Well Connected Liverpool Business Magazine April 2019

Well Connected Official Magazine for Liverpool & Sefton Chambers of Commerce - Spring 2019

Inside

• How to systemise your business culture to stimulate growth • Brexit: How to buy time for your business

• AI, Automation & Business Growth: What’s Your Problem?

Our Stadium Vision

Professor Denise Barrett-Baxendale, CEO Everton Football Club

Welcome & Contents

Welcome to the latest edition of Well Connected Magazine Growth Springs Eternal

elcome to the Spring edition W of Well Connected, the official magazine of the Chamber of

Commerce for Liverpool and Sefton.

This edition goes to press at a time of almost unprecedented political and constitutional upheaval as the UK’s exit from the European Union continues to dominate media channels and business concerns.

Whilst Brexit continues to frustrate and distract from the key long term issues facing our business community – talent recruitment and

development, transport and digital infrastructure to name a couple – we have devoted this edition of the magazine to look beyond the short term political impasse and consider our future growth and repurposing of businesses in the city region.

Some of the physical regeneration and repurposing is centred upon larger scale opportunities, such as Everton FC’s BramleyMoore development, the building of the new Clatterbridge Cancer Hospital and the impending arrival of the Rutherford Centre and the Royal College of Physician’s at ‘The Spine’.

Our interview with Everton FC Chief Executive Denise BarrettBaxendale is our cover story and reflects the increasing interest

Find Inside...

Contents 4-5 7 8

9 11 14-16 17 28 20-23 26-27 28

29-30

Economy Chamber News Chamber Membership New Members 1850 Club Growth Investment My Story International Cover Feature Voice of Business Culture

31 33

34-35

36-37

38-41 42-46 47 48

49 50

Ask the Expert Responsible Business Responsible Business Health & Wellbeing Skills Members News Chamber Events Chamber in the City Staff Directory 5 Minutes with...

Enquiries Liverpool & Sefton Chambers of Commerce Number One Old Hall Street, Liverpool L3 9HG t: 0151 227 1234 e: membership@liverpoolchamber.org.uk w: www.liverpoolchamber.org.uk Publisher Benham Publishing Limited, Aintree Building, Aintree Way, Aintree Business Park, Liverpool L9 5AQ t: 0151 236 4141 e: admin@benhampublishing.com w: www.benhampublishing.com Published April 2019 © Benham Publishing

and excitement that the potential new stadium for the Blues is generating. The prospect of a new stadium for the club has been on the agenda for nearly two decades and the consultation progress made reflects great progress towards the potential becoming reality.

We’re also delighted to feature our Charity Strategic Partner, Clatterbridge, in detailing their campaign to achieve the funding target for completion of the new hospital in the knowledge quarter, truly a world-class facility for which our city can be proud.

There is also a substantial focus upon workforce improvements and talent development within our features this month. Contributors have provided content relating to

page

GROWTH

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Contributing Editor John Dean e: john@benhampublishing.com Editorial Content Manager Zoe Bleasdale e: editorial@liverpoolchamber.org.uk Advertising and Features Karen Hall Tel: 0151 236 4141 e: karen@benhampublishing.com Advertising Sales Tony Sheldon e: tony@benhampublishing.com Studio Mark Etherington e: studio@benhampublishing.com Media No.1637

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page

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New festival has global appeal

22

INTERNATIONAL Think outside the box

page

CULTURE

Multi-million pound funding for Liverpool’s iconic Festival Gardens

page

work culture improvements, mediation, adapting to AI, collaboration and technology enabled workforce. The attraction, retention and growth of talent in the economy continues to dominate business concerns across the UK and the Chamber is working to provide positive governmental interventions that enhance rather than obstruct business access to talent.

As we enter a new financial year amid our difficult political situation, we remain committed to being centred on business to ensure you remain well-informed, competitive and prosperous.

Regards Paul Cherpeau CEO

RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS

Year of the Environment 2019 Why it Matters for Business

Disclaimer

Well Connected is mailed without charge to all Chamber members and distributed at all Chamber events.

All correspondence should be addressed to the Editor at Liverpool & Sefton Chambers of Commerce. Views expressed in publication are not necessarily those of Liverpool & Sefton Chambers of Commerce.

Reprinting in whole or part is forbidden except by permission of the Editor. © 2019.

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.

3

BCC ECONOMICS BRITISH CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE

QUARTERLY ECONOMIC SURVEY Q1 2019 The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) Quarterly Economic Survey – Britain’s largest and most authoritative private sector business survey – based on more than 7,000 responses from firms across the UK – finds that key indicators of UK economic health weakened considerably in the first quarter of 2019.

“

Our findings should serve as a clear warning that the ongoing impasse at Westminster is contributing to a sharp slowdown in the real economy across the UK. Business is hitting the brakes – hard.

These are some of the weakest figures we’ve seen in nearly a decade, and that’s no coincidence. The prospect of a messy and disorderly exit from the EU is weighing heavily on the UK economy, and must still be avoided. The unwanted prospect of a disorderly ‘no deal’ exit, and the serious damage and dislocation it would bring, is still just days away unless Parliament acts to avoid it.

At the same time that firms are having to enact costly contingency plans, the cost of doing business here in the UK continues to rise. This week sees a new tax year with a number of changes adding to the upfront cost of doing business in the UK, including the introduction of Making Tax Digital and changes to auto-enrolment, leaving many firms facing more bureaucracy and new expenses. It beggars belief that ministers are piling on more and more costly obligations at a time that businesses are already having to cope with Brexit and uncertainty.

“

Dr Adam Marshall Director General, British Chambers of Commerce

Domestic Sales

AT A GLANCE

Positive balance (+) = growth | Negative balance (-) = contraction

UK GDP growth and QES balance of firms reporting 60% improved domestic sales

0%

0% +25%

-25%

2.0%

+25%

-25%

1.5%

40%

1.0% -50%

+50%

+15%

-75%

+75%

-50%

+50%

0.5%

0%

+10%

-75%

20%

+75%

0.0% -0.5%

-20%

-1.0% -40% +100%

-100%

QES %

+100%

-100%

...of manufacturers reported improved domestic sales in Q1 2019, down from +21% in Q4 2018

...of service firms reported improved domestic sales in Q1 2019, down from +18% in Q4 2018

0%

0%

-60% Balance 2007 2009 GDP Growth

2011

2013

Service Sector QES

2015

GDP % -1.5% Growth (ONS) -2.0% 2017 2019

Manufacturing QES

Balance of firms reporting improved export sales +25%

Recruitment difficuties

Export Sales

-25%

50% +25%

-25%

40% 30%

-50%

+50%

-50%

+50%

20% 10%

+14%

-75%

+75%

+0%

-75%

0% +75%

-10% -20%

+100%

-100%

+100%

-100%

...of service firms reported improved export sales in Q1 2019, down from +14% in Q4 2018

...of manufacturers reported improved export sales in Q1 2019, down from +20% in Q4 2018

50%

-30%

QES % -40% Balance 2007 2009 2011 2013 Manufacturing Sector QES

2015 2017 Service Sector QES

2019

Percentage of firms facing recruitment difficulties (of those attempting to recruit)

50%

90%

80% 70% 25%

75%

25%

75%

60% 50%

79%

70%

40% 30% 20%

0%

100%

0%

100%

...of manufacturers that attempted to recruit in Q1 2019 faced difficulties, down from 81% in Q4 2018

...of service firms that attempted to recruit in Q1 2019 faced difficulties, unchanged from Q4 2018

(note: this is not a percentage balance scale)

(note: this is not a percentage balance scale)

10% 0% 2007

2009 2011 2013 Manufacturing Sector QES

2015 2017 Service Sector QES

2019

4 www.britishchambers.org.uk | @britishchambers

BRITISH CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE

LOOKING AHEAD The Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) examines business sentiment on a range of forward looking indicators, including investment intentions, turnover confidence, and prices. In Q1 2019, these indicators are downbeat with weakening orders, confidence and investment intentions pointing to tepid growth over the coming quarters. In particular, cash flow - a key indicator of business health - has now fallen into negative territory for the first time since 2012.

0% +25%

-25%

Firms facing pressures to raise prices due to the following factors:

0%

Manufacturing Sector

+25%

-25%

Service Sector 77% -50%

+50%

-50%

+50%

58%

+42%

Prices

-75%

+75%

+32%

-75%

42%

+75%

32%

31% 29% +100%

-100%

...of manufacturers expect their prices to increase, down from +43% in Q4 2018

26% 21%

+100%

-100%

...of service firms expect their prices to increase, up from +30% in Q4 2018

Pay settlements

Raw materials Financial costs

Other overheads

Balance of firms increasing investment in training 0% +25%

Investment

-25%

40%

0% +25%

-25%

30% 20%

-50%

+50%

-50%

+50%

10%

+14%

-75%

+75%

+10%

-75%

0% +75%

-10% -20% +100%

-100%

+100%

-100%

QES %

...of manufacturers increased investment in training in Q1 2019, down from +19% in Q4 2018

...of service firms increased investment in training in Q1 2019, down from +15% in Q4 2018

0%

0%

-30% Balance 2007 2009 2011 2013 Manufacturing Sector QES

2015 2017 Service Sector QES

2019

Balance of firms reporting improved cash flow +25%

-25%

30% +25%

-25%

20%

Cash Flow

-50%

+50%

10%

-50%

+50%

0%

-1%

-75%

+75%

-1%

-75%

+75%

-20%

+100%

-100%

...of manufacturers reported improved cash flow in Q1 2019, down from +10% in Q4 2018

+100%

-100%

0%

+25%

-50%

+75%

-50%

-75%

QES % -40% Balance 2007 2009 2011 2013 Manufacturing Sector QES

2015 2017 Service Sector QES

UK GDP growth and QES balance of firms confident 80% their turnover will increase

2.0%

60%

1.5%

40%

1.0%

20%

0.5%

0%

0.0%

+50%

+26%

+75%

-20%

-0.5%

-40% -100%

+100%

...of manufacturers are confident turnover will increase in the next 12 months, down from +41% in Q4 2018

-100%

2019

+25%

-25%

+50%

+26%

-75%

-30%

...of service firms reported improved cash flow in Q1 2019, down from +6% in Q4 2018

0% -25%

Confidence

-10%

+100%

...of service firms are confident turnover will increase in the next 12 months, down from +37% in Q4 2018

-1.0%

-60% QES % Balance -80% 2007 2009 GDP Growth

2011

2013

Service Sector QES

2015

GDP % -1.5% Growth (ONS) -2.0% 2017 2019

Manufacturing QES

www.britishchambers.org.uk | @britishchambers

6

Chamber welcomes guests for a day of exclusive hospitality at Aintree

Chamber News

The Chamber welcomed 400 guests to its day at the Grand National Festival on Thursday 4th April.

of the most popular Oneevents in the Chamber

Events Calendar took place in the gorgeous Silver Birch Garden Party venue at Aintree Racecourse.

As always the day provided a great opportunity to network,

entertain colleagues and friends and of course enjoy the Grand National itself.

Expressions of interest for Aintree 2020 can be made immediately to the Chamber Events team at events@liverpoolchamber.org.uk

Photos courtesy of Antonio Franco Photography www.antoniofranco.net

7

Membership Update Membership Update

Hear about what the membership team have been up to throughout the past quarter. hat an amazing start to W the year, I cannot believe how quick Spring has arrived.

We have just enjoyed another major event in the Chambers calendar at the opening day of the Grand National. I would like to personally thank everyone who has shown support by purchasing tickets for the largest business gathering over the three day festival, I hope you all enjoyed the day and had some winners!

Lee Stanley

Head of Business Development

We have had another amazing quarter and the whole Chamber team has been working strategically to enhance our service and events. I would like to welcome Laura Edwards to the team as our new Events Manager, she is a fantatstic addition to the team and I am sure you will all join me in welcoming her to the Chamber.

The growth of participation with our high level membership continues at a steady pace. ’m sure a lot of you will be IApril able to relate when I say that has just appeared from

Rich Smith

Business Engagement Manager

8

nowhere! But I have been told that time flies when you’re busy and/or having fun and the one thing I am sure of is that there has been a lot of both of those things since January!

So where to start?

I am really proud of the new #WellConnected format and would like to thank everyone who has contributed to these being a great success since January. Taking place on the first Friday of every month we have now welcomed 135 attendees, with special thanks going to the three charities, Brain Charity, Nugent and Clatterbridge, who have braved the stage to tell us all about the amazing work they do in our equally amazing city.

We’ve also built upon our already strong relationship with Baltic Creative, running six educational sessions from their offices on Jamaica Street.

In this time we have covered branding, social media management, foreign exchange,

I am extremely happy to announce that The Rutherford Group have moved from Strategic Partners to Patrons and I would like to personally thank Ron Russell and his team for their support over the past year. We look forward to seeing great things over the next 12 months with all things Rutherford!

I would like to announce that The Wates Group have also invested in Patron membership and we are looking forward to working with Alan White and his team on some exciting projects and events in 2019.

Our ever expanding list of Strategic Partners continues to grow and we would like to welcome the following businesses for joining the group: ActionCOACH, The European Tour who have joined to promote the Tour coming to

Hillside Golf Club from the 9th to the 12th of May, Super Leauge have joined to promote Magic Weekend which is being held at LFC on the 25th & 26th May, Doubletree Hilton, Face for Business, The Extraordinary Club, Hassett Homes LTD, VLDB and Kinsella Clarke.

Our events continue to rise in popularity and we will continue our themes and commitment to deliver quality events in the city centre and in our hubs in South Liverpool and The Batic Creative. The 1850Club delivered 2 more great events with HM Growth in Febuary and Face for Business in March, check out the 1850 page for more information.

I am looking forward to Spring, the warmer weather and a productive platform for members to achieve their goals over the next three months.

lee.stanley@liverpoolchamber.org.uk

07383 090348

intellectual property, personal wellbeing and workplace culture, with plenty more to come. Again, I would like to thank all attendees and all the companies who gave up their time to deliver these sessions.

Back in January we hosted our AGM, it was great to see so many faces in attendance, where our CEO, Paul Cherpeau, Chairman, Neil Ashbridge, and President, Lord Derby, reflected on our recent past and outlined our vision for the Chamber moving forwards. At the event we also welcomed 3 new board members, Liz Green (International Cooperative and Mutual Insurance Federation), Liam Jones (Foursquare Group) and Sue Grindrod (Former CEO of Royal Albert Dock), I’d like to thank these new board members, along with the wider board, for the support they’ve shown the team over the last 3 months.

We’ve also enjoyed great success with our South Liverpool Hub, Archbishop Blanch School Careers Convention as well as workshops delivered by Dale Carnegie and HM Growth.

Looking to the next 3 months, I am excited to be out of the office more and more finding out about businesses throughout Liverpool and Sefton, getting a better understanding of your requirements and how we can help you make the most of your membership. If you would like to arrange a meeting to discuss your membership in more detail I’d welcome the opportunity to invite you to our offices on Old Hall Street, or possibly visit you to gain a better understanding of what it is your business does.

I look forward to working with you all over the next quarter.

richard.smith@liverpoolchamber.org.uk 07889 365925

New Members

Welcome to our new Chamber Members Patron

Rutherford Diagnostics & Rutherford Cancer Care 0151 702 9511 www. rutherforddiagnostics.co.uk www.therutherford.com

Strategic Partners

ActionCOACH

01284 701648 www.actioncoach.co.uk

Double Tree Hilton

0151 556 1222 www.doubletree3.hilton.com

Face for Business 0333 323 1007 www.ffb.co.uk

Hassett Homes Ltd

0151 345 5140 www.hassetthomes.com

Kinsella Clarke Limited

0151 933 3400 www.kinsellaclarke.co.uk

Nationwide Fencing Services Ltd

0151 521 3417 www.nationwidefencing.co.uk

Membership Plus

Clockwise Edward Limited

0151 5413 152 www.clockwise.co.uk

Wates Construction Ltd 0161 946 8800

www.wates.co.uk

Super League 07974 176956

www.superleague.co.uk

The Extraordinary Club 07557 207263

www.theextraordinaryclub.com

The PGA European Tour 01344 840 625

www.europeantour.com

VLDB Solutions Ltd 0345 257 0137

www.vldbsolutions.com

Walton Flooring Centre 0151 480 6188

www.waltonflooringcentre.co.uk

Hayoka Ltd 07834 694838

Envision Solutions Limited Legal Club Limited

0151 958 9840 www.envision.co.com

07876 543743 www.mylegalclub.co.uk

Membership

Avrenim Group Ltd 07801 722602 www.avernim.co.uk

Concept Hygiene Ltd 0151 549 2266 www.concept-hygiene.co.uk

DT & G Limited 0151 666 103 www.dtg-ltd.co.uk

Hexagon Scientific Limited 0333 224 4992 www.hexagonscientific.uk

Italian Honorary Consulate 0151 305 1060 www.consolatoliverpool.com

Pappin

07596 464794

Rachael Bampton-Smith Marketing Consultancy 0151 244 5595 www.bampton-smith.co.uk

Sanbeet Limited 07543 826813 www.sanbeet.com

Sefton Metropolitan Brough Council 0151 944 2222

www.sefton.gov.uk

Staycity

07394 856 342

www.staycity.com

Swagelok Manchester 01925 822 662

www.manchester.swagelok.com/en

Treatment Table 0151 559 1107

www.thetreatmenttable.com

Wagtail UK Ltd 01745 561166

www.wagtailuk.com

We Are Hype ltd 0151 316 0218

www.weaarehype.co.uk

WSP UK Ltd 0151 331 8283 www.wsp.com

Charity Membership

The Yellow House 0151 236 4541 www.yellowhouse.info

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1850 Club

The 1850 Club is the Chamber of Commerce senior business development club for Strategic Partner members

It aims to facilitate and enable direct business development activity and create a high level network of people to build relationships, showcase products and services and create positive transactional business. The 1850 Club meetings take place regularly with each strategic partner having the opportunity to co-host an event during the year.

H

M Growth hosted the first 1850 Club event of 2019 and treated guests to a business game like no other.

The evening consisted of a ‘Mock Deal’ where attendees looked into the mechanics of how deals are done and what actually drives your equity value.

I

n March Face for Business invited

guests to their 1850 Club in our new

Strategic Partner venue, the Shankly

Hotel. Attendees discussed two new

ways of growing your business

including The Path to Purchase and

The Welcome Window.

To find out more about the 1850 Club or becoming a Strategic Partner please contact Lee Stanley, Head of Business Development on 07383 090348 or lee.stanley@liverpoolchamber.org.uk 11

refreshing.bold.architecture An architecture practice has secured a ÂŁ20m contract to build an apartment complex in Liverpool's Baltic Triangle. Studio RBA will work on the 12-storey Eclipse development, which is earmarked for a site bordering Greenland Street, New Bird Street and St James Street.

The scheme, which is being developed by Ridgemere, will comprise 217 apartments situated one block from Jamaica Street and Camp & Furnace. Adam Morgan, director of Studio RBA, said: "I'm proud we've won such a prestigious and prominent new city project.

The developer was impressed by our complete design solution, skills base and the transparent way we work.

"Studio RBA stands for 'refreshing, bold architecture' and Eclipse gives us the opportunity to show this via a major new property, standing at one of the key gateways to the city centre."

The Baltic Village is familiar territory for Studio RBA having already won three projects in the area, including the forthcoming Baltic Hotel, alongside Bridgewater Street and Baltic Place.

web: studiorba.co.uk 12

office: 0151607 2040

social: @studiorba

SANBEET IS A LIVERPOOL BASED ONLINE PROVIDER OF FASHION JEWELLERY.

This Summer we will have over 500 products in stock growing to over 1000 pieces at the end of this year.

With a worldwide service we have more choice for our Kailun Zhang Founder of SANBEET customers as we negotiate directly with original producers so our pricing is extremely competitive compared to our competitors!

We will be working with these editors and articraft creators, to publish our own ‘Aesthetics review’ magazine and craftsman products line. We will help these crafts people to achieve quantitative production using our resources. We aim to do these things within 3 years and currently we are at stage one. ie to provide various, quality and valuable fashion jewellery for our customers whilst carrying out Aesthetics Reviews related to the jewellery industry. see our ‘Aesthetic review’ www.sanbeet.com/aesthetic-review/

Our warehouse is located in the UK and we can o er UK Free shipping within 3 working days. EU continent 5 working days. North America 7-10 working days.

During the summer time we also provide stylish art fans especially for the British market which are not only cooling but it is also an art accessory in it self. www.sanbeet.com/product-category/ art-fans/

Our business is trying to build up an ‘Aesthetic’ society online. We have contracted bloggers who publish their articles, ideas and even products.

Former politics student Kailun is a continuance entrepreneur.

Born to a Chinese business family, socially aware Kailun knows enterprise is very important and because it will impact many people not least employees and their families, business is not only about making money to him but is about taking social responsibility. “I want to create more value for this society and our customers”.

I believe the second and third stage of my business is ‘transferring art and culture into real economic bene cial’.

We are based and operate from Liverpool. Our brand and o ce are registered in London to support marketing & brand awareness.

Extra 20% o for Liverpool Chamber of Commerce members. Quote discount code SANBEET4LIVCOC20.

Valid until 30th June 2019

www.sanbeet.com www.instagram.com/sanbeet.london/ www.facebook.com/Sanbeet-2039015169726523/

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Growth

£10m boost for homes plan at Festival Gardens Up to 1500 family homes will be built at Liverpool’s iconic Festival Gardens thanks to a multi-million pound funding boost from Homes England.

T

he Government’s housing accelerator – which brings experts and funding to areas to tackle the housing crisis – will give a grant of £9.9 million to Liverpool City Council.

The cash injection– which comes from Government’s £450 million Local Authority Accelerated Construction (LAAC) programme – will allow essential remediation work to take place on the site, paving the way for residential development to begin.

The news comes as Homes England officially opened new offices in the same building as Liverpool City Region Combined Authority at Mann Island, Pier Head - and next to

14

the council at Cunard building - a move designed to help the three organisations collaborate more effectively on transformational projects.

Sir Edward Lister, Chairman of Homes England, said: “We are determined to use all the resources available to us to make homes happen across

England – so I’m thrilled our funding means work can move forward rapidly at this historic site, providing homes for hundreds of families.”

The council has long held ambitious plans for the site but, to date, a lack of funding has meant crucial remediation works have been unable to take place. Now, activity is expected to begin on-site in the spring, with the first homes being available by 2022.

In addition to owner-occupied houses, the site will also include privately rented apartments.

“The news comes as Homes England officially opened new offices in the same building as Liverpool City Region Combined Authority at Mann Island, Pier Head – a move designed to help the two organisations collaborate more effectively to get homes built.”

Joe Anderson, Mayor of Liverpool, said: “We welcome this essential financial injection from Homes England. Festival Gardens is a much-loved waterfront location and people have very fond memories of spending time there. We are fully aware of the potential Festival Gardens has and its transformation will be a gamechanger for this city’s economy in terms of new homes, construction jobs and growth.

“Thanks to this funding, the council can start essential remediation works on site and move forward with the vision of creating a significant number of new family homes in South Liverpool at an iconic destination.

“Alongside this, we are testing feasibility for a leisure element on site – Festival Gardens will not only deliver a much sought-after housing development, but also a first class visitor and cultural destination.”

Growth

How to systemise your business culture to stimulate growth

HM Growth Partner, David Milton shares his experience of working with ambitious businesses in Liverpool and beyond.

f I walked into your business Idescribe and asked your staff to your brand values,

how confident are you that they could? The usual response I hear is, ‘I’ll look it up’ or if I’m lucky, the vision and how staff are encouraged to behave could be displayed on a wall. Values which aren’t embedded can indicate that the leadership team sees Culture as separate from the commercial aspects of the business. Culture underpins brand values, outlining the mindset you want your staff to express and sustain.

To understand the importance of Culture, Business Matters reported that poor company culture is costing the UK economy £23.6bn a year.

Business owners with foresight understand that their working environment is a strategic asset linked to growth and not something extra. Businesses operating in this way build trust and confidence with employees, their customers and other stakeholders.

Developing human capital

Growing your business successfully relies on developing your human capital and seeing your staff as your first customers. The saying ‘The way you treat your staff today is the way they will treat your customers tomorrow’ brings this to life. I work with business owners to help them systemise their approach to Culture so the right behaviour soon becomes ‘the way we do things around here’.

I start by asking: what do you want your brand DNA to be?

Quite often it can be easier to express the behaviours we don’t want to see. I help you make choices about preferred behaviours and build them systematically into the way things get done.

Collective capability

This is most successful when involving the whole leadership team and there is a collective

responsibility to making it a success. Investing in the collective capability of the top team can impact the whole business as they support the development of others.

The real magic happens when the values expressed internally through your business strategy reaches your customers.

When your overarching intent, values and positioning are

aligned, the story you live out every day demonstrates your brand promise. We follow businesses with strong alignment because the world understands who they are and we want to be a part of their story.

So, I will ask you again, how confident are you that your brand values are embedded in your business?

Are you a Liverpool business that is interested in knowing more? Contact David: david@hm-growth.co.uk

“Growing your business successfully relies on developing your human capital and seeing your staff as your first customers.”

15

Growth

B

eing ‘business agile’ can mean considering new ideas to make improvements to the way you run your business, by looking to outsource certain aspects of your workload, especially those you find are not a priority and leave on the back burner until you find time.

But what if that time never comes? When was the last time you felt in control of your business growth?

Are you business agile?

Do you want to grow your business and streamline

your expenditure? Discover how outsourcing can

improve business growth.

16

If you are a small business trying to master cash flow, HR, SEO, websites, marketing and social media, you will find that these are just some aspects of running a business that can take up your time.

So what can you do?

You can make a list of the tasks that are taking you away from your job and look to outsource them. Ask yourself a few simple questions – will it cost more or less? Can it be monitored and managed? How long would it take to train/brief?

Will it benefit my business?

Is there another way?

If you take accounting as an example, how long does it take you to understand tax and expenses? Does completing your annual self-assessment give you nightmares?

If so, weigh up how much time you spend undertaking these daunting tasks and then

obtain prices for outsourcing to a tax specialist or accountant.

Do you sit on social media for hours on end of an evening, but want to enjoy the down time rather than master your marketing? Then look to a marketing consultant, who’ll have knowledge and contacts to help you with all aspects of marketing.

Are you a sole trader drowning in paperwork but just don’t have additional time to tackle these tasks? If so, consider hiring a Virtual Assistant who will specialise in working with clients remotely and will be sympathetic to your needs.

In conclusion, there are a wide variety of businesses who can help you manage your workload and you’ll find that these people are experts at undertaking work for other businesses and will have a wealth of endorsements for added reassurance.

Outsourcing can seem daunting, but if you do your research and look for recommendations, it can be the solution you have been looking for.

Susan Holme, Business Engagement Manager at Face for Business providing outsourced reception to hundreds of UK businesses.

“If you are a small business trying to master cash flow, HR, SEO, websites, marketing and social media, you will find that these are just some aspects of running a business that can take up your time. So what can you do?”

Investment

Diagnostic services critical to the success of UK healthcare in the future DR STEVEN POWELL Chief Diagnostic Officer, Rutherford Diagnostics

he increasing prominence T of diagnostics, both in the press and among policy makers,

comes as consensus is growing that early detection and prevention of diseases is the key to the future of healthcare and building a sustainable healthcare system that works for everyone.

The recent Health Foundation report highlighted that over 10,000 deaths can be prevented each year from cancer alone through better diagnosis. In many parts of the UK, patients are often forced to wait many weeks or months for a proper diagnosis, and these delays can be crucial – especially in advanced cases.

Rutherford Diagnostics Liverpool, an advanced state-of-the-art diagnostics facility, aims to be at the forefront of addressing this problem and lead the change in the way diseases are detected and treated.

The centre’s vision is to revolutionise healthcare by becoming a leader in the prediction, prevention and earliest possible detection of disease, as well as being equipped to conduct the most

The past few months have seen considerable emphasis being placed on diagnostics in the context of UK healthcare.

complex of diagnostic tests across a wide range of conditions using the latest technologies.

Rutherford Diagnostics, in partnership with Philips will provide medical imaging services such as CT, PET-CT, MR and ultrasound, working not just in oncology but in other key areas of healthcare where faster diagnosis is needed such as cardiac disease. Additional services to be offered will be endoscopy and genomic sequencing. Rutherford’s first UK diagnostic facility will be in Liverpool and is expected to be completed in 2020.

weeks. Ultimately, we aim to be able to provide a 24-hour turnaround service.

This will mean that patients can commence treatment sooner, which has the potential to save lives.”

Dr Powell added: “By utilising and developing innovative technologies, such as genomic sequencing, personalised screening and state-of-the-art

diagnostics, we hope to reduce levels of acute illness and support good health. It is only by proactively targeting illness at its roots that we can transform healthcare and improve patient outcomes across Britain.”

For more information about Rutherford Diagnostics, please visit www.rutherforddiagnostics.co.uk

Dr Steven Powell, Chief Diagnostics Officer at Rutherford Diagnostics, stated that the objective of the centres is to change the way we approach healthcare and specifically target waiting times: “Patients are being forced to go through ever longer delays to receive a proper diagnosis, these delays can be critical for many patients who do not have the time to wait. Rutherford Diagnostics plans to work with public and private healthcare bodies in order to reduce waiting times down to days instead of

17

My Story

Turning the Tide How one

Liverpool Business Coach has committed to Liverpool and why you should too

Three Years. 1000 Jobs. That’s the commitment that one of Liverpool City Region’s

best-known business coaches has pledged to help create in the Merseyside area.

L

uke Kay of ActionCOACH Liverpool commented “As one of the two fastest growing LEPs in the UK, Liverpool is poised on the brink of economic greatness and I’m determined that through Coaching, we can add at least 1000 local jobs over the next three years!”

Luke’s no-nonsense, tough love workshops have attracted a band of admirers over the past three years with workshops known for their blend of high-intensity advice, quick-fire information & techniques to take away and use the same day.

Available on an individual or group basis, Luke’s ActionCOACH sessions are credited with generating over 200 jobs through business growth last year and are now available as free taster workshops through partnerships with local banks and the Chamber. Keep an eye on the Chamber website

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for forthcoming venues & dates! This determination to create 1000 local jobs in the local region is the inevitable outcome from Luke’s plan to work with 250 local business owners & over 1000 attendees over the three year campaign.

Now make no mistake, growth isn’t easy. If it was, every business would be doing it.

But ActionCOACH Liverpool works with focussed Small & Medium sized businesses that are already profitable

and committed to taking themselves to the next level.

Unlike some coaches that merely dip in & out of an Organisation, Luke’s clients are faced with the challenges of having every aspect of their Company DNA scrutinised, tested, measured and improved as Luke works on holding owners accountable for improvements with the help of his seemingly inexhaustible range of techniques, tools & indomitable energy.

“This determination to create 1000 local jobs in the local region is the inevitable outcome from Luke’s plan to work with 250 local business owners & over 1000 attendees over the three year campaign.”

Taking your business to the next level isn’t a vanity.

Staying still means going backwards. It’s all about Growth. All about Profit.

And that’s how you too can be part of creating 1000 jobs in the local economy, protecting your workforce, protecting your income and growing your influence.

It’s not a quick journey.

It’s not for the faint-hearted.

But commit to growth and Luke promises to commit to you, your development and your results. And the best thing of all? You can try this out and get some great actionable steps to implement straight away by attending one of ActionCOACH Liverpool’s Business Planning Days.

Free to Chamber Members or through collaborating Partners, just keep an eye on the Chamber Website for details or call ActionCOACH Liverpool on 0151 346 2040.

100% Electric Vehicles, Zero Emissions for a Greener Future We Supply & Install All Brands of Electric Vehicles, Charging Points and Charging Cables for Home & the Workplace SYMPHONY EV-ZE Orchard Chambers, 4 Rocky Lane, Heswall, Wirral, CH60 0BY 0151 709 9158

ze@symphonyev.co.uk

www.symphonyev.co.uk

19

International

Brexit: How to buy time for your business

he above picture shows the T possible paths for GBPEUR (Pound to Euro Rate). Whilst

Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn try to agree on the countries fate, GBPEUR has become volatile and could even see a move like June 2016, if there is a no-deal Brexit (this could still happen if the EU does not grant the UK

can be sure of their currency costs. In the event of a large currency move, the hedge allows the business to make changes in different areas to adjust to the new trading conditions. They could open up a new warehouse, employ more sales professionals, or even grow their business by giving discounts to new clients.

an extension to Article 50 next Friday). Businesses already have to cope with huge uncertainty and are being left with little or no time to prepare.

With time in such short supply, would it be good to buy some for your business? If businesses hedge their currency exposures for 3, 6 or even 12 months, they

International Trade Expertise

Trading in a Post Brexit world, be ready

W

e continue to support companies with presentations covering practicalities of dealing with different issues in a Post Brexit world, Transitional Simplified Procedures, Customs special

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procedures, step by step guides to export and import and more.

In order to support and assist traders to implement specific customs facilities or regimes like Customs Warehousing, Inward processing, AEO, we work with partners that will help you to achieve this.

This happened in 2016, when some businesses not only had to cope with a 20% currency move against them, but also had to deal with competitors who had hedged at beneficial rates, passing currency gains on to their clients by cutting prices.

It is worth noting that even if the UK does receive a long extension period, it will just extend the current high levels of uncertainty for business.

Spotlight in Germany e heard about trade W opportunities and support from this region from the Economic Development Agency of the German State of North-Rhine Westphalia at our Liverpool South Hub on the 21 March.

This is a top location for manufacturers and suppliers of Mechanical engineering, chemicals, metal production, automotive & food beverages.

Exceptionally high customer expectations of quality and delivery, Germany is a mature and competitive market.

This of course, is not good for the UK economy or the Pound. So, why not take away the uncertainty of Brexit and hedge your currency risk?

We currently give the following probabilities for Brexit scenarios:

• No-deal 5% • Deal 35% • Long term extension 55% • Referendum 5% The above information is sourced from AFEX, the Chamber’s preferred Global Exchange Partner.

Contact AFEX on northwest@afex.com

Germans are risk-averse, i.e. they like to stick to the “tried and tested”.

The UK is the 5th most important trading partner with this region after The Netherlands, China, France and Belgium.

The RNW Invest team can help you to access a network of legal, accounting professionals, premises, access to office, production and warehouse space, all you need to make your decision: labour costs, availability and skills, demographics, links to academic and business networks.

International

New International Services

How to complete Customs Declarations

We can help you to understand new processes to follow and to complete Customs Declaration Services Next dates: 23rd May, 20th June

Our training will highlight what you need to know to be able to accurately complete a simple customs declaration.

Global Connect

Delegates: anyone who needs an understanding of Customs regimes and how to complete a Customs declaration form.

Enhancing our overall portfolio of international trade services we are pleased to launch, working in conjunction with partners, the following services:

Market Identification Service Helping companies identify which are the top import/export markets for their products – HS code required.

•••

Market Research and Entry Services

Designed to help companies to expand overseas we work with a number of partners, here in the UK and overseas, who can provide bespoke market entry services Market Research which can include (the below is not limited): • Customer Analysis / Competition Analysis / Risk analysis / Product Research – product adaptation, packaging, labelling, certification

requirements, amongst others / Routes to Market / International Marketing / IP & Trademark considerations

• Advice & information on local regulations, taxes, certifications •••

Credit Checks

Check credit worthiness from potential or existing clients and or suppliers this can help to avoid bad debt.

•••

International Trade Readiness Assessment

Free online assessment to obtain a report that asses new to export/import companies and more experienced exporters internal capacity for expansion globally.

For information on any of the above services contact export@liverpoolchamber.org.uk

Course pre-requisites: there are no pre-requisites for this course.

Course content is based on the following topics: • • • • •

•

•

• • • •

Introduction to Trade Business Responsibilities Export process Import process Valuation – explanation of the main methods and their application Classification – determining the use of commodity codes Using Customs Procedure Codes – use of appropriate CPCs Export and import controls Reliefs Preferences Customs simplified procedures – explanation of procedures and benefits

Assessment: no formal exam will be taken however delegates will get to complete simulated forms to ensure they can complete simple customs declarations correctly.

Contact export@liverpoolchamber.org.uk for further information on any of the above.

21

International

By Leslie Levy August, Director, boomerang carnets UK

C

lichés like “thinking outside the box” can get tiresome. But when that cliché results in increased Chamber revenue, positive public relations and growth opportunities, they are anything but tiresome.

CustomerFocused Innovation Focuses Attention on Liverpool 22

“Thinking outside the box” is just what the Liverpool Chamber did 3 years ago when they entered into a partnership with U.S.headquartered company, boomerang carnets.

In a bold effort to expand their international services, the Chamber joined with boomerang carnets UK and put the Chamber on the national map for ATA Carnet issuance. The number of ATA Carnets issued went from under 50 annually to more than 1,600 in 2018. Those new clients come from all over the U.K. to benefit from the service, price and expertise that the Chamber now offers to ATA Carnet customers.

U.K. organizations travelling internationally and wanting to use an ATA Carnet now see Liverpool as the place where automation and innovation made it easier, faster and cheaper to do so. These organizations range from television networks, film and video production companies,

universities, manufacturers, multi-national corporations and major music acts that tour. This small act of creativity and innovation by the Liverpool Chamber has given Liverpool national recognition.

The improvements in ATA Carnet efficiency, process and pricing for Chamber members and non-members result in frequent word-ofmouth referrals to the Chamber and have even reached the International Chamber of Commerce’s ATA Carnet governing body.

While the London Chamber of Commerce is the U.K. national guaranteeing association, Liverpool is exceeding all growth expectations for ATA Carnets.

Amidst the uncertainty of Brexit, the ATA Carnet services provided through Liverpool will continue to provide the necessary protection for exporters to ship their items to the EU27.

No one change or innovation will change a city’s reputation.

However, we believe that the innovative and forwardthinking attitudes of the Liverpool Chamber’s international team is one more reason to invest in or do business with Liverpool companies.

“The improvements in ATA Carnet efficiency, process and pricing for Chamber members and nonmembers result in frequent word-of-mouth referrals”

International

Accelerate into China

As the global economy shows signs of a slow-down, now is the right time for businesses in Merseyside to think how they can build resilience into their business models.

A

key part of that is to look to other markets to diversify and reduce dependency on the local economy. As an international city, Liverpool has always punched above its weight on the world stage and companies in our region are therefore well placed to seize on global opportunities.

So how do businesses prepare for international expansion?

In 2018 we launched our Accelerate Programme which helped growing companies to think about the steps they need to take to secure success. From working with many businesses already on this journey, we have consistently found four areas, which will help ambitious business who want to go global:

1. Have a clear objective and rationale for what you want to achieve. Are you looking for new customers and markets, wanting to develop your supply chain, needing to partner with other businesses or universities, or looking to access new funding opportunities?

2. Undertake research.

Business trips can be costly and therefore before you venture out you should go as prepared as possible. Think about which businesses you want to meet, consider where you want to set up, identify how you might reach your chosen markets and find out what legal and tax

requirements exist? Working with partnership organisations like Invest Liverpool and BDO can help you get answers to important questions quickly, and even help you think of the questions you didn’t expect.

3. Consider the impact on your existing business.

Growing your business will have knock-on consequences on your existing organisation, either by diverting resources and time or through requiring investment. Nuances of working across borders will also require an understanding of operational and financial matters, including logistics, tax, legal and banking needs.

Understanding this early can help you prepare for success.

4. Get out there! There is no substitute for just getting out there, but look to join a trade mission or agree to meet other businesses who have

already gone before you.

Use this as a chance to find out how others overcame barriers such as language or how did they recruit their overseas team.

BDO LLP, one of the leading global firms of accountants with offices in Liverpool, is connected to BDO China Shu Lun Pan which operates across China.

Our local Liverpool team includes Mandarin speaking employees, and we operate a UK China desk.

We recently relaunched our Accelerate Programme to specifically focus on businesses expanding into China, which is designed to be value for money for businesses of all sizes.

If you wish to know more, contact Laura Stuffins who is Director at BDODrive in Liverpool laura.stuffins@bdo.co.uk or +44(0)7976 198260.

“Nuances of working across borders will also require an understanding of operational and financial matters, including logistics, tax, legal and banking needs.�

23

International

Brussels Contract Keeps Nationwide Visible in Europe

Liverpool based fencing company Nationwide Fencing Services has been working on a project based in Machelen, Belgium for the best part of 2019.

he project is with Exxon T Mobil or Esso to those refuelling their cars on the

high street and came with the instruction to install a permanent fencing system of the highest standards for this globally known oil giant.

A team of five installers travelled by road to Machelen with all the tools required and have been working full time to erect the fence, with a contracts manager visiting Brussels every two weeks to oversee the progress.

The system being installed is of prison standard and in the industry is known as High-

24

Security Prison Mesh. A fence like this cannot be penetrated from below and has hostile topping to discourage entry from above. This standard is required when the security of premises cannot be breached under any circumstances.

For Nationwide Fencing Services, they are in the business of keeping people in or keeping people out and a job of this type is all about the safety and security of the people and its premises, housed within the parameters of the fencing.

With twenty-three years’ experience in the industry,

Nationwide came highly recommended and were specifically chosen as the preferred contractor to complete works of this magnitude. With such a high-level global client, the manufacturer had to meet with Paul Farrell, Managing Director of Nationwide in Brussels, to discuss the requirements and go over the logistics and planning of such a high-security project.

The standards of safety and risk management that Nationwide undertake in every single one of their projects is the reason they were chosen.

In an industry like oil and gas, where safety standards are non-negotiable Nationwide came leaps ahead and were instructed to start the project in the first quarter of 2019.

A fencing project like this comes with prestige, but for Nationwide it is managed with the same standards of service as any other client project because this is just how Nationwide does business. However on this particular occasion, there were a few more logistics involved, and it was just a little further to go to work.

HIGH ENERGY USERS OPTING FOR COMBINED HEAT AND POWER Industrial high energy consumers are increasingly opting for deployment of combined heat and power (CHP) in the UK

Image credit: Caledonian Cheese / Base Power CHP Plant

W

ith increasing energy prices resulting from hikes in electricity generation and transmission costs, the UK is seeing growing numbers of manufacturers opting for self-generation of power with the deployment of CHP technology. Key industrial sectors with high power consumption includes food and drink, automotive, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals processing.

CHP plants are captive power plants that generate electricity, typically from gas, and in-turn recover heat, either as hot water or steam for local use.

Generating power close to the site of use reduces losses associated with the transmission of electricity, and improves total fuel efficiency to around 90%.

In the public sector, universities and hospitals have utilised gas engine CHP technology for decades.

Early installations include Dundee University and the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle. Both institutions deployed Jenbacher gas engines over 15 years ago to reduce fuel consumption. Both have now refurbished the facilities using the latest engine models with even higher efficiency levels.

The key to the success of CHP installations is firstly matching the site’s electricity and heating needs to an appropriate generator and heat recovery system.

This is done through a detailed technical evaluation of half hourly energy consumption data, if available.

A decision can then be made upon whether hot water or steam would best meet the site’s heating requirements. If the site has a cooling requirement it is also possible to fit an absorption chiller to support refrigeration or air conditioning systems.

The next consideration is machinery and systems that supports the performance of the core generator.

If either generator or ‘balance of plant’ are inappropriate for the application then future operational problems may occur. The final consideration for a successful CHP installation is aftersales support. Much like a car engine, CHP engines have scheduled maintenance. For a machine that runs for almost the entire year, it is important to conduct these as per manufacturer’s guidelines and supported by highly trained and equipped service engineers, such as those provided by gas engine specialist Clarke Energy.

Recent years have seen a much wider deployment of CHP technology for a range of new applications. Rising fuel costs and a starker ‘spark-spread’ – the difference in price of electricity and gas – along with a focus on reducing carbon emissions are important drivers.

London in particular has seen massive growth in CHP technology over recent years. A range of high-profile buildings now utilise gas engines for

cogeneration including the National Gallery, the Shard, and the Natural History Museum.

Deploying the technology supports the cost and carbon reduction drive and is also looked on favourably by planning departments from a sustainability perspective.

Datacentres are an emerging market for CHP technology. The focus here is on combined cooling and power rather than combined heat and power.

Citibank’s datacentre in London is one of the first in the UK to use the technology and can generate 71% of the datacentre’s electricity.

Finally, with the reduction in price of renewable energy technologies such as wind and solar energy along with storage technologies such as batteries, it is possible to integrate different elements into a microgrid and make an industrial user self-sufficient and minimise carbon emissions.

High energy users can move to an offgrid power generation solution using CHP, possibly integrated with other forms of low carbon power. This provides not only reduced operational costs, but also security of power supply, resilience and significant reductions in carbon emissions.

To learn more about CHP or book an energy audit contact alex.marshall@clarke-energy.com | 0151 546 4446

Cover Feature

“This Club is determined to create as many opportunities as possible for local businesses to get involved in the development stage and to ensure that local businesses can benefit from this transformational project.”

Professor Denise Barrett-Baxendale, Chief Executive Officer Everton Football Club

Everton’s People’s Project plans could transform Club and city With Everton’s plans for a new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock building momentum, we learn how the proposals will transform the Club and a forgotten area of the city.

26

was at the end of 2017 that Ia tEverton Football Club agreed deal with Peel Land & Property – the developer behind the Liverpool Waters project – to take control of the Bramley-Moore Dock site.

That agreement set in motion one of the most important projects for the Club and city in recent years.

Bringing forward a development of this scale and value has not been seen in the city since Grosvenor invested just under £1billion in the city’s retail and leisure core at Liverpool ONE. In the decade which has passed, the investment has proven to be of huge value to the city attracting countless thousands of visitors while giving a huge boost to the city’s civic pride.

They will, of course, be felt most keenly in the immediate vicinity of the stadium where the City Council’s Ten Streets framework and Peel’s Liverpool Waters will both work to an accelerated timeframe as we collectively help shift the gravity of the city centre northwards.

The new communities which will be created in these two developments, both residential and commercial, will join Everton Football Club in transforming the area in a way that will bring a more vibrant and progressive environment for North Liverpool.

The ripple effect of Liverpool ONE can be seen in the ever-changing landscape and extension of the city centre to areas such as the Baltic Triangle which have benefitted from the opportunities, development and renewed entrepreneurial zeal have brought.

Anchored by a new iconic home for the Club, the local communities will see positive changes in a range of ways, some big, some small. That might be new investments from other parties keen to maximise the value of their own land holdings in the vicinity or simply the improved feeling of security more activity and critical mass brings to an area which, at present, is not an area of regional, national and international significance.

These benefits will reach into many homes in the city while transforming the neighbourhood around the dock.

In Walton, the proposed redevelopment of the Club’s existing Goodison Park home could see the creation of new community assets such as homes, education and health facilities, also providing an economic boost to the area.

Research carried out by economists for the Club into the effects of a new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock and the associated redevelopment of Goodison Park indicates the huge benefits which the projects would deliver in terms of new jobs, visitors and economic activity.

Cover Feature

The stadium will put this part of the city’s semi-derelict dockland back on the international stage and become a sign of the city’s progression, confidence and ambition.

Club Chief Executive Professor Denise Barrett-Baxendale said: “This Club is determined to create as many opportunities as possible for local businesses to get involved in the development stage and to ensure that local businesses can benefit from this transformational project.”

Stadium development director Colin Chong adds: “We will stipulate in construction contracts that local suppliers should be used where possible for everything other than specialist services which might not exist in the City Region.

“We’ll also ensure that local schools and colleges benefit through community outreach activities and education programmes. We are absolutely committed to squeezing every single drop of value out of the stadium project for Liverpool City Region.”

Professor Barrett-Baxendale said: “This is a huge opportunity for the city and many communities within it and we are determined to ensure that as much of the value as possible stays in the City Region.”

Although final plans for Goodison Park are still to be determined, Everton are committed to leaving a lasting, positive legacy for the local community it has called home for more than 125 years.

During November and December 2018 the Club completed the first-stage of its public consultation programme - The People’s Project. The proposals include Everton’s proposed move to BramleyMoore Dock and for the community-led redevelopment of Goodison Park. The feedback revealed an overwhelming public support from the people of the City Region into the principles of the stadium developments.

With work now under way to prepare for the second-stage consultation, which will reveal the latest stadium design concepts, the Club is on track to submit its planning application for the development in the latter part of this year.

This period promises to be a pivotal time for the Club and for the wider city region.

“This is a huge opportunity for

the city and many communities

within it and we are determined to

ensure that as much of the value as possible stays in the City Region.”

27

Voice of Business

this new feature we take a brief look at what InLiverpool and Sefton Chambers of Commerce

have been doing to make sure your voice is heard by both local and national decision makers.

Business Policy Committee

Our newly formed Business Policy Committee met in January to agree the Chamber’s outline priorities for 2019.

Chaired by Alison Lobb from Morecrofts, the Committee’s main aim will be to identify those areas of strategic business and economic importance for our members and formulate and communicate the views of members

to provide an evidence based mandate for the Chamber to act on their behalf.

Membership has been drawn from across a variety of sectors and will be on a rolling programme. The Committee meets again on 10 April and we will provide additional information in our Voice of Business newsletter.

If you would like more information please contact Michelle Cameron, Senior Policy and Communications Advisor michelle.cameron@liverpoolchamber.org.uk

Voice of Business

Providing a credible voice

for our members across the Liverpool City Region.

Regeneration summit focuses on keeping it local for the city The Chamber, in partnership with Liverpool City Council, welcomed guests to the second annual Regenerating Liverpool summit at RIBA North on 20 March. Speakers included Nick Kavanagh, Liverpool Council director of regeneration and economy and Everton chief executive, Denise Barrett-Baxendale.

development opportunity to extend the city boundaries further, involving £2 billion worth of developments.

The summit identified the proposed development of the Festival Gardens site to the South of the city, and Everton’s proposed 52,000 plus seater stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock to the North as key regeneration projects, effectively book-ending a waterfront

Chamber CEO, Paul Cherpeau, welcomed the focus on inclusive growth and the reaffirmation of private/public partnership, particularly the practical outcomes for business from these ambitious schemes which provided an opportunity for supply chain engagement and a strengthening of our skills base potential as well as supporting the aspiration to make Liverpool the best place to start, locate or operate a business in the UK.

Our CEO, Paul Cherpeau, joined Steve Rotheram, and representatives from Transport for the North and the Liverpool City Region (LCR) at an event on 20 March to celebrate the achievements of the first five years of the LCR 30 year, long term rail strategy and the local launch of Transport for the

North’s Strategic Transport Plan.

Paul emphasised the need to engage local businesses and communities, particularly through the language we use, and the importance of translating the positive messages of longer term investment and growth so that people can recognise the practical benefits.

The Chamber welcomed members of the Migration Advisory Committee to a roundtable meeting on 26 March, kindly hosted by Jackson Lees, to discuss the challenges to employment and skills gaps as a result of changes to immigration policy in the government white paper published in December.

We had representatives from a range

of sectors and the case studies provided will be included as part of a series of recommendations to government.

Rail and the Liverpool City Region - the track to growth

Migration Advisory Committee Roundtable

The Home Office has committed to an additional programme of local and regional engagement and the Chamber will be hosting another meeting in Liverpool with more details to follow.

If you have any potential case studies or would like to find out more please contact policy@liverpoolchamber.org.uk

Shaping a Retraining Revolution with the Department for Education (DfE) Roundtable

We were joined by colleagues for a very constructive and interactive discussion with representatives from the DfE on 28 March to discuss the National Retraining scheme. In an age of fastevolving industry and economy, the ability to retrain is more important than ever and this scheme is designed to equip individuals with the skills they need

28

to redirect their careers, and secure better, more stable jobs for the future.

We will continue to work with the DfE who welcome the ongoing engagement of local employers, as well as providing input to the British Chambers of Commerce to inform their position in lobbying central government.

If you would like more information please contact policy@liverpoolchamber.org.uk

Culture

In the year which sees the city host the Netball World Cup, the RISE programme will pay homage to extraordinary women from Liverpool and from around the world with the aim to inspire, educate and empower others – regardless of their age or gender.

t features a series of brand new Iexhibitions artistic commissions, world-firsts, and performances by leading female artists, thinkers and leaders, with the majority of activities being free to attend.

Exhibitions

• The Female Gaze: Women Depicting Women, 8 March-4 May, Dot-art Castle Street, FREE • Ericka Beckman and Marianna Simnett, 29 March-16 June, FACT, FREE • Kinship, Open Eye Gallery, 9 May-7 Jul, FREE • Shanghai Sacred, Victoria Gallery (University of Liverpool), 1 May-1 September, FREE • Yolart, Pier Head, 31 May-28 June, FREE • First Women Exhibition, St George’s Hall, 18 June-27 August, FREE • A Portrait Of…, Open Eye Gallery, 15 July-30 September, FREE • April Ashley Archive, Liverpool Central Library, 28 July-28 August, FREE

How to be a…

• How to be a Spy, St George’s Hall, Tuesday 18 June, ticketed • How to be a Sports Journalist and Broadcaster, July, Liverpool ONE, FREE

Festivals

Reaction

• Children’s Festival of Reading, June and July, venues across Liverpool • Disco Classical with Special Guest Sister Sledge featuring Kathy Sledge at Liverpool International Music Festival, Sefton Park, Sunday 21 July • Scalarama, September, details TBC

RISE Response

Ten female Liverpool writers will take up residence and write in response to Rise festival as it unfolds throughout 2019. Their poems, songs, stories and plays-in-miniature will pop up throughout the festival year, in film, print, online and in performance.

The writers include Lizzie Nunnery (Winner of Best New Play at UK Theatre awards 2017), acclaimed poets Helen Tookey (Best British Poetry 2014, Salt) and Jennifer Lee Tsai (Ten: Poets of the New Generation, Bloodaxe 2017), playwright Lindsay Rodden (The Story Giant), Yemeni-Scouse performance poet Amina Atiq (BBC6 Music Festival), short story writer Stephanie Jane Gray (Writing on the Wall) and acclaimed novelist and playwright Deborah Morgan (Disappearing Home).

More announcements will be made over the coming months which will include details of the Netball World Cup opening ceremony, Feminist Book Fortnight and two brand new public art commissions.

Clare Balding said: “I’m delighted and excited to be part of Liverpool’s RISE programme and look forward to sharing my experiences, and encourage and motivate more young women to think about a career in sport.

Tickets and latest information for all events can be found by visiting www.riseliverpool.com, following @Rise_Liverpool on Twitter and Instagram and using #RISEwithUS.

Any artist, cultural organisation or group across the city staging events or activities this year which celebrate women are encouraged to head to riseliverpool.com/submit and fill in the online form and the event could be promoted on the website as part of the RISE season.

RISE has been curated by Liverpool City Council and funded by Arts Council England. Other partners include University of Liverpool, The Women’s Organisation, Blackburne House, Northern Power Women, Merseyside Women of the Year, The Girls Network and the Mayoral Club.

“With Liverpool hosting the Netball World Cup, it’s the perfect opportunity to see brilliantly passionate teams of women at the top of their game, and we can use this to kick-start a conversation about what can be achieved by women from every sector of society, and every part of the country.”

Jola Kudela who will produce the Yolart artwork on the Pier Head, said: “I’m very excited to be part of RISE and it’s an incredible opportunity for me as a female visual artist. Through my art I try to establish a dialogue with urban environment and engage my audience by providing a social commentary.

I look forward to being involved in Liverpool’s creative life and I’m sure that together we’ll produce something meaningful and inspiring.”

Alison Clark, the Arts Council’s Director of Combined Arts and Director North said: “We’re very pleased to support this varied and exciting programme that shines a light on creative and enterprising women in the cultural sector and beyond. Female artists have often been overlooked or hidden and it’s wonderful to see in Liverpool the powerful contributions of women who can speak to the whole of society. It’s also great to see so many organisations coming together to showcase the work of both local and international artists across the city.

I look forward to experiencing the programme across the year.”

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Culture

n exciting new festival A featuring music, theatre, film and dance took place in Liverpool.

Musica Argentina - Eleanor Kelly

Angel Delight: New festival has global appeal

The Angel Field festival, hosted by Liverpool Hope University, boasted an eclectic line-up of local, national and international acts over 10 action-packed days in March.

Hope’s newly-renovated, multi-million-pound Creative Campus on the outskirts of the city centre hosted many of the events, with others across different locations through collaborations with Tate Liverpool, FACT, National Museums Liverpool, the RLPO, and Milapfest.

Angel Field was also selected to form part of BBC 6 Music’s festival, which took place in Liverpool between March 29 and March 31.

From the Frank Sinatra-inspired sound of the renowned Phil Shotton Big Band, to the experimental electronica of Liverpool-based IMMIX Ensemble, Angel Field had a deliberately broad appeal.

Some of the region’s best upand-coming bands, including highly-rated indie-pop outfit Nikki & The Waves, performed, while the Pagoda Chinese Youth Orchestra and Siberian Balalaika players added a global appeal to the schedule.

Nikki & The Waves

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Phil Shotton Big Band

Professor Stephen Davismoon, head of Hope's School of Creative and Performing Arts, said he believes Angel Fw “will become a dynamic and engaging new fixture in the city’s thriving arts scene”.

"There were events for all types of people,” he said.

“From cutting edge artistic performances to more accessible family-orientated ones. And with artists coming here from all over the world the festival had a global feel which we're very proud of."

Angel Field explored several 2019 milestones as part of its themes.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the first moon-landing; 30 years since the demolition of the Berlin Wall; 30 years since the end of the Ceausescu regime in Romania; 100 years since the Bauhaus and the imminent next-step in Brexit.

All of these historic events informed some of the festival’s content; which also included screenings of films such as sci-fi thriller Moon, The Lives of Others and animated fantasy Song of the Sea.

There was also an assortment of visual art and storytelling, including performances from students and alumni of Liverpool Hope University.

The Washing Up

Phil Shotton Big Band

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Ask the Expert

Ask the Expert

The benefits of using mediation for business

Joseph Mulrooney, Founder Member at Mediatelegal & Director at ACSL Ltd Solicitors

I’m a local lad – growing up in Kirkby and returning there some 20 years later.

I qualified as a solicitor in 2009, and as a mediator in 2013. I have since founded two companies - ACSL Solicitors in 2009, and Mediatelegal in 2016. Both companies are based in Liverpool and offer a nationwide service. The type of client using my companies include: businesses, charities, individuals, and law firms.

The Growth of Mediation

In recent years we’ve witnessed steady growth in the use of mediation in England and Wales. The 2018 Mediation Audit revealed that approximately 12,000 civil and commercial mediations took place in 2017. This represents a 20% increase in mediations from 2016.

This figure of 12,000 mediations doesn’t include mediations in areas such as Special Educational Needs (SEN) or workplace mediation.

What is Mediation?

Mediation is a form of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). It offers participants an alternative way of resolving a dispute instead of going to court. It is an entirely without prejudice process, which means that anything discussed at a mediation cannot later be referred to in court. However, if you agree a solution at mediation it will become legally binding once the participants write out the terms and sign them.

You can find a useful Ministry of Justice mediation video in the blog section of our website www.mediatelegal.co.uk.

Why Should Businesses Use Mediation?

There are many benefits for businesses using mediation to resolve disputes. The FSB ‘Tied Up’ report contained an entry

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describing mediation as a ‘value-for-money way of resolving disputes’, and a mediation audit revealed that, in 2017, mediation had a recorded success rate of 89% in civil and commercial disputes.

Mediation is fast, flexible, and confidential:-

FAST - we can arrange a mediation within 24 hours. Each one typically lasts for no more than a day.

FLEXIBLE – a mediation can take place in any location, or by telephone or video call.

Because the participants create a solution themselves, it allows for a lot more flexibility than what a court can impose. For example, a simple commercial debt case could be settled at mediation by the participants agreeing a lump sum, staged repayments, reduced prices going forwards, or any other agreeable terms.

CONFIDENTIAL - because mediation is a confidential process, businesses can use it to protect themselves from reputational damage. A successful mediation can include an agreement by the participants to keep all information of the dispute and the settlement confidential and out of the public record.

Mediation allows businesses to spend less time dealing with disputes or complaints, and more time time focussing on more productive and profitable tasks.

Going to Court

Taking a dispute to court is becoming an ever more costly and prolonged affair.

A 2017 report by the World Bank found that it takes an average of 437 days to go from issuing court proceedings to enforcing a court judgment against a Defendant.

Throughout the 437 days you will likely be incurring legal costs via your solicitor for their professional services.

Not many businesses can afford to shoulder such a burden. At the same time, court fees have increased by as much as 600%, and numerous courts have been closed by the Ministry of Justice. If anything, the situation is getting worse too. Unfortunately it has never been more expensive, stressful, or time consuming to take a dispute all the way to trial.

Choosing a Mediator

A mediator doesn’t need to be an expert in your particular field. You should ask any mediator for a record of their training, observations, and mediations. You should also ask whether they are accredited by the Civil Mediation Council

The mediation sector doesn’t have a regulatory body unlike other sectors.

Instead several organisations have sought to propose minimum standards.

We love talking about mediation, so feel free to get in touch: help@mediatelegal.co.uk, 0151 363 3972, www.mediatelegal.co.uk Mediatelegal is the only mediation provider locally to be accredited to provide mediation services by both the Ministry of Justice and also the Civil Mediation Council.

Their mediators have performed almost 2,000 mediations to date, across a wide range of disputes.

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he Regenda Group, which operates across housing, construction, training and the third sector, is working with Construction Impact Framework (CIF) to drive social value through procurement and the supply of works and services.

Established in 2015, awardwinning CIF is an OJEU compliant framework used by a range of public-sector organisations, including NHS, Education and Local Authority.

Each time that CIF is utilised, it invests monies into initiatives which deliver munch needed community provision.

Social Procurement partnership driving social value across communities through Constuction

One of the organisations supported by CIF is Centre 56, who provides childcare, information and support for families who have suffered, or are at risk of domestic abuse or a crisis situation. Centre 56 has been providing services since it began as a refuge in 1973.

After financially struggling for a few years, Centre 56 joined The Regenda Group in 2018.

In England and Wales two women are killed each week by a current or former partner, while on Merseyside there were 28,359 reported incidents of domestic abuse recorded in one year up to March 2017.

There has also been a 21% reduction in domestic abuses services available in England since 2010, which makes it vital that organisations such as Centre 56 are supported.

Responsible Business By working in partnership, The Regenda Group and CIF are able to generate much needed funds for Centre 56 and other social investments.

The Regenda Group can procure services and provide services through the framework, knowing that it is helping to sustain the region’s voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector.

Lesley Penton, Partnerships Manager at The Regenda Group, said: “We are passionate about regenerating people and place, raising aspirations and supporting communities. Our values are at the core of everything we do, and we like to work other organisations who share our values.

“Through partnering with the CIF, we are able to utilise procurement to maximise the funding of vital services across the region, including our very own Centre 56, while ensuring that we are working with other social driven organisations.

Sara Lawton, Director at CIF, said: “The Regenda Group are a fantastic partner who have an unquestionable commitment to communities. I’ve visited Centre 56 on numerous occassions and seen first-hand the critical role they play in supporting families. I am proud our work with The Regenda Group is helping to sustain such a crucial service.”

A partnership between one of Liverpool’s largest regeneration organisations and a social value construction procurement framework is helping to transform communities across the city.

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Responsible Business

Year of the Environment 2019:

Why it Matters for Business

2019 has officially been marked as the Year of the Environment for the Liverpool City Region.

T

he initiative is the city region’s contribution to the national Year of Green Action, which aims to raise awareness of environmental issues and areas that demand action and attention, including air quality, waste levels, and the need to shift towards more sustainable use of energy.

You can find out more information on the website http://yoe2019lcr.org.uk/

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At the launch event in January, Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region highlighted the need to start a conversation on how we protect and preserve our natural assets for future generations, to make the City Region a place with good air quality, sustainable waste levels and clean and renewable energy.

The Chamber’s Responsible Business Forum is putting the Year of the

Environment agenda at the heart of its programme for 2019 to both highlight why business needs to be engaged as well as providing some practical advice and support. At our meeting in March we focussed on Reducing Waste with excellent presentations, as well as some startling statistics, from the Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority and Chamber members B&M Waste Services.

Responsible Business

Following the Forum we asked Jayne Kennedy, Marketing Manager at B&M Waste Services what advice she would give to local businesses.

Jayne explained: “As a locally based carbon neutral recycling and waste management company, we work with businesses across the region to not only ensure that they remain compliant with current legislation on business waste, but also to develop waste minimisation, reuse and recycling strategies to help move them up the waste hierarchy.

Since 1 January 2015, legislation has been in place which means that businesses must consider recycling where it’s technically, economically, and environmentally practicable to do so, with the aim of improving the quality of materials collected for recycling by placing them in separate containers to reduce contamination of recyclable material.

People often do not realise that contamination of material, such as food waste mixing with cardboard makes it impossible to recycle.

With the recent focus on protecting our oceans and reducing single use plastic, we have launched our Simple Swaps initiative which outlines some of the basic things we can all do to reduce unnecessary single use items, which we all know are extremely wasteful.”

Simple Swaps aims to minimise waste output through reducing unnecessary waste being produced in the first place by making some simple, daily swaps.

These quick fixes include:

• Using glasses and refillable water bottles instead of plastic cups at water fountains

• Investing in reusable ceramic mugs as opposed to paper cups (whilst B&M can 100% recycle paper coffee cups with their newly launched scheme www.bagnallandmorris.com/cups, the ideal solution is not to produce the waste in the first place!)

• Replacing individual sachets of sauce, sweetener and sugar with decanters

• Stop using plastic knives and forks in favour of reusable sustainable alternatives

More suggestions can be found at www.bagnallandmorris.com/simpleswaps

Many businesses do not know where to start and Jayne suggests a free waste audit as the best way to motivate both your team and your clients and more than 7000 businesses have already benefitted.

Monitoring and reporting the resulting increase in waste reduction can be demonstrated through reports such as B&M Waste’s Environmental report .

For more practical information on how you can reduce both the environmental impact of your business waste and your waste bill, contact B&M Waste Services www.bagnallandmorris.com

“Businesses must consider recycling where it’s technically, economically, and environmentally practicable to do so, with the aim of improving the quality of materials collected for recycling by placing them in separate containers to reduce contamination of recyclable material.”

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Health & Wellbeing

orse than that, could they be W responsible for some cases of mental ill-health among the workforce? The answer is yes, according to a new study.

The study of 1,000 UK office workers by Saracen Interiors revealed that 76% find that their dated or uninspiring office is having a negative impact on their productivity

Thirty per cent of those surveyed said the impact was high or significant, with only 12% saying their dated office has little to zero impact on their productivity.

The study also suggests this issue is a hot topic at the water cooler, with 54% of respondents saying that co-workers have confided in them regarding the negative impact which their dated office is having on their productivity.

Researchers also looked at how dated offices were impacting the mental well-being of employees, with 51% of respondents saying that their uninspiring office has had a negative impact.

Could your office be getting you down?

Could your drab and uninspired surroundings at work be affecting your productivity and state of mind?

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One in five cited a high to significant impact, 24% a medium impact although a further 25% said that their office only had a small impact on their mental well-being.

As with productivity, the study suggests the impact of a dated office on employee mental wellbeing is being discussed between co-workers, with 35% saying a colleague has confided in them that their uninspiring office is having a negative impact.

The most disturbing part of the study showed 37% of respondents saying that their dated office had contributed to actual mental health issues. When asked to what

degree had their office contributed, more than 40% cited a medium to significant impact.

Mike Page, CEO at Saracen Interiors, said: “It’s clear to see from the study that dated or uninspiring offices are having a significant negative impact on the productivity of office workers, which can really impact the bottom line of any business.

“More importantly, more than one in three say their dated office has contributed to actual mental health issues, which is an issue that UK business owners will need to work to resolve, if they want a happy, healthy and productive workforce.”

The study looked further into the reasons why dated offices are having a negative impact and where improvements could be made. When asked what would help to increase productivity, 50% of respondents cited having more natural light as the priority.

This was followed by vibrant colours (17%), open plan designs (13%), ergonomic furniture (10%), breakout areas (8%) and inspiring meeting rooms (3%) as the most recommended solutions to dated offices and the negative impact on employees.Almost three in four (71%) said that more natural light within the office would have a high to significant impact on their productivity, while approximately 39% of respondents said that the addition of ergonomic furniture, vibrant colours, open plan designs and breakout areas would each have a high to significant impact on their productivity.

“More importantly, more than one in three say their dated office has contributed to actual mental health issues, which is an issue that UK business owners will need to work to resolve, if they want a happy, healthy and productive workforce.”

Health & Wellbeing

The increasing stress of running your own business Research from small business platform Xero has identified the causes of increasing stress on the owners of small businesses.

esearchers named highR street decline (34 per cent), a heavy workload (37 per cent) and Brexit uncertainty (18 per cent) as key causes.

According to the research, despite workplace mental health being high on the news agenda, almost a third (28 per cent) of small business owners admit that they are too busy to think about supporting mental health in the workplace and almost half (48 per cent) believe they could be doing more.

The study of 500 small business owners found that more than 8 in 10 (83 per cent) have experienced stress in the past six months, with almost half (49 per cent) saying they have been more stressed than normal and 17 per cent admitting they are ‘highly stressed’.

One in 10 admitted the stresses of running a business resulted in a negative impact on their mental health causing sleepless nights (41 per cent), drinking more alcohol (21 per cent) and arguments at home (13 per cent).

Owners said the main causes of business stress are managing staff (42 per cent), admin (35 per cent), feeling personally responsible for the success of the company (31 per cent) and filing taxes (19 per cent). One in ten (11 per cent) felt vulnerable

to economic conditions and one in four (26 per cent) admitted feeling stressed by compliance.

When looking at how stress is affecting the lives of small business owners, respondents to the survey said they forgo social events (11 per cent), binge on junk food (7 per cent) and stop exercising (7 per cent).

But despite the high level of stress that comes with owning and managing a business, the parts that owners most enjoy were revealed as being their own boss (47 per cent) and being able to improve work/life balance (47 per cent), followed by being able to get things done the way they want them to (33 per cent).

Furthermore, small businesses were recognised to be more adaptable in the face of potentially-stressful changes to the small business economy, with 29 per cent of those surveyed saying they felt their small business could certainly adapt to a post-Brexit landscape, and almost 4 in 10 (38 per cent) saying it is likely they will.

When asked about the offering of mental health support to their employees, 1 in 4 (24 per cent) SMB owners believe there is excellent health support at their workplace, yet almost half (48 per cent) thought mental health support could be more available or better communicated.

When asked what their business provided to support employee wellbeing, the most popular offering is allowing office pets (37 per cent), followed by support in workload management (35 per cent) and offering digital wellbeing tools such as Unmind, Headspace or Calm (33 per cent).

Other popular methods included a focus on improving the office environment, such as having plants (34 per cent) and ensuring there is enough natural light (29 per cent).

The research by Xero coincided with the launch of Business is Personal, a new book on mental wellbeing in the workplace by expert Penny Power OBE. She said: “Business people focus on their skills and building a network, but very few

understand their own vulnerabilities. We all have to deal with challenges and modern living that can be overwhelming but learning to self-care and learning how to manage our minds can be the difference between living a happy and successful life, or not.”

Anne Allen, Director of People Experience at Xero, said: “Running a small business effectively in testing times is about doing the small things well; streamlining administration and tax compliance, and using technology to simplify business management. Our study shows (that owners) do feel the pressure of changing times, but work environments with the right technical, emotional and personal support can ease the strain.”

“One in 10 admitted the stresses of running a business resulted in a negative impact on their mental health causing sleepless nights (41 per cent), drinking more alcohol (21 per cent) and arguments at home (13 per cent).”

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Skills

A

ccredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management the degree level course is aimed at senior business managers who would like to learn new management skills and techniques, whilst gaining an accredited qualification.

During the qualification Gary had two changes in job role, firstly to work for Knowsley Council to work in a higher level role, and later moving back to Helena to his current role as Service Manager, where he gained a second promotion.

Gary commented: “I’ve always looked to try and progress and improve myself, it just seemed like a natural process for me to enrol on to the course.

The courses I’ve been on before have been very specific to my role. I believe the more you can learn and the more information you can gather makes you better in your job.

Management Diploma paves new path for Gary Whilst working for Helena Partnerships as an Assistant Operations Manager, Gary Roe decided the natural progression for him was to advance onto the Level 5 Diploma in Management.

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“Some of the assignments and topics we covered consolidated what I knew or improved my knowledge. Overall there were some elements I had limited experience in, but helped fill the gaps and give me a greater understanding of my role and how to improve on things.

“The way the course was presented was brilliant, the course content itself was good, the documents and work we got was engaging and the support I got from Bobbie was fantastic.

Spread over two years, the course is delivered through monthly taught sessions,

covering specific leadership and management topics, such as managing improvements, managing strategic change and critical thinking.

Gary continued: “My initial goal was to improve my knowledge and understanding as, I like to know things. It was all about redeveloping, consolidating what I already know and learning new things.

“I haven’t got a particular goal I was looking to achieve, but I’d just like to keep going as far as I can and keep pushing and this course has certainly helped.

“I couldn’t speak highly enough of St Helens Chamber Business School and the staff I’ve had involvement with. It’s been very, very positive. When I hit difficulties due to a few changes Bobbie was there and the tutors were there to help me out in any way they could, I couldn’t speak highly enough of the whole experience.”

Cohorts for the Level 5 Management Diploma start three times a year in January, April and September.

If you are looking for a more bespoke management course for your employees, our courses can be tailored to suit your businesses requirements and taught at your business premises.

For more information about the range of Management training available through St Helens Chamber Business School call 01744 742333 or email workforce@sthelenschamber.com

“The way the course was presented

was brilliant, the course content itself was good, the documents and work

we got was engaging and the support I got from Bobbie was fantastic.”

Skills

aving recently relocated to a H new premises, Winch Solutions is expecting growth

and expanding into new markets.

To deal with new demand in orders and support the growth of their business, the company put two of their Warehousing Apprentices through Fork Lift Truck licence training through St Helens Chamber’s Business School.

Gary Povall, General Manager, commented: “The most beneficial side of things is that we have more people now that can drive fork lift trucks if we have sickness or holidays. We have more people within the business who can operate the fork lifts and take on the deliveries, unloading, loading and maintaining the warehouse in an organised fashion.

“Previously, without George and Craig having a licence we were relying on two people, so if one had a day off it wouldn’t work out as we needed two people to handle a delivery.

“The staff at the Chamber have never said no to anything we’ve asked them to do, they have bent over backwards and made the course bespoke to our needs.

Fork Lift training gives Winch Solutions a boost

Launched in 2004 as a one man band, Winch Solutions has developed over the years to be a leading distributor of winches, hoists and generators across the UK and Europe.

“I think for our Apprentices the best aspect has been the supportive nature in the way the training is delivered. Although they were doing the course at the same time, the two lads are very different in learning style, and the trainer adapted to get the best out of them. The training was delivered in a timely fashion, nothing moved on until everyone

reached the same level of competency, Mike was never afraid to go back over old ground to make sure it all sunk in.”

The Chamber provides forklift driving training on company premises using company equipment, with both one day refresher courses and five day novice courses available.

Gary added: “The fork lift training has been brilliant, what I’ve seen from the Chambers training team I’m 100% happy with. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend St Helens Chamber. There was no down time in the warehouse which is fantastic from our point of view.

Being able to maintain our current levels of work and output while the guys were getting trained on site was invaluable.

“I’m glad the Chamber is there to engage with, it’s so diverse in what’s on offer. I think a lot of businesses don’t understand what the Chamber does.

We’ve taken time to find out and the benefits of what’s on offer from the Chamber have been phenomenal. Anybody who doesn’t talk to them is missing a trick, we’ll be using the Chamber for everything we can to support our business and develop our staff.”

For more information about Business Training from St Helens Chamber Business School, contact our Workforce Development Team on 01744 742333 or email workforce@sthelenschamber.com

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Skills

The death of jobs for life

If you could pick one word to describe the world of work in the last decade what would it be? For Kingsley, it would be - change.

Technological change, regulatory change and a change in workforce structure.

his constant pace of change Thas meant that companies

need to be agile to succeed.

Flexible to weather economic / political change and flexible enough to meet changing customer demands and skill shortages.

Businesses need to be agile to succeed - and intrinsic to that - is having an equally agile workforce.

Gone are the days where people had 30 years of service at the same company. Short term positions filled by highly-skilled professionals are now a highly desirable prospect and holding a portfolio of jobs is quickly becoming the norm. Employers want ‘Mr Right Now’ with a diverse skillset, not evidence of longevity.

Similarly, Kingsley’s recruitment analysis has found that candidates are also no longer looking for the right job, but the right project.

We think of it as a form of ‘just-intime’ recruitment. This adaptive workforce is the backbone to property and built environment projects across the North West.

But there are still a host of barriers…

The biggest barrier is that of the looming changes to ‘off payroll’ rules (IR35). These are due to be extended to the private sector in April 2020 and there are still a number of glaring issues to be addressed. Mainly, HMRC’s assessment tool and the dispute management process.

Whatever final form the legislation takes, we believe that contractors are vital to the growth of business in the North West. Therefore, Kingsley are committed to providing quality, flexible candidates who meet our clients’ immediate needs with our full support with IR35.

Kingsley’s agile strategy for 2019 Kingsley has changed their operating model to provide access to a more diverse and flexible talent pool - supporting companies who are using a more ‘boundary-less’ workforce.

We see the upcoming changes, from AI integration, Brexit and IR35 as opportunities for growth for us and our clients - as long as we all embrace the new flexible workforce.

If you are planning to grow or want to discuss flexible workforce options, please contact Caroline Kingsley on 0151 242 1630 or email caroline@kingsleyrecruitment.co.uk

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Skills

AI, Automation & Business Growth: What’s Your Problem?

AI or artificial intelligence is far from a futuristic idea looming on the horizon, yet few organisations are truly leveraging the opportunities the technology can offer for business growth.

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hen asked, in a recent survey undertaken by the Liverpool Enterprise Partnership (LEP), if AI was used in their workplace, 24% of respondents said they didn’t know, while a further 35% said no.

However, this is perhaps down to the lack of understanding of the various forms of AI. Basic AI is in fact present in most workplaces, through automated emails, sales campaigns and social media scheduling tools.

Process automation and rule-based systems can be created to address specific business issues, yet the technology is rarely the first port of call.

Process Automation & Rule Based-Systems Process automation can reduce the need for human intervention and deliver tasks faster and more accurately. Using this form of AI we automated the administrative processes of a busy lettings agency, reducing the time spent on tenancy generation/contract signing for all of their properties from three weeks to under an hour, through our PropertyCloud platform. Similarly, rule-based systems can be implemented to store, manipulate and interpret information in a useful way, creating software that will provide an answer to a problem in place of a human.

Away from all the hype, these are the two most useful broad implementations of AI that we have right now. They have potential for every sector, in businesses of every size, from automated administrative and audit software, to platforms designed to streamline and utilise data effectively.

What’s Your Problem?

The key to harnessing their power and transformational effects, however, is understanding the organisational problem or challenge you are trying to address.

Steve Todd, Technical Director at software development consultancy Mashbo, said: “We’re frequently

approached by organisations that have decided they need to ‘do something with AI’ and come to us with that as a brief.

“AI and automation are problem solving tools, so our response to always to ask them what issue they are trying to address. The answer is usually that they don’t know.

“In these situations we usually recommend our team taking a look inside their business and arranging a scoping session with key stakeholders to try and identify areas where AI could improve business performance. Managed properly, the results can be transformational.”

To learn more about how AI and Automation could transform your business, download Mashbo’s latest report at www.mashbo.com/whats-your-problem/

Liverpool John Moores University invites a new era of collaboration around the workforce of the future

ringing together for the first time B the university’s acclaimed and award-winning employer

engagement service, careers & employability team and Centre for Entrepreneurship, the Student Advancement directorate will also become a cohering point for a wide range of skills-boosting opportunities that students can access independently or as part of their degree course – whilst simultaneously making a positive difference to the region’s organisations and communities.

“It’s all about win-win partnership,” explains Chris Finn, newly in post as Director of Student Advancement. “A huge draw for me in joining Liverpool John Moores University is the degree to which it walks the walk of being

With the creation of its Student Advancement directorate, Liverpool John Moores University are launching a new era of collaboration with Merseyside’s businesses around transforming the workforce of the future. a ‘civic university’ – an institution rooted in the needs and of-themoment priorities of the area around it. That’s a popular concept at the moment but for Liverpool John Moores, it dates back to our very origins as the Liverpool Mechanics Institute in 1823, established to provide accessible education to workers in the city region and ‘afford the mechanic some knowledge of the principles on which their art is founded’.

From the outset, we have been a university that forges connections between learning, business and the local economy”.

Liverpool John Moores University’s drive towards fostering what Chris terms “graduate talent local employers will be delighted with” is underpinned by: a work-based

learning programme that facilitates 15,000 placements a year; a funded internship scheme; a suite of degree apprenticeships; and an ethos of volunteering and social action that leads to students investing an estimated 845,000 hours of unpaid or voluntary work each year – and that’s just the start.

“We want to see our courses and our institution becoming even more ‘porous’ as we approach our 200-year anniversary – eroding the boundary lines between lecture theatre and workplace for mutual benefit. Whether acting as a curriculum advisor, guest speaker, panel member or professional mentor to our students & graduates, we want to multiply the possibilities open to businesses to inspire and shape their future workforce,

ensuring the skills and knowledge graduates arrive with remains fit for purpose. We massively appreciate employer partners who want to be proactive in this space and aim to always provide a return on their time investment – whether through an improved regional skills base; organisational or personal development; becoming part of a movement; or talentspotting your next ‘hire’, we want to hear from you – after all, the majority of our students stay here to work post-study”.

If you’d like to explore possibilities, you can start by emailing the Student Advancement team at employerengagement@ljmu.ac.uk

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Member News

The Final £5m for New Cancer Hospital Appeal

There’s one year to go until The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre opens its doors to Liverpool’s first cancer hospital, and their charity appeal is showing no signs of slowing down.

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he Clatterbridge Cancer T Charity has entered the final stages of its massive fundraising

effort to help build Liverpool’s first cancer hospital.

The appeal needs a further £5 million to meet the cost of the specialist centre that will help save an additional 700 lives a year.

Businesses in Liverpool and Sefton are being encouraged to get involved in fundraising and one unique opportunity is through the Big LEGO® Brick Hospital.

The model will ultimately be a 2m high scale model of the new Clatterbridge Cancer Centre Liverpool, made up of half a million LEGO bricks, and filled with models of key members of staff like doctors, nurses and radiotherapists.

Members of the public can buy a brick for £1 as part of the fundraising campaign, which aims to raise £500,000 towards construction of the specialist hospital and improvements to the Wirral site.

Local businesses are also lining up to sponsor LEGO brick bedrooms, hospital equipment and mini figures, like bus company Arriva who have already pledged a fantastic £2000 to place a fabulous replica bus and shelter on the model.

Len Gibbs, Arriva Birkenhead General Manager and Richard Hoare, Arriva Head of Operations place a LEGO Brick Arriva bus on the hospital model.

This month the model will go on the road following previous visits to the Royal Albert Dock, the M&S Bank Arena and University of Liverpool. Venues will include some of the busiest tourist attractions and shopping areas in Merseyside attracting as many people as possible to see the model and get involved.

The LEGO Brick Roadshow is just one part of the final push to hit the remaining £5m.

The Charity has big plans in the coming months, with a Ladies’ Lunch at the Hilton Liverpool in May and its ever popular Beside The Seaside Walk in Crosby.

Opening the doors to the new cancer hospital is just the beginning. There are also improvements planned at the existing Wirral centre which will continue to treat outpatients with chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

With just £5m left to raise, businesses are being invited to become part of the New Cancer Hospital Appeal and help transform cancer care.

To get involved contact: jade.palmer7@nhs.net or call 0151 556 5566.

Members News

Medicash Foundation steps in to fund vital life belts in Monks Ferry The Medicash Foundation, part of Liverpool based health insurer Medicash, has stepped in to fund two potentially life saving devices in Monks Ferry.

t follows an appeal after the ICooper death of young dad Nathan in 2017 and the involvement of MP for Birkenhead, Frank Field.

Nathan Cooper, known to friends and family as ‘Beano’, was dragged under by the current after a wave swept him and a friend into the waters of the River Mersey between Monks Ferry and the Cammell Laird shipyard in Birkenhead in June 2017.

Emergency services were called, and his 22-year-old friend was rescued by Constable Thompson together with Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service’s Marine Rescue Team.

Constable Thompson who was the first emergency responder

said: “I was the first officer on the scene and located one male in the water. Thankfully I had removed the ‘throw line’ from the rear of my police vehicle as when I got on to the promenade there was not a single life belt or rescue ladder. The only life belt I could spot was on the landing stage for the ferry, simply too far away to be of any use.”

Sadly, Nathan had gone under the water just before Constable

Thompson arrived and, despite desperate searches, did not resurface.

In 2017, Medicash chief executive Sue Weir worked alongside a number of partners including the RNLI to identify how many life belts were needed and the best places for these to be located. Following this work two temporary life belts were installed along the promenade, but the Medicash Foundation is

“In 2017, Medicash chief executive Sue Weir worked alongside a number of partners including the RNLI to identify how many life belts were needed and the best places for these to be located.”

delighted to announce that the permanent ones have now been installed.

Frank Field, MP for Birkenhead and chairman of Medicash said: “Had there been a life belt nearby on that fateful day, perhaps Nathan would still be with us and his young family.

If just one life could be saved by these life belts I’d be happy that another family would not have to deal with such tragedy.”

The Medicash Foundation has donated over £1m to healthrelated charities over the last 10 years, and recently announced a further £720,000 was being made available to support health and wellbeing projects in the North West and beyond.

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Members News

Liverpool’s new SMART Employer Since the turn of the millennium, Liverpool has been a leading city in business success stories.

s with the last five years, A there will be more than £1.4 billion going into

construction, with current projects such as the Liverpool Docks that is undergoing complete renovation and Everton Football Club’s grounds that are set to move to the 52,000-seated Bramley Moore Dock. The city is at a point now where it is constantly growing and changing to fit Liverpool’s innovative climate.

An example of an SME that is making the most of Liverpool’s success is Growth Partners.

February welcomed the start of an exciting chapter for the company that opened their new office in Tempest Building on Tithenbarn Street. Growth Partners, born out of Leicester city where their core office still operates, have already made great connections across the North West.

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Business Development Manager Neil Bradley, based here in the heart of Liverpool, comments:

“We had a few locations in mind that we scouted out, but ultimately Liverpool won us over.

It’s a fantastic city, one that has a real passion for start-ups, and we feel the northern move is the right place, the right time for us.

The nature of what we do, helping SMEs overcome HR obstacles in order to run and perform better, means keeping in tune with the ever-changing business landscape.”

Growth Partners is a Professional Employer Organisation that specialises in nurturing business growth, particularly for SMEs. Adopting the SMART Employment model that is making waves across the North Atlantic in the US, Growth Partners provide a suite of HR services such as Payroll and

Pensions, whilst at the same time kit out their clients’ employees with a series of Wellbeing perks.

Liverpool’s new residents, Growth Partners are excited to introduce the SMART Employment model to local businesses. Matching Liverpool’s impressive growth spurt, a report by the NAPEO shows that companies using PEOs tend

to grow 7-9% faster, and benefit from a 10-14% lower employee turnover. Why is this? Because under the model, as well as allowing employers to retain full control of their business they are safeguarded by additional specialist support, and as a result are 50% less likely to go out of business.

Photography: tempestliverpool.com

“We had a few locations in mind that we scouted out, but ultimately Liverpool won us over. It’s a fantastic city, one that has a real passion for start-ups, and we feel the northern move is the right place, the right time for us.”

An exclusive 2 months FREE on Growth Partners’ full range of Business Support services is available for Liverpool & Sefton Chambers members.

Quote code: LChamber19 when you contact us.

To find out more or to request a FREE business Consultation, email: neil.bradley@growthpartnersplc.co.uk Or call: 07904 784 170 www.growthpartnersplc.co.uk

Members News

Amianto Services becomes major North West player in Asbestos Removal Liverpool based Amianto Services has been granted a Full Asbestos Removal Licence by UK government agency the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

lready delivering Nonlicensed Asbestos Removal A to HSE standards, this new

Full Asbestos Removal licence means Amianto Services will now be able to conduct high risk asbestos removal, helping to rid our domestic and public buildings of potentially dangerous

n April, the restaurant will be Ifootballing welcoming Liverpool FC legend, Jan Mølby.

Whilst enjoying a traditional 6-course Chinese meal, including the restaurant's signature dish of Beijing Duck, guests will have the unique opportunity to converse with the footballer, more commonly known amongst fans as the 'Great Dane' or 'Big Jan', about the Premier League, as well as look back on his spectacular 12 years at Anfield.

All funds raised for the event will be going straight to the hotel's charity partner, Greenfingers.

asbestos materials when they are discovered. The use of asbestos has been common since the mid-19th century and it was not until 1999 that a total ban was imposed. Asbestos is responsible for over 5000 deaths every year and can take anywhere between 15-60 years for symptoms to develop after exposure. It’s essential it is treated seriously and by licensed experts like Amianto Services who can carry out removals safely and efficiently.

Licensed Asbestos removal includes asbestos sprayed coatings, asbestos pipe insulation and asbestos

The charity has carried out some admirable work, supporting children and their families who spend time in hospices across the UK. The charity works to

insulating board. These removal works are high risk. Rigorous health and safety management systems have been put in place including ensuring staff are trained to the highest standards.

Tony Loughran, Managing Director of Amianto Services said: “Achieving this license has been a major undertaking involved interviews, assessments of our management, training, competence and knowledge.

I’m delighted we have achieved every requirement and can now carry out licensed Asbestos Works. I would like to thank everyone involved in helping us secure this license and

I look forward to offering our new services to current and future clients.”

Terry Carroll, Managing Director of the Carroll Group said: “Tony and the Amianto Services team have worked hard over the past year to achieve this licence. The benefits of a quality Asbestos Removal company in the local area and the North West are numerous and support the growth of the Carroll Group as we continue to offer more quality construction associated services.”

www.linkedin.com/company/ amianto-services-carrollgroup

Dinner with Star Footballer, Jan Mølby, at JIN Restaurant

JIN Restaurant, based within Crowne Plaza Liverpool- John Lennon Airport hotel, are preparing for the first of many 'intimate evenings' that they will be hosting, where a special guest speaker will be joined by a small group of guests. create inspiring gardens children can play in, spend time with their families, or enjoy some well needed rest and relaxation.

Greenfingers have currently

been carrying out a wonderful project at Claire's House Hospice, in the Wirral. The 'Garden of Colour' will provide hospice carers, children and their families with a relaxing outdoor environment for them to enjoy.

The restaurant and hotel are looking forward to welcoming guests along to this special evening.

The event will be taking place on Friday 17th May. Tickets to the event are £75pp.

Pre-sale is exclusive to Liverpool Chamber of Commerce members.

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Members News

ates was appointed to build W the new four-star hotel in September last year and is

currently preparing a planning application for the major development, which is set to supplement Liverpool’s new Cruise Liner Terminal at Princes Dock.

Wates Construction set for Liverpool expansion

Leading contractor, Wates Construction, has made a strategic move to expand its presence across Liverpool as the business prepares to commence work on the flagship 200-bedroom hotel as part of the city’s major waterfront regeneration project.

The project is the latest in a line of developments to be delivered

by Wates across Liverpool, which has included a number of new facilities built on behalf of Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service.

These include the recent completion of Saughall Massie Fire Station, which was handed over ahead of schedule and saw the provision of over 500 hours of education engagement for local students.

Announcing its strengthened commitment to the city, Wates is now set to grow its presence across its core markets in the public and private sectors, which include commercial, residential, education and blue light.

With the growth plan comes a pledge to invest in extensive training and employment opportunities for local people, as well as growing Wates’ regional supply chain to ensure its presence in Liverpool positively impacts the city’s economy and job market.

John Foster, Pre-Construction Director, Wates Construction North West, commented: “The Liverpool city region is

experiencing increased investment in new developments, so the industry and its prospects remain strong and we believe we have a key part to play in ensuring that this turns into some real momentum for the city.

“Wates has delivered over £80m of projects in the city region over the past three years.

We’re extremely proud of the experience and in-house capabilities we hold within our team and we very much welcome the opportunity of bringing this expertise to a range of projects across Liverpool and to furthermore contribute to the ongoing growth and success of the city’s industry.”

Subject to planning approval, construction of the new Liverpool Cruise Terminal Hotel will commence later this year. The project was procured via Major Works UK, part of Scape’s National Construction framework

Wates’ presence in the region also saw the contractor secure a place on two lots under the North West Construction Hub’s (NWCH) High Value Framework. In January his year Wates’ secured a place on Lot 1 for projects valued between £8m and £15m and Lot 3 for projects valued at £35m and over.

This marked the third successive appointment for Wates to the NWCH followings its position on the medium and high value frameworks in 2010, and the medium and high value frameworks in 2014.

Tommy’s coming home 9-12 May, Hillside Golf Club, Southport

Green on 18

Overlooking the 18th hole, Green on 18 is the prime and exclusive location to witness some of the world’s best golfers battling it out for the title. The facility offers relaxed and contemporary surroundings and provides the ideal opportunity to entertain guests and network with others.

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• Access to the Green on 18 Facility • Morning coffee and light breakfast • Contemporary buffet lunch served withselected wines • Bar serving complimentary beer, wine,spirits and soft drinks • Traditional afternoon tea • Official programme and daily draw sheet • Priority parking Prices from: £349 + VAT per person

Hillside Clubhouse

Situated on the first floor, with access to the balcony this package offers you the opportunity to relax and dine in familiar surroundings. The facility

comprises of a formal dining set-up with private tables of 10 or 12 with smaller groups to share tables.

• Access to the course, clubhouse & private balcony overlooking the practice putting green and 1st tee • Private tables of 10 or 12, smaller groups to share • Morning coffee and light breakfast • 3 course lunch served with selected wines • Bar serving complimentary beer and soft drinks • Cash bar serving champagne and spirits • Traditional afternoon tea • Official programme and daily draw sheet • Priority parking

Prices from: £299 + VAT per person

For further information about the official hospitality offering, or to book, please contact Alex Bailey from the European Tour Hospitality Sales Team: abailey@europeantour.com or Tel: +44 (0) 1344 840 625 / Mob: +44 (0) 7384 250 784

Chamber Events

Join colleagues and friends at Chamber events and networking opportunities 18 April 24 April

25 April

01 May 03 May 10 May 23 May 30 May 05 June

South Liverpool Hub Day

Property & Construction Exchange Lunch

Baltic Creative Hub Day

Turn Innovation from a buzz word into a habit your business practices with HM Growth

#WellConnected – our Chamber

monthly networking event at Thaikhun

Dale Carnegie Workshop

- High Impact Communication, Feel Confident, Be Influential, Win People Over to Your Way of Thinking

07 June 13 June 20 June

27 June

05 July 12 July

#WellConnected – our Chamber

monthly networking event at Thaikhun

The Annual Liverpool and Sefton Chambers of Commerce Golf Day

South Liverpool Hub Day Baltic Creative Hub Day #WellConnected – our Chamber

monthly networking event at Thaikhun

Dale Carnegie Workshop - Unleash Talent in Others and Create a Committed, Resilient Workforce

South Liverpool Hub Day

Book your place today at

Baltic Creative Hub Day

events@liverpoolchamber.org.uk

Find Out What You Should Be Spending, and When, To Grow As Quickly As Possible with HM Growth

www.liverpoolchamber.org.uk

0151 227 1234

47

Take a look Chamber in the City

at what the Chamber and our members have been up to over the past few months.

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1. The launch of RISE Liverpool at The Anglican Cathedral on International Women’s Day 2. In January we launched our Baltic Hub in partnership Baltic Creative – our first session was delivered by we are Hype

3. Another fantastic Charity Networking event at the Liverpool Marriott, this time with a Chinese New Year theme

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4. Head of Business Development Lee with former Liverpool Manager Roy Evans at the LFC Events Showcase evening

5. The First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Philip Jones spoke at our Liverpool Overseas event in partnership with Professional Liverpool at Our Lady and Saint Nicholas Church 6. This year we relaunched our monthly networking event #WellConnected in our new venue Thaikhun Liverpool

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7. Our second Regenerating Liverpool Summit with Liverpool City Council at RIBA was very well attended.

Attendees heard from a wide range of the regeneration team.

8. Business Engagement Manager Rich attended another Archbishop Blanch Careers Fair alongside members including Pulse Agency

9. Cocktail making = team building at the Formby Hall conference open day!

10. Another great Baltic Hub Day with Baltic Creative and Hayoka

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Staff Directory

Staff Directory

Chamber staff are here to provide dedicated support for business members of the Chamber.

The directory below provides a list of contacts for members should they need to contact us.

Paul Cherpeau Chief Executive

Jon Cranston Director of Finance & Operations

Lee Stanley Head of Business Development

Elena Enciso International Trade Manager

Julie Sankey International Trade Executive

Ian Bulmer Programmes & Policy Manager

Sarah Woolley Export Documentation Manager

Helen Gibbons Accounts Manager

paul.cherpeau@liverpoolchamber.org.uk

jon.cranston@liverpoolchamber.org.uk

julie.sankey@liverpoolchamber.org.uk

ian.bulmer@liverpoolchamber.org.uk

Heather Whitaker Export Documentation Analyst

Lisa Noon Export Documentation Assistant

heather.whitaker@liverpoolchamber.org.uk lisa.noon@liverpoolchamber.org.uk

Richard Smith Business Engagement Manager

richard.smith@liverpoolchamber.org.uk

Laura Edwards Events Manager

lee.stanley@liverpoolchamber.org.uk

sarah.woolley@liverpoolchamber.org.uk

elena.enciso@liverpoolchamber.org.uk

helen.gibbons@liverpoolchamber.org.uk

Michelle Cameron Melissa Healy Senior Policy & Communications Advisor Office Manager

michelle.cameron@liverpoolchamber.org.uk melissa.healy@liverpoolchamber.org.uk

Zoe Bleasdale Marketing Executive

Muj Miah Administration Assistant

laura.edwards@liverpoolchamber.org.uk zoe.bleasdale@liverpoolchamber.org.uk mujahid.miah@liverpoolchamber.org.uk

Contact Us :

Tel: 0151 227 1234 | Email: membership@liverpoolchamber.org.uk | export@liverpoolchamber.org.uk | | www.liverpoolchamber.org.uk | Lpoolchamber | 49

5 Minutes with ...

Minutes with...

Paul Farrell

Managing Director Nationwide Fencing Services Paul Farrell is the Managing Director of Nationwide Fencing Services based in Aintree, Liverpool. A fencing supplier and installation company that serves clients the length and breadth of the UK and now Europe.

The business provides fencing products to customers living in domestic properties all the way up to clients requiring the highest level of security in the prison service or to protect high-value construction projects on a temporary or permanent basis.

Nationwide Fencing Services is in the business of helping to keep people in or out of properties. They have built strong and long-lasting partnerships with their clients due to their expertise within the security fencing industry and are proud to be an established Liverpool business, working on a national basis.

What is the goal for Nationwide Fencing Services?

Our goal is to become the market leader in fencing supply and installation, a one-stop shop for all fencing requirements. We want to become the ‘go to’ supplier and installer for temporary, domestic and security fencing. To achieve this, we are currently developing and releasing our own product range, due to be available this summer.

By doing this, we can offer an extended

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guarantee on our products and reduce project delivery times, due to a more efficient service.

What changes would you like to see to improve or develop your sector?

In a sector where experienced installers are required we struggle to keep up with the demand for skilled workers as our business grows. I would like to see a recognised qualification together with a work based apprenticeship that can fill the skills gap. Ideally training those people within our business to help them gain employment with Nationwide or anywhere they choose, due to the high level of training they will receive.

What does a typical working day look like?

I also keep the lines of communication open with the client to make sure they are receiving the best possible outcome for their project.

What advice would you give your teenage self?

Enjoy the journey. It will make you who you are.

When I left school, I worked for my Dad and I began right at the bottom. I was a labourer, painter, panel maker, driver and then I became a fence erector. On many occasions, I wanted to pack it all in. The weather would be miserable, and I would be shovelling concrete and putting up steel railings in the freezing cold. I remember vividly, being in Birmingham on one of the hardest jobs I ever had to do, thinking that was my last job, I was done!

With over thirty gangs installing fencing every day we have to be extremely structured in our operations.

I make myself available to the team from seven each morning to ensure orders are out and delivered on time.

At the time you don’t realise that these are the moments that define your future.

If I had packed it all in, I wouldn’t have the company I have today.

I work closely with our account and business development managers, to keep them on course to meet project deadlines.

A favourite quote by Zig Ziglar - If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you.

If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you.

When working in the North West, I will oversee operations and take the opportunity to speak with site managers about their projects. I also take the time to talk with the installers, to gain their feedback on the project from their perspective. I feel this is important to maintain the high standards of service we always aim to offer.

So many young people are unhappy with their situation but are looking for someone else to make it better for them.

If only they could see the opportunities that are available to them. If they could buckle down and keep focused on the bigger picture, and more importantly, keep learning and enjoy the process.

72 bridging loans funded on average each week in 2018.

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Find out how we do things differently.

togethermoney.com/fundingthegap or call 0371 454 2396

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LIMITED OPPORTUNITY FOR LIVERPOOL CHAMBER MEMBERS

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