Southwark Business Today February 2016

Southwark

BUsiness Today

issue 7: February 2016

Regeneration the watchword in London Bridge page 10

• Up Close • Finance for Business • Health & Wellbeing

page 17 page 18 page 30

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Welcome

Welcome to

Contents

Southwark BUsiness Today The southwark Chamber of Commerce magazine for all Businesses in southwark Of particular importance to the Chamber has been our continuing work in setting up forums, especially the tourist forum.

We have had another meeting kindly hosted by the Southbank University with 8 groups in attendance including BIDS and other interested parties. We now propose structuring the group in a similar way to a Business Improvement District, but in this case being a Business Improvement Sector. This has been successfully done in Greenwich, where local businesses work with the Council to coordinate and promote the area for tourism.

Whilst businesses already pay large amounts in business rates, and those businesses in the North of the Borough may have reservations about contributing to the South, there are huge advantages to businesses in terms of:-

• Generally improving and coordinating the tourist offering so that Southwark becomes a full day of experiences.

The Chamber continues to be very active in the Borough with recent events including meeting with the Mayor, Team London Bridge, Southside Chamber of Commerce, Neil Kirby (who is in charge of the regeneration of the South of the Borough), Councillor Jack Hopkins of Lambeth Council, attending the Community Planning Forum in Old Kent Road, attending Southwark Business Group (mainly the bigger local businesses) and Bermondsey and Rotherhithe Community Council. Plus numerous business networking meetings and internal meetings Future events include meeting a delegation of 12 business people from our German twin town Langenhagen, a trip around the Tower of London, a trip around the House of Commons, a breakfast meeting regarding local employment, meeting Helen Hayes MP, meeting with Tree Sheppard on Employing Young People, a meeting to further communications between the 15 or so business groups active within the Borough, a meeting with British Land to look at their 46 acre development at Canada Water, a talk on effective networking, a tour of Dulwich Picture and many others.

We also have our AGM in April.

disclaimer

Southwark Business Today is published for Southwark Chamber of Commerce and is distributed without charge to Chamber members businesses in the Borough.

• Businesses improve the offering to their staff as they become aware of the rich choice of things to do on their doorstep.

• Businesses benefit in terms of their corporate social responsibility, through helping to reduce division within the local community.

The general business community and Southwark council benefit in terms of employment being spread across the Borough.

Anyone interested in getting involved should contact me or the Chairman of the group, Abdul Mohamed, (former Mayor of Southwark) who is heading up the work.

Working with the Council we intend holding a referendum on ‘in or out of the EU’ and then armed with the results lobbying our political representatives to respond accordingly.

More on this, following clarification of what is the deal with Europe, in the next issue.

The Chamber has started the year well with an influx of new members. With our snazzy new website and general push we are hopeful this will continue to grow and hit our target of 200 new members over the next year.

For more information please contact Sonia at Sonia2754@hotmail.com

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. © 2016.

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

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04-06 Up Front 07 Education Matters 08 Up Front 09 Remembering when...

10 Spotlight on London Bridge 13 Business Management 14 Women in Business 16 Business News 17 Up Close 18 Finance for Business 20 International 21 Business News 23 Voice from Westminster 24 New Members 25 Cage Rattlers 26 Hospitality 30 Health & Wellbeing 32 Technology 32 Business News 33 Last Word 34 Chamber Membership enquiries

Southwark Chamber of Commerce Southbank Technopark 90 London Road, London SE1 6LN 020 7403 9922 Email: admin@southwarkcommerce.com Web: www.SouthwarkCommerce.com

editor

John Dean Email: deangriss@btinternet.com

Publisher

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Published

February 2016 © Benham Publishing

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

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Mark Etherington Email: mark@benhampublishing.com Media No.1470

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

sites are Universal Credit and the acquired benefits for employers Berkeley Homes has acquired three industrial sites close to the old Kent Road.

Universal Credit is a new service designed to make work pay as it supports people who are on a low income or out of work.

The former Hygrade Meat factory at Bianca Road, Acorn Wharf and Surrey Wharf will be redeveloped to create a mix of new homes, commercial space and public realm, opening up approximately five acres of underutilised land.

Many of these new homes will be affordable and will help Southwark Council achieve its target of building 11,000 new council homes by 2043.

The proposals will also significantly increase the number of jobs employed on site, both during construction and when the development is complete. During construction, Berkeley will recruit locally and use this opportunity to expand its thriving apprenticeship scheme.

The combined site falls within the Opportunity Area proposed by the Mayor of London as part of recent amendments to the London Plan.

The Opportunity Area will be brought forward by Southwark Council through the Old Kent Road Area Action Plan.

Harry Lewis, Managing Director of Berkeley Homes (South East London) Ltd, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to bring underutilised, industrial land back into use and deliver homes for Londoners from all walks of life. Berkeley is committed to creating a place which benefits everyone and puts a spring in the steps of the Old Kent Road."

Plans are still on the drawing board and Berkeley will work closely with local residents and Southwark Council to create a mixed and balanced community

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It ensures that they are better off in work rather than on benefits.

Universal Credit replaces some in work and out of work benefits, making it easier to take short-term or part-time work, which can be a crucial step on the road to long-term employment.

Universal Credit rollout began on 29 April 2013 in Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester. Roll out was then extended to all jobcentres and local authorities across the country for single claimants.

It will be come into the borough of Southwark on the 8th February 2016.

Universal Credit is being introduced in a safe and secure way and will

Southwark BUsiness Today

eventually abolish the following six main working age benefits with one payment.

The benefits it will replace are: • Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance • Income Support • Working Tax Credit • Child Tax Credit • Housing Benefit Universal Credit benefits employers by making work pay allowing people to keep more of their money as they increase their hours of work.

It supports a more flexible labour market allowing

people to adapt their hours of work more easily to suit employer needs and helps more people enter the labour market. Universal Credit uses the Pay As You Earn system from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and uses the earnings information in real time information (RTI).

This is a change in the way earnings are handled by HMRC, which reduces the burden of reporting for employers. The new system provides Department of Work and Pensions with the information to adjust the amount of Universal Credit any employed claimant receives.

William Harwood

Up Front

independent chair appointed for Peckham heritage project southwark Council has appointed architect Claire Hegarty as the independent chair of a new partnership body aiming to conserve some of Peckham’s most historic buildings.

The Peckham Heritage Regeneration Partnership will be made up of representatives from local businesses, community organisations and the council, and will steer the work of the Peckham Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI), which is part-funded by money raised by National Lottery players, and distributed through the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Heritage experts at Southwark Council with help from local

people have identified more than 40 buildings that could become potential projects, including 12 priority buildings.

The project has also appointed a lead consultant and plans to have a full team by the spring.

Claire, who has been working with historic buildings in London for more than 20 years, said: "I’m looking forward to this amazing opportunity to work with local people who have such a body of knowledge about the town and its history, but it will also be a challenge. London is

experiencing incredible change, which in many cases is great, but it’s important to respond to local issues and keep hold of what is unique and special about a place, and that’s what the THI and the Partnership is about.

"Neighbourhoods like Peckham are distinctive to London, with layers of memories and stories that we want to protect and I am looking forward to working with the council and local people to do that.”

From the grandeur of the Royal Festival Hall auditorium, to the intimate surroundings of the Sunley Pavilion, Southbank Centre has a venue to meet your needs.

As well as the Royal Festival Hall, we have a wide variety of meeting and reception rooms to accommodate everything from AGM's to award ceremonies, wine tasting to private dining.

Situated on the south bank of the River Thames next to the popular Coca Cola London Eye, Southbank Centre is at the heart of London's arts quarter. Our central location is within easy walking distance of Waterloo and Charing Cross over-ground stations, as well as Embankment tube and many bus routes.

You could even make use of the river and arrive by boat via Festival Pier.

Southbank Centre can accommodate your next event, whether it's a board room meeting for 20, a staff presentation for 150 or an AGM for 2,500. As well as our meeting and conference spaces we have three function rooms that boast spectacular views over the River Thames, Coca Cola London Eye and the Houses of Parliament or alternatively the National Theatre and the towering Shard.

So we can accommodate your VIP dinner or drinks reception following your meeting, Southbank Centre has a unique venue for every occasion.

Contact our friendly events team for more information on how Southbank Centre can accommodate your next event.

Call 020 7921 0702 or email events@southbankcentre.co.uk www.southbankcentre.co.uk/ venues/venue-hire

Southwark BUsiness Today

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Up Front

Councils set up joint decisionmaking body in a historic step towards genuine joint working, three London councils have held the first meeting of the Better Placed Joint Committee on skills and employment.

While councils across the country develop their plans for devolution, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark are already delivering a devolved function, and have now set up a formal decision-making body to help drive the project forward.

The Leaders of Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark councils met to agree next steps in the councils’ Better Placed project which helps people who are struggling to find employment get into sustainable jobs.

In contrast to the broad brush government approach to getting people into work through the Work Programme, the three councils’ Pathways to Employment programme has a more intensive, people-focused approach.

This is already proving successful, with 119 people finding work through the programme in its first 12 months, as well as receiving support with other issues that might make it harder to hold down a job, such as debt and insecure housing.

The first decision of the joint committee was to award the Pathways to Employment phase 2 contract, with a maximum value of £1,823,611.60 to St Giles Trust for two years.

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Fashion company moves in

The shard has confirmed a further letting as MaTCHesFasHion.CoM moves in.

REM, on behalf of the owners of The Shard, says the move emphasises the strong momentum of 2015, which saw 12 new occupiers join the vertical city.

Luxury fashion retailers MATCHESFASHION.COM has taken 35,000 sq ft of office space over Levels 7 and 8, which are part occupied by Tiffany and law firm GTM. This takes the total office space let at London Bridge Quarter to over 1 million sq ft, 85% of the Estate.

Founded in 1987, MATCHESFASHION.COM is the global luxury fashion destination for men and women.

Operating online and via a network of stores, the company serves customers in 176 countries. The company offers an edit of more than 400 of the leading international and emerging designers such as Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Valentino, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci and Alexander McQueen.

Southwark BUsiness Today

MATCHESFASHION.COM is moving its headquarters from South West London later this year as it looks to expand globally to capitalise on the expansive creative community and growing fashion quarter in London Bridge.

London Bridge has a longstanding association with some of the UK’s most iconic brands and, as a hub of creativity and commerce, it attracts businesses looking for a wealth of social and cultural amenities to enable them to attract and retain the best talent in the market.

Nearby fashionable Bermondsey Street is home to the renowned London Fashion and Textiles Museum, which is a state-of-the-art centre for contemporary fashion, textiles and jewellery in London. In 2011, White Cube Bermondsey also opened on Bermondsey Street as Europe's biggest commercial gallery, which added further kudos to the vibrant neighbourhood.

To add to the area’s fashion credentials, The Shard recently hosted The British Fashion Council and Vogue Designer Fashion Fund’s awards judging panel, which included Victoria Beckham, Samantha Cameron and British Vogue’s Alexandra Shulman.

Tom Chapman, Co-Executive Chairman, MATCHESFASHION.COM, said: “Our growth is the result of our incredible people. This move will see us connect over 300 of 500 employees over two floors and 35,000 sq. ft of light, dynamic space. We will see our five London offices come together and strengthen the inter-connectivity between departments, from buying to tech, ecommerce and content.

“This inspirational working environment will maximise our unique position as the only true modern luxury shopping destination and continue to attract the best talent.”

Education Matters

Music to their ears

students from Lewisham southwark College’s Music department are working in collaboration with local businesses.

They have linked up with Music Room London, a rehearsal studio in New Cross Gate, and Press Play, one of London’s most creative recording studios.

Students on year one of their Foundation Degree in Music and Production spend one day per week writing and rehearsing at Music Room London. Students on year two also enjoy this

opportunity, and spend another Pay at Press Play running recording sessions, working on producing their original tracks under the eye of owner Andy Ramsey.

Jon Fell, course leader for the Foundation Degree Music programme, said: “Completing the remainder of their course outside of the College in the kind of professional

environment in which they hope to work is proving incredibly valuable. They are learning so fast and producing such great music.”

Carole Kitching, Principal and CEO at the College, said: “You don’t just come to Lewisham Southwark College to study in a classroom.

“Our business contacts mean you can also get real-life

experience alongside learning.

This is a fantastic plus for our students and we’re looking forward to more and more learners benefiting from these types of opportunities in the future, too.”

Five ways to be ‘failure friendly’ and help children succeed never allowing children to fail and then pick themselves back up is doing them a disservice, says dr elyse Waites, Head of Biology and the Professional skills Programme at sydenham High school. in her second article on building resilience, dr Waites gives five ways in which parents can help on a daily basis.

Model resilient behaviour. You are still your children’s role model. It is therefore important for them to see you exhibiting the kind of behaviour you want from them.

So why not try some new things yourself and let them know you are doing it - from going for promotion at work to taking up a new hobby. Be open about the challenges you are facing and the fears you have.

If you fail in something let them see that you can deal with it and move forward.

Give them problems to solve. Girls especially need to be encouraged to do this in STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) - and you can do it without them even realising. For example:

involve them in mathematical discussions about pocket money spending and budgeting; ask them to work out how to use a new household gadget and then explain it to everyone else in the family; involve them in a discussion about the latest scientific story on the news - what can they find out about it?

Don’t plant ideas. ‘She takes after me - I’m rubbish at maths/languages etc’.

Hearing their parents say things like this will make a child think that their intelligence has already been decided.

What your child needs to hear instead is that, whatever their level of achievement, they CAN improve, their intelligence is flexible and they can forge their own path.

Why not ask them to teach you something they have learned to help you understand it; this has the dual benefit of being an excellent revision tool. Giving them confidence and watching them allow themselves to be good at a subject will be a great reward.

Ask the right questions. Questioning is an essential skill. I often limit my students to two questions each per lesson. This actually forces them to construct their question in the most effective way they can. It is certainly something you can do at home. Of course it isn’t appropriate for every day but it is perhaps something you could instigate on a particular night of the week e.g. ‘Three Question Thursdays’.

Encourage independent thought.

Alongside questioning come thinking skills - the ability to think around new problems to come up with ideas and potential solutions. They will be developing something that will allow them to converse with anyone about anything, to be delightful guests and eloquent, sparky young adults. Nothing will phase them and their self esteem and resilience will improve.

To read Dr Waites’ full article go to: http://www.sydenhamhighschool. gdst.net/news/

Southwark BUsiness Today

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Up Front

Businesses urged to recruit ex-offenders Mayor of London Boris Johnson is calling on more London businesses to employ ex-offenders and help drive down reoffending.

Employers that hire ex-offenders report above average commitment and loyalty, yet just 12 per cent said they had employed an ex-offender in the past three years.

In 2013-14, just a quarter of prisoners entered employment after their release, falling to below 10 per cent for female offenders.

The cobblers and key cutting chain Timpson employs more former prisoners than any other UK company, with training shops in five prisons.

Since launching the scheme four years ago, 90 per cent of their ex-offenders have remained with the company for more than a year, and out of almost 300 ex-offender

employees, just seven have gone on to re-offend.

Almost 80 per cent of those convicted of a crime or cautioned in London in 2013/14 were re-offenders, and almost 90 per cent of custodial sentences went to reoffenders. Overall, re-offending costs the taxpayer up to £13bn each year, but a steady job can help to break this cycle and offer long term rehabilitation, say business leaders.

In addition to Timpson, a handful of other UK companies already proactively take on ex-offenders, and have reported that the majority are loyal, hardworking members of staff, who stay with the company for a long time and have low absence rates. These companies include coffee and

sandwich shop Pret A Manger, the bank First Direct, and the UK’s largest commercial property developer Land Securities.

Boris Johnson said: “Cracking down on reoffending will help us to dramatically cut crime, and it is clear from the wonderful work already under way by organisations like Timpson that employing former prisoners is a win-win solution.

“It is vital that we all play our part in helping ex-offenders to rehabilitate into the community, and give them a chance to move forward with their lives. I want to encourage many more London businesses to consider giving an ex-offender a valuable chance to turn their life around.”

southwark newborns to receive free books thanks to dolly Parton Children in southwark are to receive free books in a scheme backed by country singer dolly Parton.

Under the scheme supported by the Dollywood Foundation and DialAFlight, children living in the borough born between December 2015 and December 2016 will be eligible for free books. The eligible children will receive a free book every month from birth until their fifth birthday.

The Imagination Library scheme, which began in 1995, is driven by the Dollywood Foundation, the non-profit organisation of music legend Dolly Parton that promotes early childhood literacy internationally. Dolly’s vision for the foundation was to enable children of all backgrounds to have access to books from birth regardless of household income.

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The Southwark scheme will be the first borough-wide Imagination Library in London.

DialAFlight, the locally based funder of the Southwark scheme, is allocating £750,000 to the project from its own charity, Make My Day Better, as a part of its local community outreach work with the aim of improving literacy in the borough.

Cllr Peter John, Leader of Southwark Council, said, "We are delighted to be working with both the Dollywood Foundation and DialAFlight to give free books to the youngest residents in our borough. With many families still feeling the pinch it has never been so

Southwark BUsiness Today

Timpson Chief Executive James Timpson said: “Recruiting people from prison has been a fantastic way for us to find superstars to serve our customers, and we’ve now introduced a target to find 10 per cent of our new recruits through this route. It's become a crucial way for us to find talented people across the country over the past ten years, and I would encourage all businesses to consider reaping the rewards of doing the same.”

Since 2012, the Mayor has invested more than £20m on a number of schemes across the capital to tackle reoffending and help offenders to reintegrate into the community.

Centre to open southwark Council has confirmed that The Castle Centre is to open to the public in april. important to ensure that children have access to books so they can learn and develop as much possible in their early years.

"Our libraries already run some wonderful sessions for the under five age group, with a huge range of books available for parents to read with their children, but it’s fantastic that this scheme will also allow children and families to start building up a library of their very own."

Books available to children in the first year are published by Penguin Random House and include The Snowman, Meg and Mog, Dear Zoo, Hairy Maclary and Bedtime for Monsters.

Cllr Barrie Hargrove, cabinet member for public health, parks and leisure, said: “We are currently working with Balfour Beatty to run rigorous testing of the building, to ensure that all the mechanical and electrical systems that enable the building to run safely and efficiently are working as they should.

“We want residents to have the best experience possible when the centre opens which is why this testing is so important.

Once this work is completed in February, our leisure operator will then be able to get to work on fully equipping the centre ready for the public to use.”

Remembering when ...

Remembering when the Great storm hit

By Ken Hayes, Honorary secretary

The storm killed 18 people in England and four in France, causing building and power line damage and loss of electricity supply all over that region.

On Friday morning of 16th October, London Underground lost power supply to its whole network and the only overground Railway Terminus that had any services running was Waterloo. All other lines were closed, either through loss of power or trees on the lines.

Traffic was at a standstill due to fallen trees blocking the roads. Central London was like a ghost town. It was estimated that 15 million trees

were felled by the storm and Seven Oaks in Kent became one Oak and a SEALINK Ferry was blown aground at Folkestone

The National Grid had to make the decision to shut down the Grid to prevent major damage to equipment from shortcircuiting power lines creating overheating and they shut down most of South East England’s power supply to prevent greater damage.

The London Stock Exchange was forced to cease trading twice during the day, as very few dealers had been able to get to work and on that day when Wall Street opened it recorded the biggest ever

anyone who was living in London or the south east of england on the night of 15th/16th october 1987 will remember what is now known as the Great storm of 1987, when Hurricane Force winds, (winds of 73 mph and over), carved a swathe of damage across Brittany, the Channel islands, and through Hampshire, sussex surrey, Kent, Greater London, essex and east anglia. fall at that time of the Dow Jones Industrial Average of 108.36, which meant that the City of London was unable to respond. The storm cost the Insurance companies £2 billion in compensation.

Most businesses were unable to open on that Friday, apart from local shops and family run businesses.

The clear up and restoration of power supplies to all parts of the region took up to two of weeks to complete.

A massive tree planting campaign was launched to replace the fallen trees.

The death toll would have certainly been much greater

had the storm hit during the day other than at night I can remember the BBC meteorologist, Michael Fish, when he was giving the weather forecast on the night of 15th October stating.

“Earlier today a woman rang the BBC and said that she had heard that there was a hurricane on the way; well if you are watching, don’t worry, there isn’t, but having said that the weather will become very windy, but most of the strong winds, incidentally will be down over Spain and across into France.

Thankfully storms like this only happen once in a lifetime.

Southwark BUsiness Today

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Spotlight on ...

10

Regeneration the watchword in London Bridge

Southwark BUsiness Today

Spotlight on ...

Few places can combine such a powerful sense of history with a vibrant sense of the future as the London Bridge area with its iconic landmarks and burgeoning sense of confidence.

Many millions of pounds are being spent on transforming an area which already occupies an integral place in the heart of Londoners, attracting new businesses and creating new opportunities.

At the heart of the major improvements to London Bridge railway station, the investment in the London Bridge quarter and the major success of the Shard stands a river crossing which can trace its history back centuries.

Several bridges named London Bridge have spanned the River Thames between the City of London and Southwark down the centuries with the current version having replaced a 19th Century stone-arched bridge, which in turn superseded a 600-year-old medieval structure.

along the Roman roads of Stane Street and Watling Street, now the A2. The current London Bridge was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 17 March 1973.

Recent years have seen a concerted campaign to breathe new life into the area, including work to rebuild and reinvent London's oldest rail terminus, which started in 2013 and is scheduled to be completed in 2018.

Before that, there were a succession of timber bridges, the first built by the Roman founders of London. Indeed, the first bridge was probably a Roman military pontoon type, giving a rapid overland shortcut to Camulodunum from the southern and Kentish ports,

London Bridge is the fourth busiest station in the country, bringing 56 million passengers into the city each year, and the changes being overseen

by Network Rail are designed to allow use by more Thameslink trains every day.

There will be space for two thirds more passengers than use the station today with an increase in the number of tracks going through the station from six to nine and a reduction from nine to six in the number of terminating platforms.

This will enable eighteen of the planned 24 Thameslink services per hour to call at London Bridge, helped by the new viaduct running alongside the existing rail bridge over Borough Market, which will double the number of tracks heading west out of London Bridge station.

The viaduct was designed to preserve as much of the heritage in the area as possible and the listed Globe pub has been retained and the Victorian market roof was taken off site to be refurbished before being reinstalled.

the regeneration of the surrounding area by better connecting north and south.

In addition, the Shard development has funded a new bus station – part of the London Bridge Quarter improvements – and the plans also include a new entrance and upper concourse for the train station.

When completed, the concourse at London Bridge station will be bigger than the pitch at Wembley Stadium with new retail and station facilities.

Network Rail worked closely with archaeologists to capture and preserve the buried record. A pair of 16th-century Borough Delftware plates found at the Park Street site are on display at the Museum of London.

There are many other facets to the project, including a new concourse at street level, with entrances on Tooley Street and St Thomas Street, designed to help continue

Southwark BUsiness Today

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Spotlight on ...

The regeneration of the area is not all about railways. Though, and a key role has been played by the development of The London Bridge Quarter designed by world-renowned master architect Renzo Piano.

The iconic trilogy of buildings include Western Europe’s first vertical city - The Shard, News UK’s HQ, The News Building, and residential development Fielden House.

Network Rail says that it will unify the station for the first time so that passengers can access all platforms from one place and with the entrances on Tooley Street and St Thomas Street, connections to and between the surrounding areas will be improved, supporting the wider regeneration of the area.

Tube and bus links will be improved and lifts and escalators will provide stepfree access to every platform.

The Shard, at 310m high (1,016 ft), is Europe’s first vertical town. Its 72 floors comprise a 26-floor office complex, six world-class restaurant, eateries and bars, a 19-floor five-star Shangri-La Hotel, 13 floors of exclusive residential apartments and the UK’s highest viewing gallery.

It has now been let in its entirety to News UK.

Fielden House, the latest phase of the 2m sq ft redevelopment adjacent to London Bridge Station comprises a 180,000 sq ft 26-storey residential building containing 148 1, 2, 3 and 4 bed apartments, new public realm, extensive landscaping and multi-level retail space.

Away from the major projects, the regeneration has being supported by numerous

smaller-scale ones, each one of which is designed to improve the area for both businesses and visitors alike.

The result is that the thriving district offers something for everyone, with all the amenities within walking distance and efficient transport links that make visiting or commuting to London Bridge fast and convenient from both within and outside of the Capital.

The News Building is a 600,000 sq ft (430,000 sq ft net) 17-storey international headquarters building of great architectural distinction, comprising efficient and modern office space.

Working to breathe new life into the area southwark Council is working with developers to transform London Bridge, Bankside and Borough into a thriving mix used town centre with high quality office space, homes for everyone, distinctive retail and new cultural attractions... all connecting to the emerging town centre at the elephant and Castle.

Cllr Mark Williams, cabinet member for regeneration and new homes at Southwark, said: “Southwark is definitely one of the most exciting and dynamic parts of London now and it is wonderful that so many people are looking to invest in and be part of our borough.

“The challenge that brings for us is to make sure we have the right balance of development, including affordable homes and importantly more office developments coming forward in the area to support jobs and continue our work in pulling the centre of London into our borough. Whilst we welcome new and innovative buildings like The Shard, we also want to preserve our heritage and protect some of our more significant streets and buildings that have barely changed since

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the time of Charles Dickens."

Some of the larger/interesting projects around Borough include: The £12m Science Gallery and Courtyard project is moving forward apace. The proposal delivers a Science Gallery with a target of 300,000 visitors per year, and a landscaped courtyard similar in size and quality to the Royal Academy of Arts at Piccadilly. £7m has been secured from the Wellcome Trust and Guys and St Thomas’s Trust Charity Redevelopment of Vinopolis and Thames House sites to develop a mixed-use scheme within the arches and on the Thames House site including retail (including fashion/boutiques), offices, cultural uses and restaurants.

Southwark BUsiness Today

The project will provide around 150,000sq/ft. of retail and cultural space as well as 75,000 sq/ft. of office accommodation creating a complementary fashion quarter to Borough Market and provide new shopping opportunities to residents and workers in the London Bridge area and new office space. The scheme involves the creation of a new street along the railway arches and generous new public realm across the development.

The Gladstone Pub in Borough has been saved from destruction after Southwark Council officially recognised the pub as an “Asset of Community Value”, following a local campaign to prevent developers demolishing the building.

The council’s cabinet member for regeneration and new

homes, Cllr Mark Williams, has also announced, the council has gone even further to protect the buildings by creating a conservation area for the historic Gladstone Pub and the surrounding Victorian streets.

This will help preserve the character of the neighbourhood and save the pub from future re-development.

“The Glad is a much loved local pub with great beer, food and live music. The pub is key to the historic character of the local area and we will do all we can to protect it. Making The Glad and the surrounding streets a conservation area will protect this area’s heritage and give us more planning control to protect this pub so future generations can enjoy a pint.”

Business Management

open source predicted to grow in popularity throughout 2016 ambitious businesses looking to achieve growth throughout 2016 are being told to remain positive and leverage technology more effectively if they are to overcome the challenging economic situation.

That’s the message from Open Source specialist OpusVL, who are advocating Open Source as a key enabler of business growth this year, for leaders seeking a scalable and flexible business management system.

The statement comes at a time when, despite recent speculation of further economic issues, a recent survey conducted by The Financial Times found that four out of five economists are predicting 2016 to be a good year for UK growth.

Stuart J Mackintosh, Managing Director of OpusVL and Chairman of the Open Source Consortium, is also expecting business growth to continue throughout 2016 and is advocating Open Source software as an effective and flexible approach on which businesses can lay foundations for growth.

He commented: “Open Source software enables businesses, regardless of their size and sector, to drive efficiencies and develop connected and automated solutions to support their evolution and growth.

By leveraging Open Source technology in the right way, a company can benefit from the innovation and value experienced by companies already using this approach to scale up on demand and achieve measurable growth this year".

Even the cautious financial sector has started to make the move to Open systems.

Mackintosh points to a Sunday Times report where banking giant Barclays is achieving savings and growth with Open Source software.

Barclays has reported a 90 per cent cost saving on IT since the implementation of their project which they have been able to use to invest in other areas.

The project includes moving computers away from Microsoft to the Linux operating system and developing their own internal secure cloud.

The success of this project is a clear demonstration of what can be achieved by moving to an Open Source approach, crucial for any business looking to scale up either a project, or their whole operation.

Figures suggest that more businesses are becoming aware of the benefits of streamlined business management applications, with more than a third of IT professionals now using Open Source software, according to a report from Scale Computing. Northbridge recently reported their results from the Ninth Annual Future of Open Source Survey which shows as many as 78% of businesses already rely on Open Source for their core operations, a percentage which continues to climb. In the super computer

space, 494 of the top 500 super computers already run on Linux, and even at home, most user devices including TV's, phones and broadband are based on the free operating system.

Stuart J Mackintosh, concluded, “Companies are becoming increasingly reliant on Open Source software for their daily operations yet only recently have the business people inside these organisations started to actively procure it. Although some companies are falling behind and still investing in locked-in proprietary technology, it is now evident that the migration to Open Source and Linux is enabling organisations to scale up their operations. Open Source should be the first choice for businesses looking to implement a scalable infrastructure in order to achieve growth.

By investing in high quality, joined-up and scalable solutions, companies have the opportunity to get much more from their

technology investments than ever before, providing the ability to quickly respond and innovate in rapidly changing business environments.”

About Opus VL

Established in 1999, OpusVL are a leading Open Source specialist implementer of business management systems and the primary UK Odoo ERP integration partner. The company provides a reliable process of implementing technology to meet business needs and works with organisations looking to scale up in both the private and public sectors.

For further information, please contact:Editorial - Mickey Clarke, Business Development Manager, Opus VL on 01788 298450, or John Edden, Bridge PR & Media Services on 024 76 520025, or e-mail john@bridgepr.co.uk.

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Women in Business

successful Business Women in southwark

ideas and advice from female entrepreneurs

Julia Metzner Head of events at dulwich College

“Working in the College’s favour is its stunning buildings and grounds combined with its strong sense of history.”

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College proves a big attraction Julia Metzner’s journey to her current role as Head of Events at Dulwich College began in a very different professional sphere.

Having trained as a paediatric nurse, she worked in healthcare for five years before switching to secretarial work, a role that brought her to the College’s Events Department in 1998. She became Deputy Events Manager in 2007 before being promoted to the top job in 2009.

Julia said: “I manage all commercial events and we liaise with clients who wish to hold events with us.

It could be residential lettings, sporting occasions, we host a lot of corporate

Southwark BUsiness Today

cricket, or the hiring out of one of our halls for many events such as christenings, weddings and conferences.

“All of our profit goes back into the College to be used for the benefit of the pupils in the form of bursaries or improvements to the fabric of the building. It’s all for the boys.”

Working in the College’s favour is its stunning buildings and grounds combined with its strong sense of history.

It was founded by Edward Alleyn on June 21st 1619, with letters patent from King James I. Alleyn was an actor and an entrepreneur in the world of Elizabethan and Jacobean theatre.

Julia said: “We do little advertising as the majority of our bookings come through reputation via word of mouth and returning clients. It helps that Dulwich College is well known.

“One of our big advantages is the range of spaces we can offer. We have seven halls which can be used for events and extensive grounds, which makes us very versatile.

“For me, it’s all about people, you have to love working with people, give everyone time and ensure each client feels special. We aim for our clients to feel totally secure and comfortable so they can then relax and enjoy their event with us.”

Women in Business

Why being based in southwark helps with the personal touch

For businesswoman Abby Edwards, the move to Southwark after running her recruitment business in the City for many years opened up new opportunities.

Abby, who is Managing Director of JHA Recruitment, which is now based in Shad Thames, said: “We had been established in the City for 20 years but when there was a change in lease we looked round for somewhere else with more of a community feel.

“We moved to Southwark because of the opportunities it presented. There is a good community feel, many businesses are moving into the area and the transport links are good.

“Also, we are only a pleasant 20 minute walk along the river from the City where we have

clients and Canary Wharf is close by so it made sense to move.”

The move fitted in with the company’s commitment to a personal touch. JHA specialises in providing administrative support for a range of companies and Abby said: “We are a company that prizes the personal touch.

“We do not just deal with poeple on the end of a phone, we like to meet our clients and offer a personal service.

If a client rings at 5.45 on a Friday evening with a problem we will burn the midnight oil to resolve it.”

Abby is also Managing Director of another company and one that operates in a very different sphere and which owes its existence to her love of Rugby Union.

As MD of Rugby Spy, she and her team organise an annual

summer festival of rugby on the Spanish holiday island of Ibiza. This year’s event, the third, will be on 17-19 June.

This three-day rugby spectacle enjoyed great success in 2015 and, with some new and exciting developments being planned promises to be even better this year. There will be two distinct men’s competitions for elite and open, as well as a women’s open event, with a total prize pool of €12,000.

Players taking part include Catherine Spencer (exEngland women’s captain), Chris Bell (ex-Wasps Captain) Rick Reeves (British Army XV) and Jack Cuthbert Edinburgh and Scotland.

Abby said: “I have always loved rugby and spent a lot of time in Ibiza so when the idea of running a rugby festival there was suggested

I welcomed it. It is terrific event that attracts some big names from the game and it has already become an annual attraction.”

abby edwards Managing director JHa Recruitment

Venue with an edge in a competitive market

Claire Bastin Marketing Manager 15Hatfields

In a competitive events market, venues with something a little different to offer can enjoy an edge, which is why 15Hatfields does so well.

Sited near the South Bank, the flexible and contemporary space can accommodate events from two to 550 delegates in a building that is as sustainable as they come with high levels of energy efficiency, extensive use of recycled materials and a catering company that uses locally sourced and organic produce.

Responsible for promoting 15Hatfields, situated in the

CIEH’s headquarters, is Marketing Manager Claire Bastin, who previously worked on the other side of the equation, seeking out venues for events.

She said: “Previously, I worked as an Events Manager so I know what kind of things organisers are looking for when they consider venues.

“A lot of organisations have Corporate Social Responsibility as part of their activities and being a sustainable venue appeals to them because it ticks a lot of boxes.

“We strive to be as sustainable as possible

in everything we do and that is a Unique Selling Point that reinforces our credentials but it is also important that we offer what other venues offer.

“Being sustainable is important but people will not see a lot of what we do, the energy efficiency, the commitment to recycled products or the fact that we use a local caterer who specialises in organic food. What they will see is a flexible and contemporary space which can be used for a variety of events.”

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Great Men in southwark

“What i really liked was that you highlighted the things and topics that people sort of blanket out or try to cover up” For anyone working in primary prevention work with kids, it’s quotes like this that make it worthwhile.

Not only do you feel a sense of pride that you’ve been able to reach out to this one individual student, but you also see that if even a handful have similar reactions then you could change a whole school culture, a whole community, a whole society. And really, that’s what Great Men is trying to do - and we’re starting with Southwark.

The Great Men Project is the brainchild of The GREAT Initiative, an innovative London-

based charity (registration #1138151) with ambitions to change the way that stereotypes affect both women and men.

Stereotypes that dictate that boys must be strong and powerful, that they must not express emotion or weakness, and that their role in society is already decided for them from the moment they are dressed in a blue babygrow. For two years Great Men has run workshops in secondary schools, taking ideas of masculinity, identity and what it is to “be a man” to schoolboys aged 12-18.

These specially crafted workshops are designed to address issues in sensitive and

DOES YOUR WORKPLACE PROMOTE & EMBODY EQUALITY? Are women and men equally represented at all levels?

Do you have an open culture which embraces people in all their diversity?

Are you reaching customers from all walks of life?

GREAT is not like other leadership or diversity training providers.

We work with women and men to create more equal, satisfying, productive & ultimately more successful organisations.

Get in touch to find out more about our unique approach.

0207 922 7853 | maria@thegreatinitiative.org.uk

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Southwark BUsiness Today

appropriate ways. But our approach is a long way from the lecturing that the boys are used to. Instead, to demonstrate that there are alternatives to the stereotypes that they are railroaded in to, we turn the tables and listen to them, we make discussions safe and fun, and we bring absolutely no judgement. We don’t tell boys what to think or how to act; we encourage them to critically examine their experiences and be open with their peers.

All workshops are run by male volunteers - from all ages, backgrounds and circumstances who are motivated to help the next generation of boys think about masculinity and challenge the gender stereotypes that hold them back and prevent them from reaching their potential.

And the results? They speak for themselves.

In our first 2 years Great Men delivered over 500 workshop hours to over 3,600 students across schools around the UK, making a real impact to adolescent boys. We heard over and over again that boys weren’t ever given a safe and meaningful space to discuss issues around violence, sexism in the media, and male mental health. In fact, no one had ever asked them about what kind of man they want to become.

Because of our work they opened up about the confusion and pressure they feel over sex and sexual consent, over what was and wasn’t appropriate in relationships, and over their role in a society that dictates they can’t admit when they feel sad or unsure. It’s stereotypes like this

that lead to huge numbers of men and boys suffering mental health problems in silence. The social pressures that prevent men from talking about their feelings and seeking help mean that suicide is the biggest killer of men between 18 and 45.

It also means that boys are less likely to address problems at school and as such 59.9% of boys now achieve grades A*-C at GSCE compared to 71.4% of girls. At GREAT, we’re working to make these shocking statistic a thing of the past.

And we’re reaching out to Southwark business, both big and small, to help make this a reality. We know that by working with local community and business leaders, we can make Southwark students the most successful, happy and equal in London.

Great Men has received a three year grant from Comic Relief to fund in-depth work in 6 schools in Southwark. There are 10 other secondary schools in the Borough that we’d also like to reach. We know that local businesses are invested in their local communities - it’s where your staff, customers and suppliers live and work, and as GREAT is based in the Borough too we really want to get to know local business owners who back our work.

The boys in our workshops are the fathers, employees, and business leaders of tomorrow and we’re looking for Southwark businesses to join us in giving them a chance to reach their potential.

Written by Rebecca Collins, Communications & Development Manager at The GREAT Initiative Contact information: rebecca@thegreatinitiative.org.uk 0207 922 7853 Visit: www.thegreatinitiative.org.uk or www.great-men.org Follow us on twitter: @GreatInitiaitve or @GreatMenUK

Up Close

offering a 24 hour service ask Carol Borhani what a typical working day looks like and she answers ‘we are on duty 24/7 so anything can happen.’

With 85% of mums calling UK employers ‘poor’ when it comes to being family friendly director Carol Bohrani tells us how Angel Human Resources works for women raising children.

“Don't get me wrong, I'm absolutely fine with dads who

work. It boosts their selfesteem and gives them an identity beyond just ‘dad’.”

This quote, by Twitter sensation A Man Who Has It All, perfectly parodies the issues facing women with families and the world of work - something Carol Borhani, a director of family-

run recruitment agency Angel, and mum of three, is passionate about.

Based at the company’s London Bridge HQ and with a network of 11 regional offices under her care Carol may be on-call 24/7 to support her clients, but Angel’s nurturing culture means she’s able to thrive not just survive.

“When I first came to Angel [in 1985] I was immediately struck by the professional yet welcoming family atmosphere, combined with determination and an infectious enthusiasm to give the best possible service.”

Unfortunately, this is in stark contrast to figures released by Mumsnet. 84% of women felt motherhood made career progression harder. While, even more worryingly, 76% said they felt less employable.

And, it’s these women, lacking confidence after time away from the workplace, or those disadvantaged by circumstance who Carol is particularly keen to help find work.

Dedicated to sourcing talent for roles across health and social care, hospitality, industrial, construction and commerce, Angel has successfully placed over 5,000 mums, with young children, in the last 5 years.

This is due, in part, to a broad and loyal clientele, who trust the Angel brand implicitly: “One of the pleasing things is that we have candidates who come back to use us time and time again and the same is true of our client companies as well. Indeed, some people who started out as our candidates are now our clients,” says Carol.

Since being established in 1965, by Janet Crawford, herself a mother of three and an actress, Angel has developed a reputation for being about people. Janet’s ethos - that employees are a business’s most important USP - means promising recruits and candidates are backed all the way.

“The company has been going for 51 years now and we have some people who have worked with us for a lot of that time and that is very pleasing,” Carol remarks.

Not to mention pretty unusual for a 21st century business.

A lot of things have changed since Carol joined the agency over 30 years ago. Today she answers emails on the train and has her mobile on at all times: “We may [now] enjoy the benefits of very advanced systems,” she says. “But at its heart Angel’s values are the same.”

“One of the pleasing things is that we have candidates who come back to use us time and time again and the same is true of our client companies as well.

Indeed, some people who started out as our candidates are now our clients.”

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Finance for Business

accessing the funds needed for business growth southwark Chamber of Commerce had their first business meeting for 2016 in the very smart meeting area kindly provided by Regis in the “Baby shard”.

Approximately 30 business people attended and we are grateful to the Mayor, Councillor Dora Dixon-Fyle MBE, for sparing the time.

We were addressed by three speakers, Oliver Cummings, Laura Montenegro and Clive Reffell on the ever important topic for small businesses of

raising money. All the presentations were well received, with a particular interest in Crowd Funding given

that this is a new area of funding for businesses.

The speakers article's can be found herewith.

new finance opportunities for sMes

sMes with growth ambitions often face a difficult time when sourcing finance. increasingly, business owners are turning to crowdfunding. of the right type of people to its crowdfunding project.

It isn’t a guaranteed way to secure funding, nor is it an easy way that lets anyone get away without putting much effort in to it. But it is a democratic option that’s open to everyone, and it does mean your destiny rests much more in your own hands than in someone else’s.

Equity or debt crowdfunding is a process of securing a business investment budget by asking a lot of people to invest or lend relatively small sums, rather than going to traditional sources and asking them for a lot.

Like many other new ways of doing things these days it happens online. A growing number of FCA-regulated crowdfunding companies ‘platform providers’ - host a number of crowdfunding projects on their websites.

Some platform providers have their own networks of registered investors or lenders, though the key to success is for a business to drive its own crowd of a big enough number

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You may wonder “how much does it cost?” and “how long does it take?” The answer to both is that although crowdfunding is primarily a financial process, the cost and time it takes depend very much on the extent and quality of a company’s previous and current marketing activity.

On the financial side, you will have to convince people, some of whom you may have never met before, that investing in you and your company is a good idea. You will still need a solid business plan, potential investors or lenders will still conduct due diligence, and your company valuation and growth and return forecasts need to be viable and credible. You may need input from financial specialists, and maybe some legal advice to protect your intellectual property since you will be sharing company information and future plans with potentially many people.

Southwark BUsiness Today

On the marketing side there are three key factors: 1. Have a group of close contacts you can personally encourage to pledge 30% of the total funding you are seeking within the first few days of your crowdfund project going live.

2. Have a big enough crowd of other friends, business contacts, customers and other people in your e-mail database and social media networks that you can drive to your crowdfunding project when it’s live online.

3. Have a compelling and convincing online pitch with a video and a range of incentives.

A company that has been actively marketing itself for any length of time should already have an e-mail database, a professional website and ideally some degree of a ‘crowd’ acquired through social media.

These companies will find it easier, faster and less expensive to use crowdfunding than others that may have to start from scratch. But being successful in business these days is all about relationships, and you should be building your contacts anyway.

An extremely positive sideeffect is that a good crowdfunding campaign is also a very good marketing exercise for a company.

It introduces your firm to many new potential customers and suppliers. Existing customers can become investors and investors can become new customers in a virtuous circle that carries people up the loyalty ladder to become firm advocates and ambassadors.

Effective crowdfunding for business growth thus comes down to running effective marketing. I am a career marketer who specialises in providing independent crowdfunding advice and hands-on support to SMEs. Please call or e-mail me to arrange an initial no-fee meeting in which we can explore the possibilities and benefits you could enjoy from crowdfunding. As to what the next steps would be depend on the scale and scope of your business aims and the extent of your marketing to-date.

Clive Reffell, Comanche Communications & Marketing, clive@comcomms.com, 07788 784373

Finance for Business

are businesses turning their back on the banks?" despite what you might read in the paper, or what you feel about the subject yourself, maybe businesses still love big banks.

How else can you explain why 80% of the UK’s SME community borrow from just four banks? Despite all the mistreatment, they keep going back.

Overdrafts and business loans from the traditional lenders are still the go-to finance facilities for most entrepreneurs.

However, the minority of business owners that are funding their company through alternative finance providers are getting a better deal and a better service.

Peer-to-peer lenders are taking traditional bank services like loans and factoring and providing entrepreneurs with a flexible, transparent alternative. Whilst nearly 60% of business owners were unaware of any forms of alternative finance last year, new lenders are expected to provide over £12 billion worth of business finance annually by 2020. It’s a rapidly increasing market which more and more entrepreneurs are discovering every day.

Whilst crowdfunding platforms are popular amongst start-ups, peer-to-peer lenders make up the vast majority of the alternative finance market for businesses. The concept is quite simple - new providers connect investors with businesses looking to borrow- all through an online platform. Whilst the banks might take weeks, often months to approve or decline a loan, some peer-to-peer providers can give businesses funding in 24 hours.

This gives entrepreneurs the flexibility to forecast for the future, without leaving the fate of their finances to the whims of a bank.

One subsidiary of peer-to-peer lending, invoice finance, is a particularly powerful tool for business owners. Not only can it be used to bridge those cash flow gaps that appear each month, it’s actually a great way to actively expand your businesses’ operations – from hiring more staff to exporting overseas. Whilst traditional forms of invoice finance and factoring

have negative connotations attached - hidden costs, contractual lock-ins and doomed businesses - peer-to-peer lenders are breathing new life into the market. Entrepreneurs can raise finance through their by selling individual invoice. When the payment is advanced, often up to 90%, businesses can immediately deploy the tied-up cash to scale-up growth or fill in the gaps.

With late payment still such a prevalent issue to businesses across the UK, online invoice

finance providers like MarketInvoice are servicing a huge community of entrepreneurs. Data released this year found that UK businesses are waiting for up to £255 billion in late payments - with 41% of owners saying late paying suppliers placed heavy pressure on their cash flow. It’s a massive problem for companies of all sizes, no matter how successful or profitable. That’s why the alternative lending market, especially invoice finance, is growing so fast.

MarketInvoice is the world’s largest peer-to-peer business lender for cash-flow finance. Businesses can access funds in 24 hours against outstanding invoices, licenses, contracts and subscriptions.

Launched in 2011 and based in London, MarketInvoice has helped hundreds of businesses overcome the lengthy payment terms of their customers. More than £600m has been raised through the platform, with businesses using the funds to hire more staff, launch new products and pay their suppliers.

To find out more telephone 0203 761 0502 or visit www.marketinvoice.com

Getting investment ready: Unlocking social sector organisations’ potential for growth social sector organisations exist to provide benefits for society.

But how do they access the finance to make this happen?

They work at the heart of many communities tackling some of our most challenging social issues. But did you know about their economic impact?

There are over 200,000 social sector organisations in the UK such as charities, co-operatives, community organisations and mutuals - and they currently contribute over 4% of UK GDP. They also employ over 1.5million people. That’s more than the financial and insurance sectors.

However, many of these organisations are still at an early stage and need targeted finance and support to help them grow, improve their performance and maximise their social impact.

One organisation trying to address this problem is the Social Investment Business (SIB). They are one of the largest social investors in the UK, having disbursed over £390million through loans and grants to over 1,200 social sector organisations since 2002. SIB exists to help connect extraordinary organisations to simple and affordable finance, helping them grow and support more people in need.

Over the last 5 years, SIB has specialised in the development and implementation of specialist ‘investment readiness’ programmes aimed at improving the sustainability, capacity and scale of social sector organisations. These programmes help organisations take on repayable finance or compete for public sector contracts. SIB has become a pioneer in this field and to date has successfully delivered over £35million in investment readiness funds, including the ‘Investment and Contract Readiness Fund’, which helped unlock over £230million in deals from just £13million worth of grants.

SIB also now manages the Big Lottery Fund’s £20million

programme, Big Potential, which provides grants of up to £150,000 to eligible social sector organisations who want to grow, expand their services and develop their capacity.

These grants pay for specialist support from specialist providers on a wide range of areas such as designing robust business strategies, developing efficient plans, building financial performance models or measuring social impact.

The programme supports social sector organisations based in England.

To find out more, you can visit SIB’s website: www.sibgroup.org.uk or call 020 3096 7900.

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International

Please do not tell me that the only way to learn a foreign language is by susan isaacs to live abroad

Let me set the scene.

There is a drinks party for neighbours in our road.

A tall man in obligatory middle-aged Dad uniform (or so my teenage daughter calls it) of cream coloured trousers, and blue shirt, is standing next to me by the green stuffed olives, and the Bombay mix.

Next door's cat has skipped in through the half open door, and a few daring souls have ventured out into the garden.

"So what do you do for a living?" the man enquires politely, and then swills back his glass of Sauvignon.

"I teach foreign languages," I reply, "to people in the City.

French, Italian, and Spanish mainly."

"Oh, the only way to learn a language is to go and live in the country," he says." There is no way you can learn a language if you do not live there."

I glare and choke on my stuffed green olive. I must have heard this comment hundreds of times. Yet every time I hear it, I want to scream. You see it is not true. And never has it been more untrue than today.

With every succeeding minute there are more and more

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opportunities, which are completely free ,to bathe yourself in whichever language you choose. Take Spanish, for example. You can simply log onto the Spanish TVE site, (the equivalent of the BBC) and watch TV Series going back hundreds of episodes.

They range from Cookery Demonstrations, to Call the Doctor dramas, and you can put on subtitles in Spanish too, to help you.

You can message on Facebook in any language, tweet on twitter, and there are free translation websites, skype opportunities, Linked In Profiles to contact. You can view newspapers articles on a daily basis, and there are free apps which will correct your grammar and pronunciation. You can even, if you set up your computer correctly, get it to spell check and grammar check your work in almost any language.

However people make a grave mistake when they imagine, that just by going to the country, they will automatically absorb the language. I met a teacher, whose native language was French the other day, in one of the companies I teach.

We chatted in French for a while, and then she begged me

Southwark BUsiness Today

to be so kind as to address her in English. I did so, but was curious as to why she was so keen."Surely," I commented, "you live in London and must hear the language every day of your life."

"No," she replied, "No." Her husband was French, and worked for a French Bank.

Her children attended the French LycĂŠe in South Kensington, and in her job she was expected to speak to the students entirely in French.

When I spoke to her in English that day, it was the first English conversation she had had that month.

Now you may imagine her situation was an unusual one, but that is far from true.

Over the years I have taught hundreds of people who find themselves living in a foreign country , without an opportunity to speak it. They may go abroad, without a grounding in the language , and then work for an English company, with English colleagues. In Paris for example, their colleagues speak English in the office, and when they go out in the evening, the French cannot wait to practice their finely honed phrases on them. People can live abroad for years and hardly get an opportunity to speak the foreign language.

I feel, personally, learning a language has some similarity to counting calories and losing weight. It is a question of numbers. You should count the number of minutes you are hearing, reading, and speaking the language,

and you should count the range of vocabulary you are using.

Someone could sit at home in London reading French newspapers on the web, listening to French radio, and watching French television.

If you count the words they are absorbing, and the minutes they are spending, they are learning hundreds of words.

Or, as is often the case, people could have a cottage in France, invite their English friends to stay with them, and go out all day together. They might hear ten words of French the whole day, if they go out to eat. If they cook for themselves, they would hear no words at all.

As a young girl I worked as an au pair in France, in the run up to some exams I had in French language and culture.

I was desperate to practise vocabulary about the French constitution, and French political parties, in order to pass my exams. But the family, not surprisingly, were none too keen on these radical tendencies of mine. Why did I have to keep asking questions about who ran France? Was it because, according to the husband, I intended to run France myself?

They wanted me to learn the words for peeling carrots, ironing, and making the beds.

To my bewilderment, I found I was covering a wider range of vocabulary, listening to the French radio in London, than when I was working in France as an au pair.

So that is why, please do not tell me the only way is to learn a language is to go and live abroad.

Susan has an M.A from Oxford and has been running courses in the City for the past thirty years working with a variety of blue chip clients.

To read more articles visit: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/susanisaacslanguages For further details susanelizabethisaacs@icloud.com www.languages2000.co.uk@Languages2000

Business News

Crime partnership is launched shops, restaurants and nightclubs across southwark have joined forces to help reduce crime and disorder across the borough by working more closely together in a new business partnership.

The Southwark Safe Business Partnership launched in Elephant and Castle, where 40 members are now part of a new digital radio network and set to begin sharing real-time information with each other and the police, enabling them to help stamp out local crime.

The new partnership is open to all Southwark businesses, and is being led by the Safer London Business Partnership with £54,000 of support from the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime.

It follows the success of two similar Safer London schemes in the West End and Lambeth.

The not-for-profit initiatives have helped reduce shoplifting, theft, alcohol related disorder, anti-social behaviour and begging across Town Centres. In Clapham High Street alone, the scheme has contributed to a 47 per cent overall reduction in crime since its introduction in 2014.

The Southwark Safe partnership links members to local policing teams, Southwark CCTV and community wardens.

It works in collaboration with Business Improvement Districts and town centre teams and offers free training to members around crime awareness.

T/Chief Inspector Richard Hynes MBE said: "Southwark Police is delighted that Safer London has chosen Southwark as the location for the latest Business Crime Reduction Partnership. Thanks to the funding and commitment of the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime, the hard work of local Police Officers and the vision of our local business community the scheme has become a reality.

“Partnership Policing remains core to the Southwark Style of Policing and this partnership complements our existing Joint Enforcement work. We look forward to the positive impact the scheme will have on our community and the benefits of a more coordinated and cohesive business community partnership" The scheme is part of the Mayor of London’s drive to crack down on local neighbourhood crime and help businesses to protect their properties, by providing them with links to local enforcement agencies and other businesses in the area.

Stephen Greenhalgh, Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, said: "We want local businesses to thrive in our capital city and that is why we are supporting the rollout of Business Crime Reduction Partnerships which help businesses and the police to share the intelligence and problem solve in a way that will drive down business crime."

Andy Mackenzie, Club General Manager at Ministry of Sound, one of the first businesses to sign-up to the scheme, said: "We are delighted to be able to join the Southwark Safe partnership. It is a brilliant innovation that gives us instant access to the other businesses and the authorities.

To know that all stakeholders have welcomed and joined the new service is really encouraging and we will be making full use of it in the future."

Lloyd Evans, Safety & Security Consultant at McDonald's Restaurants, said: "Working in partnership with your neighbouring local businesses and enforcement agencies simply makes sense.”

“Partnership Policing remains core to the Southwark Style of Policing and this partnership complements our existing Joint Enforcement work.”

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Voice from Westminster

seeking views on erratic deliveries neil Coyle MP as this is my first contribution in 2016, i’d like to begin by passing on my best wishes for the coming year and every success to local businesses. it’s great to have such a broad range of businesses locally and i hope to see all thriving in 2016.

The year began with delays and missed post from Royal Mail sadly.

I’ve been contacted by many people and businesses who have had negative experiences with their post over the winter.

This now seems frustratingly annual with Royal Mail apparently unable or unwilling to plan adequately to meet the higher seasonal demand at Mandela Way. CWU representatives suggest the problem is a lack of full time, regular staff rather than numbers overall.

I am keen to hear from local businesses if and how Royal Mail delays or missed deliveries are affecting you, your customers and trade.

I have a survey online at: http://www.boslabour.org.uk/ business_mail_delivery_ problems_in_southwark - and there is a separate survey for local residents if you wish to complete that too.

I am also keen to hear of views on the franchising of the Post Office on Walworth Road. BIS is currently seeking a partner for the plans and will be consulting on this further shortly. There is quite a shortfall between estimated

income at the branch and staff and running costs - assessed at over £130,000 - but BIS seem keen to try and find another firm to take over.

Where franchising has occurred elsewhere it has usually meant longer queues, some service restrictions, and lower pay for employees. Importantly, lower pay can actually mean a higher bill for taxpayers as, instead of the £21,000 average Royal Mail staff salary, employees are moved onto the minimum wage and the state has to top up lower incomes through housing benefit and tax credits.

I have tabled questions about this mixed approach in parliament, but I’d welcome

hearing from local businesses on whether and how the plans might affect you.

My new constituency office opens soon - and I am also pleased to confirm that I have used local businesses as far as possible to refit and prepare the office. By the end of the month I’ll have a much better local base on Jamaica Road with my caseworkers working there full time and available to help local people and businesses with a range of issues.

Please do let me know by emailing me at: Neil.Coyle.MP@parliament.uk or call me on 020 7219 8733.

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New Members

southwark Chamber of Commerce welcomes its latest member companies Azureus Limited Gareth Williams 0207 232 5044

JHA Recruitment Consultancy

Lightbox London

www.azureus-ltd.co.uk

Abby Edwards 020 7621 1269

Matthew Horn 020 8299 8395 www.lightboxlondon.com

HR Consultancy

abbye@jha-recruitment.co.uk

Property Development

azureus@btconnect.com

••••

Birwood Dental Care Dr Peter Frost 020 8613 6757

pfdrymouth@googlemail.com

Specialist in Special Care Dentistry

www.jha-recruitment.co.uk

Recruitment

••••

Matthew@lightboxlondon.com

••••

RugbySpy UK

Optim Group

www.rugbyspy.com

www.optimgroup.co.uk

Abby Edwards 07780 682006

info@rugbyspy.co.uk

Sport

Carolyn Meosa 0207 397 7000

carolynmeosa@optimgroup.co.uk

Facilities Management

Southwark Brewing Company Peter Jackson 020 3302 4190

www.southwarkbrewing.co.uk

peter@southwarkbrewing.co.uk

Micro brewery ••••

To find out more about becoming a member contact Southwark Chamber of Commerce.

Southbank Techno Park, 90 London Road, London.

SE1 6LN Tel : 07477 581977

Email: admin@southwarkcommerce.com

HCa Healthcare UK carries out complex installation operation at The shard HCa Healthcare UK has launched a new medical outpatient centre on three floors of The shard.

Transforming floors four, five, six of the iconic building involved getting a team of experts to carry out the complex task of getting two 8ton MRI scanners, each 2.5m wide and 2.5m tall, into The Shard space.

In order to avoid overstressing the Shard’s floors specialist structural engineers were employed in order to design a steelwork ‘track’ that spanned approximately 60 meters of the Shard’s floor space.

In total, they used 40 tons of steel to create a safe delivery route for the machines. The steelwork took about two months to design, two months to fabricate and construct, and then only a week to remove the platform following the successful delivery of the machines.

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The glazing to the South East side of the Shard had to be removed, and a scaffold tower 20m high designed to take the weight of the scanners, plus the delivery team, was constructed from St Thomas Street up to the 5th floor.

The MRI scanners were lifted over London Bridge Station.

This had to be completed when the station was shut and the platforms cleared of commuters and station staff.

The lifting eventually happened at around 2am on a Sunday morning.

HCA at the Shard offers quick, convenient and flexible access to world-class healthcare in one of the capital’s main transport hubs of London Bridge.

The Shard facility includes 78 consulting rooms plus 12 treatment rooms, with the

Southwark BUsiness Today

ability to accommodate up to 600 patients a day, both self-paying and insured.

The facility also features a state-of-the-art rehabilitation gym, which includes an antigravity treadmill, gait trainer treadmill, watt bike and video motion analysis.

Patients will be seen and treated by experts from HCA’s network of leading Consultants, covering a range of specialities including orthopaedics, physiotherapy, spinal rehabilitation, women’s health and paediatrics.

Cage Rattlers

Cage Rattlers Letters from members

These do not represent the views of the Chamber.

Proposed Bakerloo line extension The recent announcement that the Bakerloo Line extension preferred route is via the old Kent Road is like the preverbal curate’s egg, i.e good in parts.

Mayor of southwark Why is the Mayor of Southwark solely the right of the ruling Council.

Surely the Mayorship belongs to all the people of Southwark and the election and choice of Mayor should be in the domain of the resident, business rate payers and all local organisations Now there has been nothing wrong with the Mayors over the past few years.

All worthy of the Post and hardworking people they have been.

Is there some ancient rite that it should be done thus or perhaps the people of Southwark are just not exercising their rights or indeed accepting responsibility.

Anybody know?

(Name and address supplied)

The Good bit is:• That at least the Old Kent Road and Lewisham will have the desperately needed connection to Central London tube network. There are 1520,000 dwellings and 10,000 jobs planned in the area which realistically cannot happen without this. The Old Kent Road area has the potential for business hubs but it is essential that they have proper tube connections.

The bad bits are :• That Camberwell and Peckham will not also have the tube connection that is so desperately needed.

• That the work will not even commence until 2025 and then not be open until the earliest 2030. And knowing how long infrastructure works like this take it will probably be delayed.

The route for Crossrail 1 was clearly driven by the financial clout of Heathrow, the City and Canary Wharf providing wellfunded pressure groups and several hundred million pounds to make it happen. Equally I can only imagine that the route for

Crossrail 2 has been lobbied and promoted by funding from the wealthy areas it will serve, especially to the South.

They include going out as far as Shepperton and Epson to the South and north to Cheshunt to the North going through parts of London which already have a tube network. Whilst, South East London away from the Thames only has the meagre and diminutive DLR going as far as Lewisham.

Frankly the service to SE London is pathetic and I can only imagine that the decision to take so long and provide such a limited service is because this area does not have the financial clout to pay for lobbying that could demonstrate how sadly neglected this corner of London is and that is it being side-lined yet again.

Please TFL get your priorities right, upgrading the Northern end of the Bakerloo line and the Piccadilly line are really small beer in relation to the benefits that the 17 km SE extension from Elephant and Castle to Lewisham and then onto Bromley would provide.

(Name and address supplied)

What’s rattling your cage? Write and let us know Email at admin@southwarkcommerce.com

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Hospitality

Restaurant Reviews

By Margaret Rowse executive Committee

Bills Restaurant

Victor Wharf, Clink Street, London SE1 9DW Telephone: 0207 234 0000 Bills restaurant on the corner of Clink Street boasts Clink Prison as its close neighbour.

If the skeletons hanging in their shackles from the walls of Clink Prison had eaten in Bills they may have kept their bodies intact!

At first glance, Bill’s looks like a coffee shop/café, but once you enter you can see that it is anything but, with handmade produce on offer to buy, as well as old fashioned tea pots for sale, this restaurant is what you want it to be. Breakfast venue, lunch served by friendly staff, traditional afternoon tea and an extensive dinner menu makes this the perfect place to go any time of day. The menu offers everything, starters and mezze to share and mains are full of the comfort foods that you want in winter. There are steaks, grills, sides, puddings, cocktails and they have a full

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licence offering good quality wines, beers and spirits all reasonably priced.

As I was visiting late afternoon I ordered just a main - steak, egg and chips and at only £13.95 I expected a small lunchtime plate. I was wrong, the steak was exceptionally tender and full of flavour, it came with 2 fried eggs and more than enough crispy chips.

My dining partner went for the Cod with homemade skin on chips and buttery minted mushy peas with an accompaniment of their own recipe mustard tartar sauce, he was not disappointed and struggled to finish the large fish fillet he was served.

If you only want a coffee and a chat they greet you in the same friendly efficient way, it is an exceptional establishment catering for all tastes. If you are in the Borough forget all the glitzy expensive places and head on up Stoney Street to Bills, you will not regret it.

Southwark BUsiness Today

“Breakfast venue, lunch served by friendly staff, traditional afternoon tea and an extensive dinner menu makes this the perfect place to go any time of day”

Hospitality

Tas Pide

20 - 22 New Globe Walk, London SE1 9DR Telephone: 0207 928 3300 / 020 7633 9777 Tas Pide is fortunate to be situated opposite the Globe Theatre and a few minutes’ walk to the Tate Modern and the South Bank of the Thames.

Although one of a chain of restaurants this particular one is decorated in the traditional charm of the Mediterranean countries that people find so alluring for holidays. Once inside you find yourself whisked away to Turkey, it has a stone pizza oven which is lovely on a cold day and the tables are covered in traditional colourful cloths. My only small criticism is that there are too many tables crammed in and therefore they are very close together, making it a little difficult to get in and out of.

al Masar

On the front page of the menu it tells you that a Pide is a traditional Anatolian dish based on a recipe dating back thousands of years. Freshly made dough that resembles the shape of a boat, baked in the wood fire oven which produces a crispy outer crust.

They offer a large choice of fillings including meat, vegetables, and poultry.

Unless you have a very big appetite it is best to share one as they are large. Also on the menu are hotpots of delicious stews and casseroles, many tomato and vegetable based and as you would expect from Turkish cuisine, an array of skewered meat cooked on an open fire. Kofte, grilled chicken, musakka, swordfish, salmon and many other dishes, all served in the traditional manner.

Our lunch consisted of a shared

214 – 216 Borough High Street, London SE1 1JX Telephone: 020 7407 6961

Lamb Pide topped with a fried egg called Kiymali, served with sides of Yoghurt Suzme and a salad Karisik Salata (Tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce, red and green peppers, fresh mint and celery). Needless to say there was plenty for 2 people.

atmosphere and ambience than the others in the chain.

You can really believe that you are in a small local restaurant in Istanbul or in one of the many villages. Visit them and enjoy a good traditional meal in relaxed surroundings with attentive staff and have a mini holiday as you do so!

It would be easy to miss this restaurant, situated a few doors along from Borough Tube Station, the Al Masar is a relatively new restaurant serving Lebanese cuisine.

or three dishes to share. My choice of special cooked lamb served with chips came with 4 crispy lamb cutlets cooked over coals, laid atop of a very large portion of hot freshly cooked chips and a side of sharp salty pickles, red onions and salad.

The nice part of this restaurant is that it has a very different

The interior is fairly large and decorated in a Lebanese style with Lebanese music playing softly in the background adding authenticity.

The staff were very friendly and polite with a good knowledge of their dishes and eager to explain, although the extensive menu does give a detailed description of all dishes. The food is cooked fresh to order. They offer a special lunchtime menu including two cold starters, Shawarma and a drink for only £7.99 and the portions are generous. The do not however have an alcohol licence but encourage you to take your own and are happy to supply the glasses and they do not charge any corkage.

As the portions are generous you may prefer to choose two

My dining partner chose Kibbeh Saynieh, which was minced lamb mixed with spices and cracked wheat, filled with sauté minced meat, pine kernels and onion and served with yoghurt and cucumber salad, it looked like a cake cut into four large quarters, a little on the dry side, so you do need the yoghurt with it. We had a side order of Lebanese Rice and warm flatbreads.

Everything was well seasoned with spices and cinnamon was evident. All of the food was fresh and flavoursome. We finished with Baklava which was offered on the house, mint tea and a Lebanese coffee that is brewed on order, so expect to wait 10 minutes or so and then wait for it to cool down, it was served boiling hot!

For lunch with a difference it is value for money, worth a visit.

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Southwark BUsiness Today

Health and Wellbeing

What are the advantages of having a Corporate Gym Membership with the academy of sport?

Many companies are looking to the fitness and wellbeing industry to assist in improving employee productivity and morale, reducing healthcare costs and absenteeism.

We have a wide-range of exercise classes including Spin, Zumba, Pilates, Yoga and Boxing, there is something for all levels of fitness.

The Academy of Sport multipurpose Sports Hall is available for hire for a range of activities including five-aside football, badminton and basketball.

Our Centre is Quest and IFI (fully inclusive) accredited and OFSTED registered.

We are more than just a gym ...

Employees’ sedentary behaviour can have many detrimental effects, including an increase of illnesses.

While it is each employee’s responsibility to take care of their health, as an employer you have a vested interest in promoting a healthy work force. One way to improve the physical fitness of your employees is to invest in a corporate gym: the long term benefits outweigh the initial cost.

The prospect of saving money on a gym membership acts as a financial incentive.

Convenient access to a local

gym means employees do not have to travel to a distant site to work out.

The Academy of Sport (London South Bank University) offers quality gym facilities; a large 40+ station Fitness Suite, equipped with SMART Centre Technology for better performance monitoring and progression; a dedicated Free Weights Room with Smith machine, Olympic Bars and Kettle bells, and a Functional Training Zone.

Our Fitness Expertise is available to support your exercise routine and provide you with continuous feedback and accountability.

We offer a wide spectrum of health services including: nutrition, sports therapy, osteopathy, services delivered by our partners. We also offer a range of activities for kids that help them keep fit, develop their social skills, build confidence and have fun.

From Afterschool, Holiday and Half-term Camps to Birthday parties. We also deliver a number of short courses including First Aid at Work.

Choosing the right membership ...

There are three options to ensure you get the right package for your needs.

Our membership team are available to take you through every step.

• Salary Sacrifice: A simple cost effective way to offer annual Academy of Sport Corporate Membership through a payroll scheme.

• Discounted Membership: Great discounts on joining fee and a monthly discount on membership. This option requires a minimum of five employees.

• Pay-As-You-Go: Great discounts with no contract.

This option requires a minimum of fifty vouchers to be purchased.

If none of these options fit your needs we have other options available, for example: PayasUgym, a pay as you go initiative.

For more information, contact us at: sportscentre@lsbu.ac.uk Academy of Sport London South Bank University 103 Borough Road, London SE1 0AA T: 02078157812

“A corporate gym membership is an attractive perk to employees whilst improving your company’s ability to recruit and retain workers.”

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Health and Wellbeing

Taking a healthy approach to the workplace The importance of health in the workplace is increasingly being recognised and more and more employers are acknowledging that they have a role to play.

“ACAS says it helps if managers have been trained so that they who know how to manage common health problems such as mental health and musculoskeletal disorders”

A study published several years ago underlined that point.

Produced by the Work Foundation in partnership with RAND Europe and Aston Business School, the report showed that an estimated 27.6 million working days were lost in a single years in Britain due to work-related illness. This represented 1.15 days lost on average per worker.

The report suggested that help offered in the workplace can be effective to address poor health and well-being.

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It said that the idea of health and wellbeing at work should go beyond the mere absence of illness or disability. It should be understood as a “state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing” as identified by the World Health Organization.

Evidence reported in the study showed that that workplace ‘health interventions’, including targeting problems due to work-related factors such as low back pain, musculoskeletal disorders and mental health

Southwark BUsiness Today

disorders, can have positive health outcomes.

The study also suggested that interventions aimed at improving damaging lifestyle behaviours such as poor diet, smoking, alcohol abuse and lack of physical activity can be effective.

The result of all this awareness is that company bosses are increasingly coming to realise that a healthy workplace has many benefits for their businesses.

According to ACAS, the benefits of promoting a healthy workplace include more motivated workers, improved customer service, fewer absences and greater creativity.

The organisation advises companies to have in place effective policies for managing people issues, high levels of trust between employees and managers and line managers who are confident and trained in people skills ACAS also says that a healthy workplace is one where workers feel valued and involved in decisions.

Health and Wellbeing

“Evidence reported in the study showed that that workplace ‘health interventions’, including targeting problems due to work-related factors such as low back pain, musculoskeletal disorders and mental health disorders, can have positive health outcomes.”

The organisation advocates managers who identify problems at an early stage and seek to resolve them using informal methods.

It says that such companies use services such as occupational health where practical, to keep employers healthy and get them back to work quickly if they do have problems.

ACAS says it helps if managers have been trained so that they who know how to manage common health problems such as mental health and musculoskeletal disorders Another suggestion from health advisors is healthy options in the canteen, including plenty of salads and fruit.

As for employees, NHS experts say they must play their part to support the company.

The NHS say that knowing how to deal with pressure at work is critical and its advice includes learning to identify the symptoms of stress as well as learning to prioritise your workload.

Certainly, if you work on a computer a lot, it’s important to take regular breaks. That means for every hour at your keyboard you should rest for at least five to ten minutes.

The need for regular exercise is also advised by occupational health experts, whose suggestions include walking over to someone’s desk at work rather than speaking to them by phone, take the stairs instead of the lift and using your lunch break to exercise.

So what else can you do to improve things?

giving up the things you love.

For example you can swap your high calorie coffee drinks like whole-milk lattes and frappe for drinks made with skimmed milk.

Swap your high sugar or fat snacks biscuits and crisps for a healthier food like fruit.

At work, you can swap the lift for the stairs and rather than eating at your desk get up and move about.

Carry out health checks

Cardio vascular disease (CVD) is the most common cause of death of working age people in the UK and costs the economy £3.1 billion a year due to days lost to death, illness and the care of people with the disease.

Check with your local surgery or hospital about health checks which can be carried out to reduce the risk to your staff.

Lose weight

It’s all too easy to put on weight with a hectic modern life but you can change things.

By making simple swaps, you can lose weight without

Eat well

Poor nutrition can effect your energy levels, concentration and health and make it difficult to maintain a healthy weight.

With almost two thirds of adults over weight or obese in England it is important to ensure that you eat a range of food and cut down on foods high in salt, sugar and fat.

Be physically active

Being active is good for your mind and body. Employees who are physically active take 27% less days of sick.

You don’t have to join a gym or set up a rigid exercise programme. Walking and cycling to work are good low-cost ways to increase your physical activity and can be fitted into you daily routine.

Many companies encourage their staff to use walk and cycle to work.

However, a visit to the gym is a good idea as well and some enlightened companies provide gym membership as part of employment packages for their staff, recognising that healthy workforces benefit everyone.

Stop smoking

If you are a smoker, stopping is probably the single biggest thing you can do to improve your health. Smokers on average take 4.4 more days of in sickness absence than non smokers. Stopping smoking will improve your health and fitness.

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Technology

What is a Hybrid Cloud and who should use it? over the last 10 years “cloud computing” has become an established term to describe on-demand computing services accessed over the internet.

As the infrastructure that delivers the internet has steadily improved, businesses now have faster more reliable connections that allow more and more services to me moved off site.

The reality is that there only a very small percentage of organisations in a position that will allow them to move all their systems into the cloud, and even fewer will be able to take all those services from one supplier. In the same way that businesses (and consumers) were using cloud computing without really understanding it was “cloud computing” we are finding that the same is happening with Hybrid Cloud.

Gartner defines a Hybrid Cloud service as “a cloud computing service that is composed of some combination of private, public and community cloud services, from different service providers.”

Essentially what this means is that you are picking the most

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suitable services for your needs and combining them together to provide the best possible solution for your individual needs. When you have implemented a Hybrid Cloud environment with a genuine mix of on-premises systems, private and public cloud services giving genuine orchestration between the different platforms you will enjoy benefits including greater flexibility, cost savings and reliability. If implemented correctly you can facilitate for workloads to move between private and public clouds as computing needs and costs change. In the right scenarios a Hybrid Cloud solution will give businesses greater flexibility and different data deployment options.

Cloud providers realise that they can’t expect a customer to choose between their own datacenter and a supplier’s cloud service and that the reality is that organisations need flexibility to build a

Southwark BUsiness Today

platform that fits their needs.

Customers want the right solution for the job and by combining two or more services that is exactly what a Hybrid Cloud will give them.

For organisations who have invested capital into IT infrastructure the desire to maximise this investment will no doubt be a priority. In this case choosing to keep some key services running locally is a good idea, but moving e-mail to a platform such as Microsoft Office 365 (public cloud) and start using the Azure platform (private cloud) for testing and development of new services gives greater flexibility and reduces the need for further capital investment.

This scenario is very common and provides a steady transition (or evolution) of IT services into cloud computing A platform such as Microsoft Azure, will easily integrate with your existing IT environment and provide an endless range of solutions can be provisioned,

built and managed to fit individual needs.

Cloud providers including Microsoft sell their services on the basis that they can offer ‘pay as you go’ services which can scale up or down quickly to meet the demands of the customers so that they only pay for what is used.

Some of the important things to consider when looking at a Hybrid Cloud solution for your organisation include; what services do I need to have on site, which applications need the flexibility to grow or shrink, have we got any legacy applications that applications that will be retired and what compliance do I need to observe. Remember that there are endless permutations of how your IT services can be deployed so take time to consider the options and get advice on what is best for your specific needs.

To find out how Zenzero can help your business please call the team on 0333 3209 900 or email solutions@zenzero.co.uk

Last Word

Money will create greater use of greener vehicles new funding worth £13m has been allocated to encourage the greater use of electric and ultra-low emission vehicles in London.

By 2020, Londoners are expected to own as many as 70,000 ultra-low emission vehicles and it is planned that the new funding will be particularly targeted at providing more electric charging points in residential areas of the city.

The funding announcement forms part of a Government scheme called ‘Go Ultra Low Cities’ that aims to make the use of electric and sustainable vehicles easier.

Sales of ultra-low emission vehicles are higher in London than anywhere else in the UK. The joint bid by the GLA, TfL and London’s boroughs made a clear case to government that having a capital city driving demand for that technology benefits the entire country.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “We have some extremely exciting strategies in place to encourage the greater use of ultra-low emission vehicles in London and this is a key component of our work to improve air quality.

This funding is very welcome as it will help provide the infrastructure necessary to encourage even more Londoners to use ultra-low emission vehicles.

Plans for the use of the new funding are still being finalised but the bid submitted to government proposed that London will: • Develop a new partnership between the Mayor’s Office, TfL and London’s boroughs to provide more charging points in residential areas • Work with car clubs to explore the electrification of their fleet.

The car club industry has committed to 50 per cent of their vehicles to be electric within ten years • Strengthen its plans for rapid charging hubs across the capital, to meet the needs of commercial operators including taxis, private hire and delivery vans. TfL has a target of having 300 rapid chargers in the capital by 2020 • Create eight ‘neighbourhoods of the future’ to help businesses and residents prioritise the use of ultra-low emission vehicles.

Cllr Julian Bell, Chair of London Councils’ Transport and Environment Committee and Leader of the London Borough of Ealing, said: “It is fantastic news that London has successfully made the case for a £13m investment in ultra-low emissions vehicles in the capital, which have the potential to improve air quality and therefore make a real difference to people’s health.”

London’s air quality has improved significantly in recent years but with 80 per cent of all journeys made by road, increasing the use of ultra-low emission vehicles is seen as an important part of that work.

“We have some extremely exciting strategies in place to encourage the greater use of ultra-low emission vehicles in London and this is a key component of our work to improve air quality.”

Iain Plunkett

Owner/ Creative Director

The Garret

I’ve lived in London for the last 25 years and worked in a range of marketing and advertising companies.

Ten years ago, I took the plunge and started my own agency, The Garret, to help business-to-business companies connect with their customers. A proud resident of Camberwell I enjoy the diversity and community of Southwark and I believe it’s something we need to be careful to protect. When not working, I like to kick a football - more in hope than anger.

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q5

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

My first real job was as a PR executive for a central London agency. I was on less than £9,000 a year. It’s the curse of the young to work the hardest for the least money.

if you were prime minister, what would be your first decision?

Start building properly affordable social homes. In London, we seem obsessed by building ‘luxury’ apartments for Chinese investors to leave empty while ordinary people suffer and are displaced.

What is the biggest challenge in your business?

New business. London is not short on marketing agencies so you have to be able to differentiate yourself and excel in what you do. For a small business, that requires huge focus on continual skills development in a rapidly changing environment.

if you could do another job, what would it be?

I’d like to work with animals, especially big cats. Not just because they’re endangered and we need to carefully manage the planet but, also, because it would mean travelling the world - and I love Africa and India!

What's your favourite London building?

I’ll go for The Swan in Stockwell.

Yes, I know it’s Lambeth but it’s where I met my partner.

Southwark BUsiness Today

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Join Us

Join Us Chairman

Richard Kalmar - Kalmars

•••

Vice Chairman

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.

Les Johnson - LJPM Ltd

Membership application

executive Members - 2015/16

• Small/Medium sized companies 2 to 50 employees £150 per annum

•••

Richard Kalmar - Chair

Les Johnson - Events Roger Beckett Duncan Field - Education Dan Harder - Business Group Liaison William Harwood - Local Employment Ken Hayes - New Members Peter Mantell - Legal Publicity & Barry Martin - Southwark Business Margaret Rowse Today Magazine Yoko de Souza - Equalities Diana Stevenson - Website John Steward - Finances Sonia Sutton - Administrator Alex Webb - Fundraising Cait Wilkinson - Committee Welfare

•••

Hon. Treasurer

John Steward - Steward & Co.

Hon. solicitor

•••

Peter Mantell - Anthony Gold & Partners

•••

Hon. Membership secretary Ken Hayes - Life Member

•••

Duncan Field - Life Member Cait Wilkinson - Life Member

•••

President

Sir Simon Hughes

•••

Vice Presidents Harriet Harman MP Lord Roy Kennedy Dame Tessa Jowell

••• By working together we can help create the conditions for business to thrive in the area.

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Southwark BUsiness Today

• Sole trader

£100 per annum

• Large companies - 51 employees plus

£300 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: ACCOUNT NO:

HSBC - SOUTHWARK C OF C 40-06-21 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