Southwark Business Today February 2018

Southwark

BUSINESS TODAY

Issue 17: February 2018

Plans unveiled for new mixed-use centre at Canada Water Page 16

• Funding available to boost trade with India Page 7

• Stonehenge and Playboy Modigliani at The Tate Modern Page 8

• Spread your wings in Camberwell Page 13

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Welcome to

Welcome

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY The Southwark Chamber of Commerce magazine for all Businesses in Southwark

Recognising excellence across the borough

I am very pleased to confirm that sponsors have been forthcoming and the Southwark Business Excellence Awards are definitely going ahead on the 21st June 2018.

This is set to be a glittering gala dinner and awards ceremony for 400 people, compared by a celebrity speaker with live music.

The awards provide a prestigious opportunity to showcase Southwark’s successful businesses, recognising their excellence across the borough and helping to build a sense of unity amongst the 18,000 diverse small and large companies that call Southwark home.

The launch event was generously sponsored by Sellars in The Shard, when there was almost double the demand for the 140 spaces. If that is anything to go by the black tie event will be a roaring success.

However, the success of the awards now depends on you as a Southwark businesses to put your name forward for between one and three of the 14 categories available; they can be seen on the website southwarkawards.co.uk I repeat my thanks to all the sponsors and to White Label for their tenacity in organising this on the chambers’ behalf,

Disclaimer

but would urge the bigger professional Southwark companies and the BIDS that have not yet agreed to get involved, to consider their corporate social responsibility and help to support this event that is happening around them and which will benefit those employed in the area.

Other events we have been held include a well-attended talk on apprenticeships, courtesy of Lewisham and Southwark College, and again a heavily oversubscribed tour of the Palace of Westminster.

So many people were disappointed we are proposing another tour in May 2018, this time to include a dinner at the House of Lords.

Amongst many other events, we are poised to book our summer Thames cruise and have a meeting, courtesy of Anthony Gold and company, on GDPR, a trip to the Tower of London, and thanks to longstanding chamber member Ken Hayes, a walk along the Bankside business area.

In short, the Chamber remains very busy holding networking events for Southwark businesses, where we look forward to seeing current as well as new members joining to build on the strength of the business community of which we are all a part.

Reading my last welcome statement, written back in December, the economy then was looking challenging. It now appears to be sluggish, but sluggish can be good, in that one never wants it to be depressed, conversely being too strong usually ends up overheating.

So, we hope that Southwark businesses will carry on prospering in this most exciting of boroughs in which new developments, new restaurants, new theatres and new businesses keep growing and boosting this already vibrant borough, in which we are pleased to be located.

Southwark Business Today is mailed without charge to all Chamber members and distributed to businesses in the Borough.

All correspondence should be addressed to the Editor at Southwark Chamber of Commerce.

Richard Kalmar

Chairman Southwark Chamber of Commerce Views expressed in publication are not necessarily those of Southwark Chamber of Commerce. Reprinting in whole or part is forbidden except by permission of the Editor. © 2018.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of material published

Contents

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4-5 6 7 8-9 10-11 12-13 14 16-19 22-23 26-27 29 30 31 32 33 34 Enquiries

Up Front Economy Finance Arts & Culture Skills Property Development Ask the Expert Spotlight on Canada Water Remembering when...

Hospitality Voice from Westminster Health & Wellbeing Women in Business Chamber Events Last Word Chamber Membership

Southwark Chamber of Commerce Southbank Technopark 90 London Road, London SE1 6LN Tel: 07477 581977 Email: admin@southwarkcommerce.com Web: www.SouthwarkCommerce.com

Editor

John Dean Email: deangriss@btinternet.com

Contributing Editor Susan Isaacs

Publisher

Benham Publishing Limited Aintree Building, Aintree Way, Aintree Business Park, Liverpool L9 5AQ Tel: 0151 236 4141 Email: admin@benhampublishing.com Web: www.benhampublishing.com

Published

February 2018 © Benham Publishing

Advertising and Features

Karen Hall Tel: 0151 236 4141 Email: karen@benhampublishing.com

Studio

Mark Etherington Email: mark@benhampublishing.com Media No.1602

in this journal, Benham Publishing and its agents can accept no responsibility for the veracity of claims made by contributions in advertising or editorial content.

Benham Publishing cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies in web or email links supplied to us.

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

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Up Front

Big Ben will see the light soon The Chamber visit to the Houses of Parliament. By Susan Isaacs

Welcome for bus driver deal Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has taken the next step towards fulfilling his manifesto pledge to provide a new fairer deal for London’s 25,000 bus drivers.

The introduction of a new ‘Licence for London’ puts an end to the previous system where bus drivers moving from one bus company to another would be paid the lowest driving wage as if they were starting their careers, even though they might have driven for many years with another company.

From now on, drivers can start at a new company at a pay grade equivalent to their level of service and experience.

The deal has been brokered by the Mayor with the Unite union, Transport for London (TfL), and the private bus companies who operate services in the capital on TfL’s behalf.

Drivers will now take with them their qualifications and driving record in the form of an enhanced reference for their new employers.

All of London’s bus operators have signed up to Licence for London and have committed to apply it.

Sadiq Khan said: “I’m determined to ensure all of London’s bus drivers are treated fairly as professionals, and I’m delighted we’re now addressing a situation where a driver with the same level of knowledge, skill and experience could get paid significantly less, simply for working on a different route or moving company. “ TfL’s Director of Bus Operations, Claire Mann, said: “This is a good deal for London’s 25,000 drivers and we’re delighted to have been able to work with Unite and all the bus companies to agree it.”

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Somewhere in America is Michael Jackson’s elaborate replica of the golden throne in the House of Lords (they were not keen to sell it to him) but we in the Chamber were privileged to see the real thing, as well as a host of other treasures.

The statue of Oliver Cromwell on a horse greeted us as we arrived. We saw the magnificent Queen’s robing room, with paintings representing Mercy, Fidelity, Courtesy and Courage.

Safe from television cameras Queen Elizabeth dons her crown here. It arrives hot from the Tower of London and apparently she wears it for as short a time as possible, because it is very heavy.

Anyone who has had to wait in for a plumber, will sympathise with the Houses of Parliament at the moment. The iconic face of Ben Ben is covered over with scaffolding, and there is a vast wooden tray in the middle of the lofty medieval entrance hall. Apparently it is an enormous drip tray for the trickles from the roof. But the magnificent building is emerging beautifully from this period of restoration, and many hidden gems are surfacing.

The lobby room, a stone octagon with a heavily tiled floor, has larger than life size statues of Churchill and Thatcher, amongst others, and it is here that members of both parties can meet each other ad their constituents.

The Princes’ Chamber has a

stunning white statue of a seated Queen Victoria, and paintings of the Tudors monarch with not one, but all six of King Henry the Eighth’s wives.

Then it was down to the bowels of the building for a delightful selection of canapés (I recommend the little marinated salmon pieces, and the cheddar on tiny biscuits).

Richard Kalmar, Chairman of the Chamber, gave an excellent summary of the events past and future, and Neil Coyle, MP our host and President of the Chamber, gave us a first-class update on help for Chamber members.

His door is always open.

The visit is always a highlight of the Chamber calendar, and let us hope we are invited again next year.

An excellent opportunity for Employers and Apprentices alike Chamber breakfast meeting at Lewisham Southwark College. By Susan Isaacs

Slap bang out of Southwark tube station, the neat modern angular building of Lewisham Southwark College greets you.

It has a luminous red notice outside and inside a red bannistered staircase winds its way up the light-filled building.

They offer an impressive selection of practical courses including beauty therapy, print making construction, and health and social care, all of which lend themselves nicely to the government backed scheme of apprenticeships.

Their website shows an exciting range of apprenticeships available, including chef at the Swan Restaurant, attached to the Globe Theatre, and digital apprentice at the Philharmonia Orchestra.

Large companies pay a compulsory levy which

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

is a fund they can access if they employ students as apprentices. And smaller companies, while not obliged to pay the levy, get government funding to pay the costs of employing an apprentice and giving them work experience.

Thus both the companies and apprentices can benefit.

It was pointed out however that some large companies are sadly just treating the levy as an extra tax and not taking on apprentices.

Barry Langfield vice principal of planning and development at Lewisham Southwark College hosted the breakfast event, which gave the chamber and the college the opportunity to collaborate.

Richard Kalmar, Chairman of the Chamber opened with an introduction to the work of the Chamber. He was followed

by Councillor Johnson Situ,

who outlined the benefits of the scheme and the government’s targets.

Vanessa Packham, Director of Employment, and Nupur Bhandari, Head of Sales and Business Development both explained how different businesses could benefit, and there is certainly room for more businesses to take up the opportunity. One of the interesting points was that with all the new qualifications available, new careers in teaching qualifications, and examining applicants are expanding.

Architects, estate agents, and accountants were just some of the chamber members who showed an interest in employing an apprentice, and college staff and chamber members mingled happily.

The meeting was followed by a very welcome breakfast of croissants and coffee.

Up Front

Calling all tech companies Last year, the Mayor declared his ambition for London to be the world’s leading smart city, driven by the Smart London Plan, which is being developed under the leadership of the Capital’s first Chief Digital Officer, Theo Blackwell, and the new Smart London Board.

The Mayor is asking the tech community what can be done to ensure better digital collaboration across London's boroughs and public services, better datasharing, improved connectivity and digital skills, and to ensure that technology is designed around Londoners’ needs.

The Plan will be developed in partnership with Bloomberg Associates to ensure London's ambitions match those in other world cities and will be launched at London Tech Week in June.

The call comes as Transport for London (TfL) makes a major bid, supported by the Mayor of London and backed by a group of London councils, for government funding to tackle not-spots – areas of poor internet provision –

Tech businesses, including those in Southwark, have been given the opportunity to tell Mayor of London Sadiq Khan how smart technology could shape the future of life in the Capital.

and provide better digital connectivity for Londoners.

If successful, the funding, which is being made available by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, would be used to extend already-planned full fibre-optic connectivity on the underground network to public buildings near to tube stations, improve connectivity and end remaining not-spots in central London.

Other examples of forthcoming tech innovations include the smarter use of data to plan bus routes by tracking the changing way people move around London, as well as crowdsourcing pollution data and using this to update Londoners about their local air quality in real time.

Sadiq Khan, said: “I’ve been clear in my ambition for London to become the world’s leading smart city – and I want to know how this technology is affecting Londoners’ lives and to understand in what ways

we can build on this with new technologies in the future.

“We want London to be the global home of the data economy, to seize the benefits of new artificial intelligence, and inspire a new generation of inventors and developers to make our city even better.

“London’s thriving tech sector – already the envy of cities around the world – has a huge role to play here. They will have an important voice in developing the Smart London Plan and it’s these companies which will provide the necessary creativity to make these plans a reality.”

London’s Chief Digital Officer, Theo Blackwell, said: “London’s tech talent are the enablers in helping shape the future use of data in the capital. We want to hear from everyone working in tech or who uses tech on what measures they think we should take to help manage London’s growth and deliver better public services.”

To contribute to the exercise on the forthcoming Smart London Plan, visit: www.london.gov.uk/smart-london

Council commits to low-carbon investment Southwark Council has taken its first step as part of the commitment to cut its investments in fossil fuels.

The Pensions Advisory Panel agreed to move £150m into the Blackrock Low Carbon Target Equity Fund.

This investment will allow the pension fund to continue to secure strong long-term performance whilst reducing the risks inherent in fossil fuel assets. The investment will have 70% less greenhouse gas exposure than before.

The Southwark Pension Fund will be one of the first investors to join this fund following its seeding by the Avon Local Government Pension Fund in December 2017.

The Cabinet Member for Finance, Modernisation and Performance at Southwark Council and Chair of the Pensions Advisory Panel, Cllr Fiona Colley, said: “This was a decision based not just on our political and ethical concerns, but primarily on our belief that climate change and significant investments in fossil fuels present a long term financial risk to our fund.

“As well as reducing our investments in fossil fuels we are also looking at ways the fund can benefit from the opportunities of new, sustainable and increasingly profitable sectors such as solar and wind power generation and modern battery technology.

With this in mind, we will be entering into a selection process in the coming months for sustainable infrastructure investment funds."

New awards celebrate Southwark as a great place to do business The London borough of Southwark’s first awards to celebrate the area’s 18,000 businesses are open for entries after a sparkling launch at The Shard.

More than 140 guests gathered in the 34th floor Ren Room of Shangri-La Hotel, At The Shard, for the opening event of the inaugural Southwark Business Excellence Awards in association with Lewisham Southwark College.

Business and political leaders speaking at the event urged the borough’s thriving business community to enter the prestigious new, free-to-enter awards programme, which features 16 categories, including Southwark Business of the Year.

Welcoming the new awards, Stuart Berkoff, Chief Financial Officer of launch sponsor, Sellar, said they were a measure of how far Southwark has come since the company bought the site next to London Bridge Station and developed The Shard.

He said: “Over the past 20 years, along with our partners, the State of Qatar, we have invested almost

£2billion in the borough. That’s what we call commitment.

“We have developed almost 2 million square foot of mixed use space. But more importantly we brought a range of national and international businesses to Southwark, as well as millions of people who would never have ventured over the southside of the river.

“Once overlooked and ignored, Southwark has become one of the capital’s great places to live, work and play.”

The new awards, backed by Headline Partner, Lewisham Southwark College, and Awards Partners, Southwark Chamber of Commerce, Southwark Council, and White Label Creative, is sponsored by some of borough’s leading businesses, including British Land, and Grosvenor.

The programme is supported by Shangri-La Hotel, Jensen’s Gin and Media Partner, Southwark News.

The highlight of the six-month awards programme will be the glittering, blacktie Gala Dinner and Charity Ball awards ceremony for 400 people on 21st June, hosted by a celebrity compere.

Speakers on the launch night, including Southwark Chamber Chairman Richard Kalmar, the Mayor of Southwark, Councillor Charlie Smith and Southwark Councillor and Cabinet Member for Business Culture and Social Regeneration Johnson Situ, all commended the range and commitment of local businesses, who are vital to the economy of the borough.

They thanked all the sponsors who are making the even possible and stressed that the awards are open to all types and sizes of enterprise, from Start-Ups and SME’s to Charities and Entrepreneurs.

Cllr Situ said 87% of the businesses in the borough, are small with less

Sponsors at the launch event

than nine employees. Barry Langfield, Vice-Principal of Headline Sponsor, Lewisham Southwark College, Said the college worked with businesses right across the borough and applauded the aims of the awards to recognise their achievements.

“I am looking forward to the awards evening when we can celebrate together the truly excellent businesses we have in our community. We are very proud to be involved with the awards which recognise excellence within the community.”

To enter the awards visit www.southawards.co.uk

Interested in sponsoring or supporting the awards?

Please contact: Joanne Horton at jhorton@wlcreative.org.uk

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Economy

Survey shows that UK economy remains sluggish The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has published its latest Quarterly Economic Survey, which shows that the growth in the UK economy remains subdued.

Based on the responses of more than 7,000 businesses, the survey shows almost all services indicators below their preEU referendum levels with the strong performance of manufacturers easing slightly in the final quarter of 2017.

The findings of the survey indicate the skills shortages are reaching critical levels. Of the service sector firms hiring, the percentage reporting recruitment difficulties rose to 71%, the highest since records began. In manufacturing, the percentage of recruiting firms reporting difficulties is at its highest since Q4 2016.

In the manufacturing sector, the proportion of firms reporting improved export sales and orders fell slightly compared to the previous quarter. The indicators for domestic sales, employment expectations, recruitment, and confidence in turnover are also lower than in the previous quarter.

In the service sector, a key driver of the UK economy, growth remains muted and relatively unchanged from the previous three months, and is below historic averages. The proportion of firms confident that turnover and profitability will improve in the next year decreased, and firms reporting improved cashflow remains low.

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Both sectors have seen considerable rises in the proportion of businesses expecting prices to increase in the next three months. In the services sector, the percentage balance of firms expecting their prices to rise jumped to +36%, the highest since Q3 2008. In the manufacturing sector, the percentage balance of firms expecting their prices to rise increased from +35% to +50%, the highest since Q4 2016.

The results emphasise the need to address the barriers to growth – in particular the growing skills gap – which is hindering the ability of companies to find the workers they need to develop.

Dr Adam Marshall, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “While there are many business bright spots across the UK, the evidence from the biggest private business survey in the country shows that growth and confidence remain subdued overall as we enter a new year.

“Labour and skills shortages are set to be the biggest potential drag anchor on business in 2018, since ultimately it is people that make businesses work.

Business itself must do more – by training and investing wherever possible in people – but government must also give firms the confidence to put their livelihoods on the line and go for growth.

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

“This must be the year employers act rather than just complain on skills, and the year government delivers clarity, leadership and investment in people and infrastructure. Kick-starting growth, and boosting wages and prosperity for all, depends on this.”

Suren Thiru, Head of Economics at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “These results suggest that GDP growth remained underwhelming in the fourth quarter of 2017. Services sector activity remains subdued with most indicators still below their pre-EU referendum levels. Consumerfacing firms in particular are facing an uphill struggle due to negative real wage growth, which is continuing to stifle consumer spending. That said, the sector is still likely to have been the main determinant of growth in the fourth quarter.

“Following a strong showing for much of 2017, the manufacturing sector did come off the boil a little in the last quarter, with most of the key indicators weakening in the quarter.

“The latest results also confirm that inflation remains a concern with a significant spike in inflation expectations in the quarter. While inflation is likely to peak in the coming months it is likely to remain stubbornly above the Bank of England’s 2% inflation target for a prolonged period, maintaining the cost pressures on both consumers and businesses.

“Looking forward, the UK economy is set to continue on an underwhelming growth trajectory over the near term with uncertainty over the impact of Brexit coupled with high inflation and weak productivity likely to dampen overall economic activity.”

“This must be the year employers act rather than just complain on skills, and the year government delivers clarity, leadership and investment in people and infrastructure. Kick-starting growth, and boosting wages and prosperity for all, depends on this.”

Finance

Funding available to boost trade with India UK businesses are being offered financial support to help them trade with India.

The news came as International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox met the Indian Minister for Commerce and Industry, Shri Suresh Prabhu, to discuss greater cooperation between the two countries and identify barriers to trade and investment, Ministers were joined by a delegation of senior UK and Indian officials for the 12th meeting of the UK-India Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO), which built on progress made by the UK-India trade working group that was established in 2016.

Dr Fox announced that the national export credit agency, UK Export Finance (UKEF), has more than doubled its financial support to enable UK businesses to trade with India.

It means £4.5 billion will now be available for UK companies exporting to India as well as Indian buyers of UK goods and services.

India and the UK already enjoy a strong trading relationship, worth £15.7 billion in 2016, with UK exports to India amounting to £5.8 billion.

Indian foreign direct investment (FDI) in the UK was worth £1.5 billion in 2016, while UK investment into India rose to £13.2 billion in 2016.

According to the UK Government, there is huge potential to expand bilateral trade and investment as the UK prepares to leave the European Union.

UK and Indian businesses, including UK engineering consultancy Arup and Indian infrastructure firm Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS),

also met alongside the JETCO to discuss ways of boosting co-operation in growing sectors such as advanced manufacturing and smart cities.

Dr Fox said: “India is the world’s seventh-largest economy and the fourth largest investor into the UK, while UK investment in India grew by 8.8% in the year to 2016.

“For the first time in 40 years, the UK is preparing for its own independent trade policy, and expanding our bilateral trade and investment with India will be central to that task.

It’s in our shared interest to boost prosperity, generate jobs, develop skills, and enhance the competitiveness of both our countries.

“As an international economic department, we will continue to work closely with the Indian government to break down the barriers to boosting trade. That includes more than doubling trade finance support for UK exporters and Indian buyers of our goods and services.

Following the talks, the ministers issued a joint statement setting out their vision for a continued trading partnership in which the two governments and businesses work hand-in-hand to achieve shared prosperity.

UKEF support is made available in Indian rupees, allowing Indian buyers to access finance in their own currency and making sourcing from the UK even more competitive.

“For the first time in 40 years, the UK is preparing for its own independent trade policy, and expanding our bilateral trade and investment with India will be central to that task.”

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Arts & Culture

Stonehenge and Playboy Modigliani at The Tate Modern Few babies have a more sensational kickoff to life than Italian painter Amedeo Modigliani.

Just as his mother went into labour, the bailiffs entered the family home and the family piled their most valuable assets on top of her to protect them. His birth saved the once wealthy family from ruin, for by an ancient law creditors could not seize the bed of a pregnant woman or a mother with a newborn child.

This dramatic start to his short life prefigured his future. It is one of those familiar tragedies that handsome charismatic Modigliani lived in comparative poverty during his lifetime, and his work only achieved high prices after his death.

The stunning exhibition of his work at the Tate Modern on the Southbank, covers more than eleven rooms and is an enthralling visual biography. The paintings of

By Susan Isaacs – Arts and Culture Correspondent

subjects, often with almond shaped eyes, elongated necks and faces, and long thin noses, are instantly recognisable as Modigliani’s.

Many are portraits of fellow artists, and include Pablo Picasso, Henri Laurent, Frank Haviland, and Juan Gris. One of his most important models is his lover poet and journalist Beatrice Hastings, who helped him with his career.

The stark walls of the Tate Modern, a former power station, sometimes turquoise, sometime cream, make a fitting backdrop to the show.

The exhibition includes not only an imaginative film of the French garret and surroundings in Montmartre where he lived (yes I know it is a cliché) but also a sculpture room, and a collection of stunning nudes, some of which would not be out of place on the front page of Playboy.

One intriguing canvas at the start of the exhibition is of Modigliani’s first patron, the young doctor, Paul Alexandre. He looks kindly

out at us. Amedeo was so short of money, that he had to use the same canvasses twice. So on the back of the canvas we see a beautiful dark-haired young nude, who stares out at us equally thoughtfully. There is a little label stuck on the frame, from the Japanese company which presumably brought the canvas to England. It is a quirky reminder of how the poverty stricken young artist, who couldn’t afford a second canvas, is now world famous.

Another eye-catching painting, was of a young man in a white shirt, with the sleeves rolled up.

The shirt was mesmerising. It glowed luminously white in the quiet gallery, and I felt I had to have one like it. The Modigliani artefacts shop that greets you at the of the display could do a brisk business in shirts like that. But a beautiful substitute was a china mug with a painting of Modigliani’s fiancée Jeanne Hubéterne. I am sipping from it as I write.

The Opera Story announces World Premiere of Goldilocks and The Three Little Pigs Following the successful completion of a second crowdfunding round, The Opera Story has announced the performance dates of its second production, “Goldilocks and The Three Little Pigs”, a new opera that fuses together these two children’s stories into a dark and adult drama, revealing connections between them and exposing a different side to its characters.

The opera features music by emerging talent Vahan Salorian, with a libretto by Dominic Kimberlin. The music is written

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for a chamber orchestra of ten musicians, who will be conducted

by Paul Wingfield. Soprano Alice Privett returns for the title role, and will be joined by baritone Nicholas Lester, mezzo-soprano Carolyn Dobbin and counter-tenor Daniel Keating-Roberts.

The production will be directed and designed by Pedro Ribeiro, and will be staged in an immersive setting that will take over the Copeland Gallery in Peckham.

Six performances have been scheduled on February 26 and 28, and March 2, 3, 6 and 8.

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

With its primeval atmosphere the sculpture room could almost be Stonehenge. Modigliani’s original ambition was to be a sculptor and there are heads in stone, and wood, with the instantly recognisable elongated faces, necks, and vacant almond shaped eyes. But Amedeo, a tuberculosis sufferer could not endure the dust from sculpting, and threw himself into painting.

We are the richer for it.

Modigliani died, as he entered life, dramatically. His fiancee Jeanne was eight months pregnant with their second child. A neighbour found Modigliani in bed delirious and holding onto Jeanne. There was nothing to be done. The day after his death, Jeanne threw herself out of a fifth floor window, killing herself and her unborn child.

Yet Amedeo Modigliani has left behind a legacy of stunning distinctive paintings, and his soul lives on through them. This exhibition is not to be missed.

Arts & Culture

The Eighth Wonder of the World

Rum, Sugar and Land Ahoy

A Hidden Treasure The Brunel Museum in Rotherhithe

By Susan Isaacs – Arts and Culture Correspondent

Rotting fingernails, skin diseases, respiratory failure, blindness, madness, temporary or permanent, and a pound a week. There were some of the rewards you got for working as a miner on the very first tunnel under the river in the world. It was designed and built by father and son, Marc and Isambard Brunels, French engineers who changed the world.

The tunnel was known as the Eighth Wonder of the World and people queued in their thousands to see it. Their work is beautifully documented in the niche Brunel Museum in Rotherhithe, home to the drawings, models, maps, and artefacts that document the engineers’ cutting edge work.

As you sit in a tube train going under the River Thames from Rotherhithe to Wapping spare a thought for the brilliant engineers and the men who laboured to build it.

Robert Hulse, charismatic director of the Brunel Museum, took the Chamber’s members for a special Christmas tour of the museum and gave us a gripping description of the building of this tunnel. The collection sits atop the vast underground cavern which was the entrance to the tunnel, now an Aladdin's Cave of lights and film that hosts theatre, concerts, and even weddings.

But six men were known to have died building it, and many more must have been victims of diseases, or tunnel sickness as they called it, caused by the appalling working conditions.

Robert talked us through a model of the tunnel under construction. It shows a cage which could hold thirty six miners on the three levels, which was used as a tunnel boring mechanism. Work started in 1825 but conditions were appalling. Inside each cage, the miner would carefully dig out the wall in front with a spade, and below and above him another man could be doing exactly the same thing.

The miners carried oil lamps to light their way, which would cause flares and react with the methane gas in the tunnel.

Water was pumped out of the tunnel, but no oxygen was pumped in, and as they worked they were showered with sewage. No wonder that they could only work three hour shifts, and often had to be carried out when they collapsed. The lack of oxygen to the brain could cause temporary or permanent blindness and madness too.

Many were carted off to the asylum, never to return.

The miners carried oil lamps to light their way, which would cause flares and react with the methane gas in the tunnel.

Water was pumped out of the tunnel, but no oxygen was pumped in, and as they worked they were showered with sewage. No wonder that they could only work three hour shifts, and often had to be carried out when they collapsed. The lack of oxygen to the brain could cause temporary or permanent blindness and madness too.

Many were carted off to the asylum, never to return.

Image by Martin Rich

But the men who worked in these appalling conditions were not convicts. They chose the job, and were strong, brave, clever Cornishmen and Irishmen. The reward of a pound a week for their work was a good wage.

It was the equivalent of that for a police inspector. They had to be skilled for if they made a mistake they all died, and Brunel called them his Corps Elite.

The cage that Brunel designed was a revolutionary design to deal with incredibly difficult earth South of the river, and is known as a TBM, a tunnel boring mechanism.

Today miners and bricklayers have been replaced by mechanised boring equipment.

But the cage the Marc Brunel designed is the prototype for TBM’s used to dig out current projects like the Jubilee line, and CrossRail.

The Museum is a fascinating record of Marc and Isambard Brunel’s work, and we were privileged to have such an inspirational talk by Robert Hulse, who organises, amongst many other things, guided tours and boats trips based around the history of the tunnel. The highlight of the tour was the descent down a steep red-bannistered stairwell, into the vast cavern that is the original shaft of the tunnel.

A film of the tunnel is projected onto the wall, and a piano and rows of rows of chairs testify to the fact that the space now hosts concerts and theatre. Come and visit the museum soon. It is a marvel not to be missed.

The Museum of Docklands in West India Quay

By Susan Isaacs Hold hands very tight as you walk over the wobbly swinging bridge with its yellow plastic handles.

A long row of gentrified restaurants, decked with flowers, faces you along the river bank, dramatically different to the docks ramshackle origins.

The restaurants lead to the cluster of former sugar warehouses in dark mustard coloured brick, that form the intriguing Museum of London Docklands. Cream clay binds the bricks together and the buildings tell the historyof the River Thames and the growth of London Docklands Two marble sailors with bell bottomed trousers and seaman’s jackets stand on the wall inside. Their rugged faces greet you on the on the way in. A large sign with RUM and SUGAR writ large, in bold plain white lettering reminds you of the building’s origins.

The floor and the roof are wooden and a large ventilation pipe painted in turquoise climbs up to the ceiling. Jumbo wooden beams act as pillars.

The real heart of this fascinating collection is the vast room on the third floor. In its day it was a real functioning warehouse, Number 1 West India Docks, and the evidence is all around. There are massive coils of rope, a cast iron hand winch, and vast kitchen scales the height of a man, to weigh casks. Enormous wooden barrels sprawl on the floor and suspended in the air are wooden boards with enticing reminders of exotic lands where the cargos originated, Singapore, Hong Kong, Buenos Aires, Valparaiso.

The atmosphere of the docks is brilliantly recreated by black and white films projected onto the walls, and recordings of real workers who laboured there. We see jacketed and capped dockers weighing and measuring cargoes. Vast pulleys wind round, lifting crates, and we hear the voices of dockers, some alive today, telling it like it was. There is a man who did the clerical work, with a noticeably posher voice, explaining how they recorded the cargoes.

Then there is the moving account of a cockney foreman who said how ashamed he felt at how he was forced to behave.

Dockworkers were employed randomly on the day, and he had to choose. He would see an older man walk in front of him and, looking at the tough physical work, be forced to say abruptly Not You. The display in the Museum is tremendous, currently there is an exhibition about Docklands Regeneration, and Slavery and The Empire. Sometimes we need reminding that the now gentrified area was once heaving with dockers, labouring in rough conditions, for a pittance, to measure , weigh and unload goods brought in from far-flung lands. The Museum of Docklands does just that, and is well worth a visit.

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

9

Skills

Data Skills: What are they and why should you learn them?

At the end of last year, LinkedIn reported that some of the fastest-growing jobs involve using data.

Data is valuable across a breadth of industries – they give retailers the power to predict what consumers want before they know it themselves, they ensure entertainment groups can identify the kind of TV shows that will be successful, and they help healthcare providers improve their methods of diagnosis by comparing similar conditions across humongous datasets.

Consider data, then, as units of currency that institutions acquire to identify consumer expectations, operational problems, and future successes.

Therefore, an understanding of how to manipulate data isn’t just critical across industries, but across departments, from marketers gaining insights into customer motivations to administrators identifying bottlenecks and inefficiencies.

These are clear signals that data skills are crucial for the 21st century workplace, meaning that many companies are willing to pay six-figure salaries for these professionals. Yet the supply of personnel who are data literate isn’t meeting demand.

Part of the issue is the prevalent cluelessness about what data skills are, as fears that they require mathematical prowess or computer expertise are simply inaccurate. While a knowledge of analysis is desirable, acquiring it is most often a case of playing around with data analytics software. Do you know how to use Excel? PowerPoint?

Many of the relevant programmes require a basic knowledge of computing as that.

The key to succeeding with data actually requires the soft skills frequently asked of sales and management positions.

Take, for example, research and interpersonal skills. As entrepreneur Timothy Ferriss says, “life punishes the vague wish and rewards the specific ask”, and a data project’s success impinges on the ability to ask the right questions. When companies have millions of items of data in their archives, we can’t go in empty-handed – we need to first lay the groundwork so that we can know where to look.

This means someone who can understand the cultural and economic contexts surrounding the data will be hugely beneficial to a company looking to start.

Attention to detail makes a frequent appearance in many job specs and it’s crucial when working with data: you will need patience to work through fields of information in datasets that have been previously updated by various staff members, checking for consistency and accuracy through it all. Consider that this initial preparation takes up about 70% of the project, and you’ll understand just how precious this skill is.

But the holy grail of data skills is knowing how to present your information. This means both creating compelling visuals of your results and communicating them clearly. After all, results are of no use if no one can understand them. In my experience, those with sharp presentation skills often fare much better for information management jobs than even those who have a degree in the field.

Companies are presently looking for interpersonal capabilities and evidence of enterprise from their data job candidates,

These are clear signals that data skills are crucial for the 21st century workplace, meaning that many companies are willing to pay six-figure salaries for these professionals.”

Kirill Eremenko is a data science expert and the author of new book Confident Data Skills, published by Kogan Page.

The book will help you master the fundamentals of working with data and supercharge your career.

It is priced at £14.99 and is available on Amazon.

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Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

rather than of deep technical Know-How. Even if you have the skills highlighted above, still consider attending a short course, or learning one of the simple data programmes, to increase your foundational knowledge – the odds are in your favour that you’ll be invited for interview.

Education

Can you offer work experience to high calibre students?

Lewisham Southwark College is keen to partner with large and small businesses for placement opportunities that will ensure future graduates have the skills and experience the capital needs.

Building on our reputation as a provider of high quality vocational education, in September 2018 we are launching an exciting raft of new Higher Education (HE) courses at our state-of-theart Southwark Campus on The Cut. As with all our courses, work experience forms a vital part of our HE programmes, so we are looking to partner with businesses who can offer placement opportunities to our degree-level students.

By partnering with us, you will have access to high calibre individuals who can bring their talent, specialist skills and energy to your business over a period of weeks or months – and may even become a permanent asset to your organisation.

At the same time, we’re keen to work with businesses who’d like to contribute to our HE curriculum and course design, or would welcome the opportunity to present to our degree-level students on their area of business.

In addition to our HE provision, we are also looking to build on our thriving work experience programme at Further Education (FE) level. Businesses across a huge range of industries – from hospitality to construction, and beauty to digital media – can host a student from as little as one day to a maximum of ten days. This enables you to benefit from an

extra pair of hands while boosting a young person’s employability skills and confidence.

In return for your partnership, we can offer very competitive access to our central London meeting and conferencing facilities – as well as the chance to help provide a stream of wellqualified graduates for the future benefit of the capital’s workplace.

To find out more, contact Jonathan.Fell@LSCollege.ac.uk for HE placements or Nupur.Bhandari@LSCollege.ac.uk for FE placements.

CALLING ALL BUSINESSES Add to your workforce with local students via work experience opportunities Higher Education: Jonathan Fell Email: Jonathan.Fell@LSCollege.ac.uk Further Education: Nupur Bhandari Email: Nupur.Bhandari@LSCollege.ac.uk LSCollege.ac.uk 020 3757 3000

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

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240-252 Camberwell Road London SE5

SHOW HOME NOW OPEN Tues, Wed, Fri: 10:00 – 18:00 Thurs 11:00 – 19:00 Sat: 10:00 – 16:00 Wing Marketing Suite, 240 Camberwell Road London SE5 7JF

Presenting a collection of contemporary 1, 2 & 3 bedroom apartments in the heart of Camberwell

Prices from £395,000 BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT TO VIEW TODAY

HELP TO BUY IS AVAILABLE ON SELECTED UNITS

020 7487 1710 wingofcamberwell.co.uk Images of Wing Show Home.

Prices correct at time of print.

Property Development

Spread your wings in Camberwell Leading London housing provider Hyde New Homes has launched its new Camberwell development Wing, a selection of stylish and contemporary apartments available through Shared Ownership and private sale, with selected homes qualifying for the Government’s Help to Buy equity scheme - an incentive open to First Time Buyers and homemovers alike, where the buyer is only required to raise as little as 5% of the property value as a deposit.

The development consists of one-, two- and three- bedroom homes in London’s creative quarter, including a unique penthouse with a terrace overlooking the Capital’s skyline.

In recent years, Camberwell has undergone extensive investment and regeneration1, with Wing being a major contributor by creating a sense of neighbourhood within the local area. The prime Zone 2

location and surrounding amenities make it an ideal dwelling for young professionals and families, with the developments price points also being suitable for First Time Buyers.

Hyde New Homes’ Head of Marketing, Minnie Dando, comments: “We wanted to build a development that would add a sense of community to its locality and also make the homes achievable for all – we’re pleased to offer this development for sale through affordable purchasing routes.

With its buzzing location, it’s the perfect home to return to after a day of working in the City.”

The café culture in the area has given way to popular eateries such as Theo’s Pizzeria, famous for its wood fired pizzas and voted Time Out 2016 best restaurant in Camberwell, while your Butterfly Walk Shopping Centre provides residents with a plethora of high street brands for all shopping needs.

Residents will be spoilt for choice with an abundance of green space to choose from all within walking distance of Wing.

Camberwell Green, situated just seven minutes’ walk away, is surrounded by a mixture of shops and restaurants providing an idyllic space for residents to escape to. Local events are staged throughout the year, while the Camberwell Green Farmers Market is hosted every Saturday, selling organic produce and local artistic pieces.

The development is wellconnected and has a host of transport options to choose from, including Underground, Overground and bus routes.

Located just a 13-minute walk away, Denmark Hill Overground Station offers links to commuter hotspots such as London Victoria in just nine minutes.

Additionally, Bowyer Place bus stop is just a four-minute walk from Wing, connecting residents with Central London locations such as Oxford Street in under

29 minutes. Oval Tube Station, situated on the Northern Line, is just a 20-minutes’ walk from the development, where Kings Cross St Pancras can be reached in just 19 minutes, providing residents with National and International travel.

Each apartment at Wing has been built to a high-specification with stylish finishes apparent in every room. Master bedrooms come complete with fitted wardrobes and an ensuite.

All bathrooms have been fitted with large format ceramic tiles and electric underfloor heating, while kitchens come with sleek handle-less less units from German manufacturer Nobilia, complete with LED under pelmet ribbon lighting and integrated appliances, making it the perfect space for those looking to entertain. For those looking to work from home, Hyperoptic fibre broadband provides the convenience of speedy connections.

Private sale prices at Wing start at £405,000 for a one-bedroom apartment £550,000 for a two-bedroom apartment and £665,000 for a three-bedroom apartment. With Help to Buy, the breakdown for a one bedroom apartment at £505,000 works out at £25,200 for a 5% deposit and a mortgage loan at £277,750. The remaining 40% equity loan is provided by the Help to Buy scheme funding. On a two- bedroom apartment priced at £560,000, the 5% deposit is equivalent to £28,000. The requirement for a mortgage would work out to £308,000.

Buyers can register their interest or find out more about Help to Buy available by contacting sales agents Colliers on 0207 487 1710 or visit www.wingofcamberwell.co.uk

Please visit https://www.hydenewhomes.co.uk for Shared Ownership prices, where First Time Buyers can also register their interest for the scheme.

1

https://www.southwark.gov.uk/regeneration/regeneration-projects/camberwell-regeneration/camberwell-regeneration

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

13

Ask the Expert

What are the common myths about GDPR?

We are all receiving a number of emails every day that are trying to scare us into taking some sort of action but the truth is no one really knows what is going to happen come the 25th May 2018 when the GDPR comes into force as it has not yet been fully defined. We do know that we will need to change the way we work when it comes to how we collect and use personal data.

One thing you can do which will help you on your GDPR compliance journey is to be totally transparent about where the data you hold sits and what you do with it.

For example, editing your Privacy and Cookies policies to show exactly what you intend to do with the data you hold and giving people the option to opt in, rather than automatically opting people into receive emails even with the option to opt out.

Make a list of where all the data in your business resides that contains personally identifiable information, knowing where this data lives is the first step to protecting it.

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Let’s look at a few of the myths surrounding the GDPR.

1. It is just a problem for your IT department to deal with whether that is in-house or outsourced.

This is not true, everyone needs to be fully aware of the GDPR and the way they need to be processing and handling personal data at all levels of every organisation. The GDPR should signify a change in culture within every organisation that deals with personal data and this needs to be a companywide change.

2. Every organisation needs to appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO)

Many organisations will need to appoint a DPO who will play a key role in ensuring GDPR compliance but not every organisation Pthat deals with

Everyone has been talking about the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) now for what seems like forever, with most organisations now aware and starting to understand the implications. personal data needs a DPO, so how do you know if you should be looking to appoint one?

You need a DPO if:

 You are a public authority (except for courts acting in their judicial capacity)

 You carry out large scale systematic monitoring of individuals (for example, online behaviour tracking)

 You carry out large scale processing of special categories of data or data relating to criminal convictions and offences You may appoint a single data protection officer to act for a group of companies or for a group of public authorities, taking into account their structure and size. Any organisation can appoint a DPO regardless of whether SE1 1RQ the GDPR obliges you to or not.

3. You can quickly and easily comply with the GDPR

To become GDPR compliant, you must involve multiple departments, including Legal, Marketing, Sales, Finance and HR, this in itself makes for a long process. Having to look at your processes and databases will mean a significant amount of planning and organisational work. With the GDPR coming into force on the 25th May you do not have much time.

If you would like to discuss your organisations GDPR compliance then please feel free to contact Complete I.T. at enquiries@complete-it.co.uk

“I am really impressed to see the speed at which Complete I.T. are acting on the recommendations from the GDPR readiness assessment and acting on them. They are way ahead of the curve as far as moving towards GDPR compliance is concerned, their commitment and professionalism in dealing with what many see as a blocker to getting on with business is very refreshing to see.” GDPR Specialist, Jim Sneddon

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

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Proud to be new members of Southwark Chamber of Commerce

Spotlight on...

View of the Cuts

Plans unveiled for new mixed-use centre at Canada Water The Canada Water Masterplan is a partnership between British Land and Southwark Council, working with the local community and other key stakeholders, to deliver a unique new destination for London.

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Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

Spotlight on...

The Masterplan covers a 46 acre site incorporating Surrey Quays Shopping Centre, the SE16 Printworks, Surrey Quays Leisure Park, the Dock Manager’s Office and 1 – 14 Dock Offices. The site is also set to grow further as British Land has recently exchanged contracts on the purchase of the former Rotherhithe Police Station, which will now be integrated into the Masterplan area.

The project will create a new town centre at Canada Water and over the next 15 years is expected to deliver around 2 million sq ft of office and workspace, up to 3,500 new homes and around 1 million sq ft of retail, leisure, entertainment and community space set in a network of streets and spaces connected to the wider area.

The completed scheme expects to be home to around 20,000 jobs across workspace, retail and leisure and will create significant construction employment opportunities with an average of around 1,200 workers on site each month during construction periods.

Project update from Eleanor Wright, Canada Water Masterplan Team Following several years of consultation in Canada Water, we are now approaching the submission of a planning application for the outline Masterplan and detailed proposals for a number of the first plots for development.

This is the culmination of a great deal of hard work by our teams, informed at each stage by an extensive consultation process which began in early 2014. Around 1,600 people came through the door at the exhibitions in January of this year, so we would like to thank everybody who has contributed their knowledge of the area and their feedback on the Masterplan throughout this time.

In addition to the detailed work that goes into putting

together a planning application, British Land has been doing a great deal of thinking about the lasting impact that the Masterplan can have on the area. We own and manage some of London’s most vibrant and engaging neighbourhoods: Broadgate, adjacent to Liverpool Street Station, Regent’s Place in the West End, and Paddington Central, close to Paddington Station.

In the coming years we look forward to bringing this knowledge and experience to Canada Water, continuing to work with local people to create a place that people want to work, visit and live.

There have been a number of key updates to the Canada Water Masterplan, both in terms of the physical proposals and our thinking about the positive legacy the Masterplan can create, below provides a summary of these key moves:

Canada Water Dock Canada Water has a unique green and blue infrastructure.

Our vision is to improve upon the natural DNA of this space by integrating the

existing natural assets into the Masterplan.

We have proposed a new Canada Water Dock crossing and revised our proposals in response to community feedback to allow more open water, proposing a board walk rather than a direct crossing to create a greater opportunity to experience the dock’s rich wildlife and ecology.

It is our intention to repair the dock edge’s wetland habitat and enhance its biodiversity.

We have brought the London Wildlife Trust on board to act as advisors to the project and are benefitting from their experience on similar projects across London.

We are also discussing the possibility of taking on the management of Canada Water Dock. We would like to do this to ensure proper maintenance of the crossing and wetlands as well as appropriate water management. If management were to be transferred to British Land then we have committed to exploring how local interest groups, organisations and schools could also get involved in the future.

Leisure centre It is Southwark Council’s intention to provide a new leisure centre in the area to replace Seven Islands.

One option is to accommodate the leisure centre within the Masterplan in an exciting mixed-use new building at plot A2 (currently the location of the Tesco petrol station and car park to the south west of Canada Water Dock).

The facilities would include a gym, studios, an eight-lane swimming pool, crèche and café and would incorporate the leisure centre with new office space on upper floors and ground floor retail opportunities. The building’s design would be inspired by the historic Deal Sheds of its dockside setting and we were pleased to share detailed proposals for this at the recent exhibitions.

First detailed plots Aside from the proposed mixed-use building at plot A2, detailed designs have been shared for plot A1 (currently the Surrey Quays overflow car park, directly to the west of Canada

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

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Spotlight on...

Evening view looking north east across the Town Square

Water Dock) and plot K2 (Roberts Close). Proposed for plot A1 is a mixed-use building incorporating shops, food and drink and offices within six storeys, and 186 homes within a 35 storey landmark building.

Planned for plot K2 is a modern residential building next to Russia Dock Woodland, with 83 homes designed by Duggan Morris Architects.

Cultural strategy Creating a new destination for London, where creativity and talent can flourish, is a key deliverable of the Canada Water Masterplan. In December 2017, work began on the development of the cultural strategy for Canada Water. A public topic session was held in December 2017 to explore the themes of culture and heritage and how these can inform the Masterplan.

We’ve brought on board Graham Devlin, a creative artist and former Acting CEO of the Arts Council of England, to assist in the development of the strategy. The cultural strategy will look at the existing cultural offer and at opportunities for the future. In terms of the physical output, it will translate to activities, spaces and buildings that will support the strategy long-term in the Masterplan. The input of the local community groups and

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those attending the consultation so far has been critical to developing the cultural strategy and we look forward to sharing this further in the coming months.

Next steps We anticipate submitting the planning application this Spring.

Subject to planning approval in Autumn 2018, the first phase could start on site in Spring 2019. The target date for completion is 2033.

To see the material shared at the most recent exhibitions and stay up to date with the proposals as they develop, visit www.canadawatermasterplan.com

Our commitment: The Canada Water Charter We are committed to working with the community to develop a masterplan that delivers real benefits to those who live, work and visit here, both now and in the future.

Over the many years we’ve been involved in the Canada Water and Rotherhithe area, we have gathered an enormous base of local knowledge which has helped us develop an appreciation of the many fantastic organisations, opportunities and assets there are locally, but importantly also where challenges or gaps may lie.

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

The Canada Water Masterplan is a long-term project and so is our commitment to it.

We intend to own and manage the spaces and places that we create so that they can be properly integrated into the local area. It is also a fantastic opportunity to leverage the most out of our investment in the area, and create a new piece of the city which everyone can find their place in – by connecting with the local community, enhancing local skills, creating opportunities, growing local businesses and enlivening Canada Water, well beyond our red line boundary.

The opportunities and possibilities presented by the Canada Water Masterplan are limitless - but we want to make sure that the places and spaces created benefit not just new residents, but the existing community, so we are developing a Canada Water Charter.

The Charter will set out how we plan to make Canada Water a place to learn and grow, a place to belong, a place to connect and work and a place to be happy and healthy. It will form a tangible and accountable framework which sets out our intentions and approach to ensuring the Masterplan brings improvements to community quality of life and that

opportunities benefit the wider local community. We’ll be consulting on this soon and look forward to hearing everyone’s ideas.

Opportunities for business The Canada Water Masterplan also presents a rare opportunity for companies small and large, retailers and start-ups to set up in a central location and to grow side-by-side.

New workspace and retail space will be a key feature of the Masterplan, however, key to delivering a genuinely mixed masterplan is supporting the ambitions of existing businesses in the community.

Supporting the local businesses of today and tomorrow is also key to ensuring a thriving local economy in and around the Masterplan where the different businesses complement each other, and work together. We have recently been conducting surveys and will be working further with local traders and small businesses in the coming months to explore how we could work together to support their aspirations.

Pilot projects and community partners In order to deliver our ambitious vision for the Canada Water Masterplan’s legacy, we have formed partnerships with a

Spotlight on... number of local organisations, as well as establishing our own pilot programmes which will help secure the benefits of the Masterplan for the wider community.

Tree Shepherd Tree Shepherd is a Southwarkbased charity whose mission is to create employment and transform deprived areas into thriving communities through bringing the talents of local people and local enterprises into collaborative networks

We’re supporting Tree Shepherd on two pilot projects in Canada Water: Business Clinics, and Start Your Own Enterprise, which form part of the Start Up and Thrive programme. The programme aims to encourage and support start-ups and entrepreneurs from the local area through the Start your Own Enterprise ten week training programmes and ongoing business clinics with experienced mentors to support start-ups every step of the way.

The next Start Your Own Enterprise course kick off in 2018. To find out more or enrol on the course, visit: www.treeshepherd.org.uk/ regeneration/canada-water

GoodPeople GoodPeople is a charity focused on ensuring that businesses create positive social impacts.

We’re working with them to link local residents with sustainable jobs and offer skills development opportunities in Canada Water. A pilot project this year will see GoodPeople work with suppliers and businesses at Surrey Quays Shopping Centre and Leisure Park, as well as Printworks, to match unemployed local residents with employment opportunities.

More information is available at www.goodpeople.co.uk/work and if you would like to get involved with the programme, get in touch: jobs@goodpeople.co.uk

Career Ready We support the Southwark Career Ready programme to give young people in the

borough a head start to their future careers. Career Ready is a UK-wide charity linking employers with schools and colleges to open up the world of work to young people.

St Michael’s Catholic College, Bacon’s College and City of London Academy were the first group to take part in the programme and we look forward to welcoming more students from the local area into the cohort.

Time & Talents This local charity began life back in 1887 as a way to help young women employ their time and talents helping others, instead of being kept at home. Today, Time and Talents has evolved into a thriving community hub, offering activities such as life-drawing, creative writing, mindfulness, gardening, dancing, the Stroke Club, and more. We’re proud to support their work and partner with them.

As part of British Land’s support, Time & Talents has taken on a temporary lease of the British Land CWM Hub at Surrey Quays Shopping Centre to bring the space to life whilst it is not being used for ongoing Canada Water Masterplan consultation. Time & Talents are hosting a range of events at the Hub, such as tea parties and craft workshops, but also rent it to third parties to deliver community activities in line with their ethos and aims.

space in the Printworks, which forms part of the Masterplan site, and is running design, making, gardening, cooking and storytelling workshops with local schools and community groups in Canada Water. Global Generation’s activities at the Printworks will help to inform the creation of public spaces in the Masterplan.

Global Generation closed 2017 with a Solstice Celebration which was an expression of young people learning from older people, older people learning from younger people and everyone learning from the rhythms of nature. Lanterns made at the Paper Garden filled the empty car park that lies between the Dock Office and Canada Water Dock, launched by children and parents from local schools, British Land and many local friends who have been involved with the Paper Garden over the last year. Over the next few months, Global Generation will be holding workshops in the Paper Garden for young people from The Bosco Centre and Bacons College, older people from Time and Talents and children from Redriff, St Johns, St Josephs, Albion and Alfred Salter Schools.

You can keep up to date with news from the Paper Garden by visiting: www.globalgeneration.org.uk/blog

Bodytonic clinic enjoys growth at Canada Water bodytonic clinic – has been providing Osteopathy, Massage, Health and Beauty services for over 10 years.

As a local resident of 18 years, James Gill has expanded his professional team of therapists in line with the growth of Canada Water and will continue to grow with the arrival of the new masterplan. The clinic now offers 1-2-1 Pilates and plans to add new services along the way. “It’s been an incredible journey building the clinic.

We have an amazing team who are here to help the local community of Southwark and we are excited for the future of the area.” bodytonic clinic, Dock Offices, Surrey Quays Road, SE16 2XU 02036060490 bodytonicclinic.co.uk

Time and Talents older groups have recently been working with Global Generation at the Paper Garden based at Printworks (more details below). The groups have been sharing stories about the area’s history whilst taking part in fun, social activities.

Global Generation Global Generation is an environmental education charity and charity partner of British Land that supports young people to make a social and environmental difference by involving them in the co-creation of public spaces.

Global Generation has set up the Paper Garden community

Global Generation's Solstice Celebration

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

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Remembering when ...

Remembering when the Surrey Commercial Docks in Rotherhithe were some of the busiest in the Port of London

By Ken Hayes Honorary Secretary Rotherhithe, situated on the south bank of the River Thames has long history of shipbuilding and seafaring.

It mainly consisted of marsh land, unfit for agriculture.

It was here that the Pilgrim Fathers set sail in the Mayflower to New England in July 1620. In 1696 the Howland Great Wet Dock, (named after the land owners), was dug out, which held 120 sailing ships.

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In the 18th Century it became the base for Artic whaling ships and was renamed the Greenland Dock. By the 19th Century commercial shipping from Scandinavia and the Baltic, (mainly timber), and from Canada, (mainly grain for London’s growing population), led to the enlargement of the Greenland Dock. Other Docks were also dug out to accommodate the increasing number of ships, and these eventually covered 85%

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of the Rotherhithe peninsula, (an area of 460 acres).

There were nine linked Docks in total and were named after the origins of their cargos, (hence, Norway Dock, Russia Dock, Quebec Dock and Canada Dock). The Grand Surrey Canal was also built in the early 1800’s to take goods from the Docks to Camberwell and Peckham, canals being the main form of transport for heavy goods until the advent

of the railways in the mid 1800’s. Dockers wages varied greatly depending on whether or not a man was employed on a casual basis or if he had a skilled trade, Lightermen, Stevedores and Warehouse officials were better paid than dockers.

When the docks first opened the wages and salaries were quite good compared to other occupations. The West India Dock Company paid its

Remembering when ... permanent workers three shillings and six pence a day.

(3s.6d.) and its top man £630 a year.

As the 19th Century progressed and the influx of labour from Ireland, other parts of the UK and Europe conditions and wages deteriorated. Wages went down to 4d. an hour and by the 1880’s the pay for casual dockers was 5d. an hour while building labourers were paid 6d. an hour. There were no guaranteed hours for casual dockers as ships were unloaded around the clock.

The call on for casual dockers took place at 7.45 am and at 12.45 pm. There were not set hours of work for casuals. They might get two or three hours work or might have to work very long hours if a ship needed to be unloaded quickly.

A dockers work was very hard and there were no amenities such as toilets and much of the work was in the open or unloading very dusty cargos, such as cement or coal, and as a result there was a very high accident rate among the work force. Workers could be instantly dismissed for breach of discipline with no right of appeal. This led to the Great London Dock Strike in August 1889 when 130,000 dockers went on strike demanding 6d. an hour and better conditions.

This had public support and the Docks came to a standstill.

In September the Lord Mayor of London formed a mediation committee to bring the two sides together. The Dock owners agreed to most of the strikers demands. The strike ended on 15th September and the pay rate increased to 6d. an hour in November 1889.

The dockers in Surrey Docks, developed a different style of working from the dockers in the docks on the north side of the river. The ‘Deal Porters’, as they were called, carried large bundles of timber on their shoulders and wore a special kind of hat to protect their heads from the rough timber they were carrying.

The decline of the Surrey Docks set in following WWII, having suffered badly from the bombing during the war.

The South Dock was pumped dry for the construction of the Mulberry Harbours for the D-Day landings in 1944.

After the war shipping companies adopted containerisation for shipping goods and the old docks were not able to accommodate the much larger ships that were being built for that purpose.

The docks finally closed in 1969 due to lack of trade, and the Grand Surrey Canal was closed in 1971. It was drained and parts of it turned into linear parks, Burgess Park Camberwell for example.

The London Docklands Development Corporation was set up in1981 by Margaret Thatcher’s Government to redevelop the redundant Docklands on both sides of

the River Thames. The Docks in Rotherhithe had remained derelict for over 10 years and much of the warehousing had been demolished and 90% of the docks had been filled in, the only ones left with water in them were Greenland Dock, South Dock, Norway Dock, Canada Dock, renamed Canada Water), and Surrey Water, formerly the Basin.

The LDC had the power to buy land and to grant Planning Applications for new developments. The site of the Centre Timber Pond, 14 acres, was sold to Associated Newspapers who built a Print works for the Daily Mail and the Evening Standard publications in 1989.

Surrey Quays Shopping Centre was built on part of the old Canada Dock with a Tesco supermarket as the main tenant, which opened in 1988.

Over 5,500 new homes were built and a woodland was created on the filled in Russia Dock. A water feature, the Albion Channel, was created along the site of the old Albion Dock linking Canada Water with Surrey Water. Part of the Norway Dock was re-excavated to form a water feature for a housing complex.

A water sports centre was built in Greenland Dock.

The population of the area had risen from its pre-war level of 9,000 to 13,500 in the 2011 census.

In 2012 the Daily Mail General Trust moved their Print Works to Thurrock in Essex and site was bought

by British Land along with the Shopping Centre and both are being redeveloped.

The only remaining historic building left today is the Surrey Dock Office.

“After the war shipping companies adopted containerisation for shipping goods and the old docks were not able to accommodate the much larger ships that were being built for that purpose.”

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

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Grosvenor believes that local entrepreneurship and a thriving economy are key ingredients of successful neighbourhoods.

Our proposed ÂŁ500m investment in Bermondsey would deliver new homes for rent, a mix of commercial spaces, a new school, other amenities and public spaces as part of an active mixed-use neighbourhood that is physically, socially and economically integrated into Bermondsey.

We are proposing a complementary range of commercial uses that will help re-establish the neighbourhood, generate up to 1,290 jobs post construction, and capture more local spending.

The scale of investment proposed combined with Grosvenor's long-term approach and commitment to active local involvement will create significant local benefits - including many for businesses.

Our Local Legacy Strategy outlines our approach to maximising these benefits over the longterm, and includes an emphasis on Enterprise.

We look forward to continuing to work closely with Bermondsey’s community to create opportunities for businesses, revitalise the neighbourhood, and re-establish it as a thriving local economy.

For more information, please visit www.belonginbermondsey.com

Hospitality

A Shower of Gold Rain and Duck that will have you flying out of the window

By Susan Isaacs Arts and Culture Correspondent

Duddells Chinese Restaurant in St Thomas’s Street SE1 You walk under a wreath of flowers and feathers to be greeted warmly by the staff. The women are in traditional blue costumes and the men wear black suits with white shirts.

The floor is a tiled chess board of two shades of blue, and white and the chandeliers are made of pale gold coloured spheres, like a shower of heavy gold rain. Facing you is a vast wooden altar piece.

A converted church, St Thomas’s in Southwark, might seem an unlikely location to open a luxury fusion of Cantonese cuisine and art.

But head chef Daren Liew, has produced a menu to marvel at.

A trio of entrepreneurs Alan Lo, Yenn Wong, and Paulo Pong, set up Duddells in Hong Kong as a private members club.

The original Duddells has the coveted one michelin star, and a programme of art exhibitions and music performance.

Our table, from a mezzanine gallery, looked down onto a

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long thin bar of a kitchen and table- light fittings in orange and blue. The tables were perhaps on the small side, illuminated by a single candle, but there was plenty of space between the tables. And somehow, being so high up, you felt that gulping down delectable Chinese grub was a kind of spiritual performance.

The striking historic setting however has its problems.

As a listed building, there are limitations on the cooking space, and restrictions on hanging pictures on the walls.

But the owners are skilfully bypassing these problems.

That long narrow kitchen space has given birth to duck dishes that have flown into the mouths of eager customers.

And I personally found the kitchen a little art display into itself. I emerged from the basement loos to long lines of little Chinese teapots in blue and white. They were perfectly arranged in a line on the kitchen counter, like a group of toddlers to be taken for a walk.

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

The beautiful green backed menus featured characters from Chinese mythology. These figures in traditional costumes have sacks of corn, or teapots, or soup bowls, for heads. And the Chinese lettering, as well as the many Chinese customers, reminded us that this is a restaurant for connoisseurs.

The Chinese tea ceremony is famous, but our waiter’s theatricals with the duck deserves it own ovation.

He brought the duck to the table, burnished a rich brown, and then, white gloved and dextrous, he pulled out a large gleaming rectangular carving knife. We eyed him apprehensively as he sliced expertly through the tender meat. It was delicious and the tiny accompanying plates of delicious sauces gave it a kick.

Think fennel sugar, aged mandarin, sesame, white pomelo sauce, pineapple, and spring onion. It reminded me of secretly dabbing a bit of perfume on my wrists,

from each bottle in my mother’s box of tiny bottles. We sampled aged Mandarin duck salad, which was equally tasty.

Next came wok fried French turbot, and Rhug Estate lamb with pepper. They were both good, but the pepper knocked us out a bit, and the turbot was quite a meaty fish.

Perhaps we were just longing for more duck. No wonder they run out of duck every evening.

Get your orders in quick. We happily finished the meal off with an oat flavoured crème caramel, and Jasmine pearl tea.

If you want a beautiful setting with food is very distinctively different from your usual Chinese restaurant, then Duddells is the place for you.

But it does not come cheap, so perhaps save it for a special occasion. The feeling of one Michelin star spiritual elevation you get from gobbling delicious grub, is worth saving for a very special moment indeed.

Hospitality

A Wall of Water, Sweet and Sour Sauce, and a Singapore Sling 3AA Rosette Peninsula Restaurant at InterContinental London - The O2 in Greenwich Peninsula

By Susan Isaacs Arts and Culture Correspondent

@Languages2000

It was a windy evening as I slipped through the doors of the vast, InterContinental London - The O2 in Greenwich Peninsula. There was a lavish marble entrance, and a blue lit neon water wall gently cascaded down to the floor. The intricate wire image of an ageless man’s face stared down at me from a height.

I was meeting my friend Karen Hall, Publisher and Sales Director at Benham Publishing and our destination was Peninsula Restaurant, a few floors up. It is a restaurant that boasts three AA rosettes, and a magnificent view of the towers of Canary Wharf.

We were allocated a table just by the window, and a handsome waiter saw to our almost every need.

The feast began. Brown and cream seafood sat gently perched on a bed of corks, encased in a multilayered wooden box, like an extra large cigar case.

Karen chose the smoked salmon tartare to start, followed by melt in the mouth mash, and beef, kindly cooked at her request, to cremation standards. The piquant sweet and sour sauce

gave it an original Chinese feel, so right for an international hotel.

I started with seared foie gras, followed by lamb in a juniper sauce, which had a delicate smoky feel to it. We had a lovely bottle of rich red Italian wine, San Giovese Belial, from Tuscany, which I will hunt down for private consumption at home. But the absolute star of the show, in my opinion, was the dome of freshly baked bread, with a hint of rosemary and carrot.

Our waiter kindly guided us to a private audience in the kitchen, with the genial bearded cook, who has been enthusiastically cooking since the age of fifteen, Tomas Lidakevicius head chef of the Peninsula restaurant.

He, and his team of helpers, quietly sliced, chopped, and stirred an array of ingredients in the steel fortress of a kitchen.

The timing of our food had been immaculate, and he explained that the key was all in the preparation. Dinner was at 7 o’clock, the team had been working since 11 o’clock to have the ingredients ready.

The team effort extends to everyone working in the hotel.

They have by far the best part of the bargain.

The cooks prepare new recipes, and everyone else eats them.

The best part of the evening had to be the cocktails in the Eighteen Sky Bar. Boats sped across the blue water as we were served delectable cocktails.

What fun it was to be sipping our drinks, as we faced thousands of invisible bankers and brokers, wheeling and dealing in the massive forty floor towers just narrowly across the water from us.

I had a delicious gin and tonic, and Karen’s Singapore Sling, lit up the whole bar with its luminous orange colour. I am definitely having that next time.

I think every guest who has sampled the delights of Peninsula Restaurant at Intercontinental London The O2will definitely be back for a “next time.”

“What fun it was to be sipping our drinks, as we faced thousands of invisible bankers and brokers, wheeling and dealing in the massive forty floor towers just narrowly across the water from us.”

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

27

Business Travel

Providing business travel solutions

BBTM (Baldwins Business Travel Management) is part of the family-owned, Baldwins Travel Agency Ltd (established in 1895).

We have been providing business travel solutions to our clients for over 40 years and each of our consultants has a minimum of 25 years professional business travel experience offering exceptional knowledge and advice when needed.

We are the largest independent travel agency in Kent with 8 retail stores in addition to our Business Travel Division and have a host of awards to our name including ‘National Agent of the Year as well as ‘Travel Agent of the Year London and the South East’ for the last 10 years in a row (Agency Achievement Awards).

We are delighted to announce that as a result of requests from our business clients and our ongoing commitment to offer the very best customer experience,

we have launched a new Bespoke Travel Service.

This will be headed up by Steph Witchell whose specific role will be to provide a dedicated service to our executive business travellers in taking care of their personal travel needs.

Steph has been part of the Baldwins Travel Group for over 25 years and her wealth of experience and knowledge allows her to offer a discerning and exceptional VIP level of service which is tailor-made to meet individual requirements.

Whether it be a family break, a relaxing cruise, a trip of a lifetime or indeed the much looked forward to retirement holiday, Steph will take the time to arrange every aspect of your trip ensuring you receive a seamless travel experience.

• Emergency help 24/7 we are here to help • Transparency with no hidden costs • Knowledge each team member has over 25 years’ experience • Online Booking Tool • Extra services are available from visa advice to foreign currency, chauffeurs, lounge passes, airport parking, airport transfers and more • Bespoke Leisure Travel Service. Our clients can also book their holidays through our concierge service and enjoy impeccable service and attention to detail that you would expect from an Award-Winning travel agency T: 01892 515900 E: bt@baldwins-travel.co.uk

• Business Travel Services include Flights, Hotel, Car Hire, Rail, Ferries, Group & Incentive Travel • Special deals are available through BBTM that you won’t find online • Itinerary changes are handled quickly & efficiently by an agent • Time savings and trust on finding you the right trip combination • Options are offered on the best combination of ways to complete your trip • Accountability on travel spend is available through reports and travel policy advice • Expert guidance on all areas of travel

T: 01892 506401 E: stephwitchell@baldwins-travel.co.uk

www.bbtm.co.uk

Don’t let your Business Travel cost the Earth

T: 01892 515900 | E: bt@baldwins-travel.co.uk | www.bbtm.co.uk Your independent award-winning business travel agent

28

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

Voice from Westminster

Brexit remains a big worry for businesses Neil Coyle MP Firstly, happy new year!

2018 has already brought out of Government something Ministers first claimed they were doing and then denied existed: the Brexit analyses by sector. Sadly, they reveal what was expected: Brexit can only leave the UK worse off.

The unsurprising, but disappointing papers have been leaked from the Department for Exiting the EU and were drawn up by civil servants for Ministers.

They suggest that even a comprehensive free trade agreement with the EU would leave UK growth 5% lower over the next 15 years.

Continued single-market access through membership of the EEA (ie the softest possible Brexit) would lower growth by 2%. A no deal scenario, with the UK exiting on WTO rules, would impede growth by 8%.

Many businesses in Southwark have known about the economic damage of Brexit for a while. Sadly, these papers reveal that so has our Government. The fact that Ministers still continue on this course whilst aware of the

damage they would cause our country contravenes the Ministerial code of conduct which requires the Government to work in the national interest.

I will continue to make the patriotic case and stand up for Southwark businesses.

Labour must show greater leadership on this. We must better highlight the dangers to jobs and opportunities of the Government's approach and present the country with a real alternative. In my opinion, we must stand by our 2017 manifesto commitment to retain the Single Market and Customs Union membership as a minimum, but should also emphasise the economic and social case for remaining in the EU. There is so much at stake.

2018 has also seen another major failure of Government in the collapse of Carillion.

Despite warnings last year, the Government awarded eight more contracts.

The false confidence this gave SMEs to continue to work in the Carillion supply chain has caused huge problems, debts and job losses now Carillion has gone under.

Some SMEs face closure and the issue highlights (again)

that swift payment of suppliers should be built into all government contracts (including local government).

The collapse of Carillion, as with BHS and Comet previously, highlights the weaknesses of the creditor system and of the Pensions Regulator. I am on the Work and Pensions Select Committee and we are now investigating claims that the pension deficit was nearly £1 billion after trustees were allowed to defer contributions in September in a bid to enable more borrowing.

The taxpayer has again lost out through this dodgy enterprise, as well as hard working

employees who believed their pensions were safeguarded.

Sadly, 2018 has also revealed plummeting apprentice numbers despite the business levy imposed by the Government to meet its target of three million apprentices. I will be exploring where the money has gone!

Finally, thank you to the Chambers for coming to Westminster in January.

It was great to meet more local business representatives and community champions.

My door is always open to you all if there are any matters I can help with.

“We must better highlight the dangers to jobs and opportunities of the Government's approach and present the country with a real alternative.”

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

29

Health & Wellbeing

What is musculoskeletal health, and why should London businesses care?

Not many people commonly use the word “musculoskeletal health” as part of a dialogue about workplace well-being.

But one Southwark based osteopathy company thinks it should be at the forefront of local businesses’ HR policy.

Director of bodytonic clinic, James Gill, explains why.

Musculoskeletal MSK health conditions can take on a variety of forms, but here are just some of the most notable examples: • Joint conditions – e.g. osteoarthritis.

• Bone conditions – e.g. osteoporosis • Spinal disorders.

• Regional pain disorders – e.g. tennis elbow, frozen shoulder.

• Musculoskeletal injuries – e.g. repetitive strain injuries, headaches or posture related injuries.

These are not just injuries which affect athletes, or people who work in a physically demanding or exerting job; even office-based jobs are more and more at risk of losing employees to poor musculoskeletal health which is entirely avoidable.

A quick glance at just three key statistics tells you why musculoskeletal health matters.

• 1 in 8 of the working age population have reported suffering from an MSK related condition.

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• 33% of long term sickness is attributed to an MSK related disorder.

• An estimated 9.5 million working days were lost to an MSK related health condition.

Osteopathy and massage services at bodytonic clinic focus on relieving the tensions and stresses in the body, and as such gives staff an important insight into how good musculoskeletal health enables greater dexterity, mobility and co-ordination, and reducing the risk of repetitive injuries, anxiety and stress in the workplace. At bodytonic clinic we offer free discovery sessions where staff and employees are ableto find out more about musculoskeletal health within a safe environment.

It makes business sense for organisations and employers to safeguard the MSK health of their employees, as a workplace which puts this front and centre is more likely to be one where safety and healthy living are celebrated and promoted.

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

It’s also a remarkably simple process to invest a company HR policy with greater awareness of MSK health, which is why Southwark businesses both large and small can take straightforward steps to do so. This primarily involves encouraging employees to play a role in improving their working environment; e.g. increased physical activity, reduced alcohol consumption, improved diet; it also involves making MSK health a boardroom issue which sits at the heart of a workplace culture.

Bodytonic’s work within the Southwark and greater London community means that we’ve put prevention, intervention and risk awareness on a par with rehabilitation.

A truly forward looking business community can lessen the risk of MSK injuries by:

• Lowering the risk of physical exertion in the workplace.

• Making employees more aware of the work-related risks to MSK health, e.g. improper use of office equipment (computer monitors, phones, laptops, desk/chair set-up), bad posture, incorrect manual handling.

• Access to holistic and specialist support and advice. For example referring employees to a course of physiotherapy, osteopathy and chiropractic treatment; well-being treatments such as deep tissue massage, Indian head massage; encouraging the uptake of team sports, or physically beneficial activities such as yoga, Pilates.

Dock Offices, Surrey Quays Road, London. SE16 2XU 0203 6060 490 bodytonicclinic.co.uk Canada Water, Stratford and Wapping

Women in Business

Successful Business Women in Southwark This issue we talk to a businesswoman who makes a difference in their field.

Why it makes sense to talk when it comes to homes Sarah did not initially set out to be an architect, though.

She said: “I actually begin studying chemistry but I realised that it was not for me and switched to architecture instead.

“I spent seven years training and was in Cardiff before coming to London to work for Alan Camp Architects, where I have been for sixteen years.”

Sarah Simpson Associate for Alan Camp Architects

Few subjects are as hotly debated as the need to solve London’s housing shortage and playing a key role in striking the right balance between commercial reality and people’s sensitivities are the Capital’s architects.

One of the leading companies in the field is Alan Camp Architects, of Union Street, for whom Associate Sarah Simpson plays a crucial role in bringing together developers, housing associations and communities.

Alan Camp Architects is an award-winning practice that specialises in residential led mixed use schemes, master-planning and bespoke design solutions.

Working with its clients and the local communities the practice helps to create an environment that enhances and responds to their needs.

The firm works on all stages of project development, from feasibility to postcompletion and works with a varied client base including developers, housing associations and contractors.

They have extensive experience in residential and mixed use projects, from single dwellings to large developments along with commercial, retail, community and education, sometimes designing completely new buildings, at other times converting existing ones.

Sarah believes that the pressure to build more homes will mean that the practice remains busy as developers identify small urban sites for homes.

She said: “Residential development is our speciality and that includes mixed use schemes, for instance developments where you may have a school on the ground floor and homes on the upper floors.

“We work with a lot of developers and housing associations but our work is not just about the architecture. Design is an important part of the process but we also are involved in public consultation.

“The London Plan has set targets for the amount of new homes that the city

needs and part of our work is to come up with designs that make the best use of the available sites.

“That could be small brownfield sites that have previously been overlooked and we are constantly involved in consultation with communities.

“That is an important part of the job and includes talking to everyone from councillors to housing associations as well as attending public meetings where we present the designs and answer any questions people may have so they know what is happening.

“The practice is very busy at the moment, we started 2018 with a lot of projects on the books and I think that will continue throughout the year.”

“We work with a lot of developers and housing associations but our work is not just about the architecture.

Design is an important part of the process but we also are involved in public consultation.”

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

31

Chamber Events

Upcoming Events

Join our informative and engaging range of events.

A perfect opportunity to make new business contacts.

DATE

Moday 26 February (TBC)

Wednesday 7 March 8.30am - 10am

Wednesday 14 March 8.30am - 10am Thursday 22 March 8.30am - 10am Thursday 5 April 6pm start Thursday 12 April 12.30pm – 2pm Thursday 26 April 6pm - 8pm May (TBC)

Thursday 21 June July (TBC)

EVENT

Ceremony of the Keys

Working in a Diverse Business Community Florence Eshalomi GLA member Promoting your Business GDPR

History Walk along Bankside

Practical Uses of IT in Offices SCC Annual General Meeting

Dinner at the House of Lords Hosted by Lord Kennedy of Southwark Southwark Business Awards Black Tie Annual Riverboat Trip

VENUE

Tower of London

Lewisham and Southwark College, The Cut, SE1 (TBC)

Anthony Gold Offices, 53 Tooley Street, SE1 Meet at the Anchor Bankside SBU

The George Inn, Borough High Street, SE1 Hilton Hotel, Southwark Street, SE1

We’ve designed our events to help you broaden your network, learn something new or get involved with key topical issues for businesses in Southwark.

Our networking events are great for regular members to make and maintain useful contacts, and we always welcome first-timers.

Please check the website www.southwarkcommerce.com for updated information.

Times and locations to be confirmed.

Southwark Chamber of Commerce welcomes its latest member company Aquarius Golf Club

Jim Halliday Secretary Marmora Road, Honor Oak London Se20ry 02086931626 Secretary@aquariusgolfclub.co.uk 4 employees loads of volunteers

Complete I.T. Talk Cyber Security at the Chamber of Commerce Event

At Complete I.T., we feel that one of the best defences against cyber threats is having knowledge on what is out there as well as being educated on how to best protect your organisation.

With that in mind, at the beginning of 2017 we set out to educate our clients on the dangers of cyber threats by developing our educational seminars ‘Cyber Crime Essentials’.

With these educational events proving to be such a success, we decided to broaden the reach by partnering with other organisations and offering this information to the public, which is how Dan Scott from Complete I.T. ended up presenting a Cyber Security and GDPR seminar for the members of Southwark Chamber of Commerce in December last year.

The event was held in the Parliament Bar of The George Inn in London and started with networking before everyone was seated for Dan’s presentation, which included the following;

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• The progression of Ransomware and the level of damage it can cause • The different forms of cyber-attacks to look out for • What to expect from The Internet of Things (IoT) in the future • Best practise and how you can educate your teams • Opportunities and Threats posed by the GDPR • The benefits of being Cyber Crime Essentials accredited The evening was a fantastic success, with the attendees taking full advantage of the Q&A period following the presentation. Les Johnson from Southwark Chamber of Commerce had this to say: “A fantastic, captivating and informative talk yesterday evening enjoyed by all who attended.

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

Many, many thanks for your time and for imparting your knowledge and sharing tips. A big thanks to the Complete I.T. team too.”

With 70% of virtual attacks starting with human error, Complete I.T. really see the benefit in educating others on the ways to protect organisations

against cyber threats and will continue to do so.

If you are interested in attending the next educational seminar that Complete I.T. will be running, please register your interest by emailing enquiries@complete-it.co.uk

Ben Welton is the General Manager at Complete I.T.’s (CIT’s) London office.

Starting his career in IT as IT Manager for a national charity with 80 care homes across the UK supporting 1000 users, Ben developed and delivered the IT Strategy and Programme of Works for over 7 years. The charity Ben worked for was and still remains a CIT client which is how he became familiar with Complete I.T. After working alongside the CIT team Ben decided that he wanted to progress in his career in IT by joining the team and has not looked back.

Last Word

The Last Word

I lead the day-to-day management of Grosvenor’s 12 acre development in the heart of Bermondsey, a project I have worked on for the last 5 years.

This will include homes for private rent, affordable housing and a new secondary school. I am passionate about understanding how new and existing places can work harder for people of all ages.

I sit on the Board of the Blue Bermondsey Business Improvement District and various industry bodies. When I’m not at work I can be found on my bike cycling (slowly!) or hopping on a train or plane to somewhere new.

Q1 What was your first job and what was the pay packet?

My first job was as a ward waitress serving soup and teas in a hospital in Sheffield when I was 15. I was paid £3.50 an

hour and spent most of my shift talking to the patients and holding up the queue.

Q2 If you were prime

minister, what would be your first decision?

I’d look to safeguard the NHS for future generations - NHS staff have provided my family with exceptional, heartfelt care which is something that I think everyone deserves.

Q3 What is the biggest challenge in your business?

London’s growth is putting pressure on our communities, our infrastructure and our quality of life. At Grosvenor, we seek to tackle two major challenges – protecting and enhancing the success of the West End and alleviating the capital’s housing crisis which affects us all.

Q4 If you could do

another job, what would it be?

Aside from being passionate about cities and buildings, I’ve always been fascinated by medicine and the human body.

I like working under pressure and would love to be an A&E doctor. Aside from it being incredibly stressful, I imagine it’s a very rewarding job.

Q5 What's your

favourite London building?

It would probably have to be The BT Tower because it’s such an iconic building. I lived next to it at university when I first moved to London and would use it as marker for finding my way around. It also has one of the best views in London - there’s a viewing deck that slowly rotates so that you can watch London move around in front of you.

Katherine Rodgers

Grosvenor, Britain & Ireland Director of Development

The largest osteopathic clinic in Europe, dedicated to o ering high-quality, accessible and a ordable healthcare to all.

We may be able to help with: • general aches and pains, including arthritic and joint pain • hip, knee, ankle and foot problems • shoulder, elbow, hand and wrist problems • sciatica • muscle spasms and muscular tensions • sports injuries • headaches and migranes arising from the neck.

020 7089 5360 clinicappointments@uco.ac.uk Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

33

Join Us

Join Us

The Chamber is made up of active and successful business people from a wide range of sectors, who are based in Southwark, believe in Southwark and wish Southwark to prosper.

Our Committee Chairman Richard Kalmar President Neil Coyle MP

(MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark)

Vice President Lord Roy Kennedy

Making the most of your SCC membership

Once you’ve joined us you have access to the opportunities we provide to help support you and your business. Whether you simply want to attend our networking events, run a seminar or sponsor or run an event, we’d love you to get involved. We like our members to make the most of their membership and get as involved as much as they can.

(House of Lords)

Vice President Rt Hon Harriet Harman QC MP (MP for Camberwell and Peckham)

Vice President Baroness Jowell DBE PC

(Former MP for Dulwich and West Norwood)

Patron The Worshipful Mayor of Southwark Charlie Smith Patron Sir Simon Hughes (Former MP)

Council and Community Representatives Councillor Johnson Situ

(Cabinet Member for Business, Employment and Culture)

Abdul Mohamed

(Past Mayor of Southwark and former Councillor)

Executive Members

Vice Chair Vice Chair Vice Chair and Honorary Solicitor Honorary Secretary Honorary Treasurer Executive Member Executive Member Executive Member Executive Member Executive Member Executive Member Executive Member Executive Member Executive Member Executive Member Executive Member Administrator

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Yoko De Souza Les Johnson

Peter Mantell Ken Hayes Karon Cook Roger Beckett Edward Cree Barrie Cunning Duncan Field Peter Hadfield Dan Harder William Harwood Susan Isaacs James Kislingbury Barry Langfield Cait Wilkinson Sonia Sutton

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

Membership Application • Sole trader

£100 per annum

• Large companies - 51 employees plus

£300 per annum

• Small/Medium sized companies 2 to 50 employees £150 per annum • Corporate/PLC’s by agreement.

• All new members pay a one off administration fee of £25 Company:

Address:

Post Code:

Telephone:

Email:

Number of Employees: Full Name:

Position:

Payment Details: BANK DETAILS: SORT CODE:

HSBC - SOUTHWARK C OF C 40-06-21 ACCOUNT NO:

21357646

To join, please send your details to: Southwark Chamber of Commerce Southbank Techno Park, 90 London Road, London. SE1 6LN Tel : 07477 581977 Email : admin@southwarkcommerce.com www.SouthwarkCommerce.com Twitter : @southwarkcomm Facebook : southwarkcommerce

SOUTH LONDON'S LEADING AGENTS

KALMARs are an expanding firm of South London

estate agents and an independent property adviser.

Our expansion is being achieved through improving client service by planned growth and training. We have many years’ experience as South London estate agents with

average time for staff at the company being 8 years,

complemented by a young enthusiastic team. We have an

unrivaled record in sales and lettings of commercial and residential properties in the South London area.

AGENCY

Our principal objective is to provide a professional service

with quick results whilst maintaining complete integrity.

As South London Estate Agents we offer Development,

Office, Industrial, Retail and Residential Sales and Letting.

DEVELOPMENT

We offer a comprehensive package on development

projects starting at the site appraisals stage, often prior to

acquisition, working with other professions in developing plans, continuing with sales and marketing advice, and

concluding by arranging a letting or sale.

Jamaica Wharf

2 Shad Thames

London SE1 2YU CONTACT US

Telephone: 020 7403 0600

Email: info@kalmars.com

www.kalmars.com