TopicUK Wakefield Edition

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BUSINESS M AY 2 018 - W W W.TO PICU K .CO.U K

DAVID OWENS THE SPIRIT OF WAKEFIELD

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GREEN LIGHT FOR WAKEFIELD WATERFRONT SOCIAL MEDIA SETS THE STAGE

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Contents & Comments DE TAI LS O F T H I S M O N T H ‘ S TOP IC U K , YO UR LO C A L B U S I N E S S CO M M U N I T Y M AG A Z I N E

GROUP EDITOR GILL LAIDLER

DIRECTOR ROB BLACKWELL

BUSINESS LEADERS EDITOR

THE ARTS MURRAY EDWARDS ARTS & BUSINESS CONSULANT,

LEGAL MATTERS RAMSDENS SOLICITORS

RECRUITMENT ANDY TURNER, FIRST CHOICE RECRUITMENT

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Dav Owens the spirit of Wakefield

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Was the Wicked Witch really wicked

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Restaurant Review The New Inn

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Search is on for talented young people

IT PAUL HEIGHAM, ICLARITATE

EDUCATION ACKWORTH SCHOOL

BANKING BARCLAYS BANK

Cover: Dave Owens Image: Mark Newton Photography

To Partner TopicUK

Tel: 07711 539047 MAY 2018

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Editor’s Notes

by Gill Laidler

Welcome to the latest edition of TopicUK Wakefield and district.

For a full list of where you can pick up your free copy visit our website: www.topicuk.co.uk

This edition we have two lots of exciting news to share with our readers.

Firstly, TopicUK is changing and from the next edition due to publish at the end of June, you will see an increase in pagination and news will be spread over a much wider geographical area, as we cover the whole of Yorkshire, amalgamating our three current editions and taking in additional news from Bradford, Harrogate and further afield for the first time. For our readers this means we can bring you business news from a much wider area and it’s excellent news for our partners, as they will reach a much wider audience to showcase their products and services at no extra cost to them.

For any new partners considering joining us going forward, our current partnership rates will increase to reflect this larger, more widespread edition from 20th May, but if you’re quick and talk to us about the possibility of becoming a partner before then, you too can take advantage of this reduced offer. If we can help promote your business right across Yorkshire, do give me a ring on 07711 539047.

Our second piece of news is the launch of our new publication Urban Market, also available from the end of June.

This new newspaper is unique in that it will cover news and features about local food, drink, health, nutrition, gardening etc. Buying local produce should be our priority when it comes to food and drink, not only does this help our planet and help our local producers, the food we eat is fresher and possibly much tastier.

We will be talking about how food is produced or grown by local businesses, visiting micro breweries and distilleries, bringing updates to you about new drinks on the market and let’s face it, we are spoilt for choice these days with Yorkshire having more than its fare share of fabulous drinks and food suppliers, offering

For Advertising Sales advice from experts on nutrition, diet and exercise and asking fruit and vegetable growers advice on what we can all grow at home, whether we have a large garden or a small patio. If you want to get involved please do give me a ring, this is a real community project and we want your views.

We are planning a launch party for this new newspaper, so keep an eye on your mailbox for your invitation, or if you would like to be added to the guest list, let us know.

We have an incredibly busy month ahead of us.

As partners, we will be attending the second Business Catalyst Club lunch which launched a few weeks ago. This is an invitation only networking event with a real difference and if the inaugural lunch was anything to go by, the venue will once again be full and more importantly, by key decision makers. To find out more, head over to our website www.topicuk.co.uk.

We will be attending the Sue Ryder Women of Achievement Awards at the Royal Armouries on 18 May, where a whole host of women from our region will be celebrated. It’s then onto two events celebrating children and young people, where TopicUK are proud to be partners. These are the launch of Children of Courage Awards and Yorkshire Young Achievers launch parties.

Tel: 07711 539047

The views expressed by the contributors are not necessarily those held by the publishers and therefore, no responsibility can be held by the publisher for misinterpretation.

Reproduction of this magazine without the express permission of the publisher is prohibited. Whilst every care is taken in the production of this magazine, the publisher/editor and staff cannot accept any responsibility for errors in articles, advertisements or programme schedules. To subscribe to this magazine contact 07711 539047 or email editor@topicuk. co.uk. Published by Ghost Publishing Limited, Paragon Point, Paragon Business Village, Red Hall Crescent, Wakefield WF1 2DF. Law pages are written by Ramsdens Solicitors LLP and TopicUK is not responsible for any advice given.

I hope you enjoy reading this issue and for all the business updates until our next edition, check out our website at www.topicuk.co.uk.

Gill

Printed By: Charlesworth Press Wakefield MAY 2018

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Ramsdens acquires York law firm Ramsdens Solicitors has acquired Burn & Co Solicitors in York, effective 23 March 2018 and has a plan for further growth to meet the increased demand for its services, particularly in North Yorkshire.

The deal makes Ramsdens one of the largest full practice law firms in Yorkshire.

Paul Joyce, Managing Partner said: “We are delighted with this latest acquisition which strengthens our offering in the North Yorkshire legal market.

Burn & Co is a long-standing, highly respected firm with two offices in York and Easingwold.

This acquisition is part of Ramsdens’ ongoing strategic growth plan and gives us the additional geographic coverage we’ve been looking to achieve as part of our plan.

“Like Ramsdens, the firm has a reputation for providing straight forward, results-driven advice and this deal will benefit both clients and staff. Together, we will work to ensure that the firm continues to achieve excellent financial performance and deliver strong growth.”

Claire Rutter, MD of Burn & Co commented: “The whole team are delighted to be joining forces with Ramsdens. We are looking forward to continuing working with our valued clients in North Yorkshire whilst benefitting from the support and expertise of a much larger network.”

David Bradley, Chairman at Ramsdens, added: “This is a good match for us with culture and values very closely aligned and the complement of Burn & Co staff boosting expertise across departments will see Ramsdens continue to grow

July will see the launch of Urban Market This new newspaper is unique in that it will cover news and features about local food, drink, health, nutrition, gardening etc.

Buying local produce should be our priority when it comes to food and drink, not only does this help our planet and help our local producers, the food we eat is fresher and possibly much tastier.

We will be talking about how food is

produced or grown by local businesses and indeed amateurs, visiting micro breweries and distilleries sampling and recommending the many popular Gins and craft beers that have appeared in the last couple of years

from strength to strength.”

The deal immediately increases headcount at Ramsdens to 266 and the number of offices to 14 across Yorkshire offering businesses across the region access to a wider range of expertise, experience and a more comprehensive service.

and growing in popularity and let’s face it, we are spoilt for choice these days with Yorkshire having more than its fare share of fabulous drinks and food suppliers, offering advice from experts on nutrition, diet and exercise and asking fruit and vegetable growers advice on what we can all grow at home, whether we have a large garden or a small patio. If you want to get involved please do give me a ring, this is a real community project and we want your views.

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The Trustees of The Hepworth have appointed internationally acclaimed design critic, Alice Rawsthorn OBE as the new Chair of the Board.

Pictured L-R: Steven Singh, Mark Burn, Claire Trueman, Claire Rutter, Richard Dean and Graeme Burn

Alice will take up the role in May when the gallery’s first Chair, David Liddiment steps down after a seven year term.

currently chairs the boards of trustees of Chisenhale Gallery and the contemporary dance group Michael Clark Company.

David said: “On behalf of the Board, I am delighted to announce Alice as its new Chair.

Alice has a wealth of experience and knowledge both as a Chair and Trustee of arts organisations that will be hugely beneficial to realising the gallery’s ambitious plans in the coming years.”

Born in Manchester, Alice graduated in art history from the University of Cambridge.

Awarded an OBE for services to design and the arts, she is an honorary senior fellow of the Royal College of Art and has an honorary doctorate from the University of the Arts.

On her appointment Alice commented: “As a proud northerner, who is passionate about the arts I am thrilled to be taking on this role. The gallery has achieved so much in such a short time, and I am delighted by the prospect of being able to contribute to its future development and growth.”

Alice has broad experience in arts governance, working for seven years as a trustee of Arts Council England, and serving on the board of the Whitechapel Gallery for over 20 years. She

As a Financial Times journalist for 18 years, Alice pioneered its coverage of the creative industries and worked as a foreign correspondent in Paris.

For the last 12 years, she has written about design for the New York Times, which syndicated her weekly column worldwide.

ESTD

Alice Rawsthorn (C) Michael Leckie

The Hepworth announces new Chair of the Board

The author of a number of successful books on design, Alice is an influential public speaker at important global events including TED and the World Economic Forum in Davos.

MMXVIII

MARKET

To learn more Tel: 07711 539047

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Barclays celebrates Yorkshire women in business

Barclays is looking for the region’s top female business talent as it launches their fourth Celebrating Women in Business Awards.

The awards will recognise women and businesses that have made an outstanding contribution to business in the Yorkshire and Humber region and to coincide with International Women’s Day, was officially launched on Thursday 8th March at a networking event at Dakota Hotel, Russell Street, Leeds.

Award categories include:

Last year’s winners L-R

• Woman of the Year SME Business (up to £20million turnover) • Woman of the Year Medium Business (turnover over £20million - £40million) • Woman of the Year Large Business (turnover over £40million) • Rising Star (Under 35 years of age) • Woman of the year (Professional or Not for Profit) • Most Supportive Business or individual Promoting Diversity and Citizenship (Company Award)

Alex Pryce, Barclays, Shirin Kemp, Pace Communications, Belinda Williams, The Yorkshire Provender, Caroline Harrison, Aspire-igen, Suzanne Robinson, Ernest and Young, Linda Clarke, MKM Business Supplies, Mandy Atkinson, Hesco Bastion and Debbie Mullen, Barclays

Debbie Mullen, Head of Corporate Bank for Barclays in Yorkshire said: “Women from all sectors across Yorkshire are securing key roles in larger companies and we want to

recognise exceptional achievements for the contribution they are making.

We are seeking entries from women at director level in any sector or industry and this is a fantastic opportunity to bring together business ladies from across the region to share knowledge and ideas, helping to grow the Yorkshire economy.”

Previous award winner, Linda Clarke, Marketing and Digital Director at MKM Building Supplies, will be speaking at the event and offering her unique take on what it takes for a woman to succeed in Yorkshire business.

The awards ceremony will take place at an exclusive awards lunch later in the year.

Please contact sophie.gryntus@barclays.com for more information of how to enter the awards.

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Premium bespoke doormaker Deuren has opened its new on-site showroom, in readiness for further growth and the unveiling of its latest product lines.

Since bringing its manufacturing operations in-house in 2014, the company has crafted more than 7,000 doors, with the new showroom opening marking the latest significant phase in the company’s in-house expansion.

Spanning 2,000 sq ft, the display space will showcase 26 products from Deuren’s luxury internal, external and garage door ranges – including new additions that are set to launch this month.

Luxury manufacturer opens door to bespoke showroom

manufacturing. And this new space definitely achieves that.

As well as highlighting the material, Before, it was only at exhibitions configuration, hardware, finish that customers could really test and security options on offer, the our doors, but now they can visit showroom will enable customers our site and truly get a feel for our to interact with the doors and products and the craftsmanship test the different mechanisms that goes into them.” available. Its adjacency to the fully Alongside the launch of its operational on-site workshop also means that visitors will be able to witness Deuren’s craftsmanship in action.

new showroom, Deuren has also enlisted the expertise of neighbouring digital marketing agency The Bigger Boat to overhaul its website.

Elaborating on the website overhaul, The Bigger Boat’s creative director Doug Main commented:

“The main objective was to put more focus on the design of the doors themselves, in order to increase visual impact online.

Alongside the new showroom, the website is another key avenue for prospective customers to see the quality and luxury of Deuren’s products.”

Regional Manager appointed

Commenting on the new showroom, founder and managing director of Deuren, Ian Chubb, said: “With our customer base expanding both nationally and internationally – especially in the US and Channel Islands – the need for a dedicated display space for our doors couldn’t be ignored for much longer.

“We wanted a showroom that would demonstrate the potential that exists when it comes to bespoke design and

Building and civil engineering business, Britcon, has appointed Heath Williamson as Regional Manager at its base in Wakefield.

The appointment follows strong performance from the Yorkshire team which has doubled in size to 12 members in the last 12 months.

Heath, who is a Chartered Construction Manager, brings particular expertise in heavy engineering with over 27 years’

experience working in senior management roles for a number of leading regional and national building and civil engineering operators. He was most recently responsible for overseeing preconstruction activities for a £65 million biomass import terminal for Lynemouth Power Limited, at the Port of Tyne.

Paul Clarkson, Managing Director at Britcon said, “We are delighted to bring Heath

on board to lead the team at Wakefield. A substantial amount of our business is now managed from this office and Heath has the depth of expertise in procurement and management to lead our growth strategy.

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Winning week for TopicUK partners Production Park Wakefield based Production Park consolidated its reputation as a world class centre for live events production collecting three leading industry awards in just one week.

twelve-week deadline,” said Project Director at Production Park, Toby Van-Hay. “Being recognised by TPi was fantastic because we were up against another Production Park company, Perry Scenic Creative as well as leading stage set manufacturers from around the globe.”

Other Production Park companies shortlisted at the TPis were LS-Live and Cato Music for Best Rehearsal Facility, Brilliant was also shortlisted for Favourite Staging Company.

Brilliant’s second award was a creative masterpiece designed digitally by Shannon Harvey, Technical Director at Production Park. He digitally developed an 80metre LED global building which stood 100m high and formed the centre piece of the EXPO. “It was like working with strings of DNA wrapped around a twisted baseball, which we mapped digitally and then created a workflow so that the builders could piece it together without us going on site. It was rewarding being able to create something so complex and communicate how it should be pieced together remotely,” said a proud Shannon.

Pictured from L-R: Shannon Harvey, Ben Brooks and Lee Brooks.

Brilliant was named the Favourite Set Construction Company at the Total Production Industry (TPi) awards with its multi-level design for German singer, Helene Fischer.

The following day, Brilliant, working with VML Technologies, was awarded Best Use of Technology at an Event by Event Production Awards for a complex design for the EXPO 2017 in Astana.

And two days later Production Park was named Collaboration Business of the year as recognition for its collective approach to design and development at the Yorkshire

Business Insider Made in Yorkshire Awards.

Designed on five levels the Brilliant stage for Helene Fisher was one of the most ambitious the South Kirkby company has ever made because it was created on five levels and made more complex by the designer asking Brilliant to create a unique way of levitating the artist into the audience.

The Brilliant team rose to the challenge in every respect by creating a huge clock arm like a cat walk that carried Helene Fischer into the midst of the audience showing the concept of time turning while elevating the performer from one level to the next.

“Each level of the stage set was a mini project and we were really pushed by a tight

“There are probably only two or three companies in the world who can do this kind of thing so to be recognised by our industry peers is affirmation of our work here at Production Park,” he added.

Picking up the Collaboration Award at the Yorkshire Business Insiders dinner at the Royal Armouries, Production Park Director, Ben Brookes said: “The creative businesses thrive at Production Park because of the collaborative hothouse we have created.

Different businesses can share and challenge each other while helping one another through mutually beneficial introductions. It has helped many become world leaders in the live events creative industry.”

Production Park has also been named one of Yorkshire’s 50 Fastest Growing Businesses on the Ward Hadaway annual list.

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Accommodating the company’s continued growth, Monaghan’s has relocated to the new unit following its complete redevelopment that was designed and facilitated by the MWA team.

the internal layout but in creating a truly modern and vibrant working environment. It’s now a Grade A facility that has created an inspiring and positive working environment.”

James McCann, General Manager at the Monaghan Group, commented: “When we made the decision to relocate to new premises we knew that we needed a building that would work harder for us and whilst the footprint of our new facility was substantial, it simply did not offer the office space that we needed to effectively manage our business divisions and present to customers.

The existing warehouse space has undergone a full mechanical and electrical fitout to allow Monaghan’s to streamline their existing warehouse operations and increase efficiencies. Parking and service yard facilities have seen a drastic improvement and now present an open and inviting area to the sales area and workspace.

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MWA remodel industrial unit for Monaghan John Monaghan Limited, suppliers of performance doorsets and architectural ironmongery to the construction industry, has officially unveiled its new premises thanks to Martin Walsh Architectural (MWA) who has remodelled its head office and warehouse at Milner Way, Ossett.

“MWA has helped us to achieve this. Not just by maximising our space, but also in their recommendations and subsequent work that has created an economically and environmentally sound home for our business.”

The original 1040 sq m unit now includes a two-story mezzanine floor that has created an extra 350sq m; with the first floor accommodating the central distribution company, which services the group’s architectural division that specialise in architectural hardware and doorsets.

The ground floor, which houses the John Monaghan Ltd sales team, features an open and light office space, and includes a multi-function room to facilitate customer displays and presentations.

Martin Walsh, Managing Director comments: “Monaghan’s new home has been completely remodelled, not just in terms of

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Car website named in top 3 technology businesses An online car purchasing company has been listed in the top three fastest growing northern tech companies.

The Car Buying Group, based in Wakefield and Bradford, has been listed as the third fastest growing technology business in the North of England in the Northern Tech 100 League Table. The prestigious list is compiled annually by GP Bullhound.

e-commerce business in the Northern Tech 100 League Table.

The Car Buying Group demonstrated impressive revenue growth throughout 2017 to achieve the thirdplace position.

The Northern Tech 100 League Table has been compiled annually since forming in 2011 and is part of the events portfolio of GP Bullhound, the leading international technology investment bank.

This position also places The Car Buying Group as the second highest placed

Trinity Walk princesses world record

This year’s success builds on that of last year, when The Car Buying Group claimed the title of the north’s fastest growing technology business in 2017.

Once a year The Northern Tech 100 League table

The Ridings Cuppa Club

Flying the Wakefield flag at Shopping Centre Oscars

is created as part of the Northern Tech Awards to recognise the fastest growing technology companies in the north and celebrate the region’s biggest technology success stories.

Wakefield’s Trinity Walk and The Ridings have beaten off stiff national competition to make the shortlist in the ‘Best Cause-related Event’ category at the high profile retail Oscars - The Purple Apple Awards.

The two centres have made the finals for their own events, but teamed up last year to support the ultimately successful campaign to create a Business Improvement District (BID) in Wakefield

The Awards provide a unique way of celebrating the innovative technologies and businesses developed in the region, and recognise those who have contributed to their success.

Established in 2014, The Car Buying Group provides a for the first time.

During the last years the two centres have joined forces to promote the wider city centre as well as their own schemes.

The Ridings has been nominated for its Cuppa Club campaign, which aims to reduce loneliness through regular events hosted in partnership with AgeUK Wakefield District.

Trinity Walk has been nominated for its Guinness

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“Since we started the business we have demonstrated consistent revenue growth and continued to develop our leading valuation technology which is enabling us to deliver a hassle-free way to sell cars online. We look forward to further building on our success to date in what promises to be an exciting 2018 for The Car Buying Group.”

Tom Marley

fair, fast and hassle-free way to sell a car online.

Requiring only a few basic pieces of vehicle information, a car’s valuation is provided instantly to the customer searching their website.

The Car Buying Group offers a UK wide free vehicle collection service for maximum convenience.

World Record attempt to create the largest gathering of people dressed as a princess to support West Yorkshire children’s hospice, Forget Me Not. Lucy Grice, Marketing Manager of Trinity Walk said: “This is a statement of intent for the city – two centres flying the flag for Wakefield at the biggest shopping centre awards in the UK. It’s fantastic news not just for us, but for the city.

“We both want our centres to perform well, but ultimately what’s good for one is usually beneficial to the other. The real threats are from beyond our city’s

Vicki Shiel, Head of Content and Learning at Tech Nation said: “The Northern Tech 100 league table showcases the fastest growing tech companies in the North and the growth of some of these companies is testament to this exciting sector.

For The Car Buying Group to go from taking the number one spot in 2017 to third in 2018 is an amazing achievement - to be in the top five out of 100 companies two years running is proof this company is growing at a remarkable rate.” borders and that’s why our events and overall shopping experience have to be first class.”

Sara Hassan, Marketing manager of The Ridings, said: “We’re delighted that Cuppa Club has been shortlisted and it’s brilliant to see not one, but two Wakefield shopping centres representing the city.

“For us, it’s been a campaign that’s hopefully made a real difference to a lot of people. It would be amazing if we could both come back with a win for Wakefield!”

The awards will take place at The Brewery in central London on May 10.

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Stove supermarket selects digital marketing partner Stove Supermarket, ecommerce retailer specialising in wood burning and multi-fuel stoves, parts and accessories, have selected Fantastic Media as their digital marketing partner.

Following an initial Insight workshop in early November, the Barnsley based ecommerce retailer will be working with the team at Fantastic Media on a rebranding of the business and implementation of a marketing proposition focusing heavily on digital marketing, particularly paid search.

A full user-experience audit has already been completed across the site, with improvements set to roll out in February.

Additional services provided by Fantastic Media include eCRM, social media and content marketing to compliment the digital PPC activity.

Stove Supermarket is the online trading name of Pot House Stoves Ltd and boasts over 40 years of experience in the heating industry. Mark Turner, Managing Director

commented “We were very impressed with the proposal from Fantastic Media and wanted to get started with the improvements to the website straight away.”

“We’re looking forward to building a solid relationship with Stove Supermarket and working with them to help their business grow from strength to strength,” commented Alisdair Straughan, Director of Communications at Fantastic Media.

“Stove Supermarket are an exciting company who have demonstrated excellent growth in a short period of time and we are confident that the improvements to the user-experience on the website and the brand refresh will only continue to help develop the business into a recognisable and trustworthy brand in years to come.”

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RSK acquires Central Alliance Pre Construction Services Leading environmental and engineering services company RSK Group Ltd today announced that it has acquired Central Alliance Pre Construction Services Ltd “Central Alliance”, a pre-constructionservices company headquartered in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, UK. Central Alliance provides ground investigation, geo-construction, training, technology and survey services to the UK construction, defence, rail, utilities and transport sectors. Through its in-house experts and up-to-the minute technology such as satellite imagery, aerial drones and muon tomography, Central Alliance has been helping high-profile clients, including Highways England and Network Rail, to deliver major infrastructure projects.

The company’s projects include the Transpennine East and West rail schemes; A1 road widening schemes; saturated ground analysis for the M1 motorway; ground investigation on the A47; mobile mapping of the Sheffield Innovation Corridor; 3D laser scanning of UK canal locks and of National Grid electrical substations; and utility surveys for Sainsbury’s supermarket car park projects nationwide.

The acquisition of Central Alliance brings RSK’s headcount to over 2100 in

83 offices worldwide. The Central Alliance business will continue to operate under its existing brand.

Richard Pidcock and Craig White will be the joint managing directors, and Jason Marbeck will join the board as the commercial director.

Dr Alan Ryder, chief executive officer, RSK, said: “I am delighted that RSK has been able to acquire Central Alliance. It is a great business with great people and great clients. Our plan is to invest in the company and to help it grow. We welcome 80 staff at Central Alliance and look forward to supporting their clients on all manner of interesting projects.”

Craig White, joint managing director of Central Alliance, said:“I am really excited about working with RSK and see great synergies between our companies in ground investigation and surveying. RSK is also a very professional organisation and we think Central Alliance will fit very well into the RSK group.”

Professionals wake up to safety with Hunter Hunter Safety opened its doors to local safety professionals for an information and networking session over breakfast.

The company’s head office, Hunter House based in Glasshoughton, was the location of the event named ‘Wake Up to Safety’ which was an opportunity for directors, senior managers and safety professionals to share best practice and receive health and safety advice.

The theme of the event was ‘Conscious Competence: The

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Ewe-nique collaboration brings two counties together A quintet of Yorkshire businesses are at the forefront of the UK’s textile manufacturing boom thanks to their unique collaboration with a Kent-based farm.

Romney Marsh Wools is sending fleeces from its flock of 1000 ewes to Yorkshire’s famous textile mills to be turned into throws, cushions, caps and even toiletries.

The fleeces are processed and woven using traditional methods in West Yorkshire to create a unique, beautiful product range.

role of the duty holder’, ensuring that each attendee was aware of their health and safety responsibilities and the implications in their individual workplaces around this.

Katie Hunter, Managing Director said: “The event was a great success with attendees from a range of local companies, which made for a really interesting discussion. We hope they went away with some new information to help them in their roles and we’re looking forward to the other Wake Up to Safety events we have

planned later this year.”

These will take place every quarter with a different theme each time: mental health in the workplace will be the topic on Tuesday 5th June; the health aspects of safety will be considered on Wednesday 5th September; and the final session on Tuesday 11th December will cover behavioural safety.

The Hunter team are welcoming early bookings on these events, email info@ huntersafetysolutions. com or call 01977 878389 to secure your place now.

Romney Marsh Wools also has a selection of indulgent toiletries made in Bradford using Lanolin from the fleeces. In true Yorkshire fashion, the wider range includes hand-made flat caps produced in Castleford by Lawrence and Foster.

The firm’s growth mirrors that seen in the UK textiles industry, which has reported a 25% increase in production in the past year.

Kristina Boulden, director of Romney Marsh Wools said: “Wool is one of the few materials which is natural, renewable, sustainable and versatile. It has been our greatest pleasure to see the interest in British wool grow throughout our 10 years in business.

“We marked our 10 year milestone and the expansion of our Yorkshire

connection by hiring a Northern representative who has already taken the brand to new stockists across the region.”

Kristina adds: “We’ve had a longstanding association with Yorkshire and it seemed only fitting we develop our brand by showcasing the region’s skills which have been at the forefront of industry across centuries. Our range represents a growing collaboration between two of the UK’s largest counties and are truly born in Kent – made in Yorkshire.”

The Yorkshire connection sees the raw wool fleeces traditionally cleaned

by Haworth Scouring before being sent to Lightowlers Spinning Yarns in Meltham, Huddersfield. The wool is then sent a few miles over the hill to Townend Weaving in Slaithwaite.

This year will also see new products for the Romney Marsh Wools range which include Lanolin lip balm, a special edition King Size throw and exciting gift options such as hot water bottles and knitting kits.

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Sweet music for Wakefield businesses Wakefield BID is urging local businesses to take pride in their city and make sweet music on the back of its three-day city centre festival Long Division.

and hosting both music and art at their Jolly Tap pub. Other central locations are also opening their doors and BIDmanager, Elizabeth Murphy said every business could capitalise.

“Wakefield BID is sponsoring Long Division as part of our passion for promoting the city’s strengths, showcasing Wakefield at its best as a phenomenal centre for music and entertainment, and raising the city’s profile far and wide to attract more visitors, increasing footfall for local businesses,” she explained.

“This is a golden opportunity for local businesses to work with the cultural sector while driving up their own income. I’d encourage more businesses to get involved through sponsorship such as offering performers food, drink or accommodation to raise their own profile alongside other key sponsors and attract fresh visitors to their location.”

Two years ago Long Division delivered more than £100,000 in secondary spend and this year, with more than 100 performances taking place in 20+ venues, it is expected to be even bigger.

A brand new attraction for the Sunday, thanks to the BID/ Long Division partnership, is a free performance in Wakefield Precinct by tribute act, the Magic of the Beatles.

Image: John Jowett

Set to attract thousands of extra people to Wakefield during the first full weekend of June, tickets for the festival are selling faster than ever with more than 500 acts having applied to perform at a series of city centre venues.

In tandem with the music festival,

Long Division has commissioned six Wakefield artists to create a new piece of art each to be premiered during the festival to elevate its cultural appeal to diverse genres.

Some WF1 businesses have already pledged their backing with Jolly Boys Brewery creating a Long Division Ale

The BID is also supporting family friendly attractions such as Make Your Own Instrument, Painting and Tote bag printing workshops in the Elizabethan Gallery and Storytelling sessions for 0-5s and 6-11 year-olds in Brews, Bites and Books.

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BEER-lovers in need of a haircut will be able to kill two birds with one stone at this summer’s Wakefield Festival of Beer.

For not only are Wakefield’s Black Dog Barbershop sponsoring the festival, they are also bringing along two barber chairs and treating visitors to hairstyles ranging from the traditional to modern as well as beard grooming. The cost will be similar to that charged in the shop with a cut of it being donated to charity.

Pontefract marketing agency expands PHD Marketing & Strategy, based in the iconic Pontefract Barracks building, has announced significant expansion due to increased demand for marketing services in the print, packaging and plastics sectors.

Joanna Stephenson, Managing Director said: “It will come as no surprise that due to the large amount of attention being placed on the plastics industry that there has been a huge upswing for marketing services for our print, packaging and plastics clients.”

Joanna, former vice president of marketing and innovation at local company, LINPAC Group, established PHD in 2014. LINPAC, now acquired by Klöckner Pentaplast, is a key client for the agency but the company has grown significantly in its short history and numbers 22 UK and internationalbased clients.

Joanna added: “We now have 11 staff, appointing four new employees, including two apprentices, in the last six months. We were delighted to recruit Rachael Ryder and Rosie O’Brien as full time copywriters and we’re also investing in the future of the business with two new apprentices, Millie Kilburn and Ben Storey.

“The idea is that visitors can have their haircut and enjoy a pint of beer at the same time,” explained Black Dog Barbershop’s Clarke Knowles. “I’ve seen this done at a couple of festivals before and am all for trying something new so thought why not have a go at doing it ourselves! I’m quite excited about it!

We have a number of beer monsters amongst our clientele in the shop who’ll be all for it. We offer our customers a free beer while we cut their hair now, so they are no strangers to supping while we’re cutting!”

Clarke opened Black Dog Barbershop at Outwood four years ago, relocating from Leeds after spotting a gap in the Wakefield market for a traditional barber.

Wakefield Festival of Beer will take place at Unity Hall and Business Space in

Want your business to be seen by 1500 others?

A cut whilst you sup Wakefield city centre from June 28-30.

Organised by Wakefield District Round Table, the event attracts hundreds of visitors to Wakefield and raises thousands for city based charities Wakefield Hospice, Wakefield MS Society and Andy’s Man Club, which helps men fight depression.

The festival is now in its 6th year and continues to evolve and innovate, offering something new every time to attract newcomers and continue to delight the loyal festival-goers.

You can by booking your space at the 9th Brand Yorkshire Business Conference. You need to hurry though as 65 stands are already sold.

The conference takes place on 4th October at the Pavilions of Harrogate, The Yorkshire Showground and with almost 100 exhibitors and more than 1500 business people expected to attend again, this is a fantastic opportunity for you to meet potential new customers and partners.

To reserve a stand call Mona on 07748 117977 or email: mona@brandyorkshire.com com

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Sainsbury’s Trinity Walk raises £3408 for Sport Relief Left: Icing and decorating Sport Relief buns at St Austin’s Academy. Above: Steve Scriven, Katie Hill and Stacy Smart posing through the Sport Relief selfie frame.

In addition the store sold £2749 of Sport Relief merchandise, including branded deeley boppers, wrist bands, pin badges and much more.

Colleagues at Sainsbury’s Trinity Walk are celebrating after raising £659 for Sport Relief. The team took part in a variety of fundraising events, including a visit to St Austin’s Academy, where the kids iced and decorated Sport relief buns, during the weeks leading up to Sport Relief’s big finale, which took place at the end of March.

The store’s main activity was a Wakefield to London static bike ride, which raised £115. Customers were also invited to join in the fun and one of the other highlights was Play Your Sport Relief Cards Right at the front of the store which raised £110. The store also collected donations in the buckets on the checkouts right through the whole campaign.

Dee O’Brien, Store Manager said: “Sport Relief is a fantastic opportunity for us to come together with the local community to raise as much money as possible for a great cause. We always enjoy coming up with lots of fun and creative activities to get everyone involved. I’m really proud that our store has been able to contribute to the impressive figure donated from Sainsbury’s to Comic Relief and we’d like to thank our colleagues and customers in Wakefield for their support.”

This year Sport Relief challenged the nation to come together to walk one billion steps a day, every day from 17 to 23 March, counting their steps through the official Sport Relief App. Sainsbury’s led the charge with colleagues walking over 500 million steps as part of Team Sport Relief.

During the Sport Relief finale evening on TV, Sainsbury’s announced it had raised more than £6.1 million for the charity with more funds still to be collected.

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cases. In addition to this, Sarah is a trained Collaborative Lawyer, the Secretary to the Huddersfield Incorporated Law Society and a member of the regional Resolution Committee.

Dan Hirst joined the team in 2012 following the merger between the firm and Godloves Solicitors. He is recognised as a leader in his field in commercial litigation having had a number of high profile successes.

Chadwick Lawrence announces new equity partners Yorkshire’s Legal People, Chadwick Lawrence, have announced three new equity partners following a year of exceptional growth and performance, and as part of the Firm’s wider succession planning.

Daniel Krigers, Sarah Power and Dan Hirst have each taken an equity share in the business and will focus on further implementing the many investment and development plans across their teams in the year ahead.

Daniel joined the firm in 2006, completing a part-time degree and post-graduate course and qualifying in 2013. Daniel heads up the employment team and wider commercial services arm of the

Firm, along with sitting on the Operations and Marketing boards.

Sarah Power has been with the team since 2008, where she started as an Assistant Solicitor. Since then, Sarah has developed her specialism in Family Law with a particular emphasis on the financial aspects of divorce and separation. She regularly represents professionals, business owners and their spouses and is experienced in dealing with business interests, pensions and off-shore assets in Family Law

Neil Wilson, Managing Partner commented: “The last twelve months have been incredibly successful for the firm, and we delivered against some very ambitious plans.

“Whilst those achievements in the past have facilitated the offer of equity to Daniel, Dan and Sarah, this is merely the start of the next chapter of the Firm. We have developed the next phase of our strategy with extremely challenging and ambitious growth plans, with a view to building revenue, profitability and reputation, and making Chadwick Lawrence the employer of choice in the legal sector.

A key part of the strategy is to secure the long term future of the firm through the delivery of a carefully considered succession plan.”

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A career in the drinks and hospitality industry wasn’t on the cards for David Owen’s when he left the North East at 18-yearsold to study Aerospace Engineering in Bristol. TopicUK Group editor Gill Laidler caught up with David recently to find out how this initial career path flew so much of course.

“I started to work in the evening economy, initially to fund my studies. These were mostly cocktail focussed venues and this is where I picked up my passion for drinks creativity and service etiquette. You could say it was my calling and it soon became my full time focus,” David told us.

It wasn’t long before his name become well known in the industry and David became a trainer for several large companies nationally. He was just 23 when he accepted his first international role at an iconic hotel in Beiruit, Lebanon and after a successful

three month project, he began an extensive international career, stemming over 25% of the world’s countries and six of the seven continents. “My travel highlights at this time were Australia, South America and extensive coverage of the Middle East which I loved, mostly because of the food and the flavours,” he told us.

It was during an international sabbatical that David arrived in Wakefield to help an old colleague establish a premier cocktail bar on Bank Street. The city’s green space and thriving night life encouraged a longer stay than he had planned and it was during this time that he met his Wakefield-born better half!

Determined to stay in the area, jobs followed in Leeds and Manchester before he joined the fledgling beverage training service providers Fling Bar Services and pulled in their first major opening project with the highly exclusive One & Only resorts in the Maldives, where he went on to establish the business as an international leader in the

www.marknewtonphotography.co.uk

Hospitality Training & Development sector.

In 2005, David and his partner moved to the Lao PDR in remote, communist SE Asia where he opened his first private food and beverage opertion, The Spirit House. IN 2010, David established his own training and development brand and beverage consultancy group Fluid Dynamics, before moving from SE Asia to the remote Seychelles Islands, where he began a long term project with a small rum distillery and importer. “This is where I became familiar with rum distillation and blending and put down roots on a historic plantation site.”

However, family circumstances forced him to return to Yorkshire in 2014, but this allowed him time to focus on his son and the final stage development of a new rum brand, St Abbs, that had become a hobby passion!

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at Leeds Gin Distillery and Folklore Gin Distillery, where he applied his experience in drinks production to Gin distillation.

After successfully helping two Yorkshire Gin brands expand over the festive season, David began cuckoo distilling at the site to tailor his own Gin recipe, a recipe that was aimed at celebrating the city’s fascinating history and giving it its first ever boutique, very small batch Gin and first commercial Gin distiller.

“We launched Nightingale Gin, The Spirit of Wakefield in December 2017, influenced by the journals of Charles Waterton,” he said “and combined traditional ingredients from his period, with some less expected flavours from his South American explorations.”

David hand-crafts every bottle himself in a still that produces only 30 bottles at a time and he has already perfected two expressions.

The West Riding Dry combines subtle sweet notes of liquorice-root with roasted cocoa nibs and the classic Gin flavours of Juniper, citrus and corriander seed and of course there is the Rhubarb and Mulberry celebrating our famous Mulberry Bush nursery rhyme and our iconic local crops of Rhubarb, not forgetting Pontefracts famous liquorice.

“After my extensive work in the Seychelles and a great deal of time in my make-shift blending room in Wakefield, I eventually finalised my blends and brand story of St Abbs Reserve Rum for the Black Mountain Spirits Company. The Brand was bottled in December 2015,” he continued, “and launched in the UK in March 2016. Just a month later our rum won 8 medals across two internationally acclaimed spirit competitions and more recently is due to be listed in the rum list of the World’s best cocktail bar, The American Bar at London’s iconic Savoy Hotel.”

Late in 2015 it was time to put down roots and David found his place in the city centre at Wakefield Beer Exchange. He chose the position over several lucrative national contracts so that he could remain in Wakefield and enjoy quality time with

his family and also learn about the very quirky craft beer scene that had boomed during his time away. “I love the industry and always need to be learning something new, so this was perfect for me,” he added.

“Is has been a decision that has carved some real opportunities that a corporate position wouldn’t have given me and the craft beer bar has become my second home!”

In 2016 another opportunity came David’s way when he was asked to take the lead role in the Wakefield BID steering group and after a successful campaign, was nominated as the chair of the business-led organisation. “I think it was my passion for the city centre that encouraged me to get involved in the BID. I didn’t want to see the city survive, I wanted to see it thrive.”

During late 2017, David started spending his days off from Wakefield Beer Exchange

“I’m now working on expression number three,” he added, “and have started working on the development of a liqueur range, which I am confident will turn heads on the national beverage stage. You can also expect to see some of the botanicals from Nostell Botanical Gardens and possibly an oak aged Gin to celebrate the Chippendale anniversarty at the historic site.”

Although travel and drinks have always been Dave’s great Passion, his family life has made him put down roots and this has given him a wealth of opportunity that could have quite easily been bypassed.

David has now stepped down from his role with Wakefield BID to focus on Wakefield Beer Exchange and his drink production projects and has recently joined the steering group who are driving Wakefield Evening Economy’s Purple Flag project.

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The arts are being sidelined in a new creative industries deal!

By Murray Edwards - Art and business consultant

The Arts and culture are given no more than a passing reference in the recently announced new Creative Industries Sector Deal, an agreement under which the Government and creative sector businesses in England will work together on initiatives to “boost productivity, employment, innovation and skills”.

The Deal will support the development of creative clusters and the roll out of a “creative careers” programme but prioritises digital businesses over culture. Instead, the Deal emphasises measures that will support the growth of IT, software, computer services and digital businesses, which account for over a third of the Gross Value Added (GVA) in the creative industries – more than four times the value of the cultural sector.

The Deal will see a range of new policies introduced and an extra £150m committed to the sector by business and government, with a view to unlocking its growth potential.

The associated promotional campaign will be developed and led by the Creative Industries

Federation (CIF), which took a leading role, together with the Creative Industries Council, in arriving at the Creative Industries Sector Deal.

Caroline Julian, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at CIF, explained: “Through an advertising campaign and complementary activity, we will profile the spectrum of creative careers – from the creative entrepreneur who has set up their own business through to the designer working alongside engineers in other industries.

The campaign will give particular focus to high growth areas that currently suffer from skills shortages and where certain skills will be in high demand in future.” Due to be launched next year, the campaign will also “aim to dissolve commonly

held assumptions that have put many people off from pursuing a creative career, particularly those from disadvantaged and minority communities”.

Investing in talent Investment in developing the creative workforce is primarily targeted at improving digital and computing skills, with £84m earmarked for a new National Centre of Computing Education and £20m for a new Institute for Coding.

Up to £2m will be “available (subject to business case)” to support a Creative Careers Programme, and the Government expects the value of the industry’s contribution, including in-kind resources and expertise, to “more than match” its own funding.

Workforce development The Creative Careers Programme will “address shortages in critical skills for creative businesses and ensure broader outreach to a more diverse, future workforce”.

It will specifically aim to

rectify the significant underrepresentation of people from less advantaged backgrounds in the creative industries.

At least 2,000 schools and 600,000 pupils will access the Programme, which it is hoped will recruit more than 50 ambassadors from the sector and encourage 100 employers to participate in “encounter events” reaching 15,000 young people. It will involve three elements: Producing and distributing a comprehensive creative industries toolkit and supporting material for students, parents and schools.

Facilitating events and visits, including schools’ ambassadors.

Delivering a promotional campaign to “improve awareness and understanding of the range of occupational roles on offer in the creative industries”.

Education ignored Identifying the skills shortages affecting the UK’s creative industries, the Deal singles out dancers and orchestral musicians, but whilst recognising that a “combination of STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) and artsbased subjects” are needed to develop future talent, it outlines no new measures for improving arts education. Instead it makes a commitment to creating “a technical education system that

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rivals the best in the world”.

It makes no mention of the crisis unfolding in schools as the gradual introduction of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) continues to shut down opportunities for young people – especially those living in disadvantaged areas – to study the arts. It is equally silent on the challenges facing the cultural sector caused by the UK’s departure from the European Union, including the potential talent drain.

CIF has stressed that a Creative Careers Campaign will be complemented with ongoing advocacy on the importance of creative skills and education to the future, not only in the creative industries but also the economy at large. They believe that the campaign will add significant weight to their advocacy efforts and further the impact that the Federation has achieved to date on creative careers and skills.

Whilst this may be welcomed as a “first step” and highlights the significant contribution this sector makes to UK innovation, productivity and growth, it does not address some of the fundamental issues facing the Arts today. There has been a steady erosion of opportunities to study creative subjects at school and if the UK is to continue to be at the forefront of creative development then this has to be addressed as a matter of urgency.

Gala Dinner raises £30,000 The fourth annual Gala Dinner and Variety Performance saw two hundred and eighty guests fill Wakefield Cathedral in March, to celebrate and raise money for Theatre Royal Wakefield and their work with young people.

The evening commenced with a dinner catered by Wakefield’s Create Café and was followed by an auction in the opulent surroundings of Wakefield Cathedral. Guests then made

their way down to the Theatre for a Variety Performance.

This annual fundraising event supports work with the learning and participation programmes created by the Theatre for young people including Performance Academy and In On The Act. Guests had the pleasure of seeing some of the participants of these programmes perform during the Variety Performance amongst others. Joining the young talent on stage was local singer and songwriter Ruby Macintosh, award winning Crofton Silver Band and contortionist Tula Sparkles.

Jon Ingham, Theatre Royal Wakefield’s Head of Fundraising and Partnerships, said “To raise £30,000 for our work with young people in one night is a magnificent result.

It shows how the people of Wakefield have taken Theatre Royal Wakefield to their hearts.

We are proud to have worked with Wakefield Cathedral in bringing together two of the city’s most historic venues for one outstanding creative event” Theatre Royal Wakefield offers 60 bursaries for weekly training sessions, which are held in three separate academies across the Wakefield District.

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Wicked UK Ireland Tour 2018 Amy Ross (Elphaba) Photo by Matt Crockett

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Wicked UK Ireland Tour 2018 Helen Woolf (Glinda)

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Was the wicked witch really

Wicked?

Was the infamous Wicked Witch of the West really wicked, or the innocent victim of a corrupt regime?

By Gill Laidler Editor TopicUK Group Editor Gill Laidler went along to find out when she was invited to the official Leeds Launch of the hit musical Wicked, coming to The Grand Theatre in June.

“Strangely enough, I had just returned from New York where advertisements for Wicked were everywhere, billboards in Time Square and on top of taxis, but we had opted for the other long running show, Miss Siagon at The Broadway Theatre, so I was delighted to find on my return an invitation to this event at Aspire, along with an interview with Executive Producer UK, Michael McCabe.”

When Dorothy famously triumphed over the Wicked Witch, we only ever heard one side of the story. Gregory Maguire’s “outstanding novel” (The Independent), ‘Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West’, ingeniously re-imagines the Land of Oz, creating a parallel

universe to the familiar story written

by L. Frank Baum and first published as ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ in 1900.

Wicked tells the incredible untold story of an unlikely but profound friendship between two young women who first meet as sorcery students at Shiz University: the blonde and very popular Glinda and a misunderstood green girl named Elphaba. Following an encounter with The Wizard, their friendship reaches a crossroads and their lives take very different paths. Glinda’s unflinching desire for popularity sees her seduced by power while Elphaba’s determination to remain true to herself, and to those around her, will have unexpected and shocking consequences for her future.

Wicked has already been seen by over 53 million people around the world and is one of the most

celebrated and successful musicals of all time. Winner of over 100 international awards, the original production has already been performed in over 130 cities in 16 countries around the world and has also been translated from its original English into six other languages.

Now in its 12th year and already the 15th longest running show in

“one of the greatest musicals of our time” (Daily Mail)

London theatre history (and the 10th longest running musical), the West End production premiered on 27 September 2006 and has played almost 5000 performances at the Apollo Victoria Theatre. Now also the 7th longest running show currently playing in the West End, Wicked has been hailed as “one of the greatest musicals of our time” (Daily Mail).

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Wicked UK Ireland Tour 2018 Aaron Sidwell (Fiyero) Photo by Matt Crockett

Designed by Susan Hilferty, who won a Tony Award for her creations, Michael was followed on stage by costume supervisor Margie Bailey who explained how some of the costumes were made.

Guests were then treated to a special vocal performance by Amy Ross who plays wicked witch Elphaba, who later was joined by co-star Helen Woolf who plays Glinda, both dueting for the delighted audience,” continued Gill.

“It was then time for me to meet the award winning Executive Producer. Michael is an independent, four-time Olivier Award-winning theatre producer in the UK and Tony® nominated on Broadway. His previous producing credits include: An American In Paris, the 2013-2017 UK & International Tour of Wicked; Sweeney Todd (Olivier Award, Best Musical Revival), starring Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton and the 2011 West End production of Million Dollar Quartet, to name a few. Michael was also the original Marketing Director of Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus’ Mamma Mia!, from 1998-2004 (overseeing the first 14 international premieres).

The multi record-breaking original Broadway production remains “Broadway’s biggest blockbuster” (The New York Times) after 14 years and almost 6000 performances at the Gershwin Theatre, where it premiered on 30 October 2003.

Now the 8th longest-running show in Broadway history, Wicked has already been seen by over 10 million people on Broadway alone and been acclaimed as “a magical Broadway musical with brains, heart and courage” (Time Magazine).

If you have not been lucky enough to see the production, now is your chance as it comes to the Grand Theatre in from Wednesday 13th June to Saturday July 7th.

“On arrival at Aspire the press and invited guests were welcomed

Helen Woolf, Amy Ross and Aaron Siddell Image: Ant Robling

by Executive Producer Michael McCabe, who explained a little about the origins of the production and how the plot came about.

“Michael was flanked on stage by costumes from the hit show.

Two from the Emerald City and of course Glinda’s bubble dress.

“Born and raised in Sussex, Michael’s career spans more than 35 years. He spent two years living and working in New York where he worked as a marketing consultant on many Broadway productions. A Trustee of the English Touring Theatre, Michael has worked with companies including Cirque du Soleil and the English National Opera.

“I had to ask the inevitable question and got the predictable answer. Which is your favourite theatre outside London? Of

course it is The Grand Theatre.

“Contrived I know, but true,” he told me. “It is such a beautful theatre and has been lovingly looked after, how could anyone not love it.

“I also prefer to tour rather than be based in just one theatre either in the West End or on Broadway,” he told me, “but it is very hard work as every part of the set, the costumes and props have to be transported carefully in as many as 12 trucks. It does, in my opinion help the cast to bond, as we are together 24/7 whilst the production tours across the country, which will be for many weeks if not months.

“One of the things we are proud of is that the touring show is exactly the same as the London show.

In fact, it might even have a few extra surprises,” he continued. “It is always the one thing I insist on when taking a show on the road, it is exactly the same as the original production or it doesn’t tour!”

The show runs from Wednesday 13th June to Saturday 7th July. Tickets are on sale now, but hurry as they are selling fast. Book online at www. leedsgrandtheatre.com or call the box office on 0844 848 2700. fast.

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Palestinian activist to run London Marathon with Penny Appeal

Mohammad Al Qadi a Palestinian activist and marathon runner, who runs to raise awareness of the plight of his people, is joining the Penny Appeal team at this year’s London Marathon.

Wakefield’s Centre for Creativity is revealed Scaffolding that surrounded Theatre Royal Wakefield’s new extension has finally been removed to expose the new performance space for the first time.

a new performance space named The Walker Studio and a new café bar.

Fundraising is still taking place to support the fit out for the new space but in a short matter of weeks, the interior is due to be complete and the Centre for Creativity will showcase its first performance.

It has been nine months since the hoarding covering the derelict space between Lala’s restaurant and Theatre Royal Wakefield was replaced with scaffolding in the beginning stages of a new venture for the Theatre.

Executive Director, Katie Town, said “After many months of preparation and fundraising, it’s so amazing to see our plans come to fruition. This new Centre will allow us to expand our reach to new audiences and bring something fresh into the changing face of Wakefield”

After many years in the making, the plans for the new performance space are finally going ahead and for the first time, the progress can now be seen on Westgate.

The view of the scaffolding has been replaced with the giant, glass fronted Centre for Creativity, which will house

In On The Act, Theatre Royal Wakefield’s innovative 18 – 30 group of theatre makers, will be the first to perform in The Walker Studio with their modern retelling of Thumbelina at the beginning of May.

Fresh from running the Palestinian Marathon on 23 March, where Penny Appeal Midlands Fundraising Manager Haroon Mota also took part, Mohammad will arrive in the UK ahead of the London Marathon to ‘Run for Palestine’, helping to raise funds for the Gaza Water Tanker, hoping to raise as much as £10k, whilst the rest of Team Orange will run for Thirst Relief.

London is just one of many Marathons that Mohammad, who lives in France, takes part in. He was recently asked if he would like to take part in the Turkish Marathon after being refused entry to the United States to take part in the Chicago Marathon. “It was quite a shock to learn that I had been refused entry to the US,” Mohammad told us. “All I wanted to do was raise awareness of the plight of my people and raise funds to make their lives a little more bearable. When I was refused, I was invited to run in Turkey and was delighted to meet the Turkish Prime Minister afterwards.”

Three children die every minute from drinking dirty water. With access to clean water, thousands of lives could be saved. Installing a water pump costs just £300, in a needy community, that’s just 82p a day to give the gift of water. By ‘digging deep’ and supporting Mohammad and our London Marathon runners, you could offer someone the gift of life from just a few pennies a day.

To donate, visit our website at www.pennyappeal. org or call 03000 11 11 11 today.

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Tragedy led to success for Sam Are entrepreneurs born or made? This is a question that many people ask but nobody knows the answer to. Regardless of which it is, we have an abundance of young entrepreneurs in Yorkshire, who have all successfully launched their own businesses.

Levels, after making the decision to defer his university scholarship for a year. KGlazing is a glass and glazing company specialising in replacing single, double or triple glazed windows, creating bespoke glass projects and installing new glazed home improvements.

“I’d always worked part-time in the business during school holidays to earn extra money,” Sam told us, “but I finally joined in September that year, working along with my bricklaying course at Leeds College of Building.”

However, tragedy was to strike, after just one month of working alongside his father, his dad was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer and became quite ill whilst undergoing chemo. “This was a very hard time, not just for the business, but for our whole family,” said Sam, who is single. “Alongside my mum, I started to learn how to complete some of the office paperwork and proceedures, along with the all important pricing and estimating, a job my dad had always done, but was unable to.”

One of these entrepreneurs is 27-year-old Sam Kay, Managing Director of KGlazing Limited, based in Pontefract.

TopicUK Group Editor Gill Laidler

caught up with Sam to hear about his journey.

Sam joined his father’s business KGlazing that started trading in 1978, in 2009 after completing his A

Sadly just one year later on 1st May 2010, Sam’s father lost his battle and passed away. “After my father passed away it was time for me to step up and this is when I took full charge of the business, working

alongside my mother,” Sam, who was voted as one of the top three young people in the National Federation Awards in 2016, told us.

“Although the business was in great shape, there was work to be done with our online presence and SEO,” he added. “We decided to rebrand, creating a new logo for our niche product. By doing this we massively increased our business and turnover. The company has trebled in size over the last few years and we have worked hard setting up an additional manufacturing company alongside, so we can make all our own doors and windows. We manufacture and supply UPVC and aluminium windows, doors and conservatives to both retail

“I’d always worked parttime in the business during school holidays... and trade customers throughout Yorkshire. We also supply glass and glazing products, such as sheet glass, fire glass and triple glazed products.”

So what are the plans for the future? “we are opening our new showroom later this year and we want to diversify and improve our product range to reach a larger target audience, this should see us move into more areas of Yorkshire.

There is much more to do, but I am determined to do this for my dad.

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A third (31%) are taking environmental action ‘because it’s the right thing to do’ and 27% because they want ‘to be recognised as an environmentally responsible business’. Lack of funds (19%) and concerns about return on investment (16%) were the most commonly cited financial worry As green issues continue to make big headlines, four fifths (82%) of mid-sized UK businesses have taken action on environmental sustainability. However, less than half (40%) indicated that they expect the amount they will invest in this area to increase over the next five years and only a similar amount (39%) view environmentally responsible programmes as ‘extremely important’.

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Environmentally responsible actions benefit business Three quarters (73%) of businesses say they have experienced at least one commercial benefit from taking environmentally responsible actions, as consumer demand for ‘green’ credentials is increasingly affecting buying behaviour*

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Published recently, the Barclays Environmental Commitment: Beyond a ‘Nice-to-Have’ report examines the emphasis being placed on green investment by business leaders and the obstacles they are facing when considering whether to invest more in green projects. While the UK’s biggest companies are increasingly embracing more investment in environmentally sustainable activity, less focus has been given to the environmental actions of mid-sized organisations. For this reason, the report explores the specific challenges facing mid-sized businesses and looks at the regulatory, reputational and commercial considerations that are influencing investment decisions.

The financial and reputational benefits of going green Three quarters (73%) of businesses say they have experienced at least one commercial benefit from taking environmentally responsible actions, with more than a third indicating that this investment had led to reduced operational costs (37%).

Reputational consequences are also recognised by a significant number of leaders, with a third (31%) taking environmental action ‘because it’s the right thing to do’ and 27% because they want ‘to be

recognised as an environmentally responsible business’. Regulatory demands were cited by fewer respondents as the driver behind green investment (19%). However, four in ten (40%) do believe that existing environmental rules and regulations have had a positive effect on their business, compared to just 16% who think they have had a negative effect.

Despite the commercial benefits identified by most businesses who have invested in green projects, a quarter of businesses reported that that investment of this kind was ‘not a business priority’. The primary barrier to investment identified was cost, with financial concerns highlighted by one in three businesses as preventing more green investment. Lack of funds (19%) and concerns about return on investment (16%) were the most commonly cited financial worry. For the companies discouraged by financial obstacles, more than half (57%) think that the most effective way for these barriers to be overcome would be through incentives from government such as tax breaks or subsidies.

Tony Walsh, Head of MidCorporates, Barclays Corporate Banking, said:“It’s a mixed picture, with most mid-sized companies taking some steps to invest in

green activity, but with much more still to do. We found that there are clear commercial and reputational benefits if businesses do more in this area, as well as growing regulatory demands to increase green investment. It’s up to all of us: individual companies, trade bodies, government and finance providers to come together and make sure that investment in green initiatives is accessible and prioritised sufficiently. If you’re a business leader and the risks and opportunities around the green agenda are not being discussed in your boardroom, you might miss out on the commercial advantages that are available and suffer reputationally, and could be left behind.”

One business to have recognised the benefits of green investment is Unipart Group, the manufacturing, logistics and consultancy provider headquartered in Oxfordshire. They have become the first company to implement an environmentally responsible initiative through Barclays Green Asset Finance programme. Unipart has secured a £370k loan facility to fund the installation of LED lighting, fixtures and sensors at their warehouse in Cowley. The new lighting is environmentally positive as it will result in lower energy consumption and longer lifespan compared to traditional lighting. Unipart will also gain from lower energy costs in the warehouse, with the commercial benefits expected to be realised within 12 months.

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I N FO R M AT I O N

T EC H N O LO GY

The Real Benefits of going Virtual….

INFORMATION is everything to business and good quality information delivered in a timely manner will propel your business to the next level, give you the competitive edge, boost profits and increase your overall performance.

information because they lack the in-house skills and the budget to employ someone to manage and implement systems and processes to drive a business forward. Often solutions are put in to a plan then added to in an ad hoc manner over time – this and the ever changing nature of the cyber threat out there leads to insecure systems not working effectively for the business.

Jason Newell, Director of iclaritate Limited highlights the virtues of outsourcing the roles of IT Director, IT Manager and Project Manager to your business.

Many SMEs struggle to take full advantage of good quality

If you do not have an IT Strategy for your business how can it deliver for you? IT Support is often reactive and whilst bringing new technologies into your business the lack of a coherent planning can reduce the benefits and lead to further problems down the line. Throw into the mix the additional requirements for compliance, training and security and you are faced with a minefield.

Forget the premise that once your systems are up and running that is it, like a website you cannot implement it then just forget about it and assume it

will always just work without nurturing and protecting it. The needs of your business change as do the risks.

Getting strategic advice will help you formulate an IT Strategy going forward, allowing you to plan and budget for the future.

Often that budget is not enough to cover all the skills you may need and this is where a Virtual IT Manager can help – working on behalf of your business to optimize the relationships and processes you already have and make them more effective. A Virtual IT Director can provide the roadmap for your IT infrastructure, helping you understand the needs and responsibilities of the business and identify the best technologies and solutions for you as well as helping understand the needs for compliance and security.

Planning and implementing projects can also provide a significant challenge especially if taking staff away from their

normal routines. Engaging a qualified Project Manager can help deliver complex projects that you have identified to deploy in your business.

What of compliance and security? The need for process, education and monitoring has never been greater – the changes to data protection laws have mandated that everyone starts to think about the information they hold and how they use it, the process they go through to train staff and how they both secure that data and how they identify any data loss.

The Data Protection Bill ensures that all the fundamentals of GDPR will be enshrined in UK Law even after we fully exit the EU. Understanding the technologies that can help protect your business is not easy and it is easy to be misled which can be a costly process.

The requirement to use “cutting edge technologies” does not necessarily mean spending more money if you get the best advice!

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Data Driven rebrand to SSG Insight One of the UK’s leading SaaS providers to the manufacturing sector has relaunched today as SSG Insight, reflecting the growing role of insight in making intelligent business decisions for the manufacturing and distribution industries.

The Wakefield-based company, formerly known as the SoftSols Group, has earned an impressive reputation for delivering world-class data analysis, helping British manufacturers compete globally by effectively managing their assets to drive better business performance.

Alongside the rebrand, the firm has also announced the appointment of two new C-suite directors, Ian Dowd as Group Chief Marketing Officer and Andrew Orme as Chief Commercial Officer in EMEA. Both will be based at the Yorkshire headquarters and will be responsible for driving the business forward, with ambitious growth plans to

expand in to EMEA and ASPAC regions already underway.

Central to SSG Insight’s future strategy is investment in key product areas, including Agility, which provides visibility over costs and production efficiency among other core KPIs. A product roadmap is in place which is set to see two major new launches come online in the next three months.

Working with its core Agility customer base, SSG Insight recently concluded a major Data Intelligence Project, drawing upon a sample of more than 4.6 million work orders from January 2014 to December 2017. Manufacturers

represented in the project spanned food, chemicals, paper, aerospace, automotive and plastics industries. Work completed on time was shown to improve by over 50 per cent on average as a result of utilising the product’s insight, mobile solutions and KPI tracking. Breakdowns, leading to expensive downtime periods, were also shown to reduce by over 30 per cent.

Ian Dowd, Group Chief Marketing Officer said: “The coming years represent an incredibly important period of change for the UK manufacturing sector. The relationship Britain holds with the EU under BREXIT, along with factors at play in Rest of World territories under Industry 4.0, both cement a step-change in process and innovation across the globe.

Our rebrand enables us to be in the best possible position to help our customers retain a competitive advantage by providing valuable business insight, helping British manufacturers navigate the challenges and maximise the opportunities ahead of them.”

Andrew Orme, Chief Commercial Officer in EMEA said: “We are proud to work with businesses of all sizes around the world, including major international brands in the manufacturing and distribution sectors, as well as the transport and healthcare industries. As SSG Insight we are helping our customers to unlock the value in their operational data and processes.”

Jon Moody, Group Chief Product Officer added: “We have ambitious plans underway for SSG Insight including a busy product pipeline with multiple launches scheduled over the next three months.

We are building on the SoftSols legacy, which delivered more than three decades of innovation, to focus our future new product development on enhancing the user experience, supporting integrated mobile working for better productivity, and creating powerful reporting tools for tracking trends and improved decision making.”

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CWDIX LIMITED ACCOUNTANTS & BUSINESS ADVISORS

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Contact Chris Dix or Carolyn Harman for your free initial consultation

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Unit 4 Silkwood Court Wakefield WF5 9TP Telephone: 01924 263766

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RECRUITMENT

UPDATE

Wakefield Works supporting positive change

By Andy Turner Managing Director - First Choice Recruitment

As a founding member of Wakefield Works, an employment initiative that launched in 2012 and is delivered in partnership with Job Centre Plus, we have seen first-hand the positive impact that we can have when we bring our resources together.

From the start, we recognised that we needed to take a more proactive approach if we were to get young people into work, so decided that we would host a day that would match suitable candidates with prospective employers.

would deliver half-day sessions from 9am – 1pm. Running over four weeks, the events would give businesses the chance to meet with Job Centre Plus clients to identify any relevant roles that may assist local people back into employment.

Although the results were positive, achieving more than we could ever have hoped, we felt there was more that we could do to have a wider impact and to extend the initiative to engage with people of any age that were having difficulty finding employment.

Fundamentally what we learnt over the years is that it isn’t about whether people do or do not want work, far from it, it’s about offering support to build confidence, which in turn creates relationships that are established through face-to-face meetings.

Since that time the initiative has evolved and in its seventh year we changed the format to create #WakefieldWorksWednesday, which

As a recruitment company we know only too well how challenging it can be when first impressions are based entirely on a written CV or an online application.

Of course, this is the process that many of us still rely on. At First Choice we would always reinforce the importance of personality. After all, the skills required for one job will be vastly different to another and this needs to be considered before rash judgements or decisions are made.

The beauty about Wakefield Works is that it is a great opportunity for us to showcase the diversity of organisations and also the range of talent that we have across the district. Rather than being Wakefield centric, we have extended the locations to include Pontefract,

Surge in demand for industrial property Work has started on the third phase of construction at Marshall CDP’s South Kirkby Business Park.

Hundreds of tonnes of steel are currently being used to build three industrial units on the 22-acre site adjacent to the new A628 and close to the A1, A1(M) and M62 motorway network.

Commenting on the development, Ian Greenwood, managing director of joint marketing agents Carter

Towler, said: “We have already had lots of enquiries about this latest phase which is fantastic as these units are being built speculatively.

“Marshall’s have been bold in their approach to developing additional property on this site from the outset.

“There is considerable demand for

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Hemsworth and Castleford offering more people the chance to get involved.

Growing year on year, we can’t believe that what started out as an opportunity for young people, is now a model for best practice and is being rolled out across Kirklees and Bradford.

The figures are testament to the hard work and effort that goes into Wakefield Works behind the scenes. In 2017 we attracted 2,400 candidates and over 500 of those secured part and full-time positions. In addition, 87% said they had come along to the event with the intention to find work, while 96.6% said they would like to see the event held again in the future.

We now have some amazing examples of the people that have been supported through Wakefield Works and this includes those that have been unemployed for years.

Although they all have their own unique stories to share, what these case studies do make clear is that when we come together we can make a very powerful and positive difference to our communities.

After the success of March 2018 we are pleased to announce that we are on track to smash last year’s figures with Wakefield Works Part 2 being planned for September, where a further four half-day sessions will be hosted across the district. We would urge anyone who would like more details, either as an organisation that would like to showcase possible employment opportunities or as a candidate, to register your interest with me: andyturner@firstchoice-uk. com.

industrial properties like these across the region, as there has been for some time, and we are therefore very positive that these will be sold or let just as promptly. The initial phase which started in 2014 completed very quickly.”

The three completed detached units have been bought

by PHS and commercial vehicle converters VFS. The remaining three which measure 13,600, 10,000 and 11,500 sq ft will be ready for occupation in May 2018.

Nick Arundel, joint agent at AWS, added: “This £2.25m scheme is in a great location in the heart of West Yorkshire and Marshall’s are committed to building top quality premises that are suitable for small to medium sized distribution, warehouse or manufacturing companies.”

Free support for business owners Anyone running their own business knows it can be a lonely place at times and that having a supportive network can make all the difference to your happiness, effectiveness and success.

To help provide this, Yorkshire based Business Mentor, Gary King from Tendo, has recently joined forces with Mike Hall and Clare Taylor from marketing agency, ThinkSmart to become the voice of experience behind new Facebook Group, The Business Squad.

In just a few weeks since its launch, The Business Squad has already grown to over 650 members and has fast established itself as an energetic and mutually supportive community of small business owners.

Lives covering top tips and guidance on some of the common issues business owners face and are keen to get your views on what topics to cover next.

The Business Squad has recently created a survey and would be very grateful to any of you running, or thinking of starting, your own business to give just a few minutes to fill it in and share your views here: https://www.surveymonkey. co.uk/r/TopicApril18

“Everyone who knows me knows how incredibly passionate I am about helping local businesses succeed,” says Gary. “The free tips, tools and support we give out through the Business Squad is just one way we’re doing that, and we want to make sure it stays relevant and useful.”

As well as regular posts, the trio behind the group have hosted several webinars and Facebook

Gary King

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Bounce into and before a

Spring into

– where will it take you?

Around 70 big name shops and restaurants, enjoy free Wi-Fi, and park for only 50p on evenings and all day Sunday in a choice of 1,000 spaces.

A great day out awaits you in Wakefield city centre.

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UPDAT E

Digital innovation for the future workplace The UK is in the middle of a digital revolution. The rise of new technologies and cloud services are radically transforming the way people live and work.

Cloud-based technology solutions, Voice over IP (VoIP) and unified communications, along with full fibre gigabit internet speeds, are among the advances enabling businesses to work smarter and increase productivity while remaining secure.

This digital revolution forms the centrepiece of the Business Technology Forum 2018 – an annual one-day expo hosted by partners NGC Networks, Blue Logic and Ben Johnson.

Now in its fifth year, the Business Technology Forum provides an unmissable opportunity for IT Managers and Directors together with Finance and Commercial Managers and Directors to learn how to transform the way their business works.

Free educational seminars running throughout the day will demonstrate the raft of technologies available to enhance business coupled with predictions about where the digital revolution is headed for the future.

NGC Networks has partnered with Avaya, Gamma, IBM and CityFibre to deliver five seminars all providing topical insights for business leaders: Avaya – Demystify Cloud Telephony, Unified Communications and Video.

An educational, informative session exploring what is on offer from cloud telephony, unified communications and

video, where the offerings differ and understand how collaborative and flexible working tools are shaping the way we manage our work-life balance.

Nikki Guest, Director NGC Networks

IBM – Mobile Device Security in the Workplace.

While most cybercrime is targeted at corporate networks, mobile devices are extremely vulnerable too. Learn how Mobile Device Management can protect against data breaches, providing the ability to control and manage devices remotely, ensuring compliancy and cost savings for businesses.

Gamma – The Evolution of SIP SIP technology is transforming business communications.

Learn how SIP is more than just lines - it enhances business communications with backbone resilience, storage backup and disaster recovery. The next generation SIP will provide network level PCI compliant call recording and fixed mobile conversions.

Join us to discover how you can harness this technology to provide a rich communication experience.

how the latest technology can increase your CSAT scores whilst reducing costs and learn how to “move at the speed of the consumer”.

Industry expertise and market research from top vendors will be shared at this session.

CityFibre – Future-proofing business with Smart Cities Learn how CityFibre is revolutionising UK network infrastructure with full fibre gigabit internet speeds, offering complete resilience from Openreach and Virgin Media Business.

We will also discuss the government funding support that is available to SME businesses in order to invest in this technology.

To book your place at the Business Technology Forum 2018 and your choice of seminars, please visit: www.businesstechforum.co.uk

Avaya – The Future of Customer Contact Centres.

Learn about the current and future trends in Customer Experience Management that will help you understand Omnichannel Contact Centres and how they can help your business provide first class customer service. Explore

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Music futures continues to hit the right note for business Wakefield’s reputation for nurturing talent within the music industry is certainly hitting the right note thanks to Music Futures, a series of masterclasses delivered by Generation and led by Wakefield Council as part of the ERDF funded AD:VENTURE programme.

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Bringing together leading experts from the music and live events industry to share their experiences with members of the district’s creative, digital and IT community, the Music Future sessions have proven incredibly popular with those that have recently established or are considering a career in the sector.

Kick-starting the programme for start-up businesses in February, the initiative will go on to deliver a total of six events that have been developed to support this vibrant and emerging industry within the Leeds City Region.

Over the course of the day, we’ll cover key digital marketing and promotion tools, communicating effectively on Twitter, Youtube and Facebook making the most of video content, how to build your fan or customer base, managing mailing lists, how to analyse your Facebook and digital data, and take advantage of it.

Any individual considering launching a company, business startup or organisation that has been trading less than three years within the industry is encouraged to attend.

Tweeting feedback from recent Music Futures events, Scott Wilson commented: “Some great talks yesterday looking forward to the next session, massive thank you to the people who took the time to come and share their knowledge and experience #musicfutures @ADVENTURE_LCR @WakefieldFirst.”

Isaac Tyler tweeted: “Huge props to @ADVENTURE_LCR @ Wakefieldfirst and @GeneratorNE for yesterday! A day filled with some great talks from some great people in the music industry.

Jim Mawdsley from Generator, designers of the Music Futures programme comments: “There is real growth within live and recorded music which demonstrates the opportunity for those starting out or considering a business within this innovative sector.

Sue Dyde added: “@isaactylermusic and I buzzing after today’s session. Highest quality input have ever experienced and people so approachable and genuinely interested.

Gamechanger. #musicteacher #adventure.

The next events will take place on 3rd May, which will focus on “Wakefield is already recognised Digital Marketing featuring insight for its forward-thinking approach, and practical advice from special with Production Park and Tileyard guest Darren Hemmings, founder each playing a role in inspiring of Motive Unknown. Between and showcasing best in class. This managing campaigns for artists such programme provides the practical as Alt-J, Run The Jewels, Blink-182, steps to help our local businesses J Dilla, Richard Ashcroft, Leftfield, push forward in the exciting Jack Savoretti, James and DJ industry and has received fantastic Shadow, and running the feedback from those who took part.”

For further details about AD:VENTURE and the extensive range of business activities, master classes and grant support that is available to start-up and recently launched enterprises throughout the Leeds City Region, please visit www.adventure.org.uk and for updates about Music Futures please follow #MusicFutures #ThinkAdventure.

Daily Digest, there’s not much they don’t know about digital marketing.

Our Digital Marketing Masterclass will take a detailed look at the online tools available and offers practical, bespoke advice to you through expert tuition, case studies and practical tasks.

Future masterclasses will cover topics including VR/AR/XR streaming, digital led marketing strategies and complex industry rights, while also offering access to incredible coaching opportunities from music industry specialists including Tileyard and Production Park.

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for all your legal needs call your local solicitors Ramsdens

with 12 offices across West Yorkshire we’re never too far away #knowyourlawyer #askRamsdens

Yorkshire Legal Awards, Law Firm of the Year 2011, 2015 & 2017

01924 669510 www.ramsdens.co.uk

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M AT TERS

Ramsdens solicitors launches new specialist department Ramsdens Solicitors have brought together a multi-disciplinary team to support Professional Service firm clients.

Clients range from Legal and Accountancy practises to Surveyors, Architects, IFA’s and Estate Agents as well as Medical and Dental practitioners.

Ramsdens Solicitors

Each issue Ramsdens Solicitors, share with our readers information to keep us all within the law.

If you have a legal question, or need to know about a particular subject, email editor@topicuk. co.uk

Ramsdens clients in this sector normally operate in one of three forms; as a partnership as an LLP or as a limited company.

The objective of the multidisciplinary team is to support and advise clients from the point of creation through every stage of development.

The specialist team boasts expertise across the range of advice and representation Professional Service firms require, including: Core documentation, governance and change management.

Mergers and acquisitions.

Reward and progression structures and performance management.

Succession planning and implementation.

Regulatory issues and liaison with governing bodies.

Sensitive investigations.

Pre-dispute and dispute resolution support and litigation.

The Ramsden team is made up of experienced Lawyers and Advisers, many of whom are or have held Senior Management positions in their own successful firms.

David Bradley, Chairman of Ramsdens and member of the specialist team commented: “By bringing together experienced professionals working across disciplines, we provide a focussed and highly relevant service to clients in the Professional Services firm sector. The business dynamics within a Professional Services firms often display unique characteristics which as Lawyers, Partners, members and owners ourselves we understand and tailor our advice accordingly. We believe this sector of the market is not currently served particularly well and with our Partner led service we aim to improve upon that situation.”

Ramsdens other specialist team members are, Paul Joyce, Stephen Newman, Joanne Coen, Paul Booth and Richard Dean.

How serious are data breaches?How safe are your systems & policies?

The recent High Court case of Various Claimants WM Morrison Ltd illustrates that employers may be held responsible for the actions of their employees in respect of data breaches.

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Blue badges for ‘hidden disabilities’? assets will pass under the laws of intestacy meaning that the people you wish to inherit may not benefit. As well as nominating beneficiaries, you can also detail any funeral wishes you have and, is appropriate, appoint guardians for your young children.

Recent government proposals suggest that the ‘blue badge scheme’, which allows people to park closer to their destination free of charge, may be extended to those living with disabilities that are not always visible, such as autism and dementia.

The proposals have received a welcome response in light of a recent report showing that 75% of blue badge holders admitted that they would go out less frequently if they were not part of the scheme.

Supporters of the proposal feel that it will enable and encourage many more people to lead and to benefit from a more independent lifestyle.

In this case an employee of Morrison’s published payroll information of nearly 100,000 employees on the internet and was sentenced to 8 years in prison.

Following the data breach, those employees concerned argued that the breach had exposed them to the risk of identity theft and potential financial loss.

Although Morrison’s was not directly liable and had not breached its obligations under the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) the DPA required employees to have adequate security measures in place to prevent any unlawful processing of data.

Evidently, Morrison’s did not have adequate protections in place. The court held that Morrison’s was vicariously liable for the

Living with a hidden disease such as dementia highlights the importance of ensuring that your legal affairs are in order.

A Will is a vital legal document which dictates what should happen to your Estate after you die. Without a Will, your

A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) allows you to appoint people whom you trust to act as your attorneys and deal with your affairs on your behalf if you are no longer able to do so. There are two types of LPA; Property and Financial Affairs and Health and Welfare.

The Property LPA allows your attorney to deal with your bank accounts and property whereas the Health LPA covers decisions about selecting a care home or making choices relating to medical care.

data protection breach as the employee was ‘acting in the course of his employment’ when the data was disclosed.

The ruling in this case, together with the current General Data Protection Regulation, emphasises the need for well enforced organisational processes and procedures to ensure that the risk of such information security breaches are mitigated.

The GDPR is a substantial and ambitious piece of legislation which aims to overhaul attitudes towards the handling of personal data. The reform will introduce concepts such as the right to be forgotten, data breach notification and accountability as well as requiring a higher standard of consent.

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creative media hub in central London and is aiming to create a ‘Northern extension’ of the brand, in partnership with the council.

The applicant has described its vision for the project as ‘the final stage of a regeneration masterplan that will give ten acres of Wakefield’s historic riverside a new lease of life and see it become a significant cultural destination in the North of England’.

The intention is to turn the Rutland Mills site into a new mixed use creative quarter for collaborative partnerships in music, film, TV, design and new media.

The planned development would include a new four storey building, riverside pier and new public realm creating a large open air events space. A flexible range of uses are proposed, including new shops, market stalls, a hotel, food and drink outlets, conference and education spaces, art galleries, a microbrewery, craft workshops, studios and offices. One of the grade II listed buildings on the site would be demolished with the rest to be restored.

Green light recommended for Wakefield creative waterfront The conversion of the listed Rutland Mill on Wakefield’s waterfront to create a new creative quarter that could become a significant cultural destination in the North of England has been given the go-ahead.

The site is located to the south of the city centre, adjacent to The Hepworth art gallery and a grade II listed watermill.

It currently comprises a complex of nine 19th century buildings, including the grade II listed Rutland Mill complex, grade II listed Phoenix Mill Building, associated curtilage listed buildings and the locally listed Caddies Wainwright Mill building.

City and Provincial Properties is behind Tileyard Studios, a

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UPDAT E central jungle region is perfect for a day getting to know the local wildlife. But George Town – the island’s capital – is a constant draw for people seeking new adventures.

George Town is a hub of excitement. The old town streets, a UNESCO World Heritage site, are filled with quaint alleys and streets filled with boutiques and restaurants. Artisan stores filled with local works and crafts can be found all over the town. The streets are alive with the mix of Chinese, Indian and traditional Malay cultures, with a variety of stunning temples and religious spaces as a result of this. Throw in influences from the British colonial days, and you have yourself one of the most architecturally vibrant cities in the East. George Town has built an incredible reputation for itself over the last twenty years – particularly as a haven for foodies.

One that should reach the bucket list!

Street food is massive here, and the vibrant mix of cultures make for an interesting meal at any of the island’s hawker centres. Often associated with Singapore, hawker centres are like food-courts or indoor markets made of street food vendors, and they’re a great way to sample many local specialities, particularly those of Far Eastern influences.

Transport yourself to the market streets of Delhi, Mumbai or Chennai with an evening walk around the streets of Little India – George Town’s Indian enclave – and discover sample the crossover Indian-Malay cuisine.

A small, buzzing capital with a renowned street food scene, dense jungle home to a variety of wildlife, white sand beaches, and history both ancient and modern – the small island of Penang, along the western coast of Malaysia, should be on everyone’s Far East bucket list.

People generally flock to the island for some R&R following a few days in Kuala Lumpur – the Malaysian capital is only an hour’s flight away. Penang can, however, be exactly the place you need it to be. The coastal resorts along the West are the perfect place to enjoy year-round great weather by the side of a pool, and the

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Here, you’ll also find the Sri Mahamariamman Temple – the island’s oldest Hindu temple, dating back to 1833. Those interested in temples should definitely check out Kek Lok Si, a stunning Buddhist temple often adorned in stunning colourful lanterns, located on the outskirts of George Town itself.

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Why I became a foster carer

“A short time later Claire and Julia came to see me. They were both very friendly and recognised my uncertainty about such a life changing career move. Through their positivity and understanding I decide to continue along this journey.

Fostering to Inspire had their first foster carer, Lesley, approved in March.

“That’s when Julia became my assessing social worker. Together, over three to four months we worked on my profile and I found I could talk to her about some very painful memories.

She was lovely and helped me explore my past, and assess what valuable skills I already have for the fostering task.

With many families in assessment the agency is looking forward to setting up their first constellation as part of the Mockingbird Family Model.

Lesley has kindly shared her thoughts on making the decision to foster and what she is looking forward to about the future.

“An everyday woman sat scrolling through Facebook came upon an article about fostering. That woman was me. Fostering was something I’d been interested in but never done anything about it. Well, for some reason my finger twitched that night and I liked the page.

a strong, positive, supportive home for vulnerable children and young people. I would like to thank Fostering to Inspire and look forward to the challenges ahead.”

Fostering to Inspire is working in collaboration with The Fostering Network, aspiring to be a Mockingbird Family Model accredited service. This model brings together clusters of six to eight foster satellite families to form constellations. Each constellation is supported by a hub home carer who provides a range of support including peer mentoring and shortbreak care for the adults and children within the constellation.

“Julia then supported me through the fostering panel, and spoke on my behalf when I stumbled, she was there for me.

“Now having gone through panel, I’m preparing the house for children again. I’m scared yet really excited. I’m looking forward to the unexpected and the unknown. I know and trust the team at Fostering to Inspire will be there to help me when children arrive. I’m feeling very proud that all these people are supporting me and believe in me to provide

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Digital innovation for the future workplace

Join us for the No.1 Technology Event The Business Technology Forum is back for a 5th year. Join us for this annual one-day expo bursting with educational seminars from industry experts that will help transform the way you work. This year we focus on digital innovation for the future workplace, discover how technology can empower your business to work smarter, make better more informed decisions and aid productivity and collaboration.

THURSDAY 17TH MAY 2018 | 8AM - 3PM THE VILLAGE HOTEL, TINGLEY, LEEDS LS27 0TS To register for your FREE place, please visit: www.businesstechforum.co.uk

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New Inn

The name ‘New Inn’ seems a misnomer for such an old building although it must, of course, have been new once upon a time. Walton is known to have been settled in Anglo-Saxon times (when it was known as known as Weala-tun, meaning 'village of the Welshmen') and is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Waleton.

Records show that there were at least six licensed houses in Walton at one time. As well as The New Inn, there were The Cross Keys, The Star Inn, The Rose and Crown, The Boot and Shoe and an apparently unnamed beer house on Greenside, not to mention numerous other unlicensed ones.

(1) That there were so many thriving pubs in the past can probably be attributed to the fact that many navvies came to the area to help with building the canals and later the railways, adding to the number of agricultural labourers and coal miners already working in there.

There was a time when you could have reached The New Inn at Walton by land or by sea...

The New Inn at Walton is a thriving pub and restaurant at the heart of a very old village.

Wakefield Civic Society president, Kevin Trickett MBE, visits the ancient settlement for his latest restaurant review

OK, that last part might be a bit of a stretch, but Wakefield was once an inland port, navigable to (and from) the sea, and the canal system enabled boats to reach just about anywhere inland. The Barnsley Canal, dug in the late 1790s used to connect Barnsley and Wakefield and passed close by the pub until the canal was closed in 1953. Although the canal has long gone with some sections filled in and even built on, there is a group, The Barnsley, Dearne & Dove Canals Trust, who are campaigning to get the canal reopened. Until that lucky day, though, the only way to get to The New Inn is by road.

Kevin and his partner dined as guests of

The New Inn 144 Shay Lane, Walton, Wakefield, West Yorkshire WF2 6LA http://www. thenewinnwalton.co.uk Tel. 01924 255447 Email: info@ thenewinnwalton.co.uk

Follow Kevin on Twitter @MrTrickett

Today, though, The New Inn is the only pub in the village and is run by husband and wife team Ria BrooksBell and Iain Bell. They bought the property in November 2011 and invested heavily in the premises and the business to create a thriving village pub and restaurant that offers visitors a warm welcome in comfortable surroundings.

Ria, who is a native of the village, and Iain each have a background in the licensed trade and were both working for the Slug and Lettuce chain when they first met ten years ago – Ria was employed in sales and marketing while Iain ran one of the chain’s pubs in Leeds.

Having ‘teamed up’ the couple took

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on responsibility for running the Slug and Lettuce in Deansgate, Manchester, but then, around seven years ago, Ria’s father, Adrian, drew their attention to the fact that The New Inn was being offered for sale and, with a bit of help from the bank of mum and dad, the couple decided to make an offer, which was accepted.

The pub is today very much a family affair; Ria’s father and two brothers help to keep the business running (if mostly by doing their socialising in the bar) while Ria’s mother, Jacqui, does the office work, allowing Ria to focus on running the pub and Iain to lead in the kitchen where he is head chef. It is perhaps a mark of their success that the pub now employs some 28 staff: it was certainly very busy when my partner and I dined there one Wednesday evening at the end of March as guests of the establishment.

As I’ve mentioned before, the life of a restaurant reviewer is not without its challenges. To do the job right, you have to work your way through three courses and so it was that we set about ordering our meals. For a starter, I opted for Salt and Pepper Halloumi Slices in batter. These come with a salad garnish and chilli chutney (although I had mine with ketchup!). I followed this with a Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie served with ‘seasonal vegetables’ and then topped it all off with Caramel Apple Pie and custard. Had I been paying, that would have set me back £21.65, which is not at all bad for a threecourse meal and typical of what you can expect to pay there.

Meanwhile, my partner chose dishes from the specials menu. He started with a Bread-Crumbed Brie Wedge, with mixed salad leaves, and for

pub’s website).

Should you be visiting at lunchtime, there is the option of a main course from a lunchtime specials menu for just £6.95 and even the offer of a sandwich, chips and a soft drink at the same price. No wonder the place does good business. Or how about an afternoon tea – you have to order these at least a day in advance but at just £12.95 per person (£17.95 if you want it with Prosecco), it certainly looks like good value.

mains chose the Penne Pasta with Pesto, topped with rocket leaves and parmesan shavings. For dessert, he went with the ice cream. Again, the meal would have cost around the £20 mark. The specials’ menu is changed daily while the standard menu is refreshed every six months (so by the time you are reading this, the summer menus will be in use - you can check the menus on the

The New Inn can cater for groups in the main restaurant area or there’s the option to book a private room – the Chef’s Table, which seats up to eight people for a private dining experience. Or try the upstairs dining room, Lock Eleven, named after the Eleventh Lock on the aforementioned Barnsley Canal which was closest to the pub, where you have the choice of dining inside and experiencing the cosy surroundings, or outside on the open air terrace enjoying views of the surrounding

countryside. Lock Eleven can be booked for private groups of up to 20 people.

The New Inn is open from 12 noon until late, seven days a week, and food is served until 9 pm. There’s an extensive garden area with lots of seating and a large car park, there’s plenty of room for everyone. Taking the dog for a walk? Well, provided your pooch is well behaved, you’ll find your four-legged friend is even allowed into the tap room!

So, there you are. If you’ve not yet sampled The New Inn for yourself, there’s really no excuse. The service is friendly, the food is good and the price is right. The canal may no longer be there, but the road still leads to Walton….. Why not follow it there?

(1) Source: A History of Walton by Peter Wright Published in 1985 by Countryside Publications.

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Cook the perfect steak with Create Cafe…

Ingredients Steak – this is obviously the most important element and we urge you to buy the thickest steak you can. Going to the butcher or the butchery counter is a good way to get a thick steak as opposed to buying ‘from the shelf’.

There are many different cuts and this is a personal preference. Rump is usually thin, whereas sirloin, rib-eye and fillet can be thicker. We’ll leave it up to you which cut you prefer but as we say we urge you to get the thickest steak you can as it makes cooking the perfect steak much easier!

You will also need: - Knob of butter - Sprig of thyme - One clove of garlic per steak, cut in half - Salt and pepper

Method Remove your steak from the fridge and let them reach room temperature for an hour or two.

Happy Spring from all of us here at Create Café! Father’s day is fast approaching so that must mean we have some better weather coming our way.

This month we thought that you may like some ideas to treat the dads in your life, so we have created a beer inspired cocktail (one that suits the ladies as well as the gents).

Alongside this we thought that you may like to treat the man in your life, to most men’s favourite food – steak.

Cooking steak is easy I hear you cry, and you would be right. To cook a steak perfectly though is more of a challenge. See the recipe below to learn the cheffy way to cook a steak and impress your dads!

Choosing the right pan and getting it hot is key. Go for a heavy bottomed pan or a griddle pan. Once the pan is hot, on medium heat for a good 10 minutes to let the heat radiate through the metal and get the pan evenly hot all over. It should be smoking before the steak goes anywhere near it! Just before adding the steak, turn the pan up to full heat.

Next step is to oil and season the meat.

Go with oil first, ideally vegetable oil not olive oil. Use a good amount of salt and pepper. This is a very important part of the cooking process. Use more salt than you would think! It won’t make the meat salty but will add flavour throughout the cooking process.

Lay the steak in the pan, away from you to avoid any oil splashing back. Cook it for two minutes and turn it, cooking for a further two minutes.

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Wa ke f i e l d Add the butter, garlic and thyme. Once the butter is foaming start to baste the steaks. This will add all of the flavour from the thyme and garlic to the meat and the butter helps to impart the flavours deep into the steak. Do this stage for two minutes.

Now is the time to check how the steak is coming along. Gently prod the meat with your finger, it should feel fairly soft, so about medium rare. (This depends how thick your steak is, if it was thin it may well be further along). There is a good way to check how done the steak is by using the palm of your hand. Just look up ‘checking how done steak is’ on you tube or google and there will videos showing you this technique. If you like the meat more well done then turn it again and give it another minute, then turn one last time and give it another minute.

Last step is to rest the meat. A rule of thumb is to leave it to rest for the same amount of time it was cooking for. This allows the fibres of the meat to relax and will make it much more tender. Just add whatever you would like to accompany your steak and enjoy!

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The Eclipse With summer being around the corner, here is a fruity, beery, refreshing drink that can suit all tastes: Ingredients 4 Raspberries 4 Blueberries 4 Mint leaves 35ml Tequila blanco 18ml Lime 18ml Sugar syrup ½ pint of lager

Method Squash the berries and mint in a cocktail shaker. Add the tequila, lime and sugar syrup. Shake with ice and strain into an ice filled glass. Top with the lager and gently stir. Garnish with a mint sprig and a couple of berries. Enjoy!

Each edition, Sainsbury’s Trinity Walk provide goodies for us to review, either here in the TopicUK office or to give to our partners and clients for their view.

We also tried a Taste the Difference Cepa Alegro Rioja Reserva, a smooth and

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then add the perfect cocktail

Taste the Difference at Sainsbury’s This issue we have a delicious Taste the Difference Casablanca Chilean Sauvignon wine that we tried with Chicken Stir Fry. Zesty and crisp with grapefruit and gooseberry flavours this wine was quite dry and fresh and sat perfectly with our chicken. It would also work very well with fish. This is a fantastic value wine at just £6.00.

&

mellow red that has intense flavours of ripe cherries, raspberries and chocolate, underpinned by warm oaky notes. This time one of our staff tried it with roast lamb. This was a little more expensive than the white, but equally good value for money at £7.50.

were crisp without too much salt, Cheddar Cheese Twists, which were very cheesy and our favourite Chive & Onion Twists that had a lovely savoury flavour, perfect as a snack on their own or for dipping.

Finally, we saved the sweet until last. 140g of delicious Taste the Difference Belgian Salted Caramels, a definite office favourite and just £4.00. We were pleasantly surprised when we opened the box as each of the Caramels are coated in ‘gold’ making them not only taste wonderful with just the right amount of salt and sweet, but looked very glamourous too.

Perfect for after dinner served with liquors.

Aside from the wine, we also opened a box of Sainsbury’s savoury selection. There are three snacks in the 115g box, great value at £1.40. There are plain Salted Breadsticks which

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Steve said: “I am delighted to have been able to complete the buy out and provide a welldeserved exit for Mick.

“We first started working together at Top Treads over 20 years ago, and we have been a great partnership.”

He continued: “I’m looking forward to building on the foundations that have been put in place over a long period time, and am confident that Top Treads can go from strength to strength.

“I am particularly pleased to retain Mick’s expertise within the group on a consultancy basis and he will continue to retain and develop key accounts in Yorkshire.”

Tyre business acquired as MD buys out long-term partner The Wakefield-based business is now solely owned by managing director Steve Evans, who acquired shares from long-term partner Michael Blackshaw through a newlyformed holding company.

Top Treads wholesales retread commercial tyres for local councils, international fleets and owner operators in the North. The company was founded in 1991 and today employs over 40 people. As Europe’s largest independently owned Bridgestone-certified tyre retreader, Top Treads operates from factories in Crigglestone and the Wirral, Merseyside.

Paul Davison of PD Tax Solutions provided tax advice on the transaction. Accounting and deal structuring advice was provided by Chris Dix Accountants. Sharon Lowther, of NatWest, arranged the acquisition funding and Daniel McCormack, corporate partner at law firm Lupton Fawcett, gave legal advice to the newly formed holding company.

Daniel commented: “Top Treads is a great Wakefield business with bags of potential to grow still further.

“It was a pleasure to work alongside Paul and Chris, plus Sharon at Natwest, to help get the deal done. With Steve’s drive and determination I am sure that the future is bright for Top Treads.”

The buyout was completed for an undisclosed sum.

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D i s t ric t Prime Minister’s Question Time after she received a letter from students concerned about the UK’s reliance on Fossil Fuels; an issue the MP said that, if tackled, would support the sustainable future of the green economy.

In January, the school council at Boothroyd Primary Academy also hosted its own version of ‘Question Time’ by interviewing MP Paula Sherriff on how her role supports the people of Dewsbury, and by asking what more could be done to save the local and wider environment as well as endangered animals.

Thornhill’s headteacher, Michael Rowland, said: “We are all responsible for the future of our planet, and as a Trust we place a lot of importance on ensuring that our pupils understand how to live sustainably.

School students embrace ‘rubbish art’ Student Council representatives from two Dewsbury schools recently took part in a recycling workshop designed to encourage children to think differently about the materials they waste and what possibilities there are to make the world more sustainable. fairandfunky - a community interest company focused on empowering participants to take their own little steps to change the world - delivered the project, which made use of plastic straws and bottle caps to create a collage to a total of 21 student council representatives from Boothroyd Primary Academy and Thornhill Junior and Infant School.

The event took place at Boothroyd’s eco-house, which produces five times the amount of energy that it consumes.

It was the first to be built in Yorkshire,

and features a 152m² double classroom that is ultra-energy-efficient, and costs the academy nothing to heat and light over its 60-year design life.

It also generates clean energy and revenue for the school through its solar PV roof.

Recycling is high on the agenda for the schools - which both belong to FocusTrust, a charitable multi-academy trust based in the North West of England – with Thornhill receiving a shout out from local MP Paula Sherriff during

“Two of the key themes we focus on at Thornhill are respect and responsibility, and this workshop was a perfect way to get the Student Council – who can then relay the information to their peers - to start to think about how to respect our planet, and how to take responsibility for securing its future.”

Kyrstie Joslin, the Principal at Boothroyd, said: “We work towards a set of values here at Boothroyd which place importance on caring, sharing, being fair and daring to do things differently. This workshop was a great opportunity for the children to put those key words into practice on an environmental level, and they had a great time doing it!”

Boothroyd Primary Academy’s Head boy said: “The workshop was a lot of fun, I really enjoyed making art out of the rubbish and learned a lot about how important recycling is, too!” fairandfunky is a Huddersfield-based community interest company that runs workshops focused on the topics of Fairtrade, recycling and the environment, working on the belief that ‘recycling is just one simple step each and every one of us can take to change the world’.

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OPIN IO N

Social Media sets the stage for our life performance Kieran Rogers is a third year journalist student at The University of Huddersfield.

TopicUK asked Kieran for his thoughts on social media and why he thinks it is so popular with today’s generation.

Social media has given my generation the means to turn everything into a performance.

The coffee you bought before you started your shift is now a piece of performance art, complete with a filter and a caption, for people you vaguely know to scroll past on their commute.

Your romantic getaway to Paris is now reduced to of a staged fraction of a moment, grinning in front of the Eiffel Tower, but why? We as a generation seem to want to perform our whole lives, or at least what we want people to think our lives look like, to anybody and everybody that is willing to pay attention, for absolutely no real reason at all.

We all grow up being told that people are going to care about our opinions and thoughts and we are going to make a difference, but apart from a select few, people like content creators

and reality TV stars and actors and performers, we have grown up to find that nobody really cares. Social media has given us a solution to this, a platform to have an audience for everything we do, a platform to quench this thirst for popularity and validation and make us feel important. This is treated as an excuse to spew out our opinions and thoughts to a captive viewership, a cathartic way of expressing pretty much whatever we like, no matter tired and banal these thoughts may be.

Once people do this well get a taste for faux-success it becomes almost addictive. The rush of adrenaline is frankly bizarre that you can receive from the Twitter likes and retweets that pour in following your witty anecdote about your trip to the supermarket. As is the constant dinging of your phone following your post of one of the 47 photos you took of yourself in your mirror once you were ready to go out, providing you with a constant aural assault that ensures that you get your fix of attention you’ve been craving. It’s all so futile and pointless; none of it matters at all, yet it is something that so many of us seem to participate in, indulging in the acceptance and gratification that our peers provide us with.

We willingly put ourselves under the microscope constantly, only whilst filtering ourselves to show our best qualities and manipulating moments to fit our manufactured ideas of ourselves. Go to any live music performance and you will see young people watching a show that is happening right in front of them through a screen, so they can regurgitate it for their followers and use it to reaffirm the idea of this character that they are trying so hard to live up to. In a twisted irony, these people are diluting their own experiences to be portrayed as the kind of person that lives these experiences.

Over time I can only see this as something that is going to get worse; children are having phones and tablets thrust into their hands, practically from birth, creating a very digitally orientated culture that is much different to the one that even my generation grew up in. Social media seems to become more powerful all of the time and shows little sign of slowing down. Everything is a performance now, when the camera is on or our fingers touch our keyboards we do our song and dance in the hope that someone, somewhere, will probably care.

MAY 2018

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Search is on for Yorkshire’s finest young people

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Awards dinner on Thursday 8 November at the Leeds United Centenary Pavilion, so save the date.

Tickets for the dinner are now on sale and are available through the website.

Awards Chairman Peter McCormick OBE said: “We would welcome even more nominations this year, even though it makes the tough job of judging even harder! We believe Yorkshire produces some great talent and that our young people have the grit and determination to succeed and we want to hear about them. They don’t have to be famous, just young people who make a difference in some way or are on the path to achieving their full potential.”

To nominate a potential winner, just visit the Awards website at www.yorkshireyoungachievers. co.uk or contact Sonia Jones at McCormicks Solicitors on 01423 530630.

Pictured The 2017 Personality of the Year, Lizzie Jones, with Awards Chairman Peter McCormick OBE, left, and Peter Banks, Managing Director of sponsor Rudding Park.

The search for Yorkshire’s finest young people is about to begin.

Nominations for the 26th annual Yorkshire Young Achievers Awards open on 24 May.

The Awards, sponsored by McCormicks Solicitors of Harrogate, mark the achievements of outstanding young people aged under 35 from across Yorkshire.

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Anyone can nominate a potential winner and there are eight categories as follows: • Personality of the Year (sponsored by Rudding Park) • Youngster of the Year (GMI Property) • Unsung Hero (Lunchbox

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Theatrical Productions Ltd) Achievement in the Arts (Barclays) Achievement in Education (Positive Tax Solutions LLP) Achievement in Management and Enterprise (The Wetherby Whaler Group) Achievement in Sport (Leeds United Football Club) Special Award (Walsh Taylor)

The winners will be announced at the Yorkshire Young Achievers

The Yorkshire Young Achievers Awards were founded in 1993 to celebrate the achievement of Yorkshire’s young people, along with raising money for Yorkshire’s children’s charities.

Due to the success of the Awards, the Yorkshire Young Achievers Foundation was founded in 2010 to further support charitable projects for young people in the Yorkshire region.

The Foundation’s Trustees are: Peter McCormick OBE (Chairman), Nicola Corp, Sonia Jones, Charlotte McCormick, Ron Miller, Richard Stroud (Vice Chairman) and Zoe Ward. Its Patrons are Christine Talbot and Duncan Wood of ITV Yorkshire.

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Call us to e arrangt i a vis

Ackworth School Nursery Nursery 2 ½ - 4 years A secure, caring and stimulating environment where children learn through play. Children are at the centre of all that we do.

With us they will develop conȴdence; which lies at the heart of their learning experience.

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Ackworth School Pontefract Road, Ackworth, Pontefract, Wakefield, WF7 7LT Tel: +44 (0)1977 611401 Email: admissions@ackworthschool.com www.ackworthschool.com l M /AckworthSchool l N @ackworth_school

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Pontefract firm named

on Sunday Times BDO Profit Track 100 league table Pontefract-headquartered kitchen manufacturer Ultima is named on the 19th annual Sunday Times BDO Profit Track 100 league table, a ranking of Britain’s private companies with the fastest-growing profits over three years.

Six Yorkshire businesses feature, which include four new entrants, together employing 6,000 staff and they have achieved combined profits of £114m.

Featuring for the second time is Leeds-based PureGym, which

operates 200 branches. In November 2017, chief executive Humphrey Cobbold led a buyout backed by US private equity firm Leonard Green & Partners, which acquired a majority stake.

Among the new entrants is Sheffield-based Cooper & Turner, who manufacture industrial fasteners, such as industrial bolts, nuts and washers, in Sheffield, China and the US. The other new entrants are Ilkley-based mechanical and electrical contractor NG Bailey

TopicUK strengthens partnerships with brand new look TopicUK is changing so we can bring to you much more business news, reach a wider audience and spread your news, views and services right across the Yorkshire region.

From 1 July we will amalgamate all our editions that cover Leeds, Wakefield, Kirklees. Calderdale into one, creating a big issue, that will include regions we have not published and distributed in before, such as Harrogate, Sheffield and Bradford.

As we have just passed our fifth Birthday,

and and healthcare software developer TPP, based in Leeds.

Barnsley-based furniture supplier Symphony is once again featured.

Terry Jones, partner and head of Yorkshire at BDO, the title sponsor of the league table, said: “These high-growth, high-energy and highly-entrepreneurial companies will be the difference between success and failure in

demand for TopicUK is growing. We receive business news from all over the country, far too much for us to share with you, but with this new magazine, we will be in a position to bring you so much more.

This is a double bonus for our existing partners, many of whom joined us when we launched our very first edition in Wakefield in 2013. Not only will their business receive greater exposure across a wider area, it will not cost them any more financially. Add to this our new look website and digital edition and our total reach across Yorkshire is up to 50,000*.

For none partners, our annual rate will increase to reflect this wider area, but if you’re quick, you can take advantage of the low current rate enjoyed by our existing partners. Reserve your partnership with us before 20th May and we will honour our existing rate.

our post-Brexit economic future.

“These businesses are playing their part by recording strong levels of revenue and profit growth and by creating jobs. We’d like to see the government do more to help them by focusing on skills, infrastructure investment and tax simplification.”

them at the many conferences and exhibitions we partner with such as Brand Yorkshire and Institute of Directors, they can have as much space to publish their news and events on our website as they want and over the course of the partnership, usually 12 months, there is a possibility that they will also feature on one of our covers. In addition, we can cover full PR requirements if needed, using other media sources.

When you become a TopicUK partner, not only do you promote your own business, you become part of the local business community that promotes itself to a much wider audience.

We are rapidly earning a reputation as the best place to promote p p yyour business.

Our partners receive much more than an advert in each edition. Their press releases are given priority over others, we promote

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Grand gesture for children by Cedar Court Hotels

Entertainment is provided throughout the event with a raffle and games before dancing concludes the evening.

Chairman of WACCL and the Children of Achievement Awards, Ian Taylor, comments: “Cedar Court Hotels Yorkshire have been very generous in the support that they have given us over the years but this really is something else. Attracting a headline sponsor will make all of the difference to this event and takes us one step closer to hitting our target of £50,000.

“It’s not only about making the event an occasion that the winners will never forget, but also about remembering that the money raised will fund local organisations that deliver life changing support for young people from across our District.”

John Horvath from Cedar Court Hotels Yorkshire, comments: “We are very pleased to show our support to the Children of Achievement Awards.

Having hosted the WACCL dinner for many years, we have seen first-hand the work, time and commitment that goes into these events and what can be achieved as a result.

Cedar Court Hotels Yorkshire has confirmed that it will become headline sponsor, donating an impressive £10,000 to the Children of Achievement Awards, which is the only event dedicated to celebrating the bravery and talents of young people from across the Wakefield District.

Becoming first ever headline sponsor for the event, Cedar Court Hotels Yorkshire will take naming rights to the awards, which attract hundreds of people from across the District and raised almost £7,000 during its inaugural celebration last year.

The awards ceremony brings together young people that showcase their bravery or talents to be named as winner of each of seven categories.

Following a champagne reception and three-course dinner, guests hear more from the winners who take to the stage

“Putting our name to this activity makes us very proud and we hope that other businesses in the District will come forward to show their support too.”

The Children of Achievement Awards will take place on Saturday 23 June at Cedar Court Hotel Wakefield from 6pm – midnight. Tables of 10 are £500, with individual tickets available at £50 each, which can be purchased online. For further details please visit: www.waccl. co.uk.

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businessschool Why choose the Business School at Wakefield College? · New £7million Advanced Skills and Innovation Centre. · Courses in areas including accountancy, HR, leadership and management, customer service, retail, procurement and supply. · Your course will be accredited by a professional body such as the AAT, CILEx, CIPS, CMI, ILM and the CIPD. · An Advanced Learner Loan* could help you cover the cost of study with no upfront cost.

Visit www.wakefield.ac.uk/business-school or call our Course Information team on 01924 789111 *For more information visit: www.gov.uk/advanced-learner-loan

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The BBC Good Food Show Summer heads back to Birmingham’s NEC for a delicious day out between June 14 17th, packed with live entertainment, top chefs and experts and fresh new seasonal flavours.

Our VIP packages are selling out fast so head to the website to find out more! Or for the ultimate day out, treat yourself to the VIP Luxe package and have your day planned for you.

To be in with a chance of winning all you have to do is head over to Twitter and Tweet the message:

TopicUK has teamed up with the BBC Good Food Show, to give you the chance to be one of 5 lucky winners of a pair of tickets to the show which includes BBC Gardeners’ World Live*.

Get into the spirit of summer with recipe inspiration from a sensational line-up including Michelin Masters Michel Roux Jr, Tom Kerridge and Raymond Blanc, Show favourite James Martin, queen of baking Mary Berry and the entertaining Hairy Bikers! Plus, get up close and personal with interviews and book signing sessions.

Don’t forget, you can explore BBC Gardeners’ World Live as part of your ticket too!

Be inspired Head to the Summer Kitchen to see Chris Bavin and a host of famous faces sharing top tips and fresh summer recipes. Dr Rupy Auja of ‘The Doctors Kitchen’ joins the line-up, along with Melissa Hemsley, Tommy Banks and Chantelle Nicholson.

“I’m going to the BBC Good Food Show with @topic_uk” Plus enjoy live interviews, demos and BBQ masterclasses.

Big Kitchen Each Super Ticket includes a seat to see your culinary heroes cooking seasonal dishes LIVE in the Big Kitchen at the heart of the Show. Get closer to the stars and upgrade to a Gold seat.

Great shopping Sample and shop from a huge range of independent and artisan producers, pick up the latest kitchen kit plus discover exclusive Show deals from some of your favourite big brands.

VIP Experience Discover our VIP package and enjoy front block Big Kitchen seats, VIP lounge access, goody bag, cookbook and more.

and don’t forget to follow us so we can notify you directly if you are a winner. You can enter as many times as you wish. The winner will be the first five entries drawn after the closing date of May 21st – good luck!

Terms and Conditions *Tickets are general admission only for the BBC Good Food Show and BBC Gardeners’ World Live, 14-17 June 2018 on any day except Saturday.

Complimentary tickets do not include theatre seats but these can be purchased on the day, subject to availability. Not all experts appear on all days. Details correct at time of print. The Gardeners’ World logo and the Good Food word mark and logo are trademarks of the BBC. ©BBC. Organised and presented by River Street Events.

Competition

The BBC Good Food Show

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Expansion ambitions fuel recruiter’s relocation secured some major contract wins including, most recently, international engineering and construction company Laing O’Rourke,” said Orchard Recruitment’s Managing Director Richard Cade.

“Our move to bigger offices means we are ideally placed to make the most of the opportunities coming our way and we are looking for the right individuals to join our team.”

Accredited through Constructionline and Site Safety and Procurement, Orchard prides itself on its high levels of compliance and professionalism, working transparently with its clients to develop long lasting trusting relationships with them.

Orchard’s relocation to new offices

EXCITING expansion ambitions have driven specialist construction recruiters, Orchard Recruitment’s move to new offices in the centre of Wakefield.

The relocation to Woodhead House in Providence Street gives Orchard Recruitment room to expand its own team by at least another four people as it moves into new markets and wins work with additional major builders including Laing O’Rourke.

Well established within the Construction sector, Orchard is ambitious to expand its Orchard

Trades and Labour division which it set up last year and is planning new divisions servicing the Housing, Architecture and Civil Engineering sectors.

“Construction is booming with a number of offices, retail and residential accommodation being built as well as school and hospital projects in Yorkshire and the North West. We have

“We strive to recruit quality candidates who fit the brief for our clients so while our people need to have an energetic entrepreneurial approach they also need ethical moral principles which drive them to do what’s best for both clients and candidates,” Richard explained.

“In a corporate recruitment world that is largely driven by numbers, we operate very differently focusing on delivering a quality service which ultimately saves on time and money. We now have the office space to enable us to expand – all we need now are the people to make it happen!”

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Employee Management Skills Workshops

www.eatonsmith.co.uk

We're delighted to bring you our latest series of the popular Employee Management workshops in conjunction with the Personnel Partnership.

The workshops are £125 +VAT for the half day workshops and £245 +VAT for the full day workshops.

Keeping it Going!

•

This module is split into 2 parts:

Part 1 – Staying One Step Ahead: Engagement, Performance, and Succession Tuesday 5 June 2018, 9.30am to • 12.30pm Eaton Smith offices

How to tackle difficult conversations that we always put off because they are too tricky to handle, we’ll give you some top tips to ensure they are never put to one side again.

Investigating and responding to grievances is always a difficult process to deal with. We’ll help you ensure you get it right and are following good practice in line with the Acas Code.

Dealing with short term / intermittent absence can be time consuming, especially if you have some “repeat offenders” in your business.

We’ll talk you through some of the best tools to use to help you manage absence effectively.

Dealing with discrimination, harassment and bullying in the workplace is one of the most difficult challenges anyone can face. Fear not – we’ll guide you through the legal framework and give you practical advice on how to manage these situations.

In our first workshop, we’ll look at “the good stuff” including how to effectively “manage your talent”: • Employee engagement is key to a successful business, we’ll take you • through how to bring this to life in your organisation • Managing employee performance is critical, you want to be sure that employees are working to the standards you set. We’ll discuss tried and tested methods of managing performance in the 21st • Century.

• Training and developing your employee’s goes hand in hand with managing their performance, do your employees have personal development plans? Do you even know where to begin with assessing learning and develop The Infamous Work/ Life Balance ment needs – worry not, we’ll Tuesday 18 September 2018, 9.30am to guide you through the process.

12.30pm, Eaton Smith Offices.

• Succession planning is something you need to think about to be one In this module we will look at a variety of step ahead of the game. What if a personal life issues that infiltrate the key member of your team left workplace and need to be dealt taking all their knowledge and with to ensure minimal disruption expertise with them, how would it and maximum productivity for your affect your business? We’ll help business. The module will be a busy you get your succession planning half day workshop in which we will process to the top of your agenda. focus on: • Family planning! What to do when an Part 2 – It’s Not Me, It’s You employee is expecting (or adopting) a baby. We’ll walk you through your Tuesday 3 July 2018, 9.30am to 4.00pm obligations as an employer from Eaton Smith offices giving employees the appropriate In our second workshop, we’ll look at “the written notices and carrying out risk challenging stuff” to help you keep your assessments for pregnant employbusiness on track including: ees, to understanding the rights that • How to deal with conflicts in the employees have. workplace, including conflict • Recognising and dealing with between members of staff, flexible working requests. These between an employee and their often sneak up on you and before line manager, and between senior you know it you’ve turned down a management! We’ll look at how to request for reduced hours without investigate the causes of the following the statutory procedure or conflict and methods of dealing giving one of the legally prescribed with that conflict from mediation to reasons for refusing the request. disciplinary and dismissal.

We’ll show you the way through

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dealing with these flexible working requests without landing yourself in hot water.

How to deal with relationships at work from family members to lovers.

Relationships in the workplace can result in difficulties whether it is people needing holiday at the same time, trysts in the stationary cupboard or fights being brought into work. How might you choose to deal with them?

Stress awareness and how to spot and help an employee who is struggling before it becomes a problem for your business in terms of lost productivity, time off work or stress fuelled explosions.

Wellbeing – buzz words or can you really contribute to your employee’s wellbeing to help benefit your business? We’ll guide you through some of the latest thinking and look at practical things you can do to increase employee wellbeing.

Who are your trainers?

Kate Booth from Eaton Smith - Kate is a Partner at Eaton Smith Solicitors and advises both businesses and individuals on all aspects of employment law.

Helen Straw from The Personnel Partnership - Helen is the Managing Director of The Personnel Partnership and is also a Chartered corporate member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

To book please contact Eleanor Cummings on 01484 821430 or at eleanorcummings@eatonsmith.co.uk

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