C&W in Business March 2022

Issue 88 March - April 2022 This edition is delivered in partnership with

JANE HYTCH A burning ambition Page 20

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Foreword

Contents

Dear Chamber of Commerce Member, There are no words, just prayers, as we witness the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and I know we are all hoping for a resolution (not escalation) soon. Our hearts are with the innocent and, as your Chamber of Commerce, our thoughts also realistically look to the wider social and economic impacts of this War.

by Louise Bennett OBE DL Chief Executive Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce

We work directly with a number of companies that import and/or export to Russia and/or Ukraine and we are seeking to help with the complexities now surrounding this. We are also very alert to the impact on business of huge fuel price rises, escalating supply chain issues and inflationary pressures, all of which follows the challenges of Brexit and, indeed, the Covid19 pandemic. Please be assured that we are acting as a voice of business - alongside our UK Chamber network and via our British Chambers of Commerce - to ask the Government to use what levers it has to mitigate some of the worst impacts, such as fuel prices and the need for Utility Companies to be willing to offer fixed term deals to businesses as opposed to an automatic move to variable rates.

Working via, and with, our own British Chambers of Commerce, we are calling on the government to execute a Five Point Plan to Tackle the Cost of Doing Business in Crisis.

This includes a delay to the impending National Insurance rise by one year; a temporary energy price cap for small businesses; the expansion of the energy bills rebate scheme for households to now also include small firms and energy intensive businesses; a new support fund to be administered

by Ofgem to support firms with their soaring energy bills; and a six-month extension to the Recovery Loan Scheme until the end of 2022. Essentially, like you, we want to see a stabilisation of the economy and its economic recovery, which benefits all in terms of the creation of jobs and investment.

March - April 2022

On a more positive note, I was proud to meet our Chamber Women in Business Network and our 21in21 Mentors and Mentees (we now have a new 2022in2022 Programme) at a Women's International Day luncheon on 8th March, where I was able to share my experiences as a Female Leader in Business, a High Sheriff of the County of the West Midlands, a Mum & Foster Mum and engage with some seventy female leaders on the topic of leadership and lessons we learn along the way in our jobs and careers.

A great event for sharing best practice.

City of Culture

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News

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Economy

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Business Talent

9

Events

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22in22

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Business Engage Profiles 12-13 Chamber Training

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News

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I was also proud as the High Sheriff of the County of West Midlands to have nominated a Member of the Chamber and small Community Interest Company, Fridays Coventry, for a National Crimebeat Award 2022.

Led by Tyler Campbell, Friday’s work to provide young people with positive fun and learning with the aim of keeping those young people away from anti-social behaviour. I am delighted to say that, at the Awards Ceremony on 15th March, Fridays 'won' the National Crimebeat Award 2022. A big congratulations to Fridays, to our local Coventry Policing Team and the City Council for their support, it all helps to make a difference in our communities.

Profile

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Economy

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International

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Finally, we look ahead to our Big Business Luncheon, with Lord Coe, and an attendee list of over three hundred leaders at the end of March 2022. This event comes as we all look forward to the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham and the wider West Midlands.

President & People

News

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MIPIM 2022

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News

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Connectivity

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Around the region

30-35

News

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Education & Training

40-41

Environment

42 44-45

New Members

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Members Offers

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As always, we are here to support local businesses and learners, so please get in touch directly with me on louiseb@cw-chamber.co.uk or give us a call on 02476 654321.

Kindest regards, Louise, Mrs L Bennett-Bayliss OBE, DL Chief Executive Chamber of Commerce High Sheriff of the West Midlands 2021/2022

Earlsdon Park 53-55 Butts Road Coventry CV1 3BH www.bandhattonbutton.com info@bandhattonbutton.com 024 7663 2121

putting imagination to work www.cw-chamber.co.uk

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Focus on Coventry 2021 The official publication of the Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce ••••

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,

Reform the Norm:

Coventry UK City of Culture shines a light on under-represented stories Performances and exhibitions that challenge societal norms will shine a light on isolation, food poverty, mental health and freedom of movement in the final months of Coventry’s City of Culture year.

Reform the Norm will explore crucial issues that impact individuals and communities in Coventry and beyond through storytelling workshops and creative projects, and challenge the idea of ‘getting back to normal’ with the notion that people don’t want to.

Led by Coventry City of Culture Trust, the programme highlights the belief that that the arts are central to examining what that change could look like, bringing people together through creative connections and conversations. The next event will take place on Earth Day (Friday, April 22), with a nature photography exhibition in Stivichall Common Woodland.

To create the programme, Coventry City of Culture Trust has worked with a number of partner organisations across the city which work to tackle specific issues faced by its citizens: homelessness and poverty, with the Central England Law Centre; social inclusion of newly arrived communities, with Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre; mental health, wellbeing and isolation, with Grapevine; and young people at risk of exploitation, with Positive Youth Foundation.

Reform the Norm has created leadership and artistic opportunities for individuals who are underrepresented in society. Their creative outputs, including events and artistic commissions, place seldom heard voices centre stage and use art as a way to make lasting change.

Another key aim is to influence the practices and policies of the institutions and front-line services (such as Social Services, the Police and Primary Healthcare) whose decisions have real-world impacts on lives. Through these projects, citizens and those who hold power can discover ways to communicate, build understanding and develop new ideas for change.

Chenine Bhathena, Creative Director of Coventry City of Culture Trust, said: “We are delighted to present the next part of our Reform the Norm programme, which shines a light on societal issues and inequalities that are present in Coventry but also impact individuals in many major western towns / cities across the globe. We always set out in our vision that we wanted to have a strong social conscience as well as creating joyful events and activities. Reform The Norm programme highlights hope and the possibility of change, as well as empowering those who have felt left behind by society, giving them a voice when they need it most. Addressing the issues of poverty, homelessness and mental health and working with young people at risk of exploitation, Reform the Norm embraces creativity and collaboration as a catalyst for change.”

Clare Wightman, CEO of Grapevine said: “We’re proud to be founding members of Reform the Norm within the City of Culture programme. As activists and movement builders we welcome the chance this gives us to continue to build a fairer and more equal city, a city where people have the power to take action and the ability to work together and have a say in decisions that matter to them.”

Sue Bent, Chief Executive of Central England Law Centre, said: “I always believed that Coventry 2021 would create a unique opportunity to make change

happen in our city. I thought that the arts could stimulate new and unique ways of challenging social injustice.

Part way through the programme I knew I was right. Reform the Norm has provided unique ways of raising issues and shifting perceptions that are already making a difference. What has been a privilege, is to watch the way participation in Reform the Norm events has empowered and built the confidence of those involved. A community for change is growing and I’m excited to enter the next phase of Reform the Norm” Toni Soni, Centre Director at Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre, said: “This platform has provided an opening and voice to discuss and address prevalent issues that new arrivals experience from the dangerous and difficult Journeys they have undertaken to seek sanctuary and aid their integration in the UK and city.

Working with the City of Culture team has afforded us the opportunity to bring people together with lived experience to dispel myths and raise awareness of the contributions they bring by expressing this through art, culture, stories, and skills sharing. Additionally, the Reform and Norm partnership has enabled us to influence the direction and shaping of the programme.”

Larna Andrews, Programme Producer, from Positive Youth Foundation said: “The project was a great opportunity to work with groups who so often go unheard. It will be vital now to ensure that the messages captured are utilised to effect positive social change” Reform The Norm is part of the Caring City programme which is supported by Spirit of 2012, Paul Hamlyn Foundation and National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK.

Aintree Business Park,

Forthcoming events include:

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Motherland

Haus Of Kraft Welcomes...Junk Kouture

Stumble upon our photography exhibition deep in the woods, launching on Earth Day (22 April) in Stivichall Common Woodland. Discover the natural spaces that we might not know about in our city. In this space, we want you to feel at home, grounded and relaxed.

Junk Kouture is a recycled fashion competition which challenges young people to design, assemble, create and model high end couture from everyday junk! It takes in elements of fashion, design, engineering and environmental sustainability and transforms them into a creative contest like no other!

22nd April – 2nd May 2022 Stivichall Common

Karen Hall karen@benhampublishing.com T: 07801 788880 Production Manager

Motherland explores the human need to belong through the eyes of mixed heritage artist, Ayesha Jones. In her work she documents time spent in West Africa with her mother and in Mid-Wales with her son. She explores how natural spaces can be a constant and reliable source of support on the turbulent journey to find belonging when you are neither one nor the other.

Ayesha also looks at the potential harmony that could be found between black and white, physical and metaphysical, modern and traditional in her conceptual work. Go out from the inner city and enjoy photography in green spaces.

Mark Etherington Accounts Director

27th April, 11:00 – 15.30 Assembly Festival Gardens – Queen Of Flanders

Hitting its tenth year running in Ireland, Junk Kouture heads to the UK for the first time ever in 2022.

Haus Of Kraft Presents...

Kicking off the event will be primary school children from Coventry, who will show off their creative designs in the Junk Kouture parade. Hot on their heels will be the secondary school finalists who will compete in Coventry's first ever competition to win a spot in the UK finals in London in May, judged by designers, fashion experts and previous Junk Kouture winners.

of Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of

Spectacular. Sensational. Sustainable.

Hungry Nation Phase 2 – Live Performance

Commerce by Benham Publishing Limited

In response to the global impact of fast fashion, the Haus Of Kraft Coventry collective, team up with artists and writers from commonwealth countries to create a catwalk show like no other. Fusing arts, movement, music and spoken word, their upcycled creations go from rags to runway using only waste textiles and sustainable materials. Much more than a fashion show, this spectacular event is layered with stories about the threads that connect people, places and the planet.

Joanne Casey Media Number 1881 © Benham Publishing 2022 C&W in Business is produced on behalf

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.

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26th April, 14:30 and 19:30 Assembly Festival Gardens – Queen Of Flanders

Directed and designed by world-renowned Creative Artist Jeanefer Jean-Charles and Designer Marsha Roddy. Join this ground-breaking sustainable celebration of Coventry, where movers and makers of all ages and cultural backgrounds unite, celebrating the city’s diverse community, creativity, spirit, environmental consciousness and people power.

Take your seats in the stunning Assembly Festival Garden Spiegel tent, The Queen of Flanders, for this awe-inspiring runway show. For our city, our age and our future.Supported by funding from Spirit 2012, the British Council, the DCMS and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

27th, 28th & 30th April The Albany Theatre

Working with Foleshill Community Centre, Hungry Nation part 1 presented themes around how food poverty and access to food affects real lives of the people in Coventry. For this second stage of work, a creative team and a cast of professional actors and community participants are working together using storytelling, games, research and creative activity to develop a piece of theatre that reflects the everyday lives of those experiencing food poverty.

Join us to reflect on these journeys and to debate what Coventry’s ‘Right to Food’ pledge really means. All ticket sales and donations will go directly to Feeding Coventry, a small charity with big ambition: to create a food resilient city in Coventry where nobody goes hungry.

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Focus on Coventry 2021

First shows announced for Assembly Festival Garden 2022 Opening Thursday 14 April The Magnets: Legends • Queenz • The Choir of Man • Friendsical Shark in the Park • Bubble Show • You Choose The Assembly Festival Garden returns to Coventry from Thursday 14 April, as part of the finale for Coventry’s year as UK City of Culture 2021.

Part of Coventry City of Culture Trust’s Legacy, the Assembly Festival Garden will deliver an exhilarating programme of music, theatre, circus, and comedy throughout the summer till late September.

The Festival Garden was a hub for City of Culture activity last year, and will once again bring the very best acts and artists touring the UK and the World to the residents of Coventry and visitors to the city. Returning to the Coventry University site opposite the Council House right in the centre of Coventry, the Assembly Festival Garden will return with the spectacular Queen of Flanders spiegeltent, the world’s largest purpose-built venue of its kind; the Treehouse bar; and the bijou Piccolo spiegeltent for another summer of festival fun.

The Assembly Festival Garden will reopen on Thursday 14 April with two foot-stompingly fantastic music shows.

Leading the line-up in the Queen of Flanders is a capella super-group, The Magnets: Legends. From the creative minds that brought you The Choir of Man, The Magnets: Legends will take you on a legendary musical journey, featuring the hits of Queen and The Beatles, to The Jackson 5, The Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder and much more. The Magnets are a must-see act on the international circuit with a reputation for outstanding festival appearances from the Adelaide Fringe to Glastonbury. From Rat Pack to Rock Band, Nashville to Nightclub, The Magnets own each genre, effortlessly switching scene with their trademark inventive choreography and lashings of charm.

Get ready to sing and dance to the ultimate soundtrack of your life, Magnets style!

Stepping into the aptly named Queen of Flanders next will be the night out we’ve all been missing: Queenz - the show with balls! Five vocal powerhouses armed with songs, sass and plenty to say. Expect an all-singing, all-dancing hour of live vocals and chat with the Queenz as they guide you through an eclectic party playlist - this is

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drag as you’ve never heard it before. Join these death-dropping divas as they dance like Britney and sing like Whitney; serving up remixed and reimagined classics from The Spice Girls, GaGa, Shakira, Little Mix, and everything in between.

The fun doesn’t stop there; as spring turns into summer Coventry’s audiences will have even more to enjoy as more headline acts make their way to the City of Culture.

Inspired by the iconic TV show Friends, the hilarious parody musical Friendsical (21 Jun) will pivot its way onto the Queen of Flanders stage. When Ross's wife leaves him for another woman, he fears he will never find love again. But then Rachel runs back into his life... will he end up with his one true love? With original new songs such as '(He's her) Lobster!', 'Richard's Moustache' and 'You're Over Me, When Were You Under Me?', the gang take on a power cut, and a dinosaur convention!

What could possibly go wrong?

And, back by popular demand, the sell-out sensation of UK City of Culture summer 2021, the West End hit The Choir of Man (17 May) returns to Coventry for an encore run. The greatest pub gig you’ve ever been to; The Choir of Man is a party, a concert, a lock-in like no other - indisputable joy for all ages. Combining stunning harmonies and foot-stomping singalongs with world-class tap dance and the incredible talent of nine ordinary guys who perform everything from singalong classics to classic rock. With a real working bar on stage, come ready to drink in the action. The first round is on us!

Across the Garden in the Piccolo spiegeltent, the summer season kicks off with some brilliant family entertainment.

There’s a Shark in the Park (14 Apri) over the Easter weekend. From Nonsense Room Productions, see all three of Nick Sharratt’s ‘Shark in the Park’ books live on Stage. Featuring Shark in the Park, Shark in the Dark, and Shark in the Park on a Windy Day – this fin-tastic, family musical follows Timothy Pope (and his telescope!) on three exciting adventures.

There will be more nonsense later in the summer as the team bring You Choose(3 Jun) to the Garden.

Based on the brilliant book by Pippa Goodhart and Nick Sharratt, Nonsense Room Productions bring a brand new interactive musical show for all the family. But in this show – YOU CHOOSE what happens! Using the picture book as inspiration and through a series of games and challenges each show will be unique with different characters, locations, costumes and much more every time!

And Mr Bubbles will return with his extraordinary soap bubbles in all shapes and sizes in The Bubble Show (21 Apr).

Enjoy bouncy bubbles, bubbles inside bubbles, smoke bubbles, square bubbles, giant bubbles and even fire bubbles!

Interactive and suitable for all ages, The Bubble Show is a unique blend of magic, storytelling, science and Bubble-Art! This is only the tip of an iceberg of excitement and entertainment that will take place at Assembly Festival Garden this year; with more headline shows, more family fun, music, comedy, and special guests to be announced in the coming weeks.

William Burdett-Coutts, Artistic Director Assembly Festival, said: “We are delighted to be returning to Coventry this year for the finale of its year as UK City of Culture and as the first event in its legacy programme. The Assembly Festival Garden proved itself a hit for the Coventry audience in 2021 and we hope that it will again be a central celebration for the city.

“We have hand-picked some of the very best acts to appear in the Queen of Flanders this summer; brilliant family entertainment, more terrific musicals and theatre, and an encore performance from Choir of Man fresh off their West End run.

It’s going to be another fantastic summer of entertainment at the Festival Garden; we look forward to welcoming everyone through the gates soon.”

Chenine Bhathena, Creative Director Coventry UK City of Culture 2021, said: “We are delighted that Assembly Festival Garden is returning to Coventry as our year as UK City of Culture comes to a close. The Festival Garden was a huge draw for locals and visitors to Coventry last summer and hosted so many memorable events and moments, from

Circolombia, The Choir of Man, Ed Sheeran, the Euros and the Last Night of the Proms.

It’s a festival site that has already created so many great memories, we look forward to creating many more.”

Professor John Latham CBE, ViceChancellor of Coventry University, said: “We are delighted that the Assembly Festival Garden will return this spring. We value our relationships and the work we do with our local communities extremely highly and it was great to see how much people enjoyed and valued our venue.

“It will be wonderful to see the site full of happy faces this year and we anticipate it will prove to be a big success once again.”

Nic Doodson, Producer and Director Choir of Man, said: “Coventry 2021 was such a brilliant experience, and we had such great feedback from the audience that when the opportunity arose to come back, we just couldn’t say no. We’re looking forward to returning to Coventry and bringing with us everyone’s favourite pub gig. 2022 is set to be even bigger, with more fun, more dancing, and more brilliant audiences. We can’t wait!”

The Assembly Festival Garden was hugely popular during Coventry’s UK City of Culture, welcoming tens of thousands of visitors and Coventrians during its 2021 residency. The pop-up venue will reopen on Thursday 14 April, and once again provide a buzzing social hub for Coventry’s UK City of Culture finale.

Coventry University has provided the site of the former Civic Centre buildings to the City of Culture team for use as the exciting entertainment hub. The university has cleared the area for development but is giving use of it for free during the city’s year in the national spotlight.

To keep up to date with dates and programme announcements please visit www.assemblyfestivalgarden.com.

Find on social @AssemblyGardens.

For full information about Coventry UK City of Culture programme visit www.coventry2021.co.uk.

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Focus on Coventry 2021

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Uncover/Discover is a truly

ambitious year-long programme tapping into the enormous creative potential of children and young people with a learning disability in our city’s special schools and colleges.

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Rivers of Creativity Rivers of creativity have been flowing through six of Coventry’s SEND schools in an inspirational creative project exploring life below the surface of the city’s waterways.

Midlands-based Open Theatre was commissioned by Coventry City of Culture Trust’s Education and Young People’s Programme, to create Uncover/Discover, a fun, ambitious and inclusive arts programme running over 12-months, at Baginton Fields School, Castle Wood School, Sherbourne Fields School, Riverbank Academy, Woodfield School and Hereward College. The project is supported with funding from The Eveson Charitable Trust.

Specialist art practitioners ranging from dancers to musicians, actors, animators, film makers and artists, have been going into schools since March 2021 to work with students with learning disabilities from early years up to the age of 25, on a range of different projects looking closely at Coventry Canal and the River Sherbourne.

Andy Reeves, Education and Young People Programme Manager, Coventry City of Culture Trust said: “The schools programme for the City of Culture year has reached well over 80% of all schools, and participation from Special schools is an important part of that.

expression through many different hands-on workshops and nonverbal physical theatre thanks to the incredible and inspirational ongoing work of the team and artists at Open Theatre. We are very excited to see the final event in 2022 and look forward to future collaborations.

“The City of Culture year is about bringing remarkable creative opportunities to everyone. It is hugely important that young people with learning disabilities are not forgotten in this process. The Uncover/Discover project allows us to bring artists with great experience and specialism together with large numbers of children in Special Schools.”

Uncover/Discover incorporates three different streams of artistic work: Water, Water Everywhere - weekly workshops in different schools focusing on a theme of water using Open Theatre’s non-verbal physical theatre approach.

Frogs and Suchlike - a series of special creative art weeks exploring ‘what lives in water’ run by 11 local artists, so far resulting in animation and soundscapes, freshwater creatures made from clay and large underwater-themed art installations.

“Uncover/Discover is a truly ambitious year-long programme tapping into the enormous creative potential of children and young people with a learning disability in our city’s special schools and colleges.

River City Detectives - involves bringing together a small group of young people from across schools who will create a film with professional film makers based on their own river-themed detective story. Meeting on a weekly basis, they will explore the city’s waterways, as well as detective stories.

“Not only will they learn about the rivers and waterways of Coventry but discover new means of artistic

To help the aspiring young film makers form their ideas they will go on a trip to the city’s Canal Basin to learn about

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canals with the Canal & River Trust.

There will be another trip to see the Sluice Gate over the River Sherbourne at Charterhouse with the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, who have been uncovering true stories about the river’s history.

the programme offering new artistic experiences and allow their unique creativity to flourish and we’re looking forward to sharing this with everyone at the culmination of the City of Culture year.”

Uncover/Discover is set to culminate in an immersive public installation next spring showcasing the children and young people’s work across the three different projects.

One of the teachers involved with the project at Castle Wood School in Wood End, Coventry, said: “The Uncover/Discover projects delivered

by Open Theatre have been excellent opportunities for our pupils to work directly with professional artists, developing their creative skills and enabling them to experience a range of different mediums.

Open Theatre, run by director Richard Hayhow since 1990, specialises in nonverbal physical theatre and “doing things differently” to help develop and draw on young people’s creative talents.

The Uncover/Discover programme is managed by Open Theatre’s producer Carly Mee, a Brunel graduate and former freelance London stage manager, who has specialised in community arts and education.

Richard said: “Our roots as a company go back 30 years and our work started here in Coventry. Uncover/Discover has enabled us to expand our role in the city considerably and engage with many more young people with a learning disability in so many ways.

“Uncover/Discover will also help us uncover and discover how we can continue to work with those same young people, develop new creative opportunities with them and support them to engage in the cultural life of the city for many years to come.”

Carly Mee, Producer at Open Theatre, said: “We’re delighted with the success of the Uncover/Discover programme across the city, developing creative relationships with our special schools.

We put young people at the heart of

“These projects have been thoroughly enjoyed by the pupils with the work produced being enjoyed by the pupil's parents, staff, and governing body.”

On his visit to Coventry earlier this year, Prince Charles met 30-year-old Jack Foulks, a talented artist with Down’s Syndrome and creator of Jack’s Frogs – a new visual and digital arts project inspired by the uncovering of the River Sherbourne as part of UK City of Culture.

Jack, who has worked closely with both Open Theatre and Imagineer Productions for many years, has gone on to create a series of clever mechanical window installations including Dancing Frogs, which was unveiled in October at the former IKEA building.

Previous Open Theatre projects include the Shysters, a Coventry-based ensemble of young actors with learning disabilities to large-scale UK community productions, organising school programmes, conferences and research initiatives. www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

News

Healthy win for Atrium Atrium has now taken delivery of five Galaxy Tab A8s, two headsets and two digital timers that make up the £1,000 offered by CityFibre.

“As a social enterprise, we have to give careful consideration is given to all expenditure,” added Kerry, “so we wouldn’t have been able to go out and buy these items but we know they are going to make a big difference to the team that work here and to our members.”

Leigh Hunt, Regional Partnership Director at CityFibre, said: “We are thrilled that Atrium Health entered and won our competition with the Chamber.

Leigh Hunt (CityFibre), Kerry Malik (Atrium), Chris Nagle (Chamber), Liz Lawrence (Atrium)

A social enterprise in Coventry that supports people with serious health conditions has been given a technological boost thanks to a ‘secret sign-up’ by a member of its team.

Kerry Malik had only just returned to Atrium Health from maternity leave when she registered for a competition on the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce website to win £1,000 worth of tech items through high-speed fibre operators CityFibre.

Atrium provides essential rehabilitation for those with long-term heart, lung and circulation problems, initially through NHS referrals but then through memberships to its gym and rehab services, which also includes social activities.

Kerry returned to her role as executive assistant in October 2021 and one of

her first tasks was making sure the organisation was making the most of its Chamber membership.

She spotted a chance to enter the CityFibre competition and was delighted to receive a recent phone call to say Atrium had won.

Kerry said: “There’s lots of support and opportunities on offer through the Chamber and I was looking at their website and saw the chance to win £1,000 worth of tech.

“For a social enterprise like us, that was too good an opportunity to miss so I entered. I didn’t tell anyone about it and didn’t think much more of it.

“Then, out of the blue, I got the call from Chris Nagle at the Chamber to say we had won. I couldn’t believe it and it was a big surprise for everyone.”

“They do fantastic work in helping to rehabilitate people with serious, long term medical conditions and we are delighted that this prize will play a part in helping them to do that.

“For our part, we wanted to give something back to the city through the Chamber and continue to highlight and raise the profile of what CityFibre is doing to bring the fastest and most reliable broadband to homes and businesses in the region through a range of Internet Service Providers (ISPs).”

Chris Nagle, events, communications and marketing manager at the Chamber, said: “It’s great to see two member companies being brought together in this way. It is a wonderful gesture from CityFibre and we were all delighted for Kerry and the team at Atrium Health.”

In addition to the tech prize, Kerry also won dinner for two at the Telegraph Hotel.

Chamber Talks Business – new podcast launched A new podcast will reveal the story behind some of the region’s leading business figures.

The recently launched Chamber Talks Business podcast will feature in-depth interviews of people from a variety of sectors, finding out about their business success, what drives them and discovering any tips to running profitable ventures.

The pod is a new initiative of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce – and its head of policy Sean Rose is the man firing the questions.

Sean said the idea was to present a more rounded view of leading lights in the local business community.

He said: “The Chamber has a high media profile and we often quote leading members on a variety of topics, but they are all issue or business-led.

“All those people have forged successful careers here in Coventry and Warwickshire and we thought it would bring a higher level of insight

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if we were able to really explore what makes them tick, and how they have achieved their business success.

“Podcasts are the ideal way to do that and allow a far more informal – and often productive – interview setting.

I have really enjoyed the first couple we have recorded and hopefully people will find them as interesting to listen to.”

Chamber Talks Business is recorded at 1 Mill Street’s state-of-the-art studio in Leamington, which plays host to Wasps, Warwickshire Cricket Club and the Cycling GK, which features Watford’s Leamington-born goalkeeper Ben Foster and now has more than a million subscribers.

Nigel Shanahan, who founded 1 Mill Street with his wife Dessie, said: “We are delighted that the Chamber, which has been the voice of businessfor more than a century, has recordedits podcasts from our studio.

“Everyone has people they admire and look up to in business, and hopefully

Steve Harcourt (Prime Accountants Group), Tom Mongan (Chamber president), Nigel Shanahan (1 Mill Street), Sean Rose (Chamber)

the podcast will give some insight into what makes business leaders tick, and hopefully inspire people in their careers.”

The first business figure to be interviewed is Steve Harcourt, director of Prime Accountants Group. His interview was released on February 21 and can he heard on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or can be found on the Chamber’s Website.

Help us bring down the cost of doing business, Chancellor urged Industry leaders in Coventry and Warwickshire have joined the urgent plea to the Chancellor to help ease the cost of doing business in the wake of a new survey.

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has surveyed more than 1,000 firms on the back of the current economic climate and 73 per cent say they will be increasing their prices due to rising costs.

More than three in five (62 per cent) have cited soaring energy bills as a major factor while 63 per cent say its due to an increase in wage bills.

Rising raw material costs and domestic taxes were also factors.

In response to the new research, BCC director general Shevaun Haviland has written to Chancellor Rishi Sunak warning of the dangers facing firms and that call is being backed by the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce.

The BCC has outlined a five-point plan which, if implemented, will help businesses to weather the current conditions and keep price rises under control.

These measures include a temporary energy price cap for small businesses, extending the Chancellor’s energy bills rebate scheme for households to smaller businesses and delaying the planned National Insurance rise by a year.

Sean Rose, head of policy at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “Rising costs are having a major impact on businesses across the region and that is evidenced in this new survey from our colleagues at the British Chambers of Commerce.

“We are right behind the call from the BCC to the Chancellor to look at every option available to help reduce the cost of doing business for our members to help them overcome the barriers they are currently facing.

“With Covid-19 restrictions lifted, this should be a time for businesses to be focused solely on growing again but rising costs are making life difficult and that’s why we are calling for this support.”

BCC director general Shevaun Haviland said: “Without help from the Treasury to weather this storm many businesses, especially smaller ones, will be faced with a nearly impossible situation that will leave them with little choice but to raise prices.

“Our research has shown that businesses were drowning in rising costs even before the energy crisis began to bite. This latest data reveals that companies are now also under extreme pressure from spiralling gas and electricity bills as well as increased wages.

"The majority are having to raise prices in response, though many are also being forced to scale back planned investment or cut other costs from their balance sheet.

“The Chancellor must implement our fivepoint plan to give firms a chance to stabilise without having to seriously increase their prices, cut jobs or the investment that is so vital to sustaining our economic recovery from Covid.

“Unabated, the surging cost pressures produced by the cost-of-doing-business crisis will continue to lead to increased prices and fuel the cost-of-living crisis currently being faced by people across the country.”

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Economy

Meeting hears of growing optimism “There is strong potential for the regional economy and the news on the Gigafactory was a major boost for the area.”

The QES showed that hospitality and leisure is starting to grow again, with domestic sales in the service sector rising to 66.3 from 59.7.

Helen Peters, chief executive of Shakespeare’s England, said: “Businesses in the leisure, tourism and hospitality sector have been among the hardest hit by the pandemic but now, with restrictions lifted, there are opportunities to really see a bounce back.

“And, we can include international travellers in our plans once again which is significant for our region.”

Warwickshire in the coming weeks and months, with the regional recovery from Covid-19 now entering its next stage.

“We’re optimistic but we also have to be realistic about the challenges ahead.”

Trish Willetts, Coventry BID Director, said: “In Coventry city centre, we are seeing lots of businesses investing which is great news for the local economy and the ongoing UK City of Culture celebrations, the Commonwealth Games and The Queen’s Platinum celebrations all provide further opportunities for growth.

“Towards the end of 2021, we faced strained supply chains, over inflationary increases in some raw material costs, fuel and energy cost spikes, as well as skilled worker recruitment shortages.

Roger Scott, Area Director of Lloyds Banking Group added: “Businesses have, in the main, done incredibly well to survive the past two years and repayments of Government-backed loans has been robust.

“The city is evolving and changing with the times and, with confidence among consumers bouncing back and spending on the rise, it means 2022 is set to be an exciting time for the people of Coventry and Warwickshire.”

City Centre (left to right) Tim Squires (Squires Gear & Engineering), Louise Bennett (Chamber) and Hazel Pilling (Chamber)

Industry experts in Coventry and Warwickshire believe there is growing optimism for the regional economy in 2022 – as a series of major events will help to boost business.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s virtual ‘Economic Bring Your Own Breakfast’ event saw representatives from a range of sectors come together to look at the results of the Chamber’s latest Quarterly Economic Survey (QES).

The event heard how the final four months of UK City of Culture in Coventry, including Radio 1’s Big Weekend, the Commonwealth Games coming to Birmingham as well as venues in Coventry and Warwickshire, and regional celebrations for The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, would all help to bolster economic activity across the city and the county.

Sean Rose, head of policy at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, hosted the event, which also heard from Sunny Parekh of Warwickshire County Council and Steve Harcourt of Prime Accountants Group, which sponsors the QES. Helen Peters of Shakespeare’s England, Trish Willetts of Coventry BID, Roger Scott of Lloyds SME Banking and Tim Squires of Squires Gear & Engineering all then contributed to a panel discussion on the local economy.

Steve Harcourt, director of Prime Accountants Group, said: “There are good signs of growth for Coventry and

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“Looking ahead, forecast patterns for businesses are encouraging, and by the time of the next quarterly survey, we hope to see various sectors of the economy putting the challenges of last year in the rear-view mirror and resetting, achieving sustained turnovers across the board.”

The latest Quarterly Economic Survey indicates that tier 1 manufacturing suppliers are still facing difficulties, with investment and cashflow in and out of the sector going from 49.7 to 44 in Q4 of 2021.

Manufacturing business confidence also dropped from 62.9 to 55.8 in Q4 of 2021, but positivity amongst manufacturers is showing signs of growing again in the new year.

Tim Squires, commercial director of Squires Gears, said: “Manufacturing wise, the sustained easing of restrictions is allowing us to start planning for a post-pandemic future. Everyone is gradually getting back on their feet.

“Businesses are returning the production and manufacturing of goods back to the UK, which is great news for the sector. The electric vehicle boom also presents untold opportunities for our sector.

QES – Louise Bennett (Chamber), Steve Harcourt (Prime)

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There are good signs of growth for Coventry and Warwickshire in the coming weeks and months, with the regional recovery from Covid-19 now entering its next stage.

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www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Business Talent

Make the most of

Business Talent programme Coventry and Warwickshire’s business talent can take advantage of a programme of events geared at making them leaders of the future.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s Business Talent has been working with young business professionals from across the region over the past two-and-a-half years to help support their career development.

The group has 60 members from a range of businesses across the city and the county and is now recruiting for more ahead of its networking event on April 28 at the returning Assembly Festival Gardens which proved to be hugely popular during the summer as part of the Coventry UK City of Culture events programme.

The blend of training and networking will continue across the year including sessions on communicating to influence and strategic thinking as well as a summer barbecue and a Christmas social.

The programme is sponsored

by West Midland Reserve Forces & Cadets Association.

Sean Rose, who heads the programme for the Chamber, said: “It has been great to see so many of our young professionals growing and developing with the programme since its launch in 2019.

“We have many success stories and we want that to continue by bringing in new members who can benefit from the training we offer but also from networking with their peers which is proven as a great way of helping business talent to develop.

“We have a wonderful, packed programme of activity for 2022 that offers a perfect blend of business expertise alongside the social aspects.

“I’d encourage young professionals to come forward themselves and would also urge businesses to put forward members of their team who they think could flourish with this kind of support.” www.cw-chamber.co.uk

❛❛ We have many success stories and we want that to continue by bringing in new members who can benefit from the training we offer but also from networking with their peers which is proven as a great way of helping business talent to develop.

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For more information, contact the Chamber’s Business Talent Team on ChamberTalent@cw-chamber.co.uk or call us on 024 7665 4321 9

Events

Legendary athlete heading to Warwickshire The event was due to go ahead in March 2020 and was postponed due to Covid and places at the lunch are now being offered free of charge to Chamber members as a thank you to those businesses who have continued to work with their local Chamber of Commerce throughout a challenging two years.

One of the UK’s greatest ever athletes is to make his long-awaited appearance at a major business lunch in Warwickshire next month, following its delay due to the pandemic.

Multi-Olympic medallist Sebastian Coe, who has also enjoyed a career in business, politics and headed up the London Olympics in 2012, will be speaking at the Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce BIG Business Lunch at the IXL Events Centre in Southam on Thursday, March 31.

“They’ve also seen the value in their Chamber membership in supporting them through the tough times and this is our way of giving something back and saying a BIG thank you.”

Complimentary tickets for the networking lunch, featuring Lord Coe’s keynote speech, are now available at cw-chamber.co.uk/events

Lord Coe returns to Coventry and Warwickshire as the region gets set to welcome the 2022 Commonwealth Games in July, with Coventry, Leamington and Warwick hosting rugby sevens, judo, wrestling, lawn bowls and road race events.

Chris Nagle, events and marketing manager at the Chamber, said: “With restrictions now easing, we’re thrilled to confirm our rearranged and hotly anticipated Big Business Lunch and are really looking forward to finally welcoming Lord Coe to speak to our members in March.

He previously visited the region as part of the opening of the Xcel Leisure Centre in Canley – and later visited the Coventry Building Society Arena when it was announced as the first stadium in England to be a host for football matches during the 2012 Olympic Games.

“Despite facing tough times since the lunch was originally scheduled over two years ago, our valued Chamber members have continued to show resilience and adaptability to continue to drive our regional economy.

Chris added: “Lord Coe is a true British icon across business, sport and politics making him the perfect keynote speaker for the Big Business Lunch.”

For more information or to book your ticket to attend the lunch, go to cw-chamber.co.uk/events

The gender pay gap The gender pay gap still needs to be addressed to get closer to equality in the workplace, one of the leading businesswomen in the region told an event held on International Women’s Day. Louise Bennett, Chief Executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce and High Sherriff of the West Midlands, was the guest speaker at its Women in Business Networking Lunch.

Around 60 businesswomen from Coventry and Warwickshire attended the networking lunch at the Billesley Manor Hotel & Spa in Stratford-uponAvon on International Women’s Day which this year focused on the theme of ‘break the bias’.

Louise, who is set to step down after 19 years at the helm of the Chamber later this year, said there had been much positive progress for women in business throughout her career – but more could be done.

“We are making progress in terms of equality and one noticeable difference

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is the number of women who hold non-executive director roles,” she said.

“Ten years ago, the number of nonexecutive directors who were women was 12 per cent and there is now about a 40 per cent representation on the boards of national companies.

“Where we need to make progress is the gender pay gap because there is still a 15 or 16 per cent difference compared to men and women carrying out the same jobs.

“In Coventry and Warwickshire, we continue to champion our women in business and many of our key businesses or organisations are led by women.

“Sarah Windrum is Chair of Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership, at Warwickshire County Council, Cllr Izzi Seccombe is the leader and Monica Fogarty is the Chief Executive, Angela Joyce is CEO of WCG (formerly Warwickshire College Group), Carol Thomas is the Principal and CEO of Coventry College, Trish Willetts is

BID Director of Coventry Business Improvement District and Fleur Sexton is the Managing Director of PET-Xi and Deputy Lieutenant, representing Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of the West Midlands, to name but a few.

“We really are passionate about female leaders in the Chambers across the UK and we are fortunate to have a strong female leadership, but there is still work to be done for women in business at all levels.”

Keely Hancox, Operations Manager at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said International Women’s Day had been the perfect date to hold its latest Women in Business Networking Lunch.

“It was a different format to our usual line-up of three speakers because following Louise’s talk, she encouraged women in the audience to share their top tips or lessons learnt from their working life,” she said.

“There were some really interesting and thought-provoking answers and it was great to get everyone involved to share their knowledge and expertise.

“The importance of building a team, resilience, consistency, showing kindness to your colleagues and enjoying your job were messages which resonated with those attending, and it was a brilliant event.”

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

22in22

22in22

Women in Business Mentoring Programme A programme to support aspiring businesswomen in Coventry and Warwickshire is returning this spring after proving to be a major success over the past 12 months.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce has opened applications for its 22in22 Women in Business Mentoring Programme after the success of 21in21 that began last March.

The Chamber is now looking for mentees to come forward to be paired with successful business leaders who can help them move up the career ladder or grow their own company.

Keely Hancox, Operations Manager at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber, said: “We took the decision a year ago to launch the 21in21 programme because, time and again, we heard from women who had gone on to be successful saying how they’d wished they’d had a mentor at an earlier stage in their career.

“The programme has exceeded all our expectations and the feedback we’ve had from both mentors and mentees has been amazing; 21in21 has made a genuine difference to people’s lives.

Anne Simonsen, owner of Shape It Up Pilates in Rugby, has turned her business around despite losing half of her clients and almost closing the studio during the pandemic – and thanked her mentor Leigh Hunt, Regional Partnership Director for CityFibre, for providing advice and encouragement during a period of uncertainty.

Leigh, who spent 20 years working as an e-business advisor for Warwickshire County Council, first met Anne in search of relief for her back problems, but has since returned the favour by providing mentor support to her as part of the 21in21 programme.

The pair met once a month since the programme was launched.

Anne said: “Leigh’s advice has encouraged me to take more time to focus on what I want to achieve with my business rather than just fight to stay afloat, and since I have started to trust my own vision for the business more and day-to-day operations have improved dramatically.

“There was a lot of pressure to rely on corporate clients and take our classes online and, while this is something we offer, I didn’t want to lose the personal interactions and buzz that you get from face-to-face sessions.

“For some, it has been about profile raising or boosting sales, for others it has been about offering support and confidence building.

“To have the encouragement to stick with that goal, take time to reflect, and have another perspective on how to move things forward has been crucial to the business and to my job satisfaction.”

“After such positive feedback, it is only right that the programme evolves into 22in22 and we look forward to hearing from more women who can benefit from the programme and seeing them benefit from our fabulous mentors who are handpicked from a range of sectors.”

Keely added: “We do provide guidelines for our Mentors and Mentees, setting expectations on time commitment, and what is and isn’t possible within the programme. But really we leave our mentors and mentees to set their own agenda so they can ensure it meets their needs.”

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We took the decision a year ago to launch the 21in21 programme because, time and again, we heard from women who had gone on to be successful saying how they’d wished they’d had a mentor at an earlier stage in their career. The programme has exceeded all our expectations and the feedback we’ve had from both mentors and mentees has been amazing; 21in21 has made a genuine difference to people’s lives.

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Applications are now open for Mentees for the Chamber’s 22in22 Mentoring Programme.

For more information or to apply to be a mentee, go to www.cw-chamber.co.uk/membership/22in22.

Applications are open until Wednesday 23rd March at 5.00pm www.cw-chamber.co.uk

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Business Engage Profiles

Midland Heart expands East Midlands operations One of Midland Heart’s latest developments

One of the country’s largest housing associations has expanded its East Midlands operations, building more affordable homes and creating well-paid jobs in the region.

Midland Heart, which already delivers homes and services to more than 70,000 customers, currently employs over a thousand colleagues across the Midlands and has continued to recruit and grow throughout the pandemic.

Last year, the organisation opened a new office in Hinckley, which houses a depot for its specialist in-house maintenance team and collaboration spaces for other colleagues delivering services locally.

The East Midlands Hub supports teams to deliver first-class landlord services across the region and is a demonstration of Midland Heart’s commitment to growth across the East Midlands.

In addition, Midland Heart is on track to build 4,000 high quality and affordable homes before 2025. It currently has more than 600 new homes on site in the East Midlands, including 99 properties in Bagworth Road, Barlestone, and 400 at Drakelow Park.

Last year, Midland Heart announced a strategic partnership with Coalville-based emh, which will see them deliver over 3,500 new affordable homes together in the next five years.

The organisation also launched a new carbon reduction plan that will see the 34,000-home landlord become carbon neutral by 2050 and deliver the country’s first homes built with 80 per cent less carbon footprint.

The plan focuses on reducing the impact every aspect of the organisation has on the environment and the first step has been

to benchmark its carbon footprint, looking at not only the carbon emissions of direct assets, but those of its supply chain and supporting activities. Initial actions include: • Delivering the UK’s first homes built to future home standards in Birmingham, using traditional building methods and local contractors • Moving all properties to EPC band D or above before moving all properties to EPC band C by 2030 • Developing low carbon requirements for new homes alongside delivery partners • Devising a roadmap to bring energy usage down c.20 per cent by 2030 • Setting clear expectations with suppliers and embed sustainability within the procurement process.

Glenn Harris, Chief Executive of Midland Heart, said: “In a period when our external environment has been increasingly unpredictable, I’m proud to say that we have continued to make improvements and grow our operations as we continue our journey to become a first-class landlord.

“We are going into 2022 as an engaged and united team which has delivered for our customers and communities in the most challenging of circumstances, and we have clear plans for a more sustainable future improving the carbon footprint of the ways we work, the homes we rent and the homes we build.”

For more information, visit www.midlandheartgroup.org.uk

"The organisation has launched a new carbon reduction plan that will see the 34,000-home landlord become carbon neutral by 2050 and deliver the country’s first homes built with 80 per cent less carbon footprint."

DMO launches to drive investment for regional tourism sector A new destination management organisation (DMO) has launched to drive inward investment for travel and tourism in Coventry and Warwickshire.

Destination Coventry is serving both leisure and business tourism in the region through its two consumer-facing brands – ‘Visit Coventry’ and ‘Conference Coventry and Warwickshire’.

The DMO is a collaboration between Coventry City Council and Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce.

Its membership programme has now launched with four levels of membership; Basic, Full and Patron. Businesses across the region have started to sign-up and the DMO is launching an additional membership package specifically for suppliers to the sector.

Destination Coventry is responsible for growing and supporting the entire tourism, leisure and hospitality sector regionally, not just for venues, and will be representing the wider industry supply chain.

It is collaborating with Visit England, Visit Britain and West Midlands Growth Company on sharing insight and commissioning data-driven research projects to support businesses in making informed decisions.

In partnership with Coventry City Council and Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, Destination Coventry is also

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working to broker specialist support for businesses across the sector following the Covid-19 pandemic and has already signposted businesses to vital grant funding.

This has included a successful bid for addition funding from the Community Renewal Fund to support tourism, leisure and hospitality businesses.

Destination Coventry has seen widespread success with its initial marketing campaigns to support businesses in the sector to reach new audiences.

This is headlined by the Visit Coventry ‘Winter Wishes’ campaign, which included a television advertising campaign with Sky and a range of other broadcast radio and digital promotion. This resulted in its ‘Winter Wishes’ advert on YouTube receiving circa 1.3 million views.

The team at Destination Coventry

Paul Jones, Managing Director of Destination Coventry, said: “We’re absolutely delighted by the response we have had to our launch and this feels like the ideal time to be bringing a new DMO to the region.

“Businesses in tourism, leisure and hospitality have had a very difficult couple of years and we are here to help them rebuild and capitalise on what is set to be a huge 2022 for Coventry and Warwickshire.

"Destination Coventry is responsible for growing and supporting the entire tourism, leisure and hospitality sector regionally, not just for venues, and will be representing the wider industry supply chain."

“We have major national and international events coming to the region this year, from the 2022 Commonwealth Games and Rugby League World Cup, to Radio 1’s Big Weekend and, of course, the final months in our UK City of Culture year.

“The first thing visitors by rail to Coventry will see when arriving in the city is our new visitor information centre, and we are opening a second centre at Pool Meadow Bus Station.

“We’re excited to be at the heart of the future of tourism in Coventry and Warwickshire.”

Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce members can access a ‘Full’ Destination Coventry membership for £150+VAT per annum, discounted from the usual £450+VAT per annum.

To find out more about Destination Coventry and the range of membership packages available visit www.destinationcoventry.co.uk

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Business Engage Profiles

Telegraph Hotel sets new standard for hospitality Coventry city centre’s new flagship hotel has moved into 2022 blazing a trail for a new standard of hospitality in the city.

The Telegraph Hotel only opened last May but has already made its mark, having recently been included in the prestigious Sunday Times 100 Best British Hotels guide, and winning a string of glowing national reviews.

The 88-room hotel, which has won outstanding reviews from national and regional press, has already hosted a string of stars appearing at events in Coventry during its year as UK City of Culture.

General manager Amy Windsor said: “To be named as one of the UK’s top 100 hotels so soon after opening is a reward for everyone involved and we want to build on that in the next six months and beyond.

“We believed we had a really good offer in a unique setting but it is great that view has been shared by reviewers from across the UK who have stayed with us.

“It took a while to get here as we had to twice delay our opening because of Covid, but it has been a whirlwind first six months since!

“Opening in a pandemic is a unique challenge in itself but the feedback has been brilliant and we have been overwhelmed by the response from our guests.

“People have loved our 1950s design – transforming a former newspaper office into an iconic hotel – and have said it is a real home-from-home when they stay, which is lovely to hear.”

In its first six months the hotel saw more than 15,000 guests stay for the night, took more than 27,000 bookings to its three bars and restaurants – and even used 24,000 toilet rolls!

The Telegraph Hotel, created by Complex Development Projects, has 88 individually designed air-conditioned bedrooms including loft style penthouse suites on two levels.

The hotel features an all-day cocktail bar and restaurant dining experience, Forme & Chase, for a full meal, light bites, celebration dinners, afternoon tea and more. The bar and restaurant recreate the glamour of the 1950s, retaining many of the building’s original features.

Conferencing, weddings and events are well catered for with the Editors function space – capable of accommodating up to 140 guests across a range of layouts.

There are also two private meeting rooms – the Boardroom and Directors – which can each accommodate up to 12 people for smaller meetings.

The hotel’s most luxurious room is the Lord Iliffe Suite – named after the family who started and ,until recently, owned the newspaper – which includes its own

hot tub and outdoor terrace. There is also the spectacular Winter Garden – which is a private, glazed indoor terrace only accessible from the 11 bedrooms that surround it.

The hotel is operated by Bespoke Hotels, the largest independent hotel company in the UK. For further information about the Telegraph Hotel, please visit www.telegraph-hotel.com

“To be named as one of the UK’s top 100 hotels so soon after opening is a reward for everyone involved and we want to build on that in the next six months and beyond."

New partnership for Eskuta as business continues to drive forward The UK’s leading eCargo provider has launched a partnership with an upand-coming delivery service which is experiencing growth after appearing on BBC’s Dragon’s Den. Eskuta, based in Nuneaton, has joined together with Birmingham-based delivery service Delivrme to provide the company with a fleet of custom-branded eCargo bikes as it looks to expand.

The company prides itself on supplying bikes which have the comfort and safety features of a moped but the benefits of an electric bicycle, being approved for cycle lane use while not requiring tax, insurance or a licence, all of which will support Delivrme in its mission to provide a service which offers customers across Birmingham ‘anything, anywhere, anytime’.

It is the latest partnership for Eskuta, which also works with leading brands including Just Eat, Domino’s, Papa John’s and Subway.

Eskuta, launched in 2015 by managing director Ian O’Connor, is based at the Bermuda Innovation Centre and specialises in the assembly and supply of electrical eCargo bikes or the B2B market.

Following its success, the business has just expanded to target the consumer market, partnering with distributer Blink 24 to enable it to sell eBikes and eScooters to customers across the UK.

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

The company also has the backing of ambassador Aileen McGlynn OBE, a Scottish paralympic tandem champion cyclist, who favours the SX 250 electric bike for short journeys.

Eskuta’s eCargo bikes travel at up to 15.5mph and can achieve a 50 mile range from a six-hour charge which costs just 10p, and additional batteries can also be purchased.

They include features such as LED lights, mirrors, indicators, digital display and motorcycle grade suspension as well as small lockable storage pods for consumers and larger delivery boxes for businesses.

Both businesses and direct consumers can contact Eskuta to book a test ride or demonstration.

Ian O’Connor said: “It is an extremely exciting time for the e-mobility business, and we are extremely proud to be right at the forefront of this.

“We’re very pleased to partner with Delivrme, another Midlands business which is going from strength to strength as part of its expansion plans.

“It’s also very positive to now be able to offer our bikes direct to the consumer via our website and our retail partners.

“We are finding that they are appealing to a wide range of individuals, from young people over the age of 14 who are not yet able to drive but want the freedom of an electric bike, to older customers who want a comfortable mode of transport for short distances.

“This popularity is testament to the fact that electric mobility is becoming more and more mainstream, and it is a trend that is only set to grow going forward as we look to make the switch to electric vehicles and reduce carbon.

“This year we will be exhibiting at Fully Charged Live, a clean energy and electric vehicle show, for the very first time and look forward to gaining even more feedback from consumers as we continue to expand this arm of the business.”

Further information about Eskuta is available at https://www.eskuta.com

The Eskuta SX 250 electric bike

“This popularity is testament to the fact that electric mobility is becoming more and more mainstream, and it is a trend that is only set to grow going forward as we look to make the switch to electric vehicles and reduce carbon."

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Chamber Training

Apprenticeship at Work in Coventry City Council

Paul Fletcher

Darcy Anspach is shown donating his hair to the Little Princess Trust

Hairdressing Academy thriving in Coventry Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce Training’s (CWCCT) hairdressing training team is committed to developing the skills of the next generation of stylists and facilitating work opportunities with some of the area’s leading salons. A recent initiative at CWCCT’s hairdressing academy in Coventry offered free haircuts for children returning to school to raise funding for charity, The Little Princess Trust.

Commenting on the scheme, Jayne Powell, Head Trainer at Chamber Training’s Hair Academy said: “We are extremely proud to be able to support a worthy charity such as The Little Princess Trust.

Recently we were approached by a mother and her child, Darcy, who was eager to donate his hair. The charity is keen to source hair donations of over 7cm long and his hair was the perfect length.

“We are lucky enough to have links with the Trust which creates wigs and hair pieces for young children who are battling cancer. Our team is always keen to help charities and this type of positive work has been taking place in the salon for many years. Providing support for charity has brought a great sense of community and pride for our team, especially our hairdressing apprentices.

“In other Chamber Training hairdressing news, we would also like to wish good luck to Lauren Burgess at LB Hair Studio in Nuneaton. As an ex-apprentice, she is establishing her own salon and has decided to employ an apprentice of her own who will learn her craft with our team at Chamber Training. It is amazing to see our ex-apprentices passing on their knowledge to the next generation within the industry.

“Finally, Chamber Training has recently held a ‘Two-Tone Style’ competition, which celebrated Coventry as the City of Culture and the historical role two-tone played in the music scene within the City. There were fantastic styles and creative looks.”

Chamber Training’s Hairdressing Academy is committed to providing its apprentices with high-quality work experience and employment in salons across the city and county to gain practical skills and knowledge in the latest industry trends and techniques as part of their apprenticeship programme.

Apprenticeships offer a personalised learning pathway, with apprentices working four days in their workplace, alongside one day of dedicated training each week at Chamber Training’s hairdressing academy, which provides apprentices with on-thejob and off-the-job experience required to become a fully qualified stylist.

Click https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=O2krWicSRNE to view one of Chamber Training’s successful hair salons, Geiko on YouTube.

To find out more about Chamber Training’s Hairdressing Apprenticeship Programme, call a member of the Business Development Team on 024 7623 1122 or enquiries@cw-chambertraining.co.uk

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Embarking on an Apprenticeship through Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber Training has proven to be a successful pathway for Paul Fletcher, whose career in adult care has gone from strength to strength at Coventry City Council (CCC).

As a registered blind person, Paul joined the learning disabilities team at CCC in 2019 following the adult care worker apprenticeship standard. After developing his skills and knowledge, he has gone on to achieve qualifications including the Diploma in Adult Care as well as maths and English accreditations.

Overcoming any challenges and obstacles along the way, Paul has excelled within his role,

making a major contribution towards service users within the community, including assisting with shopping and household tasks to enrich lives.

Commenting on Paul’s success at CCC, Katrina Shanks said: “We have been really impressed with Paul’s progress and determination during his apprenticeship. He is very understanding and compassionate, which are important traits to have in the care profession. We have been working in partnership with Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber Training for many years and the apprenticeship programme has proven to be very successful. We are looking forward to continuing this great way of developing the team,

improving our services and making a difference to the local community.”

Adding to the comments, Paul said: “The management team at Coventry City Council have always been very supportive of the apprenticeship programme and ensure we have career progression routes. I’m currently a support assistant doing one-to-one assistance in the community and in my spare time I have even done some coaching work with Junior Great Britain athletes!

“The health and social care team at Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber Training are really helpful and approachable. They have consistently supported me to progress and develop my skills to a high standard. I’m truly grateful for the guidance and advice I have received.”

Sally Lucas, Executive Director at Chamber Training concluded: “Paul is a real inspiration, demonstrating the qualities

needed to be key member of the team. He is a testament to how partnership working can deliver real benefits to the organisation, the individual and the community and we are pleased to have been a part of his career success so far.

We work with a range of health and social care professionals to design apprenticeship programmes that enable individuals to flourish. Our staff develop a detailed understanding of each business, working as an extension of the organisation to ensure apprenticeships generate the right outcomes.”

Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber Training is working with many employers across the area to develop and deliver apprenticeships around the needs of the business. It is an exciting time to take on an apprentice, particularly with the financial incentives that the government offer businesses who recruit young people.

To discuss how apprenticeships could benefit your business or to find out more about the government incentive scheme, contact Chamber Training's Business Development Team a call on 024 7623 1122 or enquiries@cw-chambertraining.co.uk

Katrina Shanks, Coventry City Council

Apprenticeships with a Caring Touch Starting a career in children’s care is proving to be the right choice for apprentice, Caitlin Cunningham.

Opting not to go into the sixth form following her GCSE’s, Caitlin approached Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber Training for advice and was excited to see the opportunities available in caring for children.

With the support of Chamber Training, she rapidly developed her confidence and understanding of the world of work, before successfully securing an apprenticeship with a nursery in Kenilworth, Creative Flair Childcare.

Caitlin demonstrated a natural talent for the job, thriving on the mixture of learning in the workplace as well as at Chamber Training. She achieved her apprenticeship as an early years care practitioner before seamlessly progressing to the

next level where she achieved a distinction as an early years care educator. Caitlin’s career is going from strength to strength. As a result of her apprenticeships and the skills and knowledge they gave her, she has gone on to progress her career at a Warwickshire school offering one-to-one support to children with special needs.

Commenting on Catlin’s success, Nicola Thompson, Manager at Creative Flair Childcare said: “Caitlin started at Creative Flair when she was 16 years old and she has developed into a fantastic practitioner. Her kind, caring and creative nature made her form bonds with the children instantly.

“Caitlin's dancing background supported her to teach the children ballet and tap, which fitted in perfectly with our Creative Arts ethos. Over the years Caitlin has learnt so much, how to observe children’s development, arranging

activities, extending children’s learning and supporting children with additional needs, which led on to her new role in a school setting as a teaching assistant supporting children one to one. Gill and the team at Chamber Training were always on hand to support the setting and Caitlin and were very approachable during both her level 2 and level 3 qualifications.”

Angela Williams from Chamber Training concluded: “We are delighted to have worked with Caitlin. She has grown in confidence and shown a dedicated approach to working with children.

It has been a pleasure to have been part of her career success.

“At Chamber Training, we are currently working with a number of nurseries and children’s care

L-R: Gill Dickson, Caitlin Cunningham and Angela Williams

settings to provide relevant, tailored and structured learning pathways to support businesses to develop qualified staff.

If you’re looking to recruit an apprentice or train your existing staff, we can help you on that journey.”

To further information about Chamber Training’s Apprenticeship Programme, call 024 7623 1122 or enquiries@cw-chambertraining.co.uk

Chamber Member Price + VAT

NonMember Price + VAT

Duration

ILM Level 5 Certificate in Leadership and Management ILM Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management ILM Level 3 Certificate in Leadership and Management Understanding Workplace Stress Resolving Workplace Conflict Microsoft Excel Intermediate to Advanced ILM Level 2 Award in Leadership and Team Skills

1700.00 2400.00 1500.00 110.00 110.00 130.00

1700.00 2400.00 1500.00 135.00 135.00 160.00

16 Days 37 Days 13 Days Half Day - AM Half Day - PM 1 Day

Social Media Analysis

220.00

245.00

1 Day

ILM L5 Project Management Online Marketing Dealing with Under Performance

700.00 220.00 110.00

700.00 245.00 135.00

4 Days 1 Day Half Day - AM

1, 8, 22 and 29 12 12

Motivating the Team

110.00

135.00

Half Day - PM

12

Appraising People and Performance Microsoft Excel Basic to Intermediate - FULLY BOOKED Grow Your Own Social Media Microsoft Excel Advanced Plus

220.00 130.00 220.00 130.00

245.00 160.00 245.00 160.00

1 Day 1 Day

26 27

Training Courses 2022

Mar 22

Apr 22

May 22

Contact Chamber Training for full list of dates 9 9 16 16, 24, 30 29

7

24 25

Please note: All courses will be held face-to-face at Chamber Training (unless otherwise informed) * Plus registration. Prices subject to VAT.

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

News

The Fair Chance Employer Programme “This is one of those great programmes that really is a win-win.

“Businesses across the region are telling us there is a recruitment crisis and that they need people to be able to grow.

A leading business organisation in Coventry and Warwickshire is backing a programme to support employers to be more inclusive.

The Fair Chance Employer Programme, launched by the Warwickshire Skills Hubs in November 2021, has been busy running a series of extensive support packages for businesses and those looking for work.

The programme is proving to be popular as it deploys its team of Inclusive specialists to shape support packages for all employers wanting to sign up as a Fair Chance Employer.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce is lending its support to the programme and is encouraging businesses to sign up.

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

“And there are people across our region who are keen to find employment but may, for a whole myriad of reasons, need some additional support to get into the workplace.

“Being a Fair Chance Employer is a great way of helping people into work and we are backing this wonderful initiative from the Warwickshire Skills Hub and would encourage companies across the patch to find out more about the programme.”

The programme offers employers: * A dedicated Skills Advisor to carve barrier breaking and inclusive roles

DECLARATION OF WAR ON WASTE!

By Graham Freakes hg technology ltd

T

he war in Ukraine is a cause for concern for all of us running businesses here in the UK. However there is a war we can all fight here - a war against waste. I am continuing my march through the 7 wastes in a relentless battle to eliminate it from your businesses.

To remind you, familiar to all in the automotive sector, the 7 wastes are just as relevant to your business whichever sector it's in – it's all about eliminating anything that doesn't add value from the client perspective.

* Advice on Salary Support and Incentive Schemes

In the last issue I dealt with Transportation and Inventory.

Now for Motion and Waiting.

* Unique Jobs Board

In contrast to Transport, wasted Motion takes place within the workplace.

* Funded Recruitment films The programme offers those looking for work: * Employability support * Job and Interview coaching * WCC Training Support Package * Travel Support

If you would like to explore how the Fair Chance Employment Programme can help your business, then please contact the team on skillshub@warwickshire.gov.uk

“This is one of those great programmes that really is a win-win. Businesses across the region are telling us there is a recruitment crisis and that they need people to be able to grow."

In manufacturing environments walking between workstations wastes time and shoe leather.

Equally, movement of equipment and work in progress around the shop floor is a waste of motion.

Eliminating this led to cellular manufacturing where movement is minimised and each workstation is ergonomically optimized.

What relevance is this to your business?

Think of a pub bar – most of these are models of optimized workspaces – glasses and bottles within easy

reach, pumps at the optimum height, snacks in boxes on a shelf below the bar, till on shelf behind the bar. Bar staff need minimal motion to fulfil sales. Next time you visit a pub see how much waste of motion you can spot.

While we're at the bar, our next waste is Waiting – waiting to be served is a waste of drinking time but is the same as waiting for any other operation to be performed.

Waiting for something to be copied or printed is common in office environments, while waiting for a batch of widgets to be fettled individually is a waste of time for the rest of the batch. Better management of flow – be it batches of one in manufacturing or more staff at the bar - means there is less of the Waiting Waste.

I can assist you identify and interpret these wastes in your business to help you reduce waste and improve productivity and customer value just contact me.

❛❛In manufacturing environments walking between workstations wastes time and shoe leather. ❜❜ email: graham.freakes@handgtechnology.co.uk call: 07774 200321

www.handgtechnology.co.uk www.cw-chamber.co.uk

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News

Rugby First launches new service to cut business costs Rugby First has launched a free Business Savings Programme to help town centre businesses recover from the pandemic.

Society celebrates record festive sales The Heart of England Co-operative Society has once again celebrated a recordbreaking festive sales performance.

The society recorded a sales increase of 6.5 per cent in the four weeks to January 8 – a strong performance amid an ever more challenging market.

Best-selling products in that time included Food to Go, which includes lunchtime meal deals and takeaway coffee.

The society recorded a 21 per cent increase on the same period last year and believes that as well as more people returning to work, it is also down to a rise in the number of home-workers taking a break and treating themselves at lunchtime.

Impulse chocolate buys rose by 11.5 per cent. The increase is believed to have been aided by the manufacturers expanding their range of novelty chocolates, such as Malteser reindeer, to give consumers more choice for reasonably priced stocking fillers.

The scheme enables businesses to identify where they can save money on core costs such as gas, water, electricity, telecommunications, insurance, pest control and merchant fees. The new service, offered to levy paying town centre businesses, was launched at Rugby Central with Place Support Partnership (PSP).

Jo Kemp, operations director at Rugby First, said: “As we’re all fully aware, it has been extremely difficult and challenging for town centre businesses throughout the pandemic. This free programme has been rolled-out in other areas of the country and proved to be very effective and well received by businesses in those areas, which is why we’re introducing it in Rugby.

“By engaging in the scheme, businesses will not only save money and time but also be able to reduce their carbon footprint and become more environmentally friendly through some of the green supplier options.

Over the next few weeks, PSP will be contacting businesses to gauge their interest in getting involved with this free service. From there they’ll work with those businesses to identify ways to save them money and recommend how best to realise those savings.

We’d encourage any businesses interested in finding out to get in touch with Rugby First.”

Rishi Sood, managing director of PSP, said: “Due to our collective approach, working with councils, BIDs and trade bodies, we can negotiate better rates and prices for all services that sole traders and SMEs may not be able to achieve or even have the time to address themselves.

We’re a one-stop-shop for business services, whether small, medium or large well-established businesses or those just starting a new venture.”

For more information visit www.placesupportpartnership.com and www.rugbyfirst.org.

“As we’re all fully aware, it has been extremely difficult and challenging for town centre businesses throughout the pandemic. This free programme has been rolled-out in other areas of the country and proved to be very effective and well received by businesses in those areas, which is why we’re introducing it in Rugby."

Beers and spirits recorded an 8.0 per cent increase compared to the same period last year, with many people still preferring to drink at home.

Rob overcomes social fears

The protein category, including turkeys, beef joints and legs of lamb, saw sales increase by 3.0 per cent.

Rob Harrison of Retail Transport Services managed to overcome his fears in the boxing ring once and for all.

The NHS describes social anxiety disorder, also called social phobia, as a long-term and overwhelming fear of social situations.

He is overcoming a social phobia he lives with on a daily basis to help and inspire others to show there is hope.

Rob was diagnosed with social phobia in his mid-teens and didn't leave his bedroom for months.

Alongside this, it was all being filmed for our entertainment; the BBC documentary aired recently on BBC West Midlands.

He learned ways to cope with his phobia; he would arrive early to places or establish a routine of what he wanted to do in his head before doing it.

Meanwhile, non-food items – in particular, toys – exceeded society expectations, with Lego and other lower-value toys aimed at people on a budget putting in a strong performance.

Best-performing stores were Wellesbourne near Warwick, and Attleborough in Nuneaton, which each showed significant growth over the period.

Rotherham Road in Coventry and New Bilton in Rugby were also among the best-performing stores.

Steve Browne is the general manager of the society’s food division, said: “This Christmas saw another strong festive performance by the society, despite the fact that we’re still in the midst of challenging times.

“COVID continues to create a difficult market with an adverse effect on the supply chain and customer shopping habits, which have become more unpredictable in line with the changing restrictions.”

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Rob Harrison said: “The whole purpose of why I am doing this is to help people who’ve had similar problems in their life.

"This is for all of the people struggling with their mental health.

You have Covid, Brexit, the Prime Minister allegedly doing things he shouldn't be – I just wanted to do something positive and inspiring.”

This can now be seen on the BBC iPlayer. The programme is called We Are England and his episode is called Fighting my Phobia, which was episode one of the new series.

It’s a real in-depth look at how social phobia can affect your life and how Rob managed to go from the lows of his life to rise to such a momentous occasion.

“The whole purpose of why I am doing this is to help people who’ve had similar problems in their life."

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

News

National Express pledges to keep bus fares affordable The price of everything seems to be going up, but in the West Midlands there’s one thing that isn’t – bus tickets.

A National Express day saver still costs £4 - the same as it did in 2014. It still gets you to anywhere in the West Midlands from Merry Hill to Coventry, as well as out to Cannock and Lichfield; Nuneaton, Rugby and Leamington.

The cost of living has gone up by over 27% since 2014 but savvy travellers can benefit from years of price freezes on the bus – as well as a fares cut from July last year.

If petrol, gas and electricity prices are all hitting record highs, how can a bus company keep its fares so low?

David Bradford, managing director of National Express Bus, said: “Since 2017 we’ve been absolutely determined to keep our bus fares as low as we possibly can. Last year we went further and cut them back to 2014 levels.

“It’s the right thing to do for our customers; we know bus passengers are incredibly smart about value for money. They need to be able to count on us to keep the cost of bus tickets low. We know our low-fare policy is working because since we dropped our prices in July 2021, we’ve seen 6% more passengers on our buses as a result.”

Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “We know that the cost of living is a real concern for people across the West Midlands at the moment, and transport is amongst the biggest household costs for families.

“That’s why I’ve been working closely in partnership with National Express to keep bus fares low. Since 2017 prices haven’t risen, and last year we even secured a cut that takes fares back to 2014 levels.”

“We know that the cost of living is a real concern for people across the West Midlands at the moment, and transport is amongst the biggest household costs for families."

Partnership helps to boost staff wellbeing Alongside its training course for mental health first aid, the Rugbybased consultancy firm has added a market-leading employee assistance programme (EAP) to its growing s ervice offering.

Employment and safety specialist AHR Consultants has teamed up with CiC Wellbeing, which has inspired a focus on health and wellbeing across all areas of the organisation.

The EAP provides access to a 24/7 support service, where any issue from an employee’s work or home life can be discussed. This covers everything from physical to mental health, with the service accessible via telephone, email, live chat or mobile app.

Employees at AHR Consultants have been making use of the service since its launch, with clients of the company now

able to include it within their HR or H&S Retainer Packages. The EAP can also be purchased as a standalone service.

The firm has also participated in National Work Life Week, providing further opportunity to raise awareness of potential health and wellbeing issues.

In addition to this, AHR Consultants recently delivered a free webinar on supporting health and wellbeing in the workplace.

Available to re-watch on the AHR Consultants website, the session provided further guidance on recognising potential issues amongst employees, while outlining effective HR procedures for managing them.

Simon Howes, managing director at AHR Consultants, said: “Considering the impact of the pandemic, providing personal support within organisations is arguably more important than ever before.

“We’re proud to make this support accessible through our partnership with CiC Wellbeing, helping employers to maintain a healthy, productive and motivated workforce.”

For more information on providing health and wellbeing support in your organisation, visit www.ahrconsultants.co.uk

fireFLYAI showcases innovation in virtual visit videos Warwickshire videography firm fireFLYAI has been leading the way in the innovative use of drones since it was formed in 2015.

Working closely with Culture Coventry, the company recently delivered a series of ‘virtual visit’ videos using small FPV (first person view) drones to bring the exhibits to viewers in a new and engaging way.

Videos highlighting Coventry Transport Museum, The Herbert Art Gallery and Lunt Roman Fort have caught the attention of online visitors. The fluid and dynamic flights are crafted from a single continuous

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take and have allowed each of these landmark venues to be explored and promoted.

The most recent commission to produce a video showcasing the world-renowned Turner Prize exhibit at The Herbert Art Gallery presented some interesting challenges given the high-profile and delicate nature of the exhibits. See the final video here: https://vimeo.com/638023024 Joy Corcec of Culture Coventry said: “The fireFLYAI team have made it possible for visitors to see Culture Coventry’s offer from a completely new angle and supported

us in bringing permanent sites and exhibitions to life online. This included Roman re-enactments, close-ups of memorable vehicles and the promotion of internationally acclaimed exhibitions, such as Turner Prize 2021.

“No matter what was thrown at them – including pitch-black corridors and abstract modern art installations – they took it all in their stride and we’re really looking forward to working with them in the future.”

Paul Trainor, director of fireFLYAI, said: “Flying in these environments is always a challenge. Through the use

of our designed and built aircraft, an experienced pilot, and our professional risk assessment and planning process, we ensure that every flight is delivered safely with stunning end results.

“FPV flying of this style shows the potential to use drones to highlight venues and any internal space in a new engaging light, capturing locations in a way that traditional filming doesn’t allow.”

For more details visit https://www.fireflyai.com/

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News

Coventry Building Society Arena teams up with creative experiences agency Coventry Building Society Arena has partnered with an innovative creative experiences agency to improve and expand the service it can offer to event organisers.

The multi-year deal with production agency PYTCH is part of the agency’s national expansion and is the first time it has worked with a stadium in this capacity.

Social housing partner joins Shakespeare Martineau Full service law firm Shakespeare Martineau has welcomed new partner Joanna Lee-Mills to head-up its social housing development team.

Joanna, who qualified in 2001, joins the firm following a career break, prior to which she worked at Anthony Collins Solicitors in Birmingham as departmental manager for the built environment team. Joanna’s expertise encompasses complex housing acquisitions and disposals, and she has a breadth of experience in larger scale projects including stock rationalisation transactions, stock swaps and transfers.

Having led property teams in delivering projects within strict budgets and timescales, Joanna also has a keen interest in value-added services, having often been the primary interface on multi-disciplinary projects involving cross-departmental working.

PYTCH specialises in ground-breaking live events, media, AV, broadcasting, digital content and mixed reality – and through Coventry Building Society Arena will be working directly with events taking place at the venue.

The new partnership will enable the arena to deliver high-level and innovative hybrid events while improving the customer experience of delegates and visitors attending physical events.

exhibitions and other events in the Coventry Building Society Arena.

This ranges from traditional AV and lighting services to live-streaming and VR avatar-based experiences.

Through the partnership, the arena aims to expand the reach of events it hosts at the venue. Delegates and presenters will easily be able to dial-in virtually to speak with those attending the event physically.

PYTCH has three of its own broadcast television studios in Bristol which it uses to produce virtual events. It also has a technology package which enables easybuild temporary live broadcast studios from the show floor at conferences,

Paul Michael, commercial director at Coventry Building Society Arena, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with PYTCH and this new partnership is the latest in a long line of exciting developments at the arena.

Joanna will be primarily based at the firm’s Birmingham hub but will be working with clients nationally. As part of her role, she will be drawing from her experience acting for private developers, corporate occupiers and the public and third sectors to provide advice and support to registered provider clients on the broad spectrum of real estate issues that are often a necessary part of the landscape relating to the acquisition, sale and development of housing stock.

Joanna’s appointment is the latest in a string of new partner hires as part of the firm’s growth strategy, which includes broadening its footprint in the north and south of the country.

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Jordan Tomkins, managing director of PYTCH, added: “We’re incredibly excited about this partnership. We’ve always felt that there is a huge opportunity for venues to offer innovative and creative solutions to clients over and above the standard audio-visual offering, and we’re glad to have found that Coventry Building Society Arena shares our vision.”

Sandell celebrates landmark year partitioning systems to offering a range of services and working on behalf of a whole host of clients, across many sectors. It now offers a full turn-key solution.

“We now have 22 members of the team and we are looking to add to that over the coming months to ensure we make the most of the growth potential on the back of restrictions lifting.

Joanna said: “I’m delighted to be joining Shakespeare Martineau and extremely excited to be part of its vision, particularly at a time when the legal sector is having to adapt strategically and intuitively to the ever-changing landscapes perpetuated by the pandemic and its resulting challenges.

“At Shakespeare Martineau, there’s incredible strength and breadth of expertise spanning all office hubs and associated intermediaries, with a real focus on finding new ways to work collaboratively with clients to meet actual and aspirational objectives.”

“This deal will expand what we can offer to event organisers and will further establish our venue as a leader in the sector.”

Nissar Khan, Andrew Stanier, Adrian Stanier (all Sandell) with Alex Kerr (Chamber)

A Warwickshire company is celebrating its 50th anniversary in business – and is forecasting significant growth for the coming financial year.

Sandell, which is based at Tachbrook Park in Leamington is a fit-out and refurbishment specialist across a range of sectors – from commercial and industrial premises to motor dealerships and hospitality.

The company was established in 1972

by Robin Sandell, focusing mainly on installation of ceilings and partitions within commercial premises, before current owners Adrian and Andrew Stanier purchased the business in 2004.

Growth was kerbed by the Covid-19 pandemic, with many organisations forced to work from home meaning some put development plans on hold.

As restrictions have eased, the company – a long-standing member of

the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce – has seen enquiries and work levels rising again.

Sandell is now anticipating its 2022/23 turnover to be 20 per cent up on the year before the pandemic hit and is recruiting once again to meet demand.

Adrian Stanier, managing director of Sandell, said: “Enquiry levels are starting to return strongly and we are feeling very positive about the future.

“This latest financial year will still feel the effects of the Covid-19 restrictions but all the indications are that the next 12 months are going to be the strongest for a number of years and significantly ahead of the final year before the pandemic hit.

“The business has evolved over the past 50 years and has grown from its specialism of the installation of suspended ceilings and demountable

“It has been great to carry out work across our region recently, including refurbishment projects at the Bullring, Birmingham; Motor Dealerships in Tamworth, Solihull and Erdington and a number of large Industrial units.

“That said, we are very much a national company and work across the whole country on a wide range of projects.”

Alex Kerr, membership adviser at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, paid a visit to the company to check on its plans for growth.

He said: “It’s a great achievement for Sandell to reach 50 years in business and the company continues to go from strength to strength.

“Surviving the last two years has been an achievement in itself for businesses across Coventry and Warwickshire but hopefully now we can see a period of sustained growth.

“We discussed how we can support Sandell in its plans to grow over the coming months and years to build on its half a century in business.”

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

News

High Sheriff gives thumbs up to employment support scheme Working with local employers, Beating Time liaises with the young men inside the Category B and C institute to identify suitable opportunities. Upon their release they are offered employment, which in turn can improve their mindset and greatly reduce their chance of reoffending and being sent back to jail.

During her visit Louise presented High Sheriff Awards to three key figures who have helped deliver the scheme at HMYOI Brinsford and made it a success.

A scheme which helps prisoners at a Midlands young offenders’ institute to improve their prospects upon their release has been praised by the High Sheriff of the West Midlands.

Jordan Sobalski is one of the two serving prisoners at HMYOI Brinsford who were recruited and trained as internal recruitment agents. The role involves being an advocate for the scheme, explaining the benefits to fellow prisoners, organising interview surgeries and liaising with employers when they visit the prison.

Louise Bennett OBE DL learned of the success of Inside Job – a collaborative effort between Wolverhampton charity Beating Time and HMYOI Brinsford, to help young offenders find employment upon their release.

Jordan and his fellow prisoner Jackson are enjoying spiralling success in their roles.

with a Criminal Record. Beating Time has since paid for copies of the book to be placed inside every prison library.

They received their training from Phil Martin, who once ran an in-prison employment desk for 20 months inside HMP Spring Hill and wrote the leading reference book – How to Get a Great Job

Along with Jackson, Jordan recruited potential interview candidates to the scheme. Six were offered interviews, five of which were offered jobs on release. This resulted in an increasing number of young men queuing for their help with a view to achieving similar success upon their own release.

"Upon their release they are offered employment, which in turn can improve their mindset and greatly reduce their chance of reoffending and being sent back to jail."

Louise said: “Inside Job is a fantastic scheme which really gives these young men the opportunity to turn their lives around.”

National training provider sees rise in applications after website revamp A national training provider has seen a dramatic rise in the amount of application courses after totally transforming its website thanks to a collaboration with a local web design agency.

PET-Xi, a Coventry-based organisation that specialises in training to support schoolchildren and jobseekers, as well as businesses looking to upskill, reached out to Rugby-based web design agency Oxygen Graphics after identifying a vital need to improve its current website.

Within months, the partnership between the two businesses saw the PET-Xi website develop from an “unresponsive and outdated platform” to a “crisp, modern, engaging and fully-functional design” which successfully engaged with the firm’s target audience.

Speaking about the project, strategic partnerships manager at PET-Xi, Eddie Cottis, said: “We, like many others, had an existing website that was getting tired and didn’t reflect what or how PET-Xi currently delivered.

“We were looking for a site that would be modern, innovative and portray

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PET-Xi’s commitment quality and flexibility of delivery. We needed a website that matched our reputation, goals and mission.”

Triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, Eddie and the team at PET-Xi recognised the need for a user-friendly website, which better supported the needs for their customers to access online courses.

With the website such a hit, the team at Oxygen Graphics were tasked to create a second platform for Metropolis Bar and Restaurant in Coventry.

Malcolm Freeman, Oxygen Graphics director, said: “It’s always a pleasure to work with locally-based businesses, supporting them to enhance and improve their online presence. What made this partnership such a success was the regular input we received from the team at PET-Xi. While they respected our professional abilities, their constant feedback and involvement meant we were able to create two very different websites that really reflect the individual goals of both PET-Xi and Metropolis.”

“We were looking for a site that would be modern, innovative and portray PET-Xi’s commitment quality and flexibility of delivery.

We needed a website that matched our reputation, goals and mission.”

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Profile: Jane Hytch “We used to get into those spaces when the students weren’t around and we’d make theatre and tell stories,” she said. “Then we’d get the students to come and see it.

“So, it is really rooted in me. A love of theatre. There were old red curtains that I used to open and close that made it feel like a proper theatre.

“We used to get in there in the holidays by climbing through the windows. It was magical. I was probably about eight at the time through to the age of 14. There was a group of us on the campus that all belonged to lecturers and we used to go round with a football rattle telling people that there was a play on. We’d do a play in a day and then draw in an audience in the evening.

“I went to a school on the campus where they were rather more experimental and we’d learn through the arts. I used to run a little puppet theatre in the school and we’d learn other subjects like history and maths through the puppetry.

“It was an unusual education but it equipped me for the journey I’ve had in my life.”

That journey led to Hytch becoming arts director at Worcester Arts Workshop, a community arts centre.

“My commitment was to work with people who didn’t have much opportunity to engage with the arts or didn’t go to theatres. Our work was on the estates in and around Worcester. It must have been around 1986.

We were way ahead,” she said.

There, she met David Beidas, who was managing the Swan Theatre in Worcester. He later moved to the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry and that was when Hytch got the call that would see her move to the city.

A burning ambition Very few similarities spring to mind when comparing Nuneaton and Bedworth to the Nevada desert.

But that could all change in the next few years if Jane Hytch gets her wish of continuing to work with London-based Artichoke, to create a major festival in the north Warwickshire borough inspired by the world-famous Burning Man that takes place in the USA every year.

Hytch, the CEO of Coventry-based Imagineer, said: “Three of us took a trip to see the festival in Nevada.

It was incredible and had 400 installations across the desert which took days to visit.

“To give examples, there was a tower of cars – maybe 15 cars piled up – with a caravan on top and people would be climbing up because it turns out the caravan is a café at the top of the pile. A health and safety nightmare!

“Then there was a giant polar bear just sitting there in the desert. The whole thing is a surreal experience installations appear through the desert sand and dust, it’s like walking through a Salvadore Dali painting.

“Our idea is to create a similar festival that shows the engineering and technology innovation of the West Midlands, and we want to do it at Hawkesbury Fields and in and around Nuneaton and Bedworth.”

The region’s own ‘Burning Man’ is earmarked for 2024 but a project called Sanctuary is coming to Bedworth’s Miners Welfare Park this spring (May 21-28) as the precursor to the festival.

Sanctuary will see the erection of a beautiful 60ft wooden structure in the park that will invite people to leave messages or items – relating to the Covid crisis of the past two years – and then, after seven days, it will all be burned.

“It’s an installation that is being designed by David Best,” said Hytch. “He designs and builds many of the temples that are the central part of the Burning Man Festival.

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“They are like giant cathedrals that are built over ten days. They are places where people can go and can leave messages.

“Around 80,000 people go to Burning Man and they live there for 10 days and then the city they build is taken away – leaving no trace behind. They go to the temples that David has made and at the end of the festival they burn them. It’s incredible. It’s a human catharsis. Everyone puts all of the awful and hopeful things in there and they let go.

“Sanctuary is a collaboration with Artichoke who are the lead organisation. I’ve always wanted to work with them and we wanted to do this in a place that we felt meaningful and where there are less affluent communities.

“Covid has hit communities like Nuneaton and Bedworth and that made the site special to us. David has designed Sanctuary which is a beautiful, 60 ft tall gateway to the future. People can come and leave things – artworks, words, thoughts about people – and they pass through it and it’s a gateway to a better time ahead.

“It will sit on a mound in the park and will be like a beacon to people – we’re expecting thousands to visit – and then it will be burnt after seven days.

“I spoke to a woman who lost her mother during Covid and couldn’t see her for the last days of her life and, through tears, she told me she would go to Sanctuary and that is where she would let go.

“There are so many stories that people are telling us about their experiences, and it’s really starting to attract attention.”

For Hytch, it’s another step on the road to helping to build creative, confident people and communities – something that has underpinned her whole career.

In fact, her whole life.

Her father was a lecturer at Worcester College of Higher Education and the family lived on the college campus. From the age of just eight, Hytch and her friends would sneak into an old theatre building on the campus and create shows during the day and perform them to an audience at night.

“David called me to say there was an opportunity to head up their community work,” Hytch said.

“It felt like a good transition at that time in my life.

I wasn’t 100 per cent sure about working in a mainstream theatre. The audiences felt similar – there was a regular programme and regular subscribers – so we started to break the mould.

“We developed a whole outdoor programme of work that was largely free to come and see. It was on in the summer and you’d get families coming in to see it.

“We started working with a lot of European companies and some from Australia and New Zealand – the best in the world – because they had more experience in doing it.

“We learnt so much from them and the theatre became very committed to working that way because we could engage and impact so many more people. That was really important. I love the theatre and the whole experience of going to the theatre but, for me, I wanted the work to engage more broadly.

“I’m interested in people who have never done theatre with stories to tell or young people with raw talent but they haven’t been able to express it.”

A change of direction at the Belgrade saw Hytch and three colleagues take the plunge to set up Imagineer in 2007, again with the ambition of reaching a broader range of people.

“There were four of us when we started,” she said.

“We all came from the Belgrade. I was a producer there for 20 years and we had been doing a lot of outdoor work, such as the mystery plays.

“The focus changed to building a second theatre and less on outdoor work so we were given £100,000 to set up a new company called Imagineer. After four years, I was voted as Chief Executive.

“The initial ambition was to make high level, outdoor work and reach as many people as possible.

“The heart of it is about the transformational power of art. If you engage people in the work you do, you can see them developing in confidence. So many people lack confidence and, if that’s the case, it makes it so difficult to make progressions in your life.”

Imagineer’s own confidence boost came in 2010 when it was chosen to be part of the 2012 Olympic Games procession, creating a giant Godiva that went the length and breadth of the country.

“We had a major breakthrough when we worked on the Olympics with the giant Godiva which everyone remembers,” Hytch said.

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Profile: Jane Hytch “That changed everything. We stopped working with carnival making materials and got much more into partnering engineering and technology companies like NP Aerospace, Arup and MIRA. “We found that improved the overall quality of what we could produce. When you’ve made a puppet like Godiva, you can’t go back to working with sticks, cardboard, kite cane and tissue paper.

“Everything, for me, started at that point. Before, we were a local events organisation, but now we work nationally and have lots of international partners and we were discovering the wealth of technology in Coventry and the sub region.

“We performed to the largest audience outside London during the Olympic year as we travelled to so many cities with Godiva. People came out en-masse and it was a huge confidence builder. We worked with 17 engineering companies across the West Midlands and Coventry University, to create Godiva and her Cyclopedia (36 interconnected tricycles which powered Godiva along the A5 to London).

“We wanted to discover new relationships with business and industry. We’ve found a way into those places and all of the skills and knowledge they have within them and are using them in our work.

Isn’t that amazing?

“The company has grown through collaborations with engineering and business, and universities.

We work a lot with Coventry and Birmingham and are looking at a wider partnership with West Midlands Combined Universities.

“They support us from a research perspective but in other ways too, such as collaborations with students.”

The latest phase of Imagineer’s growth has been the opening of the new Daimler Powerhouse during Coventry’s year as UK City of Culture.

It’s a new £2.5 million creative hub for artists and creatives in a former industrial building on the bank of Coventry Canal.

And Hytch hopes it will help to inspire the next generation of artists and engineers in the city who want to work in the outdoor arts sector.

“Having the Daimler Powerhouse has enabled us to develop all of our work with young, new talent,” she said.

“This building is equipped for young people, particularly vulnerable young people, to come in and to train in the work we do and the building process.

“We have some high-level equipment now and the creative industries are growing so fast, creating all kinds of jobs for young people, but they wouldn’t necessarily know those jobs are there. So, we feel like we are opening doors for young people and we want to do more of that.

“Young people gain experience in the building and then on the outdoor productions we create. We often employ them as apprentices or on work training placements. They come into the building just thinking they want to work in the arts, not really knowing what they want to do, but we help them find their way and then they get employment or other opportunities.

“It’s about creating a pipeline of talent – and I don’t mean that in a ‘showy’ way. You only have to look at the number of people listed on film credits to know how many jobs there are in the arts.

“Looking forward, we are doing some really exciting things. We are hoping to become National Portfolio clients of the Arts Council because, right now, we are project funded.

“That would enable us to know where we are going much more clearly and allow us to build our ten-year plan. We'’re only working six months ahead at the moment and having the building has given us a different kind of status.”

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

About Jane Hytch: Born: Live: Married/Partner: Children: Hobbies: Favourite Book: Favourite Film: Last Holiday: Gadget:

Leicester South Worcester and Coventry Partner Seven adopted Live outdoor performance/great films/walking/dogs/ house interior/garden design/chickens/ducks.

Breathe Life is Beautiful Spain 2019 Phone 21

Economy

Recruitment crisis continues quarter of the year, with employers expanding their search for skilled workers.

Sean Rose, head of policy at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “The rate of unemployment hasn’t hit the heights that many were expecting and it is now virtually at pre-pandemic levels, which is positive news for the economy.

British Chambers of Commerce Head of Economics Suren Thiru

The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce says companies are struggling to recruit after vacancies hit a national high.

The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show that unemployment across the country dropped to 4.1 per cent between October and December, leaving it just a fraction higher than when Covid-19 first struck.

A new national record of 1.3 million job vacancies was set in the final

“However, we are seeing firms struggling to recruit the people they need to be able to grow their business.

“At a time of rising costs and supply chain headaches, businesses are being hit by a range of issues at a time when they want to focus their energies on growing and ensuring we build a sustainable economic recovery from the crisis of the past two years.”

British Chambers of Commerce Head of Economics Suren Thiru said: “The increase in payroll employment in January suggests that Omicron had little effect on the UK labour market as demand for workers remained robust.

“While it is encouraging that payroll employment is rising and unemployment continues to fall, the strong headline figures mask significant underlying challenges.

“Record vacancies underscores the critical hiring crisis facing firms. With high economic inactivity indicating that many people have left the jobs market altogether, chronic staff shortages are likely to weigh on the UK economy for a sustained period.

“With regular pay growth slowing, inflation is comfortably outpacing wages, weakening household finances further. Despite recruitment difficulties, the damage being done to business cashflow from a myriad of cost

pressures are limiting the extent to which wages can rise.

“While Omicron is having little impact on employment, the squeeze on firms’ finances from high inflation, soaring energy bills and the looming national insurance hike is likely to weaken job creation and further restrain pay growth in the coming months.

“The government must do more to help people access rapid retraining opportunities for in-demand jobs, including helping older workers to pivot to more sustainable jobs.

Delaying the looming National Insurance rise would give firms the financial headroom to retain and recruit people.”

“At a time of rising costs and supply chain headaches, businesses are being hit by a range of issues at a time when they want to focus their energies on growing and ensuring we build a sustainable economic recovery from the crisis of the past two years.”

Don’t pass the burden of Covid to business, Government warned Business leaders in Coventry and Warwickshire say firms across the region are eager for a return to ‘normal trading conditions’ but don’t want the burden of managing Covid-19 passed to them.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has unveiled the Government’s ‘Living with Covid’ plan that includes removing the legal requirement to self-isolate following a positive test from February 24 and other measures such as removing the legal obligation for individuals to tell their employers when they are required to self-isolate.

The new plan also sees the end of free universal symptomatic and asymptomatic testing for the general public from April 1.

Sean Rose, head of policy at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “Companies across Coventry and Warwickshire are eager to go back to pre-Covid trading conditions and have been for the past two years.

“This has been an incredibly difficult couple of years and firms want to be able to push on for growth.

“However, it’s clear that Covid hasn’t gone away and the burden shouldn’t now fall on businesses to manage the virus moving forward and it is, therefore, vital that Government works with business to shape new guidance.”

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British Chambers of Commerce Co-Executive Director, Claire Walker, said: “Businesses will welcome the ambition of the Prime Minister, which inches us closer to pre-pandemic trading conditions.

However, for many firms, this move will not be without its challenges and Government must not pass public health decisions on to the business community, who are not public health experts.

“Members continue to tell us that access to free testing is key to managing workplace sickness and maintaining consumer confidence. If the government is to remove this, companies must still be able to access tests on a cost-effective basis.

“We look forward to consulting with Government to help shape the new guidance for businesses that will be developed. It is critical that a variety

of issues and scenarios be fully addressed by this.

Businesses need clarity if they are to operate at maximum capacity, as well as keep consumers and employee’s confidence high.

“Businesses also need to understand how Government will respond to further variants of concern – or indeed a future pandemic – and what support would be put in place if new guidance or mandatory restrictions are introduced that have a negative impact on the economy.

“Firms will only truly be able to ‘Live with Covid’ when they are confident that a plan is in place for future outbreaks. Uncertainty will put a brake on investment and the shadow of the pandemic could continue to loom over our economy for some time to come.”

“Businesses will welcome the ambition of the Prime Minister, which inches us closer to pre-pandemic trading conditions. However, for many firms, this move will not be without its challenges and Government must not pass public health decisions on to the business community, who are not public health experts." www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Economy

I can’t repay my bounce back loan… …is one of the most common client problems we hear at the minute.

The availability and ease of obtaining government backed loans was immense. Nobody quite knew what the future held and so, as a precaution, many businesses applied for these.

Some of the benefits were:

funds may have been spent and the business may still not be generating surplus cash each month.

Someone that borrowed £50k would be looking at repayments of just over £900 per month.

might be available to them and lenders should be supportive of this approach.

Despite the generous repayment options, a bounce back loan may only be one part of the jigsaw of cash demands. There may be a number of other loans from multiple lenders without such attractive terms. There could also be VAT, rent or other debts that have accrued or been deferred. Ultimately there could be too many pieces of the jigsaw.

Put simply, if you don’t have the cash, it is very difficult to repay the debts of the business.

Thankfully some help is at hand.

To ease the financial burden on those borrowers the government have allowed them to:

• No setup fees to pay (at least none that the borrower paid, the government sorted those out) • Interest rates were low

• Extend the loan period from 6 to 10 years

• No formal application process or business plan to submit • You didn’t have to make the first repayment until 12 months later

• Seek a repayment holiday for up to 6 months (you can do this once)

• No personal guarantees required

• Move to interest only repayments for a period up to 6 months (you can do this up to three times)

However it’s not always quite so easy when it comes to repaying the loans.

In the 12 month period between getting the loan and having to repay it the

Borrowers should certainly contact their lender to discuss any support that

We are speaking with many businesses about their debts, talking to them about their options and discussing a road map out of it.

If you know someone that might want to speak with us, even just to enquire about their options without a need to use us we would be happy to help.

For a free, no obligation and in confidence discussion please contact John Rimmer at BRI Business Recovery and Insolvency on 02476 226839 or jrimmer@briuk.co.uk

Help needed with energy issue The Chamber says small firms need help with rising energy costs – as well as individuals.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced a Council Tax rebate for those living in homes that are bands A to D to help with the increase in the energy price cap.

But Sean Rose, head of policy at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said businesses need support too.

He said: “When we speak to members about the issues that could stifle their growth and recovery from the past two years of Covid-19 restrictions, rising costs is a real cause for concern.

“The increase in energy bills is another headache for companies across the region, especially our smaller businesses.

“It’s right that individuals are supported at this time, but businesses need help too and, along with colleagues at the British Chambers of Commerce, we would also urge the Government to delay the rise in National Insurance.”

Hannah Essex, Co-Executive Director of the British Chambers

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

of Commerce, said: “While assistance for households is welcome, businesses will be dismayed at the lack of support for those firms also struggling with their energy bills. Many have already been hit by steep rises, with further significant spikes expected as existing fixed tariff contracts come to an end in the coming months.

“Smaller firms are particularly exposed as they have neither the protections or financial support provided to households, nor do they have the negotiating power of larger businesses.

“Without action, soaring energy bills will force many firms to raise prices further which will, in turn, fuel the cost-of-living crisis for consumers and further drive surging inflationary pressure.

“The Government should expand the Chancellor’s rebate and clawback scheme for households to include small firms, as well as delay the impending National Insurance rise. These steps would give firms a better chance to weather the current storm without needing to pass costs through to consumers in the form of price rises.”

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www.briuk.co.uk 23

International

Businesses urged to get on board with trading abroad Companies across Coventry and Warwickshire are being urged to be part of an international trade revolution after the launch of a new manifesto by a leading business group.

Just ten per cent of companies are involved in exporting so the team at the International Trade Hub at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce is throwing its weight behind a national campaign that could help to grow the region’s exports.

The British Chambers of Commerce’s most recent research shows that exporters are facing a wide range of issues, from unprecedented inflationary pressures and global supply chain crises to a raft of new requirements flowing from the EU trade deal.

Its Trade Manifesto sets out a comprehensive list of steps to get more UK businesses involved in international trade – including working with its own Global Business Network – as well as setting out steps the Government needs to take to support overseas trade growth.

It is making the move after 23 per cent of firms surveyed said finding a business partner or distributor overseas would encourage them to either start exporting or export more.

A further 16 per cent of firms also said support with trade documentation would encourage them to start exporting or increase the amount of business they do overseas.

Ajay Desai, International Trade Director at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said these services – and more – are available through the Chamber.

“Europe is still a strong market but there are many major economies around the world that want to do business with the companies from our area. The USA remains strong while India continues to grow and bring new opportunities for companies in Coventry and Warwickshire to export to. There are many others too."

24

Imge: pixabay.com

He said: “Understandably, the headlines have been dominated by Brexit and then by Covid and they have added to the perception that there are barriers to overseas trade.

“It’s vital, however, that we get more companies from Coventry and Warwickshire exporting and we can support that. There are lots of businesses in the region that are tapping into our services – such as export documentation – but we could support so many more and that would provide a massive boost for the whole economy as we emerge from a very difficult couple of years. www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

International

“Europe is still a strong market but there are many major economies around the world that want to do business with the companies from our area. The USA remains strong while India continues to grow and bring new opportunities for companies in Coventry and Warwickshire to export to. There are many others too.

“The Chamber can help businesses to tap into these markets and the evidence shows that those companies that do export give themselves a much better chance to grow.

“It’s time for businesses in our region to be part of an export revolution!”

The BCC Trade Manifesto sets out a number of steps that the UK government could take to help firms trade with the EU and to make sure that any new trade agreements put the interests of business at their heart.

In Europe, these include: streamlining customs and trade processes to reduce paperwork and delays; developing more business-friendly rules on cross-border VAT; and bringing back, and boosting, the Brexit SME Support Fund to help firms adapt.

More widely they include: creating a Business and Trade Growth Office at the Dept for International Trade to help smaller businesses get involved in exporting; providing better access for UK professional services and mutual recognition of qualifications; setting rules on trade that support the future exports of environmental goods and services; securing real benefits for importers and manufacturers in the UK on tariff reductions and rules of origin; and providing manufacturers with better options on sourcing materials and components.

Improvements needed to UK-EU trade deal Business leaders in Coventry and Warwickshire have joined calls for improvements to the UK’s trade deal with the EU. New research carried out by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) of more than 1,000 businesses has highlighted a host of issues with the deal with Europe.

Overall, just eight per cent of firms agreed that the Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA) was ‘enabling their business to grow or increase sales’, while 54 per cent disagreed.

For UK exporters, 12 per cent agreed that the TCA was helping them while 71 per cent disagreed.

The research comes just over a year on from the trade deal being signed and has seen firms calling for action from both the Government and the EU. Tom Mongan, president of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “It’s been more than a year since the deal was signed and many companies across the patch and across the country are still struggling with many aspects of it.

“It has led to rising costs, as well as delays, and just a general perception from customers in the EU that it is now a much more expensive and complex process to deal with businesses in the UK. “This is making life more difficult for regional businesses at a time when they want to be pushing for stronger growth in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis.

“When it comes to trade policy around the world, of course we want businesses to look at markets beyond the EU but, as our closest trading partner, we need a better solution to be found.”

William Bain, Head of Trade Policy at the BCC, said: “This is the latest BCC research to clearly show there are issues with the EU trade deal that need to be improved. Yet it could be so different. There are five relatively simple steps that UK and EU policymakers could take to ease the burden placed on businesses struggling with the trade deal.

“Nearly all of the businesses in this research have fewer than 250 employees and these smaller firms are feeling most of the pain of the new burdens in the TCA. “Many of these companies have neither the time, staff or money to deal with the additional paperwork and rising costs involved with EU trade, nor can they afford to set up a new base in Europe or pay for intermediaries to represent them.

“But if both sides take a pragmatic approach, they could reach a new understanding on the rules and then build on that further.

“Accredited Chambers of Commerce support the UK Government’s ambition to massively increase the number of firms exporting. If we can free up the flow of goods and services into the EU, our largest overseas market, it will go a long way to realising that goal.”

The British Chambers of Commerce has drafted solutions to five of the key issues involving trade with the EU. They are:

Shevaun Haviland, Director General of the BCC, said: “We want to work with the UK Government and other trading bodies to build a proper coalition of support for a strong UK trade and investment strategy.

ISSUE:

Export health certificates cost too much and take up too much time for smaller food exporters.

SOLUTION:

We need a supplementary deal on this which either eliminates or reduces the complexity of exporting food for these firms.

ISSUE:

“If we want more firms to get involved in exporting then we need to see more end-toend support to help them make the leap.

Some companies are being asked to register in multiple EU states for VAT in order to sell online to customers there.

SOLUTION:

We need a supplementary deal, like Norway’s with the EU. This exempts the smallest firms from the requirement to have a fiscal representative and incur these duplicate costs.

ISSUE:

As things stand CE marked industrial and electrical products will not be permitted for sale on the market in Great Britain from January 2023.

The same is true for components and spares.

SOLUTION:

We need action from the Government to help businesses with these timelines. Many firms are far from convinced about a ban on CE marked goods in Great Britain.

ISSUE:

UK firms facing limitations on business travel and work activities in the EU.

SOLUTION:

Government needs to make side deals with the EU and member states to boost access in this area as a priority for 2022.

ISSUE:

Companies starting to be pursued in respect of import customs declarations deferred from last year.

SOLUTION:

We need a pragmatic approach to enforcement to ensure companies recovering from the pandemic do not face heavy-handed demands too quickly on import payments, or paperwork.

“But businesses also have the knowledge and practical know how to help the UK Government negotiate trade treaties that can open up new growth opportunities.

“We have always been champions of international trade and there is no doubt in our minds that businesses that embrace exporting to overseas markets will be better off for it, as will our economy. All it takes is a willingness to try.”

The full Trade Manifesto is available at britishchambers.org.uk www.cw-chamber.co.uk

25 25

News

New business growth tool launched by AIM Internet straightforward with sensible use of analytics – for instance, by the likes of Facebook, Google and Amazon.

Digital marketing agency, AIM Internet, has announced the launch of its Key to Growth app.

However, there is a lack of accurate user-level data in most SMEs with an “offline presence”, such as shops, distributors, resellers, manufacturers and service providers. As a result, the ability to measure return on marketing spend has been limited.

The app is a unique product that gives business owners the ability to pull together leads and analytics data easily, to help firms measure their return on investment.

Mike Raybone, company director, said: “We developed this capability to enable our partners to finally have access to clear information on spend versus return. As business growth experts, we wanted to provide the visibility that businesses simply haven’t had access to before.

The challenge in the B2B sector has always been data. The data available for online solutions combined with information that can be in use has made online marketing relatively

“Many businesses will have tried digital marketing and had their fingers burned, and a lot will be reluctant to invest because they’re not sure if they’re getting a return.

“The Key to Growth app removes this barrier. In fact, the key to sustainable growth in B2B marketing is data structure and data management.

Our app pulls together all the necessary information to plug that gap and give clients hard figures.”

The innovative app allows business owners to have more transparency.

In addition, it gives the confidence that any marketing investment is indeed profitable and regarded as an investment.

AIM’s vision is to create an offering which not only builds trust between client and agency, but also delivers exponential growth to your business.

“We developed this capability to enable our partners to finally have access to clear information on spend versus return.

As business growth experts, we wanted to provide the visibility that businesses simply haven’t had access to before."

Cuthbert has legs with a sour bite at Colin!

Pure Ideas has been following the legal dispute between Marks and Spencer (M&S) and ALDI and has an update on the settlement between both food companies over their respective Colin and Cuthbert chocolate cakes.

A Pure Ideas spokesperson said: “The Innovation might be marginal – we suspect caterpillar design cakes have been around for generations made by home cooks, but put in marketing effort, clever branding and you have something worthwhile to protect!

“Trademarks and especially reputations are precious things, hard to gain and all too easy to tarnish.

M&S have for many years supplied and gained an ongoing reputation for a ‘Colin’ caterpillar cake. ALDI had a caterpillar cake called ‘Cuthbert’.

M&S got upset. ALDI saw an opportunity, pondering what other organisations have traded under the epithet M&S; they recalled Marley and Scrooge from a Dickensian Christmas Carol. The opportunity to tweak a scrooge-like attitude couldn’t be missed in a well-directed Christmas TV advertising campaign.”

For more information, visit https://pure-ideas.co.uk/2021/11/29/trade-marks-special-cuthbert-vs-colin/#

Law firm’s new look heralds next phase of growth Law firm Lodders has unveiled a fresh, new brand that will be “the launchpad for more growth and success”, according to its managing partner.

Paul Mourton at Lodders said: “The firm has its sights set clearly on maintaining the growth and expansion momentum of the last 12 months. The time is right to communicate our unique strengths more clearly and boldly with a modern new brand that gives the firm the tools and confidence to push the boundaries and realise our goals.

“The new look and proposition represent the start of a new era in the firm’s history. Lodders is flourishing and, without doubt, a firm that’s ahead of the curve.”

26

Lodders first announced its ambitious plans for growth in August 2021 when it launched its biggest ever recruitment drive in its 230-year history, creating 40 new roles which represented a 25% growth in its workforce.

Paul said: “It has been an incredible 12 months for us. We’ve already made many new hires – amongst them Damian Kelly as partner and head of the employment team, corporate partner Bradley Quin, and real estate partner Lee McBride, with further partner and other senior hires to be announced in the coming months. The firm has recorded record-breaking turnover and sustained growth in the number, value and profile of new

work. In January we expanded our Birmingham office in St Paul’s Square to create a new Birmingham business hub.

“Lodders corporate department clocked up £50 million worth of deals in the last four months of 2021. The team frequently acts on high-value and complex M&A deals, often for or against the largest private equity houses in the country.

“It’s a similar story for our highly specialised dispute resolution team that acts on time pressured and challenging commercial litigation and property litigation issues.”

For more information visit www.lodders.co.uk.

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

MIPIM 2022

Attracting new investment for the region A leading business organisation in Coventry and Warwickshire is exporting itself to France later this month with one mission – to help attract new investment into the region.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce will be part of the CW MIPIM Partnership which promotes investment opportunities at the world’s biggest commercial property show.

Brad Shields (left) with Josh Bassett outside Wasps’ Elite Performance and Innovation Centre in Henley-in-Arden

Entrepreneurs set to represent Wasps at international conference Two entrepreneurial Wasps players will represent the club in Europe this month as the pair head out to the continent’s biggest property convention.

Brad Shields and Josh Bassett, who launched their new drinks brand “Social” last summer, will be appearing at MIPIM to promote Coventry and Warwickshire and what the Coventry Building Society Arena has to offer.

Shields, originally from New Zealand, and Bassett, from Luton, came up with the idea during lockdown to create a new brand of hard seltzer – alcoholic sparkling water, flavoured with fruit, which is popular in the USA and Australia.

After Social’s successful launch, the business partners and teammates will represent Wasps at MIPIM as part of the area’s drive to attract investment and development.

The pair will be joined by Wasps’ corporate development director, Déirdre Fitzhugh.

Stephen Vaughan, Wasps Group chief executive, said: “Not only are Brad and Josh superb rugby players, they’ve also created a fantastic business, so we felt they were a great fit to represent the club and our region at MIPIM this year.”

MIPIM, which has not been held for two years because of the pandemic, is one of the biggest property shows in the world and attracts around 30,000 global delegates in France.

The Coventry and Warwickshire MIPIM Partnership is made up of private sector companies and organisations from across the area and has been attending the show for more than two decades.

Stephen added: “We’re looking forward to showing the delegates at MIPIM how Coventry and Warwickshire is bouncing back from the pandemic and the role we’re playing in that, not only with the sporting events we hold but also the major concerts, conferences and exhibitions that we attract to the area.”

"MIPIM, which has not been held for two years because of the pandemic, is one of the biggest property shows in the world and attracts around 30,000 global delegates in France." www.cw-chamber.co.uk

“We are the UK City of Culture until the end of May and, soon after that, the Commonwealth Games kicks in which Coventry and Warwickshire is playing a role in.

MIPIM, which has not been held for two years because of the pandemic, attracts around 30,000 global delegates in France, and Coventry and Warwickshire has had a presence there for more than 20 years.

“We have leading-edge businesses, world-class universities and are right at the centre of the country. This is an exciting place to be and this is our chance to tell the world and our chance to attract more investment into our region.”

Tom Mongan, the president of the Chamber, will be part of the delegation going to the event, which is taking place for the first since the Covid outbreak.

The Coventry and Warwickshire MIPIM Partnership is made up of private sector companies and public sector organisations from across the area and this is the fifth time the Chamber has attended.

He said it was an opportunity for the region to showcase itself to the world again as a great place to do business.

Tom said: “Coventry and Warwickshire is an amazing place to do business and that is reflected by the fact that we have some incredible companies right across the patch.

“As president of the Chamber, I am proud to be representing the region at this major event and I will be telling everyone I meet that this is the place to be.

Ajay Desai, International Trade Director at the Chamber, said: “Supporting companies with exports is a major part of what we do on a day-to-day basis but this is a chance to talk to individual geographical areas and strengthen ties.

“That can lead to opportunities for businesses in Coventry and Warwickshire but also develop links that can lead to investment in the region.”

For more information, head to https://www.mipim.com/en-gb.html

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News

National Express Bus wins top safety award National Express Bus has won the coveted Sword of Honour from the British Safety Council (BSC).

It is the fifth time the company has been endorsed as one of the best of the best for safety.

The BSC says that the Sword of Honour represents “the pinnacle of health and safety management”.

Before they can even compete for the Sword of Honour, companies around the world must have first achieved a maximum five-star rating as a result of an intensive two-week audit by BSC. National Express Bus has successfully held its five-star rating since 2016. The bus company’s

latest audit score also topped 2020 with an impressive 97.86%.

The five-star rating confirms National Express’s proven track record and culture of excellence in occupational health and safety management, including wellbeing and mental health at work.

“Every single one of our employees has played a part in achieving this award through their hard work, enthusiasm and commitment to doing the right thing in all areas of our business – keeping our people and our customers safe and well.”

Mark Heffernan, National Express operations and safety director, said: “We’re very proud to have again been recognised as one of the very best. This is a testament to all of our employees’ dedication and relentless focus on health, safety and wellbeing during what have been some uniquely difficult times.

Mike Robinson, chief executive of the British Safety Council, added: “I’d like to congratulate National Express Bus on their achievement and applaud them for keeping their workplace safe and healthy. I pay tribute to National Express and all of its workforce for their hard work and commitment.”

Serco helps Midlands firms to find talent and save money Tom Beard, employer engagement manager for Serco’s Restart Scheme, explains how his team is supporting businesses to find, attract and retain the right people…

expertise, each of our coordinators has a specific patch where they continue to build their knowledge of the opportunities and challenges presented to each industry.

“We're a funded employability programme that’s helping businesses in the Midlands to streamline recruitment and significantly reduce the cost per hire.

“In practice, our Coventry coordinator, Yasmin Brotherson, works with employability specialists who help her to source local candidates with the technical or soft skills that a business requires.

“Collectively, we have more than 30 years' recruitment experience in the region and understand the unique business landscape we operate in.

As a way of reinforcing our local

“She offers businesses a five-step package, which is tailored to their specific objectives. As her support is free and geared towards streamlining

the interview and onboarding process, it helps to minimise the administrative burden of recruitment.”

Yasmin explains how she has helped local businesses to reduce costs and time: “My support starts at our initial needs-assessment meeting where I determine the issues I can help resolve. For example, a business could be struggling to find the people with the right skillsets for the role, and maybe the training costs on top of recruitment prove prohibitive.

Once an action plan is agreed, I act as their single point of contact to a wider

pool of talent sourced through our networks and streamlining begins.

For the business, I can arrange group interview and assessment days.

Once your new employee is in place, the Restart Scheme and the many partnership organisations we work with are still on-hand to support you.

This could be to provide individual coaching and mentoring; or funded, accredited upskilling packages for your whole workforce.”

For more information visit https://www.serco-ese.com/restartscheme/employers

Viessmann acquires heat pump expert PHS is a specialist in the installation and maintenance of integrated HVAC solutions with a further specialisation in heat pumps, and is well-known to end customers under the brand 0800 Repair. The deal includes the acquisition of Oakes Energy Services, which will be integral to the development of the business.

German heating, industrial and refrigeration systems manufacturer Viessmann has bolstered its heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) expertise with the acquisition of Durham-based Pacifica Home Services (PHS) – with the support of Midlands law firm Shakespeare Martineau.

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By acquiring a majority stake in PHS for an undisclosed sum, international manufacturer Viessmann will strengthen its service and sales activity in the UK long-term and help meet the growing need for decarbonisation through the retrofitting of homes, as well as meet increased demand for heat pumps in new dwellings.

In total, PHS employs around 240 people and is estimated to have made more than £45m worth of sales in 2021. Management from PHS will stay on board and remain invested in the company.

Timo Tauber, managing director, Viessmann Investment GmbH, said: “With the acquisition of PHS, we’re strengthening our services and sales activities within the UK for the long term. Even more importantly, we’re positioning ourselves sustainably in the strongly-growing British heat pump market.”

Andrew Smith, partner at Shakespeare Martineau, led on the deal for Viessmann, providing legal due

diligence support and advice on all legal aspects of the transaction.

He said: “With energy prices rising and climate change and heating methods for homes high on the agenda, this deal couldn’t have been more timely.

“We’re really pleased to have acted for Viessmann on an important deal for the company’s ongoing growth in such an important sector. This showcases our ability to execute complex crossborder deals for multinational clients and demonstrates the benefits of our membership of the international Multilaw network, with Viessmann having been introduced to us by German member firm Schalast.”

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Connectivity

Why are businesses still choosing large corporates instead of local businesses

T

he telecommunication industry, despite disruption throughout the pandemic, is still generating revenue of over £31 billion pounds in the UK alone. The move to remote and hybrid working, has accelerated the reinvention of services, with businesses having to make rapid decisions, including changing their business models and technology platforms just to manage.

The demand for high-speed connectivity, value-added managed services as well as mobile subscribers – are all contributing to the market growth. What is very apparent, is that technology was (and is) front-and-centre to enable businesses to run efficiently and effectively. And that isn’t going to change any time soon.

After a difficult few years for local businesses, it’s interesting, that many are still choosing large telecommunication providers to run their services. But why? Is it the large marketing campaigns

and brand association? Or are purchases driven by low upfront monthly costs, instead of looking at the cost of the full-term contract, for example?

Large telecommunication companies often manage customers with a ‘one-size-fitsall’ approach, whereas local businesses are commercially competitive, contractually flexible, provide better service and give back to the local community.

The more local businesses grow, the more local people they can employ and the more money they can invest back into the community.

Simon Pickering, Managing Director of dbfb a leading communications provider in East and West Midlands says, “By choosing local businesses as your providers, you’re supporting your local economy more than you probably realise. When businesses choose us, we can continue to reinvest back into the local community, whether that’s through, hiring and creating job

opportunities, contributing to local charities such as Cynthia Spencer and The Hope Centre, or sponsoring local business networking events or sports clubs – it all helps boost the local economy.”

Simon adds, “At the end of the day, we sell what large corporates do. But by choosing local, you’ll receive a more personalised and customised service. More and more businesses are making a ‘digital investment’, but still, some are choosing product silos from multiple large companies, instead of integrated solutions – resulting in disjointed customer service and higher operating costs. We can help fix that.”

The integration of telecommunications and operating models are needed for profitable growth, and as more services shift to the cloud, now is a great time to start laying your platform foundations for you to keep building on.

To find out more about what dbfb do and how they can help you with your communication needs, or to take part in the report, contact discover@dbfb.co.uk, call 01604 673320 or visit dbfb.co.uk

❛❛By choosing local, you’ll receive a more personalised and customised service. More and more businesses are making a ‘digital investment’, but still, some are choosing product silos from multiple large companies, instead of integrated solutions – resulting in disjointed customer service and higher operating costs.

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www.cw-chamber.co.uk

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Area Focus: Coventry - Mid Warks - North Warks - South Warks - Rugby

Transport museum launches Women in Motorsport exhibition Coventry Transport Museum has opened a new interactive exhibition celebrating the inspiring diverse roles women play in motorsport, past and present.

Women in Motorsport launched in January and runs until May 31 amid Coventry’s year as UK City of Culture.

New Central Campus Venues spaces to enhance delegate experience Two new spaces have been added to Warwick Conferences’ Central Campus Venues, further improving delegate experience and providing more flexibility for organisers than ever before.

Bringing together world-leading culture and leisure, hotel-style accommodation and cutting-edge large-scale venues, the £57.5m Faculty of Art Centre and recently renovated £25.5m Warwick Arts Centre have been added to the service. As a result, Central Campus Venues offers 300 spaces in total.

A complete package for event organisers, Central Campus Venues is capable of hosting meetings, conferences and exhibitions for up to 1,200 delegates and has been designed to provide completely bespoke packages.

The exhibition provides the opportunity for visitors to fuel up on their knowledge of the fastest women in motorsport and explore their varied roles within the industry through personal stories – as well as capturing an exciting glimpse of the future of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths).

Women in Motorsport curator Elisabeth Chard-Cooper said: “It’s really great to be able to open this new exhibition focusing on diversity and inclusion in motorsport and the automotive industries during Coventry’s City of Culture.

“We felt it was hugely important to celebrate some of the UK’s fastest women in motorsport and those working in roles behind-the-scenes. One of our aims is to inspire future generations.”

The exhibition features interactive family-friendly elements, including a pit-stop experience, DIY-tracks and projections which allow visitors to race their designs against each other.

Highlights of the exhibition range from a helmet belonging to ‘speedqueen’ Jill Scott-Thomas, a British racing driver of the 1920s and 1930s along with a race car driven by Canadian-born Kay Petre, another early British motor racing star from this era, who was 4ft 10 inches tall.

There is racing gear owned by recent professional racing drivers Susie Wolff – now the CEO of Venturi Racing in Formula E – and 28-year-old British W Series driver Sarah Moore, who

Central Campus Venues is located at the heart of the University of Warwick, creating a village environment for visitors to experience. The central location also allows delegates to explore the campus and take advantage of the world-class facilities on offer, including the Sport and Wellness Hub. Sustainability will also play a leading role in the new campus. Like the rest of the Warwick Conferences packages, booking an event at Central Campus Venues will provide organisers with the assurance that materials are reduced, reused and recycled where possible.

For more information visit www.warwickconferences.com

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Other interesting things to see include dramatic moments in motorsport, a Jaguar Racing Formula E, a Le Mans suit, Limited Fundz Junior Dragster and a Williams Racing F1 Show Car along with famed trophies, examples of cutting-edge technologies and rare interviews.

For further information visit https://www.transport-museum.com/events/1525/women_in_motorsport

Grant paves way for V-Farm launch part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and delivered

by Coventry University Enterprises.

A match-funded grant was awarded at a rate of 40 per cent with V-Farm’s 60 per cent contribution.

Organisers are now able to pick and choose from a number of add-ons to suit their needs. These include food and dining – ranging from threecourse meals to barbecues – overnight accommodation requirements and additional facility support services.

Paul Bartlett, director of Warwick Conferences, said: “Central Campus Venues has been launched to provide a one-stop-shop for events, meetings and conferences. No event is the same and we wanted Central Campus Venues to reflect this. Designed with flexibility in mind, the enhanced service will allow organisers to create the ideal event for their delegates, whatever the budget.”

became the first woman to win the Britcar Endurance Championship in 2018 and an LGBTQ+ rights ambassador for Racing Pride.

Stuart explained: “Food production is a global market and years have been spent developing the technology but it hasn’t been commercialised until now.

We knew we had a great product but wwe needed help in taking it to market.

From the left, Ilektra Alma Fronista (Coventry University Enterprises), Justine Chadwick (CWLEP Growth Hub) and Stuart Green (V-Farm)

A high-tech horticultural company in Coventry is launching a groundbreaking system for growing crops indoors.

V-Farm, which is a spin-off of HydroGarden, a European manufacturer and distributor of indoor plants, has spent the last seven years developing a vertical farming concept from its base in Progress Way on the Binley Industrial Estate.

It is designed to be used worldwide from a rooftop in Canada to a warehouse in Hong Kong by using the latest

hydroponics technology – which is the process of growing plants indoors – through a mobile rack structure fitted with trays, lighting and ventilation equipment which can be adapted to meet the available space.

Stuart Green, of V-Farm, contacted the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) Growth Hub to discuss grant opportunities.

The business secured a £10,000 Proof of Concept grant which forms part of the Coventry and Warwickshire Business Support Programme which is

“The Growth Hub has helped us reach our ambitions by developing the equipment that we’ve spent the last seven years researching, as well as securing patents now that we’re in a position to commercialise V-Farm.

“We’ve already supplied units to Brazil, Australia and China and we’ll be fully launching V-Farm towards the end of the year.”

Justine Chadwick, account manager at the CWLEP Growth Hub, said: “One of the many ways we assist SMEs in Coventry and Warwickshire is by supporting their innovative ideas to help with their growth plans.

“V-Farm’s new urban farming idea has been brilliantly developed and now manufactured here in Coventry to maximise areas throughout the world where food can be grown.”

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Area Focus: Coventry - Mid Warks - North Warks - South Warks - Rugby

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Engineering firm reborn after multi-million-pound investment A well-known Coventry engineering name has been reborn after a £4.2 million investment and is looking to expand.

Penso Group, which was based in Woodhams Road off Siskin Drive, went into liquidation in May 2021 due to a combination of COVID-19, the fall in demand for the production of new aeroplanes and taxis, and a global shortage of semi-conductors it needed to produce lightweight pods for the home delivery sector.

Directors Jevon Thurston-Thorpe and Dave Roche contacted the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) Growth Hub as part of their plans to establish a new business in the wake of the liquidation of the previous group of companies.

The expert team at the CWLEP Growth Hub helped Penso Consultancy, Penso Composite and Penso Manufacturing to secure a 29,000 sq ft Technical Centre in Westwood Way, Westwood Heath, and help secure targeted COVID-19 support from Coventry City Council, which assisted the new company to get off the ground.

The three businesses have also received £4.2 million investment from the McDermott Group and currently employ a total of 45 people, with Darren McDermott taking office as chairman of the group, and Iain Muir as commercial director.

Jevon Thurston-Thorpe, a director at Penso Consulting, said: “It was really difficult when Penso Consulting went into liquidation because we had built up so much expertise and relationships, and the Growth Hub and Ian Flynn from Invest in Coventry & Warwickshire helped us in several ways because they had a deep understanding of our business and knowledge of the local commercial space available.

Justine Chadwick, account manager at the CWLEP Growth Hub, said: “It is great the Growth Hub has played a part in finding a big enough space to incorporate all the different elements of the new Penso business and our specialists are now on the hunt for a new base in the area to help the business realise its growth potential.”

From the left, Richard Middleton (Coventry City Council), Ian Flynn (Invest in Coventry & Warwickshire), Justine Chadwick (CWLEP Growth Hub), Iain Muir (Penso Consulting Ltd) and Jevon Thurston-Thorpe (Penso Consulting Ltd).

"The expert team at the CWLEP Growth Hub helped Penso Consultancy, Penso Composite and Penso Manufacturing to secure a 29,000 sq ft Technical Centre in Westwood Way, Westwood Heath."

Coventry hotel makes senior appointment A Coventry hotel has welcomed a new general manager to drive its growth and improve customer experience.

Raj Balsaraf has been appointed at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Coventry – a 121-bedroom hotel on-site at Coventry Building Society Arena.

Hotel Group, Accor Hotels and Millenium Hotels and Resorts.

In the new role at Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Coventry, he will lead a team of 40 staff and be responsible for driving standards throughout the property.

Raj has more than 16 years’ experience working in the hotel and leisure industry and has worked for some of the biggest brands in the UK.

Raj said: “I’m excited to be taking on this new role and to work with the established team here to drive improvement across the hotel.

It is his first appointment in the position of general manager and sees him return to Hilton after starting his career at the Hilton London Croydon Hotel in 2006.

“It’s a great time to be joining the hotel, particularly with the eyes of the world set to turn on the venue for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games in a few months’ time.

Raj spent the first seven years of his career working for Hilton across three different sites in London: Croydon, Bracknell and Kensington.

Paul Michael, commercial director at Coventry Building Society Arena, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have Raj on board as part of the senior leadership team here at the Coventry Building Society Arena. We’re excited to see what Raj can do to grow the business.”

Since first leaving Hilton, he has worked with major brands including InterContinental Hotels Group, Jurys Inn

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Paul Michael and Raj Balsaraf outside Coventry Building Society Arena

“It’s a great time to be joining the hotel, particularly with the eyes of the world set to turn on the venue for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games in a few months’ time."

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Area Focus: Coventry - Mid Warks - North Warks - South Warks - Rugby

Anniversary celebrations for Alsters Kelley Solicitors offences, dispute resolution, medical negligence, personal injury, wills, probate and trusts.

Still offering high levels of personal and friendly service, the Stratford office is growing and there are plans to further develop it over the coming years.

Cathy Wahlberg, managing director at Alsters Kelley, said: “When we acquired Bonell & Co during lockdown in January 2021, it was a nerve-racking but exciting time. We’re delighted with how the first year has gone and are looking forward to building on what has already been done to ensure local clients continue to receive kind, helpful and excellent legal support.

It was a year in January since law firm Alsters Kelley Solicitors acquired Stratford-based Bonell & Co Solicitors.

During that time, the firm has been expanding its range of legal services and busy repainting the offices in Chestnut Walk.

The original Bonell & Co staff, including founder Andrew Bonell, traditionally dealt with conveyancing and family law, but now the offices are home to Alsters Kelley staff from the other services areas on a regular basis. These services include criminal litigation & motoring

“Stratford is a wonderful town and we feel honoured to be able to add to the impressive pedigree that Bonell & Co had achieved. By retaining some of their staff and introducing increased technology, compliance and new service areas, we’ve been able to respond promptly in what is a changing legal landscape.”

Bonell & Co clients have also adapted quickly to the change in ownership.

Consistency and continuity have been key factors here, as well as being accessible, listening, understanding and acting promptly to ensure client needs are met.

Our Stratford office is open Monday to Friday from 9.00am to 5.30pm.

“When we acquired Bonell & Co during lockdown in January 2021, it was a nerve-racking but exciting time. We’re delighted with how the first year has gone and are looking forward to building on what has already been done to ensure local clients continue to receive kind, helpful and excellent legal support."

Flagship Coventry hotel enjoys glowing reviews Coventry city centre’s new flagship hotel is blazing a trail for a new standard of hospitality in the city.

The Telegraph Hotel only opened last May but has already made its mark, having recently been included in the prestigious Sunday Times 100 Best British Hotels guide and winning a string of glowing national reviews.

The 88-room hotel, which has won outstanding reviews from national and regional press, has already hosted a string of stars appearing at events in Coventry during its year as UK City of Culture.

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General manager Amy Windsor said: “To be named as one of the UK’s top 100 hotels so soon after opening is a reward for everyone involved and we want to build on that in the next six months and beyond.

“We believed we had a really good offer in a unique setting but it’s great that this view has been shared by reviewers from across the UK who’ve stayed with us.

feedback has been brilliant and we’ve been overwhelmed by the response from our guests.

“People have loved our 1950s design – transforming a former newspaper office into an iconic hotel – and said it’s a real homefrom-home when they stay, which is lovely to hear.”

“It took a while to get here as we had to twice delay our opening because of COVID, but it has been a whirlwind first six months since!

In its first six months the hotel saw more than 15,000 guests stay for the night, took more than 27,000 bookings to its three bars and restaurants – and even used 24,000 toilet rolls!

“Opening in a pandemic is a unique challenge in itself but the

For further information visit www.telegraph-hotel.com

“To be named as one of the UK’s top 100 hotels so soon after opening is a reward for everyone involved and we want to build on that in the next six months and beyond."

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Area Focus: Coventry - Mid Warks - North Warks - South Warks - Rugby

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Nuneaton firm aims to reduce motorists’ carbon footprint

Rita Booth (CW Chamber of Commerce), Gemma Worthington (Tree-V), Cllr Kam Kaur (Warwickshire County Council), Amanda Bourne (Tree-V)

A newly launched Nuneaton business is set to help motorists across the UK become more environmentally-friendly.

Tree-V has been created by Tom and Gemma Worthington and Amanda Bourne and is designed to help drivers of petrol and diesel vehicles better understand the amount of carbon they produce, using a special calculator.

Then, with the help of a forestry partner, the company supports motorists in balancing their emissions through treeplanting in the UK or forest maintenance around the world.

The company was supported by the start-up team at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce after the founders had worked with the Chamber on other business ventures.

The help from the Chamber was part of the CW Business: Start, Grow and Scale programme which is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Warwickshire County Council and all five District and Borough Councils.

Chamber business coach Rita Booth supported the firm in identifying the different markets it could tailor its services towards, supported its marketing and branding, as well as helping to structure the business and its processes.

Tom said: “Before Tree-V, as a family of car enthusiasts, we struggled to balance the desire for classics and consciousness for the environment during the search for our first classic car.

“We discovered there wasn’t a service in place that could allow us to calculate our classic car’s carbon output and offset that specifically, without the need to calculate the carbon from every aspect of our lives in order to get started. Following this experience, Tree-V was formed.

“We’ve had great support from Rita at the Chamber. We knew we had a viable business idea but needed help in turning that into a reality and the one-to-one help we have been given has been invaluable in getting us to this stage.

“We have worked with the Chamber on another business and would urge anyone who is looking to establish a business to seek their support.”

Tree-V helps environmentally conscious drivers, who are currently unable to transition to an electric vehicle, balance out their carbon emissions until they can move to a greener alternative.

The business offers a number of solutions that allow drivers to display their green credentials, with packages for everyday and classic vehicles.

Rita Booth, Business Coach at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce said: “After working with the family on their previous business venture, we were pleased to once again support them, this time turning Tree-V from concept into reality.

“Our start-up support scheme is there for those people with a great idea for a business but who need advice, guidance and support to take it to the next stage. We are also a sounding board on what may work and what may not to help individuals make more informed decisions at the early stage of their business.

“It’s an exciting time to be a new business in Coventry and Warwickshire and we’re looking forward to seeing Tree-V’s progress in the coming weeks, months and years.”

Warwickshire County Council Portfolio Holder for Economy & Place, Cllr Kam Kaur, said: “Tree-V is a great example of the sort of enterprising start-up that the CW Business: Start, Grow and Scale programme is designed to support.

“I am delighted that the programme has proved so beneficial to Tom, Gemma and Amanda and helped them transform a good idea into a new business full of potential.”

To find out more about Tree-V’s mission to help car, bike, lorry and bus owners balance their vehicle’s carbon emissions, visit www.tree-v.com. *Eligibility criteria applies.

The Chamber has a range of support for start-up businesses, whether you want to make your business idea a reality, or require advice on how to build your new businesses.

For more information go to https://www.cw-chamber.co.uk/business-support/business-start-up/

Three quarters of rural manufacturers move towards sustainability Almost 75% of off-the-mains gas grid manufacturers are making changes to their business processes, with most saying both environmental and commercial benefits have impacted their decisions.

These were the key findings from a survey commissioned by Calor.

Adrian Heath, national accounts manager for industry and transport at Calor, looks at the main drivers behind these changes…

A sustainable future With sustainability consistently topping the headlines, it’s hard to ignore the impact fuel emissions and choice of energy sources has on the environment.

As such, 42% of rural manufacturers have stated that sustainability was important to their organisation, and they were keen to make a positive impact, with a further 12% stating that they felt their commitment

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

to sustainability gave them a competitive advantage.

Security of supply A further 20% of manufacturers stated they planned to change their energy supply to a more sustainable source within the next five years.

With so many challenges around supply chains globally, it’s no surprise that when asked about selecting a new energy source, reliability was the deciding factor for 84% of respondents, closely followed by its suitability for the manufacturing processes.

Cutting emissions The survey showed that lots of rural manufacturers are reviewing their energy practices, but that a number of them had very limited knowledge about what was available on the market as alternatives.

Former nurse returns to NHS wards to combat COVID-19 When the COVID-19 pandemic started in 2020, former nurse Sharon Swords was frustrated that she couldn’t return to the wards to help the NHS – but thanks to Coventry University she’s now back on the frontline.

Sharon fulfilled her childhood dream of becoming a qualified nurse in 1984 but later moved into the pharmaceutical industry so she could spend more time with her son.

Fast forward two decades and Sharon’s employers Johnson & Johnson UK gave qualified doctors, nurses and pharmacists medical personnel leave to return to the NHS and care for patients due to the global health emergency.

As her registration had lapsed, Sharon was unable to return but after joining Coventry University’s Return to Practice course in May, she secured a placement to help fight coronavirus at Warwick Hospital.

She said: “I left nursing due to personal circumstances, not because I didn’t want to be a nurse. Nursing is in my blood and it was the pandemic that really inspired me to return.

Switching to LPG can cut businesses emissions by 16% compared with oil and is ideal for rural businesses where electricity is simply not viable due to the processes needed or simply because of limited supply to the location.

LPG LPG is readily available and can bring immediate carbon reductions and environmental benefits of switching from other fossil fuels.

For those looking to move away from oil, diesel, solid fuel, or kerosene, Calor is on hand to guide businesses through the process, provide a seamless switch and deliver a substantial cut in emissions, whilst setting the scene for when more of our sustainable fuel solutions become available.

“When our medics, pharmacists and nurses that still had their registrations went back to care for patients, I felt useless because I didn’t have my registration. I was so frustrated, knowing that I had skills and the passion but couldn’t help.

“I found the Return to Practice course, realised I could run it alongside my full-time job and returned to the wards to care for patients.”

The Return to Practice course can take three months to a year to complete, consisting of a 12-week module, an assignment and a clinical placement of a minimum of 150 hours.

The Health Education England (HEE)backed course has supported 7,978 nurse returners like Sharon since its inception in 2014.

For more information visit https:// www.coventry.ac.uk/coursestructure/health-and-life-sciences/ cpd/returning-to-practice-3009cpd/

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Area Focus: Coventry - Mid Warks - North Warks - South Warks - Rugby

6 Cobalt Centre A Coventry office block has changed hands for more than £400,000 in an investment deal concluded by award-winning commercial property specialist Bromwich Hardy.

PLP Investments of Leamington Spa has acquired the offices at 6 Cobalt Centre on Siskin Parkway East from Inspire Investments Holdings in a deal overseen by Bromwich Hardy partner David Penn.

David said the sale – for £410,000 - showed there was considerable interest in investment opportunities in high-quality, modern offices as business started to recover from the impact of the pandemic.

He said: “The picture which is emerging is one of a hybrid culture

in which office space will continue to play a central role for the vast majority of businesses for many years to come. That being the case, it will remain an attractive proposition for investors.

“Well-built, modern and wellpositioned accommodation such as this will continue to generate strong interest, particularly when it comes with a high-quality tenant on a long lease.

“In this case, the office is home to Polar, an international manufacturer of high-tech health and fitness monitoring equipment, which only recently agreed a five-year lease on the two-storey offices in a deal we again concluded.”

Office sale highlights strong demand for investment opportunities David said the 3,178 sq ft site was superbly located – close to Coventry Airport and with good access to the motorway network – and ticked many of the boxes that investors were looking for in the current market.

The deal is the latest success for

Bromwich Hardy, which consistently features at the top of the rankings for most successful commercial property agencies both in the West Midlands region and further afield.

For more information visit www.bromwichhardy.com

“Well-built, modern and well-positioned accommodation such as this will continue to generate strong interest, particularly when it comes with a high-quality tenant on a long lease."

Businesses struggle to meet COVID loan repayments Duncan Swift, restructuring and insolvency partner at accountants Azets, said that a “substantial and increasing number of businesses are already struggling to make their loan repayments” on the Bounce Back Loan and Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Schemes.

There is widespread concern that many businesses will take the bankruptcy route to removing these burdens. This will further damage our public finances, meaning we all suffer.

Chamber member John Holder said: “The best way to achieve sustained and sustainable improved cashflow is through low-cost business improvement strategies to quickly grow your profits.”

What can be done when help for such businesses is somewhat lacking?

The Times reported recently that “one third of small businesses are worried they will not be able to repay COVID loans, as billions of pounds of government and bank support measures are withdrawn. More than half of firms told a survey by EY that recovering from the pandemic was a “main challenge” and indicated they may need continuing help.”

If your company is faced with this problem, the first logical step is to speak with the lender to explore how flexible they are prepared to be for you.

His firm, Profit-Growth Unlimited, can advise on this, initially at no cost to members.

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Then the focus should be on improving cashflow. This may include checking any obsolete or surplus stock or assets, which could be sold for a quick cash injection.

"There is widespread concern that many businesses will take the bankruptcy route to removing these burdens. This will further damage our public finances, meaning we all suffer."

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Area Focus: Coventry - Mid Warks - North Warks - South Warks - Rugby

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

UK City of Culture stars on show in local exhibition Internationally celebrated cultural and political figures who were born or are associated with Coventry are featured in an exhibition of portraits on loan from the National Portrait Gallery at the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum in Coventry.

The exhibition includes portraits recently acquired for the National Portrait Gallery’s permanent Collection, including Rankin’s photograph of the comedian and actor, Guz Khan, and politicians Zarah Sultana, MP for Coventry South, and Taiwo Owatemi, MP for Coventry North West and shadow minister for women and equalities, taken by Charlotte Hadden.

Featuring George Eliot, EM Forster, Philip Larkin, The Specials, Susan Hill, Vanley Burke, Sarah Siddons, Ellen Terry, Billie Whitelaw, Graham Sutherland, John Piper and Mo Mowlam, the Creative Connections exhibition opened on March 4 and runs until 30 May 2022.

It connects artworks from the two galleries by highlighting the creative links between the people on display and their work. Highlights include a portrait of Vanley Burke displayed next to commissioned photographs from the Herbert’s collection; portraits of Basil Spence and Graham Sutherland, presented alongside the Trial Piece for the tapestry within Coventry Cathedral;

Local art students from Barr’s Hill School in Coventry have worked with artist Maryam Wahid and the Herbert’s learning and engagement team to explore the collections of the two galleries to celebrate the inspirational stories of people associated with Coventry.

and a portrait of Benjamin Britten, who wrote the War Requiem for the consecration of Coventry Cathedral.

This is displayed next to work by

Matthew Picton, who uses the score of War Requiem to create a map of Coventry showing the destruction of the city in the Blitz.

Francis Nielsen, culture and creative director of the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, said: “An exhibition celebrating iconic people linked with Coventry seems an incredibly fitting show to have on display as we end our celebrations as UK City of Culture.”

Myton’s It’s a Knockout is back for 2022 The Myton Hospices’ annual It’s a Knockout event is back for 2022 – bigger and better than before and featuring an amazing line-up of six fabulous brand new games.

The charity, which provides free of charge, end-of-life care to terminally ill patients across Coventry and Warwickshire, is calling on businesses across the region to sign up for what is promising to be a fantastic afternoon of fun, foam and fundraising.

It’s a Knockout takes place on the afternoon of Friday, June 24 at Leamington Rugby Club and will feature six all-new games: Hats On, Perilous Pendulum, Crazy Climber, Giant Obstacle Course, Pizza Run and All Hands on Deck.

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Chris Willmott, corporate fundraiser at Myton, said: “We’re delighted to be back after a COVID-enforced break and hope our amazing corporate supporters, old and new, will sign up to what is a truly fantastic afternoon of fun, foam and fundraising.

“We’ve hand-picked the very best offerings from the IAK catalogue – based on feedback from previous year’s teams – and are proud to be offering a jam-packed afternoon of team-building at its very best as intrepid competitors battle it out for the title of Myton’s It’s a Knockout Champions 2022.

“We hope to see you there.”

Entry costs just £40 per person (£320 per team of eight) if you take

the Early Bird offer which runs until Monday, April 25. Entry after April 25 costs £360 per team.

Myton also ask teams to collectively raise a further £380 in sponsorship – whether this is through bake sales, something out of the ordinary or simply by family and friends sponsoring people to take part.

The last outing of It’s a Knockout in 2019 was so popular that all 36 team places were snapped up in record time – so participants are urged to make sure they sign up as early to avoid disappointment.

For more information visit www.mytonhospice.org/knockout

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News

Scientists take on charity challenge Gavin Roe-Pearce, stakeholder engagement manager at the Rosalind Franklin laboratory, said: “To reach the five million mark is amazing. A sample is somebody’s life so the staff all realise what an important role they’re playing.

“Training for the run has been great for our physical and mental health. It’s a good team-building exercise too.”

Trustee warning from Burgis & Bullock

A new report into the misconduct of trustees at Hope House School is a timely reminder to trustees of their responsibilities, according to a regional accountancy firm.

Three trustees from the Newark-based charity will not be able to act as a charity trustee for at least eight years – and Wende Hubbard, managing partner at Burgis & Bullock, says this acts as a warning to trustees of their financial obligations to their respective charities.

The report from the Charity Commission followed investigations into the trustee’s misconduct and mismanagement of the charity.

Burgis & Bullock’s charities and notfor-profit team, led by Wende Hubbard, works closely with a range of charities in Warwickshire and the wider Midlands.

Wende says that current trustees or individuals considering taking a trusteeship should be confident that the matters outlined in the report are dealt with robustly and appropriately.

She said: “There are many lessons for charity trustees to observe from this report and the Charity Commission’s summary provides a useful reminder of some of the key responsibilities that trustees of the charity face.

“The prohibition of the charity’s trustees from acting as trustees elsewhere for a period of up to ten years is a salient reminder that trustees are personally liable for both their own and their charity’s failings.

“First of all, trustees must use charity funds in accordance with the terms of the charity’s governing document and the requirements of any contractual obligations.

“Importantly, trustees must ensure that the charity has adequate financial and administrative controls in place.

In the Hope House School enquiry, the trustee board were found to have put in place a control whereby cheques over a certain limit were required to be signed by two trustees, but one individual continued to make payments as a sole signatory.”

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Wright Hassall's Kylie Cooper and Bhavika Patel (left) and The Race Organiser's Harpal Singh and Sam Tyler (right) with the Rosalind Franklin runners

Scientists from a COVID-19 testing mega-lab in Leamington Spa will be trading in swabs for sneakers as they embark on a new challenge for charity.

Colleagues from the Rosalind Franklin laboratory only completed their milestone five millionth PCR test this month but have already set their sights on a new goal.

Twenty members of staff have now signed up to the Wright Hassall Leamington Regency 10k Run as they aim to raise more than £1,000 for their personally chosen charity Flourish,

which supports the mental wellbeing of girls in Leamington and Warwick aged 11-18.

The group are no strangers to good causes, having raised £480 for Helping Hands in last year’s race, while in their day job they play a vital role in the fight against coronavirus, processing hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 samples a week.

Phil Wilding, managing partner of Leamington-based Wright Hassall, said: “It’s fantastic to see the Leamington team lead the way not only in the fight against COVID-19, but also in helping local causes through the Regency Run once again this year. We wish them good luck for their race.”

The Wright Hassall Leamington Regency 10k Run, which has been sponsored by the law firm every year since its inception in 2005, has raised more than £400,000 for local causes over the years. This year’s event takes place at 9am on Sunday, April 10 and will be opened by Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games heavyweight boxer Lewis Williams.

For further information visit www.regency10k.co.uk. To donate to the Rosalind Franklin team, visit www.gofundme.com/f/rosalind-franklin-laboratory-regency-10k.

Accountancy firm welcomes fresh talent amid continued growth A Midlands accountancy firm has opened its 2022 graduate programme early to attract and nurture new talent after a period of sustained growth.

Prime Accountants Group, which has offices in Birmingham, Solihull and Coventry, has successfully retained and grown its team during what has been a tumultuous time for many industries.

The business, which recently announced the acquisition of Kings Norton-based firm Stanley Yule, is eager to support its growth by bringing forward the next intake of its graduate programme to create its own pool of professionals who can be nurtured by its highly-skilled team.

Morgan Davies, Prime Accountants Group director, said: “It’s been a strange few years for all industries and many are still dealing with the effects of the pandemic.

“In the midst of this, youngsters have also struggled with the fact that several firms didn’t take on many graduates. In fact, some didn’t take on any in 2020.

“Prime, however, has taken a different stance. We knew the only way to tackle

challenges was with the right people, and what better way than to nurture this talent yourself. It’s why last year we took on the highest number of graduates we’ve ever taken on and are looking to do the same in 2022.”

Prime’s graduate programme is open to anyone at degree level with good quality A-level and GCSE results with a minimum of B/6 in GCSE maths and English. The programme offers

successful candidates a chance to learn a wide variety of skills, including the functionalities behind audits, accounts, corporation tax and how accountancy software works.

Their ‘on the job learning’ will be augmented by theoretical training as Prime offers a fully-supported and funded study package, allowing graduates to obtain professional qualifications at college.

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

News

University of Warwick receives £135,000 grant for esports mentoring programme

The University of Warwick has announced it will receive a £135,000 government grant to provide opportunities to young people through esports.

The funds will be used to provide experiences and opportunities to 16-24-year-old ‘NEETs’ — young people that are not engaged in education, employment or training.

The funding will come as part of the UK Community Renewal Fund (CRF), a UK

government programme to support people and communities in need. Warwick is one of five launch partners working with Warwickshire County Council to receive funding and deliver opportunities to NEETs. As part of Warwick’s programme, named Esports Futures, the university will take young people on a two-day experience involving an array of soft and transferable skills. It will also utilise the University of Warwick’s £275,000 Esports Centre, which opened in May 2021.

The programme will see participants organise and compete in an esports tournament, as well as learn key media skills including broadcasting, graphic design, video editing and social media.

Participants will have access to a career focus group, followed by a showcase in April to celebrate the participants’ achievements. Warwick plans to invite

industry experts to offer guidance and expertise to the participants.

The programme and application for the grant were organised by the University of Warwick’s Esports Centre, part of its Creative Futures gateway, which appointed its inaugural head of esports late last year.

Stuart Croft, vice-chancellor of the University of Warwick, said: “I’m delighted that the University of Warwick’s Esports programme is continuing to help bring fresh skills, investment, and job opportunities to our local community.

“Through the generous support of the Community Renewal Fund and working closely our regional partners, Warwick is proud to further our commitment to esports by welcoming young people from across our region to our campus so that they can learn about and acquire practical knowledge of this exciting sector.”

Partnership aims to extend UK’s lead in space race The High Value Manufacturing Catapult's Manufacturing Technology Centre and the Satellite Applications Catapult are to join forces to exploit the opportunities presented by the rapid growth in the global and UK space sectors.

The Coventry-based MTC and the SAC, headquartered on the Harwell Campus in Oxfordshire, will work together to develop the next generation of space technology, underpinned by advanced manufacturing technologies on earth and in space.

The global space industry is booming and forecast to be worth almost a trillion pounds by 2030. The link-up between these two cutting-edge organisations aims to help UK businesses take advantage of that growth.

The two organisations will work together to explore innovative technologies, advanced manufacturing processes, including inspace assembly, and supply chain readiness, leveraging the specialist expertise and extensive capabilities of both centres.

The partnership will also organise the two-day Made for Space - New Frontiers industry and supply chain conference being held at the MTC in July. This will feature leading international experts who will explain the opportunities in the space sector for UK manufacturers.

MTC chief executive Dr Clive Hickman said: “Advanced manufacturing technologies and processes are critical enablers for new spacecraft, complex

space operations and enhanced space systems.

"This collaboration marks a step forward in recognising the massive growth in the space sector. We’ll work together to drive collaborative projects that can create greater growth and benefits for UK business.”

Stuart Martin, chief executive of the Satellite Applications Catapult, said: “Collaboration drives innovation in our sector and, together with the MTC,

we’ll ensure that all space companies can access the expertise and facilities they need to grow and succeed in this dynamic industry, which is a major driver of economic growth for the UK." Katherine Bennett CBE, chief executive of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, added that the UK had the potential to become one of the most innovative and attractive space economies in the world.

Property firm starts work on £1.5m HQ expansion

CGI show how the £1.5m expansion of Stockton House, in Southam, will look

A Midlands commercial property company has begun work on a major £1.5 million expansion of its headquarters in Warwickshire.

A two-storey extension is being added to Stockton House in Southam – a former country house which has been home to The Wigley Group since its conversion to offices in 2019.

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Plans will create new office space for up to 15 people, a conferencing and community facility for up to 120 people, as well as a new café for staff and visitors.

The scheme will also create an additional 30 car park spaces, increasing total capacity to 64. Work is expected to be complete by the end of 2022.

James Davies, chief executive officer at Wigley, said: “When we purchased Stockton House in 2017, it was always our intention to restore the historic building to its former glory.

“Our initial conversion from residential to offices did just that, restoring the historic building to modern office standards whilst retaining its unique design and architecture.

“Thanks to our continued growth, we’re now in a position to complete the final

piece of the puzzle of Stockton House’s transformation.

“This will allow us to create office space, a conference facility, and open up the building for business meetings and community events, right in the heart of Stockton.”

The extension, which will be on the northern side towards Napton Road, will create an extra 3,000 sq ft of space.

The new building has been carefully designed to sit alongside the existing two buildings on site, creating a central courtyard with planting and seating areas.

Open-plan office space with meeting rooms will be created on the first floor, with the conference facility catering for 80 people seated – or 120 standing – on the ground floor.

Festival celebrates achievements of amazing women The director of a cultural festival in Coventry says its events in March will celebrate the city’s “amazing women” – including a family campus day showcasing females in science.

The University of Warwick’s Resonate Festival has launched its full spring programme, with March events coinciding with International Women’s Day 2022 and culminating with a big on-campus, three-day festival finale from April 19-21. This will be the university’s way of marking Coventry’s UK City of Culture year coming to a close and a host of “very special guests” are expected to be announced soon.

Helen Wheatley, Resonate’s festival director, who is a professor of film & television studies, said: “In the lead up to our big on-campus festival, we’ve still got lots of events happening all around the city. Our spring season focuses on three themes: being human, health, and amazing women.

“Across the month of March and coinciding with International Women’s Day, we’re focusing on amazing women. From an interactive exhibition about magical, fortune-telling women at the Central Library to a family day on campus promoting the role of women in science, there’ll be something for everyone to take part in and enjoy.

“Our researchers and their collaborators – theatre companies, writers, textile artists, puppeteers, activists, folk dancers – will be gathering and telling women’s stories all across the city.

“You can hear the trailblazing history of South Asian women’s activism in the city, see what it’s like to be a woman in prison, in the past and the present, learn how women have quietly – and not so quietly – changed the world, and perhaps take a walk with us to bring tales of Coventry’s pioneering suffragettes to life.

“We also want you to tell us the stories of the amazing women in your lives. As ever, Resonate is a collaboration between everyone who attends our events.”

For further information visit https://www.resonatefestival.co.uk/

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News

Mobile car care company appoints PR agency franchisees for local business awards with the support of Red Marlin, which has a proven track record in creating and submitting entries on behalf of its clients.”

Revive UK! started 25 years ago and has seen steady growth over the years, with its network of franchisees covering most parts of the UK, offering a mobile service for minor paint and bodywork damage.

Danny Rughoobeer, managing director at Red Marlin, said: “Winning an award plays an important role in a comprehensive PR strategy.

Specialist automotive public relations agency Red Marlin has been appointed by mobile car care company Revive!

UK to spearhead a public relations programme to support its UK franchise network.

Mark Llewellyn, managing director at Revive! UK, said: “We’re rightly proud of our mobile SMART repairs and the fantastic work that our network of more than 50 franchisees carry out on a daily basis.

Red Marlin will identify key business awards, together with drafting and submitting the applications, for the franchisees.

“As a result, we want to ensure that their hard work, professionalism and customer-friendly service is recognised and rewarded by entering suitable

“This is because independent recognition provides many positive opportunities to raise awareness across multiple platforms, as well as helping to boost morale among employees.

“We look forward to working closely with Revive! UK and its network of franchisees, hopefully making many trips down the red carpet to collect an award.”

For more information visit www.revive-uk.com and www.redmarlin.co.uk

“Winning an award plays an important role in a comprehensive PR strategy. This is because independent recognition provides many positive opportunities to raise awareness across multiple platforms, as well as helping to boost morale among employees."

Pure Ideas podcast goes visual Back in September 2021 Pure Ideas launched its podcast with the first episode entitled “Let’s Talk About Protecting Your Ideas”.

Pure Ideas commercial director, Katia Douglas, and C&W Chamber of Commerce account manager, Alex Kerr.

In March the company will be releasing Episode #5, which will also be its first videocast in partnership with Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce.

Pure Ideas said: “We’re looking forward to sharing our next episode with you but in the meantime, have a listen to some of our previous episodes to get ahead of the game!”

Episode #5 will focus on “Networking for Your Ideas”. It will be hosted by

For more information visit https:// pure-ideas.co.uk/resources/#podcast

Bread for Life’s fun team away day

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Bread for Life team away days are a unique activity to share with your team. Physical, creative activities such as breadmaking can boost morale, improve feelings of positive wellbeing and increase confidence in a fun, informal, learning environment.

for Life with a group of staff at a private kitchen for the day and learnt how to make delicious focaccia and bagels from scratch, with hot drinks and lunch included. They spent the day getting sticky in dough, learning lots and finding out that bagels are boiled!

After a two-year-long wait, Pentlands Accountants joined Bread

Jessica Mooney, founder of Bread for Life, workshop director and author of

Time for Bread, her debut cookbook, published in the pandemic, is a selftaught home baker whose passion for baking began after returning back to leafy Leamington Spa in 2010 after seven years of living in Melbourne, Australia. Not able to find quality delicious bread anywhere at the time, Jess started making her own at home, sharing everything she made with family and friends. Quickly realising there were a lot of people wanted real bread too, and at a crossroads with her own health, family life and career in marketing at the time, she started up Bread for Life, a real breadmaking enterprise making and selling fresh bread to her local community with a local free delivery service.

After being approached to run a small birthday breadmaking workshop at home, Jess then started to receive more interest and began hosting more workshops from her home kitchen. Since then, Jess has successfully been running all kinds of baking events and experience days in Leamington, Warwick and Stratford.

She has offered online workshops in the pandemic, baked for her local community and the NHS throughout the first lockdown and collaborated with local delis to provide bread to their essential service retail outlets.

For more information visit www.breadforlife.org.uk

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Education and Training

Queen's Anniversary Prize awarded to WCG at St James's Palace WCG is the only college from the Midlands to be recognised among the 2020-2022 winners, one of 21 winning universities and Colleges from across the UK with only five other colleges receiving this accolade.

Angela Joyce, CEO of WCG, was joined

by Peter Manford, Chairman, Chris White, Vice Chairman, Peter Husband, Group Principal, Alan May, Director of Apprenticeships and three engineering apprentices at the ceremony.

The ceremony followed the prize winner’s dinner at London’s Guildhall the previous evening, which celebrated the achievements of all the winners of this year’s awards.

His Royal Highness Prince Charles and Her Royal Highness Princess Anne have presented leading college group WCG with a prestigious prize which recognises its pioneering work in developing future engineers.

WCG was presented with The Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in a ceremony at St James’s Palace.

The prize, which was first announced in November 2021, is in recognition of the college's work in the engineering sector over the last quarter of a century.

Angela Joyce said that it was an ‘incredibly proud day’ for the college and that the group strives to continue to lead the way in the delivery of education provision in the engineering sector.

If you are an employer interested in working with an award-winning team to recruit and train up apprentices, please get in touch with WCG’s Business Development Team: E: employerenquiries@wcg.ac.uk T: 0330 135 6940 W: wcg.ac.uk/queensprize

WCG has been a trailblazer for employer-centric engineering provision for more than 25 years and has seen its engineering apprentice numbers grow from 40 in 1996 to 1,195 in 2021.

The group now delivers engineering courses at three of its colleges including Warwick Trident College, Rugby College and Evesham College.

"WCG is the only college from the Midlands to be recognised among the 2020-2022 winners, one of 21 winning universities and Colleges from across the UK with only five other colleges receiving this accolade."

WCG launches new staff wellbeing initiative WCG has launched a new staff wellbeing initiative which offers tailored support to create a healthier environment for its employees.

WCG, which includes six colleges across Warwickshire and Worcestershire, has launched Wellbeing@WCG for its 1,400 employees.

The initiative aims to bring wellbeing to life for staff members, and will focus on different topics throughout the year that are tailored to their needs.

Employees will be invited to take part in awareness training, join online community forums and will be provided with guides featuring information and top tips to build awareness.

They will also be signposted to a variety of external support services as well as WCG’s Employee Assistance Programme provider should anyone require additional help.

The first topic being covered is menopause support which will see general awareness training provided and also a programme specifically aimed at managers, giving them the tools to help their team.

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Staff members will be given the opportunity to provide continuous feedback to help decide on future topics and shape the support being provided.

The initiative is being run by WCG’s Human Resources Department, which is headed up by Jo Hodgson.

She said: “We’ve always run small wellbeing initiatives in line with national awareness events, but we wanted to go one step further and create something specifically tailored to the needs of our staff.

“One of the main aims of the initiative is to bring wellbeing to life. We don’t just want to signpost staff members to information, we want to hold engaging events, create supportive communities and ensure a two-way communication.

“We’re focused on creating a healthier, more inclusive culture, which increases awareness of our wellbeing agenda, and we look forward to working with colleagues as we continue to develop the initiative going forward.”

“One of the main aims of the initiative is to bring wellbeing to life. We don’t just want to signpost staff members to information, we want to hold engaging events, create supportive communities and ensure a two-way communication."

Further information about careers at WCG is available at wcg.ac.uk/jobs

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Education and Training

College promotes zero-carbon training opportunities Business leaders from across the West Midlands were given a glimpse into the region’s zero-carbon future at the launch of a new skills campaign that will prepare the workforce for emission-free motoring.

Representatives from the automotive, manufacturing and construction industries heard plans to upskill the workforce and discussed collaborative opportunities as Coventry College previewed its new £1.8m electric vehicle and retrofit training centre for the first time.

Held at the college’s motor vehicle facility, the event saw principal and CEO, Carol Thomas, and James Sampson from REVAMP detail the college’s Charge Up Your Future campaign to visitors from the West Midlands Combined Authority, the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) and CWLEP Growth Hub, the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, a host of car retailers and electric vehicle, charging and battery producers.

The campaign will see Coventry College build a dedicated training facility worth £1.8m and deliver a range of education programmes to students and the wider workforce so they can capitalise on retrofitting and construction opportunities.

The new facility, which will be the first of its kind in Coventry and Warwickshire, is expected to open in March 2022.

Gemma Knott, vice principal for business growth, engagement and partnerships at Coventry College, said: “We were delighted to see so many local business leaders and industry professionals join us at this event to hear about the fantastic plans we have to boost the region’s zerocarbon capabilities.

“Our plans will have a material impact on manufacturers, whose workforce will require skills to keep up with demand as vehicle electrification ramps up, EV retailers, who face a similar challenge, and anyone working or living in the region over the next ten years or so, who will require expertise to meet their needs as consumers.”

(Left to right) Sarah Windrum (CWLEP), Shaun Hall and Lynsey Ellis (West Midlands Combined Authority), Glenn Smailes (Coventry City Council), Carol Thomas (Principal, Coventry College), John Norton (Coventry City Council)

"The campaign will see Coventry College build a dedicated training facility worth £1.8m and deliver a range of education programmes to students and the wider workforce so they can capitalise on retrofitting and construction opportunities."

Degree course applications rise at WCG group in the UK to be granted bachelor degreeawarding powers by the Office for Students, alongside the foundation degree-awarding powers already in place.

On UCAS applications alone, the college group has seen a rise of 21.85 per cent in applications – with all universities nationally only experiencing an average growth of 2.1 per cent.

Compared to 2020 figures, the applications across the college group for degree-level courses are up 42 per cent.

Applications for degree courses at an established college group have seen a significant boost since the launch of its new university centre.

College group WCG launched Warwickshire College and University Centre (WCUC) in December and saw a 15 per cent rise in overall applications for degree-level courses to the end of January.

The first UCAS deadline of the year has now passed and applications have risen from 480 in 2021 to 551 in 2022 for the college group.

It is the first recruitment cycle for WCUC and also comes after the college became the first college

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Courses including veterinary nursing and equine therapy and rehabilitation at Moreton Morrell College have seen substantial growth.

Meanwhile, computer networks and cybersecurity applicants at Royal Leamington Spa College and Rugby College have risen from two to 18.

Steve Taylor, dean of higher education at WCUC, said: “We’re already seeing the positive impact of the new university centre and bachelor degree-awarding powers at the close of this first recruitment cycle.

“Prospective students have been impressed with the technical focus of our degrees and how they’re designed to give graduates the skills to immediately make a contribution to the economy after graduation.

“Our applicant figures are outperforming competitor institutions and the higher education sector as a whole, which is evidence of the growing reputation of our degree-level provision.”

For more information visit www.wcuc.ac.uk

“Prospective students have been impressed with the technical focus of our degrees and how they’re designed to give graduates the skills to immediately make a contribution to the economy after graduation.

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Environment

NFU Energy and District Eating team up on green project NFU Energy and District Eating have announced an Innovate UK partfunded project which aims to reduce CO2 emissions by enabling growers to access stable and lower-cost heat.

The project will run for 14 months and assess the economic, environmental and social opportunities associated with using sources of waste heat and carbon dioxide for protected horticulture in England.

Of 60 UK energy-from-waste plants, only ten reportedly use heat successfully. Recoverable waste heat from UK industry could supply an estimated 14% of UK domestic heating (estimated to be 10-50 TWh/yr). Using this waste heat in protected horticulture for UK food production could reduce CO2 emissions

associated with its production by at least 70%, without including CO2 savings from reduced imports and transport supply chain emissions.

The project aims to improve productivity and reduce carbon emissions associated with industrial production whilst showcasing the opportunities that can be made from waste resources. Using these waste resources to grow food could also have sustainability benefits, increasing food security in the UK and taking pressures off countries already seeing the effects of climate change. By providing longevity in a heat source, away from direct energy markets, this project also aims to improve resilience for growers and sites with industrial waste heat.

District Eating develops low-carbon horticulture projects using waste heat and CO2, while NFU Energy helps customers find the best renewable energy solutions.

Jon Swain, technical director of NFU Energy, said: “With extraordinary gas prices rises affecting the cost of heat and having an effect on electricity prices and CO2 production, growers are facing unprecedented costs of

energy and CO2, which is used to enrich the growing environment for produce in the greenhouse.

“This service could provide growers with ideal opportunities to source local, sustainable and reliable alternatives to gas at a time when farmers are really feeling the effects of supply chain issues and the pressure of decarbonising.”

“With extraordinary gas prices rises affecting the cost of heat and having an effect on electricity prices and CO2 production, growers are facing unprecedented costs of energy and CO2, which is used to enrich the growing environment for produce in the greenhouse."

Warwick Conferences awarded gold sustainability status two years running Not only has the business itself made sustainable changes, but visitors and customers are encouraged to do so through a variety of means. Companies hosting meetings and conferences can request meeting rooms with no paper, housekeeping service or individual coffee trays to limit waste. Their delegates can also take advantage of free charging points for energy-efficient electric vehicles.

Warwick Conferences has been awarded the prestigious ECOsmart Gold Status by Greengage Solutions for the second successive year.

ECOSmart Gold Status, which is an industry standard accreditation, is awarded to meeting venues that are able to demonstrate their eco-friendly approaches in five areas. These areas include rooms and facilities, conservation of water and energy, waste management and recycling, food and beverage, and pledges made on corporate and social responsibility.

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Over the last three years, Warwick Conferences has worked with several accredited bodies to limit the negative impact that the business has on the surrounding environment. All meat used in its restaurant is procured from farms satisfying UK Animal Welfare standards, while Warwick Conferences has planted more than 550 sapling trees to create a biodiverse woodland in Scarman grounds.

Warwick Conferences’ director Paul Bartlett said: “Achieving EcoSmart Gold Status once again is testament to our dedication to achieving topof-the-class sustainable practices.

Sustainability remains one of our primary objectives, pushing to make the necessary green changes to support the planet. We’re absolutely thrilled to be awarded gold status for our sustainability work and look forward to continuing it into 2022.”

"Over the last three years, Warwick Conferences has worked with several accredited bodies to limit the negative impact that the business has on the surrounding environment."

For more information about Warwick Conferences’ sustainability efforts, visit https://warwick.ac.uk/services/conferences/aboutus/sustainability

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

President & People

New MD for Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre One of the UK's leading figures in vocational and technical learning has been appointed as managing director of the Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre.

It’s quite astonishing what can happen in a few short weeks and I, along with most of the of the world, have looked on in horror at what is happening in Ukraine.

The lives of countless people have been totally and utterly destroyed, life for all those affected will probably never ever be the same again – or will take a long, long time to recover any form of normality; and for what?

It’s beyond my comprehension and I long for a day when all countries are ruled or governed by people who should know better, have the best interests of their fellow citizens at heart and instead of self-perceived glorification.

Start acting like true leaders!

However, the Russian invasion of Ukraine is also having an affect closer to home, with all of us facing huge increases in our energy bills and fuel costs, which obviously hits businesses and I know the Chambers of Commerce are lobbying Government to help ease the burden.

I just hope that after the enormous economic cost of the pandemic, the Government has some money left in the pot!

On a lighter note, I had the honour of attending the Coventry and Solihull YOU WM launch event at Coventry College, supported by the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce.

I met some truly inspirational young people from the Army Cadets, Boys’ Brigade, Combined Cadet Forces, Fire Cadets, Girlguiding, Girls’ Brigade, RAF Air Cadets, Sea Cadets, Scouts, St John Ambulance and the Volunteer Police Cadets.

They were all a great credit to the organisations they represented, and it was both fascinating and uplifting to hear of their aspirations and career plans.

Now they say there is no such thing as a free lunch, well, I’m here to inform you there certainly is; especially if you are a Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce member!

It comes in the form of the Big Business ‘Thank You’ lunch, to be held at the fabulous IXL Centre in Southam, complete with an incredible keynote speaker, none other than Lord Coe CH KBE. Whom after his career as a sportsman, went into politics and became an MP, before he took on a role of leading the bid, and ultimately delivering the hugely successful London 2012 games. So, get the date in your diary Thursday 31st March, 11.30 to 15.30.

It has all the makings of being a spectacular event, for further information please contact a member of the Chamber events team on 024 7665 4321 Opt 1, or email events@cw-chamber.co.uk.

Finally, the process has begun of finding a replacement for Louise Bennett OBE DL, the Chamber’s long-standing CEO, of whom I paid tribute to in last month’s column. There were over 100 applicants for the position, such is the standing of this great Chamber. There were some outstanding individuals and a huge thank you to all that applied.

Best regards Tom Mongan

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David Grailey has more than 30 years’ experience in the UK education and skills sector. He will take on the role of leading the Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre (AMTC) – based on the Manufacturing Technology Centre campus in Coventry – as it continues to fortify the UK’s manufacturing sector with the next generation of future-proofed engineers and technicians.

For the last 20 years David has led two commercially successful qualification businesses. For the last 13 years he was chief executive of NCFE, one of the UK's largest awarding bodies for vocational, technical and academic qualifications.

While at Newcastle upon Tynebased NCFE, he and his team grew the number of student registrations from 75,000 to more than 616,000.

The business was listed in The Times Top 100 Companies to Work For nine times, while significantly increasing profits and turnover.

He led the significant investment into setting up an apprenticeship End Point Assessment Organisation (EPAO), which delivered more than 7,500 assessments in its first full year in operation.

Before this, David Grailey was chief executive of Food & Drink Qualifications, the qualifications organisation for the food and drink manufacturing sector. Previously he held several education and skills appointments, including at University College Salford.

A former butchery apprentice himself, he went on to obtain an MSc from Cranfield University.

He said: "I’m delighted to be joining the AMTC team and the wider MTC team. Leading and growing an important educational business such as the AMTC is a great opportunity to help more apprentices and existing manufacturers achieve higher skill levels, equipping them to be trailblazing for UK manufacturing and impacting on our global competitiveness.”

For more information visit www.the-mtc.org

Richard scoops top award somebody wants to describe how things should be done from a construction point of view within the organisation, Gary is always the benchmark. His mentality continues in Deeley Group today, through the approaching of challenges head on, working together as part of a collective effort and producing results.”

Gail Duxbury, Richard Duxbury, Julie Whelan and Peter Deeley

A senior employee of a top Midlands-based developer has joined a select group of workers, both past and present, who have been named winners of Deeley Group’s top internal prize.

Richard Duxbury, senior design and build manager at Deeley Construction, has become the tenth recipient of the Gary Neville Award, set up as a lasting legacy to one of the firm’s finest ever employees.

This award was created in 2012 in tribute to the former Deeley Group contracts manager and is voted for in-house, crowning the staff member who never hesitates to go above and beyond.

Richard’s coronation is a significant one, as his award win marks a decade of the initiative’s existence.

He said: “To win the Gary Neville Award at Deeley Group is a special moment for me personally. I’d like to thank all of my colleagues, both in the office and on site. It’s been a joy to work with you these last eight years.

“Unfortunately, I didn’t have the pleasure of knowing Gary but his achievements speak for themselves. When

Peter Deeley, joint managing director of Deeley Group, said: “Richard is an extremely wellregarded member of our team, with so many of his values matching those that Gary himself possessed.

“Over the past decade, everyone at the company has embraced the award as we remember Gary and the popular, talented and largerthan-life figure that he was.

“Whilst employed by the Deeley Group, Richard has carried himself with great integrity and worked diligently, building a reputation as an approachable, gifted colleague who is always the first to lend a hand.”

“To win the Gary Neville Award at Deeley Group is a special moment for me personally.

I’d like to thank all of my colleagues, both in the office and on site. It’s been a joy to work with you these last eight years." www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

President & People

Partner promotion for local Coventry businesswoman Lianne said: “It’s a real honour to be made a partner at Askews. To play a major role in such a forward-thinking company is fantastic. It’s such a fastpaced and demanding business we’re in, and as a mum-of-two, working for a more traditional ‘9 to 5’ company just wouldn’t be possible, especially at partner level.”

Alongside her day-to-day work, Lianne also finds time to deliver topical employment law seminars to the firm's clients, HR professionals and external organisations, as well as being invited to speak as a guest lecturer on employment law at some of the region's universities.

Local businesswoman Lianne Payne has recently been promoted to partner at Askews Legal LLP, a leading Legal 500 firm based in Coventry.

Heading up the employment law division, Lianne has worked at the company since 2014, when it incorporated her previous business, DeMarco Solicitors.

Working tirelessly over the last eight years, Lianne has made a big impact and brought an employment law specialism to Askews that had previously been missing. She has also revolutionised the company’s HR policies, being instrumental in bringing in ‘hybrid working’, enabling all staff to employ a greater work-life balance; ultimately boosting morale and increasing turnover.

Pritpal Chahal, practice manager and solicitor at Askews, added: “To have someone with Lianne’s expertise working for the company is a real boost. Since she started with us, she has been a vital part of our growth structure. Making her a partner in the company was a natural progression for us and one that we’re very excited about.”

For more information visit https://askewslegal.co/

Woodland Grange appoints new business sales manager Make Venues’ Woodland Grange property in Leamington Spa has appointed Isabel Weir as its new business sales manager.

Her ambition is to cultivate new business leads and bring new ideas, clients and relationships to the Make Venues portfolio.

Isabel joins the team from the Mercure Hotel in Daventry where she was tasked with proactive sales as well as account management of more than 70 corporate clients.

David Vaughton, managing director of Make Venues, said: “Our outstanding team is what has helped us over the years, through thick and thin, and this is what continues to stand us apart from others. I’m personally delighted that Isabel is joining us at such a pivotal time for our venues and look forward to mentoring her within an already excellent team at Woodland Grange. She brings with her a wealth of experience as well as a fresh outlook, and with her on the team

Isabel’s role at Woodland Grange will see her take this experience into the award-winning property to generate new business bookings, while increasing brand awareness for the venue across all sectors.

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Flooring company strengthens management team A Midlands-based national flooring company has added to its senior executive team with a major appointment.

Faye Summers, who joined UK Flooring Direct in 2018 as head of HR and people development, has been promoted to become the company’s new HR director.

Faye has been an integral part of the company’s growth over the past four years and has helped to oversee UK Flooring Direct’s COVID-19 response in supporting members of the office team in working from home and making the warehouse environment COVID-safe for staff.

She also led the drive for the business to be recognised as One to Watch by Best Companies on top of a range of business and industry awards that the firm has received over the past 12 months.

Her appointment is the latest promotion from within as part of a focus for the company to grow and develop its own talent.

Faye joined the company, which sells a range of flooring including real wood, laminate and vinyl via its website www. ukflooringdirect.co.uk from locations in Hinckley and Coventry, after rising through the ranks at Phones 4u in a HR capacity.

we’re looking forward to what is shaping up to be a busy 2022.”

Isabel said: “During my time in the industry, Woodland Grange has always been commended as a five-star conference and training venue and recommended by many. As soon as I stepped into the venue, I instantly knew why. I can’t wait to become part of the team and bring with me new ideas and experiences.”

Isabel has worked within the sector for more than 12 years, having first dipped her toe into the world of M&E during her time at HRG (now American Express Travel).

She said: “I’m delighted to move into the role as HR director. This is a fast-paced business and we’ve achieved a great deal in the past few years, especially when you consider we were faced with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Moving into this new role will really help me build on the success we’ve achieved of making UK Flooring Direct a great place to work and a key contributor to the local community.”

Jason Ashby, who established UK Flooring Direct in 2005, said: “Faye has been a major part of our success over the past four years and we’re very pleased to promote her to HR director to continue to place our people at the heart of what we do.”

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New Members Business Talent Members

Business Influence Members CloserStill Media Ltd Exhibition Management 02073 485250 info@closerstillmedia.com www.closerstillmedia.com

Adele Lineker Chloe Millage Harriet Nicholls

Business Engage Members

Ipek Faria Kyle Smith Will Johnson

Destination Coventry Tourist Information 02476 975526 hello@destinationcoventry.co.uk https://destinationcoventry.co.uk/

Business Global Members CFS Aeroproducts Limited Aerospace 02476 305873 admin@cfsaero.com www.cfsaero.com

Tallon International Ltd Stationery 02476 437000 enquiries@tallon.co.uk www.tallon.co.uk

Business Connect Members Aeolus Air Quality Consulting Ltd Environmental Consultants 07590 039299 info@aaqc.co.uk https://aeolusairquality.co.uk/ ASG Precision Limited Automotive Manufacturing 02475 122569 info@asgprecision.co.uk http://asgprecision.com Boost Marketing Limited t/a Boost Awards Marketing Consultants 01273 258703 chris.robinson@boost-awards.co.uk https://boost-awards.co.uk/ Coventry Cyrenians Charities & Benevolent Organisations 07484 740478 nicky.sargent@coventrycyrenians.org www.coventrycyrenians.co.uk/ Coventry Power Steering Automotive Engineers 02476 474848 Creative Event Spaces Limited Exhibition Consultants 02477 360140 simonc@creativeeventspaces.co.uk www.creativeeventspaces.co.uk Dhillons Brewery Ltd Microbrewery 02476 667413 info@dhillonsbrewery.com https://dhillonsbrewery.com/ Dirty Kitch Cafe Bar 07931 810969 Hello@dirtykitch.com https://dirtykitch.com/ Dumpling King Restaurants 07801 418234 rayhung76@hotmail.co.uk Elite Ice Sports Ltd T/A Coventry Blaze Sports Clubs & Associations 02477 719919 office@coventryblaze.co.uk www.coventryblaze.co.uk Escape Reality Corporate Team Building/Events 02476 553929 coventry@escapereality.com www.escapereality.com/escape-roomsuk/coventry/

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Evolution Markets, Corporate Environmental Solutions Environmental Consultants 07775 011436 scafearo@evomarkets.com https://evomarkets.com/corpsolutions/ Form and Flow Ltd Fitness Instructor 01926 354675 info@formandflow.co.uk http://formandflow.co.uk Fridays Coventry Youth Club/Community Interest info@fridays.org.uk www.fridays.org.uk Functional Structures Ltd Electrical Engineers & Manufacturers info@functionalstructures.com www.functionalstructures.com Gigabit Networks Ltd Internet Services 01163 800290 hello@gigabitnetworks.co.uk https://gigabitnetworks.co.uk/ HMV Empire Coventry Live Events info@hmvempire.com www.hmvempire.com ISG Productions Ltd Video Production 02476 231616 info@isg.media https://isg.media/ Jester Executive, Management & Business Coaching 01926 266007 team.jester@leadhappy.co.uk https://leadhappy.co.uk/

Millington Travel Travel Agents 02476 992222 cv@millingtontravel.com www.millingtontravel.com Net Visibility Digital Marketing 01926 732044 hello@netvisibility.co.uk www.netvisibility.co.uk Oxygen Graphics Ltd Website Designers 01788 561991 accounts@oxygengraphics.co.uk www.oxygengraphics.co.uk Reeds Carpeting Contractors Limited Flooring Contractors 02476 694114 sales@reedscarpets.com www.reeds-carpets.co.uk Rybrook BMW Warwick Commercial Vehicle Distributors & Dealers 01926 333888 sam.probert@rybrookbmw.co.uk www.rybrookwarwickbmw.co.uk Sagec Cleaning Contractors 07859 764108 grace@sagecservices.co.uk www.sagec-services.com Shubec Ltd Cleaning Contractors 07402 814028 info@shubec.co.uk www.shubec.co.uk Sidewalk Sandwich Bar Cafe Bar 02476 239446 www.facebook.com/SidewalkCoventry-678933092152411/

The Cat Lounge Cafe Bar 07917 662859 thecatloungelimited@gmail.com www.facebook.com/ thecatloungecoventry/ The Grosvenor Hotel Hotels 01789 269213 theteam@grosvenor-hotel.co.uk https://grosvenor-hotel.co.uk/ The Phil Silvers Archival Museum Memorabilia 07773 579181 steviebilko@aol.com www.sgtbilkosvintageemporium.com The Technical Production Group Ltd Audio Visual Services 07447 992358 daveg@tpgevents.co.uk https://www.tpg.events/ The wandering pizza co Mobile Catering Services 07522 916680 laura@thewanderingpizza.co.uk https://thewanderingpizza.com/ UK Flooring Direct Floor Coverings, Cleaning & Treatment 02476 012840 fayesummers@ukflooringdirect.co.uk http://www.ukflooringdirect.co.uk Vartan Consultancy Ltd Business Consultants 01394 671756 info@vartanconsultancy.com https://vartanconsultancy.com/

Springfield Mind Mental Health Training 01789 298615 enquiries@springfieldmind.org.uk https://springfieldmind.org.uk/

Vortex Creates Ltd Costumes/Event Decor & Design 0757 506 8754 inspire@vortex-creates.co.uk https://vortex-creates.co.uk/

Mazing Ltd trading as FarGo Village Creative/Cultural Industrial Space 02476 252434 fargo@fargovillage.co.uk www.fargovillage.co.uk/home

The Ballroom Climbing Wall Leisure Centres & Products 07932 670739 team@ballroomclimbing.co.uk www.ballroomclimbing.co.uk

Midlands Business Awards Event Management 07949 632388 info@midlandsbusinessawards.com www.midlandsbusinessawards.com

The Brownie Box by Emily Bakery & Confectionary 07468 580226 enquiries@thebrownieboxbyemily.com https://thebrownieboxbyemily.com/

Wise Mind Training Mental Health Training 07754 753210 info@wisemindtraining.co.uk http://www.wisemindtraining.co.uk/

Leave it to Esmie Limited Restaurants 02476 221916 Esmie@esmies.co.uk www.esmies.co.uk

Woodland Grange - Make Venues Conference Centres 01926 310550 http://www.woodlandgrange.com www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Featured Offers from our Chamber Members: Business Influence Member

Business Engage Member

dbfb Communications

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Business Connect Members

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The Arden Hotel have teamed up with Go Cotswolds to create the perfect package ideal for the first-time visitors to the Cotswolds and introduce to members The Cotswolds Tour Package.

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Download your Haines Watts year end tax planner, free for all Chamber members.

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To view these and all of our Member Offers, head to cw-chamber.co.uk/marketplace www.cw-chamber.co.uk www.cw-chamber.co.uk

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The Queen’s Anniversary Prizes For Higher and Further Education

2021

BOOST YOUR BUSINESS Kickstart your business by recruiting new talent with the skills and qualities needed to make a real impact. At WCG, we are able to boost local businesses by offering the following schemes: Apprenticeships Want to grow your own workforce? WCG is the largest provider of apprenticeship training in the West Midlands area, training more than 2500 apprentices each year in a variety of sectors, including Engineering, Accounting and Farriery.

T Levels Not ready to commit to an apprentice? The T Level programme allows you the opportunity to offer a 45-day industry placement to students looking to kickstart their careers. From September, WCG will be offering the following T Levels:

• • • •

Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction Digital Support Services Engineering (Manufacturing, Design & Development) Health

Industry Placements Looking to recruit for the future? Offering an Industry Placement will allow you to trial the abilities of a potential employee or apprentice and are completely flexible, meaning you can vary them to suit your particular business needs.

Contact our Business Development team to find out how you can boost your business:

0330 135 6940 | employerenquiries@wcg.ac.uk Visit wcg.ac.uk/apprenticeships for more information. info@wcg.ac.uk

wcg.ac.uk/warksemployers