C&W - September 2018

Issue 67 September / October 2018

Homes are where the Heart is for Joe Reeves Page 20

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COVENTRY & WARWICKSHIRE

GREEN BUSINESS NETWORK

Free Energy Efficiency Grants up to ÂŁ100,000 If you are a small to medium sized business in Coventry and Warwickshire, then you could be eligible for a grant up to ÂŁ100,000, to help reduce your energy costs.

We can provide funding for any of the following measures: LED Lighting Heating systems and controls New energy efficient equipment New energy efficient machinery Variable speed drives and energy efficient motors Renewable energy e.g. solar PV, thermal hot water, biomass, air source heat pumps Plus many other measures We also provide a free energy audit to help identify where energy and cost savings can be made.

Join the Green Business Network for free to take advantage of: Events and workshops Expert technical assistance Networking opportunities Email: greenbusiness@coventry.gov.uk Web: coventry.gov.uk/greenbusiness Tel: 024 7678 6901 @cwgreenbusiness The Coventry and Warwickshire Green Business Programme is part financed by the European Regional Development Fund and is delivered by Coventry City Council, Coventry University and Coventry University Enterprises Ltd.

Enterprises Limited

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Foreword

CONTENTS

Plenty for Chamber members to look forward to

September/October 2018 Go for Growth

4-5

News

6-7

Events

8-9

Corporate Profiles

10-11

News

12-13

Dear Chamber of Commerce Member, I hope you have all had a great summer and taken a well-earned break but that you are now back in full flow and ready to grow your business – with the help of your Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce of course.

These next few weeks are always a very busy period for business, particularly here at the Chamber and it’s a very exciting time in this region.

I must also make mention of the very exciting line-up that is starting to come together for Annual Conference, which this year takes place at the Ricoh Arena on Friday, November 16.

We have our #CWRocks Business and Trade Expo at the Ricoh Arena on Friday, September 28, which will bring together hundreds of companies under one roof to meet, network and do business with one another.

My challenge to you, as companies across this patch, is to push yourself to get even more out of the Expo. Yes, exchange business cards but really work the room and identify potential clients and suppliers who you can follow-up quickly after the Expo.

During the event, we will be holding a series of Learning Labs which are a great way for you to find out more about doing business in Coventry and Warwickshire, hearing from a group of informed speakers and experts.

It will see the launch of our campaign – Go For Growth: Trade Local – which will see a host of procurement professionals from across key organisations in our region talking about the opportunities for SMEs to tender for work with them.

That is part of a wider campaign which will see us working with companies from across the patch to get them trading more regularly with one another and looking at using local suppliers for goods and services wherever possible.

It’s not, by any means, an inward looking campaign. Indeed, the Chamber is the first port of call for any company

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

looking to trade overseas via our International Trade Hub which offers a massive range of support to new exporters and those businesses already adept at doing business globally.

Chamber Training

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Jon Snow, the experienced broadcaster, is one of our keynote speakers and we will also hear from Maggie Philbin, a broadcaster and entrepreneur, and Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands.

Business Support

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Again, it’s a chance to learn more about what’s happening on the patch and how the region is performing economically from a wide range of leaders.

Profile

Legal & Finance Property

Brexit Club Around the region

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These are incredibly exciting times for Coventry and Warwickshire – and the wider region – with City of Culture on the horizon, the Commonwealth Games, the recent announcement on 5G and a variety of new developments.

The Chamber is here to keep you up to speed with everything that’s going on and to support you in all of your efforts to grow.

So make sure you book on to our Expo and the Conference and take a look at our website www.cw-chamber.co.uk for any more events that could benefit your business.

Festive Education & Training

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Thank you for reading and I look forward to seeing you at #CWRocks.

President & People

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Kind regards, Louise, Mrs L Bennett-Bayliss OBE, DL Chief Executive

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New Members

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Training & Events

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The official publication of the Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce

Growth campaign is launched

••••

CONTACTS At the Chamber News desk Members are encouraged to send any news about their firm - new orders, staff, new products, expansions or relocations - for publication in C&W in business.

Whilst every effort will be made to publish submitted articles, we cannot guarantee inclusion.

Send them to: news@cw-chamber.co.uk Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce Chamber House Innovation Village Cheetah Road Coventry CV1 2TL T: 024 76 654321 F: 024 76 450242

At the publishers Publisher Ian Fletcher

Benham Publishing Limited Aintree Building, Aintree Way, Aintree Business Park, Liverpool L9 5AQ T: 0151 236 4141

Advertising Contact Karen Hall karen@benhampublishing.com T: 07801 788880

Keely Hancox, Ajay Desai, Chris Nagle and Louise Bennett (all Chamber)

A major new campaign is being launched to help grow the regional economy – by encouraging more companies to do business with each other.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, which represents 2,000 business members across the region, is behind the Go For Growth: Trade Local campaign that aims to get companies, local authorities and other organisations using more suppliers in the area.

The Chamber will be holding a series of events to help bring companies face-to-face with potential partners and suppliers,

and it will also host business opportunities on its website www.cw-chamber.co.uk to keep firms up-to-date with potential contracts. Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said it was the right time to launch the campaign in support of the regional business community.

She said: “Firstly, this isn’t about being inward looking. The Chamber is a massive advocate of international trade and being an outward looking area that wants to do business right around the world. That won’t change.

Production Manager

Unemployment dips

Mark Etherington

Accounts Director Joanne Casey

Media Number 1608 © Benham Publishing 2018 C&W in Business is produced on behalf of Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce by Benham Publishing Limited and is distributed to members free of charge. Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information contained in C&W in Business, neither Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, nor the publisher can accept responsibility for any omissions or inaccuracies it contains. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Chamber.

••••

C&W in Business Advertising Features for 2018/19 November / December 2018 Finance & Green Finance General business finance, loans, accounting services and advice.

Business Festival Promoting company and events for the Business Festival running 19th – 30th November Copy deadline 29th October 2018

January / February 2019 Charity Giving How businesses can interact and support local charities.

Age at Work Looking at the different requirements of Millennials in the workplace and the older generation.

Copy deadline 14th December 2018

March / April 2019 Apprentices Looking at apprenticeships in the workplace and the mutual benefit they bring.

Retirement/Exit Strategy How to manage the latter stages of a business and planning for retirement.

Copy deadline 26th February 2019

For further information on the forthcoming features please contact: Terry Brannigan Chamber Sales DD 07841 115444 Terry@benhampublishing.com ••••

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Coventry has seen a slight dip in the unemployment count, with Warwickshire seeing a small rise.

In the month to July, the claimant count in Coventry fell from 4,455 to 4,315 and, in Warwickshire, it went up from 5,705 to 5,760.

Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said the strength of the employment market in the region was

positive but that underlying issues remained.

She said: “What the figures show is that, despite uncertainty, businesses across our patch are still growing and taking on new people.

“When you consider that the claimant count is nearly half the figure it was at the turn of the decade in this region, it has been a success story for the economy

“But what we see and hear from businesses is that there is the potential to bring more companies together to work with one another – and that would have a major positive impact on the local economy.

“Due to our location and areas of expertise, we have a plethora of superb companies on our doorstep and it makes sense on every level to tap into that bed of talent.

“One element, of course, is asking bigger companies and organisations – such as local authorities – if they can work more closely with local businesses through procurement.

“Can they make opportunities more easily accessible and can they work with organisations such as the Chamber to help us ensure our members hear about them and bid for them?

“On top of that, this applies to small and medium sized businesses too and how we apply that thought process of thinking about local businesses for goods and services when we are looking for a new supplier.

“Again, it might come down to awareness rather than a lack of

willingness to use a local business to trade with, so that’s why we want to ensure that we do even more as a Chamber to bring more businesses on our patch together.”

Louise added: “It comes on the back of our Go For Growth campaign which we launched in 2016 to help raise the profile of many of the issues that businesses across our region face as they try to expand.

“Of course, as the voice of business, we continue to ensure that any barriers to growth are put firmly on the radar of decision-makers at a local, regional and national level.

“However, this campaign will be much more about getting companies in our region to trade with one another and make the most of the fantastic skills, goods and services we have across Coventry and Warwickshire and how we can work to make that happen here at the Chamber.”

the way businesses have bounced back from the recession in terms of employment.

“That said, we know that companies out there still can’t get the skilled staff they need.

We know this can’t be fixed overnight but we are working with partners around the region to try to address this.

“Furthermore, we are working with businesses to look at other avenues of finding the right skills for their business, such as parents looking to return to the workplace or those who might need a certain

amount of flexibility but can be an asset to a company.

“A longer term solution around skills – particularly as we exit the EU – needs to be found but I think the work we have started in this area means we have laid the right foundations for that.

“Also, as young people are all set to receive their A-Level and GCSE results, it is crucial that we do more through education to gear the next generation for the world of work and the business community is a very willing partner in that drive.”

Exports lead the way Exports remains a major success story for companies across the West Midlands, according a leading business figure in Coventry and Warwickshire.

Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, was commenting on the West Midlands West Midlands Quarterly Economic Snapshot for the second quarterof 2018 carried out by Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC), Black Country Chamber (BCC) and Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce (C&WCC).

The study found that exports were holding up strongly in the region with only nine per cent of firms reporting a decrease in overseas sales, down from 11 per cent in Q1.

Louise Bennett said: “Export is one of the success stories of the West Midlands and it is good to see that they are holding up in spite-of the political and economic uncertainty around Brexit.

“Exports are worth £8.8 billion to our regional economy and evidence suggests a strong correlation between growing and sustainable businesses and those businesses that trade globally.

“It is no surprise that our global outlook is being dampened slightly by the uncertainty around Brexit negotiations. However Chambers of Commerce continue to offer hundreds of thriving and exporting businesses solid and practical advice on how to export for the first time or, indeed, increase their exports in existing or new markets.”

The report found that businesses across the whole West Midlands are, generally, showing

a resilience that belies economic and political uncertainty across the UK but that comes coupled with a warning that one of the biggest threats to their success is that companies, especially manufacturers, cannot find suitable staff.

The report, led by GBCC senior policy adviser Raj Kandola, revealed that 61 per cent of firms were expecting to increase their profits in the next 12 months.

However, the highest proportions of businesses expecting a fall in their profits were based in Greater Birmingham (26 per cent) while the great number of firms expecting an uplift were in the Black Country (59 per cent).

Paul Faulkner, chief executive of the GBCC, said: “It’s pleasing to see firms across the region display a level of optimism that belies the economic and political uncertainty which has been emblematic of recent times.

“Over two thirds of firms across the region expect their profits to increase in the next 12 months – with businesses in the Black Country particularly confident on future revenue projections. A similar number of companies across the West Midlands as a whole also expect their turnover to increase in the same period.”

“On Brexit, our advice for businesses across the West Midlands is to ignore the political distractions and prepare for what you can control.

Our Brexit toolkit gives local firms practical and clear advice on how to put sensible steps in place to ensure they are ready for whatever the next 12 months brings.”

The report reveals a continuing trend of recruitment problems with 69 per cent of

The campaign will be officially launched at the Chamber’s #CWRocks Business & Trade Expo at the Ricoh Arena on Friday, September 28.

manufacturers unable to find suitable staff, a three per cent increase on the previous quarter.

Corin Crane, chief executive of the BCC, said: “With 53 per cent of West Midlands business reporting recruitment difficulties, an increase of three per cent, there is certainly cause for concern.

“The West Midlands is home to a world-class, vibrant manufacturing sector, so it is worrying that 69 per cent of manufacturers are reporting an inability to find suitable staff.

“We know that the average age of the manufacturing workforce in the region is too high and although sweeping changes to the apprenticeship system were targeted at increasing take up, the Government’s own figures point to a decrease in apprenticeship starts since the introduction of the Levy.

“More changes to the technical education landscape are on the horizon with the introduction of the T-Level, but these are long-term solutions for business at a point when the solution is needed now.

“Brexit of course, means that changes to the UK’s immigration system are inevitable. It is imperative that the Government listens to industry on this crucial issue. Foreign-born workers including the EU27 are employed at all levels across a range of sectors in our region.

“Drastic changes to immigration policy without due business consultation risks exacerbating these recruitment difficulties further. Although nurses and doctors are now exempt from the Tier 2 Visa Cap, if businesses across sectors continue to report recruitment difficulties at such elevated levels, the policy may also need a drastic overhaul.”

The full report is available on the Chamber website: www.greaterbirminghamchambers.com

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Policy Go for Growth

Tackling barriers to growth ‘is crucial’ Coventry and Warwickshire has an opportunity to build on its economic success story by tackling the barriers to growth, a meeting has been told.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce and Warwickshire County Council held an Economic Outlook event at the Billesley Manor Hotel in Alcester to present the most recent Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) results and to dig down into the numbers.

The QES showed that business confidence had dropped slightly compared to the previous three months but that it was still much better than the national picture.

The event heard from Suren Thiru, Head of Economics and Business Finance at the British Chambers of Commerce, and Dave Ayton-Hill, Economy & Skills Group Manager at Warwickshire County Council.

Susen Thiru said the UK economy had been treading water since 2016 and that the 0.2 per cent growth rate in the first quarter of this year was the weakest since 2012.

He said the BCC’s forecasts – based on an orderly Brexit – were for weak growth in the next few years and that they should act as a ‘wake-up call’ to Government.

But Ayton-Hill said the economy in Coventry and Warwickshire was the fastest growing in the country and was bucking the national trend.

He said: “The figures in this area are very positive and are above the national average.

“Despite there being very real national concerns, the confidence in Coventry and Warwickshire is very high and we know that confidence means companies are more likely to invest.

“Brexit concerns are starting to increase particularly among those companies who export but the mood remains positive.

“Why? Automotive manufacturing, including Jaguar Land Rover and its supply chain – as well as other inward investment – is a strong factor but we’ve also seen growth in logistics and tourism.

“But even if you took out automotive, the region would still be performing well as an economy.

“So despite a great deal of uncertaintyon a national and global scale, there are huge opportunities to build on here in Coventry and Warwickshire.”

A panel discussion looked at some of the barriers to growth in the hospitality sector,

Business leaders in Coventry and Warwickshire have welcomed a slight upturn in economic growth – but say the national figures remain sluggish.

Dave Ayton-Hill, Hazel Pilling, Ajay Desai, Suren Thiru

particularly around skills and a shortage of people moving into the industry. Ajay Desai, Trade Director at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “It is great to see Coventry and Warwickshire bucking the trend and I see on a day-to-day basis that companies continue to seek new opportunities to trade overseas.

“The message to the Government has to be that while Brexit dominates the agenda there is plenty that can be done on the domestic front to support business growth.”

Campaign seeks to encourage export growth Coventry and Warwickshire companies can rise to the challenge of increasing export markets, according to business leaders in the region.

The Government has launched a new strategy to boost exports as a proportion of GDP from 30 per cent to 35 per cent.

The plan ranges from encouraging more firms to trade overseas by showcasing successful exporters through to raising awareness of the support available to do business abroad.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce delivers international trade support to companies across the city and the county, and the region is one of the most fertile for exporting goods and services across the globe.

Already this year, Coventry and Warwickshire has achieved

£172.11 million worth of export sales through Department of International Trade support via the Chamber which is substantially ahead of target.

Ajay Desai, Trade Director at the Chamber, said: “One of the key factors in getting more companies to trade overseas is to make sure the message gets out there.

“The new Government strategy is all about ensuring that businesses know that there is help available and that there are markets out there that are ripe for their goods and services.

“Coventry and Warwickshire has a fantastic record in trading overseas and we have absolutely no doubt that we can rise to the challenge of increasing our exports from this region.

“It’s a great opportunity to remind businesses of the benefits

of trading overseas – those companies that export are more productive, more profitable and have much better growth rates.

“Our job here at the Chamber is to ensure that those companies which already trade overseas look at new opportunities and new markets. On top of that, we are here to support companies taking their first steps in exporting to see which markets they are best to concentrate on first and how to approach it.”

James Ahearne, International Trade Commercial Executive at the Chamber, added: “Of course, there is a great deal of discussion and concern around Brexit and, whatever the outcome, it will have an effect on our international trade.

“But we have to look beyond that as we will still be an exporting nation once we have left the EU and businesses will

still require support in those efforts – probably even more so than before.

“So we would encourage companies to make full use of the services available here at the Chamber to increase our overseas markets and build on the positive reputation the UK has across the world when it comes to exports.”

For more information, call the international trade team at the Chamber on 024 7665 4321.

James Ahearne

Call for rethink on economic development Business leaders in Coventry and Warwickshire are calling on Government to give economic development the same priority as housing.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s Property and Land Group met Jane Gratton of the British Chambers of Commerce to discuss the Government’s updated National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

The group, which is made up of professionals working within the property sector, heard that the new document still puts greater emphasis on homes than it does on the development of land for future jobs and key services.

Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said it was a short-sighted approach.

She said: “We were delighted to be joined

by Jane Gratton from the British Chambers of Commerce both to update us on the changes in policy but also to hear from the group on the issues the region is facing.

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

“Because of a failure to build enough new homes over many, many years, the country is playing catch-up but the need for housing means that the requirement for land for jobs is being made less of a priority.

“The Chamber has been calling for more land for economic development to be earmarked in the local plans across the city and the county to ensure that we can satisfy the needs of businesses already in the region who want to grow and to attract those inward investors we all want to see in Coventry and Warwickshire.

“The question of where will the next generation of new jobs be situated is one we have to ask and keep asking. There needs to be a good supply of land for development in order to ensure that businesses are able to grow and employ more people – it needs to be a national priority, like housing.

“And we have to think more broadly. Land is not only required for bigger businesses who want massive new properties that are well

Cautious optimism at upturn

located close to major roads, there are other types of businesses that need land who need to be catered for.

“Businesses, such as coach companies, that keep people moving need space and those kinds of essential services are, again, not always considered when development plans are drawn up.

“Further to that, we are calling for a new affordable commercial property system in the same way that you have affordable housing, which would ensure that small and medium sized enterprises would be able to grow into new premises to meet their needs.

“Jane took on board all that the group put forward and will be feeding that into decision makers such as the Planning Minister and Chief Planner.”

The Chamber would still like to hear from businesses in Coventry and Warwickshire who can’t find the space they need to grow by emailing louiseb@cw-chamber.co.uk

GDP, the measure of economic performance, was up 0.4 per cent in the second quarter of 2018 after 0.2 per cent growth in the first quarter. The strongest growth was in construction, followed by the service sector but manufacturing slipped back.

Louise Bennett, the chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said it was a slight improvement but highlighted the uncertainty in the economy.

She said: “We welcome the improved figures for Q2 against the very slow growth in the first quarter of the year.

“But it means we are on course for a very low growth figure over 2018 and it underlines some of the issues businesses are facing.

“Companies in Coventry and Warwickshire are, broadly, quite confident about the future but it’s still tough to find the space they need to grow and to find the skills they need to fill the posts within their business.

“There is also the uncertainty that surrounds us regarding Brexit and what kind of deal we might achieve less than a year away from the leave date.

“Against that backdrop, huge credit has to go to every business that continues to grow and contribute to the economic output of UK plc in what are uncertain times.

“We would urge the Government to ensure that there is a heavy focus on the domestic agenda and creating a business environment that incentivises investment and addresses the burden of up-front costs that companies face.”

Stephen Cresswell, Senior General Manager at the Village Hotel in Coventry, said: “Village Urban Resorts have been based in Coventry for almost 20 years and have enjoyed building successful partnerships throughout the City, the business has invested consistently in its infrastructure during that time but in recent years that investment has increased dramatically in line with the heightened level of demand for the products and services on offer.

“The level of energy and enthusiasm throughout the area at present is unprecedented and confidence continues to grow in Coventry as a key destination in the UK to do business attracting interest from all over the globe.

“For Village Urban Resorts as part of the Hospitality Sector we have seen occupancy levels increase to previously unchartered territory, demand for a premium health & fitness offering continues to grow which in turn has seen significant investment with a renewed focus on engaging with members and maintaining our position as the first choice for fitness in the area.”

David McAtamney, Managing Director of StadiumTM, said: “Domestic business currently is very buoyant, our new service providing Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) solutions, launched only last November has seen extensive growth as the need for safeguarding spaces is paramount.

“Coventry and the West Midlands has been an ideal location to base our business as we are equidistant to all of our clients.

Our logistics to deliver has greatly benefitted from this attribute.”

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News

Tackling the skills shortage How often do you back up your data?

Statistics show that only 9% of UK businesses back up daily, 9% weekly, 16% monthly, 21% once a year and 16% admit to leaving it more than a year between backups and a staggering 29% never back up their data – which one relates to your business?

Seventy per cent of small business workstations are not backed up. However, businesses continue to store important documents locally.

Local and Network Backups One of the easiest ways to create backups of business data is to simply store copies of important files on hard drives, tape drives or other storage devices connected to your systems or network.

Copying files to external hard drives or USB flash drives may seem like an effective way of ensuring backups are available locally when you need them, but what if they fell into the wrong hands? An article in the Guardian from 2016 told how more than 1,000 government laptops and USB drives were lost or stolen.

With any good data recovery plan, keeping local copies of backups is essential. However, due to risks associated with physical disasters, ransomware, theft, and other threats, keeping local backups should never be the only facet of your strategy.

In addition to keeping up-to-date local backups of your files and data, you should always store at least one copy offsite as is required with the 3-2-1 rule (i.e. an offsite backup server or in the cloud.)

Cloud Backups These days, it seems that wherever you turn, there is talk or news about businesses migrating to the cloud (or running software and systems remotely via the Internet.) and, backup solutions are no exception.

In short, cloud backups are secure offsite copies of data that are stored on remote servers and accessed via an Internet connection. Cloud backups are an excellent option for providing additional redundancy and security for businesses that want to ensure their important data is available if and when onsite or physical data disasters strike.

Cloud Backups and Online File Storage Are Not the Same Many businesses use Dropbox, Google Drive, and other online storage services to store backup copies of important files. And, while these types of services are okay for storing and sharing a few files, be aware of limitations such as limited file versioning, lack of automated backups, limited backup folders, etc. which prevent them from being true cloud backups.

A true cloud backup service enables you to create automated backups of complete systems (not just the files) and store as many versions of backups as you need.

Text supplied by the BBT Group

More than two thirds of small businesses across Coventry and Warwickshire are facing recruitment difficulties according to a new survey, with a perceived skills shortage cited as an issue.

The latest Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce Quarterly Economic Survey saw businesses asked questions around skills issues, with 68 per cent of those employing between 10 and 49 people claiming to have difficulties with recruitment.

The main reason behind this, according to respondents, was the lack of applicants with relevant skills, with 65 per cent of small businesses who took part in the survey claiming this was an issue.

Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “The stats relating to skills shortages across the country are concerning and Coventry and Warwickshire is no different.

“Just over half of all of our respondents said that a lack of skills was holding back their business, with more than two thirds of small businesses saying they were facing recruitment difficulties.

“There are ways to improve this situation and ourselves, alongside Warwickshire County Council,

recently launched a five point plan to tackle the skills shortage.

“We have designated business skills advisors who help business owners break down exactly what it is they need and how they can overcome the issues they are facing.

“Personal support is absolutely crucial and we provide regular contact and reviews to track progress and link additional support if or when required.”

Other issues arising from the latest QES include business links with schools, with just seven per cent of businesses questioned saying that they are engaging directly with schools.

However, a third of businesses were looking to invest in training and development of existing employees.

Angela Joyce, Principal and CEO of the Warwickshire College Group – which operates colleges across the region, added: “As with most areas in the country, we have an ageing population and the decline in the youth demographic that’s not expected to change until 2021 which accentuates the skills shortage issues.

“We are working to support small businesses with skills solutions through projects such as Collaborate to Train; WCG Recruitment; apprenticeships; and Digital WM.”

One of area of industry that is particularly suffering when it comes to skills is the tourism and hospitality sector and this is set to be exacerbated by Brexit. So much so, it grabbed BBC News headlines earlier this summer.

WCG’s Royal Leamington Spa College is playing its part in addressing the issue head-on. This September, the College is launching a Level 3 Diploma in Hotel, Tourism and Destination Management which has been enthusiastically welcomed by leading figures in the sector.

Steven Quick, Operations Director at Hogarths Hotel, said: “Since being formed 15 years ago, Hogarths has been committed to developing our team, working with local schools and colleges, and preparing people for a career in hospitality. We are delighted to be working with and supporting WCG and making a real difference to the students.”

Director of Curriculum at WCG, Neil Coker, said: “Hotels and destinations are hungry for new talent to support their ambitions with innovation, energy and passion. Thousands of jobs are being created in this sector, right now.

“To make sure this ambition is matched by talented, skilled staff, Leamington Spa College is creating a new learning experience for the next

Mark Chambers and Neil Coker

generation of managers, marketeers and event organisers, and the whole range of opportunities that this sector offers.”

Among the big names in tourism supporting WCG are Hand Picked Hotels, Bespoke Hotels, the Institute of Hospitality and Eden Hotel Group.

Mark Chambers, Eden’s Managing Director, said: “The biggest challenge we face in running our business, and across the broader industry, is human resourcing and we are delighted to work in partnership with WCG to provide students with real industry work experience via this new diploma course.”

For those interested in applying for the new course, or if you are an industry lead and require more information, then please email: n.coker@wcg.ac.uk.

Suitable applicants will be invited to interview where their passion and commitment to a career in hospitality will be assessed.

How do you secure your home?

With modern technology the majority of people have more than one type of security in their home – many people will have some form of intruder alarm as a given, some folk go the extra mile and have this connected to the police so if there is an incident the police will arrive when and if it sounds.

The Guardian reported that Dogs and CCTV were the top deterrents for burglars.

CCTV has really grown in the last 10 years especially with the introduction of IP technology – the ability to view what is happening at home when you are anywhere in the world is powerful…

Dogs the more traditional type of security is still popular with homeowners, many intruders state that the sound of a dog barking is the second most popular deterrent.

Why then do we not take this approach to our business?

Many business owners are still not taking cyber security as seriously as they should!

As an IT and Security business we see daily how the threats are becoming more and more sophisticated.

We take our customers security seriously; our focus is on detection rather than prevention due to the constantly growing sophistication of security threats.

At HBT Communication we have a 3-step approach to security: 1. Understanding your business is key to providing the right security infrastructure.

We need to understand the following: a. Where your staff work, is it in the office or at home, or café’s, hotels, etc b. What type of work do you do, is it sensitive and confidential information? How is this shared etc? Where is it stored? c. How do your staff use their devices, for example if you are using mobiles to receive and send emails, are your devices protected?

2. We focus on providing a multi-layered security. Once we understand your business we can look at where measures need to be put in place to protect your business from threats.

Our systems also constantly monitor new and emerging threats. Our primary goal is to ensure every layer of your infrastructure is protected.

This includes your network, business applications, the devices you use i.e. tablet, mobile and most importantly the people.

3. Educating your staff – it is estimated that over 70% of security breaches are due to staff – therefore informing and educating you staff is a crucial step. With an increase in phishing emails it is fundamental this training is ongoing and monitored.

For more information visit www.hbtcommunications.com/cybersecurity or talk to us on 02476 867422.

HBT Communications is one of Coventry’s longest established Telecoms and IT Providers.

Established in 1988 by brothers Zamurad and Ajmal Hussain, the business has grown to employ over 30 people with ambitious plans for further growth over the next 3 years.

Lifesaving first aid to be included in school curriculum Lifesaving first aid is set to be included in the national school curriculum after years of campaigning.

MDD First Aid offers professional, certified and quality assured training programmes delivered by experienced paramedic instructors, so they fully understand the importance of this vital change and look forward to supporting the much-awaited introduction.

The Government has proposed, as part of its compulsory health education, that from 2020 schools will have to teach CPR training and first aid skills to their pupils. This historic move could transform cardiac arrest survival rates; currently the survival rates of cardiac arrests out of hospital are only 10%.

Draft guidelines state that primary school children will learn basic first aid alongside steps they can take to protect and support the health and wellbeing of others. Secondary school children will be taught how to administer CPR as well as basic treatment for common injuries, providing them all with ‘Vital Skills for Life’.

Cadet Force volunteer shows support for Reserves Day Julie Barber not only wore her Cadet Force Adult Volunteer (CFAV) uniform on Reserves Day, but also spoke at a Business Breakfast organised by West Midland RFCA. Julie has been a CFAV with Hereford & Worcester Army Cadet Force (ACF) for two and a half years and is a Probation Instructor for one of the ACF companies.

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She said: “I really enjoy working with the Cadets and seeing the individuals develop and build in confidence throughout their training.

I joined the Cadets as I wanted to put something back into the community as my family have been involved in the Armed Forces for more than 100 years.”

As well as volunteering with the Cadets, Julie works full time as the

Office Manager at The Busters Group, a Birmingham based environmental business.

The Busters Group made their pledge to the Armed Forces Community last year by signing the Armed Forces Covenant and have already received their Bronze Award on the Employer Recognition Scheme. As part of their commitment the company seeks to support the

employment of armed forces veterans in their workforce and, where possible, provide help to employees who choose to become members of the Reserve Forces or support their local Cadet units.

The company have two armed forces veterans from the Coldstream Guards and the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment employed in their workforce.

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

News

What do customers really think?

L to r: Rob Harrison of Glued, Clare Williams of Loxley Business Support and David Wilson of Glued.

How one Chamber member learnt the truth from their customers.

At Glued we work with customers every day so it is reasonable to imagine we know what customers think about us. Our view of the world tends to be shaped by what we intend to do rather than what other people experience of what we do.

What if there isn’t a match there? Would we do anything to correct it? Would we do anything to improve our position?

Glued frequently come across this difference between intentions and experience when researching the perspectives of our clients’ customers. Which is interesting in itself. But what is more interesting is how clients chose to respond to the research.

It can result in changes to: marketing content;

processes; customer interaction; products; services and sales strategies.

Despite their own reticence about hearing the hard truths of what clients thought and experienced, Glued decided it was high time to ‘grasp the nettle’.

Taking their own advice they appointed Loxley Business Support to conduct independent, anonymised structured telephone interviews with a range of lost prospects; present and past clients.

By asking open ended questions, loosely following the questionnaire and allowing the conversations to evolve Loxley were able to get genuine and insightful feedback from the contacts that Glued supplied to them.

The results? Well, there were positives and Glued have taken pride and encouragement from those.

More importantly, there were constructive criticisms. Criticisms to which Glued are already responding as follows: • Lack of availability on occasions – Glued have instituted a policy of responding to client contact within a working day • Lack of effectiveness in chosen marketing medium – Shift emphasis of budgets towards social media and online marketing

• Lacking enthusiasm – Channel innate beliefs and involve the Creative Partner more frequently in prospect and client contact • Lack of capacity – Promote associates, contractors and suppliers on the web site • Lengthy process – Process to be simplified, re-written and to include target timescales along with client touchpoints As with their own clients’ experience of customer/prospect research the work done for Glued didn’t present any surprises.

Rob Harrison, Consultancy Partner, said “These issues lie in the sub-conscious.

Independent research brought them to the fore and documented them with anecdotes.

It is this ‘formalisation’ of the issues that has allowed us to incorporate how they need to be responded to in our monitoring and strategy records. It will be interesting to see how the changes that result impact on our business.”

Clare Williams, Founder of Loxley, said “It was surprising how forthcoming people were and the depth of the insights they were prepared to share. It is revealing and sometimes a little uncomfortable but it can undoubtedly contribute to business improvement.”

Godiva provides platform for Guinness World Record success Coventry-based, Godiva Access and Scaffolding has supported a successful Guinness World Record attempt by Warwick University students for building the world’s largest blanket fort.

The scaffolding specialist, which is also currently responsible for providing scaffolding solutions to Coventry’s tallest new build, provided the framework on which the blanket fort was based free of charge to allow all funds raised to go to charity.

The record attempt, organised by a team of volunteers studying at the university, aimed to raise money for Leamington Winter Shelter (LWS). The LWS was set up by Warwick University students in order to provide shelter to homeless people during the harsh winter conditions but is now open all year round, offering accommodation to up to 40 people per night.Two hundred and fifty volunteers worked on the shelter which covered the entire Oculus

field on the university campus.

With Godiva’s support, the record raised £6,000 for the shelter with the funds going towards building a new permanent premises when the current residence gets converted into student flats.

Colin Taylor, anaging director at Godiva Access and Scaffolding, said: “We pride ourselves on being an integral member of our local community and already have strong ties with Warwick University having been recently

Each year SGD nominates two local charities to partner with for the year running 1st July to 30th June.

Recently, SGD said goodbye to Coventry and Warwickshire Mind and the Air Ambulance Service.

Edwards Trust. Both of which provide valuable services to the West Midlands.

Zoë’s Place Baby Hospice is the only baby hospice in the West Midlands. They provide palliative, respite and end of life care to babies and infants suffering from life-limiting or life-threatening conditions. They open 7 days a week and have the capacity for 6 cots, however due to lack of funds they can only currently operate 4. The Edward’s Trust provides holistic family

appointed to its approved supply chain. We jumped at the chance to support this record attempt and help raise money for such a worthy cause and we’re delighted the record attempt was successful and generated such a significant amount of money.”

bereavement services supporting children, young people and parents across the West Midlands. They offer counselling, wellbeing therapies, support groups, social activities and respite retreats for those who have lost a child or for a child who has lost a close family member. They give hope to those in their darkest hour and help them to see a future.

SGD looks forward to working with these brilliant charities and raising lots of money to aid their invaluable work in our community.

Hotel plays host to celebrity event Celebrities turned out to a Warwickshire hotel as they supported a charity night hosted by a plumbing and heating specialist.

Wolseley Infrastructure played host to its third annual charity night held at Coombe Abbey Hotel as part of the fundraising for its chosen charity of the year.

The event was supported by Britain’s Got More Talent and Catchphrase presenter Stephen Mulhern and X Factor runner-up Fleur East.

Fleur is no stranger to the venue as she previously stopped there after performing at Coventry’s Christmas Lights Switch-on two years ago.While dropping in this time, she took the opportunity to take part in the #InMyFeelings Challenge, outside the iconic former Cistercian abbey.

The challenge has been gaining a huge amount of popularity with Fleur being one of many celebrities across the globe to dance to Drake’s new hit song ‘In My Feelings’ and then post it on social media.

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

The pair were at the venue to provide the entertainment for more than 400 guests at the event alongside a harpist, a caricaturist and Spanner in the Works, an entertainment company who provide a comedy waiters routine for guests.

Stephen acted as compere for the evening, while Fleur performed live for the event, which went ahead in the Marquee.

Ron Terry, General Manager of Coombe Abbey Hotel, said: “It’s wonderful to welcome both Stephen and Fleur to Coombe Abbey as such popular house-hold names.

“Seeing Coombe being used for another successful charity night is always wonderful but to also feature as part of a viral video challenge is a real highlight for such a diverse venue.”

Spencer Brown, Commercial Director at Wolseley Infrastructure, said: “It was a wonderful evening and we were thrilled by the surprise appearance from Fleur East to perform for us; she was exceptional.

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SGD welcomes two new charities of the year We certainly left with a bang, raising a total of £9,500, equally split for each charity. Coventry and Warwickshire Mind and the Air Ambulance Service, you both do amazing things for our local community, we thank you for your service and we hope that our fundraising has helped towards your wonderful work.

Whilst we say goodbye to two magnificent charities and say hello to two brand new ones.

For our charity year to June 2019 we will be raising funds for Zoë’s Place Baby Hospice and the

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Stephen Mulhern with Coombe Abbey staff members

“This was our third annual charity event held at Coombe Abbey and each year the event is always more impressive than the last for our guests.

“Our charity this year was Sebastian’s Action Trust and over the course of the year, culminating in the charity ball, we were able to raise just over £129,000 for a wonderful cause.

“Sebastian’s Action Trust is a charity that offers respite care to seriously ill children and their families, founded by Sebastian Gates prior to his death from cancer in 2003 aged nine.

“Sebastian was an inspirational young boy and we are very proud to support his charity and to raise money for a very worthy cause.”

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2. Access Your Accounting Records Anywhere Securely With cloud accounting you can keep up to date with your financial information at any time from almost any smart device with an internet connection. Software providers use strict data protection systems to ensure your financial data remains confidential, backed up and protected. Calling your accountant for assistance also becomes a lot more cost and time effective as we can access your financial information remotely.

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For example if your website can process credit card payments it is possible to automatically update your accounts for any payments received.

Whether you need help in choosing the right cloud accounting solution or want to ensure that you are getting the most out of your existing software, we can help.

If you have any queries about cloud based software please contact Paul Spencer or David Thomas on 02476 257481 or ps@sgduk.com / dt@sgduk.com.

For more information please visit our website www.sgduk.com/accounting/ cloud-accounting

7

Events

Businesses urged to support Peace event

Mike Hardy, Professor and Executive Director, Centre for Trust Peace and Social Relations at Coventry University, and Chair of RISING.

Businesses in Coventry and Warwickshire are being encouraged to be part of a major international peace event returning to the city.

The RISING Global Peace Forum, now in its third year, brings peacebuilders, policymakers and academics from around the world to Coventry, the UK’s only City of Peace and Reconciliation, to discuss and promote new ways to make and sustain peace.

This year’s event, RISING 2018: The Anatomy of Peace, will be held at Coventry Cathedral on Wednesday, September 12 and Thursday, September 13.

It will focus on the complex process of initiating contact, making a deal and sustaining peace, and will feature two Nobel Peace Prize Winners and two former Heads of State as speakers.

Local businesses are invited to attend a gala dinner on September 12 when Alastair Campbell, former Downing Street Director of Communications and Strategy, will speak about his experiences of politics, business, football and mental health.

Richard Dickson, RISING Development Manager, said: “The idea for RISING came from a Coventry and Warwickshire Champions event and it is now established as an internationallyrecognised peace forum.

“Led by the Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations at Coventry University, RISING was launched in 2015 as a partnership with Coventry Cathedral and Coventry City Council.

“Since then, it has been bringing political leaders, academics and experts together from around the world to discuss and promote ways of making and sustaining

peace, and it is this peace which goes on to be the basis of successful trade and business.

“Coventry is a city with a long history of looking outwards and doing business innovatively with people around the world, and for many centuries has been prepared to have peaceful dialogue and trade with people from other cultures.

“The local business community was instrumental in getting RISING off the ground and so we are keen to welcome representatives to the gala dinner to show their support for RISING and to continue to be very much part of the event.”

Tickets for the gala dinner are available for Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce members at the discounted price of £80 per person, or £600 for a table of eight.

Peter Deeley, Managing Director of the city-based Deeley Group, has supported RISING since its inception.

He said: “This is an idea which was spawned from a meeting of business people and Coventry University, Coventry City Council and Coventry Cathedral have developed an event which is growing in status and attracting global speakers.

“RISING and the gala dinner is a rare and valuable opportunity to learn how successful interventions have been made in some of the longstanding and troubling issues round the world and to see how those are being promoted and supported

by Coventry.

“It is interesting too to hear how the approaches and techniques which foster peace among peoples in other lands have their place in promoting the understanding of difference closer to home.

“It can only be good for the reputation of the city regionally, nationally and internationally and Coventry having a positive image can only be good for business as a whole.”

For tickets or more information, email RISING@coventry.ac.uk or visit www.rising.org Businesses with interests in the Middle East may also wish to attend RISING Reflection, a free event focusing on peace between Israel and Palestine on Friday, September 21, to coincide with International Peace Day.

“The idea for RISING came from a Coventry and Warwickshire Champions event and it is now established as an internationally-recognised peace forum. Led by the Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations at Coventry University, RISING was launched in 2015 as a partnership with Coventry Cathedral and Coventry City Council.”

Team turn their skills to escaping Staff from a leading business organisation put their skills to the test to Escape from a member’s venue.

A five-strong team from the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce pitted their wits against the Prison Break escape room experience at Escape Live in Fargo Village.

Hazel Pilling, Cheyenne Angliss, Zoe Sweeney, Angela Lennox and Rachel Morgan took on the challenge of solving a series of clues in a bid to get out of the room within the hour.

The fantastic five managed to complete the challenge with nearly five minutes to spare. Now they are urging other companies to head to Escape Live for team-building, training or just a fun, social activity to bring staff together.

Hazel said: “We all absolutely loved it and, of course, we are very proud of ourselves

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for managing to escape within the hour.

“We worked really well together to solve the clues and while it’s quite intense at times, it’s also a lot of fun and we had a good laugh with each other too.

“It’s a brilliant experience and we’d definitely recommend that businesses make the most of it either on a formal basis for team-building or training purposes – or for a social get-together.

“We found it really put our communication skills to the test and got us working as a team throughout the actionpacked hour. It’s definitely a way of boosting morale and team-spirit.

“We’re recommending that other members of the team here at the Chamber go along – but there’s no way that they will beat our time!”

John Dalziel, one of the founders of Escape Live, which now has venues in

Stratford, Birmingham and Essex, all of which come highly recommended on TripAdvisor, said; “We’re delighted that the team at the Chamber enjoyed themselves and escaped.

“As well as appealing to friends, families and couples, we saw an opportunity very early on to attract businesses and have

welcomed dozens of companies to our venues from all over the UK including Jaguar Land Rover, Severn Trent and DHL. “The Chamber has thousands of members and we are looking forward to working with them to show what a great experience they have on their doorstep to treat and train staff.”

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Events

Newscaster Jon Snow to deliver keynote speech at conference

One of the UK’s leading newscasters and correspondents will be the keynote speaker at the region’s largest business conference.

Veteran Channel 4 presenter Jon Snow will headline the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s annual business and economic conference at the Ricoh Arena in November.

The BAFTA-award winning journalist is a former ITN Washington correspondent and has been the face of Channel 4 for almost 30 years.

He is also chair of the Heart of England Forest Trust, a Warwickshire-based charity established by publishing entrepreneur Felix Dennis, which is committed to helping reverse centuries of woodland decline by planting a 30,000 acre joined up forest of entirely native broadleaf trees across the region.

Television presenter, and CEO of multi-award-winning TeenTech, Maggie Philbin will also be speaking at the event. TeenTech runs initiatives to help young teenagers see the wide range of career possibilities in Science, Engineering and Technology.

Maggie Philbin is President of the Institute of Engineering Design, Chair of the UK Digital Skills Taskforce.

More than 200 businesses, MPs, councillors, and civic leaders will attend the event on November 16 for a day of key-note speakers and panel sessions on the pressing issues in local and national business.

Chief Executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, Louise Bennett, said: “The Chamber annual business and economic conference is the premier event of its type in our area and has grown in recent years.

“We have had a string of thoughtprovoking speakers and Jon Snow will very much continue that trend. He is one of the

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most respected commentators and journalists in the industry and it will be very interesting to hear his take on a range of issues – especially as we will be just four months from Brexit.

“The conference is a great opportunity for businesses to air their concerns and to interact with their elected officials and decision makers, as well as their peers.

“While the outlook for businesses is generally very good across Coventry and Warwickshire, there will always be issues that need addressing and areas we can improve on and conference is a great arena for that.”

November’s conference will follow on from the #CWRocks Business Expo in September, which will attract hundreds of businesses across the region.

The expo on September 28 will also see the launch of the chamber’s new campaign ‘Go For Growth – Trade Local’.

The initiative is designed to encourage local businesses look closer to home within the area when procuring goods and services in order to promote growth within the region.

Attendance to the #CWRocks is free for both Chamber and non-Chamber members, with complimentary parking offered to all attendees.

Bookings for the Chamber's Annual Conference can be made here:

Conference:chamber.co.uk/events Expo:www.cwexpo.co.uk

‘The world is your oyster’ has never been truer than it is today Technological advancements mean important information can be attained at the click of a button, or people in different cities, or even countries, can work on the same project simultaneously via the cloud. Quite simply there are no longer geographical boundaries to business.

The world has shrunk to such an extent that international expansionis now often a fundamental part of a UK business’s growth plan, regardless of whether it’s an SME or a listed business.

It’s how to make that transition that I’m often asked about as the International Partner at Dafferns. Whether it’s a smaller business wanting to export their product to an overseas market for the first time or a multinational company setting up a permanent establishment in another country, an internationally connected accountancy firm can help your business make that happen.

That’s why Dafferns is part of AGN International, one of the largest worldwide associations of separate and independent accounting and consulting firms in the world.

We pride ourselves on being business strategists, trusted advisers and active participants in the formation of a business’s planning process. We regularly meet with our AGN International counterparts so we have strong links in countries such as Germany, the Netherlands and the USA. Knowing what business issues are present in these countries can help us proactively navigate our clients through any difficult or sensitive expansion plans.

The removal of geographical business boundaries hasn’t just helped our clients to reach new markets and customers, it’s helped Dafferns too. We now act for many more clients across the country and over 25 international groups over the world. Within the last week I’ve been asked by a client to help them set up a subsidiary in Germany and by the time this article goes to press I will be heading up a team from Dafferns to complete an assignment in Kansas City, USA for a UK subsidiary of a Fortune 500 Company. We like to say; we are the accountancy firm that has Coventry roots and international reach.

If you would like to discuss international activity for your business please contact Andy Bewick, International Partner, on 02476 221 046 or andy.bewick@dafferns.com

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

9

Corporate Profiles

Flooring the competition with a commitment to people The firm’s owners and founders – Jason and Lisa Ashby – hail from Nuneaton and until recently the company was based in Bayton Road, Exhall. It moved to a major new unit in Hinckley as staffing levels are expected to reach 100 in 2018 and required more room for its stock.

Jason and Lisa Ashby

A national flooring company has moved just across the border into Hinckley – but the positive effects of its growth are being felt throughout Coventry and Warwickshire.

UK Flooring Direct, which was established in 2005, is forecasting hitting £100m turnover in the next four years as it continues to increase its market share in the sale of flooring including real wood, laminate and vinyl via its website www.ukflooringdirect.co.uk and also through its show-room for local trade and retail customers.

Many of those staff live in the north of Warwickshire and, as well as those employment opportunities, UK Flooring Direct also plays a positive role in the community.

The company has recently joined the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce as Corporate Members, it is active within the Coventry and Warwickshire Business Group which raises money for the NSPCC and also supports a range of grassroots organisations in the region – from dance troupes through to local football.

On top of that, UK Flooring Direct also takes a keen interest in staff and supports good causes that the team are involved in.

Jason Ashby said the company was investing in its staff and its technology in order to achieve the ambitious growth plans it has set out.

He said: “We operate nationally but we have made a major commitment to this region.

“We moved to Hinckley in 2017 because we found the right space just off the A5 but our links to Warwickshire and Coventry remain very strong. Many of our staff travel in from Nuneaton, Bedworth and the surrounding area and we are continuing to recruit.

“While we invest majorly in technology because we are very much a web-based business, we understand that any good business is all about its people.

“We take a very keen interest in all of our staff and do everything we can to make this a great place to work. As well as ensuring

it’s a great environment, we also try to give back where we can and support members of the team with their efforts for charity.

“As we continue to grow, we will continue to make this a major priority for the business because we want to the team to feel like they are part of the family and to share in the success.

“So we’d urge anyone who wants to be part of our exciting future to get in touch.”

For more information on UK Flooring Direct go to www.ukflooringdirect.co.uk and for those interested in roles at the company, email recruitment@ukflooringdirect.co.uk

“We take a very keen interest in all of our staff and do everything we can to make this a great place to work. As well as ensuring it’s a great environment, we also try to give back where we can and support members of the team with their efforts for charity.”

Meeting space will cater for growing demand A Coventry hotel and leisure facility is preparing to launch an innovative new meeting space to cater for demand from businesses in the city.

Village Hotel Club Coventry, part of the 29 hotels in the Village Hotel Club group, has been chosen as one of four new locations in the Midlands for the group’s Business Club.

The Business Club, or BClub, will feature innovative meeting spaces, hot desking, modern technology, super-fast WiFi, unlimited refreshments and energising food from the Business Club bar.

The hotel, located at Coventry Business Park in Canley, follows Cardiff, Farnborough, London Watford, Manchester Ashton and Solihull in opening the business lounge.

It will be available from Monday, October 29 for booking. Businesses will be able to book the facility through the exclusive Village Hotel Club’s business club members’ app.

This comes following a £3 million refurbishment of the 146-bedroom hotel and on-site leisure facilities.

The refurbishment introduced a new self-check-in service at - which also allows visitors to the hotel to use their smartphone as a room key.

Other facilities on site include 13 meeting rooms, Starbucks and the new Pub & Grill All Day dining concept due to open in September.

Stephen Cresswell, Senior General Manager at the Village Hotel Club Coventry, believes the new meeting space will transform the way businesses meet in the city.

He said: “At the Village Hotel Club group we are always looking to reinvent the notion of hospitality, through our modern, unique accommodation and facilities - the new Business Club continues that development.

“The innovative new meeting space is designed to cater for the needs of a modern business, through enhanced technology and modern facilities and offers a cost effective solution to small independent businesses and home workers.

“Coventry is a city on the rise, the energy in the city at the moment is unprecedented

– especially with the successful City of Culture bid – and we are seeing increased demand for our services.

“Our occupancy levels are up and the demand for premium health and fitness continues to grow, so we are expecting similar demand for the new Business Club.

“We are confident this new introduction will have significant appeal to the business community in the city and wider region and

we encourage any prospective users to take advantage of our free one day pass to try out the Business Club.”

Business people can register online for a free one day pass to the BClub, to try the facilities before buying membership.

Introductory Membership offers are available from £35.00 per month.

For more information on the Village Hotel Club Coventry BClub visit Villagehotels.com/bclub or contact via e-mail on Bclub@village-hotels.com.

“At the Village Hotel Club group we are always looking to reinvent the notion of hospitality, through our modern, unique accommodation and facilities - the new Business Club continues that development.”

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www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Corporate Profiles

As You Like It – the Warwickshire hotel that combines history and modern luxury A Warwickshire hotel steeped in history is set to undergo an extensive refurbishment from January 2019.

Billesley Manor, a 16th Century Elizabethan manor house located just three miles from Stratford-upon-Avon, is set to receive significant investment as part of the renovation work.

The plans include a new spa as well as the refurbishment of all public areas, bedrooms and the main function room.

The venue will also be licensed for outdoor weddings in the topiary gardens from May next year.

The hotel includes 72 bedrooms located across the manor house and cedar barns, which each combine traditional character with 21st Century luxuries.

The venue also boasts two restaurants and 12 meeting rooms with capacity for up to 100 delegates and a range of catering options available, and can host weddings with up to 80 guests.

There are extensive leisure and beauty facilities including a swimming pool, sauna, steam room, four treatment rooms, tennis courts, a gymnasium and a yoga hut.

The 11 acres of grounds feature an 11th Century church and an ornate topiary garden, which was planted 100 years ago to replicate a chess board.

The hotel was sold in June 2017 to private investors and is now managed

by Bespoke Hotels, the UK’s largest independent hotel group.

Jo Reeves, of Billesley Manor, said: “The refurbishment will upgrade the hotel for our guests, while still keeping the hotel’s traditional character.

“When you spend the night in Billesley, you are sleeping where several significant historical events occurred.

“It was here that Shakespeare put ink to paper and wrote ‘As You Like It’, and historians also believe the All Saints Church in the grounds is where he married Anne Hathaway.

“The hotel offers first class dining, a variety of meeting rooms which can facilitate small meetings to ones with up to 100 guests and a spa to relax and unwind.

“It is also a spectacular wedding venue and we are now looking forward to expanding our offering to provide outdoor weddings from next May.”

“The venue also boasts two restaurants and 12 meeting rooms with capacity for up to 100 delegates and a range of catering options available, and can host weddings with up to 80 guests.”

Role of the fire and rescue service is rapidly evolving West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) is working to help businesses to stay fire safe through a new free initiative.

WMFS – the biggest fire service in country outside of London – is offering ‘Safe and Strong’ support to businesses in Coventry and Warwickshire.

It’s part of the service’s mission to promote fire safety within premises, in line with its vision of ‘Making the West Midlands safer, stronger and healthier’.

More than 70 per cent of small businesses that suffer a significant fire either do not reopen, or subsequently fail within three years.

A dedicated team of firefighters and Business Support Officers are on hand to offer free safety advice and help businesses get back on their feet again as soon as possible.

Crew Commander Patrick Gibson is one of the officers and has explained why it is important businesses take fire safety seriously.

Patrick said: “The role of the modernday fire and rescue service is rapidly growing. We’re here to help stop fires happening in the first place.

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“The WMFS vision is ‘Making the West Midlands safer, stronger and healthier’.

Our business fire safety and protection work focuses on the ‘stronger’ element.

“A fire can have significant consequences for those affected, as well as the local community and the economy.

“We’re committed to attending life or property-threatening incidents in just five minutes. False alarms at premises used to tie up our fire engines and other resources for huge amounts of time, meaning they were unavailable to respond to genuine emergencies.

“Now, if an automatic alarm goes off, the premises will first be attended by one of our three Business Support Vehicles. Our Business Support Officers then make an initial investigation and call for further resources if needed.

“But, in the vast majority of cases, it will be a false alarm, so the officers will then work closely with the owners to help reduce future false alarms and further disruption to their business.

“They complement the work done by staff in our fire control, who use a system known as ‘call challenge’ to check whether or not we actually need to reply to an alarm in the first place.

“If you’re responsible for fire safety in a building, it’s important you understand and stay within the law.”

“As well as advice on how to keep your premises, resources and stock safe, we can also offer fire safety and business continuity training.

The new ‘Safe and Strong’ initiative is open to any business in the WMFS service area and requires businesses to complete a short questionnaire with a crew of firefighters from one of their 38 fire stations.

“We do our very best to give clear advice, and to identify where improvements can be made.”

Patrick added: “After completing the questionnaire, our crew will signpost you to information or to many of the other services we provide to ‘keep your business in business’.

To find out more about the initiative contact WMFS on 0121 380 7500, email _firesafety@wmfs.net or visit www.wmfs.net/protection

“We’re committed to attending life or propertythreatening incidents in just five minutes. False alarms at premises used to tie up our fire engines and other resources for huge amounts of time, meaning they were unavailable to respond to genuine emergencies.“ 11

News Cranfield FTSE report highlights female underrepresentation in executive ranks A report by Cranfield School of Management has criticised the lack of progress in improving gender diversity at the highest executive echelons of FTSE 350 companies.

Despite progress in female representation on non-executive board positions, the report identifies the lack of women in executive roles on boards of the UK’s leading companies.

In a 48-page detailed analysis, experts from the school’s International Centre for Women Leaders scrutinised data provided by the UK’s top 350 companies.

Drawing on 20 years of experience in this area, the Female FTSE Board Report’s authors identify the leading players in gender diversity in the FTSE 100, and highlight those companies that are lagging behind the rest.

The report’s analysis shows: • FTSE 100 – while the percentage of female non-executive directors is at an all-time high of 35.4%, female executive positions have flat-lined for a fourth consecutive year at 9.7%. Despite this the percentage of women on boards has increased from 27.7% in October 2017 to 29% in June 2018, meaning it may be possible to reach the target set by the Hampton-Alexander Review of 33% by the end of 2020 • FTSE 250 – the number of female executive directorships dropped from 38 to 30 between October 2017 to June 2018.

There has also only been a marginal increase in the number of women on boards, from 22.8% in October 2017 to 23.7% in June 2018 on the FTSE 250 • FTSE 100 and the Gender Pay Gap – the top 10 companies for the proportion of women on boards, reported a slightly lower average gender pay gap than the bottom 10. The two best companies were Diageo (55% women on boards, 4.1% gender pay gap) and GlaxoSmithKline (45% women on boards, 2.8% gender pay gap) • Female directors are on average nearly two years younger than their male counterparts, but serve for less time and have an average tenure of 3.7 years compared to 5.4 years for men.

Professor Sue Vinnicombe CBE, Professor of Women and Leadership at Cranfield School of Management, said: “We need to think big and act decisively in order to move the needle. FTSE 350 companies need to treat gender diversity as seriously as they treat sales, risk management and innovation, otherwise nothing will change.”

Aviva has sponsored the Female FTSE Board Report since 2017. Sarah Morris, Chief People Officer, Aviva, she said: “There has been some progress over the last 20 years, and it’s encouraging to see the biggest companies in the UK on track to hit the 33% target. But that is still only 33%. The benefits of greater diversity are clear so now it’s up to the FTSE 250 to increase their ambition.”

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Supporting Mental Health Awareness In Your Business Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce Training is actively working to help businesses support the wellbeing of their staff.

Building on the success of the recent national mental health awareness week, Chamber Training has developed a practical training solution to equip employers with the skills and understanding to effectively manage the range of mental health problems that now commonly arise in the workplace. Research has shown that two thirds of people experience a mental health

problem in their lifetime, and stress is a key factor in this.

Sally Lucas, Executive Director at Chamber Training commented: “According to the Office of National Statistics stress, depression and anxiety are now the largest reason for workplace absence. The number of days taken off for mental health problems soars by 25% year on year. We are seeing an increasing need for businesses to create the structures and gain the skills required to support their staff with mental wellbeing.

“Mental health problems can be extremely complex and our new

course can help businesses to support people with mental health issues, ensure individuals have the right mechanisms in place to lead full and rewarding working lives – a win-win for the individual and the business.”

The Mental Health Awareness course, which runs over 3 days, has been designed around latest research findings, and contains highly practical approaches to identifying mental health issues and creating the infrastructure to support individuals to improve their health. An added bonus is it also leads to a level 2 qualification,

Sally Lucas

national accreditation for the skills and knowledge gained.

Subject to eligibility, employers can access up to 50% funding through Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber Training to help with the cost of the course.

Coventry & Warwickshire Skills 4 Growth supports eligible SMEs to improve skills amongst the workforce.

Places are available now to book at: http://www.cw-chambertraining.co.uk/employers/courses/short-courses/management-essentials/mental-health-awareness-level-2/ or get in touch on 024 7623 122 or email enquiries@cw-chambertraining.co.uk

First the cloud, now the sky’s the limit The use of Cloud computing has moved beyond the tipping point.

In 2016, a global survey of IT professionals predicted that 80% of all IT budgets would be committed to cloud solutions by 2018, with 93% of organisations already relying on cloud services.

In 2017, Gartner declared that Cloud was becoming the mainstream, forecasting a boom in the use of both Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).

What’s more, it suggested that, as businesses identified cloud as an enabler for future innovation, an emergent ‘Platform-as-aService’ (PaaS) model was about to take off, too.

The analysis makes encouraging reading.

After the slow-burner years of incremental adoption, businesses have finally poked their heads in the Cloud and realised that the sky really is the limit.

Our experiences back up the numbers.

As organisations increasingly adopt a cloud-first approach, the conversation has moved on; it’s progressed beyond ‘should we?’ to become ‘what could we?’

Companies are exploring the art of the possible – and they’re finding that those possibilities are endless.

The PaaS model, facilitated by the Cloud, is giving organisations secure access to bundled tools that allow them to apply innovation such as automation, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) to their business operations.

And, as the world makes the journey from Big Data to smart data, organisations are leveraging cloud-based solutions to store and analyse huge, complex datasets in just fractions of a second – and using that analysis to fuel new ideas for customer-centre services and brands.

Crucially, these powerful solutions – which provide agility and scalability – are no longer the sole preserve of big business. The combination of PaaS, SaaS and IaaS models has levelled the playing field and is giving small and mediumsized businesses cost-effective access to enterprise-grade tools.

It’s no surprise that progressive companies are seizing the opportunity – exploiting technologies such as IoT, Data Lake and Blockchain to differentiate their services, unlock new models and transform business value.

So how do you join them? It isn’t easy.

As Gartner says, despite its deployment rapidly becoming the mainstream, many organisations are still trying to work out where the cloud fits into their overall IT strategy.

Businesses need help.

A good technology partner will work with you to understand your business – both your current needs and your long-term goals – and identify the technologies that can help you maximise business value. The best partners will be specialists in cloud deployment and will be able to design, build and deliver a futureproof infrastructure that can flex as the needs of your business change.

The full capabilities of cloud technology are still to be discovered – we have not yet reached the limit of its potential. But the opportunities to build a modern digital workplace – where mobility and connectivity can combine with human and artificial intelligence to transform organisations – are right in front of us.

Technology is giving everyone the chance to be tomorrow’s business, today.

All that’s required is a bold vision and the right partner to help take you there.

Because ultimately, the message is simple: jump on the cloud and the sky’s the limit.

Greig Schofield is Technical Director of Netmetix

Project seeks to tackle skills gap A former Coventry University student is set to play a key role in a project which aims to close the digital skills gap across the country.

Deepak Farmah, originally from Ilford, East London, completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Automotive Engineering at Coventry University, before gaining valuable work experience at multiple automotive manufacturers in the UK. He also gained ten years of experience in the world of further education as an Engineering Lecturer and Further Education Senior Manager, before opening his own business in education consultancy, with the aim of supporting UK education providers to reach outstanding standards.

Alongside this, Deepak set up the Innovation To Inspire charitable Trust, based in Leicester, which helps young

people not in employment or education get a fresh start through the world of engineering and technology. The latest step in Deepak’s career has seen him join Coventry University’s Institute of Coding (IoC), a £40 million government backed national initiative in which Coventry University is a lead partner.

The institute brings together a range of universities, industry, training providers and professional bodies to address the UK’s digital skills gaps.

His role within Coventry University will see Deepak reach out to companies across a huge range of sectors and find out what type of skills they need their current or future employees to possess.

He said: “This is an incredible opportunity for me to be part of an initiative that is going to have a massive impact on a addressing the digital skills gap.

“In my previous work I strived to ensure that people who didn’t have the strongest educational background weren’t left behind and through our training programmes we got these people onto digital pathways.

“This role will see me look at the bigger picture and try to address the skills gap

nationally by working with businesses and employers.”

The Institute of Coding collaboration has been made possible with £20m from the Higher Education Funding Council for England and match funding from universities and industry partners.

The University of Bath is leading on the project, with Coventry University, the Open University, Aston University and Queen Mary University of London as supporting lead partners.

The Institute of Coding will deliver innovative, industry-focused higher education across the UK, developing accredited degree schemes and short courses aimed at professionals in a wide range of sectors, as well as working to widen the participation of women, returners to work and hard to reach groups.

Yanguo Jing, Institute of Coding Programme Director at Coventry University, said: “I am delighted to welcome Deepak to the Coventry University's IoC team.

“We are determined to work together with the industry partners, the university and the wider IoC consortium to address digital skill needs in the UK industry and to lead on the theme of digitalising the professions.”

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

News

Success for catering firm abm catering limited have retained International Standards accreditation in both ISO:9001 – Quality Management and ISO:14001 – Environmental Management, following an audit.

ISO:9001 and ISO:14001 are International Standards that require businesses to analyse and assess any risks or opportunities for improvements within their business.

The ISO:9001 standard focuses on quality management and is aimed at ensuring that businesses are legally compliant and have appropriate policies and procedures in place to ensure that the business is run as efficiently as possible.

ISO:14001 is primarily aimed at assisting organisations to manage their environmental

footprint and reducing their impact on the environment. abm catering limited Health & Safety Manager Clare Hanna said: “I am delighted that our hard work into the application of the new ISO 9001: and 14001 standards throughout abm have been recognised by our auditors, The British Assessment Bureau.

“The senior management team have embraced the new standards with a renewed vigour and commitment and we have made conscious efforts to implement the standards throughout each area of the business.”

sponsored column

How many times have you made a hiring mistake?

Hotel introduces green initiatives

Nailcote Hall Hotel, situated in the Warwickshire countryside, has been working in partnership with ACM for a number of years to develop waste reduction strategies.

Utilising a portable compactor, a single- chamber baler and a glass bottle recycling service, this has already helped to vastly reduce the number of waste collections.

Even with these improved systems in place, ACM and Nailcote Hall continued to look

for ways to green their business yet even further.

ACM proposed that Nailcote Hall became the first hotel in the UK to introduce a A2 BioNova Digester, the latest biodegradable wasteto-energy technology.

With this bespoke innovation they have now become possibly the leading environmentallyfriendly hotel in the UK with more than 97% of waste being diverted from landfill.

Working together with ACM, Nailcote Hall Hotel are now burning the bi-product in a biomass boiler to supply a constant source of hot water which they are using to heat the hotel swimming pool.

This innovation alone has saved around £5,000 per year in energy costs, as well as removing the cost of food waste disposal to landfill. By doing so they have environmentally closed the loop meaning that the entire process is carbon negative.

ACM have also introduced a Dry Mixed Recycling initiative which has eliminated the requirement of the landfill waste compactor, making Nailcote Hall Hotel a leader in the race to achieve zero-waste-to-landfill.

Coach purchases help the environment

Johnsons Coach & Bus Travel of Henley-inArden welcomed two new coaches to their fleet as part of their fleet renewal programme, which will help reduce harmful emissions attributed to diesel engines.

The two new coaches are equipped with engines that meet the latest ‘Euro 6’ regulations set by the European Commission, which strictly limits the amount of harmful exhaust gases motor vehicles can emit.

Compared with the previous Euro 5 emissions standard, which focused largely on carbon dioxide emissions – Euro 6 is particularly targeting nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, as well as sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon, and diesel particulate matter emissions, in addition to CO2.

NOx emissions have been scientifically linked to respiratory diseases and other health issues,

plus environmental damage including acid rain; the Euro 6 standard forces vehicle manufacturers to reduce NOx by more than 55 per cent. The new coaches are Scania ‘Finesse’ 13m coaches with 53 seats, designed mostly to be part of the Private Coach Hire fleet.

John Johnson, Commercial Director of Johnsons Coach Travel, said: “We are investing heavily in vehicles with the latest state of the art engine technology. We now have 20 Euro 6 coaches and buses and more investment is already being planned for next year.”

Service helps businesses find the right venue Engaging Spaces is an online portal advertising unusual, interesting and cost-effective meeting rooms from across Coventry and Warwickshire.

Its launch was in response to a desire for business of all sizes to be able to access high quality spaces to host meetings, networking events and workshops.

Danielle Thompson, co-founder, said: “As a small business owner myself, I know how difficult and often expensive it can be to find rooms for team meetings or for

running workshops for example, but we also know that this region has a wide range of unusual and interesting venues, but they are not easy to find. Engaging Spaces is hoping to solve that problem.”

Although in its early stages, the response so far has been very positive with several independent coaches and trainers using the service to find new spaces to hold private sessions or increase the size of their training sessions.

Small businesses in the region have also started to use the service

to identify new venues to hold company meetings and offsite events.

So far, the listings include quirky colourful rooms in pubs, relaxed, informal rooms in community centres and co-working spaces as well as the more unusual such as art galleries, breweries and even a Butchers School.

New venues are being added all the time and businesses in the region are encouraged to use the service in order to discover new and interesting venues in the

One of over 50 'Engaging Spaces' now listed. The Royal Pug in Leamington Spa

region to carry out their meetings, workshops, training sessions and networking events.

Contact spaces@engaging-spaces.co.uk for more information or help finding a suitable venue.

Envertis helps R E Tricker renew Royal Warrant Tricker's have received the renewal of their Royal Warrant from His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales, having been a supplier to His Royal Highness for more than thirty years.

Martin Mason, Managing Director of Tricker’s and Richard Ansell, director of Envertis celebrate Tricker’s Royal Warrant renewal.

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Martin Mason, Managing Director, is the current grantee of the warrant and Tricker's still continues to provide footwear to His Royal Highness as well as to the Royal Household.

The renewal application process included completion of a demanding sustainability survey created by Business in the Community, of which His Royal Highness is the Royal Founding Patron.

Envertis has been working with Tricker’s for more than five years to continually improve their sustainability and environmental performance.

Initiatives have included developing an environmental management system, setting environmental objectives, improving energy efficiency, carbon footprint monitoring, waste reduction and improved recycling.

The latest development keeping the Tricker’s name current in luxury shoemaking is a world exclusive with Olivvia leather.

Championed by Tricker’s Managing Director Martin Mason, Tricker’s has secured a two-year deal enabling them exclusive use of this innovative leather within the footwear market. Developed in partnership with German tannery

Weinheimer, Olivvia leather uses olive leaves in the leather tanning process and is one of the newest leathers in the marketplace.

The olive leaves provide a totally chrome-free tanning alternative and are a by-product of the olive industry, diverted from being burnt as a waste product, thereby avoiding the environmental impact of the process.

Richard Ansell of Envertis said: “I am proud to have supported Tricker’s over the years and the Royal Warrant award is just reward for the team’s efforts and commitment.”

Let's face it if we hire any level or any quantity of people we are going to make mistakes.

Things aren’t going to go the way we planned.

Now, there are all kinds of things that people can do to prevent or at least minimise the chances of making a hiring mistake.

Many surveys from around the world and here in the UK show how ineffective our long-established hiring processes are.

A recent survey from Michigan State University showed that when managers were using traditional hiring techniques they were only hiring the right people 14% of the time. That's 14 percent!

You could go to the blackjack table and win 40% of the time.

If we think about it from a hiring perspective, wouldn’t we want to have every edge imaginable, short of having a crystal ball? Interviewees have become very savvy at telling us what we want to hear during interviews.

One of the tools and resources that we have at Sandler, are assessment tests or assessment inventories. These are online tools that will provide you information about how a candidate is thinking.

The assessments allow you to discover what the candidate’s ambition and drive is. For example, are they motivated by money or are they motivated by the ‘need for approval’ of other people? Or maybe it is something else.

Fundamentally we can begin to identify almost fifty different characteristics and determine whether the person that you're interviewing is, in fact going to be successful in the role that you have.

A small, inexpensive investment will ensure that you have hired the right person for the right position.

••• Written by Neil Liddell, CEO of Sandler Training Central, providers of Sales, Leadership and Management Training.

Helping businesses overcome issues such as the above.

Contact Neil for more details.

T: 0845 0573563 M: 07547 227442

nliddell@sandler.com www.central.sandler.com •••

13

Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce Training

Apprenticeships Benefit Coventry Academy L-R: James Ahearne, Adele Wheatley and Ajay Desai from The Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce.

International Trade apprenticeship success The International Trade Division at Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce was keen to create opportunities for young people to work within their business, so they turned to their training arm for support and guidance. Coventry & Warwickshire Training support school leavers who are making decisions about their future options, advising on Apprenticeship pathways and career opportunities.

Adele Wheatley approached C&W Chamber Training in 2017 and her recruitment adviser quickly spotted her potential and suitability for the Chamber role.

James Ahearne, an International Trade Executive at The Chamber of Commerce said: “The team at C&W Chamber Training found a number of candidates for us to choose from.

However when we met Adele we snapped her up and she started as our International Trade Apprentice in June last year.

“Adele was really keen to start her training and began studying a level 3 Diploma in Business Administration. She has made fantastic progress and completed the Apprenticeship within 12 months. She is motivated to learn and develop further by studying additional international trade and marketing courses.

Commenting on her achievements Adele said: “C&W Chamber Training was highly recommended to me by a friend who had successfully completed an Apprenticeship.

I was incredibly nervous when I was offered an interview at The Chamber of Commerce, but the team were so helpful and encouraging that I just grabbed the opportunity.

“Taking an Apprenticeship is the best decision I have ever made. The combination of working and studying whilst earning a salary is an attractive option. After completing my Apprenticeship I have been offered a new role within the department as an International Trade Commercial Officer. This will create more responsibilities including account management for International Trade Hub events. I am so grateful for all the opportunities I have been given and I’m looking forward to an exciting career.”

C&W Chamber Training has been celebrating the successes of their Apprentices who have excelled with 84.5% achieving their qualifications, according to the latest figures against a national average of 67.7%.

Since last May, over 100 employers across Coventry and Warwickshire have accessed nearly £150,000 in government Apprentice employment grants through Chamber Training. For non-levy paying employers, businesses can access 100% government funding as well as a £1,000 incentive for those employing young Apprentices aged 16 to 18.

For further information on Apprenticeships and how Chamber Training can benefit your business, please contact the Business Development Team at C&W Chamber Training on 024 7623 1122 or enquiries@cw-chambertraining.co.uk

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A multi-academy Trust in Coventry has benefitted from securing a partnership with Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber Training to recruit Apprentices for two schools within the trust.

Founded in February 2013, The Castle Phoenix Trust has three schools within the trust – the original trust member Caludon Castle Teaching School (Coventry), Kingsbury Secondary School (Warwickshire) and Hill Farm Primary School (Coventry). In addition, two more Coventry schools are due to join the Trust in the Autumn term.

As a Trust working with locally based schools, the aim is to build upon the opportunities for Apprentices to support

L-R: Hill Farm: Terri Hitchcox, Avril Taylor, Donae Weaver, Courtenay Williams and Sarah Williams

one another and to visit each of the schools in the Trust to gain different and worthwhile experiences.

Emma Over, HR Director at Caludon Castle School commented: “As a growing Trust, we liked the approach from Chamber Training and their support and guidance has been invaluable. We also appreciated the initial screening they did to identify potentially suitable candidates.

The Apprentices have been eager to explore vocational routes rather than pure academic pathways and this eagerness together with the expertise of Chamber Training has meant that our Apprentices have made a positive contribution to school life. They have enjoyed the chance to learn ‘on’ and ‘off’ the job, to earn money and to gain instrumental experience and skills which have guided them in their choices for the next stages of their careers.

“The Apprentices are all undertaking different routes on completion of their Apprenticeship.

One Apprentice has successfully secured a post as a Teaching Assistant at Hill Farm primary school, where she undertook her Apprenticeship. Another Apprentice has chosen to go to university to

L-R: Rebecca Smith, Teaching Assistant at Caludon School is seen with Sarah Williams and Helen Ruddy

complete a degree in special education following her experience at the primary school. Whilst another Apprentice is staying on at Caludon Castle to undertake her level 3 Apprenticeship and continue to develop within her role supporting food technology.”

Sarah Williams, Training Manager at Chamber Training said: “We enjoy working in partnership with schools to help raise awareness of how Apprentices can make a positive contribution to school life. The success gained at Caludon Castle School and Hill Farm Primary School is very encouraging and demonstrates how Apprenticeships can provide a cost effective form of personal development.”

Godiva Nominated for a Business Award An engineering-led scaffolding design, supply and hire company based in Coventry has been nominated for a prestigious business award, in recognition of its dedication to training and upskilling its specialist workforce.

Godiva has been in the scaffolding industry for over 20 years. It prides itself on being able to drive a strong and successful team by continually offering a plan to help them build new skills and improve their performance and productivity. The firm is also proud to be an official Coventry 2021 UK City of Culture supporter.

In association with Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber Training, by the end of 2018, the team is striving for more than 10% of their workforce to be Apprentices and graduate trainees so they can satisfy the demand for growing skills.

Natalie Lane, Account Manager at C&W Chamber Training said: “Godiva was originally referred to Chamber Training when they became a member of the Chamber. Godiva has been on a steep growth incline over the last 18 months and they have realised they need to bring new skills into the business to continue to grow and thrive. They are currently exploring a range of training routes including the Apprenticeship programmes that will continue to build and develop local talent within the business as well as accessing the Skills 4 Growth funding available to local businesses in Coventry and Warwickshire.

“As part of their valued Chamber membership, they were keen to use our training and development offer enrolling one of their supervisors,

Garreth Peters on to the full 10 Tools for Team Leaders programme.

This is a series of courses designed to equip delegates with the essential skills to become an effective supervisor or team leader. Further training has since been identified and the range of training they have enrolled their staff members on to is already benefitting the business.

We are delighted to see that many members of the senior management team are embarking on the ILM management development qualifications at a range of levels and this has been supported by the business as a whole.”

Commenting on Godiva’s successful partnership with Chamber Training, Karl Degroot, a member of the senior management team commented: “Godiva’s work ethics and procedures are of an extremely high standard and we’re looking to set the bar across the industry.

Working with Chamber Training is showing real business benefits, in terms of sourcing specific training to help bring new skill sets into the business as well as signposting us to industry specific qualifications and provision.

“As a result of the investment that Godiva’s management team are making into the business, Godiva has been shortlisted for the Coventry Telegraph Business Awards for two categories: Leadership Team of the Year and the Sustainability Award.

The Awards ceremony will be held on 25th September 2018 and we are looking forward to an exciting future.”

To find out more about how C&W Chamber Training’s provision can benefit you and your business, please contact our Business Development Team on 024 7623 1122 or enquiries@cw-chambertraining.co.uk

The team at Godiva

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Business Support

Coach seeks to help companies take the next step

Anu Khanna with Margaret Bull

A Coventry business coach is aiming to help businesspeople take the next step towards their company being self-sufficient.

Anu Khanna has set up a franchise of leading coaching company Action Coach and is happy to give business owners a written guarantee of success.

She has more than 22 years of global business experience, first with General Motors and then with IKEA for 16 years, across three different countries.

Anu first moved to Coventry as part of the IKEA key team to open the new store more than a decade ago. She then worked nationally as

a project manager before moving to Zurich where she made success out of the biggest IKEA store in Switzerland.

She has now returned to the city as a franchisee of Action Coach and will share her secrets of success with entrepreneurs.

The franchise already has three clients and is in discussions for a further six, with Anu utilising her experience with global corporates to share the knowledge to achieving consistent results with local business owners to help their companies to grow.

Anu received free business advice through from the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of commerce through the Coventry and Warwickshire Business Support Programme when setting up the franchise.

She utilised the Chamber’s contacts and wide range of networking opportunities to provide a platform to connect with local firms and expand the businesses’ client base.

Anu said: “It’s about putting trust in a system and a team in place so that a business runs by itself. You shouldn’t be an employee of your own business, that goes against its definition. It is so easy to get caught in the day-to-day routine of the business to lose sight of the bigger objectives.

“The Chamber of Commerce has been a great help to me, primarily through developing key networking opportunities.

“My business adviser was very open, friendly and down to earth.

She was fantastic at sharing with me how the business landscape works in the city and connecting me to the right people.”

Anu was given advice by Margaret Bull from the Chamber when starting up her franchise.

Margaret, a business adviser at the Chamber, said: “Anu is a very talented and driven individual and has all the tools to be a very influential and successful business coach in the city.

“She came to us with a great knowledge of how a business should work and our role was to ensure she connected with businesspeople to expand her business. The sky is the limit for Anu and I wish her all the success going forward.”

The Coventry and Warwickshire Business Support Programme is funded by the European Regional Development Fund, in partnership with Coventry City Council, Warwickshire County Council and the District and Borough Councils.

The Chamber’s start-up team are able to extend the support to clients that have already started their businesses but have been trading less than 12 months.

It offers a full range of free masterclasses, workshops and one-to-one mentoring.

For more information or to book on to the Business Support programme call the Chamber on 024 7665 4321 or log onto www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Approach that is easing the skills shortage Mum could be the word that helps companies across Coventry and Warwickshire ease the skills shortage in the region.

Firms across the area cite a lack of people with the right skills to fill their posts as one of the key barriers to growing their business.

It’s a topic that has been raised with the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, which led to the organisation launching a Skills & Employability Group through its branch network.

And, when faced with its own recruitment crisis, the Chamber turned to Warwickshirebased Career-Mums Partnership and has found the perfect person in Ann Pendlebury to fill the vacant role.

Ann has joined the Chamber as a new membership administrator and credit control officer and can work flexibly around her sixyear-old daughter, Sofya, and other business commitments she has outside of work.

Ann said: “Before getting this job, I felt I should be apologetic about doing the school run or whatever it was that meant I couldn’t do ‘regular’ office hours.

“But Career-Mums and the Chamber have taken that feeling away as I can bring my skills and experience to do the job in times that suit everyone. It’s about everyone being flexible.

“Then, because there is that give and take, you end up being willing to do extra for the business as they are being understanding with you. It works both ways. It’s about a change in attitudes and being able to meet in the middle.”

The Chamber approached Career-Mums when traditional means of advertising a post were unsuccessful.

Matthew Hammersley, of the Chamber, said: “We advertised for a credit controller originally and Career-Mums helped us to change the wording of that to help attract additional interest.

“Further to that, they helped us to think more broadly about the skills we needed for the position and the working hours, rather than just saying it was a nine to five.

“A great deal of the Chamber’s work is supporting members with their issues so it was great to have a member help us in this way. Ann has settled in really well and we

Ann Pendlebury, Nishi Mehta, Matthew Hammersley, Sally Dhillon

would definitely urge members to look at returning mums as a potential solution to the skills issue.”

Sally Dhillon and Nishi Mehta run the Career-Mums Partnership, which also offers support in addressing the gender gap, developing women leaders and supporting and retaining new parents in the workplace.

Sally said: “We spotted a gap in the market for businesses and also an opportunity to support individuals who had talent that they wanted to put to good use.

“There’s a big pool of talent that doesn’t necessarily fit into the nine-to-five routine yet have a huge amount to offer. Ann was very much in that category and we are delighted to have linked her with the Chamber and that it has worked out so well for everyone.”

Business idea that adds up for consultant

Karen McIlwraith (left) with Tanya King

A finance consultant, who has been sewing for more than 40 years has relaunched a business to teach others her skills.

Karen McIlwraith expanded her sewing skills by learning to quilt at the Quilter’s Den in Warwick six years ago and now, with the help of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, she is relaunching the specialist shop.

After the previous owner semi-retired, Karen decided to buy the Quilter’s Den and put her own stamp on the business, expanding on the services offered to appeal to a wider audience.

As well as a full-time asset finance role, she has spent the last

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

few years teaching others how to sew and working occasional weekends at the shop and has now launched a series of practical workshops aimed at passing on her skills to people of all ages and abilities.

After taking her idea for the relaunch of the business to the Chamber, Karen received help and support from the Coventry and Warwickshire Business Support Programme to develop the business.

The programme, which is funded by the European Regional Development Fund, in partnership with Coventry City Council, Warwickshire County Council and the District and Borough Councils, helped her after she had got the business off the ground, with networking and attending business events in the region.

The Chamber’s support and advice helped Karen to build the reputation of her business and provided her with advice on the steps to take after it relaunched.

Karen said: “I first became interested in sewing through my Great-Aunt who gave me an old hand-treadle sewing machine when I was seven and since then I haven’t been able to stop so it made sense that eventually I would own my own business selling gorgeous fabrics and sharing my passion for textile craft.

“I approached the Chamber of Commerce as I knew their Business Support Programme would help me with the business and their advice and support became a crucial aid in reinforcing my existing business knowledge.

“I decided that the introduction of the dressmaking and quilting workshops would appeal to a wider demographic and they have been incredibly popular so far with lots of guest tutors contributing.

With the support of the Chamber I intend to increase the range of workshops as well as offering City and Guilds courses in Patchwork and Quilting from January 2019.

“The relaunch of Quilter’s Den under my ownership was

celebrated when the Lord Mayor of Warwick came to officially open the new shop. I was incredibly honoured by his visit and it really meant a lot that both the Mayor and the Chamber have been able to support our business.”

Tanya King, a business coach with the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, has advised and supported Karen in developing the business.

She said: “We’re excited to continue guiding and supporting Karen in the future as she increases her product range.

“Karen has attended our masterclass events and workshops and we have been able to offer one-to-one support to help the company develop after the relaunch.”

For more information on the Coventry and Warwickshire Business Support programme, call the Chamber on 024 7665 4321 or log onto www.cw-chamber.co.uk

sponsored

Making Tax Digital The process of keeping on top of your taxes may be about to take a step into the digital age but the principles of timeliness and accuracy remain the same.

After many false starts and delays, from April 2019 all VAT registered businesses, along with charities whose taxable turnover exceeds £85,000, will be required to submit all of their VAT returns directly through digital records, rather than inputting the information manually onto HMRC’s website.

The bad news is that we are less than 8 months away from the first major step into the digital tax revolution, so time is running out to get to grips with the software, interfaces and procedures required to ensure you avoid HMRC penalties.

The good news is, once you have got your head around the technical aspects of Making Tax Digital, then the process of completing your tax forms should be simpler going forward.

As of April it will also be compulsory for businesses to keep certain minimum records digitally, including breakdowns of the amount of sales at standard-rate, zero-rated, VAT exempt and sales outside of the scope.

Those businesses that have restrictions on the amount of VAT they can claim back, be it because of partial exemption or otherwise, will be required to identify that amount of VAT that can be recovered and bring their VAT return adjustments into the digital system.

As an additional challenge, the 1 April 2019 implementation date clashes with the expected date of Brexit. Depending on the outcome of negotiations between the UK and EU, this could well lead to its own major systems changes for VAT at the same time. Businesses that trade cross border could face the task of dealing with the effects of Making Tax Digital and Brexit simultaneously.

Businesses are advised that with the deadline rapidly approaching, they should start reviewing their current systems as soon as possible to make sure they have enough time to make any necessary changes. In addition, they should also consider precisely what data they will have to share with HMRC as part of this new process and the quality of that data.

If you require any assistance in doing this, please feel free to get in touch with us.

Anne Rose, Head of Tax Services Contact us today or visit our website for more information.

Tel: 0845 177 5500 www.burgisbullock.com Offices in Leamington Spa, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Nuneaton, Leicester, London and Rugby.

15

Legal sponsored column

Law firms backs charities

Trust me… I have a well-drawn-up contract The difference between a well-drafted contract and a poorly-drafted contract can be the difference in business between success and failure.

At the most basic level, customer and supplier contracts provide instructions about who will do what, when and how this will be rewarded. In doing so, they help prevent disputes from arising.

Should a dispute arise, a well-drawn-up contract should be clear enough about the rights and responsibilities of each of the parties to offer you effective protection if you have met your obligations.

Ultimately, well written contracts engender trust – the most important currency in business.

However, there are a few traps to be wary of.

The obligations set out in the contract must be feasible. Otherwise, you can find yourself open to litigation. You should also be confident that the other party can deliver on their obligations – otherwise costly and timeconsuming disputes will be inevitable.

Terms should be clear and specific. If they are not, there will be ambiguity, and ambiguity creates room for disputes.

However, the terms should not be so specific that they make it difficult, or even unfeasible, to make the contract work in practice – some level of flexibility provided for within the contract can make it easier to overcome practical challenges, such as supply chain issues.

The contract should also be fair and not excessively advantage or disadvantage one party over another.

So, for every customer or supplier contract you enter into, there are numerous considerations that need to be finely balanced in order to make the contract work effectively in practice.

Input from a commercial solicitor will be invaluable in balancing these considerations, informed by extensive experience in drafting combined with a knowledge of case law and how supplier and customer relationships work.

For advice on customer and supplier contracts please contact John Morgan at Mander Hadley Solicitors. John has wide and varied experience in all aspects of corporate and commercial law.

T: 024 7663 1212 or 01926 857631 E: johnmorgan@manderhadley.co.uk W: manderhadley.co.uk Offices in Coventry and Kenilworth

16

A group of charities across Coventry and Warwickshire have benefitted from donations made by the charitable trust of a leading law firm.

Wright Hassall runs various events throughout the year in order to raise money for its charitable trust – funds which |are then distributed to good causes in the local area as part |of its community work.

Employees at the Leamingtonbased firm who take on challenges for charity throughout the year also raise money for the trust.

Tiny Tim’s Children’s Centre, Safeline, Helping Hands and the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers Museum Warwick were among the charities to receive donations which will enable them to continue their good work.

Helping Hands, based in Gloucester Street, Leamington, aims to give people in need including the homeless - in Leamington a ‘hand up’ rather than a ‘hand out’.

Their work includes providing a soup kitchen, donating furniture and other essentials for those recently re-homed, and helping people to get back into work.

Leanne Kirkman, the charity’s CEO said: “Wright Hassall has committed £6,000 over three years to helping us and this support will allow us to continue to help those less fortunate to get their lives back on track.”

The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers Museum Warwick, based at St Johns House, is now self-funded after the Ministry of Defence withdrew financial support in April 2017, with donations such as the £500 given by Wright Hassall more crucial than ever.

John Rice, chairman of trustees, said: “Donations such as this are more important to us than ever and we are grateful for the support from Wright Hassall.”

Graham Hayden, a therapist at the Tiny Tim’s Children’s Centre on Whitefriars Lane, Coventry, said: “As a charity we provide free

treatments to children and young people with disabilities, health problems and special needs.

The children don’t have to be local to us in Coventry, we want to provide support whenever we can at no cost to the families of these children. For us to be able to do that we have to rely on a lot of goodwill and of course, donations. It is a massive boost for us to receive £500 from Wright Hassall.”

Safeline, which helps victims of sexual abuse, was given £3,000 earlier this year by the trust, and CEO Neil Henderson explained that the firm’s support was vital: “Sexual abuse is a really difficult subject to tackle but the number of people whose lives have been wrecked by this most pernicious of crimes is much greater than most people realise.

“This is not glamorous work but it is essential and without support from companies such as Wright Hassall we would not be able to help all those who are in desperate need.”

Each charity representative was given the chance to meet staff at Wright Hassall’s offices on Olympus Avenue, where they spoke about the work they do and how the donations will help them.

Alex Robinson, who heads up Wright Hassall’s CSR initiative, said: “As a large employer we embrace the responsibility we have within our community. We support as wide a group of charities as possible and for us to be able to meet some of the people who contribute to such valuable work was a real honour for us.”

Solicitors urge families to consider LPAs A leading Coventry and Warwickshire law firm is reminding families to consider the importance of Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) at a time when dementia diagnoses are expected to rise across the UK. Earlier this year, research published by the Alzheimer’s Society revealed that there are currently around 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK. In its report, the charity estimated that this number would hit one million by the year 2025, as the number of new dementia cases continues to rise.

In light of the research, David Webb, Director and Head of Wills, Probate & Older Client services at Mander Hadley Solicitors, is advising families in Coventry and Warwickshire to plan ahead for all eventualities.

“Life can be incredibly unpredictable, and an accident resulting in a long term or permanent

injury or a long-term illness will always be very stressful for families,” David said.

“At times such as these, the last thing families need is to be worrying about is who will take care of a person’s financial and property affairs in the event they have lost mental capacity. The same goes for their health and welfare affairs,” he added.

David said that families should consider the importance of LPAs; important legal documents which can enable individuals to appoint a trusted relative or close friend to take care of these affairs in the event they lose mental capacity at a later date.

“These documents, which can be set up at absolutely any time, can prove vital if a person’s health takes a turn for the worse at a later date,” David said.

“However, the rules governing LPAs can be confusing and there are a number of steps families need to take in order to correctly register an LPA. “Due to this, families should always seek specialist legal advice from someone well-placed to understand their unique circumstances and walk them through the process.

“If there is no LPA in place, then it might become necessary for the Court of Protection to be involved.

This is an expensive option involving a large amount of red tape,” he said.

David Webb, Director and Head of Wills, Probate & Older Client services at Mander Hadley Solicitors.

Specialist panel draws on solicitor’s expertise Coventry solicitor Richard Stanford has been awarded membership of the AvMA (Action Against Medical Accidents) Specialist Clinical Negligence Panel.

Richard, a medical negligence specialist with Brindley Twist Tafft & James Solicitors (BTTJ), based in Siskin Drive, had to meet a series of stringent criteria before his appointment to the panel, looking at experience, knowledge, case management, client care and monitoring client satisfaction, among other areas.

Along with his colleague Tom Barnes, a partner at BTTJ who is Head of Medical Negligence, Richard is the only other AvMA panel member within Coventry and Warwickshire.

Established in 1982, AvMA pioneered the concept of clinical negligence as a separate specialism within legal practice, setting up the panel soon afterwards to put Claimants in touch with specialist expert lawyers.

Today the panel is recognised as an essential quality mark for clinical negligence practitioners who place clients at the centre of their practice.

As part of his role on the panel, Richard is expected to represent the interests of referred (and indeed all) clients as well as the interests of AvMA as an organisation representing medical accident victims – including lawyers’ support group meetings, submission of case reports for the AvMA Medical and Legal Journal, and contributing to AvMA’s policy work.

Richard said: “To be a member of the AvMA Specialist Clinical Negligence Panel is arguably the accreditation that is most sought after by lawyers in this field and demonstrates that my knowledge and expertise has been externally and independently validated.

“This is reassuring for clients but also lets defendants know that they are dealing with someone who really knows their stuff.

“Medical negligence represents a key part of BTTJ and is a specialism we are known for nationally. We always try to work with new clinical negligence clients in their own homes – wherever they may be in England and Wales.

We have access to excellent barristers and independent medical experts who we instruct regularly, so can usually select the most appropriate individuals to provide advice and evidence for each specific case.”

Lloyds Bank report - half a million UK SMEs fall victim to impersonation fraud Data by Lloyds Bank has revealed that half a million UK SMEs fall victim to impersonation fraud.

Commenting on this, Steven Malone, Director of Security Product Management at Mimecast, said: offers his insights on why SME should not rely on the thinking that they’re too small to be targeted by cyber criminals in the below comment.

“Email impersonation fraud and ransomware attacks are now the easiest way for criminals to get their hands on valuable data and money. Yet, far too many businesses rely on the thinking that they’re too small to be targeted by cyber criminals.

That naive attitude could be a costly mistake.

“Our Email Security Risk Assessment showed just how many of these malicious emails

are appearing in business inboxes.

In the last quarter alone, there has been an 80% increase in impersonation or business email compromise – or BEC – attacks.

With the number of victims ever growing, it is time for SMEs to realise that their size is irrelevant to hackers, and a breach can have a great impact on their business.

“Hackers rely on human error here, so training employees to recognise the fraudsters is the

first part of the puzzle. To combat these threats, organisations must adopt a cyber-resilience strategy that tackles all organisational weak links from the bottom up.

This means adopting a layered security approach, including dedicated protection from impersonation attacks and secured email systems, along with proactive measures such as simulations and employee awareness training.”

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Finance

HB&O dispel R&D Tax Credits myths at TechCentral seminar

HB&O, in partnership with TechCentral, invited local businesses to a seminar designed to increase awareness and uptake of Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credits, amid news that only 1% of eligible small businesses are currently taking advantage of the relief.

Neil Allcroft, Senior Tax Manager and R&D specialist at HB&O, began by busting the myths related to R&D claims and making it clear that this is not a relief dedicated to ‘white coat research’.

He said: “Businesses often think that they can’t claim if they’ve been paid to do the work, or if they’ve failed to achieve what they were seeking to achieve. That’s simply not the case. And companies don’t have to be profitable to claim either – but they must be a going concern.”

R&D activities that businesses are undertaking all contribute to a successful claim. Direct activities can include design, production and testing, while indirect activities such as training and research also can form part of the claim.

Sarah Windrum, CEO of The Emerald Group and sponsor of Tech Central, shared details of a recent visit to No. 10 with the Federation of Small Businesses, where the lack of take up in R&D tax credits among small businesses was one of the items discussed.

She said: “The lack of take up surrounding this type of tax relief appears to be linked with the lack of available information and knowledge of how to claim. Businesses

make assumptions about what they think is likely to constitute R&D in relation to HMRC relief and can wrongly assume they won’t have grounds for a successful claim.”

Neil Allcroft said: “Although this relief is complex, if you work with a specialist to make the claim, the burden on the business itself is very small, but the potential benefits can be significant. The average small business claim is £60,000 in relief but many are much higher.”

The event, hosted by Coventry University at their Simulation Centre, included a tour of the facilities at the venue where guests were shown the cutting edge immersive technology designed to help organisations train and develop their staff. Paul Fairburn, Director of Enterprise & Innovation at Coventry University, explained the university’s role in promoting leading edge research and education across healthcare, manufacturing, automotive and other industries.

Investments boosts skills A global events company based in Coventry is investing in the skills of its staff after joining forces with one of the UK’s leading education and training companies.

GES in Silverstone Drive is helping two team members to progress up the career ladder. Phil Burrows and Sara Hargreaves are working with assessors from PET-Xi Training after signing up for NVQs in business administration.

Gary Drake, head of contracts at PET-Xi Training at Westwood Business Park, said apprenticeships are the most effective and popular choice of work-based training.

“Over the last 22 years, we have worked with over 100,000 learners and we are finding that more and more businesses are willing to invest in the training and development of their employees,” he said.

“GES is a perfect example. They deliver events, exhibitions and event management on the global stage with a team of 3,800 worldwide.

“Their standards are high and we have started working with GES to provide their team members with the opportunity to

improve their qualifications and increase their skill set.

“As Phil and Sara are proving, the positive impact is that it leads to higher retention rates, a boost in productivity and improves standards of work.”

Phil, a floor planning department supervisor, is head of a team of nine who are focused on compiling floor plans for shows throughout the UK as well as Europe, Australia and Asia.

He said: “The NVQ has involved quite a lot of research into the principles of business and looking after staff.

“It has been useful because it has emphasised the importance of listening to your colleagues and getting your points of view across in a way which is understandable as well as putting the research into practice.

“GES has paid for our training which is great and the NVQ will prove to be really useful because everything that I have learned will benefit me now and in the future.”

Sara, ServiCentre Manager who manages 22 direct reports and oversees a 45-strong

Clive Broadhurst, Portfolio Director, Finance Birmingham, Darren Langdon, Operations Director, Mirius, Steve Quinlan, Managing Director, Mirius

Coventry Chemicals, a manufacturer and supplier of hygiene and disinfectant products to clients worldwide, has announced record-breaking revenues of more than £23m, an increase of 30% over three years following a period of significant investment in new plant and machinery.

Building on the success and to reflect its ambitious growth plans in the UK and internationally, the business recently unveiled a new identity, Mirius.

The firm’s growth follows a period of significant investment into automating its numerous production lines at its Coventry headquarters.

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Patents Innovation and opportunity Whilst the West Midlands is currently one of the most productive regions in the UK and the third largest spender on R&D activity, patent registration is not following that same growth.

Currently the West Midlands region is fifth in the country for patent applications, after London, South East, East of England and South West. However, there has been an increase in patent application in the region between 2016 and 2017, with the region being responsible for 9.02% of UK applications in 2017, compared to 8.45% in 2016.

Gary Drake from PET-Xi Training (left) with Phil Burrows from GES

on-site team, works on more than 400 shows each year as well as dealing with customer queries, providing expert advice, processing orders for core services and delivering customer service in the office and at the shows.

She said: “The NVQ has been a useful platform to better understand best business practice and methodology in applying this across my team.

“Training and quality assurance is an integral part of our team and the NVQ has also assisted in looking at other avenues for deploying this across the ServiCentre.”

Coventry manufacturer’s revenues rocket Founded in 1963, the business, which now employs 148 staff, experienced early success manufacturing and supplying specialist and household disinfectants.

In recent years, it has diversified its service offering by developing its in-house bottle sleeving capabilities, making it the first in the market to offer the service.

Further enhancements to the production lines has led to an expanded product range, including personal care products, allowing the firm to maximise relationships with customers including Aldi, Waitrose and Lidl, as well as embarking on licensed co-representation deals with the AA, JCB and the RSPCA. Steve Quinlan, CEO. of Mirius, said: “As a high-growth company that retains its entrepreneurial spirit, we’ve been able to not only compete in new markets for bigger contracts, but also win and fulfil them successfully.

“We’re now perfectly positioned to seize emerging opportunities in our industry, as

sponsored column

well as cater for increasing demand for our services, as more customers realise the value in efficient, high-quality production.”

Playing a pivotal role in Mirius’ performance in recent years has been external investment, with Finance Birmingham – an alternative SME finance provider – injecting £1.75million to support the firm’s growth in 2014.

Using the money to help optimise its production process, Mirius was able to automate its high-speed packing lines, increasing their filling capacity to over 30million.

Clive Broadhurst, Portfolio Director at Finance Birmingham, said: “Success stories like Mirius demonstrate how flexible investment can support a business’ strategy, providing capital to invest in new products, services and innovation - increasing their competitive advantage, even in challenging market environments.”

With IT systems speeding up patent searches, application processes and making the a priori rights easier to prove, patent applications are an accessible and useful tool for a business in more ways than one.

Creation of IP has been recognised and pushed forward by successive governments to become a cornerstone of taxation policy.

This is part of a wider attempt to drive innovation and economic growth.

Government policy has developed a range of initiatives to help companies innovate, targeted at a wide range of industries. These include Research and Development Tax Relief, Patent Box Tax Relief, targeted grant schemes, Creative Industry Tax Relief and Land Remediation Tax Relief. This has been supported by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) working to make IP protection a more accessible process for everyone.

Many of these schemes are, or can be, interlinked, enabling companies to benefit from differing schemes at different stages in their innovation cycle. For example, Patent Box is linked with R&D tax Relief and SIS and EIS schemes need to have an R&D element.

Critically though, these schemes are available to assist business to grow sustainably, which is imperative to the future of the UK economy.

Come and see us at C&W Rocks or contact us on 01926 512475 for an informal chat or more information.

17

Property

Move opens up new opportunities for company

The Wigley Group’s Lianne Moir, left, and Claire Lynch, right, are pictured handing over the cheque to, from left to right, Gavin Alexander, Captain Joe Moore and Dr Andy Wood..

Team rises to the challenge Colleagues at The Wigley Group took on the challenge of the Wolf Run to raise money for their local Air Ambulance in Warwickshire and Northamptonshire.

The company that revolutionised businesses’ access to high-speed internet across Coventry and Warwickshire has moved into a new HQ following a major development for the firm.

Glide Business, formerly WarwickNet, has connected thousands of firms across the region to fibre broadband since it was formed in 2008.

The company, which moved to the Rural Innovation Centre at Stoneleigh Park in 2015, was recently part of a merger that has seen the creation of a newly-rebranded business.

Previously CableCom Networking Group, Glide focuses on providing infrastructure, connectivity, utilities and innovative technology services to three key areas of the growing PropTech market: business, student and residential.

In the past year, Glide has seen growth of more than 25 per cent to move the business over £50 million annual revenue which has

allowed continued substantial investment into its own fibre infrastructure.

The company expects this growth to increase to 30 per cent year on year and has made provisions to deploy an additional 500km of full fibre over the next 12-18 months.

In line with the growth, the Warwickshire office now has 35 staff and needed additional space. The company has moved out of the Innovation Centre and into three commercial units at Stoneleigh Park.

Founder Ben King, who is now Chief Technical Officer at Glide, said: “We now have 450 business parks connected and operate across the Midlands and further south into Hampshire and Berkshire.

“The merger and creation of Glide is huge and gives us scope for even more growth and that’s why we needed to expand into commercial space here at Stoneleigh.”

Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance receive no government funding and rely solely on donations to continue to save lives.

Claire Lynch, head of compliance at the commercial property and construction company based at Middlemarch Business Park in Coventry, said: “We are really happy to have raised the amount we did and can’t thank people enough for their contribution to the total.

“The Air Ambulance is an extremely important charity that relies on the public’s support as their rapid response time to extreme injuries can be the difference between life and death.

“The Wolf Run was tough, but we pulled together as a team to help each other over the obstacles and through the thick mud, reaching the finish line in good time.

“We’re extremely thankful to Darren Chester and Lee Tiff from local company Amazing Electricians for filling in after our team had some last-minute injuries.

Amazing Electricians also helped to contribute to the funds raised.”

Jo Payne, national partnerships manager at the Air Ambulance, said: “We were thrilled to have the support of The Wigley Group and would like to say a big thank you to them for entering such a big team and running for us.

“As we are entirely funded by donations, this kind of corporate support is essential, and we’d love to encourage more companies to get involved with us for events and partnerships.”

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Colin Hooper, Director of Estates at Stoneleigh Park, said: “We are very pleased to be able to assist the company in the latest phase of its growth.

“As well as being a tenant at the park, they have also made Stoneleigh Park a wellconnected location by massively improving our broadband speeds, which was essential as part of our own development as a science and technology park.

“The way they have grown is a great example of how the Rural Innovation

Looking forward to the future with great confidence

The team had hoped to raise £1,000 for the company’s chosen charity by completing the Wolf Run but managed to beat their target by collecting £1,589 in sponsorship.

The Air Ambulance attend around 1,000 missions a year, each costing around £1,700, and provide the best possible pre-hospital care and rapid transport to specialist hospitals for those suffering with serious injury and illness.

Ben King (left) with Colin Hooper

A Midlands property company has broken through 500 homes mark over the past four years and is on course to deliver hundreds more properties before the end of the decade.

The Deeley Group, based in Coventry, has delivered 552 units across Warwickshire since it worked with Bromford Housing

on a development in Arley, North Warwickshire, in 2014.

Through its offering as both a developer, Deeley Properties, and a main contractor, Deeley Construction, it has worked in partnership with a range of housing groups and associations on projects valued at close to £75million.

The biggest scheme was 179 units for Orbit Homes at Queensway Court in Leamington – part of a major regeneration scheme – and Deeley has worked with the company on three further projects since 2015.

The group has a further 290 units lined-up between now and 2020 including in Southam, Warwick, Leamington and Coventry.

In addition, there are potentially 92 more homes across the region that are currently going through planning, while the company has secured a place on Homes England DPP3 framework and also the WM Housing Framework.

Pat Moroney, director of Deeley Properties, said: “It’s been a very positive few years for the Deeley Group and reflects our ability to deliver new homes schemes in partnership with housing groups and land owners.

“Our work, with those companies, has helped to deliver well over 500 new homes for communities in our area and will be pushing 1,000 should we be successful in achieving planning in some new schemes we have in the pipeline.

“As an SME contractor and developer, we have the agility and integrity to offer our clients an end-to-end and personal service that helps them to deliver highquality, affordable living homes.

“We can secure the land, work with them on permissions and site preparation and then, through Deeley Construction, actually build the homes too.

“We are looking forward to the future with great confidence as we prepare to deliver even more homes for our region in partnership with our clients.”

New £3m industrial development planned for Southam Two Leamington-based commercial property consultants have announced that they have merged to create ‘an even stronger and more dynamic’ firm with a growing management portfolio valued in excess of £100 million. ehB Commercial has joined forces with Reeves and Partners to create a partnership which will trade as ehB Reeves.

Initially, the two businesses will continue to operate independently, with ehB trading from its current premises in Clarendon Place and Reeves remaining at its base in Euston Place, Leamington Spa. The longer-term plan is to relocate both businesses to one location in the centre of Leamington, bringing all of its services under one roof.

Simon Hain, director of ehB Commercial, said: “This is a natural coming-together of two successful businesses which will expand both our agency and management presence to cover the wider Warwickshire and Midlands region.

“We will be able to offer a strong service which people will be able to look to with confidence. It will be a comprehensive offer and enable us to diversify the business even further.

“Likewise, it will be a seamless merger for ours and Reeves’ existing clients. It’s important for us to be open about our plans with our clients and contacts, as we are a people business first and foremost.”

Richard Pomfret, managing director of Reeves and Partners, said: “This is a significant move for us and we are delighted to be teaming up with ehB, a company which, like ourselves, has worked hard to establish the reputation it enjoys in South Warwickshire.

“It’s very much business as usual for us both as we enter this exciting new partnership.”

Mr Hain said the property management market is buoyant in the Midlands, making it a perfect time to expand in this arena.

“We’re both going in with the view that we will look to expand and bring in new staff in the future,” he added.

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Brexit Club

Brexit ‘having a big effect’

James Ahearne, Alan Durham, Mike Spicer, David Burton, Mark Berrisford-Smith, Yemi Alli, David Hooper, Ian Coulson

Brexit has already had a major impact on the economy – before the UK has left the European Union, a leading economist has told an audience in Warwickshire.

But Mark Berrisford-Smith, Head of Economics at HSBC, said the extent to which exiting the EU would affect the economy depended on the deal – or lack of it – that was struck with Brussels.

He was speaking at an event with the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s Brexit Club, sponsored by HSBC, at Coombe Abbey and told businesses that there were other factors that ‘matter more’ than Brexit.

Berrisford-Smith said early indications that simply voting to leave had wiped around £25bn from the UK economy and that a ‘no deal’ scenario with the EU would bring further disruption.

He said: “The vote to leave caused a currency shock, the kind of which we’ve seen in the 1960s, 1990s and then again in 2008-09.

“A fair assessment is that the economy is roughly 1.25 per cent smaller and that’s around £25bn off GDP. “It brought inflation but probably not as much as would have been expected. A ‘no deal’ Brexit would bring another currency shock and it really could get messy.

White paper welcomed Business leaders in Coventry and Warwickshire have welcomed the Brexit White Paper – but say it should not have been left until the last minute.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s Brexit Club has held a series of meetings since the decision to leave the EU and has regularly been calling for greater clarity on the UK’s proposals around trade.

The Government published a White Paper on the UK’s future trading relationship with the EU following a meeting at Chequers.

David Burton, the chairman of the Chamber’s Brexit Club, says it gives business some idea of the direction of travel but that it has left little time to negotiate the plan with the EU. He said: “We welcome, at last, some degree of clarity on how the UK Government sees our future trading relationship with Europe and we welcome the emphasis placed on keeping frictionless trade with the EU. “However, we have got to the point now where time is very much of the essence and we need to get on and negotiate this plan with the EU. The issue we have is there is very little time.

“This plan should have been published straight after the referendum – in fact it would have been even more useful to have had a plan before the vote!

“But, as businesses, we have to be practical and pragmatic. We have reached this stage and we now urge both the UK and EU to move at speed with the negotiations that the agreed version of our future trading relationship can be established and all the necessary work for the transition put into action.

“Business is ready, willing and able to support those discussions to ensure we get the best deal possible that ensures that trade remains at the heart of our relationship with the EU.”

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“A sensible deal with the EU, however, would probably strengthen Sterling.

“Brexit is a bit like asking a world class football team to play with an old-fashioned football from about 60 years ago. It wouldn’t be as easy, but if you have the necessary skills you can deal with it and your class would shine.

“There are lots of factors, however, that matter more than Brexit. The global economy is cooling and a trade war got underway on June 1.

“Tariffs from the USA were followed by tariffs from the EU and it’s a similar picture with China and the USA. It’s going to protracted and ugly.

“We don’t know how long it will last or how much damage it will do but it could tear up the very notion of the West. Wouldn’t it be useful if the Cabinet were going away to discuss the new Trumpian World Order rather than post Brexit customs arrangements?”

Berrisford-Smith was followed by Mike Spicer, Director of Research and Economics, for the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).

He said the BCC had been working hard to ensure that the Government understood the needs

of business – from small companies right through to large multi-national corporations.

Spicer then joined a panel session with David Hooper, of Independent Freight Solutions; Yemi Alli, of Alsters Kelley Solicitors; and Ananth Krishnan, of HSBC; before the event was closed by Ian Coulson, of HSBC. David Burton, chairman of the Chamber’s Brexit Club, said: “We are grateful to HSBC for sponsoring the event and to our panellists for providing great insight.

“The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce was very quick off the mark in setting up this club to help support our members and provide information and assistance as we move towards the exit – whenever that may be!”

The Chamber have produced a Business Brexit Checklist to help companies scenario plan and prepare for Brexit, covering topics such as trade, customs, workforce and taxation issues.

For further information, go to www.cw-chamber.co.uk or contact the Chamber on 024 7665 4321.

Confidence holding up in uncertain times Business confidence in Coventry and Warwickshire has taken a small dip – but still remains positive and stronger than the national average, according to a major survey.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s latest Quarterly Economic Survey (QES), in conjunction with Warwickshire County Council, has revealed a second successive fall in the economic outlook for the region.

The QES, which feeds into the national British Chambers of Commerce survey, acts as a barometer for the economy across the city and the county. The results are calculated and then given an index rating where 50 is a balance between growth and retraction – so anything above means the majority of respondents are feeling positive.

In the last quarter, the manufacturing sector reported a fall in both domestic orders and overseas orders, while the service sector also saw a decline in overseas sales.

There was positive news in the service sector, as domestic orders rose again from 65.2 to 66.1 after a small fall in the first quarter of 2018.

The index on employment saw a fall in both the service and manufacturing sectors from 61.0 to 59.5 in the service industry and from 68.1 to 67.5 in manufacturing.

There was an improvement in investment in both training and equipment in the manufacturing sector but a dip in the service sector.

All in all, it led to the overall business confidence index falling from 77.6 to 76.5 in the service sector and from 83.8 to 78.1 in manufacturing.

Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said:

“The QES is a great gauge of how businesses are feeling across our patch and the results bear out what we are hearing anecdotally from companies.

“There is still confidence and optimism in this region – which is why the index is still positive and way ahead of the national picture – but there is also an element of uncertainty creeping in which has seen the index drop slightly.

“It’s important to recognise that there is still strong confidence in the region and that companies, generally, have a positive outlook about doing business here.

“But, equally, as a Chamber we will continue to give firms as much support as possible to help them grow either through getting out there and meeting potential new clients and, also, supporting and advising them on opportunities that are out there.”

David Ayton-Hill, Economy & Skills Group Manager at Warwickshire County Council, said: “The changes reported in the results do not lead to any immediate concerns over business activity within Coventry and Warwickshire, it is perhaps worth noting that there has been a marked increase this quarter in businesses highlighting uncertainty over Brexit as being a key area of concern.

“Economic theory highlights the importance of certainty and stable conditions to promote and stimulate business investment and confidence.

“Until there is some more clarity around the Brexit negotiations, it is likely that we will continue to see some downward pressures on these indices, particularly the elements that are looking at future market opportunities and conditions.”

CVAs and Landlords Company Voluntary Arrangements (CVAs) have never been far from the front pages so far this year with a number of well-known High Street names using the procedure to reorganise their financial affairs.

New Look, House of Fraser, Carluccio’s, Jamie’s Italian, Mothercare, Carpetright and Byron Burger have or plan to use CVAs to free themselves from unprofitable sites and significantly reduce rents at others. In order to preserve these companies as going concerns, landlords are being asked to reduce rents or accept a significant write off, often whilst other creditors are being paid in full.

But are landlords starting to bite back?

For example, the landlords in the House of Fraser case have appointed property agents to represent them collectively in negotiations to improve their bargaining position. Interestingly, even companies which are not seeking a CVA are getting organised. Next recently announced that it would be insisting on a “CVA clause” when it renegotiates leases, which says that Next’s rent should fall by a similar amount if one of its neighbours in a shopping centre achieves a rent reduction through a CVA. Next believes that CVAs give an unfair advantage to competitors by allowing them to sever leases while those companies not seeking a CVA are forced to honour expensive commitments.

This puts landlords in a difficult situation as on the one hand they might be asked to accept a rent reduction in the context a CVA in order to retain a tenant going forwards but on the other their acceptance of that might result in one of their other “non-CVA” tenants demanding the same reduction.

It will be interesting to see how the relationship between High Street companies and their landlords develops.

Often, a landlord’s consent is key to a successful CVA and without a CVA the insolvent company is likely to enter administration or liquidation. With the failure of BHS and other high profile administrations in recent months and the tough retail economy generally, difficult times for the High Street are certainly not over yet.

Should you feel that you or one of your clients might benefit from a discussion with us on any insolvency matter, please do not hesitate to contact John Rimmer or any of the BRI management team on 02476 226839, jrimmer@briuk.co.uk or www.briuk.co.uk/contact.

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Profile: Joe Reeves

Homes are where the Heart is For Joe Reeves, home is not only where the heart lies –

it’s where his head is too.

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www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Profile: Joe Reeves Joe is the Executive Director of Growth & Corporate Affairs at Midland Heart, one of the region’s largest housing associations which owns and manages 33,000 homes, providing accommodation for more than for 70,000 customers.

His CV is impressive – a degree in Public Policy and Business Administration, and more than a decade with pwc – but perhaps more surprisingly the geography has remained steadfastly the same.

He was born, bred and educated in Birmingham and, while others with a similar academic and career background might have explored new territories, he has remained very much on home turf.

“I’m one of those very fortunate people who have been well educated and had good jobs all in the Midlands.”

It is no surprise then, that his current role helping provide quality housing brings him true job satisfaction.

“After my degree at Aston I did my chartered accountancy qualification with pwc, then stayed with them for 16 years.

“My degree and work placement sparked an interest in working in the public sector.

In my early career at pwc I carried out audits in local government and the NHS and that experience allowed me to get a really good background into the financial aspects of organisations in the public sector.

“After qualifying as a chartered public finance accountant I stayed at pwc and moved into the corporate finance team where I became a Director and began work on project finance activity. I was advising local authorities on significant PFI projects such as building schools and social housing projects and a lot of public-private ventures.

“I was based here in the Midlands, but I had built up a national expertise, so I was working on projects all over the country.

“I started to develop expertise around housing, whether it was looking at local authority housing revenue accounts, delivering joint ventures or public-private partnerships.”

The rise of PFIs was halted by austerity, so Joe jumped across the private-public divide to put his skills to good use at the coal face.

He said, “I thought to myself, how can I use my skills in a different way? That’s when the opportunity came up to join the Executive board here at Midland Heart.

“I knew some of the executives here and thought that taking up this role would be a natural progression after having advised within the sector before.

“I suppose it was the ultimate test of my experience because suddenly I was having to follow the advice I had been offering to other organisations for years!”

Housing associations are independent bodies with charitable objectives and they sit “squarely within the public-private interface”.

But that means, by its very nature, their business flexes according to the whims of Government policy.

The latest initiative will see Government implement a Voluntary Right To Buy pilot which will enable housing association properties to be bought by tenants.

Details are still to be to be released, but it follows a pilot in 2016 in the South East

under a pledge made in David Cameron’s 2016 election manifesto which sees homes sold at below market value, with the Treasury compensating Housing Associations.

And then there is the “housing crisis” – and part of Joe’s role is to ensure Midland Heart has a robust housing delivery strategy.

“There is a significant demand for houses.

The West Midlands Combined Authority has suggested that they will be seeking 215,000 new homes across the region by 2030/31.

“Nationally the Government wants to build a million homes over a five-year period. It’s going to be a challenge, notwithstanding the uncertainty over Brexit, and we have to ensure that land supply is in place together with the relevant infrastructure spend to allow it to be built to be able to hit that level.

“Land shortage is always a challenge.

Work is being done to ensure that all the correct planning is in place and there is far more co-operation between local authorities, that’s always a good thing for us.

“That means dialogue with a huge number of bodies as we have a very significant spread. The operation runs across the Black Country over to Leicester and as far north as Stoke.

“We will continue to have dialogue with local authorities to understand the requirements of all the different localities, and work to align the interests of all stakeholders.

“For us, land comes from a variety of sources - we either purchase property from the mainstream developers, we work with contracted developers to deliver package deals, and we may deliver some of our own land led deals.

“As land is scarce and everyone is upping their game, there is intense competition but we do collaborate. For example, the West Midlands Housing Association Partnership has been set up so that we have a single voice to consider a number of mutual interests between the sector and the combined authority.

“A number of areas in the Midlands are well served but we want to make sure there is a balance within those communities as some areas require more social affordable housing than others.

“That’s one of the things that Midland Heart want to look at in the future, to ensure a variety of needs are met so that people on the waiting list all get a fair chance.

We’ve got an incredibly diverse economic geography, which is why our balanced approach is so critical to the sector.”

It is clear to see that he did not have to leave the region to build a challenging career – and it is a path he believes will be increasingly trod.

“Professional services in the West Midlands are really strong, and I think that trend will only increase,” he said.

“We have some major professional players relocating to the area and expanding, and also developer advisory firms are establishing offices in the region. I also believe the arrival of HS2 will only see that continue.”

“Land shortage is always a challenge.

Work is being done to ensure that all the correct planning is in place and there is far more co-operation between local authorities, that’s always a good thing for us.” www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Working Day Joe lives in Sutton Coldfield and drives into head office in the centre of Birmingham – ready for a day of variety with the team of 40 who report into him.

“There is no typical day – I might be meeting stakeholders, or the communications team, working with the development team on existing and future schemes, and meeting elected officials.

“A few weeks ago, we had our first MP forum in Westminster. We spoke to 15 members and gave them a detailed brief on our plans for their particular areas.

“It is different to when I was an advisor at pwc, now I’m a decision maker. The pressures are different.

This is much more about ensuring we meet our strategic objectives as opposed to fee earning and lots of deadlines.”

His day ends at around 6-7pm – but arrival time at home is traffic dependent.

Born: Date of birth: Live: Married: Hobbies: Children: Favourite Book: Favourite Film: Last Holiday: Car: Gadget:

Birmingham August 9, 1975 Sutton Coldfield To Samantha Running, travel Two boys - Luke (10) Adam (8) The Hobbit Young Frankenstein Paris at Easter Volvo V60 Fitbit

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COVENTRY & WARWICKSHIRE

GREEN BUSINESS NETWORK

If you are you a small to medium sized organisation in Coventry and Warwickshire, then you could be eligible for FREE Energy Efficiency audits and Low Carbon Grants up to £100,000 More than half of UK Small to Medium sized enterprises do not know what they spend on electricity, gas and water as a percentage of their overheads and only 1 in 10 SMEs perform an energy audit each year.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Green Business Programme was launched to overcome barriers to energy efficiency and give smaller business owners access to trusted advice and financial support to unlock low carbon opportunities and make energy efficiency investments and savings.

Grants are available for: LED Lighting New energy efficient equipment and machinery New efficient heating systems Renewable energy e.g.solar PV, thermal hot water, biomass Plus many other measures

Local business fit for growth - Indigo Fitness

Green Business Network

Thanks to a £43,497 grant from the Investment Fund and a £62,070 grant from the Green Business Programme, a Nuneaton based business, Indigo Fitness was able to expand their business and achieve energy efficiency savings at their newly acquired site on Whitacre Road.

Why not join the Green Business Network for free. The local network allows businesses to come together, share ideas and promote energy efficiency. The network is open to any business of any size. By becoming a member not only will you improve your green credentials, you will be able to access a range of additional benefits including:

Indigo Fitness is the UK’s largest Fitness equipment manufacturer. They design, manufacture, assemble deliver and install products and services for the Commercial Fitness sector as well as for the MOD. Having recently moved to a building that dates back to the 1960s, they have completed extensive renovations, bringing the building in line with the latest standards of safety and energy efficiency. Repairs included a new fully insulated roof, IR Heating and cutting edge sensor controlled LED lighting throughout, designed to reduce 35 tonnes of CO2 emissions every year.

Rob Coleman, Managing Director, Indigo Fitness said: “The funding has enabled us to not only provide a more efficient production process but the extra space and light (provided by the new roof) has also greatly improved the working environment for our staff.”

Gary Thyeson, Account Manager at the CWLEP Growth Hub said: “One of the reasons the Growth Hub was launched was to help make businesses aware of the support available to them. Having alerted Indigo Fitness to various funding options will now ensure they continue to expand.

Expert technical assistance from our advisors Free events and workshops on subjects such as Building Information Modelling (BIM) software, Revit, AutoCAD, Circular Economy, Energy Storage, Energy Saving Techniques and Low Carbon Building Design Free development resources Latest trends in environmental practices Member only webinars Networking and supply chain opportunities Monthly newsletter Email greenbusiness@coventry.gov.uk if you would like to join the network.

Above: Infrared heated workstation pod Left: The team at Indigo Fitness with Sara Wilkes (middle front row), Energy Advisor, Green Business Programme

The team at Indigo Fitness

Sarginsons new gas furnace

Nigel Lanigan (left) and Jeff Turner (right) from Sarginsons Industries Ltd with Sara Wilkes, Energy Advisor, Green Business Programme

Casting company making savings in their electricity consumption Sarginsons Industries Ltd is a lightweight castings business based in Coventry, supplying products for a range of major companies – such as Aston Martin and Jaguar Land Rover. The company has invested £130,000 in new energy efficiency measures at its foundry, £26,365 of this was through grant funding from the Green Business Programme. The measures installed include two new gas furnaces, a new air compressor system, a power factor correction capacity along with new LED lighting across its facility, designed to dramatically reduce carbon footprint. Sarginsons also received an Investment Fund Grant of £25,300 which helped them purchase a FARO 3D Scanner, Spectro-Analyser and Shot Blast Cabinet.

The effects of Sarginsons’ investment in green technologies has been nothing short of phenomenal. The investment has seen Sarginsons electricity consumption drop from an average of 4,000 units per week to a steady 3,000 units per week, resulting in a yearly average drop of 25% and a saving of £4,600 per month. The company believes it will reduce its CO2 emissions by as much as 335 tonnes per annum.

Anthony Evans, Managing Director at Sarginsons Industries, said: “The support we received has helped us to make the investment in substantial new equipment that has seen us become much more environmentally friendly as well as making cost savings within the business. It has been a source of great pride for the company and I encourage other companies to make use of the Green Business Programme.”

Events Programme We have just launched our Autumn programme of events, all are free to attend.

21 September 2018 Energy Saving and Low Carbon Workshop Rugby 26 September 2018 Circular Economy Solutions for Businesses Coventry 18 October 2018 Sustainable Building Design Principles A Walking Tour - Coventry University 31 October 2018 Energy Saving and Low Carbon Workshop Nuneaton 22 November 2018 UK Energy Storage: The Opportunities Coventry 30 November 2018 Energy Saving and Low Carbon Workshop Coventry Find out more at http://bit.ly/cwgreenevents

If you have an idea for a topical event or would like to be a guest speaker please do get in touch via greenbusiness@coventry.gov.uk or call us on 024 7678 6901.

For more information and to sign up to the FREE Green Business Network go to: www.coventry.gov.uk/greenbusiness e: greenbusiness@coventry.gov.uk t: 024 7678 6901 @cwgreenbusiness http://bit.ly/greenbusinessproglnkd The Coventry and Warwickshire Green Business Programme is part financed by the European Regional Development Fund and is delivered by Coventry City Council, Coventry University and Coventry University Enterprises Ltd.

Enterprises Limited

The future of gigabit internet connectivity is here We’re bringing ultrafast internet speeds to even more business and, for the first time, residents in Coventry, thanks to our partnership with Vodafone.

What does this mean for me?

Access gigabit speed (1000Mbps) internet services

Say goodbye to the dreaded buffer symbol

Enjoy crystal clear video calling

Fully benefit from smart home technologies

Work from home with seamless file sharing and reliable cloud access

Stream Ultra HD 4K TV in multiple rooms at the same time

Full speed ahead!

Register your interest today and join the full fibre revolution Business registrations: cityfbre.com/connect Residential registrations: vodafone.co.uk/broadband/gigafast

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Area Focus: Coventry

Expansion for Geotech An internationally-owned company is to expand into Coventry as part of a multimillion pound investment.

Geotech, a world leader in the design and manufacture of gas analysis technology, is moving from its base in Leamington Spa to Cyan Park in Coventry.

The new offices will also become the international headquarters for Geotech’s parent company QED Environmental Systems which is based in Dexter, Michigan USA. The new 25,000 sq. ft. complex, bought by the company through city-based commercial property agents Holt Commercial, will be responsible for all business operations in Europe and the Middle East, as well as the Asia Pacific market for the QED

Fans’ fundraising day out Coventry Rugby have announced a new partnership with local charity Zoe’s Place, who provide respite and palliative care for children and babies up to five years of age, doing much-needed work to support children and families in some of the most difficult circumstances life can present.

To launch the relationship, Zoe’s Place have organised a “Fan’s Day Out” 10k charity walk, taking in some of the key landmarks of Coventry.

The start and finish will be at Coventry Rugby’s Butts Park Arena, starting from 10am on 13th October.

Registration to participate in the event costs £25 and includes:• Free Fan’s Day Out T-Shirt • Participation in the walk • Refreshments (food and drink) at the finish • Finisher’s Certificate • Free entry to Coventry Rugby’s Greene King IPA Championship match versus London Scottish The link to the Zoe’s Place website to register is www.fansdayout.co.uk

environmental business.

The facility, which will be home to around 50 staff, is currently being fitted out ahead of the move later this summer.

The work will include newlydesigned open-plan offices, the creation of purpose-built engineering facilities to ensure the business maintains and excels all current manufacturing and calibration standards.

Dean Kavanagh, Geotech MD, said: “Relocating to Cyan Park forms part of our strategy to build a world class environmental technology business under the QED brand, but is also the result of our sustained growth and need for increased office and engineering space to continue to meet the high standards our clients expect.

“This move positions us for further growth while reinforcing our reputation for accuracy, reliability and associated world-class customer service and support.”

Geotech was formed in 1972, and was taken over by QED group in 2016. QED Environmental Systems is part of the US public company Graco Inc, which has a turnover exceeding $1.4 billion and over 3,700 employees worldwide.

Peter Holt, who negotiated the deal for unit, said it was essential that Coventry and Warwickshire was able to house growing companies.

“Geotech is the prime example of the innovative technological companies which we have all across Coventry and Warwickshire, and as they

Dean Kavanagh (left) with Peter Holt

thrive and grow it is essential that we retain them in our area.

“Cyan Park is really well placed in terms of the city but also the wider transport network, and Geotech is investing heavily in all aspects of the property, which is only good for the staff, the company and the development.”

Boom times beckon for Coventry Coventry could be in for a multi-million pound windfall, according to a new report by economic consultancy Regeneris.

The study examined how the economy is likely to benefit from full fibre connectivity, quantifying the impact to the city over a 15-year period.

The city’s business community, in particular, stands to benefit enormously as access to gigabitspeed full fibre connectivity could unlock £57m in business productivity and innovation.

A further £29m in growth could |be driven from new business start-ups, with enhanced connectivity making it easier and less expensive to set up base and run efficiently.

Meanwhile. the increased ability for companies to support flexible working could also add a further £26m. This will not only help to reduce barriers to work, but improve employees’ work-life balance, which in turn improves motivation and retention.

Crucially the network roll-out itself is expected to drive £36m in direct economic growth, employing an average of 150 people in the construction and civil engineering sectors throughout the duration of the project.

According to the researchers, smart city initiatives including home automation technologies, smart energy networks and intelligent transportation systems, could also add as much as £77m locally, too; while digital enhancements in the delivery of healthcare services could be worth £19m.

Coventry is already ahead of the game, having become one of the first cities in the UK to connect the majority of its GP practices to a Gigabit City network, offering world-class connectivity to staff and patients.

As one of the first cities in the UK to benefit from the new Vodafone and CityFibre

Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) programme, Coventry is now well on its way to becoming a beacon of digital transformation. The city’s existing 180km network – which was launched in 2014 to serve Coventry’s public sector and business community – will be expanded to reach nearly every home and business in the city.

As part of this first phase deployment, a detailed planning and city build programme is under way and work will begin on construction of the new network later this year.

Greg Mesch, CEO at CityFibre, said: “Coventry is a forerunner of digital transformation in the UK. This report demonstrates that the city is set to enjoy huge economic benefits as a result of this roll-out.”

The CityFibre team will be taking part in the #CWRocks Breakfast Briefing alongside connected customer, the Ricoh Arena, where they will discuss the benefits of full fibre connectivity and how Coventry is set to thrive following the network expansion.

To find out more about the event, which is taking place on the 28th of September, visit: www.cwexpo.co.uk

It’s a fare cop for National Express Coventry with dedicated revenue team boost

As a direct result of passenger and driver feedback, National Express has introduced a dedicated Coventry ticket inspector team so that revenue staff can be based permanently on the city’s bus network.

In January, two National Express inspectors started out on routes across the city to help combat fare evasion and anti-social behaviour

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

on the bus network. So so far this year, the duo has boarded nearly 4,000 buses and checked over 70,500 tickets.

National Express Inspector Ajay said: “It’s been great getting to know our National Express Coventry routes and customers.

“It can be a tough job when we come across the small minority of customers that chose not to pay their way but the honest-fare paying passengers do seem to appreciate that we are working alongside them and our drivers to tackle fare evasion and antisocial behaviour.”

Tom Stables, National Express Managing Director, said: “Ensuring that everyone buys a valid ticket is really important - it means we can continue to keep our fares as low as we can.

they’re working closely to tackle fraudulent travel and anti-social behaviour on the bus network.

More dates for joint partnership working are being planned in the near future.

“We created this dedicated team in response to requests from both our passengers and our drivers.

They give us greater coverage on our bus network to fight fare evasion and anti-social behaviour.”

The ticket inspectors work in pairs - one inspector for upstairs, one for downstairs, to ensure the ticket checks are carried out as quickly as possible. Unless there are discrepancies, most inspections take less than two minutes.

National Express Coventry and Safer Travel recently put joint partnership working into action when the inspectors were joined by Safer Travel Police, with whom

Once on board the bus, inspectors check tickets and passes visually, and Swift cards electronically.

Gallagher announced as Official Title Partner of Premiership Rugby Premiership Rugby and Gallagher have agreed a new multi-year partnership that sees Gallagher become the official title partner of Premiership Rugby, beginning with the 2018-19 season that kicked off on 31 August.

The new title partnership agreement commenced on 1 July when one of the foremost professional sports competitions became known as ‘Gallagher Premiership Rugby.’ Last season more than two million fans attended live Premiership Rugby matches, many of these were fans attending Wasps matches at the Ricoh Arena.

J. Patrick Gallagher, Jr., Chairman, President and CEO of Gallagher, said: “By uniting with this globally-known and fast-growing franchise, we have a terrific opportunity to increase awareness about our company, values, expertise and services, and jointly participate in community projects and causes to make a difference.

This dynamic business and marketing partnership with Premiership Rugby reflects who we are culturally and professionally.”

Locally, the new premiership is especially exciting for Gallagher teams in the Coventry office, who already provide Insurance Broking and Risk Management services to Wasps.

Kathryn Moon, Managing Director at Gallagher in Coventry, said: “We are committed to supporting the communities in which we work and are already delighted to be a partner and supplier to Wasps, who have called Coventry ‘home’ since 2014.

Through that relationship we have been able to advise and support this highly successful and expanding local club with their risk management and insurance needs.

“Through our new association with the broader Premiership Rugby competition, we are excited to be able to showcase our client services and capabilities to an even wider community of rugby fans and businesses at both a local and nationwide level.”

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Area Focus: Coventry

Syscomm rolls out Ultrafast G.fast Broadband Businesses and homes in Coventry and Warwickshire can now switch to G.fast and benefit from ultrafast internet speeds of up to 330Mbps – more than ten times the UK average.

Syscomm is continuing their network investment to support a brand-new type of ultrafast connectivity to firms across Coventry, Warwickshire, Leicestershire and Birmingham.

Manufacturer targets new jobs A Coventry machine tool manufacturer is set to create 30 new jobs as it expands into a new headquarters – and has major growth plans to increase output and create a range of new products.

Matrix, a manufacturer of specialist grinding machines, is moving into a new base at Coventry Business Park.

The firm, which was founded in 1913, currently employs around 30 members of staff, but the larger headquarters will enable it to double this as it looks to increase output from manufacturing 20 to 100 machines per year.

Matrix is also investing in research and development, exploring new technology including robotics and automation to create a range of new products.

The new 54,000 sq. ft. complex, bought by the company through city-based commercial property agents Holt Commercial, will eventually house up to 150 members of staff as part of the expansion.

With upload speeds of 50Mbps, this truly offers businesses a premium lowcost broadband solution. With introductory pricing at £55 / month for 330Mbps, Syscomm is making ultrafast connectivity available to homes and businesses across the region at industryleading affordable prices.

G.fast is a hybrid-fibre technology which delivers ultrafast broadband over existing copper lines, offering comparable speeds to fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) technology, but without the complexities of the current FTTP build-out. The result is that Syscomm can get businesses connected rapidly without the need for surveys or costly cable works.

The new Syscomm network offers enhanced security and reliability than typical broadband delivery, with Syscomm operating specially integrated software that can detect and fix issues long before customers even notice.

This kind of performance monitoring and remote management functionality provide a faster, more stable service making it ideal for home workers and small business use, helping to boost productivity and, in turn, the local economy.

Syscomm’s CEO, Chris Tyler, said: “We’re delighted to be leading the way locally with our G.fast proposition.

Whereas FTTP is for the lucky few, G.fast is for the many. The rollout brings real performance benefits for the wider business community, but in the nearterm. Syscomm are fully embracing the technology to open access to ultrafast Cloud and Internet bandwidth, helping our customers to scale and protect their businesses with new Cloud technologies and offsite backup.”

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Nelson Chiow (Finance Director), Nick Holt, Paul Farndon (C.O.O), Mike Page (Manufacturing Director)

Nick Holt, who negotiated the deal for the unit, added: “Matrix has a strong history in the city and it is excellent to see the company invest in a property on Coventry Business Park.

“Matrix is dedicated to growing and developing the business, and has development plans which will create jobs for local people and help the economy thrive.”

University to help research students with aviation institution link-up

As one of the first ISP’s to offer new ‘G.fast’ technology, Syscomm are enabling local businesses to take advantage of ultrafast bandwidth at a highly competitive price point.

In a groundbreaking move, Syscomm has adopted this exciting next-generation technology within its own regional network and is one of a select few ISP’s able to service Leamington Spa homes and businesses with this innovative Internet solution offering speeds up to 330 Mbps.

Paul Farndon, Chief Operating Officer of Matrix, said: “We are already based on Coventry Business Park, but our new larger site will give us a freehold home and will be ready for us to move into towards the end of 2018.

“It will give us the space to quickly double our workforce as we look to increase our output and have a major push on research and development.

“Matrix is a global market leader of both internal and external thread grinding machines, and is very strong in the export market. We will continue to develop the business further by expanding our product portfolio into other grinding and metal cutting applications.

“We are looking to become a magnet for high-end skills in the area and will also develop young talent as we take on more apprentices every year. There is a lot of history with Coventry and Matrix and we will continue to invest in the local economy.”

Coventry University has launched a new research centre and doctoral training college in the Middle East in collaboration with the Emirates Aviation University (EAU).

The Dubai-based Research Centre for Digital Innovation and Artificial Intelligence will train its research students to specialise in a range of disciplines related to these fields, including aviation, management, security and smart cities.

Building on an existing partnership between Coventry and EAU – through which the two institutions have run joint postgraduate programmes in the aerospace field for over a decade – the new venture will see PhD students awarded their degree from both universities.

Research students will be based in Dubai, but will also spend time in Coventry and receive support from Coventry University academics.

The research areas will be closely aligned with those focused on by Coventry University’s Research Institute for Future Transport and Cities and reflect the emergence of

Dubai as a centre for aviation, new approaches to urban development and, increasingly, new digital advances.

The EAU, which is located in the Dubai International Academic City – a vibrant cluster of colleges and higher education institutions from around the world – was established in 1991 and currently has around 2,000 students from over 75 countries, many of whom are aiming for careers in the airline industry.

Richard Dashwood, deputy vicechancellor for research at Coventry University, said: “The shared expertise of our two universities

in the aerospace and transport industries, and our joint ambition to advance knowledge and skills in these fields, have provided the perfect platform for the launch of this new doctoral training college and research centre.”

Dr Ahmad Al Ali, Vice-Chancellor of Emirates Aviation University, said: “Our partnership with Coventry has always added value to our students and proved to be successful. The opening of the new research centre and doctoral training college is a testament to our growing commitment to always provide them with the best tools to develop their skills and capabilities”.

Accountants enlist experts to implement a Telecommunications platform for the future Business communications is a hot topic at the moment with many firms still relying on legacy on-premise solutions, and soon to be obsolete and expensive ISDN lines.

The limitations of these old-fashioned systems can stifle business growth and be a burden to maintain.

Prime Accountants Group, one of the leading Accountancy firms in the Coventry and Warwickshire area, identified business communications as an area of improvement for the business.

They turned to PBX Hosting, based at Fletchworth Gate Business Park and a Corporate member of the Chamber, who have been transforming business telecommunications both locally and nationally for the past four years.

Many businesses are embracing cloud-based technology and moving vital business communications off premise and onto a fully managed cloud with full resilience built in, with none of the expensive hardware to maintain.

Prime Accountants, a strategic member of the C&W Chamber, contacted PBX Hosting to consider the future for their business communications after identifying their current on-site telecoms solution was outmoded and lacking modern features. They also required a solution which ensured their recorded calls complied with the 2018 introduced MiFID II nd GDPR legislations.

Paul Holtom, from PBX Hosting, said “Prime Accountants Group are based over two sites in Coventry and Solihull and regularly have employees travel between them for work.

With our Hosted 3CX solution we were able to provide the hot desking features Prime required, as well as a mobile app and WebRTC to all employees, to ensure they have full extension mobility and their clients can reach the person they need to speak to, regardless of where they are, without delay.”

Laurence Moore, from Prime Accountants Group, said: “As a growing business with two offices and more than 80 staff our phone lines are in constant use. We pride ourselves on being approachable for our clients and wanted to ensure that the client experience was improved even more by a more streamlined, efficient phone system.”

PBX Hosting will be exhibiting at the upcoming C&W Trade Exhibition at the Ricoh Arena on Friday 28th September

Coventry Cathedral launches free admission for visitors Coventry Cathedral has decided to scrap admission fees - eight years after they were introduced.

The free admission policy was brought into action after a special celebration event held by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The cathedral is now free to enter with visitors invited to make a donation to support its upkeep and work.

Admission fees were first introduced in 2010 in order to cover

the increasing maintenance and running costs of the cathedral.

However, in the last few years, the cathedral’s financial position has been brought under tight control and the launch of the Investors in Hope fundraising campaign alongside collaboration with the Diocese of Coventry has made this change possible.

The Dean of Coventry, the Very Reverend John Witcombe, said: “When I arrived in Coventry five

years ago, I immediately recognised how much everyone wanted to return to free admission.

"It is the fulfilment of a five-year dream to take this ambitious step of faith, to fling open the doors for visitors from the city, the region, and across the world to our fabulous cathedral. It is our mission to change lives by sharing our beauty, and our story.

This will help us reach so many more people, to make so much more difference.”

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Area Focus: Coventry

sponsored column

Coventry is Culture Secretary’s first regional visit since being appointed

Laura McMillan, Phil Redmond, Chenine Bhathena, Jeremy Wright, Martin Sutherland, David Burbidge, Martin Reeves

Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright joined some of the UK’s leading cultural and creative institutions to discuss how to maximise the benefits of Coventry 2021.

In his first regional visit since being appointed Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Mr Wright met the team who are delivering Coventry’s UK City of Culture programme.

He was joined at Coventry Transport Museum by Phil Redmond, chair of the UK City of Culture Independent Panel, and senior

representatives from the BBC, Channel 4, Arts Council England, VisitBritain, Heritage Lottery Fund, Big Lottery Fund and Spirit of 2012.

The Tate, Science Museum Group, British Council and National Museum Director’s Council were also in attendance.

They discussed opportunities to collaborate over the next three years and how the UK City of Culture programme can be developed through working together.

Jeremy Wright said: “UK City of Culture will be a huge moment for Coventry. As Hull 2017 demonstrated so successfully, the title can change perceptions, boost the local economy and increase access to arts and culture.

“It is important that Coventry maximises this opportunity by using culture as a catalyst for regeneration so that all communities across the city benefit.

“Coventry is my local city and I know it will rise to the occasion. I am delighted that so many of our country’s great institutions are

showing their support to Coventry 2021 and I am very excited about their plans."

Coventry is pressing ahead with plans for 2021 after the appointments of Chenine Bhathena, as Creative Director, and Martin Sutherland, as Executive Director and Chief Executive.

David Burbidge, Chairman of the Coventry City of Culture Trust, said: “We have forged wonderful relationships with national bodies and organisations which are going to play a key role in making Coventry a huge success as UK City of Culture 2021.

“This was a great opportunity for the new Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright to meet our new leadership team and to hear some of our plans for 2021.

“We met Jeremy during the bidding phase because he is MP for Coventry’s neighbouring constituency of Kenilworth and Southam and we look forward to working closely with him in his new role.”

Companies urged to consider placements Work experience placements can have huge benefits not just for young people looking to learn about the world of work but also for business owners.

Coventry College is actively seeking to engage with SMEs within the Coventry and Warwickshire area who would be able to offer a placement to one of their college students.

College leaders believe it is a ‘win win’ situation if you are an SME owner – there is no cost attached, you can raise your company profile and engage with the community, while passing on skills and knowledge to young people who in return could give you a new perspective or fresh ideas.

Double glazing installation company C L Charley has been established for 20 years and previously had never offered work experience.

Business owner Craig Charley recently bucked that trend and offered seven students from Coventry College a work experience opportunity for one week.

After a successful placement, student Shane Muller was offered full time employment by the company – a perfect example of just how crucial work experience placements can be.

Craig said: “I was apprehensive about taking on a college student for work experience, however in

my search for a trainee I had great help and back up from Danielle at Coventry College.

“We were able to see the students getting hands on and working instead of them just sitting and asking questions in an interview.

“I was very surprised at how difficult it was to pick out the seven students, but Shane was the best thing to come out of this whole experience.”

Work Experience is essential to every learner’s development as it enhances their skills, qualities and responsibilities within their chosen area of study for future employment.

It also helps them to appreciate the reality of transition from college life to working life.

Shane said: “Being given the chance to work with Craig at C L Charley was a great experience.

“Finishing college and going straight into work was a big change but a great opportunity.

“Doing my work experience really helped me with getting work ready.”

If you are interested in how you can support local students with an opportunity to experience working life, please get in touch with Danielle Clare via email at d.clare@coventrycollege.ac.uk or call 07870 996320.

of certifications with an outstanding record of success.

PET-Xi Training runs the Microsoft Office Specialist programmes in three different markets – schools, business and vocational – which teach and accredit highly-employable IT skills in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel.

This award is for its work with Year 11 students since 4,000 pupils across the UK have received the certificates with a 95 per cent pass rate.

PET-Xi Training has joined only a handful of organisations in the UK to have been awarded Outstanding Centre of Excellence status including Coventry University and Sheffield Hallam University.

Navjot Johal, Head of Operations at PET-Xi Training, said it had been a surprise to hear the news at the Cert Matters Live! event at The Design Museum in London.

He said: “We are really proud to have been chosen to be an Outstanding Centre of Excellence.

“We have been holding these courses since July 2017 and we

Andrew Flood, CEO of Prodigy Learning (left) with Navjot Johal, Head of Operations at PET-Xi Training

are different to other organisations in this category since we have been honoured for the work we do with 15 and 16-year-olds since most of the others are in the higher education sector.”

Coventry University ranked among best in Europe for teaching Coventry University has been ranked in the top 100 of universities in Europe for the quality of its teaching and learning in a new league table, and ranks top in the UK – and third in Europe – for how well it engages with its students.

The league table, published by Times Higher Education magazine, scores universities across the continent based on feedback from students and on global academic reputation, among other measures.

As well as student engagement and reputation, universities’ rankings are measured by how effectively they deliver teaching, how inclusive the learning environment on campus is, and how good the outcomes for students are.Coventry scored particularly well in the

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student engagement pillar of the rankings, placing third overall in Europe based on a survey in which students feed back on – among other things – whether the teaching challenges them and whether they have opportunities to make connections with the world of work (for example through work placements).

The latest rankings success for Coventry comes after it retained its title of UK’s top modern university for the seventh consecutive year in the Guardian University Guide 2019, and secured a gold rating in the UK government’s Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF).

Coventry was also made ‘University of the Year’ in last week’s Education Awards 2018, which celebrates and rewards outstanding contributors to the education sector in the Midlands.

This year ActionCOACH celebrates 25 years of serving thousands of businesses and their owners around the world and in every category imaginable.

Running your own business can be an incredibly rewarding, amazing experience.

But for some it doesn't always feel like that – in fact sometimes it can be quite frustrating and lonely and often hard to see the wood for the trees – and that’s where ActionCOACH can help.

Over the past 25 years ActionCOACH has developed a powerful system for growing businesses and the people in them.

Personally I have over 37 years blue chip corporate experience in Sales, Finance, Account Management and Team Management.

Whether your challenge is that you have no time left for a life outside of business, struggle to get the best out of your people or just simply that you want to boost your bottom line profits, I can help.

By blending my personal experience together with my ability to access the ActionCOACH system I can help you create a plan and implement a step by step process for creating the business that you want and one that could provide you with the lifestyle you aspire to.

Training company is honoured An award-winning education and training company based in Coventry has secured another accolade for the high standard of its work.

PET-Xi Training in Westwood Business Park is among only 19 organisations in the UK and Ireland to have been presented with an Outstanding Centre of Excellence from Prodigy Learning, which is licensed by Microsoft as its education global training partner.

The plaques are only awarded to centres that deliver a high volume

Creating the Business you want

Vice-chancellor John Latham said: “We’re a global university whose outlook is focused on engaging with our students and giving them a quality international learning experience wherever they choose to study with us, so we’re incredibly proud of the results from these continental rankings.

“It’s important to us to be representing Coventry at an international level like this, and to be attracting talented individuals from around the world to come and study at our university and contribute in the many ways that they do.

“As ever with our league table performances, it’s a testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff. Through this ranking they’ve received an emphatic vote of confidence from our student community.”

In February 2018, I was the winner of “UK Best Client Results” within the 150 strong UK ActionCOACH community.

The award was based on client testimonials – in particular one from Sheet Metal Prototype and Production Specialists PAB Coventry Ltd. The full PAB testimonial together with others is available on my LinkedIN profile.

If you would like to explore whether the work I do could benefit you and your business then do please contact me for an initial chat – thereafter I’d be very happy to offer C&W Chamber Business Owners a complimentary Business Strategy session to help drive your business forward.

To your success.

David Lee ActionCOACH 07970566390 davidlee@actioncoach.com LinkedIN www.linkedin.com/in/davidleeac/

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Area Focus: Coventry Creavo Medical Technology invests to support continued growth Chamber members Creavo Medical Technologies Ltd, based on Middlemarch Business Park in Coventry, and Mann Telecom of Rugby have been working together to equip Creavo for continued rapid expansion.

Creavo have grown rapidly from just five to 45 employees in four years to support the development and commercialisation of their magnetocardiography device where they have two major and several smaller studies ongoing.

This technology is used to aid clinicians to rule patients out of the chest pain pathway in a fraction of the time required by existing methods, offering the potential for both significant cost savings for hospitals and improved outcomes for patients.

The collaborative nature of the work and ever-expanding workforce means that Creavo need tools that make it possible for virtual and highly mobile teams to work together in real time on complex projects, sharing their presence information, collaborating on documents and using video conferencing to bring people together to work on tasks quickly.

A new system that replaced the existing telephone system at Creavo and complemented it with a suite of collaboration tools to enable Creavo to change they work and communicate was needed.

Rugby-based Telecoms company Mann Telecom were selected and supplied a new ‘Unified Communications’ package from vendor 8x8.

John Mann, founder of Mann Telecom, said: “We are delighted to be working with an innovative company like Creavo to improve the way they work with new tools that allow effective collaboration. It’s great to think that what we do will enable Creavo to build their business even faster and ultimately save lives.”

Bob Roopra, Director of Business Development at Creavo, said: “We are pleased to have been able to update our systems to one that will meet our growing needs for collaboration and flexible working with a technology that will help us stay ahead of the curve.”

Screens part of big investment at stadium The installation of the largest LED screens in UK sport is being seen as a key component of the Wasps rugby club’s significant investment in new technology at the Ricoh Arena.

At 188 square metres, the new screen at the South Stand is being installed by leading stadium technology provider ADI. The screen will be larger than those at leading stadia such as Twickenham and Hampden Park and, with a 10mm pixel pitch, it will

also be one of the highest resolution stadium screens anywhere in the country.

In addition to the new screen, an LED scoreboard and clock is being installed on the West Stand mid-tier and there is further investment in new LED screens at the Ricoh Arena entrance and inside the main atrium.

Stuart Cain, Commercial Director for Wasps and the Ricoh Arena, said: “We’ve responded to fans requesting better quality

screens by installing one of the largest state-of-the-art pieces of technology in UK sport.

This will massively improve people’s experience when watching Wasps.”

Geraint Williams, CEO of ADI, said: “Wasps are really pushing the boundaries to create something special for their fans. We’re delighted to be a part of that.”

A new ticketing system and online retail store are also being developed for the new season.

New plant helps company double in size

Expert’s current HQ in Coventry, UK

A major manufacturer of industrial automation and tooling systems is to open a new plant in China which will double its size.

Expert Tooling & Automation, which has plants in Coventry and the North East, has formed a partnership with Chinese firm Star Eagle Global and established a new company in Hefei, China.

It has secured a new 200,000 sq ft plant in the city, in the Anhui province, and won backing from regional government and has planned that production will begin before the end of the year.

It is expected that the new plant, which represents an investment of more than £5 million, will employ around 200 staff by the end of 2019, doubling the current workforce.

About 20 employees from within the Star Eagle Global group have already been transferred to the new venture named Expert Automation Technology Co Ltd. Expert is the UK’s leading manufacturer of industrial automation systems, assembly tooling, automated assembly, special purpose machinery and single and multi-robotic cells, including robotic assembly.

It works for many of the leading automotive OEMs including Jaguar Land Rover, Ford, Toyota, Nissan, Aston Martin and McLaren.

The Chinese venture is designed to use its expertise in aluminium and composite vehicle assembly, battery pack assembly, power train and final assembly in the rapidly growing electric vehicle sector in China.

Managing director and founder Angelo Luciano said: “This is the culmination of in excess of 12 months of negotiations and between the companies and regional government in China.

“Our partners have significant interests in automotive equipment manufacturers across the world that fits extremely well with Expert’s highly-skilled and qualified workforce and our expertise and experience in key areas of the industry.

“It will allow the company to capitalise on the largest and fastest growing automotive market in the world with our knowledge and experience, all of which will be in high demand in the ever increasing EV sector in China.”

The news comes after Expert announced a £10 million investment in a new state-of-the-art headquarters at Lyons Park in Coventry.

Luciano added: “The next few years will be very dynamic for the company and its employees and will prove challenging for the company as it grows its business internationally.”

Teenager’s wheelchair design wins national award A student who hopes to tackle the stigma of disability has won a national award for his wheelchair design.

Khalil Ismail, a Year 12 student at WMG Academy Coventry, was presented with a TeenTech Award for the wheelchair he designed as part of his Product Design course.

He picked up the Best Innovation Award at the Royal Society in London, at a ceremony hosted by TV presenter Maggie Philbin.

Khalil said: “I feel so honoured to have won this award; there were so many other deserving projects and I think that my winning represents all of the finalists and what we can achieve in the world of STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) when we put our minds to it.

“I wanted to make something that would have an impact on

someone’s life and that would alleviate the stigma inherent in society towards disabled people.

It’s a prominent problem which I wanted to address.”

Khalil’s design follows a ‘cyclical’ theme, with curves throughout the apparatus to provide a sense of artistry alongside the chair’s practical use. The 17-year-old was shortlisted as a finalist after being nominated by his school in the Best Innovation (Concept) category.

Khalil said: “Wheelchair users will feel more confident and in control with this wheelchair because it’s an extension of the person. Aesthetics are a large part of the design, as well as the function.”

Khalil, a sixth former at the academy in Mitchell Avenue, hopes to study design at university

next year. WMG Academy’s Associate Principal, Matt Brady, said: “I am incredibly proud of Khalil’s achievements, and his design really could enhance lives.

“This award is well deserved and will make him stand out from the crowd as he progresses in his career.”

Maggie Philbin, TeenTech CEO, said: “Congratulations to all the winners this year. These were highly contested awards with over 1,500 students taking part, and we, as always, were blown away by the standard of the entries.”

Khalil will present his design to HRH Duke of York in the autumn.

X-Ray vision for TruTac software users X-Ray Transport Management Services Ltd, the Colchester-based commercial transport consultants, have seen a reduction in driver infringements and an increase in analysis management since their customers signed-up for TruTac’s compliance control software.

TOf X-Ray’s 500-plus clients in the UK, 75 are now using TruTac’s tacho analysis and fleet control systems and, according to Managing Director Ray Baker, five or six new customers are coming on board every week.

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This will give fans the chance to see 3D views from their seat before buying, as well as mobile ticketing which reduces the need for paper or plastic cards.

Ray said: ““We have used other analysis systems but, frankly, they fell short of the mark, so in April 2017 we started using TruTac and the difference in ease-of-use and transparent analysis was immediately apparent.”

Software modules such as the TruChecks app, enable remote defect reporting for drivers when completing daily walk-round checks. This information is immediately downloaded to the system, thereby enabling any defects to be recorded and dealt with.

All records are available for any subsequent DVSA inspections or audits.

According to X-Ray, the most common reason for operators to be penalised is through ‘Failure to notify’ – whereby operators fail to inform the Traffic Commissioner regarding changes in management, maintenance schedules, convictions etc. After this, the second biggest operator misdemeanour is failing to accurately or regularly report vehicle defects.

Ray said: “This accounts for around 60% but with the TruChecks remote defect reporting operators are seeing a significant reduction in this area.”

Sponsorship is announced

Utility Team announced a new partnership with Coventry Rugby Club ahead of its first season back in the Championship after an eight-year absence.

In April, the club were confirmed as National One champions after a record-breaking season in which they lost only three of their 30 games and they will now compete in the Championship with Premiership rugby very much the long-term goal.

These are exciting times to be a supporter of Coventry Rugby Club and Utility Team says that it is proud to be sponsoring the club this season.

Whilst such a relationship greatly increases Utility Team’s own exposure within the local community, the company is also aware that, by sponsoring Coventry Rugby Club, it is also giving something back to the people of Coventry, especially through Coventry’s close links with local schools and colleges and the excellent outreach work it does with disadvantaged children.

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Area Focus: Mid Warwickshire

Game changer at Leamington College skills and experience young people need to start a career in the games, animation or VFX industry, or to progress on to degree level courses, either at the College or at another University.

Students will be equipped with the skills to develop the next videogame sensation, create visual effects for the latest TV or movie blockbusters, and start their journey to becoming the next generation leads.

Steve Stopps (Excalibur Games), Andrew Brazier (Course Leader) and Neil Coker (Group Vice Principal Curriculum for WCG)

Warwickshire College Group (WCG) have announced a working partnership with NextGen Skills Academy that will see Leamington College build upon its existing reputation for excellence in the delivery of its Games Art diploma within the region.

WCG has offered courses in games development since 2005, and has placed many students in industry jobs around the UK.

Neil Coker, Group Vice Principal Curriculum, WCG, said: “Games design, animation and VFX industries are estimated at £6bn to the UK economy, with Leamington’s Silicon Spa being a major player in contributing to this.

Launching this September, the NextGen Level 3 Extended Diploma in Games, Animation and VFX Skills is equivalent to three A Levels and is a vocational course, providing the

“The NextGen-AIM Awards Level 3 Extended Diploma in Games, Animation and VFX Skills will equip students with a strong foundation in art, design, programming and

computing skills, which are highly desirable to employers. They will also receive continuing guidance and feedback from professionals currently working in the industry.

The course is designed to focus on making sure students have the relevant experience as well as the skills and knowledge to break into this exciting and innovative sector.

“This partnership will ensure that we can continue to provide the vital skills our young people need to meet the demand for skills locally in the sector, and ensure that Leamington remains to be at the heart of new developments in the games industry.”

Julian Cabrera, Managing Director of NextGen Skills Academy, said: “We are delighted that Royal Leamington Spa College are joining NextGen Skills Academy. The whole NextGen team are excited to be

working closely with the college to continue to produce students that have the skills employers want.”

Steve Stopps, Development Director of Excalibur Games, said: "The UK games industry is thriving, and needs the best talent to continue to grow. Royal Leamington Spa College has played an important part in nurturing games industry talent for many years. The partnership with the NextGen Skills Academy will take this to the next level, cementing the region's pivotal role as a centre for digital creativity."

There’s still time to enrol for this course which starts in September.

For more information, or to apply, call 0300 456 0049, email abrazier@warwickshire.ac.uk or visit the NextGen Level 3 Diploma in Games, Animation and VFX Skills course page: www.wcg.ac.uk/

MP offers guidance on Brexit Businesses in Warwickshire have been given guidance on Brexit by a key Government figure.

Jeremy Wright, MP for Kenilworth and Southam, met members of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s Mid-Warwickshire branch at the Holiday Inn in Kenilworth.

The new Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport discussed Brexit with about 20 Chamber members, who were also told at the meeting that the Chamber and partners were helping deliver a range of workshops designed to tackle the skills shortage in the area.

Warwickshire County Council, working with the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, recently launched its five-point plan to help business who are suffering as a result of the skills shortage in the region.

The courses will be delivered by Warwickshire County Council, the Chamber and the HR Consultancy, with input from a range of partners and providers, and were launched at the meeting.

Fay Winterburn, Business Skills Advisor for Warwickshire County Council, said:“We would urge companies to register to take advantage of the support that is out there. While it is

encouraging that our economy is in good health, it is vital that we help develop a pipeline of skilled staff if that growth is to continue.”

Alan Durham, Ajay Desai (both Chamber), Jeremy Wright, David Myskow (branch chair), Fay Winterburn

Bid to increase eco-homes A pilot scheme between a Warwickshire housing development company and Warwick District Council will lead to the creation of more eco homes in the area.

AC Lloyd Homes, which is based at Tachbrook Park, Warwick, has started building eight eco homes as part of

Phase 1B of Oakley Grove in Harbury Lane, Bishop’s Tachbrook in Leamington.

All the eco homes will have air source heat pumps with underfloor heating to the ground floor together with other features to best insulate the property and save energy. These include thermal insulated plasterboard,

Alistair Clark from AC Lloyd (left) with Councillor Alan Rhead from Warwick District Council

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For more information, go to https://docs.google.com/forms/ d/e/1FAIpQLSdA3rdMU4SCVnii mFq8OQFH5DFLXPugltBOmUW9niMPgNl-w/viewform

increased loft insulation, smart technology, solar panels and water butts.

Construction will start in November and is expected to take six months to complete.

Alistair Clark, Managing Director of AC Lloyd Homes, said initially they had been approached by Warwick District Council to create one eco showhouse to promote the use of sustainable energy.

He said: “Building sustainable and energy efficient homes is very important with spiralling fuel costs and climate change.

After starting talks with Warwick District Council nine months ago, we have decided to build eight eco houses at Oakley Grove because I felt, if it was popular, we needed to give the potential purchasers something to buy which embraced renewable energy technology.

“Once they are completed, it is going to be interesting to see if people are willing to pay a little bit more money to buy a home which will save them money

over time as well as improve the environment.

“This is a really exciting project and I look forward to receiving the reaction of our customers” Warwick District Council’s Portfolio Holder for Development Councillor Alan Rhead said: “The District Council is very pleased to announce that it is supporting and endorsing AC Lloyd’s initiative to include some of the latest energy saving and alternative energy sources available within its latest housing development at Oakley Grove.

“For some time now, we have been researching how best we can move house building into a more energy conservation arena.

“Not only will this initiative save energy and be more cost effective for the residents, but it will also deliver a more eco-friendly development.

“We very much hope that this initiative will not only attract new customers, but will also raise the bar for future housing across the district as customers appreciate and welcome the benefits.”

Student achievements celebrated at special ceremonies Exceptional students celebrated their achievements at special awards ceremonies at Royal Leamington Spa, Moreton Morrell, Rugby and Warwick Trident Colleges.

A total of 113 students studying at the WCG family of colleges were recognised for their hard work, dedication and attainment throughout the academic year.

The events, held at the end of June at each college, were enjoyed by family, friends and members of staff.

Angela Joyce, Group Principal and CEO, gave out awards for each subject at each college for Outstanding Achievement, Commitment to Learning and Student of the Year, before an overall Student of the Year for each college was announced.

The Royal Leamington Spa College Student of the Year was Health, Social Care and Early Years student Elinor Bird.

The Moreton Morrell College Student of the Year was Dean Sharpe, a Level 3 Diploma in Floristry student.

The Warwick Trident College Student of the Year was Jack King, a first year Level 3 Extended Diploma in Engineering student. Jack also won Engineering Student of the Year.

The overall Rugby College Student of the Year was Health, Social Care and Early Years student Jamie Townsend.

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Area Focus: North Warwickshire

Programme seeks to help long-term unemployed Long-term jobseekers and disadvantaged people in Nuneaton will be helped back into work by a pilot programme run by one of the UK’s top training and education specialists.

A contract worth nearly £210,000 has been awarded to Coventry-based PET-Xi Training from the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) via the Government’s Department for Work and Pensions to hold specific job advice sessions and provide specialist support in Camp Hill, Nuneaton.

The Employment Support Pilot scheme will also help low-paid workers achieve the skills needed to gain more highly-qualified, better-paid jobs.

Eight PET-Xi Training staff will run the project at the Camp Hill Education, Sports & Social (CHESS) Centre in Cedar Road, Nuneaton, its new facility in Abbey Street in Nuneaton town centre which is due to open this summer and its mobile engagement vans which will travel throughout the borough.

Camp Hill is one of nine areas chosen in the region as part of the Employment Support Pilot scheme which will run for three years.

Fleur Sexton, managing director of the awardwinning PET-Xi Training which is based in Westwood Business Park in Coventry, said this pilot programme would reduce the barriers to employment for people of all backgrounds to improve their job prospects as well as help lower-paid people improve their skills.

She said: “We are proud to have been chosen as one of the training providers in nine communities in the West Midlands to run the Employment Support Pilot programme following a competitive tender process.

“We have vast experience in working with hard-to-reach communities and we will be working with those aged between 16 plus in Nuneaton who want to re-train to apply for better-paid jobs and those who have not been employed for a long time.

“This scheme will be providing specialist tailored advice to each individual and regular support sessions and we will be encouraging everyone who takes part to spread the word among their friends, neighbours and relatives about the advice available.

“We will also be making people aware of local job opportunities as well as the training and support available with completing job applications and giving advice on interviews.

“Most of our sessions will take place at the CHESS Centre to make it easier for people to attend since that removes any barriers with travelling or childcare.

“But for those who wish to meet us away from their community, we are opening a new Skills centre in Abbey Street in Nuneaton town centre and we will also be driving our mobile vans around Nuneaton to community areas to promote the programme.”

Fleur said she was keen to support West Midlands Mayor Andy Street as part of his vision to improve skills throughout the region.

She added: “The West Midlands Combined Authority was set-up to devolve powers back to the region and make a real difference to peoples’ lives by helping them to improve their future.

“This is exactly the kind of project which will help to achieve that by using social networks within communities to make people aware of the project and how we can help.

“We are looking forward to further building relationships in Nuneaton and Bedworth as well as with the West Midlands Combined Authority throughout the duration of this programme.”

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Intrepid Control Systems enjoys rapid growth Intrepid Control Systems, a global provider of high technology software and hardware, including autonomous vehicle solutions, has exceeded all expectations since launching its UK office in Warwickshire in January.

Thanks to comprehensive support from chartered accountants and business advisers, Harrison Beale & Owen (HB&O), Intrepid was able to quickly establish its UK office at the MIRA Technology Park in Nuneaton, and has been rapidly building its customer base ever since.

Intrepid set up the UK office following growth in demand from UK customers, many of whom are based in the Midlands.

The company primarily works with automotive OEMs in developing new vehicles, providing network-based tools (similar to black boxes) to improve vehicle hardware and software.

HB&O worked with Carl Hills, the UK Managing Director, to set up the company from scratch and establish all the necessary compliance processes and management systems needed to get the business off to a great start. This has included setting up cloud accounting processes and payroll systems, through

Chris Zbozien and Carl Hills, Intrepid Control Systems, Phil Ewing, HB&O

to specialist pensions advice and creation of employment contracts.

Mr Hills said: “Since establishing our UK office, we have seen an increase in sales that has exceeded all our expectations.

“HB&O has provided high quality, responsive support throughout, which has enabled us to focus on our customers rather than diverting too much attention on

the administrative aspects of establishing a business.” he added.

Phil Ewing, Coventry Director, HB&O, said: “Carl and his team have been incredibly focused from day one and have taken a very proactive approach to working with our team. It is particularly pleasing to see Intrepid make such a promising start in the UK and we look forward to working with their team as they continue to grow.”

Learning disabilities no barrier to job success for Natasha

Natasha Hope and Harry Dean, BFRS CEO at the British Forces Resettlement Services offices in Nuneaton.

As an Administrative Assistant at the British Forces Resettlement Services (BFRS),-a Social Enterprise created to help the Armed Forces Community with their transition into civilian life, Natasha Hope feels she has found her niche at work.

Natasha, 18, from Nuneaton, says she has ‘moderate learning difficulties’, but since she started working for BFRS as an apprentice, she has grown in confidence.

Natasha loves her new job, which includes inputting data, meeting and interacting with clients at events, and adding new jobs to the BFRS website.

She went to Oakwood School Academy, Nuneaton, then at 17, took part in the supported internship scheme at gas distribution company Cadent, (formerly National Grid) where she gained experience in a range of work areas, plus Entry Level 3 qualifications.

Natasha said: “I love this job, and the people are great. I was nervous to start with - who isn’t when they’re starting a new role - but within a week I realised there’s nothing to be scared of. I hope at the end of my year’s apprenticeship, I will be able to continue working here.

“More employment opportunities are needed for people with learning disabilities, as well as more awareness in society generally. There is such a wide variety of people with different learning disabilities, we are all individuals with different talents and strengths - just like everyone else.”

Harry Dean, BFRS CEO, said: “Employers looking to recruit shouldn’t be

blinded by the fact that someone may have learning difficulties or other disabilities.

So many people are given these labels yet they have a wealth of qualities which are extremely valuable. Apart from being a great worker, Natasha has brought a really happy, positive atmosphere to the office.”

Cllr Izzi Seccombe, Leader of Warwickshire County Council, said: “The changing economic climate and the uncertainty of a post Brexit world, means it’s more important than ever for our businesses to be more creative and flexible when it comes to recruitment. Nine of our 11 special schools have pupils aged 16 and above, and increasing numbers of these young people are seeking to enter the workforce. We are committed to ensuring that the skills young people with disabilities are developing in schools and colleges, are used in the workplace.”

While Warwickshire is the fastest growing economy of all local authority areas in England, the region isn’t immune from the national skills gap. This is why Warwickshire County Council recently launched a new campaign, Tackling Skills Shortages, which helps employers address the issue with a range of free practical support, including workshops; expert advice surgeries and tips for businesses to follow.

The County Council has identified five key areas business can work on to tackle skills shortages, including tapping into wider pools of potential workers that can sometimes be overlooked, such as talented young people like Natasha.

The council aims to establish 100 supported internships across Warwickshire by 2021.

They are looking to work with about 20 businesses to achieve this in the next three years. Businesses interested in finding out more about this initiative, should visit: skillsforemployment@warwickshire.gov.uk or call 01926418027.

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Area Focus: South Warwickshire

New online platform is launched Paul Triggs, Valentine Smith, Carolyn Smith (all Comesto) with Ian McFarlane-Toms

A Warwickshire technology company has launched a new online platform that will boost the chances of independent food and drink businesses of selling their produce into restaurants, pubs, bars and cafes.

Comesto, which is based in Elizabeth Court in Stratford-uponAvon, went live with the platform in August and it is predicted to

disrupt the way eateries can purchase from smaller suppliers.

The service, which is free to trade buyers, is a mix between an online marketplace and a dating app where, for a small monthly subscription, suppliers can display their products and services to and do business directly with potential clients.

Comesto has been supported by the University of Warwick Science Park’s Business Ready Programme through mentoring, and assistance in accessing grant-funding to turn the platform into an app.

Already 200 suppliers – from craft beer makers through to locally farmed meat – are signed up to the service before it has launched and

the aim is to reach at least 1,000 clients by January 2019.

Valentine Smith, Comesto CEO, said the initial response was exciting and that the support the firm had received gave it the opportunity to grow more quickly.

He said: “We are from marketing, technology and PR backgrounds and we all have a real passion for independent food and drink businesses. Comesto brings all of that together. “ Ian McFarlane-Toms, a Business Growth Adviser at the University of Warwick Science Park, said Comesto had identified a gap in the market.

He said: “They’ve clearly researched this market and have developed a

service that has the potential for growth and development.

“The support we have been able to offer has helped them to move forward at a faster pace and to focus on the most important aspects of launching a technology business.

“We wish them every success with the launch and in building on what they have already achieved so far.”

Business Ready is delivered by the University of Warwick Science Park and is part of the Coventry and Warwickshire Business Support Programme, which is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and Warwickshire County Council.

Work under way to create new HQ The first step has been taken to create a new state-of-the-art European HQ for an electrical manufacturer in Warwick.

Sodick, which was established in Yokohoma, Japan, has been operating in Coventry since 2008 and is creating a new 45,000 sq ft complex at Tournament Fields in Warwick.

The firm, founded in 1976, is a world renowned manufacturer of electrical discharge machines, which are used to make tools and parts for a variety of industries including automobile, aerospace, electronics and more.

The move will see Sodick and Sodi-Tech EDM – the exclusive distributor of Sodick products in the UK - come together under one roof, with 46 members of staff, once it is built. The new centre will run its sales, service and marketing support

operation for the whole of Europe, as well as Russia and Africa.

The move has been made possible by leading law firm Wright Hassall, independent property consultants and chartered surveyors, Wareing & Company, and Sodick’s property agents, Bromwich Hardy.

Sodick’s European CEO Peter Capp said: “The desire to build a new stateof-the-art-factory has been an objective of our expansion programme for several years and despite the UK Brexit vote we still decided that the UK was the perfect place to continue our growth.

“Our Coventry base has been steadily growing its business over the last decade and we now turnover £45 million per year. We believe this is a great opportunity for us to continue to grow in the UK and Europe.”

Andrew Jones, Bill Wareing, Melanie Capp, Greg Capp, Paul Shanley, Peter Capp, Sarah Stokes, Greg Kirby, Richard Hardy, Ian Morgan

Andrew Jones, partner at Leamington based law firm Wright Hassall, which has acted for Sodick since its arrival in the UK, helped complete the purchase of the land.

He said: “Sodick’s decision to keep its European HQ in the Coventry and Warwickshire area, while moving into state-of-the-art premises is good news for the area and for the company.

“We have worked with them during an incredibly successful period since their move to Coventry and we look forward to their successful future growth.”

To mark the start of building work, developers, surveyors and Sodick bosses came together for a ceremonial ground-breaking ceremony.

Bill Wareing, of Wareing and Company, said: “Tournament Fields is a thriving site for businesses and the perfect location for Sodick to continue their development. It has grown to become a very valuable and vibrant commercial hub attracting a range of businesses which realise the benefits of being based in Warwickshire.”

Honour for volunteers

The Shakespeare Hospice was honoured to have Warwickshire’s Lord Lieutenant Tim Cox in attendance at its annual Student Volunteer Celebration Evening.

The evening was a chance to commend the hard work done by its younger volunteers and Student Ambassadors.

Mr Cox, who was accompanied by the Lord Lieutenant’s Cadets, heard several students speak about their experiences of volunteering at the Hospice, before handing out certificates to acknowledge those who have gone that extra mile or who have volunteered for over a year.

In the past 12 months, more than 80 young people from the Stratford upon Avon District have given up their free time to volunteer in a number of roles at the Hospice.

Some volunteer in Hospice retail outlets, whereas others have worked alongside staff in supporting young carers or bereaved children.

Angie Arnold, Chief Executive at The Shakespeare Hospice, said “We continually strive to communicate to the community that the Hospice is not a scary place. Having young people involved with our services helps to spread the word about the care we provide and dispel some of the myths surrounding hospices.”

Mr Cox thanked the students on behalf of her majesty the Queen for supporting their local charity, acknowledging the mutual benefits of volunteering to both the students and the community.

Warwickshire company celebrates a decade in business by becoming UK leader

Local Gin festival pulls the crowds Billesley Manor in Stratford upon Avon played host to a gin festival that attracted more than 300 people.

Music was provided all afternoon by the talented Andrew James, which had the crowds up dancing in the sunshine.

Catering options were all gin inspired with delights such as gin and tonic hot dogs and Blood orange and gin flavoured ice creams, Five local distilleries attended and sponsorship was provided by Fever Tree. The popular distilleries were Shakespeare Distillery Polo Gin, Wood Bros, Cotswold Gin and Sovereign.

Guests were given a souvenir gin goblet on arrival and merrily spent the afternoon re topping glasses with various flavour’s and mixtures.

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Never before have we been more aware of our natural environment – and one local business is leading the way in changing how planners, developers and landowners approach the need for better green spaces.

This year sees Wharton celebrating its tenth year in business, having started out as a part-time ‘lifestyle’ business for a local authority tree officer from Wellesbourne.

Fast-forward a decade and Wharton Natural Infrastructure Consultants, based in Alcester, is celebrating its milestone anniversary as one of the largest tree consultancies in the UK. The company, founded and headed by

Peter Wharton, is a one-stop shop for land, tree and ecology advice, managing projects and developments for everyone from councils and planning departments to private estates, property owners, land managers, architects, schools and leisure destinations.

The focus is on viewing trees and green spaces not as obstacles in the planning process but as assets; enhancing development, protecting and creating invaluable natural spaces and realising the hugely positive impact that they have on everything from property prices to health and wellbeing.

But it’s not about tree-hugging, as Mr Wharton, a 36-year-old dad-of-two, explains. He said: “We’re definitely not tree-huggers, and that’s important. We believe there’s a fine balance between appropriate tree retention and the need for development. It’s not about enabling

old trees to be removed to make way f or a new development and re-planting in a new area.

“We are realists - and sometimes a tree does have to go. Wherever possible we will mitigate the impact of development, finding a solution that has minimal impact on the trees and ecology of the site.

“Our mission is to be nature’s voice – and we want to change the way trees and ecology are viewed in planning terms; rather than it being a box to tick or a problem to overcome, we turn natural constraints into exciting opportunities: achieving planning success, improving quality of life, allowing nature to thrive.”

One of Wharton’s biggest achievements to date is the regeneration of Coventry University.

The trees and ecology were a major constraint, but it was considered that the removal of trees to allow development - with new green areas created elsewhere - provided the optimum solution that struck the right balance between nature and human needs.

Without Wharton’s expertise resulting in re-planting across the city - the new Science and Health Building which was opened by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge earlier this year, wouldn’t have happened.

Having started as a small, one-man part-time business, Wharton now employs a team of eight and is looking to ‘branch out’ further in the year ahead, taking on more staff and opening a second office in the Birmingham area.

Students ‘promoted’ to Portugal’s premier league Sport students from Stratford-uponAvon College have been put through their paces on a once-in-a-lifetime football and fitness tour in Portugal.

The five-day trip gave 19 young athletes the enviable opportunity to develop their football and fitness whilst experiencing new cultures and training techniques.

Throughout the activity-packed tour, the lucky students participated in fitness training sessions and intense professional-level football coaching at the world-famous Benfica training ground in Lisbon. Even relaxing evenings were ruled offside as football

matches were scheduled against Portuguese teams Atletico Clube Portugal and Porto Salvo Atletico Clube.

While attending Benfica Academy, the athletes were taken on a tour of the first-class facilities by resident coaches, who took time out of their busy schedules to pass on their knowledge Dan Hollies, 18 from Henley, was thrilled to have taken part in the “awesome, mind-blowing experience”.

Dan, whose ambition is to work as a football coach, found the trip particularly informative, saying: “The Benfica coaches work at such a high pace. They always keep training flowing and pack so much in – I definitely want

to use this technique in my own coaching to get the most out of my sessions.”

Harry Wilson, 18 from Bidford-onAvon, is captain of the Collegefootball team and aims to work as a nutritionist for a football club. Commenting on the training they received and their tour round Benfica’s stadium, he said: “It was amazing to be in the same training ground as their first team who play champion’s league football. They’re one of the best teams in the world!”

The students were accompanied by Sport lecturer Amanda Gayler, who said: ““I’d like to extend our sincere thanks to everyone who made the

football tour such an enjoyable and successful experience, in particular those at Benfica, for their warm welcome and for taking the time and trouble to coach and advise our students. They have not just gained a great deal in practical terms, about fitness training and football techniques, but have been inspired and motivated by the coaches, and return to the College determined to put into practice what they have learnt.”

31

Area Focus: Rugby sponsored column

Making Tax Digital in a Nutshell Making Tax Digital (MTD) is a government initiative to revolutionise the tax system in the UK and bring it crashing into the 21st century.

HMRC’s ambition is to become one of the most digitally advanced tax administrations in the world, modernising the tax system to make it more effective, more efficient and easier for customers to comply.

What Does This Actually Mean?

From April 2019 businesses above the VAT threshold will be mandated to keep their records digitally and will need to send their VAT information to HMRC using third-party commercial software. HMRC’s online portal will only remain available to businesses that complete a VAT return and have turnover below the VAT threshold.

How to Keep Digital Records HMRC is working with a number of software suppliers who have said they’ll provide MTD compliant software in time for April 2019.

This list includes Xero, Sage (v24+) and QuickBooks. HMRC have stated that they will not be providing any free software.

Cottons Advice Our advice at Cottons is to embrace the change.

Our cloud team are trained and experienced on a range of cloud-based solutions that will be MTD ready and are helping multiple clients every day make the change. We are hearing great reviews from our clients on how much easier, quicker and useful their book-keeping is now and how pleased they are to have moved from manual cashbooks or excel spreadsheets into the cloud.

We offer a free 1 hour consultation with our cloud team to discuss your options for MTD and to put a plan in place to make sure that you will be compliant. We then also offer a range of setup and training packages to suit every business.

If you are concerned you are not ready, or simply want to find out more information, please contact Mike Jefferson on 01788 579033 or email rugby@cottonsllp.com

32

Technoset celebrates 40th anniversary with investment and award A Warwickshire precision manufacturing specialist is celebrating 40 years in business by completing a £700,000 investment drive.

Technoset, which employs 25 people at its facility in Rugby, has installed four new lathes and a state-of-the-art laser scanning device to support the machining and measurement of complex components for customers involved in the Aerospace (Civil and Defence), Medical and Fibre Optics markets.

Supported by the Manufacturing Growth Programme, the company has also secured AS9100 Rev D, a quality accreditation that is fast becoming a prerequisite for winning and maintaining high profile contracts in the aerospace sector.

The award will ensure it can deliver more than £1.4m of orders to produce engine, acuation, interior lighting and landing gear parts.

Kevan Kane, Managing Director of Technoset, said: “The business started life completing high volume/low value work, but this has evolved over the 40 years so that we are now recognised as a manufacturer of complex and specialist parts designed to be used in demanding environments.

“This has only been achieved due to a commitment to continually investing in our capabilities, the technology we use and in attracting the best talent. The £700,000 investment is a prime example and this

(l-r) Michelle Connor (MGP) with Kevan Kane

gives us the platform now to take on more LTAs (longer-term agreements) and add to the current £2.2m turnover.

“Critical to our future growth was securing the AS9100 Rev D quality award, which is a very demanding and stringent process with Rev D containing a stronger focus on risk management.

“As a SME this can be a very timeconsuming exercise so we turned to the Manufacturing Growth Programme, which provided us with a continuous improvement project/plan and then part-funded a specialist consultant to work with us on refining our operations and developing new strategies.

“The support was invaluable and ensured senior managers could focus on what we do best…produce complex components for our global customer base. MGP is an easy

to access resource that I would recommend to other SME manufacturers.”

Technoset, which is part of the Techno Group, has also developed export relationships with clients and now supplies into China, France and the USA. Michelle Connor, Manufacturing Growth Manager at MGP, said: “This is a great example of how targeted business support can help a manufacturer unlock new opportunities and safeguard contracts.

“By introducing the management to a specialist in the AS9100 process, we freed up valuable time for its managers to focus on core business activities and this has already led to the development of new actuator parts that control the flaps on the trailing wing of the aircraft. This is now a 5-year order.”

Brethertons Ranked as one of the Top Legal Service providers in the Chambers High Net Worth Guide 2018 Leading legal services provider Brethertons, is celebrating after being named as one of the top law firms in the Oxford and Coventry regions for Private Wealth Law. The Chambers High New Worth Guide researches and ranks the world’s best lawyers, particularly focusing on the international private wealth market.

Brethertons have been ranked in Oxford and surrounds as well as Coventry and surrounds with one client praising the team, recalling that its ‘performance has been exceptional and carried out very professionally.’

Along with the firm, Emma Stewart, an Associate Solicitor in the Wills, Trusts and Probate department, has been ranked as a Notable Practitioner with the guide saying

Emma is ‘reliable and efficient; clients feel comfortable with her advice.’

Customers report that they are ‘impressed by her professional yet friendly approach and the level of attention she gave’ and that ‘Emma's input has been invaluable to us; she has always been very professional and has always taken time to explain matters.’

Rugby resident celebrates 100th birthday A resident at Anya Court Care Home in Rugby recently celebrated her 100th birthday surrounded by family and friends.

Joan Ridgway spent her special day with her children Joy and Graham, her 11 grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and later celebrated with other well-wishers at the home.

Joan was born on 18th August 1918 in Rugby. She worked in the toy shop her dad owned on Sheep Street until she met her late husband Don Ridgway at church.

The couple married in 1939 and went on to have three children.

Joan received a letter from the Queen congratulating her on her milestone and celebrated her birthday with a family party at her daughter’s house.

For the occasion her daughter in law and grandchildren travelled from Australia and Canada to be with her.

A separate celebration was also arranged for Joan at Anya Court yesterday.

Joan, 100 said: “I had a great day, I felt like I was going to burst with all the attention I received on my birthday.

“My secret to longevity is to live life as God meant you too and my words of wisdom are to never bear a grudge!”

Customer Relationship Manager at Anya Court, Karen Handley said: “Joan was our first resident at Anya Court Care Home and she is much-loved by all of us here. I am so pleased to hear that she had a great day, as she thoroughly deserves it.”

Anya Court Care Home is part of Hallmark Care Homes, the award-winning care provider established in 1997 with 17 care homes across England and Wales.

Hallmark Care Homes’ registered nurses and trained carers are highly qualified and take pride in delivering 21 years of excellent

relationship-centred care. Anya Court Care Home provides residential, dementia and nursing care.

For further information please visit www.hallmarkcarehomes.co.uk

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

New Member

CWCT calls upon Infrasys to revolutionise its phone system Jan Ryan, of CWCT, said: “We felt the time was right to move to a new telephone system and it made sense to opt for a VoIP system.

Aidan McCormack (Infrasys Operations Manager) and Jan Ryan (CWCT Operations Director) Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber Training is enjoying the benefits of a brand new VoIP phone system, thanks to the work of local technology company Infrasys Ltd. Infrasys, which was established in 2001 and is based in Knowle, has supplied and installed the new system at CWCT’s offices in Coventry that covers 46 phones through its broadband connection.

By 2025, ISDN lines will be phased out and CWCT has decided

to upgrade to the Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system now to benefit from the major cost-savings it brings, the ease of the application and the ability to pick up desk calls on a mobile to ensure seamless remote working.

Infrasys was recommended by another of its clients and the installation proved to be as seamless as the system itself.

The project involved installing new network wiring, new network switch, 46 new IP Phones and training for the users.

“Infrasys came highly recommended and they certainly lived up to that endorsement.

The whole process has been extremely efficient and effective which means we can now get on and make the most of the benefits this system brings.”

Infrasys, which employs 17 people, provides the perfect blend for its clients – combining the highest level of technical expertise with a commitment to great customer service.

It has seen the company expand its client-base around the UK – and into Europe – providing a range of services for businesses and public sector organisations.

Those services encompass connectivity (including fibre broadband, WiFi and Leased Lines), cloud computing (MS Office365, Azure) and core IT

Infrasys Services • Connectivity • Telephony

• Cloud Hosting • WiFi

• IT Consultancy • IT Support

• Data Security & Protection

Tel: 0800 840 1001

services and management, with Infrasys offering 24/7 support.

Clients include police forces, schools and colleges, manufacturers, charities, other not-for-profit organisations and companies in the transport sector.

The commitment to service – backed up by the resilience of major networks such as BT – means its customers enjoy the best of both worlds.

And while many of those clients are situated outside of this region, Infrasys has joined the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber to spread the word about how it can support small and medium sized businesses in the area with their technology and connectivity needs.

Stuart Bloxham, director and co-founder said: “SMEs are increasingly looking to use technology to enhance their business and we want to work with companies in this area to support their needs.

“Whether that’s IT support, connectivity, VoIP or cloud computing – or a combination of all them – our blend of technical expertise and commitment to high levels of service, as mentioned by CWCT, means we tend to keep our clients for a very long time.

“We are a technology business at heart which means we can offer a complete service to companies and it’s more affordable now for SMEs than it has been at any time before.”

Infrasys is offering Chamber members a free, half-day IT check-up to ensure businesses are getting the most from their current systems and advise if there is new technology that can help to improve their business or make cost-savings.

For more information, contact Infrasys on Tel: 0800 840 1001. sales@infrasys.co.uk www.infrasys.co.uk

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Is your Business getting the most out of your IT? One of our IT experts will spend half a day with you to provide guidance and answer any questions you have.

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Could you benefit from the Government Gigabit Voucher Scheme?

Up to £3,000 is available towards the installation of a Leased Line.

Take advantage of our FREE no obligation half day Tech Check.

+44 (0) 121 794 9363 www.infrasys.co.uk

sales@infrasys.co.uk

34

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Flexible, safe and secure

Skip hire | Wheelie bins Recycling | Clinical waste Front end loader waste collections

Tel: 024 7683 2255 wastesolutions@coventry.gov.uk | www.coventry.gov.uk/wastesolutions

WHY ADVANCED THREATS DEMAND ADVANCED EMAIL SECURITY ANNE TASKER MANAGING DIRECTOR ZENZERO

In today’s hyper-connected world, email-based communications are not just commonplace – they have become a fundamental cornerstone for effectively conducting business. According to a recent study by the Radicati Group, the total volume of worldwide emails sent and received reached 205 billion per day; with this volume projected to increase by at least 5% every year.

This fact is not lost upon hackers, who are constantly seeking opportunities to exploit organisations.

More advanced threats faced today: Business Email Compromise / CEO Fraud / Mandate Fraud – Business email compromise (BEC) is a form of phishing attack where a cyber criminal impersonates a senior

Conclusion

executive and attempts to coerce an employee,

Emails communications are essential to

customer, or vendor to transfer funds or sensitive

organisations today, something hackers are keenly

information to the phisher.

aware of. Given today’s complex, mature threats,

On a similar theme, mandate fraud is when

it’s tantamount that organisations deploy a multi-

someone convinces an organisation to change a

layered security solution that

direct debit, standing order or bank transfer

includes dedicated, leading-edge, email

mandate, by purporting to be a company that

protection. To effectively combat today’s

receives regular payments from them, for example

emerging threats, organisations are well-advised

a subscription or membership organisation or a

to implement a next-generation email security

business supplier. According to Action Fraud data,

management solution that provides fundamental

there were over 1,500 reports from UK companies

email protection.

about mandate fraud in 2016-2017, which cost

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Ref: National Cyber Security Centre 2017/18 Report

MARKET LEADING IT SOLUTIONS THAT DRIVE BUSINESS EFFICIENCY

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

37

Festive Season

Why C&W businesses need to invest in Christmas Historic and vibrant venue for all occasions Market Hall Museum, situated in the centre of Warwick, reopened its doors to the public in February 2017 following a £1.5million refurbishment, largely funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Built in 1670 the building was originally an open space for market stalls and included the town’s small prison. In 1836 it became a museum, being the oldest Local Authority Museum in the country.

It has now transformed into a high quality, participative visitor attraction.

While the Museum's collections are the cornerstone, community groups, local people and volunteers have developed the Market Hall into a vibrant space to explore the heritage and culture of the county of Warwickshire.

Amid all the uncertainty in the world, one thing is certain it will soon be Christmas!

Plenty of organisations recognise the value of a staff party and now is the time to select the venue for your event.

A good Christmas Party can do wonders for staff morale and getting the festivities right is not difficult in an area blessed with excellent venues that can stage the best parties possible.

Remember that people like to be appreciated. Maybe your staff and suppliers have gone over and beyond what was expected of them to help the business. Maybe they have played a key role in helping you survive and thrive this year.

A good boss knows that it makes sense to acknowledge their contribution at the Christmas party. Maybe a tribute in a short speech would go down well or a thank you note on place settings would be a good idea.

Times have indeed been tough for many with tight budgets to adhere to, but it is worth it for an organisation to consider the best Christmas party it can to acknowledge their staff’s contribution over the year, the gesture will be much appreciated.

The new café area offers a unique place to relax and enjoy award winning Monsoon Estates Coffee and handpicked selection of Golden Monkey teas, plus a selection of locally produced cakes and savouries.

Entry is free with donations welcome.

Market Hall is now available for venue hire and offers an exciting and unique alternative in which to hold an event.

Whether you are organising a conference, networking event, or private party, this venue provides an unforgettable experience. Where else can you host an event alongside an iconic Giant Irish Deer (Oisin), full-size replica of the Wilmcote Plesiosaur skeleton and the Warwickshire Bear?

The events team are now offering Christmas packages.

If you are interested contact: hcwcommercial@warwickshire.gov.uk 01926 736420 heritage.warwickshire.gov.uk/visit/hire-our-venues Market Hall Museum, Market Place, Warwick, CV34 4SA

Christmas at Market Hall Museum Celebrate Christmas with friends, colleagues or clients.

Have a selfie with our bear and our famous tweeting Giant Irish Deer, dress up as a Georgian or just enjoy celebrating in a unique venue.

Call: 01926 736420 Email: hcwcommercial@warwickshire.gov.uk Market Hall Museum, Market Place, Warwick, CV34 4SA

38

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Health and Wellbeing

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Movember: Be Testicular Cancer Aware own layout. Anything new, or different, should be brought to the attention of a doctor immediately.

Men should go and see their GP without delay men should also remember that in most cases new lumps are NOT cancer but the only way to be sure is to GET IT CHECKED. Testicular cancer is nearly always curable if it is found early.”

It’s estimated that 1 in 195 men will get testicular cancer in their lifetime1.

However, many men are unaware of the symptoms, which is why it’s so important to be aware of the disease.

Symptoms that men should look for which may be a sign of Testicular Cancer include: • Lump in a testicle • A swelling in a testicle, which is usually painless – although the swelling may suddenly increase in size and become painful • Pain or heaviness in the scrotum • A pain in one testes and an ache in the lower stomach

We spoke with consultant Urological Surgeon Mr Kieran Jefferson from BMI The Meriden Hospital, talks about the importance of being testicular cancer aware.

“Testicular cancer is very treatable and overall survival is as high as 98% after 5 years. Every man should regularly check their testicles from puberty onwards and become familiar with their

Men most at risk are in the younger group unlike many other cancers, with the most cases occurring in the early 30s. Risk factors include having a previously undescended testicle (one that hasn't dropped down while still an unborn baby). A family history may be a factor with a slightly increased risk if a father or brother has had testicular cancer.

On 13th of November, bmi The Meriden Hospital are hosting a free talk on Men’s Health covering everything from testicular and prostate cancer to hernias and the treatments available.

If you would like to register your place, please contact david.cooper@bmihealthcare.co.uk or you can find the event at facebook.com/meriden or at Eventbrite.co.uk.

YOU ARE INVITED!!!

If you have questions about your health or the health of friends and family, why not join us at BMI The Meriden Hospital at one of our FREE Health Awareness events?

Our dedicated health events are designed to allow you the opportunity to discuss all of your options with our specialist Consultants and our multidisciplinary teams.

At your local private hospital in Coventry & Warwickshire, we are here to help you!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Men’s Health Event - 6pm, 13th November 2018

This event will cover common conditions that specifically effect men including Testicular Cancer, Prostate Cancer and Hernias.

Taking place at BMI The Meriden Hospital.

Parking is available and refreshments are provided at the event.

Please book early to avoid disappointment.

To book your free place visit facebook.com/meriden or Eventbrite.co.uk and search for BMI The Meriden Events.

Alternatively call 07342068694 or email Lesley.hooper-taylor@bmihealthcare.co.uk

Serious about health Passionate about care

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Education & Training

Young people ‘turning their back on small businesses’ “While there are fantastic opportunities working for large companies or the public sector, anyone about to leave education should not discount the huge range of exciting career opportunities offered by the nation’s SMEs. SMEs offer huge opportunities for growth and many are at the forefront of British innovation and exports.”

Graduate recruitment in particular is still at the top of the SME hiring agenda, with nearly a third (30%) of businesses having hired a graduate in the past 12 months and a similar number (32%) planning to do so in the next 12 months.

Lack of interest among young people in SME careers may, in part, be due to lack of exposure to them, says Santander.

New research has shown that young people leaving education and looking for work may be missing out on potential employment opportunities by failing to consider Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

The study by Santander UK revealed that only 35% of young people who are leaving full time education, whether that be school, college or university, say they wish to work for an SME. An even smaller proportion, just one in six (18%), want to work for a start-up or micro business.

Instead, the most popular career aspirations are to work for a large firm (51%), the public sector (51%) or a global multinational (49%).

The main reason today’s young people say they would not want to work for an SME is because of a perceived lack of job security (56%). There is also the belief that SMEs offer a lower salary (46%) and fewer opportunities for progression than large companies (33%). Yet, according to Santander, by choosing to ignore SMEs, young people are missing out on a vast number of opportunities, given that more than 99% of businesses are SMEs. The majority (70%) of SMEs are actively recruiting for entry level roles, whether that be graduates (43%),further education leavers (36%) or school leavers (35%).

Sue Douthwaite, Managing Director of Santander Business, said: “SMEs are the backbone of the UK economy, making up the overwhelming majority of private sector businesses.

SMEs tend to be less visible at careers fairs, with a third (33%) admitting that they do not engage directly with education providers, so graduates and school leavers may need to be more proactive in reaching out to them in comparison to the big businesses and public sector which often exhibit at careers events.

Matt Hutnell, Director of Santander Universities UK, said: “SMEs may not be as visible in education institutions as larger businesses or the public sector as they may not have the same level of resources or just historically haven’t worked as closely with schools and universities. An internship is a fantastic way to get to know a business so anyone who isn’t sure what they would like to do, or who is and would just like some experience, should consider speaking to the careers department at their school, college and university and finding out what opportunities there are.”

• To help connect graduates with SMEs, Santander runs a UK-wide Universities SME Internship Programme which matches up SMEs with interns at one of 84 partner universities. SMEs can contact one of the universities to find an intern who matches the needs of their business. Santander will then contribute up to £1,500 to each SME per intern towards a placement of 1-10 weeks.

New tourism course at Leamington College aims to address Brexit impact As headlines are made by the potential impact of Brexit on the region’s tourism economy, WCG’s Royal Leamington Spa College is playing its part in addressing the issue head on.

September 2018 the College is launching a Level 3 Diploma in Hotel, Tourism and Destination Management which has been enthusiastically welcomed by leading figures in the Midlands.

Andy Townsend, Chair of Heart of England, UK Hospitality, said that the new course is “one of the most exciting opportunities ever, for young people looking for a global career".

Group Vice Principal of Curriculum at WCG, Neil Coker, explained: “Warwickshire and the Midlands are a huge part of tourism in the UK and internationally. With an unrivalled breadth of attractions there is enormous potential to attract even more visitors to boost the local economy. Hotels and Destinations are hungry for new talent to support their ambitions with innovation, energy and passion.”

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The students’ experience will include industry mentoring, real life working briefs and 30 days of meaningful Industry Placement each year. This means the students apply what they learn in a working context straight away. Part of their induction will take place in a working hotel and they will experience every aspect of running a busy hotel.

Among the big names in tourism supporting WCG are Hand Picked Hotels, Bespoke Hotels, the Institute of Hospitality and Eden Hotel Group whose Managing Director, Mark Chambers concluded: “The biggest challenge we face in running our business, and across the broader industry, is human resourcing and we are delighted to work in partnership with WCG to provide students with real industry work experience via this new diploma course.

Find out more about the course at www.wcg.ac.uk/hospitality

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Education & Training

Overcoming Skills Gaps A market leading manufacturer and family run engineering business has improved productivity across its workforce following support from the Coventry & Warwickshire Skills 4 Growth programme.

Part-funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and receiving further funding from Coventry City Council and Warwickshire County Council, Skills 4 Growth delivers skills support to Small and Medium Enterprises in the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership area.

Alcester based SJG International, with over 40 years’ experience of manufacturing foam conversions and rubber extrusions, has taken advantage of that support to tackle their skills gaps.

Justin Conner, Production Manager at SJG, said: “We turned to Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber Training for support in identifying skills gaps and were able to access ESF funding through Skills 4 Growth with C&W Chamber Training to help support and improve team skills.”

"We enrolled three team members on the ILM Level 2 Award in Leadership and Team Skills and have two more booked on future dates. Guided by Natalie Lane, our account manager, we were able to start making more solid plans for the future of our team and business.”

The ILM Level 2 Award in Leadership and Team Skills is designed for team leaders and supervisors to develop management skills, enhance team performance and explore leadership styles. It offered the supervisors at SJG some common ground and a frame of reference as well as increased confidence in their own abilities.

The extensive training available from Skills 4 Growth supports individuals to gain accredited full qualifications at Level 2 and below and units of qualifications at Level 3 and above.

For each business an Organisational Training Needs Analysis is conducted to identify skills gaps which may be creating a barrier to growth. A Skills Training Package is then designed to meet those needs.

Support from the senior management team for the team leaders/supervisors who are enrolled onto ILM Level 2

To find out if your company could be eligible for funding support to address skills gaps in your business, please email Anne-Marie Tranter at anne-marie.tranter@coventry.gov.uk

Success comes with an important message

A young female apprentice plumber from Coventry is encouraging more females to try a career in the trade after winning a £1,000 prize at a national industry competition, run by Screwfix.

Lauren Winter, aged 24, an apprentice at Coventry College studying Level 2 plumbing and heating, picked up the highly commended award at the national Screwfix Trade Apprentice of the Year 2018 competition.

For Lauren, from Binley, her placing in the competition isn’t just a personal success

and a great boost to her career, it is also a chance to inspire more females to unlock doors they may have felt were previously closed.

She said: “I believe that full support should be given to any female wanting to learn a trade, whether it is bricklaying, plumbing, carpentry or electrical.

“Plumbing is not just a male trade and I think that more females should be looking to try a career in the trade.

“I hope that what I have achieved prompts more female students to look at taking on a trade either through an apprenticeship or full-time at college.”

Now in its fourth year, the competition led by Screwfix, aims to recognise and champion the best trade apprentices in the UK. More than 1,200 other young entrants from around the country battled to be named among the finalists.

Caroline Welsh, Director of Brand and Marketing at Screwfix, said: “We believe supporting apprentices is crucial for the future of the trade.

“We were impressed with Lauren’s enthusiasm and her 10-year life and business plan. She is clearly a great

ambassador not only for apprenticeships, but also women in the trade. We look forward to hearing about her future success.”

The final took place at Google HQ in London and despite falling just short of the main prize, Lauren, who also volunteers as a trainee apprentice for Lee Hughes Building in Oxfordshire in her time outside of college, is delighted with how far she went in the competition.

She said: “I had to submit a video alongside my application for the semi-final stage and I literally got the video through two minutes before the deadline.

“I would like to thank the Coventry College media students TaiJahn Smith and Hasan Bhayat for their help with my application, I couldn’t have done it without them.”

Peter Brammall, Principal of Coventry College, said: “Lauren is a perfect example of diversity at Coventry College.

She hasn’t let any perceived boundaries stand in the way of her achieving what she wants to achieve. We are all very proud of her performance in such a prestigious competition.”

ACAS Mock Employment Tribunal It will not be long before ‘I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here!’ boomerangs back onto our T.V screens… It is indeed ‘a jungle out there’, particularly for employers facing an employment tribunal claim…

Fear not though, as ACAS have come to the rescue; ‘I'm an employer...get me out of here!’ - Mock Employment Tribunal, absolutely promises not to be a ‘kangaroo court’…!

11 October - The Village Hotel and Leisure Club, Coventry This event will be an informative, enjoyable, myth-busting and interactive session for all involved. Unlike the jungle, it offers delegates a safe environment to watch a mock tribunal take place and understand how decisions are informed and made.

Irwin Mitchell will lead delegates through the process via a role play scenario.

Witnesses will be cross examined as evidence unfolds, and the judge will deliver their verdict. Delegates will also get the opportunity to decide what the outcome should be and will have the opportunity to ask questions of a team of experienced and expert employment lawyers.

Furthermore, Acas will explain the alternatives available to Tribunal provided via its Conciliation services, including recent mandatory Early Conciliation procedures.

To book your place, please call Acas on 0300 123 1150 or email events@acas.org.uk

Employers urged to take advantage of service The Employer Connect team, as part of Student Careers and Skills at the University of Warwick, is dedicated to connecting students to high quality graduate jobs, internships and work experience placements with a range of employers.

The team supports all businesses, from multinationals to regional SMEs, across all sectors, to connect them to the talent and potential of Warwick students and graduates.

Currently, the team is moving into its busiest period on campus and is encouraging employers to advertise their vacancies on the myAdvantage jobs portal.

Employers can use the portal to list graduate roles, internships or work experience, or add any external events,

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open days or work shadowing offered.

These opportunities will then be advertised to the students to apply.

If you don’t already have an account, register for one at myadvantage.warwick.ac.uk/employers Employer Connect have already helped many SMEs to connect with Warwick students and gain cost-effective additional resource for their growing businesses.

One such business that has benefitted from their input is i-nexus, whose Development Manager David Lambert said: “We have been working closely with the University of Warwick for three years.

We’re a small employer, so having the help we need to reach the right students for our vacancies has been invaluable.

Having exposure to students on campus

has really paid off this year, with people joining i-nexus because they had been able to meet us, and were interested in what we did. We’ve also had great success with Warwick interns.”

Kiley Brown, from the department’s SME team, said: “We have a dedicated team that works with small and medium sized businesses to understand your needs and help you shape your recruitment campaign to attract the best talent to your business.

“We will help you connect with our students and find out more about the services we offer. In addition, support through the Collaborate to Train project enables us to act as a gateway to a variety of recruitment options in the wider Coventry and Warwickshire area.”

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Coventry College first Friday event As a college, we hope to play a huge part in all of these areas and much more in the not so distant future.

position where they can really make a contribution to the local economy is paramount.

In the short term, I will be hoping to connect with businesses who we can support collaboratively to build this future at the upcoming First Friday networking event. This will be held at our Henley Campus on November 2nd.

Me and the team at Coventry College have developed an understanding of potential solutions to tackle skills gaps within the Coventry and Warwickshire area but again to really solidify this, we will need the biggest variation of input possible.

The event, organised by Coventry and Warwickshire First, brings together members of the Coventry business community on the first Friday of every month and we are delighted to be hosting the November instalment.

Gemma Knott, Assistant Principal for Business Growth and Sibtan Naqvi, Head of Marketing, Sales and Recruitment

Gemma Knott explains how the college and business can work together.

Having recently taken on the role of Assistant Principal Business Growth at Coventry College I am looking forward to building a number of exciting relationships with some of the great businesses in this city.

We have so much to offer the business community at a time when Coventry really is booming.

Our time as City of Culture 2021 is on the horizon; the amount of start-ups looking to do business in the city is growing all of the time and we are at the forefront of the new era of driverless vehicle technology.

Coventry & Warwickshire First’s members advise and support businesses from entrepreneurial start-ups to family firms and global organisations, so for me it is an incredible opportunity to give an overview about our new direction at Coventry College.

We want to meet the needs of employers and to do that we need to understand clearly what they require.

We have incredibly talented staff, facilities that are second to none and students who are hardworking and driven.

I will also explain how businesses from across the professional services sectors can get involved more closely with the college to help facilitate careers talks, opportunities for potential work experience placements and generally how we need your support to raise the aspirations of our students to work in your particular sectors.

Lastly, I will be giving members a tour of our excellent facilities at the Henley Campus, which I found really impressive when I first visited the site, as I am sure you will.

For more information call Coventry College on 024 7679 1700 or visit www.coventrycollege.ac.uk

A detailed and comprehensive understanding of how we can ensure these students leave in a

“I’m An Employer...

Get Me Out Of Here”

- Mock Employment Tribunal

11 October The Village Hotel and Leisure Club, Coventry £105 pp

Join ACAS and Irwin Mitchell to get a flavour of a tribunal setting without the risk of a jungle or any bugs!

To find out more or book your place telephone ACAS

on 0300

123 1150 or email events@acas.org.uk

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www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Time to rethink your staff training?

97% of Employers would recommend us to others* *Source: FE Choices satisfaction survey

Apprenticeships aren’t just a cost effective way to attract new talent to your business, they are also an ideal way to invest in your current staff’s professional development. By combining workplace learning with off the job training our apprenticeships will equip your staff the knowledge, skills and confidence to undertake their role effectively...

As a private training provider with over 45 years’ experience in delivering flexible solutions across the Midlands, we work with a range of businesses from SMEs to large multinationals and Local Authorities to deliver training in over 15 subjects.

We offer nationally recognised qualifications including new standards in: Business Administration Customer Service Management Project Management We pride ourselves on our approach to delivering bespoke solutions to fit individual business needs and our results speak for themselves.

To find out more about what we can do for your business visit www.hoet.co.uk today.

www.hoet.co.uk / 0800 0281 576 / info@hoet.co.uk

President & People

Bank welcomes new branch manager

Uncertainty still a key theme Dear Chamber member, It certainly remains an uncertain period for businesses as Brexit approaches and, also, in automotive manufacturing there are issues around diesel and taxation.

In my view, this is going to hit even harder in the years to come and companies in this sector need to be prepared for that, looking for additional opportunities.

On the Brexit front, the fall in the pound meant good news for exporters but what we really need now is big decisions from Government to provide encouragement and incentives, such as tax breaks, for companies across our patch to invest in their future.

There’s only six months to go and it’s going to be a nervous time for firms as we hold out to see what deal is achieved between the UK and the EU. As ever, I urge you to engage with the Chamber at all times if you are concerned about Brexit or, indeed, any other facet of your business.

There is so much support and expertise available to you within the Chamber – from HR to overseas trade – and they are here to help you and your business to grow.

We have some exciting events coming up including the #CWRocks Business & Trade Expo at the Ricoh Arena on Friday, September 28 where the Chamber will launch its exciting new campaign “Go For Growth: Trade Local”.

The campaign is designed to encourage firms across our patch to use, where possible, suppliers from across Coventry and Warwickshire. It could be anything from makers of components through to suppliers of stationery or professional services.

It is certainly not an inward looking campaign and, as I have said above, the Chamber can help you to broaden your overseas horizons.

It’s just a recognition that we have a fantastic array of companies across this region and we should all be looking to make the most of the quality of goods and services on our doorstep.

During the Expo, there will be a session with key figures in procurement from across the region and that will be an opportunity to hear from them on how they plan to engage with companies here in Coventry and Warwickshire.

Following the Expo, we have our Annual Conference in November which will, once again, provide you with all of the up-to-date information of what’s happening across the region and we will also hear from exciting speakers such as Jon Snow.

I would urge you to make sure you are booked on to these two fantastic events and look out for more information on the “Go For Growth: Trade Local” campaign.

John Nollett

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Handelsbanken Leamington Spa has appointed Danielle Coe as branch manager following the retirement of Paul Brooksbank.

Having joined Handelsbanken as a corporate manger five years ago at Worcester branch and with more than 17 years of experience in banking, Danielle is well placed to lead the Leamington Spa’s established and successful team.

Leamington Spa branch opened in July 2013 and, located in Holly Walk, has already developed a reputation for

traditional banking within the local community. Danielle said: “I’m delighted to be joining the team here and building new relationships in the local community.

The whole team are committed to building upon our unique local relationship banking approach providing this to more and more businesses and individuals in the area.”

Originally from Sweden, Handelsbanken now has more than 800 branches in more than 20 countries and was named the world’s third safest commercial bank by Global Finance magazine.

New General Manager is appointed

Leading event and venue caterer Amadeus has appointed a new catering General Manager for the National Exhibition Centre (NEC).

Kane Bridgman brings with him more than 40 years’ experience within the food service industry, having previously worked in the contract catering, corporate

hospitality and education catering sectors among others. A specialist in retail catering, Kane has acted as a catering consultant to a wide range of household brands including Merlin Entertainments, Premier League football clubs and Sainsbury’s.

He joins Amadeus from Crystal Palace Football Club where he was the Head of Catering for two years overseeing retail and corporate hospitality.

He will be responsible for delivering catering operations at the NEC – with ever climbing visitor numbers, the venue currently hosts more than 500 events every year and welcomes 2.4million visitors annually.

Kane said: “As with any retail catering environment, the main challenge for

exhibition venues is how do we continue to deliver great value, quality and consistency to our customers. As caterers, we can’t afford to be complacent but must always react to market trends, creating new concepts and innovative products that work for our particular audiences and demographics.”

Kevin Watson, Managing Director of Amadeus, said: “Kane joins a diverse and committed team comprising some of the best talent in the industry. Over the last five years we have succeeding in raising the bar for exhibition catering. With Kane’s appointment we hope to take this even further, helping the NEC to stand out as a competitor for clients and customer alike due to its food and drink offering.”

Lodders announces new team heads and key promotions Law firm Lodders has announced the appointment of new partner heads for its company commercial and real estate teams, a new equity partner and two associate promotions.

Partner Kim Klahn has been appointed to lead the Company and Commercial team in Stratford upon Avon, whilst commercial and residential property and land development specialist and partner Mark Miller has been appointed head of Lodders’ Real Estate team.

James Mottram, a residential development specialist, has been promoted to Equity Partner after three years with Lodders’ Real Estate practice.

The firm’s Real Estate team has also promoted Cheryl Payne and Laura Taylor to Associate.

Senior Partner Martin Green said: “Each of these promotions demonstrates the firm’s vision and ambitions to maintain our position as a premiere law firm of choice in the region.”

Senior promotions at Lodders – Kim Klahn (head of Company and Commercial team in Stratford), Mark Miller (head of Real Estate), and James Mottram (promoted to equity partner).

Coventry law firm's trainee investment pays off A Coventry law firm’s investment in trainees has paid off after adding two newlyqualified lawyers to its ranks.

Jade Dooley has qualified as a Chartered Legal Executive in the business’s conveyancing department, while Sunil Sidhu has also qualified as a Solicitor in the family department.

Both Jade, 27, and Sunil, 29, have been working at Band Hatton Button since 2016 as trainees where they have gained practical experience while completing their qualifications.

Jade secured her qualification after six years of study where she graduated with a LLB Law degree from Coventry University before completing her CILEx exams in 2016, which also involved an additional 18 months completing a portfolio made up of 86 objectives.

Sunil was awarded solicitor status by the Solicitors Regulation Authority after completing a two year training contract at the firm covering a variety of seats in different departments. Prior to joining the firm Sunil had obtained a

BA Honours degree in Law at Northampton University, followed by the completion of a Legal Practice Course.

Mark Moseley, the managing director at Band Hatton Button, said: “As a firm we are committed to championing the law industry and encouraging more people into the profession, and a key priority for us is creating a healthy balance where the next generation of solicitors such as Sunil and Jade can learn from some of their more experienced colleagues.”

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

President & People

Brethertons welcomes Senior Associate

Roger Hardwick, Partner and specialist property Solicitor, welcomes Bukola Obadun-Craigs to Brethertons LLP’s Banbury offices.

Brethertons have welcomed Bukola Obadun-Craigs as a Senior Associate to the Residential Property Management team, underpinning its strategy to deliver excellence to our customer base within this growing sector.

Bukola brings with her a wealth of residential property litigation expertise and joins Brethertons from the national firm Shoosmiths where she was Head of Housing Management Litigation for the past five years.

Roger Hardwick, Partner and specialist residential leasehold property Solicitor at

Brethertons, said: “We are delighted to have Bukola joining our team.

Her experience and knowledge will help to cement Brethertons’ place as one of the most respected and sought after firms in the Property Management and Residential Leasehold sector.’

Bukola said: “The firm has a fantastic reputation within the Property Management and Residential Leasehold sector. I am thrilled to be joining the team and being a part of a growing and successful firm.’

Celebrations at Protel Fieldwork Protel Fieldwork has had a lot to celebrate recently!

Firstly, they had a new Director join the team; Tina Lunn. Tina moved to Protel after spending eight years working for a large multi-national company based in Düsseldorf, Germany. Tina brings with her vast experience not only in International Project and

Change Management, but has invaluable Market Research knowledge, after beginning her career in a graduate position for one of the World’s largest Market Research companies.

Secondly, Protel moved offices to a new site in Coventry, on Queen Victoria Road. At the same time, they took the opportunity to

do some re-branding of their logo and built a new website to show off the fresh new look.

Next, their Operations Director, James Latham, celebrated ten years with Protel and at the start of August, they had another major milestone to celebrate – Founder and Managing Director Annita Small’s 70th Birthday.

Now, they are counting down to next March, when Protel Fieldwork will be celebrating 20 years in business.

Appointments are homecoming for solicitors

Two senior solicitors have returned to a leading law firm and to their hometown of Leamington.

Lorna Payne and Rita Clare have re-joined Wright Hassall, where they both started their law careers before moving away from the firm.

The firm has welcomed Lorna as an associate solicitor specialising in private wealth, while Rita returns as a senior associate in the corporate department.

For Lorna, it completes a journey from Leamington to Lymington - and back again and another huge step forward for a career which started, in essence, at age 15 when she joined Wright Hassall for work experience.

After starting out helping around the office, she went on to university, gaining a degree in business studies. It was on her return to Wright Hassall that she realised that she wanted to pursue a career in law.

She left Wright Hassall in 2003 and has had stints at other Midlands firms, as well as a firm in Lymington on the South Coast, before returning to Leamington and Wright Hassall.

She said: “I started helping out with photocopying and admin tasks to get some work experience with Wright Hassall so it has

been an incredible journey for me to now be starting here again in such a senior position.

It is also great for me on a personal level to be back in Leamington and close to my family.”

Rita had previously worked her way up to the role of corporate team associate after working across transaction services and investments for SMEs and large corporates.

She left Wright Hassall at the end of 2014 after more than eight years and has now returned to the firm as a senior associate in the corporate team.

She said: “Returning to Wright Hassall is a big step forward for my career as the firm continues to go from strength to strength.

I am also pleased to be back working in the area that I grew up in and started my career.”

Paul Rice, Senior Partner, said: “We are always delighted to welcome back previous members of staff; it speaks volumes for us as an employer and as a successful business.”

Award for student director A young film director from Stratfordupon-Avon College has seen his film win an award at the Royal Television Society’s Young People's Film Festival.

Creative Media student Ingo LyleGoodwin, 18 from Banbury, who had been nominated for awards in two separate categories, won the Best Drama award for his film God Save Us All, a dystopian drama about the rise of right-wing politics. He produced his film for a college assignment in which the students were tasked with creating a short film for submission to the Young People’s Film Festival.

Ingo faced fierce competition from eleven other nominees in the Drama category, but was announced the winner at a ceremony which took place in Sunderland.

He said: “I was really surprised because it was the most heavily competed category in the awards. I felt really proud that my film had been validated. It’s given me confidence in my own creative ability so I feel I can aim a little bit higher.”

Ingo was presented with a commemorative certificate and a trophy, and had his film screened to the audience.

God Save us All is available to view online at https://vimeo.com/255016470

Strategic hires for Coventry Local solicitor joins legal elite Company as growth continues StadiumTM, an Event Services, Training and Facilities Management company and market leader in temporary Hostile Vehicle Mitigation solutions, has experienced rapid growth in the last year.

Following a projected 51% in annual turnover for the 2019 financial year StadiumTM has proactively increased the Operational Head Office headcount by 33%. This is enabling development and expansion into greater fields.

The development of these roles in turn reflects the need for trained event services staff members, international training, a significant part to the companies work and delivery of the innovative Hostile Vehicle Mitigation solutions service.

Operational expansion has also driven the recruitment of an expanded Operations team with Neil Farmer joining in January as National Operations Manager supported by Stuart Greenway and Fay Waterston who have also joined.

Stuart joins the team as the Operations and Business Development Manager. A strong background in

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project management on both a national and international level Stuart will predominantly drive the Facilities Management aspect of the business.

With a proven history in security and operations management within the industry Fay has joined the team as Operations Manager for the Midlands.

She said: “I’m really excited to join StadiumTM at this time of growth.

I look forward to meeting our clients and working with them to deliver the best event days possible.”

The Recruitment and Training department has seen an expansion in headcount with Chris Taylor taking on the role of Training and Recruitment Co-ordinator. With over fifteen years in the training sector Chris brings a wealth of knowledge to the team, delivering and ensuring all training requirements are met for the event services team, which in turn fulfils the mission statement of StadiumTM investing in their event services staff and ensuring the industry standard NVQ Level 2 in Spectator. More recently Greg Browning has joined as a Recruitment and Training Administrator.

Haidee Vedy of Alsters Kelley LLP recognised by The Law Society. Clinical Negligence Panel membership only awarded to those demonstrating highest standards of technical expertise.

Haidee is a senior solicitor in the Medical Negligence and Personal Injury department at the Coventry and Warwickshire law firm.

Haidee Vedy, of Coventry and Warwickshire law firm Alsters Kelley, has been appointed to one of the country’s most prestigious legal panels at The Law Society.

The endorsement is only given to individuals who meet the highest standards of technical expertise and client service in their specific area of law.

Panel membership means Haidee is accepted to The Law Society’s Clinical Negligence Accreditation Scheme, her particular area of expertise.

The purpose of the scheme is to promote high standards and ensure that clients are easily able to identify legal specialists with proven high level of competency and expertise following rigorous

and independent testing by The Law Society, which is the representative body for solicitors in England and Wales.

Haidee, who joined Alsters Kelley in 1994, said: “I’m really pleased to have been appointed to the scheme. The process was very intensive, so this is wonderful recognition not just for me but for the rest of our medical negligence team too.”

The range of medical negligence experience Haidee has includes birth injuries and post-natal complications including cerebral palsy, to delay in diagnosis of cancer and other serious conditions resulting in long-term disability or premature death and negligently performed surgery.

She was also involved in some of the claims arising out of unnecessary procedures and cleavage sparing mastectomies performed by the former breast surgeon, Ian Paterson.

Haidee will be a member of the scheme until June 2021, after which she will have to reapply for accreditation.

Catherine Wahlberg, Operations and Finance Member at Alsters Kelley, said: “We are extremely proud of Haidee and her appointment to the elite Clinical Negligence Panel.

“It is not a straightforward process, those selected must have successfully conducted a significant number of serious and complex cases and this Panel membership demonstrates superior and a specialist in-depth level of legal experience and knowledge.”

For more information about Alsters Kelley, which has offices in Leamington Spa, Coventry, Nuneaton and Southam, and the legal services it offers, visit www.alsterskelley.com

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New Members

Welcome to new members Strategic Partners Coventry Enterprises Ltd The Technocentre Coventry University Technology Park Puma Way Coventry CV1 2TT 02476 236000 www.coventry.ac.uk/business/ coventry-university-group/coventryuniversity-enterprises-limited/

Corporate Members

Bellagio Stone Ltd

Konduit Ltd

6 Heathcote Way Heathcote Industrial Estate Warwick CV34 6TE 01926 430626 www.bellagiostone.co.uk

Innovation Centre Warwick Technology Park Warwick CV34 6UW 01926 623280 www.konduit.co.uk

Brink Towing Systems Ltd Unit 7, Centrovell Industrial Estate Caldwell Road Nuneaton CV11 4NG 02476 355810 www.brink.eu

Amazon UK Services Ltd

Caspin Journeys

Lyons Park Sayer Drive Allesley Coventry CV5 9DR 01530 267427 www.amazon.co.uk

65 Randall Road Kenilworth CV8 1JX 02476 016158 www.caspin.com

John Good Ltd Progress House Butlers Leap Rugby CV21 3RQ 02476 652800 www.johngood.com

UK Flooring Direct Unit 2 Logix Road Hinckley Commercial Park Hinckley LE10 3BQ 02476 012840 www.ukflooringdirect.co.uk

International Trade Members Nivus GmbH Im Tale 2k Eppingen Germany 75031 08445 332881 www.nivus.com

DermaNu Clinic 16 Heather Road Coventry CV3 2DE 02476 545435

Harry Burrows Fabrications Ltd Unit 8 & 9 Bayton Way Exhall Coventry CV7 9ER 02476 361313 www.harryburrows.co.uk

Infrasys Ltd Suite 2, 2nd Floor Coleman House Station Road Solihull B93 0HL 01217 949363 www.infrasys.co.uk

Intelligere Ltd

MDD First Aid The Elms 11 Balsall Street East Balsall Common Coventry CV7 7FQ 07741 849238 www.mddfirstaid.co.uk

Optimise Marketing 45 Tredington Park Hatton Warwick CV35 7TT 07971 055004 www.optimisemarketing.co.uk

Protel Fieldwork Ltd 4 Queen Victoria Road Coventry CV1 3JH 02476 238400 http://www.protelfieldwork.co.uk

RGS International Ltd 19 Skylark Fields Weddington Nuneaton CV10 0GE 07584 164757

Robins & Day Citroen & DS Coventry Herald Avenue Canley Coventry CV5 6UB 02476 718300 www.robinsandday.co.uk/citroen-coventry

Essential Members

Studley Point 88 Birmingham Road Studley B80 7AS 01564 795911 www.intelligere.ltd

Action Coach Coventry & Warwickshire

ITV

Suite 1, Welch House 90 High Street Henley in Arden B95 5BY 07970 566390 www.actioncoach.com/davidlee/engage/

22 Gas Street Birmingham B1 2JT 08448 814235 www.itv.com/business

Flat 17 Woodgate House 20 Penruddock Drive Coventry CV4 8LR 07763 510242 www.theqwertykeyboard.co.uk

JJ Gilleran Ltd

Vostron Ltd

Woodcorner Farm Green End Road Fillongley Coventry CV7 8EP 02476 333342 www.jjgilleranltd.co.uk

Selwyn House 32 Castle Way Southampton SO14 2AN 02380 111111 www.vostron.com

Anker Elemental Ltd The Centenary Business Centre Attleborough Fields Industrial Estate Nuneaton CV11 6RY 02476 939910 www.ankerelemental.co.uk

The QWERTY Keyboard

When contacting members listed above, The Chamber request that, in line with the Marketing and Advertising Law, you provide a clear 'unsubscribe' option.

Further details can be found via www.gov.uk/marketing-advertising-law/direct-marketing 46

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Training & Events Chamber Member Price +VAT

Non-Member Price +VAT

Duration

Oct 2018

Effective Communication

£100

£125

Half Day - am

2

Conducting Team Briefings/Buzz Meetings (pm)

£100

£125

Half Day - pm

2

Microsoft One Note - An Introduction (am)

£65

£85

Half Day - am

5

ILM level 2 Award in Leadership & Management

£600

£600

4 days

Building the Team (am)

£100

£125

Half Day - am

9

Motivating the Team (pm)

£100

£125

Half Day - pm

9

Understanding Sales - New

£250*

£250*

Full Day

10

C&W Chamber Training Seminars

Nov 2018

Dec 2018

5 ,13

4, 12

Online Marketing

£215

£240

Full Day

11

Setting Goals & Targets

£100

£125

Half Day - am

16

Training & Coaching the Team

£100

£125

Half Day - pm

16

Appraising People & Performance

£100

£125

Full Day

18

Letters of Credit - Method of Payment

£260

£295

Full Day

18

Managing Difficult People

£100

£125

Half Day - am

23

Understanding Discipline in the Workplace

£100

£125

Half Day - pm

23

Marketing - Your Action Plan to Success

£215

£240

Full Day

23

Principles of Continuous Improvement - New

£100

£125

Half Day - am

30

Problem Solving Skills

£100

£125

Half Day - pm

30

Finance for Non Financial Managers

£100

£125

Full Day

31

Communicating Assertively (am)

£100

£125

Half Day - am

6

Complaint Handling (pm)

£100

£125

Half Day - pm

6

Import Procedures & Inward Processing (IP)

£260

£295

Full Day

8

Microsoft Excel - Basic to Intermediate - Additional Date

£120

£150

Full Day

12

Microsoft Excel - Intermediate to Advanced

£120

£150

Full Day

14

Social Media Strategy

£215

£240

Full Day

15

Negotiating to Win

£215

£240

Full Day

20

Developing Effective Presentation Skills

£215

£240

Full Day

27

Emergency First Aid in the Workplace

£105

£130

Full Day

5

Principles of Manual Handling

£90

£100

Half Day - am

6

Time Management

£215

£240

Full Day

11

Microsoft Excel Formulae - Top Up - New

£65

£85

Half Day - am

12

Microsoft Excel Data Tools - Top Up - New

£65

£85

Half Day - pm

12

Practical Social Media (am)

£110

£120

Half Day - am

13

Prices subject to VAT. *Subject to optional accreditation fees. ** Plus registration

Course dates for the quarter are shown above, please contact C&W Chamber Training on 024 7623 1122 or visit www.cw-chambertraining.co.uk for other course dates and further information

Events International Trade & Customs Post-Brexit

#CWROCKS Learning Lab – Trade Local Launch & Procurement Opportunities Friday 28th September 2018 10.15am – 11.00am Ricoh Arena FREE

Thursday 20th September 2018 09.00am – 11.00am Holiday Inn Kenilworth-Warwick CV8 1ED Price: £25.00 + VAT International Trade Members – FREE

#CWROCKS Learning Lab – Women in Business

#CWROCKS Business Expo

#CWROCKS Learning Lab – Coventry 2021 Update

Friday 28th September 2018 10.00am – 3.00pm Ricoh Arena, Coventry CV6 6GE

Sponsored by Wright Hassall Friday 28th September 2018, 11.30am – 12.15pm Ricoh Arena FREE

Friday 28th September 2018 1.30pm – 2.15pm Ricoh Arena FREE

Chamber Networking in Coventry Tuesday 9th October 2018 8.30am – 10.30am Belgrade Theatre, Coventry CV1 1GS FREE

AEO & Customs Compliance Wednesday 17th October 2018 9.00am – 3.00pm Chamber House, Coventry, CV1 2TL Charges Apply

Chamber Networking in Warwick Thursday 25th October 2018 4.00pm – 6.00pm Austin Heath, Warwick CV34 6AF FREE

Find out more information or to book a place please see the events pages at www.cw-chamber.co.uk or contact events@cw-chamber.co.uk www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Annual Economic Conference Friday 16 November 2018 Ricoh Arena,Coventry Your Chamber of Commerce will once again deliver an event packed with prestigious and engaging key-note speakers and stimulating panel sessions. The Chamber's conference is the highlight of the business events calendar in our region.

Q3 Branch Meetings Mid-Warks Branch Meeting Fri 21st September 2018 Leamington, CV34 6SW Rugby Branch Meeting Friday 5th October 2018 Rugby CV21 3BX North Warks Branch Meeting Friday 26th October 2018 Nuneaton CV10 7QG

47

www.wcg.ac.uk

SKILLS Get the

WORKING WITH

1100+

EMPLOYERS NATIONALLY!

your business needs

We’re one of the UK’s leading providers of apprenticeships. › Tackle your skills shortages and grow your own staff › Reduce staff turnover and improve productivity › Upskill your experienced staff to take on new roles

› Funding available for your staff development CURRENTLY TRAINING

2500+ apprentices

76% apprenticeships success rate

far above the national average

For high-quality training and business support visit www.wcg.ac.uk/employers