his craft did with unerring consistency for over 30 years at The Waterside Inn as he ensured that he and his staff of over 30 delivered the finest service and most memorable experience to loyal customers, global leaders, film stars, celebrities and royalty alike. Diego, you have now left The Waterside Inn, the employ of the Roux family with whom you have been very closely connected for most of your working life and have also made the bold decision to step out of the catering and hospitality industry in which you have worked for approaching 40 years. What prompted you to take this action? I was extremely sad to leave The Waterside Inn and equally also to break my longstanding and very WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

“ Service is

pleasing - that is my philosophy. It isn’t a job – it’s a life. To serve is to please and pleasing leads to profit Diego Masciaga

”

happy working relationship with the Roux family. They were very happy times and I will be forever grateful for the opportunities they gave me and the trust they placed in me. I am very proud of what I achieved there and of the legacy I left in terms of the staff I had trained and the guests I had pleased over these many years. However, I now see a new challenge and I want to share my knowledge and expertise much more widely. Your skills are undoubtedly transferable and very much needed in other areas. I noted Michel Roux’s comment as you were leaving The Waterside Inn, when he commended you as having defined exceptional service across three decades and as a leader and brilliant teacher who had inspired hundreds of young people to pursue careers in hospitality throughout the world. He went on to say ‘A giant of his profession, I know that Diego will continue to share his knowledge and skills, since this is his true vocation.” Yes, I do see sharing my knowledge and skills more widely as now being my vocation. As you and I have discussed many times over recent months, far too many businesses and organisations fail to deliver good or even adequate levels of customer service. But the expectation of delivery of excellence WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

in customer service and customer experience is not something that should only be the exclusive domain of the restaurant or hospitality industry.

“ When it comes to

customer service, no-one anywhere does it better than Diego Peter Jones OBE

”

As you know from our recent discussions and work together, I couldn’t agree more, Diego. Good customer service and customer experience is something that, either as a customer or client, we should rightly be able to expect in all fields offering a product or service of any kind. It does not matter if we are talking of a Wedding Planner, a Travel Agency, an Accountancy business, a Car Dealership, a Solicitor, a Department store, a Hairdresser, a Bank, an Airline, a Florist, a Supermarket or an Insurance Company. It makes no difference. Great customer

service and the delivery of great customer experience is at the heart of every values-based business or organisation. Once again Diego, I agree wholeheartedly but surely the issue is very much one of quality of leadership and of a clear understanding from top to bottom within the business or organisation of its purpose and its promise? As you said to me when we first met, everyone in a business or organisation has to realise that whatever their role is, they have more than just a job ie they represent that brand and the experience it promises and which it is expected will be delivered. Surely that is the very reason why the finest Michelin Star restaurants are so successful – each and every member of staff knows that they represent the brand and they work to deliver the customer experience promise? They know their purpose. Indeed Phil. As you correctly observed, people don’t go to such celebrated restaurants just to eat the food – exceptional though the food prepared by the very best Chefs in the world and their highly skilled teams may be. They go for the whole dining experience, a very special experience, and all that entails. Similarly, people don’t just go to Disneyland for a holiday – they go for the whole Disneyland 63

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experience – for the Disneyland adventure. They can get a holiday anywhere. The simple fact is that the quality of customer service and customer experience excellence that is delivered by the world’s best restaurants can and should be delivered by any business and any organisation that wants to build competitive advantage, to be successful and to become the go-to leading brand in its market or market sector. In your terms, Phil – to stand out from the crowd.

great customer service and customer experience excellence is something that has to be delivered by everyone at every level in a business or organisation and at each and every touchpoint on a consistent basis. The consistent delivery of great customer service and customer experience leads to great levels of customer loyalty, profitability and sustainability.

Diego, as we have already touched on before, good leadership is of paramount importance as is also the importance of everyone in the business or organisation understanding and embracing its purpose, its ‘Why’ as Simon Sinek terms it. As I am constantly discovering, far too many businesses and organisations, and the leaders within them, don’t have a clear understanding of what they are and exactly what they deliver and therefore that purpose is not clearly communicated within the business or organisation. Many leaders are blind to what is actually happening at the ‘coalface’ and therefore what chance do their teams and employees have of representing the brand properly.

A remarkable man “and a remarkable story to tell ”

Quite right, Phil - and much of that is where you come in before I can do what I do best. As you have drilled into me over the last month or so, brands are promises consistently delivered and every business and organisation has to have a promise to be delivered against and expectations built on that brand promise for the experience to be judged against. In my book, consistency is excellence and



Sir Michael Parkinson

And who would not want that, Diego? - surely every business leader needs to take a lead from yourself. On the subject of leadership, leaders need to lead by example in order to create a culture where every team member and every employee at every touchpoint understands and is working to a clearly communicated shared purpose and is inspired and fully engaged to play their part in promoting and delivering the promised and expected customer service and a great customer/brand experience. In such a business or organisation, you will have business owners and shareholders who are pleased,

leaders who are pleased, employees, staff and teams who are pleased and customers and clients who are pleased. Service is pleasing – that is my philosophy. It isn’t a job – It’s a life. To serve is to please and pleasing leads to profit. That sounds like good business to me. Thank you, Diego. I look forward to your talk at Blenheim Palace and I recommend everyone to read ‘The Diego Masciaga Way’ by author Chris Parker – It really is a very good and informative read full of nuggets of wisdom from the true master of customer service and customer experience excellence.

“The Diego Masciaga Way – Lessons from the master of customer service” written by Chris Parker is available on Amazon. For further information or to talk to Diego about how he could be of value to your business or organisation, please contact Bella Masciaga on 07578 206791 or Phil Strachan on 07770 753975

 phil@strangebrew.co.uk  07770 753975  www.thinkbrandnotbland.co.uk

Hear Diego talk at the B4 Dinner at Blenheim Palace on 30th October. Visit www.b4-business.com for details or call 01865 742211.

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Unipart WorkWell and the total wellbeing of your employees For most companies, business success pivots on the wellbeing of your employees. Without healthy, highly engaged, committed employees, customer service and business performance can deteriorate rapidly. Written by: Deborah Astles, Corporate Responsibility Director, Unipart Group

That does not mean just ensuring their physical wellbeing. There was a time when a company simply had to ensure people left work in the same condition in which they arrived. For an employer to be truly responsible today, companies are also contributing to their people’s mental, social and financial wellbeing. This total approach to employee wellbeing was underscored by Business in the Community (BITC) when launching a refresh of WorkWell, their framework to support the strategic intent to embed wellbeing into an organisation’s culture.

At the centre of our approach has been The Unipart Way, our philosophy of working which encourages everyone to solve problems at their own level. Through The Unipart Way, we have consistently driven a culture of safe working, increased productivity and job satisfaction.

an employer to “beFortruly responsible today, companies are also contributing to their people’s mental, social and financial wellbeing

”

“Evidence on what works has strengthened and concepts of wellbeing have become more holistic. It is now recognised that wellbeing at work is shaped by a much broader range of factors, from sleep to financial stress,” said Dr Fiona Adshead, Independent Wellbeing, Sustainability and Public Health Advisor to BITC

This was recognised with the award of an unprecedented 13 British Safety Council Swords of Honour in a single year bringing our total number of Swords of Honour to over 50.

Unipart’s journey

Unipart WorkWell strategy

As an employer of over 7,000 people, Unipart highly values the engagement of our employees.

Using the BITC WorkWell framework and internal analysis by our HR function, we established our employee wellbeing strategy ‘Unipart WorkWell’.

The strategy aims to improve the health and wellbeing of our people in three areas: encouraging them to take personal responsibility for their own health, supporting line managers to understand the impact of their actions on the wellbeing of others, and mitigating factors that could have a negative, or potentially negative, effect on wellbeing. We launched the strategy with distinctive Unipart WorkWell designs and visuals to give a consistent feel of the brand across our sites in the UK. Crucially, we appointed a Wellbeing Champion at each of those sites as a conduit to channel information. In addition, regular Unipart WorkWell emails keep employees up to date with links to dedicated areas of our website and intranet site. A key element of the strategy is Unipart Cares, our employee assistance programme, which provides confidential, impartial advice from a third party. Since its launch, many employees have used Unipart Cares for information on a wide variety of topics include health, legal and financial advice. In addition to the support given by Unipart Cares we’ve been embedding mental health training into

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line manager development and other programmes.

Sleep and finances More recently our strategy has turned to two new areas: sleep and finances. Between 10 and 20 per cent of the working population are suffering from insomnia which can have a detrimental effect on both their productivity and focus during the day, as well as on mood, relationships and the ability to concentrate. Through our online Unipart WorkWell channels and the Unipart internal video news programme, Grapevine, we have promoted the use of a digital sleep improvement programme called Sleepio, which has been designed for people who are suffering from insomnia, or chronic difficulties with either falling asleep, waking up too early or waking up feeling unrefreshed. Sleepio is available to all NHS patients in Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Greater London. This is just one example of how, through collaborative partnerships and good communications, our employee wellbeing strategy benefits from services already existing in the community.

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Poor financial wellbeing can have an impact on a person’s health. As part of Unipart WorkWell, we have shared regular communication on many aspects of financial wellbeing, such as promoting debt management services available through Unipart Cares and promoting education on savings and loans through a carefully-selected partner, Salary Finance.

We launched the “ strategy with distinctive Unipart WorkWell designs and visuals to give a consistent feel of the brand across our sites in the UK. Crucially, we appointed a Wellbeing Champion at each of those sites as a conduit to channel information

”

We arrange site level informal ‘lunch and learn’ education sessions on topics such as ‘Financial Wellbeing for Women’, ‘Financial Wellbeing for

Millennials’ and ‘Wills and Inheritance’.

Positive business outcomes Unipart WorkWell has contributed to positive business outcomes in many areas. Employee engagement has increased, and hours lost due to absence have dropped significantly, with an estimated saving of £330,000. Overall, since the introduction of Unipart WorkWell in 2015, we have calculated a return on investment of 400 per cent. But this is by no means the end of the journey. Unipart is continually seeking innovative ways to bring a more holistic and responsible approach to the wellbeing of our employees.

 deborah.astles@unipart.com  01865 778 966  www.unipart.com/responsiblebusiness/ unipart-work-well/

Opendoorz go loop the loopy to support their chosen charity! On Tuesday 3rd September, 14 brave and slightly crazy individuals strapped themselves to the top of an aerobatic plane doing aerial manoeuvres…why I hear you ask! Well it started a year ago at an Opendoorz business networking meeting in Oxford. During a CPD session the question was posed ‘What’s on your bucket list, that you really want to do next year?’ In that moment, Cathy Dunbabin, one of the founding Directors decided to share her desire to Wing Walk! Written by: Cathy Dunbabin & Sonia Kearns

Opendoorz is a professional business networking company whose focus is on developing strong long-term relationships between business owners, directors and partners of companies in Oxfordshire and Berkshire. The depth and trust of these relationships not only builds a vibrant business community that brings many benefits to its members, but also means Opendoorz can commit resources and support for its chosen charity of the year. But it wasn’t enough for Cathy just to do it! Over the years she has realised how privileged she is to have built a strong professional business network and how much good can come from galvanising its support. Within hours of deciding to do the Wing Walk, Cathy and her business partner Sonia realised this could also be a wonderful way to support their 2019 charity SeeSaw by raising funds and creating awareness of their wonderful work. So, they set about inviting others to take part and within a couple of days 13 equally crazy people had agreed to join the challenge. Jane Elliott, SeeSaws corporate fundraiser says 68

“SeeSaw, provides grief support for around 500 children and young people in Oxfordshire each year. The charity relies on the generosity of Oxfordshire businesses and the wider community to help raise

This amazing event “ will make a huge contribution towards the cost of running the service and we feel so lucky to have this amazing support from the Oxfordshire business community Jane Elliott - SeeSaw

”

funds to keep the charity going. This amazing event will make a huge contribution towards the cost of running the service and we feel so lucky to have this amazing support from the Oxfordshire business community.” To make sure as much money as possible was directed straight to the charity, each participant was tasked with finding a local business to sponsor them to cover the actual cost of the Wing Walk - again the Opendoorz network was utilised. Each high-flyer then committed to raising a minimum of £500 in sponsorship. Huge thanks go to Clarendon Business Centre, Royal Cars, Warpline Films, M40 Offices, MC Events, Zest Digital, Sandra Homewood Funerals, Meridian Office Furniture, Xpress Legal, Beechwood Solicitors and CLPM for their support in sponsoring a Wing Walkers. The event wasn’t without its challenges; the first date in April was cancelled due to the planes engine’s blowing up (eeek!), the second date in June was cancelled due to an ancillary issue when fitting the WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Every penny that they raise “ helps SeeSaw to support bereaved children and young people in Oxfordshire whose lives have been turned upside down because someone they love has died Jane Elliott - SeeSaw

new engine and then the third one postponed due to the plane not passing it’s ‘fit to fly’ inspection. So even if the 14 brave, crazy flyers weren’t nervous before they sure were by the time they did it! Warpline Films also kindly offered to come along and film the whole event so we could have a promo video to leave with the charity should others decide to do the same event again and so the team have a memento of the day. Cathy laughs as she says “Be careful what you wish for or at least what you share from your bucket list as you may just make it happen!” Opendoorz are eternally grateful for others sharing this experience with Cathy and their magnificent efforts in raising funds, the support from sponsors and the generosity of everyone who has donated. To date the total raised exceeds £16,000 and the donations are still coming in. Cathy says “It’s amazing and heart-warming to be able to support Seesaw in this way and truly demonstrates the power of having WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

a great network around you. I strongly encourage all businesses to do something for charity; it makes you and your team feel great and means so much to charities who are always keen to forge relationships within the business community”

”

children and young people in Oxfordshire whose lives have been turned upside down because someone they love has died”. If you’d like to donate please visit www. justgiving.com/fundraising/cathy-dunbabin2

“

Be careful what you wish for or at least what you share from your bucket list as you may just make it happen! Cathy Dunbabin - Opendoorz

”

Jane Elliott, fundraiser for Seesaw adds “We are humbled to have such fantastic support from the Oxfordshire business community. Every penny that they raise helps SeeSaw to support bereaved

 cathy@opendoorz.biz sonia@opendoorz.biz

 01865 565 333  www.opendoorz.biz 69

3G:

GERMANY, GLASTONBURY & GRETA

Written by: Richard Rosser

“Why did we bother? It’s a sea change for us.” Explains Cath. “Our bread and butter is training (research, design, training and soon to be an End Point Assessment Organisation). So why are we engaging with all of this corporate and social responsibility (CSR) activity? Glastonbury Festival was where it all started for ELS, although, in reality, it started for me a long time before the formation of the business. “Across the business we are doing much more that feeds into our ISO 14001 credentials (see below). I, as do a lot of people now, believe that businesses are now concerned with more than just the bottom line. It’s the ‘Blue Planet’ and ‘Greta’ (Thunberg) (the 16 year old Swedish environmental activist) factors which are making businesses sit up and think about what they’re doing. “I lived in Germany twenty-five years ago where recycling has always been taken far more seriously than here in the UK. In Germany I had four bins and if I put the wrong thing in the wrong bin then the contents ended up all over my garden and I 70

was expected to clear it up that day – as a change initiative it was a fairly big “stick”. That had an impact on me but, as my time in Germany became a distant memory and whilst we do have a green economy, to an extent, I found myself forgetting the importance of recycling etc…

“ As a business, engaging

with the public sector, we were very aware of the need to feed into the CSR charter, so when we were asked to get involved in Glastonbury to clear the site every morning, it was a resounding ‘yes’. Not only did we get to go to the festival but it was also a perfect fit with the ethos of the business

”

“As a business, engaging with the public sector, we were very aware of the need to feed into the CSR charter, it is often a requirement on public sector bids. So when we were asked to get involved in Glastonbury to clear the site of rubbish every morning, it was a resounding ‘yes’. Not only did we get to go to the festival but it was also a perfect fit with where we are in the business. “We had to pay for our ticket like everyone else, but we were given this back if we attended all of the sessions and then asked if we wanted to donate the money back to charity…which we all did. We worked from 6am to 12pm – the festival finished at 5.30am every morning – so we saw a lot of rubbish … amongst other things! We contributed in other ways to charity and we were delighted to receive the following note a few days ago: ‘We are really chuffed to announce that you all helped to raise £500 for Refugee Community Kitchen during the time you frequented Tom’s Bar at that little event in Pilton a few weeks back. The pub quiz raised £179, and we have used the bars

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HOW ELS ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE ELS Environmental e-Newsletter checklist: • Minimize our carbon footprint, especially as we are soon doubling-up with our new office move • Investigate if ‘Ecosia’ would be a greener way forward with Google searches • Reduce our paper output by producing “learner packs” or persuading clients to take electronic documents • Link with Harwell Campus and surrounding businesses to develop ‘green’ friends and learn from others • Create an ELS strategy ‘roadmap’ of what we want to achieve, with KPI’s to measure progress • Review our milk delivery from plastic to glass • Understand what is needed and the opportunities to learn from ISO140001 accreditation • Reduce printing…please remember to print black & white on both sides

Cath Convery of long standing B4 members Explosive Learning Solutions (ELS) is making a stand for climate change and is the perfect example of a B4 business embracing changes for the benefit of the local community and the planet. Cath and her team set an example that the rest of us would do well to take on board.

profits to take the overall total to £500.’ Along with this we raised over a £1000 pounds for Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team. “We were working in the Market area where all of the food stands were and it was strangely cathartic walking towards a sea of rubbish with a completely cleared area behind us as we bagged everything. To have to just focus on what was in front of us was a strange but massively rejuvenating experience and hugely team building. Being plastic free this year, the amount of rubbish was considerably less than in previous years. This whole concept of the cycle of rubbish is now at the forefront of my mind. I now notice the piles of McDonalds rubbish 5 minutes from McDonalds where people have thrown their empty bags out of the car – we saw similar patterns at Glastonbury with cigarette butts and where they ‘congregated’ and that was the thinking piece about being at the festival, we were noticing things and detecting human behavior through where rubbish was left. “Sir David Attenborough was amazing and the

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perfect ingredient to underline the message behind this year’s festival and Glastonbury mirrored what business is gradually realising. My train journey passes the Reading Festival site and the difference was marked in terms of the rubbish on site this year without the no plastic policy. Make sure your business is more Glasto than Reading!” ISO 14001 is an international standard that establishes the requirements for an environmental management system (EMS). The objective is for an organisation to establish an EMS that is integrated with the overall business management process. Continual improvement is integral to the model.

ELS also support The Hive Refills where Sally Povolotsky sets up her stall once a month at Harwell to allow ELS and others to come and refill their home cleaning dispensers with eco friendly products, therefore saving plastic and money.

IN THE NEWS The UK’s largest crisp packet recycling scheme Walkers® offers a simple and free crisp packet recycling scheme, which accepts all brands. This is now the largest and fastest-growing scheme of its type in the UK, with more than 1,600 public drop-off locations nationwide. In fact, there is a public drop-off location within 4 miles of 80% of UK households.

Cigarette butts in soil hamper plant growth, study suggests Discarded cigarette butts can hamper plant growth, new research suggests. The study, led by Anglia Ruskin University, found the presence of butts in soil reduced the germination success and shoot length of clover by 27% and 28% respectively. For grass, germination success reduced by 10% and shoot length by 13%. An estimated 4.5 trillion butts are littered globally each year making them the planet’s most pervasive form of plastic pollution, the study said. Most cigarette butts contain a filter made of cellulose acetate fibre, a type of a bioplastic.

 info@explosivelearningsolutions.com  01235 861 805  www.explosivelearningsolutions.com

A single cigarette butt can contaminate 50 litres of water and will never biodegrade.

IF YOU ARE GOING TO DIVORCE, WHY NOT HAVE A BALANCED DIVORCE? Written by: Claire Colbert

The cost and stress of divorce is often a big worry for people. The horror stories of expensive divorces in the press, often for the rich and famous, can give a very distorted view about the financial options available for people who are separating. Over the last 10 years there has been a growing momentum and trend of different options to help resolve issues arising out of relationship breakdown without court intervention. It includes arbitration, family mediation, child inclusive mediation and collaborative law. Not only are the costs significantly less than the court process, but these options can provide a quicker, more child focused, balanced approach to issues that a couple may face What are these options and how do they work?

and why it is important to them. These priorities will dictate and determine how matters are then discussed and moved forward. The benefit of this process is that both parties have their lawyer with them at all stages. The legal advice is “on tap” and obtained throughout the process unlike mediation where the mediator is not able to give legal advice. Agreements reached through the collaborative process can be converted into a court order. Unfortunately if the collaborative process is not successful the agreement to deal with matters in this way requires both parties to instruct new solicitors should they wish to issue court proceedings. This can be a great incentive to encourage people to try to resolve matters to enable them to retain their preferred solicitor.

MEDIATION There are a great number of benefits to having discussions facilitated between parties by a mediator, face to face, where resolutions can be reached and ideas and plans structured which would be much more difficult through either solicitor negotiation, or the court process. The process is conducted to the parties’ timescale, is without prejudice, enabling parties to speak freely and is cost effective as the mediation hourly rate is often shared between the parties, rather than both incurring the legal costs of negotiating through their own solicitors. At the end of the mediation process, documents are completed by the mediator, which can if necessary, then be converted into a court order by the parties’ solicitors who ensure that their client has independent legal advice before being bound to anything. There is also the option of Child Inclusive Mediation, enabling the wishes and views of a child to be brought into the decision making process. As experienced mediators, Claire Colbert and Rachael Oakes can provide mediation for all family law issues.

COLLABORATIVE LAW Collaborative law is an approach based on both parties having a lawyer who is collaboratively trained. The process is a series of four way meetings with both lawyers and clients present at all times. At the very beginning of this process, each client will explain what they want to achieve

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ARBITRATION Arbitration is a growing alternative for family law disputes. The trend towards arbitration is largely because of the courts finding themselves under significant pressure from increased demand. Resolving matters as quickly as possible is often in the best interest of all involved and arbitration allows the parties to select their choice of arbitrator (normally retired judges, barristers or senior lawyers) to adjudicate between the parties on the issues in dispute. Parties commit to the arbitration process and are bound to any award made by the arbitrator, which is then sanctioned by the court in the normal way. Benefits of this option include judge selection, time and location control and the promise of confidentiality without the risk of media interest through the court process. There is a cost consequences as privately paying for an arbitrator over a number of days can be an expensive alternative to a free judge in the normal litigation process. It is also possible to use arbitration to deal with discrete issues that may be preventing other issues from resolving e.g. interim maintenance. People often fear the cost and time likely be spent in dealing with the arrangements at the point of relationship breakdown, but these alternative options provide choice at what is often

the most stressful time in their life. These options all enable matters to resolve much quicker than an average court led case, which takes around 8 to 12 months. Out of court options enable people to control the timetable and how quickly things move forward as well as selecting when and who will decide if they cannot agree, which doesn’t happen in the traditional court process. Due to pressure on court time, different Judges may deal with each stage of the litigation, with limited continuity. This can also mean delay and additional costs to reach to a final resolution.

DOING THE RIGHT THING Along with this there are a number of complimentary services that we can recommend including life coaches, therapy and counselling to enable parties to move forward with their own lives following a difficult and/or unexpected separation. At Freeths, throughout September and October, we are arranging separation counselling sessions for new clients as part of our unique client centred approach. We believe in doing the right thing and therefore, it is important to ensure our clients are fully supported through the separation process both legally and emotionally. These counsellors are able to provide the support and tools needed to help clients get through the emotional impact of divorce and separation, makes the legal process and steps we need to discuss with you easier to focus on. If you need any advice or assistance concerning any of the issues relating to the breakdown of a relationship or the out of court resolution options available, please do not hesitate to call the team here at Freeths.

 claire.colbert@freeths.co.uk  01865 781 182  www.freeths.co.uk

Family law – what are my options Written by: Specialist family law firm Boardman, Hawkins & Osborne LLP (BH&O LLP)

40% of marriages breakdown. For the many going through divorce it is a very difficult time but seeing a specialist family law solicitor can make it a lot more bearable.

largest increases in living alone in recent years. This cohort represents a good many “silver splitters”; middle aged people whose relationships, particularly marriages, have broken down.

Boardman, Hawkins & Osborne offer a dedicated service to separating parties and, indeed, anyone with a family law problem. BH&O has a team of seven qualified solicitors dealing with separation, divorce, and children matters. All of us aim to resolve matters as swiftly and as amicably as possible.

On separation, marriage or otherwise, financial matters need to be resolved. Must the house be sold or can I keep it? Will maintenance be payable? What lump sum will be awarded? What will happen to my business? All these are questions which BH&O experts can deal with.

Since opening in September 2018, we have developed a strong team, which now includes not only qualified and experienced solicitors, but also a family mediator. We cover most forms of family dispute resolution. One of the three founding partners Ruth Hawkins says “At BH&O, we believe in focussing on the key issues, and promoting a creative and problem-solving approach wherever possible, to our client’s family difficulties. Where there are children involved, we encourage our client’s to focus on their needs, and on the most constructive solutions for the family as a whole.”

BH&O also offer solutions to those entering a relationship. Our experts can advise those unmarried individuals about to embark on living together and prepare for them declarations of trust or living together agreements. The team is also accustomed to drafting pre-nuptial agreements. For example, this may be for someone intent on re-marriage who wants to make provision for children from their first marriage.

According to recent statistics, the number of cohabiting couple families continues to grow faster than married couple and lone parent families, with an increase of 25.8% over the decade 2008 to 2018 to 3.4million individuals. Many cohabitees think that they have, or gain, rights if they live together with their partner for a period of time. Not so. Common law marriage has not existed since the eighteenth century. BH&O regularly advise those who have been in unmarried relationships about their position. The statistics also show that people aged 45 to 64 years and 65 to 74 years have experienced the WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

When it comes to arrangements for children, BH&O’s lawyers have a good deal of expertise. We can advise you about contact and issues related to where they should live. We can advise you about adoption and other options for caring for, or having a family. We also can help if you want to move abroad with your children in the face of opposition from the other parent. We have noted specialists in child protection work, and complex childcare litigation, and often advise grandparents and extended family members about their rights in relation to proceedings brought by the local authority. We at BH&O can represent you on your personal protection matters with injunction proceedings. Acting urgently is our speciality so we can apply

“ Many cohabitees think that they have, or gain, rights if they live together with their partner for a period of time. Not so.

”

for interim maintenance and can also freeze assets where your spouse is trying to put them out of your reach. Being up front about legal costs is a given for BH&O. We can advise you when you might be able to seek costs from your former spouse or partner and where a matter is suitable for a legal services order. We can tell you if you might be eligible for legal aid and offer details of litigation loans. If you are worried about going to court, we can reassure you. Most divorces and many financial applications do not involve any attendance at court. BH&O offer most forms of out-of-court dispute resolution, mediation, and have good links with collaborative lawyers and arbitrators.. Alongside our team of lawyers, BH&O has formed links with a group of family therapists who can support clients where necessary. BH&O has just been shortlisted by Jordan’s Family Law as Family Law firm of the year – South - and is unequalled in its expertise in family law in the Thames Valley. Call us for a confidential no-cost chat with one of our solicitors.

 info@bholegal.co.uk  01235 425 500  www.bholegal.co.uk

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New Years Eve £95.00pp Live Entertainment from Frankie & The Seasons

What is workplace wellbeing and how do you put it into practice? Written by: Fiona Curnow, Marketing Director- Gardner Leader

You’ve probably heard the buzz around ‘Workplace Wellbeing’ but what does it mean if you are an employer and what steps can you take to promote wellbeing amongst your staff? At Gardner Leader we believe what is good for our valued employees is good for business and that staff engagement contributes to the excellent client service we pride ourselves on. We carry out annual Employee Engagement surveys and findings are presented by our Managing Partner Derek Rodgers, along with an outline of actions implemented and to be considered. We have also brought together a group of people from across the firm in our Wellbeing Group. Members joined the group voluntarily and did so because of personal interest or expertise in areas including health, social, environmental, food, finance, fitness, mental health, community engagement and CSR. The group organises activities, signposts relevant information and arranges training that helps at home as well as at work, such as earlier this year when staff were invited to attend training to become a Dementia Friend. Part of the group’s remit is to normalise talking about mental health. It’s widely recognised that mental ill health does not discriminate and there are likely to be people facing all manner of personal battles for which we could offer some support at work. To reflect that, we have two Wellbeing Champions (of which I am one and Niamh Minihane, Senior Associate in our Inheritance Protection in Maidenhead is the other). Employees can speak to either of us confidentially about concerns relating to themselves or someone else, regardless of whether they are work related or not. We can provide a simple sounding board WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

or advice and guidance depending on what the individual approaching us requires. We both have relevant training. As well as other training on counselling, mental health and workplace wellbeing, I am an MHFA England Mental Health First Aider, have a MSt in Psychodynamic Practice from the

was optional but we encouraged employees across all three offices to take their lunch break and spend time with others to build on the supportive network at the firm. A wide range of activities including sport, music, arts and crafts, reading and quizzes were arranged to appeal to people with different interests.

...we want our “ employees to have

If you’re an employer without anything relating to Workplace Wellbeing in place, what can you do? Even without anything formal in place you can encourage people to reach out to each other and ask a question, listen without judging and signpost help.

peace of mind they can bring their ‘whole selves’ to work and can ask for support when needed

”

You can communicate with your staff to let them know it is ok to talk about mental health and make time for a well-timed cup of tea and a chat. You could also look at the training provided by organisations such as MHFA England, The British Psychological Society, Mind and LawCare for those of you in the legal profession.

University of Oxford and am a practising Therapist. In addition, we have recently signed up to the ‘Where’s your head at?’ Workplace Manifesto promoted by MHFA England because we want our employees to have peace of mind they can bring their ‘whole selves’ to work and can ask for support when needed. We recognise that people often find it hard to talk during periods of mental ill health or crisis so we look for ways to encourage staff to check in with and ask questions of their colleagues if they seem out of sorts. Like many other workplaces, we noticed that people often had lunch at their desk rather than taking a proper mental and physical break from work. To promote both the break and making connections, this July we ran a ‘Take a Break’ campaign. Taking part

We value our staff and their wellbeing, so Workplace Wellbeing is something we are committed to, and will continue to invest in. If you’d like to talk about how to get things up and running or would like to share ideas about how you can promote workplace wellbeing in your organisation do let us know.

 f.curnow@gardner-leader.co.uk  01635 508 153  www.gardner-leader.co.uk

Back To Business! Experience a warm and friendly welcome when you arrive at Hilton Garden Inn Abingdon Oxford. Located just 6 miles south of Oxford, our modern hotel is nestled in historic Abingdon Town. A short drive from Radley station, it couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be easier to get into Oxford city centre, less than 5 minutes by train. Our hotel boasts 146 contemporary bedrooms, with flexible working spaces and complimentary WiFi to stay connected at all times. In house guests can also make the most of our onsite fitness centre and enjoy 24-hour room service. Host a conference or event in one of our three flexible suites, we have plenty of room to mix, mingle, meet and greet. With an on-site restaurant, bar and full catering capabilities, we can help make your meeting great.

SPEAK TO A MEMBER OF OUR TEAM TO BOOK TODAY.

01235 425570 events@hgiabingdonoxford.co.uk abingdonoxford.hgi.com Hilton Garden Inn Abingdon Oxford Marcham Road, Abingdon-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, OX14 1TZ

LANDLORDS AND AGENTS MUST BEWARE FINANCIAL PENALTIES FROM NEW LAW ON TENANT FEES

Amy Evans

The Tenant Fee Act 2019 creates stringent new laws that affect all residential landlords including universities, colleges, private and institutional landlords, and their agents. There are significant financial penalties if the terms of tenancy agreements do not comply with the new regulations. Written by: Amy Evans, Associate at Penningtons Manches Cooper

Rising house prices are forcing more and more people into rented accommodation. Over 20% of UK households were renting in the private sector in 2017; more than double the figure in 2007. Private renting in Oxford is even higher, with more than 30% of Oxford residents living in private rented accommodation. The student residents of Oxford, both in private rented accommodation and accommodation provided by the universities and colleges, make up 24% of the adult population of Oxford. With this increase in private renters, better protection for tenants from unfair or hidden costs has become a key concern. As a consequence, the Government has introduced a number of legislative changes for the property sector in recent years, of which this is the most recent.. The intention is to regulate the fees that landlords, licensors, and letting agents can impose on those in the rented sector. The Act came into effect on 1 June this year for all new tenancies and renewals, and will apply to existing tenancies from 1 June 2020. There are serious implications for all residential landlords if they fail to comply with the new law. Non-compliance can affect the ability to terminate a tenancy, and can also attract financial penalties. So in order to ensure they are compliant, landlords and their agents should take note of the following points.

What tenancies are affected? The Tenant Fees Act applies to the following residential tenancies: • Assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs) • Licences (including lodging agreements) • Student lettings provided by a specified educational institute It does not apply to assured tenancies or contractual tenancies.

What payments are not permitted? The Act bans all payments made to the landlord, agent or a third party in connection with a residential tenancy in England, unless it is permitted under the Act. It also prohibits a landlord or agent from requiring a relevant person (the tenant, guarantor, or someone acting on behalf of a tenant) to enter into a WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

contract for the provision of a service (other than for utilities or communication services) or insurance, or to make a loan to any person in connection with such a tenancy. Examples of non-permitted payments include reference checks, agent fees, viewing fees, check out and inventory fees, and flat administrative charges for breaches of contract.

What payments are allowed? Only the following payments are permitted by the Act, although please note that they are each subject to their own restrictions: • Rent: the rent must be the same for each day of the term, a landlord cannot charge more in the first month to make up for the fees they have to pay • Refundable tenancy deposit: a maximum of five weeks rent if annual rent is less than £50,000, or six weeks rent if the annual rent is £50,000 or more • Refundable holding deposit: a maximum of one week’s rent and can only be held for 15 days unless otherwise agreed • Default payments for key replacement or interest on overdue rent: • the amount that can be claimed for these is restricted • Damages for breach of an agreement • Payments to change a tenancy, if requested by the tenant: a maximum of £50 or reasonable costs incurred, if higher • Termination of a tenancy at tenants request • Payments for utilities, communication services, TV licence and council tax

What happens if a landlord fails to comply? A landlord who accepts or requests a prohibited payment will not be able to serve a s21 notice (a no-fault eviction) until the relevant payment has been returned, or the tenant has consented to the payment being applied towards the payment of rent and/or the tenancy deposit. If an agent makes a request or receives payment, it appears that the landlord is unaffected for s21 purposes. For existing tenancies, if a non-permitted payment is accepted from a tenant, the landlord/agent must return the payment within 28 days. The payment

doesn’t need to have been requested, merely accepting it is enough for the landlord/agent to been seen as having required the tenant to make a prohibited payment. There are also penalties payable: • up to £5,000 for the first offence • If a second offence is committed within five years, the financial penalty is up to £30,000, and it becomes a criminal offence as well as a banning order offence, meaning the landlord may be banned from renting properties. Any financial penalties imposed are in addition to the landlord being required to repay any prohibited payments and are enforceable as if it were an order of the county court. Any relevant person (the tenant, guarantor, or someone acting on behalf of a tenant) who has made a prohibited payment will also be able to make an application to the First-tier Tribunal for recovery and this will have cost consequences for the landlord, licensor or agent. Many landlords, including university colleges, have already updated their tenancy agreements to avoid falling foul of the regulations and the financial penalties it imposes. If you need your tenancy updated to reflect the changes brought about by the Act, or if you need advice on how it may impact you, please do get in touch.

 amy.evans@penningtonslaw.com  01865 813 708  www.penningtonslaw.com

O X F O R D S H I R E

CHRIS OZIMIC Head of Dispute Resolution Hedges Law www.hedgeslaw.co.uk

What is your role in the business? Head of dispute resolution.

What are your areas of expertise? Property litigation solicitor – residential and commercial and general commercial litigation.

What do you enjoy about your work? Finding solutions to clients’ problems. Clients will come to me / Hedges, not necessarily wanting us to recite the law but to find a practical solution for their problem as efficiently and effectively as possible.

Where were you born? Canberra, Australia.

What are your hobbies / interests? Anything sporty – I love distance running; fly fishing; the odd game of golf (hit and giggle standard!) Fly fishing is my real passion…I fly fish three or four times a year. It’s an opportunity to get away from the noise, stress etc… Once you are doing it, nothing else enters your mind. There are some lovely rivers in Hampshire and Dorset…. haven’t found anywhere in Oxfordshire just yet. I like to be in the river in waders, not from the bank.

Something we don’t know about you? I am a qualified private pilot.

Where is your favourite place(s) in Oxfordshire and why? I am brand new to Oxford so have yet to explore. Invitations to do so welcome!

Who inspires you? I did a Master’s degree in International Human Rights law and one of my main inspirations has been Martin Luther King, for his passion and determination to right wrongs and his willingness to turn the other cheek when confronted by provocation. Also Paul Robeson who was an actor who was discriminated against for his colour and, like MLK, coped with it with acts of kindness, humility and sincerity.

L-R: Ricky Chahal, Nicola Poole and Christopher Ozimic

HEDGES LAW BUSINESS SERVICES TEAM CONTINUES TO GROW Written by: Lucy Stratton, Business Development Executive

One of the fastest growing law firms in Oxford, Hedges Law, welcomes a further two new lawyers to its Business Services team this month. The two joiners will strengthen this highly regarded team that is seeing ever growing demand for advice from corporate and commercial clients across the county and beyond. Experienced Litigation Solicitor, Christopher Ozimic is qualified in both the UK and Australia. He brings a wealth of specialist experience in property litigation matters as well as in commercial disputes, professional negligence, consumer disputes and insolvency. Ricky Chahal, a Trainee Legal Executive in Commercial Property has 4 years’ experience managing diverse caseloads of Commercial Property and will shortly complete his final qualifications as a Legal Executive.

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Nicola Poole, Managing Director at Hedges Law said, ‘We are delighted to be able to offer such specialist expertise to our business clients, and it is testament to this superb team that we are seeing such growth

longevity of Hedges Law, offering legal services as it has now, through four different centuries.’

We are delighted to be “able to be able to offer such specialist expertise to our business clients Nicola Poole, Managing Director at Hedges Law

”

at a time of widespread uncertainty and stasis in so many parts of the market. Being able to grow our teams to meet the demands of our clients has been critical to the success and

   

lucy.stratton@hedgeslaw.co.uk 01491 523 955 www.hedgeslaw.co.uk @hedgeslaw

A1 GRANGE COURT BUSINESS PARK Barton Lane, Abingdon, OX14 3NB TO LET 5,144 sq ft High quality brand new industrial/warehouse unit with 6m internal eaves height, electric roller shutter loading door and offices with lots of natural light.

5520 OXFORD BUSINESS PARK John Smith Drive Oxford, OX4 2LL TO LET 10,140 sq ft Contemporary refurbished offices with exposed services, comfort cooling, LED lighting with sensor controls, raised floors, electric vehicle charging.

UNITS 8 & 9 NETWORK OXFORD, TRADE CITY Sandy Lane West, Oxford, OX4 6FF TO LET 6,178 sq ft and 6,141 sq ft Suitable for immediate industrial or trade uses, or alternative uses such as research and development or laboratory research with 7.55m internal eaves.

UNIT 18 THAME PARK BUSINESS CENTRE Wenman Road, Thame, OX9 3XA TO LET 19,490 sq ft Modern industrial/warehouse unit with three phase power, gas central heating to the two storey offices and 41 car parking spaces.

unrivalled loc aland reg ionalexp ert is e Ric hard Venab les rvenables@vslandp.com Tom B art on tbarton@vslandp.com D unc an M ay dmay@vslandp.com

news Construction to start at Axis J9 Bicester’s latest distribution & manufacturing park following detailed planning approval concerns prior to seeking approval of final details. The amendments approved by Cherwell District Council included: to completely remove vehicular access onto Howes Lane, instead all access for Axis J9 will be from Middleton Stoney Road; the delay of future residential development for the circa 150 homes, until the Strategic Link Road (realignment of Howes Lane) has been completed; the scale of the individual buildings in phase one, which is the closest part of the development to existing residential areas, reduced by approximately two metres.

Construction is to start on a new distribution and manufacturing park in Bicester to provide space for between 900 and 1,200 jobs, following approval by Cherwell District Council of Albion Land’s detailed planning application incorporating amendments.

will be offered as freehold or leasehold. Phase 3 will be built to match individual occupier requirements with units ranging from between 100,000 sq ft and 250,000 sq ft and will be available freehold or leasehold.

Axis J9 will be a major employment park totalling 500,000 sq ft, which will be built in three phases: phases one and two will comprise five mid-sized units and eight smaller units respectively, ranging in size between 3,400 and 64,000 sq ft. Construction, along with initial infrastructure works to provide the new Middleton Stoney Road access, will start in September 2019 with completion due in mid 2020. Units 1 – 5 will be offered to lease whilst units 8 – 14

Located west of Howes Lane and north of Middleton Stoney Road, the area was identified for employment development space by Cherwell District Council as part of the Local Plan (2011–2031). Outline planning permission was granted in December 2017. Since then, Albion Land has held positive meetings with Cherwell District Council and also Oxfordshire County Council, as highways authority, and listened to local residents, Members and other stakeholders’

Simon Parsons, director, Albion Land said: “For Cherwell District Council to recognise the significance of Axis J9 to the local area means that we can speculatively start to develop phases 1 and 2, showing our further commitment to Bicester to provide workspace for businesses to grow and thrive. “We are already in active negotiations with companies looking for distribution and production space. They range from businesses based in Bicester as well as those from across Oxfordshire, nationally and internationally. Bicester offers a strong, wellconnected location, a ready-made workforce and significant combined rent and business rates savings compared to similar south east buildings. We are able to start delivering employment space resulting in new jobs which will build a sustainable community for Bicester.” Axis J9 is located three miles from J9 M30 and close to 10,000 plus planned new homes. VSL are joint letting agents with White Commercial and Colliers International.

www.vslandp.com

Deals...

8 Network @ Link 9 Bicester, 17,402 sq ft LETTING

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

6500 Oxford Business Park 14,460 sq ft LETTING

2 Farmoor Court Oxford 1,164 sq ft SALE

How would your business like to connect with over 25,000 employees in the B4 community? We are launching B4 Perks in October and would like to invite you to participate by submitting an offer through the new B4 Perks website: www.perks.b4-business.com Would your business like more footfall, then submit an offer during the three month trial PHASE and open up your custoner base to the B4 Community.

Find out more at: www.perks.b4-business.com We look forward to hearing from you.

LAMBERT SMITH HAMPTON:

ALL ABOARD THE ARC

Written by: Charlie Mason, Chartered Surveyor & Director, Lambert Smith Hampton , Oxford

Centres of innovation The Oxford-Cambridge Arc stretches from Oxfordshire to Cambridgeshire, home to 3.7 million people and over two million jobs. The Arc is already home to some of the UK’s most innovative and productive cities. Oxford, Cambridge and Milton Keynes have consistently been ranked among the fastest growing economies in the country in recent years. However, the Arc’s economy is constrained by poor east-west transport connectivity. At present, this prevents it from functioning as a single economic region..

The knowledge economy The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) has identified the future success of the Arc as a national priority. It argues that a joined-up plan is needed for new jobs, homes and infrastructure. This would help the region to exploit the economic benefits of its world-renowned education and research facilities. The region boasts two of the topranked universities globally in Oxford and Cambridge, as well as internationally recognised research centres such as Harwell and Culham in the ‘Science Vale’ of South Oxfordshire. The focus on knowledge-based sectors is reflected in industry clusters across the region. These include technology and biosciences in Cambridge; high performance technology and financial services in Milton Keynes; motorsport and high performance engineering in Northamptonshire; and high-tech engineering and biosciences in Oxford and the Science Vale.

New homes, new workplaces The NIC suggests that up to one million new WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

homes will be needed across the Arc by 2050. This ambition will require significant investment in new infrastructure, as well as commercial property development to support new jobs. Cambridge Econometrics has modelled a scenario in which close to 950,000 new jobs could be created in the Arc by 2050. To support this level of jobs growth, the amount of commercial floor space across the region would need to increase by more than 50%. The Arc’s largest cities would each require millions of square feet of new office space.

“ Locations that are

currently poorly connected will become commutable, increasing their viability for new development

”

Unlocking growth The new east-west road and rail links will to help drive economic growth, as well as unlocking new locations for residential and commercial property development. Thousands of workers will be put within easier reach of high quality jobs such as those found on the region’s science parks.

development, due to high land prices, limited land availability and the presence of green belt around both cities. In contrast, Milton Keynes will be highly receptive to new development, benefiting from a central location within the Arc, a greater supply of affordable, developable land and a local council that already has substantial expansion plans. The NIC suggests that Milton Keynes has the potential to double in size to become a city of over 500,000 people. Milton Keynes is also expected to be the biggest single focus for employment growth and commercial property development. Under Cambridge Econometrics’ transformational growth scenario, 136,000 new jobs would be created in Milton Keynes by 2050, more than in any other local authority in the Arc. This level of employment growth would require the volume of office and industrial floor space to increase by well over 60%.

Arc of vision Much of the initial focus of plans for the Arc has been on the need for new housing, but the commercial property sector will have an important role to play in driving economic growth. High quality workplaces will be needed to support the knowledge based industries that are the region’s key economic assets.

Locations that are currently poorly connected will become commutable, increasing their viability for new development. New or upgraded train stations and key road junctions will act as beacons for developers.

Future hotspots Oxford and Cambridge themselves may be among the least viable locations for new large-scale

 01865 200 244  www.lsh.co.uk

Turning to “ development, this has been one the most positive areas of activity with several announcements on plans for new space

”

AUTUMN COMMERCIAL PROPERTY REVIEW Jon Silversides, Partner, Carter Jonas Oxford The summer months are traditionally for relaxation, however, Oxfordshire and its surrounding regions have been a hive of activity, particularly when it comes to commercial property. Though economic and political uncertainties continue to dominate the news agenda, and our collective consciousness, the day to day activity of the diverse employment base is keeping things busy, perhaps even protecting us from the indecision impacting other markets across the UK. Written by: Jon Silversides Photography by: Aurelien Langlais

Despite reduced activity levels in the first half of this year, market sentiment remains good, with occupiers who need to move doing so. The city’s university sector is key in progressing activity and will be further boosted by Legal & General’s partnership with Oxford University to provide up to £4 billion of funding over the next decade for residential accommodation and academic space. More generally, the supply shortage is maintaining

upward pressure on rents across the Oxfordshire market. At the region’s key science parks, as a result of recent demand, there is now limited quality space available and the next phases of development at The Oxford Science Park and Harwell are eagerly anticipated. Turning to development, this has been one the most positive areas of activity with several announcements on plans for new space (perhaps

even more noteworthy given the current political climate, however, continued demand is sustaining the market). And not before time. Historically, for various reasons, the county had been unable to provide deliverable sites or enough Grade A built product to attract larger occupiers. Tables started to turn in 2017, with both Harwell and Oxford Science Park progressing speculative schemes. However, much of the space

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Despite reduced “ activity levels in the first half of this year, market sentiment remains good, with occupiers who need to move doing so

”

was filled even before completion. The announcement then in July, that The Oxford Science Park is seeking planning for permission for Plot 16 is a welcome development. Comprising 165,000 sq ft of workspace for offices and labs across two buildings, as well as a central plaza, wider landscaping and accessibility enhancements, construction is planned to commence in Q2 2020. The ambitious scheme will represent the largest speculative commercial workspace commitment Oxford has seen in perhaps a generation, and the buildings should reach practical completion by Q4 2021. The design will also facilitate access to the planned Railway Station that will come with the reopening of the Cowley Branch line which, fingers crossed, will happen in 2022. Across the border in Northamptonshire, another speculative development scheme we’ve been helping to progress was announced, this time at Silverstone Park. MEPC recently released details of the next speculative phase of development at this high-tech business estate. It is set to include nine new units providing 140,000 sq ft of industrial/ workshop premises. The plan follows the success of the most recent speculative industrial scheme, which attracted ten new advanced engineering companies to the site. And with four of the new units already under offer on the Park, demand shows no sign of abating. The area continues to benefit from the increased

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focus on the Cambridge - Milton Keynes - Oxford Corridor, and occupiers are attracted to the Park as much for its proximity to Oxford, Northampton, Milton Keynes and Aylesbury, as being a destination of choice in its own right. The Silverstone Technology Cluster has a growing reputation with a locally based and highly skilled precision engineering workforce. This, in turn, has a cross-over into a myriad of technologies.

Witney has experienced “considerable growth in recent years, and the promotion of the larger West Witney development scheme, of which this site is part, has played a vital role in its progression

”

Most recently, our team announced the sale of a 24-acre employment site off Downs Road, Witney, to industrial and warehouse developer Tungsten Properties. The site, which forms part of a larger mixed-use development, has outline consent for B class employment uses. It is located on the corner of Downs Road and Range Road and is within 500m of a new junction on to the A40. This provides direct

access to Oxford to the east and Cheltenham and the M5 to the west. The official launch of the new site is imminent, but it is already causing a buzz. Witney has experienced considerable growth in recent years, and the promotion of the larger West Witney development scheme, of which this site is part, has played a vital role in its progression. Both investors and occupiers are attracted to its improved infrastructure and the range of development options available. Pent up demand means that strong levels of interest are expected, and should be keeping us busy for the foreseeable future. The advancement of each of these schemes is extremely positive. The investment, particularly in the current climate, is heartening. They will further enhance the region’s reputation and overall appeal, sending the collective and unequivocal message that it is open for business. To discuss these developments or any of your property requirements please contact Carter Jonas.

 jon.silversides@carterjonas.co.uk  01865 565 277  www.carterjonas.co.uk

OXFORD’S NEW ECO-FRIENDLY HUB FOR SCIENCE AND TECH BUSINESSES With more and more small businesses adopting sustainability practices, WCFI is hoping to attract more clients who have sustainability high on their agenda. Set in 15 acres of picturesque woodland at Stansfeld Park in Headington, the two-storey innovation centre has strong green credentials. Orientated east-west, the building maximises beneficial solar gain and protects against unwanted solar gain with an overhanging roof that provides solar shading. Not only that, there is 30kW solar array of photovoltaic panels on the south-facing roof that helps to power the building, and there are air-source heat pumps that provide energy for the underfloor heating. The materials used for the build have been sourced locally where possible, including the British poplar that clads the exterior. In fact, WCFI is the biggest building in the UK that’s clad in heat-treated timber. The centre is also big on wildflowers with its green roof and mixed planting all around the centre that creates a wonderful display during the summer months. Together the eco-friendly measures at the new centre provide the perfect platform for businesses to promote their green credentials.

Professor Jose Maria Pena, co-founder and CTO of Lurtis, an artificial intelligence research company resident at the centre, said: “The practical location and stunning surroundings immediately attracted us to WCFI. We are currently working on developing technology for an architectural firm, so it has been excellent for us to promote our services from a base consistent with eco-friendly measures.”

When you “ become part of the

Wood Centre for Innovation, you’ll gain lots of support you didn’t even know you needed

”

Owners of the building, The Oxford Trust has been environmentally conscious throughout the building process, and working with Oxford Innovation, who manage the centre, are starting to rollout a green transport initiative. Users of the facilities at Stansfeld

Park are encouraged to cycle, walk or use public transport. The centre has also installed a number of electric car charging points and cycle racks. Professor Pena added: “All of our staff walk or cycle to work, so having an office which supports this was important to us on a practical level. We’re located right in the heart of a woodland, so the surrounding area is stunning and something always noticed by our clients. It’s also great to enjoy a walk and during the busy day.” Located on Quarry Road in Headington, the centre is close to the city’s fast-growing health and data sciences quarter, centred on the University of Oxford’s Old Road campus, clinical research facilities at the local hospitals and Oxford Brookes University. It is also close to major road and rail links. Part of WCFI’s attraction is the vibrant community of science and tech start-ups based there but also at its partner centre – the Oxford Centre for Innovation, or OCFI – in the centre of town. Clients include medical product design and development consultancy firm, Triteq, and Ultromics, a business that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to build diagnostic aids for cardiovascular diseases. Others include Sportside, the developers of an all-encompassing app and web-based communication platform.

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All of our staff walk or “cycle to work, so having an office which supports this was important to us on a practical level

”

The newly-opened, state-of-the-art Wood Centre for Innovation (WCFI) has a prime selection of flexible office and lab space, impressive meeting and conference facilities as well as a dedicated package of support for local science and tech businesses. Not only that, it has great environmental credentials, is located at the heart of the city’s health and data sciences quarter, and attracts a vibrant community of like-minded start-up and grown-on businesses. Those at OCFI range from audio specialists, healthcare researchers and environmental data analysts and anything in-between.

business-building workshops throughout the year. These sessions are open to all customers and are included as part of the licence fee.

Both centres are run by Oxford Innovation, the UK’s leading operator of innovation centres that provide office, laboratory, workshop and meeting space throughout the UK. The company also provides innovation services to entrepreneurs, including business-planning advice, fund raising, coaching and mentoring.

The Wood Centre for Innovation (WCFI) and the Oxford Centre for Innovation (OCFI) are both owned by The Oxford Trust; an independent charitable trust founded in 1985 by entrepreneurs Sir Martin and Lady Audrey Wood. The Trust’s mission is to encourage the pursuit of science and enterprise. Through their innovation centres, the Trust has enabled hundreds of innovative companies to begin, develop and grow, including Mirada Medical, Perspectum Diagnostics, Natural Motion and Oxford Computer Consultants.

WCFI’s Commercial Manager, Kelly Carter, supports businesses on their journey and helps them overcome challenges to success. She also helps to link up clients with the Oxford Innovation network of Innovation Directors that offers practical support and advice. As Kelly says: “The wants and needs of our clients are taken seriously by the team. When you become part of the Wood Centre for Innovation, you’ll gain lots of support you didn’t even know you needed. Our team is well connected within Oxford’s science and technology sectors, so businesses will have the kind of support you just won’t get anywhere else.” As part of the support package offered to clients, WCFI hosts a programme of sector-specific and

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The Trust’s sustainable business model means that income from WCFI and OCFI is reinvested in the Science Oxford Centre at Stansfeld Park and their Science Oxford education and engagement programmes. The strength of the Trust’s business model is that it supports both ends of the innovation ecosystem, from inspiring young children about the wonders of science to helping start-ups develop and grow. Could you see your business at the centre? The Wood Centre for Innovation currently has a number of offices and lab space available, ranging from 384

sq ft and 1048 sq ft, for growing companies that work in the science and technology sectors. If you are interested in space at the centre, contact us to arrange a tour.

 wcfi@oxin.co.uk  01865 945 500  www.wcfi.co.uk

 Info@theoxfordtrust.co.uk  01865 810 000  www.theoxfordtrust.co.uk

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If you want to be a “ great leader who attracts quality people, the key is to become a person of quality yourself Jim Rohn

”

WHY IS GREAT LEADERSHIP IMPORTANT? Poor quality people management ‘costs employers £84 billion a year’.1 This is £9bn more than the £75bn that the Institute for Fiscal Studies has estimated could be lost every year by 2030 if the UK left the single market.2 These facts alone should highlight the importance of developing our leaders; the focus must be to build an internationally competitive economy, based on a world-class skilled workforce, for the UK to flourish. Good leadership is KEY to meeting these imminent challenges and opportunities

So what makes a Great Leader?

When you observe the qualities of great leaders throughout history, there are some common denominators: - Vision/purpose is CLEAR. - They LISTEN - Know their weaknesses (Self-awareness) - Have INTEGRITY (personal and professional) - Trust (people feel SAFE with their leaders) - Emotional Intelligence. Of course this list is by no means exhaustive. It’s a good list nonetheless. And I make no apology for highlighting the intangible attributes of great leadership; those hard-to-measure and yet, we all know from our own experiences with leaders, essential qualities, that can make or break a day/ month/year in our professional life. Indeed, it is often the lack of these intangibles, that lead perfectly able and competent employees to lose motivation, underperform and ultimately leave a job, costing the UK economy billions. Just to focus in for a moment on one of these qualities, emotional intelligence: according to Goleman, his research indicates that emotional intelligence is TWICE as important (66% to 34%) as academic or technical knowledge for success at WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

work. For leadership roles this is even GREATER: 85% to 15%. The thing is, emotional intelligence CAN be developed. Great leaders can be both born AND made. In fact all leadership attributes and qualities can learned and made habitual – the same as any other skill. The intangible nature of leadership and what makes a great leader should not in any way deter you from looking to develop in this area. There are practical tools and techniques one can learn and adopt in both personal and professional life, which will not only enhance your quality of life (contentment, self-confidence, gratitude) but will have such an immediate and tangible effect on your professional life, as well as on the direct reports around you, that you will quickly wonder why personal development wasn’t always your first priority. Personal development and building character, in my opinion, is the very first rule of leadership, and indeed, of life, if we want to live a life of the kind that is fulfilling to us, enhancing to the lives we touch, and leaves a legacy long after we have departed.

the walks in nature, listen to the podcasts, watch the videos, lift the weights, give your time and money to the causes dearest to your heart, run with the freedom you did as a child, stay true to your values, be grateful for all you have achieved thus far in life (if you don’t think it’s much take a good look at where you were 5 years ago), make time for your loved ones, be PRESENT, hang out with the friends who make you LAUGH, stop to smell the flowers… Oh, and get yourself a coach. Really.

Suggested Reading

Leaders Eat Last – Simon Sinek Emotional Intelligence – Daniel Goleman The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People – Stephen R. Covey Why Should Anyone Be Lead By You? – Rob Goffee & Gareth Jones YouTube: TED Talk – ‘Why Good Leaders Make You Feel Safe’ – Simon Sinek www.cipd.co.uk & People Management journal 11th September 2015. see Chartered Management Institute’s Management Manifesto ‘Leadership For Change’ - www.managers.org.uk. 1

In the immortal words of Jim Rohn: “If you want to be a great leader who attracts quality people, the key is to become a person of quality yourself” Finally, as a personal development and leadership coach, I am not here to give you advice. However, if I WERE to give you advice, it would be: read the books (and then read some more, never stop reading), take

 lola@lolachapman.co.uk  07907 371 049  www.lolachapman.co.uk

BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Bombay Sapphire Distillery Celebrates Five Years of Operation with sustainable new Café

Written by: Amy Dobson (Sales & Marketing Manager, Bombay Sapphire Distillery)

The Bombay Sapphire Distillery is based at Laverstoke Mill, near Whitchurch in Hampshire, and sits in a leafy conservation area astride the River Test, just 60 miles from London and 15 miles from Winchester. Following extensive renovations by Heatherwick Studios, the distillery opened on 1st October 2014, and is the production centre for all Bombay Sapphire gin. Driven by a desire to be one of the world’s most sustainable distilleries, Bombay Sapphire is also the first ever refurbishment project and distillery to achieve a BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ rating for sustainability. The site dates back to 10th century; and was once the site of a manor in the ownership of Henry VIII, but was most notably it was a Georgian and Victorian paper mill. Entrepreneur Henry Portal first starting manufacturing bank notes in 1718; and was later awarded the contract to produce all the bank notes for the bank of England and the British Empire. 92

Photography by: Hype Photography & Iwan Baan

The sustainability aspects and the heritage story of the Bombay Sapphire Distillery is told through a range of different experiences for guests to enjoy. Across the distillery’s sprawling Victorian architecture,

“ Each tour is finished with

a cocktail in the Mill bar, which can be selected from the individual taste profile you put together in the botanical dry room

”

you can learn about the history of gin, Laverstoke Mill, and Bombay Sapphire; and also find out about the flavours of the botanicals which make Bombay Sapphire gin so unique.

Guests can discover the Vapour Infusion distillation process in the Dakin Still House, wander through the Botanical Dry Room, and breathe in the ten exotic botanicals used to make Bombay Sapphire and Star of Bombay. Laverstoke Mill’s centrepiece is two magnificent intertwining glasshouses, designed by the Heatherwick Studio (famous for the showstopping Olympic Cauldron and the new London buses). A dazzling feat of architecture, the houses are constructed from over 700 individual panes of glass – no two are the same. Each tour is finished with a cocktail in the Mill bar, which can be selected from the individual taste profile you put together in the botanical dry room, making the experience tailored to you. New for 2019, the Bombay Sapphire Distillery announced the opening of a new café, based in the historic surroundings of the mill-workers cottages. Located in a flintstone building that in Victorian times would have provided accommodation for the WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

“ New for 2019, the

Bombay Sapphire Distillery announced the opening of a new café, based in the historic surroundings of the mill-workers cottages

”

workers at the former paper mill, the Mill Café at the Bombay Sapphire Distillery maintains an historic exterior, whilst the interior has been renovated in a modern style highlighting the historic aspects. Serving everything from sandwiches, paninis and salad bowls to brunch, sharing platters and delicious hot beverages and sweet treats, the café will be available for use by ticketed visitors to the Bombay Sapphire Distillery. In creating the menu for the Mill Café, the Bombay Sapphire Distillery wanted to choose the highest quality ingredients possible, whilst keeping their carbon footprint and ‘food miles’ low. They have partnered with some of the best local producers in the area to create an inspirational menu that truly celebrates local suppliers. Some of the local suppliers include neighbour Laverstoke Park Farm, who farm with nature to WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

produce the finest buffalo milk cheeses that are used across the menu. In the nearby village of Wolverton, the Hampshire Salami Company work closely with Hampshire farmers and smallholders to produce salami which they supply for the charcuterie platters. Both the tea and coffee available at the Bombay Sapphire Distillery will be sourced from Winchester. Char Teas work closely with growers across the globe to source their fine teas; and River Coffee Roasters build relationships directly with coffee suppliers and communities in coffee-producing countries. The coffee at the Bombay Sapphire Distillery has been based on a unique botanical blend associated with Bombay Sapphire gin. Even the oil and crockery are locally sourced – The Cold Pressed Oil Company are based near Crondall in Hampshire, and they sustainably produce the oil used in the café. The beautiful crockery is supplied by Surrey Ceramics, whose quintessentially

English pottery designs are made using traditional techniques. The café is available to ticketed visitors only at the distillery, so booking your ticket in advance is recommended. For tours and further information, please visit distillery.bombaysapphire.com

 events@bombaysapphire.com  01865 489 988  distillery.bombaysapphire.com

GREG INGE CEO CQR www.cqr.com

What is your role in the business? CEO – my job is to help our clients and potential clients understand the cyber risk and guide them in to the simple solutions that fit their business culture and budgets whilst protecting their information.

What are your areas of expertise? Business resilience & cyber security strategy – helping companies make sure they have a Plan B around their critical business process, technology and people.

What do you enjoy about your work? Our people and our clients. One of the things we have as a business is trusted long term relationships with our customers which is driven by our staff…. the business is our passion!

What are your hobbies / interests? Cricket, and anything sport..Ozzie rules, basketball, premier league (West Ham supporter, long suffering!) My daughter Stacey has a horse and I have to do all the mucking out when I go home to Australia.

Do you have a favourite sports team? West Ham, Adelaide Crows (Ozzie rules) and any South Australian sporting team.

Something we don’t know about you? I umpired (refereed) Australian Rules at the top level for ten years!

Where is your favourite place(s) in Oxfordshire and why? Blenheim – we work on the doorstep and we have a gate at the back! Where else! It’s incredible and a wonderful place to work! When my hamstring repairs itself I can go back running!

What do you like about Oxfordshire? Lifestyle – mix of history, city, rural and that makes it a wonderful place to be.

Who inspires you? My wife and daughter (Anne and Stacey)….they are still based in Australia…. the support they give me is incredible. We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without their support.

How all small businesses can offer graduate schemes that are often better than the big boys! As a recruiter and avid Oxfordshire business supporter, I often find that many Oxfordshire-based businesses, especially the smaller ones, find it challenging to attract fresh, intelligent and hungry talent into their businesses. With our wealth of worldclass students, surely this shouldn’t be the case? Written by: Ben Thompson Photography by: Fisher Studios

Based on my research last summer, I found that Oxfordshire offers very few graduate schemes compared to a lot of other English counties. In fact, I only managed to find 7 graduate schemes being offered by Oxfordshire-based SMEs. Graduate website, Prospects, cites that nearly 50% of employers find their vacancies difficult to fill due to a lack of relevant working experience, a problem that resonates with a lot of fresh graduates who have typically only ever worked alongside education. I think what many employers are failing to recognize is the significance of potential in line with experience. Whilst graduates may not have the immediate skills required for a role, they are typically hard-working, intuitive and eager to absorb information, which, given some basic training, often makes them excellent value for money. With this logic, I made it my mission to change the disparity of Oxfordshire graduate opportunities and challenged our 3-person business to put together a graduate scheme that could ‘beat’ what is often offered in London by ‘the big boys’. We, therefore launched our ‘Graduate Business Executive’ vacancy - a 1-year scheme covering recruitment (we are a recruitment agency after all), administration, finance, marketing, sales and business-planning. As a result, we were inundated with interested graduates who all said that there was nothing else like this in Oxfordshire. Shannon, the successful candidate, was a recent graduate from The University of Birmingham with a degree in English. Shannon had really thrived in education and knew that she wanted to join a business where she could continue to learn but, like

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many of her peers, she was unsure of her long-term career goals. Thus, the opportunity to gain a variety of new skills was very attractive to her. This scheme didn’t just work for Shannon, it really worked for us. Like most small business owners, I previously found myself doing lots of the ‘low value’ work like bookkeeping and administration, which whilst time-consuming for me, is really valuable to a graduate.

Whilst graduates “may not have the immediate skills required for a role, they are typically hard-working, intuitive and eager to absorb information

In fact, many of Shannon’s peers who joined more conventional London-based graduate schemes have been shocked by the variety and depth of experience that Shannon has acquired over the last year. Our approach certainly hasn’t been rocket science. As an SME, because we don’t have our own finance, marketing or business strategy departments, there is that gap for us (and you) to offer real variety in terms of hands-on experience. This summer, we have made the decision to offer two more graduate schemes and have again been extremely flattered by the quality of interest in our positions – many applicants coming from top universities. So, why not give it a try? Oxfordshire’s graduates need you!

”

Ben Thompson - Thompson & Terry Recruitment

After 10 months with the business, Shannon was rewarded with a promotion to ‘Junior Business and Marketing Manager’, Firstly because she deserved, it but secondly because it really added to her credibility and value. Shannon has decided that her longer-term career will probably be one in marketing and for that reason it may not be with us, purely due to our volume of marketing need. However, both Shannon and Thompson & Terry Recruitment have gained such incredible value over the past 12 months that ultimately the implementation of our graduate scheme has been entirely mutually beneficial.

 jobs@thompsonandterry.co.uk  01235 797 177  thompsonandterry.co.uk

Find your

DREAM

University of Oxford venue for any occasion

Conference Oxford Call 01865 276190 or email enquiries@conference-oxford.ox.ac.uk www.conference-oxford.com

A place to... MEET

Photos: Chris Andrews Publications, Oxford University Images / Bodleian Libraries

SLEEP

EAT

CELEBRATE

You HR Consultancy celebrates 10th Anniversary You HR Consultancy recently celebrated their tenth anniversary in style with an event at Sticks ‘n’ Sushi in Oxford. Jonna Mundy started consulting as a sole trader in 2009 and since then the team has grown from strength to strength with several new members of staff joining in the last few months; welcoming Caroline Whitehead in August and Jenny Kennard in September. When Jonna first started the consultancy she wanted to make life easier for Not for Profit and Small Medium Enterprise businesses by providing a tailor made service to suit each client’s needs. This vision has remained and so has the strapline…

It’s all about the people You HR Consultancy’s vision is to be the leading Human Resources (HR) and Organisational Development (OD) Consultancy in Oxfordshire by providing purposeful professional and progressive best practice people management solutions that enable client growth, and for the Consultancy to give back to the community at every opportunity.

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As part of the celebrations You HR held a silent auction to raise funds for their Charity Partner Homeless Oxfordshire and raised an amazing £1278.50 in the process! They hope to further increase this in October when some of the team are taking part in the Oxford Half Marathon. You can support them on the YouHR-oxford-half Just Giving page.

...You HR are “ already looking ahead to the future with lots of exciting new ventures

”

Also to mark the 10th anniversary You HR have refreshed their Consultancy and Academy websites – giving more clarity to the pages to allow a greater understanding of the services they offer.

You HR are already looking ahead to the future with lots of exciting new ventures and projects in progress. To get in touch with You HR Consultancy for your FREE no obligation HR and OD health check email alice@youhr.co.uk or call 01491 820764 to find out how they can help your organisation grow and maximise potential through your people.

 www.youhrconsultancy.co.uk

 www.youhracademy.co.uk

NICK BREAKSPEAR Business Development Manager Royal Cars www.royal-cars.com

What is your role in the business? BDM – bridge the gap between the company and the clients and develop the business which sounds straightforward but has many aspects. I also get involved with marketing and work with a lot of sponsors.

What are your areas of expertise? Relationship building is at the core of my role and I like to think I’m quite good at it!

What do you enjoy about your work? It’s a family run business which is great – I get a lot more freedom than I would in a larger corporate. I’m not micro managed which gives me more licence to develop the role as I want to.

What are your hobbies / interests? Football is the main one – I try and watch as much as possible (much to my wife’s annoyance)…I play football games on Xbox and would like to actually play more but getting on!

Do you have a favourite sports team? Aston Villa.

Where is your favourite place(s) in Oxfordshire and why? Anywhere by the river…The Nags Head in Abingdon…nice pub, sun trap and lovely garden by the river.

What do you like about Oxfordshire? It’s steeped in history which is amazing. You do take it for granted…having travelled around the world you really appreciate Oxford when you are away.

Who inspires you? I’m not inspired by anyone in particular…. every day is an inspiration! I found Ray Charles fascinating – he inspired me with stories of his travels.

EXAMPLE FULL DAY EATING FOR WELLBEING Helen Money Nutrition 9am-10am Pimp your oats bar Drop in session to create your own heart healthy breakfast and ask nutrition related questions in an informal environment

Inspiring employees to make positive changes; Good for them, Good for the company Written by: Helen Money

The old-fashioned way to show employees they were appreciated was to take them out and pour as much alcohol down their throats as possible. Well this is certainly my experience from working in the City from the late 80’s through to the early 2000’s. But times have changed. The message that came out of BIO2019 was very clear – employees, especially graduates recently entering the world of work want something different. It’s about lifestyle, they want flexible working hours, working from home, gym membership and more. And this approach is one that is reflected in the way that most of the world’s fastest growing companies run their business. That is because they know it helps retain healthy, productive staff; and this is good for the bottom line. But do employees need to be brought together, inspired and supported in making healthy lifestyle choices that are both good for them and the company? I certainly think that they do, and this is backed by a growing mound of research showing that workplace interventions do make a difference. A paper published last year ‘Ferrari Corporate Wellness Program: Results of a Pilot Analysis and the “Drag” Impact in the Workplace’ concluded that the program ‘proved to be effective in improving CV risk profile and cardio-respiratory fitness in a population of already physically active employees’. I highlight this paper as nutritional scientists are not renowned for their wit, and I felt that the effort this author had put into the title deserved more coverage, but there are many papers showing similar results and how successful workplace interventions can be at improving employee wellbeing. Companies differ, employees differ and company objectives differ. It may be that for some big changes are too daunting but inspiring small changes can make a difference, and one change may lead to another. Quick facts can be effective such as 1 brazil nut provides a whole days selenium requirement – essential to the immune system and hormones, 1 pint of milk provides a whole days calcium WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

requirement – helping to prevent osteoporosis in future years or 1 large carrot provides enough beta carotene to convert into a whole days vitamin A requirement – essential for vision and the immune system, also great for glowing skin. Eating a nut a day may strike a cord and seem achievable and this may then lead to a handful of nuts and less biscuits being eaten or a carrot and hummus snack replacing a packet of crisps. One small step… Other employees and companies may be ready for bigger changes. It may be that some companies want a focus on sustainability, for example. Events could be run based on the United Nations call for a shift by the Western world to move to a more plant-based diet to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; companies could run workshops to support employees wanting to eat less meat. The UN have also said that food waste accounts for 8-10% of man-made greenhouse gas emissions, again this would make a great workshops topic. One definition of inspired is ‘imbued with the spirit to do something’ and that’s what workplace wellbeing interventions delivered with passion can do. They can make people want to change. Supporting employees in making a positive change makes them feel valued. And with no nasty hangover the next day. Helen Money Nutrition provides bespoke workplace wellbeing from 1 hour talks through to full day, multi branch events. Helen also works with individuals, offering consultations in Cassington, Sunningwell and Summertown.

10.30am-12.30pm 1:1 clinic 30 minute pre bookable 1:1 sessions for employees to ask more detailed questions 1pm -2pm Lunch and learn A talk over lunch looking at eating patterns, nutrients and foods that support long term wellbeing and workplace performance (lunch provided) 3pm -4 pm Immune boosting afternoon snack bar Drop in session to create your own immune boosting afternoon snack and ask nutrition related questions in an informal environment (Or a talk) 4pm – 5pm 1:1 clinic 30 minute pre bookable 1:1 sessions for employees to ask more detailed questions

EXAMPLE FULL DAY FOR BODY, MIND AND SOUL HEALTHY HABITS Helen Money Nutrition & commit2inspire 9.30am Breakfast smoothie, introduction and team building exercise 10.30am Eating for workplace performance A talk on eating patterns, nutrients, meals and snacks that support workplace performance and help avoid that 2pm dip 11.30am The Power of 10 10 key exercises/stretches that can be done in 10 minutes anywhere in the workplace to prevent rounded shoulders, overextending and weakening of key postural muscles from working at a computer all day. 1pm Lunch and learn A talk over lunch on eating for long term wellbeing, including quick, simple meal and snack ideas. 2pm Activity A fun activity to get the blood pumping 3pm Sustainability workshop A thought-provoking workshop looking at how we shop and eat impacts climate change 4pm Setting and achieving goals Inspiration talk on setting and achieving goals

 helen@helenmoneynutrition.com  07961 394201  www.helenmoneynutrition.com

5pm Close Provided in house or as an away day

TIM WRAITH Corporate Partnerships Manager Sobell House www.sobellhouse.org

What is your role in the business? We are an adult hospice and I work with the business sectors and form and manage those partnerships with Sobell House.

What are your areas of expertise? Relationship building and management, arranging and running events.

What do you enjoy about your work? I love working with the business community and seeing what they do for us. I spend a lot of time with our charity partners and form some great relationships with them.

What are your hobbies / interests? Running, massive fan of Park Run and I recently completed my 15th Great North Run. I love watching sports – professional and amateur…my son is in the Oxford United Football Academy and loves it! I also love supporting my two amazing daughters, Jo and Becca, and life is never boring!!

Do you have a favourite sports team? Huddersfield Town (‘the Terriers’), Yorkshire County Cricket Club and, of course, Oxford Utd.

Where is your favourite place(s) in Oxfordshire and why? Cutteslowe Park on a Saturday morning for my Park Run, I also love walking in places like Port Meadow and Mario’s on the Cowley Rod is one of my favourite restaurant – superb pasta!

What do you like about Oxfordshire? I like some of the culture and the fact that there is lots to do…we are also very accessible to other parts of the country.

Who inspires you? My wife, Juliet, has been very supportive throughout some very difficult times, health-wise. It’s been great to spend so much of my life with someone who does nothing but support me and she is incredibly inspiring….a rock!

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news Sobell House focus on Scott Fraser Recently, well known local independent estate and letting agents Scott Fraser joined the 40 Club at Sobell House. The 40 Club provides a great opportunity for local businesses to support Sobell House in a number of ways and B4 took time out to speak to David Blythman and Andrew Greenwood from Scott Fraser about their partnership with this highly respected local charity.

Scott Fraser Team

Please tell B4 why you decided to support Sobell House and the 40 Club We decided to support Sobell following visits to a close friend and business associate who was cared for at the end of a short illness and seeing first-hand the caring process and the amazing people that work there. What affected us most was the incredibly positive and upbeat atmosphere throughout the building. Tim Wraith had been knocking on our door for a few years so after our commitment to the High Sheriffs challenge ended we signed up to the Sobell House 40 Club. The 40 Club is an opportunity for businesses to form a close partnership and raise a certain amount of money over a four-year period. We liked the idea of a longer involvement with a charity and the opportunity to build lasting relationships. We also felt that Sobell House would resonate with the public as most people are aware at some level of the palliative care they offer or have had a friend or family member who has needed their support.

Do you think supporting a local well known charity helps position your business? I suppose it will give potential clients an insight into the sort of company and people they will be working with but it’s also really important to us to be involved in the local community. We have had a lot of support from the people in the areas where we operate and it feels right to be trying to put something back and making a contribution.

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How have your staff risen to the challenge?

our contractors at Tap Social with all funds raised to Sobell House.

The team have been amazing and in the few months since we joined the 40 Club we have almost raised half of our four-year target. They have been organising charity coffee mornings, cake bakes and lunches in our offices. They have joined in Sobell House events such as the recent Light The Night Walk, participated in Fun Runs and raised sponsorship monies. They have put their hands in their own pockets and “rattled the tin” round friends and contacts.

And lastly, what message would you like to give other businesses considering partnering with Sobell House I would tell them not to hesitate. Not only is it a great cause but there is a positive spin off benefit that seems to have energised our team. Sobell House are well organised which helps when you are organising events and need input and publicity materials. They put on lots of events themselves including informative business breakfasts, golf days and much more. They also have a great ambassador in Tim Wraith whose gentle enthusiasm is infectious. If you are interested in forming a partnership with Sobell House and would like to know more please contact their Corporate Partnerships Manager, Tim Wraith.

Light the Night

Would you say that your colleagues are motivated and productive as a result of partnering with Sobell House? Our team is now 70 strong and many of them have known people who have needed Sobell House. The charity has really resonated with Scott Fraser and we are confident that we will hit our fundraising target. The next event we are organising is a quiz night for

 tim.wraith@sobellhospice.org  01865 857 066 / 07527 849 748  www.sobellhouse.org

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THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SOCIAL ENTERPRISE Written by: Grant Hayward

Social Enterprise UK, the national body supporting Social Enterprise, awarded Oxfordshire the accolade of becoming the first Social Enterprise “County” in recognition of the “hot bed” of social enterprise and social entrepreneurs we have locally. But what are they, why are they important and why should and how can mainstream businesses like yours engage with them?

Transition By Design team

What is a Social Enterprise? Social Enterprises take many forms but are essentially businesses like any other, trading to make a profit. The difference is that they exist to tackle social and/ or environmental challenges and most if not all of the profits they make are ploughed back into the business to help support their work. There are over 100,000 social enterprises contributing £60bn to UK GDP, so it’s a significant and important part of the economy. These organisations can be charities, include cooperatives, but can also be certain forms of private limited companies too.

Why are Social Enterprises important to mainstream businesses? Despite Oxfordshire enjoying one of the strongest economies in the UK, we still face many challenges that directly affect our businesses and trading environment. Social Enterprises are working hard to address many of these problems, for example, employment challenges, transport and even housing. To highlight and promote the opportunities for companies to engage and support this process,

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Grant Hayward - Collaborent Ltd

Social Enterprise UK introduced an initiative called the Buy Social Corporate Challenge. Peter Holbrook, Chief Executive at SE UK said “the challenges we face in our communities, across our country and beyond, cannot be resolved by any one business or sector. The future we want to see, the one we must deliver will require the commitment and participation of all. The Buy Social Corporate Challenge helps business contribute to these challenges but can also provide a huge range of internal and external business benefits. It exemplifies why collaboration is key.” Look out in October for the SE UK campaign “Buy Social for a Better World”. The introduction of The Social Value Act has also opened up more opportunities for businesses to engage. It obligates anyone spending public money to consider the Social Value that can be added over and above the contracts being delivered. Contractors are therefore being asked to demonstrate the Social Value they would add through the contracts they are bidding for. Companies who don’t directly provide services to the public sector may consider this doesn’t apply to them. However, those who do are asking their suppliers in turn to demonstrate the Social Value they can add and trading with Social Enterprises is one way to do this.

Social Enterprise in Oxfordshire One example of an Oxfordshire Social Enterprise increasingly trading with local companies is award winning Aspire, focused on employment. Not only does it support its trainees back into the workplace after overcoming significant personal challenges, but it also provides high quality services including grounds maintenance, property refurbishment and recruitment services to local companies. The profits from these activities are invested into its charitable aims of tackling homelessness, reducing reoffending and alleviating poverty. It is also now helping aspiring entrepreneurs who have experienced disadvantage to develop and launch their own enterprises, through a new Business Club. Recognising this significance of Social Enterprise to the local economy, OxLEP has been supporting and promoting it for many years through various initiatives and business support programmes, driven by its Growth Hub. OxLEP recently secured over £300,000 of European funding to ramp this up over the next three years. This bid to deliver the “eScalate” SE support programme was won by OSEP, a Social Enterprise established solely to support other local Social Enterprises and social entrepreneurs. Juliet Cornford is one of the volunteer directors of OSEP

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Peter Holbrook, Chief Exec - Social Enterprise UK

“ Oxfordshire is

home to a vibrant social sector and these kinds of businesses play an increasingly important role in the local economy

”

Juliet Cornford Volunteer Director of OSEP

Juliet Cornford, Director, OSEP CIC

“ The future we

want to see, the one we must deliver will require the commitment and participation of all Peter Holbrook, Chief Executive at SE UK

and also Senior Social Enterprise Consultant at the British Council’s global Social Enterprise programme. She explained, “OSEP is delighted to be driving a new capacity building programme on behalf of OXLEP, providing a central meeting place for social enterprises and purpose driven business. Oxfordshire is home to a vibrant social sector and these kinds of businesses play an increasingly important role in the local economy.” A great example of mainstream business taking this seriously was that Blenheim was very keen to support this bid by agreeing a vital interest free, unsecured loan to enable the cash flow of the programme. Through key stakeholders such as OxLEP, OSEP and Oxford City Council, Oxfordshire is leading the way alongside other Social Enterprise “Places” across the UK in championing and supporting the significance Social Enterprise has to the UK economy. Peter Holbrook, of Social Enterprise UK explained, “OSEP has been catalytic in advancing the ecology for social enterprises in Oxfordshire and is a model to inspire others; the breadth of the partnership and its ability to convene, champion and accelerate the growth of the sector has been exceptional.”

”

Social Enterprise – making Oxfordshire a more inclusive economy A significant shift has been taking place to ensure this vibrant local economy is one that works for everyone – and Social Enterprise is at the heart of helping to achieve this. The recently published Local Industrial Strategy from OxLEP includes the formation of an Inclusive Growth Commission. This will be informed by a series of Inclusive Growth seminars running until the end of this year organised by the Oxford Strategic Partnership in collaboration with Oxford City Council. The Council also recently appointed a Cooperatives Champion in Councillor Richard Howlett, who explained “Cooperatives are social enterprises with democracy built into their DNA. This is an exciting time for those of us looking to rebalance our economy towards meeting social needs rather than simply expanding private profits”. A great example of a Cooperative working on our challenging local housing issues is Transition By Design, based at Makespace.

So, what can you do?

way to engage, as is joining the Buy Social Corporate Challenge. But a great first step is to simply seek out and include Social Enterprises in your supply chain. It is not only good for your business, but great for the local economy, society and environment too. To find out more please get in touch: grant@collaborent.co.uk

    

grant@collaborent.co.uk 07768 603 312 www.collaborent.co.uk @granthayward uk.linkedin.com/in/grantjhayward

The “Buy Social for a Better World” initiative is a great WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

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MARK DEAN Proprietor Md Digital www.mrddigitalprint.com

What is your role in the business? Sole trader so everything!

What are your areas of expertise? Relationship building – 40 years of experience!

What do you enjoy about your work? I like helping people and the satisfaction I get from doing so. I get a real buzz for solving customer problems and delivering when the odds are stacked against me. I will go the extra mile to help the customer every time.

What are your hobbies / interests? Gardening and anything to do with nature and animals - I find gardening in particular very therapeutic.

Do you have a favourite sports team? Tottenham Hotspur.

Where is your favourite place(s) in Oxfordshire and why? I love the woods around Bladon and Blenheim Palace – packed full of nature and wonderful scenery.

What do you like about Oxfordshire? The blend of city and countryside on the doorstep.

Who inspires you? It would have been my Dad and my brother. Dad was at Nuffield Press for 40 years and my brother was a headmaster. Dad was someone who everyone liked and he would do anything he could to help and that’s where I think my nature comes from. My brother failed his 11+ but ended up being a Headmaster…he would turn around schools and then move on to the next one….he was such an inspiration. They both were.

How I can help B4 members Any print requirements, I’m your man.

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Last ever Twin Town Challenge on track to hit £1m

The fourth and final Twin Town Challenge next May will take the total fundraising for SpecialEffect to over £1 million. Brendon Cross, organiser of TTC, tells B4 why businesses should sign up to take part. Written by: Jo Sensecall, Marketing Sense Photography by: Ric Mellis

On Friday 1st May 2020, 100 cars costing less than £500 will travel to Witney’s twin town of Le Touquet for a weekend of fun points based challenges to raise money for Charlbury based charity SpecialEffect. This is the 4th and final Twin Town Challenge organised by Brendon Cross, MD of Witney based STL Communications and Hexagon Business Centres and a SpecialEffect Vice President. Once across the channel the teams will compete for points as they undertake challenges in and around Le Touquet in northern France before returning to Blenheim Palace on Monday 4th May. Brendon said: “The Twin Town Challenge is an amazing sight with 100 cars, 400 people in fancy dress and over 50 volunteers. For the last ever Twin Town Challenge we have a fabulous programme of events planned including a day at Abbeville circuit as well as the now infamous street party with live bands in the middle of Le Touquet.” The theme for Twin Town 2020 is ‘Battle of the Bands’ and teams are already starting to plan their car decoration and fancy dress. In past events, teams have driven London taxis and stretched limos as well as more ordinary vehicles disguised as Jurassic Park, Scooby Doo’s Mystery Machine, Power Rangers and Pirates of the Caribbean. Teams that get the most out of entering are those that really embrace the fundraising by getting the whole firm joining in with cake bakes, quiz nights and sporting events in the run up to the departure for France. There are also a number of Twin Town events, official and unofficial, that are great for networking and making connections within the Twin Town community. Then of course there’s the WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

team building, four people working together to take on mad challenges, driving around northern France and navigating themselves to Le Touquet and back!

an utterly brilliant trip, great fun and we have come away with lots of happy memories and new friends. We’ve been blown away with the whole experience.”

All the costs of the event are covered by sponsorship, which means that every pound paid in entry fees as well as the fundraising by the teams, goes straight to the charity. Brendon adds:

Another Twin Towner, Nick Jones of Focus ORM, said: “Twin Town is a truly wonderful experience. I can’t think of a better way to spend a weekend raising money for a wonderful charity than with the Twin Town community!”

“ Twin Town is a truly

wonderful experience. I can’t think of a better way to spend a weekend raising money for a wonderful charity than with the Twin Town community!

”

“We are very lucky that so many businesses from local Oxfordshire businesses give so kindly to sponsor this event. Their generosity enables us to cover the costs of the Eurotunnel crossings, the hire of the venues and to feed all the participants during the weekend.”

The Twin Town Challenge 2020 is taking place from 1 - 4 May 2020. With over 80% of the places for the 2020 event booked already, Brendon is confident of reaching the £1m target. Any businesses or individuals wanting to enter are encouraged to reserve their place on the starting grid soon and there are still some sponsorship opportunities available.

May 1-4 2020 Sign up now at www.twintown.org.uk

Based in Charlbury, Oxfordshire, SpecialEffect put the fun and inclusion back into the lives of those with physical disabilities using technology ranging from modified joy-pads to eye-control. The charity has already benefitted from the £840,000 raised by the Twin Town Challenges in 2014, 2016 and 2018. Teams entering the Twin Town Challenge can be a group of individuals but most are local Oxford businesses and the games industry. Andrew Hammond, MD of Oxford Products said: “Each Twin Town Challenge we’ve done has been

 support@twintown.org.uk  01993 220 666  www.twintown.org.uk

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CHRIS WHALEY Cluster Sales Manager The Randolph Hotel www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk

What is your role in the business? Manage the sales function within Randolph and The Bear – manage the whole sales function from sales to finish…. and make new connections and build new relationships..

What are your areas of expertise? Negotiations, relationship building – I’m a people person and really enjoy developing relationships with my customers.

What do you enjoy about your work? Meeting new people and helping make their job easier…I work with a range of people in different jobs and they rely on my / our expertise to make their role easier.

What are your hobbies / interests? I love ski-ing, walking, I’m a royalist, dogs (I have a Daschund called Archie) and cars (I love my Land Rover).

Where is your favourite place(s) in Oxfordshire and why? Woodstock – I like Oxford as a city but Woodstock is so picturesque and it’s a gateway to the Cotswolds.

What do you like about Oxfordshire? Lots to do in and around the city, plenty of green spaces, the Cotswolds….i really underestimated how beautiful Oxfordshire is.

Who inspires you? Peter Jones from Dragons Den….he has fantastic business acumen, he must have stories galore and he’s got a great golf handicap (I should imagine!).

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Headway Oxfordshire Are Having a New look Headway Oxfordshire are thrilled to announce the upcoming launch of both our exciting new website – www.headwayoxfordshire.org. uk, previously www.headwayoxford.org.uk – and three new insightful videos around our charitable work, supporting people who have been affected by brain injury across Oxfordshire. We are currently working on final touches to ensure that everything is in place for the launch next month. Written by: Sharelle Holdsworth - Headway Oxfordshire

New features will include: an easy referral process, online payments and a quick payment event booking system. You will be able to sign up for communications; making it easier for you to stay up to date with news and events at Headway Oxfordshire. There is a Corporate Supporters page, which features the companies who have supported Headway Oxfordshire over the last year – if you have supported us and would like to be featured, please get in contact. The website will also include Research Corner for professionals to share their most recent research on brain injury.

launched our brand-new video, ‘This is Headway Oxfordshire’, which takes you to the heart of who we are and the work that we do. This is available to watch on Youtube and LinkedIn and will be positioned on the home page of our new website. The video features service users opening up about their devastating encounters with brain injury, how it has affected them in their daily lives, and describing the value of the continued support that they receive from Headway Oxfordshire. The video also explores a range of the activities and therapies that we offer at our Activity and Rehabilitation Centre.

For all our Headway Heroes and all of you fundraising for Headway Oxfordshire, there will be even more support to help you along with your fundraising journey, and support to help you organise fundraising events within your community, like Oxford’s Charity Comedy Night taking place at Cirkus on Thursday 24th October at 7pm. The website is designed to increase user engagement and accessibility, making it easier for service users, carers, professionals and corporate supporters to engage with us and our work, and for us to engage with you.

We have just “ launched our brand-new

We are also launching our online Headway Oxfordshire shop, which will feature 2020 calendars – with the creative work that has been produced by our service users - pens, pins, running gear and Christmas Cards. All proceeds raised from sales of our shop items will go directly towards the provision of services for those affected by brain injury across Oxfordshire. Finally, as part of our refreshing look, we have just WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

video, ‘This is Headway Oxfordshire’, which takes you to the heart of who we are and the work that we do

”

have done for Headway Oxfordshire. This video will premiere at our Annual Charity Golf Day on Friday 27th September – sponsored by B4 and Finders Keepers – and will be launched the following week. Lastly ‘Volunteer with Headway Oxfordshire’ demonstrates the breadth and depth of the amazing work of volunteers in supporting Headway Oxfordshire’s front-line services and fundraising goals. We want to use this opportunity to thank our incredible volunteers for all of the hard work they do to support Headway Oxfordshire. These films will be available to watch on our new website and will be shared onto our social media channels. Facebook: @headwayoxford Twitter: @headwayoxford Instagram: @headwayoxfordshire LinkedIn: @headwayoxfordshire Don’t forget to add our ‘Becoming a Corporate Supporter’ video launch to your calendars! If you have any questions, please contact us below.

Jamie Miller, CEO at Headway Oxfordshire

In ‘Becoming a Corporate Supporter’, we hear from our highly valued corporate supporters and sponsors about what it is like to get involved with our charity and how this adds real value to their organisation; including staff engagement, satisfaction and retention, as well as the fantastic work they

 admin@headway-oxford.org.uk  01865 326 263  http://headwayoxford.org.uk

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ANOTHER TOURNAMENT IN THE BACK OF THE NET On a summer’s afternoon on the 8th August, Freeths Solicitors’ Annual Football Tournament was under way. This year saw the tournament grow to 20 teams with over 170 people attending, which made for one big BBQ, all in aid of charity. Written by: Sian Hewitt, BD & Marketing Assistant – Freeths Solicitors Photography by: Nigel Roots & Saskia Feil-Roots

so impressed with “theWeturnwere out for the women’s league this year and it was great to see women at all different levels within their organisation come together to make a great tournament

”

Freeths’ Football Tournament comprises of a men’s league and a women’s league, with five teams this year taking part in the women’s league. When the Tournament started in August 2013, there were just eight teams with no sign of a women’s league. The organisations that took part in this charity event included Savills, Strutt & Parker, Cluttons, and Scott Fraser. Also getting some goals in the back of the net were Chadlington Brewery, Paul Basham Associates and Grant Thornton. There was also an excellent turnout from Oxfordshire’s accountancy practices such as The M Group, Shaw Gibbs, Critchleys, Wellers and Whitley Stimpson. This tournament has a running theme of accountants winning the trophy in the past and this year was no different. The M Group claimed the men’s league trophy for the second year in a row, in a battle of the accountants’ final with

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Wellers, they managed to seek victory with a 2-0 win. Chadlington Brewery took the trophy in the women’s league with Grant Thornton as runners up in a great final. It is fair to say this summer has seen a lot of female football with the World Cup and this tournament. Co-captains of the Freeths’ women’s team Laura Brown and Anna Power said “We were so impressed with the turn out for the women’s league this year and it was great to see women at all different levels within their organisation come together to make a great tournament, we hope to see more teams take part in the league next year!” Director in the Real Estate department at Freeths Solicitors, Desh Patel, and members of the Freeths’ women’s team handed out medals and trophies to the runners up and winners at the end of the evening, whilst enjoying food provided by Black Lemon Catering. Desh said, “It was

great to see many more entries into the men’s and women’s leagues this year. Each year the Tournament has grown in popularity, but what we like most about hosting this event is bringing together local businesses to do something different in the aid of charity.” Please get in contact with us if you would like to join us next year by emailing seminars@freeths. co.uk.

 seminars@freeths.co.uk  01865 781 000  www.freeths.co.uk

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GETTING YOUR BRIGHT IDEA TO MARKET REQUIRES HELP Rod Macrae looks at a programme that’s helping small businesses with innovative ideas Written by: Rod Macrae

“ Getting access to

the people who could share their knowledge was invaluable Laurenti Arnault - Wardrobe Of Tomorrow

It is a cliché to say an idea is just an idea without a plan. Oxfordshire is renowned for its innovations in almost every field with worldchanging products and technologies originating here. For larger companies with a track record of success and the finances to invest in new horizons or ideas, innovating is not exactly easy, but it is certainly easier. OxLEP Business, the growth hub for Oxfordshire, is committed to helping smaller business to to develop and commercialise their ideas. A £5.2 million programme funded by the European Regional Development Fund, Innovation Support for Business (ISfB), is providing specialist support and help for the huge SME community to boost its ability to deliver innovations. Since 2018 the Innovation Support for Business programme has been working with scores of companies to provide tailored packages of support. It also aims to develop links between businesses and researchers. Helen Brind and her team at OxLEP Business have partnered with the University of Oxford, Cherwell District Council, Oxford City Council and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to deliver this programme. “It is a very customizable 110

portfolio of support we’re providing” Helen told me. “Companies eligible to take part can be startups or existing businesses with an innovation that they want to introduce to their business or to the market. At the heart of the programme is our drive to encourage innovation”.

“ There is no doubt it

has had an accelerating impact on our path to be a trading, commercially active business

”

Ben Williams at Oxford Sustainable Fuels

A helping hand Few SME businesses exist with every skill or resource necessary to succeed. And the challenge for many is scoping out how to take their business to the next level. By helping to identify the gaps and requirements for each business, the programme can support the development and commercialisation of innovative business ideas as well as enhancing the research and innovation infrastructure in Oxfordshire.

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“Some companies are masters of the technology but lack the marketing and sales skills to realise a commercial product” according to Peter Russell at OxLEP. “As an advisor working with these companies we can identify where there may be gaps, find the most appropriate source of help, introduce them to resources we can make available through our network of contacts and give them the opportunity to move their projects forward.”

Plastic Fantastic Small businesses can make a big impact with the right help. Ben Williams at Oxford Sustainable Fuels approached OxLEP Business for help in developing a commercial-scale technology which can solve one of the most damaging products of the last 100 years; plastic. They needed help building a pilot plant to prove the commercial viability of their product at an industrial scale. The innovative technology can process even the most difficult plastics and converts them into highly refined oils suitable for all sort of uses. Introductions by the Innovation Support for Business team (ISfB) enhanced their network and exposed them to new ideas and perspectives. “Whilst we were still in development, it was vital that we could show the market what we could achieve” Ben William WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Helen Brind - OxLEP Business Peter Russeåll

Ben Williams Oxford Sustainable Fuels

explains. “We also knew that we had to broaden our skill set and connect with others in the business of scaling up and creating a business from an idea.” “We successfully applied for a grant to help us get the pilot plant constructed. It enabled us to employ two more people to accelerate the speed of our work towards construction of a pilot plant.” The expanded team has also been able to produce the data and proof needed to support the patented processes and engage with potential users in the market. “There is no doubt it has had an accelerating impact on our path to be a trading, commercially active business” Ben said.

Fashionably sustainable Another business, WTVOX, has also benefitted from the programme. Their magazine focuses on sustainable and cruelty free fashion. But without a platform to bring the disparate community together and share experiences as well as the opportunity to purchase products, it was not achieving its objectives. The wider impact of the fashion industry has come under scrutiny recently, and their innovation has created the world’s first online marketplace exclusively dedicated to sustainable and crueltyWWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Laurenti Arnault

free fashion - Wardrobe of Tomorrow. It launched in September with 50 luxury brands and designers including Stella McCartney selling their designs on the platform. The concept arose from founder Laurenti Arnault’s research at Oxford Brookes University. He says it is successfully showcasing the technologies, materials and techniques used by more ethical designers and makers. “OxLEP Business put together a package of support for us. We had one-to-one advice on accounting and finance as well as the opportunity to attend events where we connected with others who are also focused on innovation.” Laurenti says the most valuable thing has been receiving guidance for developing a robust business plan and getting access to experts. “We had to understand what is needed and where we are on the route to monetizing our innovation. Getting access to the people who could share their knowledge was invaluable.” Peter Russell at OxLEP Business says help is available for other businesses. “Your innovation doesn’t need to change the world. However, if it changes how you do things in your own business or helps others with new technologies, processes or ideas it’s an innovation and we can help.”

Innovation Support for Business offers support including: • ‘Go-create’ grants • Coaching and mentoring • Workshops, seminars and master classes • Access to equipment, expertise and resources To find out how we can support you to innovate, email innovation@oxfordshirelep.com or call OxLEP on 01865 897181

Oxford Sustainable Fuels www.osfuels.com info@osfuels.com

Wardrobe Of Tomorrow (WTVOX magazine) www.wardrobeoftomorrow.com contact@wardrobeoftomorrow.com

 rod.macrae@oxfordshirelep.com  01865 897 195  www.oxfordshirelep.com 111

Be Super at Reducing Everything for the Workplace your Carbon Footprint It will come as no surprise that the effect that we as humans are having on our environment is becoming increasingly more important. Through our actions, we are exploiting our natural resources, destroying habitats and polluting our seas, which poses a huge threat for future generations. As business owners or influencers, we must begin to ask ourselves, what impact is my business having on the environment, what steps can I take to mitigate it? Is my business committed to trying to help to change the global problem? One should never underestimate the value of small changes on a large scale. Written by: Darren Aston

One way of reducing environmental impact is reducing carbon footprint; which is defined as “the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere as a result of the activities of a particular individual, organisation or community.” Here at Aston and James, we are passionate about the environment. Not only do we provide an extensive range of eco-friendly and recycled products we also have schemes and services to help our customers reduce their carbon footprint and feel more SUPER…

Be Super and carbon capture We are members of The Woodland Trust Carbon Capture Scheme. As much as we love paper, we also love trees, so this is our way of helping the environment and adding value to our paper products. 112

What is Woodland Carbon? Woodland Carbon allows organisations to mitigate their carbon emissions by funding tree planting here in the UK. Operating under the government’s Woodland Carbon Code, the scheme gives businesses the opportunity to reduce their environmental impact and facilitate the wide range of benefits provided by trees. Through Woodland Carbon we can provide much-needed space for wildlife and establish new woodlands for generations of people to enjoy.

How it works It is all very simple… 1. The amount of CO2 emitted from the paper that we purchase is calculated as a separate Carbon Capture charge. 2. The Carbon Capture charge is given to the Woodland Trust to mitigate the CO2 emissions

by planting trees in certified Woodland Carbon sites. 100% of the charge goes to the Woodland Trust, there are no deductions. This charge is not passed onto our customers 3. A certificate is provided by the Woodland Trust confirming the amount of CO2 captured and the area of new native woodland that has been planted. So by purchasing sustainable paper, you are helping to create new native woodland all across the UK. Between April and June 2019 our customers created 35 square metres of new native woodland in the UK to remove 1, 397kg of Carbon Dioxide.

How to get involved? If you and your organisation would like to know more about the Carbon Capture Scheme or would be interested in planting trees please let us know. WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

In addition to purchasing Woodland Trust paper, you can help reduce carbon footprint by purchasing FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified products such as envelopes, paper, labels and storage boxes. As such, you can ensure that your purchases are not the products of deforestation and unsustainable forestry practices. You can find out more about the work of the FSC at https://www.fsc-uk.org/en-uk

Be Super and go single source

10.4 kg carbon dioxide (CO2) is emitted. fuel type unit

CO2 emitted per unit

Petrol

1 gallon

10.4 kg

Petrol

1 litre

2.3 kg

Diesel

1 gallon

12.2 kg

Diesel

1 litre

2.7 kg

Here at Aston and James, not only can we provide you with single source for all your workplace supplies, we can also provide ‘green’ delivery days so that we can deliver to your workplace on a specific day or days of the week, enabling you to be super savvy and only have a delivery when you need it.

(Source: timeforchange.org)

There are numerous benefits to consolidating your workplace suppliers. In addition to the obvious ones such as saving time, money and hassle there are benefits to the environment. By consolidating your workplace suppliers and hence reducing the number of delivery vans coming to your premises you can reduce your company’s carbon footprint. Did you know that for each gallon of petrol fuel consumed, WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

You can be super organised and look to make the most of your deliveries by giving them something for the return journey in order to save another visit. As an example, we offer a secure shredding service and a toner recycling service which raises money for local Oxfordshire charity SeeSaw. This means our vans never return empty.

Everything for the Workplace

 sales@aston-james.co.uk  01993 706 900  www.aston-james.co.uk

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Think Rhodes for Business... For full information on exclusive use, meetings, seminars, team building and conferences please call 01865 282599 or email events@rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk

Rhodes House, Oxford, OX1 3RG

Telephone 01865 282 599 events@rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk www.rhodeshouseoxford.com

Become a fitter, leaner and more productive business with a digital document workflow Written by: CRS Document Solutions

While the economic world likes to talk about change; one thing will always stay the same and that is the need for business owners to constantly find ways of maximising output whilst minimising costs.

Through automating some - if not all - of your manual document management processes, it’s possible to re-organise the way information flows through your operation, save time and reduce costs.

The need to do more for less

With print management software integrated into your workflow, you’ll also have the visibility you need to significantly reduce your printing - in most cases by as much as 30%.

It’s true: Doing more for less is a continuous challenge for most companies. However, the process of becoming leaner and more efficient can be both time consuming and complex.

DOWNLOAD OUR FREE GUIDE: www.copyrightsystems.co.uk/b4

Small adjustments, big impact Just knowing the best place to start when looking to optimise their operations can often be the biggest challenge of all! But with information playing a key role in just about every business, improving the process of document management should be a prime area of focus for any organisation looking to tackle the ‘reduce cost/ improve productivity conundrum’.

It has to be difficult to turn away from such yields, yet you may feel put off looking into digital transformation and how it can help your business by the disruption and change that it brings. If so, it may come as a surprise to learn that creating a digital document workflow might only involve making a few alterations to your existing processes and systems in order to make a big impact to your bottom line.

The document management dilemma Have you ever stopped to consider how much data flows through your company at any given time? From email, faxes, paper-based mail, to systembased records via CRM and ERP platforms, if you’re like most companies, you’ll absorb a tide of information every single day. But what happens to all of this information once it has come into your care?

Too much information The fact is, many businesses are being held back by their inability to control and manage their daily influx of information because they lack proper strategies or procedures for dealing with it effectively once it’s arrived.

Now you know that it may be easier than you think to get onto the digital transformation ladder, you have to agree that there’s every reason to look further into automating your document workflow.

Download our guide! • Are you looking for ways to become more efficient? • Do you feel held back by the status quo? • Is there room to cut costs in your business? Find out more about the benefits of automating your document workflow and how to get started on a path to digital transformation.

This is where digitalising processes can help. WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

• Better visibility and control of your information – instant content identification means instant retrieval • Mobile enabled processes – you can run your office from your phone • Less risk of human introduced errors – less intervention means fewer mistakes • Improved productivity – it will help you cut back on time spent trying to find files & documents • Remote collaboration – the facility to share data, information and ideas with anyone, anywhere, securely • Better security – instant backups mean losing important information is a thing of the past

The result is data overload - and this is a big problem that can end up holding your business back.

Digital transformation and your workflow

The benefits of a digital document workflow

 info@copyrightsystems.co.uk  01235 555 531  www.copyrightsystems.co.uk

• A reduction in costs – become less reliant on paper - ‘the outcome of digital transformation’ 115

SIAN PAGES Directors Not Just Travel sianpages.notjusttravel.com

What is your role in the business? I am the only one in the business so all of them!

What are your areas of expertise? I am really good at tailor made, bespoke packages, even for places that I have never been to before. I did a California road trip for a family recently and they had no idea where to go – it was the kids’ idea! Not only did I put the trip together but I put an album of every destination they were going to, where they could go to eat, must see’s, what was overrated…I gave them this guide and they were over the moon….I even contemplated booking myself on the trip with them but that’s taking personal service too far!

What do you enjoy about your work? I love my job and I hope that shines through for each and every customer. I do love to plan a good road trip though! I can do package holidays for families but I like a challenge and I like to move people around. I am really passionate about teaching my 5 year old Sebastien about the world. He came home with his end of year report recently and one of the areas he is really excelling is in learning about the world and being ‘worldly wise’…let’s face it that is vital as the world is getting smaller and it’s great that he’s getting his head around this now.

What are your hobbies / interests? Can I say travel? Also immersing myself (and my family) in live experiences. Doing things that are a little bit different – shared experiences are so powerful and can massively bond us. Phones and the internet remove the human connection and that’s why it’s imperative to keep living life to the full…different cultures, different places…I can’t get enough of them! Jordan is on my list for next year as I’ve always wanted to visit Petra.

Something we don’t know about you? I met Darth Vader and sat on his lap – I was at primary school at the time. Darth Vader was the Green Cross Code man and he went to our school in Lincolnshire.

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ECO-FRIENDLY BREAKS

We all love to travel, but many of us are becoming increasingly mindful of our carbon footprint and are looking to stay somewhere that has strong values when it comes to sustainability. But who says that luxury and sustainability need to be mutually exclusive? Written by: Sian Pages

Wherever you go in the world, here is our round up of some of the best go-to green destinations you need to add to your travel bucket list.

Botswana Considered to be one of the one of the ‘greenest’ safari camps on the planet, the Zarafa Camp in Botswana is one of the country’s most luxurious places to stay. All the camp’s electricity comes from its dedicated solar farm, while ‘bio gas’ plants recycle waste into usable cooking gas on which to cook the most delicious meals. Solar-powered boats and electrical vehicles are used for game viewing, with the aim to offer visitors a carbon and emission-free game viewing experience.

Italy If you are in search of a secluded retreat which offers a holistic approach to not only your holiday but your well-being too, then you should look no further than the award-winning Lefay Resort & SPA Lago di Garda. Situated in a 27-acre nature reserve, surrounded by olive groves and overlooking Lake Garda, this stunning eco-spa is dedicated not only to provide a holistic approach to guest health and well-being, but also to protecting the environment.

Cambodia Song Saa Private Island is Cambodia’s first luxury private island resort and has some seriously strong eco-friendly credentials. They have recycling and waste initiatives in place and are involved in a variety of sustainability projects in nearby villages. They even have their very own Song Saa Foundation where guests can get involved with various community initiatives. All the villas have an ocean view, a private pool and come with an effortlessly cool design which WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

includes four-poster beds, Moroccan lanterns and carved statues giving it a real eco-chic feel.

Switzerland Situated in the pristine Swiss Alps, the Whitepod Eco Resort provides you with an eco-friendly yet glamorous experience. Guests can stay in a James Bond style pod which comes with your very own Bond style bed, champagne bar and private sauna. The pods are minimal impact which means that they utilise minimal water and electricity and only use renewable resources wherever they can.

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this stunning eco-spa is dedicated not only to provide a holistic approach to guest health and well-being, but also to protecting the environment Sian Pages

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Kenya Campi ya Kanzi (Camp of the Hidden Treasure) is an award-winning, boutique eco-lodge in Kenya that sets a new standard for luxury safaris that are also ecologically low-impact. Not only can you enjoy a luxury break, but you will be helping to support a meaningful conservation project. Campi ya Kanzi was built using only local materials that had fallen from trees naturally and their water is sourced from the rain using their special catchment system.

Costa Rica Costa Rica is leading the way as one of the world’s

most successful eco-tourism destinations and is renowned for its abundance of pristine beaches, lush rainforests, volcanoes, fascinating wildlife and incredible natural beauty. Impressively, 98.1% of the country’s electricity came from renewable sources in 2016 alone. The Lapa Rios Lodge is surrounded by over 1000 acres of protected rainforest and sits adjacent to the Corcovado National Park which is one of the most biodiverse places on the planet.

Vietnam The Topas Ecolodge is the only one of its kind in Vietnam and sits in an idyllic location in the spectacular Sapa valley. The lodge is based on sustainable principles to ensure it has a minimum impact on the surrounding environment. It provides employment opportunities to people from nearby villages and uses local products and goods to bring economic benefits to the community.

So what are you waiting for? Speak to Sian Pages on 07738 050864 to organise a fabulous eco-friendly break today.

 sian.pages@notjusttravel.com  07738 050 864  www.notjusttravel.com/sian-pages

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DO YOU HAVE NO SHOWS AT YOUR EVENTS? We’re all guilty of not showing up for an event for one reason or another – the kids need picking up, work deadlines take over or the lure of the pub garden on a sunny day is just too compelling! We get it! Plans change. But one thing’s for sure, a lot of hard work has gone into staging the event, food prepared, badges made, staff hired and all the rest of it. So we wanted to lead on a scheme to turn a negative into a positive. Some people don’t agree that delegates should be charged for not turning up, but we feel if that money goes to charity, then that isn’t unreasonable. We’re going to give it a go in 2020 and if you’d like to run your events as NO SHOW events, then let us know and we will be pleased to work with you.

TURN A NEGATIVE INTO A POSITIVE

Visit www.eventnoshow.com for more information

Putting the Villa in Vilamoura! Just a three hour flight from London and a 30 minute drive, Vilamoura is a fantastic destination for a short break or a longer, more relaxing holiday. With an abundance of fantastic restaurants, beaches and leisure activities on your doorstep, it’s an unmissable destination if you’re looking for the perfect getaway. Written by: Richard Rosser

Photography by: Dermot Doyle

Well known for its golf courses – there are almost twenty in and around Vilamoura – if you’re looking for sun, sea, beaches and a mixture of relaxation and leisure activities, look no further than this Portuguese oasis.

a few miles and a wide range of restaurants in the marina to suit all tastes. Other amenities including a bank and pharmacy are a 10-15 minute walk away. The nearest beach (Falesia) is approx 2km away and the beach at Quarteira is equally as close.

We were staying in a fantastic four bed villa in Volta da Doninha, just one mile from the marina in Vilamoura and backing on to one of the area’s leading golf courses, we were certainly well placed to enjoy all that Vilamoura had to offer.

The villa itself was spacious, modern and immaculate in every way. With four generously sized bedrooms and bathrooms and an open living space incorporating lounge, kitchen and dining room, we wanted for nothing. With a dining table big enough

We spent a day at Puro Beach – don’t worry, you don’t have to be body beautiful! – and a morning boat trip to the local caves and a hunt for dolphins which were amazing to see in the wild. Go-Karting was great fun and tennis was on the doorstep. If

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In the immediate surrounding areas of Vilamoura there are numerous sports and activities to enjoy, including 5 golf courses, mini golf, deep sea fishing, sailing, riding, water sports, water park, tennis, lawn bowls, go karting, football and local leisure centre. to set ten and a similar sized table on the terrace, complete with BBQ, we weren’t short of options for eating. The garden was dominated by the perfectly sized pool with ample garden for afternoon games of catch which kept us all amused – especially after a couple of glasses of wine! The only downside of the villa was that the sun was blocked after about 4pm by the impressive army of trees surrounding the villa, but there was always the rooftop terrace to retreat to if we were so inclined to do so…but by 4pm, we’d probably had our fill of sun. We would recommend a car although Uber did make me question whether this was necessary in hindsight. There are plenty of supermarkets within WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

”

you’re a runner, there are plenty of safe running tracks around the marina and we also signed up to Champions Gym in the centre of Vilamoura which was great value for money and helped us work off the food and drink! Exploring wasn’t top of our agenda – this was a holiday to relax and unwind but if you’re more adventurous than we were, there is plenty to see and do. Overall, a perfect base for a holiday recharge.

 www.homeaway.co.uk

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grow your business At Alberon we’re all about helping you do what you do even better. We work with you to design and deliver a website or bespoke software that makes your organisation more effective. Our technology is designed to work for you, and we’ll be on hand to ensure you continue to get the best results. For more than 10 years, we’ve been making businesses, schools and charities in Oxfordshire more efficient and profitable. We can do the same for you. Call 01865 794009 or email grow@alberon.co.uk

the software and web solution specialists

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Brethertons Management Team, Linda Jones, Alison Gibbs, Shaun Jardine, Alison McCormack and Debbie Phillips

NO GLASS CEILINGS AT LAW FIRM BRETHERTONS You can be forgiven for thinking that when someone asks you what a solicitors firm may look like, that it conjures up a group of pinstriped, suit wearing, middle-aged males surrounded by dusty books. For a minority of law firms you have probably got the right vision. For many other law firms, you could not be further from the truth. However, one stands out for its quite staggering gender equality statistics. Brethertons solicitors, with offices in Rugby, Banbury and Bicester, have been in business for over 200 years and believe they are shaking up the legal establishment...and they are not wrong. Written by: Alison McCormack Photography by: Tudor Photography

Brethertons believe they are breaking the mould with their female management demographic. There is no glass ceiling and they have the statistics to prove it. The numbers make interesting reading. Of the 220 staff, 79% are women and four out of five members of the Executive Management Board are women. Even more significant is the fact that 50% of the business is owned by women and the Chief Executive Officer, Alison McCormack, is a woman. In June 2019 The Law Society, Bar Counsel and Chartered Institute of Legal Executives devised a ‘women in law pledge’ and requested law firms to sign it. By signing the pledge, law firms commit, amongst other things, to support the progression of all women in senior roles and set specific gender targets at leadership level. The Lord Chancellor, David Gauke, told a legal conference recently ‘more work needs to be done to make gender equality a reality across the (legal) profession. We cannot rest on our laurels’. Alison McCormack told us ‘I am delighted we don’t have to sign the ‘women in law pledge’ (although we will), simply because we achieved the objective set out in the pledge many years ago’. McCormack told us ‘I have been with Brethertons for 10 years. I am not a lawyer; I have a background WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

in the logistics Industry. I joined Brethertons in a management role and have not looked back. I am proud to lead the firm and have been delighted to have successfully managed some of the biggest legal teams in the firm. I now have 220 souls on the ‘good ship Brethertons’ to look after and I am enjoying every minute’.

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Last year women comprised 62% of new Solicitors entering the profession. This percentage will continue to increase. The law will continue to be a place for women to have successful and fulfilling careers

”

Linda Jones - Head of Compliance and Private Client

small. It was one of the reasons I joined the firm. I never imagined that 10 years later I would be leading it. Head of Compliance and Private Client, Linda Jones confirmed ‘Last year women comprised 62% of new Solicitors entering the profession. This percentage will continue to increase. The law will continue to be a place for women to have successful and fulfilling careers and we want to make sure Brethertons is at the forefront in our region. What does have to change in some firms, is a mindset of believing that work can only take place between the hours of 9-5 and that work can only take place in an office.’ For further information about Brethertons and their legal services, please contact them using the information below.

McCormack said, ‘I was told many years ago that work is an activity not a place’. We are very proactive when it comes to providing flexible working for any member of staff, whether they are male or female. Approximately 52% of our staff are on some kind of flexible working arrangement. I am a great believer in work-life balance and indeed when I started at Brethertons was offered flexible working whilst my children were

 info@brethertons.co.uk  01295 270 999  www.brethertons.co.uk

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Contacts Directory

Platinum Member

Gold Member

ADVICE.......................................................................................................122 BUSINESS SERVICES..............................................................................123 CONFERENCE, EVENTS & VENUES..................................................125 EDUCATION........................................................................................125 FINANCE....................................................................................................125 HEALTH & LEISURE...............................................................................125

ADVICE ACCOUNTING Wenn Townsend P Tony Haines Partner 01865 559 900 OXON www.wenntownsend.co.uk James Cowper Kreston P 01189 590 261 OXON www.jamescowperkreston.co.uk Andy Cowie B Marketing & Business Development Director Sue Staunton PC Partner & Head of Technology James Pitt P Partner

Wellers P Debbie Austin Partner 0333 241 6000 OXON www.wellersaccountants.co.uk

Grant Thornton UK LLP P 01865 799 899 OXON www.grant-thornton.co.uk Wendy Hart Managing Partner Jim Rogers Assurance Partner 01189 559 114 BERKS Chapman, Robinson PBC & Moore Accountants Tony Hobbs Managing Director 01865 379 272 OXON www.crmoxford.co.uk The MGroup Partnership G Ian Walker Business Development and Corporate Finance 01865 552 925 OXON www.theMgroup.co.uk

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Silver Member

B4 Board

Exec Support Solutions 07951 006 741 OXON www.execsupportsolutions.com

Stuart Haigh Director 01869 252 151 OXON

Lola Chapman 01865 765 529 OXON www.lolachapman.co.uk

Critchleys 01865 261 100 OXON www.critchleys.co.uk

Sam Bishop Coaching 07791 791 235 OXON www.sambishopcoaching.com

Seymour Taylor 01494 552 125 BUCKS www.stca.co.uk

PSI Consultants 07548 248 948 OXON paulinejsiddons@gmail.com

Auditel 01865 582 888 OXON www.auditel.co.uk

CMC Partners 01844 319 286 OXON www.cmc-partners.co.uk

Richardsons Accountants 01844 261 155 OXON www.richardsons-group.co.uk Ridgefield Consulting 01865 245 511 OXON www.ridgefieldconsulting.co.uk

BUSINESS ADVICE James White PNBC Sales Success James White Managing Director 0800 046 1651 OXON www.jameswhite.business

Oxford Professional C Consulting Alison Haill Founder & Owner 01865 436 791 OXON www.oxfordprofessionalconsulting.com Sandler Training C Anneli Thomson Managing Director 01608 611 211 OXON www.oxford.sandler.com

Artesian Transformational G Leadership Ltd Nick Chatrath Managing Director 07961 306 294 www.artesiangroup.co.uk FC Webster Consulting BC Frank Webster Director uk.linkedin.com/in/ frank-webster-1735238

B4 Connector

NXT Board

HR..................................................................................................................127 IT & TELECOMMUNICATIONS............................................................127 MANUFACTURING................................................................................127 MARKETING & DESIGN..........................................................................127 PROPERTY & BUILDING.........................................................................129 R&R..........................................................................................................131

4P Business Development 0333 335 0431 OXON www.4pbusinessdevelopment.co.uk

Whitley Stimpson Ltd G 01494 448 122 BUCKS www.whitleystimpson.co.uk Jonathan Walton Director

Connecting to Excellence Diane Wilkinson Managing Director 01865 430 470 OXON www.dianewilkinson.co.uk

Explosive Learning C Solutions Cath Convery Learning Lead 01235 861 805 OXON www.explosivelearningsolutions.com Endeavour Consulting 07711 825 005 OXON www.endeavour-consulting.co.uk Leading Edge Coaching 01488 638 119 OXON www.leadingedgecoaching.co.uk

Two One Services C Zena Kennedy Owner 07730 927 888 OXON www.facebook.com/twooneservices Collaborent BC Grant Hayward Founder & Director 01865 881 047 OXON www.collaborent.co.uk Mark Carrington 07939 642 169 www.jmarkcarrington.co.uk Vistage International C (UK) Ltd Peter Collins Group Chairman 01489 770 200 www.vistage.co.uk ANPR Consulting C Helen Joy Director 07434 962 871 www.anprconsulting.co.uk Highfield Business Associates Martin Gubb mgubb@btinternet.com

LEGAL Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP P Richard Smith Partner 01865 722 106 OXON www.penningtonslaw.com Hedges Law PB Nicola Poole Managing Director 01491 839 839 OXON www.hedgeslaw.co.uk Freeths LLP P 01865 781 000 OXON www.freeths.co.uk Sarah Foster C Managing Partner Mark Emery C Partner

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

B4 Rebecca Howlett C Commercial & IP Partner Stuart Elliston CB Principal Manager, Business Development Isabel Protheroe N Legal Assistant

BUSINESS SERVICES ARCHIVE & STORAGE Oxford Duplication Centre CB Cheryl-Lee Foulsham Business Manager 01865 457 000 OXON www.theduplicationcentre.co.uk

Gardner Leader LLP G Derek Rogers Managing Partner 01635 508 080 BERKS www.gardner-leader.co.uk Knights G 01865 811 700 OXON www.knightsplc.com Philip Marsh C Oxford Office Leader Victoria Marcham C Sales Blake Morgan LLP G Change to Penny Rinta-Suksi Commercial Partner 01865 248 607 OXON www.blakemorgan.co.uk Boardman, Hawkins & Osborne LLP 07867 334 231 OXON www.bholegal.co.uk Lewis Silkin 0207 0748 494 OXON www.lewissilkin.com

Moorcrofts LLP 01628 4700004 www.moorcrofts.com Addis Law C Sally Addis Director 01865 339 457 OXON www.addislaw.co.uk

John Randle Associates 01865 339 319 OXON www.johnrandleassociates.com Lawbox Group Limited 01865 952 711 OXON www.lawboxgroup.com

BUSINESS SUPPLIES & EQUIPMENT Aston & James Office PCB Supplies Ltd Darren Aston Director 01993 706 900 OXON www.aston-james.co.uk CRS Document Solutions 01235 555 531 OXON www.copyrightsystems.co.uk

Oxford Hospitals Charity 01865 743 444 OXON ouh.nhs.uk Oxfordshire Youth 01865 767 899 OXON www.oxfordshireyouth.org SOFEA 01235 510 774 OXON www.sofea.uk.com Oxford Food Bank www.oxfordfoodbank.org Quest For Learning 01235 313 713 OXON www.questforlearning.org.uk

ForPOS 01865 820 925 OXON www.theredcorner.co.uk

CHARITIES Sobell House GCB Tim Wraith Corporate Partnerships Manager 01865 857 067 OXON www.sobellhouse.org Helen & Douglas House C Lucy Walker Community Fundraising Manager 01865 799 150 OXON www.helenanddouglas.org.uk Oxfordshire Community Foundation B Jayne Woodley CEO 01865 798 666 OXON www.oxfordshire.org Headway Oxfordshire C Jamie Miller CEO 01865 326 263 OXON www.headway-oxford.org.uk

Oxford CleanTech Ltd Jose Gouveia Managing Director 01865 596 105 OXON www.oxfordct.co.uk

B4 PBN Richard Rosser CEO 01865 742 211 OXON www.b4-business.com Lorna Waterfield B Production Manager NXT PBN Edward Rosser Founder 01865 742 211 OXON www.b4-nxt.com Emma Davis N Marketing Executive

CLEANING SERVICES The Red Corner 01865 887 555 OXON www.forpos.co.uk

Blue Skye Thinking 01242 262 731 OXON www.blueskyethinking.org

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

NETWORKING GROUPS

BBOWT 01865 775 476 OXON www.bbowt.org.uk

LOCAL GOVERNMENT Oxford City Council P Dan Hodge Principal Regeneration & Economic Development Officer www.oxford.gov.uk Oxfordshire County Council P www.oxfordshire.gov.uk OxfordshireLEP P 01865 261 433 OXON www.oxfordshirelep.com Nigel Tipple Chief Executive Richard Byard Director of Business Development Sebastian Johnson B Head of Innovation & Inward Investment Rob Panting CN Communications Manager

Oxford Direct Services G Ajud Mohammed Marketing & Brand Manager 01865 335 400 OXON www.oxforddirectservices.co.uk

Business Buzz C Katrina Sargent Co-Founder & Regional Lead 0844 358 5800 OXON www.business-buzz.org Natural Netwalking 01491 833 222 OXON www.oxfordbusinessnetwork.co.uk

TRANSPORT Oxford Bus Company PB Phil Southall Managing Director 01865 785 400 OXON ww.oxfordbus.co.uk Findlay Chauffeurs G Claire Hickson Managing Director 0845 644 7099 OXON www.findlaycs.com London Oxford Airport 01865 290 710 OXON www.londonoxfordairport.com Royal Cars 01865 415 183 OXON www.royal-cars.com

TRANSLATION Conversis Craig Harrison Managing Director 07956 170 682 OXON www.conversis.com

TRAVEL City Sightseeing P Jane Marshall Transport Manager 01865 790 522 OXON www.citysightseeingoxford.com

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Contacts Not Just Travel C Sian Pages Franchisee 0800 530 0621 OXON www.notjusttravel.com

Saïd Business School G Martin Garside Conference Manager 01865 422 757 OXON www.sbs.oxford.edu/conferencing

ASSISTANTS

Horticulture House GC Anne Clark Director of HR 0333 003 3550 OXON www.horticulturehouse.co.uk

Admin Support And Solutions 0330 333 5111 www.adminsupportandsolutions.co.uk

CONFERENCE EVENTS & VENUES CATERING SERVICES Passion For Food G Nicola Parke 01296 651 755 OXON www.passion-for-food.co.uk Lamb Catering 01865 511 995 OXON www.lambcatering.co.uk Indulgence Boutique Hospitality 01295 690 888 OXON www.indulging.co.uk

CONFERENCE VENUES Blenheim Palace P Hospitality 01993 813 874 OXON www.blenheimpalace.com /hospitality Dominic Hare B Chief Executive Officer Stephanie Duncan C Head of Marketing Rhodes House P Isabelle Barber Business Development Manager 01865 282 599 OXON www.rhodeshouseoxford.com Bombay Sapphire Distillery Amy Dobson G Sales and Marketing Manager 01256 890 090 BERKS distillery.bombaysapphire.com Venue Services, Bodleian Library G 01865 277 224 OXON www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk Alice Ogilvie C Head of Venue Services Kate Del Nevo C Facilities & Events Officer

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Howbery Business Park 01491 822 305 OXON www.howberypark.com Tewkesbury Park Hotel 01684 272 311 www.tewkesburypark.co.uk Pembroke College 01865 276 484 OXON www.pmb.ox.ac.uk/Conferences Events @ Ashmolean 01865 610 406 OXON www.ashmolean.org /venue-hire Wendy Ball B Head of Events Marie Giraud CN Events Sales and Communications Manager Conference Oxford C Marie O’Connor Head 01865 287 378 OXON www.conference-oxford.com Exeter College 01865 279 600 OXON www.exeter.ox.ac.uk/conferences Oxford Town Hall 01865 252 195 OXON www.oxfordtownhall.co.uk Oxford University Event Venues 01865 276 905 OXON www.venues.ox.ac.uk Hartwell House Hotel 01296 747 444 BUCKS www.hartwell-house.com

B4 Oxford Event Hire 01865 760 158 OXON www.oxfordeventhire.co.uk

Proficio Solutions Limited Michael Pawley C Director 07795 180 795 www.proficiosolutions.co.uk

Oxford Marquees 01865 373 173 OXON www.oxfordmarquees.co.uk

TBAT Innovation 01332 819 740 www.tbat.co.uk

That Event Company 01844 215 857 OXON www.that-event.com

Gener8 Finance 03331 218 888 www.gener8finance.com

EVENT PLANNING Tina Rosser Event Solutions 07824 154 642 OXON

EVENTS Business in Oxford 2019 P 01865 742 211 OXON www.businessinoxford.com

Charles Stanley 020 7149 6315 www.charles-stanley.co.uk Flexible Funding 01235 424 464 www.flexiblefunding.finance

INSURANCE Oxfordshire Business Awards www.oxfordshirebusinessawards.co.uk West Oxfordshire Business Awards 01993 220 690 OXON www.woba.org.uk

EVENT RESOURCES Boys and Girls Promotions 01865 595 707 OXON www.boysandgirlspromotions.co.uk

EDUCATION

Spencer Insurance C Jo Spencer Owner 01235 868 535 www.spencerinsurance.co.uk

BANKING Barclays Corporate Banking P Trevor French Head of Business and Corporate Banking 0800 015 4242 OXON www.barclayscorporate.com

Activate Learning P Bernard Grenville-Jones Group Executive Director 0800 612 6008 www.activatelearning.ac.uk Oxford Brookes University, Business School Giles Orr Head of CPD 01865 485 858 OXON www.brookes.ac.uk/business

FOCUS Oxford Risk P Management Ltd Nick Jones Managing Director 01865 953 111 OXON www.focusorm.co.uk

Cherwell College 01862 242 670 www.cherwell-college.co.uk

FINANCE

EQUIPMENT HIRE

FINANCIAL ADVICE

Moonlite Productions P James Iyengar Owner 01296 488 900 OXON www.moonlite.co.uk

Cazenove Capital P Management Tom Allen Head of Oxford Office 01865 811 360 OXON www.cazenovecapital.com

NatWest C Howard Feather Business Growth Enabler 01865 305 175 OXON www.natwest.com Metro Bank Oxford C Grant Shergold Local Business Manager 07855 097 403 wwww.metrobankonline.co.uk

HEALTH & LEISURE FITNESS Optimum Body 07703 484 063 OXON www.obsportsmassage.com

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Contacts HEALTH CARE Tara Tripp Hearing Care G Vincent Tripp Practice Manager 01865 910 202 OXON www.tripphearing.co.uk

FUNERAL HOMES Sandra Homewood Funerals 01869 208 000 OXON www.homewoodfunerals.co.uk

SPORT Frilford Heath Golf Club P Alistair Booth Director 01865 390 864 OXON www.frilfordheath.co.uk Oxford City FC 01865 744 493 OXON www.oxfordcityfc.co.uk

Sue Rees Associates Ltd 01865 292 141 OXON www.suerees.co.uk A R Hine Associates C Alan Hine Owner 01865 339 313 OXON www.alanhine.co.uk

Better People Ltd 01491 836 632 OXON www.betterpeopleltd.co.uk

WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT

Keastone 0121 582 1500 OXON www.keastone.co.uk

WEB IT & TELECOMMS

Helen Money Nutrition Helen Money GC Owner 01865 339 672 OXON www.helenmoneynutrition.com

STL Communications Ltd G Nina Lees 01993 777 113 OXON www.stlcomms.com 45G 01865 686 172 OXON www.45g.co.uk

HR CONSULTANTS

IT SERVICES

You HR PBC Jonna Mundy Owner 07703 719 464 www.youhrconsultancy.co.uk

InTouch CRM P Matthew Ruddle Lead Nurturing Expert 0333 200 7273 www.intouchcrm.co.uk

Meraki HR 01280 848 415 www.merakihr.com Edelweiss HR 01367 860310 www.edelweisshr.co.uk SYLO Associates 01844 216 290 www.sylo-associates.co.uk

RECRUITMENT Global CTS 01235 209 154 OXON www.globalcts.co.uk WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

IMEurope Ltd 01993 866 166 OXON www.imeurope.co.uk claireLOGIC 01865 989144 OXON www.clairelogic.net

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Think Inspire and Create Hayley Monks G Managing Director 0844 414 6056 OXON www.thinkinspireandcreate.com

Bongo IT C Andrew Elder Marketing Director 01865 988 217 OXON www.bongoit.co.uk

Thompson & Terry Recruitment 01235 797 177 OXON www.thompsonandterry.co.uk

WELLBEING

Alberon C Tim Ault Managing Director 01865 263 220 OXON www.alberon.co.uk Garbott Ltd 01865 689 798 OXON www.garbott.co.uk

XIST2 01993 835 117 OXON www.xist2.com

MANUFACTURING Unipart PB Frank Nigriello Director of Corporate Affairs 01865 383 339 OXON www.unipart.com Owen Mumford P 01993 812 021 OXON www.owenmumford.com Jarl Severn B Director

Computing Information P Systems (CIS) Ltd Neill Lawson-Smith B Managing Director 01367 700 555 OXON www.cisltd.com Storm Internet G Salim Benadel Founder and Director 0800 817 4727 www.storminternet.co.uk CQR Consulting G Simon Glover Operations Manager 01865 987 182 www.cqr.com Databasix 07777 610 900 OXON www.dbxuk.com

Gavin Jones B Group Finance Director G-Smatt Europe GB Orhan Ertughrul Executive Vice President 01865 688 228 OXON www.g-smatteurope.com

MARKETING & DESIGN

CORPORATE IDENTITY Recognition Express P Andy Olejnik Managing Director 01295 257 611 OXON www.re-oxfordshire.co.uk Strangebrew PBC Phil Strachan Director 07770 753 975 BERKS www.thinkbrandnotbland.co.uk Brand New Dawn 01865 400 640 OXON www.brandnewdawn.com Harvey Brand Strategy 07887 998 601 OXON www.harveyfuchs.com

FRAMING Isis Creative Framing G John Brooks Owner 01865 203 420 OXON www.isiscreative.co.uk

MARKETING Brand Asylum C Andrew Hancock Creative Director 01235 606 091 OXON www.brandasylum.co.uk Ellard Outloud 07812 587 224 OXON www.ellardoutloud.co.uk B Engaging 01993 775 490 OXON www.bengaging.co.uk Heart of Business C Jackie Jarvis Owner 07801 293 022 OXON ADS 01993 885 125 OXON www.adsoxford.co.uk OJI Marketing 07463 994 834 OXON www.ojimarketing.co.uk

ADVERTISING B4 Magazine PB Richard Rosser Managing Director 01865 742 211 OXON www.b4-business.com

Juicy Designs 01367 820 929 www.juicy-designs.com SEEBLUE 07500 291 400 OXON www.see-blue.co.uk

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Celebrate Christmas at one of Oxfordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most stunning venues and enjoy a magical evening to remember. We have a range of sparkling options available to work with your ideas and guest number.

Rolec EV Smart Workplace & Home Charging Points, Fully Installed For a FREE Survey call 01865 689168

www.tech-lec.co.uk

Contacts MEDIA/DIGITAL MARKETING Imageworks 01865 865 656 OXON www.imageworks.co.uk

MRD Digital Print 01865 715 181 OXON www.mrddigitalprint.com

PUBLIC RELATIONS Indulge Media C Paul Wood Managing Director 01865 686 093 OXON www.indulgemedia.com Torpedo Group Limited 01865 733 710 OXON www.torpedogroup.com

PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY Studio8 P Clark Wiseman Managing Director 01865 842 525 OXON www.studio-8.co.uk Warpline G James Quayle Creative Director 01235 841 503 OXON www.warplinefilms.co.uk Oxford House Ltd CN Frederick Jewson DOP 7817 395 660 OXON www.frederickjewson.co.uk The Plastic Goldfish Company C Chaz Snell Commercial Photographer 01865 809 449 OXON www.plasticgoldfish.co.uk Digital Gold HQ 01235 819 187 OXON www.digitalgoldhq.com Warpline 01235 841 503 www.warplinefilms.co.uk

PRINTING Carbon Colour G Nigel Allen Managing Director 01235 438 938 OXON www.carbon.co.uk Fine Print 01993 777 450 OXON www.fineprint.co.uk Seacourt Ltd 01865 770 140 OXON www.seacourt.net

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

B4 Arlington (Oxford Business Park) Daniel Williams Development Director 0118 370 3065 www.arlington.com

Oxford Property Consulting 01865 553 956 OXON www.oxfordpropertyconsulting.co.uk

LETTING AGENTS

Build Your Brand Story 07850 198 681 OXON www.buildyourbrandstory.com

Boston House 01235 772 992 www.bostonhouse.co.uk

Finders Keepers 01865 302347 OXON www.finders.co.uk

Papa Romeo PR BC Claire Thompson Managing Director 07811 339 577 OXON www.paparomeopr.com

Begbroke Science Park 01865 283 700 OXON www.begbroke.ox.ac.uk

Righton Group Limited 01865 311 696 OXON www.rightonstay.co.uk

Harwell Campus 01235 250 091 OXON www.harwellcampus.com

Oxford Property Consulting 01865 553 956 OXON www.oxfordpropertyconsulting.co.uk

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY AGENTS

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANTS

Spacecraft Consulting C Olivia Lane-Nott Director 07968 081 128 OXON www.spacecraftconsulting.com Big Foot Communications C Emma Gascoigne Communications Consultant 07968 081 128 OXON www.linkedin.com/company /big-foot-communications Coconut PR 01491 821 630 www.coconutpr.com Fabulous PR 01844 281746 www.fabulouspr.co.uk

Target 01242 633 100 www.targetgroup.co.uk

MARKET RESEARCH Nielsen 01865 742 742 OXON www.nielsen.com

PROPERTY & BUILDING ARCHITECTURE Gray Baynes + Shew 01865 305 130 OXON www.gbsarchitects.co.uk

VSL and Partners PBC Richard Venables Director 01865 848 488 OXON www.vslandp.com Carter Jonas P Scott Harkness Partner 01865 511 444 OXON www.carterjonas.co.uk Lambert Smith Hampton G Simon Butler Associate Director 01865 587 713 OXON www.lsh.co.uk

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY SERVICES Bracknell Enterprise & Innovation Hub Shelley Furey G Centre Manager 01344 388 000 BERKS www.bracknell-hub.co.uk Digitizelectric 01865 517 018 BERKS www.digitizelectric.com Mantle 0333 00 66 330 OXON www.mantle.co.uk

Adrian James Architects 01865 203 267 OXON www.adrianjames.com

ESTATE AGENTS

BUSINESS PARKS & OFFICE SPACE

CherryPicked Residential 01865 339 546 OXON www.cherrypickedresidential.co.uk

Oxford Innovation PB Jo Stevens Managing Director 01865 811 191 OXON www.oxin.co.uk

Wallers Estate Agents 01865 435 175 OXON www.wallersestateagents.com

COEL P Dan Brown Director 01865 986 822 OXON www.coel.uk.com Ridge and Partners LLP 01993 815 101 OXON www.ridge.co.uk Solid Structures 01608 690 858 OXON www.solid-structures.com Mulholland Landscape Consultants C David Mulholland Director 07734 253 579 OXON www.mulhollandconsultants.co.uk

PROPERTY SERVICES Darke & Taylor Ltd G Simon Newton Managing Director 01865 290 000 OXON www.darkeandtaylor.co.uk Marriotts Chartered Surveyors 01865 316 311 OXON www.marriottsoxford.co.uk JT Interiors 01993 700 515 OXON www.jtiuk.com Headington Carriers 01993 811276 www.headingtoncarriers.co.uk

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DOMESTIC & COMMERCIAL REMOVALS & STORAGE

Serving Oxfordshireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business community for over years. We specialise in business and corporate moves for: Universities and colleges Offices and factories Hospitals Laboratories Storage Crate hire

graphic design | web design | digital marketing video & photography | marketing campaigns | events

Disposals House removals Export packing

01993 885122 hello@adsoxford.co.uk The Planing Shed, Blenheim Palace Sawmills Combe, Oxfordshire OX29 8ET

Approved contractors to

01993 811 276

Hcarriers

enquiries@headingtoncarriers.co.uk

Headington Carriers Ltd Removals & Storage

headingtoncarriers.co.uk

adsoxford.co.uk

Oxford BrandAsylum

Hop On - Hop Off

Group Ltd.

OPEN FOR BRIEFING 1st OCTOBER 2019

brand. design. digital. social.

Defining & positioning brands, websites & campaigns within the digital, traditional, social & design space for the past 15 years throughout Oxfordshire and the UK.

www.brandasylum.co.uk Boston House | Oxfordshire | 01235 606 091

City & University Tour City and Un tour inclu iversity des walking to a free ur

For further details and prices visit www.citysightseeingoxford.com 01865 790522

Contacts R&R

The Wonky Food Company 07596 488 518 OXON www.wonkyfoodco.com

ACCOMMODATION

Jurys Inn Oxford P Julia Cook Director of Sales 0203 564 5225 OXON www.jurysinns.com/hotels/oxford Marriott Courtyard Oxford South 07741 910 400 OXON www.marriott.co.uk/hotels Hilton Garden Inn Abingdon 01235 553 456 OXON www.oxfordabingdonhotel.com

Chadlington Brewery 07967 210 151 OXON www.chadlingtonbrewery.com Horsebox Coffee Co 01993 880 597 OXON www.britishhoney.com The British Honey Company Limited 07967 210 151 OXON www.chadlingtonbrewery.com

RESTAURANTS Victors Oxford 01865 689 064 www.victors.co.uk

Milton Hill House 01235 831 474 OXON www.miltonoxfordshire.co.uk

Pizza Pilgrims C Gavin Smith Operations Director 01865 808 030 OXON www.pizzapilgrims.co.uk

Hawkwell House 01865 749 988 OXON www.hawkwellhouse.co.uk

Tap Social 01865 236 330 OXON www.tapsocialmovement.com

Conifers Guest House 01865 763 055 OXON www.conifersguesthouse.co.uk

Ashmolean Rooftop Restaurant 01865 553 823 OXON www.benugo.com/restaurants/ rooftop-restaurant

Mercure Oxford Eastgate Hotel 01865 248 332 OXON www.accorhotels.com

CORPORATE ENTERTAINMENT Sam Strange Magic G Sam Strange Owner 01865 742 211 OXON www.samstrangemagic.co.uk Oxford Castle & Prison 01865 260 666 OXON www.oxfordcastleandprison.co.uk

FOOD & DRINK SUPPLIES Neve’s Bees 07891 633 356 OXON www.nevesbees.co.uk TOAD 01865 767 918 OXON www.spiritoftoad.com

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

PARTNERS

Official HR Partner

Official Cloud Partner

The Cherwell Boathouse 01865 552 746 OXON www.cherwellboathouse.co.uk Brasserie Bar Co 020 3166 2727 OXON www.brasseriebarco.com Official Stationery Partner

SHOPPING Westgate Shopping Centre Brendan Hattam P General Manager 01865 263 600 OXON www.westgateoxford.co.uk

ON THE

Macdonald Randolph Hotel Les Wood C General Manager 844 879 9132 OXON www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk

HILL

Magazine Design

Wild & Fine G Hannah Rogan Owner www.wildandfine.co.uk Neve’s Bees C Julie Macken Deputy Queen Bee https://nevesbees.co.uk

© Designs-on Ltd and B4 Magazine. Whilst every attempt has been made to ensure that the content of this publication is accurate and correct in every way, the publishers cannot be held responsible or liable for any inaccuracies or errors within the publication. Information reproduced from this publication is permitted with the express permission of the publisher and the advertiser, where relevant. All information is correct at time of going to press.

131

2020

BIO 

TUE 2ND-THU 4TH

JUNE

See www.businessinoxford.com for sponsorship and exhibition details or for further information call 01865 742211 