Masthead South East London Chamber of Commerce Jan 2020

the

masthead

Official Magazine for South East London Chamber of Commerce - Issue 13

The Fan Museum

In celebration of a true gem • GREENWICH - Latest news from Royal Borough of Greenwich • LEWISHAM - Council determined to deliver inclusive, sustainable growth in the borough • BROMLEY- Regeneration Plan submitted for Crystal Palace Park is expected to bring significant benefits for the local and regional economy • BEXLEY - Investment by London Borough of Bexley has done much to enhance the visitor experience to the towns • EDUCATION & SKILLS - Young people to benefit from £155 millions skills funding boost • VISIT GREENWICH - It’s all happening in Greenwich • EQUALITY & DIVERISTY – Supporting diversity • CONSTRUCTION - Initiative seeks to encourage take up of digital technology • HEALTH & WELLBEING - Improving health in the workplace

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Welcome 3

find

inside Royal Borough of Greenwich in ambitious Borough of Culture Bid for 2021

8

Celebrating a true gem

24

5

Chamber News

7

Economy

8-10

Focus on Greenwich

15

Focus on Lewisham

32-33 34-37 39 40-41 42 43 44 46-47 49

16-17 Focus on Bromley 18

Focus on Bexley

19

News

20-21 Education & Skills 23 Legal 24-25 Big Interview

50 50

27-31 Chamber Events

It’s all happening in Greenwich

32

Visit Greenwich Equality & Diversity In Conversation with…

Strategic Partners News Construction Finance Update Health & Wellbeing The Person behind the Business New Members And finally...

Supporting diversity

34

Welcome to The Masthead the South East London Chamber of Commerce magazine.

2019 was a big year for the Chamber as we celebrated our 130th anniversary at City Hall with an excellent event hosted by Len Duvall AM.

e have moved into W a new decade; I have a new picture and the Chamber has new goals set by the Board.

Editorial and General Enquiries South East London Chamber of Commerce Unit TW/145, Trinity Wharf, Harrington Way Warspite Road London SE18 5NR Tel: 020 8317 3365 Email: office@selondonchamber.org

www.selondonchamber.org

@SELondonChamber

@SELondonChamber South East London Chamber of Commerce

Our links with the GLA were enforced by Executive Lunches we held with the Deputy Mayor for Housing and Residential Development, James Murray and the Deputy Mayor for Transport, Heidi Alexander.

Publisher Ian Fletcher Benham Publishing Limited Aintree Building, Aintree Way, Aintree Business Park, Liverpool L9 5AQ Tel: 0151 236 4141 Fax: 0151 236 0440 Email: admin@benhampublishing.com Web: www.benhampublishing.com Published: Jan 2020 © Benham Publishing

We are delighted to start the first quarter of 2020 with the Deputy Mayor for Business, Rajesh Alwal as our guest speaker. Full details in this issue.

The Board work hard and meet on a monthly basis. We are changing our invoicing procedure and in future, all membership and events will be listed exclusive of VAT. We are also adopting the Government’s Advertising and Features Karen Hall Tel: 0151 236 4141 Email: karen@benhampublishing.com Production Manager Mark Etherington Tel: 0151 236 4141 Email: mark@benhampublishing.com Media No. 1722 Disclaimer The Masthead is published for South East London Chamber of Commerce and is distributed without charge to Chamber members.

recommendations on charging for late payments and would encourage our membership to follow.

We are embarking on a membership drive and encourage our members to put the Chamber logo on their website and notepaper.

We are striving to forge more partnerships to help the membership.

Helen McIntosh FCIPR President All correspondence should be addressed to the Editor at South East London Chamber of Commerce. Views expressed in The Masthead are not necessarily those of South East London Chamber of Commerce. Reprinting in whole or part is forbidden except by permission. © 2020 Please note that submitting an article does not guarantee publication. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of material published in this journal, Benham Publishing and its agents can accept no responsibility forthe 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.

January 2020

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Chamber News 5

A Royal Borough Success Story Omowunmi Okeowo finished her degree in Event Management in September 2017.

A

s a resident of the Royal Borough she started looking for suitable jobs for graduates and signed up with Greenwich Local Labour and Business (GLLaB) the following month. Wunmi as she is known to everyone found the training she received at GLLaB invaluable; it covered subjects such as career confidence, interview techniques and how to write a good CV. In May 2018, Wunmi joined GLLaB’s Intermediate Labour Market Placement scheme (ILM) and came to work at the Chamber’s office in Woolwich. She was due to be with the Chamber for six months, but she had to break the placement and return to Nigeria due to her mother’s health problems. She was greatly missed in the office and resumed the placement in early 2018, quickly returning to be a key member of staff.

Her confidence grew and at the end of the placement the Chamber offered her work for three days per week; two to

help with events and admin and the third to help with accounts and membership.

Wunmi was perfectly placed to read about courses run by Chamber member, GCDA. She read about GCDA’s Cookery Club in this very magazine, Masthead and applied to join. The Cookery Club course was free and ran for four weeks. She applied to go on a further course for five weeks which gave her an in depth knowledge about healthy cooking and eating.

After the Cookery Club there was no stopping Wunmi and she enrolled on the Knife Skills course. This one lasted for three weeks and was run by Chef Brian Turner. This course coincided with the Chamber giving her more responsibility on the accounting front and she learnt new IT skills.

In addition to buying professional knives for her kitchen the skills she picked up on the GCDA courses have

helped change her life. She’s monitoring her health and that of her family, they eat healthily and Wunmi has joined the gym. Her confidence has increased and she cannot wait to join the next Bread Making course. Hopefully, involving her hero, chef Brian.

All the GCDA courses were funded by the Royal Borough, along with the GLLaB training and ILM Placement scheme. The Chamber is delighted to have Wunmi as a member of staff and would like to thank Strategic Partner, the Royal Borough of Greenwich for giving her the confidence to hold down a key job.

“In May 2018, Wunmi joined GLLaB’s Intermediate Labour Market Placement scheme (ILM) and came to work at the Chamber’s office in Woolwich.”

January 2020

6

THE BROMLEY COURT HOTEL is busier than ever, come and join us and have fun with any of these amazing events: Wedding showcase on the 23rd January from 6pm until 9pm Join us at The Bromley Court Hotel to view our Function Rooms prepared for a Wedding Breakfast.

We will give you lots of ideas and inspiration for the most important day of your life.

Entry is free and you will be welcomed with a glass of Buck’s Fizz and Canapés. Registrars and some of our recommended suppliers will also be joining us.

We look forward to welcoming you.

January’s tribute night: Abba Friday 24th January from 7pm until midnight (£37.50 pp to include a 3 course dinner)

www.bromleycourthotel.co.uk

February Events: Romantic San Valentine dinner for only £29.50 per person

February’s tribute night: Freddie Mercury Friday 28th February from 7pm until midnight (£37.50 pp to include a 3 course dinner) March’s tribute night: Tina Turner Friday 6th March from 7pm until midnight (£37.50 pp to include a 3 course dinner) Mother’s Day lunch Sunday 22nd March from 12:30pm until 2:30pm at £34.50 to include a 3 course dinner and a gifts for all the mums attending Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea Sunday 22nd March from 2pm until 4pm at £29.00 per person Murder Mystery Friday, 27th March from 7pm until 11pm at £38.50 per person Wedding Showcase Thursday, 26th March from 6pm until 9pm.

For further information please contact us on 020 8461 8600

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Economy 7

Now the election is behind us, the work must begin in earnest The Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has called for the new government to do everything in its power to boost the UK Economy.

I

n his first pronouncement since the Conservatives secured an 80-seat majority, Dr Adam Marshall said: “Restoring business, investor and consumer confidence – and firing up the economy – must now be the Prime Minister’s top priority.

“Campaign slogans must give way to a renewed focus on the details that matter. Our business communities need to see swift, decisive action to avoid a messy and disorderly exit from the EU and to tackle the barriers holding back investment and growth here in the UK.”

According to Dr Marshall, businesses’ priorities for the new government include: • Avoiding a no-deal exit from the EU and delivering a smooth transition giving firms time to prepare • Acting rapidly to reform business rates and replace them with a fairer system • Pressing ahead with improvements to transport infrastructure including HS2, Northern Powerhouse Rail and additional capacity at Heathrow • Investing in our skills base and reforming the Apprenticeships Levy so that more small firms can access high-quality training locally, at affordable cost • Delivering a sensible immigration system that gives firms access to essential overseas talent at all levels.

The comments followed a report issued before the election that showed that GDP growth is forecast to slow from 1.3% for 2019 to 1.0% in 2020 the weakest outturn since 2009, according to the latest economic forecast from British Chambers of Commerce.

Although this is a slight upgrade on BCC’s previous forecast of 0.8%, it indicates that by the end of 2020 the UK economy will have experienced its second weakest decade of average annual GDP growth on record. The BCC has upgraded its growth forecast for 2021 from 1.2% to 1.3%.

The upgrades are largely driven by stronger expected levels of government spending - both observed in the 2019 Spending Round and the anticipated uplift in expenditure by an incoming government.

However, with tax revenue expected to weaken amid a slowing economy, stronger government spending is expected to come at the cost of higher borrowing. UK public sector net borrowing is forecast to be £83.4 billion higher over the next three years than predicted by the Office for Budget Responsibility at the 2019 Spring Statement.

Suren Thiru, Head of Economics at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “Our forecast points to several years of anaemic activity in the UK economy unless decisive action is taken.

“The downside risks to the UK’s economic outlook remain concerningly high.

Worsening global trends and uncertainty over the course of Brexit present real dangers for the UK economy.”

“Increased public spending where the objective is to strengthen growth and productivity can help support the UK economy in the near term.

However, a sluggish economy could restrict the UK’s capacity to collect enough tax revenue to deliver a marked boost in public spending. Under such conditions, significant and sustained government borrowing could leave the UK more exposed to economic shocks.

“The downside risks to the UK’s economic outlook remain concerningly high. Worsening global trends and uncertainty over the course of Brexit present real dangers for the UK economy. More uncertainty in the aftermath of the General Election and a persistent lack of clarity on the UK’s future trading relationships could also result in more muted growth.”

Dr Marshall said: “As soon as the smoke clears from the election battlefield, economic growth must be put front and centre again in Westminster.

No incoming government can deliver its promises to the electorate without healthy and thriving business communities or without a clear and detailed plan for the UK’s future relationship with the EU. “As long as businesses are held back by Brexit uncertainty, high up-front costs, skills gaps, and poor infrastructure, we can expect growth to be mediocre, at best. At this critical moment, details matter. An incoming government needs to get both the signals and the substance right – and give companies the confidence to invest.”

January 2020

8 Focus on Greenwich

Royal Borough of Greenwich in ambitious Borough of Culture Bid for 2021 The Mayor of London’s scheme would provide us with the profile and funding to host a year-long programme of events which is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate our borough and everyone who lives and works in it.

January 2020

Focus on Greenwich 9

O

ur bid puts as much emphasis on community projects as it does on spectacular worldclass performances and focuses on every corner of the borough.

Cllr Danny Thorpe, Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich said: “I am delighted that we are in the running for London Borough of Culture 2021. Our borough is made by our combined histories and experiences, and it’s culture that brings us all together.

“Our ambitious programme uses cultural participation as a platform to provide jobs and apprentices, tackle social isolation, promote communities coming together and start conversations on climate change and what it means to be a citizen of Royal Greenwich today.

“Parts of the borough are already established cultural destinations and we have a huge amount of creative talent. However, being awarded Borough of Culture 2021 would allow us to accelerate our plans to spread the benefit of culture, tourism and heritage more equitably to include Woolwich, Plumstead, Charlton and Eltham. We need this award to help us tackle deprivation and the lack of opportunity experienced by too many people.

“The programme will take to our schools, high streets, libraries and parks, with highlights including a festival of feasting, a celebration of circus and magical musical moments.

I hope you’ll get behind us and back the bid.”

We need your help to win the crown.

Show the judges what culture means to you by sharing your images of the activities – big or small – already taking place around Royal Greenwich using #MyLocalCulture, #GM_T and #Greenwich2021.

As well as the title award of London Borough of Culture, there are Cultural Impact Awards up for grabs. These will be in the region of £200,000 for individual projects that take place between 2021 and 2023. Winning boroughs will be announced in February 2020.

Calling All Young Greenwich Residents to Give Voice to Council Elections Young people and children living in our borough are affected by council decisions as much as adults, and we want all of them to be included and to participate in decisions that affect their lives.

There are several active youth voice forums in the borough which involve children and young people in discussions and decision making about issues which affect them.

One of these youth voice groups is the Royal Greenwich Young Commissioners and they are recruiting for new members right now.

Who are the Young Commissioners?

The Young Commissioners is a group of young people, between 13 and 25, from a diverse range of backgrounds who are trained to make professional decisions on the services available to young people in our borough.

What’s involved in being a Young Commissioner?

Our Young Commissioners receive comprehensive training that gives them

the tools to effectively engage with and represent their peers through projects, consultations, and focus groups.

There’s also the opportunity to take an active role in council board meetings, procurement activities, and research and monitoring of key council areas, including housing, public health, and children’s services.

It’s not all work and no play, though!

Apart from being an excellent CV addition, becoming a Young Commissioner is also a great way to meet like-minded people and enjoy free team-building and social events (with plenty of food and drink).

Becoming a Young Commissioner Applications are open right now for all residents between 13 and 19 (or 25 for people with special educational needs or disabilities).

Interviews will be taking place in the second and third week of January 2020 – so don’t delay!

Applicants also need to be available on 8 and 9 February to attend a training weekend.

If you would like to apply, or you want to find out more information, please visit: royalgreenwich.gov.uk/youngcommissioners Or if you have any specific questions, please get in touch with our team by emailing: childrens-commissioning@royalgreenwich.gov.uk

January 2020

10 Focus on Greenwich

Enter the Best of Royal Greenwich Business Awards 2020!

The Best of Royal Greenwich Business Awards celebrate the variety of over 11,000, thriving businesses within the borough and highlight the vital role they play in providing sustainable growth.

T

he Awards are free to enter and open to anyone who manages or owns a business in the borough. They give businesses of all sizes a great opportunity to gain publicity and highlight their successes. For the second year running, the awards are being sponsored by U+I and have the support of the South East London Chamber of Commerce.

The awards have brought many benefits and great opportunities for previous winners including, television appearances, new business deals, business support and new customers.

Here’s what some of them had to say: Adrianna Baker, owner of street food business, ‘Backa-Yard Grill’ won the Young Entrepreneur Award in 2019 Adrianna Baker was a qualified chef, working as a mental health carer. Her passion for food led her to start Back-aYard Grill in June 2018, in a community space in Greenwich.

“I started the business in Greenwich because I was born here and love the area. It’s a borough to be proud of.

I set up Back-a-Yard Grill because, even though I was working as a carer, I was more passionate about food and the service that comes with it.”

“The organisation, Peabody encouraged me to apply for the awards and I thought, ‘Why not apply for it and see what happens?’

It was overwhelming to win the award.

I can’t describe what it felt like. It’s such a massive opportunity, which is great.”

“The awards have done well for our business.

I am about to become a restaurant owner!

The street food business has gone from one booking every weekend to triple bookings.”

“My advice to applicants this year is to give it your best shot, tell them about your challenges and the successes you’ve had with your business.

There are so many opportunities that come from it, so please do give it a try.”

Visit: backayardgrill.co.uk Julia Dyer, Director of children’s shop, ‘Ottie and the Bea’ and winner of The Independent Retailer Award 2018 Julia was formerly an actress.

She opened Ottie and the Bea in 2010 after having her first daughter.

“My favourite part of running a business is the customer service and the community side of things, which I love. All the children recognise you as the ‘toy shop lady’.”

Enter the awards

“We were invited to apply for the business awards and I thought, ‘Why not have a go?’

Through the awards, we gained a mentor from the business team at the Council, which was free.

It was the first time I had someone to talk to about what I was trying to do.”

Visit: ottieandthebea.com Selena Pang, owner of vintage style hairdressing salon, ‘the Curious Comb’ and winner of the High Street Retailer Award 2019 Selena Pang has just celebrated the tenth anniversary of the Curious Comb; she moved the salon to Greenwich four years ago.

“We are different in the sense that we are really welcoming. I have always worked in Central London and I wanted to bring a higher standard of hairdressing to the suburbs.”

“The best thing about having my own business is the challenge. There is no limit to what you can do, it can be as successful as you make it.

It’s a journey and I have really enjoyed it.”

“We were delighted to win the High Street Retailer Award. We originally entered to get more exposure and build links within the community.

Winning the award has raised our profile.

It has helped us attract new customers who would normally go somewhere else in town. It has made them try out local businesses like ours.”

Visit: thecuriouscomb.co.uk Grace Olugbodi, creator of the multi-award-winning maths board game ‘Race to Infinity’ and winner of the Micro to Small Business Award 2019 for BeGenio Grace Olugbodi is the creator of the multi-award-winning maths board game called ‘Race to Infinity’, author of ‘Make Maths Fun’ and co-author of the No.1 Amazon bestseller ‘Get in the Game’. She set up BeGenio three years ago after leaving a career in investment banking.

“I first created my maths game on paper.

My kids and I played it about 450 times, and I ran workshops in schools and kept tweaking it until I was satisfied.”

“The best bit about running my business is the incredible feeling of achieving my mission to help children fall in love with mathematics.”

“I entered the business awards because my business advisor really encouraged me to.

I did not think I would win, let alone win what I was told was the most competitive category.”

We want as many businesses as possible to apply. Nominate your business by 24 January 2020 at: royalgreenwich.gov.uk/businessawards The awards will be held at the InterContinental O2 Hotel on Friday 6 March 2020, with guest presenter Steph McGovern.

For more information, email: business-awards@royalgreenwich.gov.uk

January 2020

“Since winning the award, I have had business support from the Council that is worth its weight in gold, in the form of contacts and invaluable business advice which has helped me move forward in leaps and bounds.”

Visit: racetoinfinity.com Raymond Sheehy, Chief Executive of ‘Bridge Support’ and joint winner of the Business Champion Award 2019 Bridge Support runs different services to support people to be more resilient and independent within their communities, and a social enterprise cafe called ‘Stir’ in Woolwich, which provides food and training courses for people to get back into work successfully. Raymond Sheehy has worked at Bridge Support for the last ten years.

“I entered the awards because I am passionate about Greenwich. I have lived in the borough for over 25 years.”

“Since winning the business award, I’ve been able to let people know and it has been a really great opportunity to introduce the business.

The awareness around our success in Greenwich means we have been noticed by people and that has translated into two new projects with the total value of just over a million pounds.

It’s been a positive experience and I think people know about us now in a way that they wouldn’t have, had we not taken part in the awards.”

Visit: bridgesupport.org Kate Zalyubovskaya, Co-Founder and Director of ‘Archery Fit’ and winner of the Young Entrepreneur Award 2018 Kate and her husband Roman Godin opened Archery Fit in 2015. Kate was a professional archer and Roman worked as a banking and financial consultant for 15 years. He manages the operational, administrative, financial, and marketing side of the business.

“The best thing about running a business is the family-like relations, friendly community, and being paid for doing what you like.”

“We entered the awards because we thought it’s good publicity, and we have a product which deserves it. The entry process was easy and straightforward.

Winning the awards raised our staff morale, added positive weight to our brand and helped us address a larger audience.”

“Just apply! If you think that your product or service is worth recognition – don’t hide it!”

Visit: archeryfit.com

Enter the 2020 Enter the 2020 Enter the 2020 Business Awards now!

Enter the 2020 Business Awards now!

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Business Awards now!

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Westminster Industrial Estate

U + I 13

We love Greenwich O

ur passionate interest in heritageled regeneration began at the heart of Greenwich. In 2001, we were afforded the privilege of developing a part of the Royal Naval College in a partnership with the University of Greenwich and the Ministry of Defence.

Devonport House, one of the buildings inherited by the University, was empty and unproductive. Our solution was to deliver a sensitive refurbishment that included a highly successful hotel and conference centre and 128 student bedrooms, delivered at no cost to the University.

This kind of public private partnership now characterises most of the developments we undertake at U+I – Devonport House helped shape our understanding of how to bring public bodies together with private funding and development expertise to deliver new public facilities at no cost to the public purse. The fact that we were able to do this in Greenwich with such a beautiful set of buildings has been a source of great pride to us.

At The Movement, right next to Greenwich Station, we built one of the most complex schemes we have ever undertaken on two acres of previously derelict light industrial land. We laid out a new street, Lovibond Lane, with a poem commissioned specially for Greenwich by the Olympic Laureate Lemn Sissay carved into the paving slabs. An extension to the existing Greenwich West Community and Arts Centre was delivered first at the heart of the site, and this important gateway to the Borough now has a fitting scheme

The Movement Cafe by Morag Myerscough

U+I has a long history in Greenwich. In fact, one of the constituent companies that formed U+I in 2015, Cathedral Group, built some of its very first developments in the Royal Borough. to welcome visitors and residents that includes new homes, a hotel, a series of small business enterprise units and shops. During construction and while the equestrian events at the Olympic Games were in progress, we installed The Movement CafĂŠ at the corner of the High Street and Waller Way. This awardwinning temporary project, created by the artist, Morag Myerscough, ended up staying on site for three years and became a much-loved part of the High Street.

Now our focus is on two fantastic regeneration opportunities. On the Greenwich Peninsula we are working at Morden Wharf in partnership with one of the oldest and most respected charitable organisations in the country, Morden College. Our scheme, which we will submit to planners at the end of February, will deliver a new riverside park surrounding a mixed-use development of housing, industrial, commercial and leisure facilities designed by the internationally renowned architects OMA. We have been hard at work over the last few years animating our site while we designed and planned our scheme. One of the large warehouse spaces is now home to a series of creative businesses that have brought jobs and economic life to a previously unproductive place.

At Charlton Riverside we have just submitted a planning application to deliver a heritage-led regeneration scheme at the site of the old Siemens Factory on the Westminster Industrial

Estate. Our mixed-use project will deliver a mix of workspaces, an innovation hub, space for makers and light industrial uses as well as hundreds of new homes.

With our partners Galliard Homes and the current landowners Royal London, we have a plan to transform the largely derelict site into a thriving business and residential hub that respects and builds on the area’s industrial heritage.

We are proud of the work we have done in Greenwich. Proud of what we have been able to do to bring back to life a valuable part of one of the most important heritage assets in the world. Proud of the homes we have been able to build and proud of the economic activity our schemes have been able to generate to fuel the ongoing success of this great Borough. We are looking forward to a bright future where we see unparalleled opportunity to partner with the Royal Borough and others to deliver huge social and economic change.

January 2020

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Focus on Lewisham 15

Lewisham Council is determined to deliver inclusive, sustainable growth so that everyone living and working in the borough can reach their full potential and share in its success

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ur location, skilled workforce and diverse, creative, and entrepreneurial culture provide excellent value for London businesses seeking a base in the capital. These are the perfect conditions for good growth in the high-value, knowledge-based economy of the future.

Lewisham is THE emerging borough for the creative and digital sector. The borough has seen employment growth of seventyone per cent over the past five years – double that of the capital generally.

Goldsmiths University of London, and our vibrant art and cultural sector provide talent, innovation, and access to specialist and knowledge-transfer facilities which fuel business growth.

Major regeneration is providing modern purpose-built office, creative studio and workshop spaces in easy reach of central London, at half the cost.

Key business sectors in the borough include professional support services, digital, computing, virtual reality, augmented reality, IT, design, advertising, fashion manufacturing, crafts, and contemporary and fine arts.

Transport for London’s proposed Bakerloo line extension will bring the tube to the borough for the very first time, and new links to central London.

At Lewisham town centre, a Bakerloo line station would interchange with DLR and National Rail services, and improve transport to Lewisham. There are also proposals for a second phase, which would extend the Tube beyond Lewisham town centre - to Ladywell, Catford and Sydenham which would bring many benefits to the south of the borough.

The Catford Masterplan outlines the huge opportunities there are to transform Catford Town Centre, bringing about the improvements that local people want to see. The council owns a large number of key sites here, including the Catford Centre, Milford Towers, the Town Hall and Civic Suite and Laurence House.

Last summer we launched the new Catford Mews cinema to regenerate the existing shopping centre and bring the night time economy back to the heart of Catford. The cinema has been a huge success showing an eclectic mix of art house and blockbuster films.

Good growth involves character-led development of new community facilities and public spaces. The Lewisham Gateway project includes around 800 homes, a park, town square, shops, restaurants, a cinema and bars. This is complemented by nearby Loampit Vale housing development which incorporates the award winning Glass Mill Leisure Centre.

January 2020

16 Focus on Bromley

Regeneration Plan for Crystal Palace Park to be submitted for Outline Planning Permission Bromley Council is preparing to submit an outline planning application for the regeneration of Crystal Palace Park, which is expected to bring significant benefits for the local and regional economy.

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he Council recognises the potential of the park as one of national and international significance and has been working hard to secure a sustainable future for the park so that it is enjoyed for generations to come.

The 80 hectare Grade II* listed park was originally designed by Sir Joseph Paxton to house the Crystal Palace, the structure that he designed for the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park in 1851. Today the park is home to a number of important natural and built heritage features, including the famous dinosaurs, and offers a range of attractions for residents and visitors.

The Council aspires to reinstate Crystal Palace Park as a place of fun and recreation in the spirit of Paxton’s vision, celebrating excellence in landscape and horticulture and providing facilities and events in-keeping with a park of international significance.

The Regeneration Plan’s aims are to: • reinvigorate Crystal Palace Park as a contemporary and historic showcase in tune with Paxton’s vision and create a place of discovery, learning, recreation and fun • develop the park’s local and regional identity and to re-establish its national and international significance • provide community benefits through both facilities in the park and connections to local facilities and the economy • deliver a contemporary, financially and environmentally friendly, sustainable plan, securing the long-term future of the park.

January 2020

To deliver these aims the Council has taken a three pronged approach. Alongside the planning application for capital improvements a draft business model for improved management and maintenance has been produced, and the Crystal Palace Park Trust has been established, a highly skilled body of professionals representing the community, with the potential to take on the governance of the park in the future.

The regeneration of the park will create jobs and attract visitors to the area, boosting the local economy. Crystal Palace has been identified as an area that has the potential to generate growth above the Outer London trend without competing against existing town centres or other business locations.

The regeneration of the park will benefit local businesses who have already reported a correlation between the open days at the park’s historic subway and footfall and sales in the town centre.

It is also projected that travelling visitor spend will filter into neighbouring places, particularly those in the five London boroughs bordering the park, which is well serviced by public transport.

Regeneration will increase the desirability of South London and attract more cultural tourism particularly due the historical interest of the palace. CEBR’s report on the spill over impact of the arts and culture industry through tourism revealed that in 2011, 10m inbound visits to the UK involved engagement with the arts and culture, representing 32% of all visits to the UK and 42%of all inbound tourism related expenditure, amounting to £7.6b.

These figures continue to increase – between 2013 and 2017 inbound tourism increased by 19.88% and related income increased from £21.2b to £24.5b.

The specific proposals for the regeneration have been subject to formal consultation, and feedback on proposals has been considered in the development of the outline planning application. There will be an additional opportunity to find out more about the scheme in the spring and summer of 2020, as part of the process of determining the planning application.

For more information, visit www.bromley.gov.uk/crystalpalacepark

Your Bromley 17

Bromley

a new world powerhouse

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he article went on to say, that estimates calculated by the Office for National Statistic indicate that Bromley’s GNP output at £9.3 billion, is roughly the same as Madagascar, which has a population of more than 25 million.

Your Bromley, the business partnership led and funded by Bromley Town Centre businesses, is planning a programme of events including a food festival, and an outdoor three day film festival for the year ahead, designed to increase footfall. They will also increase security presence, and make the town centre look smarter through enhanced street cleaning, additional greening, festive

Bromley recently featured (20 December) in the Evening Standard and was described as ‘a new world powerhouse’ and a perfect place for the new and thriving businesses looking to develop and grow. lighting, business recycling. The programme will include activities for members’ employees such as summer fitness sessions, inter business bowling or quiz night competitions with proceeds donated to local charities and good causes, all of which helps with employee retention.

So whether you’re looking to relocate your business, or simply planning a day out, Bromley town centre needs to be at the top of your list.

And in another recent Evening Standard Homes & Property feature (3 January), Bromley town centre was crowned the best London borough for wellbeing. In addition it has seen property prices in the borough rise by 26% over the last five years (Evening Standard).

January 2020

18 Focus on Bexley

Focus on Bexley

Thames Estuary meeting in Bexley

The inaugural meeting of the Thames Estuary Board took place at the Civic Offices, Bexleyheath in December, chaired by the recently appointed Estuary Envoy, Kate Willard.

The Thames Estuary Board’s purpose is to help stimulate growth in the economy across the Estuary by championing and shaping the vision for the region with key stakeholders, acting as a critical friend to local and central government on delivery and driving Thames Estuary priorities. It is a voluntary partnership between local authorities the London Borough of Bexley, Thurrock and Dartford, Local Enterprise Partnerships, universities, businesses and civil society.

Town centres for today

As shopping habits change local authorities across the country are having to rethink town centre regeneration.

Recent investment by London Borough of Bexley has done much to enhance the visitor experience to towns such as Sidcup, Erith and Blackfen. It has also played a part in the success of several start-up businesses. Along with this, more creative action is being taken to diversify what the Borough’s town centres have to offer, with less reliance on retail and more focus on how to attract visitors.

• Erith The Greater Erith Regeneration Programme is working with the local

community to help Erith become a flourishing riverside town by rejuvenating existing spaces, enabling new developments and enhancing all the things that make the area great. The programme work is taking place in phases as funding is secured.

The first phase, funded by the Council and the Mayor of London, saw the Carnegie Library Building re-open as a café, arts and culture community hub run by local social enterprise The Exchange. Improvements to Erith Station also made it more welcoming and accessible. A number of community events were organised, including the Erith Lighthouse, Erith Kitchen and the popular Erith Pier Festival.

In Sidcup work has already started to develop an empty former ‘Blockbuster’ shop on the high street into a new cinema and library. Construction of the new library, cinema run by the Really Local Group and housing project will start in early 2020 and it is scheduled to open by the end of 2021.

Phase two, funded by the Council and the Mayor of London’s Good Growth Fund, will help create vibrant places by rejuvenating the Riverside Gardens, renovating the historic Bank Chambers at 70 Pier Road, opening a new community kitchen at 66/68 Pier Road, repurposing the former Learning and Enterprise College units on Erith High Street and improving the public space at Pier Square, Erith High Street and Pier Road. The upper floors of the Carnegie Library building will also be completed subject to securing funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Planning for the next phase of the regeneration programme has begun and funding bids are being prepared. These will include a bid to TfL for upgrading the highway and public realm to ensure Erith

January 2020

Find out more about the Greater Erith Regeneration Programme at www.greatererith.com

Public wi-fi

A new free public wi-fi service has been introduced in some of Bexley’s main town centres, providing another reason for people to visit and stay longer.

The programme will be rolled out over the next few months. The Council has already ‘switched on’ free public wi-fi in Erith, Welling, Sidcup and Crayford town centres. Bexleyheath and Bexley Village will follow shortly. The network requires a one-time only registration and allows users to experience high bandwidth services free from advertisements.

• Sidcup

The project will bring an important site back to life. Its mixed programme will reintroduce community and social functions onto the high street and bring diverse communities together.

is better connected, to benefit residents, businesses and visitors to the town centre.

Any volunteers?

Bexley’s Youth Offending Service is currently recruiting volunteers from all walks of life, to join its ranks.

Volunteers must be 18 and over and the roles are subject to a successful enhanced DBS check, references and completion of a mandatory YOS training programme. There are two roles Referral Order Panel Members and Learning Mentors.

Successful applicants must be able to engage effectively with young people, using a practical approach and sound judgement.

They will be a good role models with a commitment to raising the achievement and self-esteem of all young people.

For more information or an informal chat please contact Sandra Dammens on 020 3045 5662 or email Sandra.dammens@bexley.gov.uk

News 19

Nominations open for business awards The nominations are open for the Best of Royal Greenwich Business Awards 2020.

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hey are free to enter and businesses can enter as many of the ten categories as they would like until nominations close on Friday 24 January 2020.

The categories celebrate all types of businesses from high street retailers to social enterprises. There are plenty of new categories this year, focusing on all aspects of business including health and wellbeing, dedication to training and development opportunities and creativity and innovation.

Cllr Danny Thorpe, Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, said: “Businesses play a vital role in delivering essential goods and services to residents and visitors, providing jobs and growing the economy and it’s important for us to celebrate their contribution.

“The Best of Royal Greenwich Business Awards are our way of recognising the great work that goes on, as well as about promoting businesses and providing great exposure for our business community, boosting networking opportunities and encouraging residents to shop local.”

The Best of Royal Greenwich Business Awards is an annual event in Royal Greenwich’s calendar to highlight and showcase the very best that the borough has to offer in terms of business and enterprise.

This year’s judging panel includes Cllr Denise Hyland, Cabinet Member for Economy, Skills and Apprenticeships, CEO of GCDA Claire Pritchard, Designer Emile Vidal Carr, Owner of Russell King Associates Kaan Azmi and Grace Olugbodi Founder of BeGenio, last years’ Micro to Small Business Award winner.

For a second year running, the Awards are being sponsored

by U+I, a property regeneration company, and have the support of the South East London Chamber of Commerce.

The award ceremony will be held at the InterContinental O2 Hotel on Friday 6 March. Guest presenter will be breakfast TV’s Steph McGovern.

Richard Upton, Chief Development Officer at U+I, said: “Our earliest projects were in Plumstead and Greenwich and we have for 30 years always had a presence in the Borough.

And so in a way, we have built a business with the Borough, almost from scratch.

“The Council have been with us the whole way. U+I is now a large business, listed on the London Stock Exchange with a pipeline of some £11bn of regeneration projects and so it is natural for us to want to support these awards and to encourage others to grow creating a better, more inclusive and productive Borough. The awards have gone from strength

Way forward agreed on Ladywell Playtower restoration A way forward on the restoration of Ladywell Playtower in the borough of Lewisham has been agreed which will allow the Grade II listed building to be brought back into use for the community.

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to strength and we wish all applicants the best of luck.”

Cllr Denise Hyland said: “The Best of Royal Greenwich Business Awards has been a huge success over the last two years and this would not be possible if we didn’t have the backing of our sponsors.

“We have had overwhelming numbers of businesses apply in previous years and we want to make this a record-breaking year so help us spread the word far and wide and encourage all types of businesses to nominate themselves.”

For more information on the Awards, including a full list of categories and to nominate your business for an award, visit royalgreenwich.gov.uk/ business awards

lans to transform the historic Victorian bath house into a new three-screen cinema with café, bar and residential units have been revised to also include a dedicated space for use by community groups and as an affordable workspace.

In 2017, Curzon Cinemas won the bid to restore the Playtower after the building was badly damaged by fire and fell into disrepair.

However, investigations revealed that the cost of restoring the historic building, which sits within the St Mary’s Conservation Area, were greater than anticipated.

Following conversations between the council, the developer Guildmore and Curzon, the proposed restoration works to Ladywell Playtower have been revised.

It has been agreed that up to 200m2 of ground floor space be used as an affordable workspace for local businesses or bookable community space. The space would be let at rates below the market rate. Curzon Cinemas has also committed to offer discounted cinema tickets to local residents.

A full planning application is expected to be submitted early in 2020. The Council will retain the freehold to the building.

Young entrepreneurs given the chance to pitch their business ideas Ten groups of young entrepreneurs from primary and secondary schools in the Royal Greenwich area were put through their paces in the ‘Dragon’s Den’.

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he pupils were invited to pitch their business ideas to an expert panel to win funding towards their sociallyconscious projects. The event, hosted at Woolwich Polytechnic school, was organised by the Social Enterprise Academy’s School Enterprise Schools’ programme.

Royal Greenwich is one of only two London boroughs awarded the opportunity to take part in the Social Enterprise Schools programme.

Teams from ten local schools will be working together over the next few months to deliver innovative, sustainable, pupil-led projects.

Cllr Denise Hyland, Cabinet Member for Economy Skills and Apprenticeships, said: “This is a big opportunity for our young people to start their own businesses with a social mission to tackle issues that they care about and learn entrepreneurship skills too.

“By match funding the programme, we are investing in the next generation, ensuring Royal Greenwich remains a great place to grow up and that future economic prosperity is delivered for all.”

The programme is designed to support the development of enterprise, employability and entrepreneurial skills in young people and has been successfully running in Scotland since 2007.

This is the first time it is being extended to English schools.

Neil McLean, Chief Executive at the Social Enterprise Academy, said: “All of the pupils who pitched their ideas are assets to their communities here in Greenwich.

They are doing amazing work running social enterprises to tackle the social and environmental issues they care about.

“We’re delighted to be supporting these pupils through the Social

Enterprise Schools programme and want to make sure other schools have the same opportunity to learn entrepreneurship and develop key employability skills by doing good in their community.”

Some excellent ideas were pitched to the panel, including selling recycled crafts to fund work in retirement homes, selling snacks to fund an escape room experience for people suffering from stress and anxiety, selling cakes and books to fund manufacture of blankets for those in need, café and used clothes sales to support the homeless, and a fruit stall to raise money for endangered children.

The two winning teams came from Thorntree Primary and Plumstead Manor – the former will be selling aromatherapy ‘Bags of Happiness’ to raise money for Climate Alliance and the latter are facilitating a blazer recycling scheme to remove stigma

around second-hand uniforms.

The winning bids received £150 each, with all the runner-up schools receiving £50.

Schools who presented at were: • Boxgrove Primary School • Cherry Orchard Primary School • Eltham Hill School • Mary Magdalene School • Mulgrave Primary School • Plumstead Manor School • Shooters Hill Sixth Form College • Thorntree Primary School • Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys • Wyborne Primary School The panel of ‘dragons’ included Rupert O’Halloran, Vice President of Solution Engineering at SAP, Hekla Goodman, Early Stage Investment Manager at Big Issue Invest, Neil McLean, Chief Executive at the Social Enterprise Academy and Claire Pritchard, CEO at Greenwich Co-operative Development Agency.

January 2020

20 Education & Skills

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n an announcement made before the General Election, the Department of Education said that in 2020 young people aged 16-19 will benefit from a £155 million cash injection so they can access high-quality courses that will set them on a path to rewarding careers with higher wages.

The funding forms part of the additional £400 million announced in August for school sixth forms and colleges for 2020-21.

Details of how the £155 million will be allocated to colleges and sixth forms includes: • an extra £65 million to help cover the cost of delivering courses in six key, more expensive subject areas: building and construction, hospitality and catering, engineering, transportation operations and maintenance, manufacturing technologies and science; and • £55 million will be allocated for delivering high value courses – those that deliver the skills the country needs for the future and which lead to higher wages for students, including a number of STEM subjects; and • £35 million more will be provided to support students on level 3 courses (A level equivalent) who have not yet achieved a GCSE pass in maths and English to improve vital literacy and numeracy skills.

New analysis published recently by the Government highlighed the higher earnings potential for young people that achieved a level 3 qualification (A level or equivalent) in subjects such as physics and engineering.

January 2020

Young people to benefit from £155 million skills funding boost Funding will help colleges and sixth forms to deliver expensive but crucial subjects like engineering, construction and hospitality.

Business urged to support National Apprenticeship Week

The 13th annual National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) will take place from 3 to 7 February.

National Apprenticeship Week is an annual week-long celebration designed to recognise and

applaud apprenticeship success stories across the country.

Apprenticeship employers use the opportunity to promote the success of their apprentices and highlight the huge benefits to other employers, of all sizes, who are thinking of taking on an apprentice.

Apprenticeship employers use the opportunity to promote the success of their apprentices and highlight the huge benefits to other employers, of all sizes, who are thinking of taking on an apprentice.

Apprentices across the country will also be celebrated throughout the week, with engagement and events in schools and colleges.

Many current and former apprentices will go back to school to tell their story, attracting the next generation of apprentices, so they too can fire up their future career.

Throughout its 13 years, National Apprenticeship Week has brought together apprenticeship supporters from across the country, with MPs, ambassadors, apprentices, training providers and employers involved in recognising the value and importance of apprenticeships.

Organisers want to recruit even more supporters for 2020, to build on 2019’s success, which included: • More than 1,250 events taking place across England • NAW2019, National Apprenticeship Week and #BlazeATrail all trending UK wide on Twitter over the course of the week • More than 30,000 visits to the NAW resource pages on GOV.UK • A successful Ask an Apprentice day with employers, including TUI, Bentley Careers, Siemens UK, AXA Insurance and Cisco all involved.

More information will be announced on GOV.UK and on social media channels.

You can follow @Apprenticeships on Twitter and the National Apprenticeship Service on LinkedIn to keep up to date.

Skills 21

Students get back on-track with the help of Dame Kelly Holmes Trust After the resounding success of London South East Colleges’ first Getting Back On Track Programme (in partnership with the Mayor of London and the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust), this week has seen the launch of Cohort #2 with students eager to kick-start their careers and progress into further study or on to an apprenticeship.

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arlier in the year, our pilot programme attracted a large number of young people in need of re-engagement, career advice, direction and inspiration. Out of these, many are now enrolled back into fulltime further education courses or starting work on apprenticeship programmes.

The six-week employability and personal progression programme aims to inspire students who have dropped out of college, or who may have ‘missed the boat’ after leaving school last year, to find a suitable career pathway in a subject or vocation that interests them. Instilling confidence and self-belief, resilience and awareness are critical to the success of the project and the participants who form its second cohort.

During the first three-days of motivational sessions, former UK athletes, and Dame Kelly Holmes Trust Mentors, Claire Bennett (individual and team gold and bronze medal winner at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and England fencing team captain), Suzanne Miller (a champion badminton superstar achieving a haul of national and international accolades), and Hannah Beharry (motivational speaker, athlete mentor, personal trainer and first female European boxing champion) kicked-off the programme with a range of activities to test the students’ resolve in problem solving, teamwork, communications and decision-making.

On day two, former England fencing captain, Claire Bennett led the students in a range of fun and stimulating physical exercises

followed by group activities designed to develop problemsolving skills, confidence and teamwork.

Claire told the students: “My road to sporting success didn’t actually start well. I was bullied at school and later in my fencing career I just missed out on qualifying for the London 2012 Olympic Games. It was devastating, but I am proud of what I have achieved in trying to get to the top of my sport. There is still much to be proud of. I Captained the England team to a gold medal at the Commonwealth Fencing Games and it is something that I will never forget. I have no regrets because I gave it everything I had and that gave me the freedom to move on in my life beyond sport. Since then, I met my husband, had my first child, I commentate on Eurosport and work in people development, supporting and developing others to achieve their potential.

“The advice I would give you all is to find out what you are good at, what your passion is, and then to go for it with all your heart.

You never know what is around the corner. It’s important to go for

your goals and grab every opportunity that comes your way.

You have the ability to achieve whatever it is you want to achieve, be brave and go for it.”

Former level 2 child care student Florence Carruel, 17, from Chislehurst has already found employment with only one week of the course gone by securing a nursery care assistant apprenticeship beginning next week. She said: “I’ve loved being here and hearing all the personal stories and good advice by the athletes. I wish I could have done the whole course to be honest but when you get an opportunity like this, you have to go with it. I know it will be hard work and I’ll have to put in the hours too. I didn’t like school and wasn’t a big fan of full-time education either. An apprenticeship means learning on the job and earning a wage.

I’m really looking forward to getting started.”

Alexandra Davidson, 19 from Beckenham is a successful member of the programme’s first cohort and following completion of the course, was offered a level 3 apprenticeship in front

desk/reception management. She said: “The Getting Back On Track course did exactly what it says on the tin. It literally got me back ontrack and living life to the full again after a whole year of being out of work and feeling down in the doldrums.

“In fact, it has made me fall in love with learning after having a very interrupted schooling.

Inspired by athletes and the wonderful teachers and administrators at London South East Colleges, this course has given me a clear picture of what I can expect in the future and I’ve even been taken on by the College in a real job. My confidence has risen enormously and I’ve been taught that I am worth so much more than what I thought previously.

“I would recommend it to anyone who feels stuck in a rut and low in confidence and moral.

Thank you so much to Lucy for everything you have done for me - if it wasn’t for you and this great course, I wouldn’t be as happy as I am right now.”

“The advice I would give you all is to find out what you are good at, what your passion is, and then to go for it with all your heart. You never know what is around the corner. It’s important to go for your goals and grab every opportunity that comes your way. You have the ability to achieve whatever it is you want to achieve, be brave and go for it.”

January 2020

and pragmatic advice, speak to CWJ For commercially focused and pragmatic advice, Ourspeak team areto able to assist with a range of legal matters including: CWJ • • • • • •

Business sale and purchase Commercial disputes Our team are able to assist with a range of legal matters including: Debt recovery • Employment Business saleadvice and purchase • Property Commercial disputes acquisition/disposals and lease renewals • Supply Debt recovery of goods and service agreements • Employment advice • Property acquisition/disposals and lease renewals • Supply of goods and service agreements

www.cwj.co.uk

Call us now on 01689 887887

Legal 23

Whistleblowers a quick guide We all see things at work that we think,

“Maybe that’s not the best way to do things.”

However, it’s quite a leap from that point to becoming a full-on whistle-blower.

W

hen things go past the ‘that’s not right’ stage and verge on the illegal, immoral, or just downright inept, then who steps up to draw attention to the situation?

The term ‘whistle-blower’ has always had, rightly or wrongly, somewhat negative connotations. A whistle-blower might have a personal agenda or an axe to grind.

They may be deliberately trying to sabotage a company or individual.

Or they may just revel in causing trouble.

That was for many years, the public opinion of a whistle-blower, primarily because those who felt compelled to speak out often did so behind a cloak of anonymity. This was mainly because they feared for their future, their job, or even in some extreme cases, their own personal wellbeing.

Today, we have a much more positive view of whistle-blowers. They’re seen as people who are brave enough to speak out against corruption, wrong-doing, or unacceptable working conditions and practices. They’ve become heroes, rather than pariahs. So, if you’ve reached your limit and need to speak out, who do you talk to?

What is a whistle-blower?

If you see something at work that could be affecting others (including the general public) and decide to speak out, then you’re technically a whistleblower. It could be signs of malpractice, financial discrepancies, or even dangerous working conditions that could potentially put peoples’ lives at risk.

Is my job at risk?

Whistle-blowers are protected by an Act known as The Public Interest Disclosure Act (PIDA), which means it’s against the law for anyone to be treated unfairly or dismissed because they have raised concerns about workplace practices.

The law gives protection to those who expose serious issues within the workplace, whether that’s financial impropriety or working conditions that are dangerous. So no, you should certainly not be concerned about losing your job because you’ve chosen to speak out.

If you’re a worker – for example an employee in the NHS, a police officer or office worker – then your job security is protected by law, even if you do decide to go public with your concerns.

Trainees and interns are also protected, as are agency workers.

What is a ‘gagging clause’?

A ‘gagging clause’ or confidentiality clause as it’s more commonly referred to, is an agreement either within a contract of employment or drawn up separately between an employer and an employee, that prevents the employee from disclosing information about the company or people that they may work with. When they are part of a compromise/settlement agreement they may be accompanied by an offer of payment that is separate from the usual reimbursement for services (a wage or fee). These separate payments are often suspiciously close to being regarded as a ‘pay off’ for staying silent.

Don’t confuse these with perfectly reasonable NDAs or Non-Disclosure Agreements, which are generally included from the outset within a contract, and cover such things as not disclosing to other potential rival companies the details of customers or clients.

Gagging clauses are unenforceable if they prevent a worker making a protected disclosure, so even if one has been signed a whistle-blower can still go on to expose any wrongdoing as long as it’s in the public interest.

Personal grievances

If your issue could be regarded as a personal grievance, rather than something that could affect others, then you may not be covered by any legislation that gives protection to whistle-blowers.

If you do feel that the issue is more of a personal grievance, then you’ll need to report it using your employer’s existing grievance policies.

Who do I tell?

You can go directly to your employer either personally or anonymously, but this may not have any real effect. There may, however, be times when you cannot go to your employer, and feel so strongly that the perceived wrongdoing needs to be exposed quickly that you take it to an external source such as a journalist or media outlet. If you decide to go straight to the media without going to your employer first, then you may lose any legal protection you might otherwise have under the Public Interest Disclosure Act. Alternatively, you can go to a ‘prescribed person’. Bear in mind that once you pass on the information to your employer or your prescribed person, you won’t have any further influence on proceedings.

You can find a list of prescribed persons as defined by the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy here, but in brief, they include Ofcom, the Accounts Commission for Scotland, The Bank of England, HMRC, The Comptroller and Auditor General, the SFO, the FCA, and other bodies.

If you don’t get the response you think your situation merits, then talk to a legal expert who will be able to help you.

Alternatively, the whistle-blowing charity Protect will be able to support you with more advice and guidance.

Judith Curran Head of Employment 01689 887812 judith.curran@cwj.co.uk

January 2020

24 Big Interview

In celebration of a true gem We live in a world of big-name museums with big marketing budgets, but sometimes it pays to look a little further because that is where true gems can be found.

January 2020

Big Interview 25

T

hat is certainly the case with The Fan Museum, which is located in Greenwich, and when it was established in 1991 was the first of its kind.

Driving the museum’s development over the past three decades has been Helene Alexander MBE, the director and founder. Her innovative work with curator Jacob Moss and his team is encouraging growing numbers of people to visit despite the competition from the Capital’s better known historical attractions.

Proving popular to visitors is the mixture of permanent displays and one-off exhibitions at the museum, which is home to a range of exquisite fans with pieces including some from as far back as the early 11th Century.

Helene believes that the museum’s success is down to the fact that it tells the story behind the fans, explaining

the social context of the various artefacts.

The museum, which is located in two beautiful buildings from the 18th Century, is based on her personal collection, to which it has added over the years.

She said: “I suppose that I have ‘collectivitis’! My passion for collecting was prompted by my father, who was a great collector of artefacts including gold coins.

“The museum came about because I had been collecting fans for many years and by the 1980s the collection numbered more than 1,000, mostly from the 18th Century.

“In 1985 a ‘windfall’ meant that my husband and I could contemplate founding what was then the only fan museum in the world.

“For me, the attraction of fans is that they are not simply artefacts. Each one has a place in history and we provide visitors with that context by telling them about the social conditions in which they were used.

“Fans are so varied. Some have had a utilitarian use, used simply to cool people down, but some are exquisite works of art.”

The Fan Museum is situated in two restored townhouses in historic Royal Greenwich, close to the National Maritime Museum and Cutty Sark, but Helene does not regard them as competition; rather she sees The Fan Museum as complementing the area’s attractions.

Being a small museum means that attracting visitors is a constant challenge and Helene believes its key to success is constantly keeping things fresh.

She said: “Finance is always a challenge and recruiting the right staff, both paid and voluntary, is important.

“Since recruiting our curator Jacob Moss in 2010, the museum has been able to develop a considerable number of initiatives.

“This year, for example, we are working on two new exhibitions.

The first one, called Heroic Figures, starts in February and will tell the story of some of the heroic people in history who were associated with fans.

“It will allow us to explore the nature of heroism. The exhibition underlines the fact that fans are not just artefacts, they allow us to reflect on periods in history as well.”

As part of the exhibition, there will be a specially arranged illustrated lecture. Saviours, Traitors and Supermen will be delivered by Lucy HughesHallett at 2pm on Thursday 20 February. Tickets £7.50 / £6.75 (Friends discount).

Cultural Historian, author and Arts Society lecturer Lucy will give a talk closely related to Heroic Figures, the museum’s first exhibition of 2020.

Exploring the concept of the hero, the lecture begins before the walls of Troy, with Achilles, and ends in the 19th Century with Garibaldi, a leading figure in the Italian national liberation movement. Touching on half a dozen other figures who have been the object of hero-worship, Lucy Hughes-Hallett asks how these men – the ‘scoundrels and scallywags’ as well as the saintly ones – managed to persuade

their contemporaries that they were somehow superhuman.

Helene said: “One of our attractions is the way we stage a changing programme of exhibitions and when Heroic Figures comes to an end, we will have an exhibition based on lace fans.

“Lace making has a long history in this country and our exhibition will tell the story of how lace fans played their part.”

The commitment to innovation means that the museum has gone from strength to strength with visitor numbers growing year on year.

Among the museum’s supporters is HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, its Patron since 2008, whose most recent visit was in December.

HRH met key staff and volunteers before proceeding to view the museum’s current display of treasures, stopping to admire two lavish fans bearing hallmarks of Russian Imperial Jewellers, Fabergé and Fredrick Kochli.

Helene said: “For me, the appeal of fans is the stories that can be told around them. Fans are about people and that is what fascinates me.”

You can find out more at www.thefanmuseum.org.uk

An atmospheric location for corporate events The museum’s Orangery is available for hire for receptions, dinners and small- scale corporate events.

The Orangery is decorated with a mural by Jane Barraclough which gives the room a wonderful atmosphere.

It overlooks what is surely one of the most unexpected and unusual gardens in South London with its paved parterre and fan-shaped flowerbeds, its pond, stream and architectural features and plantings in the Japanese manner.

You can find out more at www.thefanmuseum.org.uk/private-hire

January 2020

Past Chamber Events 27

Making the right connections

Each month the Chamber hosts a variety of events which offer members a superb opportunity to meet and chat to fellow business people. Here, we review a few of our past events.

Executive Lunch at DoubleTree by Hilton London Greenwich Sponsored by Conran, Thursday 31st October 2019 Our final Executive Lunch in 2019 took place at the fantastic DoubleTree

by Hilton London Greenwich.

you to Simon Hughes, Managing Director - Conran (formally Conran Estates) for sponsoring the event.

A sold-out event whose attendees represented by some of the large businesses within the Chamber’s catchment area.

Our guest speaker, Heidi Alexander – Deputy Mayor of London for Transport, gave us a very interesting talk about her portfolio and new planned transport links.

We would like to say a special thank

Photo: Warren King. Left to right – Heidi Alexander – Deputy Mayor of London for Transport. Simon Hughes – Managing Director of Conran & Helen McIntosh – Chamber President

Culture & Business Networking Event

in Association with Greenwich Cultural Forum Thursday 21st November 2019 at London South East Colleges, Greenwich campus

The Chamber partnered with Greenwich Cultural Forum to put on an evening of networking between the Arts and Business sectors.

The objective of the event was to facilitate introductions and share knowledge between these two very different industries to see

how we could benefit from each other. Chamber member, London South East Colleges, hosted and were there to support the event by providing event staff and food was prepared by their catering students.

Another Chamber member, Davy’s supplied the refreshments.

Chamber Christmas Lunch at The Bromley Court Hotel Thursday 13th December 2019 This year’s Christmas Lunch was held at the Bromley Court Hotel.

We had a good turn out and enjoyed the festive banter as well as the delicious food served up for us.

The charity raffle this year was held in aid of the Maypole Project, A local charity that supports SEND children and their families, with

complex medical needs. Our Board Director, Louise Wolsey, Executive Director of Strategic Development at London South East Colleges chose this charity and collected £250.

She is running for them in this year’s London Marathon.

Some of the lucky prize winners below.

Photo: Warren King. Left to right – Yadav Bhandari – Everest Inn, Dr Linda Hyder – University of Greenwich, Barrie Kelly – Visit Greenwich, Louise Wolsey – LSEC, Raymond Sheehy – Bridge Mental Health, Helen McIntosh Chamber President, Dave Millett - DRF, Debbie Towersey – Bridge Mental Health & Mark Amis – Image Works

January 2020

28 Chamber Event

Greenwich Visitor Economy Skills Seminar As part of National Apprenticeship Week, London South East Colleges, Visit Greenwich and the South East London Chamber of Commerce are organising a Greenwich Visitor Economy Skills Seminar.

Y

ou will hear from industry leads on how apprenticeships support their business and what they have done to overcome any barriers.

Speakers will also cover what the local and regional skills focus is and what opportunities there are to collaborate to support your business.

Workshop sessions will focus on how you can access apprenticeships and other training to support your organisations skills gaps and future skills and recruitment demands.

January 2020

Wednesday 5th February 2020

Cost: Free to attend, register via Visit Greenwich

National Maritime Museum, Park Row, Greenwich, London SE10 9NF

Chamber Events 29

Executive Lunch Thursday 5th March 2020 12.00 -14.00 Venue: DoubleTree by Hilton London Greenwich, Catherine Grove, Greenwich SE10 8BB Guest Speaker: Deputy Mayor of London for Business - Rajesh Agrawal Cost: Member ÂŁ50 Non Member ÂŁ60

London South East Colleges is a further and higher education college operating across London and the south east. We offer a range of provision, including vocational apprenticeships, HE and run adult and community learning courses in the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

For more information visit www.LSEC.ac.uk

This event is sponsored by London South East Colleges January 2020

30 Forthcoming Events

Event Name

Date & Time

Venue

Additional Information

Lewisham Link 'n Drink

Wednesday 22nd January 17.30-19.00

Everest Inn, 41 Montpelier Vale, Lewisham, London SE3 0TJ

Informal meeting in a relaxed atmosphere, open to businesses from all boroughs. Canapés served.

Host: Chamber President - Helen McIntosh Cost: Free to attend, register via Chamber

LEWISHAM DEK: Stimulate Your Growth: Introducing New Products & Services

Wednesday 22nd January See online for time

London South Bank University, 103 Borough Rd, London SE1 0AA

Register at www.deklondon.com

PEABODY: Choose a Career In Construction

Tuesday 28th January

The Link Thamesmead, Bazalgette Way, London SE2 9BS

Choose a career in construction with an earning potential of £150 - £250 per day. We can offer you personalised support, practical hands on training,industry certification and access into employment or apprenticeships.

Call: 0203 828 4749 or 07771 305 971 Email: modest.ahmeti@peabody.org.uk

Bromley Breakfast Meeting

Thursday 30th January 07.30-09.00

The Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley Hill, Bromley BR1 4JD

Speakers: Cllr Colin Smith - Leader, London Borough of Bromley & Cllr Peter Morgan - Portfolio Holder for Renewal, Recreation & Housing, London Borough of Bromley.

Cost: Member £21 Non Member £31

LEWISHAM DEK: Adobe Premier Pro CC

Thursday 30th January See online for time

Goldsmith University of London, 8 Lewisham Way, New Cross, London SE14 6NW

Unlocking the potential. This overview of Adobe Premier Pro CC helps you unlock the potential of this powerful video-editing program.

Register at www.deklondon.com

Thamesmead Business Forum

Monday 3rd February 17.00-19.00

Thamesmead Information Hub, Unit 214,Yarnton Way DA18 4DR

Find out how your business can access the potential growth opportunities in Thamesmead.

Open to all individuals, Start-up’s or established businesses looking to start, develop or grow in Thamesmead.

Contact: madeinthamesmead@peabody.org.uk

Greenwich B2B

Tuesday 4th February 18.30-21.00

The Greenwich Tavern, The Treehouse, 1 King William Walk, Greenwich SE10 9JH

In association with Greenwich B2B, informal networking with a presentation.

Chamber Host: Board Director - Rupert Chichester Cost: Free to attend

Greenwich Visitor Economy Skills Seminar

Wednesday 5th February 10.00-14.00

National Maritime Museum, Park Row, Greenwich, London SE10 9NF

Cost: Free to attend, register via Visit Greenwich

LEWISHAM DEK: Creative Photoshop

Thursday 6th February See online for time

Goldsmith University of London, 8 Lewisham Way, New Cross, London SE14 6NW

Photoshop can be used to create new images or edit images to be used on webpages, flyers, posters, leaflets, in videos and much, much more. It's an essential skill for any media, marketing or communications professional who wants to create outstanding content.

Register at www.deklondon.com

January 2020

Forthcoming Events 31

Event Name

Date & Time

Venue

Additional Information

Lewisham Breakfast

Thursday 27th February 07.30-09.00

Lewisham College, Lewisham Way, London SE4 1UT

Guest Speaker: Vicky Foxcroft - MP for Lewisham & Deptford.

Cost: Member £21 Non Member £31

Thamesmead Business Forum

Monday 2nd March 17.00-19.00

Thamesmead Information Hub, Unit 214,Yarnton Way DA18 4DR

Find out how your business can access the potential growthopportunities in Thamesmead.

Open to all individuals, Start-up’s or established businesses looking to start, develop or grow in Thamesmead.

Contact: madeinthamesmead@peabody.org.uk

Greenwich B2B

Tuesday 3rd March 18.30-21.00

The Greenwich Tavern, The Treehouse, 1 King William Walk, Greenwich SE10 9JH

In association with Greenwich B2B, informal networking with a presentation.

Chamber Host: Board Director - Rupert Chichester Cost: Free to attend

Executive Lunch sponsored by London South East Colleges

Thursday 5th March 12.00-14.00

DoubleTree by Hilton London Greenwich, Catherine Grove, Greenwich SE10 8BB

Guest Speaker: Deputy Mayor of London for Business Rajesh Agrawal.

Cost: Member £50 Non Member £60

Royal Greenwich Business Awards

Friday 6th March 12.00-15.00

Waterview Drive, Greenwich Peninsula, London SE10 0TW

For more information please contact: business-awards@royalgreenwich.gov.uk

Greenwich Breakfast Meeting

Thursday 19th March 07.30-09.30

Novotel, 173-185 Greenwich High Rd, Greenwich, London SE10 8JA

Guest Speaker: Cllr Danny Thorpe - Leader Royal Borough of Greenwich Cost: Member £21 Non Member £31

Networking Lunch Members promote your business

Thursday 26th March 12.00-14.00

Novotel, 173-185 Greenwich High Rd, London SE10 8JA

Networking lunch for members & non members. Members free stand space & 1 minute slots. Non members contact the office if you would like to promote your business at this event.

Cost: Member £25 Non Member £35

Bromley Link 'n Drink

Wednesday 25th March 17.30-19.00

The Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley Hill, Bromley BR1 4JD

Free Informal meeting in a relaxed atmosphere, open to businesses from all boroughs.

Chamber Host: Board Director - Terri Johnson Cost: Free to attend, register via Chamber

LEWISHAM DEK Business Growth 12 Hour Bootcamp

Tuesday 31st March See online for time

The Link, Bazalgette Way, London SE2 9BS

Register at www.deklondon.com

January 2020

32 Visit Greenwich

It’s all happening in Greenwich From high quality art to top-class cinema, the very best shopping to river cruises, 2020 is going to be an exciting year in the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

Here, Masthead looks at some of the highlights. worked in Britain, from Sir Peter Lely and Sir Godfrey Kneller to Cecil Beaton and Annie Leibovitz.

The Royal Observatory’s hugely popular Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year returns in 2020 to celebrate the very best in astrophotography from around the world.

Royal Museums Greenwich to host major exhibitions

Royal Museums Greenwich is home to the Royal Observatory, Cutty Sark, Queen’s House and National Maritime Museum and 2020 is an exciting year with two major exhibitions and a number of events taking place throughout the year.

The National Maritime Museum, in collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery, will host the major exhibition Tudors to Windsors: British Royal Portraits.

The exhibition will be opening in April and will display more than 150 portraits of five royal dynasties that shaped British history, featuring feature some of the most important artists to have

January 2020

The winning images are selected by an expert judging panel and after the awards are announced in September will be displayed alongside a selection of the shortlisted images in a special exhibition at the National Maritime Museum.

At The Queen’s House, from February, is Faces of a Queen: The Armada Portraits of Elizabeth I - the remarkable coming together of the three surviving versions of the famous Armada Portrait of Elizabeth I. United for the first time in their 430-year history, the three portraits come from the collections of Royal Museums Greenwich, the National Portrait Gallery and Woburn Abbey to be displayed side by side in Greenwich - the birthplace of the Virgin Queen herself.

Also in February, The Queen’s House, in partnership with Woburn Abbey, will see the opening of Woburn Treasures in February, which will showcase a variety of major art works from the private art collection of The Duke and Duchess of Bedford.

The collection is considered to be one of the most important art collections still in private hands. Highlights on display will include a full-length portrait of Anne of Denmark by Flemish artist Gheeraerts the Younger, a striking full length of Lady Elizabeth Keppel by Sir Joshua Reynolds and Canaletto’s large-scale Regatta on the Grand Canal.

Alongside these masterpieces, a selection of sculptures, ceramics and a silver-gilt toilette set spanning the 17th to 19th Century will also feature in the display.

Visit Greenwich 33 Cineworld at The O2 recently expanded to become London’s largest cinema with 19 cinema screens and over 4,500 seats now offering 4DX, VIP, ScreenX and Superscreen options, experience the newest releases at one of the UK’s most technologically advanced cinemas.

The Tide, London’s first-ever elevated riverside linear park opened in summer 2019 on Greenwich Peninsula. The Tide will eventually stretch 5km in length around the Peninsula. The landscaped trail offers public art installations by artists including Damien Hirst, Allen Jones and Morag Myerscough plus landscaped trails for running and walking and there are also meditation points.

The renowned theatre company Punchdrunk is just one of the world-class residents to make Woolwich Works its home. They will join a number of local, national and internationally acclaimed artists.

Mamma Mia! Exciting times at Greenwich Peninsula and The O2

Greenwich Peninsula is the fastest growing and most vibrant part of London and is home to The O2, ICON Outlet, Emirates Air Line cable car, NOW Gallery, Up at The O2, Oxygen Freejumping, Cineworld, Hollywood Bowl, Ravensbourne University London, dozens of bars and restaurants and many pieces of public art.

Among recent developments, ICON Outlet at The O2 opened a second phase in October, bringing the world’s best accessible fashion and lifestyle brands together under the famous tented roof, alongside new restaurants, cafés and bars.

The designer outlet shopping experience features brands including adidas, Nike, New Balance, Skechers, Ted Baker, Build-a-Bear, Cath Kidston, Hackett, Scotch and Soda, Levi’s, Calvin Klein, Kurt Geiger, ASICS, Jack Wills, Gap and by CHLOE. ICON Outlet is soon to launch a VIP discount card, giving customers an extra 10% off at 25 participating stores.

artistic companies, spaces for dinners, weddings and events and public facilities including a café and bar beside the River Thames.

Eventful Greenwich

Greenwich is an eventful destination with a wide range of arts and music festivals taking place throughout the year.

Woolwich development takes shape

Woolwich is embarking on a new chapter as the Capital’s next landmark cultural destination.

An exciting new cultural quarter, Woolwich Works will open on the Royal Arsenal in late 2020, using a series of landmark historic buildings to create a 15,000sqm complex of theatre space, rehearsal and performance studios, event venues and places to eat and drink.

The site will include a large, flexible venue with excellent acoustics that can host an audience of 1,200 people seated or 1,800 standing, an open-air courtyard for performances and events, rehearsal studios, offices for resident

The Vitality Big Half takes place in March with a half marathon from Tower Bridge to Greenwich followed by a celebration of London’s diverse culture, food and music in Greenwich Park.

The London Marathon races through the Royal Borough of Greenwich in April and Royal Greenwich Festivals get under way in the late spring. Greenwich+Docklands International Festival, London’s biggest outdoor free festival, celebrates its 25th anniversary in June.

The summer is packed full with Greenwich Comedy Festival, Greenwich Book Festival and Greenwich Music Time and events are on and around the river with Totally Thames in September.

You can find out more at visitgreenwich.org.uk

ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus brought Mamma Mia! The Party to The O2 in summer 2019, and is running through to May 2020. The unique entertainment experience puts guests at the heart of the action, with a spectacular show, four-course gourmet Mediterranean meal and an ABBA disco all-in-one.

ABBA: Super Troupers The Exhibition is running until 31st August 2020, and brings to life the world of chart-topping Swedish pop sensation ABBA. This new and immersive experience charts their music, lyrics, creative process and influence as one of the most iconic pop bands of the modern age.

January 2020

34 Equality & Diversity

Supporting diversity can benefit the bottom line January 2020

Equality & Diversity 35

One of the biggest challenges facing businesses today is the need to ensure that their workforces represent the varied communities they serve.

R

esearch suggests that supporting equality and diversity in the workplace is not just ‘a good thing to do’ but that it can benefit the bottom line as well, making businesses more attractive to would-be employees and customers alike.

For example, a recent survey suggested that diversity is particularly important to the generation that will inherit the business world, both in the workplace and when making their purchasing choices.

According to the study compiled for office brokering service Instant Offices, millennials will make up approximately 75% of the worldwide

workforce by 2025, occupying a growing number of leadership roles.

About half of all millennial jobseekers said they were prioritising a culture of diversity and inclusion when choosing prospective employers, based on companies’ attitude to things like gender issues.

According to Instant Offices, the treatment of women in the workplace is very important to younger people.

The researchers say that studies show that 40% of people believe that men are likely to be hired over women, while further research shows that men are also 30% more likely to be promoted to a managerial position with many earning more than women.

A recent survey suggested that diversity is particularly important to the generation that will inherit the business world, both in the workplace and when making their purchasing choices.

January 2020

36 Equality & Diversity

About half of all millennial jobseekers say that the way a company deals with LGBTQ issues is also important.

Research from Engagement Labs, quoted in the study by Instant Offices, shows growing support for both the online and offline success of brands which support the LGBTQ community.

Indeed, says Instant Offices, ‘beliefdriven buying’ has gone mainstream, with 60% of consumers wanting brands to make it easier for them to see their values and positions on important issues.

In 2018, the Earned Brand Report, which covered markets in the UK, USA, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India and Japan, revealed that: • 1 in 2 people will choose, change or boycott brands based on their stance on specific social issues • Japan saw the most significant year-on-year growth in belief-driven buying, with a 21% increase.

This was closely followed by the UK, with 20% year-on-year growth.

Further studies have also revealed that companies with a diversity performance that is above average see a 45% increase in innovation, while those who are below average see a 26% increase.

January 2020

Other advantages of having a diverse workforce, says the report, include: • Increased creativity: People from different backgrounds tend to have different perspectives and experiences, creating a melting pot of new ideas • Reduced employee turnover: Companies that are dedicated to building a diverse workforce benefit from better employee retention and higher employee engagement • Better company reputation: A diverse and inclusive workplace can boost a company’s reputation and brand, making the company more ‘human’ and socially responsible.

According to the Instant Offices report, there are a few ways that companies can ensure a diverse and tolerant environment: • Ensure there is a diverse pool of candidates when interviewing for positions • Encourage conversations around diversity and continuously look for ways to address any lack of diversity within your company • Work towards creating a workplace culture where people from all backgrounds feel comfortable and safe • Look for ways to partner with other companies that are known for diverse leadership.

About half of all millennial jobseekers said they were prioritising a culture of diversity and inclusion when choosing prospective employers, based on companies’ attitude to things like gender issues.

Equality & Diversity 37

More than half of female UK entrepreneurs ‘experience gender bias’ Recent research published by HSBC Private Banking reveals that half of female entrepreneurs in the UK believe that they experience gender bias when raising capital for their business.

A

ccording to the report, when pitching for investment female entrepreneurs say they are asked questions about their family circumstances (44%), their credibility as business leaders and their attitude to loss prevention (41%).

The research found large differences across markets with female entrepreneurs in the UK saying that they experience the highest levels of gender bias, followed by the USA. HSBC’s research found that 70% of UK female entrepreneurs said they

found raising capital the most challenging part of the process; more than half (53%) of female founders are denied funding, and those that secure it, receive 6% less than their male counterparts.

This gender imbalance is also reflected in the make up of pitch panels. Although the UK has the most all-women investor panels (13%), it also has the lowest percentage of mixed panels (47%) across all markets.

Despite the pressures of raising capital, the UK’s female founders are determined to

succeed. The research shows that they are the second most confident entrepreneurs globally behind mainland China.

Kirsty Moore, Managing Director at HSBC UK Private Banking in the UK, said: “It is concerning that half of female entrepreneurs in this country have experienced bias when trying to raise capital for their businesses.

“This research shows how far we have to go to level the playing field for women to fulfil their ambitions.”

Victoria Peppiatt, UK entrepreneur and co-founder of Phrasee, said: “This report shows the barriers female entrepreneurs face when trying to grow businesses. It’s important that institutions with the capacity to bring about change, like HSBC, continue to highlight these issues and draw attention to the ways in which gender bias can be overcome.

“Mixed panels, more access to networking opportunities and a commitment from investors to review their investment choices are just some of the ways we can achieve more parity.”

January 2020

15th October 2019 – 31st March 2020

£79

From

per person

PACKAGE DETAILS: • Sausage & Bacon Roll with Tea or Coffee • Winter Hand Warmers • Range Balls & use of Practice Facilities • 18 Holes on the International Course, Home of the 2019 Staysure PGA Seniors Championship • Lunch in the Spike Bar after your round

Available Sunday to Thursday (Sunday limited tee times only, £89 per person).

From 1st – 31st March 2020, this offer is £89 per person (Sunday limited tee times only, £99 per person).

Excludes Bank Holidays. Tee times subject to availability.

Can be booked 30 days in advance.

Valid for bookings up to 8 players. golfreservations@londongolf.co.uk | Tel: 01474 879899 JOIN THE CONVERSATION

In Conversation with Callum Nicoll 39

Golf club looks to the future after celebrating its TWENTY FIFTH

ANNIVERSARY

O

ne of the big trends in business is the increasingly important role of corporate events to help forge strong relationships between companies and their most valued clients.

Electronic communications may be transforming the world in which we live but the human touch remains important and, for many business people, the place to cement those personal contacts is events away from the office, which is where London Golf Club at Ash near Brands Hatch comes into its own.

The club is finding that its corporate golf days are increasingly popular, both for its many corporate members and for local businesses and organisations that wish to hire the venue.

Those taking advantage of the club’s facilities have the chance to enjoy its high quality clubhouse hospitality as well as the opportunity to play at one of the two premium courses.

That focus on quality is an approach that has proved successful for a quarter of a century and London Golf Club has this year been celebrating its twenty fifth anniversary.

The club officially opened in July 1994 with the Charity Challenge Skins Match played on the Heritage Course, when Jack Nicklaus – the course designer – battled with Seve Ballesteros and Tony Jacklin.

has hosted several notable events, including the 2014 Volvo World Matchplay Championship, and the 2018 and 2019 Staysure PGA Seniors Championship.

According to Callum Nicoll, Director of Golf for the past year, the club is an ideal venue for corporate events, everything from golf days to meetings and conferences, as well as social events like Christmas parties.

It is also a wedding venue.

He said: “As a membership club, we place a major focus on looking after our members but we are keen to stage events for local businesses and organisations as well.

“The site is very flexible. We have six rooms for meetings and conferences which can take up to 150 people and we have enjoyed hosting different events like our Porsche Drive Day where members can enjoy our hospitality and test drive the latest models from our partners at Porsche Centre South London.

“Of course, our golf course is the biggest draw for many people and our corporate golf days are proving very popular. One of our big advantages is that we work hard to keep our courses in premium condition and even at this time of year when we

received a lot of rain in October and November they were still in excellent condition.

“We celebrated our 25th anniversary this year and it’s been a good year, very busy, and our focus in 2020 will be to increase our membership while also attracting more businesses, organisations and families who wish us to host their events.”

A key attraction is the club’s range of partner organisations, which can offer members competitive deals including travel and the opportunity to play reciprocal courses abroad.

This is made possible in part because of its Joint Venture Partnership with the European Tour and inclusion within the prestigious European Tour Destinations, IMG Prestige and Pacific Links networks.

At London Golf Club they have negotiated a range of partnerships that are designed to provide you with a number of lifestyle benefits.

Current members can avail offers from Arden Maidstone BMW, Porsche Centre South London, Brandshatch Place Hotel & Spa, InterContinental London – The O2, Staysure Insurance, Hospitality Finder, Boodles, Patek Philippe and Your Golf Travel.

You can find out more about the club at https://www.londongolf.co.uk/

Many of the sport’s biggest names have played at London Golf Club; the Jack Nicklaus Signature Heritage course was host to the 2008 and 2009 European Opens and the International

January 2020

40 Strategic Partners

Meetings held 5-7pm First Monday of every month

2020 3 February 2 March

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Thamesmead Information Hub Unit 214, Yarnton Way DA18 4DR Sporting Club Thamesmead Bayliss Avenue, Thamesmead SE28 8AU Contact madeinthamesmead@peabody.org.uk

January 2020

> Support > Mentoring > Training > Tender Opportunities > News > Events > Pop-Up Markets

Strategic Partners 41

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42 News

Seven Boroughs Compete to be Next London Borough of Culture Seven boroughs from across the C capital have been invited to City Hall

roydon, Royal Greenwich, Hounslow, Lewisham, Haringey, Hammersmith & Fulham, and Sutton will compete to become the London Borough of Culture for 2021 and 2023.

The two winning boroughs will each be awarded £1.35 million to deliver an ambitious programme, placing culture at the heart of their communities and celebrating the unique character of local people and places.

Boroughs can also win Cultural Impact Awards, each receiving up to £200,000 to deliver cultural projects.

The successful bids will be announced in February.

The London Borough of Culture is a major initiative launched by the Mayor Of London, Sadiq Khan, inspired by the UK City and European Capital of Culture programmes. The competition has fulfilled one of the Mayor’s key manifesto pledges by strengthening London’s reputation as an international powerhouse for culture.

The inaugural winner in 2019 was Waltham Forest, whose programme included more than 1,000 cultural events, workshops and

January 2020

to present their bid to be the next London Borough of Culture.

activities across the year, and involved all 88 schools in the borough. Some of the highlights included 70,000 visitors attending the opening weekend Welcome to the Forest, 1,500 children making tin toys in Leyton as part of Atomic 50, 100 international musicians coming together to perform to 3,000 people for Africa Express, and a spectacular closing show last weekend with Forest Uprising.

Brent will be the London Borough of Culture for 2020, and last month announced a bold programme, curated by young people and including events at Wembley Park, new work by Zadie Smith and the return of the MOBO Awards to the borough.

The success of the London Borough of Culture programme has captured global inspiration, with Argentina’s capital, Buenos Aires, now running their own

‘Barrios Creativos’ programme, inspired by London.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “We created the London Borough of Culture to give Londoners a chance to create and enjoy world-class culture on their doorstep.

Waltham Forest’s programme has shown its power to bring together communities and inspire young people, and Brent’s exciting programme for 2020 is set to continue this success. We look forward to hearing more about boroughs’ bold plans for 2021 and 2023.”

Justine Simons OBE, Deputy Mayor for Culture and Creative Industries, said: “In every corner of the capital there is creativity and culture, there are hidden gems and unexpected stories. The London Borough of Culture shines a light on the unique character of our boroughs, it inspires powerful civic pride and celebrates world class culture. The first

winner, Waltham Forest, has set the bar really high with a fantastic programme, every single school in the borough involved and 1,000 local people inspired to volunteer.

I can’t wait to see who’s next”

Cllr Clare Coghill, Leader of Waltham Forest Council said: “Our London Borough of Culture year has exceeded all of my expectations; the creative community of Waltham Forest showcased its incredible talent to London and the rest of the world and I couldn’t be prouder of the results.

“Throughout the year I have seen first-hand the transformative power of the arts and the role it can play in bringing together communities against a backdrop of division and uncertainty. In 2019, culture has been at the heart of Waltham Forest Council’s work to change residents’ lives for the better and the impact of that investment has been phenomenal.

“From our wonderful volunteers to the thousands of young creatives in our local schools, I know the future success of Waltham Forest has been shaped by the experiences and skills gained during our year.”

Construction 43

Initiative seeks to encourage take up of digital technology

Guarded optimism despite

slowdown in Construction sector The uncertain outlook for the UK economy has led to reduced optimism in the Construction sector, according to the results of a new survey.

H

owever, businesses responding to the survey conducted by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), including those in London, struck a more positive note when looking at the year ahead with infrastructure projects in the Capital among the reasons.

The Q3 2019 RICS UK Construction and Infrastructure Market Survey, based on anecdotal evidence from respondents, suggested that the housing market slowdown, coupled with unrelenting Brexit and political uncertainty, has been weighing heavily on investment decisions.

The survey results point to a notable deceleration in workloads during the quarter, with only a net balance of +10% reporting an increase, down on average from +33% between 2013 and Q2 2016.

Workloads in the commercial and industrial sectors were at a near standstill, with infrastructure reporting the strongest rise, a net balance of +18% more respondents citing an increase rather than a decrease in infrastructure workloads (compared to +20% in Q2).

Activity in both private and public housing eased with net balances of +14% and +11%, respectively, down from +26% and +22% in Q2.

Workloads for the year ahead, however, remain positive with respondents expecting the private housing and infrastructure sectors to be the most resilient, including in the South and London.

Within infrastructure, the energy, rail and roads subsectors are expected to see the strongest growth for the year ahead, optimism which the report authors suspect is driven by hopes for HS2, Crossrail and Transport for the North’s network of programmes.

Whilst the survey has long highlighted a lack of access to skilled labour, the quarter suggested that the shortage of skilled professionals is not as severe as it has been, with 41% of respondents citing this as an obstacle to growth, the joint lowest net balance in more than five years.

Despite current market conditions, 28% of respondents are reporting an increase in headcount over the past three months.

Jeffrey Matsu, RICS Chief Economist, said: “As the country headed to its third general election in five years, the mood music across the sector (was) relatively downbeat. However, while the pace of construction activity has moderated since the referendum, order books remain full as surveyors work through a backlog of previous projects.”

Hew Edgar, RICS Head of Government Affairs, struck a cautionary note, saying: “The UK’s construction sector has shown resilience in its contribution to the economy over a difficult decade.

“We are, however, at a national level seeing issues such as financial constraints, skills shortages, stagnant productivity, variable quality, output lagging behind target, and slim margins.”

“Workloads in the commercial and industrial sectors were at a near standstill, with infrastructure reporting the strongest rise, a net balance of +18% more respondents citing an increase rather than a decrease in infrastructure workloads (compared to +20% in Q2).”

Britain’s construction companies and their suppliers are the target of a new programme that will bring their businesses up to speed on applying digital technology, so improving productivity and profitability.

T

he new CITB-funded scheme, ‘Giving leaders the skills to drive digital transformation’, aims to train up to 2,000 construction industry leaders, at least half of them from SMEs, from across England, Scotland and Wales in bringing the latest technology to the sector.

Six projects will train construction leaders in the skills needed to embed digital practices throughout their businesses, by creating internal digital champions and engaging supply chains.

The training will encourage firms to develop diagnostic tools to identify and assess their existing digital skills. The courses will offer teaching materials, modules and mentoring schemes.

The six project leads are the National Federation of Builders, Willmott Dixon, Setting Out For Construction, Supply Chain School, Leeds Beckett University and the Gloucestershire Construction Training Group.

Over the next three years, the Supply Chain School – together with the Tideway alliance and its main contractors, and Costain and Skanska – will harness the lessons learnt from London’s £3.8bn super sewer to upskill leaders and managers.

The outcome will be an improvement in companies’ ability to develop a digital approach to their activities; half of those taking part will be SMEs from across the infrastructure sector.

Willmott Dixon will be using blockchain in its project with a decentralised database called distributed ledger technology.

This results in cost savings by cutting fraud and error.

Marcus Bennett, CITB Future Skills and Innovation Lead, said: “CITB is supporting the construction industry in understanding the potential savings and productivity benefits of digitalisation, as well as embedding digital practice across businesses, especially for smaller firms.

Margins are strained and wage costs going up, so it’s vital to make use of technologies that relieve these pressures.”

January 2020

44 Finance Update

R & D tax credit claims rise but ‘much still to be done’ HMRC has published figures for business claiming R & D tax credits to support research and product development.

A

ccording to the statistics, there were 48,635 R&D tax credit claims for 2017-18, of which 42,075 were in the SME scheme.

A total of £4.3bn of R&D tax relief support was claimed, equating to £31.3bn of R&D expenditure.

The figures built on 2016-17 when the total number of claims for R&D tax credits rose to 52,335, an increase of 20% from 2015-16.

The increase was driven by a rise in the number of SME claims, an increase of 22% from 2015-16.

R&D claims tend to be concentrated in companies with a registered office in London, the South East or the East of England (46% of all claims and 61% of the total amount claimed for 2017-18).

The ‘Manufacturing’, ‘Professional, Scientific and Technical’, and ‘Information and Communication’ sectors continued to have the greatest volume of claims.

Mark Smith, Partner - Innovation Incentives with business performance experts Ayming, said: “These statistics reveal some positive steps but there’s still lots of progress to be made. It’s fantastic to see claims continue to rise across key sectors, such as manufacturing, with SMEs accounting for the vast majority, indicating growing awareness. It’s promising but it’s not quite where we need to be.

“R&D tax credits have a vital role to play in boosting innovation funding and, if businesses aren’t using them enough, that’s a problem.”

January 2020

Fluctuating cash flow a problem for small business managers Research published by Direct Line for Business reveals that, for 1.6 million of the UK’s small businesses, it is normal for their revenue to double or halve in certain months of the year.

A

ccording to the survey’s authors, the large fluctuations in revenue make business and cash flow management difficult.

It means that businesses and the services they use need to be flexible and willing to continually adapt, as more than a quarter (26 per cent, or 1.5 million) state their revenue fluctuates wildly month to month.

The authors say that controlling employee numbers is one way to manage the fluctuations as businesses scale staff up and down to cope with changes in demand.

According to the survey, twenty-three per cent of small businesses have had to employ more staff because of rapid expansion.

However, the uncertainties don’t seem to be putting

entrepreneurs off as the UK SME industry continues to grow. In the past year, 53 per cent of SMEs reported an increase in revenue, with one in 20 experiencing revenue growth of more than 50 per cent.

There has been a 23 per cent growth of VAT registered SMEs in the past five years, with 2.7 million now operating within the UK. This has been driven by the 25 per cent increase in the number of microbusinesses (those that employ fewer than 10 employees), which now stand at 2.4 million.

In 2017, there were 381,885 business start-ups in the UK, an increase of 10 per cent on the figure recorded in 2013.

London continued to see the highest number of new business start-ups, with

92,300 SMEs registering in the Capital in 2017, accounting for almost a quarter (24 per cent) of all those formed in the UK.

Jazz Gakhal, Managing Director at Direct Line for Business, said: “Small company owners and operators are amongst the most resilient and adaptable business leaders in the UK.

“Fluctuating revenues and demand can be difficult to manage, but British SMEs continue to thrive. It’s important, however, that if revenues and employees fluctuate that businesses ensure they have appropriate insurance cover and are making updates to their policies as needed to prevent them being under or over insured.”

“London continued to see the highest number of new business start-ups, with 92,300 SMEs registering in the Capital in 2017, accounting for almost a quarter (24 per cent) of all those formed in the UK.”

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46 Health & Wellbeing

Collaboration aims to tackle heart disease A collaboration between the public and private sector to tackle heart disease has been announced by the UK Government.

M

inisters have announced their intention to pursue a collaboration with pharmaceutical company Novartis aimed at tackling cardiovascular disease as well as bringing investment to the UK’s world-class life sciences sector.

The current Memorandums of Understanding, which form the basis of the proposal, were negotiated and signed by The Medicines Company prior to its acquisition by Novartis.

Cardiovascular disease is the world’s biggest killer, as well as the second biggest cause of death in the UK with more than three million people suffering from atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

January 2020

The investigational drug inclisiran is currently in Phase III development for secondary prevention patients with expected European Medicines Agency regulatory filing in the first quarter of this year. Upon approval and NICE assessment, the intent is to provide inclisiran to people at high risk.

It is hoped that the move will make a significant contribution towards meeting the NHS longterm commitment to preventing 150,000 cardiovascular deaths over 10 years.

The proposal is for inclisiran to be given in a large-scale NHS clinical trial that will be the first in the world to treat such a patient population.

Those behind the deal say that it illustrates the potential offered by collaborations involving the public sector and private industry.

UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “I am committed to helping the NHS reach its full potential, and innovative collaborations such as this puts patients at the forefront of the most promising medical breakthroughs.”

Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan said: “We’re confident that innovative approaches like this will enable us to accelerate access timelines, deliver on our broader commitment to generating leading scientific evidence, and ensure continuous improvement in manufacturing efficiency and optimization.

Lord Prior, chair of NHS England, said: “This innovative and groundbreaking collaboration could transform the health outlook of tens of thousands of people suffering from heart disease, by bringing together in a unique combination our ability to organise large scale clinical trials, to address highly complex manufacturing issues, and to reach a large population of patients.

“It is a great illustration of how the UK Life Sciences Strategy can help both NHS patients and the wider economy and shows that the UK can be the centre of a dynamic life sciences eco system whilst delivering great care.”

Health and Wellbeing 47

Initiative seeks to improve health in the workplace Businesses have joined forces with mental health charities and non-governmental organisations in the most widespread collaboration of its kind to promote a nationwide commitment on improving mental health care in the workplace.

T

hirty of the UK’s most recognised businesses and organisations have signed up to the Mental Health At Work Commitment. The ambition is to encourage employers of all sizes to improve standards of mental health care among the workforce.

Developed with mental health charities, leading employers and trade organisations, the Commitment provides a framework for employers who recognise the importance of promoting staff wellbeing.

The framework sets out six clear standards based on what best practice has shown is needed to make a difference and better equip employers to create an environment where employees can thrive.

They are: • Prioritise mental health in the workplace by developing and delivering a systematic programme of activity • Proactively ensure that organisational culture drives positive mental health outcomes • Promote an open culture around mental health • Increase organisational confidence and capability • Provide mental health tools and support • Increase transparency and accountability through internal and external reporting

Signatories to the campaign span sectors including banking, utilities, retail and professional services. They are joined by a range of trade bodies and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sports.

The recent Mental Health at Work YouGov survey conducted for Business in the Community (BITC) and Mercer Marsh Benefits shows only 51% of respondents say they feel comfortable talking about mental health in the workplace, and two in five (39%) say they have experienced a work-related mental health issue in the last year. While many employers have been responding to the growing demands, dedicating significant resource to tackling the issue, those behind the initiative say that there is often duplication and confusion and that the Commitment seeks to share best practice that can be activated among employers at all levels.

Sir Ian Cheshire, Chairman of the Thriving at Work Leadership Council and Chairman of Barclays UK, said: “There are no quick fixes, or simple solutions when it comes to mental health.

Yet there’s no ignoring the fact that work is often a contributory factor for people whose mental health is suffering. As employers, there are lots of things we can do that can make a difference to how our employees feel at work.

“The six standards we are setting out are based on what best practice has shown is needed to make a difference. If every employer in the country signed up, we could have a meaningful impact on millions of employees across the UK.” Paul Farmer, CEO of Mind, said: “It’s great to see so many employers take proactive steps towards creating mentally healthy workplaces by engaging with The Mental Health at Work Commitment. With issues like stress, anxiety and depression common across all employers, regardless of size or sector, we want to see every employer recognise and address any workrelated causes of poor mental health among their staff.

“There are no quick fixes, or simple solutions when it comes to mental health.

Yet there’s no ignoring the fact that work is often a contributory factor for people whose mental health is suffering.”

“The Commitment comes with resources available to help employers prevent poor mental health and promote wellbeing.

Smart, responsible employers recognise that staff who feel valued and supported tend to be more productive and are less likely to take time off sick or leave the organisation.”

David Oldfield, Chair of the Wellbeing Leadership Team, Business in the Community and Group Director, Commercial Banking, Lloyds Banking Group, said: “The research showing how people are feeling in the workplace should be concerning for all of us. With one in four people experiencing a mental health problem in any given year, it’s likely that many of our colleagues may be struggling, and we have a responsibility to take action.

“We would encourage all businesses to challenge themselves on what more they can do to protect and support the health and wellbeing of their colleagues.”

Employers wanting join the commitment can find out more at www.mentalhealthatwork.org.uk/ commitment

January 2020

A Care Home with a Difference

Rectory Court combines a warm, supportive community with luxurious facilities and beautiful gardens to share and appreciate.

It is a special place where our residents can enjoy all the comforts of home – delicious home-cooked cuisine using the best fresh produce, regular activities and events, day trips and, above all else, excellent standards of person-centred care from our dedicated team.

Respite Care

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Day Care

Luxury Care Home in Blackheath Rectory Court, The Glebe, Blackheath, London SE3 9TU w: cinnamoncc.com/rectory

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Whether you are seeking care for yourself or a loved one, please call 0203 925 3431 or email rectory.haa@cinnamoncc.com to arrange a visit any time.

AWARD

The Person Behind the Business 49

Kiesha McLeich-Dawkins is relishing her appointment as the new General Manager at the Cinnamon Care Collection’s Rectory Court care home in Blackheath.

Who are you and what is your job?

My career in care began when I studied adult nursing at London South Bank University, qualifying as a registered nurse in 2006. Three years later, I completed a management training course at the Institute of Leadership & Management.

I bring over 14 years’ experience working in neurodisability and the private care home sectors and I’m very proud to work at Rectory Court.

My role at Rectory Court includes ensuring that our residents maintain a good quality of life and are cared for with dignity and respect. I am very passionate about leading an innovative team to provide holistic care to meet the full needs of our residents.

Whether residents need simple support with daily activities such as mobility, washing or dressing, or more complex round-the-clock care, our fantastic team, who put the ‘extra’ into ordinary, are always on hand to assist or offer reassurance and advice to family members.

Tell us about Rectory Court and what makes it special?

Joining Rectory Court has been amazing – it’s great working with a team who really make a difference to the people they care for. Opened in 2017, Rectory Court is a luxurious care home, from the vibrant café and the cosy lounges, to the delightful conservatory overlooking our mature garden, every detail of the design and environment is second to none.

In addition to our 41 spacious en-suite rooms, we offer a wide variety of engaging activities and outings to keep our residents stimulated, connected and happy. Our aim is to help older people live more fulfilled lives and give peace of mind to their families who entrust us with their care.

Our compassionate care team are equipped with new technology which allows them to update daily care records instantly, so they can devote more time to getting to know residents’ personalities, preferences and concerns.

“Life is always fun at Rectory Court.

Residents can join in with a host of activities inspired by their interests. Having our own transport opens up opportunities for days out to the many local attractions.”

We are proud to have been recognised as one of the Top 20 Recommended Care Homes in London by the UK’s leading care home reviews website carehome.co.uk.

What plans do you have for 2020?

Life is always fun at Rectory Court. Residents can join in with a host of activities inspired by their interests.

Having our own transport opens up opportunities for days out to the many local attractions. Whether it’s dining out in Blackheath Village, a

trip to the O2 Arena, or a stroll around Greenwich Park, every single outing – spontaneous or planned – is arranged to keep our residents feeling stimulated, and connected.

We continue to add new trips to the list for 2020.

Rectory Court is fast becoming part of the community of Blackheath and we will further extend the many close relationships with community groups and clubs forged by our sister care home Leah Lodge in the year ahead.

For more information please call 0208 297 5860 or visit www.cinnamoncc.com/care-homes/rectory-court/

January 2020

50 New Members

And finally...

Tony Goldstein Managing Director South East Enterprise

A

fter establishing and running my own national steel stockholding company as well as a supermarket in Deptford I wanted to put all of my business knowledge to good use and became a volunteer business mentor.

Welcome to our new members Bromley Airport Transfers Tel: 020 8464 3291 Email: bromleyairportcars@gmail.com Contact: Emily Smith De Vere Devonport House Tel: 07917 028405 Email: margareta.gashi@devere.com Contact: Margareta Gashi Jose Franca Consulting Tel: 07711 846549 Email: josefrancaconsulting.com Contact: Jose Franca

RL Performance Ltd Tel: 07850 664975

Email: hello@rlperformance.org Contact: Richard Lassiter The Fan Museum

Tel: 020 8305 1441 Email: n.garratt@thefanmuseum.org.uk Contact: Neil Garratt Think Events London

Montreaux Tel: 07951 485862 Email: stevelawn@montreaux.co.uk Contact: Steven Lawn

Tel: 020 3004 4176

RGP Group Ltd T/A Eagle Soar Consultancy Tel: 07984 286134 Email: info@eaglesoar.co.uk Contact: Olubukola Oyelowo

UKissAfrica

Email: ian@thinkeventslondon.com Contact: Ian Taitte

Tel: 07447 913576 Email: ukissafrica@gmail.com Contact: Yongo Lea

As a member of our Chamber, you are joining a unique organisation with a strong campaigning voice for business to local and national government.

You can access a range of services, networking events and support to help your business do better. Importantly, you can also access other members to find new suppliers, promote your business services, or join forces on new opportunities.

Find out how to join and learn how others are benefiting from their membership.

For more information telephone: 020 8317 3365 email: office@selondonchamber.org

“As a member you’re well connected with access to our range of benefits and services, including our directory of local member businesses.”

January 2020

This quickly led to a full time job as a business adviser in Hackney and then Lewisham for many years and now Greenwich. I have had the pleasure of working with hundreds of entrepreneurs at the very beginning of their journey helped owners develop their businesses and become sustainable.

I am passionate about what I do every single day, it never gets old.

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

I was an apprentice electrician starting on £9.00 a week. I worked for an MOD/DOE contractor and was based at the British Museum the whole time.

What would you do with your last pound?

If it was my last pound ever I would give it to someone in greater need than me. My last pound until payday, I would hang on to it.

What is the biggest challenge facing your business?

Finding and winning contracts in a competitive marketplace where funding is being reduced.

If you were Prime Minister, what would be your first decision?

I would speak to enterprise agencies at the coal face to determine what is really required to support SMEs and then fund a national programme to provide that support.

If you could do another job what would it be?

A highly paid after dinner speaker, please contact for availability.

What book are you currently reading?

To the End of the Land by David Grossman although I am struggling to get past the desert at the moment.

NEW NEWTOYOTA TOYOTA C-HR C-HR

SELF-CHARGING SELF-CHARGING HYBRID HYBRID FROM

FROM

22% 22%BIK BIK

NowNow available in 1.8 Self-Charging and2.0 2.0SelfSelfavailable in 1.8 Self-ChargingHybrid Hybrid and Charging Hybrid (Orange Edition only available as 2.0) Charging Hybrid (Orange Edition only available as 2.0) Toyota Touch® 2 multimediasystem systemwith with Smartphone Smartphone Toyota Touch® 2 multimedia integration incl Apple CarPlay™ & Android integration incl Apple CarPlay™ & Android Auto™ Auto™

Contract hire/leasing/finance options available.

Contact us today for a personalised quote.

Contract hire/leasing/finance options available.

Contact us today for a personalised quote.

Derek Palmer 07468 861109 derek.palmer@jemca.co.uk

Derek Palmer 07468 861109 derek.palmer@jemca.co.uk

Jemca Toyota Sidcup Business Centre 146-150 Maidstone Road, Sidcup, Kent DA14Toyota 5HS Jemca Sidcup 0208 309 4464 Business Centre jemcasidcup.toyota.co.uk

146-150 Maidstone Road, Sidcup, Kent DA14 5HS 0208 309 4464 jemcasidcup.toyota.co.uk

Jemca Toyota Bromley Business Centre 146 Burnt Ash Lane, Bromley, Kent BR1 5TD Toyota Bromley Jemca 0208 860 1303 Business Centre jemcabromley.toyota.co.uk

146 Burnt Ash Lane, Bromley, Kent BR1 5TD 0208 860 1303 jemcabromley.toyota.co.uk

Model shown is C-HR Hybrid Orange Edition 2.0 VVT-i £32,595. Prices correct at time of being published. 5 year/100,000 mile manufacturer warranty. Terms and conditions apply. Official fuel consumption figures in mpg (l/100km): combined 49.5 (5.7) - 53.3 (5.3). Combined CO2 92 g/km. Figures are provided for comparability purposes; only compare fuel consumption and CO2 figures with other cars tested to the same technical procedures. These figures may not reflect real life driving results. Fuel consumption and CO2 produced varies significantly depending on a number of factors, including the accessories fitted (post-registration), driving style, conditions, speed and vehicle load. All models and grades are certified according to the World Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP), which replaces the New European test Hybrid procedure (NEDC).

All CO22.0 figures quoted are NEDC equivalent. means CO2published. figures are 5 based on the ModelDriving shownCycle is C-HR Orange Edition VVT-i £32,595.

Prices correct This at time of the being year/100,000 mile new WLTP test procedure but calculatedTerms (usingand a standard European calculation method) to allow comparison NEDC testcombined procedure49.5 and will manufacturer warranty. conditions apply.

Official fuel consumption figures in with mpgthe (l/100km): (5.7) - 53.3 be used to calculate vehicle taxCO on2first All mpg figures quoted are full WLTP figures.

Moreonly information canfuel be found by visiting: www.

(5.3). Combined 92 registration. g/km. Figures are provided for comparability purposes; compare consumption and CO2 figures vehicle-certification-agency.gov.uk/fcb/wltp.asp

with other cars tested to the same technical procedures. These figures may not reflect real life driving results. Fuel consumption

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