VOX Magazine - issue 5

VOX

YOUR QUARTERLY BUSINESS MAGAZINE CONNECTING CHESTER & WREXHAM

Advertise your business in the next issue of VOX

We offer value for money advertising opportunities, and we are keen for you to see a return on your investment. We will work with you to identify the best package to meet your needs. As well as advertising, we offer sponsorship, competition and leaflet opportunities too.

VOX

YOUR QUARTERLY BUSINESS MAGAZINE CONNECTING CHESTER & WREXHAM

Welcome to VOX. Your voice to target the business community across Chester and Wrexham. Whether you are based in Chester or Wrexham, or are keen to reach the businesses that are, our magazine has been specifically designed to reach the people that matter.

Meet the team:

Clara lives in Chester and runs a successful marketing company, Zebra Marketing and Communications (www.zebra-comms.co.uk), that has been operating locally, nationally and internationally since 2010. Clara specialises in strategic marketing, copywriting, media relations and services relating to events, exhibitions and conferences.

01978 437070 | 07702 736763 clara@ezpublishing.co.uk

Recycle

Vicky lives just outside Wrexham and owns and produces EssentialsMAG (www.essentialsmag.co.uk) – a local monthly community magazine which is hand-delivered through 14,000 letterboxes in and around Wrexham. She is also a successful graphic designer and artist and has been working in the creative industries since 1992. She established her first business in 2003.

01978 855459 | 07740 945795

vicky@ezpublishing.co.uk

VOX is a quarterly business magazine. If you are outside our circulation area and would like a copy delivered to your door you can subscribe.

Full details are on page 75.

Cover illustration: Chester Market by artist Emma Gore @emmagoredesigns

Clara Hughes Editorial Director

Vicky Heathfield Creative Director & Advertising

Welcome

Welcome to our latest issue of VOX

Can you believe we are nearly at the end of 2022? This year seems to have flown by even faster than normal. We are incredibly pleased to have completed our first four issues, held a launch party for the magazine and our first two networking events. Thanks to our advertisers, contributors and supporters, we think we have really started to put VOX on the map. Issue five was once again a joy to pull together, with some interesting articles covering all sorts of topics, to take you through the end of 2022 and start the New Year off well.

So, what is VOX? – a quick reminder

VOX is the Latin word for ‘voice’, and this is what we want to provide for local businesses around Chester and Wrexham – a voice and a platform to showcase your work, share your successes and offer help and advice to one other.

What’s in store?

The end of one year and the start of another is often a time of reflection and planning for individuals and businesses alike, and in this issue you will find many articles that can help you get 2023 off to a good start. We also debunk some of the myths surrounding PR and look at the importance of awards and how good, professional photography can help grow your brand on social media. We also have legal advice on how a family business is treated in divorce and look at how to get the best from your business management information, among the many business insights in this edition.

We have been lucky enough to interview some fascinating business leaders, including the communications director at Kellogg’s, the owner and CEO of The Ice Cream Farm, and the owners of That Beer Place in Chester, who all have interesting stories to tell. As ever, we also have lots of business and charity news to share with you too, along with details about our next networking event in January.

Help us raise your voice

Once again, we would like to thank our advertisers and contributors, who have helped us create our fifth issue. And huge appreciation goes out to our resident artist Emma Gore, who has developed another stunning piece of original cover artwork. For those of you who admire Emma’s work, you might be interested to read our interview with her, where we find out more about her inspiration.

We want to make VOX the voice for local businesses – a platform where we can share your stories and experiences of the region, celebrate your successes and be proud to be part of a community uniting two important economic hubs. To make this happen, we would love to hear your views and find out what you would be interested in reading about.

We hope you enjoy browsing through our latest issue of VOX!

Clara and Vicky

Croeso

Croeso i'n rhifyn diweddaraf o VOX Allwch chi gredu ein bod bron ar ddiwedd 2022? Mae'n ymddangos bod eleni wedi hedfan hyd yn oed yn gyflymach nag arfer. Rydym yn hynod falch ein bod wedi cwblhau ein pedwar rhifyn cyntaf, wedi cynnal parti lansio ar gyfer y cylchgrawn a’n dau ddigwyddiad rhwydweithio cyntaf. Diolch i'n hysbysebwyr, cyfranwyr a chefnogwyr, rydyn ni'n meddwl ein bod ni wir wedi dechrau rhoi VOX ar y map. Roedd rhifyn pump unwaith eto yn bleser i’w dynnu ynghyd, gydag erthyglau diddorol yn ymdrin â phob math o bynciau, i fynd â chi drwy ddiwedd 2022 a dechrau’r Flwyddyn Newydd yn dda.

Felly, beth yw VOX? – nodyn cyflym i’ch atgoffa VOX yw'r gair Lladin am 'lais', a dyma beth rydyn ni am ei ddarparu ar gyfer busnesau lleol o amgylch Caer a Wrecsam - llais a llwyfan i arddangos eich gwaith, rhannu eich llwyddiannau a chynnig help a chyngor i'n gilydd.

Beth sydd ar y gweill?

Mae diwedd blwyddyn a dechrau blwyddyn arall yn aml yn amser o fyfyrio a chynllunio ar gyfer unigolion a busnesau fel ei gilydd, ac yn y rhifyn hwn fe welwch lawer o erthyglau a all eich helpu i gael 2023 i ddechrau da. Rydym hefyd yn chwalu rhai o'r mythau sy'n ymwneud â Chysylltiadau Cyhoeddus ac yn edrych ar bwysigrwydd gwobrau a pha mor dda y gall ffotograffiaeth broffesiynol helpu i dyfu eich brand ar y cyfryngau cymdeithasol. Mae gennym hefyd gyngor cyfreithiol ar sut mae busnes teuluol yn cael ei drin mewn ysgariad ac yn edrych ar sut i gael y gorau o'ch gwybodaeth rheoli busnes, ymhlith y mewnwelediadau busnes niferus yn y rhifyn hwn.

Rydym wedi bod yn ddigon ffodus i gyfweld ag arweinwyr busnes hynod ddiddorol, gan gynnwys y cyfarwyddwr cyfathrebu yn Kellogg’s, rheolwr gyfarwyddwr yr Ice Cream Farm, perchnogion That Beer Place yng Nghaer a chrochenydd o Ogledd Cymru, sydd i gyd â straeon diddorol i’w hadrodd. Fel arfer, mae gennym hefyd lawer o newyddion busnes ac elusennau i'w rhannu gyda chi hefyd, ynghyd â manylion am ein digwyddiad rhwydweithio nesaf ym mis Ionawr.

Helpwch ni i godi eich llais

Unwaith eto, hoffem ddiolch i'n hysbysebwyr a'n cyfranwyr, sydd wedi ein helpu i greu ein pumed rhifyn. Hoffwn hefyd estyn ein gwerthfawrogiad enfawr i'n hartist preswyl Emma Gore, sydd wedi datblygu darn trawiadol arall o waith celf clawr gwreiddiol. I’r rhai ohonoch sy’n edmygu gwaith Emma, efallai y byddai gennych ddiddordeb mewn darllen ein cyfweliad gyda hi, lle cawn wybod mwy am ei hysbrydoliaeth.

Cofiwch, rydyn ni am wneud VOX yn llais i fusnesau lleol – yn llwyfan lle gallwn rannu eich straeon a'ch profiadau o'r rhanbarth, dathlu eich llwyddiannau a bod yn falch o fod yn rhan o gymuned sy'n uno dau hwb economaidd pwysig. Er mwyn i hyn ddigwydd, byddem wrth ein bodd yn clywed eich barn a chael gwybod beth fyddai gennych ddiddordeb mewn darllen amdano.

Gobeithio y byddwch chi’n mwynhau darllen ein rhifyn diweddaraf o VOX!

Clara a Vicky

Thank you to Helo Blod, which provides a free, fast and friendly Welsh translation service via the Welsh Government www.businesswales.gov.wales/heloblod

Independent insurance brokers opens Wrexham office

A leading independent insurance brokers continues to expand its business in Wales with the opening of an office in Wrexham. The move reflects H&H Insurance Brokers’ growth across Wales, Shropshire and Cheshire, and is in addition to its current bases at Ruthin Farmers’ Auction Mart and St Asaph Livestock Mart in North Wales.

The new office at Wrexham Technology Park will be the administrative hub for its Wales operation, with the team continuing to work out of its bases at the marts on key sale days.

Hâf Rowley, who leads the H&H Insurance Brokers’ team operating in Wales, Shropshire and Cheshire, said: “The new office signals our commitment to developing the business in Wales and the Border counties by providing an excellent base from which we can continue to provide a first-class service to our clients. We’re building on strong foundations which will allow us the opportunity for further growth and expansion in the future.”

H&H Insurance Brokers (HHIB) operates across the North of England and the Scottish Borders, as well as Wales, Shropshire and Cheshire, and has its head office in Carlisle. The firm arranges a broad portfolio of business insurance across sectors including farming and agriculture, tourism, hospitality, construction and all types of rural businesses.

The new office at Wrexham Technology Park is located at: 3C Edison Court, Ellice Way LL13 7YT hhinsurancebrokers.co.uk

Organised by Alyn and Deeside

MS Jack Sargeant, Sealand-based company Dandy’s Topsoil and Landscape Supplies kindly donated bark mulch to the ‘wildlife corridor’ and wellbeing garden at Coleg Cambria Deeside.

CEO Adam Dandy said: “We’re so glad our donation will help transform the new growing area at the college. We are known for our giveaways to local primary schools, but colleges and places of higher education often get overlooked. We’re glad that Jack reached out to us and are more than happy to help the college in creating learning opportunities for students, via the new wellbeing space – well done to Coleg Cambria for its innovation in education and bringing that to the outdoors.”

Jobs Growth Wales+ learners, staff and members of the Construction Trainee Academy began work on the 40 square metre site more than a year ago, with the support of Keep Wales Tidy and its Local Places for Nature project. Having also received sponsorship from Monkey Lady Corporate Wear, the group planted more than 100 trees, wildflowers and meadows, 2000 native bulbs, shrubs and more.

A prominent landscape supply firm laid the groundwork for improvements at a blooming wildlife garden

Hâf Rowley, who leads the H&H Insurance Brokers’ team operating in Wales, Shropshire and Cheshire

Tourism in the post-pandemic environment

On Thursday 13 October, the Tourism Society held an open event in Chester, to discuss the challenges facing the UK tourism sector in the post-pandemic environment. The event was sponsored by Sykes Holiday Cottages and the speakers included Deborah Heather, Chair of the Tourism Society and CEO Quality in Tourism, Graham Donoghue, CEO at Sykes Holiday Cottages and James Berzins, Managing Director of TXGB.

Outwrite named best small PR agency in Wales

A Mold-based PR agency has achieved an industry double, following a prestigious awards ceremony. Outwrite PR was named best small PR agency of the year and account manager Cal Behrendt scooped outstanding young communicator of the year at the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) Cymru Wales PRide awards.

The success follows on from the agency winning the same categories at the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) Cymru Wales Dare awards earlier in the year. Outwrite has experienced year-on-year growth since managing director Anthony Bullick completed a management buyout in 2018, and the agency has welcomed more new clients in 2022.

Competing for gold at the WorldSkills finals

Wrexham-based Charlie Samson took part in the WorldSkills final in November. Originally due to take place in Shanghai, due to the pandemic, the final was relocated to Coleg Cambria’s Bersham Road site in Wrexham.

Representing the college and Chirk-based Kronospan, 24-year-old Charlie joined South Walians George Denman and Michael Jones for the Manufacturing Team Challenge against representatives from Japan, Chinese Taipei, Korea and France. The Manufacturing Team Challenge included one main project – the design and construction to scale of a 3D crane – and nine ‘surprise’ tasks, which could include CNC Milling, 3D printing, Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and electronics.

Talented teenagers landed prestigious degree apprenticeships with one of the world’s top aviation manufactures

Harvey Clare and Max Davies recently began their new roles at Airbus Broughton, they are both 18 years old and former pupils at Darland High School in Rossett, Harvey will take on a Business Management Degree Apprenticeship, while Max studies for an Engineering Degree Apprenticeship, delivered in partnership with Swansea University.

Harvey Clare

Max Davies

Oliver & Co Solicitors becomes largest law firm in North West to become employee-owned

A North-West law firm that champions happiness and positivity among its employees has become employee-owned. The 85 employees of Chester-based Oliver & Co Solicitors now own 100% of the business, through an employee ownership trust and will enjoy an equal share of the firm’s profits.

The former owners of Oliver & Co describe the move as a ‘natural progression’ for the firm which will ‘secure the business for the future’.

Oliver & Co is the first law firm in Chester and North Wales to become employeeowned and is the largest law firm in the North-West of England to make the move to employee ownership.

City’s young professionals treated to glitzy Boodles champagne reception

A Chester solicitor has taken over the running of a networking group connecting the city’s young professionals – with her first event including a glitzy champagne reception held at one of the area’s most exclusive, luxury jewellers.

Bryony Chambers-Towers from legal firm Aaron & Partners is the new host of Chester Young Professionals Networking (CYPN), and kicked off her first session in style, with a special gathering at Boodles Jewellers in Chester.

Oliver & Co’s former owners David Owen and Kay Cook will remain with the firm in senior positions. David Owen said: “We’ve always prioritised happiness and positivity at Oliver & Co, so employee ownership was a natural progression for us. By selling the business to our employees we can retain that special culture and secure the business for the future. Our clients will benefit too, because if our people are happy, that is reflected in the fantastic service we give to our clients.”

Employee ownership is increasing across the UK and according to the Employee Ownership Association, companies that are employee-owned, or who have a large and significant employee ownership stake, now contribute £30 billion to the UK’s GDP.

Kay Cook explains why employee ownership made sense for Oliver & Co: “Employee-owned businesses tend to see higher levels of profitability and productivity, along with improved employee and customer satisfaction. Employeeowned companies excel in engaging employees, who in turn drive performance and innovation. We’ve always encouraged colleagues to make suggestions and contribute to the way the business is run. Becoming employee-owned takes that a step further and gives our people a stake in the business and an equal share in our profits, no matter what their role or seniority.”

Oliver & Co has recently received recognition in the fields of personal injury, industrial disease and clinical negligence, by being ranked in the 2023 edition of the Legal 500, the independent guide to the legal profession that is based on feedback from clients.

Since being re-launched last year following a pandemic-enforced pause, the monthly event has gone from strength to strength, and was attended by young professionals, including property experts, lawyers and accountants.

Bryony joined Aaron & Partners in May last year and supports the Planning, Environment, Energy and Regulatory team as a Trainee Solicitor. She said: “It’s a real privilege to take over the running of the CYPN, as we aim to bring a new generation of Chester’s young professionals together. As someone who’s relatively new to Chester, I know how important it is to have a good network of people you can call upon, both in a personal and business sense.”

From left: Bryony Chambers-Towers, Trainee Solicitor at Aaron and Partners, with Mimi Jeffries and Chloe Johnson, Sales Consultants at Boodles Chester.

Rawson Digital celebrating 10 years of business

Wrexham-based company providing a wide range of print and photocopying equipment to businesses throughout the UK, celebrated 10 years of business in 2022. The team at Rawson Digital has over 25 years’ experience in the printer and photocopier industry, and the company marked its significant anniversary with a big party for friends, clients and suppliers at Carden Park Hotel in Cheshire in November.

Local film production company celebrates 25 years in business

Wrexham-based corporate video production company, Knew Productions, celebrated 25 years of business, with a party for its film crew last month. The evening, held at the Grosvenor Pulford Hotel in Rossett, marked 25 years of filming thousands of promotional videos for clients across a variety of industries from manufacturing, construction and pharmaceuticals, through to sport and education. The company has even recently provided archive footage of Wrexham to be used in Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary, which premiered this summer.

Initially set up in 1997, working on music videos, television for BBC and ITV Wales and corporate videos, the company incorporated to become Knew Productions Ltd in 2004. One of its highlights was in 2009 when it was chosen to produce recruitment videos for The Royal Engineers and The Royal Signals, with one of the videos going on to win Best Corporate Video at the Institute of Videography (IOV) Awards in 2010.

Filming has taken the ‘Knew Crew’ to many locations across the UK and globally, including Italy, Poland, Spain, France, Thailand and Australia. The team has also worked with numerous well known faces including Sebastian Coe, Andrew Marr, Michael Owen, Rhys Ifans and Sir Lenny Henry.

Knew Productions enjoys a hard-earned reputation. Its client base has continued to expand and includes companies like Visit Wales, Savills, Village Bakery, Boodles, Jones Bros and AstraZeneca.

Zebra welcomes new recruit

Clare Lea is the most recent member of the Zebra team. She joins the business with a background in TV production and experience in content marketing, PR, copywriting, social media and design. Clare has also been involved with numerous charities, providing strategic direction and PR and marketing support.

Commented Richard Knew, founder and managing director at Knew Productions: “Knew Productions has seen a lot of change over the last 25 years, and it has been an exciting journey. Filmmaking has advanced a lot in that time too, and we have adopted the changes as they have been introduced, embracing the digital transformation of the industry. Drone footage and animation now regularly feature in our finished product, something that would not have been possible without a huge time and cost attached to it, when we first started out.”

He continued: “We thought it was important to mark and celebrate our 25 years in business. Our talented, hardworking freelance camera teams and video editors are a huge part of what has made the journey so enduring and successful. And, as we embrace the new chapter in our story, we are keen to continue to develop the ongoing relationships with our clients, many of whom we have worked with repeatedly over the years. We thank them for their business and continued trust.”

A leader in vehicle diagnostic tools and automotive training is gearing up for expansion after unveiling new skills centre

Wrexham-based Maverick Diagnostics has been a pioneer in the automotive sector for more than two decades. During the pandemic, Managing Director Andy Brooke refocused the business, from sales to service solutions, accelerating growth and winning new customers, at home and overseas.

Following the launch of their Automotive Training Academy – delivering a suite of IMI (Institute of the Motor Industry) courses from levels one to four – and the exclusive aftermarket Tesla tool, which is causing a big stir in the sector, he revealed plans to more than double their workforce and remain at the forefront of advances in technology, as demand grows for technicians to work on EV and hybrid engines.

“According to the IMI, there is a massive need for more TechSafe technicians by 2030 – around 90,000 in the UK alone,” said Andy. “We identified pre-pandemic that this would be the trend and were already running online training programmes, which continue to be very popular. The safety aspect is pivotal, because if you’re not properly educated in how to work on EV and hybrid vehicles, then you can’t go near them, and the majority of garages are nowhere near ready to do so.”

Maverick Diagnostics also has a strong reputation for dealer diagnostics, delivering a wide range of services, from equipment sales and technical support, to live and remote training, and research and development.

Reflecting on Brexit and the challenges of Covid-19, Andy says they used lockdown to realign the company’s direction and pivot to fill a gap in the market: “From an IT and training perspective, it’s important to remember how different vehicles are now. They are more technological, completely unlike cars of the past,” he said.

“We are doing things differently, we have more than 100 contractors working with us in the UK and in Europe, and that will continue to increase. There are also plans for expansion here in North Wales, which will see us take on another 10 staff in the Wrexham area, but they are at their earliest stages.”

Smashing the Skills Shortage

A report by the Learning and Work Institute (L&W) in 2019 found that the UK skills shortage will cost the country £120 billion by 2030. Overall, there will be a shortfall of 2.5 million highly skilled workers and an oversupply of 8.1 million people with traditionally intermediate or low skills. The world of work has become increasingly complex in recent years and with it the skills gap –the disparity between the skills employers seek and the skills the available workforce has to offer –has grown.

A high-profile conference at Coleg Cambria took place at the end of October, to discuss what can be done to reduce the skills shortage. It was attended by local businesses and training providers and as well as listening to the speakers on the subject, there was a valuable opportunity to network.

Art installation planned at Chester Cathedral in 2023

Chester Cathedral will be welcoming Gaia, an internationally acclaimed art installation from Luke Jerram in 2023.

The work uses stunning NASA imagery to create an awe-inspiring and detailed vision of Earth as you’ve never seen it before. The sixmetre artwork of Earth will ‘float’ in the South Transept from Tuesday 7 February to Sunday 5 March 2023.

The aim of the installation is to raise awareness of the effects of climate change and encourage people to reflect on how they can play their part in preserving our incredible planet for future generations.

Farndon gym wins Best Health & Fitness Business in Cheshire

A much-loved Cheshire gym which launched in the middle of the Covid pandemic has been named Best Health & Fitness Business in Cheshire.

Aptitude Health & Fitness, which is based at Monument Place in Farndon, Cheshire, won the prestigious accolade at the English Business Awards. The awards ceremony took place in September in Manchester and Aptitude Health & Fitness is now into the finals for the national ceremony, which will be held in December in Birmingham. The independent awards recognise the best in the business around the country and we wish them luck.

Community Art Gallery joins forces with Chester-based Wine School for new events

Art Box, the professional art gallery for emerging local artists on Boughton, Chester, has joined forces with The Wine School of Cheshire to host wine schools, evening tastings and corporate events. Mixing the world of art and wine, and supported by Academy West (who pair a signature 5-course tasting menu at the Saturday events and canapes for the evening events), The Wine School was looking for a new venue to provide its customers with a fresh experience.

Richard Smith of the Wine School explains: “Rick Nieto, the patron of Art Box, has been a customer of the Wine School for a number of years and knew I was looking for new premises. Rick suggested the art gallery could be the ideal location which, indeed, it is proving to be. The gallery is easy to get to, on the outskirts of Chester and our customers are enjoying tasting wine accompanied by delicious foods, while surrounded by amazing art created by local artists, from in and around the Chester area.”

Award win

Wrexham Chauffeurs is proud to announce that it was recently awarded Best Wedding Transport at the North Wales Wedding Awards. The team at Wrexham Chauffeurs works hard and prides itself on the high-quality service it provides to all its clients, particularly its wedding clients.

Both businesses are keen on supporting and mentoring young people in Chester. Liz Dunning, Manager and Curator of Art Box, commented: “The marriage between Art Box and The Wine School of Cheshire has brought new-found interest to our community gallery from the patrons of the wine school. Indeed, we have been delighted how popular the events have been. Our tables are designed to seat couples, but we have found everyone to be sociable between tables, as they enjoy the delicious wine and food amongst the display of fantastic artwork created by emerging local artists.”

Where possible, Academy West sources its produce for the tasting menus and canapes from Cheshire and the surrounding areas, including a quality butcher on the outskirts of Ellesmere Port. Each food item is made by the students from scratch.

Richard continues: “The tasting menu is designed to complement the selection of wines from a particular country, or with a certain theme. Both the teams at Art Box and us are thrilled to be supporting another career path for young students in the area, by teaming up with Academy West. The tasting menus and canapes pair with our wines exceptionally well.”

Business goes from strength to strength thanks to the prestigious 20Twenty leadership programme

Caroline Platt, Managing Director of Platts Agriculture Ltd in Llay, Wrexham, was among the first business owners to complete the course, which is 80% funded and available to all companies in Wrexham, Flintshire and north Powys. Since Caroline graduated in 2018, four members of the current team have attended the programme – Financial Director Ian Hall, Group Transport Manager Ashley Wood, Head of HR Nerys Price-Jones (who graduated with a previous employer) and Nadia McKane, Sales and Marketing Manager.

Now employing up to 65 staff and with plans for further expansion, Caroline thanked 20Twenty for the positive impact it has played in the company’s strategic growth.

Commented Caroline: “I learnt so much on the programme about leadership and management, and also from the rest of the group. We all came at things from different angles, but were able to share best practice and the networking aspect proved invaluable. I still have close links with many of the cohort and through 20Twenty’s Wisdom Labs, I’m able to continue my personal and professional journey, all of which plays a part in the growth of our company.”

Xplore! Going for Gold

Xplore! Science Discovery Centre is delighted to have received the Gold Award from Visit Wales. The Science Centre, which opened in 2020, is bringing science to life for all in North Wales and beyond. The Gold Award is given to attractions that have achieved excellence in their facilities and customer service under Visit Wales’ Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Service (VAQAS). The inspectors commended Xplore! on its range of exhibits and displays, its interactive science show and the range of products available in their shop and café.

Xplore! joins an exclusive list of attractions across Wales to receive the Gold Award. As the only attraction in Wrexham to have received this distinction, Xplore! Science Discovery Centre has been recognised as one of the premier attractions in the Wrexham and North Wales region.

Centre Manager Scot Owen said, “We are delighted to receive such a prestigious award from Visit Wales. We are immensely proud of the work that has gone into creating and maintaining the centre. The team at Xplore! is fantastic and I am delighted that our hard work has been recognised. We look forward to improving the centre and carrying the Gold Award forward into 2023.”

Lynda Powell, the Executive Director of Operations at Wrexham Glyndŵr University and a member of the board of trustees of North Wales Science Limited, said “Wrexham Glyndŵr University is immensely proud of Xplore! The provision of an interface between the cutting-edge science and technology of Glyndŵr University and the public is incredibly important. Visit Wales recognising the excellent work that Xplore! Science Discovery Centre has been doing with the awarding of the Gold Award is a culmination of almost 20 years of hard work.”

Aaron & Partners ranked as one of country’s top legal firms

Aaron & Partners has been ranked as one of the country’s top legal firms, after almost 40 of its lawyers were mentioned by name in the new Legal 500 list. The Chester-based firm has reinforced its position as one of the very best in Cheshire and the North West, as well as Shropshire and the West Midlands, after the release of the prestigious industry guide recognising the nation’s best professionals.

Among this year’s achievements were the Corporate and Commercial and Dispute Resolution departments being ranked in the top Tier 1 status, with a further 16 practice areas also gaining ‘recommended’ status in the guide. The 38 lawyers, who are located across offices in Chester, Manchester and Shrewsbury, received a combined total of 47 individual rankings in different categories.

Winners revealed at the Chamber’s Annual Ball & Recognition Awards 2022

Over 350 guests came together to celebrate the success of businesses in West Cheshire & North Wales on Friday 11 November at the Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Ball & Recognition Awards. Hosted by experienced journalist and broadcaster, Sian Lloyd, the awards took place in the Pavilion at Chester Racecourse. The event was a chance for members of the Chamber of Commerce to come together and reflect on the accomplishments of the last year.

The winners

• Protos Networks Award for Digital Innovation: Think Beyond

• Young Chamber Award – Sponsored by Russell Taylor Group: Castell Alun High School

• Kickstart Trainee Award: Fraser Crossan – Chester Zoo and Stephen Higgitt – Countess of Chester Hospital

• Kickstart Employer Award - Sponsored by Azets: Chester Zoo

• Young Person/Apprentice of the Year Award – Sponsored by Altimex Ltd: Sophie Foster – Brownlow Furniture

• Start-Up Business of the Year Award - Sponsored by Zodeq Ltd: Artezzan Restaurant & Bar

• Made a Difference Award – Sponsored by The Alternative Board: Russell Taylor Group

• Customer Excellence Award – Sponsored by Leonard Curtis: Penderyn Distillery

• Excellence in Sustainability Award – Sponsored by S. L. Procurement Solutions: Platts Agriculture Limited

• Export & International Trade Award - Sponsored by ITAS: Lavinia Stamps

• Business Growth Award – Sponsored by NatWest Business Banking: Accted Ltd

• Business of the Year Award – Sponsored by Ellis & Co Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers: Bathgate Business Finance

£7500 was raised on the night for The Joshua Tree and the Chamber of Commerce was presented with the Armed Forces Covenant Silver Employers Recognition Award by Lt Colonel Mark Powell.

“We actually had someone whose job it was to take the order directly from Buckingham Palace and a dedicated delivery driver”

Cereal winners

Kellogg’s and the Royal Warrant

What did you have for breakfast this morning? Research suggests (Statista: Jan – Dec 2020) that 14 million people in the UK are eating cereal at least once a day. If you are part of this huge figure, then there is a good chance your cereal has been produced by Kellogg’s. It is estimated that in 2020 alone, over 6.67 million people consumed Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, making it the one of the most popular brands in the UK. If that’s the case, then you also share your breakfast choice with royalty, as Kellogg’s holds a Royal Warranty as the Purveyor of Cereals to the Royal Household.

Fit for a King – and a Queen NOW WE HAVE A NEW KING ON THE THRONE, we caught up with Paul Wheeler, Kellogg’s Communications Director for UK and Ireland, to find out what it means to be a Royal Warrant holder and what happens now, with the change in monarch.

Paul explained: “We have held the Royal Warrant throughout Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, and in fact, we held the Royal Warrant during her father’s – George VI – reign too. All our cereal brands are encompassed within the Royal Warrant, making us the Purveyor of Cereals to the Royal Household. Today, we provide these via the Royal Grocer, but up until recent years, we used to service the Palace directly.

“We actually had someone whose job it was to take the order directly from Buckingham Palace and a dedicated delivery driver, who even had a delivery van – Genevieve – purely for servicing the Royal Household.”

With the company celebrating 100 years in the UK this year, we asked Paul why the Royal Warrant remains so important to the business. “There are a couple of reasons why”, he told us.

“Firstly, the Royal Warrant remains a recognised mark of quality – if it’s good enough for royalty. Secondly, like many of the iconic brands that were introduced into the UK in the 1920s and ‘30s, Kellogg’s is not actually a UK brand. It was originally founded in Michigan, USA in 1889, before being imported into the UK in 1922, and remains American owned. However, it is incredibly special and important to the company that it is such an intrinsic part of British life. The Royal Warrant further reinforces that.”

Social impact

With the change in monarch, Kellogg’s and all the other Royal Warrant holders now have a two-year window to apply for the Royal Warrant from the King.

“The Royal Warrant has to be renewed every five years anyway, as it is important that Royal Warrant holders continue to meet the exacting

standards required by the Royal family. There are strict criteria you have to meet and you are audited on all sorts of elements including legal, supply chain and procurement. Areas that are also becoming increasingly important are the social impact and the environmental and sustainability criteria. We are fortunate, that as a big business, we are already addressing many of these elements and although there is always more we can be doing, we have a very good foundation to work from. Our packaging has been made from recycled cardboard for a long time and we have trialled paper liners in our cereal boxes. But, with the increased sophistication of recycling now, if people separate their waste correctly, even the plastic we use can be recycled. We take the application process very seriously and over the next couple of months, we will bring a team together from across the business, to prepare our submission.”

“The Royal Warrant remains a recognised mark of quality –if it’s good enough for royalty”

A UK century for cereal

In 1889, in a failed attempt at making granola to feed patients at their health sanatorium in rural Mid-West America, Kellogg’s founder, William Keith Kellogg, and his brother, Dr John Harvey Kellogg, changed breakfast forever when they accidently flaked wheat berries. William continued to experiment until he flaked corn and created the delicious recipe for Kellogg’s Corn Flakes. Some 33 years later in 1922, Kellogg’s Corn Flakes and All Bran were first introduced to the British public – originally imported from the USA and later from Canada.

Kellogg’s opened its first British factory in Trafford Park, Manchester, in May 1938. The factory cost $2 million to build and covered 130,000 square feet. In 1978, Kellogg’s opened its second UK factory – in Wrexham in North Wales. The site was officially opened by HRH Princess Alexandra. Both sites remain the focal points for manufacture in the UK.

We asked Paul what the business was doing to celebrate its ‘100 years of bringing breakfast to Britain’.

“Kellogg’s prides itself on being a purpose-driven, diverse and inclusive company, and on doing the right thing. This comes from our founder’s values, which he embodied right up until his death, when he set up a foundation to hold 20% Kellogg’s shares, making it the largest single shareholder and reinforcing his philosophy of ‘doing the right thing’. To reflect these values, we have had a range of activities over the last 12 months, celebrating mainly with our employees and setting up projects with schools and university students, reimagining the food and packaging. We have also had 2022 limited-edition packs designed, featuring old adverts, branding and packaging designs from our archives.

“We have set up over 100 different volunteering opportunities, which we have encouraged our teams to take part in. Our Wrexham factory has volunteered at charities such as Save The Family and Clwyd Special Riding Centre. We always encourage our teams to give back to the community and provide two days a year, paid volunteering days. This year, we just wanted to do a bit more.”

“We always encourage our teams to give back to the community and provide two days a year, paid volunteering days”

What is a Royal Warrant?

In British business, there can be no higher endorsement than gaining the Royal Seal of approval. A Royal Warrant of Appointment is a document that appoints an individual or company in a trading capacity to the Royal Household. It’s granted as a mark of recognition to people and companies which have regularly supplied goods or services to HM The Queen, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh or HRH The Prince of Wales, or their Households. It allows the holder of the Royal Warrant to use the Royal Arms with reference to their business. This can include being incorporated into branding and packaging, as a demonstration of the Royal endorsement.

During her reign, Elizabeth II granted 686 royal warrants, while as Prince of Wales, Charles granted 159 royal warrants, and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, granted 38 royal warrants. Dozens of household names have a Royal Warrant, including Weetabix, Marmite, Cadbury, Heinz tomato ketchup, Twinings tea, Barbour clothing, Boots, Waitrose, Bendicks of Mayfair and of course Kellogg’s, as ‘Purveyors of Cereals’

However, on the sad news that Queen Elizabeth passed away in September 2022, every company that has a Royal Warrant will have to amend their packaging. As the Royal Warrant features the Queen’s Royal Arms, the new insignia will have to be changed to carry the equivalent for King Charles. They have two years to carry this out, with new labelling that will have to be eventually adopted to retain the accolade.

Applicants for a Royal Warrant – which qualify if they supply the Royal households for not less than five of the last seven years – also have to demonstrate their appropriate environmental and sustainability policy and action plan. This is becoming more and more important as time goes on and will no doubt be a top priority to the new king, with his longstanding environmental credentials.

“The Royal Warrant has to be renewed every five years anyway, as it is important that Royal Warrant holders continue to meet the exacting standards required by the Royal family”

Welcome to Kellogg's Wrexham

A clean start for 2023

With the continuing presence of Covid, it is now more important than ever for employers, business owners and managers to ensure that their office premises and workplace environments are as clean and hygienic as possible.

By COLIN LIGHTFOOT

A REGULAR AND THOROUGH CLEANING REGIME IS ESSENTIAL, not only in the interest of the health and wellbeing of staff and employees for whom they have a duty of care, but also in the interest of the health and wellbeing of their clients and customers – and ultimately of their business overall.

Mental health and wellbeing in the workplace have come into very sharp focus and have had much more emphasis placed upon them in the wake of the pandemic. As a result, everyone today is understandably hypersensitive when it comes to matters relating to cleanliness and hygiene in their offices and other work environments, and to the many attendant dangers of the bacteria and dirt that can very quickly build up there.

Not unsurprisingly, they are extremely aware and alert to the need for scrupulous levels of cleanliness and the highest professional standards of hygiene, in venues such as leisure, catering and hospitality, and also education establishments such as nurseries, schools, colleges and universities, where much trust is placed and where many people gather, visit and spend significant time.

Who is responsible for workplace cleanliness and hygiene?

Employers have the ultimate responsibility for the cleanliness and hygiene of their workplace environments. The Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) clearly states that all workplaces must do everything reasonably practical to ensure a safe and healthy workplace, which includes maintaining its cleanliness. Breaching the regulations by failing to abide by workplace health and safety legislation could result in substantial fines, or even prison terms.

The pandemic has seen extra health and safety measures being introduced that require employers to ensure that staff are as safe as possible from the virus and the government has provided guidance on specific matters, including workplace hygiene and cleanliness.

“As a result, everyone today is understandably hypersensitive when it comes to matters relating to cleanliness and hygiene in their offices and other work environments”

Workplace cleanliness can affect staff and employee recruitment and retention

Employees today are increasingly putting emphasis on the need for clean and hygienic workplaces, and this will undoubtedly be a key factor in the recruitment and retention of staff and employees in the future. On top of that, a clean and hygienic working environment provides staff and employees with peace of mind that the air quality will be better and that the risk of the spread of germs will be reduced. As a result, morale will be better and they will feel safer, be more at ease, be more motivated and feel more valued and be more productive. Another benefit is that the incidence of sick leave and absenteeism is likely to be reduced.

First impressions count and a sense of professionalism matters

A clean reception area and clean offices have a key role to play in making a good first impression with clients, customers, guests and visitors alike. They are a vital and very tangible opportunity to demonstrate the professionalism, values and standards of your business, and to generate feelings of confidence and trust that will have benefits that will far outweigh the costs of the cleaning process itself.

Where cleanliness and hygiene must come first

Without overstating the obvious, those operating in the healthcare sector, particularly where vulnerable people are involved, need to work to the very highest professional standards when it comes to matters of the cleanliness and hygiene of their premises, facilities and establishments. This includes doctors’ surgeries and waiting rooms, hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, care homes and hospices, where much trust is placed and a high level of duty of care is rightly expected.

Why thorough carpet cleaning has to be a priority

While carpets are often put in place to be welcoming and to make staff, clients and visitors feel at home, they trap airborne pollutants which must be removed in order to protect the carpet and maintain indoor air quality – a factor which can be a major issue to those who suffer from asthma or allergies.

pandemic has seen extra health and safety measures being introduced”

Regular and appropriate professional carpet cleaning, especially using the hot water extraction method, prevents the build-up of allergens and bacteria, and can affect the warranty and increase the life of carpets significantly.

Make it a clean start for the new year ahead

Regardless of what business or industry you are in, this is no time to pay lip service to cleanliness and hygiene standards in the workplace. It is no time to settle for superficially clean commercial cleaning and no time to accept that clean enough is even remotely good enough.

What is required is a considered programme of regular and thorough facility-wide cleans, supported by periodic deep-cleans. These will ideally be conducted by an accredited professional and Trading Standards and SAFE contractor-approved commercial cleaning services business, that employs professional grade equipment and techniques.

Colin Lightfoot Lightfoot Cleaning Services lc-cleaningservices.co.uk

01244 811 933

“The

Networking

Our second networking event took place in September, and we were back in the tepee at the Golden Lion, Rossett for another evening of interesting conversations and an awe-inspiring talk.

WE WERE PRIVILEGED TO BE JOINED LIAM HANLON, managing director at The Forshaw Group, who regaled our guests with stories about his successful Everest attempt in May 2022, and answered lots of questions about his experiences.

Our next event takes place on 19 January 2023 and tickets are

Future dates

Our quarterly networking runs from 17:00 – 19:00, with the January one taking place at Cleopatra’s in Holt.

Book your space online at: ezpublishing.co.uk/events

New year, new venue

Our VOX networking in January will take place at Cleopatra's in Holt on Thursday 19 January 2023. As we go to print, we are just waiting to confirm our special guest speaker.

More details to follow in the new year.

VOX on show

Earlier in 2022 we attended the Chester Business Show at the Crowne Plaza. Following the success of the day, we booked to attend again in November. This time, we were joined on the stand by Emma Gore. Once again, the show exceeded our expectations, and it was great to see so many familiar faces among the other exhibitors.

Dates for your diary:

Thursday 16 March 2023

Thursday 22 June 2023

Thursday 21 September 2023

Photography: ©Adam Crump, AC Creative

DATE: Thursday 19 January 2023

TIME: 17:00 - 19:00

LOCATION: Cleopatra’s, Holt

PRICE: £15 (includes refreshments)

the picture Put your business in

Growing your brand on social media can seem like a daunting task. You might have started an account and put hours and hours of your life into posting every day. You might have carefully curated your feed, to look as attractive as possible. And you’ve definitely spent too much time thinking of what to write for your bio.

By MAIRA AZHAR

I KNOW THIS BECAUSE I HAVE DONE THE SAME. After getting nowhere for months, I got tired and gave up. But my business really suffered. I wasn't visible anymore, no one knew what I had to offer and I was not getting any bookings. I knew I had to make a change, so I hired a business coach who specialised in branding. And it changed everything.

I am here to share all that I have learned and the mistakes to avoid. So, grab your coffee and take some notes. I'm going to jump right in, so here goes…

Seven ways to increase your visibility, stand out and get more clients!

1. One of the most effective ways of increasing your engagement is to show yourself. You are the face of your brand and your ideal clients want to know you, like you and trust you

2. Use testimonials wherever you can. People need social proof and the best way to do that is to use reviews and testimonials from past clients. Bonus tip: using a video testimonial is even more powerful, so request your clients to send you a short video clip and make a reel out of it

3. Do more lives and post more videos. It will increase your engagement with existing followers, as well as your reach, to help you gain new followers

4. Show the behind-the-scenes of your business. People love to get a sneak peak, so show it to them. Everything can be content, so take out your phone and start shooting what you do in a typical day

5. Don't forget the call to action (CTA). What do you want from someone who visits your profile? Should they visit your website, follow you, comment on something? Put in that CTA in every post you write, in your bio, in your lives, stories, reels – everywhere!

6. Don't just post and leave. Engage with your ideal client

7. Invest in brand photography to grow your business. Yes, I am biased about this one, but I know how powerful high-quality professional images can be in creating a polished and consistent look for your brand. Selfies and stock photo just won’t do.

“A brand shoot is so much more than a headshot”

What is brand photography and how can it help my business grow?

Your potential clients are out there right now, shopping for you and your products and services with their eyes. You as a business owner need to give them something to feast their eyes upon. Your images play a massive part in their purchasing decision – so ask yourself this question. Are the photos that you are currently using to market yourself on your social media, your website and all the other marketing materials, doing their job?

If not, then a brand photography session will help. In essence, this means working with a brand photographer to develop a bank of images of you, your brand and your business. These will enable your potential client to invest in your product or service.

A brand shoot is so much more than a headshot or a product shot. It’s 100% bespoke and tailor-made for you and your business. Right now you may be using stock images, or even badly taken selfies. These are damaging your visibility.

A shoot should be carefully designed and curated – to show your brand colours and style, and what message you want to show the world. It may show you in your business, the behindthe-scenes, you with your family or friends, your passions and interests, as well as your products and services, how you engage with your clients, and what your creative process and your inspirations are.

Who will it benefit?

Any type of business, an entrepreneur or a small business owner, service provider, or e-commerce store. Anyone who wants to invest in their business, who wants to grow their brand, who want to increase their visibility and get more clients and sales. So pretty much every business can benefit from a personal brand shoot.

If you would like to know more about the importance of brand photography and how it can help your business, I have a free training video that is packed with tips and actionable steps that you can take right away. You can view it here: https://subscribepage.io/ personalbrandphotography

Maira Azhar

“One of the most effective ways of increasing

engagement is to show yourself. You are the face of your brand and your ideal clients want to know you, like you and trust you”

Photograph ©Rachel Beekman Photography

Wholesale Pizza Kits

Do you currently serve pizza in your establishment or is it something you have been thinking about for a while?

Wedoughit4u has the catering solution you have been looking for

WHAT’S INCLUDED?

We supply our pizza bases, sauce and cheese in bulk to restaurants, hotels, pubs, play parks and more! The packs we supply to you consist of the following:

• 20 x bases (thin crust, hand stretched)

• 2x 2 litre pizzas base sauce

• 2x 1.5kg bags of mozzarella/mature cheddar mix Each pack will make 20x margherita pizzas www.wedoughit4u.co.uk

Our pizzas are not frozen and have a 1 month fridge shelf life

A conversation with Jonathan Fell

Owner & CEO of The Ice Cream Farm, Tattenhall

For ‘In Conversation’ this issue, we’re in the heart of Cheshire to meet the Owner and Chief Executive of The Ice Cream Farm. The Fell family has been creating award-winning Cheshire Farm Ice Cream for over 35 years. When the business started to become popular, people would visit the farm in order to purchase the delicious ice cream. As the number of visitors grew, The Ice Cream Farm tourist attraction was born.

THE ATTRACTION SITS ADJACENT TO THE CHESHIRE FARM ICE CREAM PRODUCTION UNIT

, which supplies over 1000 pubs, restaurants and retail units throughout the UK. The site has expanded dramatically over time and currently attracts well over 400,000 visitors a year. It is now run by one of the Fells’ sons, Jonathan, who joined the family business straight from school. We recently had the opportunity to meet him and find out more about the business and his plans for the future.

Drive Thru to Drive In

As we have discovered in many of our VOX interviews, the pandemic has played a huge part in companies’ current business models. The Ice Cream Farm is no exception – it has seen a shift in customer preferences and has adapted its offering accordingly.

Jonathan explains: “During the pandemic we had to work out a way to continue to operate. We revisited our business model in line with the restrictions that were in force, and the idea of a Drive Thru was introduced. It wasn’t without its challenges, but it did show us that there was still an appetite for our Cheshire Farm Ice Cream, even without the experience of the wider visitor attraction. This year has been our first normalised year since the restrictions were lifted and we have now launched our very own Drive In experience. This has been designed specifically for our customers who are looking for the ‘ice cream only’ experience.

“Getting the technology right has been challenging, but we have worked with a Nantwich developer, Attaro, to ensure a very complex ordering process (40 flavours, six different ways, as well as a choice of toppings) was made as simple as possible for our customers. We have also created a peaceful lakeside setting, where people can park up and place their order. We are utilising QR codes for automatic ordering and our customers then just have to sit back and wait for their order to be delivered to them by golf buggy. Once they have their ice cream, they can either enjoy it in-situ or take it away with them.

“The Drive In has also been designed to welcome cyclists and walkers too. We have 70 landscaped order locations around the lake, they are even set-up with deckchairs. If we are very busy, there can be a short wait for your ice cream, but on a sunny day, there are very few nicer places you could be waiting for your ice cream delivery.”

Expansion and demand

The farm has developed dramatically over the years, from a working farm when the Fells first bought it 40 years ago, to the instantly-recognised familyfriendly visitor attraction it is today. As a leisure destination with great appeal for children, the team recognised the need to introduce family entertainment. So, in 2008 the first indoor soft play area was opened. The outside play areas, including quad bikes and minigolf were opened in 2011. These are a mixture of free and paid areas. Although it was a hefty £70,000 investment, the paid-for element of the site meant that the play area had paid for itself within the first three months of operation. The annual footfall by 2011 was in the region of 250,000 people a year, but by 2013 this grew to 500,000 and the site had reached capacity.

Between 2015 and 2019 the company invested £5 million into a major redevelopment of the site to make it five times bigger, taking up much of the original farm area. By 2016 The Ice Cream Farm was one of the few freeto-enter rural visitor attractions and had a footfall of 830,000 people. It received national recognition and Chris Evans even rang the site, live on-air.

As Jonathan recalls, “We needed to expand. So, continuing with the ice cream theme, we grew. We ‘Willy Wonka’d’ the hell out of it and the site now holds the Guinness World Record for the largest ice cream shop in the world, and biggest sand and water play area in Europe.”

“We revisited our business model in line with the restrictions that were in force, and the idea of a Drive Thru was introduced”

The new attractions offer a whole new flavour of activity. The ice cream parlour is the centrepiece of the new development, with an open-plan design, specially-designed serving counter and seating areas. The previous parlour has been transformed into a 180-seater food and drink area, providing a bright and contemporary environment, as well as an exciting new menu. Each area has an ice creamrelated name. From ‘Honeycomb Canyon’, a sand and water play area that allows children of all ages and abilities to play, engage and explore – whatever the British weather brings – to ‘Daisy’s Garden’, ‘Strawberry Falls’ and ‘Silvercone’, to name but a few.

Surviving the storm

“The £5 million investment was funded by bank loans and cashflow, with no outside investment, so when the pandemic hit in 2020 it delivered the perfect storm. Fortunately, between seatbelt loans, furlough and revisiting our business model, we managed to weather it, but the timing couldn’t have been worse.”

Did you know…?

Vanilla is the most popular flavour for the wholesale side of the business, while it’s a close call between Chocolate and Bubblegum flavour as to which sells more on the Farm.

One of the changes the company made to its business model was the decision to start charging an entrance fee, which was something it had resisted until that point. Jonathan explains their reasoning, “At times prior to 2019, our visitor numbers had gotten too high, so some of our customer service levels suffered. By introducing an entrance charge, but limiting the numbers, we have been able to improve our levels of customer service and the overall customer experience. This is also one of the reasons we have introduced our Drive In. There is no entrance charge for there and it meets the needs of our customers that purely want our Cheshire Farm Ice Cream.”

Throughout some of the quieter times during the pandemic restrictions, Jonathan had the opportunity to focus on the company’s branding story, even completing the House of Brands online branding course. Developing the brand has helped in the development of the company strategy and the new brand and business strategy has the buy-in of the management team.

The Ice Cream Farm: A potted history

The Fells moved into the farm in 1986. Shortly afterwards, with the introduction of milk quotas, they started to look at how they could diversify the dairy farm and were one of the first farmers to sell to an independent dairy. The Fells needed a way to add value to the excess milk, which is when they started producing farm ice cream.

The first ever flavour was simply called ‘Farmhouse’. It was a plain mix, not even Vanilla. In the early days, as well as customers to the farm, the company delivered the ice cream from chest freezers in the back of a van. A big break for the company came when they secured a contract with Air 2000 – the first airline to offer quality ice cream on domestic flights. This meant they needed to produce two million pots a year.

The early focus was getting the manufacturing and packaging right, and the company developed its initial seven flavours in the first five years. Currently, Cheshire Farm Ice Cream is available in approximately 50 flavours. After a brief sojourn into selling to the supermarkets, the business decided to focus on regional distribution only and by the mid-1990s the company was securing 10-15 new contracts every week, including a contract with local business Brunning and Price to supply its restaurants, a contract it still fulfils today.

While Cheshire Farm Ice Cream is still very much a family business, nowadays the ice cream manufacture – which is still made on site – is run by brother Graeme Fell, while The Ice Cream Farm visitor attraction is coordinated by Jonathan and his wife, Helen. The last cow was milked onsite in 2013, but the Ice Cream Farm’s most important ingredient still comes from cows in the fields surrounding the site. Like its famous ice cream, the Farm remains a Cheshire success story through and through.

Jonathan and Helen Fell with their two children

Recognising challenges

“While we are still facing challenges, like staff and skill shortages, the costof-living crisis and the increase in energy costs, we are focused on the continued success of the business. Employee engagement and staff retention is more important than ever before, and we want to make our company a place of work that the team enjoys being part of.

Seven years on from the start of the redevelopment, we have recognised we need to introduce a programme of maintenance, to ensure that the site remains a must-visit destination for families.

“More recently, we have started on our B-Corp journey, which will involve a comprehensive look at ourselves. We are working to make The Ice Cream

INTERIOR FITOUT SPECIALISTS

Farm as environmentally-friendly as we can. This will encompass the introduction of solar power, through to trialling how we can replace our plastic containers with more sustainable materials – but that is only the start.”

Jonathan Fell Owner and CEO The Ice Cream Farm theicecreamfarm.co.uk

Please get in touch to see how we can enhance your workplace.

“The last cow was milked onsite in 2013, but the Ice Cream Farm’s most important ingredient still comes from cows in the fields surrounding the site”

“Positively impacting people’s lives by building innovative workplace environments”

- MDfitout Ltd -

Office design and layout can play a large part in improving office productivity.

A well thought out office space can make it a pleasure to come to work, unhindered by lack of space, a noisy environment or light issues which in turn has a positive effect on health and well-being and allows staff to be fully productive.

celebrate Cause to

It’s been a year to remember for the Platts Group – Platts Agriculture Limited, Platts Transport Limited and Platts Commercial Services Limited – which are all based on the Llay Industrial Estate in Wrexham. Best-known for manufacturing and supplying specialist animal bedding for the UK and Irish dairy industry, in recent years Platts has expanded exponentially with their own standalone HGV workshop and haulage firm.

A Group effort

Established in 1973 by then-farmers Robert and Christine Platt, the business is now a market-leader in the cattle bedding market across the UK and going from strength to strength in Ireland, which is a key growth market.

Their daughter, Caroline Platt, has been Managing Director since 2006, with Chris Whittaker, a third generation, joining the Group as a Director in 2020. The Group now employs 67 staff across four sites on the Llay Industrial Estate in Wrexham and most recently, new offices in the heart of Chester.

Sustainability is at the centre of Platts’ processes, transforming a biproduct into value-added goods, which in turn allow farmers to reduce waste and promote animal welfare. As suppliers of the Royal Farms, the company is proud to hold the Royal Warrant and this year have achieved Level 3 Green Dragon Environmental Status.

A year to remember

Approaching its 50th year in 2023, the company is planning to mark the occasion with a year of celebrations, recognising its achievements and the staff, suppliers and customers who’ve all played a part in the ongoing success. Whilst not quite a milestone, year 49 has been one to celebrate.

Back in March 2022, Platts won the Family Business Award for Wales and the Environmental/Sustainable Business of the Year at the Welsh Regional Finals of the Federation of Small Business Awards. From here, they were through to the UK Finals in Glasgow, where they were crowned

the UK’s Family Business of the Year, by Clare Balding and JJ Chalmers! It doesn’t stop there, for the Platts Group was a finalist in the Multimodal Transport Awards, for Haulage Partner of the Year, and People Champion of the Year in the Logistics UK awards, upcoming in December 2022.

Of course, November brings the Annual West Cheshire/North Wales Chamber awards, where the company are up for the prestigious Business of the Year Award and Excellence in Sustainability [which the won – congratulations!]

Regardless of what happens at the upcoming awards, Platts has ambitious plans for the future – be it within the local community and supporting the Llay Business Forum, developing the recently purchased eight acres of land in Llay, the professional and personal development of its #PlattsPeople, or not least, exponential growth in its manufacturing and market share.

“Approaching its 50th year in 2023, the company is planning to mark the occasion with a year of celebrations”

Celebrating 25 years of Knew Productions

City Framers is Chester’s leading bespoke framer, for more than 35 years we have been providing high quality frames for homes and businesses.

Photographs Canvas Framing

Canvas Stretching Medals

Cross Stitches

Sports Shirts Memorabilia

Drawing business to you

An

Interview with EMMA GORE

One of the first things people tend to comment on, when they first pick up a copy of VOX, is the look and feel of the magazine – particularly the striking artwork on the front cover. When developing the concept of VOX, we wanted to have something memorable on the front and original, local artwork seemed like the way to go. We were introduced to Emma Gore through a mutual friend and once we saw her artwork and how she was able to interpret the brief we gave her, we knew we had found the right artist to design the magazine’s front covers. Five issues in, I hope you’d agree we chose well.

EARLIER THIS SUMMER, EMMA MADE THE DECISION TO LEAVE HER BUSINESS ROLE TO FOCUS ON HER ART FULL TIME. So, this seemed like the ideal time to interview her to find out more about her art and her business, Emma Gore Designs.

Emma explained: “The timing was right for me this Summer. I lost my dad last year. He was a very important figure in my life and his loss made me reevaluate my own life and what I wanted to achieve. I have never had any formal art training, but art has been part of my life forever. Over the years I have experimented with all types of media and I have drawn, painted and even tried my hand at pottery. Some years ago, I ran my own online handmade jewellery business. I only stopped that because it was a solitary venture and at that point in my life I needed to work in an environment with other people.

Learning by doing

“With art – in fact, with most things in my life – I would rather learn by doing and experimenting, rather than by being ‘taught’. I don’t believe there should be any rules, otherwise you risk stifling your creativity. When you do need advice, the resources are there, from books and other artists, through to the extensive resource that is the internet.”

Emma has spent 20 years working in the business world, managing and developing successful teams. She has developed a thorough understanding of the business environment. As a result of this, she firmly believes this will put her in good stead to identify how and where her artwork can add value to a business – as well as understand the motivation, and the business and brand values.

Bringing brand stories to life

Emma explains: “Illustration provides the opportunity for you to really bring your brand story to life and help you start meaningful conversations with your customers. Just look at how powerful the marketing for companies like innocent and MailChimp are. This is in no small part due to the powerful imagery that the companies use to tell their story.

I want to use my art to work with clients and help them bring their stories to life. And it’s not just brand stories, it can be anything from book covers to wine bottle labels. The artwork has the power to draw people in.”

When we asked Emma about why she designs and draws digitally, she elaborates on her working methods: “Digital makes it affordable, especially when there is likely to be amends.

“Illustration provides the opportunity for you to really bring your brand story to life”

I use a package called Procreate. Designing on the iPad means that I can still ostensibly ‘draw’ or create the painting, like you would do on paper. The difference is, I can make changes – to the colour, the background, basically anything, and even revert back to a previous version. While I wouldn’t work like that for a private commission, when working with businesses I think this type of adaptability is very important.”

Plans for the future

While Emma Gore Designs is still quite a new business, Emma is already planning ahead: “I am currently learning about licensing art and I am undertaking a patten design course. My plan is to have to separate elements to my company –my work with the businesses and also my artwork that I can design and licence for sale. I am excited by the opportunities my work will provide.”

QUICKFIRE QUESTIONS:

Where do you get your inspiration?

I love to travel and I get inspiration from the places I visit – across the UK and throughout the world. I am fascinated by the fact that just by changing a colour, you can change everything about a picture.

How would you describe you style?

While obviously drawing, I would describe my art as realistic. I love working with different textures and different marks. I think that the linework I use is quite distinctive.

Emma Gore Emma Gore Designs 07855 378363 emmagoredesigns.etsy.com

“I want to use my art to work with clients and help them bring their stories to life. And it’s not just brand stories, it can be anything from book covers to wine bottle labels”

Debunking

PR myths

I know there’s nothing like seeing your name or brand in print, but I think some people forget there’s more to Public Relations (PR) than just ‘being in the paper’ once in a while. It’s a strategic plan to ensure you are at the forefront of consumers' minds, capturing their hearts and influencing their purchasing behaviour – PR is how you make people feel about you and your brand. Here are some PR myths that need to be debunked.

PR should generate sales

Yes, PR is an effective way to build brand awareness and industry credibility, communicate your story and create leads for your business, or demand for products. But it’s part of the bigger picture and top funnel – PR doesn't directly equal sales.

It’s only for celebrities

Completely untrue. PR is needed across all industries, to grow your reputation and build credibility for your brand – something all businesses and their owners can benefit from. Being featured or quoted in authority online publications can boost SEO and website traffic, industry awards will set you apart from competitors and PR can support your other marketing in a way advertising can’t.

Events are just people sipping champagne

Events are more than a glass of champagne with a step and repeat board. People buy from people and there’s nothing like creating real life moments for people to experience your brand. It’s these moments that build relationships and create content, to increase reach to ultimately generate social media and press coverage.

By ASHLEY RUDD

is how you make people feel about you and your brand”

I can just do it myself

Business owners often think that PR is simply sending a press release to hundreds of journalists and hoping something sticks and they can do it quickly to save money. PR includes crafting on-brand messages using exceptional copywriting skills, nurturing connections, acting strategically and keeping cool in a crisis – it’s an essential part of your marketing strategy and should be left to the professionals.

Plus, this will enable you to focus your energy on working on building your business, instead of in your business.

CASE STUDY: BROW HQ

Brow HQ, a luxury skin and brow boutique salon based in Chester, was created by Microblading Artist and Trainer Leisa Roberts. During the first lockdown, Leisa pivoted her business strategy, to launch her direct-to-consumer eyebrow products – the At-Home Brow Lamination Kit, and the Skinny Pencil and Brow Soap.

With the brand having no previous PR at all, within six months MODA PR had achieved a reach of 70 million, both online and offline press, thanks to product placement and Leisa’s expert commentary. This included publications such as British Vogue, Evening Standard and Daily Express, to name a few.

With the brand since the very beginning, MODA PR also managed and executed the opening of their blended brows and skin salon in Chester.

Ashley Rudd Account Manager MODA PR moda-pr.com

“PR

Settling family business

How is a family business treated on divorce? Dealing with business assets on divorce can lead to some complex legal issues. The impact of a divorce on a shareholder in a family business should not be underestimated, both in terms of the long-term future of the business and the effects on other family members who also own shares. Quite often the business is the most valuable asset and it is therefore important that it is dealt with correctly, to ensure a fair outcome.

By CLAIRE PORTER

MANY FAMILY BUSINESS OWNERS ARE unaware of the family court’s powers to make financial orders on divorce. Although a business may not be a liquid asset, a spouse can ask the court to make money available to them by the other spouse drawing down company funds to pay a cash lump sum, either immediately, or over a number of years. The court will generally try to avoid the sale of a business, but it does have the power to order a spouse to sell shares in a private limited company, in order to buy off the other spouse’s interest. The court also has the power to transfer shares in a limited company from one spouse to the other. This may be appropriate where a family business is owned by both spouses, but only one spouse will continue to run the business after divorce. The right outcome for the individuals concerned and the business itself will be different in every situation.

Step by step

The first step is to value the business assets and then decide how the value of the business assets should be reflected in the overall financial settlement, taking into account how other assets which the spouses have available to them are to be divided.

Often a valuation of the business is required. If so, it is usually beneficial to have a formal valuation carried out by a single joint expert.

Sometimes a business has been set up before the parties got married and the court can be asked whether a business should be treated as a matrimonial or non-matrimonial asset. In this case, the expert valuing the business can be asked to establish the shares at the start of the marriage, versus the value at the date of separation. As a result, a judge may award that spouse more than a 50% share of the assets.

In some cases there is no need for a formal valuation of the business – for example if the business interest is a small minority shareholding, or simply an income stream for the family, with no real value.

Essential advice and protection

There are ways to protect business assets on divorce. With more people marrying later in life, building wealth and creating families prior to the first or subsequent marriage after divorce, it is understandable that people want to protect their stake in a family business and other assets.

A pre-nuptial or post-nuptial agreement can help avoid a sale or transfer of shares, and can also protect the value in those shares from being seen as marital assets.

Without doubt, pre-nuptial and postnuptial agreements can give couples peace of mind and some reassurance that the family business will be protected, should their marriage break down. This allows the family to remain in control of the future of their business and ensure it can be passed down to future generations, who can continue their legacy. Whilst the arrangements are not an easy topic to raise, they are becoming more commonplace and can provide essential protection for the family business.

Dealing with a separation and divorce where there are business assets involved can be complex and require specialist advice from the outset.

Claire Porter Partner, Family, SAS Daniels LLP

claire.porter@sasdaniels.co.uk

01244 305 926

“Sometimes a business has been set up before the parties got married and the court can be asked whether a business should be treated as a matrimonial or non-matrimonial asset”

Everyone is

welcome

That Beer Place, a friendly, innovative bar, first launched in Chester Market in 2018 as part of the wider marketplace ‘food and drink’ offering all under one roof. It has now found its home on Foregate street, near The Bars roundabout, in a permanent premises. Founded by owners Dale and Lisa Lord, it initially started out as an exciting venture to bring an extensive selection of craft beer to Chester –but it has ended up creating a community as well. At That Beer Place, everyone is welcome, and the team operate a zero-tolerance policy to any type of discrimination. We recently caught up with Lisa and Dale, to hear their story.

THE IDEA FOR THE BAR CAME WHEN THE COUPLE WERE ON A ROAD TRIP IN THE US and came across a venue in San Francisco that had 40 different beers on tap. At that point in time, they had never seen anything like it in the UK – and definitely not in Chester. They decided they wanted to bring the concept to the UK: “We wanted to do something special with beer. Our initial idea was to run a bottle shop, but this turned into a bottle shop and bar,” Dale explains.

They started looking for a venue in 2016 and had real trouble finding the right place, until on an inspiring visit to Crustum and Stile Napolitano –

both then situated in the market –they literally saw a sign and that was it: “There was a sign in the market looking for new stallholders, so we applied. Within three months we were in.” That Beer Place held a soft launch in 2018, supported by approximately 400 people. “We were overwhelmed”, says Lisa. “We had started a social media campaign and word had obviously spread! Neither of us had served a pint before and it was a real baptism of fire.”

By the time the pandemic hit in 2020, That Beer Place and the other eateries situated in the market had established the venue as the place to be, which was recognised by numerous awards.

“Neither of us had served a pint before and it was a real baptism of fire”

However, fate conspired and with the onset of lockdowns and then the closing of the old market to make way for the new one, things had to change.

Finding a new Place

Again, Lisa and Dale struggled to find the right venue for That Beer Place but knew they had found their new home when they did a chance viewing at their now location. “The space was perfect and offered so much potential” explained Lisa, “and when I discovered the huge picture windows behind the partition wall, I was sold.” 12 months later, in 2022, That Beer Place opened its doors.

The pair are keen to maximise the use of the upstairs and welcome all types of community groups to get in touch, from book clubs and knitting circles, to Pride events. They also want to open it up for a range of nights, from comedy and open mic nights to DJs and charity events. “It’s so good to be able to make our own choices. As long as it fits with our ethos and brand, then anything goes!” Dale told us.

What’s brewing next for That Beer Place?

Dale and Lisa have lots of plans for the bar, as Lisa explains: “We have this great upstairs space for a start and there are so many ways we want to use it. We are hoping to install a kitchen next year. When we do, we have plans for popups and collaborations with local restaurants and aspiring chefs, and we are looking at hosting ‘kitchen takeovers’, to keep the offering here fresh and exciting”.

“Alongside our 400-beer selection, including 11 on tap, we also have around 80 different ciders on offer, four of which are also on tap. We have invested in a canning machine, so that our customers can select which draft beer they want to can for home. We are also already running a monthly cider club and it’s a great opportunity for cider fans to sit around, catching up and trying some of the incredible cider options available. We are also looking to introduce a regular ‘Meet the Brewer’ events, where we will pair food and beer.

There is an even broader spectrum of flavour with beer than there is wine, so food pairing can be really exciting”, added Dale.

Trials or trails?

Talking about the broad range of competition in Chester, Dale and Lisa were quick to point out that overall, it is a really friendly industry, particularly between the independent bars. “There’s a real camaraderie between the bars. So much so, we are working with some of the other craft beer bars to organise a Craft Beer Trail in the Spring.” Look out for more information on this coming soon.

“Alongside our 400-beer selection, including 11 on tap, we also have around 80 different ciders on offer, four of which are also on tap. We have invested in a canning machine, so that our customers can select which draft beer they want to can for home”

awards Entering

Regardless of your type of business, there is a good chance that at some point in the last 12 months you will have received at least one mass marketing email inviting you to enter an awards competition. There may be a greater chance that you deleted it without even reading it.

REASONS FOR DOING THIS ARE LIKELY to range from feeling you lack the time even to consider it, to a sneaky suspicion that entering your business for an award would be a waste of the little time you have. Whatever the excuse, the next time an email arrives in your inbox with the subject heading “XX awards, deadline approaching,” take a couple of minutes to read the whole email. It will be well worth the little time it takes.

Whether the awards are specific to your sector or general business awards for your region or an even wider geographical area, entering them will more than provide an excellent return for some effort and time commitment on your part.

Winning an award is obviously wonderful. It provides recognition that you are really good at what you do and enables you to celebrate your success.

By MAGGIE AUSTEN

However, even just reaching the final shortlist stage can also be extremely rewarding. In fact, just the process of writing the entry in and of itself can be far more useful than you realise.

A closer look at how you are performing

One aspect of entering awards that often gets overlooked is that it does provide you with an opportunity to stop and really look closely at how you are performing. Amid the cut and thrust of running a successful business, you may not take as many opportunities as you should to look critically at your day to day; how are you doing and, more importantly, how could you be doing it better?

It should not come as much of a surprise that, as far as your official marketing programme goes, if indeed you have one, entering awards will raise your profile.

If successful, it will also create an opportunity to publicise your winning entry, from your email footer to your social media channels, display advertising, PR and beyond. The positive impact of doing this should not be underestimated. After all, winning an award can be considered akin to a third-party endorsement. Customers will be impressed, as will your suppliers, both present and potential.

Raising morale

As far as your internal marketing goes, winning awards is an excellent, and quite painless, teambuilding exercise. It recognises your team’s hard work and achievements and is a real morale booster. It is a good way of attracting the best talent too. After all, who doesn’t want to work for an award winning company? When it comes to attracting and retaining talent, a reputation for winning awards is one that is well worth cultivating.

“One aspect of entering awards that often gets overlooked is that it does provide you with an opportunity to stop and really look closely at how you are performing”

Most award submissions provide an opportunity to supply supporting evidence, such as high-quality imagery. Excellent photos, and, increasingly, great videos, can make all the difference between making the shortlist or being completely overlooked, so do not be tempted to try and cut corners at this stage. Make sure you have secured all necessary permissions to use any imagery as well.

If you are including items such as customer testimonials, you may need to secure third party approvals, so make sure you allow adequate time for this too.

Of course, I am not recommending a scattergun approach to entering awards. In fact, in the crowded field of business awards, my clients often say that one of the most time-consuming aspects of the whole process is deciding which ones to enter.

Ideally, when you are planning your next year’s marketing campaign, that is the point at which you will choose which awards to enter so you can schedule in the time to collate the resources, decide who is best-placed to write it up on your behalf and, crucially, allow time to review and polish before submission.

Maggie Austen Account Director Zebra Marketing and Communications

“Winning an award can be considered akin to a third-party endorsement”

Management information

With so much data potentially available in your business, it is important as an owner to know what information you should look at regularly and how to analyse it. It is far too easy to get overwhelmed with reports and lack focus on the things that really matter in your business. Reviewing the right information regularly and taking corrective action could make a huge difference to your organisation.

By STEVE GREENSILL

What is management information and why is it important?

Management information is the data in your business that provides critical information to help business owners with critical decision making. This data can come from a variety of systems and in a variety of formats.

Management information covers a wide range of areas, such as financial data like profit and loss statements, cashflow forecasts and budgets. But it can also cover a much wider range of areas, like inventory, sales data and customer satisfaction scores. Management information can be important to make future decisions, implement new processes, improve efficiency, obtain funding and increase profits.

“Understanding what sells well in your business, who is buying it and where your strongest sales come from is important”

What management information should I use?

The management information you need will vary, depending on your sector and how your business operates.

Here are just some ideas of the type of information you may use.

Current financial information

Cashflow statement – Showing your current cash position and whether you have money to meet your operating costs and obligations. It looks at cash in and cash out of the business.

Profit and loss – Showing how much your business has earned and spent in a specific period.

Balance sheet – Shows you how much your business owns, how much it owes and how these assets and liabilities are distributed.

Cost of goods sold – Total production costs for the product you are selling. This gives you a better idea of what your product markup should look like and your actual profit margin.

Customer lifetime value/customer

acquisition cost – The ratio of customer lifetime value to customer acquisition cost should ideally be greater than one. A customer is not profitable if the cost to acquire is greater than the profit they will bring to a company.

Inventory management

Managing inventory can be vital to many businesses – whether it’s tracking inventory turnover rate, stock to sales ratios, backorder rates or average days or weeks to sell. If you are in the business of selling goods, you will need accurate inventory management.

Productivity information

Productivity information can be important, dependent on what business you run. It can include things like projects completed, revenue per employee, turnover rate or overall labour effectiveness.

Just thinking your team is doing well because a job gets done is not enough. If you track hours relative to output, then you will be far more informed about your production process and costs.

Sales data

Understanding what sells well in your business, who is buying it and where your strongest sales come from is important.

Measuring sales enquiry conversion, meetings and calls per sales rep or tracking sales by product will help you to make decisions about your sales team and future products or services you offer.

Forecasting

Having forecasts and projections can help you make better decisions. Cash flow forecasting can be critical, to highlight any potential cash flow crisis in the future. Cash flow forecasting is often also necessary to get future funding from lenders.

What is good management information?

Good management information needs to be:

• Accurate

• Prompt

• Relevant

• Acted upon

Management information should give you the information you need to make decisions, improve performance and keep control of all areas of your business. Having an Accountant that can not only help you to produce the right management information, but help you to analyse it and make better business decisions, will help your business become more competitive, more profitable and more successful.

Steve Greensill Haines Watts chester@hwca.com hwca.com/accountants-chester

“A customer is not profitable if the cost to acquire is greater than the profit they will bring to a company”

“projections can help you make better decisions”

oasis A true

We all know that in any work environment, healthy and happy employees are a key part of creating a positive workplace that results in a successful business. That is the reason why corporate yoga programmes are a hot topic at the moment. Almost 400,000 people are practicing yoga weekly in the UK. Why?

By LAIRA MARINHO

A REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE CAN HELP TO PREVENT STRESS, EXHAUSTION AND BURNOUTS, all which negatively impact your team’s quality of work and productivity. Having worked in a corporate environment myself, I can assure you that the benefits of yoga are huge, and in my case have literally supercharged my life.

An oasis of calm

My first hot yoga class was just over seven years ago, when I was on the edge of a burnout, and I got totally hooked from that very first class. It was more than just a yoga class. The multisensory experience was the escape I needed from the chaos that life was in at that point. When I entered the pod, I felt transported to another realm with a low purple hue, rhythmic beats, aromatic scents and heat – the 37degree heat. It was a true oasis for me.

I started to feel better and less stressed from my very first class. A few weeks in, I found my sleep improved, my concentration and motivation deepened, and I genuinely felt better, more energised, healthier and happier. Professionally

I started to thrive.

In 2020, I decided to quit my job to start my own business. In February 2022, I opened my very own Hotpod Yoga in Chester. Since February, we have had over 2,200 people try our classes. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive about the classes, the teachers, the community and how great people feel after attending class.

Still wondering why yoga will benefit both employers and employees?

Here’s how:

Reduces stress: Stress can manifest itself in many ways, most commonly as tension in the body. Stretching out the muscles in a yoga class, whilst mindfully breathing, will help to ease stress. Yoga works the body and calms the mind.

Boosts mood: Making time just for yourself can be enough to make you feel good. Combine that with the feel-good chemicals released when you are moving your body and you will be feeling energised and refreshed.

Increases productivity: Your happier, more relaxed employees will be supercharged emotionally, mentally and physically after a yoga class. Happier and healthier, employees are more likely to produce more and to be more motivated. Win-win for employees and employers.

Prevent burnouts: Busy schedules, deadlines and long working hours can all contribute to burnouts, unhappy employees, anxiety and long-term sickness. Yoga can be a great tool to combat factors that contribute to burnout.

Relaxes muscles tight from excessive sitting and improves well-being: Some research says that ‘sitting is the new smoking’. Sitting in the office for long hours contributes to conditions such as chronic back and neck pain, diabetes and heart disease linked to a sedentary lifestyles. Practicing yoga can offset the negative health impact of sitting for long hours.

Attracting top talent: Attracting and retaining top employees is a challenge everywhere nowadays. Creating a positive work atmosphere can help when recruiting (and retaining) top talent. Potential employees these days don’t look only for a good salary, they look for deeper connections to their employment. They want to be part of positive cultures, empowered and inspirating teams. Adding perks that go beyond free snacks or life insurance – such as corporate yoga initiatives – can be a great X-factor to convert a potential recruit into an employee.

“Making time just for yourself can be enough to make you feel good. Combine that with the feel-good chemicals released when you are moving your body and you will be feeling energised and refreshed”

wellbeing Workplace

Why walk when you can trundl?

By TESS CAVEN

Walking’s good for your health of course

Let’s start with the walking part because, despite that headline, we thoroughly recommend walking. It is quite literally just what the doctor ordered, as within UK medical guidelines on health, it’s recommended we take at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise (i.e. a walk) a week.

For many working people, it can feel hard to fit a decent amount of exercise into demanding schedules, but a daily walk can often be managed without too much upheaval. A walk-and-talk with a colleague at lunchtime? Add an extra walking route into a commute? Or perhaps ensure that you leave the car behind for short trips at the weekend?

All can add up towards better health and even longevity – a BUPA study found that an additional 15-minutes of brisk walking a day can add up to three years to life expectancy.

Walking stimulates creative thinking

Steve Jobs was often ahead of things and he famously held important meetings to persuade people of his vision while taking long walks around the Apple campus. A Stanford University study confirmed that people who were tested while walking came up with more creative responses than the control group that remained seated indoors. And creative benefits weren’t restricted to the actual walk – even those who simply walked and then took the creative thinking test performed better than those who remained seated throughout.

All good reasons to introduce walk and talk meetings, if you have an opportunity to explore or a problem to solve.

Walking meetings improve personal relationships and connection

More recently, the University of Hong Kong conducted a fascinating study into the effect walking has on relations between two people. They discovered that not only does walking side-by-side help people connect together, participants tended to quite literally ‘fall into step’ – even if they were strangers and weren't allowed to talk on the first stretch. They found that participants’ impressions of their partners grew more favourable after the first part of the walk – which took only three to four-and-ahalf minutes. Those who were allowed to chat on the return trip got to like each other even more.

Even more great reasons to conduct appraisals or resolve possible conflict through a walking meeting.

So, why trundl?

Being a non-competitive, walking-forcharity app membership, trundl brings all the encouragement and reward of walking for personal health, with the added bonus of helping others too.

Knowing that you’re walking to help others, as well as yourself, has great benefit for social esteem and emotional wellbeing. Save the Children has named that end-of charity-walk feeling of accomplishment as ‘helpers high’ and a study by Northwestern Medicine and Rush University demonstrated that having purpose in life and helping others can improve overall sleep quality. And with trundl, there’s even no need to raise any funds yourselves, as trundl and its business partners do the donating.

Our promise

trundl is committed to making this world healthy, generous and happy by promoting fitness and encouraging charitable giving. Walking has never been so meaningful or rewarding.

“trundl brings all the encouragement and reward of walking for personal health, with the added bonus of helping others too”

trundl offers business membership for companies of all sizes. If you would like to know more, please contact us:

Hilary Mines trundl Founder hello@trundl.co.uk trundl.co.uk

trundl for business

Motivate employees to get walking outdoors and do good for charity. trundl business membership is an affordable way to motivate employees to get active, increase wellbeing and raise money for charity and environmental causes. A valuable tool for staff wellbeing programme, trundl can help support a happy, healthy workforce and create a culture of caring.

Why use trundl?

• A big win for employee wellbeing: members can set and track their own healthy walking goals and also build personal self-esteem by seeing their contribution to the community charity walking goals

• The app is non-competitive, making it suitable and engaging for all fitness levels and abilities.

• Even the shortest trundl counts, so lunchtime walks and commutes all add up toward those collective goals.

• It’s an easy way for your business to raise money for charity. We pass money directly to our handpicked causes; all you have to do is walk.

• trundling helps unite employees wherever they work with the common purpose of doing good and having fun.

• trundl membership can enhance corporate social responsibility goals.

• Staff are regularly rewarded for their trundling efforts with badges and fantastic offers from brand partners.

• Flexible 3, 6 or 12 month contracts and just £3.99 per member per month with no quotas.

Work hard play hard

A playground equipment firm has expanded by creating eight jobs and investing £350,000 in new premises near the Cheshire-North Wales border. Creative Play says the state-of-the-art facility on River Lane in Saltney is designed to improve efficiency, promote a circular economy and increase productivity and sustainability.

THE NEW BASE PROVIDES AROUND

7,000 SQUARE FEET (SQ FT) of new production capacity, 3,000 sq ft of office space and an additional 10,000 sq ft secure outdoor yard and storage facility. It is twice the size of the company’s former premises on Sealand Road Industrial Estate in Chester, which had been its home since 1999.

The new jobs are being created across various departments, taking Creative Play’s total number of employees to 51.

Design, manufacture and installation

Established in 1991, the privately-owned company creates more than 500 outdoor play areas every year for schools, holiday parks, farm parks, town and parish councils, nurseries and pubs. Its services range from design, manufacture and installation to maintenance and inspection.

In total, Creative Play has been involved in the creation of more than 14,000 outdoor play areas for more than 6,000 customers across the UK. Managing Director James Harris described the move to the new premises as the culmination of 30 years of hard work.

Proud to be a UK manufacturer

He said: “This is a very exciting step for our company and will see considerable benefits for our employees and customers through improved efficiencies and production capacity. We’re proud to be a UK manufacturer, with more than 95% of our materials and components sourced right here in the UK.

“I’m particularly pleased to be moving the business back into Wales, where the company has its original roots.

“At the heart of our decision to make this considerable investment is the company’s continuous drive to minimise our impact on the environment, by reducing our energy usage, creating a circular economy and investing in greener systems.”

Responding to customer demands

Sales and marketing director David Esser added: “This is an exciting time for Creative Play. We are always looking at ways we can improve our business to provide high-quality outdoor playground equipment and educational learning environments.

“This amazing new office and production facility will allow us to work more efficiently, ensuring even better customer service levels, reduced lead times and the ability to respond to our customers’ demands quickly.

“For more than 30 years, Creative Play has been creating outstanding outdoor spaces for children. This considerable investment will ensure the continued growth of the business and secure our future for many years to come.”

Venue

finding - conference locations

Planning a conference in 2023? Here are just a few of the conference venues close at hand that have the facilities required to run your conference.

Set in rolling, picturesque countryside, yet only 40 minutes from Manchester and Liverpool airports, and close to motorway networks, Portal Hotel and Spa Resort has a range of 11 bright, air-conditioned meeting rooms and conference suites that are designed to meet your needs. The largest room, the Castle Suite, can cater for up to 250 people, when configured theatre-style. All the function rooms come equipped to the highest standard.

The main campus at Glyndŵr has extensive facilities, from large theatres to small meeting rooms, making it possible to accommodate all types of events. The 880-seat William Aston Hall and the purpose-built Catrin Finch Centre, with room for up to 230 delegates, are ideal to host large conferences. If you're looking for something a little different, there is also an art gallery, a Centre for the Creative Industries (home of the BBC in North Wales) and a TV studio.

Crowne Plaza, Chester

www.ihg.com/crowneplaza

The Crowne Plaza, Chester offers 10,527 square feet of event space, ranging from a boardroom for one to a ballroom for 600. There are 11 meeting rooms in total, with the fully-airconditioned Kings Suite, incorporating the Charles 1 and Edward 1 Suites, holding up to 600 delegates theatre-style. For conferences on a smaller scale, the room can be divided into two suites, each capable of accommodating up to 250 delegates theatre-style.

Ramada Plaza, Wrexham

www.wyndhamhotels.com

Conveniently located just off the A483 and about a mile from the city centre, the Ramada Plaza in Wrexham has six meeting rooms. These can be configured to accommodate 416 conference guests or 200 banquet guests. It’s one of several hotels in the area with the capabilities to host these kinds of numbers, but its proximity and convenience for major roads for travelling delegates makes it an ideal choice as a venue for any occasion.

Do you have a venue you would like to see featured?

If you have used a hotel or other venue for a business meeting, conference, seminar, training or team building event and you think it should be featured in a future issue, please contact us with your suggestions.

Portal Hotel and Spa Resort, Tarporley macdonaldhotels.co.uk

Glyndŵr University, Wrexham conferencevenues.glyndwr.ac.uk

Lightfoot Cleaning Services is the first and only Trading Standards Approved provider of professional Sanitisation, Carpet, Hard floor, Upholstery and Deep Cleaning services in North Wales and Cheshire.

SafeContractor Approved, and on the procurement list of several Councils, our business and private clients include Schools, Solicitors, Hotels, Property Agents, Nurseries and Care Homes, Car Dealerships, Food Production and Manufacturing.

Based in Flintshire and serving North Wales, Cheshire and the Wirral, we are an independent family owned and managed business and we have built a reputation we are very proud of for honesty, reliability, attention to detail and customer service with both our commercial and our domestic clients.

For a quotation, call Colin Lightfoot on: 01244 811933 or 07900 667415 Lightfootcleaningservices.co.uk

What’s on

A round-up of some of the business event happening in and around Chester and Wrexham from December 2022 to March 2023

FRIDAY 9 DECEMBER

10:00 – 12:00

Winter Social

Enrichment Networking

Costa Coffee, Chester Greyhound Park, Sealand Road CH1 4LU

https://bit.ly/3u6ILBM

TUESDAY 13 DECEMBER

12:30 – 14:30

Chamber Festive Lunch at Ramada Plaza Wrexham

WC&NW Chamber of Commerce

Ramada Plaza Wrexham, Ellice Way, Wrexham LL13 7YH

https://bit.ly/3FDA8W3

THURSDAY 15 DECEMBER

11:00 – 14:00

West Cheshire Women’s Network –Christmas Networking Lunch

West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce

Cheshire View, Plough Lane, Christleton, Chester CH3 7PT https://bit.ly/3DUqH3g

FRIDAY 16 DECEMBER

10:00 – 11:30

Network SHE Netwalking Chester Chester Walls and Christmas Market. Meeting at Watergate Street Car Park, New Crane Street Chester CH1 4JE networkshe.co.uk

TUESDAY 10 JANUARY

10:00 – 15:30

Johne’s Veterinary Masterclass 2022 ABode Chester, Grosvenor Road, Chester CH1 2DJ https://bit.ly/3V45dap

WEDNESDAY 11 JANUARY

09:00 – 11:00

Round the Table Networking

WC&NW Chamber of Commerce

Delyn Safety UK Ltd, St David's Hse, 6 Queens Lane, Mold CH7 1JR

https://bit.ly/3Wq2RUh

WEDNESDAY 18 JANUARY

10:00 - 12:00

Leading Ladies in Business Moxy Chester, Boughton, Chester CH3 5BS

https://bit.ly/3Vb3vUL

THURSDAY 19 JANUARY

10:00 - 11:30

BforB Networking

Chester Racecourse, Chester https://bit.ly/3gI2TqH

THURSDAY 19 JANUARY

17:00 – 19:00

VOX networking

Quarterly networking Cleopatra's, Lime Tree Cottage, The Cross LL13 9YG ezpublishing.co.uk/events

TUESDAY 24 JANUARY

12:30 – 14:30

Chinese New Year Lunch at The Slow Boat

WC&NW Chamber of Commerce

The Slowboat, 57 Frodsham Street, Chester CH1 3JJ

https://bit.ly/3U2xOfM

THURSDAY 9 FEBRUARY

09:00 – 11:00

Round the Table Networking at Chester Cathedral

WC&NW Chamber of Commerce

Chester Cathedral, 9 Abbey Square, Chester CH1 2HU

https://bit.ly/3WtPhPW

WEDNESDAY 15 FEBRUARY

12:30 – 14:30

Networking Lunch at Llandudno

WC&NW Chamber of Commerce

Llandudno Bay Hotel, East Parade, The Promenade, Llandudno LL30 1BE

https://bit.ly/3zFgYey

WEDNESDAY 8 MARCH

14:00 – 16:00

Liverpool Airport Tour

WC&NW Chamber of Commerce

Liverpool Airport Ltd, Liverpool John Lennon Airport, Speke, Liverpool L24 1YD

https://bit.ly/3DZsd4p

THURSDAY 9 MARCH

10:00 – 14:00

Wrexham Careers Fair

Ramada Plaza Wrexham LL13 7YH ukcareersfair.com/event/ wrexham-careers-fair

WEDNESDAY 15 MARCH

09:00 – 11:00

Networking at Moxy Hotel Chester

WC&NW Chamber of Commerce

Moxy Hotel Chester, Boughton, Chester CH3 5AF

https://bit.ly/3U1nrc7

TUESDAY 28 MARCH

12:30 – 14:30

Networking Lunch at Ramada Plaza

WC&NW Chamber of Commerce

Ramada Plaza Wrexham LL13 7YH

https://bit.ly/3fvBwiV

FRIDAY 31 MARCH

The High Sheriff of Cheshire's Awards for Enterprise 2022/23

University of Chester’s Business School, Churchill House, Queen’s Park Building

https://bit.ly/3ieG8ek

While every effort has been made to ensure all the details are correct at the time of going to print, it is advisable to check details with the venue concerned

Networking

There is a whole host of networking opportunities across Chester and Wrexham – from groups that you have to join and attend a structured weekly meeting, through to one-off events that you can ‘pay as you go’. Most membership groups offer you the chance to attend as a guest – often for the first one or two sessions – to allow you the time to work out if it is a group that suits you. If you are new to networking, try a few and see if you can find a group that works for you and your business. If you have an event you would like listed in a future issue, please get in touch.

Networx 4 Business

networx4business.co.uk

Networx offers membership networking at locations in Chester and Wrexham. Membership cost is £600 for 12 months, per venue and includes breakfast. Sessions take place fortnightly at each venue. With just one business type per group, you’ll have the opportunity to talk about your business and what you are looking for.

Network She Netwalking – Chester networkshe.co.uk

Netwalking is free to attend and was set up to help Network SHE’s members with their mental and physical wellbeing, business and personal development, as well as about building great relationships.

West Cheshire and North Wales

Chamber of Commerce

wcnwchamber.org.uk

West Cheshire and North Wales

Business NetWalkers,

Chester

businessnetwalkers.com

Business NetWalkers helps you improve your wealth and wellbeing, whilst growing your network. It does this by enhancing mental performance and wellbeing, improving physical fitness, talking and collaborating with likeminded people.

It has been documented in many studies that walking while talking has many benefits with regards to mental wellbeing, focus, ideas generation and it’s generally good all round to get to know new people.

Chamber of Commerce is the leading organisation representing the business community across the whole of West Cheshire and North Wales. As an independent, not-for-profit organisation, it’s objectives remain clear: to promote and encourage business for members and others regionally, nationally and internationally to improve commercial growth and prosperity.

BNI

bninorthwales.co.uk

bnicheshire.co.uk

BNI provides a positive, supportive, and structured environment for the development and exchange of quality business referrals.

FSB fsb.org.uk

Tarporley Business Club

tarporleybusinessclub.co.uk

The Tarporley Business Club was set up in the pandemic as an online network for local business owners to generate connections.

Now it’s a purely face-to-face meeting held on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at The Swan in Tarporley from 9:30-11:30 am. It is a not-for-profit group aiming to develop the local business community, resulting in maximising growth and success. Memberships available, £10 fee for first time visitors.

Serving the business community in these diverse regions for over 100 years, the Chamber aims to support every type of business – from sole traders to large corporations. It tailors its' service to suit its' members, developing an enviable portfolio of member benefits, business advice, export knowledge, events and training opportunities to help make your business a success.

Institute of Directors (IOD) iod.com

FSB membership means inclusive support, market-leading benefits and a voice heard in governments at all levels. If you are self-employed or own a small business, membership is built from the ground up, to help you achieve your ambitions. Together, we are stronger.

Join virtual events, including networking and business surgeries at: fsb.org.uk/event-calendar.html

The Institute of Directors was founded in 1903 and within three years was awarded a Royal Charter to support, represent and set standards for business leaders nationwide. It is the UK's largest membership organisation for business leaders, providing informative events, professional development courses for self-improvement, networking and expert advice. IOD is the only institute in the world to offer internationally recognised qualifications designed by directors for directors, specific to the core competencies required of directors and senior leaders.

360 Networking Group bit.ly/details—networking

360 Networking monthly meetings are run by Wrexham County Borough Council’s Business and Investment team. All meetings, together with annual membership are now free of charge. Each meeting takes place within the Redwither Tower on Wrexham Industrial Estate between 5:00pm - 6:45pm.

Chester Business Club

chesterbusinessclub.co.uk

One of the principal activities of Chester Business Club is its’ Speaker Dinners. The aim of these Black Tie events is to provide an impartial forum for leading commentators to speak on a topic of their own choosing as a positive contribution to increasing public awareness of the important issues of the day.

The Business Network Chester businessnetworkchester.co.uk

The Business Network Chester is a diverse membership group of around 100 companies, sharing a wealth of knowledge and expertise to help grow each others’ businesses. The ethos behind the group is "know, like, trust" – a belief in building long-lasting relationships with other senior decision makers. Meeting at lunchtimes, in prestigious venues around Chester, it provides a highly-structured event, which enables attendees to meet senior decision makers in a relaxed and enjoyable environment. Attendees may also attend a free, highly-educational seminar, which runs prior to the event.

Real5

Networking — Chester

real5networking.com

Real5 Networking is a business venture focused on local business networking for mutual commercial gains. The idea is that all members agree to give a minimum 5% profit share back to the referee, so there is a real incentive to maximise the network.

VOX Networking ezpublishing.co.uk/events

VOX Networking events take place quarterly following the publication of each issue.

The two-hour sessions provide the opportunity to meet and talk with other local business people, and each one will have a special guest speaker.

Numbers are limited and tickets cost £15, including refreshments.

Bitesize

Bean to cup from the Jaunty Goat

Patrick White launched Jaunty Goat, a speciality coffee shop in Bridge Street, Chester, seven years ago.

Focused on providing customers with sustainable, quality coffee and outstanding service, the 30year-old has since added two more outlets –an animal-free, vegan cafe of the same name in Northgate Street, and an independent bakery –and will unveil a roastery, in the coming months.

Backed all the way by Mackenzie Jones, a law firm based in St Asaph, Menai Bridge and Chester, Patrick is planning to grow further and add to their 37-strong team. However, his current priority is continuing to lower their carbon footprint, by bringing the wholesale side of the business in-house.

“Opening the bakery 12 months ago – and now the roastery will enable us to produce everything ourselves and capitalise on opportunities which arose during the pandemic,” said Patrick.

“An example is how we now operate a more restaurant-style table service, which has been a breath of fresh air and allowed us to increase our takeaway offering. We basically want to bring everything together and showcase the progress made in past years to a wider audience. We also looked closely at the wholesale side of the business. After visiting Costa Rica a few years ago, decided to roast our own coffee and import it directly from the farmers.

We pay two or three times the market price, but it means they are treated fairly, we have more flexibility over production and with the roastery in place, it will be a positive move from a logistical perspective.”

Supplying such big names as Hickory’s restaurants, Bar Lounge, The Hollies Farm Shop and Chester Zoo, Jaunty Goat sources coffee from across Central and South America, including Colombia, Costa Rica and Brazil. The new roastery will operate out of the Arches industrial units in Kitchen Street.

Patrick continued, “Jaunty Goat was originally about creating a brand and a presence, so I could share with people what great coffee is – and from there it just grew and grew,” said Patrick.

Mackenzie Jones director Andrew Foley-Jones congratulated Patrick and is heartened to see how far the concept has come in such a short space of time: “Patrick has expanded the business, while ensuring the people around him – the customers, staff and importantly, the farmers who produce this amazing coffee – are at the heart of all decisions, which is testament to his ethos and approach.”

Want to check out the Jaunty Goat?

Bakery – 50a Bridge Street

Jaunty Goat – 57 Bridge Street

Jaunty Goat – 128 Northgate Street

oH Coffee Bar – 11 Lower Bridge Street

Roastery – Kitchen Street

DATE: Thursday 19 January 2023

TIME: 17:00 - 19:00

LOCATION: Cleopatra’s, Holt

PRICE: £15 (includes refreshments)

just starting

What advice would you give someone in their chosen career?

“My advice to anyone starting off in their chosen career, would be to follow your passion and not just the money. You really have to enjoy what you do for a living, as life is too short to be stuck in a profession that doesn’t make you want to get up and go in the morning! Be bold and follow your heart. If you do, the money will follow.”

Vicky Heathfield Creative director, VOX

“What are you really passionate about? Can you turn it into a career or make a business out of it? I see time and time again, people starting out in a career which pays the bills, but in reality, it doesn’t make them tick. You need to find something that has you jumping out of bed to go and do that thing. Life’s too short not to find that something that inspires you like that. Go and seek it out!”

Lisa Lord Joint founder at That Beer Place

“Make the most of the opportunities that present themselves to you, even if they are out of your comfort zone – you never know where they might lead. And, perhaps even more importantly, never be scared to ask questions. You will usually find you are not the only one that doesn’t know the answer!”

Clara Hughes Editorial director, VOX

“A career journey is like any other journey. You need to plan your route. Have a clear idea of where you want to go, how long you want to spend at a certain place and who might be able to add value on your way. Go out and seek advice, if your knowledge is limited then ask people with experience. Spontaneity on the way is crucial, but keep an eye on where you’re going. Re-visit your journey plans regularly and adjust accordingly. That way you’ll have a much higher chance of getting to your chosen destination.”

Phil Neave Owner, Neave Creative

“My advice for anyone starting off would be: to get fully trained and understand the line of work you're going into, then perhaps ask to work with others in your industry for real world experience. Listen and take advice from several people. And network yourself. Be open to suggestions. Think what makes you unique, why should people use you.”

Colin Lightfoot Owner / Operator of Lightfoot Cleaning Services

“My advice would be for them to go into their chosen career path with an open mind and to be prepared to be flexible rather than with too fixed a view as to exactly what they think they want to do or to be. They should look to learn as much as they can – and realise that they might come to discover that their chosen career path, or the specific role that they envisaged for themselves within it, might not be the right one for them.”

Phil Strachan

The Think Brand not Bland Guy

“Make the most of

opportunities that present themselves to you, even if they are out of your comfort zone”

Charity round-up

Our charity pages are an opportunity to highlight the good work local charities are undertaking, promote fundraising success and future events.

Mental Health Charity celebrates 30 years

Advance Brighter Futures (ABF) celebrated its Pearl anniversary on Friday 7 October. It marked the occasion with an open house event at the mental health and wellbeing charity’s newly renovated building at 3 Belmont Road, Wrexham. The event was a big success, with many familiar and friendly faces coming together to celebrate the charity’s work in the community over the past 30 years. Guests on the day included staff, trustees and volunteers from past and present, representatives from local organisations, people ABF has supported over the years, and friends of the charity.

ABF’s Business Development Officer, Zoe Whitehead, said: “30 years is such an incredible achievement for our charity, and we really wanted to celebrate in style, whilst also showing off the improvements we have been able to make to the building. It was especially lovely to celebrate it with so many of our valued guests and to reminisce over the last 30 years. I would like to thank everyone involved who helped bring together such a wonderful event for the charity, including all the staff, volunteers, local businesses/organisations and the people we support.”

Amongst the guests was Wrexham MS Lesley Griffiths who has been a big supporter of the charity’s work over the years. ABF’s Chair of Trustees, Rick Bedson added: “It was great that Lesley was able to attend, as she’s been very supportive to us for many years. Welsh Government made a big commitment to us through its Community Facilities Programme, which has allowed us to massively improve the standard of our facilities, so it was very fitting to celebrate with her.”

To learn more about Advance Brighter Futures and its services, please visit advancebrighterfutureswrexham.co.uk

A gameplan for fundraising

Funded Domestic Abuse Awareness Training for business

In the year ending March 2020, an estimated 2.3 million adults aged 16 to 74 years experienced domestic abuse in the last year. This is 1.6 million women and 757,000 men. Employers have a duty of care to create a safe and inclusive workplace for all. Chester Women’s Aid is running Domestic Abuse Awareness for Employers training sessions to increase companies’ ability to support staff that may be experiencing domestic abuse. Thanks to a grant from the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire, the charity can offer fully-funded places to small- and medium-sized businesses in Cheshire. Chester Women’s Aid can also provide the training for a fee to all other organisations inside and outside Cheshire, as the training is delivered via Zoom by a live trainer.

Aimed at HR Managers, Mental Health First Aiders, Managing Directors, Owners or other staff members entrusted with staff safety and wellbeing – and empowered to influence and decide on policy and information distribution – the training is designed to help employers:

• Understand domestic abuse including the signs, barriers and associated risks

• Effectively recognise and manage concerns or reports of abuse among employees, customers and clients

• Support those who have experienced domestic abuse with appropriate resources, procedures and information

• Appropriately recognise and respond to an employee that is a perpetrator of domestic abuse.

The training provides a toolkit to support development of a domestic abuse policy and signposting to direct sources of help employees. The information and knowledge are a key component to any employee wellbeing programme.

To find out more, email: dafreechester@gmail.com

Andy McKinney, Protection Advisor at Gameplan Financial, has entered into an exciting partnership with The Hospice of the Good Shepherd. Andy has set himself a £10,000 challenge to fundraise for the hospice and will be donating £100 to the charity for every insurance, business protection, mortgage, will writing or pensions referral he receives via them.

The team at Gameplan is made up of current and former professional athletes, who now specialise in providing bespoke financial advice and protection. Andy was a forward for the Telford Tigers, a National Ice Hockey League team.

AVOW hosts leading figures this autumn

First Minister of Wales attends AVOW AGM

AVOW’s Annual General Meeting in September was attended by approximately one hundred members and guests. It was held at the Glanrafon Conference Hall, Coleg Cambria, Wrexham, and Councillor Peter Howell, Chair of AVOW, extended a warm welcome to the Rt Hon Mark Drakeford MS, First Minister of Wales, the guest speaker at the meeting. Also present was Councillor Brian Cameron, Mayor of Wrexham, who on behalf of AVOW presented certificates to volunteers.

In his speech, the Rt Hon Mark Drakeford MS said, “Here in Wales, nobody works alone: we all have the resources to respond to public needs. By working across boundaries to put resilience into the system and work towards the future together, no organisation is ever working on its own. Your work motivates people to keep on going – so thank you very much indeed for the services you provide.”

A warm welcome to Charity Commission Chair

The Chair of the Charity Commission, Orlando Fraser KC, visited AVOW’s offices at Tŷ AVOW, Wrexham in September, to learn about the challenges facing the Third Sector in North Wales, and to explore ways for the Charity Commission to support the work of Third Sector organisations within Wrexham County Borough. The Commission Chair also visited the Xplore! Science Discovery Centre and Nightingale House Hospice.

Minister for Social Justice visits ‘The Land’

The Minister for Social Justice, Jane Hutt MS, visited AVOW’s Play Team and Community Development Team at ‘The Land’ in Plas Madoc in September, to learn about their work supporting children, young people and parents, which is funded through The National Lottery. The Minister had the opportunity to see first-hand the positive impact the organisation’s provision is having on their community.

Jane Hutt MS said, “It was brilliant to see first-hand the innovative facilities available at ‘The Land’ for children and young people to enjoy. It’s a place where they can have fun in a controlled environment and see how everyday items around us can be reused in a variety of different ways. It is important we invest in community resources for future generations and I welcome the funding from The National Lottery that has allowed this to happen.”

High Sheriff of Clwyd visits AVOW, Plas Madoc and ‘The Land’

AVOW welcomed the High Sheriff of Clwyd, Zoe J Henderson, for a visit to the AVOW Childcare, Play and Community Development projects taking place near the Plas Madoc Opportunities Centre in October. The High Sheriff was treated to a Halloween-themed tour, which highlighted the positive impact the projects are having on local communities.

Photograph: ©Adam Crump, AC Creative

Dawn Roberts-McCabe, Orlando Fraser KC, Siân Purcell, Peter Howell

Pictured (left to right): High Sheriff of Clwyd Zoe J Henderson, Sharon Evans, Ceri Jones

Pictured (from left to right): Eluned Plack (resident of Plas Telford and member of WAPM), Jane Hutt MS, Claire Pugh, Dawn Roberts-McCabe, Peter Howell

Charity round-up

Chester Legal Secretary completes the Chester Triple

This year Cullimore Dutton Legal Secretary Rhodri Roberts has smashed the Chester Triple. After running the MBNA Chester 10K in March 2022 and the Essar Chester Half Marathon in May, Rhodri finished the MBNA Chester Marathon in a personal best time of 4 hours 49 minutes. Because he completed all three events in one season, he was also awarded the Chester Triple – and was one of just 620 people to do so.

Rhodri said: “Being presented with the Chester Triple was a wonderful experience. I was exhausted, euphoric, in pain but also felt amazing. At one stage of the race, I feared I might have to give up, but kept going and was delighted to hit a personal best time. The support from the public and the event crew along the course was really motivating. I can’t thank them all enough, because they made a huge difference to us all. It also feels great to complete a challenge that has been ongoing throughout the year and to have raised money for charity in the process.”

Farndon Soapbox Derby –September 2022

The inaugural Soapbox Derby took place on Sunday 18 September and saw 38 karts compete to raise over £26,000 for the Hospice of the Good Shepherd.

The kart teams put in so much time and effort to create not only the whackiest, most imaginative Soapbox Karts, but also in their own individual fundraising endeavours. This has gone a long way in raising as much money as possible for the Hospice of the Good Shepherd.

The event was attended by British Olympic sporting hero, Eddie ’the Eagle’ Edwards, who spent the afternoon at the Derby and presented the winning trophies.

Commented the organisers of the event: “We never expected such phenomenal feedback from the community, generous sponsors and those that gave their time as volunteers and assistants on the day. We would like to express our heartfelt thanks and gratitude to our event sponsors, who were so generous and supportive throughout the whole two years it took us to bring this event to fruition. We’d like to say a huge thank you to the following event sponsors”:

Platinum sponsors:

Gittins and Co Wealth Management

Gold sponsors:

Daulby Read

The Rickett Partnership

Aaron & Partners

Silver sponsors:

Lewis Knox

Bronze sponsors: The Hare Pub, Farndon

Also invaluable were the many other companies and individuals who gave their time, support and materials, from car parking and space, signage, trophies and tabards, through to track build, caps, website, marketing and event PR, and so much more.

One of the competing teams was a team from leading Chester law firm Aaron & Partners, which narrowly missed out on soapbox glory, after securing a podium finish in the Derby. The five-strong Aaron & Partners’ team – ‘Aaron on the Side of Caution’ – recorded the fastest lap of the day, completing the course in just 30.1 seconds. But they were pipped to first place by a tenth of a second, making the podium in second place out of 38 entrants at the inaugural race.

Another one of the competing Karts was driven by Morgan Heathfield, son of our very own Creative Director, Vicky, who said: “It was a great day and we were thrilled at Morgan’s performance. He was driving our kart version of the Essentials and VOX delivery van, and although he didn’t get placed, he made us very proud. Thank you to everyone who supported our entry.”

Charity round-up

Chester restaurant selects local charity partner

ARTEZZAN restaurant in Chester has selected its new neighbours, SHARE, as the first-ever charity to benefit directly from its customers’ meal choice.

The new partnership means, that whenever anyone orders a dish with a  next to it, 25p will go directly to SHARE. This will help the charity feed people who are homeless and/or refugees, in its daycentre on City Road in Chester. The initiative promotes and embraces the company’s philosophy of always considering how other people feel, in everything it does as a company and one that will allow its customers to help lots of people in need.

Founder and trustee of SHARE Adam Dandy said: “We would like to thank our new neighbours Jim Dorrington and his incredible team at ARTEZZAN for selecting SHARE as their very first menu partner.”

Chester Business Club raises £37,000 for charity

Saturday 21 October saw over 350 businesspeople gather at Chester Racecourse for the annual Chester Business Club Charity Ball. This year’s event was themed ‘Tropical Nights’ and was held in aid of Brainwave and the Neuro Therapy Centre. Guests were wowed by the stunningly decorated room and following an outstanding three-course meal, the fundraising started in earnest. The evening was rounded off with dancing and live music. The business club is proud to have raised £37,000 for the charities.

Gresford Trust

Gresford Trust was formed shortly after the end of World War II, to help provide our communities with facilities for social and physical recreation. A number of local people and organisations were brought together to act as Trustees and this continues to the present day. As a registered charity, Gresford Trust relies entirely on fundraising and its ability to hire out the buildings and grounds the Trust manages. All the work to maintain both the grounds and buildings is funded by the Trust and the annual running costs are circa £60,000. For a voluntary organisation that is a tremendously daunting challenge.

Ian Gibson, Chair of Gresford Trust explains:

“All our buildings, even the relatively new ones, require continuous maintenance and if the Trust is to guarantee its future, the Trust’s financial projections need constant review and updating. The Trust is currently engaged in talks with several parties to renew leases, in the hope that this will form the backbone of sustainable and guaranteed income. The words sustainable and guaranteed are the important elements because it allows the Trustees to plan with a greater degree of certainty. The current Trustees would welcome the assistance of anyone who feels they have the time, energy and skills to contribute to this challenge. The facilities the Trust provide represent the jewels in the crown for social and physical recreation in our communities.”

With your help and support the Trust can keep them safe for the future. Please contact us on 01978 856650 or contact@gresfordtrust.org for details of how you can join the team.

Charity round-up

Haines Watts – Giving back

With many of its clients and staff from Chester, North Wales and the Wirral, it has always been important to the Haines Watts Chester team that it fundraises for local charities.

To celebrate 12 months as Haines Watts Chester, the team decided it would like to show its gratitude to all the people who care for and provide support to the local communities. To show its appreciation, the Haines Watts Chester team will be gifting ‘Thank You’ boxes to individuals at many local charities. These boxes are to say a huge ‘thank you’ to those incredible people, without whom many of the local charities would be underfunded and unable to provide their muchneeded services to our communities.

Over the next few months, the Haines Watts Chester team members will be delivering these ‘thank you’ boxes to the local charities selected and will also be passing on the team’s heartfelt appreciation to all those special people who help provide for us all in our times of need.

Golfers raise £8,500 for two charities in PGA Pro-Am

Eighty golfers from across the North of England and Wales headed to Eaton Golf Club and swung into action, to raise over £8,500 for Cheshire and Welsh charities recently. 20 teams, all made up of one professional golfer and three amateurs, competed in the event, which was held at the golf club in Waverton, Chester. The charity PGA Pro-Am tournament was used to raise funds for the Clwyd Special Riding Centre and Save the Family charities.

The PGA North Region event’s main sponsor was the Sandstone Care Group, an independent quality-driven care home group, which is based in Warrington and has seven homes across the North West, Shropshire and mid-Wales. Ben Challinor, a director of Sandstone Care Group, said: “We were delighted to support Eaton Golf Club and their Pro-Am tournament, and to help raise funds for two important local charities. Congratulations go to the winners and well done to all those who took part.”

Eaton Golf Club started life as a nine-hole course on the Duke of Westminster’s estate, as part of the therapeutic treatment of patients injured during the First World War. The golf course moved to its current home in Waverton in 1992 and celebrated its centenary in 2020.

Mencap’s Superhero Challenge

On Saturday 1 October, Mencap held its Superhero event in Wrexham. This included a fully-accessible superhero-themed country park walk or run, with various distances. As well as the routes to zoom around, the event included plenty of fun activities for all ages and also inspiring music to enjoy.

Mencap wants the UK to be the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives. Mencap Cymru works to improve the lives of the 65,000 people with a learning disability across Wales. Everything it does is about valuing and supporting people with a learning disability, their families and carers.

talk turkey! Let’s

Hot off the press! Some topical food for thought with a distinctly seasonal flavour and certainly something for businesses to chew over and digest, to ensure that they keep abreast of the latest thinking in branding – and have a tried and tested recipe for success, that isn’t bland for the new year ahead.

By PHIL STRACHAN

AS I EXPECTED, IT IS HAPPENING AGAIN! Sad news indeed, but it would appear that a very significant number of business owners and managers, entrepreneurs, marketing directors and marketing managers who commission branding, identity and graphic design projects, will once again end up with a turkey at the end of this year.

Sad news all around except perhaps for Bernard Matthews!

But it didn’t have to be this way, if only they had worked with the right branding specialist. The fact is that despite good intentions and stout resolutions (plug for Guinness there!) made by many of them at the start of the year, they all just fell into the trap of failing to break with tradition. Failing to be different, they have ended up just like most of their competitors – headless chickens who have cooked their goose and almost certainly heading for a real roasting. And all because they failed to think brand – not bland!

Bad news all round for all – except perhaps for Paxo!

It is clear that businesses behaving in such a manner will never rule the roost. And to crown it all, by choosing to follow the flock and operate on a wing and a prayer, these businesses are in real danger of being left without a leg to stand on. Left to fight over the leftovers, they are destined to end up totally plucked, and well and truly stuffed. Bad news all round for all – except perhaps for Paxo!

Cutting through the inevitable gobbledegook and without wishing to make a meal of things, it seems clear to me that this is the perfect time to ruffle some feathers, if businesses and organisations don’t want to end up with a turkey at the end of next year. Some basic fundamental truths, some of which may at first seem totally unpalatable, need to quickly be brought home to roost, if businesses are to have any chance of carving out a real opportunity for themselves and getting a decent slice of the action in the new year ahead.

Importantly, it has to be recognised that what is sauce for the goose, isn’t necessarily sauce for the gander, because every business requires its own individual recipe for success that is both creative and original – and most importantly is brand not bland.

All would-be high-flying businesses and business owners need to understand their businesses better and they must not duck their responsibilities. They need to identify their strengths and weaknesses, and exactly what it is that they stand for.

They must take great care not to kill the goose that laid the golden egg i.e. the reason why their target audiences should choose to use them, rather than their perceived competitors.

It is strongly recommended that business owners and managers should give free range to the strategic and creative strengths of their chosen branding, identity and graphic design partners, rather than simply relying on growing their businesses and brands organically.

“Every business requires its own individual recipe for success that is both creative and original –and most importantly is brand not bland”

The gift of bold, frank insights and a generous helping of mirth

It is inevitable that many thick-skinned and chicken-livered business leaders and business owners might turn tail and take flight at the idea of sticking their necks out and running fowl of established conventions.

However, if that is how they feel and they don’t like the heat, they really should get well and truly out of the kitchen. It is very strongly recommended that they should appoint a really good branding, identity and graphic design partner who can make sure that they think brand – not bland. It will help to add to their festive cheer, with an injection of bold, frank insights and a generous helping of mirth, to make sure that they stand out from the crowd and won’t end up with a turkey at the end of next year.

If they don’t, it will probably just be tough turkey all round again next December.

And the moral of this story is that if you don’t want to end up with a proverbial turkey at the end of 2023, leave the production of turkeys to Bernard Mathews and leave the stuffing to Paxo.

Instead, place your trust in Phil Strachan, The Brand Not Bland Guy, for all things brand, identity and graphic design related.

Let him help you to dish up success on a plate in the year ahead and stand out from the crowd, by helping you to ‘Think Brand – not bland’

Phil Strachan The Brand Not Bland Guy Strangebrew 07770 753975

phil@thinkbrandnotbland.co.uk

NB: No turkeys were hurt in the writing of this article and any puns included are purely unintentional.

“All would-be high-flying businesses and business owners need to understand their businesses better and they must not duck their responsibilities”

Across

1 Cogitates (6)

Take five

Grab a cuppa and clear your mind of work for a short while with our puzzles.

4 Angel of the highest order (6)

9 Very long (7)

10 Conducts reconnaissance (7)

11 Requirements (5)

12 A woolly ruminant animal (5)

14 Epsom horse race (5)

15 Camera image (5)

17 Money (5)

18 Deadlock (7)

20 Returns to a former state (7)

21 Time of life when one is old (6)

22 Food merchant (6)

Down

1 Natural skill (6)

2 Suggestive remark (8)

3 Toys flown in the wind (5)

5 Great happiness (7)

6 Too; in addition (4)

7 Bushy plant of the mint family (6)

8 Devices popular before computers existed (11)

13 Vivid and brilliant (of a colour) (8)

14 Act of finding water (7)

15 Twinned (6)

16 Inferior (6)

17 Crowbar (5)

19 Left side of a ship (4)

If you would like to showcase your business by offering a competition prize for future issues, contact us to discuss options

vicky@ezpublishing.co.uk

Check your answers

Crossword Classic Sudoku

Coming up next issue...

Lookout for our next issue, which will be coming out at the start of March 2023 and covering the weeks through to the end of May. Forthcoming features in issue six include:

• National Apprenticeship Week – a review of the week (6 – 12 February 2023) and an opportunity to showcase the benefits that apprentices can bring to local communities, businesses, and the wider economy.

• Animal magic – find out about a new animal exercise prescription app, and how technology will help to transform how practitioners carry out core tasks, such as prescribing exercise.

• Step into Spring – check out the latest diary dates for networking, conferences and events this springtime, including our VOX Networking in March.

We will also be including interviews, articles and advice from local businesspeople, along with more business news and charity updates.

Get in touch