July/August 2023
President’s Message
5 Albert Weatherill looks back on a busy first few months in his new position
Big Interview
6 Paul Andrews, Global Energy Director of Smith + Nephew
Policy
8 Chamber angered by Humber’s omission from Government’s BECCS plans
Member News
12 Michael Gove opens new Components Facility at Siemens Mobility in Goole
20 A look back at our hugely successful Chamber Expo 2023 business exhibition
Spotlight Feature
26 Health In The Workplace
Why investing in employee wellbeing is good for business
Focus On
30 Our round-up of this year’s Northern Lincolnshire Business Awards, including a list of all the winners
Sector Focus
32 International Trade Translations firm grows by beating the language barrier
34 Legal & Finance
New chair is already making plans for next year’s Humber Business Week
36 Skills & Training
KCOM CEO promotes business benefits of locating in Hull at trade conference
38 Manufacturing Specialist contractor helps to restore and preserve ancient Union Chain Bridge
40 Motoring
David Hooper tests the all-electric MG4
42 ...and runs the rule over the first all-electric model from Cupra too
New Members
44 The Chamber welcomes new members
Last Word
46 Freya Cross, Head of Business and Corporate at The Deep
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My first months in office as Chamber President have flown, and I was delighted to be able to make a speech welcoming our guests at the Northern Lincolnshire Business Awards in May, where we were treated to a fantastic performance by the West End cast of Les Miserables and the show’s superb music, but where we also celebrated some of the best businesses in the region.
Grateful thanks must again be extended to our headline sponsor Phillips 66, and the Chamber’s Northern Lincolnshire manager Anne Tate and her small team who put the event together and the 400 or so nominees, winners and VIP guests who make it such a memorable night. I’m looking forward to next year’s event already! Don’t miss the report and pictures in this edition of Business Intelligence
The summer is always a busy time for the Chamber, and in June so far, we have seen another successful Chamber Expo which plays its part in Humber Business Week. It was a great event this year, with the added dimension of an International Trade Pavilion and Conference, featuring some high profile guests and speakers.
Cllr Ross was the headline speaker at the lunch, and members enjoyed hearing about his plans for the city in the coming years, not least the change back to peak time operating hours only for the bus lanes!
The Chamber Race Day at Market Rasen was another June event, and although I couldn’t be there this year, I am pleased to hear that it went off well and was enjoyed by those who attended – even if no one could quite match my feat of picking all seven race winners at last year’s event, so my record still stands! Maybe you could beat it next year?
As we enjoy the summer sunshine, there is much happening in the Humber, with new political leadership on the North Bank determined to drive through change – I was sorry to miss Cllr Anne Handley’s visit to Chamber Council this week, but hear the new Leader of East Riding Council has some exciting news which will give our region a new focus!
I’m not allowed to say any more just yet, but watch this space!
As a not-for-profit organisation, the Chamber is very grateful to our Patrons, who support us in our aim to help our Members develop their businesses.
Phil Ascoughof Ascough Associates talks to Paul Andrews, Global Energy Director of Smith + Nephew, about his near 40-year career with the company, and the ongoing challenge to achieve Net Zero.
s a teenager, Paul Andrews had a passion and a talent for “messing around with bikes” –now part of his job is encouraging more people to ride them.
The door was opened by a career adviser who suggested Paul might fancy going into engineering. So he did. Several other roles and decades later, he’s progressed to Global Energy Director at Smith + Nephew.
It’s a huge job in every sense, stretching across over 200 sites worldwide, employing more than 19,000 people. One challenge in Hull is to reduce the current carbon emissions of around 9,000 tonnes per annum by 75% over the next two years. The long term is to achieve Net Zero by 2045 for the group. There is much more to it than bicycles.
roadmap for their carbon emissions reduction and we have to dovetail with that.
“It then becomes ‘a game of tig’. We have no option but to put pressure on our suppliers, which we do as part of the Carbon Disclosure Project. Overall the aim is to get more people to disclose their carbon emissions and make reduction commitments.”
The hope is for collaboration rather than conflict and that’s why large and small businesses are working together. It would be wrong to assume that the global operations have all the answers, but they are generally able to put more resources into it and, given that it is always better to introduce new concepts at the start of a project rather than bolt them on afterwards, the Hull site has an advantage from the plans to relocate.
Having announced the investment of more than £80m in a new facility at Melton West, Smith + Nephew expect it to become operational in 2025.
It’s an exciting time for the business and for Paul, who was born in Hull and has never worked for anybody else.
It’s now 38 years since the young lad from East Hull first walked onto the site in English Street for a work placement, and 36 years since he joined full-time. He’s seen a lot of changes.
“I manage everything from procurement and compliance to doing reports on how much energy we use, encouraging energy efficiency,” Paul said.
“These days you can’t manage energy without looking at carbon emissions, and if you can’t measure it you can’t manage it.”
The pressure to do that starts at the very top with the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties, better known as the COP summit. That’s where governments sign up to their commitments, and it cascades down through the government agencies – the NHS being one of those particularly relevant to Smith + Nephew – and beyond.
Paul took time out for a chat about the issues at Chamber Expo. The next day he was part of a Humber Business Week discussion organised by the Oh Yes! Net Zero campaign at the University of Hull’s Aura Innovation Centre, where the panel brought together some major manufacturers and their suppliers.
Paul explained why: “If we don’t align to the targets set by our customers, eventually we won’t be able to supply them. Some, for example the NHS, have a
“I designed the machines that made First Aid dressings and bandages. We used to use them in Hull and then sent them overseas to places including Canada, India, and South Africa,” he recalled.
The last major redevelopment in Hull came in the 1990s. Paul was providing general engineering support
‘These days you can’t manage energy without looking at carbon emissions, and if you can’t measure it you can’t manage it’
OPPOSITE:
at the site and from there he moved on to facilities. He said: “It involved everything on the site except making the products and it’s where my interest in energy started to blossom. I did that for about 20 years and was looking to try something new and that’s when this role came up.”
The products have changed over the years from such brands as Elastoplast, Airstrip and Nivea to Pico, a negative pressure therapy for hard-to-heal wounds such as diabetic ulcers, and Allevyn, a foam treatment for wounds.
The global network of Smith + Nephew develops and produces pioneering products across three franchises –Advanced Wound Management (AWM), Sports Medicine and Ear, Nose and Throat and Orthopaedics.
The move to Melton was prompted by a review of the Hull operations and by restrictions imposed on the
company’s ambitions by the premises that it first took on more than 105 years ago.
Paul said: “The buildings are old and it’s inefficient from a manufacturing and energy point of view. It’s a good move for Smith + Nephew and for the city, with various parties in discussions about the opportunities which our departure will create along English Street.”
At 58, Paul also sees the development as a significant milestone in his career. He said: “It’s my legacy, to make the new site as energy efficient and carbon reduced as possible.”
When retirement comes, which isn’t to say it’s on the agenda just yet, he’ll enjoy the rural peace of Burton Pidsea, with its population in the 2021 census of just over 900 much the same as that of the current Smith + Nephew factory, combined with an active leisure schedule.
He’s a cyclist, swimmer and runner, with many London marathons in his locker. He also loves long haul travel with passport stamps including Australia, Costa Rica, New Zealand and Singapore.
His passion for Hull City is fierce and was ignited by his job. When Smith + Nephew sponsored the club under Jim Dick, former Global President of the AWM division and now Lord Lieutenant of the East Riding, Paul became hooked.
He revealed: “We got free tickets and being a Hull lad I wasn’t going to turn them down! I have a season pass now and it’s been wonderful, and it’s really exciting again now.”
Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce is the collective ‘voice’ of business across the Humber region representing the views and interests of our Members at local, regional and national levels.
The Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce recently wrote a joint letter to the Secretary of State for Energy, Grant Shapps, alongside local Council leaders expressing its strong concern over the omission of the Humber in the Government’s bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) announcements.
The Chamber is concerned that there is now a serious risk that the £15bn of investment which was planned for the Humber’s Carbon Zero agenda may now be spent elsewhere, leaving the Humber, which should be leading the world on the carbon capture and storage agenda, adrift.
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has announced a new Business Council, comprised of prominent UK business leaders, to design and drive the future of the British economy. The founding partners will be uniquely placed to shape the BCC’s policy and influencing, with the Council forming part of the organisation’s new national offer to businesses.
Heathrow, Drax, IHG Hotels & Resorts and BP have joined the Council as the first founding partners. In June, BCC Director General Shevaun Haviland and BCC President Baroness Martha Lane Fox joined a wider group of business leaders at a roundtable meeting in central London to discuss the Council and the BCC’s new national offer.
The Chamber welcomes the announcement by Drax’s Chief Executive, Will Gardener, that the Government has now opened a dialogue with this important Chamber Patron and hopes there will be further Government announcements shortly on other Humber Carbon Capture proposals which were submitted to Government by other leading Chamber members such as Equinor and Phillips 66.
External Affairs Director David Hooper said: “The shock that the Humber missed out completely in these announcements is palpable among the region’s business leaders and puts the Humber’s leading role on this agenda in serious peril.
“The Chamber’s view is that the UK should go green through the Humber, and the country cannot go green without the Humber!
“We urge Energy Secretary Grant Shapps to reconsider the Government’s stance on the Humber proposals and do the right thing by advancing these largely privately funded schemes which are ready to go!”
Shevaun Haviland, Director General, BCC, said: “Over the past few months, working closely with the Chamber Network, we have been talking to the nation’s largest corporates and it has become clear to us that they are looking for a different kind of representation.
‘We welcome Shevaun’s initiative at BCC and the prospect of working with a new Business Council as part of a fresh national offer’
“These businesses want to be part of a framework that’s rooted in their local communities, but with the ability to shape the national and international debate.
“In response we have developed a new offer, the Business Council. I’m delighted to have Heathrow, Drax, IHG and BP join us as the first founding partners and look forward to speaking with potential members this afternoon at our roundtable event.
“The Council is a long-term project and will bring together leaders from across UK industry to consider the key policy issues faced by British businesses, and work on Future of the Economy initiative, convened by our President, Baroness Martha Lane Fox. This initiative will focus on five challenges: Digital Revolution, People and Work, Net Zero, Global Britain and the High Street. These challenges will form the backdrop to the next
general election, which we know will come before the end of next year, and which everyone in Westminster is already gearing up for. The voice of business needs to be heard loud and clear, and now is the right time for us to speak up.”
Dr Ian Kelly, Chief Executive of Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce and “Father of the House” among the 53 UK Chambers, said: “We welcome Shevaun’s initiative at BCC and the prospect of working with a new Business Council as part of a fresh national offer.
“We work with Drax as a key Chamber patron locally who has a Director who sits on our Board and similarly we have worked for many years with BP Chemicals at Saltend when Malcolm Joslin was their lead representative and Chamber President.
“David Brooke’s as Ineos’ UK Director now also sits on our Chamber Council since they took over locally from BP and is very interested in the green agenda when we lobby both locally and nationally now the Humber is increasingly at the forefront of this exciting green agenda.”
John Holland-Kaye, CEO, Heathrow, said: “Over the last 10 years we have established a strong relationship with the British Chambers of Commerce and are delighted to be taking our partnership to the next level by joining their new Business Council as a proud founding member.”
‘The country cannot go green without the Humber!’Shevaun Haviland, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, with Chamber Chief Executive Dr Ian Kelly at the Northern Lincolnshire Business Awards
The team behind the Humber Freeport has announced a key interim appointment.
Following the recent announcement of Government approval for the Humber Freeport, subject to conditions, the final stages are being reached in establishing a new company to run the Freeport.
As part of this process, David Gwynne, who has been the lead officer of the Freeport as Bid Director from the early stages of the bidding process, will move on to other projects.
While the recruitment process for a new permanent CEO of the Freeport company is underway, Simon Green, Deputy Chief Executive of North Lincolnshire Council, has agreed to take on the role of Interim CEO.
It will be Simon’s role, over the course of the summer, to complete the set-up of the company and address the conditions the Government has set for final approval. Simon has been seconded into the Interim CEO role while retaining his position at North Lincolnshire Council.
Simon Bird, Humber Freeport Chair, and Director, Humber Ports, for Associated British Ports (ABP), said: “I would like to thank David Gwynne for the professional, dedicated and vital role he has played in the Humber Freeport project.
“His work has been instrumental in the successful bidding process. As an ex-ABP employee, we brought David into the Freeport as part of ABP’s leadership role in the partnership and that leadership helped to achieve officially the country’s best Freeport bid.
“There are exciting times ahead as the Freeport company is established and I am delighted that Simon Green has agreed to lead these final stages of inception.
“Simon brings with him a wealth of experience, which will be hugely helpful in ensuring that the Freeport is ready to do the exciting work of bringing new jobs and investment to the region.”
Simon Green said: “I welcome the opportunity to take the company through to the next stages in establishing what will be a powerful economic catalyst for the Humber.”
Humber industry leaders were dismayed and disappointed in equal measure in March when the Humber was left out of the Government’s announcements on carbon capture and storage plans which would go ahead, but Marian Sudbury OBE from the Department of Business and Trade sought to reassure them in her speech at Chamber Expo.
“Whitehall still has the Humber very much on its radar,” she said, despite the scheme which would see a pipeline linking Drax, the Keadby power station, British Steel and Saltend to collect CO2 and despatch it into old oil and gas caverns under the North Sea, being overlooked.
Marian Sudbury OBE
She praised Humber businesses for the work they have done on the Energy Estuary and
Pocklington Arts Centre was the venue recently for a ‘magic moments’ reunion between comedian Patrick Monahan and Chamber CEO Ian Kelly and his daughter Laura.
Patrick declared to the East Riding gathering that his biggest event in the area had been in Hull 12 years ago when he had been the comedy speaker at the Chamber’s Annual Dinner for nearly 400 that year.
Ian Kelly noted that it was a very big moment for Matt Jukes who was then President of the Chamber before going on to become Chief Executive of Hull City Council. Ian explained that Matthew Chin the CEO of Siemens UK had come to town to announce the multinational’s huge investment of £300m in the city for a wind turbine factory.
“Patrick as the ‘comedy turn’ had unilaterally decided to get down on his knees while Siemens colleague Clarke McFarlane was speaking and crawl under his kilt stopping for a look on his way! The audience went into huge bouts of laughter but Matt was a bit worried this all might affect the big deal.”
Thankfully, Matthew reassured Ian at the bar back in the Marina hotel that Clarke would survive - and so would the Siemens deal!
highlighted the green global opportunities that now exist.
Marian reminded the audience of how the area had recently seen delegations from The Phillippines, Colombia, USA and Brazil coming here because they are interested in what is happening in this region.
“The Humber has the largest offshore wind farm in the world, that generates a lot of value for the region and jobs, and helps companies expand abroad.”
Chamber Chief Executive, Dr Ian Kelly, highlighted how the Chamber had created the Humber LEP and set up the original Enterprise Zones which were now home to the Siemens blade factory in Hull and Orsted in Grimsby, saying: “We have a great story to tell and there are now opportunities to go further and faster.”
Re-elected in May, the Leader of Hull City Council, Cllr Mike Ross, told guests at Chamber Expo 2023 that he was still committed to the ambition of getting a devolution deal –and promised changes to the city’s controversial bus lanes.
The East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s new Leader, Cllr Anne Handley, also joined the invited guests for the high profile lunch and made no secret of her ambition to drive change for the region, working with Cllr Ross, the Chamber and others to really make a difference.
Cllr Ross said he had enjoyed looking around Chamber Expo and meeting many of the standholders, highlighting how the event had a real buzz about it and the enthusiasm of the exhibitors was great to see.
He said there was a tremendous range of different business in this area and they wanted to work together to get the best for the region. He highlighted that his administration was a listening council and told the audience that recent surveys on transport and community strategy and funding initiatives from road improvements to crime reduction and high street regeneration.
Talking about devolution he said the revolving door of Government Ministers had made it difficult to make progress but he was hopeful that with Dehenna Davison in the Levelling Up Department, who knew the region and had been to university here, progress could be made at last.
Cllr Ross said Hull has always been a place that has done things its own way, like Hull Trains and KCOM, where people had got up and got things done and that tremendous spirit of entrepreneurial people getting on with the job would get Hull through the hard times we’re facing. He said it wasn’t for the Council to tell business what to do, but to help enable business to thrive, noting that we have tremendous advantages of connectivity, access and location and we need to capitalise on all of these elements.
“We need to rise to the challenges!”
He also promised his audience that the controversial bus lane operating hours would be reverted back to peak hour operation only following the recent city transport survey to help ease the flow of traffic around the city which is a constant source of frustration for many, but praised the ongoing work on the A63 Clive Sullivan Way which he said he hoped would also help the situation and was currently due to be completed and delivered on time.
The latest news, success stories and updates from members of Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce.
DFDS Seaways recently welcomed the Danish Ambassador René Dinesen to the Port of Immingham where he was given a tour of Britain’s largest port by tonnage.
Ambassador Dinesen was shown around the DFDS operations at the Docks, from which it operates at least 35 weekly sailings carrying goods destined for and from the UK, including food, steel, timber and cars.
Managing Director of DFDS Seaways, Andrew Byrne, hosted the event, which was also attended by Simon Bird, Associated British Port’s Regional Director, Humber; Paul Sylvester, Director Divisional, Road Scandinavian and Haulage at DVS; and Richard Crossick, Head of Public Affairs for Ørsted.
Following the tour, Ambassador Dinesen and guests enjoyed lunch on the Bridge of one of DFDS’s newest mega ro-ro (roll on – roll off) ships, the Hollandia Seaways. Lunch was hosted by Hollandia Seaways Captain Mykola Timofyeyev, who introduced Ambassador Dinesen to the workings of the ship and some of its crew.
Ambassador Dinesen said: “It is certainly a most impressive operation that DFDS runs here in Immingham that all started with the Danish ‘butter boat’ one and a half centuries ago. The continued development of the transport business and infrastructure is essential to the trade flow and a greener future.”
The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, the Rt. Hon. Michael Gove MP joined Managing Director for Rolling Stock and Customer Services at Siemens Mobility Sambit Banerjee, along with local apprentices to officially open the new Components Facility at the site in Goole.
Set to create an additional 30 new skilled jobs in the area in the next year, the £7-million facility is located at the heart of the Siemens Mobility rail village in Goole. The facility will maintain gearboxes, traction motors and other parts for train and tram fleets across the UK, helping to keep trains from Scotland to the South Coast running.
The components facility was previously operating out of a small space in Leeds and already employs 40 full-time staff, including five apprentices from the region. The new dedicated 4,000sqm space will allow the stateof-the-art facility to take on the maintenance of further components in the future. Much of the work now done at the site in Goole had previously taken place in mainland Europe.
The opening highlights Siemens Mobility’s commitment to the UK, having been built by local firm GMI, which has built the rest of the Siemens rail village. The GMI supply chain is based entirely in the UK, with over 70% of it based in Yorkshire. It also marks the next phase of Siemens Mobility’s plans to establish
Goole as a centre of excellence for rail technology in the UK.
Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, said: “It’s fantastic to see Siemens Mobility investing in this new facility in Goole. This is a great example of how we’re working with business to deliver on our commitment to secure international investment in the UK to create new skilled jobs and level up the country.”
Sambit Banerjee, Managing Director for Rolling Stock and Customer Services at Siemens Mobility, said: “We’re proud to be able to show the Secretary of State the impact that our site in Goole is already having creating jobs and supporting the region, and how this fits into his ambitions for levelling up. Investment in the rail industry is essential for not only boosting growth, but ensuring we have the capabilities to design, manufacture and maintain the different parts of our rail system here in the UK. What’s more, our state-of-the-art rail village will enable us to drive forward a smarter, greener and more digital rail network.“
Overall, Siemens Mobility’s investment in the region will create 700 new jobs, with a further 250 roles during the construction phase and an additional 1,700 indirect supply chain opportunities promoting localisation and helping to serve other global markets by 2030.
Agroup of students from the Humber travelled to Norway to learn about the low carbon technologies that could transform their region, as part of a sustainability competition prize sponsored by Equinor.
Eight young people from the Engineering University Technical College (UTC) of Northern Lincolnshire were selected by a judging panel for their Waterline Student Sustainability Challenge entry which significantly reduced energy consumption and secured savings of around a third of their school’s energy bills, as well as improving their environment and encouraging sustainable behavioural change by teachers, parents and fellow pupils.
As challenge sponsors, Norwegian energy company Equinor offered the team and two teachers a unique four-day trip to Bergen, a city steeped in Viking history and located close to some of the company’s key assets.
During the trip the team visited the groundbreaking Northern Lights project, one of the world’s only commercial carbon capture & storage facilities which imports CO2 emissions from across Europe for safe storage on the Norwegian continental shelf. They also visited Kollsnes, where 40% of Equinor’s natural gas destined for the UK and Europe is processed, and where a hydrogen transition programme is being proposed.
These two facilities helped the students to learn about low carbon technologies which feature within their curriculum and will play a central role in decarbonising the Humber. They also met with young apprentices to discuss careers within the energy sector.
The team also visited the local Oygarden secondary school, where they presented their project to a large audience of students and teachers, and engaged in group exercises to explore and share other energy environmental and sustainability options. The students met each other again at VilVite science and technology museum, where they competed in a range of educational tasks. The two schools hope to build a lasting relationship which can lead to further collaboration for many years to come.
Dan Sadler, Equinor’s Vice President for Low Carbon Solutions, said: “We are very proud to sponsor the Waterline Student Sustainability Challenge and to support this impressive winning team to learn more about the technologies that can transform their region and potentially inspire their future career choices. It is fantastic to see young people so motivated and engaged in the journey to net zero, we believe that trips like
these can only help to further this ambition.”
Anesta McCullagh, Principal, Engineering UTC Northern Lincolnshire, said: “This project has not only given students important teamwork and leadership skills through taking part in the competition, but has saved the college thousands of pounds in energy costs, as well as our whole community of families. It has also developed the knowledge and understanding of global issues around sustainability and net zero for all of our students.
The trip to Norway with Equinor for the winners was an experience they will remember their whole lives, and the information they have brought back to the college about carbon capture and hydrogen production is educating other students and staff. The support we have had from the Equinor team has been wonderful. They have engaged, enthused and inspired our students, ensuring that every moment was meaningful.”
Two Ongo developments in Scunthorpe have been given a Gold Secured by Design (SBD) award for their approach to reducing crime and anti-social behaviour.
The first site includes eight carbon neutral homes at Chapman Avenue, Chaucer Avenue and Bridges Road in Scunthorpe. The £1.8m project takes the place of garages and unused land.
The second site is on Rowland Road in Scunthorpe which includes 11 homes for affordable rent, and rent to buy. The site was a former warehouse which sat empty for many years before being developed.
Secured by Design is the official Police security initiative that works with businesses to reduce crime through the design of their new homes and developments. Their aim is to help people live in a safer society.
The award was given based on the design of the developments and the measures in place to help reduce crime and anti-social behaviour.
Features include no alley ways, having well-lit communal areas, increasing the level of natural surveillance, environmental design and enhanced security to windows, doors and gates.
The benefits of SBD are supported by independent research consistently proving that these developments experience up to 87% less burglary, 25% less vehicle crime and 25% less criminal damage.
Amy Schoenmaker, Ongo Development Project Manager on both sites, said: “We’re very proud to have been awarded gold on both of these developments. Secured by Design is a great initiative and is one we’ll definitely be working towards in future developments.”
Business Intelligence introduces a new Chamber member to learn more about their business.
Name: Jesper Eriksen
Job Title: General Manager
Name of the business: MCL Height Safety
What does your business do?
MCL Height Safety specialises in working at height/rope access and difficult access training including IRATA and GWO.
We pride ourselves on our highly-qualified and experienced trainers. Their industryspecific backgrounds leaves them well placed to provide knowledgeable, professional rope access training. Working at height training can be tailored to suit your needs. We offer a range of services from rescue packages to site supervision, surveys and building maintenance.
We install fall protection systems and provide the associated training and routine testing. Our team are qualified to install and test anchor bolts. We also offer a training course, should you wish to carry this out yourself. Rope access can be applied to so many difficult or unusual scenarios and means nothing is impossible!
Where is your business based?
We have great training facilities in Leyton East London, CATCH in Stallingborough, Grimsby plus our newest facilities in Wandsworth, South London.
Where do you operate?
Our work at height operations are carried out across the UK and training is from our three facilities however depending on the course we can also attend client offices.
How long have you been in business? For 15 years.
How many staff are in your team? Eight - however we are expanding.
What makes your business unique? We are the full package. Our training is topnotch with a vast course selection and high pass rates. Plus, we offer customised installation and access solutions.
What do you hope to gain from your Chamber membership?
More exposure for our training facilities. We want to highlight our first rate training to the industrial rich area of Humberside.
What do you enjoy most about working in our region? Centrally situated.
What was your first job?
I joined the Circus Osler circus school in 1976 and performed with them up until January 1978. In 1978 the school disbanded in Cape Town and the founder of the school took what was, at the time, the largest trapeze troupe, the Star Lords, to tour in Europe and North America.
What do you never go to work without? Water.
What one change would help your business the most? Wider reach to clients.
What’s the best way for people to contact you?
By email: marketing@mcl-uk.com
document libraries – HR, H&S and legal – almost 800 template documents plus lots more information.
The Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce has invested in its membership offer and has recently launched four important new services to support Humber businesses which are now included as part of the Chamber package.
Chamber HR, Chamber H&S, Chamber Legal and Chamber Tax are all now available to members and are free to use as often as they like.
Chamber members also have access to a huge library of around 800 downloadable documents and templates covering employment, health and safety, tax and legal matters.
All the new services can be accessed by one phone number which gives members immediate advice and support via five advice lines – HR, H&S, Legal, Tax and VAT
These new services represent a major investment by the Chamber in its membership offer. The services are part of a national scheme provided by Quest with 45,000 UK Chamber of Commerce users.
David Hooper, The Chamber’s External Affairs Director, said: “Businesses are facing challenging times at the moment and these new services offer excellent support to all businesses, whatever size they may be. I believe these new services will protect our members, help them stay compliant, particularly with issues around Covid-19 like HR and H&S requirements, and give th em peace of mind.
“Our new services are employer focused, so the HR line for example, can help businesses deal with redundancy procedures, appraisals or disciplinary procedures and comes with access to experienced advisors for hand-holding support when they need it, or provide access to documents which are regularly updated to reflect the latest rules and regulations.
“The Health and Safety package offers unlimited advice and access to documents like H&S policies, risk assessment templates and the offer of free One2One reviews. Chamber Legal provides unlimited access to experienced
legal advisors and a library of documents, while Chamber Tax provides access to tax and VAT advisors who can be a great help at tax return time!”
Chamber Chief Executive Dr Ian Kelly said: “We are delighted to be able to include these excellent new benefits as part of our membership package. They provide expert advice and support on many key aspects of running a business and I would encourage our members to make good use of these new, premium services.”
Members only can call 01455 852037 for immediate support and assistance.
For more information, contact the Hull and East Yorkshire office: 01482 324976 or email j.harrison@hull-humberchamber.co.uk, or the Northern Lincolnshire Office: 01472 342981 or email a.tate@hull-humber-chamber.co.uk
On time and safely delivered, the first Living with Water scheme has reached its conclusion and opened on time.
Over the past six months the Living with Water team along with Morrisons Water services have been working hard to fit Hull’s first permeable paved street to protect homes in the Southcoates area against surface water flooding.
This scheme is part of a £23m investment in the region to deliver sustainable drainage schemes that will benefit residents against surface water flooding.
The permeable paving is made of non-porous blocks with spaces between them to allow water to flow through. Surface water is collected underneath and the water’s flow into the sewers is then controlled to reduce the likelihood of flooding.
Thanks to the help of St John’s Community Church, Living With Water was able to conduct local consultations with residents to understand how they wanted their street to look. Maintaining car parking while improving green spaces was the key feedback from residents and this was incorporated into the design of the new road surface.
Mark Jones, Director of Regeneration Hull City Council and chair of Living with Water said: “Rosmead Street is not only a fabulous piece of engineering, but it combines all partners working together with communities to bring surface water flood resilience into Hull. From modelling to engagement, the team has worked hard to finalise
the street on time, safely and with the community. It truly is an exemplar in partnership working and we look forward to showcasing this nationally.”
Ross Housley, Contract Director, Morrison Water Services, said: “It has been a pleasure for Morrison Water Services to collaborate with the stakeholders of Rosmead Street and the Living with Water team. We have all delivered an amazing project with a lasting positive legacy that all should be proud of.”
Local children from Estcourt Primary School helped lay the final blocks and residents be helping the team install bird boxes in the green space to encourage more nature into the street too.
Abikers’ charity ride which has raised funds and awareness worldwide for prostate cancer research and men’s mental health arrived in Hull to be welcomed by a local charity village.
More than 200 bikers rumbled into the Fruit Market as part of the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride to kickstart a rally and fun day which featured live music, children’s rides and st alls set up by charities including the Daisy Appeal, Hull and East Yorkshire Mind, Dove House Hospice and The Samaritans.
The ride dates back to 2012 and unites classic and vintage styled motorcycle riders from all over the world. The first event took place in Sydney, Australia, and featured 3,000 riders. By 2022 the number of parti cipants was up to 94,000, who raised more than $6m by riding through 804 cities in 101 countries.
In Hull, one of 52 rides over the weekend in cities across England, the 210 riders received donations and pledges worth over £17,000 to be shared between the charities which lined the marina.
Among them was Hornsea biker Keith Riley, who has been riding for about 50 years and came along with his 1976 Norton Commando motorcycle.
Keith said: “I’ve been doing this ride for nearly 10 years. I’ve got a prostate problem which is benign and is a reminder that all of these charities are good causes.”
The Daisy Appeal works to improve accuracy and detection rates for people with cancer, heart disease and dementia in Hull, East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire.
Claire Levy, Fundraiser for the Daisy Appeal, attended the ride along with Dr Louis Allott, Lecturer in Radiochemistry & Molecular Imaging in the Centre for Biomedicine at the University of Hull, and Head of Radiochemistry in the new Molecular Imaging Research Centre (MIRC)
at Castle Hill Hospital.
Claire said: “We were delighted and grateful to be invited to bring a stall to the ride. The money we raise from donations and merchandise sales will help to fund our work, which benefits people across the Hull and Humber region, and our presence has enabled us to tell more people what we do.”
To find out more please visit: daisyappeal.org
Work is expected to start later this month on the construction of new business units after planning permission was received for the project which could create up to 50 jobs.
The development at the Humber Bridge Industrial Estate, Barton on Humber, is the latest in The Trade Yard series of sites which have been built by Allenby Commercial across East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire.
The company revealed that two national brands have already committed to take units at the site in Falkland Way. Interest in the remaining units is expected to be strong because of the success of the other locations.
In East Yorkshire, The Trade Yard Willerby is full, The Trade Yard Beverley now has only one unit available, and The Trade Yard Driffield was completed and sold on as a successful project.
The Trade Yard Scunthorpe is at capacity
with MKM Building Supplies Ltd, Toolstation, Howdens Joinery, Valley Carpets, Motor Parts Direct and Hayley Group. Allenby Commercial is now working on plans for The Trade Yard Immingham.
At Barton, the three remaining units offer between 3,400 and 13,600 square feet of space and are being promoted as a prime opportunity for trade, warehouse and light industrial occupiers.
Charlie Allenby, Development Director at Allenby Commercial, said: “Our vision is to develop a main trade hub with national names occupying some of the units and creating a one-stop-shop for businesses and DIY enthusiasts. We are aiming to break ground during the summer and the first tenants are expected to arrive in about six months.”
Duncan Willey, Divisional Director at PPH Commercial Chartered Surveyors and Commercial Property Consultants, said: “Speculative schemes like this are generating good interest because the availability of high quality industrial/employment space is very limited at present – not much is being built.”
‘We were delighted and grateful to be invited to bring a stall to the ride’Duncan Willey (left) and Charlie Allenby at the site of The Trade Yard Barton Bikers Keith Riley (left) and Rob Olive (far right) with Louis Allott and Claire Levy
Influential leaders from business, education and the third sector cheered the opportunities and the potential of Hull as HullBID presented one of the highlights of Humber Business Week.
The Inspiring People Dinner, which was originally added to the Biz Week calendar in 2015, attracted over 100 business people to The Deep. They heard from three people who are connected by their leadership of organisations which play an integral part in the city centre business community, yet which also have a major influence much further afield.
Paul Matson BEM, CEO and founder of Hull 4 Heroes outlined the work of the charity and gave a progress report on its world-first project. He said: “We look after veterans in the local area. It really is local people we are looking after. The veterans village is a project that’s going to look after veterans as they leave the forces. It’s the first of its type in the world, a fantastic project that will change a lot of people’s lives.
“I have seen some businesses we already work with. It’s fantastic to see them again and tell them what we are up to and where we are at, and we can talk to some new people as well. There are some fantastic businesses in Hull anyway and some fantastic things going on in the city centre. We work in the city centre as well, so it’s fantastic for us to talk on a HullBID night.”
Tim Shaw, CEO of KCOM, told of his company’s investment of £100m to provide full fibre across Hull, East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire and of the importance of bringing businesses together.
“This event is one of the things I love about Hull, the community. It’s all about people working together. There’s competitiveness around businesses but we all come together and help each other. It’s about sharing experiences and giving some insight into things that work for us and hopefully somebody can take something from that.”
Debra Gray MBE, Principal and CEO of Hull College, spoke about the importance of the city centre to an organisation with 12,000 learners, 600 staff and £30m of income.
She said: “I have worked across the Humber for nine years and I love this region. In the 14 months that I have been working specifically in Hull I have become a fierce advocate of the city. This is an amazing city with amazing potential and I am really proud to have a part in that.
“I think it’s an incredible opportunity to have this many businesses in one place, all who believe in Hull as a city, who believe in the Humber as a region, it’s like sitting down with people who believe what I believe.”
The guests were joined by representatives of overall sponsor award-winning insurance
broker Clegg Gifford and subsidiary sponsors the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, the Hull Business and IP Centre at Hull Library, and The Deep.
Kathryn Shillito, HullBID Executive Director, said: “Our speakers are handpicked and they are the cream of the crop – a wide variety of speakers from different sectors.
“The feedback that we get year on year is fantastic. Everybody comes along and has a fantastic night. The strong message is about networking opportunities. We invite people from all nature of businesses, public, private, big and small, they all come together and it’s a great opportunity to share what they are doing and catch up with each other in a relaxing environment.”
The new sponsor of Hull Street Food Nights held its own international food day in partnership with fundraisers for the Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal, and a local city centre business turned back the clock to return to the building where it operated more than 35 years ago.
ResQ, the contact centre business which is expanding its team of 2,000 people at sites in Hull and Seaham, County Durham, opened its headquarters at the Hammonds building and invited members of the Hull Turkish Education Society to sell traditional food from their homeland.
They were joined by Emily Taylor, who sold pies and pastries from the butchers and deli in Carr Lane, Hull, which was set up by her father, Ted Johnston, after he lost his job with the closure of the food hall in the building in 1987.
ResQ is one of the biggest employers in Hull city centre and staff from the company turned out in force when HullBID launched its 2023 series of Hull Street Food Nights in Zebedee’s Yard. CEO Gill Marchbanks sees the sponsorship of the events as a great opportunity to connect with candidates and customers.
Gill also confirmed ongoing growth at the business which recently followed the announcement of nearly 300 new jobs with further recruitment and expansion into nearby Cherry Tree Court. The additional 160 jobs will include 60 team leaders as well as operations managers, call centre managers and client service managers.
Gill said: “We have growth plans in every department across our sites in Seaham and Hull and are delighted that the expansion of the business means the creation of new opportunities for our staff to progress, as well
as creating more jobs for local people.”
ResQ colleagues tucked into the delights of international food day and told how Hull Street Food Nights is a great fit with their programme of fun and food.
Chris Baldwin said: “There are a lot of events and incentives to keep people motivated. We are always bringing in local vendors and holding fundraising events to bring the community into the workplace.”
Kathryn Shillito, HullBID Executive Director, said: “It’s clear that ResQ are the ideal sponsor for Hull Street Food Nights because food is such a big part of the innovative programme of events which they organise to support their growing workforce.
“The international food day underlined the company’s commitment to supporting local businesses and the wider community and we’re looking forward to working with them at our events throughout the summer.”
A charity that provides educational support for young people across East Yorkshire is delighted to announce the appointment of Shaun Watts as its new Chair.
Shaun, who is Chairman of Hullbased Chameleon Business Interiors, succeeds Wykeland Group’s Dominic Gibbons who has been an integral part of the Run With It charity for over 10 years.
Run With It, based at the MKM Stadium in Hull, focuses on raising the levels of literacy and numeracy in the region. Indeed, since it was established over 20 years ago, it has helped over two thousand young people by getting them out of the traditional classroom for real-life experiences which support their studies.
Shaun said: “I feel privileged to assume the role of Chair for this exceptional charity. Witnessing the profound impact that Run With It has on the lives of young children is truly remarkable and I am convinced the organisation has the potential to make an even greater difference by providing invaluable support to thousands more children in the future.”
Working with schools and education providers, including special needs and adult learners, all programmes are designed to support the delivery of the national curriculum.
Lisa Dawson, who set up the charity, said: “We are so pleased that Shaun has accepted the position as our new Chair. It will be great to have a fresh set of eyes at board level as we look ahead to our future growth.
“We’d also like to say a big thank you to Dominic Gibbons for all the help, support and commitment he has given us, getting us set up as a charity and establishing our Board of Trustees.”
For more information, visit: www.runwithithull.co.uk
Chamber Expo 2023 dished up two high profile speakers as the region’s premiere business exhibition took on an international flavour with an International Trade Pavilion and Conference included in this year’s event, along with a motor show focusing on electric vehicles and featuring several of the region’s leading dealerships.
This year’s lunchtime speakers included Cllr Mike Ross, the Leader of Hull City Council, who gave a “State of the City” speech after being re-elected in May, and Marian Sudbury
OBE, Director of Regions for the Department for Business and Trade, who talked about Green Energy and International Trade Opportunities for the Humber.
Staged as part of Humber Business Week, Chamber Expo 2023 was kindly sponsored by AaGlobal, KCOM and Hull What’s On.
The big day was officially opened in the now traditional way by the Town Crier with the Lord Mayor of Hull Cllr Kalvin Neal cutting the ribbon, and hosted all kinds of businesses from both banks of the Humber.
This year’s Chamber Motor Show was a popular attraction with vehicles from many leading dealerships on display featuring models from prestige brands including Land Rover, Jaguar, Volvo, SEAT, Mercedes-Benz,
Continued on page 22...
...from page 20
BMW and MINI – with plenty of electric and hybrid models included too! (also see page 43).
The Chamber’s famous Speed Networking provided a great opportunity to meet some new business people from around the region and our compere for the day, Gary J, jollied the networkers along, reminding them to move in a timely fashion!
Thanks also go to Simon and Chloe from Hotham’s Distillery for putting on a gin tasting session which was enjoyed by those who wanted to relax, learn something about the art of gin making, and enjoy a bit of informal networking to wrap up the day.
The Chamber’s External Affairs and Membership Director, David Hooper, said: “This year’s Chamber Expo had a something for everyone and the feedback has been really encouraging – the International Trade Pavilion and Conference was very well attended, we had a good selection of standholders, the Motor Show featured some new exhibitors and our excellent lunch time speakers certainly attracted a sizeable audience.
“The Chamber would like to thank everyone who supported this year’s event, especially our sponsors and partners, and Kevin Greene Photography for some brilliant event photos.
“We are already looking forward to doing it all again next year –see you there!”
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In this issue we take a look at Health In The Workplace and why this increasingly important issue should be of a major consideration for every business.
It goes without saying that businesses in the UK have had a difficult few years; political uncertainty, a global pandemic, and ongoing supply chain issues have left an unsettled economic landscape. But could investing in employee health and well-being be a key element to business success?
Psychologists have long discussed the correlation between wellbeing and performance (just look at ‘Flow’ by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, or ‘Flourish’ by Martin Seligman); the notion that the higher our subjective wellbeing, the better we perform in all aspects of our lives, including our work. Positive psychology introduces us to the concept that positive wellbeing can be developed and maintained, in employees this can be achieved by creating a sup portive organisational environment, open and trustworthy cultures, and investing in employee’s personal development, and recent research links this with improved business performance.
The business case for employee health and wellbeing is not new. In 2010, an Investors in People report highlighted the Business Case for Employee Health and Well-being, drawing on available research to highlight the key benef its to businesses of having a healthy workforce: reduced sickness, fewer workrelated accidents, improved staff retention, higher productivity, and improved brand association.
Independent research into workplace productivity is demonstrating what psychologists and workplace health and wellbeing professionals have discussed for years; a correlation between positive wellbeing and business success. Research published in Management Science shows that happier workers are more productive, significantly so: a one per cent increase in subjective wellbeing
translated to a 12% increase in productivity. Individually, happier employers are not only more productive, but also more engaged at work and less likely to leave.
While it stands to reason that happier individual employees would collectively contribute to higher performing businesses, CIPD’s recent Workplace Wellbeing study found that just 51% of businesses take a strategic approach to employee wellbeing, and there has been a recent increase in the number of redundancies from employee engagement roles. The reason for this it seems, is lack of available budget particularly for SMEs. However, a study of independent measures by the Wellbeing Research Centre, has shown that companies with higher subjective wellbeing generally have higher gross profits and better stock market performances, suggesting improved wellbeing does translate to business growth and success.
However, ‘investing’ in employee health and wellbeing doesn’t have to mean a monetary investment; in fact, many things that improve the health and wellbeing of employees are free. Here are a few budget-friendly suggestions:
1. Think strategically
A health and wellbeing strategy stating what good wellbeing looks like for your organisation, demonstrates your commitment to employee wellbeing.
2. Recognition and reward
Recognising and celebrating achievements demonstrates that you appreciate employees and can give them a boost to their happiness and wellbeing. Adopting a ‘more carrot, less stick’ approach and a modest ‘You’ve done a great job here, well done’ can pay dividends through the boost to wellbeing and increasing productivity.
3. Employee assistance programmes
Providing an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), a confidential service of counselling and guidance for personal or workplace concerns, and ensuring it is well promoted, is a fantastic service to improve employee wellbeing. If you don’t have an EAP in place, talk to your Group Income Protection provider, or Insurance Broker, as you may have access to a free service part of your provision.
4. Ask your employees what they need
Often an overlooked, yet simple way to boost employee wellbeing, is to engage with employees to ask what would help them to improve and maintain positive wellbeing. Not only does it ensure that you are making more informed decisions, it also provides employees with a voice, helping them feel valued contributors to business plans.
Our people really are our greatest asset, and with the relationship between employee happiness and increased productivity proven, the business case for workplace health and wellbeing is stronger than ever. Rather than looking at whether we can afford to invest in the wellbeing of our people, should we be asking, ‘Can we afford not to?’
Ignoring the mental health of your workforce comes at a high price. However, by investing in and supporting workplace wellbeing, you can ensure that more individuals facing mental health challenges receive the necessary support and the respect they deserve –and that’s truly significant.
The benefits for you are substantial as well. In fact, for every £1 invested in promoting workplace well-being and providing proactive approaches to support, you could expect a return on investment of £6.30, along with a happier, healthier, and more productive workforce.
Employers must take the first step by sending a clear message that the mental health of their staff is highly valued. To achieve this, we recommend that employers:
1. Promote wellbeing to all of the workforce
2. Tackle the causes of work-related poor mental health
3. Support staff who are experiencing poor mental health
Promote wellbeing
A workplace culture where employees feel able to voice ideas and are listened to, both about how they do their job and in broader decision-making about the organisation’s direction of travel, is also a key driver of employee engagement. This is because employees feel more committed to the organisation’s goals when they feel that their work is meaningful and valued.
Raising awareness and promoting discussion of mental health and wellbeing also drives engagement, helps to overcome prejudice and means that employees will be more likely to disclose issues sooner.
Encouraging a good work-life balance, developing good communication, supporting flexible working
practices, and promoting positive working relationships and social activities are also important.
Investing in these approaches and promoting them to staff sends out a clear message to staff that their mental health is valued by the organisation.
Tackle the causes of mental ill health
Considering how much time we spend at work, it’s not surprising it can affect our mental health. The way that managers behave is often key in shaping whether being at work has a positive or a negative impact on staff. Effective managers help employees to manage their workloads, create opportunities for coaching and learning, and promote a culture of open dialogue – all of which help to boost staff mental wellbeing and employee engagement levels.
It’s important for employers to support staff who are experiencing poor mental health
Regular supervisions or one-to-one meetings are crucial to build trust and give employees a chance to raise issues at an early stage. Providing mentoring or on the-job coaching also helps to develop this relationship. Improving the physical environment and publicising available support can also help tackle the causes of poor mental health. Carrying out an assessment of your
‘Improving the physical environment and publicising available support can also help tackle the causes of poor mental health’
Yorkshire Mind
workplace can give a clear picture of the state of the organisation as a whole. This enables you to understand what factors affect staff mental health in your workplace and what needs to be done to make improvements
If mental health problems are suspected or disclosed, the first step is to establish honest, open communication with the employee, and this should be maintained if people take time off for sickness absence. If possible, the frequency of contact should be agreed before someone takes time off.
How you respond to an employee experiencing a mental health problem is a fundamental test of your organisation’s values. Trust and integrity are key drivers of engagement – employees need to see that the organisation lives its values and does what it says it will in terms of treating its people well.
But standing by people when they experience problems is not only about keeping hold of a valuable staff member – it also sends a message about your organisation’s values to staff and external audiences. Supportive organisations find they reap the benefits in terms of commitment from all staff.
Everyone’s experience of a mental health problem is different, so managers should be supported to work with staff to develop a personal action plan which identifies triggers and what support the employee needs.
The Northern Lincolnshire Business Awards gave business leaders and politicians an opportunity to discuss local political and economic developments affecting the Humber region during a night of celebration and recognition for the region’s businesses.
The gala evening, themed around the musical Les Miserables, broke down barriers for some of the region's leading businesses as they stepped up on stage to receive their awards at a glittering night of celebration.
The evening was hosted by Richard Askam and the dinner was produced and served by the Lincolnshire Chef and his team from Healing Manor. The Baths Hall in Scunthorpe turned back time to the French Revolution for some fabulous music from the West End cast of the London show who thrilled the audience with some powerful songs from the musical Les Miserables, ably supported by local drama students.
The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the 2023 Business Awards. It was a good year with plenty of talent on the south bank of the Humber. Thanks go to all the sponsors and supporters of the evening, particularly Phillips66, who were the headline sponsor. Thanks also go to Sparq for sponsorship of the event’s AV requirements and the tech team at The Baths Hall.
The Chamber would like to thank all those who entered the awards, our sponsors and everyone who worked so hard to make the evening another great success. For a full round-up of all the winners, lots of pictures from the night and more, visit: www.business-live.co.uk
The University of Lincoln Small Business Award
Winner: Victor Finance
Joint Runners Up: KnowFilm
AmbiSpace Ltd
The HBP Systems Business Growth Award
Winner: Davis Wagon Services Ltd
Joint Runners Up: The Positive Co, trading as GCW, Ashtons Louth, Carpet Express, New Home Build and Runrug Card Industry Professionals
The Wilkin Chapman Business Person of the Year Award
Winner: Ciaran Savage – Card Industry Professionals
Joint Runners Up: Lawrence Marsh – Landmark Café and Restaurant
Rob Burgin – CorrBoard UK
The Technical Absorbents International Trade Award
Winner: Bradbury Group Ltd
Joint Runners Up: Medibiosense Ltd
The Positive Co, trading as GCW, Ashtons Louth, Carpet Express, New Home Build and Runrug
The Bridge McFarland LLP New Business Award
Winner: RSUK Group
Joint Runners Up: Grimsby Fish Limited (GYF)
CineShow UK
The North East Lincolnshire Business Development Award
Winner: Landmark Café and Restaurant
Joint Runners Up: Stallingborough Grange Hotel
St Andrew’s Hospice Ltd
The North Lincolnshire Business Investment Award
Winner: Rocal Insulating Panels Ltd, trading as Endurance Doors
Joint Runners Up: San PietroHBP Systems Ltd
The Grimsby Institute
The Grimsby Institute Training Excellence Award
Winner: PLUS Skills Development Ltd
Joint Runners Up: Creating Positive Opportunity
DSV Road Ltd
The Pepperells Innovation Award
Winner: Technical Absorbents
Joint Runners Up: AmbiSpace Ltd
Harrisons Laser Technology
The HETA Green Sustainability Award
Winner: CorrBoard UK
Joint Runners Up: Rocal Insulating Panels T/A Endurance Doors
PPS Midlands Ltd
The Dataplan Employee of the Year Award
Winner: Jenna Shelby Bird – San Pietro
Joint Runners Up: Katie Evans – Knapton Wright
Paul Walker – The Positive Co, trading as GCW, Ashtons Louth, Carpet Express, New Home Build and Runrug
The Sylvester Keal Young Business Person of the Year Award
Winner: Cameron Huggins Blacksmith
Joint Runners Up: BeGreat Fitness
RSUK Group
The Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce Excellence in Community Award
Winner: YMCA Humber
Joint Runners Up: St Andrew’s Hospice Ltd
Creating Positive Opportunity
Forrester Boyd Business of the Year
Winner: CorrBoard UK
The latest news from the International Trade, Legal & Finance, The Arts, Skills & Training, Manufacturing and Motoring industries.
Leading translation and interpreting business
AaGlobal Language Services is gearing up for further growth as the company prepares for another round of recruitment.
Kirk Akdemir, CEO of the business, said yet more success could be on the way as a result of this year’s Chamber Expo, which AaGlobal sponsored and which had a strong focus on international trade.
Kirk said: “Our partnership with the Chamber dates back to 2011 when we first expanded to Hull and we continue to find it extremely supportive and successful.
“This was our second year as
headline sponsor of Expo, where we have been exhibitors for many years. Once again we had a highly experienced team in place to show our commitment to collaborating with the regional business community – and to present our new brand!
“It was great to see some familiar faces at the Expo and to make some new contacts. It was a busy event and a welcome sign that business confidence is growing as the big events return to the corporate calendar.
“We were delighted to receive some very promising enquiries from potential new clients who were attracted to Expo specifically because of the additional sessions exploring opportunities around
international trade, and we are following up with both parties.
“The important point is that we only generated the interest in the first place because we were in the room, and it was good to see so many other businesses recognising the value of being there in person.”
Over the years AaGlobal, which reached its 30-year milestone last year, has developed its Hull presence from a branch office with two people next to Hull Marina to a new head office with a team of 32 at Stonefield House in King Edward Street. Kirk revealed that more recruitment is now being planned.
Kirk said: “We are in the process of creating some new
roles and in keeping with the way we have developed the business in recent years, these will be designed specifically to support our capability to provide bespoke services for clients in all business sectors with the widest range of translation and interpreting requirements.
“With 32 people in our head office and a global network of 15,000 linguists able to translate every language and dialect spoken on earth we are working hard to increase our support for them and our growing client base. That means investing in more people to work on translation, procurement and digital creation, and all of that is likely in turn to generate further expansion.”
John Good Group is excited to announce the appointment of Tony Carter as Head of Business Development for its Maritime Division, a joint role between Bay Shipping and DAN Shipping.
Tony will be based at the Group Head Office on the Humber at Hesslewood, leveraging his extensive industry experience to drive growth and expansion for the division.
Steve Pullen, Managing Director of DAN Shipping, expressed his enthusiasm for Tony’s appointment, stating: “We are delighted to have Tony on board as Head of Business Development. His extensive commercial and operational experience in all aspects of the shipping industry, coupled with his strong track record of success, will play a pivotal role in supporting the Port agency and chartering, FastForward plans, and driving growth within the Maritime Division.”
Mark Mullins, Managing Director of Bay Shipping, also commented on Tony’s appointment, adding: “We are excited to have Tony on our team, and we're confident that his experience and knowledge will bring significant value to both Bay Shipping and DAN Shipping as we continue to expand our reach and strengthen our position in the industry.”
Tony, who brings a wealth of expertise from his previous roles in the shipping sector, said: “I am thrilled to join the John Good Group's Maritime Division and contribute my expertise to help achieve the company’s ambitious goals. I look forward to working with the team to expand our reach and strengthen our position in the industry.”
The addition of senior hire Tony Carter underscores John Good Group’s commitment to the growth and success of its Maritime Division. As the division continues to build on its strong foundation, Tony’s leadership will be instrumental in guiding the team to new heights, providing unparalleled service to clients, and fostering longterm success in the industry.
Akey figure at one of the region’s leading law firms is planning a prompt start to preparations for next year’s Humber Business Week after taking over the chair as the 2023 event drew to a close.
Pat Coyle, Director of Marketing and Client Relations at Rollits LLP, stepped into the role after Kath Lavery completed her 14th and final year at the helm.
Known in her day job for taking a forward-looking stance while also respecting the past, Pat said she will apply the same approach to leading the Biz Week steering group which she joined 10 years ago.
Pat said: “I’m looking forward very much to 2024 and continuing Kath’s legacy. There are exciting times ahead and we will start planning for 2024 as soon as the summer is over.”
Pat has been involved in many of Humber Business Week’s most
successful events, including a number organised through her role on the senior management team at Rollits.
At this year’s Biz Week she oversaw the return of the launch lunch, traditionally one of the hottest tickets of the week when Pat organised it as a key figure in the IoD and now back in the programme after her success in securing sponsorship from major businesses in Hull and East Yorkshire.
Other attractions this year included Chamber Expo, the HullBID Inspiring People dinner, grand finale of The Business Day at Bridlington Spa and an array of briefings and seminars addressing everything from sustainability and salt therapy to company culture and the carbon footprint.
Pat said: “Biz Week 2023 was a phenomenal year with 40 events covering a wide range of topics. I am very grateful to the amazing
steering group for their support and enthusiasm – it really is a team effort.
“I feel privileged to have worked alongside Kath on the steering group for over 10 years and I’m well aware she will be a hard act to follow, but I will do my best and I am up to the challenge.
“Humber Biz week demonstrates that the Humber really is a great place to do business and with the collaboration, support and contribution of the Humber Business Community I have no doubt that 2024 will be another great year.”
Forrester Boyd Chartered Accountants is delighted to announce the promotion of four of its home-grown accountants. Alex Shreeve and Katie Reeson celebrate being promoted to manager positions, whilst Amelia Jacklin and James Sykes celebrate becoming assistant managers.
Carrie Jensen, partner and HR lead for the firm, said: “We are delighted to be able to promote four of our accountants into management roles. They all started their careers with Forrester Boyd on our training programme. These promotions reflect the success of our training and how we help our staff to develop in their career paths.”
Alex Shreeve joined the firm in 2009 and became an assistant manager in 2018. The promotion to manager sees him take the next step in his career, sharing his time between the firm’s Grimsby and Scunthorpe offices.
Katie Reeson has also been promoted to manager. Katie works in the firm’s Louth office, having joined in 2015. She has built in-depth knowledge and expertise in the
Academies and Charities sectors and manages a wide portfolio of clients. Celebrating promotion to Assistant Manager is James Sykes. Based in the Scunthorpe office James joined as a trainee accountant in 2017, going on to qualify in 2021. He has a particular interest in personal tax planning and VAT.
Rounding up the promotions is Amelia Jacklin. Based in the firm’s Louth office, she
has been promoted to assistant manager, having first joined the firm in 2016.
Carrie added: “These achievements are just another example of the success in our strategy in recruiting and developing local and home grown talent. I myself, like most of the partners in the firm, started on Forrester Boyd’s trainee accountancy programme so it is great to see even more of our talent progressing internally with their careers.”
Williamsons Solicitors has appointed three new directors to complete a significant restructure of the firm’s management.
Wills and probate specialist Rebecca Bisby, licenced conveyancer Amanda Hewson and clinical negligence solicitor Wayne Walker are also heads of their respective departments.
All three were born and educated in East Yorkshire and are examples of Williamsons Solicitors’ commitment to investing in local talent.
They join fellow operational and finance directors Neil Waterhouse and John Auld whose appointments were announced in January, along with established ownerdirectors Sarah Clubley and Jane Cousins.
The new seven-strong leadership team will develop and implement the firm’s growth plans, which include operational enhancement, service and staff development.
Williamsons is well known throughout the East Riding of Yorkshire and has a reputation for the quality of its services which are provided by a 122-strong team working from the head office in Hull, and branches in Bridlington and Driffield.
It provides comprehensive private client law services along with a commercial law and commercial property.
Rebecca Bisby, who is a chartered fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives, said:
“This hugely successful firm still has so much potential, and it is exciting to explore the opportunities with such a strong leadership team.”
Wayne Walker, who a recognised expert in medical negligence dealing with awards ranging from a few thousand pounds to the multiple millions, said that he was proud of the achievements of his department and the firm as a whole. “I am looking forward to playing a more strategic role and making a significant contribution to the development of our services,” he said.
Amanda Hewson, who joined the firm as a school leaver in 2004, said: “It is thrilling to be able to lead the department and to be made a director. The personal service provided to clients from committed staff has been a key to our success and I want to assist in building on this strength.”
Owner-director Sarah Clubley, who is also head of the family and childcare department, said that the refreshed leadership team was bringing new energy and perspectives to the firm. “We now have a core senior management team with a superb range of complementary skills.
“I warmly welcome Wayne, Rebecca and Amanda to the board to join myself, Jane, Neil and John. This new team will be instrumental in securing continued development and success as we look after the legal interests of the people of East Yorkshire.”
Jane Cousins said: “We have a culture where everyone carries out their work professionally and with the utmost pride. This is reflected in the satisfaction of our clients who return to us time and time again for their legal needs and continue to recommend us for our services.
“It is a fantastic basis for new growth at the firm, and the new board allows for a clearer division of responsibilities, while bringing specific areas of expertise to help us achieve our ambitions.”
Williamsons Solicitors started in Hull more than 130 years ago, and has grown steadily through service development, expansion of its client base and acquisitions. It provides a range of essential services including crime, probate, conveyancing, family law, civil litigation, personal injury, clinical negligence and business property.
It is a supporter of local charities and community ventures including the Sailors’ Children’s Society, for which it has been the main sponsor at its annual Sportsman Lunch for many years.
For more information, see: www.williamsons-solicitors.co.uk
KCOM is backing Hull as the ideal place for investment at a major national business conference.
That was the message from Tim Shaw (pictured), KCOM CEO, when he spoke at The UK’s Real Estate Investment & Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) event as part of a national showcase promoting the business benefits of locating in the city alongside Hull City Council.
UKREiiF is a major national forum that aims to “connect people, places and businesses to accelerate and unlock sustainable, inclusive and transformational investment.”
The One Point recently held its AGM and celebrated 18 years in business. The company also celebrated the addition of its newest Values Ambassador, Oliver Cook.
Mr Shaw said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be speaking at UKREiiF to help tell the world about all the benefits of doing business in Hull and its surrounding area. As a company with deep roots in the region we know what a fantastic place it is for businesses to invest and thrive. With a supportive local authority, our world leading full fibre infrastructure, a great pipeline of tech-savvy talent coming through from local colleges, affordable housing and high standard of living, I’d urge
all investors to take a closer look at Hull.”
Hull City Council welcomed KCOM’s participation in the event saying the broadband provider’s commitment to the region showed how private investment in the region could flourish.
Alex Codd, Hull City Council’s assistant director for economic development and regeneration, said: “We’re really looking forward to attending UKREiiF.
It’s a fantastic opportunity to showcase what we have in Hull and what we have to offer for potential investors.
“One of our unique selling points is being the first fully connected city and that was made possible by KCOM building a world-class full fibre broadband network in Hull.”
The three-day event, which was held at the Royal Armouries in Leeds, was attended by 6,000
Lincolnshire, has prompted NLT Training Services to create a new role in Scunthorpe.
Louise also has extensive admin experience having also worked in estate agencies for a number of years. Outside work, Louise is actively involved in property development.
The One Point’s company values are Helpful, Responsive, and Trusted. And this is exactly the mindset Oliver brings with him each day at The One Point and with every customer interaction.
Oliver joined the business in 2019 as an apprentice and worked his way to becoming a highly valued member of their ICT Engineering team.
During this time, Oliver’s performance and attitude have been an exceptional example of the high standards they strive for making him the perfect choice for their team’s most coveted accolade, the Values Ambassador Award, a spokesman said, adding: “Well done, Oliver! We are all so proud and look forward to seeing what the future holds for you.”
Louise Bradshaw has joined the training provider’s Scunthorpe centre which is based on Queensway Industrial Estate as a Training Facilitator. Within the role Louise is responsible for coordinating and supporting the delivery of all courses at NLT’s Scunthorpe training facility.
Prior to joining NLT Louise, who lives in Scunthorpe, worked for a company that provided independent living for vulnerable adults, managing the accommodation throughout
Commenting on her new role with NLT Louise said: “I really enjoy working with people and admin-based roles, so this job is ideal for me; it fits with my personal and professional life. I am really enjoying the role and being part of a growing business in Scunthorpe.”
Sarah Temperton, Chief Executive of NLT Training Services, added: “Louise’s appointment reflects the increased demand for training we are currently experiencing. We
‘As a company with deep roots in the region we know what a fantastic place it is for businesses to invest and thrive’Oliver Cook gets his award
delegates including 1,500 investors and developers. The Forum is supported by a high number of regional combined authorities, local councils and Government departments – as well as the largest developers and investors from across the UK and internationally. This event aims to gather all the key players, influencers and decision makers within the investment and real estate sectors to highlight
opportunities in cities such as Hull, while creating new relationships to drive economic growth through development and regeneration.
Founded in 1904, KCOM is one of Hull’s largest local employers and has invested around £200m in the area’s full fibre broadband network in the past decade and continues to play a leading role in the local community.
The chair of a new All Party Parliamentary Group on modernising employment delivered a strong message to the country’s serviced workspace sector about the opportunities offered by remote and hybrid working.
Emma Hardy, the MP for Hull West and Hessle, told the annual conference of the Flexible Space Association (FlexSA) that technology can be used to turn redundant retail units into residential and coworking space and let people do meaningful and rewarding jobs without leaving the places they love.
Ms Hardy said her Work Hull Work Happy project is emerging as the blueprint for change and businesses are coming on board to drive the venture.
The MP was invited to address the conference by Freya Cross, the current chair of FlexSA and Head of Business & Corporate at The Deep, which houses more than 40 firms and 250 staff in its business centre in Hull.
Ms Hardy revealed that Work Hull Work Happy emerged as a result of her involvement in supporting workers through redundancies at BAE Systems in Brough, where people in research and design were allowed to continue in their jobs as remote workers.
She said: “Without this new option, they would have been required to relocate and, no doubt, many would have faced a difficult decision. Not only was this avoided, but BAE discovered that by offering remote working they were suddenly able to recruit talent and skills that had been previously unavailable.
“This started bells ringing. If we struggle to bring jobs to Hull, can we instead, through remote technology, bring Hull to the jobs?”
Ms Hardy highlighted the changes triggered by the pandemic, with the increase in home working and the move towards conducting meetings over Teams and Zoom.
She revealed: “That is how my office now functions, with a morning Teams meeting and time shared between homeworking and my Hull office. I am one of the only members of parliament to actually have no staff in London whatsoever. They all work hybrid from my office in Hull.
have revised our training offer over the last six months and added more eLearning and inperson courses that businesses in the area need, including leadership and management courses to help businesses adapt to the different ways of working which have been adopted since the pandemic. It’s an exciting period of growth for NLT.”
NLT was established more than 50 years ago and has since been delivering an extensive and
innovative range of Health and Safety, and Leadership and Management training programmes. Alongside its diverse programme of in-centre training, NLT also offers more than 90 eLearning courses, which are available to book online.
To discover more about the courses and bespoke training at NLT’s Chesterfield and Scunthorpe sites, visit www.nlt-training.co.uk or call 0333 880 3540.
“I am acutely aware of the challenges facing the city of Hull and the region. The city ranks high on the Index of Multiple Deprivation. My own constituency is 20th out of 533; North Hull 25th and East Hull 31st. But Hull also has an extensive network of high-speed fibre broadband, unmatched by any other UK city, with full fibre, ultrafast connection available to 98.8% of properties in Hull North, 97.6% in Hull West and Hessle, and 97.4% in Hull North.”
The FlexSA membership now extends across more than 1,000 sites nationwide including serviced, managed, co-working and shared accommodation and Ms Hardy highlighted the potential for expansion. She said: “We have high speed fibre broadband, talent, our people used to working remotely but we don’t have the spaces hybrid working.”
Heritage bridge works specialist Spencer Group has been praised for its work to completely refurbish and rebuild one of the world’s oldest suspension bridges.
Spencer Group has completed a programme of essential works to preserve Union Chain Bridge linking England and Scotland, which is more than 200 years old.
The crossing over the River Tweed from Horncliffe in Northumberland to Fishwick in Berwickshire has a single span of 449ft (137m) and was the longest wrought iron suspension bridge in the world when it opened in 1820.
Union Chain Bridge, which is both a Grade I listed building in England and a Grade A listed building in Scotland, is credited with being a catalyst for bridge innovation. It influenced the design of many other famous structures and remains the world’s oldest suspension bridge still carrying traffic.
A funding bid was submitted to the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) by Northumberland County Council, Scottish Borders Council, Museums Northumberland and community group the Friends of the Union Chain Bridge, amid concerns about the condition of the bridge.
Following the successful bid, Spencer Group was appointed by Northumberland County Council to dismantle the bridge and carry out a complete refurbishment and rebuild.
A key element of the project was to ensure modifications were in keeping with the historical significance of the bridge. This included restoring, rather than replacing, the suspension chains and using the same type of stone to repair masonry work on the bridge’s two towers.
Ted Cawthorne, Honorary Treasurer of the Friends of the Union Chain Bridge, which was formed in 2014 and has more than 700
members, said: “It’s been an incredible job by Spencer Group and we’re absolutely delighted to have the bridge back. It’s a vital link between the communities on either side.
“The bridge is an important part of the local scene, so we’re very pleased to have it back fully installed and in use again.
“It looks wonderful and even more elegant than it did before. There are some differences that have been made during the restoration, with some necessary modern interventions, but that’s just a sign of this remarkable bridge moving with the times.
“It’s a terrific achievement and it means a great deal to us to have it restored and fit for use for another 150-200 years.
“The remarkable thing is that many of the original components are still intact, which means they will be 350-400-years-old by the time it might need another restoration.”
Hull-based Spencer Group worked closely with the Friends of the Union Chain Bridge, along with other community groups, the two councils and Museums Northumberland to keep them informed and updated throughout the delivery of the project.
Mr Cawthorne said: “Spencer Group have been fantastic and engaged with us every step of the way. We couldn’t have asked for more. It’s been a privilege to have them in the community working with us. They’ve been marvellous and really integrated into the community. The team has been very approachable and all of them have been very friendly as well.”
Union Chain Bridge is only accessible to one vehicle at a time due to its restricted width. It previously had a weight restriction of two tonnes but, following the restoration and rebuild, this has been increased to three tonnes.
Spencer Group also remodelled the English and Scottish approach roads to incorporate parking for visitors to the bridge, which is accessible to both vehicles and pedestrians and is a popular tourist attraction.
Joe DiMauro, Engineering Director for Spencer Bridge Engineering, said: “It’s been a privilege and an honour for us to carry out this crucial heritage project to preserve such a historical structure for future generations.
“It’s been a long journey, from the initial planning through to removing the whole structure, refurbishing all the components, and completely rebuilding it.
“It’s been incredible to have been part of the project from start to finish and it feels like a great achievement now that it’s complete.”
For more information about Spencer Group’s bridge works expertise and projects it has delivered, visit www.thespencergroup.co.uk/our-work/ bridges
‘The bridge is an important part of the local scene, so we’re very pleased to have it back fully installed and in use’
Life can’t be all about work! Chamber Motoring reviews some of the latest offerings on the market.
With sharp looks and attractive pricing, is this iconic brand on to a winner? David Hooper drives the all-electric MG4.
MG proudly claims to be the fastest growing car brand in the UK thanks to its range of affordable electric vehicles which are attracting more drivers to electrically-charged motoring!
The MG brand with its octagonal badge dates back to 1924 and earned its place in British motoring history with some now iconic, much loved classics, which today continue to be sought after by collectors and enthusiasts alike. The MGs of today are very different with the brand now under Chinese ownership, but some things haven’t changed – the cars are still eye-catching, sporty and affordable!
Designed in Marylebone, London, and manufactured in state-of-the-art factories in several countries, today’s MGs are packed with the latest tech and feature the company’s innovative Modular Scalable Platform (MSP) and its intelligent iSmart vehicle data app. There is a national network of more than 150 dealerships and the cars come complete with a 7-year warranty.
Our MG4 test car arrived with around a 70% charge, so the first job was to plug it in to my newly-installed Pod Point 7kW wall charger and get it fully charged up and ready to go! The connector simply plugs into the car, and charging begins, with a green light on the unit and the car showing charging is in progress, while a display on the dash shows the predicted time until the vehicle is fully charged.
The MG4 is a striking car to look at with its sculpted bonnet reminding me of Jaguar’s i-Pace, which is no bad thing, while its overall look is quite attractively sporty and I particularly liked the silver MG badge on the nose
which wraps around the front of the car and into the wings, combined with a smartly designed front valance and spoiler.
True to the brand’s sports car heritage, this model although electric, boasts 50/50 weight distribution and rear-wheel-drive, so may well appeal to some enthusiasts with a penchant for electric cars!
The boot is also a good size for family duties, and I like the fact that the charging cables come in their own personalised bag with the MG logo printed on it, unlike many other electric vehicles I have tried so far which have the cables just slung in the boot, which are not only untidy, but also get tangled up in knots on a regular basis!
Inside, the MG4 is quite minimalist. It features two small screens, one in front of the steering wheel and a wider one sitting in the centre of the dash which between them convey all the crucial informatio n, however, I didn’t find the software particularly intuitive to use.
The biggest issue for me is the lack of a Start/Stop button. When you get into the car and it detects the key, just press the brake pedal and the car lights up and you’re ready to go, but when you park, trying to turn it off again was a whole new experience for me! After much searching, I discovered a red button which turns off the car, but to get to it, you have to press the car icon, then the safety tab, which is the last choice in a block of five, and then there is a bright red Power Off button which turns the car off. I would have thought if MG were going down that route of pressing a button on a screen to turn the car off that it would at least be logically placed on one of the top menus!
While the MG does have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, during my test the CarPlay system seemed to work when it felt like it and sometimes didn’t connect either CarPlay or the telephone properly.
I liked the clarity of the screen in front of the driver which displays remaining mileage and battery
TOP: The sculpted bonnet is one of the MG4’s many eye-catching elements
ABOVE: The dashboard is fairly minimalist with two screens providing all the relevant information
OPPOSITE: The car’s boot is an especially good size for families
percentage directly under the speed read out. It also shows the traffic signs, trip computer information and the cruise control system. The six-sided steering wheel has two large cursor type buttons on its centre bar, and three smaller buttons, either side, which bring up various menus and operate the cruise control.
The dashboard top features a nice slush-moulded material and while there are some soft panels in the door cards, the door cappings are made from hard, fingernail scratching plastic. The seats are reasonably comfortable, but I would prefer longer squabs to support the underside of my knees better.
In the centre of the car is a little plinth on which you can put your mobile phone and feed the cables through it to keep things neat and tidy, which was a nice little touch. In front of that is a big chrome dial which selects reverse, neutral, or drive and the electric parking brake switch. Also between the front seats are two cup holders and a large sliding drawer to keep things out of sight, plus a large central cubbyhole in the armrest.
So what’s it like to drive? On the road, the MG4 feels quite accomplished with light steering providing plenty of feedback. The car turns in accurately and the power from the electric motor and the poised rear wheel drive layout is an enjoyable combination and does provide the sporty feel lacking in some other configurations that I have tested so far from rival manufacturers, so top marks to MG for that!
The car’s performance is quite engaging, and makes for an enjoyable cross-country companion when you can press on and not worry about the amount of electrical energy you are using to propel the car.
MODEL: MG 4 SE Long Range
ENGINE: 64kWh battery, 203PS, driving rear wheels through synchronous, rear mounted motor
PERFORMANCE: Top speed 100 mph. 0-62mph in 7.9 secs.
ECONOMY:
City: 5.0 miles/kWh.
Combined: 3.8 miles/kWh
Maximum driving range – Combined: 281 miles
Maximum driving range – City: 360 miles
CHARGING: Connection type: Combined Type 2 and CCS
On-board charger (AC) 7 kW
Rapid charging (DC) 135 kW
Est charging time (2.2 kW AC) 10-100%: 26 hours
Est charging time (7 kW AC) 9 hours
Est charging time (50 kW DC) 52 minutes
Est charging time (150 kW DC) 39 minutes
CO2 EMISSIONS: 0g/km
WARRANTY: 7 years
WEBSITE: www.mg.co.uk
•All data correct at time of publication.
One quick commute over a distance of 33 miles, saw the battery go from 100% to 65%, but thanks to my new Pod Point charger which replenishes the battery at a rate of around 30 miles per every hour on charge, our MG4 was soon topped up again and ready for the next day’s adventures.
All-in-all, the MG4 looks good, is competitively priced and fun to drive, so there’s much to like!
If you’re not familiar with the Cupra brand, it’s essentially the sporting arm of Spanish carmaker Seat which has now become a manufacturer in its own right.
This quirkily-named Born model is the brand’s first fully electric car, designed with driving fun in mind, with parts pinched from parent company VW’s parts bins, while under its skin, the Born is closely related to VW’s ID.3 model. More new Cupra electric models are on their way soon, and will be called the Tavascan and UrbanRebel!
If you fancy a Cupra Born, prices start from around £36,000, but another £7,000 will get you the top 77kWh model in V3 trim.
The Cupra Born looks pretty stylish for a family car, helped by its copper coloured accents, and comes with 18in alloys as standard, LED headlights, adaptive cruise control and a 12in infotainment display, plus three trim levels, V1, V2 or V3. The front of the car has a large bronze flash under the number plate and I liked the discrete corporate wording under the lip of the bonnet, and its distinctive badge, sitting on its nose.
It all looks very smart inside too, where the coppercoloured trim theme is carried through into the interior elements of copper stitching around the dashboard top, on the air vents and some trim on the door cards and centre console. The pattern on the dashboard facing carries through into the doors and onto the seats, so the whole interior has an integrated and co-ordinated feel to it which gives the car an upmarket premium ambience.
Sitting in the middle of the dash is a large screen which controls most of the main functions, including Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, navigation, telephony and trip computers that show miles per kilowatt hour. During my test they revealed that I averaged 3.2 miles/kWh at an average speed of 34mph and over a total distance of nearly 450 miles. The e-Boost function increases the car’s
MODEL: Cupra Born 77kWh V3 e-Boost
power output, taking it temporarily from 201bhp up to 227bhp when needed – useful for quick overtakes.
The Cupra Born is a c omfortable and confident car to travel in with a slightly raised SUV style seating position giving a good view through the large glassy windows.
The gear selector isn’t in the usual place, which takes a little getting used to, as it’s perched behind the steering wheel to the right of the panel that sits behind it, but once you get used to it, it works quite well you simply twist it forward for drive or back to reverse while the button on the end of the stalk is the parking brake. A second notch forward selects the regenerative braking mode which helps extend battery life on a longer run as the car slows down.
BATTERY: 77kWh, 230PS e-Boost, permanent magnetic synchronous electric motor, single speed automatic driving the rear wheels
PERFORMANCE: Top speed 99mph, 062mph in 7.0 secs
ECONOMY: Electric consumption 15.7-17.5 kWh/100km) WLTP
CHARGING: AV 11 kW 0-100% 7hrs 30 min DC 135 kW 5-80% 36 min
CO2 EMISSIONS: 0g/km
PRICE: £45,195 as tested
WARRANTY: 3 years/ 60,000 miles
Different driving modes can be selected by pressing a button on the steering wheel which gives you a choice of Performance, Cupra, individual settings, or range if you have to eke out every mile that you can from your battery.
The buttons on the steering wheel had me perplexed and frustrated for a while, as they didn’t seem to do anything I wanted them to do, especially the plus and minus for the volume and the cruise control. It was just over two days before I finally worked out that you had to actually stroke the buttons up or down to adjust the volume or the speed setting on the cruise control.
The Cupra’s 77kWh, battery provides a range of around 240 miles once fully charged, which was easy to do now I have a Pod Point charger at home, which makes living with an EV so much more enjoyable than having
WEBSITE: www.cupraofficial.co.uk
• All data correct at time of publication.
‘A full charge was enough for me to manage a trip to North Yorkshire and back without having to recharge the car’
to rely on a three pin socket which can literally take days to charge a big car battery! A full charge was enough for me to manage a trip to North Yorkshire and back without having to recharge the car, although it was fairly borderline distance-wise, and with a distinct lack of public charging points available according to Zap-Map.
As a package, the Cupra Born works very well –it has a decent range and is nice to driv e and like all good sports cars features rear wheel drive which gives the car a nice balance and of course being electric it has seamless acceleration from rest to 62mph in a rapid 7.0 seconds and can continue on to 99mph top speed.
Our test car sits on 20in rims shod with Continental’s Eco-Contact 6 tyres which may help with the range thanks to their low rolling resistance, but they can feel a bit squidgy on a sports car when it is driven reasonably quickly on some twisting and undulating roads.
Once at my destination in the picturesque Goathland, I didn’t dare to drive the car again until commencing the return leg, which would have increased my own heartbeat if I couldn’t find a charger!
The Cupra comes with lots of toys and will manoeuvre itself into a parking space if you use park assist, and also has several driver alerts and smart assistance like lane keeping assist, road sign recognition, eco-assistance, and radar cruise control.
On the road, the car drives very well with the sporty seats in the top model I tested providing plenty of support and comfort on a longer drive, and you don’t have to worry about keeping your phone charged up on the move as the space created by moving the gear selector elsewhere means there is a slot for a phone.
The boot is also a good size and the rear seats fold down in a 60/40 split to provide extra load carrying capacity when required and it’s quick and easy to do.
The Cupra Born is a good car, but it’s not cheap, especially in the top spec tested here.
This year’s Chamber Motor Show was a popular attraction located at the entrance to Chamber Expo featuring vehicles from numerous leading dealerships on display featuring models from prestige brands including Land Rover, Jaguar, Volvo, SEAT, Cupra, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and MINI – with plenty of electric and hybrid models included in the mix too!
A warm welcome and introduction to the latest businesses to join Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce.
Carers’ Support Service
David Wilson
Brigg
01652 650585
Charity –Carers’ Support Service
CEE PPT Ltd
Claire Geechan
Caistor
0800 4681967
Carbon, Energy & Environmental Consultancy
Controlled Building Measures Ltd
Gary Gale
Grimsby
01472 317770
Construction Company
Early Years Educare Ltd (& Growing Healthy
Minds CIC)
Michelle Cook
Humberston
01472 211600
Pre-School Learning (& GHM Community Space & Café)
Euro Continental Forwarding Ltd
John Mason Hull
01482 330524
Freight Forwarding & Customs
Evolve Business Developments
Karen Locking
Scunthorpe
07730 525349
Social Media & Marketing Consultancy
Gaia Workplace Wellbeing Ltd
Samantha Langford
Brigg
07857 513465
Business Consulting & Training
Geotech Structural Limited
Kris Blake Hull
01482 373050
Civil & Structural Contractors
HDM Solar
Hannah Rogers
Hull
0800 0016 802
Renewable Energy
Hotham’s Ltd
Simon Pownall
Hull
01482 400215
Distillery & Events
How Can I Help You Ltd
Erica Baron Beverley
07751 365294
Lifestyle & Business Management
Loom Consultancy
Martin Stead Hull 07894 511060
Business Consultancy
PGM Caravan Services
Steve Mills
Withernsea 01964 613941
Holiday Home Repairs
RSUK Group
Jack Lobaczewski
Grimsby 01472 867820
Renewables Specialists, Electrical & Project Management
Smashed Crab Software
Alex Beamer Hull 01482 935356
Software Development
Sunflowers Children Action Group
Joanne Wright
Grimsby 07597 988809
Charity
The Rawcliffe Road Partnership
Vrajlal Sodha
Goole 07850 800140
Industrial Properties
Victor Finance
Barry Nicol
Brigg 01724 844111
Commercial Finance
Worldwide Corporate Advisors LLP
Mr Phil Williams London 020 7264 2173
Legal Corporate Services
If you like to have the Last Word, here's your chance - email David Hooper at d.hooper@hull-humber-chamber.co.uk
Job title: Head of Business and Corporate
Name of the business: The Deep
Describe your job in a nutshell?
Flexible and hybrid working solutions for 200250 people in organisations from new start-up to multi-national companies. Meetings and events including corporate hospitality and celebrations and pre-meeting breakfasts in front of penguins or aquaria at The Deep.
Where is it based?
An inspirational waterfront location in close proximity to the Fruit Market.
What has been your biggest challenge in the last year?
Keeping pace with our clients’ changing working patterns post-Covid be it back to the office or hybrid or something completely different. We have also seen an increase in our virtual office services for those who have stayed working from home.
As national Chair of the Flexible Space Association (FlexSA) I’m aware this is a reflection of the wider industry, resulting in changes in the support and advice we offer our members.
What are you most looking forward to in the next three months?
Welcoming new clients and making the best of the emerging opportunities we get supporting and working with our growing clients.
Encouraging our clients to support our aims to take our sustainability measures to the next level. I am particularly looking forward to a potential wellbeing event in The Deep with one of our clients – it will be something completely different and the backdrop of the aquaria will add serenity.
What news story has had the biggest impact recently?
I think it has to be the cost of living crisis and interest rate increases. On a business level it directly affects our clients decision making both in terms of workspace and meeting/conference requirements.
On a personal level it affects our employees and those of our clients with whom we build strong bonds. This in turn means we are also
providing parochial support - the proverbial “shoulder to cry on” or signposting to support organisations.
If you could choose, what job would do?
Aquarist – I left school with a place at Reading University to do Marine Biology but unfortunately it was not to be. Joining The Deep in 2000 brought me full circle and I took up the opportunity to do the foundation course with Hull University in 2002.
What is your biggest ambition? With the business centre and The Deep to continue evolving our offer and to exceed the expectations of our clients.
For Hull – a wider vibrancy in the city – we have pockets in specific locations and gaps in others. The Work Hull Work happy project, which Emma Hardy outlined at this year’s FlexSA national conference, can help towards
that as the first collaboration of its kind in the UK.
Where will your next holiday be? Madrid and Santiago de Compostela.
What are your hobbies and which is your favourite pastime?
My sons, their wives and my new granddaughter. I love gardening, swimming and walking with my dog, especially at the coast. I am a crafty person specifically card making which I make and sell for donations to Dove House Hospice.
What are your plans for the weekend?
My weekends revolve around my family –either my parents in East Anglia or my son and his family in Newcastle, or events at The Deep. Weekends at home will be spent gardening and walking on the beach.
