Thinking Business December 2018

• OFFICIAL MAGAZINE FOR KENT INVICTA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE • December 2018 - January 2019 •

Chamber

Business

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Inside:

Exciting times ahead for North Kent

Bright future for investment in Kent

International trade

offers a world of opportunity

Ask the Expert Emma White on brand identity

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Welcome

Welcome & Contents

A tumultuous year draws to an uncertain close

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Jo James

Welcome to the last edition of Thinking Business this year and what a year it has been, one that has been dominated by two words – Brexit and uncertainty.

I dearly wish that I could write this foreword without mentioning either but, as 2018 draws to a close, the situation for business remains as volatile as ever.

It is now more than two years since the Referendum vote and, as I write, we still have little idea how Brexit will impact on business with but a few months to go until we leave the EU. We desperately need the politicians to stop bickering and offer us certainty.

However, for all that, business must continue and, whatever happens, the world will not go away so we have chosen this edition to focus on the opportunities presented by international trade.

As our special feature on page 24 states, international trade plays a crucial role in helping the UK economy to grow and recently-published

Contents 4

5 6

Patron News

Legal Update

Members News

7

Focus on Finance

10

The Economy & Us

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Members News Patron News

Our Patrons

12-14 Members News

Chief Executive

figures from the Office for National Statistics underlined just how important it has become.

The research showed that demand for British goods and services continues to grow and that means that a world of opportunity is on offer for businesses in areas like Kent, if they are prepared to grasp the opportunities that are rapidly emerging. In our feature we look at some of the opportunities and challenges.

North Kent is an area that is home to many companies that operate in the international trade and logistics sector and our spotlight feature on page 16 takes a look at some of the initiatives under way to boost business by encouraging investment from the public and private sectors.

The publication of the Kent Property Market Report is one of the most eagerly-awaited business events of the year and this year was no exception. In our big interview on page 22 we talk to one of the people behind this truly impressive piece of work.

16-21 Spotlight on North Kent 22-23 Big Interview 24-30 Cover feature International Trade 33 The Person behind the Business 35 Ask the Expert 36-37 Members News

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Researched in the main by headline sponsor Caxtons Chartered Surveyors, the report is published in collaboration with Kent County Council and Locate in Kent and provides an invaluable snapshot of the commercial life of the county.

For Caxtons, the report is one of their biggest undertakings of the year with specialists led

by Commercial Director Mark Coxon feeding information to the team that pulls together the final document.

As well as our features, there are plenty of other news and views in this edition of the magazine and I hope that you enjoy reading it.

May I also take this opportunity to offer all our readers festive greetings for the season to come and a peaceful and prosperous New Year.

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Chamber Business Awards Members News Chamber Events Members News Business News New Members Movers & Shakers Last Word

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Editorial and General Enquiries

Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, Ashford Business Point, Waterbrook Avenue, Sevington, Ashford, Kent.

TN24 0LH Chief Executive: Jo James Tel: 01233 503 838 Fax: 01233 503 687 info@kentinvictachamber.co.uk www.kentinvictachamber.co.uk

Published December 2018 © Benham Publishing

Disclaimer

Publisher

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

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Thinking Business is published for Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce and is distributed without charge to Chamber members. All correspondence should be addressed to the Editor at Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce. Views expressed in Thinking Business are not necessarily those of Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce. Reprinting in whole or part is forbidden except by permission. © 2018. 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 for the veracity of claims made by contributions in advertising or editorial content. Benham Publishing cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies in web or email links supplied to us.

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Kent Business Leaders Dinner

Patron News

Held at Eastwell Manor, Ashford.

Over 60 guests attended the Kent Business Leaders Dinner in November

Jo James, Chief Executive at Kent Invicta Chamber addresses dinner guests

In November, Kent Invicta Chamber Patrons, along with invited guests, attended the latest Kent Business Leaders Dinner,staged at the recently renovated Eastwell Manor, now a Champneys Spa Hotel.

Guests were welcomed by Chamber Chief Executive, Jo James and General Manger for Champneys Health Resorts, Darren Soloman. After dinner speaker Tim Reardon, Head of EU Exit at the Port of Dover, spoke openly about the plans in place at the Port to ensure

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Kent’s roads do not become gridlocked with lorries after March when the UK leaves the EU. He outlined that technology will play a vital part in making sure the Port can continue to operate a ‘roll on-roll off’ service and keep goods flowing efficiently in and out of the UK. Over 60 guests were hosted by the Chamber and its Patrons, all of which were represented and enjoyed an evening of good food and engaging conversation.

Darren Soloman, General Manager at Champneys Health Resorts welcomes guests to Eastwell Manor.

After dinner speaker Tim Reardon, Head of EU Exit, Port of Dover

Details of the next Kent Business Leaders Dinner on 23 January 2019 are available from morag@kentinvictachamber.co.uk

Carol Ford, Commercial Director, AC Goatham & Son

Kevin Hook, Partner, Lee Evans Partnership

Audrey Songhurst, Head of Operations, University of Kent

Jo Worby, Managing Partner, Brachers LLP

Neil Chatterton, Managing Director, Caxtons Chartered Surveyors

Matthew Jackson, Industry Placement Team Leader, MidKent College

Tracey Kerly, Chief Executive, Ashford Borough Council

David Sedgeley, Development Director, Towergate Insurance Brokers

Ros Daitshell, HR Director, KIMS Hospital

Shaun Staunton, Partnerships Manager, Sleeping Giant Media

Mark Minus, Partner MHA MAcIntyre Hudson (right) in conversation with guests

Guests engaging in conversation

Thinking Business

A festive fallout?

Legal Update

Girlings’ Employment Law specialist David Morgan, looks at employers’ liability in the context of the Christmas Party and discusses a significant development in this area.

he Christmas Party is often T a seasonal headache for employers and a recent judgment

from the Court of Appeal serves as a stark reminder that employers may be held liable for an employee’s wrongdoing at work social events, even where this takes place outside of an event organised by the Company.

The case of Bellman v Northampton Recruitment Limited [2018] considered the liability of a company in respect of the actions of its owner/managing director, who assaulted an employee at a drinks session after the company’s Christmas celebration.

Following the company’s Christmas party a smaller group adjourned to their hotel accommodation, in taxis paid for by the company. There they enjoyed more drinks in what wasn’t a planned extension of the Christmas party, but where it was expected that the company would pay for at least some of the drinks. Talk turned to work, to a controversial topic and tempers flared. The managing director violently asserted his authority as the owner of the company and then punched an employee.

Sadly the employee suffered brain damage and brought a claim against the company on the basis that it was vicariously liable for the actions of its managing director.

The employee initially lost the claim; the High Court found that because the drinks were separate from the Christmas party, there was insufficient connection between the managing director’s employment and the assault for the employer to be held responsible. However, the employee appealed, and the Court of Appeal held that the company was liable for his actions.

Although the drinks had been separate to the Christmas party, around 50% of the small company’s staff were present and the managing director had asserted his authority in a discussion focused on business.

This was enough for the Court to find that there was sufficient connection between the managing director’s role and his actions for the company to be held liable for those actions.

The circumstances of the case are unusual. The offending employee was the major shareholder and managing director of a small business, there was some connection between the event and the official company Christmas party and the Court was careful to remark that it would not always be the case that an employer would be liable for the actions of a senior manager who was simply having drinks with colleagues.

However the verdict seems to further develop the situations in which there is found to be a sufficient connection between an employee’s actions and their employment for employers to be held vicariously liable and is a timely reminder ahead of the festive season.

While no employer will want to play Scrooge, they should bear in mind the risks that can arise from Christmas parties and remind staff about the standards of behaviour expected of them to make sure that the party is memorable for the right reasons!

If you would like further advice on employer’s liability, or any other aspect of Employment Law, ask the expert and contact David.

girlings.com

David Morgan Associate Solicitor Employment Law 01233 664711 davidmorgan@girlings.com Thinking Business

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Members News

RBLI has provided care, support and employment for veterans who were wounded, sick or disabled from its Kent headquarters since it was founded in 1919 in response to the need at the end of the First World War. Marking the £750,000 financial commitment to the campaign, Steve Sherry, Chief Executive of RBLI, presented a bespoke gift to David Thomas, Chief Executive of Barratt Developments at its annual leadership conference.

Plan for new Centenary Village secures £750,000 donation

Leading military charity Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI) has received the backing of Barratt Developments plc, the country’s biggest housebuilder, for its £14m campaign to create a specialist Centenary Village for veterans and their families.

Rap Interiors Celebrates 30th Birthday with ‘Kentish Lady’ Cruise

Rap Interiors’ directors and staff celebrated 30 years in the fit-out sector with a boat party in Maidstone.

Rap and the Kentish Lady boat trip was a fantastic way to celebrate. It was great spending an evening with the people who have helped to make the business a success, and for anyone looking for a fun work night out.”

The boat trip took place on the famous ‘Kentish Lady’, which journeyed along the River Medway from Maidstone to Allington Lock.

Julie Anderson, Rap Interiors Design Director, said: “It’s been an incredible 30 years at

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Rap was founded in 1988 by Director Rick Anderson, who initially carried out partitioning and ceiling works.

Since then, the company has grown considerably and now specialises in large-scale office, commercial and education fit out projects across the South East.

The gift was made by William Murray, a veteran who served in the Royal Signals from 1991 to 2004, now working as a water jet operator at Scotland’s Bravest Manufacturing Company.

William suffered with injuries in his knees and now has a metal plate in his left leg as well as suffering from anxiety and depressive disorder.

David Thomas said: “This is the largest donation in our company’s 60-year history. RBLI and Barratt have a lot in common, with both organisations providing housing, building communities, employing ex armed forces personnel and marking significant anniversary milestones. This is why we wanted to support them as they look to build the Centenary Village.

“We are immensely proud to stand alongside RBLI in the development

of this project and help this amazing charity continue to provide crucial housing support to ex-servicemen and women...”

The Centenary Village will include an assisted living scheme, extending the care and support service by a further 24 units, each adapted and capable of meeting the needs of some of the most vulnerable residents.

A further 24 new apartments, costing £1.3m and designed to be fully accessible, will house single veterans in urgent need alongside 20 new family homes in a mix of town and mews style housing.

The new homes will sit alongside a new Community Centre where veterans and their families will have access to a range of services, welfare support and training, tackling isolation through social engagement and promoting independence.

Steve Sherry CMG OBE, Chief Executive of RBLI, said: “We believe that those who have served, many of whom were injured, disabled, or have developed health needs as a result of their time in service, deserve our support. Their sacrifice, and that of their families, is profound, which is why we are doing everything we possibly can to be here for those in need.”

Bowden PR announces new client

Bowden PR has announced that it will be working with Kent-based SMN Will Writing Services on its social media and PR strategy.

It still amazes Sue Norris, from SMN Will Writing Services, that more than half of the UK’s population has not made a will.

Sue advises that if you haven’t got a Will don’t

put if off any longer and remember that life changing events like marriage, divorce or the birth of a child, should be a trigger to revise your existing Will.

SMN Will Writing Services specialise in Wills, probate, trusts and lasting power of attorney and comply fully with the Institute of Professional Will Writers code of practice.

Mortgage brokerage signs up

Prospect Tree Mortgages are proud to have joined the Chamber and are looking forward to working with existing member companies as well as individuals.

We are a mortgage and protection brokerage based in Kent, predominantly covering the south east.

We are expanding our company collaboration proposition currently to include more local businesses and we believe the Chamber is a great place to make companies aware of our employee benefit service.

The companies we work with offer our services to

their employees free of charge. We have also added an additional incentive scheme for employees who refer our services outside the company to their friends and family.

Thorough our membership of the Chamber we want to offer our services to a wider network via local companies. It affords companies the ability to provide a benefit for their

employees they would not get outside of the company.

Making an enquiry is easy.

We provide a landing page, specifically for your company, where employees can contact Prospect Tree Mortgages directly.

We then make contact with the client and advise on their specific circumstances and requirements in order to help them with their mortgage enquiries.

Please get in contact with Nick Daynes at nickdaynes@ptmortgagesltd.co.uk to discuss how Prospect Tree Mortgages can add value to you and your employees.

Are you caught in the SDLT trap?

Focus on Finance

Steve Jacob

Partner (Southern Region)

01622 690666

steve.jacob@wilkinskennedy.com www.wilkinskennedy.com

A recent story in the press reported that HMRC has handed back £127m in Stamp Duty Land

Tax (SDLT) charges. Despite the daunting headline, these claims are perfectly legitimate and

apply to anyone who has sold their main residence at some point after buying a replacement.

In April 2016 an additional SDLT surcharge was introduced to all buy-to-let property purchases, as a way of helping first time buyers, by handicapping investors who might otherwise crowd them out. However, some homeowners find themselves caught out by the tax. Those who purchase residential property to replace their main home, but keep hold of their previous property, to carry out maintenance works or wait for a sale to come through, are being caught by the additional 3% charge.

It applies because, even though the main residence is being replaced, these homeowners are for some reason unable to sell at the same time as the purchase of the additional property.

This leaves many people with a large bill for SDLT – even though they are likely to be eligible for relief.

As long as it is the main residence that is being replaced, and it is not a buy to let purchase, the SDLT surcharge can be reclaimed under replacement residence relief. Those already doing this

have benefitted from HMRC’s £127m refunds, with an average claim worth around £11,000 and the daily refund amount hitting £265,000.

In order to qualify for an SDLT refund, homeowners replacing their main residence have three years to sell their previous home. The time limit for when a claim can be made by is either: • 12 months from sale of the old home where the sale is on or after 29 October 2018 (there is only a 3 month window if the sale of the old home was 28 October or earlier).

• 12 months from the filing date of the SDLT return for the purchase of the new home, whichever is later.

If you are involved in any recent property purchases, and you think you might be eligible for the tax relief, then you might want to follow a few tips: • Make a note of the key dates of property sale and property purchase, to ensure that any deadlines for refunds are not missed.

• The time limits run from the ‘effective date’ for SDLT – this is completion day, i.e. the day on which you gain keys to the property – but dates can differ, so make sure the effective date is confirmed with your conveyancing solicitor.

• Keep a copy of the SDLT return for the purchase of the new home as this will have details necessary for a claim.

• Take advice early to confirm whether 3% SDLT is payable and budget if it is.

If the rules are not adhered to, there are significant consequences and hefty fines for those who do not comply.

You can also apply for the relief if you sell your old home, whilst already owning other investment properties, but purchase a new one at a later date – as long as you are replacing your main residence. Look out for more on this later, as I will write about this topic in more detail.

Circumstances will differ according to each individual, so for more tailored advice that is suited to your needs, we would recommend seeking professional advice from the tax team at Wilkins Kennedy. Contact the tax team at our offices in Ashford, Canterbury, Maidstone, Orpington and Sandwich to see how we can help.

“You can also apply for the relief if you sell your old home, whilst already owning other investment properties, but purchase a new one at a later date – as long as you are replacing your main residence.”

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vidbuild signs global brand Getty as digital content provider

New Kent start-up vidbuild, has signed with Getty Images, iStock by Getty Images and Storyblocks as digital content providers.

vidbuild, an online video maker, was created in November 2017, with the

website released this year in February. The video creation platform

allows users to make branded marketing videos online, with the help of a built-in media library.

The digital content providers supply this media library, which is sourced by huge global players including Getty Images, iStock

by Getty Images and Storyblocks.

Steven Lloyd-Barlow, Co-Founder, said: “We are very excited to be working with these brands and very proud to have them on board.”

vidbuild was awarded the Creative Digital Award at the Kent Business Awards in Maidstone in July, as well as the Best Visual Content Tool of the Year at the Social Media Marketing Awards in London.

Shelley Grierson, Head of Marketing, said: “We are really looking forward to growing the user base of the platform and becoming a household name in the marketing industry.”

Girlings’ seminar attracts charities from across Kent Led by Girlings Solicitors’ third sector and governance specialist, Caroline Armitage, the seminar ‘Compliance Burden or Ethical Good Practice’ held at Broome Park on 8 November attracted trustees and other senior representatives from charities and not for profit organisations from across Kent.

Set against a background of a series scandals and complaints which have recently rocked the voluntary sector, and with public confidence in the charitable sector at an all-time low, the seminar explored how compliance can be used positively to engender trust and promote good practice within the sector.

Caroline said, ‘The future of all charitable work depends on public trust, and regaining this trust is vital. I believe embracing a positive culture of compliance as part of a strategic vision will be key to achieving this.’

Keynote speaker Cate Russell, CEO of Pilgrims Hospices, said, ‘The seminar focussed on the central issue of how do we get

our people to embrace regulation and conform to new ways? The charity sector is facing some of its greatest challenges and has to change its ways of working. It can no longer rely on just doing the best it can with the best of intentions.’

Girlings Solicitors; Andrew Watson (Contested Probate), Jeremy Burke (Commercial Property), Charlotte Nock (Wills & Probate) and David Morgan (Employment Law). girlings.com

In the context of the Charity Commission’s recent publication of its new strategy, the seminar, held a week in advance of Trustees Week 2018, provided an ideal forum for attendees to keenly debate a number of key issues.

Caroline and Cate were joined by an expert panel which included Susan Robinson, Head of Charities and Not for Profit at Kreston Reeves, and other legal experts from

Caroline Armitage (L) and Cate Russell (R)

Members News

Revolutionising day-to-day safety and security operations

Critical Arc, a global technology innovator based in Kent, designs and delivers a distributed command and control solution, SafeZone™, which is revolutionising the way organisations manage day-to-day safety and security operations.

Deployed as a cloud service in hours, SafeZone provides response teams with complete operational awareness, to enhance the protection of dispersed people, facilities, and assets, while delivering efficiency savings.

Accessed by users through an intuitive app, SafeZone enables users to call for help and assistance right where they need it most, while providing security teams with features for mass notification and the monitoring of lone workers.

Delivering situational awareness across large geographic areas, SafeZone supports a rapid and coordinated response to incidents by distributing information to first responders and allowing them to collaborate as events unfold.

Improving compliance with existing policies and protocols, SafeZone increases the overall efficiency and effectiveness of security and response teams across oftencomplex estates and dynamic environments.

Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, CriticalArc has offices and operations in the UK (Kings Hill) and North America (Denver, CO) providing an international delivery capability and reach. For more information on CriticalArc and SafeZone, please go to www.criticalarc.com Social Media Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ safezoneapp LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/ company/criticalarc Twitter: @CriticalArc Thinking Business

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The Economy & Us:

The Economy & Us

How much is Enough?

The point about enough is that if you don’t know what “enough” is, you don’t know what “more than enough” is, so there never is enough.

Only if you can say what enough is – of money, ambition, fame, whatever – are you free to do anything else.

Nick Rowell

Director of Policy Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce Direct line: 01622 753568 Email: nick@tpbs.co.uk

Charles Handy CBE on ‘The Doctrine of Enough’, 1996

Deviation from the 1901-2000 average

UK Money Supply 1870 - 2010

Global warming: 17 of the 18 warmest years in the period 2001-2017

Source of chart: positivemoney.org NB: UK Money supply (M3) in 2018 is £2,800bn (source: Bank of England)

A wind of change is blowing.

We’re going to have to decide what ‘Enough’ is – and act on it.

We’ve long known about the Club of Rome’s Limits to Growth (1972) and Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth (2006); as well as Sir David Attenborough’s authoritative warnings.

Recently, however, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reported that keeping to the Paris Agreement’s preferred target of 1.5C above pre-industrial levels requires "rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society".

Meanwhile the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) reported a 60% decline in global wildlife populations since 1970 due to “exploding human consumption…

We are the first generation to know we are destroying our planet and the last one that can do anything about it.”

As I explained in these pages a few months ago, since the ‘Reaganomics’ deregulation of financial markets in 1980 global

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debt has averaged an annual rise @ 3% of global GDP (see money supply chart). This has TREBLED global debt as a % of GDP in 40 years, turbocharging the WWF’s “exploding human consumption” and endangering all vertebrate life.

What’s new is that, prompted by the Bank of England, some investors are waking up.

In 2015 the BoE’s Mark Carney told Lloyds of London: “The challenges currently posed by climate change pale in significance compared with what might come…. Once climate change becomes a defining issue, it may already be too late.”

It will be a tussle: the powers-that-be are clinging to vested interests. According to the Financial Times, big oil groups “budget just 1% of spending to green projects”. And a large group of activist investors have called out the hypocrisy of 55 companies that go in for ‘behind the scenes’ lobbying, pushing against efforts to limit climate change whilst publicly backing carbon reduction!

Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), USA

Warning that only 10% of banks take a strategic, long-term view of climate impacts (see second chart above), the BoE is preparing new guidelines for how banks and insurers should manage these accumulating pressures. This will help investors chasing sustainable returns to insist on evidence of realistic planning. For example, the UK’s failure to coax Toshiba into unviable nuclear investment contrasts with renewable energy’s increasing viability.

So the good news is, change has begun. Midterm electors in US coastal states were influenced by recent hurricanes – and voter discontent is irresistible. Investors have started redirecting their cash towards sustainables, which hurts less,

the sooner you start. The bad news is that, notwithstanding the IPCC’s helpful guidelines, it’s not just inconvenient, it will hurt.

Worse, the powers-that-be are unlikely to act in our long-term interest unless voters demand nothing less. The change is up to us; and only the passive will tolerate big oil’s foot-dragging shenanigans whilst the globally richest 10% push everyone towards Armageddon.

Go on the web, develop a lifestyle that delivers enough whilst cutting your carbon footprint, tell your MP that you’ll only vote for a realistically sustainable economic strategy – and, of course, find the business opportunities that will certainly accrue to the alert.

“The change is up to us; and only the passive will tolerate big oil’s foot-dragging shenanigans whilst the globally richest 10% push everyone towards Armageddon.”

A new £55m ‘Education Hub’ for Ebbsfleet Garden City

Architects, Lee Evans Partnership LLP, have now been appointed to lead the design of a new £55 million ‘Education Hub’ at Ebbsfleet Garden City for Henley Camland.

This appointment follows Lee Evans Partnership’s previous and ongoing success at Ebbsfleet Garden City, including the development of a large number of residential properties for clients Taylor Wimpey, Clarion Homes, and Newcrest.

Architect’s concept sketch for new Education Hub

The scheme will include a new primary school, secondary school, a community sports centre with external sports pitches, and a ‘Life Long Learning Centre’, which will provide an education and civic centre for the emerging community.

The Whitecliffe area of Ebbsfleet Garden City is currently one of the largest development sites in the Thames Gateway, being positioned in a strategic location between Kent and London.

Over 6,000 new homes are planned for the area, alongside schools, community amenities, commercial and employment ventures, and leisure facilities.

Located within the central Alkerden Village area of Whitecliffe, the Education Hub will form a key focal point in the community. Positioned on Fastrack, the bus rapid transport system providing efficient dedicated bus routes to key local destinations, the scale and design of the development will reflect its prominence in the area, and look to reference the industrial heritage of the site.

Two separate school structures will occupy the 12.2 hectare ‘Education Hub’ site; a two

form-entry primary school, accommodating 446 pupils; and a large eight form-entry secondary school providing space for 1,680 students.

A sports centre will be incorporated into the secondary school, providing dual-use facilities for the school and local community.

In addition, a Community Hub will be constructed on a nearby site. This Hub will provide a variety of essential community facilities, including a ‘Life Long Learning Centre’, public library, information centre, adult education services, a private nursery, a Job Centre, a base for local police, youth services, and a community centre.

Last year also saw the opening of Cherry Orchard Primary Academy and Castle Hill Community Centre, designed by the Partnership. Located within the Castle Hill area, this was the first new primary school for the Garden City. The school and adjacent community centre, were praised for their design and contribution to the community, being shortlisted for the 2018 Kent Design and Development Awards.

London Partner, Mark Nolan, of Lee Evans Partnership said; “With our extensive previous experience across Ebbsfleet Garden City, we have developed a real understanding of Henley Camland’s vision for the area.

We look forward to working with the multiple stakeholders to help create an exemplar education and community facility around which the burgeoning community can grow.”

Opening of the Education & Community Hub is currently planned for September 2021.

“This Hub will provide a variety of essential community facilities, including a ‘Life Long Learning Centre’, public library, information centre, adult education services, a private nursery, a Job Centre, a base for local police, youth services, and a community centre.”

Patron News

Accountancy merger adds up for Kent

The Kent offices of national chartered accountants Haines Watts have announced they are merging with top 15 accountants MHA MacIntyre Hudson.

The move will create a county-wide team of ten partners, two specialist directors and more than 80 accounting and support staff, operating from MHA MacIntyre Hudson’s offices in Maidstone and Canterbury.

Duncan Cochrane-Dyet, MHA MacIntyre Hudson’s Kent managing partner, explained: "Kent is a really exciting market place with major growth prospects and this merger will make us a real force in the county.

“Both firms have a similar outlook in valuing our clients and people above all else and are a great cultural fit.

We’re confident that together we will continue to deliver services to a high level with access to a wider range of expertise for Haines Watts clients.”

Haines Watts Maidstone partner Anthony Brand said: "We're delighted to be merging with MHA MacIntyre Hudson, a firm that has an excellent reputation and is recognised by professionals, business people and private individuals both regionally and nationally. This union will enable us to provide a greater breadth and depth of services to our current Kent client base.”

Stephen Askew, partner at Haines Watts Canterbury, added: "Joining forces with MHA MacIntyre Hudson makes us one of the leading practices in Kent. The firms’ specialities complement each other very well and we are looking forward to working with our new colleagues.

This merger will benefit our clients and provide enhanced career and development prospects for our staff."

The Canterbury and Maidstone offices of Haines Watts will relocate to the MHA MacIntyre Hudson offices at: 71 New Dover Road Canterbury CT1 3DZ T: 03330 100 220

Victoria Court 17-21 Ashford Road Maidstone ME14 5DA T: 03330 100 221 kentinfo@mhllp.co.uk

www.macintyrehudson.co.uk

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Members News

Helping businesses grow ...

It is no secret that the key to any growing business is handling your new business enquiries efficiently and professionally, whilst managing overheads.

month through missing quality enquiries.

When you consider what one new client is worth to your business in terms of monetary value, it’s easy to see how much money your business could be losing per

In the case of our first client, they estimated due to trying to juggle new and existing business, they were missing out on about ten new customers per month, equating to more than £50,000 per year of lost revenue. But existing answer service providers were surprisingly expensive.

Perfect Reception was created for companies like this.

We were designed for the small businesses, the professionals, the sole traders, the entrepreneurs, tradesman and the celebrated one-man bands that make up so much of the UK’s businesses.

We offer an effective and professional service for half the price of many other providers.

We employ the very best technology and the best people so every call we take is indistinguishable from a call handled by a highly rated

employee within our client’s business.

Our clients have a range of differing needs. Some need to lower overheads, some just do not have the time to answer the phone and some just want to focus on growing their business.

The needs differ but the response is always the same - we tailor our services precisely to their need and our prices to fit their budget.

www.perfectreception.co.uk

Whitehead Monckton are moving to new premises from 19 November 2018

A significant development and the start of a new chapter for Whitehead Monckton in our 235 year history

Call Maidstone 01622 698000 or visit our website

at www.whitehead-monckton.co.uk

e. info@whitehead-monckton.co.uk Whitehead Monckton Limited (no. 08366029), registered in England & Wales.

Registered office 5 Eclipse Park, Sittingbourne Road, Maidstone, Kent ME14 3EN. Authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority under no. 608279.

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WTSS/17

Members News

Construction Commercial Consultants join the Chamber

GVE Commercial Solutions Ltd has joined Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce and the Kent Construction Forum Group.

GVE provides professional quantity surveying and commercial management services to construction clients in Kent and the South East.

Clients range from small contractors through to the largest national organisations.

The directors and senior employees are experts in dispute management and dispute avoidance. They often manage the interface between

contractors and the legal profession.

The company is a member of the NEC User Group and places specific emphasis on resolving and avoiding NEC-based disputes. The NEC suite of contracts has been used by the civil engineering sector for many years and most companies are now conversant with its demands if not entirely comfortable with them.

Bright future for investment in Kent, say county’s property professionals

GVE has noticed that the building sector is now taking the NEC contract form seriously as many more building contracts, especially those in the public sector, are being run the ‘NEC way’ (or at least that is the intention) and not the ‘JCT way’.

Building sector contractors and clients would be well advised to seek NEC specialist advice and training as the contract is extremely procedural and

perhaps not what they have been more used to.

For example, the NEC contract contains a time-bar to entitlement which would otherwise render perfectly valid claims invalid, resulting in loss of money.

For full details visit our website at www.gvecs.co.uk or call on 01622 755359 or email jdear@gvecs.co.uk

Investment in Kent and Medway is likely to increase over the next five years, according to a poll taken at the launch of the Kent Property Market Report 2018.

Conducted at an event at the Leas Cliff Hall, Folkestone, responses from an audience of more than 250 property and development professionals showed that 69% believed relative investment in the county would increase over the next five years, with 20% believing it will stay at current levels and 11% believing it will reduce.

On the question of Brexit and the impact of the UK ending up outside the Single Market and Customs Union, 32% felt it would a neutral effect, 24% negative, 24% quite negative and 10% positive.

However, 77% felt businesses were not prepared for that outcome, with just 7% saying they were.

Produced by Caxtons Chartered Surveyors, Kent County Council and Locate in Kent, the Kent Property Market Report reveals that commercial property activity is increasingly being driven by the needs of micro and small businesses rather than larger corporations, mirroring the market in London and the wider south east. It finds that the number of companies from outside the county seeking space in Kent is growing.

The report concludes that, while the county’s property market echoes the

weaknesses seen nationally and caused by economic uncertainty and global trade wars, there are many positive stories to be told.

One of these success stories is on the county’s high streets where the report states that regeneration projects, active management strategies, and increased housing in town centres have added to their vitality, which is reflected in a fall in vacancy rates, contrary to the national trend.

The report finds that the changing face of retail has had a positive impact on the industrial sector with strong demand for distribution space, typified by Amazon’s 34,000m2 last mile sorting centre due to open in Medway later this year and Ocado’s plans for a 1.92ha site at Littlebrook.

Coupled with a good performance in the wider market, this activity has pushed rents up by 24% over the past five years, increasing the appetite for speculative development.

On Kent’s business parks, affordability pressures experienced across the south east have seen a small fall in rents leading to a notable increase in take-up from SMEs and newcomers to the county, although

David Gurton of Caxtons, Gavin Cleary of Locate in Kent, Mark Coxon and Sue Foxley of Caxtons, Mark Dance of KCC, and Ron Roser of Caxtons at the launch of the Kent Property Market Report 2018 average prime rents are 5.4% ahead of the market peak in 2010.

The report says that a key factor in attracting new businesses is the availability of high quality skilled labour.

Ron Roser, Chairman of Caxtons, said: “What really comes through in this year’s report is just how commercial property activity is being driven by the needs of micro and small businesses rather than large corporations. It’s also good to see more space being occupied by companies moving into the area.

“In many areas of the county, the increasing involvement of local authorities in both commercial and residential property development is helping to make a real difference, especially where there is less appetite from the private sector.

“With developers, planners and local authorities working together, much is being achieved. This can be seen

out on the ground where infrastructure, housing, regeneration and commercial developments are all coming forward.”

County Council Cabinet Member for Economic Development Mark Dance said: “I believe Kent remains resilient with a business environment seen as favourable to investment with major initiatives and projects to support growth and economic development in our county in the coming year.”

Gavin Cleary, CEO Locate In Kent, said: “With the regeneration and investment in towns and communities across the county from Ashford to Canterbury, Medway to Folkestone, we have all the ingredients in place for a futurefacing and thriving, vibrant economy.”

The Kent Property Market Report is supported by Clague Architects, Cripps, DHA Planning, Kreston Reeves, Handelsbanken and RICS.

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Medway business wins £500 for local charity

Members News

Businesses from across the county gathered at the Historic Dockyard Chatham for Medway’s biggest B2B event. Organised by the Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, the major networking event Kent B2B featured a host of expert speakers and exhibitors.

Exhibitors Kent Community Foundation held a competition on their stand, giving other exhibitors and delegates the opportunity to win £500 to donate to a

charity in Kent and Medway.

The winner was Kent Space, the providers of business space and self-storage in Chatham and Ashford.

Shannon Reynolds from Kent Space chose to donate the money to The Street Soccer Foundation, a charitable non-profit organisation which uses football as a catalyst to improve the lives of vulnerable and homeless young people from across Kent and Medway.

Grant-makers Kent Community Foundation gave businesses in Kent and Medway the opportunity to win £500 for a local charity of their choice at a recent business networking event.

Shannon presented the charity with the £500 cheque at their Chatham office and said: “As I embarked on my networking journey I met Keith Mabbutt, the founder of The Street Soccer Foundation, which educates, encourages and motives vulnerable and homeless people across the country, changing lives through football. I chose this charity as I believe the money will continue to help towards supporting the academy with pitch hire and organising

Furley Page staff start two million steps race to Rome

Staff from Furley Page are on a mission to lead healthier and more active lifestyles this autumn as the law firm launches its Pedometer Challenge.

more courses.” Keith said: “We are hugely grateful to both Kent Space as their chosen charity and to the Kent Community Foundation for our being the recipient of the £500 donation. Both are valued supporters of The Street Soccer Foundation for the work we do to help homeless and vulnerable young people across the County of Kent.”

The Medway Corporate Giving Fund, run by Kent Community Foundation

New film promotes the importance of saving money

Now Eddie the elephant and his giraffe, parrot and owl friends have achieved national fame with the launch of their latest animation highlighted on BBC Radio 5 Live’s breakfast programme.

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Each team will record their total number of steps each week and data will be used to track their progress using pedometers donated by Westfield Health.

Karen Cook, Senior HR Manager at Furley Page, said: “Our two million steps Pedometer Challenge is part of the firm’s drive to encourage our staff to live active lifestyles and to promote health and wellbeing in the workplace.”

Josephine McCartney, Chief Executive at Kent Community Foundation, said: “Corporate social responsibility is no longer an activity just for large, multinational corporations.

Businesses of any size can play their part in effective local giving and supporting their community.”

Cartoon characters used to help Kent housing association Golding Homes promote important health and wellbeing issues made national headlines as part of a campaign to teach pre-school children about saving money.

The lovable characters in Eddie and Friends animations have already helped youngsters understand the importance of hydration and nutrition and encouraged them to see disability as a normal part of everyday life.

Eighty members of Furley Page’s staff will compete to walk two million steps, the equivalent of travelling from Canterbury Cathedral to St Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

Working in five-person teams, the challenge is to be the first team to collectively walk the 2,750km trip from Canterbury to Italy’s capital city.

Prizes will be awarded for a variety of achievements along the way, such as the team that records the most steps in one week.

brings together Medway businesses, entrepreneurs and individuals committed to supporting their local community.

The six-minute film, supported by a number of financial big-hitters, is aimed at encouraging pre-school children to understand the importance of saving money from a young age.

It is being distributed free of charge to all pre-schools in the Maidstone area and will be sold nationally, with any profits invested back into producing more Eddie and Friends films.

The film, which introduces Olive the owl for the first time, is expected to be the first in a series of educational videos aimed at boosting children‘s understanding of financial concepts, with a film for Key Stage One youngsters already at the planning stage. Caroline McBride, Head of

Community Development for Golding Homes, said: “It is important that children learn about saving money as a life skill from a young age, and we’re delighted to be supporting the fifth in the Eddie and Friends series.”

The video was the brainchild of Rory Murphy, Chair of Trustees at Ensign, a maritime pension fund, who won the backing of PWC, Baker McKenzie, Willis Towers Watson and MHP Communications, as well as Golding Vision, the community development arm of Golding Homes, and Wellbeing People.

The script was written by Hazlitt Theatre Manager Martin Cleverley, while the animation was created by Moving Image Creations.

The third film in the Eddie and Friends series was entitled Disability Eddie and also won VIP support. Aimed at helping pre-school children understand and normalise disability, it featured Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson as the voice of Tammi the tortoise.

Discover the North Kent Enterprise Zone North Kent is the ideal location to start-up or grow a business. Our sites in Ebbsfleet, Medway and Maidstone all benefit from sustained support for economic development and provide an abundance of opportunities for potential investors.

The Enterprise Zone’s three exceptional locations, Ebbsfleet Garden City, Kent Medical Campus and Innovation Park Medway are all looking to attract companies and investors in key sectors – including medical and healthcare research, advanced manufacturing, engineering and digital technologies.

North Kent Enterprise Zone is primed for business success for good reason with: • High speed rail and road networks with great connectivity to London and Europe

• Close proximity to London, one of the world’s most prosperous cities for business and culture • A business environment where innovative, high-value companies and growing businesses will thrive • A highly skilled local workforce • A sector focus on medical and life sciences, engineering and digital technologies • A supportive environment that will help growing businesses to connect, collaborate and compete

Spotlight on North Kent

Ebbsfleet Garden City • 17 minutes to London.

Faster to central London than any area in Kent.

• 3 linked sites equating to 85,000m2 and business hubs.

• 5k jobs created across the enterprise zones by 2025/26.

Kent Medical Campus • 1 minute from the M20, connecting to the M25 and mainland Europe.

• 30 acre campus providing a stunning location for business growth in the health, science and education sectors.

KIMS Entrance, Maidstone • 1 million square feet of high quality medical, care, research and commercial space.

Innovation Park, Medway • 1 mile from the M2 and 3 miles from the M20, providing key access to key motorways.

• 20 minutes to Ebbsfleet for Eurostar services to Europe with historic Rochester less than 10 minutes away for high speed rail services to London.

• 4 local universities providing highly skilled talent and world class research and development facilities.

Connect Collaborate Compete The North Kent Enterprise Zone offers a unique innovative environment where growing businesses come to thrive and communities grow.

Enterprise Zones are Government-designated areas that offer incentives to business occupiers including business rate discounts worth up to £55,000 annually for five years (a maximum of £275,000 per business).

Get in touch to discuss locating to Kent’s opportunity zone:

Call: 01732 520700 www.northkententerprisezone.co.uk

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Spotlight on North Kent

Exciting times ahead for Ebbsfleet Ebbsfleet Development Corporation was set up

by Government in 2015 to speed up delivery of up to 15,000 homes and create the country’s first Garden City for 100 years.

Housing Minster Kit Malthouse visits Ebbsfleet Garden City October 2018

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Spotlight on North Kent It is working with local authorities and local communities to develop a shared vision for the area, which lies between Gravesham and Dartford, providing high quality housing as well as an ambition to create 30,000 jobs.

The corporation has a strong planning service and is also the planning authority for Ebbsfleet Garden City.

Its core infrastructure programme will deliver gas and electricity networks, telecoms, water services and the highways people need. It has already invested more than £100 million in key infrastructure, including committing £45million for improvements to the A2.

Last year, in a move praised by the Government, the corporation became the first public body to invest in electricity in a £30 million investment that ensures the Garden City and its future city centre has the power it needs.

The deal was seen as key to unlocking development and the money will be claimed back through an agreement reached with UK Power Networks where developers pay for the proportion of electricity they need.

September saw a milestone in the history of Ebbsfleet Garden City when it surpassed its 1000th home completion.

You couldn’t find a wider variety of housing there, ranging one bedroom apartments to five bedroom family homes. Help to Buy has proved extremely popular with many developers reporting significant sales through the scheme with people getting on the first rung of the property ladder when they thought they’d never be able to.

This year saw the sale of Eastern Quarry, which will be the largest part of Ebbsfleet Garden City with up to 6,250 homes in three villages, to Henley Camland.

It was announced that threequarters of the homes built by the Clarion/Countryside joint venture will be for private sale, with 5% to be available at

affordable rent and the remaining 20% for shared ownership.

Clarion is already developing around 450 shared ownership homes on the nearby Castle Hill site.

The corporation is also building a new bridge which will link the existing community of Springhead Park to Ebbsfleet International and cut down on walking times to the station from 25 minutes to just eight.

With the momentum of the housing numbers increasing and getting the right infrastructure in place, it’s clear to see that Ebbsfleet Garden City is going places as it tackles its next project.

This year the EDC appointed strategic commercial advisers to help realise the potential of Ebbsfleet Central a 9 million sq ft mixed-use scheme across a strategic 47 ha site which will act as the gateway to Ebbsfleet Garden City.

It is a crucial but complex site which will see delivery of up to 2500, homes, new commercial space and a thriving area for residents and businesses in north Kent benefitting from exceptional transport connections.

Ian Piper, Chief Executive, of Ebbsfleet Development Corporation, said: “It’s been three years since the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation was set up and when people ask what’s happened in that time it’s very easy to show them.

“There are the new communities that are coming together in Ebbsfleet Green, Castle Hill and Springhead Park. These new developments are providing a range of new homes, including those available through ‘shared ownership’, allowing many

residents to get their first step on the housing ladder.

There is so much choice available, from different house builders including Redrow Homes, Countryside, Clarion, David Wilson, Charles Church and Taylor Wimpey.

“And, of course, new communities need new facilities, so we are delighted to show people the new Cherry Orchard Primary School Ebbsfleet Garden City’s first which opened in 2017 alongside a new community centre. “We also have our first hotel, restaurant and pub called the Spring River.

“Getting around the Garden City, without relying on the car is really important to us.

This is why we have started work on a new bridge which will provide a new bus, cycle and walking link for residents of Springhead Park directly to Ebbsfleet International. It is why we are investing heavily in new walkways and cycleways across the area, the first of which has just opened giving people in Northfleet a direct link to the River Thames.

Eventually the whole Garden City will be connected by a series of walking and cycling routes, enabling people to move freely across the whole area.

“Nearby, Keepmoat are getting ready to go on site to build 600 riverfront homes which will provide a wide range of housing types.

“We are proud to be one of ten NHS Healthy New Towns, ensuring we are putting healthcare at the forefront of everything we do.

“We have invested many millions in vital infrastructure which will ensure the Garden City not only has adequate

Housing Minster Kit Malthouse visits Ebbsfleet Garden City October 2018

power supply for a lifetime but enables developers to get on site quicker and build the homes people need. We have also agreed to invest with Highways England in key improvements to the local junctions on the A2, which can now progress thanks to our intervention.

“So the answer to what has been done in three years is “quite a lot”! But we know there is much more to do, the job has only just begun. We will continue to push for Crossrail to come to Ebbsfleet Garden City and open up a whole new world of travel for people from the area. Work will continue to ensure we have a first-class city centre around Ebbsfleet International that is fitting of a 21st Century Garden City.

That includes our plans to create a first-class healthcare and innovation quarter.

“This is not only one of the largest regeneration projects in the country, it is, in our view, also the most exciting. New residents tell us that they love living here and that they are excited about the future and that’s one of the most rewarding things to hear.”

“We have invested many millions in vital infrastructure which will ensure the Garden City not only has adequate power supply for a lifetime but enables developers to get on site quicker and build the homes people need. We have also agreed to invest with Highways England in key improvements to the local junctions on the A2, which can now progress thanks to our intervention.”

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Spotlight on North Kent

A TRAM FOR NORTH KENT A major opportunity for local communities What makes a city liveable?

Many factors of course, but in particular a local tram system will be part of the formula. The attraction of an efficient, sustainable, form of transport is obvious to those that live with the benefits such systems bring. Wherever tram systems operate there always seems to be public demand for an extension or two to reach another worthwhile destination. We see this time and again and now in North Kent an opportunity has come along to provide tram benefits to local communities.

The North Kent area is one of tremendous opportunity now benefitting from High Speed rail services and the development of many new homes. KenEx have identified local needs unlocking and opening opportunities currently restricted due to regular road congestion. Without the tram local North Kent communities and business are expected to suffer further with increasing local road congestion. The tram opportunity enables Ebbsfleet Garden City to join the ranks of the world’s most liveable cities who all benefit from sustainable tram systems.

The big prize that we see is the undoubted benefit of a modern, clean, sustainable direct public transport connection across the Thames connecting with the vibrant South Essex economy for the benefit of everyone. This opportunity alone, by providing a direct cross river tram route should remove traffic from local roads. The whole area can then move forwards into a more healthy and sustainable 21st Century for all.

Project feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and we have been alerted to journeys of which we were unaware when surveys commenced. The case continually improves. KenEx is committed to local employment and are very pleased that our proposed submerged tunnel which, of course, forms a major part of our costs can be constructed locally.

We have been constantly reminded of the substantial benefits to potential ridership for both old and young who either do not have access to a car or do not want to drive. At present the road option of the Dartford Crossing excludes a significant slice of the potential cross river market which KenEx would directly address. In particular there has been significant interest from local education, training, innovation and skills centres which perfectly fits with a key aim of ours to improve the opportunities available for local people.

As the planning stage of the project moves forward KenEx remain committed to our core aims for a transport opportunity connecting local communities, business and economies, with a sustainable, environmentally sound transport solution.

To find out more visit www.kenextram.co.uk

Gordon Pratt Project Director Thames Gateway Tramlink Ltd Centre for Engineering and Manufacturing Excellence (CEME)

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Our advisors.

Our team of expert advisors is dedicated to ensuring that your business is protected. We listen to what you need and highlight any areas where you may be at risk. Our teams have in-depth knowledge of the risks faced by businesses and how to protect against them.

Whatever sector your business is in, our expert advisors will work closely with you to assess your specific insurance requirements. We understand that every business is unique and we take the time to speak with you in detail about each area of your business. This ensures that you are covered at an appropriate level for the risks your business may face. It’s this personal service that sets us apart, and we strive to deliver it throughout the length of your policy.

Our bespoke service.

One of our customer relationship managers will visit you to carry out a thorough assessment of your business. As well as noting risk, they’ll discuss your requirements and highlight any particular needs your business may have. They’ll then prepare and present a tailor-made package of bespoke insurance options. They will share their personal recommendation and provide you with expert advice to guide you through the decision making process.

At Swinton, we’ve been arranging business insurance for over 15 years.

We work across a diverse range of industries and our experience tells us that even businesses within the same sector may well have different business insurance requirements.

Once you’ve chosen an insurance option, your customer relationship manager will arrange your insurance cover. Our team will then check in with you throughout the year, allowing you to update us on any issues, inform us of any plans that may require a change to your policy and to get feedback on our service. Your customer relationship manager will be available throughout your policy to talk, or meet with you to ensure you and your business continue to remain protected.

Our Expert Dartford Team Our team in Dartford cover all types of businesses, but has particular specialisms in Construction Companies, Manufacturing, Engineering, Motor Trade with Premises, Fleet, Property portfolios over 5 properties and Cyber cover. We cover around 3000 businesses year on year.

So, if you’re looking for a local experienced broker that believes in the traditional face to face broker client relationship – our Dartford team are here to help. Its good business sense.

Call for an expert appointment on 01322 473418

Swinton Business is a trading division of Swinton Group Limited, registered in England and Wales, registered number 756681 whose registered office is at: Embankment West Tower, 101 Cathedral Approach, Salford, M3 7FB. Calls are recorded for training and quality purposes. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

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Spotlight on North Kent

“A proud market town, distinctly different to the rest of its neighbouring boroughs, Dartford is a place of contrasts; green leafy lanes, traditional hamlets and villages but also urban, industrial townscapes and modern business parks.”

Dartford - A market town with a

Crossways Business Park

wealth of history and culture…

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Dartford is one of the fastest growing economies in England with a population that’s increasing rapidly.

Thinking Business

The town has been energised in the last decade by huge investment in national infrastructure and million pound capital commitments from private developers and the local authority. 13,000 new homes are being built in the area including industrial sites

which have been redeveloped into luxury apartments, and two and three bedroom houses around former factory locations. One of our main development areas is Ebbsfleet Garden City which will create up to 15,000 new homes and a commercial centre.

Spotlight on North Kent

Central Park Bandstand

A proud market town, distinctly different to the rest of its neighbouring boroughs, Dartford is a place of contrasts; green leafy lanes, traditional hamlets and villages but also urban, industrial townscapes and modern business parks.

The high-speed service from Ebbsfleet International makes it quick for commuters to get in and out of London and Europe for meetings from their base in a growing centre of culture, commerce and community.

The town also enjoys the convenience of being on the outskirts of London in Zone 9, but with a distinctiveness, community and culture which sets it apart from other commuter towns.

Business is Booming

Business is indeed booming in Dartford due to its strategic positioning on the edge of London and the heart of the South East.

Dartford is the gateway to the garden of Kent and just a two hour Eurotunnel journey to Europe.

There’s a tangible buzz of regeneration which has emanated from the successful completion of the new football and community stadium at Princes Park, new housing at Temple Hill and the multimillion pound refurbishment of Fairfield Leisure Centre.

Furthermore, the regeneration of the town will see the creation of a sixscreen cinema, new bars

and restaurants and a multi-storey car park. By focussing on housebuilding in and around the town centre we will create and sustain the demand for retail, convenience shops and services. Dartford is also home to one of Kent’s best traditional High Street markets, running every Thursday and Saturday throughout the year.

Dartford is very definitely a Kentish town and few things will irritate a local resident more than confusing it with London; but this lively town is very, very handy for all the benefits of living within a stone’s throw of the Capital and big City benefits.

The recent refurbishment of Central Park with areas for sport, entertainment and relaxation has set the creative vision and ambition for the type of quality landscape and public realm being planned across the rest of the town.

Princes Park Stadium is the home of Dartford Football Club as well as providing a range of other facilities such as community football pitches, mini pitches and Princes Park golf course.

The Olympic training standard judo centre at Stone Lodge is a state-ofthe-art centre and one of the most impressive judo facilities outside Japan. There are over 400 netball clubs in Kent, which is linked to the game’s origin in Dartford where Madam Martina Ostenberg pioneered the development of the sport.

Business and cultural engagement in Dartford is embedded in our further education curriculum through close partnerships with all sectors of industry, producing students (including those from one of the best performing Grammar Schools in the UK) ready for opportunities on our doorstep from retail, to manufacturing, construction, maritime, media, arts and retail.

Once renowned for heavy industry, manufacturing, and now the area is strong in logistics and distribution, retail (WHSmith, Sainsbury’s and Boots) and the home of Bluewater Shopping Centre with over 300 stores, 50 restaurants and an IMAX cinema.

Whatever your interest, Dartford is full of community venues and networks.

There are volunteering opportunities, interest groups, clubs, societies and faith organisations to discover your purpose, learn new skills, connect with others and play your part at home.

Dartford Station

Hire the freshest new talent through North Kent College

North Kent College is the 11th college nationally, with an 87% student achievement rate and having invested more than £90 million in facilities and commercial-standard resources.

Our recent Ofsted inspection (November 2017) rated us Grade 2 'Good' once again and with nearly 5,000 students and apprentices learning their skills and training with us, the College offers one of the best talent pools in Kent and South East London.

Employers working with North Kent College take advantage of these talents in a number of flexible ways, from offering relevant industry placements, apprenticeships or graduate employment, to short-term work experience projects.

Based on the level of skills, training and expertise gained during our student's time at college, the opportunities for local employers to benefit are wide and benefits include: • Filling your skills gaps, including specialist skills • Helping your succession planning • Reducing recruitment costs • Reducing training costs • Moulding staff to the skills specific to your industry • Making your business more competitive • Improving productivity • Motivating staff and reducing staff turnover • Providing a significant return on investment Students on some of our courses are expected to gain about 50 days significant industry placement in a business relevant to their study programme.

We are always looking for mentors and employers to assist the students by offering good quality industry placements.

The placement can be paid if you wish, but this is not necessary as it is part of the student’s study programme. What is key, is that students gain the opportunity to work in a commercial setting and engage with clients and other trained professionals and become career-ready.

Our students come from all over South East London, Bexley, Sevenoaks and Medway, as well as Dartford and Gravesend, so we would welcome any organisations able to offer placements in these areas.

The industry placement scheme is open to students on Level 2 and 3 courses who have already been at College for at least one year and are, therefore, part-skilled before they enter the workplace. Students are also given preemployment training to ensure they understand workplace etiquette, communications and are equipped with employability skills.

Progression routes for students after completion of their course include apprenticeship programmes or full-time employment. The placement scheme therefore gives employers the opportunity to have a student in the workplace, who ultimately you may consider for one of these progression routes into your organisation.

If you can assist with helping our students become career-ready, please contact us to discuss business@northkent.ac.ukor call 01322 629490 Thinking Business

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Big Interview

Property report paints an optimistic picture

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The publication of the Kent Property Market Report is one of the most eagerly-awaited business events of the year and this year was no exception.

Thinking Business

Researched in the main by headline sponsor Caxtons Chartered Surveyors, the report is published in collaboration with Kent County Council and Locate in Kent and provides an invaluable snapshot of the commercial life of the county.

Based on input from a range of experts, the report brings together a wide range of information that is of use to developers and property professionals either already active in the county or seeking to invest.

Big Interview

“The report shows that the Kent economy is performing well and that there is plenty of investment, although it does show that the county lags behind on land values.

Another thing it has shown is that Brexit is not having the impact that people might have expected.”

For Caxtons, the report is one of their biggest undertakings of the year with specialists led

by Commercial Director Mark Coxon feeding information into the team that pulls together the final document.

According to Mark, this year’s report reveals many positive aspects to the property sector in Kent, but with echoes of national weaknesses caused by economic uncertainty, although he does not believe that Brexit is having the impact that might have been envisaged.

This year’s launch was held at Leas Cliff Hall, Folkestone on 1st November and attracted 250 property professionals.

The report showed that: Despite a national crisis on the high street, towns and cities across Kent have survived better than many.

In the main this has been due to regeneration projects and management strategies, as well as increased town centre dwellings, which have all contributed and underpinned the life of some of Kent’s conurbations.

In parallel with other counties, Kentish towns have lost major players from the roll call of well-known high street names.

Conversly, this has provided opportunities allowing independents and new enterprises to enter the market

and occupy prime positions that they could not have considered in the recent past.

findings as his team was conducting research for the report.

Good performance in the wider market has impacted rents, pushing them up by 24% in five years as well as increasing speculative development. Some offices to residential conversions have made space more difficult to find, but in general the Report reveals that the office sector is positive for both investors and occupiers who find rents more affordable than in the rest of the south east even though prime rents are 13% above prefinancial crisis peak.

He said: “The report uses a lot of the information that we gather throughout the year and it is a big undertaking for us. We feed a lot of information to the team that puts it together.

Commercial property activity is increasingly being driven by the needs of micro and small businesses rather than larger corporations, mirroring the market in London and the wider south east.

The number of companies from outside the county seeking space here is growing.

The report concludes that while the county’s property market echoes the weaknesses seen nationally and caused by economic uncertainty and global trade wars, there are many positive stories to be told.

Mark agrees with that conclusion based in a large part on the company’s own

“The report has been produced for more than twenty years now and has an increasingly important role to play in that it gives developers and property professionals a sense of what is happening in Kent.

“This year, I think it paints a pretty optimistic picture.

The report shows that the Kent economy is performing well and that there is plenty of investment, although it does show that the county lags behind on land values.

“Another thing it has shown is that Brexit is not having the impact that people might have expected.

“Despite all the uncertainty caused by Brexit, the economy continues to perform well and the report recounts many success stories.”

One of those success stories is Caxton itself. With 100 members of staff working from offices in Canterbury, Gillingham, Gravesend, and Maidstone, Caxtons is one of the largest independent firms of general practice chartered surveyors and property consultants in Kent, Medway and the South East.

It offers a range of consultancy, management and surveying services in the commercial and residential sectors, managing approximately 7,000 properties across the region and has continued to perform well at a time when the property sector has undergone extreme uncertainty. In 2018, and against all the odds, the firm has experienced its best year.

“The report has been produced for more than twenty years now and has an increasingly important role to play in that it gives developers and property professionals a sense of what is happening in Kent.”

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23

international trade

International trade offers a world of opportunity Cover Feature

despite Brexit uncertainty

International trade plays a crucial role in helping the UK economy to grow and two sets of recently-published figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have underlined just how important it has become.

And that means that a world of opportunity is on offer for businesses trading in areas like Kent, if they are prepared to grasp the opportunities that are rapidly emerging.

The ONS research showed that demand for British goods and services continues to grow and that exports rose to £637bn in the year to August 2018.

According to the ONS, the rise in UK exports in August was £33bn, an increase of 5.5% compared to the same time last year.

The country’s service sector continued to grow with exports up 5.3% to a record high of £289bn, goods exports increased by 5.6% to £348bn and annual exports continued to grow faster than imports for the 13th consecutive month.

24

Thinking Business

Further figures from the ONS released in October showed that the trend continued in Q2.

The figures reflected an increase in exports to important trading partners including the USA, Australia and South Korea.

Indeed, service exports to non-EU countries increased by 4.5% to £167 billion with South Korea a fast-growing contributor where the total value of exports in services increased to £2.4 billion. The USA remained the UK’s top services destination, with exports increasing to £59 billion, accounting for 20.6% of total exports.

International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox MP said: “The trade figures show demand for UK services overseas continues to soar.

“There is clear appetite for British services further afield, as the US and Far East offer some of the greatest growth prospects of the 21st Century.”

The Government’s Export Strategy sets out to increase exports as a proportion of UK GDP to 35%, making the UK one of the G7’s most successful exporters.

Although Brexit dominates the UK’s business and political landscape, the rest of the world offers great opportunity as well, according to the ONS.

Overall, exports of goods and services to non-EU countries have increased since 2000; the UK operates a trade surplus of more than £40bn with non-EU countries, which was a deficit as recently as 2010.

In 2017, eight of the ten fastest growing markets for UK exports since 2010 were outside of the EU, while exports of services to the key non-EU markets of USA, China and Japan have all increased by more than 85% since 2010.

For all there are plenty of opportunities, there are also plenty of concerns for businesses who are already exporting, or who are considering developing an overseas operation.

As reported recently in Thinking Business. volatile exchange rates are a growing anxiety, as highlighted in the Quarterly International Trade Outlook, published by the British Chambers of Commerce in partnership with DHL.

international trade

Cover Feature

Top tips for trading internationally

Exporting can appear to be a complex activity but by taking a few simple steps, companies can make it work:

• Know your overseas markets – be sure of the demand for your goods, understand the potential for growth and research how you should price your goods

• Tackle one new market at a time – pick the one you’re most confident about. Research the culture of the country to which you plan to export; different countries do business differently, for example in how they deal with new clients and organise their meetings

The survey of more than 2,600 exporters found that 60% of manufacturers were more concerned about exchange rates in the second quarter of the year than in the previous three months. There was also increased concern among 43% of service exporters, highlighting the broad impact of the weakness of the pound.

The volatility has been caused by continued uncertainty surrounding Brexit and the departure from the EU remains the major concern for many companies exporting to Europe.

There are plenty of challenges for exporters, including concerns that Brexit will cause long hold-ups in areas like Kent for trucks seeking to leave the UK via East coast ports on their way to customers on the Continent.

Richard Burnett, Road Haulage Association Chief Executive, said recently: “Without clarity, any changes in supply chain operations cannot be delivered in the time left between now and next March.

All businesses in Europe deal with governments and businesses all over the world but the changes needed to keep food in the shops and the wheels of industry turning under a no-deal Brexit are beyond the routine - we need the time to do it. Deal or no deal, a transition period is essential.”

Away from Brexit, there are other more challenges for companies seeking to export, everything from translation to documentation but that does not mean they should turn away from the idea?

Not according to those who help businesses export. What it does mean, though, is that it makes sense to call in expert help like that offered by Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce.

As part of the International Chamber of Commerce

network, Kent Invicta Chamber has unrivalled access to a comprehensive range of contacts, information, benefits and services that help both the first time and established exporter. It is also the only accredited chamber in Kent licensed to issue Export Documentation.

The Chamber has developed a suite of services and has negotiated exclusive discounts and benefits with export providers.

You can find out more at https://www.kentinvictachamber.co.uk/international-trade/

“Without clarity, any changes in supply chain operations cannot be delivered in the time left between now and next March. All businesses in Europe deal with governments and businesses all over the world but the changes needed to keep food in the shops and the wheels of industry turning under a no-deal Brexit are beyond the routine - we need the time to do it. Deal or no deal, a transition period is essential.”

• Be prepared for different documentary requirements – countries differ in their demands for documentation over and above the standard ones

• When starting out it may be easier to look for a partner that understands the market, maybe a distributor or sales agent

• Check the copyright on your products – patents and trademarks are only recognised and protected in their country of origin so consider securing additional protection in the countries to which you choose to export

• Check your customer’s ability to pay and how they plan to do so – different countries have different financial arrangements

• Target Customise your marketing – research the different rules around marketing, advertising and promotion as what works in one country may not work in another.

And make sure you understand the language – words can mean different thins in different countries

• Select your transportation methods wisely – it is vital that your goods are insured, whether by you or the importer – use a logistics company you trust

• Build relationships – connect regularly with your foreign customers, agents or partners and monitor the economic and political environment in the destination country because events abroad can impact markets.

Thinking Business

25

Trade: they think it’s all Dover – it is now! £122bn

17%

OF TRADE HANDLED

OF THE UK’S TRADE IN GOODS

Shortest crossing POINT BETWEEN UK AND ITS MAIN TRADING PARTNER – THE EU

110 miles £3bn OF TRADE FLOW PER DAY

ECONOMIC VALUE OF DOVER CONNECTIVITY

120 10,000

FERRIES AND

LORRIES PER DAY

Port powerhouse key to Britain’s Brexit success How about alternative North Sea routes?

Up to 120 new ferries needed – they do not exist.

Crossings are too long.

Sailings are too infrequent.

How about resurrecting alternative Short Sea routes?

Massive investment in infrastructure would be needed.

Crossings would still be too long and sailings too infrequent.

Does diverting a small amount at a higher price really help British consumers?

The UK’s reliance upon continued frictionless trade at the Port of Dover has been accepted at the heart of Government. So has the need to preserve it.

Dover’s operation cannot be replicated elsewhere and there would be significant cost in trying.... £2.5bn

Dover’s success is Britain’s success.... the solution is here www.doverport.co.uk

international trade

Why Dover must remain at the heart of the UK’s social and economic agenda

Cover Feature

The Port of Dover handles up to £122 billion, or 17%, of the UK’s trade in goods. More than 2.6 million lorries used the port last year, carrying exports from British factories and farms to markets in the EU and delivering goods to consumers across the UK. Half the lorries entering the country at Dover are bound for destinations in the Midlands, the North of England, and Scotland.

Thanks to its geographic position on the shortest crossing point between the UK and mainland Europe, the port handles up to 180km of freight traffic each day.

That’s a queue from Dover to Stansted Airport in the UK or, in the other direction, across the Continent from Calais almost to the heart of Brussels. It is a mark of the efficiency of the port that this traffic only gets noticed when something, usually in the wider logistics chain, goes wrong.

Indeed, lorries have not been parked on the M20 motorway (Operation Stack) since 2015.

Dover handles 120 ferry movements per day: 60 outbound and 60 inbound.

Each ferry berths, unloads some 3 kilometres of traffic, embarks another 3 kilometres of traffic, and then sets sail again in just 45-50 minutes. Most of the lorries that arrive every day are out of the port within just five minutes of driving off their ferry.

The scale and efficiency of Dover’s roll-on roll-off ferry operation is simply impossible to replicate elsewhere, and essential to maintaining our collective way of life. The just-intime supply chains that keep factories busy and shops full rely on Dover, for its capacity and speed. Seafood landed on a Scottish quayside one day can be served to an appreciative customer in France the next.

Equally, fresh food bought in a British supermarket on a Saturday can have been still growing on a European farm on the Friday. Operating in this way without an inventory is vital to keep exports competitive and to

enable UK retailers to keep prices low. Internationally renowned independent economic analysts Oxera have estimated the economic value of the connectivity provided by Dover to be worth up to £3 billion. They have also said that, in a no-deal Brexit, the most significant impacts for UK consumers are likely to be a rise in food prices – supermarkets have estimated that there would be a 12% increase.

Low-income UK households spend around one-fifth of their income on food and it is those who can least afford it who would be hardest hit by a rise in prices.

Sending some of the traffic to other ports is not an answer.

The routes are too long and the sailings too infrequent for the fast-moving just-in-time traffic handled on the Dover Straits.

Re-routeing a small number of lorries, carrying premium cargoes at a higher price, may suit the needs of a few customers but cannot serve the many who will remain reliant on the high-volume supply route.

To replicate Dover’s capacity, ten times as many ferries would be needed on longer routes across the North Sea, and no such fleet exists.

Dover is the port for everyone and must remain so. It keeps the shops full for everyone.

It keeps prices lower for everyone. No wonder it has seen record freight volumes for the last five years, two of those being since the EU referendum.

That is why it has been so central to the Brexit conversation and that is why keeping traffic flowing through this critical gateway just as it does today will be as essential after Brexit as it has been before.

We must get Dover right because there is no alternative.

Tim Reardon Head of EU Exit Port of Dover

Thinking Business

27

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Resolving international disputes

International Trade

by James Cradick, Senior Associate, Dispute Resolution Department, Thomson Snell & Passmore, Crossways Business Park

In today’s global economy, with Brexit approaching, many UK businesses are diversifying into new overseas markets.

There is however limited purpose in negotiating a lucrative contract with a new overseas supplier or customer if the obligations in the contract cannot be enforced.

When an international dispute arises it is necessary to consider at the outset which country's courts and law applies to the dispute. Many contracts contain a dispute resolution clause dealing with this although they can be overlooked or insufficient.

Absent a robust clause, parties will be left arguing over complicated conflicts of law and jurisdiction rules. Getting this wrong can invite the prospect of litigating in a different country

before unfamiliar Courts applying unfamiliar local law in proceedings conducted in a different language; a daunting prospect.

Arbitration is an established alternative method of resolving international disputes.

Arbitration takes place before private adjudicators (arbitrators).

It is a consensual, neutral, confidential, binding and enforceable means of dispute resolution allowing parties from different legal, linguistic and cultural backgrounds to resolve disputes. Limited grounds of appeal in arbitrations also provide finality and certainty.

Parties have flexibility to decide the methods by which their dispute is resolved. The procedure can be as detailed or short and simple as the parties decide. Parties can choose to adopt a set of pre-existing procedural rules (prepared by organisations like the ICC) or can agree their own bespoke procedure.

Arbitration allows the parties to agree where the dispute is heard, which law applies and what language the proceedings should be in. This flexibility can result in significant time and costs savings.

As opposed to litigation, arbitration falls outside of most of the issues Brexit creates.

This gives businesses contracting now more certainty in the medium term as to how potential future international disputes will be handled.

Awards are enforced internationally in some 150 plus countries under the New York Convention 1958 which will not be affected by Brexit.

To obtain the benefits of arbitration, it is important for businesses to include arbitration agreements in their contracts, so that if a dispute under the contract arises both parties are obligated to arbitrate rather than to pursue court litigation. This is achieved by a short standard clause.

How to ship goods safely and effectively?

Many companies rely on import and export sales these days.

With cargo often travelling thousands of miles and transhipping at various locations, how can we ensure that it reaches its destination safely and effectively?

We asked this question to Robert Coales, MD of Unipac Shipping, a freight forwarding business based in Kent.

"Companies should ensure that their cargo is packed in a correct manner. Internal protective packaging and good quality cardboard boxes of appropriate size should be used, clearly labelled with the receiver’s name, address and any marks requested by your customer. In many cases palletisation is recommended.

The most suitable method of transport should be chosen.

That's something that Unipac staff would always advise on a case by case basis. For small shipments up to about 100K the door to door transport cost by airfreight or courier services is often the most economical.

To some areas, particularly the USA, the weight and size at which shipment by sea becomes cheaper than by air is much larger.

Choice of routing is made by matching what is possible in terms of transit time and cost with what is required.

Export Paperwork must be prepared according to the requirements of the destination country. For many parts of the world, the requirement is only an invoice and packing list covering the goods being shipped, but for others, particularly the Middle East, certificates of origin are required. For shipments to the USA the consignee is required to notify US Customs before the shipment leaves the UK. There are many possibilities for things to go wrong. Ships and aircraft have accidents from time to time, typhoons and hurricanes do happen, but fortunately the vast majority of shipments move according to plan. You can be sure that this is the case by checking the cost of Marine Insurance.

Premiums are low because the risk of loss or damage is low.

Buying insurance will protect you and your customer from losses that occur while goods are in transit. It also protects from liabilities that cargo owners

have in cases where the carrying ship is damaged: A rare occurrence, but a very difficult one for uninsured cargo owners.

Having a professional freight forwarder who has the knowledge and experience to provide reliable transport services at competitive cost, to take care of all documentary and customs

formalities, and to handle all the challenges and difficulties that may occur, is highly recommended.�

Whether you are an established exporter/importer or looking to start up a business staff at Unipac Shipping UK will be glad to offer you their expertise. For more information please contact Robert or Agnieszka.

Thinking Business

29

Kent International Business

International Trade

Exporting can be a daunting prospect, particularly in uncertain times but it can also be a route to growing your business.

Kent is already home to some excellent exporters selling everything from confectionary to road sweepers without forgetting a range of digital and professional services. If you think that your company might be able to start trading internationally then there is plenty of help available through the Kent International Business (KIB) programme.

KIB brings together various business support organisations in Kent including the Department for International Trade, Enterprise Europe Network, Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, the Institute of Directors and Kent County Council. With additional support from different professional service providers, there is always an expert on hand to help with your export queries from selecting the

Boost4Health:

right market to ensuring that you get paid. The KIB partners are also running several Europeanfunded projects such as ISE (Innovative Sector Exchange) and Boost4Health which provide free support to Kent businesses wishing to expand their international activities in mainland Europe.

The KIB website www.kentinternationalbusiness.co.uk brings together information about export events taking place in Kent as well as forthcoming market visits and the different support services that are there to help you win business overseas.

Contact international.affairs@kent.gov.uk for more information and sign up to our monthly international trade bulletin for news and upcoming events, www.kentinternationalbusiness.co.uk/contact/

Export Support for Kent Life Science Firms

Kent County Council is part of the EU-funded ‘Boost4Health’ Project which offers Kent Life Science businesses micro-financing and coaching support to help increase their exports in North West Europe.

The project partners with regions in Spain, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, France and Belgium.

There are still a number of €500 travel grants available for Kent Life Science companies wishing to attend the following Life Science events in 2018/2019:

• •

•

30

BioFit, Lille, 4-5 December 2018

Bioregate Forum, Nantes, 12-15 December 2018

Health Valley Event, Nijmegen, the Netherlands, 14-15 March 2018

Thinking Business

•

•

BioEurope Spring, Vienna, 25-27 March 2019

Bio€quity Europe, Barcelona, 20-12 May 2019

The €500 travel grants can also be used to visit a potential customer in one of our partner markets.

We also offer two ‘Internationalisation Grants’ to help you increase your exports in North West Europe:

1. Up to €3000 to help with ‘market insight’ activities such as market research or help to identify potential customers in one of our partner markets.

2. Up to €5000 towards ‘validation’ activities to help with getting your device approved for use in a European country or to contract an ‘in-market’ expert in one of our partner markets.

If you would like to find out more about the project and see if we can help your business export then contact emily.paulding@kent.gov.uk

Clear, concise & commercial Thomson Snell & Passmore has a range of legal expertise and a wealth of experience covering all areas of law and across many different sectors.

We have specialist lawyers in the following practice areas: • • • • •

Corporate & Commercial Commercial Property Dispute Resolution Employment Construction

Here for you since 1570

www.ts-p.co.uk @pragmaticlawyer T 01892 510000

CONFIDENTIAL

DOCUMENT DESTRUCTION

Are you compliant with GDPR? Do you need some help with putting together your required documents for the new GDPR regulations.

We are working with SME’s to help them produce their Policies and Procedures and to save them time and give them piece of mind.

Please contact us if we can be of service to you and your business, we would be very happy to work with you.

CDDL can offer a full secure chain for your confidential

paper work. We can offer all types and sizes of containers or bags to securely hold the paper work and we offer scheduled or ad hoc collections to keep your security risk to a minimum.

CDDL can handle all your I.T. secure destruction, we can collect, process and certify computers and hard drives to your requirements.

CDDL can offer one off archive collection and destruction, we can clear your office of the clutter you may have, and can offer support to organise and get ready all collections. CDDL can also offer archive storage to remove the pain of blocked cupboards and rooms with boxes of information poorly stored within your business.

If we can help with your confidential documents, please contact us on tony.hughes@confidentialdocumentdestruction.org.uk or Tel: 07798 923622

www.confidentialdocumentdestruction.org.uk

Thinking Business

31

• Charging facilities for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids • Wide range of charge points for domestic and commercial use, suitable for all makes and model of electric/PHEV • Installed in homes and businesses throughout the South-East & London • Home and workplace grant funding available*

Home Car Charging Solutions T: 01892 823787 E: info@hccs.org.uk www.homecarcharging.org.uk

*Ts & Cs apply

The Person behind the Business

Lightbulb moment that changed the face of a business

Some business ideas evolve

gradually, some arrive in a moment of sheer inspiration that changes everything for a company.

For entrepreneur Jonathan Reilly, it was the latter as he sat in a seminar devoted to the idea of electric vehicle charging and realised that he was being presented with an opportunity that would transform the nature of his business.

The result is that he is now Managing Director of Home Car Charging Solutions, authorised installers of electric and hybrid vehicle charging points.

The business, which is based in Kent and supplies and installs electric vehicle charging points in homes and businesses across Kent, Sussex, Surrey and London, is growing rapidly as more and more drivers embrace the idea of electric vehicles.

Jonathan was at the seminar, which was part of a national electricians’ conference, because following many years working in the commercial signage industry he had retrained as an electrician and set up his own business.

He said: “We were doing general domestic and commercial electrical work but I had been looking for a niche, something that would make us different.

“We already carried out solar energy work, so we were familiar with the idea of renewable technology.

“I was sitting in the seminar in 2016, listening to the speaker outlining how electric cars were the coming thing and how they would need charging points, and it was like an epiphany moment.

“I went home more fired up than I had been for a long time, saying ‘this is it, this is what we should be doing’.

“At the time a lot of the big vehicle manufacturers had not really backed the idea of electric vehicles but it was clear to me that this was something that was going to grow and, if it did not work for us, we still had the electrical work to fall back on if required.”

But it did work. Major manufacturers started backing the idea and, having started installing charging points

primarily in homes, the company found itself increasingly in demand from businesses as well, ranging from large concerns to SMEs.

Jonathan said: “This is a rapidly growing industry, one that is already maturing quickly, and we have seen a 300 percent increase in sales since we started to focus on EV charging points.

“Initially, we concentrated on installing points in residential addresses but we are now working for increasing numbers of businesses as well.

“Some of them require charging facilities installed at their offices but they also require them at the homes of key staff.

“We are also working with the likes of sports centres, who see charging points as something they can offer to customers who visit the centre.

“Charging points are increasingly popular in the hospitality industry.

We are working with hotels who are saying to their guests ‘come and relax, make use of our facilities and charge your vehicle whilst you are doing so then you can continue on your journey’.”

Jonathan is convinced that the industry can only grow.

There is plenty of evidence to back his view. For example, The International Energy Agency has more than doubled its estimate about global electricvehicle sales and Exxon, BP and Statoil are all now expecting at least 100 million electric vehicles to hit the roads worldwide between 2030 and 2035.

Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s outlook is even more optimistic; it projects that 530 million electric cars will be sold by 2040, representing about one-third of the market for automobiles.

Jonathan said: “Although this is a fast-growing industry, it feels like we are still only at the beginning of something. This is not going to go away, and we are excited about the future of this industry.”

“This is a rapidly growing industry, one that is already maturing quickly, and we have seen a 300 percent increase in sales since we started to focus on EV charging points.”

Thinking Business

33

asktheexpert

Why your business deserves so much more than a cool new logo

reason I completely get why it is so tempting to keep your branding so close to your chest.

The abundance of software available to turn ‘amateurs into pros’ almost overnight is very tempting to avoid entrusting an outside agency with your brand story.

After all, we live in a world of technological advancement and informational ‘how to’s’ at our finger tips. It is so appealing to not only give it a go but save some money in the process.

In fact, in a sense, I respect a business’s can do attitude but find the lack of depth and clarity dedicated to the design process in such instances a sobering thought.

I opened the doors to Brandfunk to concentrate on helping SMEs reach their full potential with regards to understanding the fundamentals of good brand strategy and design.

After 25 years’ experience in creative professions and working all over Europe, my passion for fresh and original creative solutions, combined with a levelheaded rational approach has helped many businesses stand out in their respective markets.

I am often asked about logo design and the client will have in mind something significant, usually in a very distinct colour shade (or two) and a symbolic image that means a lot to them.

I understand that for most of us our business is very precious and handing over the creative reins can have you feeling like the horse will bolt and you’ll be left with an empty stable!

I have observed the trend to DIY lately and for the aforementioned

By attempting to create your brand identity yourself you risk missing key aspects such as strategy, the process and your messaging.

So let’s stop you there‌

Do you know who your customers are and what they need? Or do you simply think you know what they want?

A good design agency should consider aspects such as who your clients are and what their problem is in context to your business. They will incorporate many elements through various

Ask the Expert

stages of the process to really hone in on the benefits of using your products and services and making sure the user experience is smooth and positively memorable.

Attracting and speaking to your ideal clients gives your business a head start amongst competitors that bring a generic, often diluted message and imagery to the table. The aim is to stand out despite offering similar or the same offerings to those within your market.

A good agency will take on board your mission, the desired customer journey, language, messaging and where you need to be positioned in your niche.

Put aside your preferences!

We all lean towards colours and significance on a personal level, but focusing on you raises the question‌ Is this about you or them?

Ultimately, your brand identity conveys a feeling that is multi-dimensional and emotion provoking. Something that rarely can be attained by a “quick-fix� design approach.

Contact: Emma White emma@brandfunk.com

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XXX CSBOEGVOL DPN ThinkingBusiness Business Thinking

35

Members News

MPA award winners announced

Darren Woolway AMPA, ARPS, Ba(Hons), of Scorpion Media, won |three Merits, an Award of Excellence in the Illustrative Photographic Category, an Associateship Distinction and was awarded the South East Commercial Photographer of the Year prize in the MPA Master Photography Awards 2018.

The annual awards welcomed some of the greatest

photography talents in a

glittering ceremony at Jurys Inn Hinckley Island.

More than 2,000 entries from

working professionals kicked off the first round of digital

judging, with a second round

of images being scrutinised in the printed submission round.

Ray Lowe, CEO of the

MPA, said: "The standard of

photography we have seen this year is without a doubt

world class. With entrants both UK and worldwide, our

winners really are the pinnacle

of creative excellence.”

36

Thinking Business

More needs to be done to guard against social media scams

With cryptocurrency scams on the rise, social media platforms should be doing more to protect their customers, says Pradeep Oliver of law firm Cripps.

During a recent two-month period alone more than £2million was scammed from the unsuspecting public and there is no redress under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.

The fraudsters operate on social media platforms, promising ‘get rich quick’ investments. Their landing pages are mocked up to look like popular newspapers and often claim endorsement by highprofile business people. Dragons’ Den stars Peter Jones and Deborah Meaden have recently been used in such scams.

They then convince victims to sign up to cryptocurrency websites and

part with personal information such as credit card details to open a trading account. Firms conducting regulated activities in cryptocurrency derivatives will require authorisation by the FCA. If a firm is not authorised by the FCA and is offering products or services requiring authorisationit is a criminal offence.

Pradeep said: “Unfortunately, because the firms behind scam schemes are not regulated, there is no option to claim under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme and the fraudsters, unsurprisingly, make it very difficult to trace them in order to claim against the fraud.

“However, social media platforms should be doing more to protect their customers by stopping these adverts that are scamming money from unsuspecting people.

“Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, told the US Congress in April that he agrees Facebook is responsible for the content on the site, having previously claimed that it isn’t. Irrespective of this, there may well be actions to recover loss against sites like Facebook for not preventing these plainly fraudulent adverts from appearing on their sites.”

Cripps launches legal apprenticeship scheme Law firm Cripps has announced the launch of an apprenticeship scheme for paralegals at its Tunbridge Wells office.

In partnership with BPP University Law School, Cripps has recruited four paralegal apprentices for its two year pilot programme. The successful candidates – Rosie Harvey, Kiran Kajendran, Charlotte Spendley and Lauren Manwaring – will complete the BPP Paralegal Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship, a qualification designed to develop the appropriate skills and knowledge needed for a career in law.

Emma Brooks, head of human resources at Cripps, said: “We have been looking into offering apprenticeships for a little while and are delighted to be working with BPP on this initiative.

Apprenticeships are a great route for talented, ambitious students, who want to work in law but have

Left to right: Lauren Manwaring, Charlotte Spendley , Kiran Kajendran and Rosie Harvey

perhaps decided against going down the traditional university route. This programme is designed to give students the practical experience and knowledge they require to build a long-term successful career.”

In one of the first schemes of its kind in Kent, apprentices will work with – and learn from – the firm’s paralegal team, experiencing a broad variety of legal work across real estate, corporate, and private client.

Managing partner Gavin Tyler said: “This is a really exciting new initiative for us, and we are proud to be one of the first firms in Kent to offer this type of programme.

We received some outstanding applications from high quality local candidates and it was difficult to narrow this down to just four. Apprenticeships offer a credible alternative to university and we are looking forward to working with our new recruits as they develop their legal skills.”

A growing success story

Members News

Grid Point are a site engineering and survey company founded by two experienced site engineers who continue to oversee day-to-day operations.

Grid Point now operate throughout the UK and have risen from 15 customers in our first year of trading to more than 80 repeat customers as of Q3 2018.

The growth of Grid Point is in part due to understanding the market and the challenges our customers face in the construction industry and applying our experience to assist customers with reaching their goals.

There are four divisions to our business; Site Engineering, Surveys, Earthwork Consultancy and Training: • Site Engineering – Grid Point’s team of roving site engineers arrive complete with equipment to

Waterloo’s tech guide gets even better

The Green Book, industry’s air diffusion technical guide, just got even better.

With 26,000 hard copies and hundreds of downloads of the first edition in circulation, the popular guide has been an indispensable resource for the industry since 2011.

Waterloo Air Products Plc, publishers of the 48-page second edition of the Green Book, has updated everything needed by HVAC consultants, engineers and architects to incorporate air diffusion into their projects.

John Tiernan, Managing Director at Waterloo, said: “We believe it’s important to share knowledge within the industry.”

service projects on a one-day basis to carry out important checks such as checking supply chain partners work and setting out duties. We also provide site engineers to our customers across a variety of construction specialisms for the duration of the project / package.

• Surveys – Grid Point provide UAV (Drone) surveys and Topographical surveys.

• Earthworks Consultancy – Grid Point have saved our customers significant costs and provided certainty when

calculating and quantifying cut and fill calculations.

• Training - As part of our commitment to providing a high-quality service to both contractors and site engineers throughout the UK, Grid Point runs a variety of site engineering related courses – including AutoCAD for Site Engineers to Steel Reinforcement Checking.

As part of our ongoing commitment to HSEQ standards, we have obtained Level 3 (Gold) Constructionline status as well as several other industry accreditations.

A proud footballing tradition

Millwall Football Club were founded in 1885 by workers of JT Morton's factory on the Isle of Dogs and were re-named Millwall Athletic in 1889 before settling on Millwall in the early 1900s.

Multiple-time FA Cup SemiFinalists, one-time FA Cup Finalists and 2004/5 UEFA Cup participants, the club, nicknamed The Lions, have many honours to their name, including the Division Two championship and two Play-Off winning campaigns, and have appeared at Wembley Stadium five times since the turn of the century.

Millwall currently play their football in the Sky Bet Championship and home matches are played at The Den in South Bermondsey - a ground notoriously known as one of the most intimidating and atmospheric in football.

Whilst the club are based in London, The Lions have a large following of fans in the Kent region

and often attract swathes of supporters from areas such as Dartford, Bexleyheath and further afield.

With an average attendance of 14,000+ and with the stadium situated close to London Bridge and landmarks including The Shard, The Den is a prime location to advertise your company or business.

Furthermore, Millwall Football Club offer a range of exciting hospitality packages for those looking to make their day at The Den memorable.

Whether it's Billy Neil's Sponsors Lounge, a Hospitality Box or Kitchener's Restaurant, The Lions cater to your every need.

For further details, please contact our Commercial team.

Email commercialsales@millwallplc.com

A national presence

BJF Connections works across the UK from their head office in Maidstone, Kent.

They are a construction and building services company covering a multitude of disciplines encompassing all of the services required to build, maintain and refurbish their client’s buildings.

The business has four key divisions comprising Mechanical and Electrical, Construction, Facilities Management and Project Services.

This combination of services means that they are able to offer a complete, turnkey building solution to their clients.

At just 38 years old, BJF Managing Director Barry Foster is a shining example of entrepreneurialism having built the business from a small electrical firm into a growing £20m multi-division company in just 11 years. The recent growth of BJF has been recognised with a number 29 ranking in the top 100 fastest growing businesses in Kent and the South East over the past three years.

BJF works with some of the biggest well-known corporate businesses and high-profile public sector organisations including the NHS, HMRC, KCC, HM Prison Service, the Ministry of Defence, BT, EE, Amey, Kier, Serco and Pfizer to name but a few. BJF’s services are wide ranging and include the maintenance of MoD sites including Sandhurst Military Academy, construction of largescale school extensions and new build homes, refurbishment works and much more.

Based just off of the M20 BJF also has exciting plans to completely transform the site of their Maidstone Head Office into one of the most conveniently located business parks in Kent.

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One Ashford Hospital Kent’s Newest Private Hospital One Ashford is Kent’s newest private hospital, developed and designed with the patient in mind.

Located just off the M20 at Junction 10, One Ashford can look after all of your family needs.

Private Health Insurance

Why choose One Ashford Hospital?

Are you making the most of your policy?

At One Ashford you can be treated in a brand new purpose-built hospital where we offer excellent, dignified patient care in a private calm environment. You may be able to use your private medical insurance or speak to us about our competitive Self Pay options, including fixed price packages and the option to spread the cost of your care.

Unsure of what to do?

• Speak to your GP for a referral • Contact your insurer to see if you are covered • Book your procedure with us

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One Ashford Hospital

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Here are some of the services you could be covered for: • Hip and knee replacements • Pain management • Diagnostic testing • General surgery • Cancer care • Cardiology • Urological conditions • Paediatric care • Dermatology

For further information, contact our Reservations team on 01233 423000, or email selfpay@onehealthcare.co.uk

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With NHS waiting times likely to increase over the next year, now is the time to see if we can help.

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A number of our patients have the cost of their treatment paid for through their private health insurance. If you are insured, it might be worth checking to see if you can too.

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Kennington Way, Willesborough Ashford, Kent TN24 0YS ashford.info@onehealthcare.co.uk | 01233 423000 www.oneashfordhospital.co.uk

24 Hours with...

24 Hours with...

Aaron Dewhurst The Glass Wipe Board Company

A simple idea that went global The best business ideas can often be the most simple and that is certainly true of the one that has been developed so successfully by Lympne-based The Glass Wipe Board Company.

With Managing Director Aaron Dewhurst at the helm, the company has gone from strength to strength in the eight years since it was created, now employing 15 people and trading both domestically and internationally.

Aaron, who created the company, said: “When the business started up, our product was still unknown and our first big challenge was to educate organisations that there was an alternative to the traditional whiteboard and that it was something that they needed.

The company’s success is based on a versatile range of glass wipe boards which are an alternative to the traditional whiteboard or dry wipe marker board.

“We did that by telling them that our boards are attractive, can come in different colours, are flexible and are durable, which makes them long-lasting.

Manufactured by the company in Kent using toughened glass, the boards are used in settings ranging from offices and boardrooms to healthcare, education and leisure establishments.

“The approach has worked and our boards have become very popular. We are now selling to companies ranging from big corporates to small concerns all over the world, including Europe and the Middle East.

“I like to get into the office by 8am and my first job is always to have a coffee. The working day can’t start without a cup of coffee!

“Then I check on production.

Most of my working day is spent in the office and making sure that production runs smoothly is a big part of my job.

“I try to have my working day as structured as possible but a lot of my time can be spent reacting to things that happen.

I handle any technical problems with the production process and help clients come up with technical solutions if they require them.

“I oversee the marketing as well and working with our marketing people has given me a focus on the direction that the business should take.

“Although the UK is our core market, we are also exporting

a lot. We do trade with countries in Europe but, to be honest, I have not taken a lot of interest in Brexit.

“No one has taken any decisions and companies cannot take their own decisions until that happens. When decisions are taken, I will be able to respond.

“Also, Europe is just one market for us and we are looking to develop other parts of the world as well, developing the markets in regions and countries one by one and making sure that we are not over-stretching ourselves.

“For example, our product is very popular in the Middle East so that is an area that is interesting us at the moment.

“My working day can finish any time between 3pm and 8pm but usually it is nearer to 8pm.

“I also work from home one day a week. I find that time away from the office and the day to day challenges very beneficial.”

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Members News

Maidstone-based law firm Brachers strengthens its tax expertise

Alexandra, who has trained and worked in Kent for more than 15 years, has a wealth of experience gained in her role as both a qualified solicitor and Chartered Tax Advisor, the highest level of tax qualification in the UK. As a specialist in capital tax planning, Alexandra assists clients with minimising their inheritance tax (IHT) and capital gains tax liabilities. Notably, she has extensive experience of working with high net worth individuals and their related trusts, having previously been

Kent Invicta Chamber Patron Brachers has welcomed partner Alexandra Gordon to its Private Client team.

a legal advisor on the Camelot winners’ advisory panel, delivering advice to lottery winners on their financial considerations.

Outside of work, Alexandra is a dedicated ambassador for excellent legal services in the county; she has a long-standing involvement with the Kent Law Society, of which she will become Vice President in May 2019, she acts as Director of the Kent Law Society Services Limited and she has been an advisor for the award-winning Law Clinic at the

Specialists in lettings

University of Kent since 2010 and has recently been asked to join their management committee.

Alexandra said: “It is a very exciting move for me to join a firm with such an excellent reputation and exceptional expertise.”

Christopher Eriksson-Lee, Head of Private Client, said: “Alexandra has an astute awareness of identifying when tax could be an issue and the impact of subsequent advice on other legal issues, enabling her to provide a holistic service to her clients.”

Lifeboat Lettings is a family run specialist Lettings Agency based in East Brabourne near Ashford.

We specialise in providing full property management, and tenant find only services for multi-let/ HMOs and single family properties throughout Kent, specifically concentrated in the towns and villages of central and South East Kent.

The company is owned and run by three active property investors with a combined 40 years-plus experience of property management, property rentals, refurbishments, renovations and conversions in both the residential and commercial arenas.

Formed in 2017 out of a need for a more efficient and cost effective management solution for our own growing portfolio, we pride ourselves on providing a more caring, personal, bespoke service for the discerning landlord and tenant at an affordable price.

We have our own established portfolio of multi-lets/HMOs and single family lets in Kent and beyond and apply the same rigorous standards to our clients’ properties as we do our own.

In addition to the traditional tenant find and full management services,

we also provide a number of other complimentary services at competitive rates including EPCs and floorplans, Gas Safety Certificates, insurance and a no obligation free full portfolio review to help landlords run their businesses more effectively.

If you own multi-lets/HMOs or other investment properties in Kent and are looking for a specialist letting agency owned and run by people with proven hands on property investment experience then please get in touch to see how we can help you.

New office refurbishment at East India Dock

As part of a £6m transformation programme, air terminal devices from manufacturer Waterloo Air Products plc were fitted in the newly-refurbished office space for new businesses at Anchorage House in London’s East India Dock.

The work was part of an 11-month programme by P&R Morson, who worked to upgrade the multi-let office accommodation, located at the northern gateway to Canary Wharf.

Hament Patel, Senior Contracts manager at P&R Morson, said: “The overall look of the refurbishment was really impressive. I think that the advanced air-distribution system will work perfectly when the large

office spaces are partitioned off and used for different things.

“Working with Waterloo was very straightforward. It took just over 12 weeks for architects to draw up new designs for the London refurb. The project was completed in one year.”

As well as air terminal devices from Waterloo, Anchorage House received new central heating, domestic water services, new lighting and new power distribution.

Brachers joins global network of law firms

Brachers has been admitted as a member of Consulegis, an international network of independent law firms. It is currently the only Consulegis law firm member in the South East.

The firm’s affiliation with the network will enhance its ability to help its UK clients find the highest quality legal support in overseas jurisdictions.

The network includes members in more than 45 countries and 150 cities and members are admitted on the basis of quality, reputation, size and volume of international work. The principal objective of Consulegis is to provide its members with legal resources for their clients throughout the world with a particular emphasis on professionalism, mutual trust and reliability.

Brachers were officially welcomed into the network at the Consulegis Autumn Conference, held in Prague, where James Bullock, Head of Corporate and Commercial, and Matt Simmonds, Corporate Partner, delivered a presentation to the conference delegates introducing the firm.

James said: “As a member of Consulegis, we are now in a fantastic position to be able to refer clients requiring support with overseas matters to a network of reputable lawyers with the specific expertise to effectively deal with their legal needs.”

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Export Training Routes to Market

Understanding the differences between Agents and Distributors and which is more suitable to products or services. Motivating good performance and monitoring outputs.

(With particular reference to planning for a post Brexit world).

Delegates will be able to select, appoint and work with overseas representatives to maximise potential sales in export markets.

This course is suitable for:

Managing Directors, Sales Directors, Sales Managers and Sales representatives.

Personnel travelling overseas on behalf of the company conducting sales.

Sales Personnel involved in an administrative and support capacity.

Appointing & Working with Agents / Distributors Overseas & Introduction to Applying for Authorised Economic Operator Status.

Market Entry Methods and Representation:

An overview of the main methods of market entry including direct, agents, distributors, associate networks, strategic partnerships, manufacture under license, joint ventures and multiple methods. The importance of international agreements, how the product or service will influence the market entry method and which is best for you.

Distributors and Distributor Agreements: An overview of the role of distributors, essential preparation, distributor profiles, finding, appointing, motivating, working well with distributors and multiple distributors in a market.

An introduction to Distributor agreements, legal issues and terminating a distributor.

Authorised Economic Operator Status:

With Brexit looming we will also take a look at the process for applying to achieve Authorised Economic Operator status.

Presenter:

The course will be presented

by Graham Card MIEx (Grad) International Trade Adviser at Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce.

15th January 2019 8.30am – 12.30

Innovation Centre Medway, Maidstone Road, Chatham, ME5 9FD Member: £75.00 + VAT

Non-Member: £90.00 + VAT

Tea, coffee & breakfast rolls

Events

South East Membership Roadshow Join Kent Invicta Chamber at our regular free Membership Roadshow at The Grand Hotel.

These events are ideal for Kent Invicta Chamber Members and Non-members who: •

•

•

Want a refresh as to what products and services Chamber membership covers

Want to meet the third-party suppliers behind some of the Chamber benefits and services (QUEST for example) for more detailed information

Want to meet with a Chamber representative to ensure you understand every available opportunity that Chamber Membership offers

We really look forward to welcoming you to this exciting & informative Membership event, please register your attendance now to avoid disappointment.

Networking and a light breakfast from 8.30am followed by a short presentation and further networking.

26th February 2019 8.30am - 10.30am

The Grand, The Leas, Folkestone, CT20 2XL

FREE to attend

For further information on all events please contact events@kentinvictachamber.co.uk or call 01233 503838 Thinking Business

43

Members News

Cripps partner wins global accolade

A newly-published directory of leading private client lawyers has named Paul Fairbairn of law firm Cripps as ‘one to watch’ for the second year running.

The Private Client Global Elite directory lists leading high net worth private client lawyers, litigators and barristers across the globe and criteria for inclusion includes depth and breadth or experience, commitment to clients, examples of work, nominations from peers and an individual’s international network.

Paul, a partner in the firm’s 65-strong private client team, joined Cripps earlier this year from global private client law firm, Withers.

He provides clients with strategic advice on international succession and wealth structuring for their assets in relation to UK and international tax laws, using wills, trusts and other structures.

Paul said: “I am really pleased to be selected for the Private Client Global Elite’s list for a second year. This listing is a testament to the quality of work and client base that Cripps attracts both in the UK and internationally.”

This comes hot on the heels of the recent STEP Private Client Award for the firm’s work in trust and estates disputes and the recognition as a ‘national leader’ for its private client practice in the Chambers High New Worth 2018 Guide.

Myles McIntosh, head of Cripps’ private client division, said: “Paul is a huge asset to the firm and this recognition demonstrates the breadth of expertise he has brought with him.

“We have built up a team of highly experienced and talented people who have a deep understanding of this specialist field. This enables us to advise clients throughout the UK and abroad.”

Cripps has offices in Tunbridge Wells, London and Kings Hill.

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Thinking Business

Gallagher Group

appoints Lance Taylor as new CEO

The Gallagher Group has appointed Lance Taylor as its new Chief Executive Officer to lead the next phase of development at the Maidstone-based family-owned firm.

He joins from Persimmon, where he was previously Regional Chairman with responsibility for operations across London & South East, South Coast, Wales, St Modwen/Persimmon national Joint Venture, and a 400-person strong civil engineering and groundworks business.

Together these businesses delivered a turnover in excess of £1bn per annum.

Prior to joining Persimmon, Lance Taylor spent more than a decade at international cost, project management and property consultancy, Rider Levett Bucknall, where he was Chief Executive from 2007 to 2014.

Outgoing Gallagher CEO Nick Yandle will remain with the Group to facilitate a two-month handover, departing at the end of this year as planned.

Gallagher Group Chairman, Pat Gallagher said: “After a thorough recruitment process, we are delighted to be appointing Lance Taylor as the Group’s new Chief Executive.

He brings a wide array of experience across our areas of operation and an enviable track record as a business leader.

“It is an exciting time for our business. This year we are celebrating 45 years of successful operation and we have just concluded our latest financial year, making further positive progress with strong trading across all our operations”

the Board and senior management team.”

Pat Gallagher said: “On behalf of the Gallagher family and our wider business, I would once again like to extend our warmest thanks to Nick Yandle for his contribution and wish him well as he begins a new chapter in his successful career in 2019.”

Lance Taylor said: “This is an exciting opportunity to join a strong, well-established business. There is a clear commitment to set a progressive future strategy and plan for the Group’s further profitable growth, together with its family-owners,

Poppy Bus

launched to mark WWI centenary

Stagecoach covered one of its double decker buses in a poppy wrap to support the Royal British Legion (RBL) Poppy Appeal and pay tribute to the commitment and sacrifice of service men and women through the generations As part of the Royal British Legion’s official launch of the Poppy Appeal in Kent, veterans and members gathered at the Bus Station in Canterbury where they welcomed Kent’s first Poppy Bus.

The idea was the brainchild of Stagecoach Assistant Operations Manager Ian Loftus.

Ian, who served as a Sergeant in the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, is also an RBL member at Dover.

Joanne Howe, Stagecoach Operations Director for the South East said “We hope that the Poppy Bus will be a visible reminder of the RBL's all-yearround work and pays a fitting tribute to our veterans and Armed Forces community.

“Through our support, we hope we can send a clear message to our Armed Forces communities in the South East that we appreciate and recognise the commitment they have made to our country over the years.”

Community. As a signatory of the Covenant, the company recognises the value serving personnel; regular and reservists, veterans and military families contribute to both the country and businesses across the country.

Jane Ayers, Community Fundraiser for the RBL, said: “The Poppy Bus is a great way to remind people of why it is important to remember that everyone has a connection to the First World War, and we all have a reason to say ‘Thank You’ for the legacy that extraordinary generation left for us.”

Stagecoach Group signed the Ministry of Defence’s Armed Forces Corporate Covenant in support of the Armed Forces

The Poppy Bus in service.

Photo by Joshua Houslander

Meet the winners of the 2018 Kent Design & Development Awards

Members News

The winners of the 2018 Kent Design & Development Awards have been announced, with the University of Kent’s Sibson Building named Project of the Year.

More than 30 projects were shortlisted in eight categories, with nine awards being presented and the overall Project of the Year voted for among the category winners on the night.

Paul Carter, Leader of Kent County Council, said: “There is a lot to be proud of in this county and all those who entered, were shortlisted and won, should be rightly proud of their achievements.”

Sponsored by Kent County Council, planning and transport consultancy DHA and PR and marketing agency Maxim, the awards showcase the many excellent construction projects taking place across the county.

They are held every two years.

Taking home the top prize sponsored by DHA Planning, the University of Kent’s Sibson Building’s key contractor was Willmott Dixon of Dartford. The building also won the Environmental Performance category.

The first award of the night went to Connect 38, in the Commercial, Industrial and Retail category, sponsored by Cripps. Connect 38 was chosen because the judges felt it was an efficient building providing much-needed modern office space in Ashford town centre.

It is owned by Quinn Estates and was designed by Clague Architects, both of Canterbury.

Gallagher Properties’ Nepicar Park at Wrotham, near Sevenoaks, was highly commended.

The Conservation award, sponsored by the Rochester Bridge Trust, was presented to Hazle McCormack Young LLP for One Warwick Park in Tunbridge Wells. The hotel is owned

by Markerstudy Ltd. Project of the Year, Sibson Building won the Environmental Performance category, sponsored by Kent Environment Strategy. The development was praised for making good use of exposed structure to enhance the internal environment.

12A Dalby Square, Margate, was highly commended.

Sponsored by CTP Consulting Engineers, Infrastructure and Renewables was won by Folkestone Harbour Arm. WW Martin of Ramsgate was the main contractor for phase two of this revitalised heritage area which the judges said established a good pedestrian link from the town centre to the seafront.

Public Buildings, sponsored by Kent Construction Focus Group, is split into two categories. Avenue Tennis in Gillingham won the Community award, while Hundred of Hoo Primary School won for Education.

Designed by OSG Architecture in Wye, with construction by Ramsgate’s WW Martin Ltd, Gillingham’s Avenue Tennis provides high quality facilities in a well thought out environment.

The judges were particularly impressed by the passion and determination of the owner.

All the winners, representing projects from left: Caring Wood; Sibson Building; One Warwick Park; Farrow Court Phase II; Cowshed & Lambshed; Sibson Building (Project of the Year); Hundred of Hoo Primary School; Connect 38; Folkestone Harbour; Avenue Tennis.

Owned by The Williamson Trust in Rochester, Hundred of Hoo Primary School stood out for the educational nature of the site and building, which was considered to be great attention to detail. The school was designed

by Hazle McCormack Young LLP, with WW Martin the main contractor.

Ashford College was highly commended in the same category.

Part of the Hadlow College Group, this project was built by BAM Nuttall of Harrietsham.

Also split into two sections – but with three awards presented – the Residential category was sponsored

by Sibley Pares. Farrow Court Phase II won the Major category for larger schemes, while Caring Wood was named Residential Exemplar winner, and Cowshed and Lambshed won the Minor category for smaller developments.

Farrow Court Phase II is a sheltered housing scheme owned by Ashford Borough Council, with Pellings of Bromley the main contractor. Ceres Court in Sittingbourne – main contractor Chartway of Coxheath – was highly commended.

A particularly varied and high standard of entries in the Residential Minor category saw the judges split this into two, presenting an Exemplar award to Caring Wood in Maidstone, which had Hague Construction of

Medway charities make successful pitch for backing

The Medway Corporate Giving Fund, run by Kent Community Foundation, recently hosted a funding event at Avenue Tennis, Gillingham.

Three local charities ‘pitched’ for donations in a friendly ‘Dragon’s Den’ environment to the panel, made up of businesses and entrepreneurs from across Medway who have joined together to pool and distribute funds to support local people and help communities thrive.

The three charities presenting on the evening were Home-Start Medway, a charity providing a unique service for families who are going through challenging times and keen to extend their reach to area of greatest need that don’t yet access their service, Walderslade Together CIC, who aim to reduce social isolation for local residents through their befriending

and community transport, and Medway Volunteer Centre, who run direct services where carefully matched volunteers help vulnerable elderly and less able clients throughout Medway.

Treated to heartfelt and engaging presentations from each of the charities, the Medway members gave generously and in total more than £9,000 was awarded, shared amongst the three charities.

Josephine McCartney, Chief Executive at Kent Community Foundation, said: “It is hard for small local charities to gain access to funding and events such as this make a significant difference to them.”

Colin Jarvis, Chairman of Gillinghambased Power Generation firm MEMS, said, “The night was again another great opportunity to meet with some brilliant local charities who are working hard within our community to make long-lasting, positive changes. I would encourage other Medway businesses to get involved and see how they can help make a real difference.”

Rochester its main builder. Quinn Estates’ Manor Barn and The Cottage in Canterbury – both by Guy Hollaway Architects – were named highly commended.

TG Designer Homes’ Cowshed and Lambshed in Lenham stood out for their high-quality designs which maximise internal space. On Architecture Ltd, of Canterbury, had been commissioned to design the homes.

David Harvey, director of DHA Planning, sponsors of the Project of the Year award, commented: “The shortlist this year was particularly outstanding, with some very worthy winners.”

The category winners were presented with unique glass trophies created by Maidstone artist Annie Ross and mounted on Kentish Ragstone provided by Gallagher Group. Further sponsorship was provided by Quinn Estates and Penenden Heath Developments.

Master of ceremonies for the evening Andrew Metcalf, Director of PR and marketing agency Maxim, said: “Congratulations to all the winners and finalists, they should be very proud of the difference they make to the county’s landscape and we look forward to another bumper crop of entries, finalists and winners in two years’ time.”

Gill Valentine, of Home-Start Medway, said: “We were really excited to present to the Medway Corporate Giving Fund. Not only was it a great way to show what we do, it was also the perfect opportunity to network and meet other charities. The amazing award that has been offered by the fund will help us support more families across Medway focussing on areas away from our base in Gillingham.

We know there’s a need for additional support and now we know we can make a difference for these families too, which is fantastic.”

If you are a local Medway business or individual and would like to join the Medway Corporate Giving Fund to help make positive, lasting changes in your local community, please visit www.kentcf.org.uk Thinking Business

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Business News

SELEP calls for continued funding for Further Education in letter to Government

The South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) marked National Colleges Week by highlighting the crucial importance of funding for Further Education across its area and the wider UK.

A key part of SELEP’s role across East Sussex, Essex, Kent, Medway, Southend and Thurrock is to work in partnership with businesses and education providers to ensure a suitably skilled workforce is available to support economic growth throughout the area.

To mark National Colleges Week, a letter was sent by the LEP to Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond and Apprenticeships and Skills Minister Anne Milton, highlighting the LEP’s support for colleges and the need for continued funding of the FE sector.

Adam Bryan, Managing Director of SELEP, said: “In our letter to Ministers, we have made clear our growing concern at the national disinvestment in education and skills training for both 16 to 18-year-olds and adults.

“As our skills strategy sets out, Further Education participation and apprenticeship take up has declined. It is essential that we have a well-funded and effective skills system in place to train, upskill and retain adults and young people at a time when there is likely to be a need for much greater self-sufficiency in UK skills.”

SELEP has supported colleges across the area, including securing funding for the new construction facility at Folkestone College in Kent, which hosted SELEP’s skills strategy launch and was opened

by Damian Collins MP in September; the Harlow Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Centre at Harlow College; and the new Stansted Airport College.

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Thinking Business

Organisation celebrates its most successful year

Produced in Kent, the organisation supporting growth of small businesses in Kent, is celebrating its most successful year with an estimated rise in members’ turnover of £24.85million, the launch of 305 new products, 59-plus awards, 509 new stockists and the employment of 378 new staff.

The membership of local food, drink and craft businesses has collectively generated a turnover of £380 million. Nearly all members (90%) saw an increase in turnover and nearly half (42%) saw an increase of as much as 50 per cent.

In the past year, Produced in Kent members have collectively created 378 new full and part time jobs and provided work for a further 134 seasonal workers.

Members use the organisation to gain support with their PR and Marketing, as well as networking events, introductions to suppliers or stockists, visibility in the Kent Food

directories and on the website, fundraising support, business advice, training workshops, event opportunities and special discounts and access to venues from supporting Kent businesses.

Stephen Clarke, Chairman of Produced in Kent, said: “It’s been a fantastic year as more retailers turn to local producers than ever before.

Our organisation is growing faster than ever with more products launched, more nationwide shops selling Kentish produce and more tourists visiting our county for its incredible breadth of food, drink and artisan crafts on offers.”

Samaritans seek volunteers

Looking ahead, 55% of members plan to expand this year, 35% are planning to export, 72% have invested in new equipment or machinery in the past year, 84% have launched new products or services and 35% are outsourcing some of their administration.

Catherine Glanfield, of Whitstable Larder, said: “I have always found Produced In Kent to be very helpful and responsive and have been a member for a number of years. I value their promotion and celebration of local food producers.”

Samaritans branches in Kent are recruiting volunteers to be there for people at night time.

Branches based in Ashford, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Maidstone, Rochester and Orpington offer a 24/7 service for anyone struggling to cope. They can be contacted by phone, email, text or by face-to-face at the branches.

Although based in these areas, these branches actually cover the entire county. To continue offering this service, they are looking to recruit new volunteers to help staff the phonelines at night. Samaritans responded to more than 5.4m calls for help in the UK in 2017.

Janet, a volunteer at Ashford and Tenterden branch, said: “It’s an amazing thing to be involved in.

It’s so fulfilling. The group of volunteers you meet are so enjoyable to be with and the sense of worthwhileness is one of things that has kept me here for so many years.

“We are always looking for volunteers who have the right skills and they should feel free to get in touch, even if they are hesitant, because the training here is excellent. It’s some of the best training you will get in your career.

“It’s about the quality of the listening. What you are listening for is very often not articulated by the caller, it’s there in things like tone, what is missed out, what they are not telling you. But we do talk to our callers as well. Patience is important.

“We’re looking for those that can commit to listening at night time.

The charity’s helpline is at its busiest at night and over weekends when social and mental health services are sometimes shut.”

Potential volunteers can get in touch at Samaritans.org

Reimagine the future at TEDxFolkestone 2019

After its sell-out success this summer, TEDxFolkestone will return next year when it will examine A Reimagined Future.

The third event to be held in the town will take place on Saturday, June 22, 2019, at The Quarterhouse.

Event Curator Liù Batchelor said: “The 2018 event saw eleven people, some of whom had never spoken in public before, step into the spotlight “We put a lot of effort into Liù Batchelor hosting this summer’s TEDxFolkestone event. our speaker development

and what makes our event special is that we really support them.

“For me, it’s all about finding your message.

People love TED talks because the speaker has one idea they really manage to explain in a clear way that makes them want to go away and action that new way of thinking.”

Business News

Lower Thames Crossing to boost road capacity by 90 per cent

Under updated plans released

by Highways England, the multibillion Pound project will connect communities, boost the economy and add vital extra resilience to the road network while reducing pressure on the existing Dartford Crossing. It is set to be the most ambitious road project since the M25 opened 30 years ago and will include the UK’s longest road tunnel.

In an earlier consultation 47,000 people had their say – a record for a UK road scheme. A new, ten-week consultation on the latest designs for the improvements will run until Thursday 20 December.

The improved proposals include: • Making the whole route a three-lane dual carriageway to improve traffic-flow • A new rest and service area to the west of East Tilbury • A new design for the Tilbury junction, removing the proposed Tilbury link road to reduce traffic on the local road network • An improved junction with the A2.

The 14.5 mile route connecting Gravesham in Kent and Thurrock in Essex is expected to reduce traffic at Dartford by 22 per cent with 14 million fewer vehicles using it every year. It will almost halve the morning peak average journey times between M25 junctions 1b and 31 from nine minutes to just five.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: “The Lower Thames Crossing will help transform journeys, create new business

Consultation is under way for a major new road linking Kent, Thurrock and Essex, which would nearly double road capacity across the River Thames and almost halve northbound journey times at Dartford Crossing.

opportunities in Kent and Essex and unlock productivity across the UK. It will also cut congestion at the Dartford Crossing and improve connectivity from our industrial heartland to our ports in the South East.”

The project will create a new, three-lane dual carriageway connecting the M2 near Rochester and the M25 in Essex between North and South Ockenden.

It would include a 2.4 mile tunnel under the Thames between Gravesend and Tilbury – the longest road tunnel in the UK – and, at over 50 feet wide, the third largest bored tunnel in the world.

Christian Brodie, Chair of the South East Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “This marks the important next step for this urgently needed and gamechanging project which will help us drive forward the economy of the South East. I would urge every business to back this vital investment in infrastructure and participate in the consultation.”

Jo James, Chief Executive Officer of Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, said: “The Lower Thames Crossing will open up new opportunities, enabling businesses across Kent and the wider South East to achieve their growth potential and will have a significant impact on our future prosperity.”

Numerous measures have been included to reduce the impact that the new road will have on local communities, including: • Extending the tunnel so the tunnel entrance in Kent is 600 metres further south to reduce the visual impact and protect access to a community church • Lowering road by five to six metres in places to reduce its visual impact • Moving the road 80 metres further east where it passes Chadwell St Mary to increase the distance from residential properties.

Information about the consultation, including a series of events, is available online at www.lowerthamescrossing.co.uk/haveyoursay

“The Lower Thames Crossing will open up new opportunities, enabling businesses across Kent and the wider South East to achieve their growth potential and will have a significant impact on our future prosperity.”

Jo James, Chief Executive Officer Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce

Maidstone Innovation Campus early artistic impression of possible design

Council secures £156,000 to fund design of Innovation Centre

Maidstone Borough Council has secured £156,000 from the South East Local Enterprise Partnership to fund the design of the new Innovation Centre at Kent Medical Campus.

Situated at Junction 7 of the M20, the 30,000ft2 centre will offer small and medium-sized enterprises working in the life science, healthcare and med-tech sectors access to a combination of high-quality office accommodation and business support.

Councillor Martin Cox, Leader of Maidstone Borough Council, said: “The UK is a world leader in life sciences and Kent Medical Campus provides the opportunity for Maidstone to become an important centre for the medical technologies industry in the South East.

This grant is great news and a significant step towards bringing this vision to reality.”

Designs for the new facility will be finalised by the end of 2018 at which point a planning application will be submitted to Maidstone Borough Council.

The Innovation Centre is expected to be completed by April 2020.

Thinking Business

47

Welcome to our new members New Members

ACAS

Fleet 0330 109 3563 www.acas.org.uk Conciliation & Training

Access DM Limited

Maidstone 01622 232712 www.access-dm.co.uk Media Planning & Buying

Angle Studios Ltd

Sandwich 01304 897330 www.anglestudios.co.uk Web Design

Ashford Instrumentation Ltd Ruckinge 01233 650915 www.ashinst.com Supply of Pressure Guages

Aspire-Transform-Inspire

Ashford 07488 231754 www.aspiretransforminspire.co.uk Coaching, Business Training & Public Speaking

Baily Garner LLP

London 0208 294 1000 www.bailygarner.co.uk Multi-disciplinary Consultancy

Bister Architecture

Maidstone 01622 236270 www.bisterarchitecture.com Architecture Consultants

48

Thinking Business

Can Do Ventures Ltd

Davies Legal

01622 671222

01634 683239

Maidstone

Chatham

www.icandoacademy.com

www.davieslegal.co.uk

Personal & Professional Development

Delego Limited

- Coaching & Training

Chippie Contracts Limited Folkestone

01303 891160

Will Writing and Probate Gravesend

0845 838 7385

www.delegobusiness.co.uk

www.chippiecontracts.co.uk

Construction - Bid Writing/Marketing

Carpentry Contractors

Fairtrade Vending

Compass Financial Recovery & Insolvency Tunbridge Wells 01892 530600 www.compassfri.com Licensed Insolvency Practitioners

Coral Reef Properties Limited West Malling

0330 221 0503 www.coralreefproperties.co.uk Property Development and Construction

CriticalArc Limited West Malling

0800 368 9876 www.criticalarc.com Software, Cloud Security and Safety

Cygnet Hospital Maidstone Maidstone

01622 580330 www.cygnethealth.co.uk Mental Health Hospital

& Support Services

Rochester

01634 726163

www.fairtradevending.co.uk Vending & Beverage & Wholesale Suppliers

Flowbird Ltd Ashford

01233 743240

www.flowbird.co.uk

Sales Process Automation, Consultancy and Software

Geo Media (UK) Ltd Maidstone

01622 412123

www.geomedia.co.uk

Brand Development Design Agency

Grammar Gnomes Broadstairs

07810 144744

www.esu.org/our-work/publicspeaking-competition

Language Educational Travel

New Members

Grid Point Holdings Ltd

Metro Bank Plc (Ashford)

Reiki Life Energy Healing

Grovewood Retail Consultants Ltd

Millwall Football Club

Sharp Business Systems UK PLC

Sittingbourne 0118 466 0293 www.grid-point.co.uk Engineering, Surveying, Training

Bexhill on Sea 07825 056628 www.grovewood.net Retail Consulting

Hush Heath Estate LLP

Tonbridge 01622 832794 www.hushheath.com Vineyards, Winery & Visitor Centre

Innovo Consulting Ltd

Rochester 01634 766055 www.innovo-it.com IT Consulting, Cloud Computing

Kenton House of Many Stairs Margate 01843 224005 www.guesthouseinmargate.co.uk Guest House & Tea Room

Lifeboat Lettings Ltd

Ashford 01233 802803 www.lifeboatlettings.com Residential Property Management

Linda McNeill

Sheppey 07525 002207 www.mydoterra.com/lindasessentialoils Therapeutic Essential Oils

Ashford 07970 633659 www.metrobankonline.co.uk Banking London 0207 232 1222 www.millwallfc.co.uk Football Club

Morgan and Smith Construction

Whitstable 07515 512488 www.morganandsmith.co.uk Construction

On Architecture Ltd

Canterbury 01227 634334 www.onarchitecture.co.uk Architecture

Perfect Reception Ltd

Gravesend 0203 970 5550 www.perfectreception.co.uk Telephone Answering Service

QS Consult Ltd

Maidstone 01622 529090 www.qsconsult.co.uk Quantity Surveying

Regency Leasehold Limited Bromley 0845 838 5172 www.regencyleasehold.co.uk Lease Extension & Leasehold Enfranchisement Management

Ashford 07946 705434 Website Under Construction Mental Health Support Energy Healing

Uxbridge 01924 836626 www.sharp.co.uk Supplier of Business Equipment and Software

Southern Cross Finance Ltd

Chatham 07966 496496 www.southerncrossfinance.co.uk Finance

TLG Designs

Maidstone 07898 191266 www.tlgdesigns.co.uk Interior Design/Architecture

vidbuild

Maidstone 07748 031977 www.vidbuild.com On line Video Maker

Wellbeing People

Marden 01622 834834 www.wellbeingpeople.com Wellbeing, Health, Occupational, Consultancy

Zen Digital Marketing Ltd London 07976 743369 www.zendigitalmarketing.co.uk Web Design and Development

Thinking Business

49

The Last Word New role for Jayne Name: Paul Goggin

Company: Innovo Consulting Ltd

Job title: Owner

Paul Goggin is a Cloud Technology evangelist, with over 20 years in IT. Following a career in global corporations, he started Innovo Consulting in 2012 to help smaller, local businesses embrace and use the cloud in the best way.

He is passionate about the environment and teaching business owners how cloud technology can help them work more sustainably, while also saving time and money.

Paul is based in Rochester and enjoys gardening, family time and whisky!

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

Supermarket shelf stacker, £50 per week.

What do you always carry with you to work?

IPhone & iPad

What is the biggest challenge facing your business?

Education. Teaching business owners the value and potential of cloud technology.

If you were Prime Minister, what one thing would you change to help business?

Fast and reliable broadband internet for all, rural or urban.

What can you see from your office window?

I work from home, so can see my German Shepherd dog searching for last night’s foxes in the garden.

If you could do another job what would it be?

Nature conservationist.

As a business person, what are your three main qualities?

Patience. Wanting to help. Seeing things from customer viewpoint.

What was your biggest mistake in business?

Assuming customers would instantly queue up for my amazing services.

What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs?

You’re never too old, but don’t start out taking on debt.

Who do you most admire in business?

Bill Gates. Using his wealth to help solve huge problems, is inspiring.

50

Thinking Business

Jayne Cook has become Small Business Development Manager for Barclays in the Medway area.

She has twenty years’ experience in financial services, the last ten as a business manager at Barclays, supporting customers from the start-up phase through to 400k turnover.

She said: “I have good local knowledge, having been

born and raised in the county, and over the years have covered most of the major towns. I get a real buzz from walking along a high street or through an industrial estate and meeting some of the many business customers I have worked with over the years and

Movers and Shakers

seeing how their businesses are developing.

“In addition to offering appropriate financial products and services, I’m determined to go the extra mile for customers providing additional support and events such as cybercrime and exporting sessions.”

Furley Page strengthens Private Client team An experienced solicitor who specialises in long-term wealth planning and helping clients to safeguard their assets for future generations has joined South East law firm Furley Page.

Anna Coleman’s appointment further strengthens Furley Page’s Private Client Team as it continues to expand to meet demand.

The team is rated in the independent national guides The Legal 500 and Chambers HNW (High Net Worth) for its expertise.

Anna joins Furley Page following 12 years at a leading solicitor's firm

in Ashford, where she was promoted to Associate in 2015. She specialises in a wide variety of private client law including drafting wills, inheritance tax and estate planning, trust administration and preparing Lasting Powers of Attorney.

Anna said: “I have a close network of contacts in the area and I’m very much looking forward to ‘coming home’ to Canterbury.”

University of Kent graduate qualifies as solicitor with top regional law firm

An appointment by leading Kent law firm Furley Page has brought a newly-qualified solicitor to its dispute resolution team.

Lauren Greenham studied law at the University of Kent, Canterbury, and graduated in 2012 with Upper Second Class Honours. She joined Furley Page as a Legal Assistant in 2012, before starting her training through the firm’s Trainee Solicitor Programme in 2016.

She will handle a wide range of dispute work including commercial contracts, company and partnership disputes, injunctions, intellectual property, professional negligence and disputed wills.

“Lauren is a talented young solicitor who is proving to be a great asset to the firm. We are also delighted to be able to offer an opportunity to one of our local University graduates, which builds on our close links with Higher Education in East Kent.”

New appointments at growing law firm Peter Hawkes, Senior Partner & Head of Dispute Resolution, said:

Warners Solicitors, which has offices in Sevenoaks and Tonbridge, has appointed eight new members of staff.

Leading expert Martin Terrell has joined, along with Heather West, Niki Tarrant and Tara Millen, to head up a new Court of Protection team.

Eleanor Norman has moved over from Warners’

Sevenoaks office to join them in Tonbridge. Martin is a well-known and acknowledged expert in Court of Protection matters.

He is recognised as a leading individual by legal directories, The Legal 500

and Chambers and Partners. Martin has lectured and written extensively on Court of Protection and elderly client matters.

John Beynon has joined the Corporate, Commercial & IP team as a consultant solicitor. John has more than 30 years’ experience in business law, employment law and commercial litigation.

He has acted for individuals and business organisations of all sizes.

Kevin Gladwell has joined Warners’ Private Client team, having worked for law firms in both Canterbury and Chatham.

He is currently appointed as a Deputy District Judge

(Magistrates Courts) and sits throughout London and the South East.

Warners has also appointed solicitor Julie Dann to its Family team in Sevenoaks. Julie previously worked for a firm in Maidstone and specialises in divorce, separation, matrimonial finances and children matters.

Tim McHugo has joined the busy Commercial Property department in Tonbridge.

Tim has a broad range of commercial property experience and specialises in acting for landlords and tenants in granting and renewing leases, and in the purchase and sale of development sites.

Julie Dann, Niki Tarrant, Eleanor Norman, Tim McHugo, Heather West, John Beynon, Tara Millen, Martin Terrell, Kevin Gladwell

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Head Office: James Pilcher House 49/50 Windmill Street, Gravesend Kent DA12 1BG

Telephone: 01474 537733