Topicuk southyorks sept16 indd

Y O R K S H I R E

F R E E

B U S I N E S S

C O M M U N I T Y

M A G A Z I N E

ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER 2016

S O U T H

W W W.TO PI CU K .CO.U K

BUSINESS LEADERS SURROUND YOURSELF WITH PHENOMENAL PEOPLE - P34

TOP AWARD FOR HEALTHCARE CHIEF - P6 A GRAND DESIGN FOR MEADOWHALL'S OVERHAUL - P30

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Philmore & Co Business Rescue, Recovery & Insolvency Yorksh hire’s Business Rescue & Recovery Expe erts •

At Philmore & Co Ltd, as Insolvency Practitioners, we have over 40 years combined experience in assisting businesses and individuals in times of financial difficulty, providing our specialist recovery and insolvency expertise.

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Based in Huddersfield, the Practice offers informal and confidential advice, giving practical solutions to all types of businesses, including limited liability companies, partnerships and sole traders, as well as their creditors and other stakeholders in times of financial uncertaincy.

For an initial free consulttation, please e contact Pau ul Philmore or Diane Kind der.

Unit 8D, Barnsley Business & Innovation Centre, Innovation Way, Wilthorpe, Barnsley S75 1JL. Tel: +44 (0)1226249590 Email: enquiries@philmoreandco.com www.philmoreandco.com

Independent Education for Boys & Girls Aged 3-18

Silcoates School An all-round education with an academic edge

Silcoates School, Wrenthorpe, Wakefield, WF2 0PD 01924 291614 | enquiries@silcoates.org.uk www.silcoates.org.uk | Charity No. 1158796

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South Yorkshire In Business • Exhibition with up to 100 stands • FREE Entry & FREE Parking • Quality region wide contacts

• Breakfast Networking Meeting 7am - 8am; Chamber members only.

Pre-booking required • High profile guest speakers; On the topics that matter

A EVENT Thursday 29th September 8am - 3pm

Call: 01709 723 118 or visit: www.mymagnaevents.co.uk Supported by:

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"

Contents & Comments Details of this Month‘s TopicUK, your Local Business Community Magazine

PICK UP YOUR COPY

As TopicUK grows, so does the number of pick up points. Below is a list of distribution points.

If you would like to stock copies of TopicUK do get in touch and we’ll arrange to drop some off.

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National Coal Mining Museum New Road, Wakefield.

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Alhambra Shopping Centre Barnsley

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Civic Theatre Barnsley

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Oakwell Stadium Barnsley

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Holiday Inn Barnsley

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Barnsley Innovation Centre County

06 10 13

TOP AWARD for Health Care Chief

KING OF THE CASTLE Contract win

FASTEST WOMAN thanks Air Ambulance

Way, Barnsley •

Barnsley College

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Capital B Media Bullhouse Mill, Millhouse Green

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Lifetime FM Great Cliffe Court, Barnsley

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Toyota Barnsley Barugh Green, Barnsley

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Harris & Co Accountants Barnsley

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Sheffield United Bramall Lane Sheffield

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M2K PR Sheffield

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Cluck Services Sheffield

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Oaks Business Park Oaks Lane, Sheffield

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Sheffield Business Centre Europa Link Sheffield

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£10 MILLION INVESTMENT for Sheffield

MEET THE TEAM who make a difference

GRAND DESIGN Meadowhall's overhaul

Barnsley Train Station Barnsley

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19 24 30

Cover Image - Anthony Hegney - image: Simon Dewhhurst Photography

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 strictly prohibited.

Whilst every care is taken in the production of this magazine, the publisher/editor cannot accept any responsibility for errors in articles,

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EDITORS NOTES

latest news and updates from around the area. Kevin Trickett, President of the Wakefield Civic Society has written our restaurant review, visiting the very popular Cedar Court Hotel, just off the M1 and we catch up with our nominated charity Weston Park to find out more about the team that works tirelessly behind the scenes.

TopicUK GROUP EDITOR Gill Laidler EDITOR CAT YAFFE

CREATIVE DIRECTOR ROB BLACKWELL

It was my great pleasure to meet Liam Swift and the co workers at Helm Co Working in Doncaster this month. It’s a fantastic space to work, and you can read all about it on pages 34 and 35.

We also have a new regular contributor, Michael Dugher MP for Barnsley East who will be keeping us up to date with his work around the region plus news from Westminster and on the wider economy.

If you would like to get involved with the TopicUK business community, either by becoming a partner or as a contributor then please do let me know. We are launching our Business Club in October for our partners which will include a number of networking events and we have also launched TopicTV, so as well as appearing in the print version of TopicUK, you can now feature in your own video which will be broadcast on our website, on your own website and across social media. Do let us know if you are interested.

Welcome to the latest edition of TopicUK South Yorkshire. I’ve been networking like crazy this month to spread the news of TopicUK, and have been faced with overwhelming support. We now have more pick up points than ever before, making the magazine accessible to businesses right across the Sheffield City Region.

In this issue we bring you all the

My thanks again to all the contributors and advertisers.

Without you we wouldn’t be able to grow the magazine at the rate we are.

Cat Yaffe

LOCAL HEROES EDITOR

THE ARTS HELEN BALL, BARNSLEY CIVIC

FOOD & RESTAURANT REVIEW ANTHONY HEGNEY, ASPARAGUS GREEN

WANT TO PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS IN THE SOUTH YORKSHIRE AREA? TopicUK can reach thousands of readers using both our printed and digital media at costs affordable to any size of business.

Full page advert £350.00 Half page advert £225.00 Quarter page advert £175.00 Should you want to become a sponsor, there are packages available that will give you a full page advert in every issue for one year, free editorial in each edition as well as free space on our website which currently enjoys up to 18,000 monthly visitors.

To take advantage of the superb offers available, call us now on 07711 539047 or email cat@topicuk.co.uk Barnsley Business & Innovation Centre Innovation Way Barnsley South Yorkshire S75 1JL

Tel: 07741 271 788 - cat@topicuk.co.uk - www.topicuk.co.uk - Ghost Publishing Ltd - Suite 6 Unity Works Westgate Wakefield WF1 1EP advertisements or programme schedules. To subscribe to this magazine, submit an article or press release please contact Gill Laidler on: 07741 271 788 or email editor@topicuk.co.uk Published by Ghost Publishing Limited.

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NewsUpdate

HEALTHCARE COMPANY CHIEF WINS TOP DIRECTOR AWARD

Keith Jackson, won the Yorkshire Small Company category and will now go forward to the national finals in London later this year. “I am delighted to receive this award and to be recognised by the judges for my leadership and for transforming JRI Orthopaedics into the professional and forward looking company that it is today,” he said.

implants and surgical instruments.

Uniquely, it is wholly owned by the charity Orthopaedic Research UK (ORUK), and donates operating profits to help fund groundbreaking research into bone and joint disease.

Keith added: “This is a challenging but exciting time to be at the helm of this amazing company and to be recognized by your business peers in this way is very humbling and satisfying.”

Keith has spent more than two decades at JRI, working in sales, design, and managerial roles. He was appointed managing director in 2010 and CEO last year.

JRI Orthopaedics is a multi-award winning company with world-class expertise in the design, development and manufacture of orthopaedic

The regional IoD award winners were announced at a gala dinner at Leeds Civic Hall hosted by regional BBC broadcaster Danni Hewson and partnered by TopicUK.

The Chief Executive of leading Sheffield health care company JRI Orthopaedics has scooped a major award at the prestigious regional Institute of Directors awards.

Magna event brings businesses together Magna is organising a South Yorkshire wide event that brings together three Chambers of Commerce, to help businesses build relationships across the region.

South Yorkshire in Business will take place on Thursday 29th September and will feature up to 100 exhibitors, with networking opportunities and guest speakers sharing their expertise on a range of topics.

The event, which will be held between 10am to 3pm and there will be a members-only networking breakfast also taking place at 8am.

John Silker, chief executive of Magna, said: “We’re delighted to have the support of the region’s Chambers and are looking forward to welcoming businesses from across South Yorkshire to make important contacts, learn from our guest speakers, and build relationships with each other.”

South Yorkshire in Business will build on the success of the Inspiring Yorkshire Business and Get Up to Speed events, held at Magna earlier this year. It will be held in the venue’s Big Hall and speaker details will be announced soon.

Bookings are now being taken for exhibition stands and interested businesses can contact the Magna Events Team on 01709 723118. Chamber members will receive a 25 per cent discount.

The South Yorkshire in Business event will take place a fortnight before the venue hosts the annual Barnsley and Rotherham Business Awards, organised by Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber of Commerce.

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New apprentice joins team at Magna Magna has taken on a new apprentice as part of its bid to support young people who want to get into the world of work.

Capital B Media shortlisted for two prestigious awards A South Yorkshire public relations and media training agency has been shortlisted for two prestigious industry awards.

Capital B Media is up for accolades in the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) PRide Awards for Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

The business has been shortlisted as Outstanding Small Public Relations Consultancy, and account manager Joshua Nutt has been named as a finalist in the Outstanding Young Communicator of the Year category.

The UK-wide PRide Awards recognise the achievements of a company or individual in the PR industry. Director of Capital B Media Kate Betts said: “We’re honoured and delighted to be shortlisted for these awards. This is the third time the company has been shortlisted, but we’ve never had someone up for the

Outstanding Young Communicator of the Year category. “I’m very proud of Josh. His multimedia skills have been a real asset to the business and he’s delivered excellent video content for our clients.”

Josh, who has a degree in journalism from the University of Huddersfield, joined Capital B Media in 2014 as a junior account executive, and quickly progressed to the role of account manager. He now leads on campaigns for key clients.

The 23-year-old, who lives in Barnsley, said: “I’ve worked really hard during my short career to get to where I am today. Being shortlisted for such a respected award is a testament to this effort, but also to the excellent team that I have surrounding me, who have supported me through the years.”

The winners of the PRide Awards will be announced at a ceremony in Leeds in November.

Bentley Stockley has joined the Rotherham based visitor attraction on a Level Two Apprenticeship in Business Administration.

He will work alongside the corporate team to learn on-the-job skills whilst studying with RNN Training - part of the RNN Group formed from the merger of Rotherham College and North Notts College.

Bentley, who is 16 and lives in Swinton, brings the team of apprentices at Magna to five.

The science adventure centre and events venue also employs young people working towards qualifications in corporate events, electrics, technics and maintenance.

Bentley, a former pupil at Swinton Community School, said: “I’ve been to Magna a number of times over the years as a visitor so it’s exciting to now be working behind the scenes. It’s lively and interesting and I’m already learning a lot, plus I’ve had great support from the team here.”

Darren Percival, operations manager at Magna, said: “Bentley is settling in well and learning the ropes quickly, and we really appreciate the fresh ideas and enthusiasm that he and our other apprentices bring.

“Not all young people want to continue with full time education, so we’re happy to be able to support those who want to pick up skills and experience alongside a qualification.”

Magna, which is housed in the former Templeborough steelworks near junction 34 of the M1, is an awardwinning visitor attraction and hosts regular school visits. As well as organising its own events, the venue hosts corporate events for brands including Mercedes, Royal Mail, Kia Motors and HSBC.

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NewsUpdate

FOOD-4THOUGHT

Shortlist Success for Cream at Industry Oscars

A young public relations professional from South Yorkshire has been shortlisted for a top industry award.

Chloe Staniforth, 20, has been named as a finalist in the Outstanding Young Communicator category at the CIPR PRide Awards for Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. The prestigious annual awards run by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) recognise the achievements of PR professionals across the UK. Chloe, who joined Barnsley-based PR agency Cream Consultancy aged 17, has seen three successive promotions, battled serious health problems and worked on one of the biggest news stories of the decade, the Rotherham Child Sexual Exploitation inquiry.

Earlier this year, Chloe became the youngest accredited member of the CIPR and currently holds the position of junior account manager, after working her way up from an admin apprenticeship.

Chloe said: “Being shortlisted for the Outstanding Young Communicator award is a real honour and a privilege.

Successful business event to launch in Wakefield A unique peer-to-peer business mentoring group is launching a Wakefield group following a successful 20 months in operation in other Yorkshire and North East cities.

This time five years ago I was starting my GCSEs and couldn’t possibly imagine that I would be a junior account manager working for a multiaward winning PR agency so soon.”

Joining Chloe on the PRide shortlist is Cream, which has also been named finalist in two categories: STEM Campaign and Education Communications Campaign.

It comes following a successful student recruitment campaign for UTC Leeds, a university technical college that specialises in providing academic and vocational study focused on engineering and advanced manufacturing.

Jane Whitham, director and cofounder at Cream, added: “We are extremely proud, particularly of Chloe. She has worked exceptionally hard over the last few years and is a real inspiration to young PRs entering the industry. For the impact of Cream’s work to be recognised is very pleasing.”

The CIPR PRide winners will be announced at a dinner in Leeds in November.

Food4Thought, founded by Gary King, one of Yorkshire’s leading growth and strategy experts, has launched two successful groups in Leeds, one in Sheffield, and most recently opened a fourth group in Newcastle supporting over 40 entrepreneurs in total every month.

Having a number of clients in the Wakefield area, Gary has recognised the need to further support the cities ambitious leaders and plans to bring Food4Thought to Wakefield in the autumn this year partnered by TopicUK and Barclays.

Meeting monthly for a three course meal and wine, business owners come together to discuss challenging topics relevant to business growth including marketing, sales, finance and product innovation.

Food4Thought has helped more than 70 business leaders to grow since its formation and, with increased demand from across the region, Gary plans to extend the support to business owners in Hull and York.

Nicola Pettit, founder of Night and Day PA has been attending the original Leeds Food4Thought group since its formation.Nicola comments: “I currently travel from Hull to Leeds on a monthly basis to

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attend the groups and think they’re well-worth the commute. The event provides a relaxed atmosphere for business owners to share best practice and discuss challenges. The support and learning it has offered me has been invaluable to support our growth.

“Gary facilitates the meetings professionally, ensuring they keep to time, and, with a different topic to discuss each month, it inspires and evokes really good conversation. Whilst Gary allows the conversation to flow naturally, he keeps it focused and does his homework before attending to keep it specific to the challenges faced by the people around the table.”

Gary adds: “Business owners of growing firms often don’t know where to turn for support. Bringing a group of likeminded experts together in a relaxed setting to offer each other advice and support, has proved to be a useful platform to generate ideas, build confidence and aid business growth.

I’m delighted with the feedback received following the first three groups and I look forward to rolling them out across other cities in the North.”

To discover how Food4Thought could benefit your business, see: http://www.food4thought.club/contact/

Chandelier takes top spot A team of Barnsley blacksmiths has delivered the largest chandelier it has ever made, to an historic wedding venue, the 19th Century Crockwell Farm in Northamptonshire.

The two-tier light fitting, made

by Nigel Tyas Ironwork, to Nigel’s own ‘Shepherds Crook’ design, measures 1.5 metres across, weighs 47kg and carries 24 candle-like LED lights. It now hangs seven metres high in the atrium of the oak-beamed former manor house.

Nigel said: “We’re used to handcrafting large chandeliers and light fittings for our customers who want them for castles, cathedrals, churches and country homes of all sorts, but this was a colossal one.

“It took four of us to handle and we needed lots of muscle as well as skill to fashion and forge the iron hoops and fittings. It needed a good forged ceiling rose and a two metre length of chain for hanging too.”

Hermione Harper of Crockwell Farm said: “We found Nigel Tyas online and we are delighted with our chandelier which creates the perfect centrepiece in the newly-

renovated stone hallway. It often attracts admiring glances upwards as people sip their drinks and have their wedding photographs taken.”

Nigel Tyas Ironwork, based at Bullhouse Mill, in the Barnsley village of Millhouse Green, has established a national reputation for quality and authenticity since it was established 16 years ago and has recently launched its own online shop. The company delivers its products all over the world – recently shipping an order of four chandeliers and a selection of table lamps to a customer in the USA. Nigel, who has more than 40 years’ experience in ironwork, started his career as a 16-year-old apprentice blacksmith with the National Coal Board at Elsecar workshops in the 1970s and worked for large-scale industrial engineering companies in South Yorkshire before setting up his own business with his wife Elizabeth Stocker in 2000.

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NewsUpdate

KING OF THE CASTLE Catering firm wins contract to run café at Pontefract Castle on the best of Yorkshire produce and of course adding a hint of famous Pontefract liquorice wherever possible.”

Anthony, who has 27 year’s experience in the catering and hospitality industry, is currently working on the menu for the launch but is keeping it under wraps for the time being. However, he revealed it would have a very strong local theme using tried and tested local suppliers. “We don’t consider suppliers from outside the Yorkshire region or large companies as we believe in staying local and supporting small businesses,” he added.

Award winning Asparagus Green Catering, has won a second contract to run the new café at Pontefract Castle in their second year of trading.

enhances the visitor experience and encourages people to come back for more and I’m confident that that is something Asparagus Green can achieve.”

The company has a commitment to using locally sourced produce and employing locally based staff and is expected to start trading from the new visitor centre and café from September.

The company, which runs the catering at the National Coal Mining Museum for England, was voted New Business of the Year 2016 in the Wakefield Business Awards in June and was a finalist in this year’s White Rose Awards covering the whole of Yorkshire.

Cllr Les Shaw, Wakefield Council’s portfolio holder for Culture, Leisure and Sport, said: “The Council is delighted to have procured such a first class, local partner for the new café at Pontefract Castle. It is important that we have a café that

Director and founder, Anthony Hegney, said: “This is a great opportunity for us and we are delighted to be part of such a great project at Pontefract Castle which will see the opening of a purpose built café on site. We will be focusing

The café is part of the £3.5 million Key to the North project at Pontefract Castle, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic England, the Council, the Wolfson Foundation and EpaC. The work will result in the monument being removed from the At Risk register, new paths and landscaping around the site and a new visitor centre. The centre will include an activity zone for learning activities and conferences, toilets, a retail and visitor information area, a museum space with castle artefacts on display and the café, which has indoor seating for 24 people and outdoor for a further 60. The visitor centre will open in September and the rest of the capital works are due to be completed in spring 2017.

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ITS develops skills for care in Barnsley

I

ndependent Training Services (ITS) has launched a campaign to help up-skill adult care workers in Barnsley, after joining an elite few to be endorsed by care standards organisation, Skills for Care.

Skills for Care has given its seal of approval to 63 education and training providers to date, out of an estimated 30,000* active providers in the UK. Seven of those to receive the endorsement are based in the North, with just 5 from Yorkshire and Humber receiving the accolade.

This endorsement forms part of a wider campaign by ITS, which aims to provide accessible, quality training and development opportunities for adult care workers in Barnsley. To meet this need the learning provider has invested in a fully-equipped care facility at its Park Road site, where students can test their practical skills in a real-world setting.

The idea behind the homecare facility is to teach students the principles of dignity by allowing them to experience the world from the perspective of an adult care client.

Anne Wordsworth has worked with ITS for 6 years and is the Registered Manager at Hunningley Grange, Rosehill House and Lindhurst Lodge. She said: “ITS has an excellent understanding of the needs of the business.

“I welcome an approach which is a lot more hands on for the students. It is more useful to us as a business, as it gives our staff the chance to experience what it is like for an older person.

“Often, it can be confusing for clients and the equipment used can be frightening if they are not familiar with it.

“Everyone should experience things from the client’s perspective so they can

understand the importance of talking people through every stage of every process.”

Although it is not a mandatory requirement to provide a simulated environment, it is something the Barnsley-based training and education provider feels will help students to develop good processes and practices.

Furthermore, the Skills for Care accreditation allows ITS the opportunity to help local care providers claim back a maximum of £900 per year for each member of staff in receipt of training.

This has already had a positive effect on many Barnsley businesses, who have reinvested this additional funding in staff development, including: mock Care Quality Commission inspections; moving and handling refresher courses; safeguarding training and dementia awareness training.

Care Sector Manager at ITS, Janice Rhodes, said: “We are delighted to be among a handful of providers in Yorkshire to receive Skills for Care accreditation.

“This proves our provision is of the highest quality and will enable us to help adult care businesses in Barnsley to invest in additional training and up-skill their staff.”

For more information please call ITS on 01226 295471, or email janice.rhodes@ ind-training.co.uk. ITS will be exhibiting at the Care and Dementia show at Birmingham NEC arena on 11 to 12 October, 2016, when the team will be available to speak to businesses about the benefits offered by ITS and Skills for Care. *Based on figures provided by the UK Register of Learning Providers (UKRLP) managers to support consultants.

Amazon to create 500 jobs in Doncaster Amazon is set to create 500 new jobs in Doncaster at a new warehouse in the town.

The new site, which will be located in Verdion’s £500m iPort logistics development, will be the online retail giant’s third site in Doncaster.

Due to open in summer 2017, new jobs will be created for operations managers and engineers, HR and IT specialists, and roles for people who will handle orders.

Amazon’s other two sites in the town are located on Water Vole Way, which only opened last September, and Balby Carr Bank which opened in 2010.

John Tagawa, Amazon’s vice president of UK operations, said: “We are delighted to announce that we will be creating 500 new permanent full-time jobs with competitive pay and comprehensive benefits starting on day one by opening our third fulfilment centre in Doncaster in summer 2017.

“We already have two fulfilment centres in Doncaster so know from experience that there is strong talent in the region who would be well suited to working for Amazon.”

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NewsUpdate Businesses Back KAT Communications

‘Pride of the Isle’ Campaign A thoughtful ‘fundraising’ campaign called #KATCARES has been launched by Doncaster telecoms business, KAT Communications, with the hope of raising thousands of pounds for the Pride of the Isle charity, through the sales of an amazing device known as 3rings, a product featured on Dragons Den. helping fund further community projects.

The launch of the #KATCARES campaign has received backing from 3rings inventor, Stephen Purdham and has already proved extremely popular with businesses around the region, with many being pictured holding a photo frame helping share the #KATCARES hashtag.

Stephen said: “We fully support the KATCARES campaign and are very happy KAT Communications is behind our 3rings product. Pride of the Isle, is an incredible charity and if product sales can help the team achieve great things then we truly hope this campaign is a successful one.”

3rings, is an electronic plug device, designed by two entrepreneurs that allows families to make sure their loved ones are doing ok. The 3rings plug, which you can attach to many home electrical devices, comes with a clever bit of technology that will alert concerned family members if their relative hasn’t turned on the particular electronic device, the 3rings plug is attached to.

would you know if your grandma was ok?

The 3rings technology alerts loved ones on an app to say that the kettle, which the 3rings plug is connected to, hasn’t been turned on. Having this technology in your loved ones home gives you peace of mind, and your elderly relative will know that if anything does go wrong, a concerned family member will not be too far away.”

Anthony Temperton, founder of KAT Communications explained: “The 3rings product is a fantastic piece of technology that we were so impressed with, we wanted to show a way that we cared and through the sales of 3rings plugs, we were able to give something back to a charity that was close to our hearts.

Telecoms specialists, KAT Communications, have agreed that each 3rings product sold via Westfield Health, they will give £5 to the Pride of the Isle, a charity set up in memory of Alexander Strong, a young boy from the Isle of Axholme in Lincolnshire, who sadly died from Neuroblastoma cancer at just 7 years old in 2013.

“Imagine Grandma always making a cup of tea, like clockwork, every morning, between 9am and 10.30am, but then one day that cup of tea was never made, how

The Pride of the Isle charity works extremely hard fundraising to help support and make memories for children and adults who are terminally ill, as well as

Leesa Sharpe of Pride of the Isle said: “We are very excited and to be linking up with KAT Communications and we absolutely love the KATCARES Campaign. Fundraising through this particular campaign will go towards making memories for Children & Adults with Cancer & helping children with Disabilities to make a better quality of life.

Anthony concluded: “We have been delighted with the response from the campaign already, especially through the social media channels, as many businesses, including Bodhi PR, Zenza, Attract, Abacus Funding, Mini Kicks and RKS Print. People purchasing the 3rings product from the Westfield Health website will need to use one of our unique codes which you enter into the discount box on the web page.”

KAT Communications are hoping to raise around £2000 for the Pride of the isle. If you want to see more about the 3rings product and more about the #KATCARES campaign, visit http://www. katcommunications.co.uk/katcares/

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World’s fastest woman thanks Yorkshire Air Ambulance The world’s fastest woman has made a special return to Yorkshire to thank air ambulance medics after surviving a terrifying motorcycle crash at more than 200mph.

Becci Ellis was trying to beat her own land speed record of 264mph at Elvington Airfield, North Yorkshire, last August when the high-speed accident happened. After reaching an astonishing 254mph her powerful turbo-powered bike was hit by a gust of wind sending her veering off the track.

coming off or hitting the ground, but I landed on my front sliding for about 70 yards and blacked out briefly.

Spectators - including her husband and former racer Mick - watched in horror as Becci’s Suzuki Hayabusa careered out of control for a quarter of a mile before, still travelling at around 90mph, the mother-of-two was thrown off.

Becci’s recovery has been painful and slow, but with the help of a sports therapist and the support of her family she is now ready to ride again – although on a completely rebuilt bike.

The mother-of-two from Scunthorpe took the new bike to Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s Nostell Air Base, near Wakefield, to show air crew and paramedics and to thank them.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance was quickly on scene and airlifted Becci to hospital in Leeds within minutes.

Thanks to armour-plating inside her racing suit, the 49-year-old IT analyst miraculously escaped with a broken ankle, severe bruising and whiplash.

After an eight-hour hospital stay, she was trackside at Elvington again the following day to watch other competitors and to help raise money for Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Becci said: “I had just gone through the speed gate at 254mph when the wind caught me and in less than a second the bike had gone onto the grass.

“I managed to keep the bike upright but I was still doing around 90mph when the bike finally dug into the dirt and I was catapulted off. I don’t remember

“The air ambulance was called and the paramedics were there very quickly. I was in Leeds hospital fifteen minutes after the crash.”

Becci added: “Mick and I have been collecting for the Air Ambulance for about 12 years and the day after my accident we raised £500.

“The paramedics and pilots are just fantastic and I taking the new bike up was my way of satying thank you for being there for me that day. “I know, not just from what happened to me, but having seen what they do at events they have definitely saved lives. Accidents happen but it is so reassuring to know that we have this amazing service on hand to look after us.”

Becci set her world record of 264mph in

October 2014 Elvington Airfield, beating the previous title-holder by more than 20mph. She is considering returning in August to make a further attempt to break her record again.

“I’m having another couple of test and tune days next month and if weather conditions are perfect we aim to get as close to 270mph as possible. But it is totally down to me, I’m not going to put my life at risk for this, it’s not worth it, and I have nothing to prove.”

Yorkshire Air Ambulance serves 5 million people across Yorkshire and has carried more than 6,600 people in its 15-year history.

The charity has just placed an order for two, brand new state-of-the-art replacements for its current ageing aircraft – G-SASH and G-CEMS - that will take to the skies over Yorkshire later this year and in Spring 2017.

The latest generation Airbus H145 helicopters will give paramedics a much more modern medical fit-out to treat and transport often critically injured patients.

Caption: Becci Ellis (front) and husband Mick (behind left) meet Yorkshire Air Ambulance pilot Capt Garry Brasher (behind right) and paramedics Matt Syrat and Sammy Wills.

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NewsUpdate

Commercial venture for Yorkshire training charity deliver an all-in-one solution for our clients.

The SmartStyle team has been positive and welcoming, ensuring the transition has been seamless and client-focused.

Yorkshire training and education charity ITS Group has acquired SmartStyle Technology Training Ltd in a strategic move to extend its reach across the region.

The commercial training firm was purchased for an undisclosed sum by Barnsley-based charity, ITS Group. The group already holds established college sites in Barnsley, Doncaster and Huddersfield.

Although the group acknowledges the acquisition of a commercial organization is an unusual move for a charity, it is part of a wider strategic plan to grow nationally and offer a range of opportunities to clients whilst remaining committed to its charitable objectives.

Bradford business SmartStyle will continue to operate as a wholly owned subsidiary, complementing the group’s Apprenticeship training offer and expanding its client base.

SmartStyle was founded in 1997 by former director Mandy Jones and delivers Microsoft certified IT training and bespoke packages. It currently holds large contracts with recognised national organisations in both the public and private sectors, with a reputation for excellence and quality.

ITS Group CEO, Dr Chris Payne, said: “I am very excited about this new chapter in the history of ITS Group and SmartStyle Technology Training Ltd. This acquisition has not only extended the geographic reach of the group, but will also enable us to use the expertise of both SmartStyle and Independent Training Services to

“We have big plans for the group both locally and nationally and look forward to creating a bright future together with SmartStyle.”

Chair of trustees for ITS Group, Dave Peake, said: “This is a great investment for our future. It is part of our strategy to buy and build a sustainable organization which meets our overall vision.”

Managing partner, Paul Trudgill of hlw Keeble Hawson LLP, said: “For more than 3 decades the ITS Group has earned a strong reputation as a quality driven training and education provider. We wish Dr Chris Payne and the team continued success following this milestone acquisition.”

Lead advisor, Andy Ryder of Shorts Chartered Accountants, said: “It has been a pleasure to support ITS in what is an important strategic step.

I am sure Smartstyle will prove to be an astute acquisition and I wish ITS every success in the future.”

Paul Dawson of Natwest Bank, commented: “We are delighted to support ITS Group with their strategic plan to grow nationally and offer a range of opportunities to their clients.”

ITS Group has been delivering work-based learning and Apprenticeship training in Yorkshire since 1981. The group is comprised of Independent Training College, Independent Training Services Ltd and SmartStyle Technology Ltd, which serve businesses and local communities in the North of England and Midlands.

Community Projects for Laser Specialist Barnsley based laser expert, Cutting Technologies has been working alongside public arts and landscaping specialist, Circling the Square as part of a series of community projects.

The projects include the renovation of an old pavilion on Old Heath Road, Colchester as well as an intricate laser cut sculpture for Jephson Gardens, Royal Leamington Spa. The sculpture is in commemoration of William de Normanville, a former engineer and inventor of the Borough. It was designed by

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Businesses unleash their wild side with

Team Activ Award-winning Yorkshire wellbeing organisation Team Activ has pioneered a unique urban orienteering programme for businesses.

In a bid to increase employee cohesion and wellbeing, Team Activ has developed Go Wild which will see companies from across Yorkshire unleash their wild side in a string of fun activities.

Signed up to the programme are Wakefield-based Data Consulting, PwC, South Yorkshire Housing Association and Barnsley accountants Harris & Co.

Tim Ward of Circling the Square and laser cut by Cutting Technologies.The companies have also joined forces to transform an old pavilion in Colchester.

Having held workshops with local residents, Tim Ward designed gates which reflected the heritage of the recreation ground.

The five gates celebrate aspects of local culture and were intricately laser cut by Cutting Technologies.

Go Wild features indoor mini team challenges which reveal coordinates for an outdoor treasure hunt. The treasure hunt will take employees through the ‘urban jungle’ of northern city centres.

Activities also include games and riddles

with intriguing names such as ball pool plunge, stack to success and bullseye.

Darren Padgett, founder of Team Activ, said: “We are thrilled to work with some of Yorkshire’s top businesses to pioneer this wellbeing programme. “At Team Activ we aim to drive a societywide change in the way fitness and health is perceived. We don’t want this to stop in the workplace.”

Darren added: “A happier, healthier workforce means higher levels of productivity and job satisfaction and fewer employee absences.

“We are pleased to work with some fantastic companies to help to improve their wellbeing and drive employee engagement and growth.”

Tim Ward of Circling the Square said: “Both projects have significant importance to their local communities and it’s been a pleasure seeing both come to life.

“We’ve worked with Cutting Technologies across various projects and they’re always great to work with.”

Jane Robinson, director and co-founder of Cutting Technologies added: “A lot of our work is with artists and designers and we love knowing our lasers have created something which matters in the local community.”

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NewsUpdate

Business BusinessGrowth Growth&&strategy strategyexpert expert

ACCOUNTANTS APPOINT AUDIT AND ACCOUNTS ASSISTANT Barnsley accountants Gibson Booth Limited has added to its growing team with the appointment of an accounts and audit assistant.

Philip Dods has joined the company to help with the dealing of small to medium sized businesses.

Philip, aged 23, studied accounting and finance at Sheffield Hallam University and previously worked at an accounting firm in Nottingham. He said: “I’m delighted to become part of the Gibson Booth team and put everything that I’ve learnt from university into practice.

“The company is a great platform for me to grow and in doing so will help the company to grow too.”

Gibson Booth, which has its offices on Victoria Road in the town centre, has 31 staff, in the region of 1,000 clients and a turnover which has been growing year on year.

Managing director Robert Watson said: “Here at Gibson Booth, we’re committed to giving young professionals the opportunity to grow and succeed. We’re delighted to welcome Philip to our growing team of qualified professionals and we’re already seeing some fresh ideas brought into the business.”

Gibson Booth offers a wide range of services to businesses across South Yorkshire including; tax planning, finance, business start-up, audits, payroll, and self-assessment.

HIRE SLOWLY FIRE QUICKLY

By Gary King As the number of SME businesses grows at a record rate we must look for new ways to maximise our potential. Given we don’t know what we don’t know, collaborating with the right partners can help illuminate some of these blind spots and drive mutual growth.

We are in the most dynamic, fastpaced business environment for a decade, with high customer expectations, strong competition and increasing costs. So how and why do we need to collaborate?

I meet many business owners that don’t want to or can’t justify the time to collaborate with stakeholders.

These could be local government, education bodies, other businesses (including competition) and the community. This is often counterproductive in the long term.

If you accept and understand your shortfalls as a business and as a leader, collaboration is the key to overcoming these effectively. This may be access to technology, tapping into knowledge and expertise or just challenging the status quo. We have to put value creation

ahead of self-interest if we are to prosper.

Of course, you have to collaborate with the right partners. For example, I would not advocate collaborating with a direct competitor who will look to take business from you.

Effective collaboration builds a two-way relationship that creates and maximises shared benefit over a sustained period of time.

Collaboration partners must have shared values and a shared vision to enable the best results.

Understanding these and also agreeing the desired outcomes of any such relationship are key. Collaborating also builds strong relationships and a sound reputation for you and your business, the value of which should offset the time and any financial investment. Who would be your number one choice of collaborator?

Having spent more than 25 years in business, Gary is perfectly placed to advise businesses with an appetite for growth.

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Cementing a partnership with pioneering surgeons A hip replacement system designed by four pioneering Sheffield surgeons has been acquired by multi-award winning healthcare company JRI Orthopaedics.

Professor Ian Stockley, Andrew Hamer, Robert Kerry and Simon Buckley formed Sheffield Medical Products Ltd (SMPL) eight years ago to bring to market a new total hip replacement system. “There are very good cemented implants on the market,” said orthopaedic surgeon Andrew Hamer, who is based at the Northern General Hospital. However, we felt we could improve on the best design by making it more user-friendly, with much more streamlined instrumentation, more cost-effective and compatible with the widest range of hip sockets.”

After securing European CE quality and safety accreditation, the first patients received their new AEON hips in September 2011 and over the last five years around 700 patients – largely in Sheffield – have received the implant.

AEON became the first hip replacement system to go beyond standard regulatory requirements by entering the Beyond Compliance scheme, ensuring close post-market follow-up. It has now been awarded the coveted 3A* ODEP rating.

During this process SMPL have partnered with JRI Orthopaedics, who have worldclass expertise in the design, development and manufacture of orthopaedic implants and surgical instruments.

JRI Orthopaedics, has been the exclusive distributor of the AEON hip system and, over the last 18 months, has also been sub-contract manufacturing some of the instruments and implants. The multi award-winning company has also worked in partnership with SMPL on enhancements to the instrumentation and extensions to the product range, based on post-market surveillance feedback.

Mr Hamer added: “With most competitor implants you have two or three boxes of

Caption: (From L to R) JRI Orthopaedics Finance Director Stephen Ayres, orthopaedic consultants Mr Andrew Hamer and Prof Ian Stockley, and JRI Orthopaedics Chief Executive Keith Jackson.

kit but we have a single tray of very simple, high quality instruments that have been designed from the surgeon’s perspective to make them as simple to use as possible.

“We have had a lot of time to make sure that the instruments function correctly and have worked closely with the excellent team at JRI on modifications and enhancements to the system.”

Having taken the system this far, SMPL Directors felt JRI Orthopaedics would be better placed to deliver further developments and to negotiate the increasingly complex and demanding regulatory routes into new geographic markets. JRI Orthopaedics has now acquired SMPL and will manufacture all AEON implants, which will now be known as Avanteon, in Chapeltown.

Chief Executive Keith Jackson said “The Avanteon hip system will be fully integrated with our own developed products to provide a comprehensive total hip and hemiarthroplasty hip offering to the

market. This is a hugely important step in our business growth strategy as we expect Avanteon to feature as a significant and increasingly important part of our product portfolio over the coming years.”

JRI Orthopaedics has a long-established reputation for innovation and is wholly owned by the charity, Orthopaedic Research UK (ORUK). The company Gift Aids the majority of its operating profits to ORUK to fund independent research into bone and joint disease and an expanding medical education programme.

Commenting on the acquisition, Mr Hamer said “We are delighted that SMPL has been acquired by JRI as it will allow for further development of the hip system with potential sales in the UK and overseas markets. We are particularly pleased that it will be manufactured in Sheffield, which is world renowned for high quality orthopaedic device manufacture. We will continue to play an active role in the future development of the system with particular focus on surgeon training and education.”

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NewsUpdate

SPIN PRINT GIVE BARNSLEY FC THE VIP TREATMENT Dan Brook director at Spin Print said: “With the club gaining promotion last season they wanted to do something special to celebrate. With the capabilities of our new Flat-bed press, we are able to produce one-off wallpaper. We can print on different sorts of wallpaper including textured, but suggested using a special wall vinyl material with a matt laminate to give the image extra durability and fitted the wallpaper to two boxes.”

ans of Barnsley Football Club will be able to re-live one of the club’s finest moments thanks to Barnsley print specialists, Spin Print.

Ian Leech, commercial manager at Barnsley Football Club said: “The graphics are absolutely superb and capture the moment perfectly of our Play off Final win - after all it’s not every season you win twice at Wembley.

In celebration of the club’s new season in the English Football League Championship, Spin Print has supplied and fitted custom printed wallpaper to the club’s two new executive boxes.

“The images provide a fantastic back drop to our new executive boxes which allow guests to view the game in style with a nice reminder of those memorable days at Wembley in the background.”

Capturing the excitement of the League One play off final at Wembley in May, the wallpaper kits out the club’s new boxes with a VIP feel.

The commission comes after a period of investment by the firm. Spin Print recently upgraded its digital capacity with the addition of an iGen4 digital press and an Afga large format press, taking investment this year up to £400,000.

Spin Print’s Dan Brook and his specially designed wallpaper in BFC’s new exec boxes

BUSINESS LEADERS APPOINTED TO UK NORTHERN POWERHOUSE ADVISORY BOARD Four Yorkshire business leaders have been appointed to the UK Northern Powerhouse advisory board in order to assist in driving forward its plans for supporting significant growth in the Northern economy.

Huddersfield’s Ajaz Ahmed (the founder of Freeserve), John Mothersole (CEO, Sheffield City Council), Roger Marsh OBE (Chair, Leeds City Region LEP) will all join the board, which will be chaired by Sheffield’s Lord Kerslake.

The group will support UK

Northern Powerhouse in matters including reviewing and monitoring government responses to the ten recommendations outlined in the Outcomes Report of the 2016 UK Northern Powerhouse Conference.

The four new board members will also play major parts in proposing relevant issues and topics for inclusion in the 2017 UK Northern Powerhouse International Conference & Exhibition, which will take place on February 21 and 22 at Manchester Central.

F

It was commissioned as part of Spin Print’s sponsorship package with the club as its print partner. The firm works regularly with BFC, producing merchandise such as half time draw tickets to business cards and posters.

Dan Brook said: “Our recent project with Barnsley Football Club is a testament to the quality of work we can produce.”

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SOUTH YORKSHIRE RECRUITMENT AGENCY EXPANDS

A specialist South Yorkshire recruitment agency is expanding into the North East following record breaking growth.

£10,000,000 INVESTMENT FOR SHEFFIELD CITY CENTRE Derwent House, the prominent office building located in St Paul’s on Arundel Gate in the City Centre has been acquired

by Claymore Investment Management, on behalf of an institutional investor.

Rob Darrington, Partner at CPP said: “We are delighted to see institutional investment in Sheffield, which is great news for the city, and the local economy.

“Derwent House is an excellent office building located in a prime location of the City Centre, offering a host of local amenities, and excellent accessibility and transport links. The regular shaped, large open plan floor plates offer occupiers some of the best efficiencies of floor space per member of staff in the city.”

Duncan O’Neill from Claymore said: “The 65,000 sq ft office, and the adjacent Howden House, were the first buildings to be constructed as part of the Heart of the City redevelopment, after the demolition of the Town Hall’s Extension nicknamed ‘the Egg Box’.

“Since then, this location has become the true heart of the city

centre in terms of both professional services and central retail.

“Sheffield City Council has recently vacated 40,000 sq ft, which is to be refurbished and upgraded to provide Grade A accommodation. The Sheffield office market has shown a real occupier resurgence over the past two years which, together with supply erosion and alternative use, has led to significant undersupply of good quality office space and rising rents”.

Guy Cooke, Director at BNP Paribas said “We are delighted to be working with Claymore on this project. Derwent House will benefit a significant refurbishment to offer some of the very best offices available in Sheffield, located at the Heart of The City.”

Derwent House is already home to established international companies such as Bluestone Credit Managers, Withers & Rodgers LLP and RSI Ltd. CPP and BNP Paribas are instructed to market the remaining 40,000 sq ft at a quoting rent of £17.50 per sq ft.

Provide Education, which has its head office in Barnsley and branch offices in Brighouse and Worksop, is opening a new office in Teesside this summer. The new base will be in Billingham and the expansion will see the initial creation of three internal new jobs.

The office will be headed by senior branch consultant, Casey Bullen (pictured), who currently works at the head office, and Amy Kiely has been appointed as a recruitment consultant.

Provide Education currently works with over 2000 teachers, helping them to find supply teaching posts - and sometimes permanent jobs - in hundreds of schools across South and West Yorkshire and the East Midlands.

Casey, who began her career as a trainee recruitment consultant said: “It’s an exciting time for the company, and I’m really pleased to be given the opportunity to head up the new office. I’ve had so much support since I started with Provide in 2014 and I’m looking forward to relocating from South Yorkshire and leading a new team in the North East.”

Provide Education was established in 2006 by recruitment specialist Katie Buckle and former teacher Barry Simmons. They began by working with 30 schools and now work with over 500, employing 21 staff across four offices.

Katie said: “We’ve had a lot to celebrate this year, and launching the new office is a fitting way to mark our tenth anniversary.”

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BusinessUpdate station, offering convenient transport via rail, road, tram and bus, and with the added benefit of secure parking.

Adjacent to Digital Campus’s well established Electric Works, the development will house six floors of between 11,500 and 14,700 sq ft, boasting an outstanding design specification and yet only a short walk to the city’s central shopping area.

Rob Darrington, Partner at CPP commented: “This is an extremely exciting project for Sheffield, the city region and indeed the North of England.

No other building in the city can offer Acero’s combination of large and flexible floors plates, immediate accessibility from all key modes of transport, energy efficiency, prominence and prestige.

This is Sheffield’s first true speculative development since before the downturn, and a major investment into the city by Scarborough Group, who have a long, successful track record of development and investments in the region.

£20M BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

OPENS SUMMER 2017

Commercial Property Partners (CPP), letting agents for the highly anticipated Acero, the new ‘grade A’ office space located in heart of Sheffield, has confirmed that the development is on track to open in Summer 2017 as the latest phase of construction gets underway this week.

Property business Scarborough Group International and Chinese Investor Metro were granted planning consent for the development in early 2015, with preliminary construction starting in January 2016.

“Despite the political uncertainty of late we are delighted to confirm that construction is well underway for the Acero development, and with completion now only a year away we are already speaking to a number of interested parties.

“As Sheffield continues to attract national and international investment, and is increasingly recognised as a headquarters location for major organisations, this latest Digital Campus development is set to generate a significant boost for the City and the greater Sheffield City Region economy.”

For further information and latest updates on site progress please visit: www.sheffieldDC.co.uk

Totalling 80,326 sq ft, the future office space is superbly located directly opposite the City’s main railway

CPP is joint letting agent with Fernie Greaves.

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A BRIEF GUIDE TO MANAGING DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS Jo Cairns is an experienced HR Consultant who advises and supports employers with all aspects of managing employees from recruitment through to termination. Jo specialises in difficult conversations!

Most employers find holding difficult conversations with their employees to be one of their top difficulties.

Whether an employee has a body odour problem or they are not doing what they are employed to do, many small to medium size employers feel anxious about talking to their staff for many and varied reasons.

Here are my top 5 tips to do so fairly and effectively: 1. Set out your expectations from the first day of employment. Setting reasonable expectations helps your staff to understand what you expect of them in terms of their conduct and their job performance.

Start the conversation as soon as possible.

If you don’t deal with difficult situations or have that awkward conversation as soon as the problem arises and/or you have concerns you will find it harder

SHEFFIELD FIRM MARKS ANNIVERSARY

to have that conversation later on, the conduct or performance issue may well get worse, in part because the employee either doesn’t realise what they are doing wrong or believes it is okay to carry on and the effort required to have that difficult conversation will be much more.

2. Take notes of what you say and responses given from the first conversation. As with Top Tip number 2, this may seem un-necessary and timeconsuming. However the notes can be brief, in bullet-point form, or a diary note, and will save you time, effort and potentially headaches and heartache later on.

3. Treat all employees consistently but as individuals. It may sound trite to say this…However, it’s true. A ‘onesize’ approach to managing staff will not work for all people all of the time.

You need to ensure that you handle difficult conversations consistently and

PCT, a Sheffield-based engineering firm, has paid tribute to its staff as it marks its 90th anniversary.

The sub-contract engineering company, was founded in 1926 and has survived war, recession and numerous steel crises, thanks to innovation, staff loyalty and hard work.

PCT operates in a range of sectors including the construction and automotive industries and manufactures around 50,000 towbars each year.

In recent years PCT has become a specialist in the development and fabrication of working at height safety equipment. It also offers high definition plasma profiling and metal fabrication including prototype development. wJames Harding-Terry, managing director of PCT, said: “For any business to reach the 90year milestone is a huge achievement but for a manufacturing company it’s a tremendous

fairly, respond where appropriate and reasonable to individual circumstances and do not place the business at risk of unfair dismissal, harassment and/or discrimination claims.

4. Be prepared to move things on to the next step. If the problem/s persist, you need to be prepared to progress the matter formally, usually via a disciplinary route or if you have a capability procedure to deal with poor performance, this route. Remember to follow the ACAS Code of Practice for Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures when conducting a Disciplinary Procedure. If you don’t, it could prove costly!

If you would like more information about the services I offer, please contact me on 07985972316 or jo.c@taylorbracewell. co.uk

feat. We’ve had to overcome lots of business challenges including the changing nature of UK manufacturing to get to where we are today; a £5m turnover business employing 80. Our staff have played a pivotal role in helping PCT evolve and we thank them for their commitment. Each time we’ve faced a challenge we’ve found a new marketplace or developed a new product. Diversification has enabled us to change and grow and survive.”

PCT started life as a small artisan business making press tools and delivering by bike. It is still a family-run business but now provides sub-contract engineering services across the UK. The team at PCT works on a range of engineering solutions, including high profile projects for Tesco and Heathrow Airport and fabrication work for independent, local companies.

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Feature

Reset chosen by energy and services group ENGIE South Yorkshire based Reset has been chosen by global energy and services group ENGIE to help monitor the competence of its contractors in the UK. The Reset Certification Scheme is a system where contractors carry a card that can be checked to verify they have the skills and qualifications necessary for the job, without having to wade through reams of paperwork.

The scheme is already used widely in the NHS and at universities, colleges and airports. Now ENGIE, which employs 20,000 people in the UK, plans to roll it out across its contractors and sub-contractors.

ENGIE has a diverse portfolio, including in the oil and gas industry, in the generation of sustainable power and managed space for hospitals, schools and Government, private and public buildings, including the Olympic Park and the Shard.

Gary Duce, managing director of Reset said: “We are very proud that ENGIE have selected us to help manage the competence and compliance of their contractors in the UK. It is clear from working with the UK team at ENGIE just how serious they are about the health and safety of each and every person working on their sites. We are delighted to be working with them and look forward to a long and successful association.”

Health and safety, and construction, design and manufacturing regulations demand that anyone bringing contractors onto site is responsible for checking they are competent and qualified. The Reset Certification Scheme means that managers can check that they are and that, where

appropriate, they are covered by the correct insurance. And any qualifications that are approaching expiry are automatically notified to the employer and employee.

Gary Said: “Basically Reset takes a lot of the worry out of employing third party contractors. It is also great for the contractors, because they can literally just present this one card to prove that they are compliant and competent.

So it is a win, win for both sides.”

The new partnership with ENGIE has started with the system being used at five sites in the health and education sector, and is due to be rolled out across the UK. ENGIE’s health, safety, environment and quality director for UK and Ireland, Andy May, said: “I want to lead a wider change in approach to safety management and that must reach as far as every worker doing the job on site. ENGIE is committed to continuous improvement in health and safety and this is an important part of our broader safety management program. We always aim to have the right contractor

doing the right thing at the right time.

“We have always accepted the responsibility for checking contactors’ competence, but this can be an onerous and time-consuming task. Working relationships with our contractors are very important and imposing unwieldy systems and processes on them can be restrictive and costly to both parties. I personally looked long and hard for something that would help our contractors work with us safely and efficiently but importantly, on our own terms. From contractors just starting the journey through our approvals process to our longest-standing contractors, Reset provides such a service.

“Safety management should be about reducing risk for everyone, not just ticking boxes. Sometimes I feel, as a sector, we lose sight of this as we aim for compliance on paper. Reset brings a refreshing solution that can help us achieve this. It is a well thought-out system that isn’t too onerous or expensive for our suppliers and is suitable for large and small contractors alike.”

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Advertorial

LEP FUNDING helps Yorkshire business raise its profile worldwide

Norvap, a Yorkshire-based business has been given the chance to increase its offering in worldwide markets, with the help of funding from the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

The £3,210 grant from the LEP’s skills service is being used by Skipton company Norvap to enhance its customer service, develop its marketing strategy, and expand its internal management capabilities, as it expands into new markets.

Norvap, which was established in 2011, designs and manufactures veterinary and medical equipment such as vaporisers and anaesthesia machines.

The company already supplies a number of companies across the globe, but has taken the next step in its expansion plan which has raised its profile further.

Responding to market needs With companies requesting specialist and complex products, Norvap has recognised a need to invest in its staff ’s knowledge and customer service skills, as well as the

business’s overall marketing strategy to respond to these requests.

Specialist advice Claire Hodgson, HR and office manager at Norvap, said: “As our business is constantly expanding, we realised that the most important step for us to take is to invest in our staff, to ensure that we can provide specialist advice to new customers.

“The grant from the LEP’s skills service will allow us to reach our full potential, as we’ll have the opportunity to train our staff to the highest level of customer service, and we’ll also be able to implement an internal management scheme that supports our workforce.”

Stephanie Burras CBE, Chair of the LEP’s Employment and Skills Panel and Chief Executive of Ahead Partnership said: “We’re really pleased that we’ve been able to help Norvap reach the next stage of its expansion plan through funding from the Skills Service.

£50,000 available to businesses with a budget to put towards training, employers have the opportunity to work with a team of expert skills advisors, discuss their long term growth plans and skills needs, and put together a robust training plan for their staff.

The Skills Service is part of a wider LEP offering that helps businesses to reach their growth targets.

“Offering a comprehensive service to businesses, the team of advisors support employers to complete paperwork, source appropriate training provision and submit an application for funding. The LEP is dedicated to ensuring local businesses primed for growth have the skills to succeed.” www.the-lep.com/skillsservice 0113 386 1910 or email skills@the-lep.com

“With grants of between £500 and

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CharityUpdate

Meet the team who make a difference Weston Park Hospital has partnered with TopicUK as our Charity of the Year. The Hospital is one of only four dedicated cancer hospitals in England and its reputation as a centre of excellence in the fight against cancer is recognised not only here in the UK, but also internationally.

This issue we’ve taken a look behind the scenes at some of the amazing staff that play such a vital role in keeping Weston Park in the spotlight as well as raising much needed funds.

Loretta Marsh

Senior Fundraising Manager Helen Gentle Tell us something about yourself that very few people know?

When I was 19 I visited Chengdu in China and taught a bar full of Chinese locals the hokey cokey, I think I managed to convince them it was the British national dance!

What do you most enjoy about your role at Weston Park Cancer Charity?

The best bit about my job is knowing that I’m working to make a difference and improve the lives of local people living with cancer.

Who or what has been the biggest influence in your life?

Helen Gentle

My brother Michael. Michael is 8 years older than me and has complex disabilities including cerebral palsy and autism.

Despite his difficulties he’s achieved some incredible things. Having Michael in my life has undoubtedly taught me to appreciate and celebrate people’s differences. Everyone has something they can bring to the table.

What would your ‘claim to fame’ be?

When I was 4 the local play scheme for disabled children that my brother used to attend hosted a visit from Princess Diana.

My family was selected to represent the club and we had a half an hour meeting sat around the table chatting to her, just us and Diana, not many people can say that.

Sarah Cross

costume suggestions welcome!

Finally, what do you want to achieve now, or in the future?

On a professional level the charity has a new 5 year strategy and an ambition to help more and more people in our area; I’m really excited to play my part in making that happen. On a personal level I want to be able to look back at my life at the age of 90 and think ‘that was a blast!’

Fundraising Manager Sarah Cross Tell us something about yourself that very few people know?

According to my family tree I am a direct descendent of 6 or 7 Kings and Queens of England, including William the Conqueror – it is shame the royal link has no impact on my bank balance!

What do you most enjoy about your role at Weston Park Cancer Charity?

The variety – every day is different! I love meeting new people and hearing the inspiration behind their fundraising, it is very heart-warming to hear and makes me proud to be able to support these people in my role.

Who or what has been the biggest influence in your life?

What’s on your bucket list?

My parents are my biggest influence, in good or bad times I always can count on them for great advice and support.

To run the London Marathon in fancy dress,

What would your ‘claim to fame’ be?

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The most famous celebrity encounter would have to be meeting the nation’s favourite Geordie chaps – Ant & Dec, who are just as lovable in real life as they are on TV. What’s on your bucket list?

To see the Northern Lights.

Finally, what do you want to achieve now, or in the future?

To live life to the full and visit as many wonders of the world as I can.

Business Development Manager Loretta Marsh Tell us something about yourself that very few people know?

Not a lot of people know that I was once a regional BMX champion!

What do you most enjoy about your role at Weston Park Cancer Charity?

Sadly, my first husband succumbed to Cancer 8 years ago when our children were aged just 5 and 7, so knowing that my work has a direct positive impact on the care and lives of so many local families gives me a buzz.

Who or what has been the biggest influence in your life?

My first husband, Neil was diagnosed nearly 11 years ago and passed away over 8 years ago. Despite the time elapsed, I find that those 3 years still have the biggest influence on the decisions I make now, and I very much live for the moment because you never know what is around the corner.

What would your ‘claim to fame’ be?

My Claim to fame. I had a good old chat with Brian May at the backstage bar after the premiere of ‘We Will Rock You’ in 2002.

What’s on your bucket list?

It’s quite long, but mostly involves places to visit and experiences to have.

Finally, what do you want to achieve now, or in the future?

In the future I’d like to live in Val d’Isere for at least a season, training to attain my BASI 3 ski instructor qualification.

Charity Director, Samantha Kennedy Tell us something about yourself that very few people know?

I once appeared on TV on the winning podium for the European gymnastics competition. Sadly I was the flag-bearer not the gymnast!

What do you most enjoy about your role at Weston Park Cancer Charity?

The sense of achieving great things which have a profound impact on the lives of those around us (well most days!)

Who or what has been the biggest influence in your life?

I’ve always admired Thomas Barnardo, one of a number of Victorian philanthropists who started charities which are still thriving today.

He saw an unmet need and worked tirelessly to fill the gap, helping many hundreds of thousands of children. He was a fearless fundraiser who pioneered some of the techniques we still use today.

Otherwise my children have been the biggest influence in my life as everything I do has them at the core.

What would your ‘claim to fame’ be?

Spending a morning looking after Prince Charles which included sitting on a throne-like chair (which was quite embarrassing really). As a result of this, I do know how he likes his tea!

What’s on your bucket list?

Clearly I lack imagination as I don’t have a bucket list nor intend to have one sorry!

Finally, what do you want to achieve now, or in the future?

Work-wise, I want to take our organisation from strength-to-strength so it can continue to help the growing number of patients treated by the fabulous staff and volunteers at Weston Park Hospital.

Personally I want to find more time in the future to do the things I enjoy but get sufficient time to do - rediscover the languages I used to speak, the crafts I used to be good at, the places I used to travel to, spend more time with family and friends.

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Food&Drink

SIZZLING!

A new menu, a new name and a new look greet diners at Restaurant 85 at Cedar Court Hotel, Wakefield

By Kevin Trickett President of Wakefield Civic Society @MrTrickett

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any readers will have visited the Cedar Court Hotel, just off junction 39 of the M1 on Denby Dale Road, over the years. Whether for business or pleasure, a work do or a family occasion, the hotel has been home to many a function and celebration since it opened and has become something of an established institution in the city.

Now, the hotel is undergoing a major refurbishment with over half a million pounds spent so far. Many of the public areas have been transformed and two thirds of the bedrooms have already been upgraded with more to follow over the next couple of years.

Part of this transformation has seen the bar, lounge and restaurant areas given a complete reworking to create a light, airy and connected space, decorated in a contemporary style. The

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restaurant, which is open to nonresidents, has been re-branded as Restaurant 85 in tribute to the year when, 31 years ago, the hotel first opened. With the re-brand comes a new menu which includes the ‘Hot Stones’ option – where you get to cook your steak to your own liking at your table on a slab of, yes, you guessed it, hot stone.

I visited the restaurant at the beginning of July with around twenty members of Wakefield Civic Society’s Dining Club to check things out for myself. This was a ‘special’ night that had been arranged for us by the hotel, a Silver Corporate Member of the Society, in recognition of the long-standing relationship between the hotel and the Civic Society.

As I’ve said before in these pages, satisfying all our Dining Club members can be a challenge but it was one that Restaurant 85 rose to admirably.

With plenty of space available in the restaurant, they had arranged for us all to sit at one large table, which certainly helps conversation to flow, overlooking the planted terrace area. It was a warm evening and the doors to the terrace were open so we were able to step outside and admire the setting, although a sudden downpour did have us scurrying back inside moments later!

Welcome drinks of Prosecco and sparkling Elderflower pressé were served as we took our seats and we were introduced to our chef, Jamie, and Jacob, our lead waiter for the evening.

As we were quite a large group, members had been asked to email their orders in advance and we chose from three starters, three mains and three desserts.

Starters were Cream of Watercress and Spinach Soup; Whipped Goat’s Cheese, with honey, walnut and salt-baked beets, with a pesto dressing; and In-house slowcooked Chicken Terrine, Caesar style, grana padano and anchovy dressing. I chose the goat’s cheese dish, light and

full of flavour, but the consensus was that all three options were delightful.

For the main course, around half the group opted for the 8oz-Rib Eye Steaks, on ‘Hot Stones’. These were served with plum tomatoes, garlic and thyme-roasted flat mushrooms and a generous portion of herb-crumb, hand-cut chips, and dressed baby watercress together with a choice of butter (Café de Paris, Garlic or Paprika).

As people started to cook their steaks on the hot stones, the room filled with sizzling sounds, steam and not a little smoke – as well as much laughter and chatter. The steaks certainly brought the table to life! If you’d prefer it, the chef will, of course, cook your steak for you in the kitchen. Just state your preference when you order.

Meanwhile the rest of us had chosen from either the vegetarian Pumpkin Ravioli, in nut brown butter with toasted seeds and baby leaf salad, or the Chargrilled Chicken with chorizo, kale, new potatoes and olives. These were cooked for us by the chef in the kitchen – cooking ravioli ourselves on hot stones might have proved a little messy!

Desserts were a warm Yorkshire Curd Tart with vanilla bean ice cream; or Dark Chocolate Brownie with honeycomb ice cream; or Yorkshire Strawberries with cream.

We concluded with coffee and the settling of the bill, made easier because we had agreed a set price for everyone, so no calculators were required.

As I’ve explained before, one of the things we do as a Dining Club is to score the overall experience each time we meet – not just the quality of the food but also the service, value for money and atmosphere. Final scores are kept as a closely guarded secret by Civic Society treasurer Jean Broadbent until the year end when the Society announces its ‘Restaurant of the Year’

Award. Jean doesn’t let on what the scores were for each night until the year-end reckoning but I understand that the scores for Restaurant 85 were very good. Certainly, from talking to fellow diners, all seemed happy with their experience and were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food and the excellent service we received.

For those whose curiosity is piqued, have a look at the hotel’s website where you can download a copy of the new menu. Here you will see that prices are very reasonable with starters costing from £4.50 to £7.00 and main courses from just £10.00 to £18 for the rib-eye steak, somewhat less than you might expect for a hotel restaurant.

Of course, the restaurant isn’t just open on an evening. It’s a great place for lunch as well and I hear they do rather lovely afternoon teas which can be taken in the restaurant and lounge areas with prices starting at just £11 per person.

Meanwhile, the bar and lounge provide a bright, comfortable place to meet up during the day offering a full bar menu of soups, sandwiches, light meals and homemade classics daily. It’s also a great place for a relaxing predinner drink area in the evening.

And with ample free parking available, there’s really no excuse for not re-acquainting yourself with the Cedar Court Hotel!

Restaurant 85 Denby Dale Road, Calder Grove, Wakefield, WF4 3QZ 01924 276 310 www.cedarcourthotels.co.uk/hotels/wakefield

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Nutrition - Tips for a healthier day

Eat Lunch or Be Lunch!

FACT FILE Did you know?

The Sheffield City Region’s economy has an output of more than £24.7 billion pounds per year and contains approximately 55,000 businesses.

By Zoe Fisher -Nutrionist

Zoe Fisher has a BSc degree in Nutritional Medicine and is a member of the British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy (BANT) as well as being registered with the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC), which is the governmentsponsored regulator.

Forget the phrase ‘lunch is for wimps’ and the recent intermittent fasting trend, I believe eating the right lunch is good for health, weight and performance. Ever experienced the post-lunch computer trance? Or the late afternoon bloat. Well, here are some thoughts on what’s best to fuel you.

Some argue it’s a natural biological dip that has nothing to do with eating. But others think eating lunch affects performance and mood. On the whole it makes us more relaxed but slower to respond! The affect may vary by what you eat and also how much you eat. An occasional unintentional skipped lunch is fine. But I find clients who regularly skip lunch are put off exercising after work and eat too much and often the wrong foods in the evening to make up for the missed meal.

Ok so forget the pasty, sausage roll, or sandwich, crisps and a soft drink combo.

Get something to fuel your afternoon and steal a march on your colleagues. Someone once asked me at a networking event if there were any healthy eating shortcuts. Well the answer is yes and no. Preparation or at least a bit of forethought works best. But make it easy by being predictable. For example go for soup with something or last nights’ leftovers reheated, or when it’s warmer salad and fruit. Find 3 options and rotate them.

Make sure there’s a meat or vegetarian source of protein (meat, fish, eggs, pulses,

nuts, dairy, tofu, seeds, quinoa etc.) and fibre from vegetables and wholegrains to help fill you up. Here are some ideas: • Vegetable soup with a chicken drumstick & oatcakes • Tomato soup with a couple of hardboiled eggs • Leek & potato soup with ready to eat falafel • Oven-baked salmon fillet cold with salad • Tinned tuna & hard-boiled egg salad • Leftover roast chicken (or buy rotisserie chicken from supermarket) with bag of salad leaves and a tablespoon of coleslaw or potato salad For an emergency lunch, a quality protein shake is an option. Beware of the sugar or sweeteners in protein shakes. Avoid those that says just add water as it means there’s already enough sweetness in the mix. I prefer those sweetened with stevia that need mixing with milk.

We can confuse hunger for thirst and so can eat more just because we are thirsty. But not drinking enough can lead to headaches and poor concentration. Skip the fizzies, they contain either too much sugar or artificial sweeteners and the bubbles can contribute to bloating. Think water, herbal tea, fruit tea, decaff, green tea or a couple of cups of normal tea/coffee.

Find something nutritious to eat, and drink plenty, to be your best all day and there will be no post-lunch slump. Failing that try a 20 minute nap after lunch!

Zoe can be contacted below; Tel: 01226 792494 Email: zoe@zfnutrition.co.uk

It is synonymous with high quality, innovative products that are exported around the globe, promoted by the ‘Made in Sheffield’ brand. The areas economic base has transformed over the last twenty years from being dominated by more traditional manufacturing to a wider range of knowledge economy sectors, including advanced manufacturing, healthcare technologies, creative and digital industries and a developing low carbon sector.

Quick facts about SCR The Growth Plan sets out the Sheffield City Region’s plans to transform the local economy over the next decade.

At the heart of the plan is the creation of 70,000 new private sector jobs and 6,000 new businesses.

Since its completion in March 2014, the Growth Plan has achieved the following: In July 2014 the LEP secured £320 million ‘Growth Deal’ from Government to start to deliver some parts of the plan In December 2014 the City Region achieved a ‘Devolution Deal’ to give it more influence over its funding from Government In January 2015 the LEP secured ‘Growth Deal 2’ which will mean a further £30 million and in June 2015 the City Region agreed its updated Assurance Framework.

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and effort really does pay off.

“It’s a great time to receive it to top off my apprenticeship. I love the job I do and I have been fortunate to have had the hands-on experience of working on two different development sites as I’ve trained.

Being part of a large team, involving so many different disciplines, is fantastic and has really helped me to see the big picture when it comes to house building.

“It is really satisfying to progress through the levels with Redrow. The support and encouragement I have received have been brilliant.”

Doncaster Apprentice lifts top award

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powerlifter from Doncaster has had a change from lifting weights, lifting a trophy instead.

Harry Regan (21), a former pupil of Ridgewood High School in Doncaster, has beaten off stiff competition to scoop the ‘Yorkshire Apprentice of the Year’ title from house builder Redrow.

Redrow’s ‘Apprentice of the Year’ accolade pays tribute to its apprentices and the valuable contribution they make and is awarded to its most talented trainees.

In all, the developer has bestowed the title of ‘Apprentice of the Year’ on 12 talented individuals across the country who have each impressed judges with their performance in the last year. A further nine have been highly commended.

Nominated by colleagues in the business and their NVQ coordinators, winners are selected based on progress with their qualifications, how they have overcome and worked through adversity and challenges, as well as evidence of how they

have ‘gone the extra mile’.

Working for a FTSE 250 company, Redrow’s trainees work in a face paced, dynamic environment and have plenty of opportunities for career development.

The business offers a wide range of apprenticeships, including in the trades of carpentry, plumbing, electrical and bricklaying, as well as office-based apprentices in a variety of administration, technical and commercial roles.

Yorkshire Apprentice of the Year, Harry joined Redrow in 2013 having already completed levels 1 and 2 of his City & Guilds Diploma in brickwork at Doncaster College. He went on to achieve level 3 during his first year of a three year apprenticeship, and subsequently also gained NVQ levels 2 and 3 in bricklaying, picking up a host of distinctions along the way.

He said: “I feel really proud to receive this award. It came as a surprise as the company is full of talented people, but it shows that hard work doesn’t go unnoticed

Eager to praise Harry, Gary Woodhouse, Redrow’s apprentice coordinator in Yorkshire, said: “Harry is an extremely gifted young bricklayer who, by his own admission, has suffered with a lack of confidence in the past.

“Harry is a very determined young man and you couldn’t wish to meet a more pleasant and helpful person. He is highly motivated and has a great future ahead of him.”

Karen Jones, HR director for Redrow, said: “It is a pleasure to be able to recognise the achievements of apprentices like Harry, taking great strides in developing their career with us.

“Apprentices are vital to ensuring a skilled workforce for the future and, as one of the top 100 apprentice employers in England, we are fully committed to investing in their learning and development.”

One of the UK’s leading house builders, Redrow constructs over 4,000 premium quality family homes a year in prime locations across England and Wales. The company directly employs around 1,950 people and provides employment for thousands of sub-contractors on its new homes developments.

Pictured L-R Gary Woodhouse, apprentice coordinator, Harry Regan, apprentice of the year and Warren Thompson, managing director, Redrow Homes (Yorkshire).

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Feature

It’s a grand design for Meadowhall’s Overhaul Exciting details of makeover scheme at Sheffield shopping centre Meadowhall, Yorkshire’s premier shopping destination, has revealed more design details behind its £60 million refurbishment programme, which is utilising a number of businesses from the Sheffield city region for their design and manufacturing expertise.

Creating a new contemporary shopping environment, the refurbishment is set to attract even more brands to the centre, providing an even greater choice for visitors.

Using top quality materials such as GRG 3D cladding, ash/beech timber cladding and reinforced glass, the refurbishment will feature: • 3,000m2 of perforated metal cladding from Sheffield-based EE Ingleton

Engineering, which is enough to fill two football pitches • 1,500 metres of glass balustrade supplied from Dearneside (architectural metalworkers located in Parkwood Springs) which is as tall as the UK’s highest mountain Ben Nevis • 0.5 acres of timber cladding sourced from FSC certified forests which is the same size as eight tennis courts • 750 metres of new circular columns which put end to end is almost as high as the world’s tallest building the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

Creating a smart and brighter environment to shop in, the mall will be split into four different areas each with a different theme:

• The Arcade – at the heart of Meadowhall, this will be a fun and exciting area that will host many shows and displays throughout the year • The High Street – focused on families and children, with natural materials to create a light and welcoming atmosphere • Park Lane – the high fashion zone, sophisticated and comfortable with a comprehensive range of retailers • The Gallery – Featuring decorative lighting and metal panels for an industrial and slightly urban feel, this space will have plenty on offer for young adults, teenagers and children Designed by leading international architect BDP, the renovation is revitalising the centre by updating and decluttering the malls. Dated features such as arches and Juliet balconies will be removed and replaced with natural materials, modern glass and structural balustrades with bronze skirting.

Feature lighting will create a bright and welcoming atmosphere, with digitally glazed double height shop fronts, and the removal of bridges to improve visibility between malls.

Commenting on the design and environmental implications for the redevelopment, Darren Pearce, Meadowhall Centre Director, said: “We are excited with the progress of the build so far, we’ve got some fantastic design features and look forward to revealing the new space which will help to accommodate Meadowhall’s evolution.

“With such strong demand from leading brands, the new façade of the malls will reflect Meadowhall’s leading retail

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New technology helps managers protect

lone workers on the go South Yorkshire lone worker experts Peoplesafe have launched a new mobile software designed to help employers keep their staff safe wherever they go.

Mobile Vision will help employers monitor their employees and pick up on any emergency alerts through their mobile phones and tablets.

Mobile Vision is a slimmed down version of Vision, Peoplesafe’s online portal accessible from desktop computers. The new tool allows field-based managers and staff to use its features whilst away from the office.

Managers will be able to view crucial information that shows which employees are logged in or out of a system, and allow them to pinpoint their exact whereabouts in an emergency. There is also access to the last four days’ data.

position. The project has also given us the opportunity to work with local businesses to ensure materials sourced are the best option environmentally, without compromising on design.”

The refurbishment also aims to keep sustainability at the heart of the project, with green credentials that include recycling rainwater, reducing carbon emission through less energy use and as the first shopping centre to install electric car charging points, Meadowhall is keen to minimise any environmental impact throughout the redevelopment. The design will provide an energy saving naturally ventilated space and feature a breathtaking green living wall to enhance the space in the welcome hall.

The project will have a considerable positive impact on the Sheffield City Region with 70% of Meadowhall’s construction budget being awarded to local businesses and trades to date.

Eleven companies have been commissioned for the project so far, and it is estimated that 63.5% of the overall spend of the refurbishment will be with local businesses. Additionally, 400 construction roles will be required for the refurbishment, with around 44% of the new recruits residing within the Sheffield area.

Jake Adams, product manager at Peoplesafe, said: “Our team of developers are always working hard to find ways of harnessing advances in technology that will keep us one step ahead when it comes to protecting lone workers.

“This new tool will make it easier for employers to get the best out of their investment into lone worker safety solutions, by being able to monitor usage on the go. It quite literally puts control directly into the palms of their hands.”

Mobile Vision is designed to be used alongside the desktop version of Vision, which allows users to make changes to the system. Any updates made to employee profiles are then automatically visible to an alarm receiving centre and the Peoplesafe team.

Desktop users can also access more in depth reports, helping to monitor and promote device usage. More information can be found at www.peoplesafevision.com.

Peoplesafe, which has its headquarters in Dinnington, are one of the UK’s leading providers of simple and lightweight equipment, monitoring services and safety training, aimed at keeping employees as safe as possible.

They provide an NSI Gold accredited service, which is the highest possible industry recognition. The service is fully compliant with the British Standard for lone worker provision (BS8484).

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BusinessAdvice

WHO ARE YOU ACCOUNTABLE TO?

By Claire White

prevents the ready-fire-aim approach that a lot of entrepreneurs use”.

One of your peers - working together with another business owner as each other’s accountability partner is an excellent way for both businesses to develop through feedback and support

In business, especially when surrounded by a multitude of distractions, being accountable (to a partner or group) helps you focus on the most important tasks so that you can stay on track and reach your goals.

A Mastermind Group is a gathering of like-minded business owners who meet regularly and who, as well as sharing their successes, are willing to reveal their vulnerabilities by offering details of the challenges they face.

So how do we go about finding the perfect accountability partner, and how can we make the most of the relationship?

Where to Find the Perfect Partner or Group. Places where you meet other business owners, such as at Chamber of Commerce events or networking groups, are a great source of potential accountability partners/business development consultants.

The different types of accountability partners. In general, accountability in small businesses comes in one of the following forms: An accountability partner/business development consultant is an external adviser who will work with you on business development and implementation, and can help to define your goals and keep you on track.

When looking for a peer to peer arrangement, Galindo suggests looking for someone within your community but outside of your industry. The shared community will help you create a really strong relationship, whilst being in a different field will help you gain a completely fresh perspective on your business.

Linda Galindo, author of The 85% Solution: How Personal Accountability Guarantees Success (Jossey-Bass 2009), describes accountability partners as an entrepreneur’s secret weapon for quick growth and says “Working with a partner

There are a number of organisations, such as the Entrepreneur’s Circle, that include accountability as part of their membership offering, or a simple search on Google will bring up a long list of organisations providing the service.

How to get the best out of our accountability partner/group.

Agree how often to meet, for how long and whether it will be in person, Skype, email or the phone.

Don’t cancel or miss meetings. If you’re part of a group then you’ll probably have a set schedule that will go ahead whether you’re there or not, but you’ll need to make a point not to put other things first if you really want to benefit from the group and grow your business.

Be clear about your expectations from the partner or group; sometimes you might want them to listen and other times need their input.

Be clear that you are 100% responsible for your choices and actions, whether you decide to take the advice given or not.

Be prepared to be completely honest in order to reap the most benefit from the help given. After all, if not, the only person you are cheating is you.

Decide on a particular goal and break it down into steps that you can report on at each meeting, to help you move towards success.

Spend some time thinking about your business; where it is and where you want it to be. Thoughts might be around: Who is your ideal client? What is your unique selling point? What are your specific short term development goals?

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What programmes or services do you have to help you reach your goals? What marketing strategies are you using to bring in clients? Which activities do you prefer to spend your time on and which do you procrastinate over the most? What are you spending most of your time and energy on in your business?

Pharmacies are vital in communities Michael Dugher MP

the Government to stop this planned cut.

In May, we delivered a petition against the plan to Number 10 Downing Street that was signed by 1.8 million people – the most signed healthcare petition in history.

Agree what the consequences will be of not meeting your agreed goals.

Apart from obviously not moving your business forward; you may feel a sense of guilt, failure, or overwhelm. This is the beauty of accountability; the simple fear of being seen to be failing will drive you forward to get things done.

Community pharmacies are a real lynchpin of our healthcare system. Since 2005, the number of prescriptions dispensed has risen by 50 per cent, with over a billion items dispensed to patients last year. The average person visits a pharmacy 14 times a year.

Follow the steps below to find your perfect accountability partner / group: •

Decide which type of accountability partner will suit you best

•

Do your research to find the perfect partner

•

Agree the parameters for your meetings

•

Think about your business and goals before you begin

•

Be completely honest and accept that you are 100% responsible for your decisions

And finally - Enjoy the success that having an accountability partner will bring.

About the Author: Claire White specialises in helping independent consultants free up their time, develop their business and stay on track for success, by providing advice, implementation skills and accountability. Contact Claire on claire@clairewhite.co.uk or visit www.clairewhite.co.uk.

Michael Dugher was elected to serve as the Member of Parliament for Barnsley East in 2010 and was reelected in the 2015 General Election.

Born in Doncaster in 1975, Michael was brought up in Edlington, then a pit village in South Yorkshire. He was educated at St Mary’s RC primary school, Edlington, and at the McAuley RC School, Doncaster. He went on to read Politics at the University of Nottingham, graduating in 1997.

Before being elected as the MP for Barnsley East, Michael worked at 10 Downing Street as Chief Political Spokesman for the then Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Last December, the Government announced that it plans to cut £170 million from community pharmacies – a real terms budget cut of six per cent.

Ministers themselves even warned that this cut could see up to 3,000 community pharmacies - a quarter of all those in the country - forced to close.

I’ve been part of a cross-party campaign of MPs, patients and pharmacists calling for

What is particularly concerning about the Government’s decision to press ahead with this cut in funding is that it is a false economy for our NHS. Community pharmacies are often a first port of call for people with minor ailments.

They provide free advice, as well as prescription medicine, and they are vital to supporting and improving public health.

By cutting access to local pharmacies, the Government will simply add to the downstream costs already facing our NHS. For instance, the crisis we are seeing in our hospital A&E departments, with record demand and longer waiting times, will be made even worse if people can’t first seek medical advice at a community pharmacy.

And GP surgeries, which are already struggling to meet demand, can also expect more patients. Research shows one in four people who would normally visit a chemist for advice would instead make an appointment with their GP if their local pharmacy faced closure.

Since the public consultation closed, we now have a new Prime Minister and a new Ministers at the Department of Health.

I hope the Government will listen to the public, think again and finally see sense.

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BusinessLeaders

Surround Yourself

with Phenomenal People Our South Yorkshire editor Cat Yaffe takes a trip to Doncasterto talk to Liam Swift and Liam Brady at Helm Co Working Space.

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estled away just off Tick Hill Road in Doncaster, in the beautiful grounds of St Catherine’s Park sits a multi award winning creative agency, Attract. You wouldn’t know this from the outside. Instead you find a bright yellow and black sign with the word Helm.

It’s only once you’re inside that you realise you’v e entered a forward thinking Co Working space.

Huge comfy sofas greet you in the reception area and the coffee bar style kitchen just inside the entrance are very welcome sights to the start your working day. Bright colours, large open plan space with exposed walls and tons of natural light all add to the deceivingly laid back working atmosphere. But don’t be fooled by outward

appearances. Projects that have been and are being worked on in this space have produced European awards on several occasions. This is the home for a multitude of creative businesses and people that truly understand the word collaboration who live and breathe it every day.

Liam Swift, Creative Director of Attract and founder Helm isn’t what you’d expect such a creative and forward thinking entrepreneur to be. Understated, playing down his success and almost reluctant to share his story and vision, but then he started talking and his passion was obvious.

Liam started his ventures in the commercial

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each other, we share the same values, understand where they want their business to go and ask how we can help them to achieve that.”

Central to this ethos is the Helm Heartbeat. A simple noticeboard where tenants and visitors can add post it notes asking for connections within their target market. Simple but effective.

world when he was 16, freelancing as a graphic designer. Frustration of feeling limited creatively whilst working for an agency prompted him to start Attract with his brother Ryan; a creative agency that took roots in the working space that is now Helm. His outstanding work on the hugely successful brand Apothecary87 (who were once based within the same office) led to him winning the 2015 Transform European Silver award for Best Visual Identity in Europe for the Retail Sector. No small accolade when you’re up against some of the biggest names in retail.

Liam launched Helm Co Working with a vision of creating a work space where a group of business owners could work together and collaborate on projects.

18 months later and that’s exactly what he’s done. Currently there are 8 full time businesses based there, with the capacity of 20 available.

“People don’t just come here because it’s a desk. It’s about the community, the work and the projects we attract as a whole,” said Liam when asked why Helm? “We take time to get to know

One of the benefactors of the collaboration is Liam Grady, director and founder of Bohdi PR. Fellow Co Worker Paul Stevenson approached Liam to work with him for an existing client KAT Communications. Liam put together a pitch for a new product that KAT were bringing to the market, which had also appeared on Dragons Den. Namely a safety device called 3rings which lets you know that a loved one is OK. Liam put together a creative PR campaign that would raise awareness of the product both nationally and regionally through traditional and online exposure.

An opportunity that wouldn’t have happened had they not been working in the same space.

“My business had been doing reasonably well after several knock backs but with the help and support of Liam and Attract, who were responsible for the rebranding of Bohdi PR, it continues to grow from strength to strength.” “By having a brand that projects the right image, as well as a creative space to work in, this opportunity to pitch to KAT Communications wouldn’t have happened.” Said Liam.

Liam and Bodhi won the pitch and the campaign is well underway.

Helm offers 3 levels of membership, and whilst 2 are fairly standard (see the Helm website for further details - www.helmuk.com) the third is straight out of Liam Swifts innovative way of doing business – barter for a 28 day free trial. Offer your skills to the team, whether that be blog writing, social media, graphic design –

whatever, just approach them with your proposal and away you go.

I left Helm with a feeling that this was a new way of doing business. Not new as in the concept of co working but new in the supportive way that this co working space exists. An open, creative atmosphere that’s enhanced with the opportunities available. Refreshing, outward thinking and truly inspiring.

You find Helm at: The Bergamot Centre, Woodfield Park, Tickhill Road, Doncaster DN4 8QN. Tel: 01302 283 238 Email: studio@helm-uk.com

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BusinessUpdate South Yorkshire craftsman

carves out new business focus

He currently works on his own, but is looking to hire someone as an apprenticeto work with him to learn the craft and help grow with the business.

Designer and cabinetmaker Reece Van Sanden, who runs Van Sanden from a workshop in the town centre, has spent the last five years completing home improvement projects for people across South Yorkshire.

As well as crafting beds, cabinets, tables, seating and even Wendy houses out of materials including wood, steel, concrete and glass, Reece is often asked to create corporate products such as reception desks, trade show stands and production jigs.

Reece is now being supported to expand his online presence through social media and his website, as well as building and maintaining an email database, and developing a new brochure.

He said: “I’ve always relied on word of mouth for my home improvement work, but I needed help to spread the word about the bespoke furniture side. I want people to know that factory-made furniture taken straight from a production line is not their only option. I’ve worked hard to be outstanding in my trade, but I’m not always so good with the business side of things, so the support I’ve had from Enterprising Barnsley has been crucial.”

Reece also works with Barnsley business Folio Albums creating bamboo boxes for their luxury products which are sent all over the world.

A Barnsley-based craftsman is carving out a new focus for his business by building bespoke furniture for local homes and companies.

He originally built his business around services including kitchen and bathroom installations, but is now focusing on his love of creating individual items of furniture designed and made to personal requirements.

develop the furniture side of the business, attending a marketing workshop at the Digital Media Centre and receiving oneto-one coaching in how to reach more customers.

He has also designed a line of children’s beds designed to look like show jumps, and counts the pony-mad daughter of a wellknown TV personality amongst his clients.

Reece, who relocated his business from London in 2011, has been supported

by Enterprising Barnsley, the business development and support arm of Barnsley Council.

He has benefitted from free guidance from their Launchpad service to help

Angela Pedley, business development manager at Enterprising Barnsley, said: “Reece is a very skilled craftsman who originally trained in furniture design and cabinet making. Although he built a successful business in a related field installing kitchens and so on, it’s great to see him now put his passion into his first love of creating home furnishings, and we’re delighted to be supporting his business growth.”

Enterprising Barnsley, the economic development arm of Barnsley Council, provides specialist support to businesses with growth potential. The Digital Media Centre, Barnsley’s flagship creative and digital hub, is part of their portfolio of business support and accommodation.

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Lone worker experts welcome new standard for industry South Yorkshire lone worker experts Peoplesafe have welcomed the release of a new code of practice for the provision of lone worker safety solutions.

The updated British Standard BS8484, which was first introduced in 2009, lays out requirements for services, devices and Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) compliance.

Ian Johannessen, managing director of Peoplesafe, was part of the British Standards Institution (BSI) committee which reviewed and updated the standard.

Appointment for ambitious accountants Barnsley accountants Gibson Booth Limited have appointed a business development manager to drive growth.

Andrew Ainsworth has been appointed to work alongside the company directors to develop both strategy and marketing, and offer business advice to new and existing clients.

Andrew said: “I am delighted to be joining such a progressive and forward thinking business, there are great opportunities ahead for Gibson Booth and their clients and I’m very positive about the future.”

Andrew previously worked at Enterprising Barnsley, the economic development arm of Barnsley Council, for 27 years. He has a degree in business studies and a Master’s degree in economic development.

Robert Watson, managing director of Gibson Booth, said: “Andrew is an excellent addition to our team and we are overjoyed to have secured his experience as part of our ambitions plans to enhance the service to our clients.”

Gibson Booth, which has its offices on Victoria Road in the town centre, has 32 staff and in the region of 1,000 clients.

Their turnover has been growing year on year.

Services include corporate and personal tax planning, accounts and audit, plus specialisms including VAT, payroll, capital taxes, research and development tax planning, employee incentivisation, corporate finance and wealth management.

He said: “The standard has greatly improved and covers the elements that contribute to lone worker safety in a more comprehensive manner. It lays down a clear challenge to lone worker safety providers to proactively manage the integrity of the end to end service, and now auditors will seek clearer evidence that all elements are correct.”

He added: “Employing staff who work alone on the frontline is a challenge, and this standard will undoubtedly encourage more organisations to look carefully at safety systems and culture, and specifically their provision for lone worker safety.”

Hannah Weinhold, business services manager at Peoplesafe, added: “The new standard looks more widely at how the employers of lone workers can achieve a consistently effective position on lone worker staff safety - something that we have always endorsed at Peoplesafe.”

Peoplesafe are based in Dinnington and provide simple and lightweight equipment, monitoring services and safety training, aimed at keeping employees as safe as possible.

They will be releasing a guidance document on the new standard in early September.

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TheArts

Snowball into the Autumn / Winter season with highlights of what’s on in the new season.

The Civic

An exciting new season lies ahead at The Civic. The season opens with an engaging exhibition to mark the 20th Anniversary of the well loved film Brassed Off, celebrating Barnsley’s rich heritage of brass music. This is closely followed by a festival of delights within the Paines Plough’s Roundabout festival, with entertainment for all ages showcasing three new plays, music and a rich mix of cabaret and community events. The

season is not short of laughter with Toby Foster’s Last Laugh Comedy Club which will host some of the best comedians from the UK and International Circuit.

And lets not forgot the annual Christmas show. To celebrate the festive season there is a spellbinding production of Snow White that is not to be missed!

The Gallery at The Civic presents an exhibition to commorate the 20th

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anniversary of the bitter sweet gem that is the film Brassed Off. One side of the exhibition will consist of Turner Prize Nominee Cornelia Parker, a London-based sculptor and installation artist. Her piece, called Perpetual Canon, is an installation that engulfs the floor and walls. Her work is regarded internationally for its complex, darkly humourous, ironic style. The second side of the gallery is occupied by Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller whose piece, The History of the World 1997-2004 fuses traditional brass music and acid house.

The exhibition celebrates and explores the varied cultural significance of the regions’ brass band history, how it unites people within communities and celebrates their resilance and strength.

Brassed Off is at The Gallery on Saturday 10 September – Saturday 19 November 2016. FREE Admission.

Paines Plough’s Roundabout is a comfy in-the-round theatre which will be showcasing three new plays; Love, Lies and Taxidermy, Growth and I Got Superpowers For My Birthday.

Not only will this new work written by some of the country’s top writers be shown, the four day festival will host live music from Ensemble 360 and Two Pianos, comedy from Felicity Ward and Cabaret Boom Boom, fun for the kids with Sponge’s new production and a mini Festival of Labour History in association with Barnsley Trade Council.

Paines Plough’s Roundabout is in Mandela Gardens at The Civic on Thursday 13 October – Sunday 16 October 2016 10.30am-10.30pm.

Tickets for 2 Paines Plough shows £15 / £12 concessions. Tickets for 3 Paines Plough shows £20 / £15 concessions.

Be prepared to split your sides as Barnsley born Toby Foster (Phoenix

Nights, BBC Radio Sheffield) presents a great night of laughter, hosting some of the best comedians from the UK and international circuit!

Toby Foster’s Last Laugh Comedy Club will be at The Civic on Saturday 24 September and Saturday 3 December 2016 at 8pm. Tickets are £12.

And finally join us this Christmas for a heart-warming, ingenious take on the classic fairy tale, Snow White. Set in our very own Yorkshire landscape this production by Pif Paf and Tell Tale Hearts weaves aerial feats, live music, comedy and compelling performances to give all the family a special treat this Christmas.Can the miners break the magic mirror’s spell and set Snowy free or will her wicked stepmother steal the night?

Toby Foster

Snow White will show from Wednesday 14 December to Saturday 24 December 2016 at various times. Tickets are £12, £10 concessions and £8 for children.

For more information and to book visit www.barnsleycivic.co.uk or call the Box Office on 01226 327000.

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BusinessAdvice Are you paying more tax than you need to?

ByNicola Hawden UK tax legislation is notoriously complex. Despite George Osborne (remember him?) establishing the Office for Tax Simplification in 2010 we have still seen the UK tax code treble in size since 1997. Even his postelection Budget in the Summer of 2015 added two further allowances to our tax system, the Dividend Allowance and the Personal Savings Allowance.

Although these announcements seemed fairly straightforward ‘Tax free dividends of £5,000 per year’ and ‘£1,000 of tax free interest per year’, as with most taxes the devil is in the detail and the implementation is anything but simple.

Despite promising during the election campaign that Income Tax would not increase in the next Parliament, the Dividend Allowance brings with it a 7.5% increase in tax at all rates. Prior to April 2016 a director/shareholder of a limited company could structure their remuneration to extract around £42,000 of income from the company without paying any personal tax (in addition to the company’s 20% Corporation Tax liability).

From April 2016 this reduces significantly to £16,000, meaning a potential increase in their personal tax liability of £2,025, plus the income tax payments on account that comes with it. A tax payer who continues to extract a salary and dividend from their company simply to utilise their basic rate band could therefore face, in January 2018, a tax bill of over £3,000 compared to nil under the previous system. However, as every tax payer is entitled to the full £5,000 Dividend Allowance some higher rate tax payers with dividend income will actually see a reduction in their tax liability. This in itself creates new planning opportunities, so now is the time to review your corporate

structure and remuneration package to ensure it is working for you.

The Personal Savings Allowance was introduced with the aim of removing 95% of savers from the need to pay tax on the interest they earn. Whilst the headline rate is an allowance of £1,000 per year, this reduces to £500 for higher rate tax payers and £nil for those earning over £150,000 a year.

When considered in conjunction with the starting rate for savings of 0%, which applies in certain circumstances, an individual can now potentially receive £6,000 of savings income without paying any income tax. This in turns creates planning opportunities, for example, for directors with significant loan account balances. Taken together with the Dividend Allowance this can increase the amount of income that can be received tax free in 2016/17 to £22,000. Whilst this is still much lower than in previous years, with careful planning it is still possible to mitigate any increase in your tax liability.

The complexities further increase when considering how the new allowances interact with the Personal Allowance and basic rate, higher and additional rate bands.

It is therefore worth seeking professional advice now to ensure there are no nasty surprises when completing your 2016/17 tax return! If you would like any support in managing your corporate structure and remuneration package please contact Nichola today.

Nichola is a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Tax Adviser with a wide range of experience working with both personal and corporate tax clients.

Tel: 01226 282461 E: n.hawden@harrisaccounts.co.uk W. www.harrisaccounts.co.uk

Sheffield firm marks anniversary PCT, a Sheffield-based engineering firm, has paid tribute to its staff as it marks its 90th anniversary.

The sub-contract engineering company, was founded in 1926 and has survived war, recession and numerous steel crises, thanks to innovation, staff loyalty and hard work.

PCT operates in a range of sectors including the construction and automotive industries and manufactures around 50,000 towbars each year.

In recent years PCT has become a specialist in the development and fabrication of working at height safety equipment. It also offers high definition plasma profiling and metal fabrication including prototype development.

James Harding-Terry, managing director of PCT, said: “For any business to reach the 90-year milestone is a huge achievement but for a manufacturing company it’s a tremendous feat. We’ve had to overcome lots of business challenges including the changing nature of UK manufacturing to get to where we are today; a £5m turnover business employing 80. Our staff have played a pivotal role in helping PCT evolve and we thank them for their commitment.

Each time we’ve faced a challenge we’ve found a new marketplace or developed a new product. Diversification has enabled us to change and grow and survive.”

PCT started life as a small artisan business making press tools and delivering by bike. It is still a family-run business but now provides sub-contract engineering services across the UK. The team at PCT works on a range of engineering solutions, including high profile projects for Tesco and Heathrow Airport and fabrication work for independent, local companies.

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Jump or Giggle for the Red Cross in Yorkshire The British Red Cross is looking for daredevils for its Halloween abseil and anyone who likes a laugh for its Christmas Comedy Gala.

The Steel City Abseil will take place on Sunday 30 October, at the Owen Building, Hallam University, just in time for the Halloween celebrations and crazy fancy dress aplenty. Whilst taking on this daunting, yet thrilling 120ft/37m abseil, you will enjoy the words of Sir Andrew Motion in the poem ‘What If ’ on the side of the building.

colleagues, friends and family everyone can smash the target in no time! For more info and sign-up www.redcross.org.uk/Steel

From zombies to go-go dancers and super heroes, everyone is welcome and the fundraising team can’t wait to see this year’s choices! There will be prizes for best fancy dress, best fundraiser and University with most sign-ups.

Max Newton, Senior Community Fundraiser for the Red Cross in Yorkshire, said: “The lives of those affected by prolonged hospitalisation, house fires, floods, earthquakes, war and famine are truly transformed by events such as the Steel City Abseil which year after year raise great funds for the crucial work of the Red Cross.”

The entry fee is £10 and the target sponsorship is £100! With the support of

Giggle Aid is also returning to Sheffield on 11 December, at SUFC, Bramall Lane.

Toolstation opens third branch in Sheffield Toolstation, the national trade counter occupier, has expanded with the opening of a new branch at Holbrook Enterprise Park in Sheffield.

Toolstation signed a 10-year lease with regeneration specialist St. Modwen for over 6,000 sq ft of space at Holbrook. Bringing its third branch to Sheffield, Toolstation Holbrook will stock over 11,000 products

Book now to reserve your table. James Acaster will be the star act. Some of his appearances include: James Mock the Week, 8 Out of 10 Cats, Would I Lie to You? QI, Nevermind the Buzzcocks. James won Best International Show at the New Zealand Comedy Festival. He has his own Radio 4 series “James Acaster’s Findings”.

Tickets are just £20 per person.

Guaranteed 400 person sell-out!

Purchase your tickets at www.redcross.org. uk/Giggle. Or contact Max Newton on 0114 242 7379 or mnewton@redcross.org.uk Or text ABSEIL or GIGGLE to 07 710 711 253.

fourth branch in the city underlining our confidence in the Sheffield region.”

including trade essentials and top brands.

Philip MacLauchlan, managing director of Adept Consultancy UK Ltd, which advises Toolstation throughout the UK, said: “It was a pleasure to deal with St. Modwen and refreshing to do business with a commercially minded landlord.

“We have now started looking for our

Paul Brustad, development manager at St. Modwen, added: “Our accommodating and flexible approach to lettings has meant that Toolstation has been able to expand its offer in Sheffield by opening its third branch in the area.

“This is testament to Holbrook’s quality units and well-established industrial location.”

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BusinessAdvice

Organising a conference

by Emily Mills-Sales Manager, Sheffield United ensure delegates don’t have the hassle of getting lost on their way! Also consider the facilities of the venue – do they have Wi-Fi? Is it free? Do you require staging and AV, and can the venue include this as part of a package to keep costs as low as possible for you? Natural daylight is also very important to a lot of conferences, as it helps delegates concentrate.

What time of day is best/most popular?

Emily Mills has seven years’ experience in the events industry working in an array of unique venues and is now the Sales Manager for Sheffield United Conference and Events Team. Here Emily gives her thoughts on what to consider when planning a corporate event.

Choosing the timings of the event is also a key factor when planning a successful conference. Again, this comes down to who is attending and where they are travelling from. If the delegates are coming from around the country then a 9am start is probably not ideal as they will get stuck in rush hour madness. Avoid having conferences that go past 5pm, as people’s minds will most likely start to wander if it goes on for too long. This is why having regular refreshment breaks is also important as it lets delegates take a break and also gives them a chance to network.

Is there a good time of year to arrange a conference?

Why is the venue/location important?

When planning a meeting, conference or training course choosing a convenient location is essential. Consider who is attending and where they will be travelling from, as well as mode of transport.

For example if 90% if delegates are driving a venue with parking (preferably complimentary) is imperative. For regional conferences choose a venue that is iconic or recognisable so guests feel comfortable with where they are going. This is vital to

January and August tend to be quieter months in the meetings and conference industry, but you can avoid low attendance by planning the conference ahead of time and inviting attendees as early as possible.

You will almost certainly get more value for your money if you book a meeting in these months. March is often a busy month (before the tax year ends) so prices can increase to reflect the demand for this.

What format to consider i.e.

Q&A with guest speakers, open

forum with panel of experts The format of the event depends on who is hosting, who the delegates are, and the objective of the conference. For training purposes cabaret style (round tables of 6-8 people) is often preferred to allow group work and discussions. For AGM’s the format tends to be a speech from the COE or Managing Director about the past year highs and lows, some statistics and a thank you, followed by the objectives for the upcoming financial year and either group work, role play, or general discussions around specific topics.

Should catering be taken into account?

Catering is one of the most significant factors to take into consideration. This is the main aspect delegates remember (along with parking facilities and washrooms). Try to avoid the standard sandwiches and crisps lunch and give delegates something they a little more exciting. Most venues will be happy to put together a bespoke menu for lunch, and accommodate any specific dietary requests for allergies or religious beliefs.

How long should it last?

The length of meetings and conferences often reflects the objectives of the event. AGM’s and large conferences which include many delegates / employees often last 1-3 days because there is such many areas to discuss.

To find out more about the facilities at Sheffield United please contact Emily Telephone: 0114 253 7245

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White Company employee named runner-up in ‘Star of the Year’ award Meadowhall sales assistant pipped for top title in The White Company’s national award The White Company at Meadowhall Shopping Centre has a “Star in their aisles” after sales assistant Karen Hague from Rotherham came runner up in their national awards.

Lifestyle and fashion brand The White Company host a Star of the Year awards which celebrates and rewards individual staff members’ for their brand passion, customer service and living the company’s core values.

Karen, right, with White Company founder Chrissie Rucker, MBE.

Nominations are made by each store manager, which are then shortlisted to

one finalist per region for North, South and London. A short video was then made in store highlighting why the nominee deserved to win. The company’s Board of Directors finally chose the national winner and runner-up.

“With over 500 shop floor staff throughout the company, it’s a real honour that Meadowhall store employee, Karen Hague, should be a runner up.” Said Meadowhall Store Manager Paul Downend. We are really proud of her achievements, particularly in a store that has only just celebrated its first anniversary!”

Warehouse let to element materials technology Commercial Property Partners secures record rent on Rotherham warehouse Leading property consultancy Commercial Property Partners LLP (CPP) has announced the letting of Unit 3 Magna Way in Rotherham, for a record rent of £5.95 per square foot for an existing unit.

Unit 3, situated on the successful Magna Business Park, a 19 acre scheme with both industrial and office space, close to J34 M1, offers a high quality warehouse with ancillary offices, dedicated parking area and a secured service yard.

The 16,975sqft warehouse was let to Element Materials Technology Sheffield Ltd who specialise in materials testing

and product qualification testing for the industrial sector.

Ed Norris, Partner at CPP said: “Despite the current political climate, we received a significant level of interest for this property, and the high rent we subsequently secured proves the current demand and ongoing confidence within the area.

“We wish the new tenants every success in their new premises”.

The deal follows a busy period at CPP, reflecting the firm’s success in the current commercial property in the South Yorkshire Region.

Colliers acted for the tenant.

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Feature

The importance of your Why William Bottomley is the Communications Director at Barnsleybased financial management company Lifetime. A father and now proud grandfather, he helps provide a financial planning service which puts the client right at the centre. He strives to discover the concerns, goals and ambition of clients and helps them achieve their life plans by telling the truth about money. He has been with Lifetime from the company’s inception in 2002.

First day back from holidaying in the beautiful fishing village of Mousehole in Cornwall was also the first day for Luke as a trainee Financial Planner. He’s just graduated from Sheffield University with a Law degree and can’t wait to get stuck into his career in Financial Services. To be greeted with such wide eyed enthusiasm gave me such a boost after my break that I almost skipped through the post- holiday blues and moved straight onto business as usual.

Luke understands that it will take him at least 2 years to qualify and be able to practise as a Financial Planner, and a lifetime to gather the experience required to be a really good one. He’s really keen to learn about all the products as soon as possible and wants to take his exams at the earliest he can.

I’m trying to slow him down!

Last month, in this column, I talked about the pitfalls that we fall into in our industry when we use language that no one understands, and this alienates us from the very people we are trying

to engage with, our clients. The other massive mistake we make is to rush into product selling and make the products the centre of our proposition rather than our clients.

So last week I passed him a book

by Simon Sinek, “Start with Why.” The book looks at the difference between “what” we do “How” we do it and “Why” we do what we do.

There’s a lot in this and I would recommend everyone have a look at his TED Talk where he goes through his theories, it’s excellent.

His basic idea is that most people and companies can tell you what they do and most can say how they do it but to understand and to articulate why we do what we do is far more difficult.

If you accept that people work to pay their bills at a basic level, then the thing that differentiates the really successful (not just financially but in all areas of being satisfied with our lot) is an understanding and a commitment to having a why that can make a difference to other people and one that you can believe in and so can your clients.

The author looks at the Apple organisation as a great example of a company under Steve Jobs that was able to connect to their clients because their Why was clear and made them stand out from their competitors. Lots of companies sold computers when Apple came to the market, all of them concentrated their marketing on the “what” and the “how”, the technology and capabilities. Apple, on the other hand talked of giving people the capacity to change their lives, to THINK DIFFERENT. They took it as read that they were selling capable pieces of technology, the difference was they had a mission to help people take more control of their l l aspects of our lives we can find clear examples of individuals and of companies or services that either do or do not have a clear grasp of why they are doing what they do. It’s clear when you walk into a shop from the type of service you receive whether or not the assistant is there to help you to purchase what you need or if they couldn’t be bothered and are really only interested in a sale.

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Youngest volunteer I went into John Lewis at Christmas intent on buying a wireless sound system. I had a make and model in mind, but came out with a different one, cheaper than I had expected but exactly what I needed and knew that the guy who served me genuinely wanted to do his best for me despite losing out on a more expensive sale.

And guess who has been back to John Lewis since and who has recommended them!

We all know nurses and teachers, bus drivers and Police, journalists and sportsmen and women, taxi drivers and shopkeepers, our own boss and the people we work with, we all know people who have a greater purpose in life and are going the extra mile. These are the people who understand their why.

So, back to Luke.

Of course at the moment he’s trying to learn as much as he can about the “what” and the “how” of our business. He has so much to learn about the products and the processes we use and so many exams to take and qualifications to gain before he can sit in front of a client and call himself a Financial Planner.

Until he understands “Why” we do what we do, that we help our clients live the life they want to lead without ever running out of money, until he wants to make a difference to every client he comes across and puts them at the centre of his plans and not the products, he won’t fully understand our business.

He’s just started the exiting journey of discovery which will separate him from the also rans.

RESCUER REVEALED Research into England’s biggest ever mining disaster has uncovered the story of a teenage volunteer who was the youngest to help with the rescue effort. John Riley was just 17 in 1866, when explosions at the Oaks Colliery in Barnsley killed almost 400 people.

His story has come to light as part of ongoing research by the Dearne Valley Landscape Partnership (DVLP) into the catastrophe, which marks its 150th anniversary this year.

John Riley’s great-great-granddaughter Julia Woodhall revealed how he moved to Barnsley from Wales in 1865, and was walking home from a shift at the nearby Mount Osbourne Colliery when the disaster struck. He rushed to the site at Hoyle Mill to help his friends who worked there, becoming the youngest volunteer at the scene.

A newspaper clipping from 1930, passed down through the family, features an interview with John as an old man, recalling how he descended the pit at the Oaks Colliery with the aim of rescuing survivors and retrieving the bodies of those killed.

He returned the next day, when a second explosion killed 27 volunteer rescuers.

Talking to the reporter John, who is identified in contemporary records to be the youngest volunteer, said: “When I arrived at the pit…the second explosion occurred.

This blew the cage into the headgear, bricks and other things flew in all directions, and with so many people about, it was a wonder many of us were not killed. Those pals of ours, who had left us to go to the pit, went down with the last draw, and all perished.

We should have met the same fate had we been a minute of two sooner.”

Julia who lives in Barnsley, said: “I didn’t know much about the Oaks Disaster until I saw the research by the DVLP. John walked from Wales to Barnsley looking for work in the mines; he was a Welsh speaker so I don’t know how he managed in Barnsley.He was such a brave man to do what he did aged just 17 and I’m so proud of him.”

The research project into the Oaks Disaster has been organised through the Dearne Valley Landscape Partnership (DVLP) which is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund – thanks to National Lottery players.

Earlier this year, the research revealed a higher death toll than previously thought, with 383 victims named. The official reported death toll had always been 361.

DVLP community officer Stephen Miller said: “Since we published our research into those killed in the Oaks Disaster in April and called for people’s stories, we’ve had a brilliant response. Descendants from all over the world have been getting in touch with information and photographs. The old newspaper article featuring John Riley’s interview also shows his photograph, and it’s remarkable to look into the eyes of someone who actually witnessed the disaster first-hand.”

The full list of those who died can be found at www.disoverdearne.org.uk.

Commemorations of the Oaks Colliery Disaster will culminate in an exhibition at the Experience Barnsley museum in December. More information can be found at www.discoverdearne.org.uk The Dearne Valley Landscape Partnership would welcome further contributions of stories and images related to the disaster.

They can be contacted on 01226 772139 or DVLP@barnsley.gov.uk.

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BusinessAdvice

Landlords should protect their investments Renting out property is never going to be risk-free. So, if you’re a landlord, getting the right cover in place to protect against any incurring financial losses from dayto-day rental activities is crucial.

Currently, and perhaps surprisingly, there’s no legal requirement to anyone renting out a property to have landlord insurance as opposed to regular home insurance.

But the problem with home insurance is that these policies simply don’t cover what is classed as ‘rental activities’. If a landlord takes out standard home insurance, there’s every chance that insurance companies will refuse to pay out on a claim.

Some lenders offering buy-tolet mortgages are now insisting on landlord insurance, but, more importantly, landlord insurance offers a lot more in terms of protection.

Landlord insurance is there

in-case the worst happens and depending on the insurer, can protect from the following: Non-payment of rent Damage of your property Loss of earnings Rehousing costs Liability for accidents It’s reassuring to know that you are covered. It’s protecting your investment.

We also recommend keeping your insurer up-to-date. This can be a change of tenants or if the property becomes empty. Most policies will insure the main risks, but make sure you read your policy carefully. For example, some insurers will only cover properties let to employed tenants.

If you’re a tenant, you’ll need contents insurance to cover all your items within the property.

Landlords insurance does not cover your contents.

To find out more visit www.thelettingco.com

L4N UK are holding their first conference, Just Balance, on Friday 23rd September

The headline sponsor is Croft Myl, who offer bespoke office, meeting and conference facilities in their converted textile mill in the heart of Halifax.

From virtual office space through to a breath-taking penthouse suite with panoramic views over the rooftops of Halifax, they can create a workspace, tailored to an individual company’s needs, large or small.

L4N UK is dedicated to providing opportunities for women in business to network, be inspired, gain confidence, learn new skills and get support. There are now nine groups which meet for brunch or lunch across the North West region, bringing women together in a friendly and supportive manner. Out of these friendships come ideas, partnerships and fresh perspectives on business issues which can help solve problems and drive growth.

The keynote speaker is Debra Searle MVO, MBE who, incredibly, rowed across the Atlantic in a small wooden boat. Debra speaks from the heart and with great humour about the strategies she used to keep going and now uses, in her business life, to help illustrate, in a very human way, what we are all capable of.

Also speaking at the conference is the inspiring Deborah Ogden, a nationally respected speaker on Positive Impact and Presence. Her approach centres around increasing personal impact and making a positive, first impression.

Sharing the stage in what will be a truly inspirational day is Nicki Pattinson, a legendary sales and motivation

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speaker who is known for her indisputable and unmatched results with companies in the UK.

I’m excited to now take on more responsibility in this permanent role.

“I’ve always been keen to challenge the myth that apprentices are cheap labour, or people who fail their exams - and now I’m proof that apprenticeships can lead to really good things. I’m very grateful to the team at Magna for mentoring me and for now giving me this opportunity.”

Judith Wright, a creative thinker and a practical, hands-on marketing expert will also address the conference. Judith, the author of ‘Proven Strategies for Success’, has helped 1000’s of businesses to grow and achieve their dreams and will be sharing her wealth of knowledge on marketing and how to stand out from the crowd.

As well as organising its own events, which include Oktoberfest, The Yorkshire Wedding Fayre and South Yorkshire in Business, Magna hosts corporate events for brands including Mercedes, Royal Mail, Kia Motors and HSBC.

L4N UK have partnered with the charity MNDA (Motor Neuron Disease Association) to raise both money and awareness. Amy Kilpatrick, a regional fundraiser for the charity will provide details of the amazing work they do, and how people can get involved.

Denise Davies, Head of Community Fundraising at the MND Association, said: “Without the amazing support of people like L4N UK, the MND Association simply would not be able to provide its vital support services, fund research to find a cure and campaign and raise awareness of MND. Together we are making a real difference for people affected by this devastating disease.”

L4N UK have also forged partnerships with Yorkshire Enterprise Network, Lambert Print & Design, Wright Angle Marketing, Topic UK and many more companies that provide support and services to entrepreneurs across the region.

The conference will feature a marketplace to give the opportunity for enterprising ladies to showcase their products and services and allow the L4N UK ladies to do a bit of shopping! Exhibitors include, Pip & Doodle, Ramsdens Solicitors, Moo Boutique and many more to be announced!

Tickets for the conference are available from the L4N UK website, www.L4NUK.com with a limited number of VIP tickets available, that offer additional benefits, including lunch with the motivational speakers.

For further information please contact Sarah Barthorpe on 01422 375034 or sarah@wrightanglemarketing.com.

New role for former apprentice Magna has appointed a former apprentice to the role of sales coordinator, to help manage increasing demand for events.

Molly May Charlesworth will now be responsible for helping with enquiries from those keen to hire Magna for meetings, exhibitions, awards ceremonies, conventions, concerts and weddings.

She has spent the previous 12 months at the venue on an intermediate apprenticeship in business administration, whilst studying with RNN Training - part of the RNN Group formed from the merger of Rotherham College and North Notts College.

Molly May, a former pupil at Horizon Community College in Barnsley, said: “The hands-on experience I have gained at Magna over the last year has been fantastic, and

John Silker, chief executive at Magna, said: “It’s been a great year so far for events at Magna, and as demand continues, we’re sure that Molly will be an integral part of the team. Her work ethic is second to none, and I’m pleased we are able to take her on as a full time employee following her time with us as an apprentice.”

Magna currently has five apprentices, who are working towards qualifications in business administration, corporate events, electrics, technics and maintenance.

Charlie Grayson, Business Development Manager at RNN Training, part of the RNN Group formed from the merger of Rotherham College and North Notts College, said: “It’s great to see Magna investing in home-grown talent and supporting young people in the region, and we’re proud to work with them to place our students into apprenticeships. Molly May is another success story and we wish her all the best in her new role.”

As well as hosting events, Magna, which is housed in the former Templeborough steelworks near junction 34 of the M1, is an awardwinning visitor attraction and hosts regular school visits.

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BusinessAdvice

Strategy and planning

by Neil Jaggar Jackroyd Business Consultants was set up in July 2008 by Neil Jaggar, following the sale of Godfrey Autoparts – a car parts distribution business Neil had built from zero to £5.5m turnover in a 7 year period.

Neil is a highly successful and profit-driven business leader. He is an unconventional thinker with a wide-ranging skill set, who is passionate about utilising his skills to help business owners through the trials and tribulations of running and growing a business. With a decisive and enthusiastic approach to the key areas of: Financial, Sales, Marketing and Operations Management, Neil thrives on the challenges posed by developing a business and its team to its full potential.

The idea of exiting your business may seem like a distant dream, but the reality is that planning to exit your business is as important as writing your business plan when you first start out.

There are various ways to plan the exit of your business; • • • •

Walk away and close the business Sell your business as an ongoing concern to an interested party Handover the business, retain your interest and take dividends Sell the business and use the funds for your pension / retirement

Whilst you may not know just yet how your exit will look, it’s important to plan a strategy. If selling the business then you will need at least 2 years to get the business in shape for sale.

This will allow you to maximise on the profitability to achieve a decent return.

If the exit involves stakeholders, are the right people in place to take over?

It might be an option to go down the Management Buy Out (MBO) route. If so, is the current management team strong enough to take this on board or would you need to make changes?

It can seem like a daunting task which is why I recommend breaking the process down into manageable chunks that stay within the overhaul plan.

Start with a 5 year plan in mind. Assess every area of the business, from marketing to sales, operations, inventory, purchasing.

What does the financial forecast look like in each area? What would the costs be to make relevant charges to each department.

Build a strong financial plan that you can work to and that will keep you on track.

Also have contingency plans, a backup plan to allow for What if’s.

Once the overall strategy is in place and you’re comfortable with it then it’s decision time – just how will you exit your business?

And whatever you do – don’t hide the plan in a draw. It should be a working document that is to hand every day.

If you feel that even after all this, you still need external help then there are insolvency practitioners that can work with you who will waive their fee should the business turn around.

For further information contact Neil Jagger on 07973 281881 or visit the website on http://www. jackroyd-developments.co.uk/

A taste of Germ returns to Sout Magna’s annual Oktoberfest will bring a taste of Germany to South Yorkshire when it returns to the venue for the third time.

Tickets are now on sale for the event, which takes place on Saturday 1st October and features a range of continental draught and bottled lagers, fancy dress, and entertainment from Oompah bands.

Oktoberfest will run from midday until midnight, and revellers are encouraged to get into the spirit by dressing in Bavarian costume. Drinks will be poured in steins – traditional German beer mugs – and hungry guests can feast on frankfurters and other Germanthemed food. Serving wenches will add to the Munich style and a DJ and disco will keep everyone dancing.

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So often we are our own worst enemy Take a life lesson from your friendly flight crew

by Lisa Walker Lisa Walker is a personal development coach who helps people to become better versions of themselves. Building confidence, getting focus and clarity and working on a person’s self-belief enables them to feel more motivated.

We’ve all seen the airplane safety cards and listened to the flight crew go through their safety routine but how about taking this a step further?

“Fit your oxygen mask first before helping others.”

rmany as Oktoberfest uth Yorkshire Over the last two years almost 4,000 people have attended the event, which is thought to be the biggest of its kind in the region. Numbers are expected to be high again in 2016.

John Silker, chief executive of Magna, said: “Oktoberfest is a real highlight on our calendar and we can’t wait to bring Bavaria to Rotherham again.

We’ve got so much space here that it’s perfect for a big party, and we’re inviting everyone in South Yorkshire to join us.”

A shuttle bus service will run from Rotherham and Sheffield to Magna throughout the day

and night. And for those who choose not to drink, plenty of car parking is available.

Entry-only tickets for Oktoberfest are £5, with beer and food tokens available on the night. Bierkeller packages, which include entry, drinks and a meal, start from £15.

For more information, or to book tickets, visit www.magna. co.uk or call 01709 723118.

Magna’s Oktoberfest themed event will coincide with its world famous namesake in Munich, which takes place from 17th September to 3rd October.

If you’re not at your best how can you be the best to others?

If you continue to put others before your own wellbeing how can you expect to remain in tip top condition?

If you insist on putting your children/parents/ colleagues ahead of your own needs, then what happens when you’re running on empty?

Looking after yourself first is one of the best things you can do for your family and loved ones – being the best you can be starts from within. After all, our children will always copy our actions not necessarily our advice!

So, the next time you insist on sacrificing yourself in the daily scrum of life take a minute and consider what the benefits would be to those nearest and dearest if you were to fit your own metaphorical oxygen mask first – probably a stronger, healthier, and more in control person that can give that bit more?

As for the rest of the airplane safety talk I’m still working on it as part of daily life – emergency exits? Brace positions? High heels and inflatables? Hmm, more work needed I think!

Tel: 07525 843015 E: lisa.walkerwhiteapplethinking.co.uk W: www.whiteapplethinking.co.uk

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BusinessAdvice

TaxAssist Accountants celebrates milestone anniversary Huddersfield & Barnsley based small business specialist, Nick Brook of TaxAssist Accountants, gives advice on tax & accountancy matters: Q: What is the Confirmation Statement A: From 30th June the confirmation statement will replace the annual return.

The confirmation statement serves roughly the same purpose as the annual return: for companies to provide up-to-date information for inclusion on the public register. However, one main difference is that rather than you providing a snapshot of your company data at a specific date, you’ll now ‘check and confirm’ the information we hold is accurate.

Another difference is that in your first confirmation statement you’ll also need to include the information held in your register of people with significant control.

To complete your confirmation statement, you just need to check the information that we hold about your company is correct and fully up to date.

If you need to update your shareholders’ information, change your company’s SIC code or amend the statement of capital, you can do this with your confirmation statement. For any other changes, you will need to complete a separate form and submit it at the same time as your confirmation statement.

Will this cost more than the annual return?

The fee for the confirmation statement is the same as the annual return: £13 when filed online or £40 when filed on paper. You only have to pay the fee once a year; irrespective of how many times you make updates to your confirmation statement.

When do I need to file my confirmation statement?

From 30 June onwards you’ll need to file a confirmation statement instead of an annual return. Additionally, please be aware that the 28-day grace period has changed to 14 days.

Q: I currently have a VAT number as a sole trader but I am going to start WUDGLQJ DV D OLPLWHG FRPSDQ\ VRRQ ௗ:LOO WKH FRPSDQ\ QHHG WR DSSO\ IRU its own VAT number?

A: If it meets certain conditions, the company may need to register for VAT from the date of transfer from the sole trade.

You can opt to transfer a VAT registration from one business to another. For example, if you are changing the status of a business (like you are- going from sole trade to limited company) or if you take over a business and want to keep using its VAT number. The previous owner of the VAT number does not need to deregister.

However, you may want to consider the benefits of not transferring the VAT registration number to the company. Firstly, if you have a history of filing or paying late, that legacy will be inherited by the company. Furthermore, if you are operating the Flat Rate Scheme, by opting for a new registration, you are able to take advantage of the 1% discount to your rate in the first year of VAT registration.

Nick Brook specialises in managing tax and accountancy affairs for small businesses. For more information about the topics covered above contact Barnsley 01226 449554 | www.taxassist.co.uk/barnsley Huddersfield 01484 424961 | www.taxassist.co.uk/huddersfield

Huddersfield and Barnsley-based TaxAssist Accountants is celebrating ten years working with the local small business community and a new appointment after seeing client numbers soar.

Nick Brook set up TaxAssist Accountants on Lockwood Road, Huddersfield in 2006 and in response to growing demand from existing small businesses and new businesses starting up in Barnsley, decided the time was right to expand with a second office opening in Barnsley’s BBIC last year.

Now with over 400 small business clients across the region, the team has been boosted with the appointment of apprentice, Ryan Gill who will learn on the job while studying to gain his AAT Accounting Technician qualifications.

Nick Brook commented; “We’re thrilled to be celebrating our tenth anniversary here in Huddersfield and a successful first six months in Barnsley. Since opening in 2006 we have seen the business go from strength-to-strength as the small business community continue to look for jargon-free tax and accountancy advice.

“At a time when demand for our specialist small business services continues to grow, we’re delighted to have Ryan join our team. He is already proving to be great addition to the team, which is evident through the brilliant feedback from clients and we are confident he will develop more and more in his new role. Too often young people leave university or college with no real experience of working life, whereas apprenticeships allow them to train in their chosen career and also gain valuable work experience.

“To add to this month’s celebrations we would also like to congratulate one of our team, Kerri Carter who has recently passed her ATT qualifications.”

TaxAssist Accountants in Huddersfield and Barnsley is a local business itself specialising in providing accountancy services, tax returns, payroll, bookkeeping, tax savings and tax advice to local small businesses.

For more information visit TaxAssist Accountants in Huddersfield on Lockwood Road or the BBIC on Innovation Way, Barnsley or get in touch with Nick Brook on 01484 424 961 or nickbrook@taxassist. co.uk

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Airport welcomes record number of passengers

Hesley Group Pledge their Commitment to Apprenticeships One Barnsley’s pioneering initiative to promote apprenticeships in the local area, the Apprenticeship Pledge, has clocked up another milestone.

Hesley Group have taken the mantle to become the 500th business to take the Pledge to recruit at least 2.5% of their workforce into apprenticeship roles or training.

The Apprenticeship Pledge was introduced in 2013 by the One Barnsley, a strategic partnership group made up of the leading employers in Barnsley including Barnsley College, Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, as a reaction to unemployment in Barnsley and surrounding areas.

commitment.

“Working in partnership with Barnsley College on joint initiatives such as the Pledge and Talent United, will allow us to continue to invest in our staff, so we can continue to enhance the lives of the people we support.””

The group supports learning on the job by employing six apprentices, five in clinical healthcare, another in management, and providing vital work placement for HND students from University Campus Barnsley.

By taking the Pledge, Hesley Group have shown their support and commitment to training staff and offering employment opportunities to those wanting to work in the healthcare sector.

Christopher Webb, Chief Executive and Principal at Barnsley College, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with such a successful care in the community provider. By working with businesses like the Hesley Group, we are able to ensure our students, across all aspects of the curriculum receive the best training possible and are given vital work and employability skills.”

Louise Beaumont, General Manager at Hesley Group, said: ““We’re passionate about supporting the local community by providing excellent job and training opportunities for people within w the area and signing the Apprenticeship Pledge allows us to demonstrate this

Businesses across the region are welcome to sign up to the Apprenticeship Pledge.

For further information or to sign up, contact Barnsley College’s Work Based Learning Team on +44 (0)1226 216 166, email employer@barnsley.ac.uk, or visit www.barnsley.ac.uk.

Passenger numbers at Doncaster Sheffield Airport increased by 42% in July, compared to last years figures, leaving the airport on track to welcome over 1.3m passengers for the year.

As well as reporting its busiest month ever, the airport has also seen a new partnership between Flybe and airberlin which enables passengers to reach worldwide destinations.

Partnerships with Flybe and airberlin will give Flybe passengers access to airberlin’s network of around 150 worldwide destinations through Doncaster Sheffield Airport’s Berlin and Dusseldorf Flybe routes.

The new airberlin relationship will make a number of major destinations accessible from the Sheffield City Region via Berlin to Munich, Zurich, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Gothenburg and Vienna plus another route to New York, which is also accessible via Dublin.

Steve Gill, chief executive of Doncaster Sheffield Airport, said: “We are delighted to be once again sharing such positive news from Doncaster Sheffield Airport.

This enhanced connectivity further strengthens our message that we should be the first choice for people and business in the Sheffield City Region.

“With the investments made in the ease and convenience of using the airport such as the new motorway link road, terminal investments and expanded connectivity through our Flybe hub routes to Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin and Dusseldorf, we are able to serve more routes locally that we know the region wants to use.“

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WAKEFIELD - KIRKLEES & CALDERDALE - south yorkshire - SOHO

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