B4 Magazine / Issue 58 by B4 Magazine

e g or in M rk is wo 4 et GE 4 B N EE PA an S Th

B4 MAGAZINE I S S U E

5 8

J U L Y

2 0 1 9

50 TO WATCH Winners from this year’s awards

Brexit and the Environment

Page 41

YIELD IS VANITY, MARGIN IS SANITY

What effects might we see in the future Page 64

Reshaping the Supply Chain

A look at BPS for agricultural workers

6 business and social trends for logistics

Page 74

Page 90

WORKPLACE INNOVATION Salim Benadel of Storm Internet talks to B4 about his inspiring passion for life, technology and business

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

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 the enclosed “Join The Community” booklet to find out more

HOWBERY BUSINESS PARK FORUM 17TH SEP ‘19 For more information please see www.oxvoice.co.uk/events/

THE TEAM

WELCOME TO ISSUE 58

Richard Rosser Chief Executive & Editor

There is an exciting air of positivity sweeping through the B4 community and this was epitomised during my interview with the charismatic Salim Benadel of Storm Internet, who graces our front cover. Not only has Salim established Storm as a fast growing, award winning business, but he has done it with a positive and infectious character that will undoubtedly engage him with the B4 community. We are also delighted to launch NEXUS, a partner programme which is designed to give organisations and individuals the opportunity to contribute to, benefit from and learn through the various B4 inititiaves we have launched. So if you would like to support a charity, social enterprise or new business, or you would like to be supported by a local organisation, find out more on page 77. B458 also covers BIO2019 and looks back at the amazing reaction we received on social media which has inspired us to make BIO2020 even bigger and better. BIO2019 also saw the launch of our first 50 To Watch Awards in association with Freeths â&#x20AC;Ś. a great opportunity for new businesses and individuals to gain some limelight and, hopefully, some of our finalists will go on to achieve even greater things. Well done to all of those who entererd. Bringing down the curtain at BIO2019 in the NXT sponsored final session, we were privileged to hear from an inspirational group of young professionals, creatives and entrepreneurs representing Oxfordshire businesses. NXT (for 18 to 30 year olds) is starting to gain real traction and with the launch of a new magazine this Winter, we can see NXT making a really positive impact by profiling those achieving success early on in their careers..

Colin Rosser Chairman

Keith Simpson Senior Designer

Lorna Waterfield Production Manager

Rob Scotcher Design & Photography

Emma Davis Marketing Executive

Enjoy Issue 58

Richard Rosser Editor Ed Rosser NXT

MORE ABOUT B4 p4. p8. p10.

B4 More Than Networking B4 Platinum, Gold, New & Renewing Members B4 Events Calendar

p12. B4 Masterclasses p13. B4 Classics & Dinners p20. B4 Community News

Sue Rosser Credit Control

O X F O R D S H I R E

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 4

#morethannetworking

Contents events

26 FOCUS: Meet FOCUS’ team of friendly and professional insurance experts that makes them unique.

10 Upcoming B4 Events: The latest net working, dinner and masterclass events. 36 BIO2019 Recap: Read our recap of this year’s hugely successful Business In Oxford event. 41 The “50 To Watch” Awards: Check out the winners and nominees from this year’s 50 To Watch awards which took place at BIO2019.

29 The Team Behind You HR: This year You HR Consultancy will celebrate its 10th anniversary - Get to know the team who make it possible. 30 Team Trifecta: 18 local business leaders scaled the three highest peaks in England, Scotland and Wales in aid of charity.

spotlight 32 More Than The Big Leagues: At a recent event at Said Business School, Aleksander Čeferin spoke about football as a positive agent for change.

58 Gener8 Finance: Peri-Ann Lively met with B4’s Richard Rosser to explain more about her role as Gener8’s first BDE.

34 Inclusive Economy for Oxfordshire: Grant Hayward of Collaborent takes a look at what a more inclusive economy for Oxfordshire could mean for your business

62 Oxfordshire Voice News: Transport forum recap. 105 Sobell House’s 40 Club Grows: Check out the latest news from Sobell House Hospice and their 40 Club Members.

61 Charles Stanley Wealth Managers: B4 met with Ria Shepheard and Simon Scott-White of Charles Stanley to find out more about their roles.

16 Workplace Innovation: Read about Storm Internet’s positive, energetic, engaging and incredibly inspiring workplace culture and ethos.

20 B4 Member News: The latest news from our B4 members.

finance 56 Keeping It Personal: Barclays tell us about their recent work with The Burnside Partnership, a legal practice with complex banking needs.

lead

news

wellbeing 55 Long Term Health: Helen Money talks to us about why your diet should focus on reducing inflammation in the body.

legal

Unsung Heroes

64 Brexit And The Environment: Penningtons Manches Cooper’s environmental law team takes a look at the effects we may see in the future.

25 Finders Keepers’ Charity of the Year: Finders Keepers hope to raise £10,000 for the Oxford Children’s Hospital over the next 12 months.

67 Family Feuds: Hedges Law talks about how to protect your family from a fight over your business assets.

property 69 The Foundations of Leadership: Lambert Smith Hampton talk about how, like tall buildings need deep foundations, great leaders need to build strong relationships. 71 New Business Hub For Abingdon: Mantle talk about The Lambourn, a creative and exciting new business hub opening in the heart of Abingdon.

B4 72 Commercial Property: Check out the latest commercial properties and news from VSL & Partners.

hr & recruitment 101 Big Win for Home-Grown Recruitment Agency: Global CTS Recruitment were recently shortlisted for the 2019 50 To Watch awards’ “Startup or Grown from Home” category.

74 Yield Is Vanity, Margin Is Sanity: Carter Jonas discuss changes to the Basic Payments Scheme (BPS) and how it will affect agricultural workers.

103 AR Hine Associates: B4 spoke to Alan Hine who shared some background, and the secrets of his success and business.

services 89 Passion For Food: Learn about Passion For Food’s simple, uncomplicated approach to catering where everything revolves around the client.

90 Reshaping The Supply Chain: Discover the six business and social trends r responsible and what they could mean for your logistics operations. 93 Pop-Up Theatre: Make the most of a unique corporate entertainment opportunity this summer with Shakespeare’s pop up Rose Theatre.

venues 83 Oxford Castle & Prison: Looking forward to another year of welcoming new guests of all ages to explore and celebrate its rich and varied history.

84 25 Years of Howbery: Howbery Business Park celebrates their 25th Anniversary and looks back on what got them to where they are.

technology 95 Making Cyber Security Simple: CQR explain what cyber security is and how you can make sure your business and your family are safe.

education 87 T Levels: Activate Learning discuss how the new technical qualifications can work for you.

97 Reading Mayor Visits Huawei HQ: Huawei’s UK CEO, Jerry Wang, hosted the Mayor of Reading recently to showcase some of the exciting things they are working on. 99 Your IT And Communications Partner: Read all about claireLOGIC, the work they do and how they got to where they are now.

marketing 106 On The Podium At Brands Hatch: Phil Strachan of Strangebrew gives us an update on the progress of talented young racing driver, Advait Deodhar. 109 Harvey Brand Strategy: Delivering award-winning brand and marketing solutions for both large and small clients, across multiple sectors. 111 Agency Diversity Benefits Business: Cerub PR talks about how diversity isn’t just applicable to recruitment, your marketing agency should have industry diversity too. 113 ads creative solutions: Learn about this popular marketing agency, their history, experience and team.

meet the community 28 Helen Joy: ANPR Consulting. 40 Douglas Graham: Oxford Hospitals Charity. 68 Grant Shergold: Metro Bank. 70 Emily Romans: Metro Bank. 82 Adrian James: Adrian James Architects. 88 Ben Procter: Oxford Property Consulting. 94 Darren Aston: Aston & James. 96 Craig Aston: Aston & James. 98 James Walton: That Event Company. 100 Salim Benadel: Storm Internet. 102 Sam Kandiyali: Target. 104 Tim Keatinge: Keastone. 108 Colin Bunting: BBOWT. 110 Sarah Wyatt: Juicy Designs. 112 Kath Bonner-Dunham: 4P Business Development.

Member Directory 115

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

ASHMOLEAN FORUM 21ST NOV 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 Events Calendar MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

18:00 – 20:00 B4 Classic Event Oxford University Sport

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

09:30 – 11:00 OV Think Tank OV Partners Only B4 HQ

09:30-11:30 Natural Netwalking B4 HQ

August 2019 12

September 2019 6 12:00 - 13:30 B4 Masterclass with Peter Collins B4 HQ

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

13 12:00 - 13:30 B4 Masterclass with Matt Smart B4 HQ

18:00 – 20:00 B4 Classic Event Rhodes House

12:00 - 13:30 B4 Masterclass with Placi Espejo B4 HQ

16:00 – 19:00 OV Forum OV Partners Only Howbery Business Park

24 18:30 – 20:00 NXT Event Under 30’s Only Blenheim Palace

October 2019 7

09:30 – 11:00 OV Think Tank OV Partners Only B4 HQ

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

18 12:00 - 13:30 B4 Masterclass with STL Communications B4 HQ

16:00 – 19:00 OV Forum OV Partners Only Venue TBC

28 18:00 – 20:00 B4 Annual Event Divinity School

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

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

B4 MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

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 embers Only B4 HQ

09:30 – 11:00 OV Think Tank OV Partners Only B4 HQ

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

Events Highlights B4 Classic Event at Rhodes House Date: Thursday 26th September, 2019. 6pm-8pm. Venue: Rhodes House, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RG Join B4 Members at the stunning Rhodes House, home of the Rhodes Scholars. Rhodes House is a hidden delight in the heart of Oxford. Designed in the style of a Cotswold mansion, Rhodes House has been the gathering place for Rhodes Scholars and their distinguished guests for nearly 100 years. Now Rhodes House is available for others to walk the same boards and enjoy this historic venue. B4 are delighted to welcome our members back to Rhodes House following the successful events held in the previous 7 years.

Oxfordshire Voice Events

NXT Events

B4 Masterclasses

B4 Classic Events

B4 Welcome / Explore Events

B4 Dinners

B4 Workshop

For further events and to register online, see: www.b4-business.com/events WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

B4 Forthcoming Events

B4 powered by

B4 Masterclasses are a great opportunity to learn and share expertise with B4 Members. There is a hidden wealth of knowledge within our community which deserves to be promoted. Hosted by B4 at our offices, Masterclasses run for 90 minutes and include networking, refreshments, presentation and Q&A.

B4 Masterclass with Vistage Date: Friday 6th September 2019, 12pm-1.30pm. Venue: B4 HQ, The Stables at The Moat, Northampton Rd, Weston-on-the-Green, Oxon, OX25 3QL Masterclass with Peter Collins: The 7 key skills of successful business leaders. This workshop is for current CEO/MDs or any manager who wants to know how to improve their prospects of moving to a more senior role or the executive suite. Just what is it that makes some business leaders so successful? In this workshop you will learn about the 7 key skills that all successful business leaders master. The workshop is based on the collective experiences of the world’s largest organisation for chief executives and the highly successful Vistage executive coaching programme with over 23,000 members worldwide and will be presented by your local Vistage Chair, Peter Collins. Target Audience Managers, Senior Managers, Chief Executives, Managing Directors, Business Owners.

B4 Masterclass with Matt Smart Date: Friday 13th September 2019, 12pm-1.30pm. Venue: B4 HQ, The Stables at The Moat, Northampton Rd, Weston-on-the-Green, Oxon, OX25 3QL Masterclass with Matt Smart: The Arts and Oxfordshire’s Skills Retention. How can art help your brand identity and business leadership? Why is it worth investing in art? How can the arts help staff retention? Oxfordshire has impressive cultural collections, but are they appealing to the entertainment interests and social life of young entrepreneurs, and those new to the job market? Street art and progressive culture is blamed - or thanked - for gentrification of much of South and East London, and many of UK cities’ desirable residence districts. How can this inform Oxfordshire? What are the financial options?. Target Audience Managers, Senior Managers, Chief Executives, Managing Directors, Business Owners.

B4 Masterclass with Placi Espejo Date: Friday 27th September 2019, 12pm-1.30pm. Venue: B4 HQ, The Stables at The Moat, Northampton Rd, Weston-on-the-Green, Oxon, OX25 3QL Masterclass with Placi Espejo: Presentation Tips for Non-Presenters. Placi Espejo, Head of Commercial Sales and Marketing at Heyford Park, will share tips on how to deal with the nerves that accompany public speaking or presentations. Target Audience Anyone who feels uncomfortable giving presentations!

Please note • Masterclasses are free of charge for B4 Members, 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. • Non-member tickets are £30+VAT with no cancellation fee. • Places are strictly limited to 12 guests. • Some Masterclasses take place at the B4 HQ and others at Unipart House, please check the venues and timings for each Masterclass.

OXFORD CENTRE FOR INNOVATION 19TH DEC ‘19 For more information please see www.oxvoice.co.uk/events/

B4 Classics & Dinners Upcoming B4 Classic Events B4 Classic Event at Oxford University Sport Date: 13th August 2019 @ 6:00pm - 8:00pm Venue: Oxford University Sport, Iffley Road, Oxford, OX4 1EQ

B4 Classic Event at Rhodes House Date: 26th September 2019 @ 6:00pm - 8:00pm Venue: Rhodes House, S Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QY

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

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 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 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 O X F O R D S H I R E

SCAN TO VIEW MORE PHOTOS

MEETING ROOM / STUDIO / GYM & FULL DAY TRAINING COURSES

visited The Stables for an away day with the team who meet from all parts of the UK. “WeWe couldn’t have asked for more. Whatever we needed was provided…and some. It’s such a relaxing environment but we were still incredibly productive and I would say it was easily one of our most positive team away days. We will certainly be coming back. Jo Stevens Managing Director - Oxford Innovation & Innovation Centres

Facilities include

PEACE & QUIET TO THINK, TO LEARN AND CONNECT

• Meeting Room with seating for up to 12 • WI-FI • Wall mounted flat screen TV for presentations – connect to your laptop • Full equipped studio with photography, videography and editing services on hand should you require them • Parking for up to 30

Catering as required

here’s nothing quite like a change of scenery to stimulate the brain and our new offices at Weston-on-the-Green offer you and your team the perfect opportunity to get away from familiar surroundings and breathe in some country air. Our brand news offices have welcomed over 300 B4 members to our regular masterclasses and various board meetings, and you can take advantage of the meeting room or studio for your next meeting or photo shoot. Whether it’s a 30 minute interview somewhere private or a full day photo shoot, we will be pleased to tailor a package to suit your requirements. We also provide hot or cold food as you require and, of course, the tea and coffee will be piping hot all day.

WANT TO FIND OUT MORE? Please call us on 01865 742211 to find out more about our facilities, or why not book an appointment to see for yourself

Packages Available • One hour to full day bookings for meeting room and studio • Rates calculated on per head per hour basis • Monthly retainer packages so you can drop in when you need to* • Preferential rates for B4 members *subject to availability

The Manor House Hotel

WESTON-ONTHE-GREEN

THE STABLES AT THE MOAT

The Milk Shed

Last left before The Manor if coming from Oxford A34 Knowle Ln.

B430

Subject to availability, you can hire the meeting room or studio for that all important all day meeting or shoot and we’ll be on hand with whatever support you need. We also run full day courses and will be pleased to talk to you about how you can run a course of your own whilst we do all of the organising, even promoting your course! Please do get in touch to discuss your requirements, or why not arrange to pop in and see our facilities for yourself? We look forward to hearing from you. The Stables Team

• Tea and Coffee • Water • Soft drinks • Hot or cold buffet lunches • Snacks

d or xf O

From Oxford City Centre 15 minutes From M40 junction 9 5 minutes

The Stables at The Moat, Northampton Rd, Weston-on-the-Green, Oxfordshire, OX25 3QL

Salim at the Oxfordshire Voice forum at Freeths Solicitors

Workplace Innovation As founder and director of Storm Internet, Salim Benadel has a passion for doing things right. It’s not often you come across someone with such a level of drive and determination to succeed, but Salim wants to succeed to help his growing number of clients succeed, to make their lives easier…it’s the mantra of Storm. Without doubt Salim is positive, energetic, engaging and incredibly inspiring and a welcome addition to the B4 community. Written by: Richard Rosser

Phoptography by: Rob Scotcher & Rob Scotcher

Salim: “We exist as a company to achieve three key goals when it comes to the hosting of business’ websites, corporate email and internal company applications such as CRM systems and shared network drives. Security; Availability; and Disaster Recovery. “By providing cloud hosting for the last 10 plus years, we have found, as a managed host, that these are the three most important things that our clients care about and that we need to do very well. That’s what we’re about and what we specialise in.” B4: “We talked off camera about the bigger organisations providing these sorts of services and we undoubtedly all get confidence in a brand like Amazon and what they do, but you have different thoughts?” Salim: “What you say is true. The interesting thing we have found is that Amazon’s AWS and Microsoft’s Azure platforms are used extensively for general hosting purposes etc. But when it comes to anything sensitive, that’s where we are finding businesses, particularly in the UK, are a little more unsure about

using these conglomerates. Their brands are powerful, but also, in my opinion, there’s now a lot of scepticism about these brands when it comes to data storage. People are wisening up more to the cloud these days. They want to know things like where their data is, who has got it, how secure it is. The larger American companies in particular have received a certain amount of stick in recent years and aren’t, perhaps, viewed with the same level of trust as they once were.” “So, what we are finding is that a lot of companies are moving to organisations such as Storm where we can provide a dedicated, personal service and system that is highly reliable, secure and fully managed by our own team 24/7/365. We can take our clients to our data centre where they can see for themselves where their data is housed, actually touch the equipment and that delivers a high degree of trust and reassurance. It’s a very powerful exercise and just one of the ways that we can give our clients the confidence that their data is secure rather than just being ‘somewhere in the cloud’.”

B4: “When you came to the B4 offices for your personal profile visit recently, it was quite clear you have a high level of passion for your business and for life generally. You say you bounce out of bed every morning and you’re on a high for the rest of the day. Tell me more about your philosophy at Storm and how you take your personal passion for health and wellbeing into your business.” Salim: “For me life is about two things; 1) personal growth and 2) about what you can do to help improve the lives of others. I live by these principles. I believe that you have to find what you love doing and then pursue it with everything you’ve got. Storm was just an idea at one point but since then has grown year-on-year and we’re now serving customers all over the UK and in several countries too. To see an idea that you came up with go from concept to a reality is already something that’s truly rewarding. But what I find even more satisfying is being able make a real difference to someone’s business and even their own work-life balance in a

that you came up with go from concept to a reality “ To see anisidea already something that’s truly rewarding ”

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Storm Internet ISPA Best Host Award 2017

me life is about personal growth, pushing yourself to try and be “theForbest you can be and, about what you can do to help improve the lives of others. I live by these principles

”

positive way. Storm may be an IT company but IT is useless unless it’s doing something to make your life better. For me, there’s nothing more rewarding than a client being truly satisfied with something that we’ve done for them. If we can ultimately save our clients time, money, hassle and worry when we’re doing our job well. This viewpoint also leads through to a number of charity initiatives that we’re involved with and that we feel can make a real difference to our local community and beyond. Our new partnership with Oxfordshire Mind will support the charity and helps build awareness around mental health issues. We’ll also be taking the Kidlington Comets Under 7’s football team under our wing to help inspire skills in the young including fitness, teamwork, discipline and leadership. And we’re encouraging new tech skills by helping towards North Kidlington School’s goal of becoming a “Chromebook” school - something that has proven to have significant benefits in helping prepare children for the modern world. As we grow more as a business, we’ll be increasing our charitable work further. Being in a position to

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

be able to do that and make a difference gives me immense pleasure. My view is that those who are in a position of power, need to use that power for the purpose of good. Give something back and doing your part to help create a better world.” Salim’s appetite for a busy day of problem solving is sparked by an early morning routine that would make your average professional athlete blush, but it’s a tried and tested routine that is reaping rewards personally and for Storm. “I start most weekdays at 6am with a 5km run around Kidlington and Begbroke, and then hit the gym (the fantastic Vida gym in Kidlington) straight after the morning school run. It’s my priming routine for the day ahead: it fires me up and puts my mind in a very positive place. Taking that energy and focus into the work environment I believe is essential to help propel the business forward. Success in life doesn’t just happen or come about from one or two big lucky moments. It comes from chipping away at the small stuff day in, day out. Then

one day you look back and find that all those little tasks you did well have now amounted to something quite significant. So for me, it’s all about pushing yourself to try and be better each day and stepping out of your comfort zone. In fact, I find the irony of a comfort zone is that it’s ultimately the most dangerous place you can be.” B4: “What’s the ultimate ambition for Storm?” Salim: “I’ve got a vision for Storm and I’d really like to see how far we can go on this journey. It’s exciting and it’s an adventure! However Storm’s not yet reached its full potential and there’s a lot more I believe that we can still achieve. Continued growth is obviously important. However I don’t tend to look at that in terms of number of sales, but more by the number of people we can help. I feel that’s the right way to do business and if you do that, you grow naturally as a result. Ultimately if we’re not making someone’s life better then we’re wasting our time.” Continued overleaf

ABOUT STORM Business continuity. Data protection. Service delivery - quintessential qualities which define managed hosting and deliver lasting customer satisfaction.

Salim Benadel

Storm Internet provides a cutting-edge world-class managed hosting infrastructure that takes care of the technical heavy lifting so that the customer has more time to focus on their business. Their innovation is focused on making solutions used by the corporate big guns available to small and medium-sized businesses; with Storm you’ve got a bigger arsenal of simple solutions to complex problems at your disposal than anywhere else. More importantly, Storm will manage it for you so that you have more time to build the life you want.

Storm’s role in your business: Moving in-house digital resources to the cloud cuts IT costs and reduces the resources and time required to efficiently scale operational systems. That’s why many businesses nowadays prefer cloud-based local area networks, shared network drives, internal CRM systems, and internal databases over conventional in-house systems. An added benefit is that staff members can securely access internal company files, folders, documents and information from anywhere in the world using a simple internet connection. But there are also threats and other technical considerations which require skilled personnel to help carry the technical load.

ultimately delivering peace “ Stormofare mind for their clients ”

Storm Internet’s solutions come with peace-of-mind built in; pro-active support means that they resolve server anomalies before these become problems, while multi-layer infrastructure security virtually eliminates threats. Customers are assured that the data they host is protected and available at all times. These measures are backed up with thorough disaster-recovery procedures which allow lost information to be recovered swiftly. Business email and managed website hosting are among those services for which the Oxfordshire-based host has won awards in the past. Simplified compliance and online security eases customer concerns, while 24/7/365 ‘Big Brother’ support watches your back and lends a helping hand when needed. Should things go south (this is the Wild Wild Web, after all), recovery is painless and straightforward. Storm’s credentials and the awards they have won consecutively over the past few years serve as proof of their die-hard commitment to customer success: • Storm Internet is an ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 certified company • Six-time winner of the UK Internet Industry (ISPAs) Best Managed Hosting award Storm Internet is UK-based and serves businesses of all sizes across the globe. Their extensive client portfolio includes businesses like Elizabeth Shaw chocolates and YKK Europe. While achieving year-on-year growth, Storm also takes the time to offset their environmental impact through various green initiatives.

Find out more about the real Salim Benadel in his personal profile interview in Issue 59 of B4.

   

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

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

B4 COMMUNITY NEWS Managing Director Ceri-Jane Hackling says: “Our 16th anniversary seemed like a great time to launch our new site which reflects our values and demonstrates our focus as a business. “Over the past 16 years we’ve worked with a wide range of clients and our experience in working with companies from different industries has ensured we approach each project with an open mind and a fresh perspective, which has helped us achieve outstanding coverage for our clients.

Headway Oxfordshire’s 8th Annual Charity Golf Day Friday 27th September - North Oxford Golf Club - The entry fee for a team of 4 is £320 or £80 per person. Tickets include 18 holes of golf, light lunch, a delicious two-course carvery dinner, charity auction, raffle and evening comedy entertainment hosted by comedian Aaron James. Aaron is a professional host and comic with an amazing back catalogue of high level national and international sporting events and television appearances including Premier League Football, Porsche and more, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross and on radio shows. We will be opening the evening event so that you can invite guests. There are a limited number of tickets available, so please get back to us as soon as possible should you wish to share the fun with your partner or friends. Tickets are £22.50 and include two-course carvery dinner, prize-giving and evening comedy entertainment. For booking or sponsorship enquiries, please contact Sharelle on events@headway-oxford.org.uk or call 01865 670541. Visit our website at www.headway-oxford.org.uk.

Cerub PR Celebrates 16 Years with New Look Website Cerub PR, the award winning PR agency, celebrates its 16th anniversary this month with a new look website. 20

Sign up for this great fundraiser where you will be dressed in your prison uniforms, charged for your fictitious crimes, arrested and banished to the cells for the day. Each prisoner will only be released when they have raised £999 bail money using their business networks to get released. The money raised will provide vital care for local families with terminally ill children at the hospice in Oxford and at home. Follow in B4s Richard Rosser’s footsteps who said ‘It as an enjoyable way to raise money for such a great cause.’ Register your interest by calling 01865 799150 or emailing Shahz at: sadam@helenanddouglas.org.uk

The Wonky Food Company launches on Ocado Oxfordshire business The Wonky Food Company is set to win some new foodie fans as its products go on sale this month with national retailer, Ocado. The company’s range of food-surplus relishes have already become a familiar sight around the county, available from selected Midcounties Co-op stores as well as favourite independent stores including Burford Garden Company, The Cotswold Cheese Company, Rectory Farm and Millet’s Farm.

“We’ve been lucky enough to work with some great clients and to have been involved with some wonderful people who have supported us on our journey so we look forward to many more successful years.” For further information, visit www. cerubpr.co.uk or call 01494 463922.

The business was started by a team of passionate foodies and farmers, determined to do something to tackle the problem of food waste, which sees 40% of all fruit and veg grown in the UK never even make it to the shop shelf. Their launch range of three tasty relishes uses fruit and veg that have been rejected for being the wrong shape, size or colour.

Get locked up for a good cause WANTED – 10 Oxfordshire business men or women to take part in the Helen & Douglas House Jail & Bail fundraiser on 17th October at Oxford Castle and Prison.

Earlier this year the start-up moved into their first office in the grounds of Blenheim Palace, and have plans to launch more products before the end of the year. Ashley Cavers, who co-founded the business with her brother John, said: “we’re really pleased to be able to sell through Ocado because it means our food surplus relishes can now be bought by anyone living in mainland WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

UK”. She added, “but the backbone of our business remains our independent retailers and many local customers who have supported us since day one.” The company, which was named a Top 50 Game Changer in the Thames Valley in 2018, as well as making the finals of the 2019 Muddy Stilettoes Best Local Producer award, has also started selling its relishes in 1.2kg catering packs and is keen to hear from any interested local restaurants, cafes, pubs and hotels. For more information, recipe ideas or to contact the founders, visit www.wonkyfoodco.com or find them on social @wonkyfoodco.

“Up to 1/3 of the audience are expected to come in from outside of our area, with many of them staying on and exploring the local area of additional days. We are determined to grow the local economy, prioritise local businesses and jobs and promote the region’s tourist attractions. Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre has the potential to become a very powerful driver for the local economy” “As well as the economic boost we are also able to offer up to 500 free tickets for local schoolchildren as well as deeply discounted prices for many thousands more,” he added. The original Rose Theatre was built in 1587 on the south bank of the River Thames in London. It was a slightly irregular 14-sided structure made of timber, with plaster exterior and a thatched roof, open in the centre to the elements. Its success paved the way for other theatres to be built in the area, including The Swan in 1595, The Globe Theatre in 1599 and The Fortune in 1600. www.blenheimpalace.com

The Play’s the Thing Shakespeare to Bring £5M Boost to Local Economy Blenheim Palace CEO Dominic Hare believes this summer’s Shakespeare festival could boost the local economy by up to £5m. Europe’s first ever pop-up Shakespearean theatre will be taking centre stage in the grounds of the Oxfordshire UNESCO World Heritage Site for a summer season featuring four of the Bard’s most popular plays. Running from 8th July to 7th September, the ambitious production involves the construction of a full-size replica of Shakespeare’s 13-sided Rose Theatre, set within a vibrant Elizabethan village. Audiences will be able to see Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Richard III and Romeo & Juliet all performed in the intimate atmosphere of an Elizabethan playhouse. There will be three tiers of covered seating for 560 and an open courtyard for 340 standing ‘groundlings’. “According to our financial projections the economic contribution to the area of the Shakespeare Rose Theatre programme could be as much as £5m,” said Dominic.

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Tansy Cunningham (Battson) appointed as Head of Business at Gener8 Finance Gener8 Finance (“Gener8”), the Oxfordshire-based independent invoice finance provider, is delighted to announce that it has promoted Tansy Cunningham (Battson) to the new role of Head of Business, effective as of 1 August 2019. Tansy will be responsible for leading the Gener8 business, supporting both the sales and operations teams.

Tansy steps up to the position having gained 17 years’ experience in the invoice finance sector. Having cut her teeth and built a credible career over 15 years at Bibby Financial Services where she worked her way through the ranks gaining experience in managing client relationships, client portfolios and small business units before successfully taking on responsibility for their Scotland based operations team before heading south to lead their Specialist Trade and International Division. With a wealth

of experience in carefully balancing the need to the support client growth whilst taking responsibility for risk management strategies, Tansy took the decision to move to Gener8 nearly two years ago as Head of Operations and in that time has orchestrated an impressive growth strategy. Speaking of her appointment, Tansy said: “I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to lead such a fantastic team at Gener8. Stepping up to this new role comes at an exciting time, whereby the growth of the business has enabled us to expand our product portfolio and offer more bespoke financial solutions to business owners across the UK. I look forward to working with the team to continue to strive to deliver a market leading service for our clients.” www.gener8finance.com

Oxford Castle & Prison nominated for British Travel Award Oxford Castle & Prison has been nominated for the Best UK Heritage Attraction in the 2019 British Travel Awards (BTAs). The winners will be decided by a public vote, with the successful companies announced at the BTA Gala Awards Dinner in London on the 27th November.

The British Travel Awards is the largest and most influential poll of consumer opinion on the performance of leisure, travel and tourism providers and is considered a benchmark for excellence in the travel and tourism industry. Chris Abbott, General Manager at Oxford Castle & Prison said: “We’re delighted to be nominated for Best UK Heritage Attraction in the 2019 British Travel Awards. Since opening in 2006, our wonderful team have brought to life the real stories of the people who lived and died in the turbulent history of both the Castle and Prison and it’s brilliant to have the opportunity to keep the history alive.” The British Travel Awards is a proudly independent organisation, verified by leading global business practitioners, Deloitte. People can vote at: www.britishtravelawards.com www.oxfordcastleandprison.co.uk

Clearly, BA breached Article 5 of the GDPR rules It can be reasonably expected that any decision by the ICO will set a strong precedent for future large scale data breaches “Not long after the first anniversary of GDPR coming into force, the ICO has issued the largest ever fine to British Airways for a data breach relating to 500,000 customers. “Under Article 5 of the GDPR rules, personal data shall be “collected for specified, explicit and legitimate purposes and not further processed in a manner that is incompatible with those purposes…and…processed in a manner that ensures appropriate security of the personal data, including protection against unauthorised or unlawful processing and against accidental loss, destruction or damage, using appropriate technical or organisation measures (‘integrity and confidentiality).”

days, we should learn more details of the basis on which BA will appeal the ICO’s decision, together with the ICO’s response to the appeal. The ICO will have to take into account; any action taken by BA to mitigate the damage suffered by data subjects, the degree of cooperation with the supervising authority and any other mitigating factors. “Given the current GDPR guidelines it can be reasonably expected that any decision by the ICO will set a strong precedent for future large scale data breaches. Anyone who has not yet taken steps to ensure that they comply with GDPR should revisit what they need to do in the context of their business.” www.gardner-leader.co.uk

The Clinical Negligence and Serious Injury team at Knights is set to launch CLmedilaw The Clinical Negligence and Serious Injury team at Knights is set to launch CLmedilaw as part of its’ strategy to better support its clients in this area of the business. As of 17 June 2019, the Clinical Negligence and Serious Injury team at Knights will become CLmedilaw.

“The compromised information in the BA cyber incident included log in, payment card, travel booking, name and addresses. Clearly, BA breached the above Article and the wider GDPR as it failed to properly safeguard personal data that it was entrusted with. “BA has been issued with a fine amounting to 1.5% of its worldwide turnover in 2017, which far surpasses the previous record fine of £500,000 which Facebook was ordered to pay in the Cambridge Analytica data scandal. The difference in the fines is owed to the change of law between the incidents namely the arrival of GDPR, which allows a maximum fine of up to 4% of annual turnover. “The penalty is substantial. There are various factors considered when setting the level of the fine which include; the number of people affected and the level of damage suffered, negligent character of the infringement, degree of responsibility of the controller and the categories of personal data affected by the infringement amongst other things. Evidently, given the vast number of customers affected and the details compromised, the ICO deemed it fit to order a substantial penalty sending a strong message to all data controllers. “This first large fine would always be hotly contested and in the next 28

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

This specialist brand, which is a trading name of, and supported by, Knights Professional Services Limited, provides a great opportunity for the team to continue and develop their work supporting those individuals and families who have been affected by medical negligence or serious injury. The CLmedilaw team is a leading national team of professionals dealing with complex high value medical negligence and serious injury cases. They also provide the other services this client community needs including help with education needs, Court of Protection matters and Trusts. The CLmedilaw team are passionate about providing the best service and support and getting the best results for their clients, together with putting their clients first to change their lives for the better. Changing Lives of injured clients and their families has always been the driver for the team so much so that they wanted the new name and branding style to reflect those values. www.clmedilaw.co.uk

Carter Jonas Sells Oxfordshire Residential Development Opportunity Carter Jonas, the national property consultancy, has sold a freehold residential development opportunity with vacant possession in Sutton Courtenay, Oxfordshire, on behalf of The Granite Partnership to Linden Homes. Located off Appleford Road, the 7.28acre (2.95 hectare) brownfield site was a plant and machinery hire depot and now has outline planning permission from the Vale of White Horse District Council for 91 residential units. It forms the second phase of a larger development scheme, for which Carter Jonas secured outline planning permission in April 2013 for a total of 195 dwellings. Carter Jonas acted for The Granite Partnership in the sale of the initial phase to Persimmon Homes in 2015 and subsequently submitted a revised outline planning application for the remainder of the site. This included establishing new access off Appleford Road and negotiating revised planning obligations. Chris Wilmshurst, Development Consultant, Carter Jonas, said: “The sale represents another milestone in Carter Jonas’ long-term involvement in the site and is an excellent demonstration of the work undertaken by our planning and development team, working closely together with our landowning clients from the inception of planning all the way through to a successful disposal. “This has been a complex project and required careful consideration of a full range of factors, including service connections, linkages and legal obligations to ensure that the revised planning permission could be successfully implemented. The redevelopment will breathe new life into an otherwise redundant property and provide much needed new homes to the undersupplied Oxfordshire market.” www.carterjonas.co.uk

imagery design . print . finish

high quality 10 colour B1 litho print...

Imagery is a second generation family run business based in Birmingham successfully delivering print and related services for more than 26 years. With an unsurpassed wealth of accrued knowledge, Imagery is a reputable, successful business that welcomes the opportunity to be considered as your printing partner. We aim to provide all our clients with the highest quality print at a competitive price, contact the team and see what we can do for you...

imagery 1-3 Prince Road, Kings Norton, Birmingham B30 3HB

T: 0121 486 1616 W: www.imageryuk.com

Behind the Scenes of our Charity of the Year 2019 Written by: Victoria Lyall

Finders Keepers is delighted to be supporting Oxford Children’s Hospital Charity as our official charity partner for 2019. The new partnership is running throughout the year and we hope to raise £10,000 for the Oxford Children’s Hospital, which is based at the John Radcliffe Hospital. We’re already halfway through the year and on track to hit this target thanks to our team’s achievements.

was eager to set up a team for 2019. The result was more than 30 people - and six dogs - joining TeamFK to walk or run the course and together we raised £3,590. • Bake sale: Our budding bakers across our eight offices do like to hold bake sales – whether they sell to the public or to their sweet-toothed colleagues! We held the first bake sale in March which raised over £240 towards our OX5RUN

The Charity The Oxford Children’s Hospital Charity funds the best medical equipment, research, training and facilities for both patients and staff at the hospital. The ward itself is a very bright and happy place, built around the needs of children and their families, with indoor and outdoor play areas, sensory rooms and even a school on-site – all thanks to the support of the local community. They rely on donations from the community to continue to transform the care they offer to their young patients. For example, their 10th Anniversary £2 Million Appeal which ran in 2017 is helping to fund new parents’ accommodation, as well as the very best patient monitor systems, microbiology equipment to quickly diagnose meningitis, and improved play areas.

TeamFK Our people have been superb in their enthusiasm for the Children’s Hospital, volunteering for bake sales, bucket collections, skydives and the OX5RUN already this year. • OX5 RUN: This annual event is a five mile run around the beautiful grounds of Blenheim Palace and the glorious spring weather really helped to make this a special event this year. Our Central Oxford Office Manager, Sarah Carroll, is a keen runner and, having taken part last year, WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

It has really been “wonderful to see how enthusiastic everyone has been about fundraising for the Children’s Hospital

”

total. Our second bake sale was hosted at the end of May by Marketing Assistant, Vanessa Wilson, and added a further £110 to her skydive fundraising total. • Bucket collection: A small team of people from across our Oxford offices manned a bucket collection at Sainsbury’s on The Plain in East Oxford in May. They raised a total of £65 and had some interesting chats with people who have had direct experience with the Children’s Hospital. • Quiz: we held our first charity quiz last year and it has already become a firm favourite in the calendar. This year we had 13 teams taking

part in the quiz and we had a fantastic raffle, with prizes generously donated from our friends in Summertown, including Tesco, Majestic Wine, Cannelle Medispa and many other retailers. We are delighted to have raised £1,063.10 from this event and are all looking forward to the next quiz night already. • Skydive: the more fearless team members signed up for the Great Horton Skydive and worked hard to gain support and donations from all their colleagues and friends and family. At the time of going to print they have raised an amazing £1,116.46. Victoria Lyall, Senior Marketing Manager of Finders Keepers, said: “It has really been wonderful to see how enthusiastic everyone has been about fundraising for the Children’s Hospital. We are only halfway through the year and have already raised an impressive £6,153.56. The skydive and half marathon will be truly impressive achievements, but not everyone feels able (or brave enough!) to sign up for those and so it has been really nice that we’ve had a range of activities and events which have involved many different team members.”

 victoria.Lyall@finderskeepers.co.uk  01865 311 011  www.finders.co.uk

FOCUS Our team of friendly and professional insurance experts that makes us unique Written by: Nick Jones Cert CII, Managing Director - FOCUS Oxford Risk Management Ltd

Photography by: Jacqueline Cross Photography

FOCUS has become a trusted and valued insurance broker to a great many clients and fellow professional advisers. We have been operating as professional broker to our clients for more than 25 years, and many of our clients have been with us since we started. We believe our success has been built as we have often taken a different approach to providing the solutions for our clients’ needs. We quickly recognised that our clients were looking for a very much more personal approach, rather than having to search the internet or talking to a provider over the phone and never talking to the same personal twice. This is why our clients can speak to us whenever they need us and build relationships that last – first and foremost, we pride ourselves on the service we provide. And the only way we can achieve this is with our team of talented and dedicated staff.

“

Our Commercial Insurance team has a wealth of knowledge and experience and all work hard to develop and maintain relationships with both their existing and new clients

”

Paul Monaco heads up our Commercial Insurance team. Many of Paul’s clients are businesses operating in the Lifescience, Technology or Medical sectors – and so have complex insurance needs. Paul has helped many clients in providing expert advice, achieving costs saving wherever without needing to compromise on their cover and often highlighting gaps in existing cover arrangements where cover has been arranged elsewhere. His clients value his knowledge and friendly but professional approach and Paul spends a lot of his time out visiting his clients located on the many business and science parks throughout Oxfordshire. Our Commercial Insurance team has a wealth of knowledge and experience

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Team photo – L-R: Michelle Trafford, Fiona Liu, Phil Hutt, Kerry Mills, Lindsey Stribling, Michelle Potter, Paul Monaco, John Fedrick, Nick Clements, Roz Wright, Amanda Beverley, Madelaine Swift, Nick Jones, Mat Burden.

and all work hard to develop and maintain relationships with both their existing and new clients. Returning to the FOCUS family in May 2018, Michelle Potter has nearly 30 years’ experience in the insurance industry. Michelle is tasked with supporting Paul in providing her expertise to our large client accounts specifically within the Life Science and Technology sectors where her global trading experience proves invaluable. She regularly visits clients at their offices to keep up to date with changes and therefore ensure that insurance solutions are adjusted accordingly. Michelle is heavily involved with the ‘STEM Advisers Hub’ as an insurance expert offering helpful information and resource. Michelle will also be present at the Venturefest, which takes place on Wednesday 11 September 2019, so pop along and say hello. Our Private Client team is led by Roz Wright, who is also our expert in providing home insurance solutions – particularly for clients with high value properties. Roz prides herself on getting to know her clients and their needs and is always happy to go that extra mile. She believes that it is so important to give a truly personal service and actively demonstrates this with her clients and encourages this approach with her colleagues in the office. One of the many areas Roz gets involved in is with the claims process. This can often be a stressful time for clients and works hard to ensure that the process is as smooth and swift as possible. Roz has an excellent record for speed and settlement of claims - and as a result, very happy clients.

background in Physics, Madelaine brings an analytical mind and attention to detail to her customer’s needs. With an in-depth knowledge of the everexpanding personal protection market, she provides bespoke personal protection solutions to suit any need.

As FOCUS continues to grow, it’s our “ team that makes the company work and helps to shape the way in which we do business. Most importantly, the relationships made with our clients are crucial to our success

”

Protection has moved so far from just mortgage protection and we want to help our clients protect their life – not just their death.

Everyone at FOCUS is important to our success As FOCUS continues to grow, it’s our team that makes the company work and helps to shape the way in which we do business. Most importantly, the relationships made with our clients are crucial to our success. With added support from self-employed consultants who work alongside our employees, the team at FOCUS is our biggest asset. To find out more, visit our website at www.focusorm.co.uk

Madelaine Swift has recently joined FOCUS to lead our new Individual Protection department. With the aim of redefining the historical uses of personal protection, her aim is to ensure that all our clients fully understand their financial risks and what can be put in place to ensure they can maintain their lifestyle in the event of long-term sickness or death. Madelaine has been working in financial services since 2015, starting as a mortgage broker and then moving into the world of protection. With a

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM



 mail@focusorum.co.uk  01865 953 111  www.focusorm.co.uk

HELEN JOY Director ANPR Consulting Ltd anprconsulting.co.uk

What is your role in the business? Director- building the business consultancy side, developing leadership programmes that help organisations to make the most of their people by growing and developing them.

What are your areas of expertise? Developing leadership skills across all levels of a business, understanding how the business needs to work with its people to generate ownership and responsibility.

What do you enjoy about your work? I love watching individuals grow throughout a programme, finding skills they didn’t know they had and growing in confidence. This then immediately impacts of the business which changes and develops in ways that aren’t always expected. Having a beneficial impact on individuals and businesses.

What are your hobbies / interests? Reading, writing, walking the dog, spending time with family and friends, food and drink, learning, running, people watching.

Something we don’t know about you? I have written three books (one was published on Kindle).

Where is your favourite place(s) in Oxfordshire and why? Christ Church Meadow – coming from a big city it was amazing to me that there was such wonderful green space in the centre of the city. I spent a lot of my first couple of summers sitting there with my lunch, enjoying the space and people watching.

What do you like about Oxfordshire? The combination of town and gown and the diversity that it creates around the businesses and people that live here.

Who inspires you? Strong women who manage to juggle family life with developing career and anyone who manages to get the balance right.

The Team Behind You HR This year You HR Consultancy will celebrate its 10th anniversary! Started in 2009 by Jonna Mundy, the team has grown from strength to strength and boasts a diverse community of 13 employees. Each team member brings their own unique experience, skills and personality which makes for a vibrant knowledgeable workforce that work together, practising the Consultancy’s values (to listen, understand, action and achieve) and help each other out with the fast paced environment of a vibrant and bustling HR Consultancy. At a recent team building day everyone was asked for feedback about how they felt working for You HR and this word cloud depicts some of the words the team used. We love that the three big ‘F’s’ shine through – Fun, Flexible and Fantastic! With such a fast paced environment You HR continues to grow and we have recently re-launched our You HR Academy. Being truly passionate about developing organisations and their people to grow, reach their full potential, the You HR Academy has already supported more than 5,000 employees with innovative e-learning and development, but we want to help more!... We would love your feedback on the new functionality of our Academy and the services it offers so please head over to our social media platforms or our website to find out how to complete our survey, it only takes 5 minutes and you’ll be automatically entered into our fab competition. In HR, transparency is key, so ensuring our clients can understand our services they receive is vital. So we’ve refreshed our service line tree of people growth…

Missing our vibrant colours? Visit our website to see the latest product features of our new tree!

How can we help your organisation grow and maximise potential through your people? Get in touch with us by emailing to book your free HR Health Check Consultation alice@youhr.co.uk or call 01491 820764. The kettle is always on and we have the best snack box in town!

 www.youhracadmey.com

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

 www.youhrconsultancy.co.uk

It’s amazing what “ can happen following

a casual conversation between two people in the gym

”

Michael Wellborn – CIS Ltd

ASPIRING TO NEW HEIGHTS

Team Trifecta completes the Three Peaks Challenge for Charity In aid of three Oxfordshire-based charities, 18 local business leaders scaled the three highest peaks in England, Scotland and Wales within 24 hours comprising the Trifecta 3Peaks Challenge. This initiative, the brainchild of Michael Wellborn of CIS Ltd and Kim Wager of Oxford PharmaGenesis, was launched last year with the aim of encouraging businesses to make a difference in their local area. “It’s amazing what can happen following a casual conversation between two people in the gym,”

said Michael Wellborn. “Michael asked for my support, which I immediately gave” added Kim Wager. “We soon approached local business leaders with the idea – they enthusiastically signed up to commit their time to training, fundraising and a weekend for the event itself.”

the finish line on the summit of Snowdon was pure exhilaration, but Trifecta was much more than this – it was a 9-month journey of many hours, miles, emotions and memories shared with amazing people who were all determined to make a difference in our community.”

Trifecta team member and Group Communications Director at Oxford PharmaGenesis Paul Farrow explained, “We spent 1100 miles on the road, hiked 25 miles and climbed 10,000 ft to complete the extreme challenge. The feeling of achievement at

The name Trifecta is imbued with the notion of threes: three great challenges, three sponsors, three peaks and three charities. Trifecta is noteworthy because it brings together the founding sponsors CIS Ltd, Oxford PharmaGenesis and B4 Business

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

opportunity to further support our important work with some of society’s most emotionally traumatised children”.

with a wider group of business professionals to demonstrate leadership in social responsibility. Michael explained the rationale behind the selection of charities, which also makes this initiative special. “We chose three local charities – Oxford Children’s Hospital, Headway Oxfordshire and the Mulberry Bush School – because they often get overlooked in the face of massive competition from wellresourced charities. We wanted to see the benefits of our work in the local community. The charities were chosen because the money raised could make a big difference to their budgets; smaller charities who could really benefit from the funds raised. Also, charities were chosen because they were in Oxfordshire and they dispensed their services locally, in Oxfordshire. It was an event by and for Oxfordshire.” Michael Wellborn, founder of the Trifecta threepeaks Challenge, said: “‘Business Leader’s Leading Charity’ is a key element of Trifecta. It’s the leadership in organisations who drive the organisations and employees to specific behaviours, and by participating in Trifecta themselves, the business leader is sacrificing themselves for the good of charity. This hopefully leads to more developed corporate social responsibility, and inspiring the employees of the company to go out and do more in the community.” Jamie Miller, CEO Headway Oxfordshire, said “As the public purse continues to draw tighter, it is the

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

charities that are meeting the real-world human need within our communities. The organisations that have joined together in a partnership to support the Trifecta Three-Peaks Challenge understand this. It is these forward thinking and committed individuals and organisations that will make our community a fairer and better place to live. Headway Oxfordshire are enormously grateful for their support of both ourselves and the other beneficiaries of this great challenge. The funds raised will go towards a brand new project that we are launching - Oxfordshire Acquired Brain Injury Support Service - that will help support many more people across Oxfordshire who have been devastated by the effects of brain injury”. Damon Boughen, Head of Fundraising for Oxford’s Hospital Charity, said “I’m so pleased that the businesses of Oxfordshire have come together to make a massive difference to their local children’s hospital. It is only through the support of the local community we are able to help support the new parents’ accommodation and the amounts raised by the Trifecta challenge will make a real difference helping to provide a safe, comfortable space for families to stay when they need it most”.

Last week, all 18 members of the Trifecta team celebrated their achievement at TrifectaFest, which was hosted by B4 Business at the Weston Library in Oxford. The audience of over 100 business leaders from across Oxfordshire heard from the beneficiaries about the life-changing work they do, and the Trifecta team was proud to present the charities with funds raised by all the team members to help continue their work. The Trifecta team are now fully recovered and planning the next event for 2020, so keep an eye out if you would like to take up the challenge! The total fundraised was and incredible £22,500, which was split between the three charities. If you would like to make a donation to any of the three charities, you can do so by visiting their website. www.t3pc.org www.pharmagenesis.com www.cisltd.com www.b4-business.com www.hospitalcharity.co.uk www.headwayoxford.org.uk www.mulberrybush.org.uk www.warpline.co.uk www.xist2.com

John Diamond, CEO The Mulberry Bush School, said “My physical journey on the Three Peaks Challenge reflects and celebrates the struggle and adversity that children at The Mulberry Bush School face on a daily basis. The challenge has been difficult and arduous, but it has been a fabulous fundraising

European football is about more than just the big leagues UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin on fairness, competition, and keeping in touch with reality. Written by: Caroline Scotter Mainprize

Photography by: David Fisher

The beautiful game has been through some ugly patches in its time. Few can have been uglier, however, than the 2015 corruption scandal and the arrest of seven officials from the world governing body FIFA at the Hotel Baur au Lac in Zürich. Later that year Michel Platini, then President of the European footballing body UEFA, was completely banned from football administration. Platini was replaced at UEFA and as Vice-President of FIFA in 2016 by the then little-known Aleksander Čeferin, a lawyer and President of the Football Association of Slovenia. During a Distinguished Speaker Seminar at Oxford Saïd on 13 June 2019 Rupert Younger, Director of the Oxford Centre for Corporate Reputation, quizzed Čeferin about what he was doing to restore the reputation of world football.

Drawing a line under the old guard Electing a relative unknown to be President of UEFA was a measure of the frustration that local football associations felt towards their governing bodies. Most of the executive committee, Čeferin said, ‘hated [him]’: ‘They were laughing when I came out as a candidate … but people were so dissatisfied that it resulted in a landslide.’ What had happened, he felt, was that members of the governing bodies had ‘lost touch with reality.’ This is why his first reforms at UEFA focused on governance, and particularly on establishing term limits – including for the President. ‘I wanted to do governance reforms that affect me too,’ he emphasised. ‘If you limit yourself you can limit the others.’ The reason for these limits is that ‘You get used to this. You know I never wait at the airport? I never pick up my suitcase any more. It’s nice!’ He admitted that his family still provide a regular

reality check for him – ‘I go home and nobody’s home. No one picks up my suitcase. I have to take the dog out...’ but he still believed that ‘If you think that you can be forever, then you make mistakes. If you know that it will finish it’s very different.’

The elite clubs and the rest A perennial complaint about the way football has become such big business is the fact that, while there is a vast amount of money in the game, it feels as if it all goes to the big clubs and the big leagues in men’s football, leaving smaller clubs and leagues, women’s football, and the grassroots out in the cold. That perception is not quite accurate. Čeferin says: ‘UEFA generates around 5.6 billion euros every year. Out of that we distribute 85% to the local associations for the development of infrastructure, grassroots… So mainly the top end of football brings money to distribute to the other parts that don’t earn so much. We want to distribute more, we do distribute more. We are very interested in women’s football, which used to be viewed as an expense – but it’s not a cost, it’s an investment. And we are close to, if not at, break-even for it.’ The media and public focus on the five big leagues, ‘but you also have smaller leagues that suffer terribly,’ he said. ‘Celtic in Glasgow earns 10% of their budget from TV rights, and an English club earns around 50%. So they need European matches. But … the big leagues are shouting; the big clubs want to take everything… it’s so naïve to think that the big leagues want to help Slovenian teams, for example.’ No wonder he is digging in his heels about not creating a Super League. Football is essentially about competition after all, and there are 700 competing clubs in Europe alone. You can’t force the big clubs to become smaller, but ‘we do have to find a way to slow this gap that is getting wider and wider and wider.’ EU legislation

will not permit a salary cap along the lines of the system in the USA, he said, but there are some more things that can be done. ‘We have clubs in Europe that have 150 to 200 players under contract,’ said Čeferin. ‘What does it mean? If you are richer than the others you buy all the good players and they don’t play, you don’t use them. You just weaken the others.’ In that case, there is a perhaps a simple solution: ‘we can limit the squad.’ But that only works if applied across all teams and all competitions: ‘we have to work together to solve these things.’

The Europa League final UEFA’s even-handed policy of rotating the location of cup finals came under some fire this year when the two finalists of the Europa League, London-based Arsenal and Chelsea, had to travel to the Azerbaijani capital of Baku. Many fans were unable to attend the match due to ticketing and travel issues, meaning that both clubs failed to sell all of the 6,000 tickets they were allocated. Čeferin was unrepentant – ‘If somebody asks me why we play in Baku I would say somebody lives there! Homo sapiens lives there’ – and suggested that, ‘If we have two Azerbaijani teams playing in London nobody would complain. They would come and play without any problems.’ This was perhaps a touch disingenuous, as London is considerably more accessible than Baku, and Azerbaijan’s frosty relations with Armenia were not a trivial problem. However, his comment that ‘You should see the happiness, the humbleness of people when they see live the superstars they like’ is a reminder that the parochial expectation that Chelsea fans live in London or Real Madrid fans live in Madrid has been demolished by the international nature of football broadcasting. The major leagues are watched all

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

“ Our key word

is respect. It means everything – the fight against racism, sexism, homophobia. Respect your opponent. Sport is respect – at least it should be respect

”

UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin

over the world. Why indeed should people outside countries such as England, Spain, and Germany not get the chance to see live the clubs and players that they support? Having said that, Čeferin did admit that he was considering limiting Champions League finals to Europe’s biggest stadiums to cope with demand.

Football as a positive agent for change There is still widespread disquiet about the decision to hold the FIFA World Cup Finals in Qatar in 2022, and issues such as racism continue to challenge leagues and clubs worldwide. Čeferin is in absolutely no doubt about the need for a zero-tolerance approach within the game. ‘Our key word is respect. It means everything – the fight against racism, sexism, homophobia. Respect your opponent. Sport is respect – at least it should be respect.’ However, he wrestles with suggestions that bans and boycotts at the club and country level are the answer. ‘I was surprised when we came to some places with clear conflict, and the conflict stopped – unfortunately just for the duration of our visit,’ he said. ‘But I think we could use football to change some things and not just to boycott and say we don’t go anywhere.’

 conference@sbs.ox.ac.uk  01865 288 846  www.sbs.oxford.edu/conference

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

A MORE INCLUSIVE ECONOMY FOR OXFORDSHIRE What does that mean for your business? Written by: Grant Hayward

Oxfordshire has one of the strongest regional economies in the UK yet still faces many social and environmental challenges. But emerging in response to growing recognition of this are examples of ways in which businesses are stepping up to share responsibility to put this right, whilst also benefitting from the opportunities opening up to help create a more Inclusive Economy and one that works for everyone. Matt Peachey, Economic Development Manager, Oxford City Council

Grant Hayward - Collaborent Ltd

see what can be achieved when organisations come together around a shared commitment.”

we have some notable employers locally who have achieved Living Wage Employer accreditation including Oxford Direct Services. Simon Howick, Managing Director there pointed out “Our employees deliver great services to the people and businesses of Oxford and the surrounding area. We believe paying the Oxford Living Wage is the minimum we should commit to in order to help our staff with the high cost of living in Oxford and to show them that Oxford Direct Services cares. But it also makes sense for businesses as well. Paying the Oxford Living Wage can help to improve staff motivation and retention, quality of work and customer service.”

Susan Brown, Leader, Oxford City Council

What is a more “Inclusive Economy”? In 2016, the UK Government set up an Inclusive Economy Unit to “focus on expanding opportunities for those who are struggling to cope; harnessing the power of private investment and business for the advantage of everyone as well as improving delivery of public services.” The Civil Society strategy: Building a Future That Works for Everyone also includes a section on the private sector: “promoting business, finance, and tech for good”. The Inclusive Economy Partnership it also set up supports this work. Anna Swaithes, Head of Responsible Business at the Government’s Inclusive Economy Unit explained, “Business done right is a force for good - and leading businesses increasingly put social and environmental responsibility at the heart of what they do. Through the Inclusive Economy Partnership, we are catalysing partnerships between businesses, civil society organisations and government to help tackle some of society’s most entrenched problems - including financial inclusion, mental health and transition to work for young people. It is brilliant to 34

How can business contribute and benefit? Although the principle isn’t new, here in Oxfordshire there has been a clear shift in the development of very creative initiatives with wide-ranging benefits. An example of one of the themes Anna Swaithes referred to is financial inclusion. Unipart has been running financial wellbeing programmes for staff, supported by external agencies to help them with personal financial matters. Deb Astles, HR Director, Corporate Responsibility & Policy said “the initiative has been well-received by staff and we see this bringing significant benefits to our employees and in turn, the business. The better they are able to manage their personal finances, the less worry they will have. This can only be a good thing for their overall wellbeing, attendance, productivity and loyalty”. Another increasingly hot topic aligned to this is the Living Wage. Although challenging for some sectors,

The Oxford Bus Company is also a Living Wage Employer and has a reputation for supporting local communities in a range of ways, establishing cross sector partnerships that result in positive social, environmental and economic impact. It recently donated a bus to local Social Enterprise, Aspire Oxford to convert it into a gym. Trainees supported by Aspire to get back into employment are working alongside the company’s body shop team to convert the bus so Aspire can support the fitness of trainees when the project is completed.

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Paul Roberts, Aspire

Oxford Direct Services

Phil Southall, Oxford Bus Company

This is a major issue “and an opportunity

to boost the vitality of our local economy, our productivity and improve our residents’ lives Matt Peachey, Oxford City Council

”

Anna Swaithes, Inclusive Economy Unit

Aspire Oxford has also been working with local employers to raise awareness and promote the benefits from Inclusive Recruitment. The skills and life experience of people being supported back into employment after facing significant challenges by the likes of Aspire Oxford and Tap Social Movement really can enhance any workplace. Aspire has been running an annual employer conference for the past few years to showcase examples, this year featuring Taylor Wimpey, John Lewis & Partners, Hello Fresh and the MidCounties Cooperative. With more vacancies in Oxfordshire than people available, employers have recognised that considering cohorts they may have previously ignored can add a huge amount to the workplace. Commenting on a new Inclusive Recruitment Charter recently launched, Aspire’s Chief Executive, Paul Roberts said “We were delighted to announce the first three awards of the Inclusive Recruitment Charter and look forward to working with other employers to achieve this.”

Significant commitment locally Speaking at BIO 2019, Gordon Mitchell and Susan WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Brown, Chief Executive and Leader respectively of Oxford City Council, both spoke about the Council’s commitment to building a more Inclusive Economy. Matt Peachey, Economic Development Manager at Oxford City Council expanded on this “Working with a range of partners and the Oxford Strategic Partnership, we are set to embark with on a series of seminars that will explore the ways we can create a fairer city for all our residents. This is a major issue and an opportunity to boost the vitality of our local economy, our productivity and improve our residents’ lives. Oxfordshire’s Local Industrial Strategy has just been published, which includes a plan for an Inclusive Growth Commission. OxLEP’s Ahmed Goga said “The Oxfordshire Local Industrial Strategy sets out an ambitious plan to build on Oxfordshire’s strong foundations and world-leading assets, to deliver transformative growth which is inclusive and delivers prosperity for all communities across the county”.

So, what can you do? Business really can be a Force For Good and

working with the public sector, Social Enterprises and the third sector in progressive, creative and mutually beneficial opportunities – often resulting commercial arrangements - really can help make this local economy even stronger and one which works for all. We have only been able to highlight a few examples here, so if you would like to find out more or connect, please contact me: grant@collaborent.co.uk

    

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



2019



BIO

OFFICIAL   P A C E R



 

of y c n a r b i V e s th e t a l u s p a c n BIO2019 E e’s Business Community its 6th now in e wcase event o Oxfordshir sh d n a g 0 Oxfordshir in with over 60 ness network usi une rs ire’s largest b FORD on Thursday 6th J r 60 exhibito sh e v rd o fo s, x n O o , ti 19 ta BIO20 presen ANT OX wide-ranging ce at MINI PL f la o p le k u o d to e h r, a sc ye ked y. njoying a pac ghout the da businesses e u ro th g in  rk etwo   and fervent n         ul 

derf “It was a won ona adding, Le d ith ye w , jo en &A eQ n – I really compered th e NXT sessio th xt t ne en e es th pr of to ther e voices opportunity brought toge ors ance to get th nised by B4, as a great ch and third sect w e it at d iv an pr BIO2019, orga , it ic bl t and es from the pu ard.” tions connec representativ generation he lped organisa he nue. ch , hi ve w tic y ge da er tic en as d nt bjects from PR an fa a ng in ns covering su tio , r in an inspiri , ta le ge he en pp ot an es Ti ch ch pr el e ea , HR, climat re LEP’s Nig learn from With over 50 rce for good ner of om Oxfordshi fo or t, fr a H or d as us ar sp ss ng he an A tr ne es n, Delegat Tech, busi unication, er Susan Brow lution, comm hire County anding, Council lead dispute reso ting Oxfords e, en ac ans, retail, br Oxford City es sp pl t pr re en n m ki rn ed or ve ne C e n n, go l th Ia ca llr lo C ship, educatio ch highlighted Harwell and accountancy, hire operty, leader ds g session whi pr , or in hing xf ng en et O ei m op n lb so el he an a time w Council in e really was workplace w n d openness at ss relief, ther ta io an re lo ss n st pi se d tio to is ra an Th ity bo . ng for colla networki challenges an opportun st en te ev ea , as gr ce w and oi its e V e of . Ther xfordshire factory tour is facing som for everyone MINI PLANT established O e ly th ns g the nt e tio tin ce nc sa et re rie ni e rg pe or, not fo e sector orga focused on th helicopter, ex an F1 simulat erg ic and privat on facing g bl p es in la pu t w su is of ro es y p a st hi ke a partners ns for the 0 metres on record the fa tio 10 lu st so ke d ic fin qu ther to cord the working toge chance to re Club. nesses. si xford Rowing bu O re of hi ds ity ith C Oxfor w of Freeths the next Leon Arnold a glimpse of ith ve w ga d so de al lu , y re atch ceremon ssion conc Oxfordshi gural 50 to W The opening The closing se r business in rs of the inau sored ne eir passion fo in on th D and w A d sp e an th TO XT n N of ng tio e genera announci rty courtesy through to th pa d g in ue in os , nt cl en a co and om Niels a theme which competition esentatives fr n where repr mart and Fast io s. eb ss rim W se lg s, g Pi th in a ee os zz cl Pi lays, Fr the molean, Barc d itself over and fears for s pe ho r ei Blenheim, Ash has establishe th IO t “B ou ns d, ab io ent de at ly ic nt ad eloque Rosser to business ev & Commun Track spoke B4’s Richard ing business a Weston, PR ad on le ’s Le t . re en re hi hi Ev ds , ds or xfor ie Giraud future of Oxf six years as O LEP and Mar , Oxfordshire ean Museum ol m sh A at Apprentice at Manager munications Sales & Com

 





WWW.BUSINESSINOXFORD.COM



 



ly eakers, supp , exhibitors, sp rs so on t sp or r ible supp thank ou r their incred and we can’t tes enough fo ga le llent with ce de d ex an as partners the event w om fr ck ba O2019. Work ed fe tisfied with BI sa this year. The an th e s or delegates m exciting idea over 85% of ve got some e’ w d t.” or an w pp starts no for your su for BIO2020 to everyone n ai ag ce on k you already. Than



case for xcellent show ire. e n a s a w 19 “BIO 20 Oxfordsh nd usinesses of the vibrant b nd talks were insightful a the a d n s a n s o e ti ss ta e Presen Oxford busin vating and w o h d te ra o st demon y are inn ss communit across so many wider busine e g th and chan leading grow sectors.”

nother John Kennedy roven to be a p s a ce catch h IO B , ially lks, face to fa ly was it c e ta f sp o e “Once again y s a a d w t n It in 2019. ns. Not on “An excelle mongst stellar event me connectio ti rong theme a tst rs a attended fi te d o n a n s to up lks were well al and ta ic ; g k lo a interesting e o c sp e d to n lly, that rs arou leasure dees.” many speake issues in business – actua event a p y other atten PR b d e iv e c re l e d ta n a Coconut environmen iggest take-away from th s on mbe-Gillies, u b c Kate Stinchco y fo m to n e d e e b in s rm ha I am now dete and an issue ness. Bravo all.” si in my own bu allers Estate Agents m this year’s t o fr s to o h W r, p le res To see Rowan Wal ter your inte is g ave feet in h re u o Y to . r d a o e t h ins in your irection even “You have bra u can steer yourself any d 2020 visit IO B r o fo Y om s. e o your sh ssinioxford.c e se BIO.” in o s o u h C .b , w se o w o w you ch l n, Globa

Guy Chittende

  WWW.BUSINESSINOXFORD.COM



John Kennedy Freelance Consultant

Thompson & Terry Recruitment @thompsonterryox

We had a fantastic day at #BIO2019 today! Some great seminars, people and info - thank you @BusinessinOx. 2

#BIO2019 was an excellent showcase highlighting how diverse, innovative and dynamic the Oxfordshire economy and business community continues to be. Another great BIO! Like

Comment

Tap Social Movement @tapsocialbrew

Brilliant to speak at the BIO2019 Conference hosted by @B4Magazine earlier in June. Amazing to see so many people interested in hearing about our social purpose & how running a purpose (rather than profit) driven business can be both impactful & sustainable. Thanks for having us! 1

Ox Uni Event Venues @OxUniVenues

We've had a great morning at #BIO2019 at @MINIUK in Oxford. Interesting talks, useful exhibition. and lots of friendly faces - great to see you @ConfOxford @ConferenceSBS @AshmoleanMuseum #businessinoxford #B4 1

Jennifer Waller Founder and Director at Cotswold HR Ltd

Here at Business in Oxford 2019, being held at the MINI Plant Oxford this year and it has been an excellent day so far, listening to so many fascinating business people as well as hearing voices from local government. Have learned so much already...and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not even lunchtime! Like

Comment

Mandy Biddle Freelance

Thanks Richard and team. Our first time exhibiting at BIO. A thoroughly enjoyable day with great speakers and meeting potential new clients. Well done!!

Two One Services @TwoOneServices

A truly brilliant day at @BusinessinOx yesterday. I made some fantastic business connections, and listened to some truly inspiring speakers. Cannot wait for the next one! #BIO2019 1

Comment

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a great day today at #BIO2019, met lots of businesses from Oxford & Oxfordshire and done lots of networking! 1

CRS Document Solutions @CRSdocuments

Thanks @BusinessinOx for a great day yesterday at #BIO2019 and thanks to all the visitors and co-exhibitors for making it fun. Here's the team enjoying a 'working' lunch of #documentmanagement burgers, #workflow chips and #officeprinter sauce

Cath Poucher @CathPoucher

Alberon Ltd. @AlberonOxford

Great morning out at #BIO2019 speaking to loads of fantastic organisations from around Oxfordshire. And a nice breakfast too! 1

Angela Rigby Founder at EMPRANA

A fantastic event Richard Rosser to be part of, congratulations to the whole team for all of your hard work to put together a memorable day Like

Comment

Stefano Pratesi Managing Director at SP1 SOLUTIONS Ltd

Well done Richard Rosser and team for and informative and engaging #BIO2019. Like

Graham Hill @GrahamHillCX

Excellent day at #BIO2019. Loads of thought provoking speakers, great networking and lovely food! The MINI factory was a brilliant venue as well. 1

Comment

Renee Watson Founder and Head of Explosions at The Curiosity Box

EMPRANA @Emprana_UK

Fantastic day at #MINIplantOxford with @BusinessinOx. Congratulations to @RichardOxRosser and the team for putting on a fantastic showcase and networking event we loved being part of it. #Success #BIO2019

Maria Cunningham Marketing Manager at Whitley Stimpson Ltd

It's so great to be a part of such a thriving business community and Business in Oxford #BIO2019 gets a huge thumbs up for showcasing that yesterday! A truly well organised event, with just the right mix of stands, speakers and networking. Well done to all the B4 team! Like

Comment

2019

O I B

r a e Y l u f s s e c c u S r e Anoth

as l media ia c o s ed on e day. reﬂect oughout th hibitors s a w r nd this ces th and ex tivity a nd experien r delegates c a f o a a hub isiting om ou ughts 19 was ed their tho reat posts fr O2020 by v 0 2 O I I r B g B a ees sh ghted some citement at li attend x h e ig e h h ve in t y. We ha ou can join d.com toda r Y o . f w x belo sino usines www.b

Olivia Lane-Nott Founder at Spacecraft Consulting Ltd

Thank you Richard Rosser and the whole B4 team for yesterday's #BIO2019! Like

Great day guys well done! 1

Comment

Sharon Parker-Lines Centre Manager at Oxford Innovation

Comment

As ever, it was a fantastic and well-thought out event. It must take so much work to put on an event of this size, so thank you very much to you, your team and everyone else involved Comment

James Clarke Efficiency Analyst & Print Solution Planner at The Red Corner

Great job everyone fantastic venue...very impressed. Like

Comment

Sarah Wyatt Freelance

Thanks all for a great day yesterday my first BIO event. There was much learning to be had from some great speakers and it was great to meet up with lots of friendly faces as well as making some new connections - loved it! Like

Comment

Darren Aston Owner of Aston & James

This was my first visit to BIO. Thank you Richard Rosser and the B4 team. I was truly impressed. I have seen many failed attempts to create such an event in Oxford over the last 30+ years. BIO works. The combination of stands, speakers and networking, together with good organisation and inclusive food and drinks all make for a very productive day for all. You should change your name - no longer B4, you are A1. 7

Comment

Laura Pidduck Move Manager at Headington Carriers Ltd

Emma Gascoigne Freelance

Comment

Another great BIO event, it was clear to see the effort and thought you and the team put in for all to enjoy and get something out of. A well deserved rest is due this weekend. Looking forward to BIO2020. Like

Comment

Mike Jennings Freelance

Thank you to Richard Rosser and the team for inviting us to speak at BIO yesterday - we were delighted so many could attend our session and to see some much enthusiasm in the room for business in Oxford Like

Many thanks to all involved in #BIO2019 it was my first time at the event and I met so many amazing people, had a brilliant time and enjoyed the business buzz! Like

Comment

Jill Treloggen Founder at JT Interiors Oxford

Rebecca Hollick Regional Business Manager at Worldpay

Thank you #BIO2019 for an amazing day. It was lovely to be apart of it! Like

Comment

Sean O'Neill Sales at Inventory Management Europe

Thank you Richard Rosser #BIO2019 was a great event, already looking forward to next year! Like

Comment

John Skinner Senior Manager at Whitley Stimpson

Thank you B4 team for such a busy and engaging day at #BIO2019 Like

Comment

Tom Kuenen Account Manager at CRS Document Solutions

Brilliant event again this year. We all had a great day and enjoyed meeting everyone on our stand Like

Comment

Leon Arnold Head of Corporate at Freeths Oxford

A great event thank you Richard. Freeths were delighted to sponsor ‘50 to Watch’. Like

Comment

I T

DOUGLAS GRAHAM Chief Executive Oxford Hospitals Charity hospitalcharity.co.uk

What is your role in the business? Ensuring we have a well-run charity – that we are financially sustainable, have motivated staff and a strong strategy, and most importantly are supporting the patients and staff of the four hospitals in the OUH Trust.

What are your areas of expertise? I have worked in the charity sector for 20 years across a variety of roles including fundraising, marketing and legacy promotion. I joined Oxford Hospitals Charity from the MND Association, where I was Director Fundraising for eight years. I joined the charity on Halloween in 2016 but it’s been far from a nightmare since – I have loved every minute!

What do you enjoy about your work? I am lucky enough to regularly visit wards and departments across the John Radcliffe, Churchill, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, and Horton General, meeting staff and patients. No matter who I meet - nurses, porters, consultants or physiotherapists - I always come away absolutely inspired by their dedication to their patients.

What are your hobbies / interests? Cooking, reading, walking, watching rugby (union obv.) and playing the occasional round at Kirtlington Golf Club.

Something we don’t know about you? I started my working life as a fish biologist splashing round in rivers in the west of Scotland (not as glamorous as it sounds).

Who inspires you? The staff across the four hospitals that we support. Their commitment and total dedication to the care of their patients, often going way over and above their role is humbling.

Where is your favourite place(s) in Oxfordshire and why? Port Meadow on a sunny day – what a beautiful place and walk, and with two pubs on the route around - The Perch or The Trout.

Favourite sports team Dumbarton Football Club. Part-time in Scottish League 1. Home gate of 450 including dogs!

19 0 2 y a M h 6t

S D R A AW Y N O M E CER RECAP TS CONTEN Winner m Home ro F 42 Intro n w ro Winner Ups or G sinesses u B e 44 Start v ti a ov Winner ch or Inn usinesses B 45 Hi-Te n e re G ner inable / rises Win rp te 46 Susta n E l cia ties & So 47 Chari Winner s a Nominee To W tch le p o e P m Home ro F 48 n e w ro min es Ups or G esses No in s u B e 49 Start v s ovati Nominee ch or Inn sinesses u B 50 Hi-Te n e re s e inable / G s Nomine 51 Susta nterprise E l ia c o S ties & s 51 Chari Nominee o Watch T le p o e 52 P

k atch.co.u w o t 0 .5 www

d by sponsore

ths.co.uk www.free

N O I T C U INTROD

s companie fordshire x O p o T e a judg could run ever you d that B4 nies (how te a s e p g anies and m g p o u c s m the top bout co o it was a e g s a n u 4 r o a a B ti c e ti e y e O b CE mes ver a popular comp own in fla be a very meeting o not run a d y t to rd h o a d h o ‘w e s B v id ly a ro ds at p quick dvisory hed us an ies to wh .this was At a B4 A s approac ened entr agazine… p th m o e e d re n th F a in r. a ea ide pull out year on y r, s a great ….howeve ange little ht this wa g u o th e them) ch ccurrence W o ’ ? r h la u tc d g a n ea e a re ls to w confidenc ome quit individua boost to s can bec to rd . a e en you a n iv iv w o s a g ti s s ti a eam this ha compe id for whom v lly y ro fu n p e a p n p o a m co le c s …h and profi of a large ese award cognition the blood ntered th re e r , ti s o s s h e w to in s e bu ryon It’s hard ing out in rward. tulate eve one start sinesses fo to congra u b e r lik u o for some ld y u wo drive wards. nce. We ppetite to Watch A a o e T th 0 performa 5 d l n a gura onfidence r the inau boost in c support fo c ti s ta n ur fa ths for yo o to Free ls a u o y k Than

SSER O R D R A RICH

IES R O G E T CA

ME e office FROM HO n started from a hom all N W O R e with a sm PS OR G having be START U r less than 2 years or rt amount of time and ho ss fo ess in a s In busine reat succ g d a h e v and ha team.

SES conomy, BUSINES vironment and local e . N E E R G elp the en ABLE / tainability SUSTAIN s doing their part to h green ethics and sus ss’s esse eir busine For busin roud of th p re a o h and w

WWW.50TOWATCH.COM

NOLD LEON ARREETHS SOLICITORS

en e have se ears, so w y 0 all 10 m r s e f out o for ov ndscape ses grow s la e e hire F in ir s s h R u s rd b E fo seen Oxford ith Ox PARTN ies. We’ve story. W the of the tr f s s s o u e , d c rt s c a a in u e p ir s en the wn all id at has be things in those sm ith their o w firm th comes w any great d reward n m m a e o e shire d th g rd f d rs We’re a la o a le fo the Ox r the ye ery one acknow e e v e v v e ri o w d d ’ of 50 t s n a e a lp s th e s h that h ‘watching busine ortant es. Eac s e p s e ri s th im s ’: rp e s is te in it s rd n , u a b Aw big e uals esses ecome big to Watch 00 busin nd individ ideas into imately b unch ‘50 harities a lt over 35,0 c la u , to y ts to e e u 4 th m -o B t o a with , spin now h eas, so th start-ups amed up the big id ging from why we te n n ra o s s a as well as a re re e ya . This is th I was s eight ke economy ons acros ear so far. ti y a y is n m a f o rg hts ire o tch, Oxfordsh the highlig ple to wa s and peo en one of e n . year b o s ti s e to a a lv r is h e a n s e e them from y y in Jun ted orga n w a o in ro m g m o re ill n e to sw ese the C g forward the Award ome of th ards and uch lookin dent that tories of s fi m s of the Aw ed. n s lv h o ry s c o c e e n v v c u m in c is a la u The em. I reeths d the s e to get F th n ir a h is h h s it h tw rd ic rs h k fo fi a ar spe ed, w in Ox able to he rtunity to business get involv the oppo rage any d people u d n o e a c y s n n jo e n o e ti ld and wou organisa wards’. I nd more Watch A to as more a 0 ‘5 0 g the 202 sponsorin

S D R A W A Y N O M E CER RECAP rs, or IT develope b e t w , rs e a produc velop ention into ftware de v o S in ; r le o S b a E e ila id SINESS ology ava lating an ATIVE BU st cutting edge techn the process of trans V O N IN OR es in e mo HI-TECH s utilising some of th rowd. Or for business e c s e s e th in m rk. For bus nd out fro r their wo s who sta ognition fo c re . e e lu rv a e companie v des tes age who that crea s and any or service e S iz E s y IS n R a f rprises o ENTERP . SOCIAL charities or social ente osen field & S IE IT in their ch l g a n c lli o e L c CHAR – x be e e tin ays on th o seem to What it s eople wh p s rt o p s en nals or ev ATCH W professio g O n u T o E y , L s e PEOP d by rs, creativ sponsore trepreneu Young en

WWW.50TOWATCH.COM

GLOBAL CTS RECRUITMENT

PSN U T W E R A RO OM T S RG H O OM Y R FR GO

E NE T CA IN

About Global CTS Recruitment Based in Wantage, we are a local recruitment agency who offer a friendly and professional service to candidates seeking a new career or businesses who understand the importance of getting recruitment right - the first time! Covering areas such as Wantage, Wallingford, Abingdon, Didcot, Oxford and Witney we meet with candidates as well as clients to ensure a cultural fit as well as a skills match. Global CTS started in May 2017, our director Helen Fallon worked from home for the first 12 months before expanding and basing our successful business at Boston House, Grove Business Park. The team has gone from strength to strength based on integrity and providing an honest and down to earth collaborative approach to recruitment. We now have an award winning team of 4 and hope to add an additional person later this year. Based in Wantage, Global CTS Recruitment are a recruitment agency who offer a friendly, down to earth and professional service to businesses who understand the importance of getting recruitment right - the first time! Meeting with candidates as well as clients to ensure a cultural fit as well as a skills match is part of their standard service, putting the human element back into recruitment. The great adventure started in May 2017, Helen Fallon, Founder worked from home for the first 12 months before expanding and basing the successful business at Boston 44

House, Grove Business Park. The idea for the business is borne from Helenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s desire to break away from the boundaries of pointless KPIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, being chained to a desk and the hum drum of a 9 - 5 existence. Global CTS is inspired by innovation and an appetite to help companies recruit the best possible support staff. Exhibiting strong moral and ethical responsibilities to both their clients and candidates, they aim to meet the needs and requirements of both parties by providing an honest, unpretentious and collaborative approach. Hiring exceptional people for clients who are passionate about creating teams they respect and reward, offering stable and supportive working environments. If you are looking to try something a little different please call the team for a coffee and an informal chat.

Contact information C: Helen Fallon, Director T: 01235 606 078 E: helen@globalcts.co.uk W: www.globalcts.co.uk WWW.50TOWATCH.COM

CQR CONSULTING LTD

R O E H V I C T S E T - OVA SSE I H N E IN SIN Y R BU GO

E NE T CA IN

About CQR Consulting Ltd In 2004, a group of cyber security professionals working for multinational corporations, could no longer ignore that these companies were operating first and foremost for their bottom line, while placing the needs of their clients last. Seeing the real need for a totally independent company whose values and advice are always about the client, these cyber security professionals founded CQR. Now CQR is a world-class, proudly independent provider of cyber security services, operating globally from offices in Australia, UK and USA. Our people are our greatest asset; we are all of one mind – smart, highly qualified and passionate. We live and breathe cyber security. Our specialists are the best in the business, with pragmatic minds that produce top quality opinions and strategies, and work with our clients to achieving great outcomes. Our passion is continually fuelled as we keep ahead of rapidly evolving targets and ever-changing landscapes to identify, manage and lower the risks of our clients, not just so their businesses and people will survive, but so they can thrive. Being independent we’re not tied to any vendor or product and are free to give impartial and pragmatic advice and find solutions for every project we undertake. We pride ourselves on forging long-term partnerships that benefit our clients. It’s why we started our company.

WWW.50TOWATCH.COM

We work as a team to ensure our clients are protected, giving them the confidence to get on with running their organisation and leveraging their information technology to its greatest potential. Everyone at CQR has the rare combination of technical expertise and business acumen as well as hands-on experience of business issues across a broad range of industries and technical environments. We proudly deliver our services from a business-focused point of view and can communicate effectively with clients at all levels from general staff, the IT team up to company executives. CQR was founded with the mission of making the world a safer place. We exist only to ensure our clients’ businesses and people are protected, so they can thrive.

Contact information C: Greg Inge, Co-Founder and Owner T: 01865 987 181 E: greg.inge@cqr.com W: www.cqr.com 45

LE B NA I TA EN ES S SU RE SS

E / G SIN Y R BU GO

TE NE A C IN

SEACOURT LTD About Seacourt Ltd We have been printing in Oxford since 1946 and have been a sustainability trailblazer since we realised just how damaging the printing industry was back in the late 1990’s.

have now taken complete ownership of the environmental impact of our entire supply chain, our outputs and even colleagues travelling to and from our factory!

For over 20 years we have been pushing the boundaries of what was believed possible – creating our own printing process, achieving ZERO waste to landfill over a decade ago, visiting the Queen on 3 occasions and being recognised as the most sustainable SME in Europe are some of our proudest achievements.

With the support of Empathy Sustainability we carried out an extensive assessment of our entire business impact – both within our factory, but also our supply chain, so that we are taking responsibility for our businesses impact in its entirety. This was then independently audited by Anthesis Ltd and with confirmed numbers and methodology we worked with Climate Care on a program that creates positive social impact and carbon capture.

Printing is historically one of the most polluting industries in the UK. Almost all printers are responsible for high levels of landfill, water consumption, VOC emissions and CO2 emissions – however there is a different way. Here at Seacourt we provide our clients with Planet Positive Printing™ – meaning that their printed materials are actually benefitting our environment and society Planet Positive Printing™ is about having a Net Positive impact on the Environment, Society and Economy. A position where you don’t need to apologise to print, but actually contribute by printing, and which supports key principles such as the circular economy and clean energy. It’s about creating a sustainable business that gives back more than it consumes. Having already taken actions to reduce our impacts over 20 years of innovation, moving to waterless printing, Inventing LightTouch printing process, becoming ZERO waste, VOC free etc, gaining x3 Queens Awards for sustainable development and the European commission most sustainable SME in 2017, we wanted to go further. We 46

Giving back more than we consume = Net Positive. So Planet Positive Printing means that we as a business are an enabler of positive impact – meaning our client’s printed materials have a net positive impact on our environment and society. Our long term sustainable future relies on living on one planet and within the earth’s carrying capacity. Doing less harm only takes us so far if the total net impacts remain negative. The leadership position, and only strategy that doesn’t leave our children and future generations with the consequences of our negative impacts, is to be Net Positive

Contact information C: Gareth Dinnage, Owner T: 01865 770 140 E: GarethDinnage@seacourt.net W: www.seacourt.net WWW.50TOWATCH.COM

ES I T I L S R A CIA ISE H C SO PR & TER Y

OR R G E NE T CA IN

SOFEA About SOFEA At SOFEA we work with young people to build their employability, whilst providing nutritious food for those in need.

management, teamwork and communication and sector specific skills such as forklift truck driving and stock management for those who wish.

We are committed to supporting people to make a deep connection with themselves and their community. We do this by treating all members of our community with equal compassion and respect and accepting them as they are. As much as we completely accept people as they are, we refuse to accept any limitation on what they might achieve. We believe in the restorative benefits of education, work and social justice to support peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s innate resilience to achieve growth and their potential as human beings.

The academic education includes a focus on numeracy and literacy skills and qualifications in personal development, employability, IT, Arts Award, warehousing and logistics

Our aims are to: Feed young people with skills and selfesteem; Feed the workforce with skilled and trained people; Feed the most vulnerable members of the community.

At the core of these programmes our highly skilled team also implements a sophisticated behavioural change programme, which encourages Trainees to explore their own behaviours and to make the changes they think are necessary. The combination of hand / heart / head brings about significant and lasting benefits not just in job outcomes but in broader attitudes and mindsets

Our vision and mission, through our food rescue operation, is to provide surplus food (from supermarkets, their distribution centres and suppliers) to vulnerable people and to cut waste. Working closely with communities, local government and food charities we offer this nutritious food to organizations working with at risk people who are unable to or cannot afford to feed themselves or others within their family.

Contact information

We use our food rescue warehouse to provide training and education for those disadvantaged in the labour market, mostly aged between 16 and 24. The practical training includes generic employability skills such as self-

C: Richard Kennell, Co-Founder and CEO T: 01235 510 774 E: richard@sofea.uk.com W: www.sofea.uk.com

WWW.50TOWATCH.COM

LE TCH P O PE WA Y TO GOR ER TE N A C IN

ELLIE BROWN About Ellie Brown Ellie has worked in generalist HR for over six years, with a passion for the innovative nature and pace of the tech industry. Currently working for Oxford’s fastest growing FinTech startup Oodle Car Finance, Ellie has also worked for a global SaaS company where she lead the recruitment and employer brand strategy in the UK, US and APAC, saving over £100k through direct hiring in her first year and winning Employer of the Year along the way. Ellie has spoken at in London, Kiev and Moscow on HR and Recruitment and runs a Meetup group called Connecting HR Oxford. She is also a charity trustee for Let’s Play in Banbury and has delivered training to the staff of Retrak, a charity in Uganda as part of skills-based volunteering project #ConnectingHRAfrica which she is due to take part in again in 2019, this time in Ethiopia.

About Oodle Car Finance Oodle Car Finance is changing the way people buy cars, by putting our customers’ needs front and centre of the second biggest retail market in the UK. Traditionally car buyers have had to negotiate a confusing, tired and fragmented marketplace that is light years behind other retail sectors. Until now. We’re bringing a new approach to the used car market; bringing it up to speed by building a modern, digital, retail process centred around our customers. We’re revolutionising the used-car market by pairing our customers with their dream cars, the UK’s best dealers, and affordable finance. 48

Car finance is changing. For too long, the used-car finance industry has been compromised by inefficient, manual processes. But change is in the air... With a glove box full of powerful algorithms and a boot brimming with big-league investment, we have developed the necessary technology to bring car financing bang up-to-date. We’re breaking the mould of lending in the used-car market by merging search and finance into one seamless digital process. This rapid, blink-and-you-miss-it, online procedure matches our customers with their perfect cars, the UK’s best car dealers and affordable finance. In just a few minutes. By bringing the best car dealers closer to our customers, we believe we can achieve our ultimate mission to create a best-in-class consumer experience, where our customers reap the benefits. We worry about the tedious behind-the-scenes geekery - the multifaceted funding arrangements, the innovative credit underwriting applications and the cutting edge portal development - so you won’t have to worry about anything at all.

Contact information C: Ellie Brown, HR & Tech Recruitment Lead T: 01865 475 032 E: ellie.brown@oodlefinance.com W: www.oodlecarfinance.com WWW.50TOWATCH.COM

PS U RT OWN E A ST GR HOM OR OM Y FR OR

S G TE INEE A C M NO

Optimum Body www.obsportsmassage.com 01865 910 385 Adele Fowler MSMA of Optimum Body is a soft tissue therapist specialising in professional Sports Massage, Deep Tissue Massage, Relaxation Massage and a RockTape RockDoc. My passion and expertise are helping improve people’s lives for the better. I have always been passionate about sport, fitness and massage, so when I decided to have a change of direction in my career, it’s was very clear for me to train in sports massage as I have benefited first hand from it. I trained at Oxford School of Sports Massage for a full year, graduating in July 2015 in Level 5 Sports and Remedial massage with is equivalent to undergraduate level.

SociAbility www.sociability.app 07491 868 418 For people with access needs—whether disabled, elderly or pushing a pram— poor accessibility can limit social engagement and opportunities. Simply knowing in advance whether a venue is accessible or not, in detail, empowers people with access needs to go out with greater confidence and peace of mind. SociAbility is lowering barriers to finding reliable, accurate and detailed access information. For us, this is the first step to boosting social engagement, representation and, ultimately, quality of life, for people with access needs of all ages and abilities.

Virtual B2B www.virtualb2b.co.uk 07713 669 444 We are an Oxfordshire UK based B2B sales company that prides itself on achieving results for our clients and building titanium relationships. Whether you are a start-up business looking to make an impact in the UK marketplace or your sales campaign needs additional external support, we are here to help. We understand the UK market because we were born out of it. WWW.50TOWATCH.COM

Not Just Travel www.notjusttravel.com 01202 006 445 As your Personal Travel Experts, we’re here to make planning your next holiday stress-free and easy. Whether you know exactly what you want or need some travel inspiration, we’ll use our knowledge and expertise to create a bespoke holiday you’ll love. From the whole package to those finishing touches such as car hire and travel insurance, we’ve got you covered!

Evensix www.evensix.com 01865 596 166 We are an independent creative agency that seamlessly combines strategic thinking with artistic instinct to deliver creative that connects on every level. At Evensix we understand that brands can’t afford to stand still. They need to adapt, flex and take many different forms to stand out in today’s crowded global marketplaces. This is where we come in. We create and deliver compelling creative solutions that do just that. Our creative process always begins with insight. We’ll get to know you, your brand, and your business objectives. And then our talented team will transform everything that we’ve learnt into creative that is relevant, engaging and delivers results.

The Plough www.ploughat38.com 01865 556 969 Opened as an inn, in 1656, closed in 1924, reopened as an inn, in 2018, we have come full circle. Hats off to a wonderful team of hard-working individuals whose dedication was and is incredible. Our journey started in June 2016 when Austin Reed closed its doors, it took 6 months of knocking on doors before the legal hard work and planning began in January 2017. It took a solid year to develop the concept, brand and partnerships, and to finally get to a position we could start building in January 2018. This then took a further year to renovate and refit the Grade II listed structure, we served our first customer real ale in December 2018.

Cryptocycle Limited www.cryptocycle.co.uk 07875 749 235 CrypoCycle was founded by a partnership that combines technology with application and a wealth of industry experience to move the company forward. We delivering change to the circular economy and wider supply chains with transparent and incorruptible solutions that engage consumers through mobile apps.

CryptoCycle’s first application Reward4Waste is a perfect demonstration of how block chain technology can be used to drive meaningful and significant change to the global economy. This encrypted unique-code system for deposit return schemes is just the first of many possible applications. We believe in using a consultative approach: our team of highly skilled professionals work to understand the needs of our clients and their industries, both now and in the future.

PS U RT OWN E A ST GR HOM OR OM RY FR GO S TE EE CA MIN NO

OSEP CIC www.osep.org.uk 07768 603 312 Social entrepreneurship across Oxfordshire is a growing force for change. People from all walks of life are looking at new ways of addressing social and environmental issues. Social entrepreneurs and innovators are setting up and running business ventures that trade for a social and/ or environmental purpose. Oxfordshire Social Entrepreneurship Partnership (OSEP) has been set up to help existing and prospective social entrepreneurs plan, develop and grow their businesses.

Natural Netwalking www.naturalnetwalking.co.uk 07977 976 369 Netwalking is the new active alternative to traditional indoor business networking. Joining one of our netwalks will get you out in the open air, away from your office and give you the opportunity to meet like-minded business contacts. No need to eat a big breakfast and worry about delivering your one-minute introduction. Instead, you will find yourself having relaxed natural chats about your business and theirs, whilst walking in the countryside. Walking together makes it much easier to think, ask questions, listen and come up with ideas.

Neve’s Bees www.nevesbees.co.uk hello@nevesbees.co.uk When we first moved to this area in 2011 we had the delight of dragging two bored children around various houses 49

to find somewhere to live. On seeing a large stack of honey jars in one house, a grumpy 9 year old Neve pipes up, “Why have you got all that honey?” to which the owner of the honey replies, “Because I have bees.” Neve was blissfully quiet for the rest of the afternoon; then later, “I think we should live in that house with those bees. I’ve spoken with Grandad Jim and I’ve asked him to get me a beehive for my birthday…” Starting from this one hive, and with help from some wonderful local beekeepers and crafts-folk, we developed a thriving apiary and have become part of a lovely beekeeping community, and the rest, as they say, is history! All our products are made from 100% natural ingredients, organic (wherever possible) and produced here, in our village, in West Oxfordshire.

Exec Support Solutions www.execsupportsolutions.com 07951 006 741 My PA career started life working for a small web design and marketing agency; that was over 10 years ago. Since then I have worked at Director level and above across multiple industry sectors including public services, hospitality, and accountancy, with the majority of my career having been spent working in Formula 1 (and it doesn’t get more fast-paced than that!). After leaving Williams Martini Racing to enjoy a period of maternity leave in 2016, I launched my Virtual Assistant business in 2018 with a renewed passion and enthusiasm for providing first-class executive support to busy business owners and entrepreneurs. If you think your business could benefit from my executive support solutions then give me a call or get in touch for a chat. No pressure, no hard sell, just the chance to get to know me and quiz me on what more I can do.

Ellard Outloud Ltd www.ellardoutloud.co.uk 07812 587 224 Jon Ellard is a results-driven digital marketing consultant who isn’t afraid to tell owner managers that they’re getting it wrong. For example, he once asked a room full of managing directors if their staff were on board with their social media plan. With a room full of resounding yeses, he then played the phone conversations he had with their front of house team members - needless to say that 75% of the staff spoken to didn’t even know what channels the business was on, let alone what content was being shared. Jon’s wealth of experience has allowed him to build a strong industry knowledge and gain a reputation for identifying and solving businesses’ digital marketing issues and delivering real results.

BH&O LLP www.bholegal.co.uk 01235 425 500 Boardman, Hawkins & Osborne LLP is a niche family practice established in 2018. The three founding partners, Emily Boardman, Ruth Hawkins and Irena Osborne, were previously at Turpin & Miller LLP. The firm offers legal advice and representation and mediators who are also practising solicitors. The partners and consultants all have established reputations for particular specialisms and many of them appear in both Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500. Our ethos is based in a strong commitment to support individuals in some of the most difficult circumstances of their lives: divorce and separation; disputes over children; involvement with social services and domestic abuse. Each of our clients has their own needs and we tailor our legal advice and packages to each situation. Some clients want to do everything themselves, except appear in court; while some want a full service and representation throughout their process. We offer competitive private rates, fixed fees where appropriate and legal aid for eligible cases and clients.

R H O IVE C T S -TE A HI NOV ESSE IN SIN RY BU O S G TE EE CA MIN NO

Meraki HR Solutions Ltd www.merakihr.com 01280 848 415 We are a small but perfectly formed team of HR professionals, led by our Managing Director and founder, Emma Browning. We are highly qualified HR Directors and Managers, with significant experience of successfully delivering professional, commercial and practical HR solutions. We enable you to achieve the right business results through your people. This is what we do. Our passion is your people; your people are your success. We work with management, leadership and employee teams to design and implement people practices and processes that work for their business and deliver high performing teams. We love to see businesses succeed through their people.

CETA Insurance Ltd www.ceta.co.uk 01608 647 601 A non-standard company for non-

standard insurance. Innovative, established and pioneers of smart, supported insurance solutions. As experts in specialist insurance, we’re used to saying YES where others say no. So if you’ve been dismissed by a traditional insurer, we can help. Our business is driven by our products and our people – but you’re always in the driving seat. Count on smart, sophisticated solutions fully supported by a team of industry experts.

LTI MetalTech www.LTi-Metaltech.com 01235 827 060 LTi Metaltech is a dynamic, innovative and growing high-tech fabrication company, with solid foundations in high precision fabrication and welding. We work with global companies and OEM’s to deliver world leading specification vessels and structures using Stainless Steel, Copper and high purity Aluminium. With an annual turnover of circa £23 million, LTi Metaltech employs around 100 people as one of the largest group of coded welders in the South East of England, all of whom work to AD Merkblatt 2000 and PD 5500 standards. We continuously strive to push the boundaries and look at new technologies and processes to meet our customers’ expectations.

Fine Treatment www.finetreatment.com 07905 057 023 Motivated by the desire to improve the lives of people affected by chronic internal diseases Fine Treatment and its devices was established by Dr. Simon Allen to provide an alternative to those offered by traditional medicine. Fine Treatment offers some of the best health products in the world. Our proprietary Thermobalancing therapy is a self-governing treatment unique in its power to treat chronic internal diseases. Invented by Dr. Simon Allen, the exclusive therapeutic devices provide an extremely effective natural treatment for various internal chronic diseases. And best of all, the therapy is free from any side effects. Dr. Allen’s Devices help to improve the condition of the affected organs, support general health and well-being ultimately stimulating longevity.

hospitality, and accountancy, with the majority of my career having been spent working in Formula 1 (and it doesn’t get more fast-paced than that!). After leaving Williams Martini Racing to enjoy a period of maternity leave in 2016, I launched my Virtual Assistant business in 2018 with a renewed passion and enthusiasm for providing first-class executive support to busy business owners and entrepreneurs. If you think your business could benefit from my executive support solutions then give me a call or get in touch for a chat. No pressure, no hard sell, just the chance to get to know me and quiz me on what more I can do.

E BL A IN TA N ES S SU REE SS

E / G SIN RY BU GO S TE EE CA MIN NO

Low Carbon Hub www.lowcarbonhub.org 01865 246 099 The Low Carbon Hub is a social enterprise that’s out to prove we can meet our energy needs in a way that’s good for people and good for the planet. The days of fossil fuels are numbered. The shift to renewable generation is gaining pace and gives us the opportunity to reshape the way we manage our energy. Each year, Oxfordshire spends £1.5 billion on energy. By encouraging energy efficiency, increasing local energy generation, supporting the shift to electric transport and championing community ownership, Low Carbon Hub is ensuring that more of this money stays local. In the process, we are creating a better energy template for not just Oxfordshire but the whole of the UK.

M&M Skip Hire Ltd www.mmskiphire.com 01865 880 559 The solution to all your skip hire/ recycling needs. Whether you’re looking to move garden waste or would like something a little more heavy duty, you’ll be able to find the right skip for hire with us. And if you’re not sure which skip would be best suited to the job, just ask – our experts are on-hand to provide any advice you’ll need. M&M Waste Solutions is driven by our commitment to recycling and recovery, over 90% of the waste we receive is recycled/recovered with the remainder processed for Energy from Waste. WWW.50TOWATCH.COM

Good Food Oxford www.goodfoodoxford.org mail@goodfoodoxford.org Good Food Oxford was launched in December 2013 in order to help support the existing work of many organisations in and around the city to improve our food system, to catalyse new initiatives and collaborations, and to encourage more joined-up thinking, research and policy around food issues. After a public meeting, a steering group was formed to take GFO forward. Further meetings and consultations were held during the first half of 2014 to draft the Oxford Good Food Charter, a statement of values for a better food system in Oxford. This was launched during Low Carbon Oxford Week in June. Since then over 130 organisations have signed the Charter and GFO has delivered workshops, consultancy, events and networking for our members, including a 10-day Pumpkin Festival. The network continues to grow, and regular network meetings have been established. The relationships with both councils and both universities continues to be strengthened.

IES T I AR AL ES CH OCI PRIS & S TER Y EN

R GO ES E E T CA MIN O N

Blue Skye Thinking www.blueskyethinking.org 01242 262 731 Brain tumours present a life changing experience. Current treatment involves Surgery, plus a combination of Chemotherapy, and Radiotherapy or Proton Therapy, but each of these have devastating consequences in terms of side effects, both in the short term and over the long term. Research is trying to establish new innovative ways to treat childhood brain tumours, but this requires funding. Blue Skye Thinking supports research into the treatment of childhood brain tumours, striving to give all children diagnosed, a better chance of survival and improved quality of life during and post treatment. Run by volunteers, money donated goes directly to the forefront of research and wellbeing projects.

Transition By Design www.transitionbydesign.org 01865 554 927 T/D is a cross-disciplinary design collective operating at the junction of

architecture, strategic design and social change practice. Our work focuses on the transition to an equitable and convivial low-carbon society. We work best collaboratively with multiple partners and it is through this process that we believe the most relevant and creative responses are produced. T/D offers a range of specialisms which includes architecture, community-led housing, environmental design, graphic design and visual communication. We are happiest working in collaboration with multiple groups on the fringes of different disciplines. Do get in touch to chat about your ideas.

Greater Change www.greaterchange.co.uk enquiries@greaterchange.co.uk At Greater Change, we acknowledge the multiple and complex factors which can result in homelessness. We aim to provide financial support to those who are homeless due to long-term structural failings. The boom in contactless technology means that fewer people now carry change. This creates its own problems for those who rely on the generosity of others to survive. Through contactless payments, we are able to provide rent deposits, skills courses, and identification documents for those in need. Help somebody experiencing homelessness to leave it behind for good today.

Sobell House www.sobellhouse.org 01865 857 066 Sobell House’s mission is to enrich the lives of our patients and those who love and care for them in the communities in which we operate across Oxfordshire. Our vision is for an Oxfordshire where high quality end of life care is available to all those who need it, wherever they are, and for their relatives to have access to help during the patient’s life and to have the help they need to adapt to their loss and go on with their lives. Sobell House has a responsibility to care for those patients with the most complicated cases and to teach and inspire others to provide good care.

BBOWT www.bbowt.org.uk 01865 775 476 We are the only voluntary organisation in the region concerned with all aspects of nature conservation. Our three counties have suffered from 70 years of habitat destruction. We can help nature recover, but we rely on the support of our members to create an environment rich in wildlife, valued by all. Our vision is an environment rich in wildlife, valued by all. Our mission is to create a Living Landscape across our towns, cities and 51

countryside, and inspire our communities to act for nature. Find out more about our work above.

Oxfordshire Historic Churches Trust www.ohct.org.uk 07713 737 138 OHCT is an entirely volunteer-led organisation which aims to provide funding to help local communities repair, maintain and improve Oxfordshire’s historic churches, preserving them for future generations. The initial involvement from trusts such as the OHCT provides vital encouragement and confidence to church councils and are key factors in preserving these architectural gems. OHCT also works to increase public understanding of these buildings via a programme of Events, our Annual Sponsorship event Ride and Stride, and via our Publications.

Aspire Oxford www.aspireoxfordshire.org 01865 204 450 Aspire is a multi-award-winning employment charity and social enterprise. We exist to help vulnerable people who are homeless, long-term unemployed, ex-offenders, people in recovery or those with poor mental well-being to move into the world of work. We give them work experience on our own enterprise businesses and the person-centred support they need to make their own lasting change. Established in 2001, Aspire has been tackling the most complex social issues in Oxfordshire for over 17 years. We support vulnerable local people into and towards employment, as the most powerful way to break the complex cycles of homelessness, re-offending and poverty.

Headway Oxfordshire www.headwayoxford.org.uk 01865 326 263 Brain injuries (including stroke and other neurological conditions) strike people of all ages, from all walks of life and in a variety of situations. Due to enhanced knowledge and treatment, more people are surviving than ever before making brain injury the fastest growing cause of disability among young people in the UK. One of Headway Oxfordshire’s foremost goals is to raise awareness of brain injury. From the various causes of brain damage, to the huge variation in how the effects of brain damage manifest in patients, Headway believes a more informed world is a more caring world. 52

Oxfordshire Youth www.oxfordshireyouth.org 01865 767 899 Our vision is for all young people to be empowered, feel respected and know that they are valued. We achieve this with, and through our local network of youth sector organisations, brought together through our merger with Oxfordshire Children’s Voluntary Youth Service (OCVYS), together reaching over 6000 young people. We believe that informal education, youth work & nonformal learning is essential to improving young people’s quality of life. Young people are at the heart of what we do. Our Youth Committee VOICE, a network of young people from our member organisations, informs and guides our work. We are committed to helping Young people fulfil their potential and provide a youth leadership programme.

Tap Social Movement www.tapsocialmovement.com 07490 428 370 Founded in 2016, Tap Social Movement grew out of a passion for good beer and social justice. We are a craft brewery which provides training courses for people serving prison sentences, offering courses in brewing and business startup, and providing one-on-one support in securing permanent employment to assist in effective rehabilitation.

UCARE www.ucare-oxford.org.uk 01865 767 777 UCARE (Urology Cancer Research and Education) is an independent charity committed to improving the treatment and care of cancer patients through research and education. In September 2007 UCARE was registered with the Charity Commission, our remit to support research into the causes, prevention and treatment of urological cancers and to promote the development of new technologies to improve diagnosis and treatment for cancer patients.

LE CH P T O PE WA Y TO GOR S TE EE CA MIN NO

Emma Browning Managing Director Meraki HR Solutions Ltd www.merakihr.com 01280 848 415 Emma is a highly qualified and experienced HR Director, with a strong and proven pedigree in delivering results to the bottom line, fast. She continues to work with clients directly and particularly likes to work with growing businesses to help them develop the right people strategy that will enable their growth, or business leaders/people managers who want to improve their leadership skills. Emma is also an engaging trainer and will create and deliver workshops on a wide range of people management topics such as Recruitment, Coaching skills for the Manager, How to have Difficult Conversations as well as How to Conduct an Effective Appraisal. Emma is a Fellow of the CIPD and has a Postgraduate and Masters Degree. Emma has been nominated in two categories for the 2019 Woman Who Achieves Awards.

Holly Pither Founder Tribe PR www.tribepr.co.uk 07961 088 878 Holly is MD and founder of Tribe PR. She has had over 10 years of experience in PR, having worked for 18 months in-house at HSBC, roughly eight years agency side and even a couple of stints in public affairs. In 2019 Holly followed her dream to start her own PR agency, Tribe PR, and work for clients she loves and believes in, and, quite frankly, the rest is history. Tribe PR is an independent communications agency, specialising in earned media to help organisations of all sizes increase their brand advocacy. Holly is passionate about working in partnership with both B2B and B2C brands, earning them reputation, deepening their media relationships and most importantly generating revenue for them.

Ariana Adjani Co-Founder Fine Treatment www.finetreatment.com 07905 057 023 Ariana Adjani is a healthcare entrepreneur and innovator with 2 patents, who has

WWW.50TOWATCH.COM

been improving the quality of life of people with chronic diseases worldwide. Educated at the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and LSE, she had a successful corporate career at Shell, HSBC and Zurich. She is the Co-Founder of Fine Treatment, the first company in the world to utilise naturally emitted human heat as a source of energy for its innovative Dr Allen’s Devices and Thermobalancing therapy. These wearable medical devices provide effective clinically proven treatment without complications. Ariana advocates prioritising conservative treatment, aiming to increase healthy life expectancy.

Ben Thompson Managing Director Thompson & Terry Recruitment www.thompsonandterry.co.uk 01235 797 177 Prior to finding a passion for recruitment, Ben pursued a successful career in the voucher market, responsible for establishing Groupon in Oxfordshire, as well as working for popular local radio station JACKfm. In 2014, Ben’s entrepreneurial spirit led him to establish Thompson & Terry Recruitment where he is responsible for managing the current team and overseeing client services, as well as focusing on business growth and exploring new markets. Additionally, Ben is passionate about networking on both a local and national level. Amongst many other networking opportunities, Ben currently represents Thompson & Terry at BNI, B4 and The Henley Business Partnership. In fact, Ben particularly proud of being the most globally awarded member of BNI, impressively beating approximately 232,999 other members!

Ruth Hawkins Founding partner BH&O LLP

Frederick Jewson Owner Oxford House Ltd

www.bholegal.co.uk 01235 425 500

www.frederickjewson.co.uk 07817 395 660

Ruth Hawkins is a founding partner of Boardman, Hawkins & Osborne LLP, and is an experienced family solicitor, and member of the Law Society’s Children Panel, which means that she specialises in childcare and private children law, and complex children litigation. Ruth also became a family mediator in 2012 and mediates in all areas of family disputes including children and financial disputes. Ruth prides herself in acting for her clients in a humane compassionate way. Having practised in South Oxfordshire for many years during the earlier part of her career, Ruth is delighted to be returning to work in Abingdon, and even more delighted to be part of the creation of a new and innovative legal practice in the area.

Tess Taylor Co-Founder / Director Tap Social Movement www.tapsocialmovement.com 07490 428 370 Tess is a bachelor of commerce graduate who worked for several years as a counsellor helping ex-offenders to secure pardons for criminal records. She has a range of experience in the hospitality industry, most recently as general manager of a café specialising in craft beer.

Rowan Waller Founder Wallers Estate Agents

Nick Croft-Simon Co-Founder The White Rabbit Pizza Co www.whiterabbitpizza.co.uk 01865 400 116

Isabela Santana Business Development Manager

Oxford CleanTech www.oxfordct.co.uk 01865 596 105 Living in a country like the UK, a highly developed nation that exerts considerable international economic, political, scientific and cultural influence, makes me feel blessed. This surely seems like a normal detail to those who are naturally part of this system. However, as someone who originally came from another country, I can testify the impact this place has been having in my life since I was twelve. I say that because this country has helped to build the Isabela I’m becoming in every aspect of my life. Learning a different language and culture is so enriching and it’s something I’m passionate about. Being able to work, communicate, build relationships and add value to other people’s lives is something that drives me. I’m evolving to make the difference and impact those around me, and this is exactly where I see myself every single day of my life.

www.wallersestateagents.com 01865 435 175

Jennifer Williams Director Exec Support Solutions www.execsupportsolutions.com 07951 006 741 Jennifer’s PA career started life working for a small web design and marketing agency; that was over 10 years ago. Since then she has worked at Director level and above across multiple industry sectors including public services, hospitality, and accountancy, with the majority of her career having been spent working in Formula 1 (and it doesn’t get more fast-paced than that!). After leaving Williams Martini Racing to enjoy a period of maternity leave in 2016, Jennifer launched her Virtual Assistant business in 2018 with a renewed passion and enthusiasm for providing first-class executive support to busy business owners and entrepreneurs.

We were founded by Rowan Waller, a professional Estate Agent with over a decade in the industry, in order to provide a family run Estate Agency service that is truly local, personal, and dedicated to putting its clients’ interests first. Rowan, a multi-award winning Estate Agent with over a decade in the industry, became an Estate Agent after graduating from University. A “fantastic problem solver”, “direct and honest” and “excellent communication throughout” are just some of the terms customers have used to describe Rowan’s approach to selling their property. These are just some of the reasons that he won the prestigious Highly Commended People Award at the ESTAS: Estate Agent of the Year Awards 2016, naming him as one of the top six individual property professionals in the whole of the UK.

Christopher Rhodes Partner Carter Jonas www.carterjonas.co.uk 01865 565 603

WWW.50TOWATCH.COM

ENTER THE 2020 AWARDS TODAY www.50towatch.co.uk 53

ENTER THE 202 0 AWARD S TODAY www.50t owatch.c o.uk

sponsore d by

www.free ths.co.uk

Investing in your long term health Written by: Helen Money

Since the summer before studying for my degree in nutrition some 16 years ago through to now, I have been contracted by the Nutrition Society and [since the outsourcing of publications] Cambridge University Press to work on four of the world’s leading Nutritional Science journals. This means that on average I read 75 research reports a week on nutrition. From all this reading there are two messages that scream very loudly. They are, what we eat now does impact our long term health; our dietary patterns and quality rather than individual foods. And the most important thing to focus on is controlling inflammation in the body. Inflammation plays an essential role in the body enabling it to fight infections, heal and repair. However chronic inflammation - low level, long term inflammation is the route cause of most chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, metabolic syndrome and most cancers. Diet is a powerful mediator of chronic inflammation therefore an essential target for anyone wanting to maintain long term health. So what causes inflammation in the body? Obesity. Being a healthy weight is important. Also sugar (it is high blood glucose levels that cause the problem), saturated fat and alcohol. A low quality diet high in fatty, sweet, processed foods and alcohol above the recommended levels inflames the body. Also more recently it has been discovered that gut bacteria communicates with the immune system and too much ‘bad bacteria’ is inflammatory.

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Instead we need to pack our diets with omega 3 from sources such as oily fish and linseeds and antioxidants from fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts and wholegrains. Plus fibrous foods such as garlic, leeks and onions as well as foods that contain bacteria such as live yogurt to support anti-inflammatory ‘good’ bacteria in the gut. Visualise the difference in how these diets look. The inflammatory diet is rather beige and floppy. The anti inflammatory diet is bright, colourful and fresh. As will you be following either of these diets!

“

...through all the noise and fad diets, if you want to focus on one thing make that controlling inflammation in the body

”

Bearing in mind what you have just read on how important controlling inflammation in the body is for long term health and the type of foods that mediate inflammation, lets know look at the diets around the world where we see lower levels of disease. Firstly the traditional Meditereanean diet renowned for heart health and lowering the risk of cancer. The Meditereanean diet is typified by a high overall fat intake - but low in saturated fat, high in unsaturated, high in vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans and pulses. High in antioxidants. If we then look at the

world’s longest living people from Okinawa - a group of 161 Japanese islands, their traditional diet is low in saturated fat, high in unsaturated (very high in oily fish), high in antioxidants. On average they eat 7 portions of fruit and vegetables a day, 7 servings of grains and 2 servings of soya. And finally the vegetarian diet that shows low correlation with chronic disease is low in saturated fat, high in unsaturated, high in vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans and pulses. High in antioxidants. It is no coincidence. These diet are given different names but they are all anti inflammatory diets based on good quality, bright, fresh, unprocessed foods. In summary, through all the noise and fad diets, if you want to focus on one thing make that controlling inflammation in the body. Helen Money Nutrition offers private consultations as well as offering a range of workplace wellbeing services to educate and enthuse employees to make healthy food choices.

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

Barclays

The Burnside Partnership keeping it personal The personal touch has always been good for customers, but it’s also good for business, as The Burnside Partnership’s Fiona Wheeler knows well. “Taking that five minute client call you could have left one of the admin team to deal with helps build relationships and often pays dividends when it comes to future opportunities,” she explained.

“There is an incredible amount of knowledge and experience amongst the team and being able to share it in an open plan environment is a huge benefit to the team and, ultimately, to the clients,” she explained.

The family came together to solve the problem in early 2018, with Della bringing a wealth of business development and recruitment experience to the firm and Richard taking on the management, leaving Anna and Fiona to head up the legal work.

“As a private client practice, we deal with some older, sometimes vulnerable people, and when they ring up worried because they can’t find a copy of a document we take the time to reassure them and have a bit of a chat. They remember that.”

“The Burnside Partnership aims to provide the personal touch that people used to associate with the old-style family law firm but without the generalisation that went with it and could sometimes dilute the quality of the advice.

One of Richard’s responsibilities, alongside personnel, finance and managing the office, is training, something he believes contributes a great deal to The Burnside Partnership’s success.

That customer-focused approach is clearly paying off for The Burnside Partnership, which has grown dramatically since 2015, when Fiona and fellow founding partner Anna Burnside left the Oxford practice they were working at to strike out on their own.

“We offer the same level of care, but we are highly trained specialists in private client work and we combine professional service with that friendly approach.”

The two-strong team has quickly grown to an impressive 18 people, including partner Nadine Jayes and trusts director Martin Pollock, who work out of the practice’s second office, based in Jubilee House, Third Avenue, Marlow. Another partner is joining in September. Ensuring the new staff reflect The Burnside Partnership’s family firm values has been made easier by a successful apprenticeship programme that is delivering a steady flow of new – and awardwinning - talent. The growth has been so remarkable that the firm, which set up in the Carpenters’ Workshop at Blenheim Palace Sawmills, has doubled in size by taking over another run of buildings, formerly the stables, opposite its home. “The whole of our original building will now be used for client meetings, while the team’s office space will be based in the former stable building,” explained Richard Burnside, practice director and brother of founding partner Anna. The offices are, of course, open plan, something Fiona believes further adds to the service on offer to the firm’s private client customers. 56

“

We’ve made pokers at a forge open day, been on a trip to the circus and even enjoyed a cycle tour of Oxford,” explained Richard. “It all helps build team spirit and create the family firm atmosphere that the clients find so welcoming.

”

Alongside its apprenticeship programme, the practice ensures staff stay abreast of developments by bringing in a dedicated trainer who provides regular in-house sessions catered precisely to the needs of the team. “Everyone knows how tedious it can be to be sent away on a training course just to get a tick in the box, when half of it isn’t relevant anyway,” Fiona explained. “We prefer to ask the staff what they want to know more about or look out for changes in legislation and then ask our retained consultant to deliver a session based on what we need to know. It’s completely bespoke, it’s delivered by someone we know and who knows us and it really makes a difference.”

Richard Burnside, Practice Director

A legal practice such as The Burnside Partnership has relatively complex banking needs, with funds regularly moving into and out of client accounts that have to be kept entirely separate from the firm’s own accounts.

And it’s not just a ‘family firm’ in outlook. Anna’s twin sister Della joined the partnership 18 months ago, while brother Richard left his job as assistant head of Bishop Wordsworth’s School in Salisbury in order to join his sisters.

It can be a headache, but one that in this case is handled by Relationship Director Barry McGuinness and the Oxford Business Banking Team.

“I was ready for a change and Anna and Fiona’s practice was growing rapidly,” he recalled. “They were spending too long on managing the business rather than looking after clients and the administration was becoming burdensome.”

Choosing the right bank wasn’t difficult for The Burnside Partnership, with more of those family connections coming in to play. Now a legal practice director and formerly an assistant head, Richard began life on Barclays’ graduate training programme, but as a history WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

lover he found himself drawn to the classroom and retrained as a teacher. Had he continued in banking he would have been the fourth generation of the Burnside family to carve out a career in the business, with his father, grandfather and great-grandfather all working for Barclays. “The choice of bank was never really in doubt, but we have nonetheless been very impressed with the service,” Fiona commented. “Barry and his team are very supportive and they understand how the business works. “Banking is very important to a private client practice and you simply have to get it right. We have lots of different transactions involving many different clients, and when you are responsible for large sums of money belonging to other people you have to have systems – and the people behind those systems – that you can rely on. “Barclays provides that reassurance but it also does it in a friendly and a customer-focused way that reflects the way we deal with our own clients.” Fiona and Anna negotiated to bring many existing clients with them, but have since worked hard to build the firm, offering specialist advice in areas such as wills, estate planning, trusts, property and powers of attorney. “We often find ourselves talking to people about some of the less pleasant aspects of life, but our role is to help them plan properly and make sure that when bereavement or divorce, for instance, happens, they aren’t left without a roof over their head or with a complicated financial tangle to sort out,” said Fiona. Senior solicitor Edward James, another important member of the team, offers a niche service supporting vulnerable adults who need help with private client work. The Burnside Partnership has clients across WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Fiona Wheeler and Richard Burnside

Chloe Penniston

Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and surrounding counties and London, and its location on the Blenheim Estate is a refreshing alternative to an inner city office. The firm’s Marlow office provides an equally beautiful location in the picturesque Thames-side town.

Partnership was incredibly supportive and I learnt a huge amount by working alongside the team here,” she said.

Based in a sensitively refurbished stable block close to the Evenlode River and on the fringes of Wychwood Forest, the Blenheim office is in a pleasantly rural site with ample car parking, a rare treat for an Oxford-based business.

The apprenticeship scheme now provides a complete alternative pathway to a career as a lawyer, something the practice is looking to capitalise on.

The practice makes good use of its surroundings, fostering team spirit with regular tea and cake gettogethers at the nearby mill café and enjoying the odd guided walk in the woods.

“University leaves you with a huge debt, and a lot of students don’t actually seem to learn very much.”

“Last year we advertised again and were able to take on two outstanding candidates who both turned down a degree place to join us and are doing very well. It’s a great opportunity for young people and it’s helping our practice continue to grow.”

“We’ve made pokers at a forge open day, been on a trip to the circus and even enjoyed a cycle tour of Oxford,” explained Richard. “It all helps build team spirit and create the family firm atmosphere that the clients find so welcoming.” It is The Burnside Partnership’s success in setting up and running its own apprenticeship scheme that brings a smile to the face of both Richard and Fiona. Taking on a young person to train was always part of Fiona and Anna’s plan, but both they and Richard have been impressed with quite how effective the debt-free route to a legal qualification has proved to be. Chloe Penniston, who wanted a career in law but didn’t want to go to university, was the first to benefit, PANTONE PANTONE joining the practice asPROCESS an apprentice after finishing 7680 U BLACK 80% 7541 U her “A” levels. C71 M76 Y37 K23 R85 G69 B101

C0 M0 Y0 K80 R88 G89 B91

 info@theburnsidepartnership.com  01865 987 781  www.theburnsidepartnership.com

 barry.mcguinness@barclays.com  07766 361 277  www.barclays.co.uk/business-banking

C12 M2 Y7 K0 R222 G235 B233

She studied for her Advanced Apprenticeship in Legal Services, a qualification that is backed by the well-respected examination board Cilex, and was later named Oxfordshire Apprentice of the Year.

Chloe, now a trainee legal executive, is continuing to study and believes that an apprenticeship is a great alternative route to a legal career. “The Burnside

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.

Peri-Ann Lively Gener8 Finance As Business Development Executive (BDE) at Gener8 Finance (Gener8), Peri-Ann met with B4’s Richard Rosser to explain more about her role as Gener8’s first BDE, the wider role of Gener8 as part of 1pm plc (1pm) and her ambition’s to become a Business Development Manager (BDM). Edited by: Richard Rosser Photography by: Rob Scotcher

Peri-Ann started her career at Grafton Merchanting, joining the business straight from Wheatley Park School. During her five years there she gained extensive knowledge of banking and the reconciliation process. “It was a great place to learn the trade but felt the opportunities were limited to expand beyond the role. As an ambitious professional, I looked around for other opportunities and was interviewed by Gener8, openly admitting in my interview that I didn’t have an in-depth knowledge of the industry but had a willingness to learn.”

experienced management team, which allows our prospects, clients and introducers to receive a high level of service every time they deal with us.

That didn’t matter. Gener8 quite clearly saw the ambition in this confident and engaging candidate and Peri-Ann got the job. “I started working on the bulk reconciliations and as we are also part of UK Finance (previously ABFA) we were able to use their training platform – Introduction to Invoice Finance – which helped significantly PLUS excellent in-house training.

Gener8 is a “friendly place

“At 26 years of age and still early into my career, I thoroughly enjoy working as a BDE right now, especially assisting the business development team hit their targets, and am excited to one day move into a BDM role. Gener8 is a friendly place to work and we continually strive to deliver a market leading service for our clients. A large part of our role is to build strong, trusted relationships with both our

to work and we continually strive to deliver a market leading service for our clients.

“The whole team at Gener8 supported me, challenging me to expand my skillset and take on board the legal side of the job, which I initially found quite daunting. Having been with the company 4 years now, I thoroughly enjoy how varied my role is and jump at the opportunity to take on new challenges. I regularly network with the industry to build relationships with key introducers and will assist in all aspects of the business development process. I attend meetings with Head of Sales, Mark Riches which I find to be a great learning experience. I take responsibility of preparing all the paperwork ready for underwriting and the client take-on process to take place.

clients and introducing partners. Our transparent approach means that we make sure we put the correct funding package in place to help businesses grow and won’t sell something that isn’t right. Fortunately, as part of the 1pm group of companies (1pm) we offer a portfolio of financial solutions, so if invoice finance isn’t right, we can provide an alternative funding solution that is.”

“From that first interview my knowledge has grown considerably. I am always learning as it’s a fast-changing industry and Gener8 are always providing me with new opportunities. A key part of my role is learning through experience and I am lucky to be surrounded by an incredibly

Gener8 have reported a strong financial year with a portfolio of 145 clients, and approximately £16 million funds in use. As part of 1pm, Gener8 also provide access to a multi-product range of business finance solutions to the UK market from invoice finance, asset finance,

”

Peri-Ann Lively, BDE, Gener8 Finance

commercial loans through to vehicle finance. 1pm currently support over 16,000 businesses with over £130million of funding support. So if you or a business you know are looking for a funding solution, whether it be to purchase a new piece of machinery or equipment, or release cash flow, do contact Peri-Ann and she will be pleased to assist with your enquiries. “Being based in Oxfordshire, I am keen to further develop our client base here. We have a very strong presence in the rest of the south of England, and we know we have the team in place to really help businesses across the South grow. So please do get in touch if you or a business you know have any finance requirements.”

MORE ABOUT GENER8 • Supporting SMEs with invoice finance funding facilities from £50,000 to £1 million • Experienced team of 18 based at Milton Park • Four BDM’s covering the south of England • The Difference Between Factoring and Invoice Discounting: With Factoring, the funder manages the sales ledger, credit control and will collect settlement of clients’ invoices on their behalf. With Invoice Discounting, the client retains control of its own sales ledger and collects payments in-house • An average client lifespan is 4.5 years – Gener8 don’t lose clients on service or business failure • Management team has been strengthened across the group with the recent appointment of Tansy Cunningham (Battson) to Head of Business at Gener8, David Jones to the new role of Head of IT, Lorraine Neyland to Head of Risk, and Carol Roberts to Head of Vehicles

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

“

Being based in Oxfordshire, I am keen to further develop our client base here. We have a very strong presence in the rest of the south of England, and we know we have the team in place to really help businesses across the South grow.

”

Peri-Ann Lively, BDE, Gener8 Finance

INVOICE FINANCE IN PRINCIPLE Gener8’s role is to advance clients cash against their invoices. They can advance clients up to 90% of the invoice value within 24 hours. Once payment has been received from their customers, Gener8 will release the rest – minus their pre-agreed fee. Fees are generally determined by the amount clients wish to borrow and these are always agreed in advance, so at all times the client will know what they will pay. It’s a quick, simple, reliable and costeffective process that has driven sustained growth for many SMEs across the UK.

INVOICE FINANCE FUNDING FACILITIES EXTENDED FOR GENER8 FINANCE AS PART OF THE 1PM GROUP Gener8 recently announced that they have put in place new and expanded invoice finance funding facilities. 1pm, has signed a new twoyear back-to-back funding facility with Natwest for both invoice finance subsidiaries, Gener8 and Positive Cashflow Finance. The new facility consolidates and replaces on similar terms the existing £37m facilities currently in place. This new facility also includes an additional £5m of accordion funding to meet the companies’ growth aspirations for the near term enabling them to provide further funding to SMEs across the UK. As part of 1pm plc, Gener8 also provide access to a multi-product range of business finance solutions to the UK market from invoice finance, asset finance, commercial loans through to vehicle finance.

 pal@gener8finance.com  01235 774054 / 07392 091444  www.gener8finance.com WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Secure Cloud Solutions for scalable growth

Protect your business from malicious threats

Keep your business connected to the world

Reduce the cost of your support department

Ensure you are GDPR compliant

“

What do you enjoy about your work? Managing people and having the freedom to be able to come up with new ideas for our clients and professional contacts

”

Ria Shepheard (Office Manager) - Charles Stanley

B4 met with Ria Shepheard and Simon Scott-White of Charles Stanley to find out more about their roles and the work that Charles Stanley does Written by: Richard Rosser

Phoptography by: Rob Scotcher

The Charles Stanley Oxford office has an enthusiastic team of investment professionals who are proud to work for a firm which is highly regarded by both clients and industry peers alike. They offer a comprehensive service to private clients, trusts and charities, advising on managing, buying and selling stocks, shares, unit trusts and a wide range of other financial instruments. They also provide extensive services in administering clients’ investments and cash, managing ISAs and SIPPs and many ancillary activities. They work closely with many financial advisers and their clients in the region as well as solicitors and accountancy firms. Meet Ria Shepheard (Office Manager) and Simon Scott-White (Branch Manager)…

What are your areas of expertise? Ria: I run the admin team, providing oversight for the office making sure staff are doing what they are supposed to, organising events/seminars and generally organising everyone. I also do business development, staff development and training, marketing and PR. Simon: I’m an investment manager as well as branch manager. I aim to grow the funds under management for the office to £1 billion within 3 years – 4 years ago we were at £120m and now WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

at £540m (May 2019). We want to be one of the leading wealth managers in the UK in the next few years.

Simon: Never supported a team in my life!

What do you enjoy about your work?

Ria: Baking – I can bake anything! Also clay pigeon shooting and sports in general.

Ria: Managing people and having the freedom to be able to come up with new ideas for our clients and professional contacts. Simon: Autonomy – being able to develop a business as if it is our own. If I went to one of our competitors I wouldn’t get that – I love the entrepreneurial spirit and approach…You get a much better outcome if staff are driven by internal goals rather than those set by head office. I am a big believer in bottom up ideas rather than top down. We have parameters from head office but an awful lot of flexibility. We are investment managers and not traditional stockbrokers – we have a lot more of a holistic view of looking after clients. We work with solicitors, accountants and IFAs hand in hand to ensure our clients have a team of experts around them.

Do you have a favourite sports team? Ria: Arsenal, Oxford United, Cincinnati Bengals, and the Philadelphia 76ers.

What are your hobbies or interests?

Simon: Being outdoors, trout fishing with my son Nicholas. I live in Cirencester with my daughter Chloe, wife Sam and five dogs, one rabbit and two chickens. Sam is a property search agent, running her own business ‘Cotswold Buying Agent’. 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

OV Transport Forum discusses a “route map” for the future of Oxfordshire. The partners, panellists (Phil Southall of Oxford Bus Company and Bob Price, Honorary Alderman of Oxford City Council) and delegates at the Oxfordshire Voice Transport Forum discussed the need for a visionary, sustainable and deliverable transport plan to overcome the challenges Oxfordshire faces as a county – both in the short term in 2019 and into the longer term future. Ensuring the Oxfordshire transport strategy enables and empowers development for the economy and our community as a whole is a key underlying determinant for future success. A collaborative and engaged approach It is not just Oxford which is struggling! Oxfordshire has vibrant towns blighted by transport issues and a dispersed population struggling to access work, services and facilities. An integrated route map for the future of transport could help identify more urgent areas and help the community to feel more involved in the outcomes. The road map must be a collaborative project engaging and empowering community involvement through stimulating positive contributions and a better understanding of the possibilities and limitations of the options and solutions.

Mass Transit – a compelling vision of sustainable transport Feedback from the business community and Oxfordshire Voice partners In 2019 only 5% of the businesses in Oxfordshire have a clear understanding of what is planned and which bodies are responsible for delivering infrastructural change in Oxfordshire. The strategic imperative to build a coherent vision for the short term as well as longer term challenges was a core outcome from the forum. Encouraging engagement and collaboration in a more comprehensive manner is essential to map out the future but also to address key short-term issues hampering development and causing issues now. The survey was enlightening in many respects and demonstrated that greater engagement between the planning bodies, their initiatives and the business community could create powerful collaborative projects for the evolution of transport and accessibility in Oxfordshire.

The shorter term challenges Congestion in Oxford, surrounding towns and on key road networks is a major issue limiting productivity, accessibility and causing pollution at local levels. Interesting feedback included support for quite radical policy changes to limit congestion and reduce congestion. -- 67% of businesses supported the idea of non-peak delivery times to central locations. -- 60% supported expansion of Park and Rides. -- 58% supported staggering school start and finish times. -- 69% businesses did not support the idea of congestion charging. -- Only 12% of business regarded technological innovation as a short-term solution to transport issues.

Public Transport and Cycling need to be prioritised. To make these options more attractive we must ensure certainty of journey time for public transport and increase safety and prioritise road space for cyclists. Public transport operators and cycling/walking groups can work more closely with the County Council as the transport authority in prioritising funding (linked to OXiS priorities).

Local Transport Plan 4 and the JSSP (Oxfordshire Plan 2050) Oxfordshire County Council’s Local Transport Plan 4 (LTP4) can be read online here: https://bit.ly/2Y2prYB with a refresh commencing later this year. As part of the Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal agreement with the Government, the six Oxfordshire authorities – Cherwell District Council, Oxford City Council, Oxfordshire County Council, South Oxfordshire District Council, Vale of White Horse District Council and West Oxfordshire District Council – have committed to producing a joint statutory spatial plan (JSSP), known as the Oxfordshire Plan 2050. The Oxfordshire Plan will provide an integrated strategic planning framework and evidence base to support sustainable growth across the county to 2050, including the planned delivery of new homes and economic development, and the anticipated supporting infrastructure needed. As part of the formation of the plan, the authorities are committed to ensuring there will be early, proportionate and meaningful engagement between plan makers and

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

communities, local organisations, businesses, infrastructure providers and statutory bodies. The Oxfordshire Plan 2050 will be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for independent examination by 31 March 2020 and adopted by 31 March 2021, subject to the examination process. You can see details of current Oxfordshire Plan 2050 consultations here: https://bit.ly/2Oj6pbV

Engagement Engaging, communicating and encouraging direct feedback from the business and wider communities so that projects are both understood in the broader framework of infrastructural and housing development in the longer term.

Specific interventions Options for a free Park and Ride system and possible integration with an electric bike scheme. Engaging and attracting support for this from the commuter community could be a priority.

Climate emergency and millennial public opinion Investigating how additional charging points for vehicles might be created and how a Zero Emission Zone might be funded. School traffic is a huge contributor to congestion. Can the County Council look at a ‘total transport’ project to see how provision for school transport might be consolidated and funded effectively? Freight consolidation. The logistics of managing freight to key manufacturers needs to be studied in detail for any changes not to have a detrimental impact.

To play a role in the future success of the development of Oxfordshire become and Oxfordshire Voice partner today. Visit www.oxvoice.co.uk

Encouraging “ engagement and collaboration in a more comprehensive manner is essential to map out the future but also to address key short-term issues hampering development and causing issues now

”

O X F O R D S H I R E

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

B4 63

WHAT DOES ‘BREXIT’ MEAN FOR THE PROTECTION OF OUR ENVIRONMENT? As society’s concerns mount over the trends in and consequences of climate change, we explore the potential impact of Brexit on the future of UK environmental policy and legislation. Brexit poses a threat even to those environmental protections that have been acquired over the past 40 years within the EU. While the government has published an Environment Bill and created an independent body to oversee its provisions, is it sufficiently robust and comprehensive or are additional structures needed? Written by: Roberta Bombaci, Real estate, planning and environmental law team, Penningtons Manches Cooper

The main concern is that post-Brexit, environmental legislation may be transferred into UK law without the enforcement, reporting and policy development functions currently carried out at EU level. To date the European Commission and the European Court of Justice (ECJ) have played a significant role in protecting the environment. The European Commission has the ability to take member states who do not comply with environmental law to the ECJ; this will cease post-Brexit

New legislation and oversight body proposed In December 2018 the government published its first draft Environmental Bill since 1995. It is designed to maintain environmental standards and to create an independent oversight body, the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP). The role of the OEP is to scrutinise environmental law, investigate complaints, and take enforcement action. The Bill proposes a pioneering new system of green governance, placing the government’s rather vague 25 Year Environment Plan on a statutory footing, enhancing environmental standards and delivering a ‘green Brexit’ as a result. The government has recently announced a new UK target of cutting net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050. It is a grand statement that has been welcomed generally but is it achievable, and at

what cost? How much investment will be required in new technologies, in housing improvements and to what extent will everyone have to change their behaviour and the way they live? The Chancellor says it could cost £1trillion by 2050. Some say it is not good enough, and that the target date should be much earlier to avoid a climate change catastrophe. Environmental organisations, parliamentarians and a wide range of leading industry and business voices are calling for significant improvements to the draft Bill. The proposed protections for the environment outside of the EU structure are weak. Some of the main concerns are that the new legal framework lacks firm objectives, fails to place a duty on ministers to impose environmental principles and does not allow for the necessary independence of the OEP: • In order to achieve a high level of environmental protection to guide the application of the principles, the Bill should state clear objectives at the outset, but this is not the case at the moment. This would make it more difficult for them to be modified or weakened in the future. • Currently, the Bill states that it is a requirement to ‘have regard to’ the policy statement on principles. This is so vague that every decision could potentially lead to litigation. • The Bill does not impose a duty on all public

bodies to apply the principles (as is currently the case under EU law). Michael Gove has recommended that it should be amended so that all public authorities will act in accordance with it. This will provide clarity and certainty. Exclusions should be narrowly defined so that ministers across the government are required to act in accordance with the environmental principles when determining national policy. • While the government has stated that the OEP would be independent, it has provided insufficient evidence to support this in its proposals. The biggest criticism is that it will struggle to act as an independent body without fear of impacting future government decisions on its budgets and board appointments. It has been suggested that the OEP should report to Parliament and that a statutory body of parliamentarians, modelled on the Public Accounts Commission, should set its budget, scrutinise its performance and oversee its governance.

The real estate sector response In the real estate sector, property consultancy firm Jones Lang LaSalle has signed an open letter addressed to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, urging the government to set legally binding targets within the Bill that will help to achieve environmental objectives including tackling biodiversity loss,

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Roberta Bombaci

Richard Smith

“ There remains a need for clear,

unambiguous policy and legislation from central government if changes are to happen at the pace required

”

improving water and air quality and cutting down resource use and waste. Major players in the real estate industry are increasingly aware of the potentially harmful effects of constructing and operating buildings. They want the government to be clear about what the property industry needs to do.

The Oxford perspective Oxford and Oxfordshire still have significant environmental issues, with high levels of air pollution and flood risks continuing to pose a threat to health, risks of uninsured property damage and the devaluing of asset values for many people, as well as presenting challenges for development proposals and the attractiveness of the city and county. Although solutions to environmental, transport, housing and economic growth issues are being addressed by groups such as Oxfordshire Voice and the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, there remains a need for clear, unambiguous policy and legislation from central government if changes are to happen at the pace required. Air quality continues to be a serious matter. Earlier this year a nationwide survey by Friends of the Earth revealed that 22 places across Oxfordshire were above the legal limit for nitrogen dioxide (NO2), with

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

locations in Banbury and Botley categorised as the most dangerously polluted ‘red’ zones. Oxford City Council has declared a ‘climate emergency’ in the City and is planning to have an Emissions Free Zone, but there are calls for greater county-wide action.

Challenges ahead Business and professional communities are coming together to call for greater assurances that the Environment Bill can deliver on its stated ambition. The government faces a big challenge in delivering a ‘watchdog’ that can ensure the environment is not neglected. Much more is required before the environmental enforcement powers bear comparison with those currently held by the European Commission and the ECJ. We will be following closely the development of the new legislation and commenting on how central and local government address the urgent action that is needed. The real estate, planning and environmental law team at Penningtons Manches Cooper, led by Richard Smith (richard.smith@penningtonslaw. com) advises business and private clients on a wide range of real estate, property development and environmental law issues from its offices in Oxford.

Penningtons Manches Cooper – specialists in real estate law Penningtons Manches Cooper’s award winning real estate team has over 100 people. Richard Smith manages the Thames Valley team, which includes four partners in its Oxford office. The team advises clients from a variety of sectors on a wide range of real estate transactions, disputes, construction projects, planning and environmental law.

 richard.smith@penningtonslaw.com  01865 813 708  www.penningtonslaw.com

O X F O R D S H I R E

Architect Zaha Hadid

Where there’s a “ will, there’s a family

”

fighting over it!

How to protect your family from a fight over your business assets Written by: Nicola Poole

Photography by: Keith Barnes Photography

It’s sometimes said “Where there’s a will, there’s a family fighting over it!”. That may be a rather cynical view, but the fact is that if you own significant assets or run your own business there is potential for disputes over who benefits from those assets after your death. Over the past decade there has been an 80% increase in the number of High Court court cases known as ‘contentious probates’; in other words, where families decide to litigate over what should or shouldn’t have been left to them by a relative. Many of these disputes involve complex business assets and the costs of a full trial can easily exceed £100,000. Justine McCool at Hedges Law specialises in contentious probate disputes. She says the source of the friction between family members is often ambiguity in the intentions of the deceased. Suppose Mr. Smith gave his son John £50,000 to start a business. Mr. Smith then dies some years later. His other children tell Mr Smith’s executors about the “loan” and demand the money be paid back into the estate. But John argues that it was a “gift” and belongs to him. It is clearly too late to ask Mr. Smith what the truth of the matter was, so the family take the dispute to the High Court: the irony is that they will probably spend more than the £50,000 in question in legal costs to get a decision. McCool says that it can be particularly difficult where the deceased ran his or her own business. Often the personality and skills of that person were an important asset to the business. In the absence of the main driver of the company’s success, disagreements can arise about what to do with the business. A private company can be difficult to value, especially when the founder is no longer part of WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

it. Some beneficiaries may want the business to continue and grow while other beneficiaries may want it sold and the capital realised. The current High Court battle over control of the company built by the successful architect, Zaha Hadid, is a perfect example. Many of you will be familiar with Hadid’s work, her Middle East Centre at Oxford St Antony’s College courted much controversy a couple of years ago. Company principal, Patrick Schumacher, has commenced proceedings to remove Hadid’s other executors from having a say over the running of the company. The other executors, who include family members, have counterclaimed to remove Schumacher: they say the company should be run for the benefit of all beneficiaries not just Schumacher. The case will be long, costly and no doubt hugely stressful for all concerned. Most of McCool’s cases involve land and property. McCool says disputes often arise when family members’ expectations about how the land will be divided are not realised. In a recent case, McCool acted for an illegitimate son of a wealthy landowner who was left nothing by his father despite promises over the years to provide for him. She successfully negotiated a settlement with the legitimate children.

Matthews, one of the Wills and Probate specialists at Hedges Law, explains that taking the right advice now, and most importantly of all, having a will in place, is absolutely vital. Wills are not a “one size fits all” however, so you need tailored advice to suit your particular personal circumstances, for example business asset guidance, Inheritance Tax advice, care home fee protection, and ring fencing assets for the benefit of children. Hedges Law don’t just take your instructions and draft a standard will; the team of specialised lawyers take the time to get to know their clients and families, to enable them to give you the correct advice, set out all the options and put all appropriate protections in place so that the right will is prepared. By working in this way, instead of a will serving to split a family apart, Hedges Law can remain true to their ethos of ‘Keeping Families Together’. For a no-charge consultation to discuss how you can protect your loved ones and your business assets, do get in touch with Rachel Carrington-Matthews at rachel.cmatthews@hedgeslaw.co.uk or 01865 587628.

You may be lucky enough to have the perfect family that never falls out, and you may have all your affairs meticulously in order so that everything is carefully planned for after your death. If that’s not the case though: how do you avoid the prospect of a family fall-out after you are gone? The answer lies in great preparation and planning and in good conversations. Rachel Carrington-

   

hello@hedgeslaw.co.uk 01865 594 265 www.hedgeslaw.co.uk @hedgeslaw

GRANT SHERGOLD Local Business Manager Metro Bank metrobankonline.co.uk

What is your role in the business? I am a relationship manager for business customers.

What are your areas of expertise? Customer service, account opening, finance, business and commercial lending and generally promoting the name of Metro in my business development capacity. I also mentor and coach the future stars of Metro.

What do you enjoy about your work? Relationship, service and generally dealing with people and helping them. The other benefit of being with Metro Bank is that your opinion is valued and heard and you can make a difference.

Where were you born? Oxford

What are your hobbies / interests? Anything involving Oxford in sport, sports cars, walking the dog (Bentley) and socialising. I like The Trout and The Crazy Bear.

Do you have a favourite sports team? Oxford Utd.

Where is your favourite place(s) in Oxfordshire and why? The Kassam Stadium .

What do you like about Oxfordshire? I think it is steeped in history, excellent venues and the university is incredible.

Who inspires you? Business leaders inspire me â&#x20AC;&#x201C; people like Steve Jobs, innovators who are not afraid to do new things and break the mould. Sir Richard Branson.

Something we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know about you? I am a film extra and have starred in Mission Impossible 5 at Blenheim Palace.

How I can help B4 members If you would like a friendly face to advise you with your banking requirements we are happy to help.

LAMBERT SMITH HAMPTON:

THE GROUND WORK AND FOUNDATIONS OF LEADERSHIP You do not need to work in the property industry to know the importance a property’s foundations have on its structural stability. The foundations of leadership are in the relationships we build. Tall buildings need deep foundations, great leaders need to build strong relationships. Churchill knew this when he courted Roosevelt and Stalin in the battle against fascism. Mandela bravely showed this by partnering with those that imprisoned him for 27 years to deliver his vision of Freedom for all South Africans. Humility, kindness and empathy can go a long way in helping build the trust needed for such relationships.

LSH sg pg

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

Before July 24th the UK will have a new leader. This will give a chance for a new personality to change the energy of the whole nation. Peter Drucker (Management Consultant, Educator and Author) once wrote “your first and foremost job as a leader is to manage your own energy and help manage the energy of those around you.” Who do you think has had the most impact on the nation’s energy in recent years? Leadership isn’t necessarily about the position or title you hold. We don’t need a promotion or fancy title to be a leader in the organisations that we work for or the communities that we live in. I think, however, that we need to ask ourselves where truly great leadership comes from. Martin Luther King’s leadership was instrumental in black Americans’ struggle to achieve equal rights. Would Barack Obama have become President of the United States without King’s ground work? Core to King’s Leadership was his vision. “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” Do we judge ourselves enough on the content of our characters? And should we judge our leaders on the content of their characters? I certainly think so. The content of our character is our values. What we really care about. When JFK said in his inaugural WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

address “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country,” It was a call for civic duty. Should we rely on being inspired by the upcoming Prime Minister or should we ask ourselves what we care about most and how we are going to take action ourselves to achieve a better future?

“ Vision without action is

just a dream, action without vision just passes the time, and vision with action can change the world

”

The current cricket world cup reminds me that, as a boy, cricket taught me values such as fairness, integrity and teamwork. In today’s competitive global economy the hunger for valuing money and power is ever present. Important as this is, hopefully the majority of us in the Thames Valley business community care about something bigger than this. Nelson Mandela gets to the very heart of leadership when he said “Vision without action is just a dream, action without vision just passes the time, and vision with action can change the world.” Leadership through others requires engagement. Key to achieving engagement is allowing for co-invention of a vision. Allowing others to come up with the

possibilities of a shared future is the most powerful way to enable a culture of commitment. The 19th Century Danish Philosopher Soren Kiekegaard wrote: “If I were to wish for anything I should not wish for wealth and power, but for a passionate sense of what can be, for the eye which sees the possible. Pleasure disappoints, possibility never. And what wine is so sparkling, so intoxicating as possibility?” Imagine a new Prime Minister engaging and uniting the nation in a vision that excites our combined sense of possibility. Charlie Mason is a Chartered Surveyor and Director at Lambert Smith Hampton, Oxford

 01865 200 244  www.lsh.co.uk

EMILY ROMANS Customer Service Rep Metro Bank metrobankonline.co.uk What is your role in the business? Customer Service Rep (CSR) – I do business and personal banking. Account openings. Emily mentors the other CSR’s with complex enquiries.

How long have you been in your role? 10 months.

What are your areas of expertise? I’m an expert in the software that we use – I hold a Professional Banking certificate from the Chartered Banking Institute. I am also on the fast track to be the next Local Business Manager.

What do you enjoy about your work? The culture we have – I enjoy who I work with…it’s a challenging job that I learn a lot from.

What are your hobbies / interests? Shopping, I like horror films, I like eating nice dinners and having afternoon tea. Favourite restaurant – The Weighbridge in Swindon.

What motivates you? A challenge – I like learning new things and would rather opt for something that challenges me than is easy to overcome.

Who inspires you? My mum – she’s tough, she has overcome challenges and has subconsciously set me a high bar because if she can overcome that challenge then I overcome anything.

What are the top 3 things you have learned and which have helped you as a result 1. I have learned to communicate better because of going to networking events 2. Working under pressure – it’s people’s money and it impacts them directly 3. I take a lead because of what I have learned and I am looked to for support. I take on board new things quickly and this has given me more confidence.

What is your standout achievement in business so far and how did it come about? I have regional responsibilities for Metro following my award – I am regionally recognised for my business abilities in Metro.

What are your aspirations / ambitions? To become a local business manager – possibly commercial banking or risk in banking.

ENGAGING THE NXT GENERATION www.b4-nxt.com

NEW BUSINESS HUB LAUNCHING SOON IN ABINGDON

Late 2019 will see the launch of The Lambourn, a creative and exciting new business hub in the heart of Abingdon, beautifully designed to offer a wide variety of workspace. Formerly known as Lambourn Court, the former HQ building has been acquired by Mantle, the Hertfordshire based commercial property investor and developer, to create traditional office space alongside a business centre offering serviced office space for 1-20 persons, meeting rooms, virtual office services and co-working

interiors and all the equipment and resources that companies need to succeed. Mantle’s on-site staff provide secretarial and professional support, including professional virtual services taking care of calls and mail whilst their customers take care of their business. They also host a programme of in-house networking events that provide an excellent opportunity for personal growth and business development, as well as the opportunity to make valuable connections.

The Lambourn is one of Abingdon’s largest office buildings, in a prominent position at the entrance to Abingdon Business Park. The building is undergoing significant refurbishment with the large floor plates being reconfigured to suit modern day working styles.

The Lambourn is Mantle’s sixth business centre, its first in Oxfordshire, and part of a strategy to expand its offering throughout the south east.

The Lambourn was designed by progressive and dynamic architecture practice Selencky/// Parsons, a South London firm known for creating inspiring, practical and coherent spaces. The design incorporates revitalised interior business spaces, including co-working and break out areas; showers, and new outside landscaping. Mantle will complete the fit-out using its in-house team. Mantle already operates five business centres in the East of England in Cambridge, Chelmsford, Duxford, Stansted and Stevenage. Each building has its own unique identity, all providing high-quality flexible workspaces in central locations with contemporary WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Guy Baker, chief executive officer, Mantle said: “Following our successful growth in the east of England’s serviced office and business centre market, we saw the opportunity and demand to provide meeting rooms, serviced offices and office space to the Oxfordshire area. Our plans for the building are transformational and once finished, will appeal to those people and companies looking for competitive, flexible, Grade A and well-located office space.” Mantle has appointed Carter Jonas as its leasing agency. Jon Silversides, partner, commercial, Carter Jonas said: “Mantle has committed to invest in a comprehensive

remodelling and refurbishment project to provide a combination of their established business centres brand together with more traditional office space. Our team is excited to be instructed by Mantle on this high-profile building which we believe will prove extremely popular due to a combination of the lack of office space available on the A34 corridor, the quality of refurbishment proposed and the flexibility on offer.” The refurbishment of the whole building is underway to create vibrant business spaces and meeting rooms. The building is due to open late 2019. For more information, email Jo Hart, Group Development & Marketing Manager, Mantle: jo@mantle.co.uk or call on 01279 874300.

 jo@mantle.co.uk  01279 874 300  www.mantle.co.uk

AXIS J9 Middleton Stoney Road, Bicester, OX26 1RT TO LET/FOR SALE Individual buildings from:

23,320 sq ft – 64,200 sq ft Phase 1: Five prominent distribution and production buildings – ready for occupation mid 2020.

UNITS 1-5 WITAN PARK Avenue Two, Station Lane, Witney, OX28 4YT TO LET 4,915 sq ft to 72,173 sq ft Prominent industrial/warehouse accommodation with easy access to the A40. UNDERGOING REFURBISHMENT.

115 OLYMPIC AVENUE Milton Park, Abingdon, OX14 4SA TO LET 3,000 sq ft to 6,000 sq ft First floor office/laboratory suites available at Milton Park the largest technology, science and business park, set in landscaped grounds with a community atmosphere.

2 COWLEY BUSINESS CENTRE Oxford Road, Cowley, Oxford, OX4 6NH TO LET 6,917 sq ft A prominent warehouse/distribution unit located in prime trade area with 9m eaves close to Oxford Ring Road. Adjacent units include WH Smith Online and Rexel.

unrivalled local and regional expertise Richard Venables rvenables@vslandp.com Tom Barton tbarton@vslandp.com Duncan May dmay@vslandp.com

news Business Park ‘revolution’ reflects modern occupier needs that stimulates interaction amongst colleagues and other businesses to drive collaboration which is at the heart of any innovative community.” At Milton Park they have created a 2040 Vision programme looking at key themes including connectivity and transport while the environment and growth of facilities are also high on the agenda.

Two of Oxfordshire’s major business parks are undergoing a revolution as they bid to attract the best modern companies, according to a major survey. 30 years ago Oxfordshire’s businesses were based in Oxford City Centre and the County Town Centres. Since the 1980’s business parks have been the solution for modern occupiers wanting larger, more efficient space outside of city centers, however these are often criticised as being somewhat sterile environments. The VSL annual Oxfordshire commercial property report focuses on two key employment hubs, Milton Park and Oxford Business Park which are home to more than 150 businesses employing almost 15,000 people. Both are evolving rapidly with major ongoing investment in a bid to attract thriving companies looking for an environment in which to grow. Business park owners and investors are now working hard to reinvigorate, transform and adapt the offering to meet the needs of modern occupiers. Investing, not just in the bricks and mortar but also to create amenities and sense of community in order to assist the work life balance. The report suggests there are five ways in which these parks are adapting. 1. Customer relationship – business parks are moving away from the traditional landlord and tenant relationship, providing flexible leasing solutions which reflect the needs of their customers. 2. Designing new space and adapting existing buildings – to meet the needs of new occupiers working in the burgeoning Oxfordshire science and tech sector. 3. Onsite amenities – both sites are investing in facilities and amenities such as restaurants and

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

leisure activities with spaces developed for informal meetings and social events. 4. Transport – transport is also a mutual key theme with considerable planning dedicated to providing the most efficient methods including buses, car sharing schemes and cycle routes. 5. Communities – most importantly both see themselves as communities, not only dedicated to serving the continually evolving needs of their customers but providing the types of work environment that is demanded by the young skilled labor force. At Oxford Business Park new community hubs are being created. Firstly, in partnership with the Jam Factory, the “Oxford Factory” is being developed at the heart of the Park, which nods to the heritage of the car plant which previously occupied the site. The Factory will provide a 100 cover contemporary restaurant and is due for completion in November 2019. The second hub the “Oxford Works”, will offer a flexible working environment where customers can hire desk space for short periods from an hour upwards. The Park Management Team will be based at the Works, which will also provide space for community services such as yoga and languages classes and a 100 person seminar theatre. To the south of the Park will be the “Market Place” which will be completed this month. An outdoor social space to grab a coffee, relax amongst the trees and enjoy a game of table tennis.

Philip Campbell, commercial director of Park owners MEPC, said: “It’s not about Milton Park creating a ‘development plan’ but rather a shared vision that all stakeholders can support, help deliver and own. The aim is to ensure Milton Park continues to be sustainable for the businesses that are here, the people who work for them within the local community and for investors. “We need to build on what we already have at Milton Park and improve the sense of place. Networking, community and engagement are all central to that.” This research forms part of the VSL Intel annual report, which provides an analysis of the office and industrial market focusing on central Oxford and the A34 ‘Innovation Knowledge Corridor’ for offices from 3,000 sq ft and above and industrial from 5,000 sq ft and above. The VSL Intel report shows that once again, market activity has been dominated by the ‘science and technology’ sector. Richard Venables, director at VSL says: “The most striking change is the amount of space taken up by the science and technology sector in the industrial sector which has increased from 23% in 2017 (266,000 sq ft) to 65% in 2018 (486,000 sq ft). In the office sector this has remained steady at around 65%. “Many of the technology spin out company’s desire to stay in the centre of Oxford for access to University departments and employees. We are now finding that they are prepared to look further afield to the ring road and beyond. Ultimately this is dictated by the fact that there simply isn’t the stock available in the centre of Oxford and any new schemes are still some years away.”

To view the report, visit: https://adobe.ly/2Wue0U2

Dan Williams, development director at Arlington explains: “It’s not just about physical amenities but also ensuring that we provide a variety of services that positively improves the balance in our busy working week, blurring what had previously been referred to as the work/life divide and creating an environment

YIELD IS VANITY; MARGIN IS SANITY Mark Charter, Partner, Carter Jonas Changes to the Basic Payments Scheme (BPS) will exert inevitable financial pressures on farmers and the broader agricultural community. Indeed, the demise of underperforming and unmodernised businesses is expected to be rapid, particularly without the support of guaranteed, government income. Written by: Mark Charter Photography by: Aurelien Langlais

However, for those businesses examining just how to withstand the tumult of BPS withdrawal, there will be an increasing emphasis on the value of financial margins, as opposed to physical measures of performance such as yield. The Basic Payment Scheme has historically masked poor financial performance.

To maximise revenues from farming businesses, it is important to make an objective evaluation of a farmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s potential. For example, in the instance of an arable farmer, planting crops where they will produce a positive margin, while precluding poor land from swallowing investment, is sound business sense.

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Agritech is about “ helping clients to achieve the best possible financial results as well as improving the landscape and protecting the quality of our land for the future

”

But the assessment of land, its calibre and nuances isn’t always simple, and it would be glib to presume that this were the case. There is nothing wrong with producing the maximum yield possible, but the trick is matching inputs to productive areas, to obtain the most profitable return on investment. This is where advances in farming technology can reap optimum rewards. Indeed, the application of technology to advance the usefulness of data and improve operations is – and will continue to be – transformative. While many have yield-mapping farming equipment at their disposal, it is my experience that most are yet to capitalise on the full extent of its benefits. Using geospatial (GIS) technology, it is now possible to extrapolate data from historic yield maps and production costs in a single platform to create a net margin per hectare analysis. A detailed map uses a traffic light system to highlight zones that are underperforming (in red), overperforming (in green), or average (in orange), and is accurate to just 10m 2. Such a tool can aid understanding of what is going on in a field, where the problems are, how they

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

might be addressed, and how this information can be harnessed for an effective strategy.

my view that yield per hectare should take second place – it’s profit per hectare that counts.

With such insights in place, I hope that we see the end of fields filled with a single crop – so often this is neither beneficial to the environment nor the farmer. Instead, I propose that fields would be mixed

Agritech is about helping clients to achieve the best possible financial results as well as improving the landscape and protecting the quality of our land for the future.

“

the application of technology to advance the usefulness of data and improve operations is – and will continue to be – transformative

”

It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change. To discuss any of the matters raised in this article or speak with a member of the Carter Jonas team about any of your property requirements, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

use, with perhaps a 16-metre stewardship margin adjacent to a hedge, with a three-metre sacrificial strip adjacent to that for the machinery to turn on, minimising the area exposed for compaction. Other stewardship options could be located on regions of a field that have underperformed consistently, and which are beyond improvement.

 mark.charter@carterjonas.co.uk  01865 404 406  www.carterjonas.co.uk

Even though it may require a shift in mindset, it is

LET IT SNOW

OXFORD TOWN HALL CHRISTMAS BALL F R I D AY 2 0 D E C E M B E R | 7 P M - L AT E

C E L E B R AT E I N L AV I S H S U R R O U N D I N G S FOR JUST £66 THIS FESTIVE SEASON F O R A T R U LY U N F O R G E T T A B L E C H R I S T M A S P A R T Y .

Live music, drink on arrival, and an exquisite three course gourmet meal await you. E X C L U S I V E PA R T Y O P T I O N S AVA I L A B L E F R O M 5 – 2 3 D E C E M B E R C O N TA C T O U R E V E N T S T E A M TO F I N D O U T M O R E O R TO B O O K : TOW N H A L L@ OX FO R D.G OV.U K

01865 252195

W W W.OX FO R DTOW N H A L L .CO.U K /C H R I ST M AS

NEXUS Definition: A nexus is a central link or connection. If you happen to be at the nexus of something, you are right in the middle of it, like standing in the middle of an intersection. Nexus entered English during the seventeenth century from the Latin word nectere, meaning ‘to bind or tie’. People tend to use this word to describe the point where different things or ideas come together or intersect. In the field of cell biology, a nexus refers to “a specialized area of the cell membrane involved in intercellular communication and adhesion,” and implies that the nexus of a cell facilitates communication among the various parts and allows it to work properly.

O X F O R D S H I R E

BIO

2020

NEXUS

INTRODUCTION 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. These platforms include B4 Magazine, website, social media and regular networking events; NXT for the next generation encompassing events and a new magazine launching later this year; Oxfordshire Voice, a public / private sector collaboration which debates the key issues facing Oxfordshire businesses and aims to find solutions to help the private sector. For the past six years we have been running Business in Oxford, an annual event which provides Oxfordshire businesses with the opportunity to present and exhibit to over 500 delegates.

WHY ARE WE LAUNCHING NEXUS NEXUS will give a wide range of organisations the opportunity to benefit from all of our platforms at no cost. NEXUS is designed to grow a spirit of collaboration, sharing and support for those organisations which might not otherwise have the opportunity to secure a wide range of benefits listed below and will underpin our 7th annual BIO event.

B4 Membership

Oxfordshire Voice Partnership

BIO2020 Speaking or Exhibiting slot

Tickets to BIO2020

Two pages in B4 Magazine

Access to NXT events

Access to B4 Perks

Access to World Office

Partnerships will be formed between one paying (hereafter known as the ‘Provider’) partner and one non-paying (hereafter known as the ‘Beneficiary’) partner from one of the groups below: • Charities • Social Enterprises • Not for Profit Organisations • Sole Traders • Small businesses with under 5 employees • Any individual who has an idea you would like to back / support • New businesses (in business less than 12 months at the time of applying) • Schools & Colleges • Independent Consultant s • A partner company who shares the cost and the benefits BIO2020 will be our 7th annual event, Oxfordshire’s largest business, networking and showcase event and the theme of the event will be ‘BIO2020 – Learn, Share & Grow …. together’. It will also be our longest event with more opportunities to present and exhibit.

THE NEXUS AWARDS At the end of BIO2020 we will be holding an Awards dinner. The Awards will recognise Partners who have provided their partner with excellent support over the course of the year. This might be a Provider nominating a Beneficiary or vice versa. 78

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

FINDING A PARTNER: APPLICATIONS FOR PROGRAMME NEXUS We are inviting prospective Beneficiary partners to register for NEXUS from the aforementioned groups. Prospective partners are asked to: a. Explain how beneficial the programme will be to them and their organisation b. Advise how they could support a Provider in their business – e.g. a charity could provide opportunities for staff of the Provider organisation to engage in a team building activity, a private business could provide a service to the value of the benefits they are receiving. See website for more details about application closing dates and terms and conditions.

NEXUS GOOD NEWS & SUPPORT Good News: We will also ask all of our partners to submit any great news stories coming out of their partnership during the year and we can promote many of these stories in B4 Magazine, our e-Newsletters, social media and on our B4 website – all at no additional charge. Support: All partners will be provided with ample opportunities to make the most of their packages with regular speaker and exhibitor workshops throughout the year at B4’s offices where partners can learn how best to present and exhibit at BIO2020 and shout about their involvement in the lead up to the event and also make the most of their partnerships.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO APPLY VISIT:

NEXUS.B4-BUSINESS.COM WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

NEXUS

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

ADRIAN JAMES Director Adrian James Architects adrianjames.com

What are your areas of expertise? Design from masterplanning and strategy through to technical detail, planning expertise including appeals, project management and leadership.

What do you enjoy about your work? I’m a designer and I love the creative process. I will never tire of doodling ideas and then taking them all the way through to finished buildings. Seeing my ideas made concrete and then seeing how people use them and appreciate them and love them: it’s all good.

What are your hobbies / interests? Architecture! Both doing it and visiting it, experiencing it, sketching it all round the world. Mountains! Climbing to the top of them all round the world. Singing! I am a member and soloist in the Oxford Gospel Choir.

Where is your favourite place(s) in Oxfordshire and why? I live right by the river in central Oxford: within 10 minutes I can walk to some of the finest buildings in the world; to all the shops, cafes, cinemas and theatres in the city; and along the banks of the Thames to open countryside. A really great location.

What do you like about Oxfordshire? It’s a great mix of architecture, culture and landscape – but it does need a mountain or two.

Who inspires you? Architects: Louis Kahn and Edwin Lutyens. Gospel artists: Kirk Franklin, Donnie McClurkin. Authors: right now I love the spy stories of local author Mick Herron. Wingsuit proximity flyers: wow.

Something we don’t know about you? In my youth I held the record for the fastest Inca trail – 7 hours 17 minutes..

Oxford Castle and “ Prison looks forward to

another year of welcoming new guests of all ages to explore and celebrate its rich and varied history

”

OXFORD CASTLE & PRISON Photography by: Oxford Castle & Prison

Few will be able to visit Oxford without taking note of the Oxford skyline. The ‘dreaming spires’ of the churches and colleges that make up the oldest university in the English speaking world are a must-see for any new visitor to the city. But not all notice the existence of St George’s Tower- just as imposing but often overlooked, St George’s Tower is altogether squatter, squarer and more rugged….and also the oldest nonreligious tower left standing in England today. Thought to be initially built as part of the 11th century defences of Oxenforda (the city’s original Saxon name), St George’s Tower is nothing if not sturdyit’s 9 foot thick stone walls have stood strong for over 900 years- and after the Norman invasion of 1066, the tower found itself incorporated as part of a motte and bailey castle built by Robert D’Oilly, a Norman baron who was given Oxford by William the Conqueror to rule. Although the original ten sided castle keep has long since been demolished, visitors to the site can still climb the original 900 year old castle motte- built using forced Saxon labour over a period of 8 months in 1071. Three years later in 1074, D’Oilly also began constructing St George’s Chapel at the foot of St George’s Tower. A centre of learning as well WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

as a centre of religion, St George’s Chapel has the distinction of being the very first collegiate chapel in all of Oxford- and was established roughly 100 years before the University of Oxford was first established. But Oxford Castle was not only a place in which to educate and enlighten scholars- from 1216, it was used as a place to lock them up as well. The first recorded use of the castle as a place of incarcerationfor rebellious students of the university- was in 1216 and by 1531, it was being used as a county gaol and continued to be used as such until 1996, over 700 years later. Many of the old prison buildings still remain- while some have been utilised as modern bars and restaurants (and in the case of the old A Wing, as a boutique hotel in which guests can pay to sleep in a real prison cell), others remain for visitors to explore as part of Oxford Castle and Prisons guided tour. Those looking for something a little different have the option of booking private evening tours and, for the brave, special themed ‘ghost tours’ are also offered. Year round, those willing to try their hand at escaping a real prison are free to book the site’s ‘escape room’ package, while anyone fancying themselves as an

amateur detective will find themselves enthralled by the castle’s Murder Mystery evening package in which guests can interact with characters drawn from the prisons own history. Families with children will find a fresh activity on offer every holiday- from Trick or Treating in October, to Archaeology sessions in the Spring, to Knight School (offering sword play, archery and jousting) in the summer. With something for everyone, Oxford Castle and Prison looks forward to another year of welcoming new guests of all ages to explore and celebrate its rich and varied history: from castle, to church, from school to prison, who knows what.

   

oscammell@oxfordcastleandprison.co.uk 01865 260 666 www.oxfordcastleandprison.co.uk @oxfordcastle

Red Kite House and Kestrel House incorporate a number of different sustainable features. These include a rainwater storage system which collects surface water from the roof to recycle it, and a cooling system which works by extracting water from a borehole before returning it to the River Thames.

HOWBERY BUSINESS PARK CELEBRATES ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY Written by: Howbery Business Park Photography by: Howbery Business Park

Not every business park can boast a historic manor house at its heart, but then Howbery Park is proud to be that little bit different. Located just outside Wallingford to the south of the county, the park has grown from just a single tenant in 1994. Now home to more than 50 different businesses and organisations, ranging from small family enterprises to corporate tenants, the park has recently been named the South & Vale’s Business Space of the Year. Howbery Park has sustainability at its heart, and, as it celebrates its 25th anniversary, we highlight some of the park’s significant milestones along the way. The Environment Agency (EA), known at the time as the National Rivers Authority, was the park’s first tenant, and started life at Howbery Park in several small buildings. The EA is now one of the site’s major occupiers in state-of-the-art 35,000 sq ft Red Kite House which opened in 2005, and which was awarded the ‘Best Bespoke Office Development Outside Central London’ in the same year.

Four years later, a second BREAAM excellent-rated building, Kestrel House, was built to mirror Red Kite House for park landlord HR Wallingford. With each of these new buildings, the aim was to show a model of best practice in sustainable office development. The projects have managed to demonstrate that a small

“ In 2018, enough

electricity was also exported back to the grid to supply 20 average size homes for a year.

”

increase in building costs can result in significantly reduced carbon emissions and greater efficiency, while at the same time creating light and well-

ventilated working environments for their occupants. In 2011, Howbery Park became the UK’s first solarpowered business park. The adjacent solar farm generates around a quarter of the park’s annual energy needs. Across the sunny summer months of 2018, this rose to an impressive 40%, with occasional periods when the park was completely grid-free. In 2018, enough electricity was also exported back to the grid to supply 20 average size homes for a year. In 2017, the park undertook another major energysaving project, installing high-efficiency boilers. This has led to further significant carbon savings, and was followed in 2018 by the installation of electric vehicle charging points. Since 2012, the park’s waste has been zero to landfill. But Howbery Park and its Manor House can also boast a much longer and unique history. There is evidence that Howbery Park had a former Manor House as far back as the 15th century which Henry

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Home to more “ than 50 different

businesses and organisations, ranging from small family enterprises to corporate tenants, the park has recently been named the South & Vale’s Business Space of the Year.

”

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II signs the Visitor Book in the Manor House’s de Morney room in November 1956

VII visited in 1489. Meeting rooms which can be booked in the present Manor House carry the names of various noblemen and political figures from its fascinating past. These include William Blackstone MP, who bought the estate in 1833 but tragically never saw the house finished, Count de Morney who completed the building in 1860, and Henry Bertie Williams–Wynn, a solicitor, who purchased the house in 1867. The house has even hosted royal visits, including Prince Henry who camped as an ordinary soldier at the park in 1927, through to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II who visited the house in 1956 as part of a tour of the then governmentowned Hydraulics Research Station who occupied the site from 1951. This led to the creation of a water science cluster at Howbery Park which continues to develop today. Whilst embracing new technology to improve the park, today’s Estates Team also takes its responsibility to care for the 70 acre landscaped parkland and Grade II listed Manor House very seriously. Many

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

of the park’s mature trees are protected with tree preservation orders, and new planting ensures a healthy balance of trees will be preserved across the park for the future. Beehives producing the park’s own honey were introduced in 2016. Howbery Park also places a real focus on maintaining a sense of community on the park with on-site activities and amenities such as free-to-use pool bikes, and allotments which were introduced in 2017 and which went on to win a Green Apple Award. There are also plenty of open spaces to practice team sports, or simply to enjoy a lunchtime walk, all helping to encourage a healthy work-life balance. Estates Manager Donna Bowles is proud of what has been achieved and is looking ahead to the next chapter in Howbery Park’s story. “Much of the park’s success to date has been down to the vision and enthusiasm of former Howbery Business Park Chief Executive, John Ormston, who oversaw the park’s development for many years. We are very much

On-site activities include a family-friendly Bee Education Workshop

aiming to build on what John started, continuing to make the most of Howbery Park, expanding sustainably whilst preserving the park’s unique character and landscape. I am privileged to work with a fantastic team of people, and we are now looking forward to working on the future development plan for the park’s next phase.”

 info@howberypark.com  01491 822 411  www.howberypark.com

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

Are you ready for T Levels? How the new technical qualifications can work for you Businesses recruit and develop the talent they need for sustained growth when they engage with education Written by: Anna Fowler

Photography by: Activate Learning

Industry placements can help to drive your business forward. Award-winning education provider Activate Learning works with a wide range of industry partners, from start-ups to multinationals, to co-create curricula and develop essential employability skills. Last year we facilitated over 300,000 hours of work experience and have been selected by the Department for Education to be a T Level provider from September 2021. T Levels are a new, technical skills-based alternative to A-levels that are being phased in from 2020. To gain the qualification, 16-19 year olds will undertake a collaborative, 315-hour work placement in addition to studying an industry-specific programme at college. Bernard Grenville-Jones, Activate Learning Group Executive Director, explains: “The new qualifications come at a time when continuing falls in unemployment, Brexit uncertainty and potential limitations on migrant workers, could impact negatively on already widening skills gaps. “And advances in technology will mean that some jobs will disappear completely, replaced by completely new and different skill sets. “Activate Learning works with business to develop the attributes that young people need to succeed in the workplace now and in the future. In partnership with industry, we are creating a talent pipeline to support economic growth.” Volume, a Berkshire-based global AI company that was listed in The Sunday Times 100 Best Small Companies for 2018, has been working with Activate Learning for almost 2 years. WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Chief Operating Officer, Gemma Hood, who spoke at our T Levels information event, says: “This partnership is really important to Volume as it is helping us to close the skills gap. “It enables us to provide insight for the students as to how we work as a business, it gives us the opportunity to assess those students from a cultural fit perspective, and it builds up our positive employer brand so that we are giving back to the local community. “Roles and responsibilities are much clearer early on, supporting our overall employee retention.

“

Working with Activate Learning and the T Level is providing us with a pipeline of skills that are aligned to what we’re going to need in the future

”

“We’re so ahead of the curve in some of the applications that we’re developing that we’re struggling to find the skills to deliver them.

meeting exacting industry requirements was recently recognised on a national level with an Association of Colleges Beacon Award. And we were also presented with the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce Education and Business Partnership Award in June 2019. Having an established work placement programme already in place, where support with planning, delivery and evaluation is tailored to each employer and learner, means that Activate Learning is already in pole position for T Level delivery. And the benefits for our business partners include extra resources for projects, the chance for employees to upskill and gain job satisfaction through mentoring young people, and the opportunity for companies to recruit the best new young talent before their competitors. If you would like to know more about partnering with Activate Learning on current work placement opportunities in industry sectors including engineering, catering, IT and construction, or if you are interested in our new T Level programmes in Digital Production, Design and Development and Health and Science, please contact us at communications@activatelearning.ac.uk

“Working with Activate Learning and the T Level is providing us with a pipeline of skills that are aligned to what we’re going to need in the future.” Activate Learning believes that every learner who wants to work can. Our bespoke approach to carving out the best opportunities for students while

 communications@activatelearning.ac.uk  0800 612 6008  www.activatelearning.ac.uk

I T

BEN PROCTER Managing Director Oxford Property Consulting oxfordpropertyconsulting.co.uk

What is your role in the business? MD – my wife and I Michelle – between us we do everything that is necessary. Business devt, business management, client acquisition, after sales care.

What are your areas of expertise? Residential property is my main area of expertise – I am a strong negotiator. I started at Foxtons in London – a great learning ground. I’m good at finding things and thinking outside of the box – if there’s a problem I like to think I can solve it. During searches I can become a marriage counsellor, I help de-clutter a home, I become a financier and generally help people realise what they really want.

What do you enjoy about your work? All the different aspects of the job, Meeting people, creating new relationships, seeing different houses, the problem solving. Relationships are key.

What are your hobbies / interests? Cricket (playing for Wootton & Boars Hill) – batsman with 132 not out my best ever score!, golf (12). Dog walks – Reggie the Labrador. Photography is another keen hobby!

Where is your favourite place(s) in Oxfordshire and why? Blenheim Palace – we live in Woodstock, it’s right on our doorstep…so many events, great for picnics. Just amazing!

What do you like about Oxfordshire? I love the countryside – I was born here. We are so well positioned for London and the South Coast…great golf courses, country pubs etc…. Diversity.

Who inspires you? Small business owners – people who keep going and keep trying….and Jurgen Klopp!

Something we don’t know about you? I once won $14,000 in an online poker tournament!

PASSION FOR FOOD We specialise in serving fabulous food for your parties, wedding receptions, corporate gatherings and private events. From canape receptions and street food to banquet dinners and fine dining. From tipis under the stars to spectacular stately homes, we are well versed in producing high quality food with exemplary service to match. The Passion for Food team, led by Managing Director Philip Baker are a flexible, tight-knit team that are totally committed to making your special occasion a complete success. Which means we’ll do all it takes to go that extra mile to make it even more memorable. We offer a simple, uncomplicated approach where everything revolves around the client. Philip is an award-winning chef with over three decades of culinary and catering experience under his belt. He’s worked with some of Europe’s best chefs and has successfully run his own restaurants.

OUR FOOD Wherever possible, we use local UK-produced food. We source our food and wines from partners we’ve known for many years, with many being small, independent British companies that consistently offer first-class quality. We change our recipes in tune with the seasons and

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

“ We offer a simple, uncomplicated approach where everything revolves around the client

”

availability, but there’s no ‘one size fits all’ policy. You tell us what you’d like and we’ll deliver it.

OUR VENUES As well as catering in your home, garden, office space, you’ll also find us on the preferred supplier list at these stunning Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire venues: • The Divinity School & Weston Library (Bodleian Libraries), Oxford • Kirtlington Park, Oxfordshire • Poundon House, Oxfordshire • Rhodes House, Oxford • Stonor Park, Oxfordshire • Nether Winchendon House, Buckinghamshire • Stowe School, Buckinghamshire To see how Passion for Food can help you at your next event, please contact us below. We look forward to hearing from you!

   

hello@passion-for-food.co.uk 01296 651 755 www.passion-for-food.co.uk @passionffood

6 Business and Social Trends Reshaping the Supply Chain The supply chain landscape is changing. Discover the six business and social trends responsible and what they could mean for your logistics operations Written by: Katy Farrington, Marketing Manager, Unipart Logistics

It’s only to be expected that an industry built on moving goods and services should also have to shift as technology and consumer tastes reshape the economic landscape. As revealed by industry reports, here are the six most important business and social trends currently driving change across the supply chain horizon.

1. The uptake of automation and robotics ‘Declining birthrates and the trend toward ageing in many advanced and some emerging economies mean that peak employment will occur in most countries within 50 years’, McKinsey reports. ‘The expected decline in the share of the working-age population will open an economic growth gap. Even at historical rates of productivity growth, economic growth could be nearly halved.’ Collaborative technology could support ageing workforces in manual handling activities, and logistics processes will be accelerated by the deployment of machines. For operators concerned with productivity, the benefits will be improved efficiency, lower costs, quicker fulfilment times, and a source of mechanised labour at times when workforces shrink. Employees must become more skilled, have greater responsibilities, and benefit from the enhanced training opportunities necessary to support this. On-demand workforce concepts will also give them more scheduling flexibility.

2. Increasing connectedness between consumer and supplier Mobile, wearable, and smart home technologies are binding consumers with each other and their surroundings in ways that can help optimise logistics services.

The consumer preference and activity data that such devices generate will lead to improved transparency, traceability, and reliability of delivery and pickup services, with missed drop-offs or collections minimised through secure home — or secure vehicle — delivery access.

of consumers now prefer sustainable brands. As consumers are increasingly demanding services that are environmentally and socially sustainable, and while that places added responsibilities on logistics providers, it needn’t be at the expense of competitiveness.

Internet of things (IoT) connections will revolutionise replenishment procedures as home fridges or restaurant freezers automatically reorder stocks as they run low. By 2020, Gartner predicts that 50% of everyday essential products will be replenished through IoT. And integration with voice-activated

A third of consumers now prefer sustainable brands While it may be difficult to define exactly what constitutes ‘fair’ and ‘responsible’ practices, striving to execute each part of the supply chain with those characteristics in mind is expected to open new opportunities and add value to what providers already do.

“ Mobile, wearable, and smart home technologies are binding consumers with each other and their surroundings in ways that can help optimise logistics services

”

Imaginative solutions to meet the expectations of the EU’s intended ban on plastic packaging and its hopes to create a circular economy are already being put into action. This has been seen in the integration of recycling efforts with delivery and pickup services, and it is envisaged that innovations will extend such initiatives into other parts of the supply chain.

4. Digital brokerage platforms transforming logistics services

devices offers access to logistics data for homes and businesses, especially for tech-wary older consumers.

Tailored services are entering the logistics space through digital brokerage platforms that match buyers with providers.

By 2020, Gartner predicts that 50% of everyday essential products will be replenished through IoT The slow speed of adoption and the multitude of different digital standards and APIs may initially hamper developments, but the long-term efficiencies they offer those logistics providers willing to engage these technologies are inarguable.

According to research by Deloitte, ‘in Singapore, FreshTurf is building an open platform based on blockchain technology that allows customers and carriers to trace a package all the way from shipment to smart locker.’

3. Growing consumer expectations around responsible logistics

While it is hard to imagine the complexities of freight forwarding being overcome in this way, it is anticipated that most stages of a supply chain will be catered for across multiple modes via cloud-based freight marketplaces.

A 2017 Unilever report reveals that up to a third

In Singapore, FreshTurf is building an open platform

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

based on blockchain technology that allows customers and carriers to trace a package all the way from shipment to smart locker. Similarly, the application of an Airbnb-style business model to warehousing can add flexibility to ondemand storage models. Companies that sell products on Amazon can already use Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) to fulfill those orders. As FBA explains it, ‘You send your products to Amazon fulfillment centers, and we pick, pack, and ship them and provide customer service.’ It is also likely that companies will use such digital meeting places to bid to provide same day — or even same hour — deliveries over the last mile. Security, insurance, and ensuring logistics capacity may hinder rapid development in this space, but the benefits of real-time-quoting, flexibility in service sourcing, and capacity optimisation are clear.

5. Personalisation and convenience driving omnichannel logistics As CMO reports, ‘Consumers have rising demands and a new understanding of speed, brand relationship and personalisation’. This looks like ‘anytime, anywhere, from any device’ flexibility, and it means faster online and offline fulfilment is essential. Logistics providers will have to devise an intelligent and varied mix of physical and online assets to bring down order and delivery times and to build and streamline returns processes. That may encourage shops to become last mile fulfilment centres or warehouses to convert space into showrooms, in the style of IKEA. Either way, multi-channel services can be the source of opportunities along supply chains. Consumers have rising demands and a new understanding of speed, brand relationship and

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

personalisation. Investment needed to mix the channels will be sizeable, especially in updating the IT and artificial intelligence software needed to manage the flow of data between the physical and online ecosystems. But that will be recouped as the flexibility of such arrangements offer leads to better capacity utilisation and the flattening of peaks and troughs in demand.

Logistics providers “ will have to devise an intelligent and varied mix of physical and online assets to bring down order and delivery times and to build and streamline returns processes

A breakdown in the supply chain can be disastrous, so added resilience needs to be built into those processes. For an industry built on moving goods and services, implementing change across traditionally rigid and often complex supply chains can be costly and time-consuming in the short term. But supply chain directors looking to the future will doubtless recognise the necessity of adapting in order to remain competitive and deliver the supply chain service expected by today’s increasingly discerning consumers. The long-term financial benefits of such actions will amount to more than a little change

”

6. The growing servitisation of manufacturers Managers are rethinking their supply chains as manufacturers shift from merely making things to providing services that require those goods. In a servitised world, satisfying outcomes become the products. A Rolls-Royce jet engine, for instance, is no longer the final delivered product under the company’s Power-by-the-House model: keeping those engines running is, and so Rolls-Royce offers full servicing and maintenance as well as value added services. Providing those outcomes means managing the performance of goods through their lifetimes. Bringing supply chains closer to manufacturers to enable faster and more responsive replenishment and replacements will become key to achieving that.

 katy.farrington@unipart.com  07920 586592  www.unipartlogistics.com

FES TI OFF VE ERS Book

befo Octo re ber t o rec a com eive plim glass enta ry of fiz z for all gues ts*

Oxford University Event Venues

Enjoy off peak venue hire rates by booking your party on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday

JOIN US FOR YOUR

CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION Drinks receptions, sit down dinners, buffets, parties, music and more

Ideal for 20 to 330 guests Celebrate in style at one of our four unique historical venues Exceptional festive catering options created by award winning chefs

Enquire with our event venue professionals today and let us help you plan your perfect festive party 01865 276905 | venueenquiries@admin.ox.ac.uk | www.venues.ox.ac.uk Follow us: @OxUniVenues

*Terms & Conditions apply

Enquire with our event venue professionals today and let us help you plan your perfect festive party 01865 276905 | venueenquiries@admin.ox.ac.uk | www.venues.ox.ac.uk Follow us: @OxUniVenues

POP UP THEATRE PROVIDES CORPORATE ENTERTAINMENT WITH A DIFFERENCE! Oxfordshire businesses should make the most of a unique corporate entertainment opportunity this summer with Shakespeare’s pop up Rose Theatre at Blenheim Palace. Sue Randall, Managing Director of Fine Feasts by Oxford Fine Dining, explains why.

As Oxford businesses, we’re very lucky to have an amazing selection of venues for corporate events but this summer there is another one and it is only here for 8 weeks. The Rose Theatre is a 13-sided Elizabethan-style playhouse that has been built within the grounds of Blenheim Palace. It holds 900 people with 560 seated in three covered tiers around an open-roofed courtyard with standing room for 340 ‘groundlings’ and will be showing 4 of Shakespeare’s plays, with 2 performances a day. Using it to entertain clients will be very different to anything usually available and is a unique opportunity. Fine Feasts by Oxford Fine Dining has been appointed to provide the food catering in the Shakespeare’s Village, an area that surrounds the theatre. From oak-framed, reed-thatched cabins the Fine Feasts’ chefs are using bespoke Argentinian BBQ’s to cook high quality street food including wild boar posh dogs, aged shorthorn beef burgers, dirty chips and a variety of vegetarian and vegan dishes as well as daily specials. In association with the Rose Theatre and Blenheim Palace, Fine Feasts is also offering a hospitality package for corporate entertainment, providing local businesses with a very different and exciting opportunity for entertaining clients and staff. This premium package means guests can enjoy some of the best seats in the house, a private area within the village for entertaining guests with drinks and canapés plus an exclusive backstage tour. The Shakespeare’s Village is a trip back in time with a village pond, willow hurdle fencing, rustic buildings and rural scenes. Around the village are a number of wagons from where visitors will be entertained by wandering Elizabethan minstrels, musicians, sonnet recitals and budding thespians.

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

The menus have been specially created, with the Fine Feasts team devising dishes fitting for a visit to a Shakespearian theatre beside an historic palace in Oxfordshire. From ‘Shakespeare Spiced Chicken Skewer served on a Flatbread with Garlic Mayo’ to an ‘Aged Shorthorn Beef Burger with Fine Feasts Sauce and Salad in a Brioche Bun’. The ‘Dirty Chips’ dishes feature freshly fried skin on chips topped with jalapenos, cheese and soured cream with either BBQ beef brisket or guacamole. There is also a Posh Dogs menu serving up hot dogs with a difference. The ‘Oxford Blue Dog’ is a pork college sausage with blue cheese, mayonnaise and friend onions and vegetarians and vegans are well catered for with ‘Lentil and Chickpea Dahl served with Pitta Bread and an optional dollop of Sour Cream’ and there is a daily special for each day of the week. Fine Feasts is sourcing the ingredients locally whenever possible and, in an initiative to make the food service at the event environmentally friendly, the food is being served in 100% recyclable containers with wooden cutlery. Coffee and tea are served in compostable cups and the water bottles can be recycled. Sue Randall, Managing Director of Fine Feasts by Oxford Fine Dining, commented, “This amazing venue provides a unique opportunity for local businesses to provide some very different corporate entertainment for their clients this summer. I know our chefs will be working hard to delight audiences with the food as much as the actors will delight them with their performances!” Shakespeare’s Village is probably the largest theatre ‘foyer’ that theatre go-ers will encounter. Along with the more traditional things you’d usually find like the box office, ice creams and a bar, the Village also has food stalls for pre and post theatre ‘feasting’ making a memorable venue for corporate entertainment.

Sue concludes, “Whether to entertain clients or staff, Oxfordshire businesses should make the most of having this wonderful temporary venue on their doorstep. The Oxford Fine Dining Team is always happy to work with event organisers to meet specific requests for catering to make an enjoyable and memorable evening.” Fine Feasts will be cooking and serving food within Shakespeare’s Village at Blenheim Palace from 11am to 9pm every day until Saturday 7th September.

To find out more about Fine Feasts catering options: www.oxfordfinedining.co.uk For details of corporate hospitality ticket packages and the schedule of plays: www.shakespearesrosetheatre.com/ blenheim/corporate

 enquiries@oxfordfinedining.co.uk  01865 728 240  www.oxfordfinedining.co.uk

I T

DARREN ASTON Managing Director Aston & James aston-james.co.uk

What is your role in the business? MD – work strategically on partnerships ensuring we develop, differentiate and add value.

What are your areas of expertise? Developing client relationships, good product knowledge and generally promoting the good name of A&J.

What do you enjoy about your work? Working locally with my family and really enjoying what we do and helping our customers to thrive.

What are your hobbies / interests? I enjoy golf and spending time with my family outside of work – supporting Craig with his boxing (I am an unofficial boxing promoter!).

Something we don’t know about you? I am one of 8 brothers and sisters – there are more than 50 in the current Aston family!

Who inspires you? My dad, Alan. He is a father of 8 and still supports us today… we would be lost without him.

Anything else you would like to mention? My cousin Chesney is in Coronation Street.

Where is your favourite place(s) in Oxfordshire and why? We enjoy visiting Blenheim as a family and other local walks with the dogs. We do enjoy a pub lunch and like The Hollybush in Witney (played football for them some time ago).

What do you like about Oxfordshire? It is a wonderful place to live and work and I am lucky that most of family still live locally.

Favourite sports team Arsenal.

Everything for the Workplace

CQR MAKING CYBER SECURITY SIMPLE Cyber security is more relevant today in our business operations and daily lives more than ever before as threats online to the data we transit and store are targets by cyber-criminals. If you do business online or browse the internet you are a potential victim, so it is important to understand what cyber security is and how your business, you and your family can be cyber secure. Written by: Greg Inge, CEO CQR

Everyone has their own definition of cyber security, we asked three people outside of the information technology industry ‘what does cyber security mean to you?’

Cyber security isn’t just an information technology problem, cyber security is a business problem that needs to extend to your people and processes within your business to protect your data.

Having the simple cyber security steps in place will enhance your business capability, your brand and provide assurance to your customers on how you protect your business and their data.

‘Making my computer secure from hidden threats’

By not having simple cyber security practices in place we need to understand what the impact to your business is. In 2018, 43% of businesses experienced a cyber security breach or attack which resulted in an average cost of £65,000-£115,000 to businesses and resulted in a temporary or permanent loss of data, software or systems corrupted, website slowed or taken down and money-assets-intellectual property stolen.

In conclusion, the three responses to our ‘what does cyber security mean to you’ question although, different still had the key points of threat and protect and shows cyber security is simply necessary in today’s digital age. We are responsible for our online activity and most security breaches occur because of poor practices or negligence. By following our simple cyber security steps as a business or as a family it will help reduce the risk with your online activities.

There are some simple cyber security steps to safeguard your business against common cyberattacks and threats that are easy and cost effective to implement, ensure you:

At CQR we pride ourselves on building long term relationships by providing the right advice at the right time to help your business protect its information. CQR can help your business understand if you are ‘cyber secure’ through our cyber security assessments which enable your business to grow in a safer world.

‘A barrier from malicious attacks’ ‘Keeping the internet safe from threats to keep the user safe’. By asking three people for their understanding of what cyber security is, we received different responses which can mean based on people’s experiences everyone has their own opinion on what cyber really is, how it affects them and if they are cyber secure? The reality is that cyber security can be a complex topic, full of experts, industry talk and businesses getting flooded with information which can be confusing and intimidating. It’s time we cut down on the industry talk and ‘Make Cyber Simple’.

What is Cyber Security? “Cyber security is the protection of information on computer systems that are connected to the internet from unauthorised or accidental access, change, theft or destruction” WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

• Backup your critical data regularly; • Apply antivirus, security updates, patches to operating systems, software, mobile devices and applications; • Use multi-factor authentication and strong passwords; • Limit administrative accounts supported by the appropriate access controls; • Use encryption products for laptops and PCs; • Have cyber security and privacy policies and a cyber incident response plan; • Always educate staff, suppliers and clients with a cyber aware culture

 enquiries@cqr.com  01993 812 835  www.cqr.com

CRAIG ASTON Furniture Specialist Aston & James aston-james.co.uk

What’s your role? Furniture Specialist.

What are your areas of expertise? Furniture Sales and New Business.

What do you enjoy about your work? Helping customers design their new offices and make better use of space. I take pride in helping customers turn a bland workspace into something really special.

Where were you born? Oxford

What are your hobbies / interests? Boxing, Pool and Biking.

Favourite sports team Aston Villa.

Where is your favourite place(s) in Oxfordshire and why? White Horse Hill, Shotover Oxford and Stonefield Forest. I like these places for bike rides and family walks.

What do you like about Oxfordshire? Great scenery, plenty of places to ride my bikes and a lovely place to raise the kids.

Who inspires you? My Dad – he had his first ever boxing match recently at the age of 67 and is a fitness fanatic! He gave everyone in the family two hours with him in the gym as Christmas presents! He cycled from Lands End to John‘O Groats and ran the London Marathon twice. He also ran a successful business.

Something we don’t know about you? I have lost 3 stone in the last 2 years since I have been boxing.

How I can help B4 members Happy to visit your offices to give my personal opinion as to how you can transform your workspace – free DSE assessment for all B4 members.

Everything for the Workplace

MAYOR OF READING VISITS HUAWEI’S UK HQ Global telecommunications provider Huawei today hosted the Mayor of Reading; Cllr Paul Woodward at its UK headquarters in Reading. This is the first visit to Huawei’s facilities the Mayor has made since officially assuming the role in May 2019. Huawei has operated from its UK HQ situated in Reading’s Green Park since 2012 with over 800 people based there, the visit from the Mayor was welcomed by employees as he toured the facilities with Jerry Wang, Huawei’s UK CEO. The Mayor experienced all things 5G by paying a visit to Huawei’s 5G Experiential. Powered by 5G, the hub features several ‘demo zones’ each dedicated to showcasing how emerging 5G cloud-based services will transform the mobile consumer experience across Cloud VR, Cloud Gaming and Cloud PC. The Huawei 5G Experiential is currently on a nationwide tour of the UK and will be making stops at various events and locations over the coming months. Huawei UK CEO Jerry Wang said: ” It is a pleasure to host the Mayor of Reading and the team today at our UK headquarters. This is a wonderful opportunity to showcase some of the exciting things we are working on, demonstrate the work we are doing in the community and instill a sense of pride at some of the leading innovations that our being developed and worked on right here in the heart of Berkshire”. “Reading has been our UK base of operations since 2012 and these facilities have allowed us to significantly grow our workforce in the UK. We have been made to feel very welcomed by the community and it is our utmost priority to ensure we are giving back and supporting at a local level also. This is something that we take very seriously

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

at Huawei and something I am personally keen to continue to make a success of.” The Mayor’s delegation included a team of seven people including Reading Borough Council’s Deputy Leader; Cllr Tony Page and Chief Executive Peter Sloman.

Reading Borough Council “have been a dedicated and

supportive partner to Huawei since our arrival here and long may our relationship continue

”

Richard Burnside, Practice Directorkling

In 2018 Huawei supported nearly 4,300 jobs directly and indirectly in the South East of England and consistently invests in jobs growth in the UK supporting around 26,200 jobs nationwide either directly, indirectly or induced. £1.3m was committed to staff training alone in 2018. Huawei Global Senior Vice President Victor Zhang said: “We very much welcome the Mayor’s visit today to our UK headquarters. Reading Borough Council have been a dedicated and supportive partner to Huawei since our arrival here and long may our relationship continue.” “I am sure the Mayor enjoyed touring our 5G Experiential where we are currently demonstrating the many ways 5G technology will transform the mobile consumer experience. Huawei is the global leader in 5G, working with all the major telecoms companies across the globe. Our products and solutions enable are clients to provide a world leading, premium service to their customers”.

2018 also saw Huawei stimulate a sizeable contribution to GDP with 25% (£405m) of its overall contribution (£1.7bn) occurring in the South East.

About Huawei Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices. With integrated solutions across four key domains—telecom networks, IT, smart devices, and cloud services—we are committed to bringing digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world. Huawei’s end-to-end portfolio of products, solutions, and services are both competitive and secure. Through open collaboration with ecosystem partners, we create lasting value for our customers, working to empower people, enrich home life, and inspire innovation in organizations of all shapes and sizes. At Huawei, innovation focuses on customer needs. We invest heavily in basic research, concentrating on technological breakthroughs that drive the world forward. We have more than 188,000 employees, and we operate in more than 170 countries and regions. Founded in 1987, Huawei is a private company fully owned by its employees.

   

info@huawei.com 0800 088 6700 www.huawei.com/uk/ @HuaweiUK

JAMES WALTON Director THAT Event Company Ltd that-event.com

What is your role in the business? I am the main point of contact, I help join the dots and make things happen. My passion is to ensure that my team and my client are happy – I like to say that I’m in ‘The Business of Smiles’ – in other words, if everyone is smiling, we have all done our jobs and the client is happy.

What are your areas of expertise? 15 years within the AV industry. Qualified as an engineer at BCUC at 22, went to get a job with a firm of architects but then decided to set up my own business. There are now 6 of us full time – we also have two work experience working with us.

What do you enjoy about your work? I enjoy the challenge of ever changing requirements from one client to the next, from festivals through to presentations. I get to see some amazing spaces and work with amazing individuals.

What are your hobbies / interests? I love going to great restaurants (Chiang Mai Kitchen is one of my favourites) and having really good food. If I’m not eating I love to watch great movies. My main interest is just trying to spend as much time with the family as possible! We try and get away once or twice a year – we’re all looking forward to Disney in a couple of years.

Something we don’t know about you? I have almost worked more hours than the average retired worker – it’s true, I sadly worked it out!.

Who inspires you? My children, Tillie (9), Heidi (8) and Jack (3), they are just amazing little people and keep me highly motivated.

Anything else you would like to mention? Always looking for new and exciting people to chat with over coffee, not necessarily work related….I just like meeting new people. When I have a conversation with a prospective client, 95% of the time it’s about forging a personal relationship and then if the business flows thereafter, we have a great foundation upon which to build a positive working relationship.

claireLOGIC – the IT and Communications partner you’ve been looking for… 2019 has seen some big changes for claireLOGIC. One of the biggest has been that for the first time in our 8 successful years, we’ve overtly put ourselves into the business community, including joining B4.

How we got to here claireLOGIC has grown from an IT support company offering maintenance and repair, in to a strategic managed service provider offering managed services through a progressive and engaged approach towards helping our clients achieve their goals. One of our key strengths is our people – finding the best. Although our thorough interview process identifies technical ability, we are adamant that our clients are supported by friendly and caring experts. Our clients will never be spoken down to or confused with technical acronyms – that just isn’t us.

Why you might like to work with us Over the years we have been very fortunate to win new business though recommendation and referral. However, as a growing business this only forms part of the development picture – and that’s why we’ve been busy networking in the business community. We’ve recently presented 3 bespoke talks (not sales pitches) – information designed to empower and inform businesses to avoid being victims, be more ‘cyber aware’ and understand their vulnerabilities. In September 2019 we’re also running a free educational event – a ‘Disaster Masterclass’. This session will look at different types of ‘disaster’ from all angles. Businesses leaders attending will leave with individual plans from industry experts in Risk, Disaster Recovery, PR, Insurance and Business continuity. We

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

can’t wait to share this broad knowledge with a wider business audience. We’re proud to be presenting this event in partnership with the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce. Please contact Sara Parris saraparris@tvchamber.co.uk to register your interest.

We’re an award-winning IT managed service provider We receive a lot of positive feedback from clients. So, we recently entered – and won – the ‘Customer Commitment Award’ at this year’s Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce Awards. The awards were hosted by Olympic Gold Medallist Long Jumper, Greg Rutherford – someone who knows a thing or two about striving to be the best you can. Andre Vaux, our Managing Director said “The team have worked tirelessly to ensure that every interaction with all customers – big or small – is a pleasurable one. It’s brilliant that everyone’s work has been acknowledged in such a fantastic way. I’m so pleased for the whole team”. This award highlights the hard work that each member of the claireLOGIC team has delivered; with our own internal promises and values being recognised.

Culture is everything During 2018 we conducted a team project to refresh and commit to core-value promises in order to help us deliver the best service we can. These are values

that our whole team work to, whatever role or level. We commit to: • communicate early, communicate often • show empathy, by putting ourselves in your shoes • deliver on what we promise • provide reliability for your business • have fun, we enjoy what we do • be one team together

Strategy brings reliability and value Strategic engagement is one of the true differentials at claireLOGIC. Our aim is to be a partner with our clients, helping to plan for the long-term bringing sustainability and security. Occasionally a business already has an IT provider but wants to get an independent strategic review of their IT systems before making key long-term decisions. Strategic reviews are also incredibly useful around merger and acquisitions - it’s so important to understand the status of IT systems prior to any commercials being agreed.

 hello@clairelogic.net  01865 989144  www.clairelogic.net

SALIM BENADEL Managing Director Storm Internet storminternet.co.uk

What is your role in the business? Business growth, R&D, and product development. Our goal is to help our clients achieve their business goals. This means innovation, and making enterprise technologies affordable for SMEs.

What are your areas of expertise? Solving real world business problems using information technology. My expertise lies in Cloud hosting technologies with a particular focus on Data Security, Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery.

What do you enjoy about your work? The excitement of the challenge to rise above limitations, to deliver something that makes a real difference. I love what I do and being able to make a positive difference to people’s lives is truly rewarding.

What are your hobbies / interests? Fitness is a key interest and vitally important. I start most weekdays with a 5km run, then hit the gym straight after the morning school run. Aside from the physical benefits, the mental effect is paramount.

Who inspires you? My dad has been my inspiration since day one. My two daughters as being a good example to them is very important. Lewis Hamilton who demonstrates just how powerful a true, unwavering focus to goals can be.

Helping others? For me life is about personal growth, pushing yourself to try and be the best you can be and, about what you can do to help improve the lives of others. I live by these principles. Storm exists to solve real world business problems using IT. But we’re also active with a number of local charity initiatives that can make a real difference. Our new partnership with Oxfordshire Mind will support the charity and help build awareness around mental health issues. We’ll also be taking the Kidlington Comets Under 7’s football team under our wing to support skills development, and encourage new tech skills by helping North Kidlington School become a “Chromebook” school.

100

It’s an honour “ to be recognised in

such an early stage of the business for providing recruitment solutions to local businesses, thanks to B4 and Freeths for this recognition

”

Helen Fallon, Director - Global CTS

BIG WIN FOR HOME-GROWN RECRUITMENT AGENCY Photography by: Rob Scotcher

Global CTS Recruitment were recently shortlisted for Business in Oxford’s 50 to watch ‘Startup or Grown from Home’ Category. Organised and curated annually by B4, Oxfordshire’s high quality business networking company and magazine, Business in Oxford is the biggest businessnetworking and showcase event in the county. Amongst 14 well deserving nominees, Global CTS Recruitment are pleased to announce that they were chosen as the category winner. Global CTS started in May 2017, our director Helen Fallon worked from home for the first 12 months before expanding and basing our successful business at Boston House, Grove Business Park. The team has

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

gone from strength to strength based on integrity and providing an honest and down to earth collaborative approach to recruitment. Global CTS now has an award winning team of 4 and hope to add an additional person later this year. “It’s an honour to be recognised in such an early stage of the business for providing recruitment solutions to local businesses, thanks to B4 and Freeths for this recognition” - Helen Fallon, Director. Helen and her team predominantly cover Oxfordshire and the surrounding area, so if you have any recruitment needs, please contact them on 01235 606078 and one of the team will happily assist you.

 info@globalcts.co.uk  +44 (0)1235 606078  www.globalcts.co.uk

101

SAM KANDIYALI Director Target PR targetgroup.co.uk

What is your role in the business? As a director and shareholder, I help to run Target – offering communications counsel to clients from diverse sectors. My purpose is to also support our team to be the best they can be. There are 11 at the moment and we want to grow. Target has been going for 42 years.

What are your areas of expertise? I have more than 20 years’ communications experience working for a range of clients from well-known brands to aspiring ones. I’ve worked across various sectors too - most notably in consumer PR. Clients include Specsavers, Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health UK Ltd and Lanes Health.

What do you enjoy about your work? I’ve always loved writing and did a stint as a journalist, following my degree In PR. My work today offers immense scope and variety – testing communication and creative skills. I love supporting and working with our team here at Target, ensuring we achieve our mission of helping our clients to communicate brilliantly.

What are your hobbies / interests? I own an ex-racehorse (Handy Mobile – he was useless) who I compete in eventing – he is now 18. I also enjoy running, tennis, skiing and sailing – anything that keeps me active!

What do you like about Oxfordshire? The culture, heritage, countryside and pubs!

Who inspires you? I’ve recently completed a Post Grad Diploma in Leading Business courtesy of QuoLux and was lucky enough to hear from some brilliant inspirational speakers including Frank Dick OBE and Sir Chris Bonnington. I follow Brené Brown and find her an inspiration too.

Something we don’t know about you? I’m half Turkish. I used to play the drums as a teenager (badly).

102

AR Hine Associates This month we paid a visit to Alan Hine of AR Hine Associates, based in Banbury Road, Summertown. Alan’s company specialises in placing Finance Directors (FCs), Financial Controllers (FDs) and other staff in small to medium enterprises (SMEs) and accounting firms. Over coffee in his bright and airy office, Alan shared the secrets of his success, as he spoke with lively enthusiasm about his background, and business. Written by: B4 Phoptography by: Rob Scotcher

Combining his accountancy knowledge and strong interest in people, Alan made a successful career move into recruitment at Robert Walters Associates, now one of the leading recruitment firms in the finance market which he helped float in 1996. He subsequently held board level appointments at another listed recruiter and led the management team at a boutique search firm. He founded AR Hine Associates in 2009. Alan has successfully recruited permanent and interim positions for corporate clients ranging from SMEs to Plcs and now specialises in FD and FC roles . His network is particularly strong in The Thames Valley Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire.

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

“Our success is based on our full understanding that effective recruitment is not just about the right qualifications but also about getting the right personality to suit your business” Alan explained.

“ Our success is based on our full

understanding that effective recruitment is not just about the right qualifications

”

With 30 years of experience Alan has well established contacts across London, the South east and the Midlands. To many of these he is both a successful recruiter and a trusted adviser. Alan told us that as well as permanent recruitment, we can also offer interim and other flexible solutions. “We have an extensive network of high calibre

professional contacts, which means we can respond promptly to source the optimum candidate to meet your business requirements. We are particularly good at finding candidates for part-time roles reflecting the trend towards better work life balance” Whether you are looking to recruit a senior financial professional or are one yourself and are seeking a new position, Alan’s skills and experience in finding what exactly what you are looking for seem to be right on the money

arha AR Hine Associates

After graduating in law, Alan qualified as a chartered accountant in 1988 after training with Grant Thornton. He then pursued an accountancy career within a small a firm in Oxford where he developed a specialism working with ambitious growing SMEs.

   

alan@alanhine.co.uk 01865 339313 / 07971 224752 www.alanhine.co.uk @alan_hine

103

TIM KEATINGE Managing Director Keastone Recruitment keastone.co.uk

What is your role in the business? I maintain a 360 degree perspective on all aspects of the business and tend to be the principal contact.

What are your areas of expertise? Business development, client relationship management, business management oh and finding good people!

What do you enjoy about your work? Meeting and talking to proper people who have standards and a high moral code that allows a productive, constructive and enjoyable experience. I also enjoy it when we help people find their next position, it is a big step changing roles and career advancement, so we therefore take it very seriously it is not all about KPI’s in my view…

What are your hobbies / interests? I love scuba diving, home brewing and walking with my dogs – I have 3! I can also hold my own on the golf course… I am interested in how we address the challenges of ocean preservation and from an “underneath perspective” urgent attention is required!

Do you have a favourite sports team? Rugby - Northampton Saints – I am a season ticket holder. Football – Manchester United since I was about 6.

Where is your favourite place(s) in Oxfordshire and why? Blenheim Palace – Whether it is wandering the grounds with the dogs, watching Top Gun on the lawn, the Game Fair or presenting products and/ or supporting the horse trials, I love the environment and the wonderful flexibility of this fabulous location!

Who inspires you? My wife Dawn – never met anyone in my life with such drive, determination and will to do things. She has amazing resolve and all of this despite suffering from a very challenging back related issue which would stop most people in their tracks.

Something we don’t know about you? I am a Padi Staff Instructor in Scuba Diving.

104

news The Sobell House 40 Club continues to grow! Sobell House cares for people at the end of their lives and supports their families, friends and carers. They have been doing this throughout Oxfordshire for over 40 years. Everyday their incredible staff care for around 500 people in the Hospice, the Community and in the hospitals of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH). support we receive from the Oxfordshire business community has increased hugely. Much of that has been down to the success of the 40 Club. When local business join the 40 Club we ask them to commit to raising £10,000 over a four year period.

Andrew Taylor, Oxford United’s Head of Operations with Tim Wraith

To celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Sobell House, in 2016 the 40 Club was formed. It’s a great way for Oxfordshire companies to get involved with Sobell House and put caring with compassion and dignity at the heart of their Corporate Social Responsibility agenda. Build team spirit by incorporating charitable giving into an organisation. It’s a fantastic opportunity to engage staff whilst doing something wonderful for your local hospice. Access a large audience by reaching into the local community and be seen by over 70,000 annual visitors to the Sobell House website.

We have twenty businesses in the 40 Club and all of them have worked incredibly hard to raise money to support the care taking place at the hospice. People run, swim, jump out of planes, walk, cycle, eat food, shave their heads, lose weight and much more, the list is endless! One local business, Polythene UK. has been a member of the 40 Club since 2016 and has also sponsored our the Sobell House Golf Day for many years.”

40 Club member Spotlight A number of businesses have joined over the past 18 months. One of them is I P Asset Partnership with their office based in Summertown. They are patent attorneys, specialising in intellectual property and have become very generous supporters of Sobell House. Recently they sponsored an evening of Wuthering Heights at Wadham College in aid of the hospice.

Promote staff involvement and raise profile. Membership of the 40 Club gives local businesses a wonderful opportunity to show their customers how they support local good causes Changing lives. Through supporting your local hospice businesses will be making a huge difference to the Oxfordshire community, helping Sobell House to care and support around 3,000 people every year. Lets hear from Tim Wraith, Corporate Partnerships Manager for Sobell House. The team at Darke & Taylor

“Sobell House is a very special place. We focus on quality of life, respecting each person’s dignity and uniqueness. Our aim is always to support people in living as well and as fully as possible in the time they have left. Places like Sobell House rely very much on the kindness and generosity of so many people and organisations. Over the past 3 years the

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

“We have committed to supporting Sobell House over the next four to five years. As well as raising money we also want to raise awareness of the wonderful work they do. The evening at Wadham College was an opportunity to do that” Ian Bingham Director of I P Asset Oxford Fine Dining based in Weston on the Green have become another committed supporter in so

many ways. They have donated a dinner for 8 as an auction prize for our Golf Day which raised an incredible £800. They also put Sobell House at the centre of many other things they do. In June Oxford United formed a partnership with Sobell House, giving the hospice the great opportunity to connect with their many supporters. “We’re the only professional club in the county and it’s really important for us to use that profile and get into the community and use it as a force for good. We’re really looking forward to a lasting partnership with Sobell House and doing our best to support them and what they do throughout the year at various events.” Andrew Taylor, Oxford United’s Head of Operations One of the very first businesses to join the 40 Club was Darke & Taylor, a well-known business in Oxfordshire. Recently an intrepid team of them conquered the three great peaks of Yorkshire, Peny-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough. And all of them came back, happy and content! “It was a fantastic day, weather conditions were ideal for a long walk, but that didn’t make it any easier – it is genuinely a tough challenge. Delighted to say that all 16 made it round in one piece and within the allotted 12 hours. Lots of sore legs, but a brilliant excuse for lots of curry and beer when we returned to the bunk-house! All who took part sacrificed their wages on the Friday afternoon and D&T have rounded this up to £1,000. We are delighted to continue to support the great work of Sobell House” Simon Newton, Managing Director of Darke & Taylor If you are interested in forming a partnership with Sobell House and would like to know more please contact Tim Wraith their Corporate Partnerships Manager.

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

105

ON THE PODIUM AT BRANDS HATCH THANKS TO ADVAIT DEODHAR AND CAAL RACING Phil Strachan of Strangebrew gives us an update on the progress of talented young racing driver, Advait Deodhar, in his debut year in the Elite 2 category of the highly competitive Nascar Whelen Euro Series after the first 8 Championship races.

After the first four races at Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Spain and Autodromo Di Franciacorta in Italy, Advait went into the next four races at Brands Hatch and Autodrome Most in the Czech Republic sitting in a very creditable fourth place in the Championship. Quite an achievement as a genuine ‘rookie’ in a field of 34 drivers, many of whom actually have very considerable racing experience. I joined him at the Brands Hatch weekend where my Strangebrew branding was on his car as one of his secondary sponsors helping him to ‘buy’ his seat and to get a drive for the weekend. My modest investment was very well rewarded, with Advait securing an incredible second place on the podium in Race One on the Saturday and a robust sixth place in Race Two on the Sunday that saw him climb to third in the overall Elite 2 Championship. Advait, looking back at Brands Hatch you must be very pleased with your performance in that first race on the Saturday. It is no mean feat to put the car eighth on the grid in such esteemed company and particularly impressive given that you were driving a new car and driving with a new team for the first time. Yes Phil. I was quite pleased with that – especially because I had had very little track time in the car in the Friday free practice sessions to familiarise with the new car and the track. Also, I was working with a new team and they did not know me and I did not know them. I wanted to impress them on my first outing to thank them for the opportunity to drive with them and in the hope that they would continue to allow me to drive one of their cars. 106

As you say, it was a new team that you were driving with for the last four races at Brands Hatch and Autodrome Most in the Czech Republic. What prompted this change? As you know, we drivers have to ‘buy’ our seats for the chance to drive at each and every race and it really has been a hand to mouth experience for me trying to get the required level of funding/sponsorship for each race. I was very pleased to be able to negotiate the opportunity to get a drive with the Championship leading Italian CAAL Team alongside and sharing cars with Elite 1 Championship leader Alon Day, the hugely experienced and accomplished Mauro Trione and Ladies Elite 2 Championship Leader, Arianna Casoli. It is just amazing – a real privilege. Everyone in this well run team, including Team Principal Luca Canneori, Corrado Canneori and all the mechanics and engineers, made me feel so welcome. You began your first season in the Nascar Whelen Euro Series exactly as you intended with a very impressive first race in Spain, moving from fourteenth on the grid through to a well deserved fifth place finish. Not a bad achievement on a circuit that you did not know and in a car that was also effectively new to you but by the time you had completed both races in Spain and the following two races in at Franciacorta in Italy, you were lying third in the overall Elite 2 Championship – not bad for a ‘rookie.’ Yes, I immediately felt at home in the car and felt confident that I could demonstrate my ability in the Nascar Whelen Euro Series in it - and I was really

looking forward to driving at Brands Hatch with your support as one of my sponsors. Compared to the circuits in the first four races, the Indy Circuit at Brands Hatch is very short and very tight – quite a challenge in such big cars as the Mustangs and Camaros. You said it, Phil. Brands is very challenging - especially with 26 cars roaring from the start into Paddock Hill bend with its negative camber and drop and then fighting for position up into the tight hairpin bend at Druids before dropping down to Graham Hill bend. Every corner is a challenge with little opportunity to overtake - but entertaining for spectators too. The variety of tracks is one of the interesting things about the Euro Nascar Championship, with tracks varying from the very short and tight Indy circuit at Brands Hatch at 1.2 miles long through to longer and wider circuits like the Autodrome Most at 2.6 miles and then on to the half mile long banked oval at Raceway Venray in the Netherlands. Going back to the Brands Hatch weekend on 1st and 2nd June, you came away with a sixth place finish and then your first podium in the series with an amazing drive from eighth on the grid through to second. Not bad on a tight circuit where overtaking is difficult. It made for good viewing and these drives propelled you through to sit third in the Championship. Once again, not bad for a genuine rookie – and you were lapping within 1/10th of a second of ex Formula One World Champion, Jacques Villeneuve! WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Advait, who won the Elite “ Club Championship last year, does a pretty great job - quite amazing for his first season

”

Thomas Ferrando, the 2017 Euro Nascar Elite 2 Champion

It was a very satisfying weekend. I felt that I had delivered a good result for myself and the CAAL Team – and yourself as a sponsor. The car was fantastic, the team were fantastic and it all came together. In the race where I ended up on the podium, I actually finished third on the road but I was elevated to second as the result of a postrace track limits infringement penalty for the second place driver. Fast forwarding to the weekend of 29th/30th June and the two races at Autodrom Most in the Czech Republic, you did very well by qualifying fifth and sixth for the two races and you finished a very good fourth in the first race on the Saturday - and your consistency and consistently strong performances were not going unnoticed. Thomas Ferrando, the 2017 Euro Nascar Elite 2 Champion who joined Mark Warrell in the TV commentary box, made the following comments while you sat on the grid having qualified sixth for the race on the Sunday “Advait, who won the Elite Club Championship last year does a pretty great job - quite amazing for his first season. He brings intelligence and it is amazing to see how he progresses and works the car to be so smooth” Praise indeed, Phil – especially given that Thomas is competing in Elite 1 this year and is level pegging in the Elite 1 Championship after 8 races with Jacques Villeneuve. I am very grateful for his and Mark Warrell’s comments.

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

However, your second race at Autodrom Most did not quite go as you hoped – even though you had qualified the car a very respectable sixth on the grid. No, at the very first corner, as over 20 cars in very close proximity jostled for position, I was tagged by another car and spun off the track into the gravel. A few other cars went off track temporarily but the whole field went off into the distance leaving me in last place and with a stalled engine. Eventually, I got started and set off to see if I could at least catch up with the back of the field. But you did slightly better than that, cutting through the field like a knife through butter and by lap seven you had moved up to thirteenth, occasioning Thomas and Mark on TV to once again extol your virtues - “ A really good recovery drive by Advait Deodhar. He’s smooth behind the wheel, cool in the paddock, nice to speak to and always smiling” The car was great and I was determined to make up as many places as I could. I was on a mission and I really enjoyed the chase and the challenge. By lap 13 of the 14 lap race, your determined driving had incredibly taken you up to seventh and Thomas and Mark were once again commenting on your ability - “Advait Deodhar is doing a really good job – been good all year. He pushes hard and he is being consistent which is what really matters”

As I said at the time, it was the drive of my life! Sure, I would have liked to have won the race or at least have been on the podium but it is what it is – I enjoyed the drive, got good points and it is more than I thought I would achieve when I was spun out and left in the gravel at turn one. I think that your drive was very well summed up by Mark Warrell talking to Thomas Ferrando in his TV commentary – “From a spin at the first corner and to the back of the field and then up to seventh – not a bad performance is it? What a recovery drive!” Advait, you are sitting in a very commendable third position after 8 races and at the halfway stage of the Championship and I wish you all the very best for the second half and in your search for a sponsor. Thank you Phil – Once again your support is greatly appreciated.

ANYONE WISHING TO DISCUSS PRIMARY OR SECONDARY SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES CAN CONTACT ADVAIT DIRECTLY ON 07443 775353 OR PHIL STRACHAN ON 07770 753975.

 phil@strangebrew.co.uk  07770 753 975  www.thinkbrandnotbland.co.uk 107

COLIN BUNTING Senior Corporate Partnerships Officer BBOWT bbowt.org.uk

What is your role in the business? Developing partnerships with local businesses – I am looking to partner with local organisations to provide a wide range of benefits to the natural local environment, the business itself and to the wellbeing of employees and the local community.

What are your areas of expertise? Through academic training at university I am a zoologist and an agriculturalist. Additionally I have a background in business development and partnership management.

What are your hobbies / interests? Surfing (mainly in the UK but have surfed overseas), stand-up paddle boarding (my aspiration is to become a competent stand-up paddle board surfer), mountaineering (one I particularly enjoyed was walking the width of Andorra from east to west along the top of the Pyrenees) and working with horses.

Something we don’t know about you? Two things: At 50 I became an apprentice jockey to ride in a charity horserace for Macmillan Cancer at York Racecourse. I also did a jail break from what was the original 17th Century jail in Ringwood – it was for Children in Need in the 1980’s and three of us had to get as far as possible in under 12 hours without paying any money. Within 12 hours we were at the top of the CN tower in Toronto – it was the 2nd highest structure in the world at the time… we nearly got shot by a customs guard (dressed as convicts) and got a mention from Terry Wogan on the Friday evening programme.

How I can help B4 members Partnering with your local Wildlife Trust will support and promote your environmental performance status. Increasingly environmental performance is becoming a key factor in customers’ purchasing decisions. We are also committed to using our nature reserves to help improve the wellbeing of your employees.

Berkshire Buckinghamshire Oxfordshire

108

HARVEY BRAND STRATEGY Chris Harvey has 30 years’ experience of developing awardwinning brand and marketing solutions for both large and small clients, across multiple sectors. He is the principal of Harvey Brand Strategy, a strategically focused creative agency that specialises in the Brand Build.

Brand and business strategy go hand in hand

business, the market and the opportunities within it to create competitive advantage.

Chat with any group of business people and before long the ‘brand’ word will come up. Love them or hate them, we all have opinions on brand.

It involves customer and employee research, an assessment of strengths and weaknesses, market analysis, an assessment of the competition and the competitive environment.

But, you hear much less about brand strategy, the more rigorous discipline of defining what the brand stands for, what precise market it competes in and crucially, why it is different and better. This is the stuff of positioning, differentiation, value propositions and competitive advantage. All key elements of the brand strategy and business strategy too. And that’s the point. Brand and business strategy go hand in hand and working together can create competitive advantage and deal with challenges, beyond brand building, valuable as that is.

Creates understanding A clear brand strategy helps everyone in the organization understand the brand objectives, the brand promise and the specific attributes that support it. These may be rational product or service features or the emotional benefits that are derived from them. It defines how the brand should be perceived and the values that support that reputation. Critically, it sets a benchmark for the brand and the company’s behaviour and guides employee conduct too, from quality control, to sales language and to ethics. It is not only ‘what’ you do, but ‘how’ you do it that counts. This is particularly important in highly regulated markets such as professional services, where the consequences of reputational damage can be huge

The process Developing a brand strategy is essentially a researchbased process that provides valuable information, insights and perspective on the status of your WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

This information is hugely valuable not just because it will build a strong and relevant brand, a major asset in its own right, but also because it informs many other aspects of business planning and strategy development. Here are four examples of where a brand strategy helps overcome challenges.

External changes Technology, disruptive strategies, fast changing customer demands can alter the competitive landscape rapidly. In this context, organisations can lose their way or become disconnected from the market and out of touch with customers. The negative affect of this on the business is obvious. A brand strategy development process would identify these issues early and provided the insights upon which corrective action could be taken. This may involve redefining the company purpose and direction, changing the positioning to align with the new requirements and actively re-engaging with customers on issues identified in research.

Ease the pressure on margins In most market sectors competition is tough and particularly for companies whose products or services are hard to differentiate from the competition. Professional services are good examples of this. A lack of differentiation can force a company to either compete on price alone, ultimately leading to a race to the bottom or be vulnerable to the uncertainty of pure relationship-based customer preference. A well thought out brand strategy can help ‘lift and separate’ a brand and add value by increasing its relevance and appeal beyond price. This is often based on emotional dimensions such as security, status or style where competitive advantage is achieved on the basis of ‘how’ you do it, not just ‘what’ you do..

Helps the marketing effort Because a brand strategy defines the essential components of the brand offer, it provides a constant reference for to all those involved in the brand’s sale and promotion, creating cohesive and consistent communication of the features, benefits and the brand story. The cumulative effect of this is to build and protect the brand and enhance marketing ROI.

Internal changes Like people, businesses evolve and change and managing and adapting to these changes is a challenge. Rapid growth, either organic or via mergers or acquisitions, cause disruption to business operations and culture. In these circumstances, redefining or clarifying your company’s vision, values and purpose and what the brand stands for, is essential in creating new expectations for all stakeholders.

 chris@harveybrandstrategy.co.uk  07887 998 601  www.harveybrandstrategy.co.uk

109

SARAH WYATT Owner Juicy Designs juicy-designs.com

What is your role in the business? Account Director – I’m client facing and manage every project from brief right through to delivery. My husband Dale is lead designer and we also employ a trusted team of freelance support when needed.

What are your areas of expertise? We specialise in branding and the design of printed communications. We help our customers communicate better with theirs by creating marketing materials that reflect what they stand for as a business and crucially, communicating what’s in it for their customers.

What do you enjoy about your work? The ability to be able to communicate what our client does best – we cut out the jargon and make sure they speak to their customers in terms they will understand and in an engaging visual way that’s right for them. Looking from the outside in, it’s often a lot easier for us to step into our clients’ customers shoes and see the wood for the trees.

What are your hobbies / interests? Pretty much anything that involves being outside! I particularly love mountain biking and hill walking in the Lake District with our 11 year old son, Harvey.

Something we don’t know about you? I volunteer with WIAC who run a Good Neighbour Scheme. I visit an amazing 95 year old lady once a week who is an absolute joy to spend time with and a real inspiration. We have a good old natter over a cuppa and always end up laughing a lot. It’s lots of fun!.

Where is your favourite place(s) in Oxfordshire and why? I love Oxfordshire, it’s where I grew up, but I particularly love Uffington White Horse for its history, views and kite flying opportunities!

110

We have to be incredibly well “informed and stay abreast of

the latest news nationally and regionally and follow different industry developments in order to respond, comment or pitch timely comments from clients. Cerub PR, Managing Director Ceri-Jane Hackling

”

AGENCY DIVERSITY BENEFITS BUSINESS Written by: Ceri-Jane Hackling

Diversity in the workplace is increasingly important but diversity of experience within agencies is often overlooked. Every company has a different way of thinking and resolving problems which is based on their experiences and knowledge so the concept of diversity shouldn’t stop at recruitment. As a PR agency with experience across a wide range of industries, we know first-hand the benefits of diversity of experience.

really get to grips with who their target audience is and where they find their information. One of our most important jobs is to advise clients how to make the most of their PR budget to help them achieve their objectives, so if getting into Security Matters is going to benefit them more than being on The Today Programme on Radio 4, it’s up to us to know that and work on generating that coverage, not waste their budget on trying to achieve press coverage that won’t benefit them.

Firstly, our media awareness is extensive. Our client base extends from HR to pet products to mental health to franchises to crowd management to name just a few and many of these clients have more than one objective. For example, a franchise organisation has two aims; to raise awareness of their franchise to potential franchisees and to raise awareness of the brand as a whole to potential customers. To achieve these aims, we must reach different target audiences, in this case, franchise and business press, consumer press and regional press. Each of these requires a different style of pitching and a different style of writing and so to achieve results, we need to understand how each of these outlets operates. We don’t just send something out and hope for the best. We take time to research these outlets, understand what they need and tailor our activities to suit each one.

We also ensure that we take advantage of all opportunities to communicate our clients’ messages. We have to be incredibly well informed and stay abreast of the latest news nationally and regionally and follow different industry developments in order to respond, comment or pitch timely comments from clients.

By drilling down into the core of the business through in-depth discussions with clients we can

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

A journalist we know who also does some PR work called us recently as he wasn’t getting results for one of his clients through press releases. They weren’t being picked up by his target media and he didn’t understand why but within a few days of speaking to us he’d secured two pieces of significant coverage for his client because we were able to offer advice based on our experience about dealing with a client like this. Instead of just sending press releases, he needed to research the target media thoroughly to see what they were writing about and how he could get his client to comment on the industry trends. Promotional news communicated through

press releases wasn’t going to get the attention of the media he was trying to reach. The key was to call the titles, speak to them about topics that the client would be able to comment on, find out which ones appealed to them and secure commissioned articles, which resulted in far bigger pieces of coverage. We strongly believe that choosing an agency is not about picking an industry-specific one; it’s about picking a team of people who can think outside the box, who are willing to push boundaries and come up with innovative ideas and who will spend the time understanding you, your business, who you need to be seen by and how they can help you achieve that. So embrace diversity, both in your workforce and in your suppliers. Who knows what they can bring to your business.

   

hello@cerubpr.co.uk 01494 463 922 www.cerubpr.co.uk @cerubpr

111

I T

KATH BONNER-DUNHAM Business Coach, Mentor & NED 4P Business Development 4pbusinessdvelopment.co.uk

What is your role in the business? I provide expert coaching and mentoring, as well as formal and informal support, to business owners seeking to achieve their full potential. Clients say I am “The Meddler that asks BDQ’s”. I work on planning, people, processes and positioning to create profitability.

What do you enjoy about your work? I love it when my clients realise I’m not just a business coach, I’m their trusted mentor. Their minds open up to new concepts and they grow on a personal level exponentially. There is nothing more exciting than helping a business owner discover success through more free time and a rewarding income.

What are your hobbies / interests? I’m dog mad. I’ve had pets most of my life but I’ve fallen in love with French Bulldogs, and Mavise has become my partner in crime. They say that dogs are like their owners… so you decide for yourself. Mavise has a larger-than-life personality fuelled by a big heart. She’s energetic, wilful, and full of surprises.

Who inspires you? I am inspired by people who seriously consider their core values and work tirelessly to achieve what they set out to do. I was a District Councillor for many years and have been inspired by Andrea Leadsom, her tenacity, resilience and her personal motivation.

Something we don’t know about you? I have been coached and mentored by one of the USA’s top Coaches Coach, Michael Cody. A truly inspirational and motivational coach. I married my Husband Dave after living together for more than 10 years, on a beach on a Caribbean island, taking only a few hours to arrange the wedding, after deciding to get married at breakfast.

112

ads creative solutions

ads creative solutions was founded over 30 years ago, today providing advertising, design and marketing solutions to over 150 clients. Headed up by Kelly Scott and Sally Jeanes the company, based in West Oxfordshire helps clients with a range of marketing services including graphic design, website design, digital marketing, video and photography, media buying, direct mail, PR and events. Written by: ads Photography by: ads

As Managing Director of ads creative solutions what is your role within the business? I have overall responsibility for managing relationships with our clients. I work with the account managers to develop marketing strategies for our clients, supporting them to identify new opportunities and ensure we deliver innovative, creative campaigns that meet our client’s needs. I also oversee the commercial development of the company, for example we recently refreshed our own website to demonstrate how we work and showcase the marketing services we offer. Why do you think ads creative solutions has been so enduring? We have moved with the times, keeping up to date with the latest marketing developments, and more recently with the rapidly evolving digital landscape. For example, more and more people are engaging and interacting with online content and, it is predicted that video will account for 80% of global consumer traffic by 2020. We have two Civil Aviation Authority qualified drone operators that have the expertise to capture stunning video and photographs. We also have the know-how and equipment to provide our clients with 360° photography which is proving to be a great way to inspire audiences and influence buying decisions.

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

We pride ourselves on being friendly and approachable. I think that people sometimes feel that the support we can provide is out of reach for small or medium sized businesses. In reality, we help some businesses with fully integrated campaigns and others with just a one-off project. It is important to me that ads creative solutions approach every project with the same energy, embracing new ideas and creativity. We then apply our expertise to find effective marketing solutions and work to deliver added value to our clients. What is a typical day for you? I spend much of my time out of the office meeting clients. This might be an initial ‘immersion meeting’ where everyone involved in delivering the marketing strategy shares insight and knowledge to inform the marketing plan. We have a diverse range of clients in many industries such as builders merchants, golf clubs, charities, car dealerships, schools, law firms and retailers. It is important to spend time researching clients and the marketplace they operate in, so we understand their challenges and opportunities. Time in the office is spent monitoring the delivery of clients’ marketing campaigns, responding to client requests and reviewing new briefs. I will meet with the account managers, graphic designers and digital manager to prioritize workload, share ideas,

offer advice and discuss how work for each client is progressing. What are the advantages of using an agency like yours? We provide a depth of experience and expertise. Clients have access to all the marketing specialties. Having identified a bespoke combination of marketing channels, tailored to each client, our team of 12 marketing professionals draw from a toolbox of skills. We have the time to plan and run effective campaigns and flexibility to respond to client requests whatever they maybe, when they arise. We will always measure the success of each campaign to inform future decisions and to ensure we are providing clients with cost-effective solutions.

 hello@adsoxford.co.uk  01993 885 122  www.adsoxford.co.uk

113

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

Contacts Directory

Platinum Member

B4 G

Gold Member

ADVICE.......................................................................................................115 BUSINESS SERVICES...............................................................................117 CONFERENCE, EVENTS & VENUES..................................................119 EDUCATION........................................................................................119 FINANCE....................................................................................................119 HEALTH & LEISURE...............................................................................121

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

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

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

Silver Member

B4 Board

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

B4 Connector

NXT Board

HR..................................................................................................................121 IT & TELECOMMUNICATIONS............................................................121 MANUFACTURING................................................................................121 MARKETING & DESIGN..........................................................................121 PROPERTY & BUILDING.........................................................................122 R&R..........................................................................................................123

FC Webster Consulting BC Frank Webster Director uk.linkedin.com/in/ frank-webster-1735238

Stuart Haigh Director 01869 252 151 OXON

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

Forty3 Consulting 07980 898 834 OXON www.forty3consulting.co.uk

Collaborent BC Grant Hayward Founder & Director 01865 881 047 OXON www.collaborent.co.uk

Libreea 01183 800 856 OXON www.libreea.co.uk

Mark Carrington 07939 642 169 www.jmarkcarrington.co.uk

PSI Consultants 07548 248 948 OXON paulinejsiddons@gmail.com

Vistage International C (UK) Ltd Peter Collins Group Chairman 01489 770 200 www.vistage.co.uk

BUSINESS ADVICE James White PNBC Sales Success James White Managing Director 0800 046 1651 OXON www.jameswhite.business Connecting to Excellence Diane Wilkinson Managing Director 01865 430 470 OXON www.dianewilkinson.co.uk

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

Artesian Transformational G Leadership Ltd Nick Chatrath Managing Director 07961 306 294 www.artesiangroup.co.uk Lucy Tulloch Coaching C Lucy Tulloch Owner 07810 205 781 OXON www.lucytullochcoaching.co.uk

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

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.penningtons.co.uk

115

If you want to reach your sales targets consistently, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll need a Sales Mentor.

HE WONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T REACH THE TOP OF HIS GAME WITHOUT A MENTOR AND NEITHER WILL YOU. My name is James White and I am a Sales Mentor and Trainer. I work with successful companies who want to get even better sales results.

Do you want to achieve better sales results? Take my Sales Success Test and see whether you have everything in place to achieve consistent sales success:

www.salessuccesstest.co.uk www.jameswhite.business

hello@jameswhite.business

0800 046 1651

@jameswhitesales

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

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 Business Development Manager Blake Morgan LLP G Stephen Schneider Senior Associate 01865 248 607 OXON www.blakemorgan.co.uk

Boardman, Hawkins & Osborne LLP 07867 334 231 OXON www.bholegal.co.uk Brethertons 01869 252 161 OXON www.brethertons.co.uk Lewis Silkin 0207 0748 494 OXON www.lewissilkin.com

Moorcrofts LLP 01628 4700004 www.moorcrofts.com

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Addis Law C Sally Addis Director 01865 339 457 OXON www.addislaw.co.uk

Oxfordshire Community Foundation B Jayne Woodley CEO 01865 798 666 OXON www.oxfordshire.org

John Randle Associates 01865 339 319 OXON www.johnrandleassociates.com

Headway Oxfordshire C Jamie Miller CEO 01865 326 263 OXON www.headway-oxford.org.uk

Lawbox Group Limited 01865 952 711 OXON www.lawboxgroup.com

BUSINESS SERVICES

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

Oxford Duplication Centre CB Cheryl-Lee Foulsham Business Manager 01865 457 000 OXON

Oxford Hospitals Charity 01865 743 444 OXON ouh.nhs.uk

www.theduplicationcentre.co.uk

Oxfordshire Youth 01865 767 899 OXON www.oxfordshireyouth.org

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

Rob Panting CN Communications Manager

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

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

ARCHIVE & STORAGE

BUSINESS SUPPLIES & EQUIPMENT

Sebastian Johnson B Head of Innovation & Inward Investment

SOFEA 01235 510 774 OXON www.sofea.uk.com

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

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

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

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

Oxford City Council P Samuel Kabiswa Principal Regeneration & Economic Development Officer 01865 249 811 OXON www.oxford.gov.uk

CHARITIES Sobell House GCB Tim Wraith Corporate Partnerships Manager 01865 857 067 OXON www.sobellhouse.org

Oxfordshire County P Council Bev Hindle Strategic Director for Communities 01865 792 422 OXON www.oxfordshire.gov.uk

Helen & Douglas House C Lucy Walker Community Fundraising Manager 01865 799 150 OXON www.helenanddouglas.org.uk

OxfordshireLEP P 01865 261 433 OXON www.oxfordshirelep.com Nigel Tipple Chief Executive Richard Byard Director of Business Development

Opendoorz 07818 453 105 OXON www.opendoorz.biz The Oxford Business Network 01865 379 272 OXON www.opendoorz.biz 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

117

Find your

DOMESTIC & COMMERCIAL REMOVALS & STORAGE

DREAM

Serving Oxfordshireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business community for over years.

University of Oxford venue for any occasion

We specialise in business and corporate moves for: Universities and colleges Offices and factories Hospitals Laboratories Storage Crate hire Disposals House removals

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

Export packing

A place to... Approved contractors to

MEET

01993 811 276

Hcarriers

enquiries@headingtoncarriers.co.uk

Headington Carriers Ltd Removals & Storage

headingtoncarriers.co.uk

SLEEP

EAT

CELEBRATE

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

Oxford Hop On - Hop Off

MEETING ROOM / STUDIO / GYM & FULL DAY TRAINING COURSES

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 London Oxford Airport 01865 290 710 OXON www.londonoxfordairport.com

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

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

TRAVEL City Sightseeing P Jane Marshall Transport Manager 01865 790 522 OXON www.citysightseeingoxford.com Not Just Travel C Sian Pages Franchisee 0800 530 0621 OXON www.notjusttravel.com

ASSISTANTS 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 Oxford Fine Dining 01865 728 240 OXON www.oxfordfinedining.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

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.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 Saïd Business School G Martin Garside Conference Manager 01865 422 757 OXON www.sbs.oxford.edu/conferencing Horticulture House GC Anne Clark Director of HR 0333 003 3550 OXON www.horticulturehouse.co.uk 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 Whately Hall 01295 253 261 OXON www.accorhotels.com

B4 Exeter College 01865 279 600 OXON www.exeter.ox.ac.uk/conferences The King’s Centre C Sue Edridge Customer Relations & Marketing Manager 01865 297 400 OXON www.kingscentre.co.uk 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

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

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

EDUCATION 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

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

EQUIPMENT HIRE Moonlite Productions P James Iyengar Owner 01296 488 900 OXON www.moonlite.co.uk Oxford Event Hire 01865 760 158 OXON www.oxfordeventhire.co.uk Oxford Marquees 01865 373 173 OXON www.oxfordmarquees.co.uk That Event Company 01844 215 857 OXON www.that-event.com

EVENT PLANNING Tina Rosser Event Solutions 07824 154 642 OXON

EVENTS Events @ Ashmolean 01865 610 406 OXON www.ashmolean.org /venue-hire

EVENT RESOURCES

Business in Oxford 2019 P 01865 742 211 OXON www.businessinoxford.com Oxfordshire Business Awards www.oxfordshirebusinessawards.co.uk West Oxfordshire Business Awards 01993 220 690 OXON www.woba.org.uk Cowley Road Works 07816 681 704 OXON www.cowleyroadworks.org

FINANCE FINANCIAL ADVICE Cazenove Capital P Management Tom Allen Head of Oxford Office 01865 811 360 OXON www.cazenovecapital.com Cashflow Creators BC Ian Roberts Owner 01865 920 581 OXON www.facebook.com/ cashflowcreators ArchOver 020 3021 8100 OXON www.archover.com Proficio Solutions Limited Michael Pawley C Director 07795 180 795 www.proficiosolutions.co.uk TBAT Innovation 01332 819 740 www.tbat.co.uk Gener8 Finance 03331 218 888 www.gener8finance.com Charles Stanley 020 7149 6315 www.charles-stanley.co.uk

119

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.

#morethannetworking see page 4 for more details

Contacts INSURANCE

WELLBEING

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

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

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 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

HR HR CONSULTANTS You HR PBC Jonna Mundy Owner 07703 719 464 www.youhrconsultancy.co.uk Think Inspire and Create Hayley Monks G Managing Director 0844 414 6056 OXON www.thinkinspireandcreate.com 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 FITNESS Optimum Body 07703 484 063 OXON www.obsportsmassage.com

Global CTS GBC Helen Fallon Director 01235 209 154 OXON www.globalcts.co.uk

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

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Sue Rees Associates Ltd 01865 292 141 OXON www.suerees.co.uk The Career Boutique B Katherine Betram Founder 0845 520 4010 OXON www.thecareerboutique.com A R Hine Associates C Alan Hine Owner 01865 339 313 OXON www.alanhine.co.uk Thompson & Terry Recruitment 01235 797 177 OXON www.thompsonandterry.co.uk Better People Ltd 01491 836 632 OXON www.betterpeopleltd.co.uk

B4 Keastone 0121 582 1500 OXON www.keastone.co.uk

WEB IT & TELECOMMS TELECOMMUNICATIONS STL Communications Ltd G Nina Lees 01993 777 113 OXON www.stlcomms.com 45G 01865 686 172 OXON www.45g.co.uk

IT SERVICES InTouch CRM P Matthew Ruddle Lead Nurturing Expert 0333 200 7273 www.intouchcrm.co.uk

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 08447 366 171 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 Bongo IT C Andrew Elder Marketing Director 01865 988 217 OXON www.bongoit.co.uk IMEurope Ltd 01993 866 166 OXON www.imeurope.co.uk claireLOGIC 01865 989144 OXON www.clairelogic.net

WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT 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 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 ADVERTISING B4 Magazine PB Richard Rosser Managing Director 01865 742 211 OXON www.b4-business.com

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 121

Contacts Harvey Brand Strategy 07887 998 601 OXON www.harveyfuchs.com

DESIGN House on the Hill P Keith Simpson Senior Designer 01865 742 211 OXON www.hothdesign.co.uk

FRAMING Isis Creative Framing G John Brooks Owner 01865 203 420 OXON www.isiscreative.co.uk

MARKETING Forty3 Consulting G David Greenaway Sales Consultant & Coach 07980 898834 www.forty3consulting.co.uk Brand Asylum C Andrew Hancock Creative Director 1235 828 508 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

MEDIA/DIGITAL MARKETING

PUBLIC RELATIONS

Imageworks 01865 865 656 OXON www.imageworks.co.uk

Build Your Brand Story 07850 198 681 OXON www.buildyourbrandstory.com

Arlington (Oxford Business Park) Daniel Williams Development Director 0118 370 3065 www.arlington.com

Indulge Media C Paul Wood Managing Director 01865 686 093 OXON www.indulgemedia.com

Cerub PR 01494 461 784 OXON www.cerubpr.co.uk

Boston House 01235 772 992 www.bostonhouse.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

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 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 ADS Manager 01993 885 125 OXON www.adsoxford.co.uk OJI Marketing 07463 994 834 OXON www.ojimarketing.co.uk Juicy Designs 01367 820 929 www.juicy-designs.com SEEBLUE 07500 291 400 OXON www.see-blue.co.uk

122

Carbon Colour G Nigel Allen Managing Director 01235 438 938 OXON www.carbon.co.uk

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

Harwell Campus 01235 250 091 OXON www.harwellcampus.com

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY AGENTS 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

ARCHITECTURE

Fine Print 01993 777 450 OXON www.fineprint.co.uk

Gray Baynes + Shew 01865 305 130 OXON www.gbsarchitects.co.uk

Seacourt Ltd 01865 770 140 OXON www.seacourt.net

Adrian James Architects 01865 203 267 OXON www.adrianjames.com

MRD Digital Print 01865 715 181 OXON www.mrddigitalprint.com

BUSINESS PARKS & OFFICE SPACE Oxford Innovation PB Jo Stevens Managing Director 01865 811 191 OXON www.oxin.co.uk

Mantle 0333 00 66 330 OXON www.mantle.co.uk

ESTATE AGENTS Breckon & Breckon P Keith Stacey Managing Director 01865 244 735 OXON www.breckon.co.uk CherryPicked Residential 01865 339 546 OXON www.cherrypickedresidential.co.uk

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

B4 Oxford Property Consulting 01865 553 956 OXON www.oxfordpropertyconsulting.co.uk

LETTING AGENTS Breckon & Breckon PB Greg Barnes Director 01865 201 111 OXON www.breckon.co.uk Finders Keepers 01865 302347 OXON www.finders.co.uk

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

R&R College and County 01865 722 722 OXON www.collegeandcounty.biz Righton Group Limited 01865 311 696 OXON www.rightonstay.co.uk Oxford Property Consulting 01865 553 956 OXON www.oxfordpropertyconsulting.co.uk

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANTS 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 Bicester Roofing G Michael Staniford Managing Director 0870 264 6454 OXON www.bicesterroofing.co.uk

ACCOMMODATION Macdonald Randolph Hotel Les Wood SC General Manager 844 879 9132 OXON www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk

D.R Light Frame Designs 01993 898 084 OXON www.drlightframedesigns.co.uk

FOOD & DRINK SUPPLIES

Alexandra Roman 01295 721 629 OXON www.alexandraroman.co.uk

PoppyRed Cake Company 07493 081 012 OXON www.poppyredcakecompany.co.uk

TOAD 01865 767 918 OXON www.spiritoftoad.com

PARTNERS The Wonky Food Company 07596 488 518 OXON www.wonkyfoodco.com Chadlington Brewery 07967 210 151 OXON www.chadlingtonbrewery.com

RESTAURANTS Victors Oxford 01865 689 064 www.victors.co.uk

Marriott Courtyard Oxford South 07741 910 400 OXON www.marriott.co.uk/hotels

Pizza Pilgrims C Gavin Smith Operations Director 01865 808 030 OXON www.pizzapilgrims.co.uk

Hilton Garden Inn Abingdon 01235 553 456 OXON www.oxfordabingdonhotel.com Milton Hill House 01235 831 474 OXON www.miltonoxfordshire.co.uk Hawkwell House 01865 749 988 OXON www.hawkwellhouse.co.uk Conifers Guest House 01865 763 055 OXON www.conifersguesthouse.co.uk Mercure Oxford Eastgate Hotel 01865 248 332 OXON www.accorhotels.com

CORPORATE ENTERTAINMENT

Kathryn Croxson 07437 378 542 OXON www.kathryncroxson.com

Neve’s Bees 07891 633 356 OXON www.nevesbees.co.uk

Jurys Inn Oxford P Julia Cook Director of Sales 0203 564 5225 OXON www.jurysinns.com/hotels/oxford

Sam Strange Magic G Sam Strange Owner 01865 742 211 OXON www.samstrangemagic.co.uk

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Oxford Castle & Prison 01865 260 666 OXON www.oxfordcastleandprison.co.uk

Official HR Partner

Official Cloud Partner

Tap Social 01865 236 330 OXON www.tapsocialmovement.com Ashmolean Rooftop Restaurant 01865 553 823 OXON www.benugo.com/restaurants/ rooftop-restaurant The Cherwell Boathouse 01865 552 746 OXON www.cherwellboathouse.co.uk

SHOPPING

Official Stationery Partner

ON THE

Wallers Estate Agents 01865 435 175 OXON www.wallersestateagents.com

HILL

Magazine Design 01865 742 311

Westgate Shopping Centre Brendan Hattam P General Manager 01865 263 600 OXON www.westgateoxford.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.

123

ARRIVING WINTER 2019

B4-NXT.COM - INFO@B4-NXT.COM - 01865 742211

 B4NXT  B4-NXT  NXTB4